Neighborhood News Digest – 13 November 2023

Afghanistan

Over 6,000 Afghan migrants return from Pakistan in a single day – The Khaama Press

The Ministry of Migrant Affairs of Afghanistan has reported that more than 6,000 Afghan migrants returned to the country in a single day through the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders. In a statement released on Sunday, the Ministry reported that as of Saturday, November 11, a total of 6,101 Afghan migrants have returned to the country through the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders. Click here to read... [2]

Afghan Currency Rises Against US Dollar – Tolo News

The money-exchange union of Sarai Shahzada, Kabul announced that today (Sunday, 12th November) 66.70 Afs were exchanged for $1 USD, a week ago it was 73.50 Afs/dollar. The spokesman for the money-exchange union said that the rise was caused due to the ban on the use of foreign currencies, particularly Pakistani rupees, in business deals in the country. Click here to read... [3]

Russia delivers 40 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan – The Khaama Press

In response to a recent earthquake in Herat, Russia’s Defense Ministry has dispatched two special flights carrying approximately 40 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, as announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry. “On November 11, humanitarian cargo weighing some 40 metric tons was delivered to Kabul by two special flights of the Russian Defense Ministry on behalf of the Russian government and the Moscow-based Afghan Business Center,” Russia’s diplomatic agency said on its website. Click here to read... [4]

Taliban success emboldens Pakistani militants, and deadly attacks surge – The Washington Post

The attackers descended in the early morning from the steep mountains that tower over Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. Gunfire echoed in the valleys as Pakistani Taliban fighters stormed Pakistani military posts. By the time the fighting stopped hours later, four soldiers and 12 militants were dead. The Sept. 6 attack, described by officials in Pakistan as a cross-border assault from Afghanistan, stunned a Pakistani leadership that had thought the Pakistani Taliban was virtually eliminated. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Govt cannot be ousted through clandestine activities, PM says- Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 12, stated that her government cannot be overthrown through clandestine activities and attacks as the people do not support the opposition movement. The PM compared the attack, carried out by BNP men on a hospital and ambulance, to Israel’s bombing of a Palestinian hospital, she said followers of BNP leaders Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman attack pregnant women in ambulances. Click here to read... [6]

Russian navy ships call at Chattogram port after 50yrs- The Daily Star

A Russian naval group has called at the port of Chittagong in Bangladesh for the first time in almost half a century. The Pacific Fleet’s naval group comprises the large anti-submarine warfare ships Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleyev and the oceanic tanker Pechenga. The combat ships moored at the Chittagong port considered as the south Asian country’s main sea harbor. Click here to read... [7]

Bhutan

Himalayan glacier shrink, urgent global action needed: Experts – Kuensel

Glaciers in the Himalayan regions are experiencing the impact of climate change, losing billions of gallons of glacial water annually, according to officials from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), who participated in the ‘One Planet Polar Summit’ in France, which concludes today. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan’s youth unemployment narrows, challenges linger – Kuensel

The urban-rural youth unemployment gap in Bhutan has decreased from 18.8 percent in 2013 to 12.9 percent in 2022, with urban unemployment at 10.4 percent and rural unemployment at 3.4 percent, as per the fourteenth Labour Market Information Bulletin (LMIB). The report revealed that 63.5 percent of rural workers were skilled in agriculture, while 63.5 percent of urban workers were in service and sales. Click here to read... [9]

Maldives

No-confidence motion sessions against Speaker Nasheed end in stalemate- Avas

Two parliamentary sessions convened November 12, to address the no-confidence motion against Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed ended without reaching a resolution. The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) initiated a no-confidence motion against Nasheed on October 9, with 49 MDP MPs backing the motion. Click here to read... [10]

Muizzu: Solution to Indian troops presence can be reached via diplomacy- SunOnline International

President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said that the withdrawal of Indian troops stationed in Maldives cannot happen on the streets and that it can only be done through diplomacy. He said there was no problem with India except the issues caused by the foreign policy and economic policy of this government. Click here to read... [11]

Myanmar

Myanmar fighter jet crashes, rebels claim responsibility- Reuters

A Myanmar fighter jet has crashed during clashes between the military and an insurgent group, both sides said, in another setback for a junta facing the biggest challenge to its rule since a coup in 2021. The jet went down over Kayah State in eastern Myanmar, near the border with Thailand, on Saturday during fighting between the military and the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), which said it shot down the plane. Click here to read... [12]

Fighting in northern Myanmar displaces almost 50,000 civilians, UN says- France 24

United Nations (UN) stated that almost 50,000 people have been displaced by fighting in northern Myanmar after an alliance of ethnic armed groups launched an offensive against the military two weeks ago. Fighting has raged across northern Shan state near the Chinese border, in what analysts say poses the biggest military challenge to the junta since it seized power in 2021. Click here to read... [13]

Nepal

Nepal gears up for 10,800MW Karnali Chisapani project – The Kathmandu Post

The Nepal Electricity Authority said it would soon begin preparing a detailed project report (DPR) of the long-proposed 10,800-megawatt Karnali Chisapani Multipurpose Project following a Cabinet decision on Thursday. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, who is the government spokesperson, on Thursday told journalists that the Cabinet decided to conduct a fresh study of the project involving the state-owned power utility. Click here to read... [14]

After dismal progress in BRI, China switches to ‘regional approach’ in Nepal: Report – The Print

After six years of dismal progress on projects under the Belt and Road Initiative in Nepal, China seems to have taken a regional approach to extend President Xi Jinping’s flagship connectivity arm, a report in Kathmandu Post stated. The report stated that it was apparent in the way the Tibet regional secretary of the Communist Party of China held meetings in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Wang Junzheng, the CPC secretary for Xizang Autonomous Region of China, visited the province and met with its chief minister. Click here to read... [15]

Nepal may approach Pakistan for sugar import – The Kathmandu Post

With the Indian government quoting a high price for sugar, which Nepal plans to import through a government-to-government arrangement, top Nepali government officials said they may approach Pakistan for the sweetener if India’s offer doesn’t prove sweet enough. Due to issues ranging from quality (small crystal sugar) to pricing, the process of importing sugar in a government-to-government deal to meet the Tihar festival demand has been deferred, sources privy to the matter told the Post. Click here to read... [16]

Nepal Is Investigating New Airport Made by China – The New York Times

As developing countries weigh the consequences of borrowing heavily from China for major infrastructure projects, anti-corruption officials in Nepal have begun an investigation into a flagship airport financed and built by Chinese state-owned companies. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

How much debt is too much debt? Curious case of Pakistan’s $69 billion Chinese debt trap – The Print

Close to $69 billion ($68.91 billion) — that’s the total sum of money China has lent Pakistan. A considerable chunk of this ($55.8 billion) was lent between 2013 and 2021, with $33 billion lent during a three-year period, from 2015 to 2017, a study has revealed. AidData, a research lab at the College of William and Mary in the US, calculated Pakistan’s total debt owed to China in a report published on 6 November. Researchers also found that Beijing funded 433 projects in Pakistan between 2000 and 2021. Click here to read... [18]

Over 100 more workers of Imran Khan's party arrested in connection with May 9 violence –00 The Hindu

Over 100 more workers of jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have been arrested in Pakistan's Punjab province capital Lahore in connection with attacks on military installations in May, police said on November 12. "We have arrested 105 PTI workers wanted in the attacks on Lahore Corps Commander House and Askari Tower (allegedly owned by the son of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa) in different parts of the city on Saturday," a Lahore police statement said on November 12. Click here to read... [19]

Indian, Pakistani soldiers exchange sweets on Diwali along LoC in J-K – Business Standard

Indian Army exchanged sweets with their Pakistani counterparts on the occasion of Diwali on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. However, there was no traditional exchange of sweets and pleasantries between the two sides along the International Border (IB), the officials said, attributing it to the tense situation following the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers that left a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan dead. Click here to read... [20]

Strategic moves on Balochistan’s political chessboard – Dawn

The political landscape of Balochistan seems to be undergoing a shift again, with several key figures who had recently aligned with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now moving towards the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has recently been labelled with the epithet “king’s party” by its foes and some past allies. Click here to read... [21]

Sri Lanka

President emphasizes Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening International Economic Relations– News.lk

In a keynote address at the Annual Graduation ceremony of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, on November 10, President Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined Sri Lanka’s strategic focus on expanding economic cooperation with key international partners. President Wickremesinghe highlighted the country’s intent to foster economic collaboration with India and member nations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP), along with efforts to enhance ties with the European Union (EU). He underscored the historical significance of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, citing the era from the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake to Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as a golden period. Click here to read... [22]

China’s support expected to further strengthen digital education: Minister- Daily Mirror

Following a special meeting with People's Republic of China's Education Minister, Huai Jinpeng, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that China's support is expected to further strengthen digital education powered by education reforms. Minister Premajayantha met the Chinese Education Minister after participating in the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Paris, France. Recently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed a memorandum of understanding with China's Huawei Institute for the digitization of education in Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [23]

Sri Lanka: World Bank Approves $150 Million to Strengthen Financial Sector- World Bank

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $150 million in financing for Sri Lanka to strengthen the resilience of the financial sector. The Financial Sector Safety Net Project is designed to boost the financial and institutional capacity of the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme (SLDIS), which is managed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [24]