Neighborhood News Digest – 28 November 2023

Afghanistan

Herat Security Dialogue to Discuss Afghan Situation Held in Dushanbe- Tolo News

More than 150 high profile people including opposition figures of the Islamic Emirate, analysts and envoys of many countries and international organizations attended the 11th Herat Security Dialogue, where they exchanged views on the situation of Afghanistan. The participants discussed the political and security situation of Afghanistan as well as the status of women and provision of humanitarian assistance to the country. Some of the participants criticized the double standard policy of the international community towards Afghanistan. Click here to read... [2]

Road Between Badakhshan and China Will Be Completed in 3 Months- BNN Network

Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development announced that the Badakhshan-China Road work project is expected to be completed in the coming three months. The critical road work between Badakhshan and China is projected to increase trade and commerce, fostering cross-border relations. Minister also discussed the commencement of the Qosh Tepa Canal project Click here to read... [3]

Afghanistan permanently shuts down its embassy in India- Hindustan Times

Releasing an official statement on the closure of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, the Afghan embassy stating; "Effective from November 23, 2023, owing to persistent challenges from the Indian government. The decision follows the embassy's earlier cessation of operations on September 30, a move made in the hope that the Indian government stance will favourably change to let the mission operate normally." Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

More long-haul buses on roads on last day of blockade- Dhaka Tribune

The operation of long-haul buses from Dhaka increased on the last day of the seventh phase of the blockade called by BNP and Jamaat on November 27. Although the number of passengers remained low, inter-district buses were seen leaving the Mohakhali, Fulbaria and Sayedabad bus terminals on time. “Since morning, eleven buses departed the terminal. Even though there are fewer passengers, the company has been instructed to maintain the bus schedules," said Shamim, counter master of Ananya Transport at the Mohakhali bus terminal. Click here to read... [5]

4.66 lakh migrants returned home permanently in past 2 years- The Daily Star

A new report from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows that 466,666 Bangladeshi expatriates permanently returned home in the past two years. According to the "Population and Housing Census 2022: National Report (Volume-I)", 1.54 lakh or 33.03 percent of the returnee expatriates were from Chattogram division followed by 1.32 lakh or 28.48 percent from Dhaka division. The report, also showed that 27,842 foreigners were staying in Bangladesh during the census period. Click here to read... [6]

Bangladesh wants trilateral mechanism on energy- The Kathmandu Post

Bangladesh has proposed a mechanism between Nepal, India and Bangladesh at the highest bureaucratic level to enhance trilateral cooperation in the energy sector. Currently, Nepal has bilateral mechanisms for energy cooperation with both India and Bangladesh; while India and Bangladesh also have similar mechanisms that work to smoothen out wrinkles in cooperation in the energy sector at bilateral level. Click here to read... [7]

6 Bangladeshi nationals detained in Jammu for illegally entering India- The Hindustan Times

Preliminary investigation suggests that five of them had reached Jammu with the help of a tout and were heading for Kashmir when they were picked up from Bathindi. Another woman, also a Bangladeshi national who got married in Ramban district of Jammu, was held from Gandhi Nagar. She was supposed to accompany the other women and girls to Kashmir, officials said. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan

Who will make it to the final round? -The Bhutanese

The big question for the 30th November 2023 poll day is which are the two parties that will make it to the final round. Older parties like Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) feel that the older parties have a higher chance of making it to the final round. Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) played it diplomatic and feels all parties have equal chances. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) also feels all parties have an equal chance. Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa (DTT) feels people will go with change like before and give new parties a chance. Click here to read... [9]

Construction of Bangladesh Chancery office begins- Kuensel

The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bangladesh Chancery and Ambassador’s Residence was held at Hejo, Thimphu. The construction of the ceremony marks the next step in the bilateral relationship between Bhutan and Bangladesh, further strengthening the bond of friendship. Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan, Shib Nath Roy said that the construction of the embassy had to be halted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and other formalities. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

Yameen quits PPM, announces new party – the Edition

Former President and President of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has decided to leave the party and form a new party of his own. Yameen's lawyer Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said on a programme on Channel 13 that this was a difficult decision made by the former President. Click here to read... [11]

Parliament concludes budget debate- Avas

The Parliament debates on next year's budget concluded on November 26. The proposed budget for the next fiscal year stands at MVR 49.5 billion, with allocations of MVR 34.8 billion for recurrent expenditure, MVR 12.5 billion for capital expenditure, and MVR 2.2 billion for debt repayment. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

Armed Myanmar Group Seizes Border Crossing to China- NDTV

An ethnic minority armed group in Myanmar has seized control from the country's ruling junta of a lucrative border crossing to China, local media and a security source said on November 26. Clashes have raged across Myanmar's northern Shan state, close to the Chinese border, after an armed alliance of three ethnic minority groups launched an offensive against the military in October. The groups have seized dozens of military positions and a town important for trade with China, choking commerce routes for the cash-strapped junta. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar's spiraling violence spawns strategic risks for India – Nikkei Asia

Fierce fighting in Myanmar has raised "deep concern" in India, which is closely monitoring security along the countries' shared border while bracing for an influx of refugees. The military regime that seized power in Myanmar in February 2021, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, is facing arguably its biggest test yet in the form of a coordinated armed resistance. The renewed instability has raised alarm in countries that border the troubled Southeast Asian state, including rival powers India and China. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

Police, pro-monarchy protestors clash in Nepal capital – Indian Express

Police and protest groups clashed in Kathmandu on Thursday with the former using tear gas shells to disperse agitators. While the Nepal Army was kept on stand-by, the need to use these personnel didn’t arise. Pro-Monarchy protestors – led by Durga Prasai, an entrepreneur and a former Maoist activist turned central committee member of the K P Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) – moved away from the designated protest area towards market places where they began shouting slogans in favour of restoring the monarchy and abolishing the ‘costly federal system’. They even clashed with members of Yubasangh – a militant youth wing of the UML Party. Click here to read... [15]

Congress opens to debating secularism within the party- The Kathmandu Post

Nepal has seen a series of demonstrations lately—by pro-Hindu groups in Dharan and Nepalgunj, by the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party in Jhapa, and by supporters of controversial medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai in Kathmandu. Thousands of people demanding the restoration of Hindu state and constitutional monarchy staged demonstrations in Dharan in August-end, and in Nepalgunj and a few other districts in the first week of October, in a sporadic manner, not only posing challenges for security agencies but also creating room for “rise of the right” in the country. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan

Indian Army says retired Pakistan soldiers among terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir- The Mint

In a recent terror attack in the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army said that retired Pakistani soldiers were among the group of militants. "Some of the terrorists have been found to be retired soldiers...Pakistan wants to bring foreign terrorists here as there are no local recruits here. We are trying to eliminate the foreign terrorists," Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said. Click here to read... [17]

PTI Campaign ‘buoyant in KP, listless in Punjab’- The Dawn

AT a time when the incumbent rulers seem to be doing their utmost to keep a lid on its activities, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) appe­ars to have become quite docile, especially in its power-centre of Punjab. After trying to organise, albeit unsuccessfully, a str­ing of corner meetings and worker conventions, the party seems to have gone into hibernation, content to allow the KP chapter — under the leadership of newly-minted senior vice president Sher Afzal Mar­wat — to remain on the warpath. Click here to read... [18]

‘Pay 5 Per Cent Tax Or...': After Baloch Fighters, TTP Threatens Chinese Projects In Pakistan Under Now Failing CPEC- Swarajya

The Pakistani Taliban has threatened to initiate attacks on Chinese Belt and Road development initiatives unless they receive a 5 per cent tax on the construction from the government. In a video message, the leader of the Gandapur faction of the Taliban issued a threat to destroy the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Click here to read... [1]

Sri Lanka

Over 20,000 Sri Lankan child departures probed- Daily Mirror

he Department of Immigration and Emigration has busted a major child smuggling racket that operated between Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the UK and has handed over findings of a lengthy probe to the CID after examining over 20,000 child departures from Colombo. A senior detective of the Department stated that over the 20,000 departures generated from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in recent months involving children under the age 16, a probe was launched into 150 visits made to Malaysia, and then it was narrowed down to 17 departures, indicating a distinct pattern. Click here to read... [19]

China's Sinopec cleared to build $4.5 billion refinery at Sri Lanka's Hambantota port - WION

In a significant move, the Sri Lankan Cabinet has provided the green light for China's energy giant, Sinopec, to establish a new petroleum refinery plant at the strategic Hambantota port. The announcement was made by Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara on November 27, marking a noteworthy development in Sri Lanka's foreign direct investment landscape. Click here to read... [20]