Neighborhood News Digest- 15 February 2024

Afghanistan

Meeting on Afghanistan Held in Bishkek, Islamic Emirate Not Present-Tolo News

The Meeting of EU and Central Asia Special Representatives on Afghanistan was held on Wednesday in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The EU Special Representative for Central Asia said that during the meeting, participants discussed how to jointly contribute to the long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. Click here to read... [2]

Countdown: Four days until Doha conference on Afghanistan-The Khama Press

Four days away from the Doha Conference, organized by the United Nations in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on February 18th and 19th. There’s been a lot of criticism surrounding this conference, and many people, including human rights defenders, are planning to protest against it. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Inflation will come under control soon – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told the parliament that various initiatives by her government will bring inflation under control soon. Click here to read... [4]

Hasina to hold talks with Zelensky in Munich – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Ukraine President Vlodymyr Zelensky will have a bilateral meeting on the sideline of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Click here to read... [5]

FM: Bangladesh is well aware of evolving geopolitical situation – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said Bangladesh government is well aware of the evolving geopolitical scenario in the region and is taking prudent steps in this regard. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Forward-thinking policy to empower aging population- Kuensel

The National Policy for Senior Citizens of Bhutan, a comprehensive document spanning 16 pages, was launched last year with the overarching goal of fostering a harmonious society that fully integrates senior citizens into an inclusive framework. Click here to read... [7]

EU funds empower Bhutanese CSO-Kuensel

An initiative aimed at bolstering Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country, European Union funded project was launched yesterday at Terma Linca in Thimphu. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives

Embassy of Maldives established in Türkiye – Rajjee

The Embassy of Maldives in Ankara, Türkiye has been established. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu established the embassy on February 15. The President’s Office in a publication made on February 15, revealed that the embassy will be administratively overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The embassy was instituted in accordance with the authority vested in the president under Article 116 of the Constitution of Maldives. Click here to read... [9]

Parliament election: 381 candidates for 93 constituencies – Sun International

Elections Commission (EC) states they received candidacy forms from 381 individuals at the expiration of the deadline to file candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary election. EC opened candidacy for the parliamentary election on January 30th. The deadline to file the candidacy expired at 2:00 pm February, 14. The commission has received candidacy forms from 381 individuals at the expiration of the deadline. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

Military Conscription Sparks Furious Backlash in Myanmar - The Irrawaddy

The announcement immediately sparked anxiety and fear among parents across Myanmar, including those in major cities like Yangon and Mandalay where military recruitment has been historically low compared to rural areas. Even before the law was activated, junta troops often rounded up civilians, especially in rural areas, for use as porters or human shields. Frequent reports of civilians being forced to walk ahead of military troops in suspected minefields and areas where ambushes are likely fueled the conscription panic. Click here to read... [11]

Bangladesh to Repatriate 330 Myanmar Junta Personnel This Week - The Irrawaddy

Bangladesh is preparing to secretly repatriate 330 defeated Myanmar junta personnel by ship this week amid more regime defeats in Rakhine State. Sources in Dhaka said the foreign ministry is talking to Myanmar’s regime and has instructed the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard to organize the repatriation by Friday. Click here to read... [12]

Nepal

China’s continued Covid closure of Nepal-Tibet border separates families, affects livelihoods - Tibetan Review

The Covid-19 pandemic may have long ceased to be a matter of serious concern across the world, but not so to the Chinese government as far as its occupied Tibet’s border area with Nepal is concerned. Officials in Tibet say they are still awaiting Beijing’s permission to reopen the border, which was shut in Jan 2020 to tame the Covid pandemic, reported the kathmandupost.com Feb 14. Click here to read... [13]

Russia agrees to pay compensation for Nepalese killed in fighting Ukraine - Indian Express

“Russia is an aggressor and it must stop the war with Ukraine.” This was the stand taken by Nepal in the United Nations. However, Nepal has now faced a diplomatic embarrassment as over a hundred Nepali youths were found enrolled in the Russian Army, with a dozen of them confirmed dead. There is no exact figure on the number of Nepal citizens who joined the Russian army but based on the petitions received from the families of the ‘affected’, the number will be between 130 to 200, official sources told The Indian Express. Click here to read... [14]

Pakistan

JI turns down PTI’s offer to form coalition govt in KP- Dawn

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Wednesday turned down the PTI’s offer to form a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), linking its decision to the PTI limiting its alliance to just provincial level. Click here to read... [15]

PPP set to form coalition govt in Balochistan-Dawn

As the protests against alleged rigging in the election intensified in several parts of the country, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders and the candidates who won the national and provincial assembly seats from Balochistan at a joint presser announced that the party would form a coalition government, led by a jiyala chief minister. Click here to read... [16]

Sri Lanka

Constitutional Council’s decision to reject President’s nomination challenged in SC - Daily Mirror Online

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the Constitutional Council to approve the recommendation made by the President to appoint incumbent President of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne as a Supreme Court judge. Click here to read... [17]

Sri Lanka Tourism set to rake in over Rs. 7 Bn in 2024 – Daily News

Sri Lanka Tourism is set to obtain over Rs. 7 billion from tourism receipts this year, said Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Nalin Perera yesterday. Click here to read... [18]

There is no constitutional provision to postpone Presidential election: CBK – Daily Mirror Online

There is no constitutional provision to postpone Presidential elections, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga told journalists yesterday. Click here to read... [19]