Neighborhood News Digest- 20 February 2024

Afghanistan

Second Doha Meeting on Afghanistan Ends in Qatar- Tolo News

The second Doha meeting on Afghanistan ended with a press briefing of the UN Secretary-General on Monday. In the press conference, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the Islamic Emirate did not participate because they did not want the UN to talk with representatives of Afghanistan’s civil society and demanded treatment that would be similar to recognition. Click here to read... [2]

Critics Say Doha Meeting Lacked De Facto Authorities, Opposition- Tolo News

The second Doha meeting on Afghanistan reportedly did not include either representatives of the Islamic Emirate nor its political opponents. In the meantime, Afghanistan’s Journalists Center also criticized the absence of journalists in the meeting. Click here to read... [3]

UN to appoint Special Representative for Afghanistan in upcoming Security Council meeting- The Khama Press

The appointment of the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan was a crucial topic for discussion at the second Doha meeting hosted by the UN Secretary-General. However, according to some media reports, the meeting did not decide on this matter. Click here to read... [4]

Pakistan backs appointment of UN special envoy for Afghanistan: Pakistani Media-The Khama Press

Pakistan’s special representative, Asif Durrani, supports the appointment of a special envoy to Afghanistan at the Doha meeting, despite the Taliban’s opposition. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Fakhrul meets Khaleda following release from jail – The Daily Star

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who walked out of jail four days back, paid a visit to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night. Click here to read... [6]

State Minister: Prolonged presence of Rohingyas a serious security challenge – Dhaka Tribune

Noting that the number of Rohingyas crossing the border and taking shelter in Cox’s Bazar crossed one million in 2017, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman on Monday said the presence of Rohingya refugees for a long time has become a serious challenge for the political, social and security system. Click here to read... [7]

PM returns home from Munich – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning after wrapping up her three-day official visit to attend Munich Security Conference-2024. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan

China building villages on disputed Bhutan border– The Tribune

China is reportedly pressing ahead with the construction of border villages in the disputed territory with Bhutan, despite the ongoing border talks between the two countries. At least three villages have been built in the mountainous region separating the two countries, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday. Click here to read... [9]

Bhutan might be Modi's final foreign destination before Lok Sabha polls; here's what will be on agenda – Deccan Herald

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon visit Bhutan and he is likely to use the tour – possibly the last to a foreign nation before the parliamentary polls – to highlight his government’s initiatives to enhance economic opportunities in the north-eastern region of India through connectivity projects with the neighbouring country. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

India's projects in Maldives gain pace, despite strained security ties- Reuters

India has stepped up development assistance to the Maldives with projects gaining pace last year, even as ties have soured over new Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's demand for Indian troops to leave his country. Click here to read... [11]

Maldives-based Manta Air to connect India to Dhaalu from March 1- The Hindu

Maldivian airline Manta Air is set to launch its commercial operations into India from March 01. This comes at a time when the Maldives is walking a diplomatic tightrope with India. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

3 Myanmar Brigadier Generals Sentenced To Death For Surrendering Town - NDTV

Myanmar's junta has sentenced to death three brigadier generals who surrendered with hundreds of troops and handed over a strategic town on the Chinese border to ethnic minority fighters last month, military sources told AFP on Monday. Click here to read... [13]

Armed attacks against each other in disunity with wrong attitudes and selfishness can lose sovereignty– The Global New Light of Myanmar

The following is the full-text translation of the message sent by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing to the ceremony to mark the 76th Anniversary of Chin State Day, today. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

Nepal an advocate for peace and equality: PM Dahal- The Himalayan Times

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that Nepal's participation in UN peace operations has always remained an important component of its foreign policy, aimed at achieving and strengthening global peace and stability which has been well praised by the global society. Click here to read... [15]

Thapa’s proposal against poll alliances gets Deuba’s nod-The Kathmandu Post

The 14th Mahasamiti meeting of the Nepali Congress kicked off in Lalitpur on Monday. The Mahasamiti, the party’s main policy-making body, is expected to discuss various pressing issues such as policy direction, organisational structure, and the party’s future strategies. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan

PML-N, PPP fail to break logjam-The Express Tribune

The fifth round of talks between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) ended without leading to a breakthrough on points of contention, leaving the formation of government at the Centre delayed for at least another day, it emerged on Tuesday. Click here to read... [17]

China calls for ‘political unity, social stability’ in Pakistan-The Express Triune

Amid a hung parliament following the Feb. 8 elections, China on Monday called for maintaining political unity and social stability in the South Asian nation, state media reported. Click here to read... [18]

Fitch warns uncertain political situation threat to IMF programme-The Express Tribune

The closely contested outcome of Pakistan's recent election and the ensuing political ambiguity may pose challenges to the nation's efforts to secure a financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), replacing the expiring Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) in March 2024, according to Fitch Ratings. Click here to read... [19]

PTI ‘merges’ with seatless party for three assemblies- Dawn

The PTI on Monday sealed its alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in a bid to claim its share of reserved seats in the national, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, while a delegation of PTI leaders called on the leadership of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-Sheerani) in Islamabad to seek their support for potential street protests. Click here to read... [20]

Sri Lanka

Some sections of Anti Terrorism Bill inconsistent with Constitution: Supreme Court - Daily Mirror Online

The Supreme Court has informed the Speaker of Parliament that some sections of the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution and should be approved with a special majority and through a referendum. Click here to read... [21]

Sri Lanka must have legal framework before adopting nuclear energy projects: IAEA expert – Daily Mirror Online

If Sri Lanka is to adopt a nuclear energy generating project, then the country should first have a firm legal framework in place, was the opinion of an international atomic energy expert. Click here to read... [22]

India launches construction of houses for plantation workers in Sri Lanka– Daijiworld.com

India has launched the construction of houses for the Indian origin plantation workers across six different provinces in Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [23]