Neighborhood News Digest- 05 March 2024

Afghanistan

Exhibition of Afghan Products Opens in Ashgabat- Tolo News

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi said that Afghanistan can become an industrial country. Speaking at an Afghan-Turkmen trade business connection meeting, Nooruddin Azizi emphasized the development of Afghanistan-Turkmenistan economic and trade cooperation. Click here to read... [2]

Mujahid Participates at Defense Ministers Meeting in Qatar-Tolo News

The acting Minister of Defense, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, during his visit to Qatar met with the country's Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff of the Defense Ministry. This meeting took place in the presence of defense ministers from several other countries. Click here to read... [3]

Chinese traders show interest in investing in Afghanistan’s Marble Mining Sector-The Khama Press

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has announced the interest of Chinese traders in the Afghan marble mining sector. Late on Sunday, March 3rd, the ministry released a statement saying that Chinese traders are interested in investing in the country’s mines, especially marble mines. Click here to read... [4]

Around 47,000 Carats of Emerald Sold in 14 Auctions: MoMP- Tolo News

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said that there are 1,700 emerald mines in Panjshir province, for which 550 companies have been granted mining licenses. According to the Ministry’s statistics, about 10,000 people are employed in the emerald mines of this province. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Power, Energy Sector: Dhaka wants to import 9,000MW from neighbours – The Daily Star

Bangladesh wants to import 9,000MW of electricity from neighbouring countries, said State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid yesterday. Click here to read... [6]

UN voices worry over opposition activists’ arrests – The Daily Star

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, expressed concerns about the detention of opposition leaders and activists and allegations that the justice system is being used to "harass" human rights advocates, journalists, and civil society leaders. Click here to read... [7]

PM Hasina: Myanmar conflict makes Rohingya repatriation difficult – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the task of repatriating the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals has become very difficult now because of internal conflict in the neighbouring country. Click here to read... [8]

Bangladesh’s exports sees 12.04% growth in February – Dhaka tribune

Bangladeshi manufacturers exported products worth $5.19 billion in February of the current financial year (FY24), fetching a 12.04% year-on-year (YoY) growth, according to data published by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Monday. Click here to read... [9]

Bhutan

Prime Minister of Bhutan visits Jaigaon city of India - Country and Politics

On his first foreign visit after assuming power, the Prime Minister of Bhutan was seen taking his first step in Jaigaon, the international border area between India and Bhutan. The speculations of political experts on this matter are that in order to improve the relations that the previous government had not maintained with the border city, it is being considered as a sign of the current Prime Minister’s visit to the international border area. At that time, the Government of Bhutan was accompanying him. Click here to read... [10]

Bolstering tourism sector - Kuensel Online

The government’s proposal to bolster tourism services by introducing enhancements such as streamlined payment gateways and quicker visa processing times is a commendable step forward. This initiative, aimed at facilitating a smoother and more efficient experience for tourists, deserves applause as it aligns with the country’s ambitious goal of increasing annual tourist arrivals to 300,000, with a significant portion comprising dollar-paying tourists. Click here to read... [11]

Maldives

No uniformed or non-uniformed foreign troops after May 10: President – Adhadhu

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu responded to criticism directed towards the government about Indian soldiers in plain clothes replacing uniformed military personnel in the Maldives. The 88 Indian military personnel based in the Maldives to date include soldiers who operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft donated by India as well as doctors at the Senahiya military hospital. During the presidential election campaign, Muizzu pledged to remove the soldiers from the Maldives. Click here to read... [12]

Maldives To Get Free Military Assistance from China Amid Row with India – NDTV

On March 4, China signed a defence cooperation agreement with the Maldives to provide free military assistance to foster ‘stronger’ bilateral ties. The Defence Minister of the Maldives Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon met with Major General Zhang Baoqun, Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China, to discuss enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar

Arakan Army vows to fight for total control of Myanmar’s Rakhine state - RFA

The ethnic Arakan Army won’t lay down arms until it has liberated all of western Myanmar’s Rakhine state from military rule, an official said Monday. The Arakan Army, or AA, has captured six townships in Rakhine, and a seventh in neighboring Chin state, since it ended a ceasefire agreement in November that had been in place since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup d’etat. Its fighters are in the midst of an offensive against junta troops in five other Rakhine townships. Click here to read... [14]

Myanmar conflict makes Rohingya repatriation difficult: PM Hasina - UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the task of repatriating the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals has become very difficult now because of internal conflict in the neighbouring country. “The repatriation of Rohingyas is very important, but it has become very difficult now because of internal conflict in Myanmar,” she said. Click here to read... [15]

Nepal

Left alliance in power for 3rd time as Nepal PM dumps allies - Indian Express

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Monday severed his Maoist party’s 15-month alliance with the Nepali Congress and forged a coalition with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) — which itself had withdrawn support to him last February. Click here to read... [16]

Is There A China Hand Behind Political Developments In Nepal - ETV Bharat

The sudden change of political alignments in Nepal, which saw the Left parties coming together to form a coalition government, has all the signs of a Chinese hand working actively behind the scenes. In a significant turn of events, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as ‘Prachanda’, made a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday. This move came after terminating a nearly 15-month-long alliance with the Nepali Congress, citing substantial differences among the top leadership of the two political parties. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

US seeks to continue ‘robust’ ties with new govt-Dawn

The US State Department on Monday highlighted the United States’ enduring commitment to a robust partnership with Pakistan, adding that it wants to strengthen this partnership under the new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Click here to read... [18]

PM gives nod to IMF talks for long-term bail out-The Express Tribune

Getting down to business straightaway, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave the green signal on Monday to begin negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new long-term bailout package. Click here to read... [19]

Bilawal backs PTI call for judicial probe into May 9 events-The Express Tribune

The first formal discussion in the National Assembly on Monday brought attacks on the civil and military institutions, missing cipher, rigging, judicial and electoral reforms in the spotlight with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while endorsing the PTI’s demand of a judicial inquiry into May 9,2023 events questioned former prime minister Imran Khan’s role in the cipher case. Click here to read... [20]

Sri Lanka

Bondholder agreement delay unlikely to affect IMF review: Coomaraswamy – Daily Mirror

A potential delay in securing an agreement-in-principle (AIP) with Sri Lanka’s private bondholders is unlikely to impact the second review of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, former Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. Click here to read... [21]

Visa free travel to enhance tourism industry potential – Daily Mirror

Tourism in Sri Lanka is on a high growth trajectory following a boost in the country’s potential as a must-visit destination. Visa free travel for tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan has provided the right nudge for tourists to put Sri Lanka on the top of their travel bucket list. Click here to read... [22]

Eight Sri Lankans rescued from illegal cyber center camp in Myanmar – Daily Mirror

Eight Sri Lankan nationals who were forcibly detained at an illegal cyber center camp in Myanmar have been rescued, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Myanmar, Janak Bandara confirmed. Click here to read... [23]