A new educational TV channel launched to provide support for schoolgirls in Afghanistan
Afghanistan Times | 12thMarch
On March 8, 2024, the Begum Organization for Women (BOW) declared the official inauguration of Begum TV, an educational television channel with the aim of providing learning opportunities to Afghan schoolgirls and students who have faced education deprivation under the Taliban regime. This launch coincides with Women’s International Day and highlights BOW’s dedication to empowering women through education.
Begum TV will be available 24/7 in Afghanistan via satellite, offering video courses encompassing the entire Afghan school…
‘Now or never’: PM Shehbaz calls for ending dependence on IMF
The News | 11th March 2024
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to end dependence on foreign loans as he pledged to pull the country out of crises and provide relief to the masses reeling from sky-high inflation.
“We will get rid of IMF [International Monetary Fund] InshaAllah,” the premier said while addressing the maiden meeting of the newly formed 16-member federal cabinet on Monday.
PM Shehbaz’s statement comes as the IMF is expected to dispatch its mission to Pakistan to hold talks on the second review of $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) programme.
ADB approves $71m loan for flood control, water resources management in Gopalganj, Madaripur
Dhaka Tribune | 13th March
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $71 million loan to improve flood control, irrigation, and water resources management in rural communities in Gopalganj and Madaripur districts in Bangladesh to strengthen their preparedness and resilience to the effects of climate change.
According to an ADB release, the project is expected to benefit more than 600,000 people and will introduce climate-resilient flood control, drainage, and irrigation (FCDI) measures and reduce saline intrusion.
It will adopt nature-based solutions to …
PAKISTAN
President Zardari, Tajik president vow to further strengthen bilateral cooperation
The Nation | 12th March
President Asif Ali Zardari and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on Monday reiterated their desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan in the areas of mutual interest.
Tajik President made a telephone call to President Asif Ali Zardari and extended his warmest felicitations to him on becoming the President of Pakistan, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.
PTI claims gross violation of human rights in Pakistan
Dawn | 12th March
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan on Monday alleged that violation of human rights was at its peak in Pakistan, announcing that police would be summoned in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
He also claimed that Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan, was confined to a small room in Banigala. He termed the president’s election from an
incomplete house unconstitutional and urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take notice of the situation.
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka rejects global report on child malnutrition
Daily Mirror | 11th March
In response to recent findings published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, concerning child malnutrition and underweight girls, Sri Lanka’s health authorities have rejected the content referred to the portrayal of Sri Lanka.
According to the study, approximately 410,000 girls in Sri Lanka are categorized as underweight, representing a prevalence of 16.4%. Despite efforts and initiatives aimed at improving nutrition and healthcare access, the report claims no detectable change in this distressing statistic since 1990.
PM attends ground breaking ceremony for Port City 120,000sq.ft. Business Centre
The Island | 13th March
The ground breaking ceremony for the Business Centre at the Colombo Port City took place yesterday morning with the participation of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong.
The 120,000 sq.ft. Business Center will be completed by the third quarter of 2024 and will consist of many modern facilities.
Addressing the gathering, Premier Gunawardena said Sri Lanka’s biggest advantage is its strategic location and that the Colombo Port City will fast track Sri Lanka’s rise to a regional hub.
AFGHANISTAN
World Bank Report: Afghanistan’s trade deficit widens
The Khaama Press | 13th March
According to this World Bank report, recently published under the title “Afghanistan Economic Update,” the country’s exports were $148.1 million in January of the previous year.
However, the World Bank report states that Afghanistan’s imports have increased by 37% compared to January last year, rising from $600 million in January of the previous year to $830 million in January 2024, thereby increasing the trade deficit.
Kabul Blames ‘Circles’ for Spreading Propaganda in Afghanistan, Region
TOLO News | 12th March
Hamdullah Fetrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said that some circles are trying to create concerns for the people of Afghanistan and the countries of the region.
The deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate pledged once again that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.
“Unfortunately, some circles are trying to create unrest through negative propaganda and the spread of baseless claims. We assure other countries with complete confidence that Afghan soil will not be used against anyone,” he said.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh, Netherlands sign new accord to avoid double taxation
Bangladesh Post | 12th March
Bangladesh and the Netherlands signed a new agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent revenue evasion.
Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali and Netherlands’ Minister for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration M.L.A. van Rij signed the agreement on behalf of their respective nations at the Ministry of Finance in Dhaka.
According to the Finance Ministry, an agreement between Bangladesh and the Netherlands for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of revenue evasion was first signed on July 13, 1993, about 30 years ago.
Bangladeshi ship faces pirate attack in Indian Ocean
Prothom Alo | 12th March
A Bangladeshi flag carrier – MV Abdullah – has fallen prey to the pirates in the Indian Ocean, when it was on the way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Mozambique.
The KSRM Group owns the sea-going vessel and they came to know about the issue around 1:00 am on Tuesday.
Meherul Karim, chief executive officer of KSRM Group, told Prothom Alo that the ship came under the pirate attack when it was carrying coal from Mozambique to the UAE via the Indian Ocean.
BHUTAN
13th Plan aligns with World Bank recommendations
Kuensel | 13th March
The 13th Plan aims to tackle problems in the job market, based on a recent report by the World Bank about the Bhutanese job market.
How do we do it?
Yesterday, the World Bank and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment organised a workshop to share the report’s findings and suggestions.
The World Bank suggests helping low-skilled women in cities by improving job centres, offering better childcare, giving travel allowances, and teaching them about job opportunities.
BTFEC grants Nu 79.219 Million
Business Bhutan | 12th March
In a landmark event, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) formalized Grant Funding Agreements on 8 March, 2024, marking a significant stride in environmental conservation and sustainable development. The ceremony, attended by officials from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and eight Project Partners, celebrated Large Grant projects totaling Nu 79.219 million (M).
Aligned with the core mandates of the BTFEC and the 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP) priorities of the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), these projects focuses on critical domains such as preserving biodiversity, enabling human-wildlife co-existence, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and addressing adverse impacts of development on the environment.
MALDIVES
Indian military personnel stationed in Addu leave Maldives
The Edition | 11th March
Indian military personnel stationed in Gan, Addu to run operations of the helicopters gifted by Indian government to Maldives have left the country.
Approximately 25 Indian military personnel were engaged in the operation of the helicopter in Addu.
An MNDF Media Official confirmed that, as agreed, the Indian military troops left the country ahead of March 10.
The helicopters will, from now on, be operated by civilian experts from India who have been transferred to the Maldives for the purpose.
Fenaka signs with Chinese high-tech firm for utility enhancement
Sun | 13th March
Fenaka Corporation has partnered with China’s Yantai Dongfang Wisdom Electric Co Limited (Wisdom) to enhance the utility services.
The agreement was signed between the utility provider and the Chinese firm under the Smart Utility Service Project Framework.
Fenaka Managing Director Muaz Mohamed Rasheed signed on behalf of the utility provider while Wisdom Electric’s Chairman Zhang Xia signed on behalf of the high-tech enterprise.
Maldives experiencing extreme heat, MMS urges caution
Raajje | 12th March
As the Maldives is presently experiencing the hottest days of the year, the Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS) has urged caution from the public.
In a publication on Monday, the department revealed that the months of March and April are the hottest months of the year for Maldives.
As such, since winds weaken significantly and skies clear up, paired with high humidity, the warm air temperature is aggravated, which makes it seem warmer than the actual temperature, which is recorded as the “feels like temperature”.
MYANMAR
AA Seizes Rakhine Town Near Key Chinese Port Project
The Irrawaddy | 12th March
The Arakan Army (AA) says it controls the island town of Ramree near the major Chinese special economic zone (SEZ) on the southern Rakhine State coast after nearly three months of fighting.
Ramree Township shares an island with Kyaukphyu Township where the Kyaukphyu deep sea port developed by the Kyaukphyu SEZ Deep Seaport Co Ltd, a joint venture between the China International Trust and Investment Corporation Group’s Myanmar Port Investment Co and the junta-backed Kyaukphyu SEZ Management Committee.
China Tightens Access For Myanmar Migrant Workers Entering From Shan State
The Irrawaddy | 12th March
China has tightened access for Myanmar citizens entering the country on temporary border passes (TBPs) from Muse in northern Shan State, residents of the border town say.
Migrants seeking work at factories and plantations in and around Ruili, in Yunan province, have had to get health checks and drug tests at the Chinese government’s labor office in Jiegao since March 5.
Muse residents explained that migrant workers entering China now have to prove they are physically fit and drug-free. They also need letters from Chinese employers saying they have a job.
NEPAL
Economic indicators gradually improving: PM Dahal
The Himalayan Times | 13th March
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said the country’s economic indicators are on a positive trajectory due to the consistent efforts. Making a statement prior to seeking a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives today, he said he has been continuously working since the beginning for improving the economy and made it clear that most of the economic indicators have improved in the latest situation.”The balance of payment is in reserve by 297 billion and 720 million in the seven months’ period of the current fiscal year. The foreign exchange reserve has increased by 19.9 percent and reached nearly equivalent to Rs 1 trillion and 845 billion,” the PM said, adding that the trade deficit has reduced by 1.8 percent.
SAARC Programming Committee meets after four years in Kathmandu
The Kathmandu Post | 9th March
The Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation convened its 59th Session at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Programming Committee’s in-person session was held after a four-year gap, said the SAARC Secretariat on Friday.
The committee’s 57th session was held at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on December 19, 2019, while the 58th session was held virtually on December 15, 2020.
Nepal currently holds the chair of the SAARC Programming Committee.
PM taking vote of confidence in parliament today
Onlinekhabar | 13th March
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is taking a vote of confidence in the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) scheduled for today. The federal parliamentary secretariat has already made necessary preparations to this effect. The HoR meeting began at 11 am today.
The Prime Minister is seeking the vote of confidence again today after the Nepali Congress withdrew the vote of confidence given to the Prime Minister with the change in the ruling coalition on March 4.
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