Nepal-India joint commission to meet next month, after a gap of three years
The Kathmandu Post | 7thDecember
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is visiting Kathmandu in the first week of January for the seventh meeting of the Nepal-India joint commission.
Jaishankar, who is arriving at the invitation of Foreign Minister NP Saud, will take part in the highest bilateral mechanism between the two countries to review and smoothen Nepal-India relations.
After both sides tentatively agreed to meet in the first week of January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has started the groundwork for the visit by preparing the agenda.
ADB approves $659mn financing to Pakistan
The Nation | 6th December
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $659 million of financing to carry out development projects like rehabilitating schools damaged by the devastating August 2022 floods and enhancing agricultural productivity to improve food security in Pakistan.
“This significant new wave of financing will help Pakistan recover from the impacts of last year’s cost-of-living crisis and super-floods and return to the path of long-term development that is sustainable and inclusive,” ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov noted in a statement.
Afghanistan Surprises as Top Travel Destination for 2024 Despite Safety Warnings
Afghanistan Times | 6thDecember
In an unexpected turn of events, Afghanistan has emerged as the unlikely top holiday destination for 2024, defying safety advisories from the UK Foreign Office. Lupine Travel founder, Dylan Harris, reveals that the country is experiencing a surge in popularity due to increased safety under new leadership.
Harris expressed his astonishment, stating, “It’s completely blown me away. It’s the last place I expected to sell so well.”
PAKISTAN
‘Full security’ to be ensured for polls, govt tells ECP
The News | 5th December
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have “full security” for holding the general elections in a peaceful environment, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti said Tuesday.
Bugti, during a chat with a private television channel, said the caretaker government would take necessary measures to provide all required facilities to ECP for conducting general elections in a transparent manner.
Nawaz, Shujaat look to rekindle electoral flame
Dawn | 7th December
In a ‘historic’ political development on Wednesday, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif visited PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at his Lahore residence and both parties agreed to prepare proposals for an electoral alliance in the upcoming Feb 8 elections as well as long-term political relationship.
Nawaz Sharif visited Mr Hussain 15 years after the latter had parted ways with the PML-N and joined former army chief and military dictator Pervez Musharraf’s government. Mr Hussain had also briefly served as the prime minister.
Pakistan, US discuss options to expedite Afghan resettlement plan
The Express Tribune | 6th December
Islamabad and Washington have discussed ways to expedite the process of resettlement of thousands of Afghans who are eligible for migration to the United States.
Various options were discussed during the four-day visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Julieta Valls Noyes to Pakistan this week. Noyes is a pointperson of the Biden administration looking after issues of refugees and migration.
She held a series of meetings with Pakistani officials, representatives of the UN and other international organisations as well as some Afghan refugees.
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka’s Colombo-based inflation rises to 3.4 percent in November 2023
Colombo Page | 30th November
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s inflation, as measured by the change in the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI) marginally increased to 3.4 percent in November 2023 from 1.5 percent in October, the Department of Census and Statistics reported Thursday.
The CCPI for all items for the month of November 2023 increased to 193.4 from 191.4 in October 2023.
The Year on Year inflation of Food Group increased to -3.6 percent in November 2023 from -5.2 in October 2023 and the Year on Year inflation of Non Food Group increased to 6.8 percent in November 2023 from 4.9 percent in the previous month.
Government concerned over drastic surge in dengue cases
Daily Mirror | 6th December
With a significant uptick in dengue cases coinciding with the advent of the rainy season, the attention of the government has been drawn towards immediate steps to mitigate the situation.
Sagala Ratnayaka, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, has called for urgent measures to address the escalating situation. This directive came during a crucial meeting at the Presidential Secretariat on the 5th of this month, presided over by State Minister of Health Dr. Sita Arambepola and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka.
Sri Lanka Air Force receives two Harbin Y-12 IV Aircraft from China
The Island | 7th December
The Sri Lanka Air Force inducted two Harbin Y-12 IV aircraft from China on Tuesday. The official transfer of the aircraft took place at a ceremony attended by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa and Den Ling from China National Aero Technology Import & Export Cooperation.
Addressing those gathered, the Air Force Commander expressed gratitude for the strategic partnership and emphasised the significance of these new additions to the Air Force’s fleet.
AFGHANISTAN
The World Bank’s Office to resume operations in Afghanistan in one month: Official
The Khaama Press | 7th December
Ahmad Wali Haqmal, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance, has announced that the World Bank’s office will become operational in Afghanistan within a month.
According to Haqmal, the World Bank will restart 45 incomplete projects in Afghanistan that were halted when the Taliban took control in August 2021.
He made these statements during an interview with Tolo News on Tuesday. He stated, “Following our continuous negotiations in the past year, the World Bank has agreed to initially fund half-completed projects.”
18 Projects Planned Worth 4 Billion Afs: Baradar
TOLO News | 6th December
The National Procurement Commission in a conference headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has announced that eighteen projects worth four billion afghanis are planned.
According to the statement of this commission, these projects will be implemented in building power dams, reconstructing roads and providing high-quality internet services.
The meeting of the National Procurement Commission was held in Kabul on Wednesday.
BANGLADESH
Saudi Arabia a key dev partner: PM
Bangladesh Post | 6th December
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Chittagong Port Authority’s Patenga Container Terminal Project is a beacon of hope for Bangladesh’s economic uplift.
“This self-reliant modern terminal will enhance the capacity of our port, facilitate seamless trade, and create job opportunities and entrepreneurship,” she said.
The prime minister said this while speaking at the Concession Agreement Signing Ceremony between Chittagong Port Authority and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal International (RSGTI) for operation of newly built ‘Patenga Container Terminal (PCT)’ on PPP-G2G basis.
Candidature of 57pc independent candidates cancelled
Prothom Alo | 5th December
Candidature of 423 out of 747 independent candidates, who submitted papers to contest the 12th parliamentary elections, has been cancelled.
As such, some 57 per cent of the independent candidates has been dropped during the verification.
A total of 2,716 candidates submitted nomination papers in all the 300 constituencies across the country. However, nomination papers of 730 candidates were cancelled during the scrutiny.
BHUTAN
Bhutan launches Green Hydrogen Roadmap
Kuensel | 7th December
Dubai, UAE—As Bhutan commits to advancing the development of a green economy, it unveiled the Green Hydrogen Roadmap on December 5 at the ongoing Bhutan Pavilion in Dubai.
Bhutan committed to carbon neutrality in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992.
At COP15 in 2009, Bhutan declared its commitment to carbon neutrality, a promise that was reiterated in its NDCs in 2015. The second NDC in 2021 reinstates carbon neutrality through low-emission development strategies in food security, human settlements, and surface transportation.
At 63%, voter turnover improves this year
Business Bhutan | 5th December
The voter turnover during the primary round NA election five years ago was lesser by 20,000.
The recent primary round National Assembly (NA) election saw an overwhelming 63% voter turnout across the 47 constituencies on poll day.
A total of 3, 13,162 voters out of the 4, 97,058 registered voters, consisting 2, 42,215 males and 2, 54,843 females went to cast their votes.
MALDIVES
India seeks retaining soldiers in the Maldives
The Edition | 6th December
An Indian media, corroborating some of its senior officials, have reported that the country would be seeking to retain the helicopters and Dornier aircraft, and its personnel to operate them in the Maldives.
The governments of India and Maldives already agreed to form a core group to address President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge for the withdrawal of Indian soldiers from the Maldives. The President had included the initiative in the roadmap of his first 100-day objectives.
Tourist arrivals to Maldives top 1.7 million
Sun | 5th December
Statistics released by the Tourism Ministry show that tourist arrivals to the Maldives have now surpassed 1.7 million.
As per the latest stats released by the ministry, Maldives has seen the arrival of 1,703,204 tourists as of Sunday. This is a 12.9 percent increase from the 1,508,307 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.
Maldives is currently seeing an average of 5,099 tourist arrivals daily.
President Muizzu concludes official visit to Turkey, UAE
Raajje | 3rd December
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has concluded his official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Maldivian leader returned home on Sunday afternoon, after wrapping up his first official visits since assuming office on November 17, to Turkey and the middle east.
The president’s visit to Türkiye came upon the invitation of President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The visit saw both leaders engaging in official talks to enhance bilateral relations between the Maldives and Türkiye.
MYANMAR
Myanmar Junta, Russian Officials Meet for Security, Military Consultations
The Irrawaddy | 6th December
The Myanmar regime’s security advisor and the Russian security council secretary met for consultations on security and military matters on Tuesday amid the junta’s humiliating military defeats on multiple fronts across the country.
The Consultations on Law Enforcement and Security between the regime’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the Security Council of the Russian Federation in Naypyitaw were led by junta security advisor cum Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Yar Pyae and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.
Myanmar Junta Uses Chemical Warfare: Arakan Army
The Irrawaddy | 5th December
The Arakan Army (AA) has claimed Myanmar’s junta has been using chemical weapons in Paletwa Township, Chin State, since Sunday.
The AA, a member of the Brotherhood Alliance that launched Operation 1027 in northern Shan State, has been attacking the regime’s hilltop outposts in Traunaing and Hnonebuu villages in the township that borders Rakhine State since November 14.
Its statement said “chemical warfare agents” were dropped from Y-8 and Y-12 aircraft on Sunday evening.
NEPAL
No delay in Paris Agreement implementation: PM Dahal
The Himalayan Times | 2nd December
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said there would not be a delay in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. PM Dahal made this statement at a high-level talk on the issue of the mountains organised today by him on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).”According to the Paris Agreement, there is a delay in the implementation of the commitment to limit the temperature of the earth to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and this will also have a big impact on the mountains, and a crisis has already taken place,” said the PM.
EC starts preparations for NA Elections; candidacy deadline set for January 8, 2024
Onlinekhabar | 3rd December
The Election Commission has started preparations for the National Assembly (NA) elections scheduled for January 25, 2024.
As part of the election schedule, the Commission will publish the voter list on December 16 and appoint election officers on January 1, 2024.
Similarly, the office of election officer will be established in all seven provinces on January 1, 2024, and the date for registering candidacy has been set for January 8.
