Highlights from the local media of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka  September 9th , 2016 | Volume: 2 - 4/9 

Lawmakers stress on opening new transit points with India My Republica| 8th September Lawmaker Sanjya Kumar Gautam has drawn the attention of the parliament and the government over the dillydallying in the opening of new transit points with India, even after both sides agreed to open new five transit points.

Afghanistan-Iran railway construction kicks off near Herat Khaama Press|8th September The construction of a railway line between Afghanistan and Iran officially kicked off near the western Herat province of Afghanistan on Wednesday. According to the local officials, the construction work of the railway line in Afghanistan launched as 90 percent of the railway work inside the Iranian soil has been completed.

Pushing India into NSG at Pakistan’s expense counterproductive DAWN| 9th September Pakistan’s perspective on US efforts to help India join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), while shunning Islamabad, finally echoed in the US Congress on Thursday where the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee learned from witnesses that this policy could worsen the nuclear race in South Asia.

              
        AFGHANISTAN 

Afghan forces repulsed Taliban massive offensive on Trinkot city
Afghanistan Times|8th SeptemberAfghan security forces in a counter attack have repulsed a massive Taliban offensive in surrounding areas of the capital city of southern Uruzgan province and pushed the militants back around 15km from the city center, officials said Thursday. 
Pakistan Pays Each of the Suicide Bombers Rs: 36000 in AfghanistanAfghanistan Times|8th SeptemberRecent reports exposed that Pakistan has not taken on the militants from the Pashtun belt during so called Zarb e Azab operations, but only changed the locations and names of the militants from one area to another. The reports also suggest that Pakistani-based sanctuaries are the places where the suicide bombers are trained and sent to Afghanistan for death and destruction and each of the suicide bombers is paid Rs 36000 as rewards.


 BANGLADESH
India trying to sell coal to Bangladesh, officials say
bdnews24| 7^th September
The country's Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told mediapersons that the public sector Coal India Limited (CIL) is already negotiating with Bangladesh power companies. They (CIL) are in 'deep consultations' with Bangladesh for exporting it, Swarup said Wednesday.
WB to provide BD $100m loan for improving college education
Financial Express| 8^th September
World Bank (WB) will give Bangladesh US$ 100 million as loan to improve education and management at the National University-affiliated colleges.  Bangladesh and WB Thursday signed an agreement to this end.
Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering finds BD risk-free
Financial Express| 9^th September
Bangladesh has averted the risk of slipping into a review process against terror funding as the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) has found it better-placed.
Cops name 6 militants in a Jessore family
UNB/ Bdnews24| 9^th September
Police claimed to have detected involvement of six members of a family of the district in militant activities. Those whose link with militancy was found are Tanjib alias Ashraful, son of Abdul Aziz of Kosba- Kadamtola area of the district town, his brother Tanjir Ahmed, their sisters Masuma Akter and Maksuda Khatun, Maksuda’s husband Shakir Ahmed and Masuma’s husband Najmul Hasan.

BHUTAN  
Boundary pillars handed over to local authoritiesKuensel Online|8^th SeptemberAfter completion of repair and reconstruction works, 48 Bhutan-India boundary pillars along the border under the Chukha-Alipurduar segment of the Bhutan-West Bengal sector were handed over to local authorities of Bhutan and India yesterday.Survey of India and international boundary officials handed over the pillars to the Phuentsholing dungkhag and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Falakatta.
Public debt thresholds fixedKuensel Online|8^th SeptemberBhutan’s annual debt service obligations of total external debt will not exceed 25 percent of total exports of goods and services, according to the new public debt policy launched yesterday.The thresholds for non-hydro power debt stock is fixed at 35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during the Five Year Plan period, while the general government debt should be less than 22 percent of domestic revenue in any given financial year.

MALDIVES

MMA denies allegations made by Al-Jazeera report
Sun Online| 9^th September
Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has denied the allegations against them in the Al-Jazeera documentary on Maldives “Stealing Paradise” which says that MMA is involved in money laundering. The Al-Jazeera documentary says that a Malaysian businessman has arranged a system to launder large sums of money through the Central Bank of Maldives, MMA.

MYANMAR 
Ethnic leader says now is not the time to lay down armsMizzima|9^th SeptemberEthnic leaders have warned that now is not the time to give up arms, in reaction to a speech calling for disarmament by the Myanmar Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing. The speech was made at the 21st Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw, which had a series of high-profile international guests including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.


 NEPAL
Madhes centric parties unable to curb exploitation in Madhes: UML leader Mandal
Kathmandu Post| 8^th September
Standing Committee member of the CPN (UML), Satya Narayan Mandal, has said the Madhes centric political parties have been unable to end socio-economic and political exploitations in Tarai/Madhes.
Quake victims to get Rs 300,000 as grant, 500,000 as loan
My Republica| 9^th September
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday made a raft of promises to the public, one month after  assuming office. In an hour-long address in parliament, Dahal vowed to expedite the constitution implementation process, bringing the agitating political players on board, as well as accelerate the reconstruction task and provide more facilities to the public.
NHRC looking at Nepali Army abuse allegations
Himalayan News Service/ The Himalayan Times| 9^th September
A team of the National Human Rights Commission has arrived from its far-west regional office in Dipayal to take stock of the human rights situation, in the wake of disappeared weapons from the Nepali Army far-west regional headquarters, a few weeks ago.

PAKISTAN
PPP’s China tour: CPEC termed a ‘bumper crop’
The Express Tribune| 9^th September
A leading Chinese think-tank on Thursday said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was an “early harvest” and it should be allowed to complete as a “bumper crop”.
Partnership with India on nuclear safety proposed
DAWN| 9^th September
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry proposed on Thursday partnership with India on nuclear safety and security. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a conference, ‘Assessing South Asia’s Nuclear Security’, jointly organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and the Atlantic Council, an American think tank.
Punjab plans to seek Rangers deployment
DAWN| 9^th September
The Punjab government intends to seek deployment of Rangers for two months to assist police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in hunting down terrorists and their facilitators and combating banned organisations in the province.

SRI LANKA 
Indian Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka next year
Colombo Page| 7^th September
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Sri Lanka in May 2017, Sri Lankan Health Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne has said. Prime Minister Modi will visit Sri Lanka to inaugurate a hospital being built with the assistance from India and also to participate in an event at Colombo, Minister Senaratne has told The Hindu, following the weekly cabinet briefing today.
High-income economic status in next two decades: PM
Daily News| 9^th September
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday, that Sri Lanka planned to achieve the status of a high income economy, in the next two decades. "The rapid economic development required to achieve this goal depends on innovation and the promotion of science and technology," he said.
Indian arrested at BIA with Rs. 10 million worth heroin
Colombo Gazette| 9^th September
An Indian National has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with over Rs 10 million worth of heroin. Officials said that the Indian had 1.4 kg of heroin at the time of arrest.
Ban welcomes Sri Lanka’s commitment to peacekeeping
Colombo Gazette| 9^th September
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the pledges and commitments made by Sri Lanka to the UN peacekeeping operations.

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