VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: May 13, 2022

Afghan Refugees in Iran Concerned Over Census: Tolo News

Afghan refugees in Iran expressed concerned about a census being taken in the country as it may cause problems with their current immigration status.“Asylum seekers in Iran are afraid of the census because their information is being recorded and they are afraid that they will be fired, and that their employer will not help them fill out the forms,” said Parviz Amiri, an Afghan refugee in Iran. Click here to read... [2]

Guterres: Terrorism is Resurgent in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

To ensure its efficacy, the UN Secretary-General has stated that the response to terrorism must be founded on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and gender equality.The remarks were made during a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights, Civil Society, and Counter-Terrorism Conference in Spain. Click here to read... [3]

Gender Segregation Plan of Taliban in Restaurants: The Khaama Press

The Taliban, according to sources in Herat province, has implemented a gender segregation plan in the province’s restaurants. Men are not permitted to dine with family members in family restaurants, according to sources.Owners have been verbally reminded that the rule applies “even if they are husband and wife,” according to Riazullah Seerat, a Taliban official at the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

Sri Lankan Crisis: A cautionary tale for Bangladesh- The Daily Star

Sri Lanka is going through a period of political unrest amid its ongoing economic crisis. The government, led by an influential family, is on the verge of collapsing. Click here to read... [5]

Impose global arms embargo on Myanmar military- The Daily Star
Human rights group Fortify Rights has called for the UN Security Council to urgently convene an open session and pass a binding resolution, imposing a global arms embargo on the Myanmar military. Click here to read... [6]

‘We see more opportunity, less challenge’- The Daily Star

The current global geopolitical situation is creating more opportunities rather than challenges for South Korea and Bangladesh for closer collaboration due to their deep relationship, said Ambassador Lee Jang-keun yesterday. Click here to read... [7]

Current global geopolitical situation favourable for closer Dhaka-Seoul relations: Envoy- The Daily Star

The current global geopolitical situation is creating more opportunities than challenges for South Korea and Bangladesh for closer collaboration as the two nations seek to have their relations deep and comprehensive, said South Korean Ambassador Lee Jang-Keun today (May 12, 2022). Click here to read... [8]

Embargo on overseas trips: Finance Ministry issues notification- The Daily Star

The Ministry of Finance today issued a notification regarding the government's decision to place embargo on all kinds of overseas trips of its officials to ease pressure on the foreign exchange reserves. Click here to read... [9]

Bhutan

Their Majesties grace ceremony to commemorate 400 years of Zhung Dratshang- Kuensel

On Zhabdrung Kuchoe, His Majesty The King, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Holiness the Je Khenpo and the Royal Family graced the ceremony to commemorate 400 years of the Zhung Dratshang at Punakha Dzong on May 11. Click here to read... [10]

Inauguration of De-suung National Service at Gyalsung Infra Projects- Bhutan Times

Coinciding with the auspicious occasion of the Birth Anniversary of His Majesty The Third Druk Gyalpo, the De-suung National Service (DNS): Construction of Multi-utility Infrastructure has been concurrently launched on 2 May at the five Gyalsung Project sites. It will be implemented in partnership with Gyalsung Infra. Click here to read... [11]

Maldives

Four people under investigation for ‘India Out’ graffiti: The Sun

Police have opened investigations against four people for vandalizing properties with graffiti and leaving flyers on the streets linked to the ‘India Out’ movement. ‘India Out’ is a political campaign led by the opposition to protest against Indian military presence in Maldives. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

Myanmar Crisis Center Stage At US-ASEAN Summit - Eurasia Review

The ongoing upheaval in Myanmar took center stage on the first day of a U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Washington, as fellow bloc member Malaysia slammed the junta for refusing to engage with the country’s shadow government. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar junta brings charges against former deputy governor - Central Banking

Myanmar’s government is charging Bo Bo Nge, former deputy governor of the central bank, with corruption offences. The government-run media Global New Light of Myanmar carried a story detailing the state’s allegations against Bo Bo Nge in its May 11 issue. Click here to read... [14]

Andhra Pradesh: ‘Golden chariot’ floated to Srikakulam coast from Myanmar - The Hindu

The “golden chariot” that came floating to the Srikakulam coast of Andhra Pradesh due to the impact of cyclone Asani came from Myanmar, it has been confirmed. Click here to read... [15]

Veteran Shan Democracy Campaigner Khun Tun Oo Dies - The Irrawaddy

Khun Tun Oo, the former chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), who was widely considered the key Shan leader in the late 20th-century, has died. The 78-year-old died of natural causes at his home in Yangon on April 30, SNLD joint secretary Sai Kyaw Nyunt told The Irrawaddy. A Shan funeral was held on May 2 at Yayway Cemetery in Yangon and his ashes were interred at the tomb of the relatives of the Hsipaw saopha (feudal lord) in Hsipaw, Shan State, according to the SNLD. Click here to read... [16]

ASEAN’s Plan to Deliver Aid to Myanmar via Junta Condemned - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has joined local and international organizations in criticizing the decision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to provide humanitarian aid to the Myanmar people via the military regime. Click here to read... [17]

Myanmar Junta Troops Step Up Sagaing Raids - The Irrawaddy

More than 20 houses were razed by regime forces and a 65-year-old civilian was injured by junta artillery in Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region, on Wednesday. Around 60 regime troops burned about four houses in Kar Sein village in the township. Click here to read... [18]

Nepal

Modi to visit Lumbini on May 16- The Himalayan

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lumbini on May 16 at the invitation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to attend a special ceremony on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Jayanti. Click here to read... [19]

Local elections: Voting underway peacefully in general except for some sporadic cases of violence- OnlineKbhabar

Voting is underway across Nepal on Friday as a part of the local elections 2022. However, voting has been delayed and postponed in a few places due to cases of minor violence. Click here to read... [20]

753 local levels go to polls today- The Himalayan

Local polls will be held tomorrow in 753 local levels, including six metropolitan cities and 11 sub-metropolitan cities. Voting will begin at 7:00am and end at 5:00pm. Click here to read... [21]

NHRC finds poor arrangements for voters' access to polling centres- The Himalayan

The National Human Rights Commissions has painted a dismal picture of arrangements made by government and relevant authorities to ensure maximum and overwhelming participation of voters in the local polls scheduled for tomorrow. Click here to read... [22]

Nepal polls: Go vote for grassroots democracy- The Kathmandu Post

17.73 million people are voting today to elect over 35,000 local representatives for 753 local units. Click here to read... [23]

150 climbers summit Everest. Nepali woman breaks her own record with 10th ascent- The Kathmandu Post

Six of the ten members of all-Black team also made it to the top as spring climbing season is underway. Click here to read... [24]

Nepalis in the land of the Teesta- The Kathmandu Post

The Nepali diaspora has long shown it does not need a state to claim its identity. Click here to read... [25]

Valley roads look deserted since morning as vehicular movement is restricted from 6 AM to 6 PM- Republica

Roads in Kathmandu Valley are almost deserted since this morning as local authorities have banned vehicular movement except for those belonging to essential service and authorized officials.

Pakistan

Leaders to take Nawaz message to coalition partners: Dawn

PML-N leaders remained tight-lipped about the major decisions taken at a high-level meeting with party supremo Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, though Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah later welcomed the military’s decision to stay out of politics, a position he said vindicated Mr Sharif’s stance. Click here to read... [26]

President Alvi asks CJP to form judicial commission to probe 'regime change plot': The Express Tribune

President Arif Alvi on Thursday penned a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, asking him to form a judicial commission to probe the the alleged regime-change conspiracy orchestrated to oust former prime minister Imran Khan. Click here to read... [27]

Govt faces dilemma on subsidies: Question on meeting IMF’s demands lingers on: The News

The government is facing a catch-22 situation as to how it undertakes number crunching for presenting the next budget that can dole out the targeted subsidies on the one side and on the other side also satisfies the IMF for reviving the stalled $6 billion programme. Click here to read... [28]

Alarm as SBP forex reserves hit 23-month low: The News

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves dropped to their lowest level since December 2019 at $16.4 billion in the week that ended May 6, from $16.5 billion a week earlier owing to increasing current account and trade deficits, higher external debt payments and dried dollar inflows. The country’s reserves declined by $178 million or 1.1 percent on a week-on-week basis to stand at $16.376 billion, the central bank data showed. The central bank reserves also fell to a 23-month low. Click here to read... [29]

Sri Lanka

Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Sri Lanka's new PM: Indian express

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn-in as Sri Lanka's new prime minister, days after his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned following violent protests over the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation. Click here to read... [30]

'India's commitment…': High commission as Wickremesinghe sworn as Sri Lanka PM: Hindustan Times

Ranil Wickremesinghe took his oath in a ceremony at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence. Protesters have blocked the entrance to the president's office for more than a month. Click here to read... [31]

Why Sri Lanka’s Crisis Has No End in Sight: Foreign Policy

The turmoil driving unrest in Colombo and beyond has roots in the economic missteps of the last 20 years. Click here to read... [32]

Fuel shortages and empty supermarket shelves: Singaporean in Sri Lanka describes experience under curfew: News Asia

Things have changed drastically since Mr Ramdzan Salim arrived in Sri Lanka’s commercial capital in March on a work assignment. With his hotel window overlooking the Old Parliament Building, which houses the presidential office.
Click here to read... [33]

In Sri Lanka's Giant Economic Mess, The Big China Link: NDTV

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since its independence from Britain in 1948. Months of lengthy blackouts and acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines have infuriated the public, with huge protests demanding the government's resignation turning violent this week.Click here to read... [34]

For 5th-time Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, political and economic challenge like no other: Indian Express

This is Wickremesinghe’s fifth time in the office. Each of his earlier terms was truncated, and on two of those occasions he was dismissed by the President — by Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004, and by Maithripala Sirisena in 2018.
Click here to read... [35]