VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: September 12, 2022

Afghanistan

China to Transport Goods to Afghanistan By Railway: ARA: Tolo News

The Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) said that the process of transporting commercial goods by train from China to Afghanistan will start this month. The head of the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) stated during his visit to Uzbekistan that the ARA and a Chinese company had agreed to transfer commercial goods from China to Afghanistan via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Click here to read... [2]

OCHA, WFP Express Concerns Over Crisis in Afghanistan: Tolo News

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan and the World Food Program (WFP) expressed concerns over the deteriorating economic crises in Afghanistan. Click here to read... [3]

Taliban Says People of Afghanistan Do Not Want Their Girls to Go to School: The Khaama Press

During a speech in Uruzgan province in central Afghanistan on Sunday, the 11th of September, Noorullah Munir, the Taliban’s Acting Minister of Education, stated that people do not want to send their 16-year-old daughters to school because of the current circumstances. Click here to read... [4]

SIGAR: Afghanistan’s Border Traffic Declined by up to 50% Since Taliban Took Power: The Khaama Press

In a report to the US Congress, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted that since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in August 2021, overall border traffic into and out of the country has declined by 40–50% annually. According to the SIGAR report, Afghanistan’s neighbors have limited transit and trade due to political turmoil, border security concerns, and criminal activity including the smuggling of people and drugs, and refugee flows. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Cotton price drop can’t cheer up garment makers: The Daily Star

International cotton prices have significantly fallen but brought little cheer to local spinners and garment manufacturers suffering from a drop in work orders from international retailers and brands. The price of cotton fell to $1.01 to $1.04 per pound in international futures markets yesterday from $1.20 to $1.30 in May and June. Click here to read... [6]

Drought hampers Aman production in Bagerhat: Dhaka Tribune

A debacle in Aman paddy production is raising fears of an upcoming food crisis in Bagerhat. This year, rainfall in Bagerhat was 489 mm less than last year. As a result, although the Aman season is nearing its end, around 40% of agricultural land in the district is lying uncultivated due to a drought-like situation. Click here to read... [7]

India-Bangladesh ties, a model for bilateral cooperation: The Hindu

The state visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, to India (September 5-8) has amply showcased the high stakes of both polities in their bilateral ties, imbued with regional significanceClick here to read... [8]

Bhutan

Royal Friendships connect Bhutan and the UK - Kuensel Online

The incredible life and reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration to the world and Her Majesty will be remembered as a truly great Monarch who led her people with exceptional grace and wisdom through the most difficult times in history, His Majesty The King said in a message to His Majesty King Charles III. Click here to read... [9]

Evaluating connectivity between precipitation and water systems critical for reviving drying water sources - Kuensel Online

Water scarcity could become one of the major 21st-century challenges for Bhutan, as more than 60% of the population depends on water-sensitive sectors like agriculture and hydropower. Water scarcity is also associated with a range of other issues like food shortage, poor hygienic practices, and poverty. In the Himalayan region, the common factors attributing to the drying of water sources include climate change, land use, land cover alteration, and changes in water management. Thus, adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect and manage water resources are urgently neededClick here to read... [10]

Maldives

Special efforts are underway in 10 islands to save Maldives from the drug epidemic - Raajje

Speaking to Raajje MV at the Viyavathi Raajje conference, the CP said that one of the biggest social problems facing Maldives is drugs-abuse. The CP said that in five of these islands police are making every effort to curb drug trafficking and abuse, while in the other five islands focuss is mainly on keeping them drug free. Click here to read... [11]

Gov't aim's to increase the number of women in leadership roles: President Solih - Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the goal of the current administration is to increase the number of women in executive roles. The President made this statement at the first session of the third Viavathi Raajje conference on Sunday. The third Viavathi Raajje Conference is being held at Gan Island of Laamu Atoll. The conference would be held from September 11-12, 2022. Click here to read... [12]

Decentralization reforms are the most significant administrative reforms to date: President - Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that decentralized governance is the most significant administrative change the country has ever seen. President Solih made that statement in his opening address at the third Viavathi Rajje conference on Sunday. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar

Journalists in Myanmar brave daunting risks to carry out their reporting - International Journalist Network

Today, Reporters without Borders estimates that 70 journalists are currently in prison in the country. Some who were released from prison have recounted stories of severe torture. At least four journalists have died at the hands of the military junta, including two while in custody. Click here to read... [14]

Resistance Groups Seized Nearly 90 Myanmar Junta Outposts Since Coup - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta has lost nearly 90 bases in 17 months since the coup in fighting with resistance forces and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), according to armed groups. They included key outposts in strategic locations or critical bases for the supply of weapons and food to frontline troops. Click here to read... [15]

Myanmar Junta Cracking Down on Trade Unions and Violating Workers Rights - The Irrawaddy

Labor rights organizations in Myanmar have said that the military regime has repeatedly violated workers’ rights, including freedom of association for trade unions, since last year’s coup. Click here to read... [16]

Qatari Telecom Operator Ooredoo Exits Military-Ruled Myanmar - The Irrawaddy

Telecom giant Ooredoo sold its Myanmar operation on Thursday to the Singapore-based Nine Communications firm for US$576 million, completing the exodus of foreign telecom companies from Myanmar following last year’s coup. Click here to read... [17]

Myanmar Junta Adviser Calls for Better Civil-Military Relations - The Irrawaddy

While the Myanmar military regime is torching villages, committing extrajudicial killings and launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians, junta adviser Dr. Zaw Oo says there is a need for “good civil-military relations” and urged anyone involved in Myanmar issues to take his call seriously. Click here to read... [18]

NUG: We Control Over Half of Myanmar’s Territory - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s civilian National Unity Government (NUG) has said that its People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and allied ethnic revolutionary organizations (ERO)) have effective control of more than half the country after a year of waging a people’s defensive war against the military regime. Click here to read... [19]

Myanmar Regime, Russia Sign Nuclear Cooperation ‘Roadmap’ - The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar military regime and Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom have signed a roadmap for further atomic energy cooperation including the possible implementation of a modular reactor project in Myanmar. The agreement was signed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2022) in Vladivostok, Russia, where regime chief Min Aung Hlaing has been since Sunday to attend the forum. Click here to read... [20]

Nepal

China and Nepal’s rail line must traverse mountains, geopolitical tensions and enormous costs to get off the ground - SCMP

An ambitious multibillion dollar rail link between China and Nepal must address daunting technical challenges and questions over economic feasibility before construction can finally get under way, experts say. Click here to read... [21]

Nepal, India set for tough negotiations at next JC meet on water resources - Kathmandu Post

Issues related to Pancheshwar multipurpose and Saptakoshi high dam projects will be on the agenda during the upcoming Nepal-India secretary-level Joint Commission on Water Resources (JCWR). Click here to read... [22]

China’s Li Zhanshu to arrive in Nepal today - Indian Express

China’s third-highest leader Li Zhanshu will arrive in Nepal on Monday, officials said, in the third high-level visit to Nepal since foreign minister Wang Yi’s trip in March. Although officials are tight-lipped about the agenda of Li’s visit, it comes amid concerns in Beijing over the US’ rising influence in Nepal where a general election is just weeks away. Click here to read... [23]

Pakistan

Flood response goes digital to ensure transparency: Dawn

In a bid to ensure transparency in the allocation of relief funds for the flood survivors, the federal government has decided to establish a ‘Digital Flood Dashboard’, which will keep the public abreast of relief measures taken by the authorities concerned. Click here to read... [24]

General polls in 2023, Marriyum tells Imran: The Express Tribune

Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday, in response to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s call for early elections, insisted that the general polls would take place in 2023. Click here to read... [25]

China lauds security measures for its citizens: The Express Tribune

Beijing on Sunday appreciated and acknowledged the measures taken by Islamabad to ensure the safety and security of its projects and personnel in Pakistan as well as the efforts made towards unearthing the terrorists and their facilitators targeting Chinese nationals. Click here to read... [26]

SCO summit: Pakistan not seeking bilateral Shehbaz-Modi meeting: The News

Pakistan will not seek a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when the two along with the 13 regional leaders would be under one-roof later this week in the historic city Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 22nd summit. Click here to read... [27]

Sri Lanka

Asia Cup: Sri Lanka stun Pakistan in final to lift title: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka have won the title of the Asia Cup Champions for the sixth time, beating Pakistan by 23 runs in the final of the tournament at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night.Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 170 runs in allotted twenty overs. Click here to read... [28]

SL likely to face uphill task to reach ambitious IMF-set primary surplus target: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka is likely to face an uphill task to reach the ambitious primary surplus target set out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which requires a significant increase in State revenue through revenue-based fiscal consolidated measures, according to a top economist. Click here to read... [29]

US announces $40 million agriculture aid to Sri Lanka: Times of India

The United States on Saturday announced $40 million in aid to buy fertilizer and other key agricultural inputs in time for the next cultivation season in crisis-hit Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [30]