VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 25th March, 2019

PAKISTAN

Rao Anwar indicted in Naqeeb murder case, pleads not guilty: Dawn
March 25, 2019

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi on Monday indicted former Malir SSP Rao Anwar for the murder of Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter in Karachi. Anwar, who was in court when charges were framed against him, pleaded not guilty. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

UNAMA Confirms Civilian Deaths In Kunduz Airstrike: Tolo News
March 25, 2019

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement confirmed that based on their initial findings, at least 13 civilians were killed in an airstrike conducted by international military forces on Friday night in Kunduz province in support of pro-Government forces on the ground. The report was first leaked by local residents who said 13 members of one family were killed in the airstrike the Taloka and Tap-e-Khowak Pak village on the outskirts of Kunduz city. The residents said the airstrike was conducted at 1am on Friday night. The Mission expresses serious concern that initial fact-finding indicates that 10 of those killed were children, part of the same extended family who was displaced by fighting elsewhere in the country, the statement said. Click here to read.... [3]

NEPAL

Rs36.37 billion irrigation scheme to bring water to parched Tarai farms: Kathmandu Post
March 24, 2019

Years after it was conceived, the government will finally launch the Rs36.37 billion Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Multipurpose Project in the next fiscal year, beginning mid-July. The mega project will irrigate the perennially parched farmlands in the central Tarai region and produce electricity. The five-year project, once completed, will provide round-the-year irrigation facility to five drought-prone districts—Rautahat, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi and Bara. Insufficient rainfalls have become a recurrent problem in these Tarai districts for a long time. The problem has been further compounded by massive outflow of youths to foreign lands, creating shortage of labourers to carry out agricultural activities, according to experts. Click here to read.... [4]

CHINA

Xi meets Macron on maintaining sound China-France ties: Xinhuanet
25 March, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday stressed the importance of maintaining a sound China-France relationship to both countries' long-term development and its potential impact on the world. Xi, who is paying a state visit to France, made the remarks when meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in the southern French city of Nice. Recalling the history of friendly exchanges between China and France, Xi noted that France is the first major Western country to establish official diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Click here to read.... [5]

Key takeaways from China Development Forum 2019 on reform, opening-up: Xinhuanet
24 March, 2019

Senior officials from the Chinese central government's departments came under the spotlight at the ongoing China Development Forum 2019 for elaborating on China's reform and opening-up. Here are the key takeaways from some of their speeches made on Sunday. Click here to read.... [6]