VIF Neighborhood News Digest: November 14, 2019

PAKISTAN

Govt announces 'one-time' permission for Nawaz to travel abroad; PML-N rejects decision: Dawn
November 14, 2019

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem on Wednesday announced that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be given a "one-time" permission to travel abroad for his medical treatment for a period of four weeks. Addressing a press conference along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, he said this permission will be subject to the Sharif family submitting an indemnity bond "to the tune of Rs7-7.5 billion".Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Death Toll from Kabul Car Bomb Rises to 12: Tolo
November 14, 2019

At least 12 people, including three children, were killed in a car bomb in Kabul city on Wednesday, Nasrat Rahimi, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said, adding that 20 others, including four foreigners, were wounded. The blast occurred around 7:25 a.m. local time in the Qasaba area in PD15 of Kabul city, Rahimi said. The Ministry of Interior also reported that the target of the Kabul blast was a vehicle owned by the firm Garda World Security Company. Four foreign employees of this company were wounded in the attack. Click here to read... [3]

BANGLADESH

Cyclone Bulbul destroys 26,000 hectares of crops in Khulna: Dhaka Tribune
November 14, 2019

Farmers in Koyra upazila of Khulna are frustrated and in despair. It will be a bad harvest for them, with 26,000 hectares of crops destroyed by Cyclone Bulbul which hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh early Sunday. Shamim Sheikh, a local fish farmer, said his fish enclosure on two acres of leased land was completely destroyed by the cyclone. He also said there were other farmers in the upazila who will face similar if not greater losses. Abu Taher, a paddy farmer from Ghatakhali, said: “We were about to harvest our ripe Aman crops, but before we could, the cyclone flooded all our crops.” Click here to read... [4]

MYANMAR

Mild quake rattles Yangon, leaves residents sleepless: Myanmar Times
November 14, 2019

A mild magnitude 4.1 earthquake jolted the country’s commercial capital late Tuesday night, sending sleepy residents scampering onto the streets for safety. The tremor created a buzz among residents, with most people living in high-rise buildings running down to the street. Even some streets that are normally quiet at night were littered with people. The quake did minimal damage, but the tops of three small stupas at Myanmar’s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda fell down. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said the earthquake’s epicenter was 13 kilometers from Yangon Region’s Taikkyi Township at a depth of about 10 kilometers. Click here to read... [5]

SRI LANKA

SC appeal rekindles challenge to Gota’s Sri Lankan citizenship: Daily Mirror
November 14, 2019

Two civil society activists today an appeal with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the decision last month by the Court of Appeal to dismiss their writ application that sought to quash the dual citizenship certificate of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda, co-conveners of the Purawesi Balaya civil society group, had filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal challenging the authenticity of the dual citizenship certificate granted to the former Defence Secretary on 21 November 2005 by his brother, newly sworn-in President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Click here to read... [6]

NEPAL

Constitutional Council meeting postponed yet again without making appointments: The Kathmandu Post
November 14, 2019

Political wrangling over power-sharing has continued to delay appointments to crucial constitutional commissions that are tasked with everything from overseeing inclusion to working to safeguard minority rights. The Constitutional Council, a body headed by the prime minister and mandated to make appointments to the commissions, has not held a meeting since March 25. That meeting picked Dinesh Thapaliya for the post of chief election commissioner. Click here to read... [7]

BHUTAN

Transporters blame government, boulder business hits rock bottom: Kuenselonline
November 14, 2019

When the boulder business picked up in early 2018, Phuentsholing residents wondered what was happening in the town. There suddenly was an explosion of trucks. The yellow-topped giant dumper trucks, hundreds of them, rushed to border and back. The export of boulders and surface materials to Bangladesh doubled and tripled leading into an overnight thriving transportation business. Hand-in-hand, business flourished for both exporters and truckers. Many in Phuentsholing heavily invested in trucks. By spring 2019, more than 1,500 dumper trucks hit the road. Click here to read... [8]

CHINA

Xi says ready to maintain close communication with Modi for better China-India ties: Xinhuanet
November 14, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday, saying he is willing to maintain close communication with Modi to guide a better and more stable development of China-India relations. The two leaders held an informal meeting last month in the southern Indian city of Chennai. Xi said the meeting was a success, noting that they made in-depth exchanges of views on global, regional situation as well as major issues of bilateral ties. a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/14/c_138553727.htm" target="_blank">Click here to read...

BRICS for global growth and stability: China Daily
November 14, 2019

On Nov 13-14, 2019, Brasilia will host the 11th BRICS Summit. In the run-up to this key event of the year for our group I would like to share Russia's vision of the BRICS strategic partnership. Click here to read... [9]