VIF Neighborhood News Digest: January 23, 2020

PAKISTAN

Pakistan on path to growth after tough economic period, PM Imran tells WEF session: Dawn
January 23, 2020

Taking the stage at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday acknowledged that Pakistanis are "hurting" under his government's economic stabilization program, but expressed the hope that 2020 will bring growth and job opportunities for the people. Recalling that his government had inherited the "worst economic crisis" in the country's history, the premier said he has never had to face the kind of "public attitude" that he encountered in the last one year due to the tough economic decisions taken by the government. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Ghani at Davos Defends Legacy, Says Afghans Want Peace: Tolo
January 23, 2020

President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday defended his legacy of the past five years, saying the country made significant achievements in various fields including security and counter-terrorism. Speaking at a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Ghani stated that five years ago there were over 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan--with 100,000 of them Americans--and there were rumors that the country would collapse once the foreign forces withdrew. However, he said, all the predictions proved false and Afghanistan survived and is making progress today. Click here to read... [3]

BANGLADESH

PM reiterates fair price of crops: Dhaka Tribune
January 23, 2020

The premier said food grains were being collected every year from internal sources aiming to ensure the fair price of crops the farmers produce. Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday reiterated her government’s commitment to ensuring fair price of crops and other agricultural products in the interest of the farmers. “The farmers-friendly Awami League government has taken various initiatives to ensure fair price of crops produced by the farmers and it will continue these programs in the future,” she told the House while replying to a starred question placed by treasury bench member Md Shahiduzzaman Sarkar (Naogaon-2). Click here to read... [4]

MYANMAR
ICJ ruling on “provisional measures” will not affect main case, rights group say: Myanmar Times
January 23, 2020

Whether genocide occurred in Myanmar will not be determined in the ruling that the International Court of Justice will release on Thursday, but on Gambia’s request for the court to issue provisional measures to stop further suffering and abuses against the northern Rakhine Muslim minority. The Hague-based World Court will decide whether to order legal injunction against Myanmar, instead of addressing the legal occurrence of genocide against the northern Rakhine Muslim minority, which could take years up to a decade to decide, the New York-based human rights organization Global Justice Centre said. Click here to read... [5]

SRI LANKA

India moves to seek closer military ties with Sri Lanka: Al Jazeera
January 23, 2020

Sri Lanka and India have pledged to strengthen military ties and widen maritime links with neighbors after security talks, the president's office said on Sunday, as New Delhi moves to counter Chinese influence in the region. China, a longtime regional rival of India, has been widening its footprint in the region, including building ports and expressways and upgrading airports in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Click here to read... [6]

NEPAL

Government to freeze financial transactions of sugar mills for failing to pay farmers: The Kathmandu Post
January 23, 2020

A day after the deadline for sugar mills to pay farmers their dues, the government on Wednesday said that it is going to freeze financial transactions of at least three sugar mills. Four sugar mills have made partial payments while two have gone out of contact, according to the Ministry for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, which reached a deal with sugarcane farmers earlier this month to clear all their dues by January 21. Even as the deadline passed, sugar mill operators still owe Rs800 million to sugarcane farmers, some of whom have not been paid for three or four years. Click here to read... [7]

BHUTAN

Crowdfunding expected to catalyze capital market: Kuenselonline
January 23, 2020

In a span of seven months since the launch of Bhutan Crowdfunding portal, three start-ups were able to raise funds to expand their businesses. After the Bhutan alternatives and Himalayan Food, One Click Shop, an e-commerce based shopping mart was able to raise Nu 8.5M from about 91 investors, two days ago. Bhutan Crowdfunding is the first digital platform developed by the Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan Ltd (RSEBL) to provide alternative financing model for start-ups and to raise funds from the public and institutions while offering investment avenues to investors. Click here to read... [8]

CHINA

Merkel's Cold War caution on the button: China Daily editorial: China Daily
January 23, 2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday urged Western powers to treat China equally and to not try and freeze it out of the international system, which would risk creating another Cold War-style bipolar order. Click here to read... [9]

Global ties vital to fight coronavirus: China Daily
January 23, 2020

China stands ready to work with the international community to effectively curb the spread of the pneumonia cases caused by a new strain of coronavirus to uphold global health security, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday. Click here to read... [10]