VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: July 6, 2020

PAKISTAN

Masood asks UK to avoid diplomatic escapism on Kashmir: DAWN

Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the British government to avoid diplomatic escapism and refrain from terming the Kashmir dispute a bilateral issue. Speaking at a webinar titled “Twin Lockdown in Kashmir and Global Response” organised by the Tehreek-i-Kashmir-UK on Saturday, he asked parliamentarians and civil society of Britain to have a dialogue with 10 Downing Street, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the deteriorating situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Insurgents Attack Security Checkpoints in Kabul: TOLO News

At least one insurgent was killed and another one was captured after an attack on a security checkpoint in Kabul province on Sunday night, the Afghan army said on Monday. The clashes took place in the Pul-e-Sofiyan area of Shakar Dara district of Kabul when “Taliban insurgents” attacked a security checkpoint from various directions, and were engaged by security forces, said the army. “One insurgent was killed and another was captured. The Taliban attacked but has been pushed back,” said the statement. Click here to read.... [3]

BANGLADESH

219 expats land in jail for ‘tarnishing country’s image’: Dhaka Tribune

A court in Dhaka has sent 219 expatriate Bangladeshis, who recently returned from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, to prison for their alleged involvements in attempts to tarnish the image of the Bangladesh government. Following their arrivals, the expats were sent to a 14-day quarantine at the army-operated facility in Diabari, said the local Turag Police Station, which produced them in the court. “The expats, in separate groups, were plotting to tarnish the image of the country while in quarantine,” Turag police OC Nurul Muttakkin told Dhaka Tribune. " target="_blank">Click here to read.... [4]

MYANMAR

Families mourn as Myanmar jade mine disaster kills more than 170: Al Jazeera

Aye Mon, 30, is left alone with a two-year-old daughter after her husband and younger brother died in Myanmar's worst jade mine landslide that killed more than 170 people on Thursday. In hopes of finding gems that might transform his future, her brother, Shwe Moe Tun, 22, had travelled more than 600km (370 miles) from his village in Monywa to Hpakant area of Kachin state in northern Myanmar, home to a secretive billion-dollar jade industry. Click here to read.... [5]

NEPAL

Feud continues in the ruling party as Oli-Dahal talks fail: The Kathmandu Post

Amid pressure from party members to save the party unity, two chairs of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on Sunday decided to buy time, agreeing to sit for talks once again on Monday morning. The ruling party is on the verge of a split due to increasing polarisation. On Sunday, Oli and Dahal held a meeting at Baluwatar in search of a common ground but failed, as both refused to budge from their stances. Click here to read.... [6]

SRI LANKA

SJB a cat’s paw of communal political parties-PM: Daily Mirror

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today requested all voters to give them an overwhelming mandate exceeding even that of the presidential election of 2019, in order to put an end to narrow minded communalism in the politics of this country. Issuing a statement the Prime Minister said; The leader of the newly formed Samagi Jana Balawegaya was the UNP presidential candidate in 2019. The manifesto that Sajith Premadasa issued for the presidential election titled in Sinhala ‘Sri Lankawe idirigamanata seemawak netha, ekwa gamana yamu’ had a chapter titled ‘Janathawage Vyawasthawa’ on pages 15-16 which contained the following proposals. Click here to read.... [7]