VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: August 04, 2020

PAKISTAN

Efforts still under way for mediation between Iran, Saudi Arabia: PM: DAWN

Pakistan’s US-requested mediation efforts between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been making slow progress, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday. Prompted by Washington, Mr Khan in October visited Tehran and Riyadh to facilitate talks after attacks on Gulf oil interests that the US blamed on Iran. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Jalalabad Prison Secured After 18 Hours, 10 Attackers Killed: TOLO News

Nangarhar local security officials on Monday said the attack on a prison and an adjacent shopping plaza in PD4 of Jalalabad city ended on Monday after nearly 20 hours with the death of 10 attackers. At least 29 people were killed and 50 were wounded during the fighting, officials said. Emal Niazi, Nangarhar's police chief, said that both the prison and the shopping plaza close to the prison were cleared of attackers and the area is under security forces control. Click here to read.... [3]

BANGLADESH

LPG prices dip, consumers want uniform pricing: Dhaka Tribune

Market players hope the prices will remain at the permissible level for some time, to the convenience of household consumers. In line with global trends, the prices of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) have dropped by up to Tk 250 in Bangladesh, LPG sector insiders have said. LPG in refilled 12-kg cylinders of the state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is now selling at Tk600 each, down from Tk700 a month ago. Private companies are charging up to Tk250 less for the same weight of LPG, which was priced at Tk750 in late June and July. Click here to read.... [4]

NEPAL

Landslides, floods caused damages worth over Rs2 billion on national highways: The Kathmandu Post

Road infrastructure across the country have sustained damages worth over Rs2 billion this monsoon, as landslides and floods were reported in more than 150 locations along various national highways. As the monsoon, which is expected to last till September, is still not over, damages to the country’s road network replete with unplanned and seismically fragile roads can’t be ruled out, officials say. Click here to read.... [5]

SRI LANKA

New Parliament meets on August 20: Daily Mirror

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has summoned the new Parliament to meet on August 20 following the General Election tomorrow, August 5, the President’s Media Division announced today. President has made this decision under the powers vested in him by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Parliamentary Election Act. The Extraordinary Gazette notification announcing the summoning of the new Parliament was issued last night, it added. Click here to read.... [6]

MYANMAR

Ethnic armed groups, Tatmadaw agree to NCA talks: Myanmar Times

The 10 ethnic armed groups that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will meet with the Tatmadaw (military) individually to discuss disagreements over troop deployments and territorial boundaries set forth in the NCA. U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the President’s Office, said the talks were agreed to at a coordination meeting over the weekend. They also agreed to hold bilateral meetings during the state-level Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC-S) meetings, he said. Click here to read.... [7]