VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: September 15, 2021

Afghanistan

UN Raises Concerns Over Civilian Casualties In Panjshir: Tolo News

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday at the UN meeting on Afghanistan in Geneva said she is worried about reports over civilian casualties and human rights violations in Panjshir.
Click here to read... [2]

Taliban Welcomes Intl Aid, Pledges to Distribute Transparently: Tolo News

Taliban’s government acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the Taliban wants good bilateral relations with the world’s countries, including the United States.
Click here to read... [3]

Thousands of people protest against Taliban in Kandahar province: The Khaama Press

Thousands of men and women took to the streets of Kandahar city and protested against the Taliban’s decision based on which the families of late Afghan security forces should evacuate their residence.
Click here to read... [4]

Taliban denies human rights’ violation, war crimes in Panjshir province: The Khaama Press

In front of a Taliban flag, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks at at his first news conference, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. For years, Mujahid had been a shadowy figure issuing statements on behalf of the militants.
Click here to read... [5]

Virtual protest, Afghan women defy all-black attire: The Khaama Press

A number of Afghan women living abroad have posted their photos wearing traditional Afghan clothes to defy the all-black attire worn by hundreds of women in Kabul and other provinces recently.
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Bangladesh

PM reiterates call to follow health safety guidelines- Daily Star

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the countrymen, particularly the lawmakers, to follow the health guidelines properly.
Click here to read... [7]

Farming accounts for 35pc of it- Daily Star

Animal farming accounts for twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as plants grown for consumption.
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Universities to reopen after September 27- The Asian Age

The Bangladesh authorities are allowing universities to reopen for in-person classes and exams after Sept 27 following the long coronavirus-induced shutdown.
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HC: Shut down unregistered online news portals- The Asian Age

The High Court on Tuesday directed authorities concerned to shut down all the unregistered online news portals in the country.
Click here to read... [10]

'BNP's unabated falsehood reflects its fascist mentality'- The Asian Age

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said BNP's unabated falsehood is part of their fascist mentality.
Click here to read... [11]

Bangladesh wants peaceful settlement between Guyana and Venezuela- Observer

Bangladesh on Tuesday chaired the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana and reaffirms the proposal of the group for peaceful settlement of the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela through the intervention of the ICJ.
Click here to read... [12]

Bangladesh reports 2,074 fresh cases, 35 deaths from COVID-19- The Independent

Bangladesh on Tuesday reported 2,074 COVID-19 cases while the coronavirus claimed overnight 35 lives.
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Dengue cases on rise as Dhaka city bodies fail to kill Aedes- New Age

The number of dengue cases is on the rise as the city authorities have failed to control the mosquito menace.
Click here to read... [14]

Bhutan

Class VII and VIII students in P/ling return to schools- Kuensel

The schools are operating with strict Covid-19 protocols prepared by the Southern Covid-19 Task Force (SC19TF).
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Creating pathways for sustainable food systems- Kuensel

Various representatives from stakeholders relevant to the agricultural sector yesterday took stock of Bhutan’s future in agriculture.
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Subsidised rural timber allotment begins- Kuensel

According to records, out of 15 applicants, nine applied for renovation and six for new construction.
Click here to read... [17]

Cabinet asks home ministry to submit action plan for combating human trafficking- Bhutan Times

In a stark revelation, Bhutan failed to meet minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and remains in Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year in 2021 U.S. report.
Click here to read... [18]

Bhutanese Ambassador presents his letter of credence to His Majesty King Philppe, King of the Belgians- Bhutan Times

Bhutan’s accredited Ambassador to Belgium Tshering Gyaltshen Penjor presented his letter of credence to His Majesty Philppe, King of the Belgians at the Royal Palace in Brussels on 8 September 2021.
Click here to read... [19]

Nu 19.47mn worth of vegetables exported to India- Business Bhutan

This is as per the provisional trade statistics for the first quarter of this year.
Click here to read... [20]

Maldives

Covid-19 health, social expenditure reaches MVR 2,106.9 million - Raajje

According to latest statistics publicized by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, between September 2 – 9 expenditures related to health social sectors saw a 0.04 percent increase from the week before.
Click here to read... [21]

Maldives tourist arrivals figure exceeds 800,000 by Monday - Raajje

As the country inches closer to its tourist arrival target of 1.3 million for the year, by September 13 Maldives recorded 809,764 arrivals, of which 53,798 have been welcomed during the ongoing month.
Click here to read... [22]

Myanmar

Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Attends Court as Health Improves - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended a hearing at a special court in Naypyitaw’s Zabuthiri Township on Tuesday, as she was feeling better.
Click here to read... [23]

What to make of the US-China deal on Myanmar's UN seat? - Barbedwires

On 13 September, Foreign Policy, in an exclusive report, revealed that the US and China had brokered a deal between them to defer a decision on who would occupy Myanmar’s seat at the UN – the junta or the National Unity Government (NUG) – to November.
Click here to read... [24]

Int’l Community Can’t Be Relied on for Myanmar Democracy Movement or People’s Safety: NUG - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said it could no longer rely on the international community to support the country’s democracy movement or to protect the people of Myanmar from the brutality of the military junta.
Click here to read... [25]

China’s Infrastructure Projects in Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet Threaten to Encircle India - The Irrawaddy

On August 25, when the international media was busy covering the Afghan crisis, China quietly opened a strategic rail link through civil war-hit Myanmar to access the Indian Ocean.
Click here to read... [26]

What Has Happened to Myanmar’s Tatmadaw? - The Irrawaddy

The decision by Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) to declare a “defensive people’s war” against the military junta that usurped power in Naypyitaw on Feb. 1 has not been met with much sympathy from the international community.
Click here to read... [27]

Myanmar’s UN Ambassador to Stay On: UN Sources - The Irrawaddy

The United States and China have brokered an agreement that will effectively block Myanmar’s military rulers from addressing the United Nations’ General Assembly next week.
Click here to read... [28]

Nepal

Let UML's Pandey, Bhatta join Nepal's party, EC told- Himalaya

The Supreme Court today issued an interim order to the Election Commission asking it not to bar CPN-UML lawmakers Som Prasad Pandey and Sharada Devi Bhatta from joining the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led CPN (Unified Socialist) party.
Click here to read... [29]

UML lawmakers continue to disrupt House- Himalaya

CPN-UML lawmakers continued to stall the proceedings of both the houses of representatives today accusing Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota of being complicit in the 'conspiracy' to split their party. Sapkota postponed the HoR meeting till September 20.
Click here to read... [30]

Child marriage cases up by 31.25pc

The evil of Child marriage is rampant and continues to worsen in the country.
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SAARC meet on UN assembly sidelines uncertain after Afghan regime change-Kathmandu Post

Citing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will not be travelling to New York, one of his aides has said, as the 76th session of the UN General Assembly officially opens.
Click here to read... [32]

Government faces financial deadlock as budget fails to get through Parliament- Kathmandu Post

The obstruction of the House of Representatives by the main opposition CPN-UML on Tuesday has led to a government shutdown situation.
Click here to read... [33]

CPN (Unified Socialist)’s first central committee meeting scheduled for Sept 21- The Republica

The first central committee meeting of the CPN (Unified Socialist) is going to take place on September 21.
Click here to read... [34]

Scores of lawmakers in Nepal lack intelligence and integrity: A review of their statements in House- Online Khabar

CPN-Maoist Centre chief whip Dev Gurung also agrees that his party has not been able to change this and train lawmakers.
https://english.onlinekhabar.com/lawmakers-in-nepal-parliament.html" target="_blank">Click here to read...

Pakistan

PM Imran annoyed over PTI defeat in Punjab cantt polls: Dawn

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed annoyance over defeat of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insasf (PTI) in recent cantonment boards elections in four major stations — Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan, sources told Dawn.
Click here to read... [35]

Opposition submits no-confidence motion against Balochistan CM: Dawn

Sixteen opposition members in the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday submitted a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani to the assembly secretary, demanding that a session be called for a debate on the motion within seven days.
Click here to read... [36]

Imran to Putin: Pak-Russia close coordination on Afghanistan crucial: The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday received a telephone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin wherein both the leaders discussed latest situation in Afghanistan and other matters.
Click here to read... [37]

Blinken says US will assess Pakistan ties over Afghanistan's future: The Express Tribune

The United States will be looking at its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, to formulate what role Washington would want it to play in the future of Afghanistan.
Click here to read... [38]

Lockdown in 18 districts to be lifted tomorrow: The News

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Tuesday announced to lift lockdown in 18 out of 24 districts with high risk of delta variant of COVID-19 until September 30.
Click here to read... [39]

Sri Lanka

GoSL opposes ‘polarising’ UNHRC initiative - The Morning

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, addressing the 48th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (14) via online technology, said that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) rejects any external initiatives established by Resolution 46/1, which was adopted at the Council earlier this year, as it will polarise the Sri Lankan society.
Click here to read... [40]

Total COVID-19 detections exceed 490,000 with 2,475 new cases - Daily FT

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections exceeded 490,000 with 2,475 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
Click here to read... [41]

SL to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste - Ceylon Today

The Foreign Minister’s proposal to establish formal diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste (East Timor), was approved by the Cabinet.
Click here to read... [42]

UN Core Group ‘deeply concerned’ about human rights developments in Sri Lanka - Adaderana.lk

The United Nations Core Group on Sri Lanka has expressed its deep concerns over the current human rights developments in Sri Lanka and the country’s counter-terrorism legistation.
Click here to read... [43]