VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: September 17, 2021

Afghanistan

Ghani’s Fleeing Ruined Last-Minute Deal: Khalilzad: Tolo News

According to Khalilzad, the plan was to keep Kabul out of the Taliban’s hands and negotiate a political transition, but Ghani’s escape created a power vacuum and the Taliban entered the city, the Financial Times reported.
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Afghan Students Anxious as Schools Remain Closed: Tolo News

Although a month has passed since the fall of the previous government, secondary schools (grade 7 and up) remain closed, causing concerns, a number of students told TOLOnews on Thursday.
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Black Market Visa Business Booming in Afghanistan: Tolo News

As most embassies in Kabul closed following the collapse of the former government, and the number of people demanding visas has increased, the black market business for visas is skyrocketing.
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We impose no conditions on Taliban, they declared their objective themselves: Russia: The Khaama Press

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that they are not imposing any conditions on the Taliban and added that they are declaring their objectives themselves which are fighting terrorism and drug trafficking.
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Taliban asks UN’s cooperation in recognition, lifting sanctions: The Khaama Press

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan asked the UN to help them in recognition of their government, removing names of the Taliban leaders from the black list, and lifting all other sanctions imposed by the international community.
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Bangladesh

Quarterly GDP growth data from next fiscal year- Daily Star

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is going to publish the gross domestic product (GDP) growth data every quarter from the next fiscal year.
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PM at UNGA: Post-pandemic recovery high on agenda- Daily Star

Bangladesh will focus on post-Covid economic recovery, climate change and Rohingya crisis at the UN General Assembly in New York, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend from September 21
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Social Safety Net: High allocations, but off target- Daily Star

Bangladesh is failing to reap the maximum benefit from its high social safety net allocations.
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Editors' Council concerned as BFIU seeks bank details of journos- Asian Age

The Editors' Council has expressed concern as the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has sought bank details of eleven journalist leaders.
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Investigate how many people Zia killed in jail- Asian Age

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged lawmakers to find out how many people were killed in each jail across the country during Ziaur Rahman's regime.
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ED: A scientifically sound climate strategy for Bangladesh- Dhaka Tribune

COURTESY With the weakening of Bangladesh’s naturally protective mechanisms such as the Sundarbans, the government needs to take adequate steps to reverse the damage.
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BNP policymakers now will sit with grassroots leaders- The Observer

BNP policymakers now will sit with grassroots leaders BNP policymakers are now planning to sit with the grassroots leaders.
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PM flies for Finland Friday morning on her way to UNGA- The Independent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave for Finland on Friday morning as part of a two-week official visit to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
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Hasina pledges concrete-steel houses for poor- New Age

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that the government was now building houses with concrete and steel for homeless people so that none could damage those easily.
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Bhutan

Parties renewing membership without consent?- Kuensel

Despite being the ruling party, the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has become the smallest party in terms of membership.
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Lhuentse-Mongar local bus service resumes- Kuensel

Local bus service from Lhuentse to Mongar resumed on September 14 almost five months after.
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Understanding mental health and well-being: Me For Myself- Kuensel

About 50 Bhutanese youths are engaged in the Me For Myself (M4M) campaign that focuses on mental health and well-being.
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Commercial youth farmers wait for NLCS’s approval- Kuensel

To expand their commercial farming, a youth group in Samarchu, Dagana, proposed to lease 11.40 acres of state land nearby their farm in March this year.
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200-bedded quarantine facility at Dhamdum ready- Samtse- BBS

The 200-bedded Quarantine Facility at Dhamdum in Samtse is now ready. The facility which was inaugurated on Tuesday.

Bhutan: Creating pathways for sustainable food systems- Fresh Plaza

Representatives from stakeholders relevant to the agricultural sector have taken a look at Bhutan’s future in agriculture.
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Maldives

Nepal, Maldives envoys visit UAP - New Age

Two teams from of the embassy of Nepal and the high commission of Maldives to Bangladesh headed by Nepal ambassador Banshidhar Mishra and Maldives high commissioner Shiruzimath Sameer visited University of Asia Pacific.
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UNWTO Plans Restart of Tourism Across Asia and the Pacific - Travel Agent Central

The 33rd joint meeting of the World Tourism Organization’s Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and its Commission for South Asia was held September 14, 2021.
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Ex-pres. issued warning for violating house arrest terms - Raajje

Maldives Correction Service (MCS) has closed the case of incarcerated Former President Abdulla Yameen violating the conditions and terms of his house arrest by taking part in an opposition rally, after issuing a warning.
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Hungary consulate opens in the Maldives - Avas

The Consulate was opened by Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, Hungarian Ambassador to the Maldives, András László Király and Maldives' Horonary Consul to Hungary, Mohamed Ali Janah at a special ceremony held Thursday.
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Myanmar

Norway's Telenor says Myanmar unit sale plan followed junta's pressure on surveillance tech - Reuters

Norwegian telecom firm Telenor is selling its Myanmar operations to avoid European Union sanctions after "continued pressure" from Myanmar's military junta to activate intercept surveillance technology, the company's Asia head told Reuters.
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Cold, frightened and armed: In Myanmar’s jungles, a struggling resistance - Indian Express

The Myanmar soldiers attacked the village of Yay Shin, deep in the furrows of the Himalayan foothills, just after dusk, descending with flamethrowers and heavy weaponry.
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Finding fault lines within the Tatmadaw - Frontier Myanmar

A split in the Tatmadaw has been unlikely since its founding in 1962, but a steady increase in defections and desertions since the coup amid plunging morale has some questioning whether unity can be maintained within the nation’s most powerful institution.
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Myanmar Military Battles Ethnic Armed Group in Kachin State - The Irrawaddy

The ethnic armed group and the Myanmar military have been clashing on the strategic Tanai-Shingbwiyang Road since September 7, after regime soldiers attempted to retake control of Tarong Village, which lies along the road, said KIA information officer Colonel Naw Bu.
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Military Junta Attempts To Undermine AA Rule In Rakhine State - BNI Online

The Tatmadaw has called up leaders of Muslim villages in Kyauktaw Township to tell them not to accept the authority of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) in Rakhine State, whose hold over the area has grown since an informal ceasefire late last year temporarily ending years of conflict.
Click here to read... [29]

Nepal

Oli rules out Nepal's return to CPN-UML- Himalaya

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli today said UML's door was shut for Madhav Kumar Nepal as he had led a campaign to topple his own party's government and support the leader of opposition to form a new government.
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Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company (AHPC) proposes 10 per cent Bonus shares; When's the book closure?

Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company Limited (AHPC) has proposed 10 per cent bounus shares and 0.526% cash dividends on Thursday.
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Nepal to wrap up evacuation of its citizens from Afghanistan on September 18- Kathmandu Post

The government is preparing to wrap up the evacuation of its citizens from crisis-ridden Afghanistan on September 18.
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A load of rubbish- Nepali Times

Kathmandu’s garbage problem is not new, it has been five decades in the making.
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TU urges colleges to run physical classes- Republica

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has urged the campuses affiliated to it to run physical classes from Friday.
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NRB injects additional Rs 20 billion in country’s financial market to ease liquidity crunch- Republica

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Thursday injected an additional Rs 20 billion in the domestic financial system in an attempt to ease a growing shortfall of liquidity in the banking system.

Sri Lankan Airlines to Increase Kathmandu-Colombo Flights- The Rising Nepal

Less than a month since it began flying the Nepali skies, Sri Lankan Airlines has added two more flights to its Kathmandu-Colombo route.
Click here to read... [35]

Pakistan

SCO leaders caution against abandoning Afghanistan: Dawn

Several regional leaders participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Thursday underscored the need for an inclusive government in Afghanistan and concurred with Pakistan that the war-ravaged country should not be abandoned after the Taliban takeover.
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US urges Pakistan’s constructive role in resolving Afghan crisis: Dawn

The US State Department has urged Pakistan to play a constructive role in persuading the Taliban to fulfil their commitments.

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Ties with Russia key priority for Pakistan, says foreign minister: The Express Tribune

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Dushanbe and reiterated commitment to further enhance the bilateral ties.
Click here to read... [38]

Pakistan to recognise Taliban govt ‘independently, not under duress’: The Express Tribune

Pakistan has announced that it will take an independent decision in line with its interests on recognising the Taliban government in a major policy statement rejecting the US demand asking Islamabad not to give legitimacy to Afghanistan’s new rulers unless they meet international demands.
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Slow pace of work on CPEC irks Chinese companies: Dawn

A Senate panel on Thursday expressed concern over the slow pace of development on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and dissatisfaction being expressed by the Chinese companies over the negligible progress over the past three years.
Click here to read... [40]

UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls on COAS: The News

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security, current situation in Afghanistan and collaboration in humanitarian assistance were discussed.
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Taliban be given time to run country effectively: Rashid: The News

The world needs to understand the ground realities about Afghanistan, said Rashid. He added that the Taliban must ensure the availability of financial and human resources for governance.
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Sri Lanka

Port City’s International Financial Centre postponed - The Morning

D to the prevailing pandemic situation, commencement of construction has been postponed.
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2,271 persons test positive for COVID-19 - Daily FT

COVID-19 detections in the country rose to 498,694 with the detection of 2,271 COVID-19 cases yesterday.
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Fresh concerns as manufacturing, services contract in August - Daily FT

The country’s manufacturing and services sector had contracted in August as per the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) compiled by the Central Bank, sparking fresh concerns over the impact of the COVID third-wave-induced lockdowns.
Click here to read... [45]

EU delegation to visit Sri Lanka for talks on GSP+ concessions - Adaderana

A delegation of the European Union is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on September 27, the Foreign Secretary Admiral (Prof.) Jayanath Colombage said.
Click here to read... [46]

United States Delivers $40 Million in Financing to Support Small Businesses and Empower Sri Lankan Women - US Embassy

The United States provided $40 million in financing to SDB Bank in order to bolster Sri Lanka’s Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) sector and assist women entrepreneurs.
Click here to read... [47]