VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: January 19, 2022

Afghanistan

Minister Orders Police to Stop Unauthorized Operations: Tolo News

Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani ordered Kabul police districts to avoid launching unauthorized operations and to not detain suspects or search people’s houses without consulting the ministry. Click here to read... [2]

Earthquake in western Afghanistan kills 28, destroyed 800 homes: The Khaama Press

Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid said that two earthquakes in the western Badghis province on Monday, January 17 killed 28 people, wounded four, and destroyed 800 homes. Click here to read... [3]

IEA asks Norway to take lead in recognition: The Khaama Press

Deputy of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in economic affairs Maulaee Kabir meets with the Norwegian ambassador to Kabul Andreas Linedman and expressed hope that Norway would take lead in recognizing the interim government in Afghanistan. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

President Hamid to DCs: Don’t abuse power while discharging duties- Dhaka Tribune

The president reminded the DCs that getting services is the right of people, not an act of kindness or benevolence. Click here to read... [5]

India's Modi urges collective global effort to deal with cryptocurrencies- Dhaka Tribune

India has been mulling virtual currency-related regulations which were widely expected to be introduced in the winter session of the parliament in December before being shelved. Click here to read... [6]

Govt turns down DCs’ plan to oversee development projects- Dhaka Tribune

Proposal to move Sub-Registrar’s Office under Land Ministry. Click here to read... [7]

Exporters enjoying US sales bonanza- Daily Star

US consumers expected to purchase 30pc more garment, footwear in 2022: study. Click here to read... [8]

(Opinion) Free our universities of suppression and violence- Daily Star

It is a matter of common sense that a university is supposed to create space and opportunities to generate knowledge, open up scopes for creative ideas and thinking, invite questions against the existing knowledge and system, and raise voices against injustice, discrimination and oppression. Click here to read... [9]

Bhutan

Gelephu reports 15 new community cases- Kuensel

Gelephu reported 15 new Covid-19 cases from the community yesterday, taking the total count of the active community cases to 20 in the past two days. Click here to read... [10]

Primary contacts of the positive case in Mongar quarantined- Kuensel

All 16 primary contacts of the 38-year-old non-Bhutanese man, who had come from Wangdue and tested positive for Covid-19 at Gyalpoizhing, Mongar, were traced and quarantined yesterday. Click here to read... [11]

Imports and exports in Samdrupjongkhar resume- Kuensel

Imports and exports in Samdrupjongkhar, which were suspended after one of the frontline workers at the border checkpost (BCP) tested Covid-19 positive yesterday morning, resumed at 3pm after sanitising the area. Click here to read... [12]

MoEA minister discusses P I barrage, Sunkosh status, Vegetable exports, power export to Bangladesh, Third internet gateway in Delhi visit- Daily Bhutan

In the first ever in person meeting with Indian ministers in more than two years, the Minister of Economic Affairs Loknath Sharma went to Delhi on January 10 with a host of issues from difficulty in exporting vegetables to hydropower to the third internet gateway. Click here to read... [13]

Opposition raise concerns over youth unemployment crisis- Bhutan Times

While the government has pledged to create more employment opportunities for youths, the Opposition Party in its meet-the-press on Friday raised a scathing criticism stating that the government failed to give priority to job creation. Click here to read... [14]

Maldives

Maldives still one of the favourite destinations to travel for Indians - Deccan Herald

Post-Covid, tourism in 2021 saw a deluge of Indian travelers flocking to Maldives, and this upward trend has remained consistent with the start of this year as well. According to Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Maldives' Minister of Tourism, India has now replaced Russia as the top source market for Maldives, with the sheer number of Indian travelers surpassing that from all other countries. Click here to read... [15]

Myanmar

Leaked memo shows Myanmar’s junta feels legally vulnerable - Arab News

An internal Myanmar army memo surfaced last week, instructing all members of the military to not answer or even accept any letter, summons or warrant from abroad, especially where it is clear they are from the International Criminal Court, the Argentinian federal court or any of the plaintiffs in either of these cases

Victory is around the corner for Myanmar - The Irrawaddy

While people around the world celebrated the New Year of 2022 hoping to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the Myanmar people are battling twin crises: coronavirus and the military’s coup. Click here to read... [16]

Army denies operation inside Myanmar territory -The Hindu

In response to news story ‘Three killed in exchange of fire near International border’ published in The Hindu dated January 14, 2022, the Army on Monday denied that any such operation has taken place inside Myanmar territory. Click here to read... [17]

Karen State: 2,190 Burma Army Soldiers Killed – KNU Claims Junta Now Resorting to Airstrikes as its Ground Troops Reluctant to Fight - BNI Online

A Karen National Union military tactical commander, in an interview with Karen News, said Burma Army soldiers were showing signs of not wanting to fight. Colonel Saw Htoo K’Shaw, Tactical Commander of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 said the Burma Army had suffered heavy casualties in its clashes with Karen troops and this had caused its rank and file soldiers to withdraw from battle. Click here to read... [18]

Aung San Suu Kyi Hit With 5 New Corruption Charges - The Diplomat

According to the Associated Press, these five additional charges are connected to the granting of permits involving “the hire, purchase, and maintenance of a helicopter.” Click here to read... [19]

Nepal

Constitutional and legal contradictions surface amid local election talks- Kathmandu Post

Some parties in the ruling coalition appear to be in bid to exploit the loopholes to delay local level polls, which have been proposed by the poll body for April-May. Click here to read... [20]

(COLUMNS) Redrawing the map: CK Lal- Kathmandu Post

Territorial issues between countries are as challenging to resolve as claims over land ownership between squabbling siblings. Click here to read... [21]

Ruling Parties Agree On Local Elections In April- Rising Nepal
A meeting of the ruling political parties’ joint mechanism, the High Level Political Coordination Committee on Tuesday discussed holding local election. Click here to read... [22]

Pakistan

Bilawal sees probability of opposition parties working together: Dawn

“If they (PDM) are ready to withdraw their stance on the issue of en mass resignations and consider my proposal of bringing a no-confidence motion, then certainly there is a possibility that we can work together,” said the PPP chairman while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House on Tuesday. Click here to read... [23]

Editorial: Vicious cycle of politics: Dawn

While the PTI government is riven by internal discord, the opposition parties are too much in a state of disarray to present any serious threat to the current dispensation. But nothing is certain given the ever-shifting sands of Pakistani politics. If conspiracy theories are to be believed the game is on. Click here to read... [24]

Pakistan to pay Dasu attack Chinese victims: The Express Tribune

A total of 10 Chinese national lost their lives and another 26 were hurt in a suicide attack on a bus that was carrying them to the work site of the Dasu Hydropower Project in July last year. Click here to read... [25]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Tamil MPs seek PM Modi intervention on political solution: The Hindu

Prominent Tamil legislators from Sri Lanka’s north and east have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking India’s help in ensuring that Colombo addresses the island’s long-pending Tamil question with a lasting political solution. Click here to read... [26]

India extends $500 million line of credit to help Sri Lanka purchase fuel: Money Control

India on Tuesday announced a $500 million credit line to help Sri Lanka purchase petroleum products as the island nation struggles with a massive fuel and energy crisis. Click here to read... [27]