VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: February 21, 2022

Afghanistan

Pakistan Envoy: Foreign Terrorists in Afghanistan Pose Threat: Tolo News

The Pakistan ambassador to Kabul expressed concerns over the presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan and warned that their presence threatens Pakistan and the regionClick here to read... [2]

World Bank Proposal Would Shift About $1B From Afghan Trust: Tolo News

The World Bank's management has approved a plan to use some $1 billion in a frozen Afghanistan trust fund for education, agriculture, health and family programs, according to a bank paper and two sources, in what would be a major boost to efforts to ease the country's worsening humanitarian and economic crises. Click here to read... [3]

Afghanistan’s assets should be returned quickly: Chinese envoy to UN: The Khaama Press

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun said that Afghanistan’s overseas assets should be returned quickly and in full to the Afghan people. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh to declare ‘Joy Bangla’ its national slogan shortly: Bdnews24

The government will issue a circular in a few days declaring ‘Joy Bangla’, which inspired Bangladesh during its War of Independence from Pakistan in 1971, as the national sloganClick here to read... [5]

PM to inaugurate BD-UAE business forum in March tour: The Busines Standard

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to launch a joint forum for Bangladeshi and Emiratis businessmen during her week-long visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 7-12 March, according to officials. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Bhutan moves BTC for smooth truck movement: The Sentinel

The Consulate General of Bhutan (Consulate office at Guwahati) Jigme Thinley Namgyal visited BTC Secretariat on Thursday and held a meeting with high officials of the council. Click here to read... [7]

Maldives

President Solih meets UN’S State Minister for South, Central Asia – SUN

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday met with Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State for South and Central Asia, the United Nations (UN), the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict of the United Kingdom (UK). Click here to read... [8]

Home Minister: Crime rate high, Corrections staff have key role to play – SUN

Home Minister Imran Abdulla said on Saturday that the crime rate per capita is high in Maldives, and that the hardworking staff of Maldives Correctional Service have a key role to play to counter the high crime rate. Click here to read... [9]

President Solih: Government aims to make Olhuvelifushi fully solar powered – SUN

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the government aims to make Lh. Olhuvelifushi is a fully solar-powered island. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

Myanmar junta rejects push for ASEAN envoy to meet opponents: The Straits Times

The Myanmar junta on Sunday rejected a regional special envoy's request to meet with a group of ousted lawmakers - which it had branded a terrorist group. Click here to read... [11]

UN court hearings set to resume into Rohingya genocide case on 21 Feb: The Busines Standard

In August 2017, Myanmar's military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in the country's west in response to an attack by a Rohingya insurgent groupClick here to read... [12]

Nepal

Government to make disaster information management effective - The Himalayan

The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to establish a Disaster Management Database System for effective documentation of various disaster events. Click here to read... [13]

Kamal Thapa formally announces return to RPP-Nepal - The Himalayan

Former Chairperson of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal Thapa today announced his return to the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal. Click here to read... [14]

UML Chair Oli urges govt to hold elections in fair manner - The Himalayan

Chairperson of CPN-UML and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli has urged government employees and security agencies to hold the May 13 local level elections in a free and fair manner. Click here to read... [15]

Pakistan

Trade with India need of the hour, says Razak Dawood: Dawn

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood has said trade with India is the need of the hour and beneficial to both countries. Click here to read... [16]

Editorial: Turning on the heat: Dawn

This perception is fuelled further by confident statements coming from various opposition members who continue to say that the days of the PTI government are numbered. Such a prediction is in fact linked to numbers. Click here to read... [17]

Saudi crown prince likely to visit Pakistan in March: The Express Tribune

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to finalise the dates for the much-awaited visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Islamabad likely to take place in March, official sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday. Click here to read... [18]

New media law ignites heated debate: The News

The signing of two ordinances by President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday, making changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017, ignited a heated debate in the media about the consequences of the government move. Click here to read... [19]

Sri Lanka

Chinese company funds TikTok account for Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing: The Print

A Chinese company —CITS Overseas Economic Cooperation Co Ltd– is funding the TikTok account of the Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing. Click here to read... [20]

Foreign Minister to lead Sri Lanka’s delegation to the UNHRC: Colombo Page

Foreign Minister Prof G.L. Peiris will lead the Sri Lanka Delegation to the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Click here to read... [21]