VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: August 26, 2021
Afghanistan
World Bank Halts Financial Support to Afghanistan: Tolo News

Amid worries about the fate of women under Taliban rule, The World Bank announced on Tuesday that it is halting financial support to Afghanistan CNN reported. The Afghan economy relies heavily on foreign aid and now faces rising food prices.

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Anti-Taliban fighters dig a trench to defend Panjshir Province: The Khaama Press

Anti-Taliban forces members of the National Resistance Front (NRF) has emerged as the most visible Afghan opposition organization since the Taliban took control of Kabul ten days ago. Anti Taliban forces fire a mounted heavy machine gun into a deep valley from the top of a rocky mountain that has defied foreign invaders for decades.

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As the US leaves, China is eyeing $1 trillion minerals in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

Zhou Bo, a senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army from 2003 to 2020, penned an op-ed in the New York Times, “With the U.S. withdrawal, Beijing can offer what Kabul needs most: political impartiality and economic investment”.

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Biden to G7: US On Pace to Complete Afghan Pullout by Aug 31: Tolo News

US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Tuesday that the United States is on pace to complete the US pullout from Afghanistan by Aug. 31 depending on cooperation from the Taliban, the White House said, according to a Reuters report.

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US House Republicans demand a response on the alleged embezzling of $169m by exiled Afghan President: The Khaama Press

Afghan exiled President Ashraf Ghani is facing embezzlement accusations, as Republican members of the House’s Oversight Committee stated, while he really fled the nation under siege with bags full of cash totaling $169 million
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Bangladesh
Bangladesh reports 4,966 fresh cases, 114 deaths from COVID-19- The Independent

On August 25, Bangladesh reported 4,966 COVID-19 cases while the coronavirus claimed overnight 114 lives.
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4th anniversary of Rohingya exodus arrives with repatriation a far cry- The Independent

4th anniversary of Rohingya exodus arrives with repatriation a far cry. The last exodus began on 25 August 2017, when violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, forcing thousands of Rohingyas to seek shelter in Bangladesh.
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Int’l Accord emerges with fresh legally binding deal- New Age

Global trade unions and international apparel retailers who were signatories to the former Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh on Wednesday renewed their agreement to continue legally-binding commitments to workplace safety in Bangladesh and other countries.
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Economy rebounding despite pandemic- Daily Sun

The country’s overall economic situation started showing some signs of improvement from the last fiscal year despite the ongoing pandemic but subdued growth in private investment and excess liquidity in banks still remain a major concern.
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Bangladesh seeks UN steps for sustainable peace in Afghanistan- The Bangladesh Today

Bangladesh has called upon United Nations (UN) to take concreate steps for establishing and sustaining peace in Afghanistan through inclusive political dialogue.
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Bangladesh gets 40 more ambulances from India- The Asian Age

To support the Bangladesh government's extensive effort to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and underline India's continuing and long-term commitment to partner with the fraternal people of Bangladesh, the Ambulances arrived in Bangladesh.
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Bhutan
42 plus percent of total positive cases emerge from P/ling and Samtse- Kuensel

Phuentsholing and Samtse alone have reported 1,071 positive cases in the current outbreak, accounting to more than 42 percent of the total Covid-19 cases in the country so far.
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Space Science and Technology lessons to begin by year end- Kuensel

Students of Classes IX-XII will learn in the newly incorporated space science and technology (SST) lessons of the New Normal Physics curriculum (NNPC) which began this year.
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Delay in parent stock import causes egg scarcity- Kuensel

Officials from the Department of Livestock said that the delay in import of parent stock–to produce the layer and broilers, and vendors hoarding eggs were the reasons for the short supply of eggs in the market causing the price rise.
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One Bhutanese still in Kabul shares his account- The Bhutanese

Gurung has been in Afghanistan for seven years and he was witness to first the Taliban moving into Kandahar where he originally worked and recently into Kabul where he had shifted base.
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To succeed in our endeavours, our Armed Forces must be intelligent, nimble, ever-changing and adaptive, evolving, responsive, and capable: His Majesty- The Bhutanese

His Majesty The King graced the Attestation Parade of the 77th group of Recruits to the Royal Bhutan Army at the Military Training Centre in Tencholing, Wangduephodrang.
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The Time Is Ripe to Focus on India's Water Ties with China, Pakistan and Bhutan- The Wire

The latest report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources of the Ministry of Jal Shakti presented to the Parliament highlights that in addition to domestic water management issues, the key roles played by these three countries.
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Maldives
Hood appointed as Foreign Relations Secretary - Avas

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has assigned Ibrahim Hood as the Secretary of Foreign Relations Office at the President's Office.The President's Office said he would continue to serve as the head of the Communications Office at the President's Office despite his new appointment.
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Over 300,000 individuals fully vaccinated - Avas

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said 300,064 people have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine until now. 476 individuals received the second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday - 261 people in capital Male' and 215 in the atolls. 376,630 have received the first dose of the vaccine to date.A special program to vaccinate children aged between 12 and 17 is ongoing. 60 percent of children in the specific age group have been vaccinated under the program. 81 percent have received the first dose of the vaccine, which is over 20,000 children.
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Maldives ex-tourism minister arrested in United Kingdom - Raajje

Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed charged with multiple counts of sexual assaults charges has been arrested while in hiding in the United Kingdom, through Interpol.While the disgraced former minister had attempted to hold a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon from UK, RaajjeMV understands he was arrested as he was preparing to start.
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Myanmar
Fighting Seen Intensifying in Myanmar as Junta Deploys Troops to Ethnic Controlled Territories - RFA

Fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups has ticked up in August and will intensify in coming days as the junta sends reinforcements to rebel-held territories in the embattled states of Kayah, Kayin, and Kachin, ethnic leaders said Wednesday.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Aug. 17 that there are 205,260 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar, most of whom are in Kayin, Kayah, Shan and Chin states. The number does not include the recent list of around 3,000 new refugees in Kayah and Kayin states.They join more than 500,000 refugees from decades of conflict between the military and ethnic armies who were already counted as IDPs at the end of 2020, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, a Norwegian NGO.
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Four Years After Massacres and Purge, Sympathy for the Rohingya Grows in Myanmar - RFA

Four years after the Myanmar military attacked ethnic Rohingya communities in the country’s western Rakhine state, burning villages, killing residents, and driving hundreds of thousands as refugees across the border with Bangladesh, sympathy has grown for the Muslim minority, sources in the country say.
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European allies alarmed by UK’s ‘de facto recognition’ of Myanmar junta with new envoy - Independent

Britain’s decision to appoint a new ambassador to Myanmar in July has alarmed European allies who fear the move will result in a de facto recognition of the military regime that seized power on 1 February.
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Russia to deliver Pantsir missile to Myanmar - RisingBD

Russia will deliver Pantsir air defense systems to Myanmar on schedule as outlined in the relevant sales contract, the Interfax news agency cited the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation as saying on Wednesday.Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimizing the junta, which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup, by continuing bilateral visits and arms deals.
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Myanmar coup leader considers shift to electoral system favoured by military - Myanmar Now

Myanmar’s army chief said on Monday that he is considering changing the country’s electoral system from the existing majoritarian model and toward a form of Proportional Representation (PR). Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the country’s elected civilian administration in a coup on February 1, made the remarks during a meeting in Naypyitaw with members of his military council, according to state-run media.
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Myanmar Chinese Chamber of Commerce launches vaccination program - Xinhuanet

Speaking at the vaccination program, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar Yu Bianjiang said the new wave of COVID-19 in Myanmar has become intense and this program will bring benefit to the country and the people.According to the embassy's release, a total of 700,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines will be delivered across the country under the program.
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Over 400,000 Myanmar Civil Servants Still on Strike Against Military Regime - The Irrawaddy

Over 400,000 civil servants have been on strike against the military regime since February, according to Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG).The NUG’s Planning and Finance Minister, U Tin Tun Naing, said on Tuesday that almost 410,000 government staff have “steadfastly joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) so far”.
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Myanmar’s Junta Lacks the Tools Needed to Stabilize the Economy - The Irrawaddy

The economic downturn has become much worse in the previous two months. In July 2021, the World Bank released its bi-annual Myanmar Economic Monitor, in which it predicted Myanmar’s economy would contract by 18 percent at the end of this fiscal year in September due to the coup staged by the Myanmar military on Feb. 1 and the third wave of COVID-19.
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Nepal
CPN-Unified Socialist to follow norms of democracy- The Himalayan

The newly formed party - CPN-Unified Socialist - has set a goal to move forward on the path of socialism by protecting the norms and values of people's multi-party democracy.
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44 fatalities reported Wednesday as 1862 more contract Covid-19- The Himalayan

Nepal's coronavirus caseload reached 752,863 on Wednesday with 1,862 more people testing positive for the infection in the past 24 hours.
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Government mulls options to ease growing burden of social security allowances- Kathmandu Post

The government has sought a voluntary renouncement of social security allowances, which come in the form of cash transfers, from the people who do not require such support in the wake of a consistent rise in resources it has to spend on the scheme.
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Can Buddhism contribute to International Relations theories?- The Republica

A perfect Buddhist IR theory might seem utopian thinking for now. However, realigning the mainstream IR theories incorporating Buddha’s core philosophy would be a ‘middle path’ in addressing some of the fallacies of conventional IR thinking for the time being.
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EC recognizes CPN (Unified Socialist) and Democratic Socialist Party- The Republica

The Election Commission (EC) has recognized the CPN (Unified Socialist) as a new political party. A meeting of the EC office bearers on Wednesday evening gave verification certificate to the CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal.
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Election officers being deputed as NC’s 14th Gen Convention nears- Khabarhub

With the 14th General Convention just around the corner, ruling Nepali Congress (NC) is set to publish the final list of active memberships and depute election officers in each district.
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Pakistan
Rising current account deficit, imports pose threat to economy: Dawn

Pakistan’s economic managers on Wednesday noted rising international commodity prices, higher import bill and current account deficit (CAD) as key risks to macroeconomic outlook and decided to have closer coordination and vigilance for policy adjustments to support higher growth.

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In call with Putin, PM Imran stresses coordinated approaches to evolving Afghan situation: Dawn

Prime Minister Imran, who received a call from Putin exchanged views on the Afghan situation as well as bilateral relations with the Russian president. The prime minister emphasised that a stable, secure and peaceful Afghanistan was "vitally important" for Pakistan and regional stability

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97% work on Pak-Afghan transit trade deal completed: The Express Tribune

According to Ministry of Commerce secretary, Pakistan and Afghanistan have already agreed on extending the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) for six months and 97% work on the APTTA has been completed.

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Qureshi for close coordination among Afghan neighbours amid crisis: The Express Tribune

FM Qureshi during a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, discussed the regional security situation, particularly the evolving situation in Afghanistan. During the meeting, they also exchanged views on ways and means to intensify bilateral relations in all areas.

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Maintaining strategic reserves: ECC approves import of sugar, wheat: The News

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the import of 200,000 metric tons of sugar and 400,000 metric tons of wheat for maintaining strategic reserves in the country.

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President Alvi visits GHQ: Discusses regional developments, national security with COAS: The News

President Dr Arif Alvi and COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday discussed regional developments and matters of national security. A briefing on cyber security was also given by Communication & Information Technology Branch.

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Sri Lanka
SL, India agree to further boost ties - Daily FT

The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay called on the new Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris after his assumption of duties. The Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for the continuous support being provided by India for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister thanked the Government of India for supplying emergency consignments of liquid oxygen from east Indian ports, even by using Indian naval ships.

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Total COVID-19 detections exceed 400,000 with 4,483 new cases - Daily FT

Sri Lanka’s total COVID-19 detections crossed the 400,000-mark yesterday with the detection of 4,483 new COVID-19 patients and the addition of over 4,000 delayed cases. According to the Epidemiology Unit, 4,484 COVID-19 cases reported in the last five days were added to the total case count yesterday after being verified by health officials.

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Sri Lanka central bank orders 5.0-pct ceiling on foreign currency deposits - Ecoomynext

Sri Lanka’s central bank has ordered a 5.0 per cent ceiling on foreign currency deposits in a bid to reduce a gap between rupee yields and dollar yields, an order under the country’s banking law shows. Sri Lanka last week raised the policy rate at which overnight money is printed to 6.0 per cent from 5.50 per cent and also a 12-month de facto rate through which large volumes of money is printed to keep gilt yields down by 55 basis points to 5.93 per cent, which is still below the overnight rate.

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Sri Lanka re-building reserves as predicted with IMF allocation, China loan: Minister Cabraal - Economynext

Sri Lanka is beginning to rebuild reserves from August as promised which were depleted in July following a bond payment, State Minister for Money and Capital Markets, Nivard Cabraal said. International Monetary Fund has allocated 554 million Special Drawing Rights which converts to about 799 million US dollars at current rates, he said.

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Chinese Army donates 300,000 doses of Sinopharm to SL - Ceylon Today

The People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) has donated 300,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to Sri Lanka. The consignment is due to arrive on Saturday (28), and will be used to inoculate the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.

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