VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: October 25, 2021

Afghanistan

Tehran to Host Regional Meeting on Afghanistan: Tolo News

Tehran will host a ministerial meeting with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries on Wednesday and hold talks on inclusivity within the Afghan government and stability inside the country. Click here to read...

US Was Losing War So It Negotiated: Khalilzad: Tolo News

The former US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said the US was losing the war to the Taliban so it chose peace negotiations as an alternative. Click here to read...

US Nearing Deal with Pakistan for Use of Airspace: Tolo News

The United States is nearing a formalized agreement with Pakistan for use of its airspace to conduct over-the-horizon military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan. Click here to read...

We are holding Taliban accountable on counterterrorism: NATO: The Khaama Press

NATO chief Gens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies and partners are trying to hold the Taliban accountable for all the pledges they made on terrorism. Click here to read...

Biden administration to resettle over 55 thousand Afghan refugees: The Khaama Press

The US administration in an unprecedented decision wants to permanently resettle 55,600 Afghan evacuees from the military bases of the US to permanent houses. Click here to read...

Bangladesh

South Korea to provide $700m soft loan to Bangladesh- Daily Observer

South Korea will provide Bangladesh with $700 million soft loan support to help the latter's economy recover from Covid-19 shocks. Click here to read...

Joining election depends on atmosphere: BNP- The Asian Age

BNP will go to polls if an environment conducive to election is created, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday. Click here to read...

PM greets Modi as India administers 1bn Covid jabs- The Asian Age

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today congratulated her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on achieving the historic milestone of administering "One Billion" Covid-19 vaccine doses on October 21, 2021 by his government. Click here to read...

Comilla carnage: Quran desecration case against Iqbal, 3 others transferred to CID- Dhaka Tribune

Police have handed over the Holy Quran desecration case against Iqbal Hossain and three others to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Click here to read...

Rumours spread after clash breaks out near Buddhist temple in Teknaf- Dhaka Tribune

Buddhists and Muslims of Katakhali in Howaikhyong under Teknaf clashed over a trivial issue resulting in injuries to at least eight people on Sunday afternoon. Click here to read...

Form panels to maintain harmony: LGRD minister asks mayors, local representatives- The Daily Star

Local representatives have been directed to form committees at the ward level across the country to identify anyone involved in spreading rumours and creating anarchy. Click here to read...

Op-Ed: What is eclipsing our communal harmony? - Daily Star

The government should also not give the radical groups of other religious communities the chance to exploit this situation to their advantageClick here to read...

Rohingya Camps: It’s all sinister after sundown- Daily Star

According to officials of different law enforcement agencies, at least 10 Rohingya groups are involved in at least 12 types of crimes, including killing, abduction, rape, drug trafficking and robbery. Click here to read...

AL Rebels in Local Body Polls: They will stop at nothing- Daily Star

Repeated show-cause notices, warnings of punitive actions and even expulsions from the organisation have failed to deter Awami League leaders from participating in the local government polls without the party tickets. Click here to read...

Vested quarters at it again: PM- Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said vested quarters are out there to stage various types of incidents in the country to tarnish its image before the world. Click here to read...

Bhutan

Funds sanctioned for town near Bhutan border- The Telegraph

The state municipal affairs and urban development department has sanctioned a sum of Rs 12 crore for infrastructure development of Jaigaon, the town in Alipurduar district on the India-Bhutan border. Click here to read...

Action plan needed to beef up economy: PSDC- Kuensel

Committe recommends doing away with driver switching system, reducing quarantine period,and importing workers. Click here to read...

TCB gearing to receive tourists- Kuensel

The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) will not accept tourist visa applications until the Council is ready with its preparations for a safe, healthy and enjoyable experience for the tourists. Click here to read...

Bhutan and Japan signs document to digitally map various parts of the country- Kuensel

Ambassador of Bhutan to Japan V Namgyel and Ambassador of Japan to Bhutan Satoshi Suzuki signed the exchange of notes for the Project for the Development of Digital Topographic Map yesterday in New Delhi, India. Click here to read...

Winter could trigger new Covid-19 cases: Experts- Kuensel

Around this time last year, experts warned of a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases as the cold weather is best for the virus to thrive and transmit itself. Click here to read...

Top three business ideas win university’s business idea competition- Kuensel

Three business ideas pitched by the college students from nine colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) were declared winners at the university business idea competition held in Thimphu on October 21. Click here to read...

Second dose for children aged 12-17 to begin from 26th October- BBS

The health ministry will roll out the vaccination drive for children who are yet to receive the second dose of COVID vaccines from Tuesday. It constitutes about 45,000 children between the ages of 12-17 years in 15 districts. Click here to read...

Maldives

Border miles ambassador arrives in the Maldives - Avas

The first ambassador of the Maldives' border miles program arrived in the Maldives on Friday. Former Liverpool FC and Newcastle United defender Jose Enrique was appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the world’s first destination loyalty program, the Maldives Border Miles, in September this year. Click here to read...

Maldives might end in 2100, government urges rich nations to meet emissions target | WION Climate - Youtube

Experts have warned that the Maldives might disappear in the next 100 years, its existence is threatened by rising sea levels. Click here to read...

Is Maldives' troubled history with terrorist elements & radicalisation rearing its ugly head again? - Youtube

Most people understand the island country of Maldives as a top tourist spot in South Asia. However, the return of former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed after surviving a bomb blast in Male five months ago, underscores the island country's troubled history with terrorist elements and radicalisation. Click here to read...

Myanmar

UN Envoy Calls for Myanmar Junta Chief to Step Down - VOA News

The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar called Friday for that country’s military leader to step down and return power seized in a February 1 coup to the democratically elected government. Click here to read...

Time for ASEAN to Give Myanmar’s Opposition a Seat at the Table - The Irrawaddy

Nearly nine months after its forceful takeover of the country from a legitimately elected civilian government, Myanmar’s military has shown that it is one thing to seize power but an entirely different reality to consolidate and impose control. Click here to read...

Thousands flee Myanmar for India amid fears of a growing refugee crisis - Who News

Terrified farmers and families with children in Myanmar are fleeing into India as the military junta that seized power in a February coup continues to seek out and eliminate resistance along the country’s border. Click here to read...

Nepal

100,620 doses of Pfizer arriving Nepal today- Khabarhub

As many as 162,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine coming to Nepal from America today. US Embassy in Kathmandu informed about it via its official Twitter. Click here to read...

‘China has put up fences, wires in Nepal’s territory in Humla distt’- The Hitavada

The Chinese side was also trying to build a permanent canal 145 metres inside the Nepali territory. Click here to read...

Nepal’s Chief Justice says will stop allocating cases to benches at his discretion- The Indian Express

Cholendra Shumsher Rana is likely to face an impeachment motion in parliament amid controversy regarding his interactions with politicians and allegations that he pushed for a family member to be on Nepal’s council of ministers. Click here to read...

US to donate 100,620 more COVID-19 doses to Nepal- ANI

The United States is set to donate 100,620 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal, the Embassy of the United States in Nepal announced on Sunday. Click here to read...

Experts Warn of Breakout of Diseases In Rain Disaster Areas- The Rising Nepal

As the torrential post-monsoon rains that occurred recently across the country had adversely affected normal life in different parts of the country, including eastern Nepal, health experts have warned of the spread of various infectious diseases there. Click here to read...

Personalities split Nepal’s communist parties- East Asia Forum

The alliance between the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist and Leninist) (CPN-UML) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (CPN-MC), which won a landslide victory in the elections three years ago, has now fractured into three different political parties. Click here to read...

Apex court justices to boycott full court meeting- Himalaya

Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana, who has been embroiled in a controversy for allegedly lobbying to get his brother-in-law appointed to the Cabinet, now faces challenge from within the judiciary. Click here to read...

Paddy damage by freak rains estimated at Rs8.26 billion- TKP

According to preliminary estimates by the agriculture ministry, 325,258 tonnes of ready-to-harvest paddy on 85,580 hectares have either submerged or swept away in seven provinces. Click here to read...

Congress may appoint deputy Speaker, leaving state minister seat for Janata Samajbadi- TKP

A senior Janata Samajbadi Party leader, who is in the Deuba Cabinet, said the scenario has changed after Hamal’s resignation. Click here to read...

Supreme Court justices to boycott full court meeting called by Rana- TKP

Pressure is mounting on chief justice, who has run into controversies, to step down from his post. Click here to read...

Consult Delhi for census in Kalapani, census bureau asks Foreign Ministry- TKP

The Central Bureau of Statistics has yet to decide on sending enumerators to the region, which Nepal has brought within its borders but India claims as its own. Click here to read...

Non-government of Nepal- Nepali Times

A distracted government’s apathy magnifies the impact of disasters and injustice on citizens. Click here to read...

From slave to entrepreneur- Nepali Times

Freed from indentured servitude, a former kamaiya builds back her life to support family and community. Click here to read...

Floods damage ready-to-harvest paddy worth Rs 7.22 billion in three provinces- Republica<.h5>

Farmers faced a loss of paddy worth an estimated Rs 7.22 billion due to massive floods triggered by the torrential rain last week. Click here to read...

Plastic briquettes in Nepal: Addressing pollution and sustainable energy need with one technique- Online Khabar

The negative impacts of plastics and their use have been advertised and talked about a lot in Nepal in recent years. Click here to read...

Province 1 confidence vote put off till Oct 31- Himalaya

The meeting of the Province 1 Assembly, which was slated to be held today, was put off till October 31. Click here to read...

Pakistan

This time, won't go home till demands met: TLP leaders: Dawn

The government has gone back on its word thrice. This time we will sit and wait said, a statement issued by the proscribed group's leadership council on Sunday. Click here to read...

US colluding with India to sabotage CPEC: PM’s aide Khalid Mansoor: Dawn

Addressing the CPEC Summit at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), the special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM) on CPEC affairs accused the United States of conniving in cahoots with India against the economic lifeline of Pakistan. Click here to read...

Balochistan CM steps down amid political turmoil: The Express Tribune

According to PRO to Balochistan governor, Kamal had submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Zahoor Ahmad Agha, which he accepted. Click here to read...

IMF seeks closure of public entities’ accounts in banks: The Express Tribune

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has placed a condition on Pakistan to close all the bank accounts maintained by public sector entities and the defence ministry in commercial banks. Click here to read...

Work on Dasu project to resume in stages starting Oct 25: Chinese firm: The News

The Chinese firm working on the Dasu hydropower project has announced it is resuming construction work that had been halted due to "security concerns", Geo News reported on Sunday. Click here to read...

No pact with US on airspace: FO: The News

The Foreign Office (FO) Saturday rejected western media reports that Pakistan had formalised an agreement with the United States (US) that Pakistan’s airspace could be used to conduct operations inside Afghanistan. Click here to read...

Sri Lanka

Agriculture Department DG says: Indian Nano Nitrogen Is Neither Synthetic Nor Organic - Ceylon Today

Amid this crisis, the Chinese bulk organic fertiliser cargo dispute is sending mixed signals between China and Sri Lanka. Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Ajantha de Silva says the decision of the Government to go organic is based on the mandate the President received from his voters, hence it was not rushed. He also explains that fertiliser would reach the farmers on time and there is no need to panic. Click here to read...

Renewable energy projects in Northern Province: Adani to enter northern power sector? - The Morning

Adani among Indian businesses interested in SL renewable energy sector
Chinese bid for northern renewable energy projects take a backseat
Govt. considering extending deadline for renewable energy generation projects Click here to read...

Sri Lanka blocks payment to China Qingdao Seawin Biotech over fertilizer with bugs - Economynext

Sri Lanka-based Ceylon Fertilizer Company Limited had got a court order to block payment to Qingdao Seawin Biotech over shipment of organic fertilizer which was contaminated with bugs.

“The enjoining order has prevented the People’s Bank from making any payment under a Letter of Credit opened in favour of the Chinese company, Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd,” a statement from the President’s office said. Click here to read...

Contact Us