VIF Neighborhood News Digest: January 28, 2020

PAKISTAN

PM Imran discusses development projects, rise in polio cases with Sindh CM during Karachi visit: Dawn
January 28, 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Karachi on Monday for a day-long visit, during which he held a meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. During the meeting held at Governor House in Karachi, matters pertaining to federal government-funded development projects in the province especially in Karachi came under discussion, Radio Pakistan reported. A statement issued by the Sindh chief minister's spokesperson stated that Shah in his meeting with Prime Minister Imran discussed various issues including development schemes, wheat shortage, locust swarm attacks, increasing polio cases and the threat of coronavirus to Pakistanis. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Spokesman Confirms US Aircraft Crash in Ghazni: Tolo
January 28, 2020

The aircraft crashed in Deh Yak district in the central province of Ghazni, south of Kabul, on Monday afternoon. Footage seen by TOLOnews taken in Ghazni on Monday showed the burning wreckage of an aircraft with US Air Force markings, and US forces in Afghanistan have confirmed that the aircraft was a US Bombardier E-11A. TOLOnews earlier referred to the aircraft as a Bombardier Global Express jet, which is a commercial designation of the same aircraft. Click here to read... [3]

BANGLADESH

Fear of Coronavirus spreads in Munshiganj as two die of fever: Dhaka Tribune
January 28, 2020

Doctors say the deceased did not have symptoms of the virus. A woman and her nephew died from high fever at Jasaldia village in Louhajang upazila. Locals fear this may have resulted from the Coronavirus as many Chinese live around the Padma Bridge construction area and a water treatment plant. Shamima Begum, 34, wife of Mir Jewel died around 8:00am on Sunday while their nephew, Mir Abdur Rahman, 3, son of Mir Sohel, died around 2am on Monday. Mir Shiblu, brother-in-law of Shamima said: "Shamima caught a fever and had red spots on her body on Sunday morning. She quickly died within one hour after she caught the fever." Click here to read... [4]

MYANMAR

EU asks Myanmar to act on Rakhine war crimes: Myanmar Times
January 28, 2020

The European Union called on the Myanmar government on Monday to act on the report by a government-established international panel that found war crimes and grave human rights abuses had been committed in Rakhine State in 2017. The 28-member EU urged the government to conduct “adequate follow-up investigations, in line with international standards” of the abuses in Rakhine reported by the Independent Commission of Enquiry. Click here to read... [5]

SRI LANKA

Chinese woman at IDH tested positive for coronavirus: Daily Mirror
January 28, 2020

A 43 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Sri Lanka from Hubei, China has been tested positive for the new coronavirus yesterday making her the first case of positive coronavirus reported in Sri Lanka. Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said the female patient who is in her forties had arrived in Sri Lanka on January 19 as a tourist. After she developed symptoms of fever, she had been admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Angoda on the January 25. Click here to read... [6]

NEPAL

Rights activists arrested for protesting against Sapkota as Speaker released: The Kathmandu Post
January 28, 2020

Police released all 12 human rights activists and conflict victims, who were arrested earlier on Monday for protesting against Agni Sapkota’s election as Speaker, in the evening. They were protesting outside the Office of the President where Sapkota was being sworn in. Janak Raut, general secretary of Conflict Victims Common Platform, one of the persons arrested, said that police on Monday evening released all in the presence of Kapil Shrestha, a rights activist. Click here to read... [7]

BHUTAN

Government created more than 5300 jobs: Labor minister: Kuenselonline
January 28, 2020

Labor Minister Ugyen Dorji told the members of the National Assembly that MoLHR created more than 5,300 jobs in the last one and a half years. This was in response to Bardo-Trong MP Gyembo Tshering’s concern about the issue of growing unemployment in the country. He said that the country’s unemployment rate had risen to 3.4 percent in 2018 from 2.1 percent in 2012. “Youth unemployment rate was 7 percent in 2012 and reached 15.7 percent in 2018. Click here to read... [8]

CHINA

Chinese premier in Wuhan, demands all-out efforts in epidemic prevention, control: People's Daily
January 28, 2020

Entrusted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Premier Li Keqiang on Monday inspected efforts to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of a leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, extended regards to the medical workers at the frontline on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Click here to read... [9]