VIF Neighborhood News Digest: April 24, 2020

PAKISTAN

Indian Muslims face heightened risk of social exclusion, violence: FO: DAWN

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Muslims in India were at heightened risk of social exclusion and violence after being blamed for the spread of the coronavirus. “It is deeply disconcerting that the discriminatory and anti-Muslim policies and practices of the RSS-inspired BJP government persist even as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. A systematic campaign is unfortunately under way to demonise Muslims, who face increased exclusion as well as the threat of mob violence,” FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said during the weekly media briefing. Click here to read.... [2]

Lenders’ help lowers Pakistan’s financing risks: Moody’s: DAWN

The financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilaterals has lowered Pakistan’s financing risks from the coronavirus-related economic shock even though its fiscal deficit may touch double digits. “The substantial financial support from official-sector creditors reduces Pakistan’s financing risks,” said the Moody’s investors service on Thursday, adding that the fiscal stimulus announced by the government could widen the country’s budget deficit to 9.5-10 per cent of GDP. Click here to read.... [3]

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Rejects President Ghani’s Call for Ceasefire: TOLO News

Amid escalating violence in many parts of the country, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday--the eve of Ramadan--appealed to the Taliban for a ceasefire, citing the special conditions of the countrywide spread of the coronavirus. But Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen responded on Twitter saying the government's inattention to “thousands” of prisoners--who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus--made Ghani's appeal insincere, and this and other factors made a ceasefire improbable. Click here to read.... [4]

Oil prices down 95pc globally but 15pc in Afghanistan: Pajhwok

The prices of petroleum products plummeted by 95 percent in the world this year compared to their rates last year, but Afghanistan recorded a 15 percent cut. Click here to read.... [5]

BANGLADESH

PM: World facing the biggest crisis in 100 years: Dhaka Tribune

Describing the coronavirus pandemic as the crisis of the century, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has underscored collective responsibility and partnership to fight the virus and its impact on economies across the world. “The world is perhaps facing the biggest crisis in the last 100 years. So, we need to face the crisis together. We need an approach of collective responsibility and partnership from every society,” she said on Thursday. Her call came while addressing a virtual conference by the World Economic Forum (WEF) titled ‘Enhancing regional cooperation in South Asia to combat Covid-19 related impact on its economies’Click here to read.... [6]

Apparel buyers, brands roles questionable, says CPD: Dhaka Tribune

It urged brands, buyers and the government to work with suppliers and workers to defeat the impact of Covid-19 in the country's apparel sector. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on Thursday expressed its frustration over the roles of apparel buyers and brands, as their order cancellations and uses of ‘force majeure clause’ put suppliers and millions of workers in deep trouble. The think tank said their roles were questionable amid the global pandemic of new coronavirus. Click here to read.... [7]

MYANMAR

Yangon regional govt extends curfew for another two months: Myanmar Times

An existing 10pm-4am curfew imposed in all 45 townships of Yangon Region will remain effective until June 18, according to the township general administration department on April 23. The announcement was made under the instruction of the Yangon regional government. In the original April 18 announcement of the curfew, the authorities did not include a duration and so a time period has been added, said U Hla Htay, MP of Mingalar Taung Nyunt constituency No 1. Click here to read.... [8]

Central Bank extends regulation compliance deadline to 2023: Myanmar Times

In view of COVID-19, the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has granted a three-year extension for banks to comply with four directives to better align the sector with international standards released in 2017. Banks now have until August 31, 2023 to comply with:Notification No. (16/2017) Capital Adequacy Regulation, Notification No. (17/2017) Asset Classification and Provisioning Regulations, Notification No. (18/2017) Large Exposures Regulation, and Notification No. (19/2017) Liquidity Ration Requirement Regulation. The original deadline for compliance was August 31, 2020. Click here to read.... [9]

NEPAL

Nepalis in London on the receiving end of xenophobia amidst Covid-19 fears: The Kathmandu Post

On Wednesday, April 15, Milan Limbu was playing video games in his room when he heard a loud explosion. At first, he thought it was the sound of fireworks. But it was 11 pm in the otherwise quiet neighbourhood of Maidstone, an English town south-east of London. Limbu looked out the window to find his parents’ car on fire. Click here to read.... [10]

Nepal stands to lose Rs145 billion in remittance this year: The Kathmandu Post

Remittance to Nepal is expected to drop by a whopping 14 percent this year, signalling an economic distress stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, said a World Bank report released on Wednesday. This drop in remittance roughly translates to a loss of Rs145 billion, based on the current exchange rate of $1=Rs120. Nepali migrant workers sent home $8.64 billion in 2019, making the country one of the biggest beneficiaries of remittance in the world. Click here to read.... [11]

BHUTAN

Militia group launches campaign materials: Kuensel

The militia group (2003) launched physical distancing awareness campaign materials for Covid-19 at the World Wildlife Fund office in Thimphu yesterday. The group began working on the materials—two short videos, jingle, pamphlets, and posters—since April 8 with support from the Ministry of Health. Tshering Gyeltshen, one of the group members, said that the videos would be aired on television channels and would also be made available on social media platforms. Click here to read.... [12]

Coal Company compensates for damages: Kuensel

Kuchi from Rishor in Dewathang gewog, Samdrupjongkhar received Nu 1.1 million (M) from the SD Eastern Bhutan Coal Company (SDEBCC) yesterday for the damages to her house. Of the seven affected households, the company paid compensation of Nu 100,000 to Nu 220,000 to four families. The company did not pay for two absent families. The seven affected households raised the issue with the gewog administration, but could not resolve it. The gewog forwarded the case to the dzongkhag administration, which sent out a committee to verify. Click here to read.... [13]

SRI LANKA

SL appoints Presidential task force on economic revival and poverty eradication: Lanka Business Online

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication. It has been established under the powers vested in the President by the Constitution. The Task Force is responsible for reviving the economy and eradication of poverty while paying special attention to the challenges posed and opportunities emerged in Sri Lanka in the wake of COVID – 19 outbreak. Based on the vision of the “Saubhagyaye Dekma”, policy statement, the Task Force should steer the relevant institutes to create a production economy through the formulation of a unique economic structure based on novel initiatives. Click here to read.... [14]

CHINA

Xi returns to his favorite hobby: crushing dissent: Nikkei Asian Review
April 24, 2020

Chinese President Xi Jinping is now shifting his focus from the battle against the novel coronavirus back to the war against what he regards as an equally dangerous presence: his political enemies. Click here to read.... [15]

Commentary: China's resumption of production anchors global supply chain: Xinhuanet
April 24, 2020

President Xi Jinping's inspection tour to Shaanxi Province underpins the fact that China is steadily pushing for a comprehensive resumption of production to ensure a smooth supply chain at home and abroad. While in Xi'an, the provincial capital, Xi visited an automobile producer, a university and a commercial street to oversee the reopening of business and the return of normal life order. Click here to read.... [16]