VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: April 01, 2022

Afghanistan
TAPI Pipeline to Resume After Acquisition of Land: MoF: Tolo News

The negotiations over technical affairs of the TAPI Pipeline project are underway with the Turkmen officials, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said on Thursday, adding that work on the project will be resumed after acquisition of land. Click here to read…

India, WFP inked agreement over grain distribution in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

Ministry of External Affairs of India said that the government has struck a deal with the United Nations World Food Program over distributing the next batch of wheat in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Budget for fiscal 2022-23: Businesses pray for policy continuity, corporate tax cuts- The Daily Star

Businesses yesterday called for policy assistance, policy continuity and corporate tax cuts in the upcoming budget for fiscal 2022-23 to help them thrive in the post-pandemic world. Click here to read…

It’s unconstitutional- The Daily Star

The opposition MPs yesterday opposed the provision to appoint administrators in local government bodies, saying the provision is unconstitutional. Click here to read…

Dhaka turned into a slum- The Daily Star

Jatiya Party lawmaker Pir Fazlur Rahman yesterday expressed outrage over horrific tailbacks, air and noise pollution in the capital. Click here to read…

Budget for fiscal 2022-23: Businesses pray for policy continuity, corporate tax cuts- The Daily Star

Businesses yesterday called for policy assistance, policy continuity and corporate tax cuts in the upcoming budget for fiscal 2022-23 to help them thrive in the post-pandemic world. Click here to read…

Bangladeshi journalist, engineer to return home from Libya soon: Foreign minister- The Daily Star

Bangladeshi journalist Zahidur Rahman and engineer Saiful Islam, who went missing, are now under the custody of the Bangladesh ambassador to Libya and are expected to return home in the next couple of days. Click here to read…

Padma Bridge: 3% work remains to be completed in 3 months- The Daily Star

Till today, March 31, 2022, the progress of the Padma Bridge work has been 97 percent. Click here to read…

US to bolster security in Indo-Pacific region as threats evolving: Ambassador Haas- The Daily Star

The US will bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region as threats are evolving, said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas said today, terming the war in Ukraine as a wake-up call. Click here to read…

Bhutan
PM shares possibilities for the region at BIMSTEC summit- Kuensel

Speaking at the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit yesterday, Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering called on member states to channel their collective efforts and build back better by prioritising some key sectors on the post-Covid path.Click here to read…

Improving road safety- Kuensel

Road Safety and Transport Authority’s target to reduce road accidents and fatalities by 50 percent by 2030 is to be lauded. Although road accident figures have been improving over the year—1,470 in 2019; 811 in 2020; 745 in 2021—more needs to be done because road fatalities are preventable. Click here to read…

Take SDP to the needy to resolve unemployment issue- Kuensel

The labour force survey 2020 recorded youth unemployment at its highest of 22.6 percent. The Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated it. Besides, many being laid off in the country, many youth also returned from overseas. Click here to read…

How WFP school meals are nourishing futures- World Food Programme

Since the successful handover of the school feeding programme to the Royal Government from WFP in 2019, the National School Feeding and Nutrition Programme has expanded its mandate to not just feed children, but to consider their nutritional needs for best health, growth, and physical and cognitive development. Click here to read…

Maldives
Aarah corruption: Eighteen exhibits submitted as evidence by the defense: Avas Mv

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom has submitted evidence to the Criminal Court to prove his innocence on two charges raised against him by the State.
Click here to read…

Myanmar
The Little Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Of Burma – Eurasia Review

As the world is glue to the Ukrainian crisis created by non other than dictator Vladmir V Putin of Russian, the populace may seem to forget the unwritten Russian empire in Southeast Asia where the little Burmese Vladimir V Putin men in green uniform like their Russians counterparts are having a tough time in exterminating the people of Burma led by the pro democracy movementClick here to read…

Myanmar military marks Armed Forces Day with airstrike on Karen territory – Myanmar Now

The military attacked villages in Karen State’s Mutraw District—known in Burmese as Hpapun—from the air in the early hours of Sunday, which was also the junta’s Armed Forces Day, according to a statement released by the Karen National Union (KNU). Click here to read…

Junta leaders sent wreaths to ethnic army commander’s funeral – Mizzima

Junta leaders including Min Aung Hlaing sent wreaths to the funeral of Peng Jiasheng the leader of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) ethnic armed organisation (EAO), according to the MNDAA news outlet, The Kokang. Peng Jiasheng, the founder of the MNDAA, also known as the Kokang Army, died on 16 February. His funeral began on 29 March in Mong La Special Region, in Eastern Shan State. Click here to read…

Myanmar goes from ‘rice bowl’ to ‘basket case’ as humanitarian crisis worsens – Mizzima

Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as the Myanmar military digs in its heels and threatens to “annihilate” opposition to their iron rule. On the weekend, the military junta celebrated Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw with the usual display of military might, with troops, tanks, missiles and aircraft, all used to target its own citizens. Click here to read…

Rs 33.86 cr sanctioned for IWT projects in state – EPaoNet

The Central government has sanctioned Rs 33.86 crore for development of three Inland Water Transport (IWT) projects in the state as part of its IWT projects in the north-eastern states under the Act East Policy’ to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific region by providing enhanced connectivity to the states of North Eastern Region including Arunachal Pradesh with other countries. Click here to read…

Southward push escalation: Heightening proxy war in Shan State – Mizzima

On the face of it, the armed forces under the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) – considered China’s proxy – seem to be gaining momentum in pushing the forces of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) out of their operational northern area and some of its southern Shan State territories during the first two months of this year. Click here to read…

Nepal
Misinformation questions media credibility: PM Deuba- Himalaya

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the government is committed to full press freedom. Click here to read…

Ruling allies form panel to ease poll tie-up- Himalaya

A meeting of the ruling alliance coordination committee today decided to form a mechanism at three levels – provincial, district, and local – to oversee poll alliance between the ruling coalition partners. Click here to read…

Election must be won through ideology, principles: CEC Thapaliya- Himalaya

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has emphasised that all the political parties contesting the election should be committed to making the election free, fair, and economical by completely adhering to the election code of conduct. Click here to read…

Musk to manufacture Tesla cars in Nepal- Himalaya

Musk, the richest person in the world and the founder CEO of Tesla, a car that runs on battery, has decided to mass produce Tesla cars in Nepal after the discovery of a rare earth metal, promethium, in the Himalayas that he believes will increase battery life three times. Click here to read…

Health laboratory in Madhes Province begins whole-genome sequencing- Kathmandu Post

With this, the number of labs with whole-genome sequencing capability has reached five in Nepal. Click here to read…

Deuba to restore India ties in Delhi visit- Nepali Times

Nepal’s prime minister is on a mandatory rite of passage visit to India this weekend. Click here to read…

Dean R. Thompson nominated US Ambassador to Nepal- Nepal Live Today

Dean R. Thompson has been nominated US Ambassador to Nepal. US President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Dean Thompson as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nepal, the White House said in a statement. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Rupee plunges after SBP reserves fall by $2.9bn: Dawn

The rupee plunged to a historic low of Rs183.70 against the US dollar in the interbank market after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported a massive outflow of $2.9 billion on Thursday. Click here to read…

Pakistan lodges protest with US over ‘threatening memo’: The Express Tribune

Acting US envoy in Islamabad was summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the “threatening” letter, hours after the country’s top decision-making body on national security voiced concerns over the issue during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Click here to read…

No-trust to increase policy uncertainty, says Moody’s: Dawn

Moody’s Investor Service on Thursday warned that a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan would increase policy uncertainty amid rising inflation, widening current account deficit and depleting foreign exchange reserves. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
India tries to pry Sri Lanka loose from China’s embrace: CNBC

Sri Lanka, which adopted the Chinese model of infrastructure-led growth in the early 2000s on the premise that it would generate jobs and usher in prosperity, is today on the brink of collapseClick here to read…

Sri Lanka: Protest at president Rajapaksa’s home turns violent: BBC

Sri Lankan police imposed curfew and fired tear gas after a demonstration outside the president’s house to protest dire food, fuel and power shortages turned violent. Click here to read…