329 MNAs take oath as 15th National Assembly is born: Dawn
August 13, 2018
The first session of the 15th National Assembly ended on Monday after 329 members of the lower house of the parliament took oath following their election in the July 25 countrywide polls. Outgoing NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the MNAs-elect in the 342-member house, in what is a part of only the second democratic transition in the country's history. Prime minister-in-waiting and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and other prominent political leaders, including PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari, were present in the assembly for the oath-taking.Click here to read...
Taliban attack on Afghan city of Ghazni rages for third day: BBC
August 13, 2018
A Taliban attack on Ghazni has continued for a third day - with intense fighting and conflicting claims over who controls the Afghan city. Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, the Afghan army's chief-of-staff, said the strategic city was not under threat of falling into the militants' hands. But people inside Ghazni say it has been overrun, with very little still under government control. The Taliban launched the assault in the early hours of Friday. By late Friday morning, at least 16 people had been killed and many more injured. Local television station 1TV says the number of fatalities has risen to more than 100, but there is no official confirmation.Click here to read...
Nepali, Indian experts propose ‘smart border’ to limit crossings: Kathmandu Post
August 13, 2018
In an attempt to check infiltration, curb criminal activities, and maintain records of people crossing on either side of the border, the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India Relations has recommended establishing “smart borders” limiting cross-border movements only through designated points. At present, people who cross either side of the Nepal-India border do not have to produce any kind of identity cards and there are no prohibited entry or exit points. But, according to a classified report seen by Nepali officials and the details of which were obtained by the Post, a panel of experts from both countries has recommended making electronic national identity cards mandatory as well as limiting movement to designated border points only.Click here to read...
CHINA
China willing to join Japan to seek sound development of ties: premier: People's Daily
August 13, 2018
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Sunday Beijing is willing to join hands with Tokyo to work for the long-term healthy and stable development of bilateral ties. Li and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. In his message, Li noted that 40 years ago, the leaders of the two countries made the decision to sign the treaty and affirmed various principles in the China-Japan Joint Statement in the form of law, creating a milestone for bilateral ties.Click here to read...
Economic Watch: China's FDI remains stable, quality improves: Xinhuanet
August 13, 2018
China's foreign direct investment (FDI) has remained stable in scale and optimized in quality as the business environment has become more attractive, according to industry experts. "Looking at the data for the first half of the year (H1), foreign investors maintained their enthusiasm in the Chinese market," said Huo Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Society for WTO Studies. FDI into the Chinese mainland rose 4.1 percent year on year to 68.32 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2018, according to the Ministry of Commerce.Click here to read...
