PAKISTAN
Indian army fires at AJK premier’s copter near LoC: Dawn
October 1, 2018
The Indian army opened fire at the helicopter of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider from a post when he was travelling to a village near the volatile Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday. The prime minister was travelling with two ministers and his personal staff officer in the helicopter that narrowly escaped the attack near Abbaspur village. The incident took place in broad daylight when PM Haider was going to visit one of his cabinet members to condole the death of his brother.Click here to read....
AFGHANISTAN
Concern about voting system ahead of Afghanistan election: Al Jazeera
September 30, 2018
Campaigning has started in Afghanistan for next month's parliamentary elections amid concerns that the much-delayed vote could be postponed again due to the uncertainty over new technology. The vote for the lower house of parliament has been scheduled for October 20 - delayed by more than three years - and is seen as a test for the presidential elections that will take place in April. New government measures hope to put an end to the previous issues they have faced. With election fraud now being a criminal offence, voting stations will be placed in public buildings and monitored.Click here to read....
MYANMAR
Myanmar successfully renegotiates debt, ownership terms for Kyaukphyu: Myanmar Times
October 1, 2018
Myanmar and China are on the cusp of signing a framework agreement on the development of Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State, U Than Myint, Minister of Commerce and chair of the Myanmar SEZ Central Committee, told The Myanmar Times. The agreement, which is expected to be signed before the end of the year, will see the Chinese taking up a 70 percent stake in a strategic deep sea port at the SEZ. The remaining 30pc will be taken up by the Myanmar government and local public firms, U Than Myint said. The Chinese have also agreed to new arrangements that will help Myanmar lighten its financial burden as it takes on a larger stake in the project. Construction of the port will commence after the terms are finalised and the framework agreement has been signed.Click here to read....
BANGLADESH
China ready to give Bangladesh a higher priority in diplomacy: Ambassador: Bdnews 24
September 30, 2018
Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Zhang Zuo has said that Beijing is ready to give Dhaka a “higher priority” in its diplomacy to become a great partner for mutually beneficial cooperation. “China and Bangladesh share close people-to-people bond, similar national realities, and complementary development goals,” he said. The ambassador was speaking at the reception he hosted for the 69th anniversary of the founding of China on Saturday at the embassy. “We would like to preserve our friendship with the people of Bangladesh for generations to come, and we are ready to give Bangladesh a higher priority in China’s diplomacy, in order to become great partners of win-win cooperation, great friends with openness and inclusiveness, close brothers for opening up and innovations, and good neighbours who learn from each other,” he said. The ambassador said China and Bangladesh have always been good friends during the 43 years of diplomatic relations.Click here to read....
CHINA
Xi inspects military, stresses training, war preparedness: People’s Daily
September 30, 2018
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed efforts to strengthen the military training and war preparedness of the armed forces and improve its capability to win wars. Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks Thursday while inspecting the 79th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).Click here to read....
China to lower tariff rates on 1,585 taxable items: Xinhuanet
September 30, 2018
Starting from Nov. 1 this year, China will slash most-favored-nation tariffs on a total of 1,585 taxable items as the country moves to further open its market, an official statement said Sunday.The average tariff rate will be reduced from 10.5 percent to 7.8 percent for these items, said the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.Click here to read....
