VIF Information Alerts - 30 Jan 2018

Kabul hotel attacker trained by Pak’s ISI: Afghan envoy
Tribune
30 Jan 2018

Pakistan’s spy agency ISI trained a terrorist involved in the attack on Kabul’s iconic Intercontinental Hotel in which over 20 people were killed, a top Afghanistan envoy has alleged.

Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mahmoud Saikal, made the serious allegation against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in a tweet on Monday. Click here to read... [2]

Pakistan Army supplied military equipment to LeT in Kashmir: Afghan envoy to the US
The Times of India
29 Jan 2018

Pakistan Army has been supplying military equipment to Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir and Taliban in Afghanistan, claimed Afghanistan envoy to the US Majeed Qarar, today.

The allegation was made following an attack on the Afghan Military Academy in Kabul by a group of suicide bombers earlier today. At least five soldiers were killed in the attack and 10 wounded. Click here to read... [3]

China shifts stance, offers to open talks with India on CPEC
The Hindu
29 Jan 2018

China on Monday offered to open talks with India to resolve differences on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), opening the door for removing a major irritant in New Delhi-Beijing ties.

“We are ready to work with Indian side through dialogue and communication for a better solution. This best serves the interests of the two countries,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, when asked to comment on remarks on CPEC by India’s ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale.Click here to read... [4]

India has imposed certain redlines on China's BRI: Expert
Economic Times
30 Jan 2018

India has effectively imposed certain redlines on China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia, a US expert has said. India is the only major country of the world to have opposed Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"India has effectively imposed certain redlines on the the Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia," said Andrew Small, senior transatlantic fellow, German Marshall Fund of the US.

India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May last year due to its sovereignty concerns over the CPE, a flagship project of Silk Road project, officially called OBOR. During a hearing of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, he said that India has drawn those redlines in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh. Click here to read... [5]

U.S. lifts ban on refugees from ‘high-risk’ nations but pledges tougher scrutiny
Washington Post
29 Jan 2018

The Trump administration said Monday that it will resume accepting refugees from 11 nations whose applicants it designated “high-risk” and will implement tougher screening procedures to weed out potential extremists and criminals. Click here to read... [6]

How to double farmers' income: Move them from being just farmers to agripreneurs
Economic Times
30 Jan 2018

As the Finance Minister sits to prepare a budget that would seem to suggest a massive focus on Rural India and the farmers, he may well introspect if doing more of the same would be the right way to go. The Modi Government has sets its goals on the idea of - 'Doubling Farmers Income in 5 years.'

The big question is if that can be done without coming up with new ideas that can unleash the potential that Indian agriculture claims to possess but has never delivered. May be running through the problems might be a good starting point. Click here to read... [7]