VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - 6 Feb 2018

PAKISTAN

US wants to retain ties with Pakistan, Afghan leaders told: Dawn
06 Feb, 2018

The US-Pakistan relationship appears to have survived yet another near-fatal blow as Washington reaffirmed that it had no desire to sever ties with Pakistan or launch military strikes inside its territory. The assurance about maintaining the bilateral relationship came from Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, who delivered this message to Afghan — not Pakistani — leaders during a visit to Kabul last week. “In my discussions with the Afghan government, we focused on the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan (and) the need for continued bilateral discussions between them,” he said at a recent State Department news briefing in Washington. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Over 2,000 killed, wounded in Afghanistan in January: Pajhwok
05 Feb, 2018

As many as 2,044 were killed and injured in 154 attacks across Afghanistan last month, with one-fifth of casualties occurring in Kabul. Casualties surged by 15 percent in the first month of the year compared to December, as attacks saw a four percent decline. Pajhwok Afghan News reports based on different sources show the attacks took place in 27 of the country’s 34 provinces, killing 1,199 people and injuring 845 others. Statistics indicate that of every 21 victims, 10 suffered causalities in face-to-face fighting, five in suicide attacks, three in airstrikes, two in targeted attacks and one in blasts. Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

With first provincial assembly, Madhes sees federal dream met: My Republica
06 Feb, 2018

Madhesi people's continuous struggle for federalism has finally borne fruit after the country adopted the federal setup, said people in the plains. During the first meeting of provincial assembly of Province-2 on Sunday, members of the assembly representing the Madhesi parties welcomed the new setup. “Madhesi people's long struggle for federalism has now brought us immense happiness. This moment is indeed precious,” said Provincial Assemblyman Jitendra Sonal, who was elected on a Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) ticket. Click here to read... [4]

BHUTAN

PM invites investors to explore opportunities in Bhutan: Kuensel
05 Feb, 2018

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay urged foreign investors to explore investment opportunities in Bhutan while speaking at the “Advantage Assam – Global Investors’ Summit, 2018” in Guwahati, Assam. Hundreds of business leaders including the Chief Managing Director of Reliance Industries Ltd, Mukesh Ambani, TATA Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Patanjali CEO Acharya Balakrishna attended the business summit. The PM also said that Bhutan was a relatively corruption free country with the Transparency International placing it at the 27th position in the corruption perception index. He said Bhutan is one of the most peaceful and stable countries in the world, and added that industries enjoy cheap electricity. Click here to read... [5]

MALDIVES

State of emergency declared in Maldives: CNN
06 Feb, 2018

Political unrest in the Republic of Maldives prompted the Asian nation's President on Monday to declare a state of emergency for 15 days. The move, which gives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom power to arrest and detain people, reflects a power struggle between the island nation's Supreme Court and its government. "During this time, though certain rights will be restricted, general movements, services and businesses will not be affected," said a statement from the office of the President. The country's court last week ordered the release of political prisoners and the reinstatement of elected members of Parliament that would give the political opposition majority power. But President Yameen has rejected adhering to the court order. Click here to read... [6]

CHINA

Arctic cooperation brings new era for Sino-Icelandic cooperation: Icelandic ambassador: People’s Daily
06 Feb, 2018

With a population of 334,000 – just one sixty-fourth that of Beijing where its first embassy in Asia is located – Iceland has once again caught the attention of Chinese media outlets after the latter laid out its Arctic White Paper in January, with both sides agreeing to deepen bilateral cooperation on Arctic issues. “We welcome the interest China is showing [to the Arctic] because we feel that the resources and intelligence China have will be helpful for us, which could also develop future cooperation possibilities for shipping, logistics,” Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson, the Icelandic ambassador who just started his second tenure in China, told People’s Daily Online. Click here to read... [7]

Li praises foreigners for help in opening-up: People’s Daily
06 Feb, 2018

China will continue with supply-side structural reform and produce more appealing policies to attract foreign professionals to work here in an enhanced effort at opening-up further in 2018, Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday. "With our country's door to the world opening even wider, we will produce more appealing policies to attract foreign talents to work in China and provide more convenience for your lives here," Li told a gathering of outstanding foreign experts working in China. Click here to read... [8]

China defence minister, US air force chief discuss defence collaboration with Singapore: China Military
05 Feb, 2018

Singapore and China have agreed to deepen collaboration between their armed forces following a meeting of defence ministers from both countries. China’s Defence Minister, General Chang Wanquan, proposed to deepen army and navy cooperation with Singapore through joint exercises, port calls and other exchanges, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said in a statement on Monday (Feb 5). He met Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Monday morning at Mindef and both men met again for dinner later in the evening. Click here to read... [9]

China conducts land-based mid-course missile interception test: China Military
06 Feb, 2018

China carried out a land-based mid-course missile interception test within its territory on Feb. 5, 2018, according to China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Tuesday. The test has achieved the desired objectives, the MND said, adding that it is defensive in nature and not targeted against any country. Click here to read... [10]

Land reclamation to expand in South China Sea islands: expert: Global Times
05 Feb, 2018

China is concentrating on civil - not military - construction on islands in the South China Sea and will expand land reclamation, Chinese experts said on Monday. "Most of the construction on islands in the South China Sea were completed in 2015 and the pace then slowed. Civilian facility construction is the major focus of the South China Sea islands building and the portion of defense deployment is relatively small," Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times. Click here to read... [11]