VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - 8 Feb 2018

08 Feb, 2018

The United States on Wednesday named three Pakistanis as key “terrorist facilitators”, saying they worked closely with a well-known backer of Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Taliban known as Shaykh Aminullah. The US Treasury placed Rahman Zeb Faqir Muhammad, Hizb Ullah Astam Khan and Dilawar Khan Nadir Khan on its blacklist of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” in an effort to disrupt the group’s ability to obtain and distribute financing. All three were tied to Shaykh Aminullah, who has been on international terror blacklists since 2009. US officials allege that Shaykh Aminullah turned the Ganj seminary in Peshawar into a training and recruiting base for Al Qaeda, the Taliban and LeT. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Afghan Officials Welcome US Raids On Taliban: Tolo News

07 Feb, 2018

The Afghan government has welcomed the US Air Force B-52 airstrikes on Taliban targets in the north of Afghanistan and called for more raids on the resurgent group. A US Air Force B-52 bomber recently increased its strikes against insurgents in the north of the country after focused air raids in the south. The latest airstrike of the US B-52 bomber targeted Taliban hideouts, their fighters and stolen Afghan National Army vehicles, according to US forces in Afghanistan. The airstrike has reportedly targeted Taliban strongholds, training camps and drugs processing centers in bordering areas between Afghanistan’s Badakhshan with Tajikistan and China.Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

PM to step down before February third week: My Republica

08 Feb, 2018

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is mulling to step down soon after the Election Commission (EC) submits the results of the House of Representatives (HoR) under the proportional electoral system. Prime Minister Deuba's personal aides said he will step down on the same day the EC submits proportional results of the HoR. “The reason why the prime minister stayed in power is to ensure the full implementation of the constitution. Since the submission of PR results of the HoR by the EC to the president ensures full implementation of the new constitution, the prime minister will tender his resignation from the post soon after,” said his personal secretary Keshab Raj Joshi.Click here to read... [4]

MALDIVES

Arrested top court judges accepted millions in bribes: Police: Haveeru

07 Feb, 2018

Maldives Police Service on Wednesday declared that evidence shows that Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, Judge Ali Hameed and Judicial Administrator Hassan Saeed had accepted millions of Maldivian Rufiyaa as bribes.Click here to read... [5]

BANGLADESH

London High Commission attacked by BNP men: Daily Observer

08 Feb, 2018

The Bangladesh High Commission offices in London have been attacked from a protest rally organised by the UK unit of the BNP ahead of the Khaleda Zia’s corruption trial verdict. Some 100 party supporters carrying banners and placards gathered on Wednesday afternoon at the high commission premises. They shouted slogans such as “Homes will burn if anything happens to (Khaleda Zia)”, “I won’t let my leader be imprisoned”.Click here to read... [6]

Bangladesh on high alert ahead of Khaleda Zia's verdict in corruption case: The Hindu

08 Feb, 2018

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, backed by its Islamist allies, had warned that it would take to the streets if the verdict goes against their leader. Bangladesh is on high alert before a verdict comes Thursday against Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a politically sensitive corruption case. The case involves an orphanage trust established during Zia’s last premiership in 2001-2006. The charges allege Zia, her elder son and four others were involved in embezzling $248,154 from the trust. The maximum punishment for a conviction is life in prison.Click here to read... [7]

CHINA

Dutch king shares Xi's trade goals

08 Feb 2018

The China-Netherlands relationship stands at a new starting point with fresh opportunities for development, and it is hoped the two countries have more cooperation this year through the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.Click here to read... [8]

China, Russia launch years of local cooperation, exchange

07 Feb 2018

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent congratulatory messages to the opening ceremony of the years of China-Russia local cooperation and exchange. Calling localities an important force for China-Russia all-round win-win cooperation, Xi said he and President Putin decided to hold years of China-Russia local cooperation and exchange in 2018 and 2019.Click here to read... [9]

Talks on South China Sea code of conduct should be accelerated, Asean defence ministers say: South China Morning Post

07 Feb 2018

Defence ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said in Singapore on Wednesday they wanted to expedite negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea and another for unexpected encounters in the air over the disputed waterway.Click here to read... [10]

Talent needed for rural revitalization: China Daily

07 Feb 2018

Talent is key to revitalizing China's rural areas, officials said at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday. On Sunday, the central government released its "No 1 central document" of 2018－the indicator of policy priorities for the year. The policy statement this year features a strategy that aims to revitalize China's vast rural regions.Click here to read... [11]