VIF Information Alerts - 16 Feb 2018

Afghanistan: 10,000 civilian casualties in 2017 - UN report
Published: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
15 Feb 2018

More than 10,000 civilians lost their lives or suffered injuries during 2017, according to the latest annual UN report documenting the impact of the armed conflict on civilians in Afghanistan.

A total of 10,453 civilian casualties - 3,438 people killed and 7,015 injured - were documented in the 2017 Annual Report released today by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office. Although this figure represents a decrease of nine per cent compared with 2016, the report highlights the high number of casualties caused by suicide bombings and other attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Click here to read... [2]

Lashkar, Jaish want Hizbul chief to step down
Published: The Times of India
16 Feb 2018

Intelligence inputs suggest Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin is under pressure to step down, with Jaish and Lashkar mounting pressure on him, developments that point to deepening rivalries in the ranks of Pakistan-based jihadi outfits that target India.

Salahuddin, who has for years led Hizbul with the support of ISI and headed the United Jihad Council (UJC), is battling HM’s depleting influence in Kashmir-centric operations and facing the growing ambitions of aggressive terror groups. He is even understood to have “expressed his willingness” to step down as the chief of the terror outfit, which operates only in Kashmir. Click here to read... [3]

Munich Security Conference to Open with World on 'Brink of Significant Conflict'
Published: RFERL
15 Feb 2018

The battered relations between Russia and the West will once again be at the forefront as senior officials gather for a high-profile annual security conference whose chairman warns that the world has moved toward "the brink of a significant conflict."

This year's Munich Security Conference, on February 16-18, comes amid a formidable array of challenges facing the global community, including North Korea's nuclear saber-rattling, the stalemate in the war in eastern Ukraine, and the conflict in Syria. Click here to read... [4]

China holdings of US government bonds rise to seven-year high
Published: South China Morning Post
16 Feb 2018

China increased its holdings of US Treasuries last year by the most since 2010 in a signal its demand for American bonds remains resilient.

The value of China’s holdings of US bonds, notes and bills rose by US$126.5 billion to US$1.18 trillion in December from a year earlier, according to Treasury Department data released on Thursday in Washington. China remains the largest non-US holder of debt followed by Japan, whose holdings fell for the fifth straight month in December to US$1.06 trillion after ending 2016 at US$1.09 trillion. Click here to read... [5]

SEC denies Chicago Stock Exchange sale to China-based investors
Published: Reuters
16 Feb 2018

U.S. regulators on Thursday killed the politically sensitive sale of the Chicago Stock Exchange (CHX) to a group led by China-based investors, saying a lack of information on the would-be buyers threatened the ability to properly monitor the exchange after the deal.

The move by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ends a two-year battle to gain approval for the sale and underscores the more hostile environment facing Chinese buyers under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Click here to read... [6]

Tibet sees jump in Chinese air force activity after Doklam standoff
Published: The Print
14 Feb 2018

There has been a significant spurt in Chinese air force activities in Tibet since last year’s standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam. Air traffic at dual-use airports has gone up even as the Chinese air force has deployed combat assets permanently in the region.

‘Flight Radar’ data shows a sudden jump in air traffic in Tibet in December and January. Flights at most airports in Tibet have increased two fold since the Doklam stand-off. Click here to read... [7]

Japan concerned by China’s plan to build ‘polar Silk Road’ in Arctic
Published: South China Morning Post
14 Feb 2018

Beijing is planning to exert “territorial control” over parts of the Arctic Ocean and could send more warships into waters off Japan in a move analysts say is reminiscent of its seizure of disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The Chinese government in January issued its first ever white paper detailing plans for the Arctic and announcing intentions to play a significant role in matters that affect the region as a “near-Arctic state”. Click here to read... [8]

Philippines objects to China’s naming of undersea features
Published: The Asahi Shimbun
14 Feb 2018

The Philippine government rejects Chinese names given to some undersea features in a vast offshore region where the Philippines has undisputed sovereign rights, the presidential spokesman said Wednesday in a new tiff despite the Asian neighbors' mended ties.

The Philippines has already raised its concern to China over its naming of the undersea features in Benham Rise and may officially notify an international hydrographic body, which lists such maritime records, spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said. Click here to read... [9]