PAKISTAN
Growth to hit 11-year peak: Dawn
April 10, 2018
The PML-N government on Monday announced that the economy is going to grow at 5.79 per cent, slightly lower than the target of 6pc for 2017-18, but highest in the last 11 years. In the meeting of National Accounts Committee (NAC), only 15 out of 20 key growth indicators were found to be on target. The growth rate, however, is provisional as final numbers for the full year will firm up later. The per capita income calculates to Rs180,204 for 2017-18, higher than Rs162,230 figure for FY17 based on provisional data from Population Census 2017 held in March last year. The agriculture sector witnessed growth of 3.81pc, exceeding its target of 3.5pc in the outgoing fiscal year. Click here to read... [2]
AFGHANISTAN
Only Moscow Can Help Afghanistan: Karzai: Tolo News
April 09, 2018
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a TV interview over the weekend that the US is responsible for the death of Afghans, is behind the crisis and only Russia can help Afghanistan. Speaking to Russia’s NTV, Karzai said countries such as the US and the UK cannot help Afghanistan in its anti-terror efforts. Only Russia can help Afghanistan in counterterrorism efforts, not the United States that have been killing Afghans for the past 17 years and is behind Afghanistan crisis, former president Hamid Karzai said. “Neither the Brits, who we have kicked out of the country several times, nor the Americans (can help Afghanistan) as they've been killing us for 17 years; only Russia can (help). We (Afghanistan) are the last barrier from terrorists. We've been fighting continuously for a century and a half. If you (Russia) create new relationships with Pakistan and Afghanistan, you can help,” said Karzai. Click here to read... [3]
NEPAL
Left unification could see more delay over power-sharing: My Republica
Leaders of the CPN (Maoist Center) have said that the planned unification between their party and the CPN-UML could be delayed by a few weeks, or even a few months, due to widening distrust between the two sides. The two parties, which inked a seven-point framework merger deal on February 19, were planning to make a formal announcement of unification on April 22, which is Lenin's birth anniversary. But two CPN (Maoist Center) leaders on Monday told Republica that the possibility of merger on that date has "almost ended". They said the UML's upper hand in crucial decisions relating to governance and power sharing was the main reason behind change in the Maoist stance. Click here to read... [4]
CHINA
Xi addresses opening ceremony of BFA annual conference: People’s Daily
April 10, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping started to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia Tuesday morning. The conference runs from April 8 to 11 in Boao, a town in south China's island province of Hainan, and is themed "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity." Click here to read... [5]
China’s President Xi Jinping reveals economic plans at Boao Forum amid trade tensions with the US: South China Morning Post
April 10, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered his keynote speech at the Boao Forum in which he highlighted his support for opening up markets and regional economic integration. Click here to read... [6]
Xi: Opportunities should be shared by mainland, Taiwan: China Daily
April 10, 2018
People from the Taiwan business community should firmly uphold the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence", said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Click here to read... [7]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/2018/april/10/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest
[2] https://www.dawn.com/news/1400695/growth-to-hit-11-year-peak
[3] https://www.tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan/only-moscow-can-help-afghanistan%C2%A0karzai
[4] http://www.myrepublica.com/news/39632/
[5] http://en.people.cn/n3/2018/0410/c90000-9447418.html
[6] http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2140920/live-chinas-president-xi-jinping-reveals-economic-plans-boao-forum-amid
[7] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/10/WS5acc3072a3105cdcf6517385.html
[8] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF Neighbourhood News digest: 10th April, 2018&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/2018/april/10/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest
[9] http://twitter.com/share?text=VIF Neighbourhood News digest: 10th April, 2018&url=https://www.vifindia.org/2018/april/10/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest&via=Azure Power
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