VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 6th July, 2018

PAKISTAN

Pakistan General Election: Verdict in Avenfield corruption case involving Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam expected soon: Firstpost
July 06, 2018

An anti-graft court in Pakistan will announce its judgment in a corruption case involving former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Captain (retired) Safdar and two sons — Hasan and Hussain — at 3 pm on Friday. The Islamabad court deferred its judgment by a couple of hours in a disproportionate assets case involving the purchase of four luxury apartments in London's Avenfield House by the Sharifs, although it didn't give any reasons for the delay. The verdict, which has already been postponed once, comes ahead of the general elections in Pakistan on 25 July and is likely to impact the poll prospects of the Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz (PML-N), which is likely to face stiff competition from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Main District In Balkh Under Security Threat: Tolo News
July 05, 2018

A senior official in Balkh said four villages of Chamtal district in the northern Balkh province were fallen to the Taliban following heavy clashes on Thursday evening. Taliban has reached close to Chamtal’s center, Afzal Hadid, head of Balkh Provincial Council, told TOLOnews on Friday. He said the center of Chamtal is under threat and that the Taliban is trying to capture the district. Balkh police spokesman Shir Jan Durrani meanwhile said heavy clashes are ongoing between government forces and the Taliban in Chamtal district. He did not confirm fall of the villages to the Taliban. Durrani said two local police force members have been wounded in the conflict.Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

Team to visit China to discuss transit, transport protocol: Kathmandu Post
July 06, 2018

The government has decided to send a high-level team to Beijing next week to discuss with Chinese officials the protocol to Transit and Transportation Agreement signed during the first visit of KP Sharma Oli to China as the prime minister two years ago. A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening decided to dispatch the team led by Chandra Ghimire, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, with representatives from the Foreign Affairs, Law and Finance ministries as members. The team will hold talks with officials at the Chinese Ministry and Commerce in Beijing on July 10 and 11 for resolving the disagreements and disputes on the texts of the protocol prepared by both sides.Click here to read... [4]

SRI LANKA

India to operate “world’s emptiest airport” in Sri Lanka: The Hindu
July 06, 2018

India would operate Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, the Civil Aviation Minister has told Sri Lankan Parliament in Colombo. The $210 million facility, 241km south-east of Colombo, is dubbed the “world’s emptiest airport” due to a lack of flights. India would operate the airport as a Sri Lanka-India joint venture. The joint venture would see India gain a major stake of the airport, Minister of Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Parliament. “We need to revive this dying airport which caused a massive loss of rupees 20 billion,” he said. The final terms of the agreement, however, remains to be worked out, the minister said.Click here to read... [5]

CHINA

Ministry: No winners in trade war: People's Daily
July 06, 2018

The United States is "opening fire on the entire world, including itself", with its threatened tariff hike, and China will fight back once the tariffs kick in, as the move will damage the global supply chains, the Ministry of Commerce warned on Thursday. Tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 am on Friday in Washington — 12:01 pm in Beijing — the US Trade Representative confirmed in an email on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported.Click here to read... [6]

Xi calls for concerted efforts on rural vitalization: Xinhuanet
July 05, 2018

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for concerted action on the vitalization of rural areas. Rural vitalization is the principal strategy to advance work in agriculture and rural areas in the new era, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. In an instruction, Xi said work should cover industry, talent, culture, the environment and rural organizations. During the process, the rural people's enthusiasm, initiative and creativity should be stimulated so that they have a stronger sense of gain, happiness and security, Xi said.Click here to read... [7]

Chinese premier arrives in Bulgaria for official visit, China-CEEC meeting: Xinhuanet
July 05, 2018

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday arrived in Bulgaria for an official visit to the country and the seventh meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) in Sofia. It marks Li's first tour to Bulgaria after taking office, and also the first visit to Bulgaria paid by a Chinese premier in 18 years. Upon his arrival, Li said that China and Bulgaria enjoy traditional friendship, as Bulgaria was one of the first countries to forge diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, and the bilateral relations have always enjoyed a sound and stable development momentum. Li expressed the expectation to consolidate China-Bulgaria traditional friendship and promote practical cooperation in various fields through this visit, so as to elevate China-Bulgaria comprehensive friendly cooperative partnership to a new level.Click here to read... [8]