VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 6th August, 2018

PAKISTAN
PTI to nominate Imran Khan as prime minister today: Dawn
August 06, 2018

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary committee meets here on Monday (today) to nominate party chairman Imran Khan as prime minister. The parliamentary committee is also expected to decide the names of federal cabinet members in the meeting to be chaired by Mr Khan. The PTI chief had earlier decided to keep his federal cabinet small with an initial strength of 15 to 20 federal ministers. “The meeting will endorse the nomination of Imran Khan as next prime minister of the country,” PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry confirmed to Dawn when contacted on Sunday. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN
Fruit Exports Increase As New Air Corridors Sought: Tolo news
August 05, 2018

The Office of the Senior Advisor to the President in Banking and Finance on Saturday said that currently much of Afghanistan’s fresh fruit, especially apricots, watermelon and apples, are being exported to India via the Kabul-Delhi air corridor. Fresh fruit exporters also said that sales of Afghanistan’s fresh fruit has definitely increased on both the domestic and foreign market. After the successful launch of the first Indian air cargo route in June last year to New Delhi a second route was launched a few months later – from Kandahar. Now officials are investigating the possibility of expanding this to include other markets such as Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and Turkey, said Sameer Rasa, the Head of the Public Relations Office of the Senior Advisor to the President in Banking and Finance. According to Rasa, India is still the largest market for Afghanistan’s fresh fruit. Click here to read.... [3]

NEPAL
200 Indian pilgrims stranded in Nepal due to bad weather: Times of India
August 05, 2018

Around 200 Indians on their way back home after the Kailash- Mansarovar pilgrimage in Tibet are stranded in Nepal's Humla district due to bad weather, the Indian Embassy stated. "Indian Embassy is aware that about 200 pilgrims are stuck in Simikot due to bad weather and was in continuous touch with them and their family members," a statement from the Indian Embassy here said. Click here to read.... [4]

SRI LANKA
Sri Lankan government reworking MoU on Hambantota airport deal with India: Financial Express
August 05, 2018

The Sri Lankan government is reworking on the draft of a memorandum of understanding to hand over the management of Mattala Rajapaksha International Airport at Hambantota to Indian airport operator, according to a media report today. Built with high interest commercial loans from China by the Mahinda Rajapaksha government, the MRIA is dubbed as the “world’s emptiest airport” due to lack of flights. It was officially opened in March 2013 and the only international flight operating from there was halted in May. The Sri Lanka government had announced that it will go ahead with the deal with India to jointly operate the USD 210 million Mattala Rajapaksha International Airport (MRIA) at Humbantota, about 241km south-east of Colombo, through a joint venture with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Click here to read.... [5]

CHINA
China's restrained new tariff 'rational': China Daily
August 06, 2018

China's latest restrained tariff measure against the United States is rational, and aims to safeguard the multilateral trading system, experts said. Taking into full consideration the interests of its people and companies, as well as the global value chain, the Chinese government made the decision to impose differentiated tariff rates targeting $60 billion worth of US goods. That's in stark contrast to the US' one-size-fits-all tariff approach, which was ill-considered, they saidClick here to read.... [6]

China Focus: China's reform picks up speed in new era: Xinhuanet
August 05, 2018

About 40 years after China set sail on its voyage of reform and opening-up, the journey is still at full speed and heading towards ever greater goals. At the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress held in October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of Central Military Commission, outlined new moves to deepen reform in all areas. Click here to read.... [7]

Xinhua Headlines: China, ASEAN strive to build closer community with shared future on anniversary of strategic partnership: Xinhuanet
August 05, 2018

Banya, a durian planter in Thailand, has been growing the tropical fruit for 30 years. His income has increased three-fold over the past decade after he met Chinese traders. "We are cooperating well with Chinese businessmen. They have created job opportunities for locals and increased our income," he said. Click here to read.... [8]