VIF Information Alerts - 20th November 2018

India, Russia sign $500 million navy deal for 2 stealth frigates

Published: Hindustan Times
20 Nov 2018

India and Russia have signed a $500 million contract to build two stealth frigates in Goa that are expected to be delivered by 2027, two officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport and India’s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) signed the contract in New Delhi to build the Grigorovich-class ‘Project 1135.6’ frigates with technology transfer from Russia, which is India’s top arms supplier.Click here to read.... [2]

Russia to bag $1.5-billion deal for air defence missiles

Published: The Economic Times
20 Nov 2018

After major deals to sell the S-400 system as well as naval warships to India, Russia is set to bag a $1.5-billion contract for air defence missiles, even though the shadow of financial sanctions by the US for weapons purchased from Moscow still looms.

ET has learnt that the Russian Igla-S system has been confirmed as the lowest bidder for a mega deal to procure shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles for the Indian Army in a meeting held on Monday. The Russian bid for $1.5 billion considerably undercut offers by France and Sweden and is believed to be even lower than the benchmark price of $2 billion that was estimated by the Indian side. Click here to read.... [3]

J&K Police collect data on Rohingya Muslims

Published: The Indian Express
20 May 2018

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has started collecting personal details of all Rohingya Muslims living in the state to identify how, from where and when they came to India, and travelled further on to J&K. Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, S D Singh Jamwal, said this is being done on instructions from the Central government to identify these people and maintain records. Asked whether it has to do something with their deportation, Jamwal said, “ “It may be a process for that.”Click here to read.... [4]

China glacier melt speeds up in 'wake-up call' for world

Published: The Tribune
20 Nov 2018

Glacier melt at major sites in western China is accelerating fast, Greenpeace said on Tuesday, prompting thousands to evacuate in recent months and underscoring the vulnerability to climate change in a "wake-up call" for the world. Satellite analysis showed that the rate of retreat at glaciers in China's remote western regions had more than doubled, Greenpeace said, with the annual rate at the Tianshan Glacier No. 1 in Xinjiang rising from an average of 5,000 square metres between 1962 and 1986 to 10,600 square metres between 1986 and this year.Click here to read.... [5]

From compass to BeiDou: Chinese wisdom helps navigate Belt & Road

Published: Xinhua
19 Nov 2018

When the Chinese invented the compass, humanity steered into uncharted waters. Now China is navigating the world in the new era of global exchange with a new option -- its fledging BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). With the launch of two new BDS-3 satellites on Monday, China will complete the basic navigation system and start to provide services for countries participating in the Belt and Road initiative by the end of this year.Click here to read.... [6]

China, Brunei lift ties to strategic cooperative partnership

Published: Xinhua
19 Nov 2018

China and Brunei on Monday agreed to upgrade their relations to a strategic cooperative partnership. The two countries also pledged to be good partners featuring mutual trust in politics, mutual benefit in economy, mutual understanding in people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and mutual assistance in multilateral affairs. The consensus was reached during talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.Click here to read.... [7]

Trump and Pakistani leader face off on Twitter

Published: Politico
19 Nov 2018

President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s decision to cut off aid to Pakistan, berating the country for not doing “a damn thing for us.” In an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace that aired on Sunday, Trump pointed to Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan as proof. On Monday, the country’s prime minister, Imran Khan, fired back, telling the president on Twitter that he “needs to be informed about historical facts.”Click here to read.... [8]