VIF Information Alerts - 10h May 2019

US tariff increase on $200B of Chinese imports takes effect
Published: The Hindu

10 May 2019

President Donald Trump’s latest tariff hikes on Chinese goods took effect Friday and Beijing said it would retaliate, escalating a battle over China’s technology ambitions and other trade strains. The Trump administration raised import taxes on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%. China’s Commerce Ministry said would take “necessary countermeasures” but gave no details.Click here to read... [2]

US seizes North Korean ship amid tense moment in relations
Published: The Hindu

10 May 2019

The U.S. said on Thursday that it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes amid a tense moment in relations between the two countries. The “Wise Honest,” North Korea’s second largest cargo ship, was detained in April 2018 as it traveled toward Indonesia. It’s now in the process of being moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said'Click here to read... [3]

Defence ministry to adopt new procurement policy
Published: The Economic Times

10 May 2019

The defence ministry will be adopting a new procurement policy that will define the level of indigenous content for defence equipment and give higher preference to local vendors in contracts and to start with, it has identified military textiles such as bulletproof jackets, boots and high altitude clothing for this purpose.Click here to read... [4]

US-Taliban talks wrap up in Doha with 'some progress': Taliban
Published; Business Standard

09 May 2019

The latest round of US-Taliban talks ended in Qatar on Thursday, an insurgent spokesman said, after "positive and constructive" negotiations that continued even as the Taliban bombed a US-funded aid group in Kabul. Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, tweeted that "some progress" had been made at the sixth round of peace talks and that the foes would meet again for another round of discussions.Click here to read... [5]

'Deeply regret': Theresa May fails to apologise again for Jallianwala Bagh
Published: The Asian Age

09 May 2019

Less than a month after she was criticised for not formally apologising for the 1991 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar and saying that it is a "shameful scar" on British Indian history, Britain Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her "deeply regret" remark on Wednesday. At a Vaisakhi reception at Downing Street in London on Wednesday evening, Theresa May repeated the words from her House of Commons statement made on April 13.Click here to read... [6]