VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: May 17, 2019

PAKISTAN

APG raises questions over efforts against terror financing: Dawn
May 17, 2019

Pakistan faced harsh questioning on effectiveness of its efforts against money laundering and terror financing at the “face-to-face meeting” of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) on money laundering, a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). A 10-member delegation led by Finance Secretary Mohammad Younas Dagha represented Pakistan at the two-day APG meeting in Guangzhou, China. It briefed the group about the country’s updated actions against currency smuggling, proscribed organisations and tightening of financial and corporate sector systems and operational effectiveness. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

India Delivers Pair Of MI-24 Helicopters To Afghan Forces: Tolo News
May 17, 2019

The Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar handed over the first pair of Mi-24 attack helicopters to the Acting Defense Minister Asadullah Khaled in Kabul. India had first presented Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghanistan, in December 2015, the Indian Embassy in Kabul said in a statement. India was expected to supply four gunship helicopters to Afghanistan by July, with the deliveries falling almost a year behind schedule, people familiar with developments said In March, as quoted by Hindustan Times. Click here to read... [3]

SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka Army Denies Colluding With Anti-Muslim Rioters: NDTV
May 17, 2019

Sri Lanka's army today denied allegations that its troops colluded with anti-Muslim mobs and failed to contain widespread riots that killed one man in a backlash against the Easter terror attacks. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said CCTV footage of troops allegedly signalling a mob to attack a home in the latest wave of rioting did not show his soldiers committing any wrongdoing. "We looked at footage from three cameras and found that there was no conniving of troops with the rioters," Mr Senanayake told reporters in Colombo. Click here to read... [4]

CHINA

President stresses AI's role in growth: People's Daily
May 17, 2019

China attaches great importance to innovative development, and it considers new generation artificial intelligence as the driving force for scientific and technological development, industrial optimization and upgrading as well as major productivity improvements while it strives to achieve high-quality development, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday. Xi made the remark in a congratulatory letter to the World Intelligence Congress, which opened in Tianjin. Click here to read... [5]