VIF Information Alerts - 09 July 2019

Iran’s fresh N-threat: Will restart centrifuges, ramp up enrichment
Published: The Tribune

09 Jul 2019

Iran threatened on Monday to restart deactivated centrifuges and sharply step up its enrichment of uranium to 20% purity as its next potential big moves away from a 2015 nuclear agreement that Washington abandoned last year. The threats, made by the spokesman for Iran’s nuclear agency, would go far beyond the small steps Iran has taken in the past week to nudge its stocks of fissile material just beyond limits in the nuclear pact.Click here to read... [2]

India finds permanent solution for payment of Russian arms
Published: The Economic Times

09 Jul 2019

A permanent solution has been found for the payment of arms purchased by India that had been stalled due to financial sanctions by the US, the Russian side has confirmed. With the resolution, Russia is confident that supplies for the S400 air defence missile system will commence within two years and all five regiments on order will be delivered by 2024.Click here to read... [3]

IMF gunning for debt reduction, programme shows
Published: The Dwan

09 Jul 2019

Pakistan has entered a high tax environment for the foreseeable future with Rs1.56 trillion additional taxes this year, followed by another Rs1.5tr next year and yet another Rs1.31tr the year after, according to a staff report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday.
The projections contained in the document show that the authorities have promised to increase FBR’s total tax collection from Rs3.94tr last year to Rs5.5tr this year and to Rs10.5tr by 2023-24, a cumulative increase of Rs6.564tr in five years. As such, the tax-to-GDP ratio is forecast to soar to 15.3 per cent from 10.4pc this year.Click here to read... [4]

Doha Conference: Taliban Agrees To Reduce Violence
Published: TOLO news

09 Jul 2019

A group of 17 members of the Taliban who met with at least 60 delegates from Kabul in Intra-Afghan Dialogue Conference on Peace in Doha agreed to reduce violence by stopping attacks on “religious centers, schools, hospitals, educational centers, bazaars, water dams and workplaces”.
The agreement came in the form of a resolution prepared by a committee of six members from Kabul and three members from the Taliban.Click here to read... [5]

Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena vetoes military deal with the US
Published: The New Indian Express

09 Jul 2019

Sri Lanka's President on Saturday announced he will not allow his government to conclude a proposed military deal that would allow US troops free access to the island's ports. Maithripala Sirisena said he was opposed to the draft Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that the two countries are negotiating to further strengthen their military ties.Click here to read... [6]