VIF Information Alerts - 23 September 2019

Modi, Trump set new course on terrorism, border security
Published: The Hindu

23 Sep 2019

In a fierce defence of the government’s actions in Jammu & Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said those criticising the decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution were “promoting terrorism”. Mr. Modi’s comments came during his address, along with U.S. President Donald Trump, at a rally of over 50,000 Indian-Americans at the NRG stadium in Houston. Both leaders announced a joint front on several key issues, but articulated an entirely new script on cooperation on terrorism.Click here to read.... [2]

Quad to meet: Foreign Ministers of India, US, Japan and Australia
Published: The Indian Express

23 Sep 2019

A YEAR after India refused to upgrade its Quadrilateral grouping with the US, Australia and Japan to the level of Foreign Secretaries, the Foreign Ministers of the four countries are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. The Quadrilateral, which was revived in November 2017, has so far met at the level of Joint Secretary-rank officials. The new plan will result in an upgrade by at least three levels.Click here to read.... [3]

Pakistan close to being ‘blacklisted’ by Financial Action Task Force
Published: The Economic Times

23 Sep 2019

Pakistan appears to be falling grossly short of delivery on the 27-point action plan prepared by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to help it escape ‘black listing’, with sources monitoring its actions against terror financing indicating that Islamabad has delivered on only six of the 27 points so far. ‘Black listing’ by FATF stands to choke Pakistan’s access to international finance. Pakistan currently figures on the FATF ‘grey list’ and is up for a final review of its status at the FATF plenary meeting in Paris next month.Click here to read.... [4]

China is threat to world: US President Donald Trump
Published: The Economic Times

22 Sep 2019

Expressing concern over China's growing military might, US President Donald Trump has said the Communist nation is a threat to the world and blamed his predecessors for not stopping it from stealing America's intellectual property to bolster its defence capabilities.
"Obviously China is a threat to the world in a sense because they are building a military faster than anybody and frankly they are using US money," Trump, who was accompanied by visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, told reporters here on Friday.Click here to read.... [5]

Taliban reach ‘comprehensive deal’ in dialogue with Chinese govt in Beijing
Published: The Express Tribune

22 Sep 2019

A Taliban delegation met China’s special representative for Afghanistan in Beijing on Sunday to discuss the group’s peace talks with the United States, a spokesperson of the group said.
The meeting comes after US President Donald Trump’s eleventh-hour cancellation earlier this month of the negotiations between his country and the Taliban, which many had hoped would pave the way to a broader peace deal with the Afghan government and ending a 17-year war.Click here to read.... [6]