VIF Information Alerts - 4 October 2019

Russia is helping China build a missile defence system, Putin says
Published: The Guardian

04 Oct 2019

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow is helping China build a system to warn of ballistic missile launches. Since the cold war, only the United States and Russia have had such systems, which involve an array of ground-based radars and space satellites. The systems allow for early spotting of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Speaking at an international affairs conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said Russia had been helping China develop such a system. He added that “this is a very serious thing that will radically enhance China’s defence capability”.Click here to read... [2]

Ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir at a 5-yr-high in 2019
Published: Hindustan Times

04 Oct 2019

Ceasefire violations by Pakistan from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a five-year high within the first nine months of the current year, defence sources said here. According to the data collated by the Indian Army, Pakistan violated the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir 2,225 times till October 2, meaning that on an average, it violated the ceasefire eight times a day during this period.Click here to read... [3]

Pakistan religious party announces 'Azadi March' to oust 'incompetent' Imran Khan govt
Published: The Financial Express

03 Oct 2019

A major right-wing religious party in Pakistan announced on Thursday that it will begin its ‘Azadi March’ on October 27 to oust the “incompetent” government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, blaming him for the economic woes of the cash-strapped country. This was announced by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, two days after the leadership of top Opposition parties, PML-N and PPP opposed any “solo flight” for the ouster of the government and decided to hold a conference of all parties to develop consensus among them.Click here to read... [4]'

US heading for change in Afghan posture, says Jaishankar
Published: The Tribune

03 Oct 2019

The United States is heading for a change in its posture on Afghanistan but it’s not clear as to what that position would be, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

“On Afghanistan and Pakistan, I’ve had conversations with the Americans in Washington and otherwise on Afghanistan. Obviously, a lot of that stays with me. But my overall impression is that—I mean, it’s not an impression, I think everybody can see that—the US is heading for a change of posture, but what exactly that change of posture would be is unclear,” Jaishankar told a Washington think-tank.Click here to read... [5]

Resolution introduced in U.S. Senate to commemorate Gandhi’s 150 birth anniversary
Published: The Hindu

03 Oct 2019

Coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced bipartisan resolutions in the Congress to commemorate his memory and legacy. In the Senate, it was introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Robert Menendez, while in the House of Representatives it was introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng.Click here to read... [6]