India-China bilateral trade hits historic high of $84.44 billion in 2017
Published: The Times of India
07 Mar 2018
The India-China bilateral trade reached $84.44 billion last year, an historic high notwithstanding bilateral tensions over a host of issues including the Doklam standoff. A rare novelty of the bilateral trade otherwise dominated by the Chinese exports was about 40 per cent increase of Indian exports to China in 2017 totalling to $16.34 billion, data of the Chinese General Administration of Customs accessed by PTI here showed. Click here to read...
'Significant' consequences if China takes key port in Djibouti: U.S. general
Published: Reuters
07 Mar 2018
The top U.S. general for Africa told lawmakers on Tuesday that the American military could face “significant” consequences should China take a key port in Djibouti, as Beijing becomes increasingly muscular in Africa in an effort to expand its influence.
Last month, Djibouti ended its contract with Dubai’s DP World, one of the world’s biggest port operators, to run the Doraleh Container Terminal, citing failure to resolve a dispute that began in 2012. DP World called the move an illegal seizure of the terminal and said it had begun new arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration. Click here to read...
China to strengthen financing support for Belt and Road Initiative
Published: People's Daily Online
07 Mar 2018
China will strengthen financing and tax support to better serve the Belt and Road Initiative, a deputy finance minister said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Finance is forming an international financing cooperation center in a bid to build a long-term, stable, sustainable, risk-controllable and diversified financing system, Shi Yaobin told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature. Click here to read...
Risks to Pakistan's economic outlook have increased: IMF
Published: The Express Tribune
07 Mar 2018
In an ominous warning, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that risks pertaining to Pakistan’s economic and financial outlook have increased and its medium-term debt repayment capacity has weakened, urging Islamabad to take immediate corrective measures.
The IMF released the statement almost one and a half day after the conclusion of its Executive Board meeting that held the ‘first post-program monitoring discussions’ with Pakistan. The discussions were earlier also held in Islamabad in December to gauge Pakistan’s ability to repay the IMF loan. Click here to read...
Islamic State group calls on Muslims to immigrate to Afghanistan
Published: The Times of India
07 Mar 2018
The Islamic State group in Afghanistan is inviting Muslims worldwide to come to the war-torn country if they cannot reach Syria or Iraq, as it seeks to expand its foothold. A 25-minute propaganda film released by the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K) on March 4 promotes IS strongholds in Afghanistan's north and east as an "option for immigration", the SITE Intelligence Group said Tuesday. Click here to read...
Pakistan postpones reopening of border crossing with Afghanistan
Published: Xinhua
07 Mar 2018
Pakistan on Wednesday postponed the long-awaited reopening of a key border crossing with Afghanistan for unknown reasons, officials said. Ghulam Khan border, the third major crossing point with Afghanistan in North Waziristan tribal region, was closed in June 2014 after the security forces launched a major operation against the Taliban militants and their foreign hosts in that area. Click here to read...
Nepal plans to finalise trans-shipment modality
Published: The Himalayan Times
07 Mar 2018
Due to the high cost and time incurred for third-country trade via India, the country is preparing to propose finalisation of trans-shipment modality with the southern neighbour during the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) meeting, popularly known as commerce secretary-level talks. Nepal is going to organise the IGC meeting this year in Pokhara and the date has been proposed for between the second and third week of April. Click here to read...
As Protests Continue, Seychelles President Endorses Assumption Island Deal With India
Published: The Wire
07 Mar 2018
Despite protests by activists, Seychelles President Danny Faure on Tuesday recommended that parliament ratify the agreement with India to develop military facilities in a strategically located Assumption Island in the western Indian Ocean by next month, and asserted that the land has not been leased or sold to the Indian government.
Faure’s endorsement in his address to the National Assembly came after a series of protests in the Seychelles capital and the first public hearing on the matter witnessing largely negative feedback. This is the highest public statement made by Seychelles following the modification of the 2015 agreement, which requires endorsement from the 33-member National Assembly to enter into force. Click here to read...
1,185 new BOPs sanctioned along Indo-Bangladesh border: Government
Published: The Economic Times
07 Mar 2018
As many as 1,185 border outposts (BOPs) have been sanctioned by the government along the India-Bangladesh frontier, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said a Border Protection Grid (BPG) along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh Border had already been set up. Click here to read...
Maldives education ministry 11-member delegation visits HEC
Published: Business Recorder
06 Mar 2018
An 11-member delegation of Department of Higher Education (DHE), Ministry of Education, Maldives visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan and met the HEC top management. The two sides discussed potential areas for collaboration in the higher education sector, a press release on Tuesday said. Click here to read...
Dawood's key aide arrested, brought to Mumbai from Dubai
Published: The Tribune
08 Mar 2018
India's most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's key aide and an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Farooq Takla was brought back to Mumbai on Thursday after he was deported from United Arab Emirates (UAE). Click here to read...
