VIF Information Alerts - 16 July 2018

Trump names EU a ‘global foe’, raps media before Putin summit
Published: The Hindu
16 Jul 2018

Donald Trump and his top aides were downplaying expectations for Monday’s summit as the U.S. President continued to rattle allies by lumping in the EU with Russia and China after barnstorming across Europe, causing chaos at the recent NATO summit and in a trip to the United Kingdom. Mr. Trump spent the weekend in Scotland at his resort in Turnberry, golfing, tweeting and granting an interview to CBS News in which he named the EU, a bloc of nations that includes many of America’s closest allies, at the top of his list of “biggest global foes."Click here to read... [2]

We don’t agree with Trump, but that doesn’t mean we want to gang up on America with China, says senior EU adviser ahead of summit
Published: South China Morning Post
16 Jul 2018

The European Union is reluctant to “gang up” on America with China despite calls to provide a counterweight to Donald Trump’s protectionist policies, the head of an EU advisory body has said. Luca Jahier, the president of the European Economic and Social Committee, told the South China Morning Post that the US still remains an important political and economic partner of the EU, even though the EU opposed Trump tariff measures. Jahier said he strongly opposes protectionism, but escalating the situation would not be the appropriate response.Click here to read... [3]

Intel: Karmapa may not return from US
Published: The Tribune
16 Jul 2018

Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje — the second most important Tibetan monk after the Dalai Lama — who left India for the US in May last year may never come back, apprehend sources in the Himachal police and local intelligence agencies. Sources told The Tribune that the Karmapa may extend his stay “indefinitely or even seek asylum in the US”. He was under regular surveillance at the Gyuto Tantric Monastery here, “but in the US, he will be free to travel and to meet anybody, even those coming from China”, sources said.Click here to read... [4]

Facebook takes on Hafiz Saeed, disables accounts, pages of terrorist’s ‘political party’
Published: Financial Express
15 Jul 2018

Ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, social media giant Facebook has disabled several accounts and official pages of Milli Muslim League (MML). MML is a political front of International terrorist Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat- ud Dawa. Facebook took the to ensure transparency during the upcoming elections. Facebook Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg had earlier underlined that it was his priority to make sure his social networking website supports positive discourse and prevents interference in the upcoming general elections of Pakistan, India, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.Click here to read... [5]

Pakistan's Ahmadi community could be further imperiled by a new court order
Published: First Post
15 Jul 2018

The Ahmadi community is perhaps the most endangered minority in Pakistan and is at the vortex of mindless violence – they are often killed or attacked on the slightest pretext, their mosques bombed and cases filed against them for violating the law. Many of them conceal their identity, are in hiding, or go abroad to escape harassment and this fact has been used by the courts to target them for misrepresenting facts.

Now, a new court order on 4 July 2018 by Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court seeks to add the tag of ‘Ahmadi’ to their names so they can be easily identified. The judgement says, “Qadianis should not be allowed to conceal their identity by having similar names to those of Muslims, therefore, they should be either stopped from using name of ordinary Muslims or in the alternative Qadiani, Ghulam-e-Mirza or Mirzai must form a part of their names and be mentioned accordingly [sic].”Click here to read... [6]

Afghan President signals return of exiled Dostum possible after protests
Published: The Hindu
15 Jul 2018

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gave his first indication on Sunday that vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum could be allowed to return from exile after days of protests by the former warlord's supporters. Ethnic Uzbek leader Mr. Dostum was forced into exile last year over accusations of human rights abuse, settling in Turkey. In recent days supporters of Dostum's Junbish-i Milli party have staged protests across northern Afghanistan, blocking major highways and shutting down government buildings including electoral offices. Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, Mr. Ghani said Mr. Dostum's case was under consideration and “the possibility of his return has increased.”Click here to read... [7]

Nepal-China meeting scheduled for July-end
Published: The Himalayan
14 Jul 2018

Nepali and Chinese officials have scheduled a meeting here in the capital city at end of this month to finalise the protocol of transit transport agreement (TTA). Officials of both the countries had recently met in Beijing to expedite the exchange of protocol to bring the TTA into force. However, the Chinese side had presented a different proposal than the draft of protocol exchanged between the two countries. A delegation of Nepali officials led by Commerce Secretary Chandra Kumar Ghimire had held a meeting with Chinese officials last week, but during the discussion, the Chinese side proposed delivering Nepal-bound cargoes imported from third countries at Kyirong.Click here to read... [8]