VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 25th July, 2018

PAKISTAN

15 dead in explosion in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area: Dawn

July 25, 2018

At least 15 people have been killed and more than 20 injured in a blast in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area, officials said, in the first major terrorist incident since polling started across the country for 2018 general elections. First responders told DawnNewsTV the apparent target of the blast was a police van. The explosion occurred near a school where polling was taking place, killing 15 people and leaving more than two dozen people injured, Civil Hospital Spokesperson Waseem Baig said. The nature of the blast has not been ascertained as yet. An emergency has been imposed at the Civil Hospital.Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

NSA Expected To Finalize Joint Action Plan: Tolo News

July 24, 2018

The National Security Council (NSC) said on Tuesday that delegates attending the quadrilateral meeting in Abdu Dhabi will hopefully finalize a joint action plan on counter-terrorism, peace and regional cooperation. “One of the core components of the quadrilateral meeting between national security advisors from Saudi Arabia, US and UAE is to discuss issues around peace, war on terrorism and regional cooperation. It is expected that the meeting will also finalize the joint action plan,” said NSC spokesman Qader Shah. In a statement issued by the NSC, the department said national security advisers attending the meeting have decided to identify the issue of terrorist financing and to take common action to eliminate them. Hanif Atmar, Afghanistan's National Security Advisor, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday, leading a high-ranking delegation. The meeting is being held between national security advisors of Afghanistan, United States, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

India field office closes on August 1: Kathmandu Post

July 25, 2018

The government of India has decided to close its filed office in Biratnagar from August 1. According to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the move followed the May 21 decision of the Indian government to shut down the outpost after repeated requests from the government of Nepal. The responsibilities of the field office would be shifted to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu from the date. Nepal had been requesting India since 2009 to wind down the field office set up to facilitate Nepali vehicles’ movement on Indian routes after the 2008 Koshi floods destroyed a section of the east-west highway on the Nepal side. Instead, New Delhi later scaled up the functions and facilities of the temporary office.Click here to read... [4]

MALDIVES

Pakistan to donate Landing Craft to Maldives: Haveeru

July 24, 2018

Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi pledges to donate a landing craft mechanized (LCM), in order to expand emergency naval capabilities in the region. The announcement was made during in a meeting between the visiting Admiral and President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom at the President’s Office on Monday. Admiral Zafar stated Pakistan's intent to emphasize efforts in the fight against terrorism, highlighting that the Pakistani naval forces will assist and ensure stability in the Indian Ocean region. The admiral also expressed his wishes to enhance Maldives' miltary strength by providing technical support and coordinating training programs and with its police force.Click here to read... [5]

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Calls India's National Register Of Citizens "An Internal Matter": NDTV

July 25, 2018

Bangladesh yesterday described the publication of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam as an "internal matter" of India and said it would not interfere. The second and final draft of the NRC is scheduled to be published on July 30, a date set by the Supreme Court. "The issue has not been raised at the official level by the Government of India with the Bangladesh government at any stage," High Commissioner of Bangladesh Syed Muazzem Ali said. "So, as of now this is an internal matter and I have seen conflicting positions of different Indian states on this particular issue and I will not interfere in an internal matter," he told reporters here. The high commissioner said the issue can only become "bilateral" only after the Indian government takes it up with the Bangladesh government.Click here to read... [6]

CHINA

Xi unveils plans to increase imports from South Africa: China Daily

July 25, 2018

China would like to take proactive measures to expand imports from South Africa amid the two countries' efforts to boost strategic coordination, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday. Xi made the remark while meeting the media with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Pretoria during his third state visit to South Africa. China and South Africa signed a number of cooperation documents covering such areas as trade, investment, finance and visa simplification with the two leaders as witnesses.Click here to read... [7]

Jilin anti-corruption watchdogs launch investigation into vaccine case: People’s Daily

July 25, 2018

The discipline inspection body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Jilin provincial committee and the provincial supervisory commission have ordered an investigation into and serious punishment of those found responsible for an illegal vaccine production case, official sources said Tuesday. The two watchdogs are reviewing information and public complaints regarding Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Ltd. and its key personnel. They also ordered an investigation into possible dereliction of duty among food and drug officials, and vowed stern punishment for those involved.Click here to read... [8]

China calls on US government to urge relevant enterprises to observe one-China principle: China Daily

July 24, 2018

China on Tuesday called on the US government to urge relevant US airlines to observe the one-China principle. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a question regarding US airlines not having changed their listing of Taiwan on their websites. In late April, China's civil aviation authority sent a formal notice to 44 foreign airlines, asking them to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites.Click here to read... [9]