VIF Information Alerts - 28 September 2018

Maldives Oppn. seeks foreign help

Published: The Hindu
27 Sep 2018

The Maldivian Opposition appealed to the international community on Thursday to help ensure a peaceful transition of power amid fears that strongman Abdulla Yameen may cling onto power despite his shock election defeat.

The joint opposition, which includes four political parties that successfully put forward the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at Sunday’s vote, called for external help to re-establish democracy in the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago.Click here to read.... [2]

China factory growth seen cooling as U.S. trade dispute intensifies: Reuters poll

Published: Reuters
28 SEP 2018

China’s manufacturing sector likely resumed its slowdown in September after taking a pause in August, with exporters facing growing strains from increasingly hostile trade ties with the United States, a Reuters poll showed.

The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is expected to have slipped to 51.2 in September from 51.3 in August, according to the median forecast of 23 economists in a Reuters poll. The 50-mark divides expansion from contraction on a monthly basis.Click here to read.... [3]

Saudi Arabia to finance three CPEC projects

Published: The Dawn
28 Sep 2018

The government of Saudi Arabia has signed three grant agreements with Pakistan to finance three road infrastructure and energy projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “These agreements have been inked in line with the understanding reached during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia,” Information Minis­ter Fawad Chaudhry told a press conference on Thursday.Click here to read.... [4]

Imran Khan urges Pakistanis to crowdfund $14 billion for dams

Published: Khaleej Times
28 Sep 2018

It's a far cry from those sponsored Facebook posts asking you to invest in a start-up's new digital watch or an unbreakable phone case. But Imran Khan wants Pakistanis to crowdfund a whopping $14 billion for desperately needed dams, a plea capitalising on nationalist fervour but ridiculed by detractors as unrealistic. If it succeeded it would be the largest crowdfunding effort in history -- shattering the current Kickstarter record 700 times over. But while Pakistanis have responded to Khan's plea with enthusiasm, the tally so far is just a drop in the ocean of what's needed to alleviate the country's chronic water crisis.Click here to read.... [5]

ADB approves $300 mn loan to Sri Lanka for the construction of elevated highway linking capital to New Kelani Bridge

Published: Colombo Page
27 Sep 2018

Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan to Sri Lanka for the construction of an elevated highway linking capital Colombo to a new bridge being constructed across the Kelani River. The loan facility will finance the construction of about 5.3 kilometers (km) of elevated toll highway with related facilities between the New Kelani Bridge (NKB) and Galle Face in central Colombo in Sri Lanka.Click here to read.... [6]

Climate Change Fallout: 13.4cr people to be hit hard

Published: The Daily Star
27 Sep 2018

More than three-quarters or 13.4 crore of around 16.5 crore population of Bangladesh are at the risk of declining living standards as a result of rising temperature and erratic rainfall due to climate change, the World Bank has said.

Rising temperature could affect living standards in diverse ways. Top among them are fall in agricultural and labour productivity and rise in spread of vector-borne and other infectious diseases resulting in lost productivity and income, said a WB report published yesterday.Click here to read.... [7]

Advanced surveillance for Pakistan, China borders and 3D mapping for Kashmir operations developed, being tested

Published: The Economic Times
27 Sep 2018

In the backdrop of a major anti- infiltration system being operationalised along the India- Pakistan border earlier this month, more high-tech equipment for border surveillance, perimeter security and counter-terrorist operations have been developed for deployment in Kashmir and the borders with Pakistan and China.

The equipment are also aimed to not only reduce infiltration and intrusions, but also provide 3D mapping of terrorist prone areas in Kashmir with a data backup for planning future operations. Some of these systems could also prevent BAT actions and Pathankot and Uri type attacksClick here to read.... [8]