VIF Information Alerts - 9th May 2019

air strike killed 130-170: Italian reporterBalakot air strike killed 130-170: Italian reporter
Published: The Times of India

09 May 2019

Around 45 people are still undergoing medical treatment following the Indian Air Force strikes on the Jaish-e-Muhammed terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, while the bombings could have killed 130-170 JeM cadres, including 11 terror "trainers", according to Italian journalist Francesca Marino. Marino says in her report that despite Pakistan's efforts to deceive the world, details of what happened at Balakot in the early hours of February 26 have trickled in. She said that according to a source, a Pakistan Army unit from Shinkiari reached the location at 6am, two-and-a-half hours after the strikes.Click here to read... [2]

Move to withdraw Rs700bn tax exemptions, says official
Published: The Dawn

09 May 2019

ISLAMABAD: With Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) scheduled to conclude a staff-level agreement on Friday, the two sides agreed on Wednesday that the country would withdraw tax exemptions amounting to Rs700 billion within two years.
During their discussions on Wednesday, the two sides worked out a financing gap of around $11 billion for the next fiscal year, 2019-20. Under the understanding, the government will start withdrawing exemptions offered in various taxes amounting to around Rs350bn in the budget for 2019-20.Click here to read... [3]

Trump imposes fresh sanctions on Iran’s metal sectors, says revenues used to fund terrorism
Published: Hindustan Times

09 May 2019

US President Donald Trump Wednesday imposed tougher-than-ever sanctions on Iran’s iron, steel, aluminum and copper sectors, a move aimed at stopping Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles and to counter its “malign influence” in the Middle East.
A year after he withdrew from the “fatally flawed”, “one-sided” Iran nuclear deal and began the process of reimposing sanctions on Tehran, Trump with his new move has now imposed sanctions on Iran’s top three exports – oil, petrochemicals and metals.Click here to read... [4]

Iran says it will not honour nuclear curbs
Published: The Hindu

09 May 2019

Iran said on Wednesday it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal with major powers until they find a way to bypass renewed U.S. sanctions. The announcement came as Washington stepped up its rhetoric against Tehran, accusing it of planning “imminent” attacks and deploying an aircraft carrier strike group with several nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the region.Click here to read... [5]

India's Jagjit Pavadia re-elected to International Narcotics Control Board
Published: The New Indian Express

08 May 2019

In a significant victory for India, Jagjit Pavadia, a former Narcotics Commissioner, has been re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another five-year term, securing the highest number of votes. Pavadia, who has held several senior positions in the Indian Revenue Service for 35 years, has been a member of the INCB since 2015 and her current term is set to expire in 2020.Click here to read... [6]