Asia Pacific
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Feb- 2018 -8 February
Tajikistan pardons more than 100 citizens who returned from Syria and Iraq
Tajikistan has pardoned more than 100 of its nationals following their return home from Syria and Iraq, where they had joined radical Islamist groups, the interior minister said
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8 February
China dispatches Su-35s to patrol South China Sea
China deployed Su-35 advanced fighter jets to patrol the South China Sea, the People's Liberation Army Air Force said.
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8 February
Philippines says Bell helicopters purchased from Canada ‘not for attack’
The Philippine military denied it planned to use 16 Bell 412EPI helicopters bought from Canada as attack aircraft against local insurgents, following reports Ottawa was reviewing the deal
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7 February
Kashmir looks for peace as ceasefire violations increase on the India-Pakistan border
People living along the India-Pakistan border in Kashmir look for peace as ceasefire violations on both sides continue to increase
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6 February
US expands air campaign in northern Afghanistan
The US expanded its air campaign in northern Afghanistan, carrying out airstrikes in Badakhshan province near the border with China and Tajikistan, amid reports that American soldiers are being redeployed from Iraq.
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2 February
Why Pakistan will not back down to US pressure
The Pakistani military views the Taliban as vital to securing Pakistan's continued existence and has cards to play against the US in Afghanistan
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1 February
Afghanistan claims ‘undeniable’ evidence Kabul attacks planned in Pakistan
Afghanistan has handed "undeniable" evidence to Pakistan that it claims shows a recent spate of deadly attacks were planned on Pakistani soil, Afghan officials said, amid growing public anger over their impotence to protect civilians
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1 February
The ‘weak link’: Afghan Police bear the brunt of insecurity in Afghanistan
Undertrained and improperly equipped, the Afghan National Police act more as a security force than civilian police, and they bear the brunt of terrorist attacks
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1 February
India’s defense spending to increase over 7.8% in 2018
India’s military spending is set to increase under the 2018-19 budget unveiled on Thursday. The defense sector has been allocated 2,95,511.41 crore rupees (29 billion rupees, $454 million) – 12.10 percent of the total central government expenditure – in the budget Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented to parliament. The budget is a 7.81 percent increase over the amount allocated for 2017-18. Capital expenditures including defense purchases were set at 99,947 crore rupees. A recent report from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence found that the capital budget for the Indian Air Force was 46 percent lower than required, while the Army’s budget was 41 percent lower and the Navy’s was 32 percent. NDTV reported on Wednesday that India’s $250-billion military modernization is also in trouble as Prime Minister Narenda Modi has failed to fix the country’s disfunctional defense procurement system. Jaitley noted that the government is continuing to emphasize the military’s operational capacity, and said a number of initiatives have been undertaken to advance Modi’s “Make in India” program. India is the world’s largest defense importer, and Modi has sought to make it more self-reliant and an eventual arms exporter. The ‘Make II’ strategy includes significant transfer of technology in defense acquisition, encouraging …
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1 February
South Korea pursues defense cooperation with Thailand as first T-50 deliveries underway
South Korea is seeking to bolster its defense industry cooperation with Thailand as the first deliveries of T-50TH Golden Eagle fighter jets are underway
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