[NEWS OF THE DAY]

India, Armenia sign MoU on High Impact Community Development Projects in Armenia

India and Armenia on Mon signed an MoU on High Impact Community Development Projects in Armenia with financial and technical assistance from India, said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. The MoU was signed at the 8^th India-Armenia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological, Cultural and Educational Cooperation (IGC) held in Yerevan today. Secretary (West) MEA, led the Indian delegation. The Armenian delegation was led by the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, the official statement said. At the IGC, both sides discussed and reviewed the current state of cooperation in diverse fields such as trade, Investments, health, tourism, infrastructure, culture, connectivity, Information technology, agriculture, fintech, and education. Secy (W) also called on the Dy Prime Minister of Armenia, Hambardzum Matevosyan. A Mahatma Gandhi Auditorium was later inaugurated at the Yerevan State Medical University (VSMU). The Indian community in Armenia consists largely of over 700 students pursuing medical education at Yerevan State Medical University, which currently is the only University permitted by Armenia to teach medicine in English medium. (here)

SpiceJet’s Delhi-Dubai Flight Makes Emergency Landing In Pakistan’s Karachi

The Indian airline SpiceJet’s flight SG-11, flying from Delhi to Dubai made an emergency landing in Pakistan’s Karachi on Tue, after developing a technical fault in its engine. All passengers on board were safe. The flight landed at the Karachi airport normally without any declaring emergency. According to the airline SpiceJet, there were no reports of any prior malfunction with the aircraft. Replacement aircraft will arrive at the Karachi airport. In the last 2 months, it’s the 5^th such incidence with Spicejet flights. A SpiceJet aircraft operating from Delhi to Jabalpur landed back at the Delhi airport after the crew noticed smoke in the cabin while passing 5000ft on July 2^nd. A Guwahati-bound SpiceJet flight aborts take-off at Patna airport following a technical glitch on June 25^th. On Jun 19, SpiceJet flight SG- 723 (Patna-Delhi) carrying 185 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the city airport following the reports of a fire in one of the engines in a suspected bird hit. A flight couldn’t take off on May 25^th even after 80 min.

ED conducts raids against Vivo and related companies in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting raids at 40 locations in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and southern states, in connection with the prevention of money laundering cases linked to Vivo and other Chinese firms. Vivo has not said anything as of now and the ED officials also have not come on record. The CBI has also been probing the case and has lodged a separate FIR. In Apr, the ED had said they seized Rs 5,551.27 crore of Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited lying in the bank accounts under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act in connection with the illegal outward remittances made by the company. The company then released a statement saying, “… These royalty payments that Xiaomi India made were for the in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products.” During the investigation, the groups failed to provide any substantial and appropriate justification for such claims. The company had said that they were working with authorities to clarify all misunderstandings. (here)

Himachal CM is Chief Guest at Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations says Penpa Tsering

Penpa Tsering, the President of the Tibetan government in exile based out of Dharamshala has said that the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur will be the chief guest at the birthday of his holiness Dalai Lama next week, i.e. 6^th July. The development shows growing engagement by sitting functionaries of the Indian govt. Remember last time Indian PM Modi had spoken to Dalai Lama and sent his congratulations. (here)

Egypt, Malaysia looking to replace their aging fleets with India’s Tejas fighter jets

In a bid to replace their aging fleets, Malaysia and Egypt are looking to buy India’s Tejas fighter jets. The jets, which are used for the advanced level of the pilot training program, are getting a lot of inquiries after it was revealed that they cost less than $40 million per unit. India is transforming from a buyer to a seller in the global weapons industry, which is worth more than $1.8 trillion. In the last five years, India was the largest arms importer in the world with the country buying 11% of the global share. But since 2017, India’s purchase of arms and ammunition has fallen by 21%. Since 2015, India’s weapons export has increased six times with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) receiving numerous orders for Tejas jets which is a single-engine supersonic jets. India offered to set up a maintenance facility in Malaysia so that it chooses Tejas over China’s JF-17, South Korea’s FA-15, and Russia’s MiG-35. Egypt, which is looking for light combat jets, is looking to replace its Dassault/Dornier Alpha jet that it procured in the 1980s. (here)

Sikh delegations of UK, Australia armies attend controversial events: Report

The participation of official Sikh delegations of the Australian and UK armies in certain events has raised eyebrows in New Delhi, especially given India’s growing defense relations with both countries. A delegation of 12 Sikh soldiers of the British Army visited several religious sites and historical monuments in Pak on June 28 under the aegis of the Defence Sikhs Network (DSN), an official UK armed forces organization. The visit, under the name “Ex Nankana Pilgrim 2022”, was undertaken at the invitation of the Pak Army chief. The delegation – which was led by Maj Gen Celia Harvey, an army reservist who once contested elections as a Conservative Party candidate and is now Defence Champion for Sikhs in the Armed Forces – also interacted with COAS. Last month, several Indian Australians were disturbed by the participation of a Sikh contingent from the ADF in the Griffith Sikh Games in New South Wales as the event featured Khalistani banners, posters, and flags. Several Australian Sikhs of Indian origin complained to the organizers of the games about the pro-Khalistan banners. Thereafter, an Australian defense spokesperson told that a “small group of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members” attended the event in Griffith and that their attendance “was not in any official capacity and there was no formal invitation to Defence to participate”. (here)

[NATIONAL]

India was balanced in handling the Ukraine conflict & protecting its own interests: EAM

India has struck a balance between calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and protecting the country’s interests against the backdrop of fuel and food shortages, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tue while addressing a discussion on the book ‘Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery’ at Delhi University. He said greater integration within South Asia can only happen if India takes the lead. Other countries in the region are looking up to India to take the lead and put up the resources for it, he added. Comparing what is happening in Ukraine with situations in the Mahabharata that show life is very complex, and that not all choices are black and white, he said that India had adopted the “right course” since the crisis began in Feb. (here)

Indian High Commission urges Canadian authorities to withdraw material disrespecting Hindu Gods

Indian High Commission on Mon urged Canadian authorities to withdraw the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. A poster for a documentary directed by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has drawn flak on social media for hurting religious sentiments with the depiction of Goddess Kaali. The Madurai-born, Toronto-based filmmaker had earlier taken to Twitter to share a poster of her film which depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the Goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background. Meanwhile, Filmmaker Leena has landed in legal trouble after a police complaint was filed against her for hurting religious sentiments through a poster of her documentary ‘Kaali’. The portrayal of Goddess Kali in the poster did not go down well with a section of social media users who have demanded the poster be withdrawn. (here)

Pakistan’s new ploy, asking terrorists to join Indian parties and target leaders

Pakistan is hatching a new terror Policy in the Indian UT of Jammu and Kashmir. Wion reported citing sources in Security believe that terrorists are joining mainstream political parties to gain access into their offices and hatch a plot to kill the political leaders of these parties. J&K Police arrested 2 terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba identified as Talib Hussain of Rajouri and Faisal Ahmed Dar of Pulwama. The BJP says open online membership is the reason as there is no background check done on these people. BJP also says that Pakistan has a new Modus Operandi to put these terrorists in political party offices. Police said that these two terrorists were caught by villagers while they were taking shelter in the area. Police also recovered 2 AK rifles, 7 Grenades, a pistol, and a huge quantity of ammunition from their possession. Police had declared Talib an absconder and a reward was announced for him ten days ago after a terror module was busted in the same region. (here)

Prophet Comment Row: More people receive threats in Amravati after the killing of chemist Umesh Kolhe, some issue public apologies

As the National Investigation Agency took charge of individuals accused of murdering Maharashtra-based chemist Umesh Kolhe, there are reports that others in the city are also receiving threats. The police said that only one person had so far lodged a complaint and an investigation was underway. According to an update shared by the police commissioner on Mon, 3 more residents of Amravati were threatened and made to apologize after lending credence to the recent controversial comments. Kolhe was allegedly knifed by a group of 3 men between 10 pm and 10:30 pm on June 21 and died during treatment at the hospital. He is believed to have been attacked after lending credence to the recent comments. (here) Days after the Ministry of Home Affairs directed National Investigation Agency to take over two recent back-to-back killings that occurred on different occasions in Rajasthan’s Udaipur and Maharashtra’s Amravati, the central agency’s DG Dinkar Gupta met Union Home Minister for 35 min. However, as expected Gupta didn’t say a word to the media.

Twitter folds, complies with IT Ministry’s notice within the final July 4 deadline

Twitter is seeking to overturn some Indian government orders to take down content on the social media platform, a source familiar with the matter said, in a legal challenge, which alleges abuse of power by officials. The U.S. company’s attempt to get a judicial review is part of a growing confrontation with New Delhi. (here)Twitter moves Karnataka HC against the legality of content takedown orders- Twitter has complied with the IT Ministry’s last notice within the final July 4 deadline, after receiving a warning to either comply with new IT Rules, 2021, or face stricter action. IANS reported citing sources on Tue that the company finally complied with the Jun 27 notice sent by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) over taking action on some controversial tweets. The govt had asked Twitter to act on the content take-down notices sent under Section 69A of the IT Act along with non-compliance notices issued for not taking the content down. Not complying with the IT rules, 2021 could have resulted in Twitter losing its immunity as a social media intermediary under Section 79 of the IT Act. (here)

Kashmir growers fear for their fruit in pilgrimage traffic jams

Fruit growers in Indian-administered Kashmir said on Mon they were facing huge losses as truck-loads of apples, pears, and other produce got caught up in traffic jams caused by a security crackdown during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. Hundreds of thousands of people come through the contested region to visit a shrine in a Himalayan cave for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage. Numbers are even higher this year, as the event was shut down in 2021 during the pandemic – and security is tighter after police said last week they had uncovered a militant plot to attack pilgrims. Reuters reported citing farmers and traders would together face losses of 30 million Indian rupees ($380,000) per day if congestion did not ease. (here)

India’s Eastern Seaboard gets its first naval air squadron INAS 324

In a significant development for India’s maritime preparedness, the Eastern Seaboard Mon got its first Naval air squadron. The Indian Naval Air Squadron 324, referred to as INAS 324, was commissioned at INS Dega, a Naval station in Visakhapatnam, where the Eastern Naval Command is headquartered. The squadron is equipped with Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III (MR) helicopters, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Eastern Naval Command is responsible for all operations in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocean. ThePrint citing sources reported the squadron will play a significant role in boosting the Navy’s maritime reconnaissance as well as search and rescue operations. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China’s top envoy Wang Yi to meet Philippine president Marcos Jr in Manila

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will be the first foreign minister to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr when he makes an official visit to the capital Manila on Wed (Jul 6), who is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Tue night. The visit was announced by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on Facebook, with the Chinese State Councillor’s visit ” fully reflecting how China attaches importance” to the two countries’ bilateral relations. “During the visit, State Councillor Wang will pay courtesy calls on the new leadership and hold talks with new DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), Secy Enrique Manalo, delving extensively into Philippine-China relations, practical cooperation, and regional and international issues,” Huang said. (here) From the Indian side, Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh attended the inauguration of R. Marcos Jr. as the President of the Republic of the Philippines in Manila on 30 Jun 2022. MOS attended the inauguration as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, MEA said on July 1^st.

China and Vietnam vow to talk more but South China Sea tensions – and others – remain

Senior diplomats from China and Vietnam have vowed to hold more high-level talks and to view their bilateral relationship as a diplomatic priority as Beijing faces heightened US efforts to boost ties with its regional alliance. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, met on the sidelines of a Mekong River cooperation meeting in Myanmar on Mon. Wang said China and Vietnam should keep up strategic communication and briefed Son on the upcoming Chinese Communist Party’s national congress, where a major leadership reshuffle is expected. Son was quoted as saying that Vietnam always regarded relations with China as its top diplomatic priority and was willing to maintain high-level talks and achieve a “breakthrough” in cooperation. The Vietnam News Agency said Son demanded that China create favorable conditions for the export of Vietnamese products and resume commercial flights between the two nations which have been affected by Covid-19. (here)

China pledges to share more data on the Mekong River with downstream nations

China will share more data on the Mekong River with countries downstream, (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, amid long-standing criticism that its projects have caused flooding and drought in the river’s lower reaches. This was to “share the dividends of cooperation and push development”, Wang said at a meeting of FMs from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation in Bagan, Myanmar on Mon. Last year, China cut water flow by half at a hydroelectric dam for nearly a month to fix a power line without warning downstream countries first, adding to distrust among its neighbors. (here)

Critical meeting of the parliamentary committee on national security begins

An in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security has started, which will discuss the current national security situation and issues in Pakistan and the region. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf had summoned the 6^th in-camera session of the PCNS on Sun. The meeting started at nearly 4 pm, sources said. Besides national security, the in-camera meeting will take up other issues of significance, with particular reference to the Afghan situation and affairs related to the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), The News reported. The meeting is being attended by the tri-services chiefs, heads of other security agencies, senior members of the assembly and senate, members of NA and Senate standing committees on defense, officials of the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, interior, Kashmir affairs, health and federal secretariat of the national security division. Geo TV reported citing sources that said that the members of the aug body would be briefed by the high-ranking military officials and agencies concerned about the negotiations with the TTP, its outcome, and their activities in the bordering areas with Afghanistan. (here)