[NEWS OF THE DAY]

India-Russia trade will continue despite Western sanctions against Moscow: Envoy

Russia’s envoy Denis Alipov on Tue underlined the strength of bilateral ties with India, saying the positive dynamics of trade between the two countries will continue despite the West’s sanctions against Moscow. In an interview, Alipov said there were certain difficulties with trade after the start of the Ukraine conflict but added that both countries have successfully overcome most of these barriers. He said sanctions will certainly throw up challenges but the cooperation will continue based on common interests. The envoy noted that the goals outlined in Dec 2021 at the annual bilateral summit in New Delhi are fully consistent with the enormous potential of bilateral relations. He said the dynamics of bilateral trade speak for themselves. “According to India’s statistics, from Jan to Apr 2022, it amounted to USD 6.4 bn. This is almost twice as much as for the same period last year. If we maintain these volumes throughout the year, we will have a turnover of more than USD 19 bn by the end of 2022.” Alipov said the withdrawal of many western companies from the Russian market opens up many new opportunities for Indian businesses. (here)

Jaishankar-Bilawal Bhutto Talks in Tashkent? Kashmir on Cards as Pak Hopes for Meet on SCO Sidelines

The upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference in Tashkent in the last week of July (27-28) may see a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, CNN-News18 reported citing top sources in the Pak govt. Pakistan, which is hopeful of the meeting on the sidelines of the SCO conference, is preparing a summary for its FM on Kashmir and India. Pakistan is also likely to raise the Kashmir issue at the SCO meet which will set up the SCO Heads of State Council (Russia, China, Pakistan, and the Central Asian States) meeting due to be held in Samarkhand on Sept 15-16 this year. However, News18 didn’t confirm the report. The talks, if held, come as yet another effort to resolve the tumultuous relationship between neighbors India and Pak. (here)

PM Modi wishes Dalai Lama on his 87^th birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wed greeted the Dalai Lama on his 87^th birthday and said people are praying for the long life and good health of the Tibetan spiritual leader. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur, who was the chief guest at the celebrations marking the Dalai Lama’s birthday, said in an address via video conference that the spiritual leader has protected Tibetan culture and used non-violence to resolve issues. Modi and the top Indian leadership had greeted the Dalai Lama on his birthday last year as well. However, there was no public messaging by the top Indian leadership. The Chinese side usually bristles at any public acknowledgment of the Dalai Lama and his role as a Tibetan leader by the Indian govt. In the past, China has even protested when the spiritual leader was allowed to travel to Arunachal Pradesh, a state with a sizeable Buddhist population. (here)

India intensifies defense exchanges with Egypt

INS KOCHI — the largest destroyer ship in the Indian Navy — carrying 8,000 tonnes of displacement visited Safaga Egypt from 28 to 30 Jun signaling expansion in defense partnership. The destroyer also participated in a PASSEX in which it closely cooperated with the Egyptian Navy. India’s Ambassador in Cairo Ajit Gupte visited the INS KOCHI to meet with the fleet commander and the crew. The ship’s visit is part of the ongoing intensified defense exchanges between India and Egypt. The ambassador said that ever since the decline of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a renewed push in bilateral exchanges between India and Egypt, with several delegations from India visiting Egypt over the last year or so. He also said that cooperation in the defense sector has emerged as one of the focus areas with an increasing number of bilateral engagements. The first-ever India Air Force-Egyptian Air Force Joint Tactical Air Exercise, ‘Desert Warrior’, was held in late Oct 2021. EAF chief is currently visiting India. India’s Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari visited Egypt from Nov 28 to 2 Dec 2021 and attended the ‘Egypt Air Power Symposium’ and delivered a keynote address on ‘Strategic Air Intelligence in confronting new and non-organized threats.’ (here)

EAM to attend key G20 meet in Bali this week, strengthen ties

External affairs minister S Jaishankar’s participation in the meeting will strengthen India’s engagement with the member states and, as a G20 ‘Troika’ member and the incoming G20 presidency, India’s role in the upcoming discussions assumes even greater importance, the govt said on Tue. (here) Not ‘business as usual’ for G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali- G20 foreign ministers travel to the resort island of Bali this week for a meeting that will be overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, with Russia’s attendance creating rifts in the bloc as host Indonesia tries to mediate. The Group of 20 includes Western countries that have accused Moscow of war crimes in Ukraine and rolled out sanctions, but also countries like China, Indonesia, India, and South Africa that have not followed suit. The gathering will be the first time that FMs from some of the world’s top economies meet Russian FM Sergei Lavrov since Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. Speaking ahead of the G20 meeting that runs from Thu to Fri, the German foreign ministry said it would not be a “normal summit” nor “business as usual”. (here) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Chinese FM Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting, the State Department said on Tue. Despite a growing strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing, Biden has been considering scrapping tariffs on a range of Chinese goods to curb surging US inflation before Nov midterm elections for control of Congress (here). More than 400 requests to keep tariffs in place on Chinese goods had been submitted to the US Trade Representative’s office as of late Tue, complicating Biden’s decision-making.

[NATIONAL]

Jaishankar discusses boosting bilateral ties with Singapore’s Dy Prime Minister

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar on Wed met with Singapore’s Dy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in the island country and held discussions on boosting bilateral relationships along with sharing views on the global situation. India-Singapore relations are based on shared values and approaches, economic opportunities, and convergence of interests on key issues. The defense relations are particularly strong. Economic and technological ties are extensive and growing. Additionally, the cultural and human links between both nations are very vibrant. There are more than 20 regular bilateral mechanisms, dialogues, and exercises. There is great convergence on a broad range of international issues and both are members of several forums, including the East Asia Summit, G20, Commonwealth, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium). Singapore is India’s 6^th largest trade partner (2020-21) with a share of 3.2% of India’s overall trade. In Apr-Sept 2021, bilateral trade stood at USD 14.2 billion. The cumulative FDI inflows from Singapore to India stood at USD 118.39 billion (Apr 2000 -Jun 2021) which is 22% of total FDI inflows in India. Singapore was the largest source of FDI in India in 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21. (here)

Lt Gen Subramanian appointed as Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan

Lt-Gen Mohan Subramanian of the Indian Army has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). India is the second-highest military troop-contributing country to UN Mission in South Sudan with 2,385 Indian peacekeepers serving with the mission, second only to Rwanda. Lt. Gen. Subramanian succeeds Lt. Gen. Shailesh Tinaikar, also from the Indian Army who had appointed in 2019. Subramanian has a “distinguished military career with the Indian Army spanning over 36 years” and most recently, he served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region (Operational and Logistic Readiness Zone) in central India, contributing to the Army’s operational and logistic preparedness. (here)

Assam cabinet approves identification of five Muslim sub-groups as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities

Assam cabinet on Tuesday approved the identification of five Assamese Muslim sub-groups, Gorias, Moriyas, Jolhas, Deshis and Syeds as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities, tweeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The move will ensure their development in health, cultural identity, education, financial inclusion, skill development, and women empowerment, added the chief minister. Assam Cabinet also took several decisions about the scrapping of old vehicles, exempting ex-servicemen and their widows from paying property tax, boosting renewable energy, improving data access, etc. The cabinet also approved the collaboration between the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) under SIDBI and the govt for providing additional guarantee coverage for loans given by lending institutions to Micro and Small units in Assam and the creation of a Corpus Fund of Rs 100 crore with 80% from CGTMSE and 20% from Assam govt. (here)

Assam: 3 more held in Silchar dyke sabotage case

Three more accused have been arrested in connection with the sabotage of the Bethukandi dyke in Silchar that led to the current wave of devastating floods here. Police arrested a man, who has been identified as Kabul Khan, in this connection on Sat. On Sun, the police arrested three more individuals – Ripon Khan, Mithu Hussain Lashkar, and Nazir Hussain Lashkar. Those arrested will be taken to Guwahati for further investigation. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had ordered a CID probe into the incident, which has led to unprecedented devastation in Silchar town. (here)

Leena Manimekalai’s Kaali Poster Row: Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum Expresses Regret

The Toronto-based Aga Khan Museum expressed regret for showcasing Leena Manimekalai’s documentary’s poster which showed a person dressed as the Hindu deity Goddess Kali while smoking a cigarette with an LGBTQIA+ flag in the background. It explained that the Toronto Metropolitan University’s project presentation was hosted to foster ‘intercultural understanding and dialogue through the arts’ but acknowledged that Leena’s poster and the documentary ‘inadvertently caused offense’. (here) Over the last two decades the artist, who hails from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, has faced immense criticism for bringing to screen the caste discrimination and exploitation faced by young girls who are handed over to temples. Manimekalai has also in the past stood up against the Central Board of Film Certification to ensure the release of her documentary Sengada, which highlighted the plight of fishermen from India who unknowingly stray into Sri Lankan waters. But even these battles had not prepared her for the backlash she has been facing for sharing the poster of her latest film, Kaali.

India’s PLI scheme has the potential to add 4% to GDP annually: Report

The Centre’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme has the potential to add nearly 4% to GDP in terms of incremental revenues, says a report. The PLI scheme aims to provide nearly Rs 2.4 lakh crore worth of incentives over the next 5 years, with the lion’s share going to electronics, auto components, and pharma. “The Indian consumer was missing in action for almost 5 years due to multiple reasons like demonetization, GST, Covid, and lack of inflation. The growth in per capita GDP picked up in FY22 and per capita GDP was higher than in FY20 after a dip. The discretionary income of Indian consumers is likely to rise from FY23 to FY27,” said brokerage firm Emkay Investment Managers in a statement. (here)

Pendency of cases major issue, problem intensifying in absence of infra: CJI Ramana

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said the pendency of cases is a “major issue” in India and the problem is “intensifying” in the absence of adequate infrastructure and a sufficient number of judges with the increasing workload. “There is no denying that pendency of cases is a major issue in India. Reasons for this include growth of the Indian economy, population, rising awareness about rights, etc,” Justice Ramana said while delivering the inaugural address at a conference on ‘Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes’ in London. (here) [This is a common statement that comes from every CJI, but it hasn’t appeared so far that they are doing something]

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Taiwan touts new air force advanced training jet’s abilities

Taiwan’s air force showed off it is new locally designed and made jet trainer on Wednesday, touting the more advanced, combat-capable abilities of the aircraft that will replace aging and accident-prone existing equipment. Taiwan’s armed forces are mostly equipped by the United States, but President Tsai Ing-wen has made the development of an advanced home-grown defense industry a priority, especially as China, which claims the island as its own, steps up military modernization efforts and drills near Taiwan. The new AT-5 Brave Eagle, made by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp with a budget of T$68.6 billion ($2.3 billion), had its first test flight in 2020. Taiwan’s air force plans on taking 66 units by 2026 to replace aging AT-3 and F-5 training aircraft, which have suffered a series of crashes in recent years. An AT-3, a model that first flew in 1980, crashed in May, while three F-5s have crashed in the past year or so. (here)

The parliamentary committee on national security allows govt to hold talks with TTP

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tue gave formal approval to the govt for holding talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan besides forming a parliamentary oversight committee to ensure the process moved within the constitution’s ambit. During the 6^th in-camera session of the PCNS, summoned by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, it was also highlighted that with the support of the Afghan govt, the Govt of Pakistan — led by civilian and military officials — is negotiating with the TTP. The negotiations are being carried out to maintain internal and regional peace. The meeting was attended by the tri-services chiefs, heads of other security agencies, senior members of the NA and the Senate, and officials of the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, interior, Kashmir affairs, health and federal secretariat of the national security division. (here)

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on EDMP has reiterated to resolve the issue as soon as possible

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Enforced Disappearances and Missing Persons has reiterated its commitment to resolve the issue of missing persons as soon as possible, keeping in view the seriousness of the issue of missing persons. According to the announcement of the meeting, the second meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Enforced Disappearances and Missing Persons was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, in which Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Faisal Sabzwari, and senior Interior Ministry officials attended. Former Senator Farhatullah Babar was specially invited to attend the meeting. (Jasarat) More than 5,000 people are missing in Balochistan, claimed a Bloch Activist-Enforced disappearances in my home province is a decades-old issue, since when the Balochistan nationalist movement began in the early 2000s. (here)

‘Not a joint drill’: Chinese frigate ‘sent to monitor Russian warship’ near Diaoyus

A Chinese navy vessel was monitoring a Russian warship – and not taking part in joint exercises – in an incident in the East China Sea that prompted a protest from Japan, according to a defense analyst. Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Tue that vessels from China and Russia were seen near the disputed Diaoyu Islands, known in Japan as the Senkakus, on Mon. Japan controls the uninhabited islands, which are also claimed by China. The incident comes as China and Russia have sought to show a united front in the face of US and Japanese pressure, including flying strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan in May. Japan is renewing ties with the US to counter China and has criticized Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. But Kyodo quoted a Japanese Ministry of Defence source as saying that this time the Chinese frigate was deployed to chase the Russian ship. (here)

Chinese data center operator GDS sees Singapore as a hub for its SE Asia expansion plans

Data center management company GDS is following in the footsteps of its Chinese tech customers by expanding operations to Southeast Asia, while betting on Singapore as a regional data hub, according to its chairman and CEO. Founded in 2001, the Nasdaq and Hong Kong-listed GDS is a third-party data center operator serving clients such as Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, as well as US cloud giant Amazon Web Services. Although GDS’s major facilities are in China, the company has started to develop data centers overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia, to serve the increasing number of Chinese technology companies operating there, SCMP reported citing founder, chairman, and CEO William Huang this week. (here)

Nepal Finance Minister Sharma resigns

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma resigned on Wed after public outcry and widespread criticism following charges that he had employed two unauthorized persons to tweak tax rates on May 28, a day before he presented the budget for the next fiscal year. He has been charged with breaching the budgetary discipline, which experts say amounts to financial crime. “While I fully refute allegations against me, I have decided to cooperate in the investigation,” said Sharma in his address to Parliament. A parliamentary committee was formed to probe charges against Finance Minister Sharma- An 11-member parliamentary committee has been formed to investigate charges that Sharma tweaked tax rates with the help of unauthorized persons on May 28, a day before he presented the budget for the next fiscal year in Parliament. (here)