1. PM Modi urges ‘faster decisions’ on cases related to atrocities against women
2. Manipur Tensions escalated once again when bomb dropped by drones
3. India, Singapore to sign pact on semiconductors during PM Modi’s visit
4. ‘Never said won’t do business with China,’ Jaishankar highlights India’s ‘special problem’
5. India calls visa ban on 6 Bangladeshi student leaders fake news: Report

What Else

1. After Sabir  from WB ‘lynched by cow vigilantes’, Haryana CM Saini asks, ‘Who can stop them?’
2. Indian embassy in Laos rescues 47 Indian nationals from cyber-scam centres
3. Chile foreign minister’s visit to India helped advance bilateral ties: MEA
4. ‘Dangerously delusional’: Pakistan rejects India’s stance on Kashmir
5. Court issues notice to Baba Ramdev after petition claims non-vegetarian ingredient found in veg toothpaste
6. Maldives: The President affirms the country will witness sustainable development on a firm foundation
7. Japan protests Chinese naval intrusion into territorial waters, days after airspace incursion
8. Al Qaeda Expands Its Footprint in Afghanistan
9. Militant attacks in Pakistan delay launch of China-backed airport, say sources

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PM Modi urges ‘faster decisions’ on cases related to atrocities against women

• As the protests rage on over the horrific Kolkata rape and murder case, PM Modi on Sat stressed the need for faster decisions in cases of atrocities against women.
• PM Modi was addressing the inaugural event of the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam.
• The brutal rape and murder case of a female trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and College has shaken the nation.
• CM Mamata Banerjee’s request to PM Modi: Modi’s remarks come after WB CM Mamata Banerjee wrote to the PM, requesting stringent legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder.
• PM Modi said that if there are faster decisions in such cases, the population will get greater assurance of safety. (here)

Manipur Tensions escalated once again when bomb dropped by drones

• In Manipur, a fresh firing broke out near Koutruk in the Kangchup region under Imphal W district on Sept 1^st.
• As per reports, bombs were dropped by drones in residential areas with visuals showing civilians running for their lives as soon as the firing broke out.
• Additionally, a woman was killed while her daughter received bullet injuries.
• 2 police personnel are reported to have been injured in retaliatory firing.
• The injured personnel were rushed to Raj Medicity in Imphal for treatment. (here)
• In Imphal, alleged Kuki militants have deployed numerous RPGs using high-tech drones.
• While drones have commonly been used in general warfare, this recent deployment of drones against security forces and civilians marks a significant escalation.
• The involvement of highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support, cannot be ruled out, said state police in a post on X.

India, Singapore to sign pact on semiconductors during PM Modi’s visit

• India and Singapore are set to sign a significant agreement on semiconductors during PM Modi’s upcoming visit to the country.
• The PM will be traveling to Singapore on Sept 4-5^th, during which he will be holding meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Lawrence Wong.
• The pact on semiconductors comes even as India has been strengthening its collaboration in this sector with global partners, including US, Taiwan, EU, and others.
• In the US, initiatives have been seen, like a collaboration between Purdue University and the India Semiconductor Mission.
• With Taiwan, a partnership between Tata Electronics and Taiwan’s PSMC has led to the creation of India’s first commercial semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat. (here)

‘Never said won’t do business with China,’ Jaishankar highlights India’s ‘special problem’

• Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Sat said that New Delhi has a “special China problem,” adding that the state of bilateral ties warrants heavy scrutiny of investments from China
• Jaishankar said China is the focus of major national security and economic debates in the US
• “Look at the United States. It is obsessed with China, and rightly so in many ways,” the Indian top diplomat said.
• “So, the fact is that it is not only India which has a China problem…India has a China problem… a special China problem that is over and above the world’s general China problem,” the External Affairs Minister (EAM) said.
• Jaishankar’s remarks came days after India and China held the 31^st meeting of the WMCC on Border Affairs on Aug 29 in Beijing.
• Trade deficit: The minister also addressed the concerns regarding the increasing trade deficit with China and blamed the policies of previous govts. (here)

India calls visa ban on 6 Bangladeshi student leaders fake news: Report

• Reports in a section of Bangladeshi media claiming India has imposed a visa ban on six Bangladeshi student leaders are “fake news”, official sources said on Sun.
• The reports have also claimed that the “action” was taken against them for whipping up “anti-India” sentiments.
• ‘Indian visa ban on six student leaders’, reads a headline in a Sept 1 report of a Bangladeshi media outlet, and it also mentions the names of six student leaders.
• Official sources in New Delhi, however, trashed these reports as “fake news”.
• A student-led resistance in Bangladesh that began in Jul eventually engulfed the entire country, leading to the fall of Hasina’s govt and her fleeing to India on Aug 5. (here)

After Sabir  from WB ‘lynched by cow vigilantes’, Haryana CM Saini asks, ‘Who can stop them?’

• Days after the Charkhi Dadri police in Haryana arrested 7 people for allegedly lynching a man they suspected of eating beef, CM Nayab Saini asked who could prevent villagers who “revere cows” from taking such actions.
• “If people from villages come forward, who can stop them? I want to say that such incidents should not happen, and they are unfortunate,” he added.
• On Aug 27^th, Sabir Malik from “WB” [why a laborer came from WB for this job] worked as a ragpicker was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Haryana’s Dadri.
• A video purportedly showing the lynching surfaced on social media Saturday. It appeared to show a large group of people beating the victim, identified as Sabir Malik, with sticks and rods. ThePrint could not verify the authenticity of the video. (here)
• Sabir is survived by his wife and two-year-old daughter. (DH)

Indian embassy in Laos rescues 47 Indian nationals from cyber-scam centres

• The Indian embassy in Laos has rescued 47 Indians trapped in cyber-scam centers at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo Province of Lao PDR
• Out of 47 Indians, Lao authorities handed over 29 Indian nationals, after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ.
• Meanwhile, the other 18 had approached the embassy to seek help.
• The officials from the Indian embassy in Laos, traveled from Vientiane to Bokeo, to actively liaise to help them rescue.
• The embassy organized the transport from Bokeo to Vientiane, along with lodging food for the Indian nationals, upon arrival in the Laos capital. (here)

Chile foreign minister’s visit to India helped advance bilateral ties: MEA

• The visit of FM, Alberto van Klaveren, to India provided an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral cooperation and helped advance the ties between the two countries, the MEA said on Sat.
• Klaveren paid an official visit to India from Aug 27-31 at the invitation of EAM Jaishankar.
• On Aug 28, Jaishankar and van Klaveren co-chaired the 2^nd India-Chile Joint Commission Meeting (JCM); met with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal; inaugurated the Chile-India Business (Agri) Summit; and delivered a lecture at the JNU
• During the JCM, the ministers reviewed bilateral relations and held wide-ranging discussions for strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, critical minerals, digital public infrastructure, defense, railways, health and pharmaceuticals, science and technology, Antarctica and space, and people-to-people ties.
• The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and reiterated their commitment to closer cooperation in multilateral fora. (here)

‘Dangerously delusional’: Pakistan rejects India’s stance on Kashmir

• In response to recent comments by Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, on J&K, Pakistan’s FO reiterated that the Kashmir dispute is internationally recognized and must be resolved according to UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the people.
• Jaishankar, speaking on Fri, stated, “I think the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences, and insofar as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, I think Article 370 is done.“
• He further added, “The issue today is what kind of relationship can we possibly contemplate with Pakistan. What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or negative direction, either way, we will react.”
• In the response, FO rejected any notion that the J&K dispute has been or could be settled unilaterally.
• FO emphasized that while Pakistan remains committed to diplomacy and dialogue, it will respond with resolve to any hostile actions.
• Pakistan called on India to abandon its “provocative rhetoric and baseless assertions” about J&K and engage in meaningful dialogue for a just and lasting resolution of the Kashmir dispute to ensure durable peace in the region. (here)

Court issues notice to Baba Ramdev after petition claims non-vegetarian ingredient found in veg toothpaste

• Patanjali Ayurveda has been issued notices by the Delhi High Court after a plea was filed, alleging that the brand’s herbal tooth powder, ‘Divya Manjan’, contains non-vegetarian ingredients, despite being marketed as vegetarian.
• The petition filed by advocate Yatin Sharma stated that the toothpaste packaging featured a green dot but the ingredient list included Sepia officinalis (common cuttlefish).
• The petitioner claimed that the unintentional consumption of a non-vegetarian product had caused him distress and demanded redressal of the issue while highlighting the importance of transparency and adherence to religious beliefs.
• After searching for information, about the use of Sepia officinalis, the list didn’t include Patanjali. [but it could be possible]
• However, Dr Philips has already claimed the same on Jul 22^nd on social media. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Maldives: The President affirms the country will witness sustainable development on a firm foundation

• “President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has affirmed that Maldivians will witness sustainable development in the medium and long term, supported by a firm foundation”, in an exclusive interview with Sangu TV.
• In the interview, the President stated that the Govt would bolster the country’s economy and highlighted various initiatives implemented in this regard.
• The President indicated that billions of Rufiyaa have been allocated to support fishermen and to develop factories for expanding the fisheries sector.
• He also reported that the Velana International Airport is in the final stages of completion and that additional resorts are being developed.
• The President noted that countries such as China and India are contributing to financial and economic stability by creating various opportunities.
• He also announced that a major project is being planned with Chinese grants to address the road infrastructure issues in Malé City. (here)

Japan protests Chinese naval intrusion into territorial waters, days after airspace incursion

• A Chinese naval vessel was spotted entering Japanese territorial waters near the southern Kuchinoerabu island at around 6:00 am on Sat
• Japan voiced “strong concern and protest” on Sat, days after Tokyo accused Beijing of sending a military aircraft into Japanese airspace.
• Following the incident, the foreign ministry “issued Japan’s strong concern and protest” to China’s embassy in Tokyo.
• The ministry took “into account the past activities of Chinese naval vessels and others in the waters around Japan, and the recent intrusion into Japan’s territorial airspace by a Chinese military plane,” it said late on Sat.
• Japan last Mon scrambled fighter jets after a 2-minute incursion by Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft off the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea, which Tokyo slammed as a “serious violation” of its sovereignty.
• China’s growing economic and military clout in the Asia-Pacific region and its assertiveness in territorial disputes – most recently with the Philippines – has rattled the US and its allies. (here)

Al Qaeda Expands Its Footprint in Afghanistan

• Al Qaeda has reportedly set up 9 new terrorist camps in Afghanistan in 2024 as the Taliban continues to foster terror in South Asia in violation of the Doha Agreement.
• It was signed with US months before Aug 2021, when the democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani govt was ousted from power as the US-led Western forces left
• “These are training centers; these are recruitment centers,” Ali Maisam Nazary, the top diplomat for Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF) based in the country’s Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, was quoted as saying by the Foreign Policy.
• The Taliban is helping Al-Qaeda rebuild its operational capability even amid a crisis of leadership after its leader Al-Zawahiri died in 2022, a UN report said in Jun 2023. (here)

Militant attacks in Pakistan delay launch of China-backed airport, say sources

• The start of operations at a Chinese-funded airport in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been pushed back for a security review after last week’s deadly attacks by separatist militants in the area, govt and aviation sources said.
• More than 70 people were killed in the coordinated attacks across Balochistan, where militants seeking the resource-rich region’s secession have been targeting govt forces and projects being developed as part of the $65 billion CPEC.
• Part of Chinese President Xi’s BRI, the program in Pakistan is also developing a deep-water port close to the new $200 million airport in Gwadar, a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman, and China that is close to completion.
• It will handle domestic and international flights, according to Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and will be one of the country’s biggest airports.
• “The Chinese already had concerns about the security situation, and the recent attacks will definitely cause more delay,” one senior govt official said, requesting anonymity
• Asked about the delay and security concerns, China’s FM said: “China is willing to work with the Pakistani side to continue to do a good job in the relevant security work and ensure the safe and smooth progress of the corridor construction.” (here)