1. PM Modi becomes first Indian leader to visit Brunei; “Infusing fresh impetus to India  Brunei ties and to ‘Act East’ Policy”: MEA
2. Manipur: NSF condemns death threat on Naga leader by 16 Assam Rifles
3. 9 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh as India hits hard on red terror
4. US Ambassador Eric Garcetti Meets Congress President Kharge to Strengthen “Bilateral Ties”
5. India puts plan to extend diesel pipeline deeper in Bangladesh on hold citing current political crisis

What Else

1. Bengal anti-rape bill passed amid ‘Mamata Banerjee vs BJP’ fireworks in assembly
2. Global AI Summit 2024 to be held in Hyderabad, Telangana to unveil AI city project
3. Phase-3 clinical trial of India’s first dengue vaccine begins at KIMS-Bhubaneswar
4. Bangladesh eyes on trade talks as US Delegation set to visit
5. Bangladesh Default loans surpass Tk 200,000cr for first time
6. Pakistan: Army vows to not let ‘hard-earned successes’ against terrorism be wasted in wake of Balochistan attacks
7. No 2 Taiwan official visiting US for 2 weeks seeks ‘better understanding’
8. Former top aide to New York Governor Hochul is charged with acting as Chinese agent

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PM Modi becomes first Indian leader to visit Brunei; “Infusing fresh impetus to India  Brunei ties and to ‘Act East’ Policy”: MEA

• PM Modi has reached Brunei, the first-ever visit by an Indian PM in the years, which marks 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
• Brunei is an important partner in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision.
• India and Brunei enjoy a friendly relationship, which is marked by mutual respect and understanding on bilateral and multilateral issues.
• The two countries are linked by history, culture, and tradition spanning a millennium.
• There is a small Indian 14,000 diaspora.
• Brunei is a key partner for India in the ASEAN and India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific.
• Brunei is also a partner country in the Nalanda University project.
• Bilateral trade between the two countries was $286.20 million in 2023-24.
• An MoU for the execution of defence cooperation was signed in 2016, and renewed in 2021
• India imports crude from Brunei and since there is a surge in gas consumption, there could be an increase in hydrocarbon imports. (more)
• PM Modi and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei held productive discussions in Bandar Seri Begawan today.
• They welcomed the elevation of bilateral ties to Enhanced Partnership.
• The two leaders took stock of bilateral relations including in areas of defense, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health and pharmaceuticals, capacity building, culture, and people-to-people ties.
• They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. (MEA)

Manipur: NSF condemns death threat on Naga leader by 16 Assam Rifles

• The Naga Students’ Federation on Tue condemned the brutal assault on Loli Kaihrii, a respected member of the Kalinamei Village community in Manipur, by a major and jawans from the 16 Assam Rifles Battalion, Mao Post. (more)
• Committee to look into alleged drone attacks in Manipur: The “ethnic clashes” in Manipur have escalated prompting the need for a major investigation following claims of alleged drone attacks.
• On Sept 2, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Unity issued a statement accusing Kuki militants of using sophisticated drones to attack Koutruk villages.
• They condemned the alleged aerial bombing as a serious war crime and highlighted the death of 2 individuals, including a woman, and injuries to several others in the incident.
• The State Govt has expressed grave concern over the reported attack on unarmed Koutruk villagers, describing it as an attempt to undermine ongoing efforts to restore peace in the state. (more)
• Manipur’s women vendors protest against drone attacks, demand govt’s accountability: Women vendors from Khwairambandh Ima Keithel took to the streets today, September 3 to protest the recent drone attacks on Meitei residential areas, allegedly carried out by Kuki militants.

9 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh as India hits hard on red terror

• Nine Maoists were killed in an armed encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar on Tue, about 280 km south of the capital Raipur in central India. 
• The gunfight broke out around 10.30 am (IST) in the forest along the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
• This is when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Maoist operation, the state Police chief told PTI.
• Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard and the Central Reserve Police Force were part of the operation.
• The operation was launched after inputs were received about the presence of Maoists belonging to its west Bastar division unit.
• The exchange of fire lasted for a “long duration” after which the authorities found the bodies of nine Maoists clad in ‘uniform’. (here)

US Ambassador Eric Garcetti Meets Congress President Kharge to Strengthen “Bilateral Ties”

• US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti convened with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tue to deliberate on the deepening relationship between the two nations.
• Following the meeting, Kharge took to social media platform X, emphasizing the extensive, strategic partnership shared between India and the US, rooted in mutual democratic values.
• Kharge expressed his delight in meeting with Garcetti, Minister-Counselor of Political Affairs Graham Mayer, and Chief of Staff Lisa Brown.
• The meeting took place at Kharge’s residence and focused on bolstering bilateral ties. (more)
• On first foreign trip as LoP, Rahul Gandhi to visit US on Sept 8: In his first visit abroad as the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the US from Sept 8 to 10, with the IOC saying that it has been “bombarded with requests” to meet the Congress leader since he took over the post in the Lower House of Parliament.
• Gandhi will be in Dallas, Texas on Sept 8 and in Washington DC on Sept 9-10.
• Gandhi will meet academics, journalists, representatives of think tanks, technocrats, businessmen, and other people from the Indian diaspora and local community during his visit. (more)

India puts plan to extend diesel pipeline deeper in Bangladesh on hold citing current political crisis

• India’s plan to further extend the India-Bangladesh Friendship pipeline carrying diesel to its neighbor has gone in the slow lane due to the current political crisis
• Three people aware of the development said there had been a proposal to extend the 131-km pipeline beyond Parbatipur in Bangladesh, where the pipeline currently ends.
• However, the government has now pressed the pause button on this.
• The cross-border pipeline inaugurated in Mar last year by PM Modi and his erstwhile Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina stretches from Siliguri in West Bengal to an oil depot in Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. (more)

Bengal anti-rape bill passed amid ‘Mamata Banerjee vs BJP’ fireworks in assembly

• The West Bengal assembly on Tue unanimously passed an anti-rape ‘Aparajita’ bill brought in by the Mamata Banerjee govt.
• With this, Bengal became the first state to bring in amendments to central laws dealing with offenses of rape, gang rape, and sexual crimes against children.
• The bill will now be sent to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and then to President Droupadi Murmu for their assent.
• Calling it ‘historic’ and ‘model’, Banerjee said the bill was a tribute to the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered
• In addition, it stipulates a life sentence without parole for those convicted of rape.
• While speaking on the merits of the bill, Banerjee asked LoP, Suvendu Adhikari, to urge state Governor CV Ananda Bose to grant his assent to the bill.
• Meanwhile, the BJP welcomed the bill, but added that the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita also has all the stringent provisions to deal with crime against women and children. (here)
• Bengal not supporting CISF staff: Centre to Supreme Court: The Centre on Tue moved the SC saying the Central Industrial Security Force personnel posted at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata are facing many difficulties due to lack of accommodation, security gadgets, and transportation.
• The CISF deployment at the hospital was ordered by the SC days after outrage over the rape-murder of a trainee doctor inside the government-run facility.
• The Centre cited problems caused especially by the women contingent, “which is highly detrimental considering the present situation in West Bengal,” it said. (more)

Global AI Summit 2024 to be held in Hyderabad, Telangana to unveil AI city project

• The “Global AI Summit 2024” will be held at the Hyderabad ICC on Thu and Fri.
• The event, titled “Making AI Work for Everyone,” will attract 2,500 delegates, including experts such as Sal Khan of Khan Academy, Daniela Combe of IBM, Peter Diamandis of the XPRIZE Foundation, etc.
• Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will inaugurate the event on Thu.
• The 2-day summit will focus on AI’s impact across various sectors, including governance, technology, finance, banking, manufacturing, and industry advancement.
• Discussions will cover AI’s role in social good, regulatory challenges, and its future trajectory across different fields. (more)

Phase-3 clinical trial of India’s first dengue vaccine begins at KIMS-Bhubaneswar

• The phase-3 clinical trial for India’s first Indigenous dengue vaccine, ‘DengiAll,’ commenced at the Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) on Tue.
• This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine developed by Panacea Biotec in collaboration with the ICMR.
• KIMS is the only hospital in Odisha selected to conduct the third phase trial, which involves 18 other sites across 18 states in the country.
• Currently, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine against dengue in India.
• Developing an effective vaccine is complex due to the need for good efficacy across all four serotypes of the dengue virus, all of which are known to circulate or co-circulate in many regions. (more) [Soon we will have the vaccine for hair fall and acne]
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[Neighborhood]

Bangladesh eyes on trade talks as US Delegation set to visit

• Bangladesh will seek financial cooperation from Washington as a high-level US delegation is set to visit Dhaka this month to advance bilateral relations in the current political landscape, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said Tue.
• The US delegation is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Sept 15, just ahead of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s planned departure for the UNGA in New York on Sept 22.
• This will be the 1^st high-level visit from the US since Bangladesh’s interim govt took office on Aug 8.
• The delegation is expected to include US Assistant Secy of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Dy Under Secy, and Deputy Assistant Secy of Defence.
• During their visit, the US officials are expected to meet with Chief Adviser Professor Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser, Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, and others
• In response to questions, Hossain noted that while the issue of US sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion is not officially on the agenda, it may still come up
• Regarding the US visa policy on Bangladeshi nationals, Hossain stated that he does not believe the policy will negatively affect Bangladesh-US bilateral relations.
• The US introduced a new visa policy on May 24 last year to support Bangladesh’s goal of conducting free, fair, and peaceful national elections. (more)

Bangladesh Default loans surpass Tk 200,000cr for first time

• Default loans in the banking system surpassed Tk 200,000 crore for the 1^st time, underlining the fragile condition of the sector that fell prey to rampant scams and irregularities under the tenure of the AL govt over the past 16 years.
• At the end of June this year, bad loans in the sector climbed to Tk 211,391 crore, which accounts for 12.56% of the total disbursed loans of Tk 1,683,396 crore.
• Till June last year, default loans stood at Tk 156,039 crore, BB data showed.
• Soured loans increased by Tk 29,096 crore in the past 3 months from Tk 182,295 crore as of Mar 30. (more)

Pakistan: Army vows to not let ‘hard-earned successes’ against terrorism be wasted in wake of Balochistan attacks

• The military’s top brass on Tue vowed not to let “hard-earned successes” against terrorism go wasted in the wake of recent attacks in Balochistan.
• In the latest flare-up of violence, dozens of militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army launched numerous attacks last week across Balochistan
• At least 50 people, including 14 security men, lost their lives as militants went on a rampage across the province, storming police stations, blowing up railway tracks, and setting fire to almost three dozen vehicles.
• In response, security forces neutralized 21 militants.
• Among those killed were 23 people in Musakhail, mostly laborers from Punjab, who were offloaded from trucks and vans and shot dead after an identity check.
• A total of 59 terrorist attacks occurred across the country in Aug 2024 compared to 38 such attacks in Jul (more)

No 2 Taiwan official visiting US for 2 weeks seeks ‘better understanding’

• Taiwan’s leader has dispatched his top official – 2^nd only to himself within the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party – on a 13-day tour of the US.
• The trip coincides with speculation about whether William Lai Ching-te, a self-described “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence”, has managed to earn Washington’s trust during his first 100 days in office.
• DPP secretary general Lin Yu-chang said he would meet senior US govt officials and think-tank experts on behalf of Lai, who was sworn into office in May.
• Speaking on Tue at an event held by the Global Taiwan Institute, a Washington-based think tank, Lin described his trip that began on Sat as meant to give the US “a better understanding of the situation in Taiwan and how we are handling it”. (more)

Former top aide to New York Governor Hochul is charged with acting as Chinese agent

• A former top aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese govt and laundering millions of dollars for China, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said on Tue in an indictment that also accused several officials in Beijing’s New York City consulate as co-conspirators.
• Prosecutors said Linda Sun, a naturalized US citizen born in China, was arrested in the morning at her home in Long Island and pleaded not guilty in District Court.
• Sun’s husband Chris Hu – a business owner and also a naturalized US citizen originally from China – also faces criminal charges and pleaded not guilty.
• Sun was released on a US$1.5 million bond, and Hu was released on a US$500,000 bond.
• While working for about a decade in the admin of Hochul and former Guv Andrew Cuomo before her, Sun, 41, blocked representatives of Taiwan from meeting state officials and tried to arrange for a high-level New York state official to visit China, according to the indictment filed last month and unsealed on Tue. (here)