1. In Kyiv, US and UK diplomats offer aid but no breakthrough on strikes into Russia:
2. PM Modi pitches India to chip makers, talks of supply chain resilience
3. Engineer Rashid walks out of jail, vows to fight ‘Modi’s Naya Kashmir narrative’
4. 2 terrorists killed in encounter near Kathua-Udhampur border in Jammu; a huge cache of weapons recovered on the LoC
5. Situation Tense in Mandya After Stones Thrown at Ganpati Procession; Sector 144 Imposed

What Else

1. Sikhs protest outside Rahul Gandhi’s house in Delhi over remarks in US
2. At BRICS NSAs meet Doval calls for reform of multilateralism, briefly interacts with Chinese FM
3. Def Ministry clears Navy’s Rs 2,500 crore plan for unmanned vessels with capabilities to attack submarines
4. Nirav Modi’s assets worth Rs 29 crore attached in bank fraud case
5. US, EU discuss latest developments in Bangladesh, China: State Department
6. Bangladesh: Rooppur Power Plant: Russia wants $630m interest paid by 15 Sep
7. Pakistan: NA speaker suspends sergeant-at-arms, 4 other security personnel for dereliction of duty
8. Saudi Arabia ‘open’ to petroyuan, closer China ties, minister says
9. Central Asia: China touts ‘universal security’ at forum to counter terrorism, crime

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In Kyiv, US and UK diplomats offer aid but no breakthrough on strikes into Russia:

• The U.S. and British FM met President Zelenskiy on Wed on a visit interrupted by air raid warnings, unveiling new support but no breakthrough on the long-range strikes into Russia desperately sought by Ukraine.
• U.S. Secy of State Antony Blinken and British foreign Secy David Lammy, in Kyiv, said they talked about Ukraine’s war goals and what they could do to help.
• Zelenskiy has been pleading with Kyiv’s allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles including long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow’s ability to launch attacks.
• The British FM suggested those discussions could continue for a few more weeks, a remark that would disappoint Ukrainians
• Ahead of the news conference, Zelenskiy was asked whether he was optimistic the US and Britain would greenlight deeper strikes, and he quipped that it depended instead on the “optimism” of Ukraine’s partners. (more)
• Ukraine Wants India to Play More Active Role to End Russia’s War: India should play a more active role in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine if it wants to win a permanent seat on the UNSC, Ukraine’s ambassador in New Delhi said.
• Ukraine wants India to “moderate” talks between the two warring nations and use its ties with Russia to convince Moscow to join peace talks, Oleksandr Polishchuk said Tue
• Ukraine has proposed India hold a peace summit before Nov 2024 aimed at ending the conflict, but it’s not clear yet if New Delhi will agree, he said. (more) [We reported this y’day]

PM Modi pitches India to chip makers, talks of supply chain resilience

• PM Modi on Wed said the resilience of supply chains is critical for the economy as he made a pitch to boost investments in domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.
• He was speaking at SEMICON 2024 in Greater Noida.
• The world witnessed supply shocks during COVID-19, as stringent measures to control the spread of the pandemic in China affected the industries and sectors dependent on imports from that country.
• One of the sectors impacted was chips which is a critical part of every electronic device.
• PM showcased India’s reformist regime, stable policies, and a market that has tasted technology to make a strong pitch for investments in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Talking of steps taken by his govt to boost semiconductor manufacturing, he said a reformist govt, a growing manufacturing base, and an aspirational market that has tasted technology provide a ‘3-D Power’ for chip making in the country.
• He said investment of over ₹1.5 lakh crore has already been committed in semiconductor manufacturing and many projects are in the pipeline. (more)

Engineer Rashid walks out of jail, vows to fight ‘Modi’s Naya Kashmir narrative’

• Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, was released from Tihar Jail on Wed, following a Delhi court granted him interim bail until Oct 2^nd in terror funding.
• Walking out of jail, Rashid vowed to fight against PM Modi’s ‘Naya Kashmir’ narrative.
• His release came allowing him to campaign for the upcoming J&K Assembly elections.
• “After remaining in jail for 5.5 years, I feel myself stronger and proud of my people. I take a pledge that I will not let down my people, I take a pledge that I will fight Modi’s narrative of ‘Naya Kashmir’, which has miserably failed,” Rashid said.
• According to a senior prison official, Rashid was released from jail at 4.15 pm.
• His release comes ahead of the Assembly Elections in J&K.
• Rashid has been imprisoned since 2019 after being arrested by the NIA under the UAPA in connection with a 2017 terror funding case. (more)

2 terrorists killed in encounter near Kathua-Udhampur border in Jammu

• At least 2 terrorists were killed in an encounter in Basantgarh near the Kathua-Udhampur border in Jammu and Kashmir on Wed.
• A gunfight broke out between forces and terrorists in Udhampur earlier in the day.
• Upon being informed about the presence of terrorists in the region, paramilitary troops and police personnel reached Basantgarh and cordoned off the area.
• The terrorists opened fire on personnel, following which the security forces retaliated.
• The encounter came just hours after personnel from the Border Security Force were injured after Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC in Akhnoor.
• The Union Territory is witnessing sporadic incidents of violence ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, the first elections in the region in 10 years. (more)
• Ahead of the elections, a huge cache of weapons recovered from a 10-foot-long cave on the LoC: The recoveries from Keran operation. (IEDs, RPGs, AK47 rounds, Grenades, and others).
• These ammunitions have been utilized to cause sensational attacks and cause fear and panic before the elections.
• The intelligence input was given by a Special Election Observer and Intelligence teams present in Srinagar based on which the search was conducted.
• This is a major success for the administration and the security forces. (more)

Situation Tense in Mandya After Stones Thrown at Ganpati Procession; Sector 144 Imposed

• Following clashes between two groups in Karnataka’s Mandya during the Ganesh idol procession on Wed night, several restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order situation in the city.
• So far, police have detained more than 45 people in connection with the violence.
• Further, law enforcement has declared a high alert in the area and imposed Section 144, to bring the situation under control.
• Section 163 of BNS (situation is under control now but remains tense), also imposed.
• High Alert Sounded as Clashes Turn Violent: For the unversed, tensions erupted in the town of Mandya after the clashes escalated, leading to widespread destruction.
• (sources)- a group reportedly set on fire shops, leaving them reduced to ashes.
• Further, motorcycles parked on the streets were also targeted and set ablaze in acts of vandalism which further intensified the chaos. (more)

Sikhs protest outside Rahul Gandhi’s house in Delhi over remarks in US

• A BJP-backed Sikh group held a protest against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi outside his residence in Delhi over his statement on the conditions of the Sikh community in India.
• The agitators attempted to break police barricades at Janpath Road.
• This comes after Rahul Gandhi remarked on religious freedom in the country.
• Gandhi, who is on a 4-day visit to the US, addressed a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Herndon, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC, on Mon.
• The remark has drawn a sharp reaction from the BJP, who accused Gandhi of trying to create a “dangerous narrative” by speaking on “sensitive issues” abroad. (more)
• Even if in good faith, Rahul Gandhi shows India in bad light abroad: While traveling abroad, especially to the US, Rahul Gandhi never forgets to pack his diatribes.
• He then carefully unpacks and unleashes them against the PM, the BJP, and the RSS.
• He hasn’t forgotten to do the same during this US visit too.
• But what is different this time around is that Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha.
• His words carry added weight and show the Opposition’s position. (more)

At BRICS NSAs meet Doval calls for reform of multilateralism, briefly interacts with Chinese FM

• NSA Ajit Doval on Wed called on the BRICS nations to work together to effectively deal with terrorism and challenges emanating from the digital domain.
• In his address at a conclave of the NSAs of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) in St Petersburg, Doval also called for reform of multilateralism saying existing structures are no longer capable of handling modern threats and sensitive issues.
• At the venue of the conclave, Doval also had a brief interaction with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, while the two set to meet on Thu.
• During the sessions in the first half of the day, Doval spoke on modern security challenges including ICT (Info and Comm Tech) related issues and terrorism, and the need to address them through joint efforts within the BRICS framework.
• The BRICS NSAs also reviewed pressing security challenges facing the globe.
• The three-day conclave is taking place ahead of the annual summit of the grouping.
• PM Modi is among the BRICS leaders traveling to Moscow to attend the summit in Oct.
• Russia is hosting the summit in Kazan from Oct 22 to 24. (more)
• Doval had a bilateral meeting with Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs meeting in Saint Petersburg.
• Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed important issues of mutual interest.

Def Ministry clears Navy’s Rs 2,500 crore plan for unmanned vessels with capabilities to attack submarines

• Amid increasing use of unmanned warfare, the Def Ministry has approved the Navy’s plans worth over Rs 2,500 crore to build 100-tonne unmanned underwater vessels.
• (source)-The proposal for building the vessels was given clearance at a high-level ministry meeting held recently.
• The underwater vessels in the Extra Large category would be equipped with strike capabilities against enemy submarines and surface vessels, they said.
• The vessels would give the Navy a niche capability in the underwater domain and would also help the force to carry out multiple operations, the Navy Vice Chief said.
• The Navy has plans of using such vessels for a plethora of tasks such as laying mines and mine clearing operations, surveillance, and launching weapons. (more)

Nirav Modi’s assets worth Rs 29 crore attached in bank fraud case

• The Enforcement Directorate has intensified its crackdown on Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant involved in the Punjab National Bank fraud case.
• The agency has attached assets worth Rs 29.75 crore belonging to Nirav and his group of companies, which include immovable properties and bank balances.
• This recent attachment adds to the previously attached assets valued at Rs 2,596 crore located in India and abroad.
• In addition, a Special Court in Mumbai has already confiscated assets worth Rs 692.90 crore under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
• The ED investigation into the PNB fraud case was initiated following an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
• Moreover, the ED has successfully restored assets worth Rs 1,052.42 crore to the PNB and other consortium banks affected by the fraud. (more)

[Neighborhood]

US, EU discuss latest developments in Bangladesh, China: State Department

• On Sept 9-10, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino held the 7^th high-level meeting of the US-EU Dialogue on China and the 6^th meeting of the US-EU High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific.
• The two sides discussed the latest developments in Bangladesh apart from other issues, according to the US Department of State.
• They shared their respective assessments of the geopolitical trends shaping the situation in the Indo-Pacific.
• They discussed current challenges in Myanmar, highlighting the UN Special Rapporteur’s Jun 26 report identifying banks assisting the military govt and discussing means to enhance coordination and assessment of restrictive measures.
• They also strongly condemned the DPRK’s continued arms transfers to Russia and Russia’s use of DPRK ballistic missiles in Ukraine. (more)
• US accuses China of giving ‘very substantial’ help to Russia’s war machine: Beijing is giving Moscow “very substantial” help to beef up its war machine, and in return, Russia is handing over its closely guarded military tech on submarines and missiles, the US’ Dy Secy of State Kurt Campbell said Tue.
• Speaking with a group of journalists, after meetings with EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels, Campbell upped the ante on Beijing.
• The U.S. previously focused on Beijing’s supply of what’s known as dual-use technologies — which can be applied for military or civilian purposes.
• Now Washington is unambiguously saying that China is aiding the Russian military.
• With Moscow facing international sanctions, it desperately needs technology to boost its military production to be able to continue its war against Ukraine. (more)

Bangladesh: Rooppur Power Plant: Russia wants $630m interest paid by 15 Sep

• Russia has asked Bangladesh to pay $630 million in outstanding and current interests on a loan for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant by 15 Sept, as per an official letter.
• The letter follows Bangladesh’s Jun request for alternative transaction methods to settle overdue interests, commitment fees, and late fines caused by US sanctions on Russia.
• The $12.65 billion loan carries a maximum interest rate of 4%, with an additional penalty interest rate of 2.4% for overdue payments.
• In the letter to the Economic Relations Division dated Aug 21, VEB.RF – a major financial development institution and the Russian govt’s representative agency – requested that the outstanding payments be made in either US dollars or Chinese yuan and deposited to the Bank of China’s Shanghai branch.
• However, since the payment deadline of Sept 15 falls on a Sun and 16 and 17 Sept are non-business days in China, the earliest possible payment date would be Sept18. (more)

Pakistan: NA speaker suspends sergeant-at-arms, 4 other security personnel for dereliction of duty

• A day after pressure from both sides of the aisle mounted on Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to take action against those who barged into the parliament building to arrest the PTI leaders, the Speaker suspended the sergeant-at-arms and 4 other security personnel.
• Sadiq also constituted a fact-finding committee headed by an additional secretary.
• It must be noted that the NA speaker had issued production orders for all those PTI MNAs who were arrested from inside parliament.
• The speaker had also hinted at action during the last NA session by saying that “we will have to take a stand,” while demanding videos of all gates leading to parliament.
• The Islamabad police conducted an operation against the PTI leaders, taking into custody all PTI members who had sought refuge in the Parliament House. (more)

Saudi Arabia ‘open’ to petroyuan, closer China ties, minister says

• A top official from Saudi Arabia said the country is “open to new ideas” – including the use of the yuan in crude settlements – it looks to incorporate Chinese products like EVs, the C919 passenger jet, and renewable energy infrastructure.
• Bandar Al-khorayef, Saudi minister of industry, made the comments as the two countries have moved closer despite an escalating rivalry between China and the US, Saudi Arabia’s traditional ally.
• Broader adoption of the petro-yuan is widely viewed as the next step for the yuan’s internationalization and a challenge to the omnipresent dollar in global markets.
• The currency’s use has grown – alongside trade with Russia, China’s largest source of crude imports – after Moscow was locked out of the US dollar system.
• Beijing is also advancing the yuan’s reach in international trade more generally – it signed a 3-year currency swap deal with Saudia worth 50 billion yuan ($7.1 bn) in Nov 2023 and has shown a preference for settling in local currency. (more)

Central Asia: China touts ‘universal security’ at forum to counter terrorism, crime

• China has held its 1^st ever public security ministers’ meeting with Central Asian countries as Beijing looks to protect BRI in the region.
• China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for the inaugural Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum on Tue.
• The forum on public security and internal affairs was intended to “establish a sense of a security community and deepen strategic mutual trust and cooperation”, Wang said.
• “China is willing to enhance the capability for counterterrorism and transnational crime fighting, and build an efficient and pragmatic cooperation platform with Central Asian countries to achieve the vision of universal security,” Wang said.
• The meeting came a year after the launch of the China Central Asia Summit, which expanded Beijing’s cooperation with its neighbors beyond trade and investment into security and stability.

The 523km link will provide China with an alternative route to Europe, without passing through Russia, which has recently warmed to China’s projects in its backyard through collaborations between the BRI and the Eurasian Economic Union. (more)