[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Maldives President meets PM Modi in New Delhi

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tue at the Hyderabad House here during his 4-day visit to India. Solih arrived in India at the invitation of PM Modi and both the leaders are expected to review the progress in the wide-ranging partnership between the two countries. He is accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation. During the visit, President Solih also met the President and hold talks with the PM. The External Affairs Minister was called on President Solih on Mon evening. Besides official engagements in New Delhi, President Solih will be discussing with an Indian business delegation in Delhi. During this visit, President Solih will also visit Mumbai, Maharashtra, and participate in business events. The Maldives is India’s key neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a special place in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy. In recent years, the partnership has witnessed rapid growth in all areas of cooperation. (here) Reuters – India will extend an additional $100 million line of credit to the Maldives, PM Modi said on Tue, after a meeting with the island nation’s President. PM Modi announces that India will provide the Maldives with one Naval boat and 24 vehicles.

China objects to Indian Air Activities near LAC, Hastens Road Development before Winter Sets in

News18 (officials)- China has lately been raising objections over major air activities carried out by India near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly in the eastern sector. This includes routine helicopter sorties for transportation of men and equipment for construction works as well as drone operations conducted within the Indian side of the LAC in the past few weeks. The objections were discussed between local commanders of the two sides. The development comes at the heels of India detecting a Chinese aircraft flying close to the LAC in eastern Ladakh in Jun this year. Subsequently, one of the discussion points in the 16^th round of military talks was to keep each other informed of any air activity that either side may plan. What also makes this development critical is that it comes amid the ongoing military stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh, with the last few rounds of military talks between the two countries making little progress, thus giving way to lingering tensions at the LAC. Moreover, records show that most incursion attempts by China have taken place during these months, just before the onset of winters. India has raised concerns over China’s development of infrastructure close to the disputed LAC in the last several rounds of military talks. However, China’s ‘Xiaokang’ border defense villages continue to remain unoccupied for over a year after they were constructed. China has been building 628 such “well-off” villages along India’s borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region’s periphery, including along Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. (here)

China to hold military drill today in South China sea, ahead of US House Speaker’s visit

Ahead of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan on Tue, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Deng Xijun said that Beijing will hold military exercises in the South China sea from Aug 2-6. Maritime entry during the drill will be prohibited, the Chinese envoy said citing Hainan Maritime Safety Administration. Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan today, as per reports [CNN, WSJ]. She is going to Taiwan with scheduled meetings with govt officials at the self-governed island that China threatens to forcefully overtake. On Mon, China reiterated that it is keeping a close watch on the reports of Pelosi’s planned visit and warned of a resolute response and strong countermeasure if she insists on going ahead with the visit to Taipei. Meanwhile, the White House said that Pelosi has the right to visit Taiwan. “If she goes it’s not without precedent, it’s not new,” US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby on Mon. (here) Why is the visit controversial?- As a speaker of the US’ House of Representatives, Pelosi is the second in line to the presidency after the vice-president. A visit to the island would make her the highest-ranking US politician to do so since a Republican predecessor, Newt Gingrich, made the trip in 1997. (here) As part of the US government, the US Congress is supposed to abide strictly by the foreign policy their government has committed to, and Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is by no means unofficial, Chinese Foreign Ministry. The US deploys 4 warships east of Taiwan amid China’s threat.

Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri Killed in US Drone Strike

The US on Tue killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Afghanistan, US president Joe Biden confirmed. The Central Intelligence Agency carried out an operation to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri outside Kabul on Sun. “(Ayman al-Zawahiri) carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens. Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said. Zawahiri was standing on the balcony of a safe house when a drone fired two missiles at him. Zawahiri’s other family members were present but only the terror mastermind was killed in the mission. Ayman al-Zawahiri released several videos during his time as chief of al-Qaeda to recruit more Muslims to the terrorist group. He also came out in support of a female student in Karnataka who protested against the hijab ban in educational institutions of the state and in a video read out a poem praising her actions. The student, Muskan Khan, confronted a mob of students who got into an argument with her because Khan was wearing a headscarf. (here) [Indian observers are questioning from where the drone has operated, indirectly pointing fingers at GHQ, while SCMP article read as “The drone entered Pakistani airspace over Balochistan and entered Afghanistan,” said Abdul Basit, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.”] A report has claimed that the Haqqani network tried to block access to the Kabul house where al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike on Sun. The report said Haqqani network members also tried to conceal that al-Zawahiri was at the safe house in Afghanistan which was targeted in the US drone strike. (here) In Sept 2014, Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the creation of regional affiliate Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), taking advantage of sanctuaries in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In a video, the terrorist called on Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to join the “caravan of jihad“. According to a report in The Guardian, Zawahiri said the new “Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent” would be “the standard bearer” of Osama bin Laden’s “global message, which aimed to unite the (world’s Muslims) in jihad against (the) enemy, liberate occupied lands and establish the caliphate“. (here)

[NATIONAL]

‘India Out’ campaign in the Maldives based on “misinformation and false propaganda”: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs in a special briefing said that the “India Out” campaign in the Maldives was based on “misinformation and false propaganda“. Munu Mahawar, High Commissioner of India to the Maldives said, “India Out Campaign based on ‘misinformation and false propaganda and they do not reflect the views of people of Maldives. The campaign is led by the Maldives opposition led by former pro-China Maldives President Abdulla Yameen.” Notably, Yameen constantly targeted India for its presence in the Maldives for his political gains. Recalling the action taken by the Maldives govt in the aftermath of the Yoga Day mob storming incident, Mahawar said, “This incident happened, it was an event jointly organized by the High Commission with the Govt of the Maldives and the govt and many political parties have condemned what happened. The govt of Maldives has taken action and they have committed at the highest level that those responsible will be brought before the law.” A bill termed as ‘Bill on combating actions affecting diplomatic ties established between the Maldives and Foreign countries’ was submitted to the People’s Majlis to stop actions that may adversely affect relations between New Delhi and Male. Maldivian Opposition’s anti-India campaign has been met with sharp criticism from the govt, which has launched a counter ‘India First’ policy to battle the ‘false narrative’. India and Maldives signed an agreement in February 2021 under which India was to develop the harbor of the Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard at Sifvaru-Uthuru Thilafalhu (UTF). (here)

Andorra Foreign Affairs Minister 3 days visit concluded

Andorra Foreign Affairs Minister Maria Ubach arrived in Delhi on July 31^st on a 3-day visit to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations. This is the first time a minister is visiting from Andorra to India to add momentum to the bilateral ties. On Mon, the Foreign Minister is slated to hold talks with EAM Jaishankar in Delhi. Notably, Andorra is the world’s 16^th-smallest country by land and 11^th-smallest by population. India and Andorra established ties in 1994, a year after Andorra proclaimed its constitution. In 2018, the first-ever visit of an Indian minister, the then MoS steel Vishnu Deo visited the country. As per the media reports, the trade between the 2 countries stands strong at 4.31 million. (here) She delivered a talk at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service on ¨The challenges of a European microstate in the context of the new international arena¨. The Ministers signed a Joint Declaration of Intent for Friendship and General Cooperation. This lays the framework for cooperation between the two countries in education, culture, science, information, youth, sports, tourism, diplomacy, health, and other areas. Both countries will encourage the conclusion of agreements in specific fields of mutual interest in the future, MEA said in its statement on Tue.

5G services in India to be launched by October, spectrum allocation by Aug 10

The 5^th generation (5G) telecom services are likely to be launched in India by Oct this year as the government on Mon completed the spectrum auction mopping up over Rs 1.50 lakh crore in bids by four companies including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Adani Data Networks. Addressing a media briefing after the end of the bidding for the 5G spectrum, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw said out of the total 72,098 MHz of spectrum on offer, 51,236 MHz or around 71% has been sold in the auction. A total of 40 rounds of bidding were conducted in the past 7 days. The total value of the bid stands at Rs 1,50,173 crore. “It seems we would be able to launch 5G in the country by Oct. The ongoing 5G spectrum auction indicates that the country’s telecom industry has come a long way in 5G advancements,” the minister said. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited has made bids worth Rs 88,078 crore accounting for 58.65% of the total value of Rs 1,50,173 crore received by the government in the 5G spectrum auction. Jio has made bids to acquire 24,740 MHz spectrum in 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. Bharti Airtel has made bids worth Rs 43,084 crore to acquire 19867.8 MHz spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequency bands. (here)

NIA Strikes Against Terror: How Bhatkal IS Operative Led to their 48 Digital Warriors

News18-In a major crackdown against terror, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 13 spots across 7 states, including Maharashtra, and detained 48 people – 13 on Sun and 35 on Sat – with links to the Islamic State (IS), foiling their plan for “something big” against India. [as reported yesterday] Citing the source, it reported that the detentions were a result of the interrogation of Zufri Johar Damodi, who was arrested from Bhatkal in Karnataka in Aug 2021 for his alleged link to the IS. With leads from Damodi, the agency was keeping an eye on Voice of Hind, an India-centric IS a magazine, for the past 1 year. The agency noticed that the magazine had very minute details of the on-ground situation in India, which could not have been possible without local resources, said the source. This led them to the 48 men linked to the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP). The detentions and interrogation have also led the agency to the Voice of Hind network of Kashmir run by Umar Nisar. The agencies have been concerned about the threats from ISKP and other networks. After the recent insult of the Prophet, it was found that these groups were planning “something big in India”. (here)

The Chinese Spy Ship Yuan Wang 5 has Sparked a Storm and India’s Concerns

News18 (sources)- The Chinese spy ship Yuan Wang 5 and the real purpose of its latest voyage. Yuan Wang 5 is a dual-use spy vessel, employed for space and satellite tracking and with specific usage in intercontinental ballistic missile launches. This vessel is in control of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) under its Strategic Support Force unit. The SSF focuses on space, cyber, and electronic warfare. Yuan Wang 5 is a 3^rd-generation tracking ship of the Yuan Wang Series, which came into service on Sept 29, 2007, and was designed by China’s 708 Research Institute. It is a highly sophisticated missile range instrumentation ship with top-of-the-line antennas and electronic equipment to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. They are used by the navies of China, France, India, Russia, and the US, mainly for military purposes. Sri Lanka has received a request for fuel and other supplies during the stay. There is a strong possibility that the vessel is equipped with high-tech eavesdropping equipment to peer deep into Indian territory. Indian naval bases on the east coast and ISRO launch stations at Chandipur are all vulnerable in the presence of such a vessel. And thus Indian agencies are skeptical. China has timed this activity precisely to exploit Sri Lanka’s economic crisis to ensure Lankan ports become Chinese naval bases that can be used later by the PLA. The Chinese are embarrassing Lankans at this time as the main spy on India. (here)

ED has expanded by over 50% since 2018

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is in the news over its action in various cases of alleged money laundering, has witnessed a remarkable growth over the last nearly 4 years since Sanjay Kumar Mishra assumed office as its Director. When Sanjay Mishra took charge as ED Director in 2018, the agency had 5 Special Directors and 18 Joint Directors. Many of them were from the Indian Police Service and come to ED from deputation from central and state govts. ANI reported citing sources that for deputation in ED, preference is now given to the officers from Income Tax, Directorate General of GST Intelligence, and Customs and Excise Department. ED has set up offices in states such as Meghalaya, Karnataka, Manipur, Tripura, and Sikkim. The ED established its first office in Meghalaya in Aug 2021. (here)

81 Chinese nationals given ‘Leave India Notice’ from 2019-2021, informs MoS Home

From 2019 to 2021, 81 Chinese nationals were given the “Leave India Notice” while 726 others were placed on the adverse list for violating visa conditions and other illegal acts, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tue. MoS further said that 117 people were also deported. (ANI)

ED raids Herald House, 11 other locations linked to National Herald case; Congress calls it ‘vendetta politics’

In a major development in the National Herald case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at Herald House and various locations in Delhi and other places in the alleged money laundering case. According to reports, the central agency is raiding a total of 12 locations, including the office of the Congress-owned National Herald newspaper in Delhi. The raids have come less than a week after ED grilled Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for nearly 3 hours in the third round of questioning in the National Herald newspaper case. During her questioning, she was asked about the functioning and running of the newspaper, the role of its various office bearers, and her and Rahul Gandhi’s involvement in the affairs of the National Herald and Young Indian. Earlier in June, the ED had questioned Rahul Gandhi for 5 days in the National Herald case. Reacting to the ED raids today, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The raids on Herald House, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg are a part of the continued attack against India’s principal opposition – Indian National Congress.” (here)

A Go Ground Maruti vehicle stopped under the nose area of the Indigo aircraft VT-ITJ that was parked at Terminal T-2 IGI airport, Delhi.

It was an Indigo flight 6E-2022. As per media reports, the car had a yellow number plate, is used for public transport purposes vehicle, and is operated by CNG, as per Govt norms.

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Pak army commander killed in crashes in Balochistan, Baloch rebels suspected

A Pakistan Army chopper — with senior military officers, including the commander of their XII Corps, Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali — crashed near Lasbela, Balochistan, Mon night. The crash reportedly took place between Windar and the Sassi Punnu Shrine in Balochistan. The Pakistan Army said in a statement that the chopper — which was assisting with flood relief work in the area — went missing after it lost contact with the air traffic control. ThePrint reported citing sources that the debris of the crashed chopper was found after a search and rescue mission was launched after the helicopter went off the radar. While casualties are feared in the crash, the sources said it was too early to figure out why the crash took place. (here) Reports from Pakistan identify the other 5 killed as Brigadier (DG Coast Guard), the pilot, co-pilot, and Naik (crew member). Inputs have said the Balochistan Liberation Army – who has made no statement yet – may have targeted the helicopter because the Quetta Corps commander – a high-ranking figure who handles counter-insurgency in the area and protects the border with south Afghanistan – was on board. (HT)

Pakistan election agency rules former PM Khan’s party received illegal funds

Reuters – Pakistan’s Election Commission ruled on Tue that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party had received illegal funds, his party spokesman and media said, which could result in the former cricket star and the party being banned from politics. In a case that has dragged on for years, Khan’s party was accused of receiving funds from abroad, which is illegal in Pakistan. Khan was not immediately available for comment but a spokesman for his party denied wrongdoing. “We will challenge this ruling,” the spokesman, Fawad Chaudhry, told reporters. Chaudhry said the funds in question were received from overseas Pakistanis, which is not illegal. (here)

Pakistan has completed the last prior action for review: IMF

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) resident representative in Islamabad, Esther Perez Ruiz, said on Tue that Pakistan has completed the last prior action required for the Fund’s combined seventh and eighth review by raising the petroleum development levy (PDL). In a statement issued, she said, “With the increase in PDL on July 31, the last prior action for the combined seventh and eighth review has been met. The [Executive Board] meeting is tentatively planned for late August once adequate financing assurances are confirmed.” The govt had on Sun increased the rate of PDL on all products to meet an outstanding pre-condition of the IMF. According to an announcement by the finance ministry, the rate of petrol was cut by Rs 3.05/l while the prices of high-speed diesel (HSD) and kerosene were jacked up by Rs 8.95 and Rs4.62/l, respectively. The PDL was raised by Rs10 on petrol and by Rs 5 each on HSD, kerosene, and light diesel oil (LDO). (here)

Nepal’s tea sector sees trouble brewing as India mulls restrictions on imports

Nepali tea producers and traders have been concerned ever since India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce in Jun asked the Indian govt to apply stringent requirements for the certificate of origin on tea imported from Nepal. The parliamentary committee said the entry of low-quality products from the neighboring countries was jeopardizing the Indian tea industry and asked that anti-dumping duty ranging from 40-100% be imposed. The panel has also asked that the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950 be reviewed. India is Nepal’s largest customer, and any move to restrict exports will hit the industry hard, producers say. Nepal ships around 90% of its orthodox tea and 50% of its crush, tear, and curl (CTC) tea to its southern neighbor. Indian concerns come amid long-standing complaints that unscrupulous Indian traders have been mixing Nepali tea with Darjeeling tea. However, Nepali tea is over 50% cheaper than the tea from the hills of northern Bengal. (here)