1. Manipur flares up again, CSGS seek UN intervention; Seek SC led Prob; House of Union Min Set Fired
2. 5 Pakistani terrorists killed during an overnight encounter in Kupwara on LoC
3. Defense ministry approves $3bn drone deal with US for Modi visit
4. On 3rd anniversary of Galwan clash, Army officials to hold meeting in Leh
5. Vikramaditya back in action after 2.5 yrs, Navy to get 2 more Romeo helicopters to deploy

What Else

6. WFI chief charged with sexual harassment, no evidence in minor’s case: Delhi Police to court
7. Pakistan sees no room for trade revival with Modi’s India
8. India bullies Chinese smartphone firms with fresh crackdown-Global Times
9. Rinehart inks deal to supply India with lithium
10. China gives green light to nuclear reactor that burns thorium – a fuel that could power the country for 20,000 years
11. Bangladesh joining BRICS in Aug
12. Amnesty International, RSF call out Pakistani authorities over cases filed against journalists to ‘silence critics’
13. Afghan Taliban asked to honor commitments in Oslo moot
14. ‘Pakistan cannot accept everything IMF says’, Dar tells lender on budget criticism

Manipur flares up again, CSGS seek UN intervention; Seek SC led Prob; House of Union Min Set Fired

• As violence flares up again, 15 civil society orgs with members from various ethnic communities have written to the UNGA seeking “urgent intervention” over “human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis” in the state.
• 9 people were killed and 10 others injured in a fresh flare-up in late Tue night.
• The CSOs which have signed the joint memorandum include the AMUCO, CHR, AMMPCO, MMPCO, IPF, and AMWVA among others.
• In their joint memorandum, they sought “unbiased international attention” and “intervention” to stop the ongoing tension.
• “The gory aspect of the ethnic tension is the abduction, forced disappearance, blockades of lifelines like national highways, unrestrained burning of habitats and false propagandist literature circulated worldwide in the name of ‘religion’ and ‘minority’,”.
• The CSOs have petitioned the UN for the application of “established protocols and standards mandated by the IHL so that the armed Chin-Kuki groups involved in inciting civilians to indulge in violence be brought to justice”. (here)
• The Manipur Tribal Forum has informed the Supreme Court that the Centre and State govts’ assurances are “empty assurances” of govts.
• The application asked for the protection of the tribe by the Indian Army saying the State and its Police force are not trusted by the tribe.
• It sought “Directions to be passed to the Indian Army to take full control of the law and order in the Churachanpur, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Imphal East, and Imphal West.”
• The forum expressed no confidence in the commission of inquiry constituted by the Centre and urged to be replaced by a commission comprising former Delhi High Court Chief Justice and Law Commission chairperson, AP Shah. (here)
• Union minister RK Ranjan Singh’s house torched amid fresh violence in Manipur: A mob set Union minister RK Ranjan Singh’s residence afire in Imphal even as an unspecified number of people were injured when armed men attacked a village in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur on Thu night, officials aware of the matter said. (here)

5 Pakistani terrorists killed during an overnight encounter in Kupwara on LoC

• 5 Pakistani terrorists were killed during an overnight encounter in the Jumagund area of Line of Control in the Kupwara district of North Kashmir.
• Joint encounter of J&K Police and Indian Army after specific input received by Kupwara Police.
• Search Ops continue in the area.

Defense ministry approves $3bn drone deal with US for Modi visit

• Besides a much-awaited deal for jet engine technology, India and the US will also sign a huge $3 bn deal for the purchase of 30 MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones.
• Def Minister Rajnath Singh led Defence Acquisition Council had cleared the deal on Thu.
• The procurement file moved by the Navy will now go through a bureaucratic process, which is mainly approval from the CCS before Modi leaves for Washington.
• The tri-services had finally come around to agreeing to go in for the drone deal, which is a tri-service acquisition but is being led by the Navy.
• The Reaper comes with 9 hard points, capable of carrying sensors and laser-guided bombs besides air-to-ground missiles.
• It has an endurance of over 27 hours and can operate up to 50k ft with a 1,746 kg payload capacity that includes 1,361 kg of external stores.
• It is capable of carrying multiple mission payloads including Electro-optical/Infrared, Lynx, Multi-mode Radar, multi-mode maritime surveillance radar, Electronic Support Measures, laser designators, and various weapons and payload packages. (here)
• India-US partnership crucial for fostering peace in Indo-Pacific: Congressman ahead of Modi’s visit
• Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the US, Congressman from Georgia, Drew Ferguson, has emphasized that the India-US ties are important for “peace, prosperity, and stability around the globe, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. (here)

On 3^rd anniversary of Galwan clash, Army officials to hold meeting in Leh

• Several military top officers will converge in Leh on the 3^rd anniversary of the Galwan clash to discuss strategies and preparedness in the sector nea LAC, on Thu, Jun 15.
• The meeting will be held between senior military officers of Northern Command, 14 Corps Commander, and other top officers.
• The meeting will discuss the preparedness of the force in the sector bordering China.
• Over 50,000 Indian soldiers had been stationed since 2020 at forward posts along the LAC, to prevent any attempts to change the status quo unilaterally on the LAC. (here)

Vikramaditya back in action after 2.5 yrs, Navy to get 2 more Romeo helicopters to deploy

• The Indian Navy will later this month receive 2 MH-60 Romeo anti-submarine warfare helicopters, which will be deployed on board the INS Vikramaditya that has been operationalized after an exhaustive refit lasting nearly 18 months.
• The two helicopters will be delivered to India by the US govt around the time PM Modi will be on an official visit to the country.
• With the 2, the Navy will have a total of 5 of these state-of-the-art helicopters, which will be deployed on the INS Vikramaditya, India’s only operational aircraft carrier.
• While the Navy commissioned the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in Sept last year, it is not yet operational and is set to undergo 4-5 months of ‘guarantee.
• Meanwhile, the delivery of the Romeos, the helicopters manufactured by US major Lockheed Martin, is on track and will be completed by 2025. (here)

WFI chief charged with sexual harassment, no evidence in minor’s case: Delhi Police to court

• Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been charged with sexual harassment and stalking in a chargesheet filed by Delhi Police.
• The police, however, told a Delhi court that no “corroborative evidence” was found against the BJP leader in a case filed by a minor, and filed a report seeking a cancelation.
• The chargesheet was filed after wrestlers, protesting against the WFI chief since Apr, had met Union Minister, who assured taking action against Singh by Jun 15. (here)
• In another development, the Delhi Police are sending a request to the Centre for the withdrawal of FIR registered against wrestlers. After govt’s approval, the FIR against wrestlers will be withdrawn. (here)

Pakistan sees no room for trade revival with Modi’s India

• Pakistan would welcome a trade revival with India, but dy FM Hina Rabbani Khar said she saw no prospect of that because of frosty relations with Modi’s govt.
• Media cited dy Min for Commerce saying that India-Pakistan trade reached only $1.35 billion between Apr and Dec 2022, compared with some $87 bn with China.
• Khar said she was a proponent of trade as a means of restoring ties but cautioned it was impossible to work with a Hindu nationalist in New Delhi whose support was “based on dividing India between Hindus and Muslims.”
• Still, Khar said Islamabad was willing to reopen dialogue if India changed its tune.
• “Tomorrow if they decide to be statesmanlike and [seek] a legacy of peace, they will find in Pakistan not only an avid partner but an overenthusiastic one,” she said. (here)

India bullies Chinese smartphone firms with fresh crackdown-Global Times

• Chinese state-sponsored tabloid, GT claimed that India has intensified a crackdown on Chinese smartphone companies, which ‘analysts’ said is bullying against Chinese companies by ‘maliciously hyping’ so-called security threats.
• It went on to suggest citing experts that despite the US-led economic “decoupling” India relies on Chinese smartphone firms to promote its manufacturing sector.
• The govt has asked Chinese phone makers including Xiaomi, OPPO, Realme, and Vivo to bring local equity partners and appoint Indian nationals in key roles.
• Also, the govt has asked these firms to appoint Indian contract producers to increase local manufacturing down to the component level through joint ventures. (here)

Rinehart inks deal to supply India with lithium

• Gina Rinehart is a step closer to owning her first lithium mine after a deal that could emerge with a majority share in supplying India, where she has “a strong relationship with PM Modi”.
• Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting will pay up to $36 million for a potential 51% in the Mt Bevan project located in a part of Western Australia emerging as a lithium hotspot.
• Under the deal, most of any lithium produced at Mt Bevan will be shipped to India as it looks to boost its critical minerals supply chain.
• Legacy Iron, backed by National Mineral Development Corporation, will have the right to acquire up to 75% of any lithium output.
• Mt Bevan sits next door to Delta Lithium’s Mt Ida project set to be producing the key battery mineral by next year. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China gives green light to nuclear reactor that burns thorium – a fuel that could power the country for 20,000 years

• China’s nuclear safety watchdog has issued an operational permit for the first thorium reactor, marking a major milestone in the pursuit of advanced nuclear technologies.
• The reactor, a 2-MW liquid-fuelled Th molten salt reactor, is located in the Gobi Desert city in Gansu province and is operated by the SIAP of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• The permit, issued by the National Nuclear Safety Administration on June 7, allows the SIAP to operate the reactor for 10 years and it will start with testing operations.
• Thorium is also a more abundant resource compared with uranium, and China has significant thorium reserves. (here)

Bangladesh joining BRICS in Aug

• As the BRICS looks to expand and Bangladesh hopes to join it in Aug, analysts have started weighing the gains from being part of the bloc.
• Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wed said in Geneva that Bangladesh is likely to become a member of the BRICS in Aug this year.
• After a meeting between PM Sheikh Hasina and South African President Ramaphosa, Momen said the BRICS Bank had invited B’desh as a guest
• Bangladesh’s decision to join BRICS, with a share of global GDP surpassing that of rich nations’ club G7, is seen as a move to diversify foreign relations and currency.
• Momen announced that Bangladesh, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, has been invited to join BRICS.
• These countries are expected to join the group in Aug during a summit in S Africa
• BRICS is actively considering its first enlargement in over a decade.
• The aim is to further solidify itself as a representative of the “Global South” and provide an alternative model to the developed economies of the G7 nations. (here)

Amnesty International, RSF call out Pakistani authorities over cases filed against journalists to ‘silence critics’

• Amnesty International and global media watchdog RSF have raised concerns and called out establishments over cases against journalists under sedition to “silence critics”.
• “At least 7 journalists and commentators have been charged with offenses against the state and anti-terror laws in the past 4 days,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
• “The use of these laws to silence commentators and journalists is a violation of the right to freedom of expression,” the statement added.
• The YouTubers among them are currently based outside Pakistan, while the journalists and anchorpersons previously worked for mainstream newspapers and TV in Pakistan.
• No information is currently available about Hussain’s current country of residence.
• These individuals are the latest to face action following the launch of a state crackdown on the PTI over their alleged involvement in vandalism and violence on May 9. (here)

Afghan Taliban asked to honour commitments in Oslo moot

• Key stakeholders including Pakistan at a closed-door meeting held in Oslo, have asked the interim Taliban govt to fulfill pledges made with the international community
• The 3-day meeting held from June 13 – 15 brought together envoys from UN, Pakistan, Qatar, US, UK, India, and others to discuss the Afghan situation.
• The second-tier Afghan Taliban delegation was also in attendance despite protests by civil society activists and opposition parties.
• Participants of the meeting were unanimous in urging the Afghan Taliban to form an inclusive govt, eradicate terrorist sanctuaries, and lift the ban on girls’ education.
• However, the meeting was seen as part of a renewed push to re-engage with the de facto rulers of Afghanistan.
• Unlike in the past, Pakistan this time is pushing for international consensus before going solo on recognizing the Taliban regime. (here)

‘Pakistan cannot accept everything IMF says’, Dar tells lender on budget criticism

• Hours after the IMF expressed concerns about the govt’s failure to broaden the tax base in the budget, Fin Min Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan cannot accept everything.
• Addressing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, he responded to the IMF objection to the tax exemptions given in the recently unveiled budget.
• The minister assured the senators that the govt knew how much tax it needs to collect and form where the revenue can be generated.
• Talking about the widespread default mongering, the minister said that geopolitics is happening against Pakistan so the country defaults.
• “Foreign hostile elements want Pakistan to turn into another Sri Lanka and then the IMF negotiates with Islamabad,” Dar said.
• On Pakistan’s external payments, he assured, once again, that the country will not defer any foreign payment. (here)