1. PM Modi in France: Navy gets €10 bn boost as proposal for 26 Rafale-Ms, 3 Scorpenes cleared
2. Reflection of ‘colonial mindset’: India on European Parliament’s Manipur resolution
3. China pitched four tents in ‘buffer zone’ in Ladakh, says councilor
4. BJP blames police lathicharge as worker dies at Patna protest. Police deny charge
5. NIA raids 5 places in J-K’s three districts in terror conspiracy case

What Else

6. Terrorists using dark-net to hide their identity and spread radical material: Shah in G-20
7. ASEAN is crucial pillar of India’s Act East policy: EAM Jaishankar in Jakarta
8. Pak says India regularly sharing updates about the floodwater flow
9. Modi govt considers banning most rice exports, reports Bloomberg News
10. Pak national Seema Haider: Unidentified person threatens Mumbai police of ’26/11-like attack’
11. Dar says IMF has transferred $1.2bn to SBP’s account
12. Pakistan: Will hand over reins of govt to interim setup in August: PM.
13. US Navy patrol plane flies over Taiwan Strait amid increased PLA activity
14. China’s chip imports slump in first half as US sanctions and ongoing tech war take a toll on trade
15. Nepal: US embassy formally announces US Assistant Secretary of State Lu’s Nepal visit

PM Modi in France: Navy gets €10 bn boost as proposal for 26 Rafale-Ms, 3 Scorpenes cleared

• In a major boost to the Navy, the defense ministry Thu approved the procurement of 26 Rafale M fighter jets and 3 additional Scorpene submarines an estimated 10 bn euro.
• Defence Acquisition Council cleared the proposals shortly after PM Modi left, and both deals will be announced during the visit.
• According to the plan, the Navy will procure 22 single-seat Rafale M and 4 trainer aircraft to arm its indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
• This deal will include weapons packages, besides the cost of training and infrastructure.
• The Navy facing a submarine crisis and falling short of its ambitious 30-year plan to develop an effective deterrent against China and Pakistan by 2030.
• Under this plan, India was to build 24 submarines — 18 conventional submarines and 6 nuclear-powered submarines.
• Of the 18 conventional submarines, the Navy has managed to build only 6 so far. (here)
• Stressing that the India-France partnership aims to advance a free, open, inclusive, secure, and stable Indo-Pacific region, the PM said to the French media ‘Les Echos’ the two nations also aim to help other countries in the area. (here)
• PM Modi on Thu said the UN cannot claim to be speaking for the world when its most populous country and the largest democracy is not a permanent member. (here)
• PM Modi holds delegation-level talks with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne: PM Modi on Mon [Thu] held delegation-level talks with French PM Elisabeth Borne.
• The PM, who arrived in Paris earlier in the day on a 2-day official visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. (here)
• India to open a new consulate in Marseille, announced PM, Modi, while addressing the Indian diaspora on Thu.
• UPI expands to France: New Delhi, Paris agree to use a unified payments system.
• PM Modi conferred with France’s highest award, ‘Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour’ In a historic moment, French President Macron bestowed the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour on PM Modi on Thu (local time). (here)

Manipur Violence: Reflection of ‘colonial mindset’: India on European Parliament’s Manipur Resolution

• India on Thu is described as a reflection of “colonial mindset” a resolution adopted at the European Parliament on the situation in Manipur.
• External Affairs Ministry press release said such interference in India’s internal affairs is “unacceptable”, and added, “The European Parliament would be well advised to utilize its time more productively on its internal issues.” (here)

• The European Parliament adopted a motion Wed urging the Indian govt to promptly halt the ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur, and protect its religious minorities.
• The legislative body of the EU also “denounced in the strongest terms nationalistic rhetoric deployed by leading members of the BJP party”.
• Hours before PM Modi landed in Paris, the European Parliament – in its ongoing plenary session in Strasbourg, France — also called on the Centre to “to refrain from criminalizing those who are critical of (the) government’s conduct”.
• The European Parliament debate was based on motions submitted by six parliamentary groups, the Left, Verts/ALE, S&D, the Renew, the ECR, and the PPE.
• While the motion was adopted on Wed but made public on Thu.
• It also urged the govt to repeal the controversial AFSPA, calling it “unlawful” [already repealed], and urged for human rights to include in the EU-India partnership (here)
• Mizoram BJP vice-chief quits, says ‘Biren Singh & Amit Shah failed to protect Christians’ in Manipur.
• Mizoram BJP vice-president resigned Thu in protest against what he called the central govt’s indifference towards the Christian community in the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zomi tribals and the non-tribal Meiteis in neighboring Manipur.
• He said he was deeply hurt by the “anti-Christian activities” in Manipur, stating that “357 Christian churches, pastor quarters and office buildings belonging to different churches have been, so far, burnt to ashes by Meitei militants”. (here)
• Extortion case: NIA files chargesheet against 3, including a Myanmar national of banned outfits: The National Investigation Agency on Wed filed a chargesheet against 3 persons, including a Myanmar national.
• The charge sheet was filed in the NIA Special Court, Imphal, against three cadres of the proscribed terrorist organizations namely PLA, KCP, PREPAK, and UNLF, etc (here)

China pitched four tents in ‘buffer zone’ in Ladakh, says councilor

• The Chinese People’s Liberation Army pitched 4 tents in a “buffer zone” in eastern Ladakh’s Chushul 2 days ago, according to Chushul councilor Konchok Stanzin.
• Stanzin said he received info from the villagers that while 3 tents were removed after the Indian Army objected, a 4^th one was in the process of being removed.
• Army did not respond to queries by The Hindu.
• The incident occurred in the Table Top area of Gurung Hills in eastern Ladakh.
• Several rounds of talks between the two armies have taken place, leading to dis-engagement and the creation of buffer zones in 5 areas — Galwan, north and south banks of Pangong Tso, PP-17 A, and most recent-PP 15.
• There are at least 26 patrolling points in eastern Ladakh that are not being patrolled anymore by the Indian troops. (here)

BJP blames police lathicharge as worker dies at Patna protest. Police deny charge

• A BJP worker died [and several other party workers sustained injuries] Thu when a protest march he was participating in allegedly turned violent after a police lathi charge
• According to party leaders, Vijay Kumar Singh, district secy of the BJP was joining the party protest demanding regularisation of the state’s 1.75 [lakh] contractual teachers.
• The protest, which began at Gandhi Maidan in Patna and was to end at Vidhan Sabha, allegedly took a violent turn when the police began lathi charging protesters. (here)

NIA raids 5 places in J-K’s three districts in terror conspiracy case

• As part of its ongoing investigations in the J&K terrorist conspiracy case, the NIA on Thu conducted another round of raids at the premises of hybrid terrorists and OGWs of the outfits and affiliates of Pakistan-backed banned terrorist organizations.
• Raids were conducted at 5 locations in Shopian, Awantipora, and Pulwama districts.
• The places searched include the premises of sympathizers and cadres of the newly floated outfits, namely TRF, ULFJ&K, MGH, JKFF, KT, PAAF and others.
• These outfits are cosmetic faces of various Pak-backed banned organizations like LeT, JeM, HM, Al-Badr, and AQ
• Several digital devices containing large volumes of incriminating data were recovered. (here)

Terrorists using dark-net to hide their identity and spread radical material: Shah in G-20

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thu raised concern at the 2-day G-20 Conference regarding terrorists using the dark net to hide their identity and spread radical material.
• He also warned of cyber-attack threat which he said is hovering over all the major economies of the world and “many countries of the world have become victims of it”.
• To create a “robust and efficient operational system”, Shah said
• The Minister also specified the need to think coherently to crack down on the use of various virtual assets.
• Speaking at the G20 on Crime and Security in the age of the Non-Fungible Token, Al and Metaverse’, Shah further said “The Metaverse, once a science fiction idea, has now stepped into the real world.” (here)

ASEAN is crucial pillar of India’s Act East policy: EAM Jaishankar in Jakarta

• Describing ASEAN as a crucial pillar of India’s Act East Policy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thu said it plays an important role in the emerging dynamic of the Indo-Pacific.
• The EAM is on a 6-day visit to Indonesia and Thailand since July 12 and his overseas engagements in these two countries will culminate on July 18.
• He also recalled how last year, the 30^th anniversary of ASEAN India relations was celebrated and was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
• Earlier, Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Jakarta and deliberated on the Ukraine conflict among other issues.
• He is in Jakarta for the FMs Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format, ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum on Jul 13-14 (here)
• Jaishankar discussed regional and global issues with British Foreign Secy James Cleverly at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference in Jakarta on Thu.
• EAM further discussed the concerns related to the security of Indian diplomats.
• This comes after a group of pro-Khalistan protesters vandalized the HC in London, taking down the Indian flag and replacing it with a Khalistani flag on Mar 19. (here)

Pak says India regularly sharing updates about the floodwater flow

• Pakistan on Thu acknowledged that India was regularly sharing updates about the floodwater flow under the Indus Waters Treaty between the two nations.
• Foreign Office was asked at the weekly briefing about options for Pakistan if India refused to accept the Court of Arbitration and its verdict on the Kishanganga and Ratle reservoirs issue.
• She responded by saying that the IWT was a gold standard of bilateral treaties on water and served both Pakistan and India well. (here)

Modi govt considers banning most rice exports, reports Bloomberg News

• India, the world’s biggest rice shipper, is considering banning exports of most varieties, a move that may send already lofty global prices higher as the disruptive El Niño weather pattern returns.
• The government is discussing a plan to ban exports of all non-Basmati rice.
• That’s because of rising domestic prices and authorities want to avoid the risk of more inflation. (here)

Pak national Seema Haider: Unidentified person threatens Mumbai police of ’26/11-like attack’

• An unidentified person called Mumbai Traffic Police Control Room on Thu and threatened to conduct an attack similar to the 26/11 attack, police said.
• Mumbai police and crime branch are probing the matter, they added.
• More details are awaited. Further investigation is underway.
• Earlier this month the Noida police arrested Seema for entering India illegally and staying here in Greater Noida.
• Later she was granted bail by the Court after which she converted to Hinduism and dropped her surname. (here) [Media is too much worry about her future]

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Dar says IMF has transferred $1.2bn to SBP’s account

• Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thu that the International Monetary Fund had transferred $1.2 billion to the central bank’s account.
• He made the remarks while addressing the media a day after the global money lender approved a $3 billion loan agreement for Pakistan, unlocking crucial funding.
• The board approved the bailout package for the country for an amount of $2.25bn Special Drawing Rights— reserve funds that the institution credits to the accounts of its member nations, the IMF said in a statement.
• This amounts to about $3bn, or 111% of Pakistan’s quota, it said. (here)
• US urges Pakistan to continue working with ‘IMF for sustainable economic recovery’: US Secy of State Antony Blinken on Tue welcomed the IMF’s approval of a program to support Pakistan, saying that Washington stood by the people of Pakistan.
• “We stand by the Pakistani people during these hard times and welcome the International Monetary Fund’s approval of a program to support Pakistan,” Blinken wrote on his official Twitter handle.
• “We urge Pakistan to continue working with IMF toward macroeconomic reforms and sustainable economic recovery,” he further said on the microblogging site. (here)

Pakistan: Will hand over reins of govt to interim setup in August: PM.

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assured the nation that his government will hand over the reins to an interim setup next month after the completion of their tenure.
• “In August 2023, we will give responsibility to the interim government,” he said in a live address on Thu.
• The premier repeated the circumstances in which the coalition govt — a group of 13 political parties — came to power in April 2022.
• “[We] cleaned up the mess of four years in 15 months and doused the fire that had engulfed the economic and foreign relations front,” he said. (here)

US Navy patrol plane flies over Taiwan Strait amid increased PLA activity

• A US Navy patrol plane flew over the Taiwan Strait on Thu amid increased Chinese People’s Liberation Army activities in the area.
• The US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft transited through the sensitive airspace on, flying south along the median line of the strait, according to Sun Li-fang.
• “Troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and are resolute in defending the security of national sovereignty and regional peace and stability,” said a spox for the theatre command.
• “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” it added.
• It comes amid increased PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait in recent days.
• Taiwan’s defense ministry said it had seen 38 PLA aircraft and nine ships near the island on Wed, and 33 aircraft and the same number of ships the previous day.
• It said most of the aircraft – including Su-30 fighter jets and J-10 combat planes – crossed the median line in the strait, which separates the island from China. (here)

China’s chip imports slump in first half as US sanctions and ongoing tech war take a toll on trade

• China’s imports of integrated circuits (ICs) slumped by 18.5% in the first half from a year earlier by volume, according to newly released customs data, at a time when the US and its allies are continuing to restrict China’s access.
• China’s imports of ICs dropped to 227.7 billion units in the first 6 months, compared with 279.6 billion units in the same period last year.
• It slightly narrowed the 19.6% drop in the first 5 months of 2023.
• The total value of chip imports fell 22.4% to US$162.6 billion in the first half of 2023. The drop was much deeper than the decline in China’s overall imports, which shrank 0.1% from a year earlier for the same period. (here)

Nepal: US embassy formally announces US Assistant Secretary of State Lu’s Nepal visit

• US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will arrive in Kathmandu on a day-long visit on July 14, according to the US Embassy.
• The embassy, through a Facebook post, announced Lu’s visit on Thu.
• Lu is on a tour of South Asian nations including India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, among other countries.
• Lu will also meet with an American Chamber of Commerce member to learn about their efforts to give Nepalis unique skills so they can compete globally.
• According to foreign ministry officials, Lu is scheduled to meet PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and Foreign Minister NP Saud among other senior officials.
• This is Lu’s third visit to Nepal and the first after Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected prime minister in December last year. (here)