1. J-K: 2 terrorists killed in Rajouri encounter; warlike stores, medicines with Pakistan mark recovered, One Security Officer KIA
2. J-K: Army Colonel, Major and SPO killed in gunfight with terrorists in Anantnag
3. Govt unveils special session agenda: Pending Bills, recall of ’75 years of Parliamentary Journey’
4. Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Armenia for sharing successful Digital Solutions
5. I.N.D.I. alliance to start process for determining seat-sharing, says KC Venugopal

What Else

6. US: Indian mission raises concern over policeman caught on tape laughing over Indian student’s death
7. Indian Air Force chief receives first C-295 transport aircraft made for India by Airbus
8. Santosh Jha is India’s next high commissioner to Sri Lanka
9. China becomes first to name new Afghan ambassador under Taliban
10. MI5 warned UK Conservatives that two MP candidates might be Chinese spies
11. Pentagon says cyberattacks are part of China’s armory for any conflict with US
12. China’s top-500 list of private firms is missing some big names, as profits fell and property developers tanked
13. Pak: Six killed in armed clash in Balochistan
14. Pakistan: Police crackdown against illegal Afghans in Karachi continued for the 4th day
15. Gilgit Baltistan: Students of Karakoram University protest against unprecedented fee hike

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J-K: 2 terrorists killed in Rajouri encounter; warlike stores, medicines with Pakistan mark recovered, One Security Officer KIA

• Two terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter that began in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri on Tue.
• Security forces have recovered a large quantity of warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that continued on Wed
• The Defence PRO said that the Indian army and J&K police tracked the movement of 2 terrorists since Sept 7.
• Large quantities of warlike stores have been recovered, including Pakistan-marking medicines. (here)

J-K: Army Colonel, Major and SPO killed in gunfight with terrorists in Anantnag

• An Indian Army Colonel commanding an RR Unit along with a Major have lost their lives in an encounter in Anantnag with terrorists in Kashmir, officials said.
• Earlier today, officers from the Army and the J&K Police were injured after an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Kokernag area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, police said.
• Meanwhile, two terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter that began in the Narla area of Rajouri on Tue.
• Security forces have recovered a large quantity of warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search as the encounter that continued on Wed (here)
• The worst fear is that casualties will go up.

Govt unveils special session agenda: Pending Bills, recall of ’75 years of Parliamentary Journey’

• Hours after it called an all-party meeting on the eve of Parliament’s special session starting Sept 18, the govt Wed gave some indication of what was on the table.
• As per a bulletin, the two Houses will discuss the “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha — Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings”, and take up for consideration 4 Bills.
• The Bills include the Chief Election Commissioner and Other ECs (Appointment) Bill, introduced during the Monsoon Session in the Lok Sabha; the Advocates (Amendment) Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill; and the Post Office Bill, introduced in the RS during the Monsoon Session.
• The Rajya Sabha agenda also lists the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in July.
• While the agenda outlined was unexceptional and included legislation in various stages of discussion already in Parliament, sources said there could still be some surprises, and “something more substantive”, over the 5 days of the session. (here)

Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Armenia for sharing successful Digital Solutions

• PM Modi chaired a Union Cabinet meeting and approved the MoU signed on Jun 12 between India’s Ministry of Elect & IT and Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry.
• The MoU was aimed at Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at the Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
• The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country.
• MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.
• The MoU will come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and will remain in force for 3 years.
• With the signing of the MoU, both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced. (here)

I.N.D.I. alliance to start process for determining seat-sharing, says KC Venugopal

• After the INDI Alliance Coordination Committee meeting on Wed, Congress General Secretary released a statement saying that the Committee has determined to begin with the process of deciding seat-sharing “at the earliest”.
• The first meeting of the CC was held today at the residence of Sharad Pawar and attended by 12 members parties.
• Abhishek Banerjee of TMC could not attend the meeting due to a summon by the ED, arising out of the vendetta politics of BJP, the joint statement read.
• “The CC has decided to start the process for determining seat-sharing. It was decided that member parties would hold talks and decide at the earliest,” it stated.
• “The committee decided to hold joint public meetings in different parts of the country. The first public meeting will be held at Bhopal in the first week of Oct on the issues of rising prices, unemployment, and corruption of the BJP government,” it read.
• “The parties present in the meeting agreed to take up the issue of Caste Census,” it stated.
• “The coordination committee authorized the Sub-Group on Media to decide upon the names of the anchors on whose shows none of the INDI parties will send their representatives,” it added.
• The next meeting of the INDIA Alliance is expected to be held after the Parliament special session. (here)

US: Indian mission raises concern over policeman caught on tape laughing over Indian student’s death

• The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has raised concerns over the handling of an Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by a police vehicle and has demanded a thorough investigation and action against those involved.
• The matter pertains to the reports showing an officer appearing to joke and bursting into laughter over the death of an Indian-origin student who was killed in Jan this year.
• On Mon, the Seattle Police Department released footage from accused officer Daniel Auderer’s body camera.
• Auderer left his body camera on after responding to the South Lake Union area where a marked patrol vehicle driven by another officer Kevin Dave struck and killed Kandula (here)

Indian Air Force chief receives first C-295 transport aircraft made for India by Airbus

• Chief of Air Staff Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Wed received the first C-295 transport aircraft made for India by manufacturer Airbus at a facility in Seville Spain.
• After receiving the delivery, the IAF chief said that it is a major milestone for the whole country and that it is a stepping stone for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The aircraft is the first of 16 C-295 that will be produced in Spain and the remaining 40 will be made in an Indian facility in Vadodara under a JV of Tata and Airbus.
• C-295MW aircraft is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the aging Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
• The aircraft has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping and cargo.
• 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of the signing of the contract and 40 aircraft will be manufactured in India.
• This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. (here)

Santosh Jha is India’s next high commissioner to Sri Lanka

• Santosh Jha, an IFS officer of batch 1993 has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wed.
• Jha is and is presently serving as ambassador of India to Belgium. (here)
• Gopal Baglay appointed India’s next high commissioner to Australia: Baglay is an IFS Officer of the 1992 batch.
• Presently, the diplomat is serving as India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China becomes first to name new Afghan ambassador under Taliban

• Reuters: China became the first country on Wed to formally name a new ambassador to Kabul since the Taliban takeover after its envoy presented credentials at a ceremony.
• The Taliban have not been officially recognized by any foreign govt, and Beijing did not indicate whether the appointment signaled any broader steps towards formal recognition of the Taliban.
• A Taliban administration foreign ministry spokesman told new envoy Zhao Xing was the first ambassador from any country to take up the post since Aug 2021(here)

MI5 warned UK Conservatives that two MP candidates might be Chinese spies

• Britain’s MI5 security service warned the ruling Conservative party that two would-be MPs could be Chinese spies, a minister said Wednesday.
• Details of the advice, given in 2021 and 2022, come days after it emerged a parliamentary researcher was arrested in March on suspicion of spying for Beijing.
• Junior health minister Maria Caulfield said her party acted promptly to drop the two potential candidates for parliament after MI5’s intervention.
• “I think whichever party is in government, there will always be those who are trying to target it, either to get information or to influence,” she told Times Radio
• In the case of the two possible candidates “who the Conservative Party were warned about, swift action was taken and they were removed from the list,” she added.
• “They are not standing for election.” (here)

Pentagon says cyberattacks are part of China’s armory for any conflict with US

• China’s cyber activity “informs” its “preparations for war” and it likely intends to launch destructive cyberattacks against the US in the event of a conflict, the Pentagon warned in a strategy paper.
• The summary of the Defence Department’s 2023 Cyber Strategy, released on Tue, said that China is the “pacing challenge” of the US in cyberspace and that it “routinely” conducts malicious cyber activity against the US as well as its allies and partners.
• China poses “a broad and pervasive cyber espionage threat”, the summary said.
• The full strategy, the Pentagon’s 4^th cyber study, remains classified and was forwarded to Congress in May.
• China and the US have traded accusations of conducting cyberattacks against each other for years, with Beijing calling Washington “the champion of hacking”. (here)

China’s top-500 list of private firms is missing some big names, as profits fell and property developers tanked

• China’s de facto chamber of commerce – which acts as a bridge between private firms and Beijing – has released its list of the nation’s top 500 private enterprises
• It shows how former titans of industry were dethroned amid plunging profits and investments in the waning months of the pandemic.
• The annual rankings, compiled by the government-backed ACFIC, also help illustrate just how badly the country’s crisis-plagued property developers have been hit.
• Large private developers lost a combined US$4.88 billion last year, and only 17 made this year’s top-500 list, compared with 25 last year.
• One of the most debt-laden developers, Evergrande, has been off the list since 2021.
• Coming in at No 1 on the list, e-commerce giant JD.com posted operating revenue of $144 billion last year – a 9.9% increase from 2021.
• At No. 2 is Alibaba, which owns the Post, and at No. 3 is petrochemical giant Hengli. (here)

Pak: Six killed in armed clash in Balochistan

• Six people were killed while 3 were injured in an armed clash in the Kacchi area of Balochistan.
• The officials said that the clash occurred between tribesmen of Abro and Lehri tribes.
• The two tribes’ armed men took positions opposite one another and began fire, which lasted for a while and resulted in six deaths on both sides, They added
• A large unit of the Levies Force and Kachhi Dy Commissioner Jahandad Khan Mandokhail rushed to the area to clear the trenches of the 2 tribes’ armed men. (here)

Pakistan: Police crackdown against illegal Afghans in Karachi continued for the 4^th day

• The police crackdown against Afghans residing illegally in Karachi continued for the 4^th day, 46 more people were arrested from different areas.
• Karachi Police has arrested a total of 293 Afghans across the city while cracking down on illegally residing Afghan nationals.
• Karachi Police arrested 31 more Afghans residing illegally in the city.
• Kemari district police arrested 17 Afghan citizens illegally residing in various locations.
• During the crackdown operation, 2 Afghan nationals were arrested from Etihad Town Police Station, 3 from Madina Colony, 3 from Baldiya, 2 Sher Shah and 7 from Mochko Police Station, while Malir Cantt Police arrested 6 Afghan Nationals.
• The Quaidabad Police arrested 8 illegally residing Afghans. (Jasarat, Urdu Point)

Gilgit Baltistan: Students of Karakoram University protest against unprecedented fee hike

• The students of Karakoram International University, Gilgit carried out protests against the administration for an unprecedented fee hike on Wed.
• The poor students of GB are unable to pay the excessive increase in semester fees.
• The unreasonable raise in the university fees has affected the students and their parents as the administration has allegedly increased the fees by 25% twice in a semester.
• A student perturbed by the officials serving in the admin department said, “There is a mass protest going on in the KIU. (here)