Louis Charrier

The Manipur government has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the hill districts for an additional six months, effective October 1, excluding 19 police station areas in seven valley districts. This decision aims to maintain order amidst ongoing ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo populations in the hills and the Meitei community in the valley, resulting in at least 237 deaths and over 60,000 displacements since May 3, 2023. The Governor stated that violent activities by extremist and insurgent groups necessitate armed forces to support civil administration, with specific exemptions for designated police stations. A comprehensive review of the disturbed area status was deemed impractical due to security forces being occupied, highlighting the sensitivity of the situation. AFSPA, in effect since 1981, allows the Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to act decisively, including warrantless arrests and searches, and protects them from prosecution unless sanctioned by the central government. The Act has seen previous exemptions, such as the withdrawal from the Imphal Municipality area in 2004. Currently, only state governments issue AFSPA notifications in Manipur and Assam, while the Ministry of Home Affairs handles this for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. #AsiaRisk #GeopoliticalConflictandDisputes #India Follow us for daily updates on risk and operations in Asia! https://lnkd.in/dBF8mqUv

India’s Fiscal Deficit at 3 pc of full FY25 target in April-May: CGA Data During these two months, the government’s capital expenditure, or spending on building physical infrastructure, was Rs 1.44 trillion, or 13% of the annual target. This is lower than the Rs 1.68 trillion spent in the same period a year earlier. #FiscalDeficit #FY25 #CGA #IndianEconomy #GDP #TaxRevenue https://lnkd.in/gHUGXy9s

#VantageOnFirstpost After Quad & AUKUS, US Forms "The Squad" to Counter Chinese Aggression | Vantage with Palki Sharma Tensions are flaring in the Indo-Pacific as China's provocative actions in the region are raising concerns about regional stability and security. Earlier this week, the Chinese Coast Guards attacked a Philippine vessel using water cannons in the South China Sea. This follows a string of similar incidents this year, raising alarm in Manila. Beijing’s massive military presence in the disputed waters of South China Sea poses a big threat to its neighbouring countries including Japan, Taiwan and Philippines. In a bid to push back against Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, the US has come up with a new regional alliance nicknamed, the Squad. This new alliance includes four countries - Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the US. The Squad aims to be a united front against Chinese threats in the Indo-Pacific. The plan is two-pronged: firstly, increased joint military drills to improve interoperability among member nations. Secondly, bolstering the Manila’s defences through security assistance and potential upgrades to their military equipment. However, previously formed alliances such as the Quad and AUKUS intended to counter China's regional influence are yet to achieve significant results. Will the new Squad alliance be more effective? Palki Sharma tells you more. --- USA | The Squad | China | Indo-Pacific | Chinese Coast Guards | Philippines | Vessel | South China Sea | AUKUS | Australia | Japan | Taiwan | Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News #usa #squad #china #southchinasea #indopacific #philippines #australia #japan #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews

After the recent revelations by Canada—which accused New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader—and the US indictment of a former Indian intelligence officer in a murder-for-hire plot, the Modi government has come under increasing pressure from the West. To confront a more powerful adversary like China, India needs the help of these countries, which are also prone to lecturing Modi about the backsliding of democracy, treatment of religious minorities, draconian laws, the situation in Kashmir and Manipur, and ties with Russia. A détente with Beijing provides New Delhi some breathing space to assert its independence and deal with the United States from a position of greater strength. It does not mean that India will forego its strategic partnership with the United States but only that it will be able to handle the pressure from Washington better. Sushant Singh writes on how the supposed resolution of the Indo-China crisis helps Modi more than India. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gdAxd488

𝐘𝐞𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐃𝐨 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐢, 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐮𝐦𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐚 ...': 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 India's foreign exchange reserves declined$6.4 billion to $675.65 billion from $682.13 billion as of November 8, as reported by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The forex kitty, which reached at record high of $704.885 billion at September's end, have consistently declined over several weeks. According to data released on Friday, the foreign currency assets, which constitute a significant portion of the reserves, reduced by USD 4.467 billion to USD 585.383 billion for the week ended November 8. The foreign currency assets, when expressed in USD terms, reflect the impact of value changes in non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and yen that are part of the foreign exchange reserves. Additionally, the central bank reported that gold reserves declined by USD 1.936 billion, reaching USD 67.814 billion during the week and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) decreased by USD 60 million to USD 18.159 billion. The data from the apex bank showed that India's reserve position with the IMF reduced by USD 14 million to USD 4.298 billion in the reporting week. However, India is at fourth position globally in foreign exchange reserves, following China, Japan, and Switzerland. The RBI regularly engages in market operations through liquidity management, including dollar sales, to prevent sharp depreciation of the rupee. The central bank maintains vigilant oversight of foreign exchange markets, intervening solely to ensure orderly market conditions by managing excessive exchange rate volatility, without adhering to predetermined targets or bands. https://lnkd.in/gfCMt9SF

⚡️ 🇮🇳 The India Meteorological Department has issued a heatwave warning for the northern plains, including parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, with severe heatwave conditions expected until May 21. The national capital recorded temperatures as high as 47.4°C. Heatwave conditions are also expected in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Precautionary measures, such as adjusting animal diets and installing coolers and sprinklers in enclosures, have been taken at Nahargarh Biological Park and Kanpur Zoo.

Indonesian ambassador says Su-35 fighter jets contract remains in force Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Tavares said that around 30% of weapons in service with his country’s armed forces are Russian-made MAKHACHKALA, May 8/ Indonesia has never terminated a contract to purchase Su-35 fighter jets from Russia and is waiting for the situation to become "more accommodating" to return to its implementation, Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Tavares told TASS. "Indeed, at some point Russia and Indonesia signed this treaty. Indonesia has never terminated it, but it was put on hold to avoid certain potential inconveniences," he said. The ambassador added that Indonesia will return to this question when the situation becomes "more accommodating." In his estimates, around 30% of weapons in service with his country’s armed forces are Russian-made. CNN Indonesia news portal reported in late December 2021 that the Indonesian government abandoned its plans to purchase 11 Russian-made Su-35 multirole fighters due to lack of funds. News about the signing of a $1.1 billion contract with Jakarta for the delivery of 11 Su-35 fighter jets became known in early 2018. In July 2019, former Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Mohamad Wahid Supriyadi said that the delay in the implementation of the contract was due to the complexity of the trade scheme, which involved both government agencies and companies. In March 2020, Bloomberg reported that Indonesian authorities decided to give up on plans to implement the Su-35 contract with Russia due to a lack of funds in the budget caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and also due to threats from the US to impose sanctions on Indonesia if the contract was implemented. #business #finance #financialservices

Government May Announce Common Charger Rule for Smartphones, Tablets Sold in India Starting in 2025: Report Smartphones sold in India will require a standardised charging connector which is likely to be the widely-used USB Type-C port, according to a report. This new rule is said to be aimed at enabling users to use a single cable to charge multiple devices – a measure to reduce e-waste, similar to the mandate issued by the European Union (EU) in 2022 that goes into effect at the end of this year. The government could also mandate the use of a Type-C port to charge laptops at a later date. Citing people familiar with the matter, Livemint reports that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) may soon direct device manufacturers to include uniform charging ports in smartphones and tablets. This directive is also said to include laptops, but that rule will reportedly come into effect from 2026. The charging port in discussion is speculated to be the modern USB Type-C connector. According to the report, the purported mandate won't include wearable devices such as smartwatches and basic feature phones. This move will reportedly come into effect starting June 2025, and is said to be aimed at reducing the e-waste generated by multiple types of cables used by devices, enabling the user to charge all their devices with one cable. The EU also passed a similar mandate in 2022, making USB Type-C the standard charging port across hardware such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video-game consoles and portable speakers. This move forced Apple to replace its proprietary lightning port with USB Type-C, starting with the iPhone 15 series in 2023. In November 2022, the government reportedly reached a consensus to adopt USB Type-C as the standard method of charging. Following a meeting with stakeholders from the industry, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said at the time, “During the meeting, a broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on adoption of USB Type-C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.” While no timeframe was mentioned at the time, it seems India is now gearing up to announce its common charger rules. The recent report also suggests that, MeitY will provide six months of additional time to “ensure compliance” by all the stakeholders. for more news visit www.2yodoindia.com #2YoDoINDIA #USBTypeC #USBTypeCPort #Smartphones #Tablets #India

𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 & 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐔𝐒 & 𝐔𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬. The Russian military has assembled a force of 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, as it prepares to begin an assault aimed at reclaiming territory seized by Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia, according to US and Ukrainian officials. A new US assessment concludes that Russia has massed the force without having to pull soldiers out of Ukraine’s east — its main battlefield priority — allowing Moscow to press on multiple fronts simultaneously. Russian troops have been clawing back some of the territory that Ukraine captured in Kursk this year. They have been attacking Ukrainian positions with missile strikes and artillery fire, but they have not yet begun a major assault there, US officials said. Ukrainian officials say they expect such an attack involving the North Korean troops in the coming days. For now, the North Koreans are training with Russian forces in the far western part of Kursk. https://lnkd.in/dhkBcbaE

FBR's Rs1 Point-of-Sale fee, intended for documentation and customer rewards, lacks transparency and accountability, raises concerns Read: https://lnkd.in/d5muN-AS

SC Clarifies Karnataka HC’s Division Bench Did Not Extend Interim Restraint on Power TV The Supreme Court confirmed that the Karnataka HC’s division bench, in its July 3, 2024, order, did not extend the interim order issued by a Single Judge restraining Power TV’s broadcast. The original petitioners had withdrawn their petitions, making the interim order ineffective. 📌 Highlights: 1️⃣The Supreme Court allowed the competent authority to act on the show-cause notice issued to Power TV for broadcasting without a valid license since 2021. 2️⃣Allegations surfaced of political motives behind the action against Power TV. Next hearing on March 4, 2025. Case Name: M/S. Power Smart Media Pvt. Ltd. and Anr. v. Union of India and Anr. https://lnkd.in/d-eR2fmA #lawupdate #supremecourt #powertvcase #indianlaw #legalnews

A 47-year-old Indian national, Periyasamy Mathiyazhagan, has been sentenced to nine weeks in prison for failing to return SGD 25,000 mistakenly sent to him. The funds were intended for a company loan repayment. Despite knowing the money was not his, he used it to pay off debts and sent some to his family in India. Interestingly, this case highlights the legal complexities surrounding misappropriated funds and the challenges in recovering them. What do you think should happen in such situations? Share your thoughts!