16 AUGUST 2016

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan for its support to terrorism and thanked the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for their recent messages of support.

Ø  Asserting India’s right to question Tahawwur Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley charged in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, senior officials of the Home Ministry quietly visited the United States early this month to press for his extradition. The ‘double jeopardy’ clause in the U.S. law prohibits punishment for the same crime twice, so India has renewed its attempt to seek Rana’s custody on the ground that he was actively involved in planning an attack on the National Defence College in Delhi and Chabad Houses (Jewish religious centres) in several cities.

Ø  Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is expected to visit India in January next year, Portuguese Consul-General Goa Rui Baceira said. As you are aware, he is of Goan and Indian origin. We are very pleased as a Consulate to have him here. Mr. Costa, who assumed charge as Prime Minister of Portugal in November last year, hails from Margao in south Goa. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parserkar and Deputy Chief Minister Francisco D’Souza have already expressed their desire to formally invite Mr. Costa to Goa, an erstwhile Portuguese colony liberated in 1961.

Ø  India and Russia made significant progress in the discussions for modernisation of all Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the visit of a Russian team last month. An agreement is possible by the year-end, senior officials say. The upgrade will give the fight jets new avionics and radar, improved stealth characteristics to reduce the radar cross-section, better electronic warfare capability and new weapons. Though the quantum of the deal is not finalised, some officials said it could be in the range of $7-8 billion.  India had signed the initial agreement with Russia in the late 1990s for procuring 50 Su-30 multi-role fighter jets in a fly-away condition.  Then, it ordered 272 Su-30MKI fighter jets to be made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Nasik. Most of the aircraft to be made by HAL have been delivered, and the entire lot of 222 aircraft is expected to be completed in the next couple of years. The HAL has a production rate of 10-12 aircraft a year. This comes in the backdrop of the delay in concluding the final deal for the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) to be developed by India and Russia, besides the delay in concluding an agreement for the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets and in the induction of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft. A preliminary design agreement was signed in 2010 between HAL and Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau to make the FGFA for use by both countries. So far, both sides have invested $295 million in the preliminary design. But, the final agreement got stuck because of the disagreements over the work share and investment.

Ø  The Centre plans to ease norms for aircraft leasing firms to enable them to take back aircraft quickly from defaulting airlines in a bid to make its regional connectivity scheme more attractive for such lessors, according to a top government official.