Highlights: SAARC foreign ministers meeting stands cancelled, reports ANI

The foreign ministers meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries stands cancelled due to lack of concurrence from all member states as of today, reports ANI. 

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met with the foreign minister of Indonesia and discussed regional developments. He called it “A good meeting with a key ASEAN partner.”

External affairs minister S Jaishankar called on Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and discussed the recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region, reports ANI. 

The Union ministry of education formed a National Steering Committee. for three years, for the Development of National Curriculum Frameworks under the Chairmanship of K Kasturirangan with 12 members (including the chairman), reports ANI. 

The Department of Telecommunications issued a series of orders simplifying the KYC processes and thereby initiating the telecom reforms in Aadhaar based e-KYC, Self-KYC and OTP based conversion of mobile connection from prepaid to postpaid and vice-versa, reports ANI.

India has posted 22% rise in export of agricultural and processed food products during April-August (2021-22), beating Covid-19 disruptions, according to an official statement.

The Congress has appointed Pargat Singh and Yoginder Pal Dhingra as the general secretaries and Gulzar Inder Chahal as the treasurer in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, reports ANI.

The government of India has appointed Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff as the next Chief of Air Staff. Current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria retires from Service on September 30, reports ANI.

US President Joe Biden said that the country does not seek a “new Cold War” in reference to China, reports AFP. 

Joe Biden said that the US will continue to defends itself and its allies against terrorist threats. 

US President Joe Biden said that a new mechanism to finance global health security is needed for the future. “We need to act now, expand access to treatment to save lives around the world,” Biden said, reports ANI. 

The Jammu and Kashmir police said that one civilian has been injured after terrorists fired upon the security forces near Lassipora Khag village, Budgam. Also, Lachmanpora Beerwah is under cordon and search is going on, reports ANI. 

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and deputy CMs OP Soni and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa arrived at the residence of Congress leader KC Venugopal, reports ANI.

India forecasts record summer food grain output of 150.5 million tonne, despite erratic weather patterns.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said that while the world developed a vaccine for Covid-19 “in record time”, lack of political will, selfishness and mistrust have undone the gains, reports ANI. “We passed the science test, but we get F in ethics,” he said.

The United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres said that the “climate crisis is pummeling the planet,” reports ANI.

Kerala reported 15,768 new Covid-19 cases and 214 deaths and the death toll climbed to 23,897. The state currently has 161,195 active cases of the disease, reports ANI. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to act jointly and with Europe in the Indo-Pacific region and also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Macron also welcomed India's decision to resume Covid vaccine exports, reports ANI citing Emmanuel Lenain, French ambassador to India.

The Allahabad High Court rejected the bail plea of station officer Vinay Tiwari and sub-inspector KK Sharma who were arrested for allegedly leaking information about police action to gangster Vikas Dubey resulting in Bikru village ambush on July 3, 2020, in which eight policemen were gunned down by the gangster.

The Court started with the famous statement made by Justice VR Krishna Iyer "Who will police the police" 40 years ago in a judgment.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar is set to meet with his French counterpart today in New York, reports ANI.

Former Congress MLA and AICC secretary Mainul Haque has submitted his resignation to the party and is set to join the Trinamool Congress on September 23, reports ANI. 

NIA along with the state police arrested arrested a charge-sheeted, absconding accused from Bengaluru City yesterday in connection to the DJ Halli police station rioting case, which was originally registered on August 12, 2020, at DJ Halli police station, Bengaluru, reports ANI. 

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Sharad Pawar is the main pillar of the Maharashtra government and said that the remarks by Sena leader Anant Geete is not the statement of the party, reports ANI. 

Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said that the UK's non-recognition of Covishield is a ‘discriminating policy’ and also said that the issue will be resolved, reports ANI. 

PM Narendra Modi would leave to the US by September 22 and would also participate in the Covid-19 global summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, reports ANI quoting foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.