[NEWS OF THE DAY]

1. PM had bilateral meeting with UN chief Guterres in Gujarat, before launching LiFE
2. Indian Embassy in Ukraine Asks Indians to Leave ‘At the Earliest’
3. China puts hold on proposal by India, US at UN to blacklist Hafiz Saeed’s son
4. India, Pak officials joined Muscat event in Sept to encourage engagement
5. Terrorist kills J&K hybrid ultra captured by security forces

What Else

6. Bomb threat calls received by Mumbai police, Security beefed up
7. This Diwali, PM to give 75,000 young people across the country
8. Closely tracking Pulitzer Prize winner Sanna Irshad Mattoo’s case: United States
9. Two dead, 10 injured after BRO tipper truck overturns in Ladakh,
10. Indian Army jawan custodial torture: 4 officers transferred for brutal assault in Kerala
11. XXB ‘likely’ to be most contagious covid variant as cases surge across Maharashtra
12. Chinese Prez Xi’s visit had no substantial impact on Nepal-China ties
13. US, Japan raise concerns over China buying land near military bases
14. At least 1,400 US-based ethnic Chinese scientists exited American institutions for mainland China, study reveals
15. US Navy should prepare for an invasion of Taiwan as soon as this year, fleet chief says
16. Pak: NA passes amendment requiring speaker’s approval before arresting a lawmaker

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PM Modi to have bilateral meeting with UN chief Guterres in Gujarat before launching LiFE

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting with UN Secy General Antonio Guterres at Kevadia in Gujarat on Thu.
• Thereafter, the PM will launch Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) in the presence of UNSG at the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia.
• Mission LiFE is a global plan of action aimed at saving the planet from the disastrous consequences of climate change.
• The launch comes ahead of next month’s mega UN climate meet in Egypt.
• The PM will also participate in the 10^th Heads of Indian Missions (envoys from the world) Conference, which is being organized from Oct 20 to 22 in Kevadia by the MEA.
• PM will also lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth around Rs 1970 cr at Vyara in Tapi. (here)
• “We have to choose cooperation over division“, the French President as he extends support to India’s Life mission.
• Besides, France, other world leaders praised this move including the UK PM, President of Madagascar, PM of Estonia, Maldives’ President, and PM of Georgia.

Indian Embassy in Ukraine Asks Indians to Leave ‘At the Earliest’

• The Indian embassy in Ukraine has issued a fresh advisory asking Indian citizens currently in the country to leave Ukraine “at the earliest by available means.”
• “In view of the deteriorating security situation and recent escalation of hostilities across Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised against traveling to Ukraine,” the embassy said.
• India’s new advisory recalls a time earlier this year when hourly advisories were being issued as the war 1^st broke out in the region, stranding thousands of Indians.
• A Russian missile strike hit a major thermal power station in the city of Burshtyn in western Ukraine, the region’s governor said. (here)

China puts hold on proposal by India, US at UN to blacklist Hafiz Saeed’s son

• China on Wed put a hold for 5^th time since Jun, on a proposal by India and US at the UN to blacklist Pak-based militant Hafiz Talah Saeed, a 2^nd such move within 2 days.
• Hafiz Talha Saeed, 46, is a key leader of the dreaded terrorist group LeT and the son of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
• Just a day before, China also put hold the listing of Shahid Mahmood, who had been designated by the US in 2016 for facilitating LeT fundraising, etc. (here)
• India listed Talha Saeed as a terrorist under UAPA in April 2022.

India, Pak officials joined Muscat event in Sept to encourage engagement

• Serving and retired officials from India and Pakistan participated in a conference organized recently by the IIS in Oman with the stated aim of encouraging engagement between the two.
• The Conference saw the officials from the two sides participating in “off the record” sessions that were held behind closed doors.
• Source- there were no bilateral meetings between the two sides though there were extensive discussions during the various sessions of the conference held Sept 17-18.
• The participation of an Indian delegation that included the MEA’s point person for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, and at least 2 ex-officials from the intelligence setup.
• Pakistan was represented by ex-foreign secy, the special representative for Afghanistan, and Brig, the director of strategic communications in ISI.
• Haneef Atmar, the foreign minister in the former Afghan govt led by president Ashraf Ghani, also participated in the conference, the people said. (here)

2 dead, 10 injured after BRO tipper truck overturns in Ladakh, Rajnath Singh expresses grief

As many as 2 people died and 10 others were injured after a General Reserve Engineer Force tipper truck toppled in the Sasoma-Saser La area of Ladakh on Wed while road construction work was underway, said defense officials on Thu. (here)

Indian Army jawan custodial torture: 4 officers transferred for brutal assault in Kerala’s Kollam

• Four police officers from a police station in Kollam were transferred after a shocking case of alleged custodial torture came to light.
• An internal investigation revealed that 2 brothers, were falsely accused by some officers and subjected to harsh treatment inside the police station.
• According to the police, the brothers who arrived to bail out the drug-dealing suspects attacked the officers inside the station. (here)

XXB likely to be most contagious covid variant as cases surge across Maharashtra ahead of Diwali

• Even as the festive season draws close, the number of covid-19 cases is rising, especially in Maharashtra, and so does the threat of newer, more dangerous variants.
• According to experts, the XXB variant is being touted as the most contagious one and has seen a dramatic rise in densely populated areas in the past week.
• Maharashtra Health Department has declared an over 17.7% rise in the number of cases from Oct 10 to 16.
• So far, the XXB variant has spread in 17 countries and experts believe that it has a growth advantage over BA.2.75 and BJ.1 sub-variants. (here)

Terrorist kills J&K hybrid ultra captured by security forces

• A suspected “hybrid terrorist”, arrested on charges of killing two migrant apple-pickers from UP early on Tue, was gunned down by a terrorist
• This happened when he was taken to show security forces a hideout at Nowgam village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wed, J&K police said.
• Another raid was conducted on an orchard at Nowgam, where Ganie had said to have met the terrorists who had recruited him and given him a grenade, police said.
• But a terrorist spotted the search party and fired, fatally wounding Ganie.
• PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti demanded an investigation, saying the killing of an accused when he was in custody reaffirms allegations of a “catch-and-kill” policy. (here)

Closely tracking Pulitzer Prize winner Sanna Irshad Mattoo’s case: United States

• The US has said that it is closely tracking the case of Pulitzer ‘Prize’ winner Sanna Irshad Mattoo — a Kashmiri journalist who claimed that authorities stopped her from traveling to New York.
• US Congressman, Adam Schiff, who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that he was “disturbed” to hear this.
• Responding to a question about Mattoo, State Department dy spokesperson said that the US was aware of the reports.
• “…. But I don’t have any other specifics to offer, but we are tracking this closely,” it is said at a regular press briefing on Wed. (here)
• “This decision is arbitrary and excessive. Indian authorities must immediately cease all forms of harassment and intimidation against journalists covering the situation in Kashmir,” Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, in Frankfurt, Germany. [who is seriously under discomfort at the present dispensation in New Delhi.]

Bomb threat calls received by Mumbai police, Security beefed up

• Mumbai police on Wed received a ‘suspicious’ call from an unidentified caller informing that bombs are planted at several key places across Mumbai.
• The suspicious phone call was received on the helpline number 112, in which the caller claimed that 3 bombs have been planted in the city at Infinity Mall Andheri, PVR Mall Juhu, and Sahara Hotel Airport.
• The Mumbai police have beefed security in the targeted places. Attempts are underway to nab the unidentified caller. (here)

This Diwali, PM to give 75,000 young people across the country

• PM Modi will launch Rozgar Mela, the recruitment drive for 10 lakh personnel, on Oct 22 at 11 am via video conferencing.
• During the ceremony, appointment letters will be handed over to 75,000 newly-inducted appointees in various federal departments. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Chinese Prez Xi’s visit had no substantial impact on Nepal-China ties

• Three years since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historic Nepal visit in 2019, there is not much to show for it.
• The Kathmandu Post said that Xi came, Xi saw but Xi couldn’t conquer hurdles in bilateral ties.
• Described as a “watershed” in Nepal-China relations, a 14-point joint statement was issued and a 20-point list of instruments was signed and exchanged.
• Xi had vowed to transform ‘landlocked’ Nepal into a ‘land-linked’ country.
• Separately, during delegation-level talks with President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Xi had announced aid worth Rs 56 billion to Nepal, said KP. (here)

US, Japan raise concerns over China buying land near military bases

• US and Japan have raised concerns over the Chinese company purchasing land in Hokkaido 35 km away from Japanese Air Self-Defense Force radar site while Fufeng Group purchased 300 acres of farmland near Grand Forks, North Dakota in the US.
• While addressing the Lower House Budget Committee session in Japan said, “Is this not a national security issue?”
• The ownership and investment in Japan’s forest region had witnessed a 4.7-fold increase from 2010, as per Japan’s Forestry Agency.
• In 2021, a total of 19 cases of buyers coming from Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, Singapore, and the US are buying land in Hokkaido.
• China has long recognized Hokkaido “as a prize jewel of the North Pacific island chain”.
• It has strengthened its economic influence in the area for decades and is today increasing its military cooperation with Russia. (here)

At least 1,400 US-based ethnic Chinese scientists exited American institutions for mainland China, study reveals

• At least 1,400 US-based ethnic Chinese scientists switched their affiliation last year from American to Chinese institutions, according to a joint report by academics from Harvard, Princeton, and MIT.
• The high number illustrates a “chilling effect” resulting from US govt policies deterring research and academic activity by scientists of Chinese descent and suggests American research could suffer, said the Asian American Scholar Forum.
• “We see an increase in that trend,” said a sociology professor at Princeton University as he presented the report at a webinar on Mon.
• He added that the US had been “losing talent to China for a while and particularly after the China Initiative”. (here)

US Navy should prepare for an invasion of Taiwan as soon as this year, fleet chief says

• A top US Navy official said on Wed that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could take place as soon as this year, based partly on comments by President Xi at a major political conference this week.
• US needs to plan for ‘a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window’ in which Beijing might force unification, Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of US naval operations, says.
• Threats from China and Russia have created the need for a ‘fight tonight’ posture, Gilday adds. (here)

Pakistan: NA passes amendment requiring speaker’s approval before arresting a lawmaker

• The National Assembly on Thu approved amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, which among other things require authorities to seek the NA speaker’s approval before arresting a lawmaker.
• The agenda shared on the NA’s Twitter, Rule 103 — which previously required the authorities to immediately inform the speaker in case of a lawmaker’s arrest — was proposed to be substituted by arrests needing the permission of the speaker. (here)