RAHUL YATRA DAY 29: SONIA JOINS MARCH BRIEFLY

Congress president Sonia Gandhi joined top party leader and her son Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Mandya district Thursday, which marked the 7th day of the Karnataka leg of the Yatra.

Sonia walked for about a km before Rahul asked her to travel by car for a distance. However, she joined the march again for about a km from Jakkanahalli to Chowdenhalli, where the first half of the day’s march ended. She then left for Delhi.

This was the 29th day of the Rahul-led countrywide Yatra, with the march across the Pandavapura and Nelamangala constituencies in the Vokkaliga heartland of Mandya drawing huge crowds, even as it stretched for more than a km.

Local Congress workers and supporters from various villages joined the Yatra through which it passed, even as party activists were also ferried from various constituencies of Bengaluru Urban district for the march.

Hundreds of Congress workers had lined up along the streets during the Yatra, which drew one of its biggest crowds since it entered the poll-bound Karnataka on September 30.

Rahul charged that two Indias were being created under the BJP dispensation, pointing to the second richest person in the world being an Indian despite the country having the largest population of poor people. “While one India is walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, peacefully, affectionately and with humility,” he said, “there is another India of a few people with unlimited wealth, they can have anything they want but the youth cannot find jobs.”

INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTE ON CHINA'S 'RIGHTS ABUSES'

India on Thursday abstained from voting on a draft resolutions pertaining to the situation in China.

India’s abstention was crucial in a West-led motion to hold a debate about alleged human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region after a UN report found possible crimes against humanity.

The motion was defeated by 19 against 17 in favour with 11 abstentions.

China’s ambassador had warned shortly before the vote that the motion would create a “dangerous shortcut” for examining other countries’ human rights records. “Today China is targeted. Tomorrow any other developing country will be targeted,” said Chen Xu.

The draft resolution was presented by a core group consisting of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA, and co-sponsored by a range of states, including Turkey.

China director at Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson, said in a statement that for the first time in its history, the UN's top human rights body considered a proposal to debate the human rights situation in the Xinjiang region of China. ”While the Council's failure to adopt the proposal is an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of Uyghur victims, the extremely close vote highlights the growing number of states willing to take a stand on principle and shine a spotlight on China's sweeping rights violations,” Richardson said.

Richardson noted that ”nothing will erase the stain of China's cr against humanity, laid bare” by a recent report of former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO FACILITATE SOLUTION TO UKRAINE CRISIS: EAM JAISHANKAR

India is willing to do whatever it can to facilitate a solution to the Ukraine crisis, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday, as he highlighted how India pressed Moscow on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine when the two countries stepped up fighting near the highly sensitive facility.

Jaishankar, who is in Auckland on his first visit to New Zealand as the External Affairs Minister, during a lengthy interaction with Simon Bridges, the CEO of Auckland Business Chamber, said when it comes to Ukraine, it is natural that different countries and different regions would react a little differently.

The people will view it from their viewpoint, their immediate interest, historical experiences, their insecurities, he said. “To me, the diversities of the world which are quite evident will also naturally lead to a differential response and I would not disrespect the position of other countries as I can see that many of them are coming from their threat perception, their anxiety, their equities in Ukraine,” he said.

In this situation, Jaishnakar said he would see what India can do, “which obviously would be in the Indian interest, but also in the best interest of the world.” “When I was in the United Nations, the big concern at that time was the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant because there was some fighting going on in the very proximity to it.” “There was a request to us to press the Russians on that issue which we did. There have been other concerns at various points of time, either different countries have raised with us or the UN has raised with us. I think at this time whatever we can do, we will be willing to do,” Jaishankar said.

He also talked about India’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, saying big problems of the day cannot be solved by one, two or even five countries.

WORLD BANK SLASHES INDIA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 6.5% FOR FY23

The World Bank on Thursday slashed its growth estimate for India by one percentage point to 6.5 per cent for FY23, citing the blowback of the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing global monetary policy tightening. This is the lowest growth estimate by any multilateral agency for FY23. The IMF, which projected India’s economy to grow at 7.4 per cent, is expected to revise its estimate next week.

In its latest South Asia Economic Update, the multilateral lending agency said economic growth in India would slow in FY23 because the country was coming off a strong recovery in FY22.

Last week, the Reserve Bank of India pared its growth estimate for FY23 to 7 per cent from 7.2 per cent estimated earlier.

The WTO on Wednesday slashed its forecast for global trade volume growth to 1 per cent from 3.4 per cent estimated earlier, which could adversely impact exports from India, which contracted in September for the first time in 19 months.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Oct 6

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 2,521

Active Cases 32,282 (-1,036)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,28,745 (4)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

22 CHILDREN AMONG 37 KILLED BY EX-COP AT THAI DAYCARE CENTRE

A former policeman killed 37 persons, including 22 children, in a knife-and-gun rampage at a daycare centre in Thailand on Thursday. He later shot dead his wife and child at their home before turning his weapon on himself, the police said, identifying the suspect as 34-year-old Panya Kamrap.

In one of the world’s worst child death tolls in a massacre by a single killer in recent history, most of the children who died in Uthai Sawan, a town 500 km northeast of Bangkok, were stabbed to death, the police said. The age range of children was from two to five years, a local official said.

The police said the attacker was a former member of the force who was dismissed from his post last year over drug allegations and he was facing trial. The man had been in court earlier in the day and had then gone to the daycare centre to collect his child, said police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon. When he did not find his child there, he began the killing spree, Paisal said. “He started shooting, slashing, killing children.” Videos posted on social media showed sheets covering what appeared to be the bodies of children lying in pools of blood in the garden of the daycare centre.

Gun laws are strict in Thailand, where possession of an illegal firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. But ownership is high compared with some other countries in Southeast Asia. The police, however said the gun used in the shooting had been obtained legally.

PUTIN ALLIES SLAM RUSSIAN DEF MIN, MILITARY BRASS FOR ‘INCOMPETENCE’

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine on Thursday suggested President Vladimir Putin’s defence minister should consider killing himself due to the shame of the defeats in the Ukraine war, an astonishing public insult to Russia’s top brass. After more than seven months of war, Russia’s most basic war aims are still not achieved while Russian forces have suffered a series of battlefield defeats in recent months, forcing Putin to announce a partial mobilisation.

Public criticism of Russia’s top military brass, once taboo, is also mounting after two allies of Putin criticised what they said was the incompetent way the war was being prosecuted.

In a four-minute video message, Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy head of the annexed Kherson region, publicly lambasted the “generals and ministers” in Moscow for failing to understand the problems on the front. “Indeed, many say: if they were a defence minister who had allowed such a state of affairs, they could, as officers, have shot themselves,” Stremousov said. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, ridiculed generals, saying the military was riddled with nepotism and that senior officers should be stripped of their ranks and sent to the front barefoot to atone for their sins. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu is one of Putin’s closest allies. The defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

THE REST

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SHASHI THAROOR URGES EVERYONE TO JOIN HIM TO MAKE A ‘REJUVENATED CONGRESS’

Congress MP and a candidate for the party’s presidential election Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said that he is very happy to have the support of young people in the party and urged everyone to join them him in making a “rejuvenated Congress”, to lead young India.

“I am very happy to have the support of young people in the party...I am not turning away any support be it young or old. We need everyone to join us in this adventure of making a rejuvenated Congress to lead young India,” said the Congress leader.

Tharoor is currently campaigning for the upcoming presidential polls of the party in which he is up against the veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

‘EVEN MY WIFE DOESN’T SCOLD ME AS MUCH AS LG SAHIB’: KEJRIWAL ASKS SAXENA TO ‘CHILL A BIT’

With his government at loggerheads with Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena over multiple issues, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said even his wife does not “scold” him as much as the LG.

The AAP supremo, tongue firmly in cheek, said in a tweet he has not received as many “love letters” from his wife “in the entire life” as he has from the LG in just six months.

“LG sahib, chill a bit!” Kejriwal said in his tweet in Hindi. “And ask your super boss also to chill a bit.” Kejriwal’s remarks came days after Saxena in a letter accused the chief minister and his ministerial colleagues of showing “utter disregard” towards the commemoration of the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri by not attending events at Raj Ghat and Vijay Ghat.

Last week, Saxena had written to Kejriwal to expedite permissions for felling of trees, citing the delay in infrastructure projects.

After Saxena took over as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in May, he has ordered probes into a host of initiatives of the Kejriwal government including the now withdrawn excise policy, construction of classrooms, and hospitals. He also recently ordered a probe in the Delhi’s power subsidy scheme.

MOB ENTERS HERITAGE MADRASA IN KARNATAKA ON DUSSEHRA, PERFORMS PUJA

A mob that was part of a Dussehra procession in Karnataka's Bidar allegedly broke into a heritage madrasa on Wednesday night, shouted slogans and performed a puja in a corner of the building. A police case has been registered against nine people and four have been arrested. Muslim organisations have threatened protests if no one is arrested by Friday.

Built-in the 1460s, the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar is a designated heritage site under the Archeological Survey of India. The structure is also listed among monuments of national importance. The mob broke the lock of the madrasa and entered it, the police said.

Critics have accused the BJP of turning parts of the state into a crucible for communal experiments. The allegations started after the row over a hijab ban in educational institutions and spiked as Hindu groups insisted on banning Muslim traders from temple fairs. In August, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated at Hubballi's Idgah ground.

GAMBIA RECALLS INDIA-MADE COUGH SYRUPS BLAMED FOR 66 CHILD DEATHS

Gambia has launched a door-to-door campaign to immediately remove India-made cough and cold syrups blamed for deaths of 66 children in the West African country.

The WHO issued a medical alert in response to the deaths, labelling the four products – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup – made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited as “substandard medical products".

The Indian drug regulator is still awaiting the WHO report on the alleged causal relation of death of 66 kids in Gambia with the Indian products in question.

But Bhavneet Bharti, Director-Principal, BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali, says:, “This is a shocker. The same contaminant we had flagged in 2020 is now being linked to potential deaths of children in Gambia. The issue is of regulatory oversight. While we cut costs to produce more and more drugs, we need to ensure good and safe manufacturing practices. Manufacturers often lack awareness regarding the potential fatality of certain compounds. No one does these things intentionally, but awareness is critical.”

AKASA AIR TO ALLOW PETS IN CABIN, CARGO FROM NOV

Akasa Air, which took to the skies two months ago, will allow domesticated dogs and cats in cabin as well as cargo from November and will also be starting new routes in the coming weeks.

The airline, which is "well capitalised", plans to start international services in the second half of 2023 once it has a fleet of 20 planes.

Each pet will have to be in a cage. The weight limit, including the cage, will be 7 kilograms in the case of cabin and 32 kilograms in check-in.

AIRTEL UNVEILS PLAN TO ROLL OUT 5G SERVICES IN 8 CITIES

Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it has launched “Airtel 5G Plus” services in eight cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi - and would cover all of urban India in 2023.

Customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi will start enjoying the cutting-edge Airtel 5G Plus services in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the roll out. Customers who have 5G smart phones will enjoy the high-speed Airtel 5G Plus on their existing data plans until the roll out is more widespread, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

Airtel 5G Plus will bolster the entire portfolio of services that Airtel offers. In addition, it will allow superfast access to High Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more.

FRENCH WRITER ANNIE ERNAUX GETS NOBEL FOR LITERATURE

French author Annie Ernaux won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday for “the courage and clinical acuity” in her largely autobiographical books examining personal memory and social inequality.

Annie Ernaux is the first French woman to win the prize and just the 17th woman among 119 Nobel literature laureates. Much of her material came out of her experiences being raised in a working-class family in Normandy. Her autobiographies explore personal experiences — love, abortion and shame.

In explaining its choice, the Swedish Academy said Ernaux (82) “consistently and from different angles examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class”.

ODI SERIES: S AFRICA START WITH A WIN AT LUCKNOW

Below-par death bowling coupled with ordinary fielding and batting hurt a second-string Indian team as they slumped to a nine-run defeat against South Africa in the rain-truncated first ODI of the three-match series in Lucknow on Thursday.

Opting to bowl in the rain-hit 40-over-a-side game, India started well, reducing South Africa to 110 for 4 in 22.4 overs before David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen hit stroke-filled half-centuries to guide South Africa to 249 for 4.

India endured a disastrous start to their chase, losing both Shubman Gill (3) and skipper Shikhar Dhawan (4) cheaply to be reduced to 8 for 2 inside six overs.

Ishan Kishan and debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad then tried to stabilise the innings with a 48-run partnership for the third wicket. But some quick work behind the stumps by Quinton de Kock saw the back of Gaikwad, off the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi, as India slumped to 48 for 3 in 16.4 overs.

Iyer, a part of the reserves for the T20 World Cup squad, helped his cause with a 37-ball 50 and together with Sanju Samson shared 67 runs for the fifth wicket to keep India in the hunt.

Samson and Thakur then produced a 93-run partnership of just 64 balls for the sixth wicket.

With India needing 45 off the last three overs, Ngidi struck twin blows, dismissing Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav in successive balls to hand South Africa the upper hand.

Needing 30 off the last over, Samson tried his best, smashing one six and three fours but it was not enough as India fell short by 9 runs.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is the besetting vice of democracies to substitute public opinion for law. This is the usual form in which the masses of men exhibit their tyranny. - James F Cooper

OFF TRACK

One night a fellow drove his colleague home after she had imbibed a little too much at an office reception. Although this was an innocent gesture, he decided not to mention it to his wife, who tended to get jealous easily.

The next night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant. Suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden under the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car.

With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That's when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.

"Honey," she asked, "have you seen my other shoe?"