NEERAJ CHOPRA CREATES HISTORY AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships when he pipped Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem in the men's javelin on Sunday.

Chopra won Olympic gold in Tokyo but managed only a silver at the worlds in Eugene last year. The only other Indian to win a medal at the worlds was Anju Bobby George, who took bronze in the women's long jump in 2003 in Paris.

Chopra soared into the lead on his second attempt with an 88.17 metre effort, with the 25-year-old turning his back and celebrating in trademark fashion with his arms aloft immediately after his throw, knowing it was good.

Pakistan's Nadeem, coming back from elbow surgery and a knee injury, produced his season's best effort of 87.82 on his third attempt to win the silver medal, while the Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch took the bronze with 86.67.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM BRICS SUMMIT

Afghanistan is missing from the BRICS declaration, but the document mentioned the “legitimate” aspirations of India, Brazil and South Africa to be part of the UN Security Council, acknowledged G20 as a premier multilateral forum and called the Russia-Ukraine war a “conflict” this time instead of “situation”.

These are some of the key takeaways emerging from the BRICS leaders’ summit in Johannesburg as tough diplomatic negotiations and the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping played out in the run-up to the declaration.

On UN Security Council reforms, the BRICS declaration introduced the phrase “legitimate aspirations” and the word “democratic” in the paragraph. Last year, BRICS had merely talked about “aspirations” of India, Brazil and South Africa and making the UNSC “representative, effective and efficient”.

On the issue of the Russia-Ukraine war, the BRICS declaration used the word “conflict in and around Ukraine”, instead of last year’s formulation of the “situation in Ukraine” .

“We recall our national positions concerning the conflict in and around Ukraine as expressed at the appropriate fora, including the UNSC and UNGA. We note with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, including the African Leaders Peace Mission and the proposed path for peace,” the declaration said this time. There was, however, no mention of the Black Sea Grain Initiative which was an important issue this time.

Afghanistan was a noteworthy miss, especially considering that there was an extensive paragraph on it in the June 2022 declaration. Last time, the BRICS declaration had said it strongly supports a peaceful Afghanistan while emphasising on national reconciliation, an inclusive political structure and rights of all Afghans including women and children.

BRICS — largely portrayed as an anti-West platform — acknowledged G20 as a “premier multilateral forum” and the “Indian Presidency” this time. It helped that two more BRICS countries — Brazil and South Africa — will preside over the G20 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

PM MODI’S ‘MANN KI BAAT’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described the Chandrayaan-3, the third Indian lunar exploration mission, as a living example of women-led development and hailed the collective efforts of varied sectors in bringing the historic efforts to fruition.

Addressing the 104th episode of Mann ki Baat, his monthly radio broadcast, the Prime Minister also called India’s ongoing G20 presidency the “people’s presidency” and said several citizen records had been set during the period, even as “India made G-20 a more inclusive forum.”

The PM especially mentioned the African Union joining the G-20 on India’s invitation and the voice of the people of Africa reaching an important global platform.

Commencing his address with salutations for ISRO scientists for the historic Chandrayaan-3 landing on the lunar south pole, the Prime Minister said: “India’s Mission Chandrayaan is a live example of woman power. Many women scientists and engineers have been directly involved in this entire mission. They have handled many important responsibilities like project director, project manager of different systems. The daughters of India are now challenging even the Space which is considered infinite. When the daughters of a country become so ambitious, who can stop that country from becoming developed!”

Seeking people’s support to make the G20 summit a grand success, the PM said G20 had become a medium whereby the world is waking up to the immense potential of India.

Noting that the govt had taken G20 events to 60 cities rather than confining these to the national capital, the PM added, “Wherever the G-20 delegates went, people warmly welcomed them. These delegates were very impressed, seeing the diversity of our country and our vibrant democracy. They also realised that there are so many possibilities in India.”

DEATH PROPOSED FOR LYNCHING UNDER BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA BILL, 2023

Five years after the Supreme Court recommended to Parliament to make a special law categorising lynching as a separate offence with severe punishment, mob lynching has been proposed to be made punishable with the death penalty under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023.

Introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 11, the Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code. It has been referred to the department-related Standing Committee on Home Affairs for wider scrutiny and suggestions.

Clause 101 of the Bill prescribes the death penalty as the maximum punishment for murder. Clause 101(2) of the Bill says, “When a group of five or more persons, acting in concert, commits murder on the grounds of race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other grounds, each member of such group shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

It means when a murder is committed by a group of five or more persons and it is done on the grounds of race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other grounds, each individual in that group will face the death penalty or life imprisonment or a prison term of seven years or more.

The SC on July 17, 2018, asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying “horrendous acts of mobocracy” could not be allowed to become a new norm.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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IMRAN QUESTIONED IN CYPHER CASE; ADMITS LOSING DIPLOMATIC CABLE

Pakistan’s incarcerated former PM Imran Khan has admitted to misplacing the cipher that he had previously blamed for an alleged conspiracy against his govt by the US. The admission came during an interrogation by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday in Attock jail, where Khan is serving a three-year sentence for a graft case related to the failure to report details of gifts from the state treasure house in annual asset declarations to the nation’s election commission.

The cipher controversy emerged just before Khan’s removal from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He had brandished a paper claiming it was a cable from Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, suggesting US authorities sought to overthrow his govt.

During the interrogation, Khan reportedly admitted: “I cannot recall where I kept it (cipher).” He stated that the paper he gestured to at a public gathering last year was not the cipher but rather cabinet meeting minutes. He claimed that it was his right as the PM to have the document, but couldn’t explain why he presented it as the cipher in public.

This is the second time Khan has been interrogated by the agency in Attock jail in the past month. Sources said this session likely marked the conclusion of the investigation into the cipher issue, with the investigation expected to be finalised in the coming week.

INDIAN-ORIGIN WOMEN GIVEN RADIOACTIVE CHAPATIS IN 1969 UK MEDICAL TRIAL

A UK Opposition Labour Party member of Parliament and shadow minister for women and equalities has called for a statutory inquiry into medical research dating back to the 1960s that led to Indian-origin women being given chapatis containing radioactive isotopes to combat iron deficiency.

Around 21 Indian-origin women identified through a general practitioner (GP) in the city were given the bread containing Iron-59, an iron isotope, as part of a research trial in 1969 into iron deficiency in the city’s South Asian population. “My foremost concern is for the women and the families of those who were experimented on in this study,” said Owatemi.

“I will be calling for a debate on this as soon as possible after Parliament returns in September followed by a full Statutory Inquiry into how this was allowed to happen, and why the recommendation of the MRC [Medical Research Council] report to identify the women was never followed up so that they can share their stories, receive any support needed, and so that lessons are learnt,” she said.

According to a BBC report, it emerged at the time that about 21 women were involved in the experiment after seeking medical help from a city GP for minor ailments. The study was carried out due to concerns of widespread anaemia among South Asian women and researchers suspected traditional South Asian diets were to blame. Chapatis containing Iron-59, an iron isotope with a gamma-beta emitter, were delivered to participants’ homes. They would later be invited to a research facility in Oxfordshire to have their radiation levels assessed.

It was reported that the MRC said the study proved that “Asian women should take extra iron because the iron in the flour was insoluble”. The MRC said in a statement it remained committed to the highest standards, including “commitment to engagement, openness and transparency”.

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MODI CALLS FOR GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL USE OF AI, FLAGS BIAS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for a global framework for ethical use of artificial intelligence as he flagged concerns surrounding bias in such modern technologies and their impact on the society.

Days ahead of the G20 Summit, the prime minister also made a strong case for developing an integrated approach to deal with issues concerning cryptocurrencies.

He was addressing B20 Summit India 2023 organised by CII.

"Today, the world is showing a lot of excitement regarding AI. But amidst the excitement there are also some ethical considerations. Regarding skilling and re-skilling, concern is being raised about algorithm bias and its impact on the society. Such issues also have to be resolved together," he added.

NO PERMISSION FOR NUH YATRA: HARYANA CM MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR

A day after the VHP asserted that the planned Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra will take place in Nuh district on Monday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar appealed to devotees to offer prayers at local temples on the last Monday of the holy Shravan month instead of going to other places in the state.

The CM Sunday said permission for the proposed yatra has been declined as a precautionary step keeping in view the (violence) that took place a month ago.

Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the Nuh district administration has already ordered the closure of educational institutions and banks on Monday, suspended mobile Internet and bulk SMS services, and imposed prohibitory orders in the communally-sensitive district. It has also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, preventing the assembly of four or more people in an area, till Monday.

ROW OVER PM NAMING MOON LANDING SITE ‘SHIV SHAKTI POINT’ NEEDLESS: ISRO CHIEF

PM Narendra Modi naming the lunar landmark where Chandrayaan-3 touched down as “Shiv Shakti” is as much a prerogative as a tradition for the country, ISRO chairman S Somanath said, weighing in on what he said was a needless controversy.

Describing both “Shiv Shakti” and “Tiranga point”, where Chandrayaan-2 crashlanded, as “Indian-sounding names’’, the Isro chairman said, “The PM talked about the concept of male and female energies. The contribution of the women of Isro, and the need to create a type of synergy in the organisation, is reflected in the choice of name...There is nothing wrong with that.”

Somanath also opened up after a visit to the Sree Pournamikavu temple at Venganoor near Kerala’s Vizhinjam on Sunday. He spoke of his own faith in science and spirituality as being distinct and independent of each other. “There is no need to mix science and spirituality. I come here since this temple gives me spiritual strength for all the work I do. I am a religious man, and have been a regular visitor to this temple since my childhood. It has nothing to do with Chandrayaan. This is my personal space,” he said.

‘PRO-KHALISTAN’ SLOGANS FOUND ON OUTER WALLS OF 5 METRO STATIONS

Sikh extremists allegedly defaced the outer walls of at least five metro stations in Delhi Sunday. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the US-based secessionist group banned in India, has claimed responsibility for the ‘pro-Khalistan’ slogans which mention ‘SFJ’ by name.

“Modi India has committed genocide of Sikhs”, “Delhi banega Khalistan (Delhi will become Khalistan)” and “Khalistan referendum zindabad (long live the Khalistan referendum”, were some of the slogans found painted on the outer walls of the metro stations.

Sikhs for Justice also released raw footage from the various metro stations in question.

A FIR has been lodged. “Legal action is being taken,” said a senior police officer.

TWO MORE STUDENTS DIE BY SUICIDE IN KOTA

Two teens died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota Sunday, police said, taking this year’s student suicide count at the coaching hub to 23 — already the highest in the last eight years.

One of these students was a 17-year-old NEET aspirant who jumped to his death from the sixth floor of a coaching institute. The class 12 student hailed from Maharashtra’s Latur district and had been staying with his grandparents in the city for the last three years, police said.

Later in the evening, an 18-year-old student from Bihar, also preparing for the medical entrance, was found hanging in his hostel room.

Just by August this year, student suicides cases have far outstripped last year’s number even as the district administration scrambles to introduce measures to stop the deaths — with little effect.

UPTICK IN EXPORTS HELP OIL REFINERS MAINTAIN HIGH RUN RATES

With domestic demand for fuels and other petroleum products witnessing a slump due to the monsoon rains, India’s refined products exports has witnessed an uptick, helping the country’s refiners keep refinery runs high at a time when refining margins are robust globally, shows an analysis of data shared by commodity market analytics and intelligence firm Kpler.

The cumulative clean product exports from India in August have so far been the highest since May 2022, with jet fuel exports at a historic high.

So far in August, India’s jet fuel exports have averaged at a record high of 242,382 barrels per day (bpd). The previous peak of 206,871 bpd was in June 2018.

As for cumulative clean products, India exported 1.29 million bpd in August, the highest since May last year when the export volumes stood at 1.32 million bpd.

LUNAR SURFACE BLOWS HOT, COLD: 60°C DIFFERENCE WITHIN 8 CM DEPTH

The ISRO on Sunday released a graph of the temperature variation on the lunar surface and a senior scientist of the space agency expressed surprise over the high temperature recorded on the moon.

The space agency said Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) payload onboard Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon’s surface.

At a depth of 8 cm, the payload recorded temperature as low as -10°C. With the gradual rise towards the surface, the temperature could be seen rising. Above the surface, the graph showed relative stagnancy in temperature between 50-60°C.

“These are the first observations from the ChaSTE payload onboard the Vikram lander. ChaSTE measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon’s surface,” ISRO said in an update on social media platform X.

ISRO scientist BHM Darukesha said: “We all believed that the temperature could be somewhere around 20°C on the surface but it is quite high.” “The graph illustrates the temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths, as recorded during the probe’s penetration. This is the first such profile for the lunar south pole. Detailed observations are underway,” ISRO said in a statement.

INDIAN MEN'S 4X400 RELAY TEAM BEATS ASIAN RECORD, BUT ENDS UP 5TH IN FINALS

After 2 minutes and 59.05 seconds on the track at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday night, the Indian 4×400 metre relay quartet of Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh became household names.

The unheralded relay squad not only broke the Asian record but also became the first Indian team to reach a World Championship final. The Americans were in the same heat as the Indians. But instead of getting bogged down by the pressure, the Indians ran the race of their lives. On air, commentators were thrilled with the unexpected result and the mighty scare the US got.

The lasting image, though it was just for a fleeting second, was Ramesh overtaking American Justin Robinson in the final leg. While they didn't win any medal in the final on Sunday night (they came 5th), the viral video of Saturday race has joined the list of iconic moments in Indian sport.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Wail not for precious chances passed away, Weep not for golden ages on the wane! Each night I burn the records of the day, At sunrise every soul is born again! - Walter Malone

OFF TRACK

A guy ordered a drink in an airport cocktail lounge and suddenly realized that sitting across from him was Bill Gates.

Barely concealing his enthusiasm, he introduced himself, "Hello, Mr. Gates. My name is Larry. You don't know me, but I'd like to ask you for a small favor."

A wary Gates asked, "And what might that be?"

"I'm meeting with a potential client here in a few minutes and if I can sign this deal, it could change my whole life. All I ask is that you walk over and greet me like an old friend. Perhaps my client will be impressed enough to swing the deal."

Relieved, Gates said, "Sure. I can do that for you."

A few minutes later, as the man sat talking with his client, Gates finished his drink, walked over to them, and said, "Hey, Larry! I thought that was you. How've you been?"

And the guy replied, "Get lost, Bill! I'm in a meeting here!"