JAISHANKAR, BLINKEN HOLD TALKS

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington and discussed ways to further the bilateral ties, amid the diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.

"Good to be back here. And we, of course, had the prime minister here this summer. Thanks to the US for all the support to the G20 Summit," S Jaishankar said while appearing before the media along with Blinken ahead of the meeting held at the State Department.

Blinken said he had "very good discussions" over the last few weeks including at the G20 and on the margins of the UN General Assembly session in New York. He said he was looking forward to his discussions with the Indian counterpart.

Although officials from both sides were tight-lipped about the agenda of the meeting, the latest diplomatic crisis between two of America's friends was expected to come up prominently during the talks.

After the meeting, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken and Jaishankar had “discussed a full range of issues, including key outcomes of India’s G20 presidency, and the creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and its potential to generate transparent, sustainable, and high-standard infrastructure investments.”

Earlier Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had been told Blinken would address the matter and encourage the Indian government to cooperate with an investigation into the killing.

Earlier in the day Jaishankar met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and discussed the progress in bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to take it forward. He also met US Trade Representative Katherine Tie.

PARLIAMENT PANEL MOVE AGAINST BJP'S RAMESH BIDHURI AND MP HE ABUSED

A week after BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri hurled communal slurs at Muslim MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha, the matter has been referred to the Privileges Committee. The sting in the tail, however, is that the panel will not only investigate the complaints against Mr Bidhuri, but also some against Mr Ali.

The BSP MP had been accused by some BJP MPs of using abusive words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "provoking"  Bidhuri to make the remarks.

The BSP MP and four opposition parties - the Congress, DMK,  Trinamool Congress and NCP - had written to Speaker Om Birla, demanding immediate punitive action against Mr Bidhuri.

BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Ravi Kishan had also written to the Speaker later, and alleged that Bidhuri had made objectionable remarks against PM Modi. Dubey alleged that when Bidhuri was speaking, the BSP MP was "busy instigating" him and also - at the top of his voice - made a "highly objectionable and blasphemous remark" against PM Modi.  "This statement made by Danish Ali, I think, was more than enough for any patriotic public representative to 'lose his calm' and fall into his trap by uttering unsavoury words," Dubey said.

All of these complaints have now been referred to the Privileges Committee.

The BJP top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was said to be angry over Bidhuri’s remarks, particularly as the controversy threatened to overshadow the landmark women’s Bill passed during the session.

However, earlier this week, the BJP gave Bidhuri the charge of Tonk district in poll-bound Rajasthan, which covers four Assembly constituencies and has a sizeable Muslim population.

Danish Ali called this akin to “rewarding” hatred, and said the BJP’s true character had been “exposed”.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra posted on X, "Knew it! @rameshbidhuri rewarded for calling Muslim MP ****** & ***** in Lok Sabha. How does showcaused person be given new role by @BJP4India? @narendramodi ji - is this your Sneha Yatra for minorities, your love outreach?"

DR M S SWAMINATHAN, WHO MADE INDIA SELF-SUFFICIENT IN FOOD, PASSES AWAY

M S Swaminathan, renowned agricultural scientist and a lifelong crusader against hunger who bet on sustainable farming passed away in Chennai on Thursday. He was 98.

A staunch advocate of food and nutrition security, it was his path-breaking work that warded off famine during the 1960s. A Padma Vibushan awardee, he is also the recipient of the first World Food Prize for his leadership in India's green revolution and numerous other national and international awards including the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award.

Condolences poured in with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing Swaminathan's yeoman service to the nation. Murmu said Swaminathan left behind a rich legacy which would serve as a "guiding light to steer the world towards a safer and hunger-free future for humanity. Modi said his groundbreaking work transformed the lives of millions, ensured India's food security.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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UKRAINIAN FORCES ARE ‘GRADUALLY GAINING GROUND’: NATO CHIEF

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, on an unannounced visit to Kyiv, said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were “gradually gaining ground” in their counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Stoltenberg said “every metre that Ukrainian forces regain is a metre that Russia loses”.

“And there is a stark contrast: Ukrainians are fighting for their families, their future, their freedom,” he added. “Moscow is fighting for imperial delusions.”

Zelensky stressed Ukraine’s need for more air defence against Russian attacks, saying Moscow had used over 40 Shahed drones in strikes on Ukraine the previous night alone. “And so it is almost every night. In the conditions of such intense attacks against Ukrainians, against our cities, ports, we need a corresponding increase in pressure on Russia and a corresponding increase in our air shield,” he said.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CALLS FOR ENDING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP IN US: REPORT

Continuing his proposals of harsh policy changes, Indian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy, in his second Republican presidential debate, has said he would favour ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants in the US.

When asked "what legal premise" he would use to expel undocumented immigrants and their American-born children from the country, Vivek Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, resurrected a 2015 proposal of ending birthright citizenship from then-candidate Donald Trump.

The first section of the citizenship clause of the US Constitution's 14th Amendment says, "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

Although most agree with the long-held tradition that it grants citizenship to those born on US soil, some legal scholars argue that the phrase "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" seems to give the government some leeway to restrict the right, just as other constitutional principles can be limited.

Because of this, Ramaswamy argued, children of undocumented immigrants born in the United States should not be granted citizenship, because their parents "broke the law" to be in the country.

Ramaswamy, 38, also supported his opponents onstage and acknowledged other measures such as militarisation of the southern border, defunding "sanctuary cities," and an end to foreign aid to Mexico and Central America.

THE REST

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VIOLENT PROTESTS ROCK IMPHAL ON 3RD DAY OVER DEATH OF 2 YOUTH

A fresh bout of violence, this time led by students, broke out in the state capital on Tuesday after photos of the bodies of two youths who went missing in July went viral on social media.

On Wednesday night, the protesters clashed with security personnel in Uripok, Yaiskul, Sagolband and Tera areas, prompting the forces to fire several rounds of tear gas shells to control the situation, officials said.

CRPF personnel brought the situation under control, they added. Curfew was re-imposed in the two districts -- Imphal East and West -- as the security forces combatted the violent protests, which saw 65 demonstrators being injured since Tuesday.

The Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights, meanwhile, urged the security forces not to use lathi-charge, tear gas shells and rubber bullets 'arbitrarily and abruptly' against teenagers.

A mob tried to attack Chief Minister N Biren Singh's empty ancestral house on Thursday night, despite a security clampdown and curfew in the Imphal valley. "Security forces stopped the mob around 100-150 metres away from the house,” a police officer said.

AAP-CONGRESS PUNJAB FIGHT GETS UGLY

The divisions between the Punjab units of the Congress and the AAP over the arrest of a Congress MLA have now spilled onto the national level. Asked about the leader being taken into custody, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the party will not tolerate injustice and those who are unjust "don't survive for long".

The arrest, the squabble between the parties in Punjab, and now the remarks by the Congress president threaten to deepen cracks in the INDIA alliance, which was formed with the ambition of projecting a united Opposition and defeating the BJP in the all-important Lok Sabha elections next year.

The day began with the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is a senior party functionary and a vocal opponent of any tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party, in a 2015 case pertaining to drug smuggling and money laundering. The Congress leader accused the AAP, which is the ruling party in Punjab with Bhagwant Mann as the Chief Minister, of being "thirsty for blood". "I will not be surprised if he (Mr Mann) gets me physically eliminated," Mr Khaira remarked.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, however, said fresh evidence had emerged in the case and that the law "is same for everyone... whichever party member".

The AAP also didn't hold back any punches. "We will not form an alliance with a party that is already so discredited (badnam) in Punjab, a party that has engaged in significant corruption and provided patronage to gangsters," AAP Punjab leader Jagtar Singh Sanghera said during a press conference after Sukhpal Singh Khaira's arrest.

Tensions have been brewing even before the arrest, though. Punjab is one of the states that has been speculated as one of the toughest nuts to crack for the INDIA alliance in terms of seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls and, so far, it has lived up to that billing.

ALL SCHOOLS, COLLEGES CLOSED IN BENGALURU TODAY DUE TO KARNATAKA BANDH

As pro-Kannada and farmers' organisations have called for a 'Karnataka Bandh' on today to protest the release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the administration in Bengaluru has declared a holiday in all educational institutions in the city for the day.

Karnataka has been witnessing protests over the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the decisions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority(CWMA) and its assisting body Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that directed the state to do so.

In the latest decision, the CWRC had ordered Karnataka to ensure the release of 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 till October 15, 2023. In the earlier spell, it was 5,000 cusecs.

Members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene on Thursday interrupted a press conference being held by actor Siddharth for his film and demanded he leave the venue. The actor was promoting his upcoming film 'Chikku' in Bengaluru when the members of Karnataka Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene disrupted the event, saying that it was not an appropriate time for him to do that as Tamil Nadu was demanding Cauvery River water from Karnataka.

RISING CRUDE PRICE PULLING DOWN STOCKS INDICES

India’s equity indices dropped close to 1% on Thursday, as continued strength in global oil prices further squeezed appetite for risk assets.

A surge in US treasury yields overnight to a 16-year high also kept investors on the edge, with market participants weighing the impact of elevated interest rates on equity valuations.

Brent Crude was at $96.12 a barrel on Thursday — around the highest level in over a year — after US crude stocks fell, adding to concerns over tightness in the market. The recent surge in oil prices has been one of the main contributors to the recent drop in the stock market.

Both Sensex and Nifty have fallen nearly 3.5% from their all-time highs.

MOVIETIME: FUKREY 3 AND THE VACCINE WAR HIT THEATRES

Two major bollywood films - 'Fukrey 3' and 'The Vaccine War' arrived in theatres yesterday. While both film are of completely different genres as Pulkit Samrat-Varun Sharma-Richa Chadha's 'Fukrey 3' is expected to make the audience leave in split, 'The Vaccine War' is a medical-thriller and highlights the struggle of Indian Scientists as they develop a strong vaccine against the deadly Coronavirus.

Noted trade analyst Taran Adarsh called 'The Vaccine War' enlightening and inciting, and asked people to watch it. The film tells the story of the crisis time when India developed the vaccine. It also addresses the Indian Women Scientists and the spirit of the Women Scientists who worked day and night with all their passion to ensure the vaccine reaches across the nation. He mentioned that the heroes of the film are scientists of the country, whose stories inspire and entertain. It' directed by Vivek Agnihotri of 'Kashmir Files' fame and features nan Patekar and Pallavi Joshi.

The third series of comedy-riot 'Fukrey' is full of madness and comedy, giving the audience ample opportunities to laugh heartily. Along with this, there is also a social message in it. Varun Sharma is the life of the film, who will make the audience laugh with his funny one-liners. Other stars Pulkit Sharma, Manjot, Pankaj Tripathi, and Richa Chadha have also done brilliant jobs in the film.

ASHWIN REPLACES INJURED AXAR PATEL IN INDIA'S WORLD CUP SQUAD

India announced their final squad for the ICC Men's ODI World Cup with the injured Axar Patel dropped and Ravichandran Ashwin making his way into the 15-member team. With the spin bowling all rounder failing to make it back in time, Ashwin was picked for the upcoming ICC World Cup at home.

Axar had sustained a quadriceps tear and is not expected to recover anytime soon, forcing the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to name the 37-year-old Ashwin in the final squad.

Hosts India will open their ODI World Cup campaign on October 8th in Chennai. The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on Australia in their World Cup opener.

PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM STUNNED BY WARM WELCOME IN INDIA

The Pakistan cricket team arrived in India after seven years ahead of Cricket World Cup 2023 and the welcome was overwhelming in Hyderabad. People flocked to the airport in order to catch a glimpse of the Pakistan cricketers and several of them took to social media to share their feelings about the heartwarming welcome. Fans were once again present as the cricketers started practice before their first Cricket World Cup warm-up game.

"We did expect people to turn up at the ground but a proper welcome at the airport from fans, we did not see that coming. They had lined up for the team. It was wonderful to witness that, even the players got emotional about it," a team source told PTI.

ASIAN GAMES, DAY 5: A GOLD, A SILVER AND A BRONZE FOR INDIA

Minutes after winning a wushu silver, tears flowed down Naorem Roshibina Devi’s face. These, however, weren’t tears of joy. While in Hangzhou, her mind was on the ethnic violence back home in Manipur.

The silver was an improvement on the bronze she won five years ago in Jakarta. And when she stepped off the podium at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre, Devi spoke from the heart. “I dedicate this medal to Manipur,” she said, flashing the silver minutes after going down to China’s Wu Xiaowei in the final. “I want to dedicate this medal to those who have been protecting and fighting for us.”

She recounted how her father, Naorem Dhamu, has had to step out in the middle of the violence to “protect the village”; mother Romila Devi takes part in night vigils; and siblings have been confined to their room for months because they are too young.

Her emotional breakdown was an outpouring of feelings that she had kept suppressed as she remained cut off from her family, while not letting her focus waver from her target: a second consecutive Asian Games medal. Neither did she stop training, nor did she go home.

Shooters added yet another medal to India’s cabinet as they clinched gold in men’s 10m Air Pistol team event. Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema and Shiva Narwal accumulated a combined 1734 points to edge past second-placed China, which finished with 1733.

Anush Agarwalla won bronze in the equestrian individual dressage event with 73.030 points to give India its 25th medal.

The Indian men's hockey team on Thursday continued their winning run, defeating the 2018 Asian Games Gold medallist Japan 4-2 in their third Pool A match.

In Medals Tally, India is currently placed 5th (6G, 8S, 11B), behind China (90G, 51S, 26B), S Korea (24G, 23S, 39B), Japan (18G, 30S, 30B) and Uzbekistan (6G, 10S, 15B)

INDICATORS

Sensex 65,508 (-610), Nifty 19,524 (-193)

Nasdaq 13,201 (+108) Dow 33,666 (+116), S&P 4,300 (+25)

US$-Rs. 83.14, GBP-Rs. 101.24, Euro-Rs. 87.59, UAE Dhm-Rs. 22.63, Can$-Rs. 61.61, Aus$- Rs. 53.16

GBP 0.82 /US$, Euro 0.94/US$, Jap.Yen 149.32 /US$, Aus$ 1.56 /US$, Sing 1.36 /US$, Bang Taka 109.17 /US$, Can$ 1.34 /US$, Mal Ring 4.70 /US$, Pak Re 287.84 /US$, Phil Peso 56.83 /US$, Russian Rouble 96.76 /US$, NZ$ 1.68 /US$, Thai Baht 36.66 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.71 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 27,039, Dollar Index 105.93, Brent Crude 95.17, BDI 1752.00

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,866 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,880 / 5,390, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 76,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. - Rachel Carson

OFF TRACK

Think About It!  

Money doesn't bring you happiness, but it enables you to look for it in more places.  

Your conscience may not keep you from doing wrong, but it sure keeps you from enjoying it.  

Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.  

Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.  

Be careful what rut you choose. You may be in it the rest of your life.  

Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.  

Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were.  

The world is full of willing people: some willing to work and some willing to let them.