JAISHANKAR MEETS VIETNAM’S TOP LEADERSHIP

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Vietnam’s top leadership and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation in areas like trade, energy, defence and maritime security while also sharing perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour in the strategic region.

“Our discussions covered cooperation in political, defence & maritime security, judicial, trade & investment, energy, development, education & training, science & technology, cultural domains,” Jaishankar said. “Convinced that our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will only further strengthen over the coming years. Also shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region, our commitment to global issues and our collaboration in various multilateral groupings,” Jaishankar said in a post on platform X.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation, and compliance with international law in the East Sea, resolving disputes based on international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the agency said.

5-JUDGE CONSTITUTION BENCH TO HEAR PLEAS ON ELECTORAL BONDS

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Supreme Court on Monday referred petitions challenging the Electoral Bonds Scheme to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

“In view of the importance of the issue raised, and having regard to Article 145(3) of the Constitution, the matter be placed before a Bench of at least five judges,” a three-judge Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud said. The matter would be taken up on October 30, it said.

An electoral bond is a bearer instrument like a promissory note which can be purchased by an Indian citizen or an Indian company whose identity will remain secret from everybody except the SBI from which it has to be purchased. It was introduced through the Finance Act, 2017, which made amendments to several statutes, including the RBI Act, Representation of People Act, Income Tax Act and Companies Act to facilitate the scheme which was notified on January 2, 2018.

In its PIL filed in 2017, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) alleged corruption and subversion of democracy through illicit and foreign funding of parties and lack of transparency in their accounts. The CPM and Common Cause have also challenged the scheme.

PM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ISRAEL THAN MANIPUR: RAHUL GANDHI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more concerned about the situation in Israel than in Manipur despite the ethnic conflict going on in Manipur for over five months now.

Addressing a rally near Raj Bhavan in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram, he said neighbouring Manipur was no longer a unified single state, but got divided into two states on ethnic lines.

Notably, the Mizos of Mizoram and the minority Kukis of Manipur consider themselves members of the same family of tribes. Since the clashes between Meiteis and Kukis erupted in Manipur in May, thousands of Kukis, at least 12,300 according to official records, have taken shelter in Mizoram.

ARINDAM BAGCHI APPOINTED INDIA’S AMBASSADOR TO UN IN GENEVA

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi was on Monday appointed India’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

Bagchi, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official, took over as spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs  in March 2021 and deftly handled a number of critical issues and developments including the eastern Ladakh border row, India’s COVID-19 response and New Delhi’s G20 presidency.

In Geneva, Bagchi would succeed Indra Mani Pandey who is set to return to New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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ISRAELI STRIKES ON GAZA INTENSIFY AS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS DEEPENS

Israeli forces kept up their bombardment of Gaza on Monday after diplomatic efforts to arrange a ceasefire to allow foreign passport holders to leave and aid to be brought into the besieged Palestinian enclave failed.

Residents of Hamas-ruled Gaza said overnight air strikes were the heaviest yet as the conflict entered its 10th day with an Israeli ground offensive believed to be imminent.

Bombing carried on through the day, they said, and many buildings were flattened, trapping yet more people under the rubble. Israeli officials issued multiple warnings of Hamas rocket fire into Israel.

Diplomatic efforts have been underway to get aid into the enclave, which has endured unrelenting Israeli bombing since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,300 people - the bloodiest single day in the state's 75-year history.

But Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said there was no Gaza ceasefire and that Israel was continuing its operations. “There are no such efforts under way at this time. If anything changes we will inform the public. We are continuing our fight against Hamas, this murderous organisation that carried this (the assaults) out.”

Israel has imposed a full blockade and is preparing a ground invasion to enter Gaza and destroy Hamas, which has continued to fire rockets at Israel since its brief cross-border assault.

On Monday, rocket-warning sirens sounded in several towns in southern Israel, the Israeli military said. Israeli troops and tanks are already massed on the border.

Authorities in Gaza said at least 2,750 people had so far been killed by the Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. A further 1,000 people were missing and believed to be under rubble.

With food, fuel and water running short, hundreds of tons of aid from several countries have been held up in Egypt pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah border crossing.

Israel is first seeking to secure the release of 199 hostages that Israel says were taken by Hamas back into Gaza. Among them are elderly people, women and children and foreigners, including Americans.

US STEPS UP DIPLOMACY AS UN SAYS ‘NOT ENOUGH BODY BAGS IN GAZA’

As Israel continued bombing Gaza which claimed the lives of 300 more Palestinians on the tenth day of the war. Gaza’s health ministry put the toll at 2,750 lives.

The UN said there were “not enough body bags for the dead in Gaza” and said misery had mounted for Gaza’s 22 lakh besieged residents who went for the fifth day without electricity and clean drinking water. At least half of the population has been displaced within Gaza.

The opening session of the Knesset was disrupted by a rocket barrage which sent the Members to shelters for 40 minutes while Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had hit five Israeli military positions in northern Israel on Monday and smashed surveillance cameras on the border.

Moments before the rockets struck, Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Israel would forge ahead in its campaign against Hamas even if it was subjected to international criticism and added that it was impossible to live next to a terror group.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has extended his Middle-East shuttle diplomacy, returned to Israel and met Netanyahu ahead of a potential trip by US President Joe Biden. He reportedly spoke of US efforts at building a coalition against Hamas, preventing malign actors from inserting themselves, ensuring humanitarian aid for Gaza and securing the release of the hostages. The next high-level arrival will be of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who arrives on Tuesday.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Hamas potentially was ready to release the nearly 200 hostages it was holding if Israel stopped its campaign of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that Moscow wanted to help prevent a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

THE REST

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MANIPUR WOMEN PARADED NAKED: CBI FILES CHARGESHEET AGAINST 6 ACCUSED

The CBI on Monday filed a charge sheet against six people and a juvenile in connection with two tribal women being paraded naked in Manipur's Kangpokpi district in May which triggered a nationwide outrage after a video of the incident became viral two months later. The agency filed the charge sheet against six people and a report against one child in conflict with the law before a special CBI court in Guwahati, nearly three months Manipur Police made arrests in the case.

It was alleged that on May 4, 2023, a mob of approximately 900–1,000 individuals, armed with sophisticated weapons, entered B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur, vandalised and set houses ablaze, looted properties, assaulted villagers, committed murders, and sexually assaulted women.

A video of the women being paraded naked, which surfaced in July this year, led to widespread condemnation across the country and globally, prompting the Supreme Court to step in and hand over the case to the CBI.

NISHIKANT DUBEY URGES IT MINISTER TO PROBE IF OTHERS USED MAHUA MOITRA’S LS LOG-IN

The slugfest over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s allegations that TMC MP Mahua Moitra took bribes to raise questions in Parliament intensified Monday with the former writing to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of Moitra’s log-in credentials for Lok Sabha to check if they were accessed by someone else. In response, Moitra asked the government to release location and log-in details of all MPs along with their call detail records.

This came a day after Dubey in a complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that there are allegations that the TMC MP took bribes to protect the interest of a business group. He claimed that a Supreme Court lawyer, Jai Anant Dehadrai, had “shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

On Monday, as the row escalated, the Adani Group latched on to Dubey’s complaint to target Moitra, who has been a critic of the business conglomerate over the Hindenburg allegations, saying groups and individuals have been working overtime to harm its name.

Tagging Adani Group’s statement, Moitra posted on X: “Mr A – this lame statement your best efforts? Falling back on Fake Degree MP & a jilted ex’s lies? I won’t rest till @dir_ed, @CBItweets investigate & freeze `13000 cr coal scam you have stolen from Indians.”

Dehadrai, apparently Moitra’s estranged partner, had a bitter feud running with her.

CANNOT KEEP SISODIA IN JAIL INDEFINITELY: SC TO CBI

The Supreme Court told the CBI and ED on Monday they cannot keep former deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in jail for an “indefinite period” in the Delhi excise policy cases.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the two probe agencies, when will the arguments on charges against Sisodia commence in the trial court.

Raju told the bench the cases against Sisodia are at the stage of section 207 of CrPC (supply of documents to the accused) and after that the arguments on charge will commence.

“Why have the arguments on charge not yet commenced and when will they commence? Tell us by tomorrow (Tuesday),” Justice Khanna told Raju.

The top court was hearing the Sisodia’s bail pleas.

SUPREME COURT REJECTS PLEA TO END 26-WEEK PREGNANCY

The Supreme Court yesterday declined permission to a married woman to terminate her over 26-week pregnancy, saying the AIIMS medical board had found “no substantial foetal abnormalities” and a pre-term delivery carried the risk of being born with physical and mental deformities.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, pointed out that the pregnancy had crossed 24 weeks — the upper limit for allowing Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP).

“(The foetus) having crossed the statutory limit of 24 weeks, the requirements either in Section 3(2)(b) or Section 5 must be met,” it said. As per these provisions, MTP in case of a foetus exceeding 24 weeks can only be allowed if it is necessary for saving the life of the mother or if the foetus suffers from physical or mental abnormalities. The bench said the medical reports don’t “indicate that a termination is immediately necessary”.

The state may take care of the child after birth, if the parents so desired, the bench added.

The woman, a mother of two, had approached the court stating that she was suffering from lactational amenorrhea and depression and was, therefore, unwilling to continue with the pregnancy.

Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for an intervenor, said international law on the subject has evolved and the foetus has no unborn child rights. “Foetus is not a person, international law accepts it today,” he submitted. However, the CJI, said: “Since you are talking of international law, you know what has happened in the US. Following Roe Vs Wade… It’s not that India is regressive… Very easy to criticise our own country, but look at what happened in the US, the way Roe Vs Wade is now substantially diluted”.

SC TO DELIVER VERDICT ON PLEAS SEEKING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE VALIDITY TODAY

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its much anticipated judgement on Tuesday on pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had on May 11 reserved its verdict on the pleas after a marathon hearing of 10 days. 

The other members of the bench are Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

The judgement will be delivered on Tuesday and accordingly, the information will be updated on the apex court website, sources said. 

During the arguments, the Centre had told the apex court that any constitutional declaration made by it on the petitions seeking legal validation for same-sex marriage may not be a "correct course of action" as the court will not be able to foresee, envisage, comprehend and deal with its fallout. 

The Centre had also told the court it had received responses from seven states on the issue of same-sex marriage and the governments of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Assam had opposed the petitioners' contention seeking legal endorsement for such wedlock. 

NITHARI KILLING ACCUSED KOLI, PANDHER ACQUITTED; DEATH PENALTY CANCELLED

The Allahabad high court on Monday acquitted domestic help Surendra Koli and his employer Moninder Singh Pandher in the 2006 Nithari serial killings for lack of evidence, recalling for many the chilling crime targeting young girls that came to light with skeletal remains being found behind a Noida bungalow.

The Allahabad high court order may pave the way for Pandher to walk out of jail. However, Koli is likely to remain behind bars. He still faces life imprisonment in one case.

Koli, who is in a Ghaziabad prison, was sentenced to death in 12 cases being heard by the Allahabad high court.

In all, 19 cases had been lodged against Pandher and Koli in 2007. The CBI had filed closure reports in three of the 19 cases due to lack of evidence.

In the remaining 16 cases, Koli was earlier acquitted in three cases and his death sentence in one case was commuted to life. He was acquitted in the remaining 12 cases on Monday.

The sensational killings came to light with the discovery of the skeletal remains of eight children from the drain behind Pandher's house in Nithari in Noida bordering the national capital on December 29, 2006.

In a scathing criticism of the CBI and the Noida Police, the court said that the handling of the case was "botched" and was "nothing short of betrayal of public. The presentation of the case in court also left much to be desired, the judges indicated, saying the prosecution has failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt and left key angles, including the possibility of an organized organ trade, unexplored.

DOWNLOAD SPEEDS ON MOBILES CATCH UP WITH FIXED BROADBAND

Within a year of the launch of 5G, the download speeds on smartphones have rapidly caught up with those of fixed fibre broadband.

In August, the median country download speed for mobile data, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, stood at 50.21 mbps, just a few points behind a fixed broadband connection at 54.17 mbps.

Most telcos say the speed will surpass fixed broadband as the 5G roll out, which is currently on 360,000 towers, crosses 400,000.

A year ago, in October, the gap between the two platforms was threefold; mobile speeds were only 16.50 mbps (on 4G) compared to 48.19 mbps on fixed broadband.

The speed increase on 5G mobile devices has helped India surge in the Ookla Speedtest global rankings from 113 in October last year to 47 today. During the same period, the speed for fixed broadband has gone down from 79 in October last year to 86 in August because the fixed broadband speed increased only by a nominal 12 per cent.

What is interesting is that, based on median speeds, India’s 5G mobile download speeds were far ahead of the global average of 43.20 mbps. But for fixed broadband, India was far behind the global average as the speed has grown very slowly to 82.77 mbps.

WORLD CUP, MATCH 14: AUSTRALIA BEAT SRI LANKA FOR THEIR 1ST WIN

Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh delivered when their team needed them the most as Australia breathed life into their floundering World Cup campaign with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday.

Leg-spinner Zampa claimed four wickets as Australia bowled out Sri Lanka for 209 despite half-centuries by Kusal Perera (78) and Pathum Nissanka (61). Looking on course for a 300-plus score, Sri Lanka faced a bizarre batting collapse to lose 10 wickets for 84 runs.

Inglis (58), who scored his maiden World Cup fifty, Marsh (52) and Marnus Labuschagne (40) then did the heavy lifting with the bat as Australia overhauled the target in 35.2 overs, giving a solid boost to their net run rate.

Results so far: Australia Played 3 Matches, Won 1. Sri Lanka Played 3, won nil

INDICATORS

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Bitcoin - USD 28,412, Dollar Index 106.01, Brent Crude 89.79, BDI 1945

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

OFF TRACK

My neighbour’s wife texted me, 'I am new on whatsapp.. Any idea what does IDK, LY, TTYL mean...?

I replied : 'I don't know, Love You, Talk To You Later !

She replied : ' No problems.... I'll ask you later... Love you too...