YOUR PHONE IS BEING TARGETED, APPLE WARNS SEVERAL OPPN LEADERS, JOURNALISTS

After a number of Opposition politicians and journalists claimed that they received threat notifications from Apple, saying their iPhones are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers attempting to “remotely compromise” their phones, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the govt will investigate the matter.

Many among those who received such notifications had hit out at the Central Govt, accusing it of attempting to hack into their devices to spy on them.

“The Govt of Bharat takes its role of protecting the privacy and security of all citizens very seriously and will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications. In light of such information and widespread speculation, we have also asked Apple to join the investigation with real, accurate information on the alleged state sponsored attacks,” Vaishnaw said in a series of posts on X.

Among the individuals who took to X to say they have received such notifications include politicians across the spectrum such as Mahua Moitra, Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, Asaduddin Owaisi, Sitaram Yechury, Raghav Chadha, Supriya Shrinate, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Revanth Reddy, and T S Singhdeo.

Vaishnaw said much of the information provided by Apple on the issue seems “vague and non-specific in nature”, and urged the iPhone maker to join the probe with more accurate information about the alleged spyware attack.

As per screenshots shared by many in the list, the notification from Apple said, “Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID. These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do. If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone.” “While it’s possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously,” it added.

Unlike traditional cybercriminals, Apple warned that State-sponsored attackers apply exceptional resources to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices, which makes these attacks much harder to detect and prevent.

Internet Freedom Foundation’s founding director Apar Gupta termed the timing of these threat notifications as “alarming”, given the impending Assembly elections in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “Public cynicism or judicial stupor should not preclude us from demanding an independent, transparent technical analysis and clear disclosures from the Govt of India regarding its spyware purchases and deployments. This issue strikes at the heart of Indian democracy,” Gupta said in a post on X.

OPPN BEING TARGETED FOR RAISING GAUTAM ADANI ISSUE, SAYS RAHUL GANDHI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that they were all being targeted for asking questions to the govt over its alleged patronage to the industrial group owned by Gautam Adani.

“We are not going to get cowed down. We are fighters. We will not step back. Jitni tapping karni hai kar lo… It does not matter to me… If you want my phone… I will give it to you,” Gandhi said, addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.

“Like the old Indian story in which a king’s life was in a caged parrot… that is exactly what is going on here. Mr Narendra Modi’s soul is Mr Adani. No matter how much we attack Modi it doesn’t have an effect because the soul is somewhere else. And now we have understood this. We have understood that the soul is there in the parrot and now we are attacking the soul. That is why all this is going on,” Gandhi said.

“I used to think that… there is a ranking… press people say number one, number two. Number one Mr Modi and number two Mr Amit Shah. The ranking is slightly different. Number one is Mr Adani, number two is Mr Modi and number three is Mr Amit Shah. The county will soon realise that the prime minister is employed by Mr Adani and he works for Mr Adani,” he said.

Gandhi also reiterated his charge regarding the Adani Group’s takeover of Mumbai airport and import of coal by the firm allegedly “at prices above their market value”.

Asked whether the Congress plans to take legal recourse, he said, “No. The last Pegasus inquiry where my name was also there… that sort of disappeared. So that tells you the situation in the country. Our job as Opposition is to make people understand what is going on and I am very happy that more and more people are understanding what is going on.”

HOW MANY DALITS, OBCS HERE?: RAHUL GANDHI ASKS REPORTERS

Rahul Gandhi asked journalists who were present at the press conference to raise their hands if they were Dalits, tribals or from the OBCs.

A video of the same was shared on X by Congress, wherein the party claimed that not a single person raised their hand in response to Gandhi's question. In the context of this, the Congress party said that this is the "reason" behind their decision to conduct caste census in states under their rule.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi announced the grand old party's decision to do caste census in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - states where Congress is in power. Calling the decision "historic", he said that it was not influenced by the considerations of religion or caste but to benefit the economically disadvantaged people in the country.

PM: POLITICS OF APPEASEMENT BIGGEST HINDRANCE TO GROWTH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said politics of appeasement is the biggest obstacle in the country’s journey of development, and cautioned against “a very large political class” which cannot see a way of doing positive politics and can even compromise with the country’s unity for their selfish goals.

In the last nine years, India’s internal security has been getting challenges from multiple fronts, but because of the hard work of security forces, the enemies of the country are not being able to succeed like they did in the past, Modi said.

He was addressing a gathering at the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat’s Narmada district after paying floral tribute to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary, which is celebrated as National Unity Day. For India, the next 25 years of this century is the most important period, Modi said, adding that “we have to make our country prosperous and developed’ and achieve the goal while drawing inspiration from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“The biggest hindrance in our development journey is the politics of appeasement. Last many decades in India are witness to the fact that appeasers never see terrorism, its horrors and monstrosity. The appeasers do not hesitate to stand side by side with the enemies of humanity,” he said. People have to remain cautious of such thinking which puts the unity at risk at every moment and in every corner of the country, the PM said.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

ISRAEL ARMY BATTLES HAMAS IN TUNNELS AS W.H.O. WARNS OF A CATASTROPHE

Israel said its forces attacked Hamas gunmen inside the tunnel network in Gaza, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was the “third phase” of the operation, even as the WHO warned that a “public health catastrophe” was imminent after water supply from Israel was cut off on Monday and another pipeline remained out of commission.

But Netanyahu dismissed calls for a halt to fighting to ease a worsening humanitarian crisis. “Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen,” he said in a TV appearance.

The tunnels in Gaza have for years thwarted the Israeli military, which has made their destruction the prime aim as it seeks to dismantle the Hamas network. In the last 24 hours, Israel Defence Forces claimed to have struck about 300 targets, including anti-tank missile and rocket launch posts below shafts and military areas inside underground tunnels.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad responded with anti-tank missiles and machine gun fire. Hamas said it targeted four vehicles with locally made rockets and claimed to have ambushed and “liquidated” an Israeli unit. The IDF has not given any casualty figures of the soldiers killed in combat so far.

SERIOUS TERROR THREAT TO US SINCE IS: FBI BOSS

The attack by Hamas on Israel will inspire the most significant terror threat to the US since the rise of IS nearly a decade ago, FBI director Christopher Wray said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. Wray said that since the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza earlier this month, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West, significantly raising the threat posed by homegrown US violent extremists.

“The actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since IS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago,” Wray said. The remarks came during a hearing before the US Senate Homeland Security and Govtal Affairs Committee focused on threats to the US. The US govt has seen an increase in threats against Jews, Muslims and Arab Americans since fighting broke out in Gaza, officials have said.

The number of attacks on US military bases overseas by Iran-backed militia groups have risen this month, Wray said.

THE REST

=========

POLL BONDS ANONYMOUS SINCE GOVT PROTECTING THE CITIZEN’S RIGHT TO PRIVACY, SG TELLS SC

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta Tuesday told the Supreme Court, which began hearing the constitutional challenge against the electoral bonds scheme, that political affiliation forms the “inner core of a person’s private life” which the State is protecting through the poll bonds.

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the electoral bond scheme for political funding of parties.

The electoral bonds scheme was introduced in 2017 by way of a Finance Bill and was implemented in 2018. It serves as a means for individuals and entities to make donations to registered political parties while maintaining donor anonymity.

“Political self-expression, either through voting or donations to one’s preferred party or candidate lies at the heart of the zone of privacy which the govt is constitutionally obligated to respect,” Mehta stated in a 123-page note submitted to the Court.

Mehta cited the 2017 landmark ruling KS Puttaswamy v Union of India in which the Supreme Court upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right to argue that the State is protecting this right of the person making a donation to a political party through electoral bonds.

Defending the anonymity of donors in the poll bonds scheme, Mehta said that the right to privacy encompasses a bundle of rights including the right to protect identity and anonymity. Mehta argued that this right of the donor has to be balanced against the ordinary citizen’s fundamental right to know which is also part of free speech.

MANIPUR POLICE COMMANDOS AMBUSHED AFTER COP'S DEATH

At least three Manipur Police personnel sustained bullet wounds after armed militants ambushed their convoy near Sinam along Imphal-Moreh NH-102 in Tengnoupal district on Tuesday, police said.

The three were part of additional forces sent as reinforcement to Moreh town for operations following the killing of Moreh SDPO Chingtham Anand by militants at the border town earlier in the day.

The injured were later safely evacuated to Imphal for treatment. Condition of the one of them is serious, officials said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of locals and those sheltered in relief camps took out a rally at Singjamei in Imphal West district in protest against the killing of Chingtham.

In another development, a joint action committee formed in protest against the killing of Chingtham has decided not to take his body till the culprits are arrested.

J-K COP SHOT DEAD BY TERRORISTS OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE

Terrorists shot dead a policeman outside his house in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said. Head Constable Ghulam Mohammad Dar, a resident of Kralpora in Pattan area, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries, they said.

This is the third such terrorist attack in as many days in Kashmir Valley.

While a police officer was critically injured in firing by terrorists on Sunday in Srinagar, a labourer from Uttar Pradesh was shot dead in Pulwama district on Monday.

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the killing is yet another indicator of the "terrible price" that Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel are paying in the fight against terrorism.

Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti condemned the killing and said there was an unfortunate rise in such attacks. "In just a few days we are seeing an unfortunate rise in targeted killings. I condemn each one of these cowardly acts. My deepest condolences to the family of Ghulam Mohd Dar who was shot in Tangmarg today," Mufti said in a post on X.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur termed it a "dastardly act of terror". "Coming like cowards and opening fire at unarmed cop is no bravery. Fight to wipe out all terrorists will continue and time is not far when last nail will be pushed in the coffin of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Heartfelt condolences to the family of the slain cop," Thakur said in a statement.

ELECTORAL BONDS: BJP GOT RS 5,272 CR, CONG RS 952 CR IN 5 YEARS

Electoral bonds generated donations worth over Rs 9,188 crore for all political parties put together till 2021-22, of which the BJP alone accounted for over 57 per cent as against 10 per cent for the Congress, according to ADR data.

Between 2016-17 and 2021-22, the last year for which the data is available, seven national parties and 24 regional parties received a total donation of Rs 9,188.35 crore through electoral bonds. Of this, the BJP received Rs 5,272 crore and the Congress received Rs 952 crore, while the rest went to other parties.

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), national parties experienced a significant surge in electoral bond donations, witnessing a 743 per cent increase between FY 2017-18 and FY 2021-22.

In contrast, corporate donations to national parties increased by only 48 per cent during the same period, it had said.

State parties also received a substantial proportion of their donations through electoral bonds.

FILE AFFIDAVITS ON STEPS TAKEN TO CURB POLLUTION: SC TO 5 STATES

Noting that air pollution persists in the national Capital despite several remedial steps having been taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the govts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to file affidavits enumerating measures initiated by them to control it.

Observing that until a couple of decades ago “this was the best time in Delhi”, the court said the city was now marred by worsening air quality and it was difficult to even step outside the house. A three-judge Bench headed by Justice SK Kaul directed the five states to file affidavits within a week.

DOCTORS TO GET UNIQUE ID IN NATIONAL MEDICAL REGISTER BY THE END OF 2024

All doctors in the country will receive a unique identification number on the National Medical Register that is likely to be rolled out by the end of next year.

The register will be a dynamic one where doctors can keep updating details of their qualifications, fellowships, and other courses. This centralised repository will allow people to check the credentials of their doctor, said Dr Yogendra Malik from the Ethics and Medical Registration Board under the country’s apex medical regulator.

A pilot for the assessment system has already been conducted in eight colleges across the country – four private and four govt. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is now in the process of consulting assessors and other stakeholders to finalise the process.

INDIANS CAN VISIT THAILAND VISA-FREE FROM NOV 10 TO MAY 10 NEXT YEAR

Indians can visit Thailand without a visa from November 10 to May 10, 2024, according to Thai Tourism, and stay there for up to 30 days. The country has now waived visa requirement for citizens of India and Taiwan in a bid to get more tourists. This September it had done so for Chinese nationals.

For Indian globetrotters, this is the second such announcement within a week. Sri Lanka recently announced visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries, including India, China and Russia, as part of a pilot project up to March 31, 2024.

After Covid, Indian travellers are being wooed aggressively by the tourism boards of several countries.

WORLD CUP MATCH 31: PAKISTAN WIN BIG AGAINST BANGLADESH

Opener Fakhar Zaman capped his return with an attacking fifty after Shaheen Shah Afridi's fiery spell as Pakistan knocked Bangladesh out of the World Cup with a seven-wicket win to keep their very slim semi-final hopes alive, in Kolkata, on Tuesday.

Shaheen spearheaded their three-pronged pace attack with splendid figures of 3/23 as Pakistan bundled out Bangladesh for a lowly 204 in 45.1 overs.

Fakhar, who missed five of their six matches because of a knee injury, smashed seven sixes and three fours in his 74-ball 81. Abdullah Shafique also struck a quick 68 off 69 balls as the new-look opening pair laid the foundation with an imposing 128-run alliance.

Just when it looked like a one-way traffic for Pakistan, off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3/60) took both the openers but with no scoreboard pressure Pakistan knocked off the paltry 205-run target in 32.3 overs.

Results so far: Pakistan (5th) Played 7 Matches, Won 3; Bangladesh (9th) Played 7, won 1

INDICATORS

Sensex 63,875 (-238), Nifty 19,080 (-61)

Nasdaq 12,851 (+62) Dow 33,053 (+124), S&P 4,194 (+27)

US$-Rs. 83.26, GBP-Rs. 101.18, Euro-Rs. 88.27, UAE Dhm-Rs. 22.66, Can$-Rs. 60.10, Aus$- Rs. 52.85

GBP 0.82 /US$, Euro 0.94 /US$, Jap.Yen 150.70 /US$, Aus$ 1.57 /US$, Sing 1.36 /US$, Bang Taka 108.93 /US$, Can$ 1.38 /US$, Mal Ring 4.76 /US$, Pak Re 278.84 /US$, Phil Peso 56.78 /US$, Russian Rouble 92.76 /US$, NZ$ 1.71 /US$, Thai Baht 36.02 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.06 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 34,532, Dollar Index 106.55, Brent Crude 87.41, BDI 1502

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1981 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 6,185 / 5,670, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 78,200

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell

OFF TRACK

We’d had no luck in an entire evening of fishing. As darkness fell and we pulled towards shore we passed a young couple in another rowboat. “Did you have any luck?” we called.

“No,” said the young man gloomily.

“What kind of bait were you using?”

For a moment the young man was silent. Then he said: “I wasn’t fishing.”