CHINA SENDS FIGHTERS TOWARDS TAIWAN

While tensions remain high and a military build-up continues along the Line

of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, China has ratcheted up tensions on its

eastern front, with 18 Chinese fighters and bombers crossing the mid-line of

the Taiwan Strait and flying towards Taiwan in a major show of military

force.

The combat drills on Friday were aimed to coincide with the visit to Taiwan

of U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach, the most senior

official to visit the island in four decades.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said in a

statement on Friday that "combat-ready patrols and joint air-sea exercises

in the Taiwan Straits" were held "to test the joint operations capability of

multiservices".

"The relevant moves are necessary measures to deal with the current

situation across the Taiwan Strait and will help enhance the capability of

troops under the PLA Eastern Theater Command to safeguard the national

unity, territorial sovereignty and security," said PLA Air Force Senior

Colonel Zhang Chunhui, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, adding

that the PLA would "thwart any attempt by any person or force to carry out

'Taiwan independence' separatist activities in any form."

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said 18 PLA aircraft had crossed the mid-line of

the Taiwan Strait and entered its Air Defence Identification Zone. These

included two H-6 bombers, eight J-16 fighters, four J-10 fighters and four

J-11 fighters. The Ministry said the Taiwan air force had scrambled fighters

in response to intrusions.

TRUMP SAID HE 'DID NOT LIKE' FBI DIRECTOR WRAY'S TESTIMONY ON RUSSIA

ELECTION MEDDLING

President Donald Trump slammed FBI Director Christopher Wray after Wray told

Congress Russia remains active in its efforts to influence the presidential

election by disparaging Joe Biden.

"I did not like his answers yesterday," Trump told reporters.

In congressional testimony on Thursday, Wray said, as in 2016, Russia

remains "very active" in efforts to "influence our election," in this case

by denigrating Biden, Trump's Democratic opponent.

Trump has frequently tried to discredit evidence that Russia inserted itself

into the 2016 election in order to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton

- efforts that were later the subject of indictments produced by the office

of former special counsel Robert Mueller.

In recent weeks, Trump has focused on the intelligence community's claim

that China would prefer to see Biden win the election, given Beijing's

long-running trade disputes with the Trump administration.

"Obviously, China is at the top of the list," Trump told reporters as he

left the White House for a campaign trip to Minnesota. "And I think Russia

and North Korea and many other countries can be talked about. But China

would be at the top of that list, so I don't know why that's not mentioned."

As for Wray, Trump later said "the big problem is China and why he doesn't

want to say that...that certainly bothers me."

Trump also criticized Wray over the FBI director's testimony that antifa is

an ideology and not an organization, contradicting Trump's claim that it

should be declared a "terrorist organization" engaged in attacks on cities.

"These are thugs, these are bad people," Trump said Friday, adding "they are

anarchists and they are agitators and they are looters and rioters and

everything else."

BACTERIAL OUTBREAK INFECTS THOUSANDS IN CHINA AMID COVID-19

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, now several thousand people in northwest China

have tested positive for brucellosis, a bacterial disease, the authorities

has confirmed recently.

The Brucellosis outbreak was caused by a leak at a bio-pharmaceutical

company last year. According to the media reports, the disease, also known

as Malta fever or Mediterranean fever, can cause symptoms including

headaches, muscle pain, fever and fatigue.

While these may subside, some symptoms can become chronic or never go away,

like arthritis or swelling in certain organs, as per the US Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare, according to the CDC.

Instead, most people are infected by eating contaminated food or breathing

in the bacteria-which seems to be the case in Lanzhou.

According to CNN, the Health Commission of Lanzhou, the capital city of

Gansu province, confirmed that 3,245 people had contracted the disease,

which is often caused by contact with livestock carrying the bacteria

brucella.

Another 1,401 people have tested as preliminarily positive, though there

have been no fatalities reported, the city's Health Commission said on

Tuesday.

In total, authorities have tested 21,847 people out of the city's 2.9

million population.

NEPAL INTRODUCES NEW TEXT BOOKS WITH REVISED MAP INCORPORATING INDIAN AREAS

Nepal has introduced new text books in the school curriculum that include

the country's revised political map showing three strategically-important

Indian areas as part of its territory, amidst a border dispute with New

Delhi.

India has already termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of the

territorial claims by Nepal after its Parliament unanimously approved the

new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and

Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belongs to it.

The curriculum Development Centre, under the Ministry of Education, recently

published the books with the revised map, information officer at the centre

Ganesh Bhattarai told PTI.

The new books titled Nepal's territory and reading materials for border

issues for the 9th and 12th classes have a preface written by Education

Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel.

The Nepal government has also decided to issue coins with the inclusion of

Kalapani area.

U.S. TO BAN WECHAT & TIKTOK, CITES PRIVACY, NATIONAL SECURITY

The U.S. will ban the downloads of the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat on

Sunday, with a total ban on the use of the latter, citing national security

and data privacy concerns.

A total ban on the use of TikTok will follow on November 12, but Commerce

Secretary Wilbur Ross said early Friday on Fox Business Network that access

to that app may be possible if certain safeguards are put into place.

"At the President's direction, we have taken significant action to combat

China's malicious collection of American citizens' personal data, while

promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive

enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations," Mr. Ross said in a statement.

The government said its order will "combat China's malicious collection of

American citizens' personal data."

The order also raises questions about California tech giant Oracle's recent

deal to take over U.S. operations of TikTok, a requirement by the Trump

administration for the app to continue operating in the U.S.

Details of the Oracle-TikTok deal were sketchy at best. Oracle was among the

pool of bidders, including Microsoft and Walmart, to buy TikTok's American

operations. Oracle, in confirming it was the winning bidder on Monday,

didn't refer to the deal as a sale or acquisition, instead saying it was

chosen as TikTok's "trusted technology provider." It's unclear at this point

what assets, if any, Oracle would actually acquire.

RUTH BADER GINSBURG: US SUPREME COURT JUDGE DIES OF CANCER, AGED 87

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an iconic champion of women's

rights, has died of cancer at the age of 87, the court has said.

Ginsburg died on Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer at her home in

Washington, DC, surrounded by her family, the statement said.

Earlier this year, Ginsburg said she was undergoing chemotherapy for a

recurrence of cancer.

She was a prominent feminist who became a figurehead for liberals in the US.

Ginsburg was the oldest sitting justice on the Supreme Court, having served

27 years on the nation's highest court.

As one of four liberal justices on the court, her health was watched

closely. Ginsburg's death raises the prospect of US President Donald Trump

trying to expand its slender conservative majority.

"Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature," Chief Justice John

Roberts said in a statement on Friday. "We at the Supreme Court have lost a

cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future

generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her - a tireless

and resolute champion of justice."

MORE AFGHAN INTERPRETERS ELIGIBLE TO SETTLE IN UK AFTER RULE CHANGE

Dozens more Afghan interpreters who worked with British forces in

Afghanistan will be eligible to settle in the UK following a government

decision to expand a relocation scheme.

About 450 interpreters moved to the UK with their families under the

original scheme, announced up in 2013.

But some of those who were ineligible said they were targeted by the

Taliban.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said expanding the scheme was "the honourable

thing to do".

Under the original scheme only those who had worked with the British on the

frontline for a year or more, and were then made redundant, were eligible to

apply.

This meant hundreds of Afghan interpreters who had worked for British forces

in Helmand before they left in 2014 did not qualify for resettlement in the

UK, leading to criticism from MPs and some former British military

personnel.

Now, following discussions between the defence and home secretaries, the

government has announced an expansion of the resettlement scheme.

It means that Afghan interpreters who worked on the frontline with British

troops for 18 months or more, between May 2006 and December 2014, but then

resigned, will also be eligible to apply to resettle in the UK along with

their families.

US SENDS TROOPS, ARMOURED VEHICLES TO SYRIA TO COUNTER RUSSIA

The US has deployed additional troops and armored vehicles into eastern

Syria after a number of clashes with Russian forces, including a recent

vehicle collision that injured four American service members.

Navy Capt. Bill Urban, spokesman for US Central Command, said the US has

also sent in radar systems and increased fighter jet patrols over the region

to better protect American and coalition forces.

"The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation in Syria,

but will defend Coalition forces if necessary," said Urban.

A senior US official said a half-dozen Bradley fighting vehicles and fewer

than 100 additional troops were sent in to eastern Syria.

TO BOOST TRADE, PAKISTAN PLANS TO SET UP MARKETS ON AFGHAN, IRAN BORDERS

Pakistan will set up 18 markets along its border with Afghanistan and Iran

to simultaneously boost trade with the both its neighbours, according to a

media report on Friday.

It also plans to curb the menace of smuggling that has dented the economies

on both sides, said the report.

According to a decision taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran

Khan on Thursday, initially the government would set up three markets - two

in Balochistan and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - as pilot projects, the Dawn

newspaper reported.

The three markets will start operation by February next year.