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Business Line,  October 09, 2020 Assuming that “theft of secrets is a part of legitimate intelligence activity, it is China’s attitude towards India and its unremittingly hostile geo-political manoeuvres to hurt the nation’s interests that would make the latter wary of Huawei”, says Vikram Sood Former R&AW chief Vikram Sood says there are several powerful reasons - strategic, technological, geopolitical and legal - to suggest that it that could be risky to permit Chinese telecom major Huawei, with its state-structured backing, to launch operations in India’s critical infrastructure. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/former-raw-chief-on-why-its-risky-to-permit-huawei-in-india/article32802698.ece

The Economic Times,  October 08, 2020 NEW DELHI: Northeastern state of Mizoram, which shares over 500 km of border with Myanmar, has emerged as a major drug trafficking route originating from Myanmar during the last few years. Yaba tablets and other synthetic drugs are smuggled into the northeast from Myanmar and then pushed to other states, besides Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, ET has learnt. And some insurgent groups in Myanmar benefit from this process. Security partnership was a key item on the agenda during the visit of Foreign Secretary & Army Chief to Myanmar earlier this week. Earlier this year, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in Mizoram demanded fencing along the India-Myanmar border, claiming drug seizures worth $ 136,526, or 177.76 million kyats) in February-March, according to a recent report in The Irrawaddy, a leading media outfit of Myanmar. The Irrawaddy report quoting experts claimed “that towards the end of the last century, drug cartels in the Golden Triangle—the

The Economic Times October 08, 2020 LONDON: A committee of British lawmakers is urging the government to consider banning Chinese technology giant Huawei from next-generation mobile phone networks two years earlier than planned. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government in July blocked Huawei from having any role in building the country's new 5G networks, amid security concerns fueled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers. British wireless carriers are prohibited from buying Huawei network equipment but have until 2027 to remove Huawei gear they've already installed in the new networks. Parliament's defense committee said in its report released Thursday on 5G security that while the 2027 deadline was sensible to avoid signal blackouts, delays and extra costs, it warned that the government might have to act faster. "Should pressure from allies for a speedier removal continue or should China's threats and global position change so significantly to

Toronto Sun October 02, 2020 Are Canadian communities being politically targeted by a state-sponsor of terrorism? The answer, according to a recent report by veteran former CBC journalist Terry Milewski, would appear to be yes. Published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and titled “Khalistan: A Project of Pakistan”, the report explores Pakistan’s ongoing sponsorship of Khalistan-related extremism, defined by Canadian authorities as an ideology supporting “violent means to establish an independent state within India.” This mode of extremism was listed in a 2018 Canadian government report, as one of the “top five national security issues for Canada”. While these particular extremists seem to have successfully sidestepped some of the global notoriety of fellow extremist entities like the Muslim Brotherhood or its various offshoots, it has nevertheless compiled a competitive and distinguished resumé of egregious terrorist violence. Canada in particular is painfully familiar with just how

The Asian Times,  October 07, 2020 China’s increasing clout in the region through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is already reaping its benefits. With established ports including Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, China can utilise these bases to corner and counter India. Through heavy investments in countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, it is now vying to woo another strategically located Mynamar. However, in this race, India isn’t far behind. After a “very satisfactory” visit to Bangladesh to bolster bilateral ties, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla along with army chief MM Naravane are on a joint visit to Mynamar. New Delhi has proposed a $6 billion investment to build a petroleum refinery in the Thanlyin region near Yangon, reported TOI The report said that officials from India and Myanmar discussed issues relating to border security and stability and their mutual commitment to not allow their respective territories to be used for “a

The Indian Express October 09, 2020 MUMBAI POLICE on Thursday said it had busted a “racket” of “fradulent” manipulation of Television Rating Points (TRPs) involving three channels including Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV. “So far three channels including Republic, Fakt Marathi, and Box Cinema have been found to be indulging in such malpractices,” Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said at a press conference. Four persons – the owners of the Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels, and two former employees of the market research agency that collects the TRP data – have been arrested. They will be produced before a court on Friday. Police said they were in the process of issuing summons to some senior employees of Republic, including their promoters, to establish if they were aware of the alleged manipulation. Later in the evening, Republic claimed it was not named in the FIR registered by the police; rather another channel was. In response, the police issued a clarification stating th

START NEWS GLOBAL, OCTOBER 07, 2020 NEW DELHI: At a time when their credibility is at its lowest point, China’s embassy in Delhi saw it t to shoot off a letter to media organisations warning them against violating the One-China principle. This was with respect to Taiwan’s national day celebrations, called “Double Tenth”, that saw full page advertisements in most major newspapers featuring President Tsai Ing-Wen, and a detailed account of how that country fought the coronavirus and its readiness to share its experience and medical help. The Chinese embassy saw red, and the letter went thus: “We hope Indian media can stick to Indian government’s position on the Taiwan question and not violate the One China principle.” Now comes the interesting part: “Taiwan shall not be referred to as country (nation) or Republic of China or the leader of the Taiwan region as ‘President’, so as not to send wrong signals to the general public. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory … there is

Mint, October 08, 2020 NEW DELHI: The World Bank on Thursday projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to plunge in FY21 by 9.6% revised down since its June forecast of 3.2% drop, reflecting the impact of the nationwide lockdown and the income shock experienced by households and small urban service firms. "However, there is substantial uncertainty related to the course and duration of the pandemic; the speed at which households and firm behavior will adjust to the lifting of lockdowns; and a possible new round of countercyclical fiscal policy," the World Bank said in its latest South Asia Economic Focus report. While the government has signalled it is prepared to support the economy, there is no clarity about the timing or the extent of the next round of stimulus. The Indian economy contracted a record 23.9% in the June quarter, underlining the extent of economic damage brought about by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Many forecasters now expect Indian economy to

The CARAVAN,  October 03, 2020 On the morning of 14 August, while the final preparations for Independence Day were underway at the Red Fort in Delhi, Kohima, Nagaland’s capital city, saw a blue flag with rainbow stripes and a white star flying against a gentle wind—the Naga national flag. The Naga Students Federation, an apex body of all Naga youth and students’ organisations, had hoisted the flag to mark the seventy-fourth Naga Independence Day. “It was celebrated by all the 17 federating units”—the 17 Naga tribes—“and a few subordinate units,” Ninoto Awomi, the president of NSF, told me. The unequivocal display of Naga nationalism was not a sudden development, but it assumed relevance in the wake of deteriorating peace talks between the Naga nationalist groups and the Indian state. The Naga Independence Day was also celebrated in Camp Hebron, the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), the largest armed Naga nationalist group. David Mero, the kilo ki

Dailyhunt October 08, 2020 New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: India's drug regulatory authority Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has rejected a proposal from Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd to conduct a large study in the country to evaluate Russia's Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine and has asked it to first test the vaccine in a smaller trial. The recommendations by an expert panel of the CDSCO noted that safety and immunogenicity data from early-stage studies being conducted overseas is small, with no inputs available on Indian participants. India's move comes as a setback for Russia's plan to roll-out the vaccine even before full trials show how well it works, while pushing back its efforts to win approval for the vaccine in the country that leads the world on average number of new infections. The past few days have seen a flattening curve of cases in India with the country recording continuous dip in number of active cases and deaths. The number of infection

Financial Express October 08, 2020 Mobile operators have demanded that charges for Aadhaar-based e-KYC for verification of mobile subscribers be reduced to 70-80 paise per activation from the current Rs 41, which they feel is exorbitantly high. The telcos have highlighted that as per the current rules, government entities as well as banks are exempt from authentication charges, but telecom service providers (TSPs) are being burdened with high charges despite the industry being the largest user of the Aadhaar database. The plan was to have a Rs 25,000-crore fund, with contribution of both the government and other investors.SWAMIH fund: Sanctions cross Rs 12,000 crore, to help complete 81,300 houses“With the family voting unanimously to reject appointment to the AIL board, we have seemingly reached the end of the road for an amicable settlement,” she said in a statement.Legal recourse: Valli slaps legal notice on Murugappa group The department of telecommunications (DoT) restored Aadhaar

 First Post  October 05, 2020 India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services' board will meet later this week to consider a share buyback proposal. "...the board of directors will consider a proposal for buyback of equity shares of the company, at its meeting to be held on 7 October, 2020," Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said in a regulatory filing on Sunday night. No other details of the buyback plan were disclosed. The board is also slated to consider its financial results for the September quarter and declaration of a second interim dividend to the equity shareholders at that meeting. In 2018, the Mumbai-based company had undertaken a share buyback programme worth up to Rs 16,000 crore. The buyback, at Rs 2,100 per equity share, had entailed up to 7.61 crore shares. In 2017 too, TCS had undertaken a similar share purchase programme. TCS had announced the mega buyback offer as part of its long-term capital allocation policy of returning excess cash to s

 First Post October 05, 2020 The GST Council on Monday decided to extend the surcharge on taxes over luxury goods such as cars, and tobacco products beyond June 2022, but failed to reach a consensus on ways to compensate states for loss of tax revenue. The panel, which decides on tax rates and structure after 17 central and state taxes such as excise duty and VAT were subsumed into Goods and Services Tax (GST), will meet again on 12 October to thrash out the state compensation issue, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said after a marathon eight-hour meeting. The Council was divided on political lines, with 10 states ruled by non-BJP and its supporting parties, opposing the Centre's proposal of states borrowing to meet the shortfall in receipts. The state compensation issue appears headed for voting in the Council, with the option chosen by majority states being implemented. When the GST was introduced in July 2017, states were promised a 14 percent incremental revenue over

 CGTN October 06, 2020 A Chinese envoy on Monday made a joint statement at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, on behalf of 26 countries, criticizing the United States and Western countries for violating human rights, calling for the complete and immediate lifting of unilateral sanctions, and expressing grave concern on systematic racial discrimination.  Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), made the statement on behalf of countries including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to severely affect all nations, in particular developing countries. The response to and recovery from COVID-19 requires global soli

Financial Express October 8, 2020 The extended agreement is another milestone in the companies’ 25-year partnership and follows the announcement of a renewed pan-India managed services contract in July of this year. Bharti Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon said, “We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Ericsson as part of our endeavor to build a network ready for 5G and beyond.” Bharti Airtel has extended its multi-year contract with Ericsson for deploying 5G-ready radio network, strengthening their long-standing partnership. The extended agreement is another milestone in the companies’ 25-year partnership and follows the announcement of a renewed pan-India managed services contract in July of this year. Bharti Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon said, “We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Ericsson as part of our endeavor to build a network ready for 5G and beyond.” Nunzio Mirtillo, head of Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania and India, said, “The products manufactured in India will con

 Business Line  October 05,2020 Can't give management unilateral right to overhaul the agreement after 3 years, says workers union. P Manoj The government is looking to ‘tame’ employees of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) in a bid to check resistance through litigations against the privatisation of the state-run refiner. A long-term wage agreement and employee stock purchase scheme (ESPS) are being used as levers to achieve this goal, say employee unions. The offer of shares under ESPS is “subject to the applicant not being party to any challenge to the proposed strategic disinvestment of BPCL, whether individually or through any collectives and whether by way of any litigation or by way of any representation/complaint to any authority whomsoever”, says a BPCL document. Clause 1 (f) of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on wages and other matters signed between BPCL and two unions representing marketing workmen for 10 years, states: “The management reserves the right to revie

The Telegraph, October 08, 2020 Two scientists won the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for creating genetic “scissors” that can rewrite the code of life, contributing to new cancer therapies and holding out the prospect of curing hereditary diseases. Emmanuelle Charpentier, who is French, and American Jennifer Doudna share the 10 million Swedish crown ($1.1 million) prize for developing the CRISPR/Cas9 tool to edit the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with precision. “The ability to cut the DNA where you want has revolutionised the life sciences,” Pernilla Wittung Stafshede of the Swedish Academy of Sciences told an award ceremony. Charpentier, 51, and Doudna, 56, become the sixth and seventh women to win a Nobel for chemistry, joining Marie Curie, who won in 1911, and more recently, Frances Arnold, in 2018. It is the first time since 1964, when Britain’s Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin alone won the award, that no men are among the chemistry prize winners. Charpentier, of

 Business Line October 05, 2020 States to also get ₹24,000-cr IGST dues as borrowing issue remains unresolved The GST Council meeting on Monday remained inconclusive on the issue of borrowing to meet the compensation shortfall and will meet again on October 12. But the Council agreed to release ₹24,000 crore I-GST (Integrated Goods & Services Tax) for the financial year 2017-18 to States, which had not received the full amount as only a temporary settlement was made at that time. It has also been decided to disburse immediately to States/UTs the ₹20,000 crore collected so far this fiscal year through the compensation cess. “It is not correct that States that are not going for any borrowing option will not get anything. No State/UT is going to be denied compensation. Nobody ever thought that there will be a pandemic. However, compensation will be paid whether shortfall is on account of GST implementation or on account of the pandemic,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told media

Economic Times,  October 08, 2020 Mumbai: Global retail giant Amazon has sent a legal notice to promoters of Future Group for allegedly breaching a non-compete contract over the latter’s deal with Reliance Industries NSE -0.81 % (RIL), ET Now reported on Wednesday. In late August, RIL said its unit Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL) is acquiring the retail and wholesale business and the logistics and warehousing business from the Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group as going concerns on a slump sale basis for a lump sum total consideration of Rs 24,713 crore. In August 2019, Amazon bought a 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons for about Rs 1,500 crore. The latter owns 7.3 per cent stake in Future Retail NSE -5.44 % that operates in more than 1,000 stores under Big Bazaar, Fbb, Foodhall and Easyday Club brands. The notice alleges Future Group did not meet the criteria of its deal. The Amazon-Future Group dispute grievance redressal mechanism includes knocking the courts’ doors and arbitrati

The Indian Express,  October 08, 2020 At 1.55 per cent, India’s COVID-19 mortality (case fatality rate) is an important talking point. It’s been hailed as among the lowest in the world, “less than many nations in Europe”, and the government is targeting to bring it down to less than 1 per cent. However, The Lancet cautioned about “the dangers of false optimism” in its September 26 editorial on the Indian situation. Overall, Asian countries have experienced much lower COVID-19 mortality as compared to those in Europe. The initial high mortality in Spain and France has been attributed to several reasons: More than 75 per cent of the deaths were among those aged more than 75 years and living in care homes; high prevalence of co-morbidities, obesity and smoking among those infected; disproportionate number of health care providers infected early on (15 per cent of total cases) rendering the health services weak; and, shortage of diagnostic tests and personal protective equipment. Three lea