Daily Newscap

What happened China’s senior diplomat Wang Yi travelled to Moscow in September 2023 shortly after holding two days of talks in Malta with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The sequence of meetings drew attention because Beijing was maintaining close relations with Russia while also trying to prevent further deterioration in its relationship with the United States. According to the official U.S. account reported at the time, Sullivan and Wang discussed bilateral relations, Russia’s war against Ukraine, regional security and tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Both sides indicated that they wanted to maintain communication and continue high-level engagement. The Malta meeting followed an earlier round of talks in Vienna in May 2023 and a series of visits to Beijing by senior U.S. officials. Why the Moscow visit mattered Wang’s trip was connected to China-Russia strategic consultations and preparations for further senior-level engagement. Russian President Vladimir Putin later ...

The 2023 proposal In September 2023, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy argued that the lottery used for cap-subject H-1B visas should be replaced with a merit-based selection system. He criticised the existing programme and said he wanted skilled immigration to be matched more closely with U.S. economic needs and civic commitments. The remarks were a campaign position, not a change in U.S. immigration law. Ramaswamy later ended his presidential campaign in January 2024, so the proposal should be understood in its original political context. How the H-1B programme works The H-1B category allows eligible U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in speciality occupations. These roles generally require highly specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. Employers must comply with wage and labour-condition requirements. Because demand for new cap-subject visas usually exceeds the annual numerical limit, U.S. Citizenship and Immi...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concluded a visit to Russia’s Far East in September 2023 after meeting President Vladimir Putin and touring military and aerospace facilities. The visit attracted international attention because both countries were under extensive sanctions and were expanding political and defence contacts. Gifts reported during the visit Russian officials and state media said Kim received several ceremonial gifts. These included a Russian-made rifle, a glove associated with a spacesuit, body armour and a traditional fur hat. The governor of Russia’s Primorsky region was also reported to have presented Kim with five one-way attack drones and a reconnaissance drone. The gifts were symbolically important because North Korea maintains museums displaying items presented to its leaders by foreign governments and public figures. More significantly, the reported transfer of military equipment raised questions about compliance with United Nations Security Council sanctions. Why ...

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it detected 103 People’s Liberation Army aircraft and nine People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels around Taiwan during the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. on 18 September 2023. The ministry reported that 40 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered the southwestern and southeastern parts of Taiwan’s air-defence identification zone. It said Taiwan responded by monitoring the activity and tasking combat air patrol aircraft, naval vessels and land-based missile systems. What the median line means The median line is an informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait. It is not a formally agreed international boundary, but for many years it helped reduce the risk of encounters between forces operating on opposite sides of the strait. Beijing does not recognise the line and says Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan is self-governed and rejects Beijing’s claim to exercise authority over it. Why the activity mattered The number reported ...

Santiniketan in West Bengal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 17 September 2023 during the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. UNESCO described it as India’s 41st World Heritage Site at the time of inscription. The site is closely associated with poet, philosopher and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It developed from an ashram established by Tagore’s father, Debendranath Tagore, and later became the setting for Rabindranath Tagore’s experimental school and Visva-Bharati. Why Santiniketan is significant Santiniketan brought together education, art, architecture, landscape and ideas about international cultural exchange. Tagore sought an alternative to conventional colonial education, with learning connected to nature and with greater contact between Indian and global traditions. UNESCO’s listed property includes historic buildings, gardens, landscapes, artworks and continuing educational and cultural practices. The inscript...

The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas in Karnataka were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 18 September 2023. The decision was taken during the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, making the property India’s 42nd World Heritage Site at that time. What the UNESCO property includes The serial property brings together three major Hoysala temple complexes: the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu and the Keshava Temple at Somanathapura. They date mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries and represent the most distinctive surviving examples of Hoysala sacred architecture. The temples are known for their star-shaped plans, detailed stone carving, sculptural bands and carefully integrated architecture. Their walls contain extensive representations of deities, dancers, musicians, animals, floral designs and episodes from Hindu traditions. Why the inscription matters UNESCO recognised the ensembles as exceptional examples of t...

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on 18 June 2023. He was a Canadian citizen and a prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which advocates a separate Sikh homeland. Canada’s statement On 18 September 2023, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons that Canadian security agencies were examining what he called credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and Nijjar’s killing. Trudeau said any involvement by a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil would be an unacceptable violation of sovereignty. The wording was important: Canada announced an active investigation and an allegation of a potential link. The parliamentary statement was not a judicial finding and did not establish criminal responsibility. India’s response India rejected the allegation, calling it absurd and motivated. The Ministry of External Affa...

 China has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan in recent years as relations have soured. Taiwan's defence ministry on Monday sounded alarm bells about heightened military activity by China, saying it had detected 103 Chinese warplanes around the island in a 24-hour period. "Between the morning of September 17th to 18th, the Ministry of National Defence had detected a total of 103 Chinese aircraft which was a recent high and has posed severe challenges to the security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region," it said in a statement. Beijing's "continued military harassment can easily lead to a sharp spike in tension and worsen regional security," the ministry said, as it called on China to "immediately stop such destructive unilateral actions. This latest episode comes as part of a series of increasing military manoeuvres by Beijing near Taiwan. The Chinese government has consistently asserted its claim over Taiwan, which it consider...

 The quake was at a depth of 171km (106.25 miles), GFZ said. An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck northeast of Taiwan region on Monday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The earthquake was also confirmed by United States Geological Survey (USGS). This is breaking news.

 The direct tax collections include Corporation Tax of ₹4.16 lakh crore and Personal Income Tax including Securities Transaction Tax (STT) of ₹4.47 lakh crore. The provisional direct tax collections of the government reached ₹8,65,117 crore as of 16 September. The collections witnessed a 23.5% jump from the corresponding period of the last fiscal during which the collections was ₹7,00,416 crore. The government has issued refunds amounting to ₹Rs. 1,21,944 crore in fiscal year 2023-24 till 16 September. The direct tax collections include Corporation Tax (CIT) of ₹4,16,217 crore (net of refund) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Securities Transaction Tax (STT) of ₹4,47,291 crore (net of refund). “The provisional figures of Gross collection of Direct Taxes (before adjusting for refunds) for the Financial Year 2023-24 stands at Rs. 9,87,061 crore compared to Rs. 8,34,469 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year, showing a growth of 18.29%," the release f...

 At the “Wonderlust” event held on September 12, 2023, Apple confirmed that the polished, stable versions of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will be released for public use on Monday, September 18. On the other hand, macOS Sonoma will be coming next week on September 26. While Apple didn’t announce a release time for iOS 17, the Cupertino-based tech giant usually releases its updates around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. If you’re curious to know at what time iOS 17 is coming out in your region, we’ve got you covered. We’ve listed the iOS 17 release time for all the major countries. Go ahead and check out when iOS 17 will be available for you. Here’s the iOS 17 release time in various time zones below. Please note that unless stated otherwise, all the mentioned timings are for Monday, 18th September 2023. Alaska: 09:00 a.m. AKDT Australia (Northern Territory): 02:30 a.m. ACST (Tuesday, 19th September) Australia: 3:00 a.m. AEST (Tuesday, 19th September) Belgium: 07:00 p.m. CEST Brazil: 02:00 p.m. BR...

 The Supreme Court of India on Monday rebuked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for 'sitting on disqualification pleas' of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and other 56 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs. The apex court has asked the Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to list before him for hearing the disqualification petitions within a week and set down a time schedule to decide disqualification pleas. The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud flagged the delay in decision and said the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar is bound to abide by the dignity of the Supreme Court. “Speaker has to honour dignity of Supreme Court", said CJI DY Chandrachud over the delay in deciding pleas for disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs. The apex court sought for a timeline on the hearing on the disqualification petitions, even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argues that the Speaker “cannot be treated like a school child". Supreme...

 Heavy rainfall and poor visibility likely caused the pilot to misjudge the landing route, officials say. Fourteen people on a small jet died when the plane crashed in Brazil’s northern Amazonas state. The aircraft’s pilot approached the tourist town of Barcelos in heavy rain with low visibility, and appeared to inadvertently start landing halfway down the runway, Amazonas state security secretary Vinicius Almeida told a news conference. The plane ran out of the landing strip and crashed, he added. Media reports showed the white jet belly-down on a dirt track, its front end crumpled into dense vegetation. “I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday,” said Wilson Lima, governor of Amazonas state, on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our teams have been working from the outset to provide the necessary support. My sympathy and prayers go out to their families and friends.” In an interview with O Globo ne...

 US Military seeks public help to find missing multimillion-dollar F-35 jet, a stealth-capable US fighter jet that vanished, not from prying eyes but from the American military. The United States Military has sought public help to track or find the missing F-35 jet after a "mishap" caused its pilot to eject on Sunday afternoon. The fighter jet of the US Marine Corps went missing mid-air after an emergency caused its pilot to eject. A stealth-capable US fighter jet vanished, not from prying eyes but rather from the American military, prompting an unusual call to the public to help locate the missing multimillion-dollar plane. Joint Base Charleston said on Facebook that the aircraft was a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II belonging to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. The pilot ejected safely and was transported to a local medical centre. "If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center," a ...

  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday after a rare six-day visit. Kim Jong Un's visit focused intensely on military cooperation, including a symbolic exchange of rifles. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday after a rare six-day visit that appeared to solidify his country's ties with President Vladimir Putin, fanning Western fears that Pyongyang could provide Moscow with weapons for its assault on Ukraine. Kim's tour of Russia's Far East, which began on Tuesday, has focused intensely on military cooperation, including a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and an inspection of state-of-the-art Russian weapons. Kim's first official visit abroad since the coronavirus pandemic has sparked concerns that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy Western sanctions to secure an arms deal that could help the Kremlin continue its assault against Ukraine. In comments broadcast on national television on Sunday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that ...

 In an interview with Politico, Ramaswamy termed the H-1B visa programme "indentured servitude" and said he would "gut" the lottery-based system. New Delhi: Following the row over his remarks on the H-1B visa programme, Indian-American US presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has said he understands what he wants to reform and stressed that the H-1B programme was "senseless". In an interview with Politico, Ramaswamy termed the H-1B visa programme "indentured servitude" and said he would "gut" the lottery-based system and replace it with meritocratic admission if he is elected US President next year. The Indian-American entrepreneur, a Republican aspirant for the US President's post, came into the spotlight after a presidential debate last month. Donald Trump is still leading the Republican race for the top post. The other frontrunners are Ramaswamy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Ramasw...

 Kochi: A raid by the Kuwait Human Resources Committee officials on a private clinic at Maliya in Kuwait City has landed 19 Keralite nurses among 30 Indians in jail last week. According to relatives of the Malayali nurses, 60 people, including the Indians, were caught during the raid on charges of violation of the foreign residency laws in Kuwait. According to the Kuwait Home Ministry, the nurses did not have relevant licences or required qualifications to work in Kuwait. However, the family members of the Keralite nurses claimed that they were qualified and had been working there with proper work visas and sponsorships. Several of them have been working there for the past three to 10 years in the same clinic. People from Philippines, Egypt and Iran have also been caught by the authorities on similar charges. The hospital is owned by an Iranian national and according to the relatives of the nurses, a dispute between the owner and the sponsor had led to the raid and arrest. Among th...

  Brigadier PMS Dhillon said three terrorists were eliminated and the bodies of two them were recovered. Brigadier PMS Dhillon, commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade, on Saturday said the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police foiled a major infiltration bid by killing three terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri town of Baramulla district. Dhillon said while two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies were recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity. "Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today in Baramulla. Three terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. Two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies were recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post in the vici...

 Health officials in India have shuttered schools, offices and public transport and are testing hundreds of people in an effort to track and contain an outbreak of Nipah virus that has killed two people, but can kill as many as three in four people it infects and has been flagged by experts as having the potential to seed a new pandemic. KEY FACTS Nipah  is a rare and potentially deadly virus that was first discovered in 1999 after an outbreak among pigs and pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore. Nipah is a zoonotic virus—meaning it can spread from animals to humans—and can infect humans through direct contact with infected animals or their bodily fluids or after eating contaminated food such as fruit products contaminated with urine or saliva from infected bats. Cases of human-to-human transmission of Nipah have also been  reported  during past outbreaks, particularly among the families and caregivers of infected people. In humans, symptoms typically arise between a...

 Nipah virus: Kerala is battling its fourth outbreak since 2018 of a virus for which there is no vaccine, and which kills up to 75% of those infected. The outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode district has prompted the administration to introduce  Covid era-like containment zones  in nine panchayats. The authorities are scrambling to identify high-risk contacts after the state reported two deaths from the brain-damaging virus, which causes respiratory distress and encephalitis. Five more patients infected with the Nipah virus are undergoing treatment at the hospitals. This is the fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala since 2018 when the state first reported the disease. Here are the latest updates on the Nipah virus The containment zones have been created in a five-kilometre radius of the homes of the two men who died of infection from the Nipah virus on August 30 and September 11. The state had sent 11 more samples to Pune’s National Institute o...

 HIGHLIGHTS Kerala's Nipah virus different from the strains found in Bangladesh, Malaysia: NIV study No comparative study done yet to find differences, if any, in symptoms, pathogenicity, and affinity to affect organs; data required for making vaccines and monoclonal antibodies Kozhikode: An ongoing study by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune found the footprint of Nipah virus in bats in 10 of the 16 states and Union Territories surveyed in India. The study found Nipah viral antibodies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Puducherry.  Yet, only Kerala is seeing repeated Nipah viral infection among humans, almost annually. The 2018 outbreak killed 17 of the 18 persons who were confirmed to have been infected by the viral disease in Kozhikode. In 2019, one case was reported in Ernakulam. In 2021, a 12-year-old boy died of encephalitis, a symptom of Nipah viral infection, in Kozhikode. This year, two persons su...

 Jaahnavi Kandula was hit and killed by a police car while crossing the street in Seattle on January 23 this year. US has assured of a fair probe after a video showing a cop joking about the death of an Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula in Seattle after she was hit by a speeding police car went viral. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco had expressed concern over the handling of the case. The video shows officer Daniel Auderer laughing about the deadly crash and saying there was no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague Kevin Dave, who was driving the car. Who was Jaahnavi Kandula? The 23-year-old was from Andhra Pradesh and pursuing a master's degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union. She went to the US from Bengaluru on a student exchange programme in 2021 and was due to graduate this December. Ms Kandula's family is deeply distressed by the revelations. Her grandfather told NDTV that the family had not recovered from loss and the po...

 NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - India has recorded two deaths from the rare Nipah virus in the state of Kerala, an official from the National Institute of Virology said on Tuesday. One person died this month while another death occurred on Aug. 30, said the official, who declined to be named. Two more people from the same family were also suspected to have been infected and their samples have been sent for testing, the official said, adding the virology institute had sent its report to the federal health ministry. The deadly brain-damaging Nipah virus, which is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs or other people, was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak of illness affecting pig farmers and others in close contact with pigs in Malaysia and Singapore. There are no treatments or vaccines against the virus. Mass testing will begin in the area where the latest cases were found and some quarantine measures have been put in pla...

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has left India after a problem with his aircraft extended a testing visit to India's capital by two days. He was meant to fly on Sunday after the G20 summit ended but an embarrassing mechanical snag grounded him. Opponents at home and Indian social media users mocked him for the delay, which came after Mr Trudeau had a tense meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi. Canada-India relations have grown increasingly strained in recent months. Mr Trudeau's visit "did nothing to mend the frosty ties that he has developed with India", reported India Today on Tuesday. Days before he flew to Delhi, Mr Trudeau unexpectedly said his country was pausing talks on a trade treaty between the two countries. Protests by Canada's large Sikh population have been a major flashpoint in the tensions. India is concerned about the activities of Sikh separatists - it denies any hand in the murder of a prominent advocate of Sikh independence in British C...

 Since Kim assumed power in 2011, he has predominantly gone abroad by train, much like his father and grandfather, piquing curiosity about it. During Kim Jong Il's era, the train reportedly had luxurious bedrooms and high-tech communication. It served live lobsters and fine wines. For entertainment, there were ‘lady conductors’ to sing. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (September 12). The two leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Moscow with weapons to support its invasion of Ukraine. Kim reached the country from Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, in his favoured mode of transport: a swanky, bulletproof but agonisingly slow train. Since he assumed power in 2011, Kim has predominantly gone abroad by train, much like his father and grandfather, piquing curiosity about it. His train consists of about 21 carriages, painted in olive green with yellow piping and tinted windows. But why does a ...

 The first foreign rescuers flew in to help after Morocco’s strongest-ever quake killed at least 2,012 people and injured more than 2,000, many seriously. Using heavy equipment and even their bare hands, rescuers in Morocco on Sunday stepped up efforts to find survivors of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and flattened villages. The first foreign rescuers flew in to help after the North African country's strongest-ever quake killed at least 2,012 people and injured more than 2,000, many seriously, according to the official figures. Friday's 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 km southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in the hills of the Atlas mountains. On Sunday an aftershock of magnitude 4.5 rattled already-traumatised residents in the same region. The mountain village of Tafeghaghte, 60 km from Marrakesh, was almost entirely destroyed, an AFP team reported, with very few buildings still standing. Amid the debris, civilian r...

 Addressing a press conference following the G-20 summit on September 10, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it was very gratifying that an important meeting like G-20, which Brazil was a founder of, showed the importance of a multipolar world. Speaking after the conference, the President said the biofuel alliance is something Brazil fought for a long time, and the country has a particular competence in this. “What happened at G20 is more important than the money spent in organizing it. The global biofuel alliance is one great initiative, so we should say India invested the money, not spent the money.” India on September 9 announced the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance and urged G-20 nations to join the initiative with a plea to take ethanol blending with petrol globally to 20%. The Alliance was launched by Mr. Modi along with a host of global leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, Mr. Lula, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Italian Prime Ministe...

 During the meeting, PM Modi highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and raised "strong concerns" about the continuous "anti-India activities" by extremist elements in Canada, and stated that it is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. PM Trudeau also congratulated PM Modi on the success of India's G20 Presidency. During the meeting, PM Modi highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. "He conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indi...

 UK PM Rishi Sunak says India and the UK have made huge progress towards signing a free-trade agreement. In a strong indication to clinch a deal this year, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that India and the United Kingdom have made enormous progress toward signing a free-trade agreement. The remarks came at the G20 Summit in Delhi on Friday. Speaking to ANI, Rishi Sunak said, "Both Modi Ji and I are keen to see a comprehensive and ambitious trade deal concluded between our two countries. Both of us think that there is a good deal to be done." The British premier stressed there was “still hard work to do" and said an agreement had to “work for both countries", as per Bloomberg reports, citing ANI.  “I think there is an enormous opportunity for both India and the UK to strengthen our economic cooperation which will bring real benefits to our citizens in both countries," the UK PM added.  The two leaders (PM Modi and Rishi Sunak) noted with satisfaction the pro...

 UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is in India to attend the G-20 Summit, arrived at the Akshardham temple in Delhi on Sunday, September 10, before his other commitments for the day. Sunak was in the temple for about 45 minutes with his wife Akshata Murthy, offered prayers, participated in the aarti and also met saints and seers. Pictures of Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy’s visit to Akshardham have gone viral on social media. In these pictures, the UK PM and his wife can be seen walking around the Akshardham temple complex having darshan and performing aarti. In most images, Akshata Murthy is seen alongside her husband Rishi Sunak. However, a couple of photographs feature Rishi Sunak without his wife. In one of these pictures, Rishi Sunak is seen standing with folded hands in the company of saints and seers from the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha within the premises of the Akshardham temple. In another photo, the saints are seen applying tilak on him. It is worth noting that the manage...