Your Morning Briefing for 08 September 2020

Good morning Readers,

We are covering the rising tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), new cases of Covid reinfection and the suspense over the Lok Janshakti Party's (LJP) next move. 

The LAC Dispute

A week after Indian troops occupied strategic heights on the south bank of Pangong Tso and Rechin La, the Chinese army accused them of ratcheting up tensions by firing warning shots. There was no immediate response from the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defence.

A BJP general secratary's presence at the funeral of a soldier who was part of a covert Indian unit, comprising mostly of Tibetans in India, will likely rile the Chinese further. 

Meanwhile, when asked about the future of the India-China relationship, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was a guest at the Express Adda, said “this is one area my crystal ball is a little clouded”. 

From The Front Page

The massive spike in Covid cases across the country  in recent weeks, sources say, is a result of loopholes in the implementation of containment, surveillance, and clinical management strategies for Covid-19 in several states. 

The Centre is unlikely to blink in the faceoff with non-BJP ruled states over GST compensation. In fact, government officials pointed out that states had parked about Rs 1.8 lakh crore in T-Bills, suggesting that they were not short of funds.

Deepak Kochhar, husband of former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its money laundering probe into loans disbursed by ICICI Bank to Videocon group for alleged pecuniary considerations. Deepak didn’t cooperate with the officials citing the pandemic, which led the ED to put him under arrest.

The Pandemic

Four cases of Covid-19 reinfection have been reported in Ahmedabad, nearly four months after they tested positive for the first time. All of them had subsequently recovered and were discharged after testing negative through RTPCR tests.

Since the last week of March, when Covid-19 induced lockdown was imposed across the country, corporate sector debt worth a whopping Rs 15.52 lakh crore, or 29.4 per cent of the banking sector debt to the industry, has come under stress.

Beyond Covid-19

The Delhi Police Crime Branch, which is investigating the Delhi riots case, has questioned a policeman posted with the Delhi Armed Police in the death case of 24-year-old Faizan after he, along with two other men, were allegedly made to sing the national anthem and Vande Mataram by a group of policemen.

Decision on whether the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will contest the elections under leadership of Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, has been put on hold after a phone call was received from a senior national BJP leader, where a meeting between the two parties was mooted for the weekend. LJP has, however, authorised Chirag Paswan to take the final call.

ICYMI

• Amid a spat between actor Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the Home Ministry accorded Y+ category security to her after she claimed a threat to her life in the city.
•  The DRDO Monday successfully flight tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, which has the ability to travel at six times the speed of sound.
•  Rhea Chakraborty has filed a police complaint against Sushant Singh’s sister Priyanka and a doctor from RML hospital for allegedly getting him psychiatric drugs without consultation.
•  After 277 labourers tested Covid-19 positive from two construction sites, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) sent a Rs 1-crore show-cause notice to a company. 
• A 45-year-old cab driver was killed, allegedly by two men, with his family alleging they forced him to chant Jai Shri Ram before his death — a claim denied by Noida Police.

And Finally...

The second-best javelin throw of all-time, recorded on Sunday, sent officials surprised and scampering further than they had originally intended to check where the spear had precisely landed. Johannes Vetter's 97.76 metre eye-popping feat had landed adjacent to the shot-put throwing area at the other end of the field.

Delhi Confidential: Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to miss at least the first 10 days of the monsoon session of Parliament, as she is learnt to be planning to travel abroad for her annual health check-up. 

In today's episode of the Three Things, we take a look at the criticisms against the Russian vaccine, what situations qualify as ‘Act of God’, and why Djokovic was kicked out of the US Open.

Until tomorrow,

Leela Prasad G and Shreyasi Jha