Morning Brief: Pakistan’s Misadventure Continues; Singapore PM In India; US-Russia Ties Plummet

Pakistan's Misadventure Continues

Pakistan's dastardly misadventure continued on Monday as the country violated ceasefire four times by resorting to heavy mortar shelling on Indian Army posts and civilians along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border. The Indian Army appropriately responded to Pakistan's unprovoked firing in Krishnagati sector of Poonch, Pallanwala belt of Jammu district and Balnoie area of Mendhar sector.

While the Indian Army released a 12-year-old Pakistani boy, who crossed the border, Islamabad has not yet responded to calls for release of an Indian soldier, who was captured by Pakistan after inadvertently crossing the LoC.

Singapore PM Arrives In India

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived in India last night for a five-day visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders on issues including security, trade and investment.

Singapore accounts for 38 per cent of India's trade with ASEAN member nations and 3.4 per cent of its total foreign trade. It is also the 8th largest source of investment in India and the two countries enjoy robust trade and investment relationship.

US-Russia Relations Plummet

In a sharp deterioration of relations, the US on Monday suspended diplomatic contacts with Russia over failed efforts to end the war in Syria. Washington has also blamed Russia for supporting a new round of airstrikes in the city of Aleppo.

Collapsed talks on Syria suggest that there is little hope for a diplomatic solution. The move comes less than a week after US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russia that the ceasefire agreement the two countries reached on 9 September was in jeopardy.

India-New Zealand Series In Trouble

BCCI has decided to cancel the ongoing series after the Lodha panel issued a letter to the banks, urging them to cease bank accounts of the board and refuse access to funds.

The apex court recently ratified the need to have a 15-day gap between India's international calendar and the IPL. Such a proposal, BCCI claims, can push India to choose between Champions Trophy or the IPL.

MUST READ OP-EDS

Explaining The Slide In CAD: Since India has conventionally had a current account deficit (CAD), an expected surplus in the first quarter of FY17 generated significant interest. Even though the actual current account turned out to be in marginal deficit, the unusually low level warrants some explanation.

Policy-making Too Complex An Issue: Of late, the judiciary has been in the news for various reasons — from dictating the age and size of diesel cars that can ply in the national capital to deciding the retirement age of cricket board officials. From a common man's perspective, judicial activism may seem appealing, but at times it is deceptive.

The ‘Magazine Cover’ Decision: Amid much fanfare and “thumbs up” signs, the International Monetary Fund has announced the inclusion of the Chinese yuan as a reserve currency. According to the fund, the decision acknowledged the progress made in liberalising and improving the infrastructure of China’s financial markets.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

Cauvery Pact Needs Review; New Deal Should Focus On Pricing, Compensation: If both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had to pay for the water, especially in lean monsoon years, both of them will figure out the optimum way to share the water. When water is free, we will only get fights and contempt of courts.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

SUBSCRIBE NOW: The latest issue of our magazine explores the issue of judicial overreach. "Has the Supreme Court become a law unto itself?" Get a copy home and enjoy reading Swarajya in print. Subscribe here to start receiving your copies for just Rs 349.

Swarajya Apps: Enjoy reading this morning brief and all articles from Swarajya on your mobile. Download our Android and iOS Apps.