Morning Brief: Airports On High Alert; Protest In PoK; Hurricane Matthew Toll 264

Airports Put On High Alert

Major airports in India's border states – Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat – and in the national capital have been put on a high alert as part of the heightened security arrangements. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has asked police chiefs of all four states and the Central Industrial Security Force to be extra careful.

During the high alert, more random and detailed checks of passengers and their baggage will take place. Also, the entry of vehicles into airports will be curtailed.

60 Per Cent Spectrum Unsold

The country's biggest auction of telecom spectrum could sell only around 40 per cent of the 2,353MHz airwaves that had been put up for sale. Bidders stayed away from high-cost 700-MHz and 900-MHz bands even on the third day of bidding.

Vodafone's India unit took home Rs 20,000 crore worth of spectrum. Bharti Airtel, the nation's biggest telecom company, bought Rs 14,244 crore worth of spectrum, while Idea Cellular put in Rs 12,798 crore of bids.

Protest In Pak-Occupied Kashmir

Protests have erupted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with local leaders and people alleging that their life has become 'living hell' because of terror camps in the region. They have claimed that the restive area is being used to shelter terrorists.

While the residents are protesting, it hardly gets any attention in the local media as the news is censored and Pakistani media are not free to report the realities on the ground.

Hurricane Matthew Toll 264

The death toll in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Matthew has soared to 264, the government announced. Over 50 people were feared dead in the country's southern town of Roche-a-Bateau alone.

According to the Associated Press, workers have struggled to reach the worst-hit areas with a key bridge washed away and impassable roads. The hurricane has been upgraded to a category four storm, as it heads for the US state of Florida.

Israel Rejects US Criticism

Jerusalem has rejected the criticism of the US State Department over Israel’s approval of construction of homes on government-owned land in Shilo.

Earlier, State Department spokesman Mark Toner issued a sharp condemnation of Israel over the construction approval, calling it "another step towards cementing a one state reality of perpetual occupation".

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

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