25092023-TTC-01.qxd 9/25/2023 12:34 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 7 NO. 265 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 INDIA BEAT AUS BY 99 RUNS IN SECOND ODI, TAKE 2-0 LEAD SPORT /thetribunechd ARMY STRENGTHENS INTEL AS NOMADS START MIGRATION J&K COLLECTIVE THRUST PM FLAGS OFF 9 VANDE CAN MAKE FARMERS BHARAT TRAINS ACROSS MARKET-SAVVY INFOCUS 11 STATES BACK PAGE monday | 25 september 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com It’s world of double standards: EAM on developed nations’ resistance to change Speaks at world forum after Canada fracas Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 Days after the Justin Trudeau government in Canada levelled allegations against India over Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the world is still full of “double standards” and those countries which are occupying positions of influence are resisting the pressure to change and those with historical influence have weaponised a lot of those capabilities. Speaking at a Ministerial Session in New York titled “South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions and Ideas”, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the India’s Permanent Mission to the UN and Reliance Foundation, Jaishankar said: “I think more than political will, there is political pressure for change. There is a growing sentiment in the world, and the Global continued on page 9 RESISTING REFORMS CANADA MP FLAGS THREAT TO HINDUS who are ❝ Thosepositions of occupying influence, we see this in the UN Security Council most of all, are resisting the pressure to change. —S Jaishankar, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER Rowers, shooters strike silver A protest against Canada PM Justin Trudeau in New Delhi. ANI Ottawa: Holding own party-led govt responsible for inaction against Khalistan extremists, PM Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party MP Chandra Arya on Sunday asserted Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats by extremist elements. Arya said: “I am worried about the consequence of what happened after PM’s statement… Hindu Canadians here are fearful”. ANI Canada ‘used’ USintel on India’s Nijjar role Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 Information provided by US spy agencies to Canada helped it develop the intelligence that enabled Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to allege a “potential Indian link” in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey on June 18, reported the US media. Further, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visited several Sikh leaders in the US and warned them that their lives were also at risk following the killing, as per a report. US media reports say FBI warned Sikh leaders of potential threat after Khalistan terrorist’s murder INFO GIVEN AS PART OF SHARING PACT ■ US spy agencies gave Canadian counterparts with ‘context’ that helped it surmise India’s ‘involvement’ in Nijjar’s killing, say reports ■ US was unaware of ‘plot’ until killing; if it had info in advance, it would been shared with Ottawa under agencies’ ‘duty to warn’ doctrine ■ Info was ‘shared deliberately’ as part of package of various inputs gathered by US agencies and ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence sharing project A political activist, who is a coordinator for the Sikh American Caucus Committee, claimed he along with two other American Sikhs in California received calls and visits from the FBI after Nij- jar’s killing. Another American Sikh linked to a nonprofit group said members of their community had received police warnings about potential threats. After Nijjar’s death, US offi- cials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington did not have advance information about the killing and if they had any, they would have passed it on to their Canadian counterparts under the “duty to warn” doctrine, reported New York Times quoting unnamed “allied officials”. After Nijjar’s killing, the US intelligence agencies provided the Canadian Intelligence Security Service (CSIS) with “context” that helped it surmise that India was involved. The contextual information about the killing was “shared deliberately” as part continued on page 9 India win the silver medal in the Men’s Coxed Eight event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. DOUBLE DELIGHT Rower Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh win silver in men’s lightweight double sculls event INDIA IN FINAL Women’s cricket team enter maiden Asian Games final after crushing Bangladesh. They face Sri Lanka in final BULL’S EYE Mehuli Ghosh, Ramita Jindal & Ashi Chouksey bag team silver in women’s 10m air rifle event. Ramita gets individual bronze in the event PACKING A PUNCH India’s Nikhat Zareen (R) defeated Vietnam’s Thi Tam Nguyen in the women’s 50 kg boxing preliminaries on Sunday. PTI 16-0 ROUT Punjab’s Varun Kumar & Mandeep Singh slammed hattricks as the men’s hockey team started its campaign with a 16-0 rout of lowly-ranked Uzbekistan INDIA’S MEDAL TALLY RANK 7 TOTAL 00 03 02 05 RAMITA JINDAL Indian, Russian firms halt diamond trade Centre moves to cancel OCI cards of pro-Khalistan activists Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 Russian and Indian diamond companies have suspended transactions in diamonds for the next two months in order to avoid West scrutiny into the source of the stones, which are cut, polished and classified in Surat, the world’s Mecca of finished diamonds. Officially, the two sides said they reached an amicable decision in this regard after the Indian Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) wrote a letter to the Russian diamond producer, Alrosa, stating that there was “a diminishing demand for diamonds in international markets, leading to disruptions in factory operations and a reduction in resource allocation’’. “Alrosa has called upon all industry partners, including diamond mining companies, cutting facilities and jewellery retailers, to adopt a similar responsible stance towards rough diamond purchase and sale. This collective effort aims to enhance confidence within the industry Amid tension with China, Dalai Lama to visit Sikkim Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, September 24 Amid heightened tension with China over not allowing Indian athletes from Arunachal Pradesh to participate in the Asian Games and issuance of a controversial map, the Dalai Lama will visit Sikkim on October 11 and 12. His visit to Sikkim comes after a gap of 13 years. On a request of the Sikkim Government, the Tibetan continued on page 9 Step taken to avoid West scrutiny into source of jewels G7 COUNTRIES PLAN CERTIFICATES ■ G7 plans certificates in order to allow sale of finished diamonds ■ This will allow segregation of Russian diamonds bought by Surat-based firms ■ G7 is trying to choke all sources of external income to Russia and strengthen relationships among all stakeholders,’’ said a GJEPC statement. The ban on Alrosa’s sales and purchase of diamonds will be till October. The companies under this group are the world’s biggest miner of diamonds by volume. They source diamonds from the Arctic and Siberian regions of Russia, and Africa. However, the sale has come under increasing scrutiny from G7 countries as they try to choke all sources of external income to Russia. The warning bells for Indian companies had started continued on page 9 Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Will back Xi’s new initiatives, says Nepal PM in China Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 24 Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said Kathmandu will support a series of important concepts and initiatives proposed by China. Terming his talks with Chinese President ‘TALKS WITH CHINESE PREZ HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE’ Xi Jinping in Beijing on Saturday as “highly productive”, he said they would significantly strengthen bilateral relations and deepen ties. Prachanda is on a weeklong visit to China and met Xi after attending the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. On Monday, he is scheduled to discuss economic cooperation in greater depth with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. continued on page 9 New Delhi, September 24 Action of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in seizing the properties of ‘designated individual terrorist’ Gurpatwant Singh Pannu was the first step in targeting pro-Khalistan activists living abroad. The government has adopted a two-pronged plan. Firstly, it has asked investigative agencies to identify properties of all persons who are Move to seize their properties in India too wanted in India, but are living abroad. Secondly, the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards, which allow visafree entry, will be revoked in case of wanted persons and their sympathisers. Sources said the government had asked the agencies to identify pro-Khalistan activists settled in countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia and cancel their OCI cards so that they would not be able to gain visa-free entry to India. The government plan came to the fore a day after the NIA confiscated the properties of Pannu in Chandigarh and Amritsar. So far, around two dozen such persons living in the US, UK, Canada, UAE, Pakistan and other countries have been identified. News agency IANS has named them as Paramjit Singh Pamma, continued on page 9 IN BRIEF Chinese envoy calls for strengthening ties KOLKATA: Amid a row over China’s decision to deny visa to three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games, Chinese envoy Zha Liyou on Sunday called for strengthening bilateral relations. PTI Army to hold annual parade at Lucknow in Jan NEW DELHI: The Army has decided that its annual parade will be conducted in Lucknow in January 2024. In Jan this year, the parade was held in Bengaluru, the first such Army Day Parade outside the Capital. BACK PAGE In Manipur, trucks painted like Assam Rifles’ IMPHAL: The Assam Rifles has written to the Manipur Police, stating that trucks in Kakching district have been painted in camouflage colours with insignia of the paramilitary force, resembling their vehicles. PTI TMC, BJP in war of words over Mamata, Modi trips KOLKATA: The TMC and the BJP engaged in a verbal brawl on Sunday with the latter mocking the CM’s foreign trip & the TMC responding by questioning the PM’s foreign tours while ignoring the crisis in Manipur. PTI All eyes on INLD’s rally at Kaithal today Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, September 24 All eyes are on Monday’s rallies being organised in Kaithal and Sikar by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) — the two factions of the Chautala clan — to mark the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. The rallies are important Several INDIA bloc leaders likely to attend event JJP TO HOLD RALLY IN SIKAR The JJP will hold its rally in Sikar. JJP leader Ajay Singh Chautala and his son Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala are looking to expand their base in Rajasthan in view of the upcoming poll there. for the INLD and the JJP as these are being held ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and Rajasthan and Haryana Assembly poll. While the JJP is an ally of the BJP the , INLD has been trying to join the INDIA bloc. Former CM Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD will leave no stone unturned to make its Kaithal rally a success as it has been working hard to revive its fortunes. The party was reduced to one MLA in the Assembly after the 2019 poll in the wake of a split in the Chautala family. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been pitching for inclusion of the INLD in the INDIA bloc. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala had called on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to invite continued on page 9 NASA’s first asteroid samples from deep space land on earth Washington, September 24 NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert on Sunday to cap a seven-year journey. In a flyby of the earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule from 63,000 miles (100,000 km) out. The small capsule landed four hours later on a remote expanse of military land, as the mothership set off after another asteroid. Scientists estimate the capsule holds at least a cup of rubble from the carbon-rich aster- oid known as Bennu, but won’t know for sure until the container is opened. Some spilled and floated away when the spacecraft scooped up too much and rocks jammed the container’s lid during collection three years ago. Japan, the only other country to bring back asteroid samples, gathered about a teaspoon in a pair of asteroid missions. The pebbles and dust delivered on Sunday represent the biggest haul from beyond the moon. Preserved building blocks from the BENNU MAY HIT PLANET IN 2182 ■ Sample capsule released by Osiris-Rex spacecraft landed in Utah on Sunday ■ Launched in Sept 2016, OSIRIS-REx reached carbonrich asteroid Bennu in 2018 ■ Spacecraft spent two years orbiting Bennu before scooping up a cup of rubble ■ Left Bennu in May 2021 for 1.9bn-km cruise towards earth, releases capsule during flyby dawn of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, the samples will help scientists better ■ Samples will help understand Bennu, which may possibly hit earth in 2182 understand how the earth and life formed. Osiris-Rex, the mother- Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b ship, rocketed away on the $1 billion mission in 2016. It reached Bennu two years later and, using a long stick vacuum, grabbed rubble from the small roundish space rock in 2020. By the time it returned, the spacecraft had logged 4 billion miles (6.2 billion km). NASA’s recovery effort in Utah included helicopters as well as a temporary clean room set up at the Defence Department’s Utah Test and Training Range. The samples will be flown on Monday morning to a new lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The building already houses the hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of moon rocks gathered by the Apollo astronauts more than half a century ago. The mission’s lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, will accompany the samples to Texas. The opening of the container in Houston in the next day or two will be “the real moment of truth,” given the uncertainty over the amount inside, he said ahead of the landing. — AP Droppedbydrone, 12 kg of heroin seized in Punjab Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 24 Two suspected drug smugglers were today apprehended near the International Border in Gurdaspur sector, leading to the seizure of 12kg heroin and currency amounting to Rs 19.3 lakh. “During the morning hours of September 24, the BSF noticed the intrusion of a drone near Chaura Kalan village in Gurdaspur district,” a BSF officer said. In the consequent joint search operation with the Punjab Police in the area, two persons were apprehended on suspicion, he added. Gurdaspur SSP Harish Dayama said: “Surinder Singh and Jagpreet were nabbed from the neighbouring village of Alarpindi after we got the tipoff that they were in the process of collecting the heroin. continued on page 9