Army says officer injured in ‘grenade accident’ at a post in J&K’s Rajouri

The Army on October 5 evening said one officer has been injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri sector. “The officer was evacuated and stable post initial treatment. Further investigation of the incident in progress,” the Army said in an official statement. 

Sikkim flash floods death toll mounts to 18; searches on for 98 missing people

The toll in the flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 18 on Thursday as Army and NDRF teams worked their way through slushy earth and fast flowing water in the Teesta river basin and downstream north Bengal for the second day in search of those who were swept away and are still missing, officials said. Ninety eight people, including 22 army personnel, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood, Chief Secretary V.B. Pathak said.

Supply copy of FIR to NewsClick founder, court tells Delhi Police

The Patiala House Court on Thursday allowed news portal NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and its human resource head Amit Chakraborty to get a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case filed against them by the Delhi Police. The police had opposed the application earlier in the day. Additional sessions judge Hardeep Kaur passed the order after hearing the counsel of the accused, Arshdeep Singh, and Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava.

Amit Shah suggests uniform anti-terrorism structure under NIA for all States 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that along with a ruthless approach, an uniform anti-terrorism structure should be established under the purview of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in all the States. Mr. Shah made the remarks at the inauguration of the two-day anti-terror conference organised by the NIA.

INDIA parties speak up for arrested AAP MP Sanjay Singh; Congress gives qualified support

The Congress has extended qualified support to Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested on Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money laundering probe linked to the Delhi excise policy case. Equating Mr. Singh’s arrest with that of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Punjab, the party’s general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said, “We cannot become those we oppose”. The remark was also a swipe at the AAP government in Punjab over the arrest of Mr. Khaira. 

IIT-Bombay ‘veg. table’ row | Dean says policy made by elected body, calls protest ‘provocative, insensitive’

As voices against the policy of a hostel canteen of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), segregating certain tables for vegetarian food begin to grow louder within the campus, the Dean of Student Affairs (SA) on October 5 sent an email to all students and staff on the issue, the first from the administration on the controversy.

India, Canada in conversation on parity of diplomatic staff: MEA

India and Canada are in conversation about attaining “parity” in the diplomatic staff posted in each other’s missions, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. During his weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi reiterated India’s charge of Canadian “interference” in India’s internal affairs and indicated that India expects Canada to reduce the total number of its diplomats stationed here. 

India conveys concerns to U.S. over American envoy to Pakistan’s visit to Gilgit-Baltistan

India on Thursday said it raised its concerns with the U.S. over American envoy to Islamabad Donald Blome’s recent visit to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and called on the world community to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Reports say dozens have been killed and wounded as drone strikes hit a Syrian military ceremony

A drone attack struck a packed graduation ceremony for military officers in the Syrian city of Homs on Thursday, killing and wounding dozens, including civilians and military personnel, reports said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and the reports could not be independently confirmed.

EU Parliament decries ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Nagorno-Karabakh

EU lawmakers on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” against the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the bloc to impose sanctions on Baku. Almost all of the 120,000-strong ethnic Armenia population has fled the breakaway region since Azerbaijan seized it back in a lightning offensive last month.

Chinese firm sold satellites for intelligence to Russia’s Wagner: contract

Russian mercenary group Wagner in 2022 signed a contract with a Chinese firm to acquire two satellites and use their images, aiding its intelligence work as the organisation sought to push Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a document seen by AFP. The contract was signed in November 2022, over half a year into Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in which the Wagner group under its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was playing a key role on the battlefield.

Musk’s X strips headlines from news links

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has stripped headlines from news articles shared by users, in a move likely to further worsen relations with media groups. The tycoon has long railed against the “legacy media” and claims X, formerly Twitter, is a better source of information. However, he said the latest change was for “aesthetic” reasons — news and other links now appear only as pictures with no accompanying text.

Political stability, policy consistency needed to ensure Indian economy’s growth to world’s third-largest: FM

Taking on critics who argue that India will become the world’s third largest economy in a few years with or without government intervention, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that political stability and policy consistency was essential for the prospect to turn into a reality, especially in a world marred by unprecedented volatility. 

Lower prices for tomatoes, chillis and LPG may have pulled food inflation down last month

Retail food inflation may have eased in September, thanks to cooling tomato prices and a reduction in LPG cylinder prices, even as onion prices rose further during the month, a CRISIL study on food plate costs suggested. Retail inflation had eased to 6.83% in August from a 15-month high of 7.44% in July, but food price inflation stood at about 10%.

SEBI to tell court Adani inquiry began 2014, but hit dead end: sources

Markets regulator SEBI will tell the Supreme Court why it paused, then restarted investigations into the Adani Group after a tip in 2014 amid questions around regulatory delays, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. SEBI will say for the first time that India’s customs authority alerted it to an alleged misuse of offshore funds by Adani Group companies in 2014 but that the initial investigation did not yield anything and was paused in 2017, the sources said.

Asian Games | Indian compound archery teams’ domination complete

With the scores tied at 200 each, Indian archers needed to hit three perfect 10s in a row to stay alive in the compound women’s team final at the Fuyang Arena. First, Parneet Kaur hit a 10 before Aditi Swami and Jyothi Surekha followed suit with 10s to put the pressure back on Chinese Taipei. Taipei slipped up with the first arrow which assured India’s gold medal and it won 230-229 Later, the trio of Abhishek Verma, Ojas Pravin Deotale and Prathamaesh Jawkar won the men’s team gold by beating South Korea 235-230 in the final.

Russian mercenary group Wagner in 2022 signed a contract with a Chinese firm to acquire two satellites and use their images, aiding its intelligence work as the organisation sought to push Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a document seen by AFP.

The contract was signed in November 2022, over half a year into Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in which the Wagner group under its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was playing a key role on the battlefield.

The satellite images were also used to assist Wagner’s operations in Africa and even its failed mutiny in June which has led now to the de-facto break up of the group followed by the death of Prigozhin and other key figures in an air crash in August, a European security source told AFP.

According to a contract seen by AFP written in English and Russian and signed on November 15, 2022, the company Beijing Yunze Technology Co Ltd sold two high resolution observation satellites belonging to the Chinese space giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST) to Nika-Frut, a company then part of Prigozhin’s commercial empire.

The over $30 million (235 million yuan) price was for the satellites themselves and additional services.

The contract also provides for the provision of images on demand, which allowed Wagner to obtain satellite pictures both of Ukraine and areas in Africa where its mercenaries were active including Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic and Mali, the European security source told AFP, asking not to be named.

According to this source, Wagner even ordered images of Russian territory at the end of May 2023, all along the route between the Ukrainian border and Moscow that was seized by Wagner’s forces at the end of June, during the brief mutiny.

The mutiny was aborted within 24 hours and marked the definitive break between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin.

There is, however, no mention of ordering images of Russian territory in the contract and the supply of such pictures could not be independently confirmed by AFP.

But there have been media reports that Western intelligence services, including in France and the United States, had intelligence that the mutiny was going to happen before it took place.

The European security source said that the contract with the Chinese firm was still active.

It provides for the acquisition of two Chinese satellites — JL-1 GF03D 12 and JL-1 GF03D 13 — which are in orbit at an altitude of 535 kilometres above the Earth.

In this contract, Wagner also acquired the right to bid for other satellite images from the network held by the Chinese operator CGST, which has around 100 satellites today and aims to reach 300 by 2025.

Gregory Falco, aerospace researcher at Cornell University in the United States, told AFP that Wagner’s use of the Chinese technology showed Russia’s limits in the sector despite its historic reputation as a great space power going back to the USSR.

“Russia does not have this type of capabilities. Their satellite program has not been successful recently. There is no way they could do it themselves,” he told AFP.

“This is something they’re not good at whereas China is at the top of the game.”

Asked to comment on the contract, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP: “I am not aware of the situation you describe,” adding: “China always takes a prudent and responsible attitude towards the relevant issues of exports, and acts strictly in accordance with Chinese policies, laws and its international obligations.”

The supply of Chinese satellite data to Wagner appears already known for Washington, with the US Commerce Department, based on a decision of a multi-department commission, announcing on February 24 it would be adding Beijing Yunze Co. Technology to its sanctions list, as well as the satellite image broker Head Aerospace Technology.

“These additions are based on information that these companies significantly contribute to Russia’s military and/or defence industrial base and are involved in activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests,” it said.

On April 12 the State Department also issued sanctions against 80 entities and individuals who it said continue to enable and facilitate Russian aggression, including Head Aerospace Technology, which it described as a “satellite image reseller that supplied satellite imagery of locations in Ukraine to entities affiliated with PMC Wagner and Yevgeny Prigozhin.”

AFP was able to verify the identity of the signatory of the contract on the Russian side — Ivan Mechetin. According to multiple sources, the 40-year-old is the general director of the Nika-Frut company, a subsidiary of the Concord group then headed by Prigozhin.

“Nika-Frut is registered as a food trading company, but does many other things. This is a known tendency in Prigozhin’s world,” said Lou Osborn, of the digital investigative NGO All Eyes on Wagner (AEOW).

According to research via open sources, Nika-Frut, registered as a wholesale trading company, shipped several orders of food goods to the Central African Republic in 2019 for the mining company Lobaye Invest, a historic subsidiary of the M-Finans company, formerly controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin and linked to the operations of the Wagner group in the CAR. Lobaye Invest has been the target of European sanctions since last February.

According to AEOW, Mechetin also worked during his career with a unit of the Russian army in charge of material support for the fighting forces, and which notably supplied weapons and ammunition to Russian military intelligence the GRU during the invasion of Crimea in 2014.

The monitor said that Beijing Yunze serves as a subsidiary for the acquisition or sale of defence technologies on behalf of Beijing.

The company Head International has, according to multiple Western sources, a marketing agreement with the powerful satellite manufacturer CGST.

CGST is the “gorilla in the room when it comes to Chinese space operation,” said Falco, noting the “spectacular” resolution capabilities of their satellites.

Its hundred satellites also allow it a very high revisit rate — passing over the same point of interest several times a day.

Whether the Chinese leadership itself had any knowledge of Wagner’s interest this spring in satellite images of Russia’s own territory in the lead-up to the mutiny remains unclear.

According to the European security source, these images concerned in particular the headquarters of Russian operations for Ukraine in Rostov-on-Don, which Wagner seized in the mutiny, other towns on the road to Moscow as well as other sites of military interest, notably Grozny, stronghold of pro-Kremlin Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

For a European space expert, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject, it is “obvious” that the highest Chinese authorities are kept informed of any delicate issue involving CGST.

“When the requests are sensitive, there is no doubt that it goes directly back” to China’s top authorities under President Xi Jinping, the expert said.

But some analysts are much more circumspect.

“We overestimate the level of centralisation in China. Any operation can fall prey to competition between leaders, between administrations, between units of the same administration,” said Paul Charon, China specialist at the French military’s IRSEM research body in Paris.

“The Chinese, like many others, may have not understood what was happening in the weeks preceding the mutiny,” he told AFP, underling that the financial aspect was probably the prime motivation for the initial contract.

A view shows a flag of the Wagner private mercenary group at the site of the plane crash that killed Wagner PMC top figures, including Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, in the Tver Region, Russia on September 1, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Russian mercenary Wagner Group is set to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the U.K. Government, the BBC reported on Tuesday citing a draft order.

The draft order will allow Wagner’s assets to be categorised as terrorist property and seized, BBC said, adding that it will be illegal to be a member or support the organisation according to the order.

U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the BBC that Wagner was “violent and destructive … a military tool of Vladimir Putin’s Russia”.

Also Read | Explained | Understanding the Wagner mutiny

“They are terrorists, plain and simple – and this proscription order makes that clear in U.K. law,” she said.

Proscribing Wagner as a terrorist organisation would mean it would be a criminal offence in Britain to belong to or promote the group, arrange or address its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

The Wagner mercenary group was deployed in Ukraine soon after the Russian invasion last year.

By December, the group took a central role in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after enlisting thousands of prisoners in Russian jails to fight for it on front lines and until recently was the mainstay of the Russian offensive.

Britain’s move to declare Wagner a terrorist group comes after lawmakers on the Foreign Affairs Committee in July urged more targeted sanctions on what it said were a “web of entities” beneath the Wagner Group.

Britain sanctioned Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2020, the Wagner Group as a whole in March 2022, and in July this year sanctioned individuals and businesses with links to the group in the Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan.

Prigozhin died when his private Embraer jet crashed while travelling to St. Petersburg from Moscow on August 23. Russia said it would investigate the crash, but no cause has yet been made public.