lystn

1. A meeting of foreign ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries, slated to be held on Saturday in New York, has been cancelled. It is learnt from reliable sources that Pakistan wanted the Taliban to represent Afghanistan in the SAARC meet. India along with some other members objected to the proposal and due to lack of consensus or concurrence, the meeting was cancelled. 2. During his upcoming US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will discuss the current regional security situation following the recent developments in Afghanistan in a bilateral meeting on September 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla said on Tuesday, adding that the two leaders would discuss the need to 'stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and dismantling of global terrorist network'. 3. US President Joe Biden told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that America is 'opening a new era of relentless diplomacy' following the end of the war in Afghanistan. Biden also said the United States would be prepared to use force 'if necessary' but that military power must be a 'tool of last resort'. 4. India on Tuesday warned of reciprocal action against UK government's 'discriminatory' move not to ease travel restrictions for Indians who have been fully vaccinated with Covishield. According to new rules announced by the United Kingdom, Indian travellers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days and also the mandatory tests. 5. Five men who claim to be from a group called the Hindu Sena were arrested by the police for vandalising the official residence of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in Delhi's Ashoka Road. The incident took place on Tuesday evening. Reacting to the incident, Mr Owaisi said 'the mob' raised communal slogans and threatened to kill him. 6. The Congress attacked the Centre over the seizure of nearly 3,000 kg of heroin worth thousands of crores of rupees at the Mundra port in Gujarat and asked how such a drug syndicate was operating in India 'under the nose' of the government as well as the Narcotics Control Bureau. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 2,988.21 kg heroin worth Rs 15,000 crore from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district and subsequently arrested a couple that runs an import firm from Chennai. 7. Former Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who moved from the BJP to the Trinamool Congress in the past few days, on Tuesday reiterated that he wants to be part of a team that embraces him warmly and makes him part of the playing 11.