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Taiwan tensions spur US and Philippines to cement military cooperation

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With Chinese extensive military deployment around Taiwan rattling the region, the Philippines is eager to strengthen defence cooperation with the US. The US, which already has troops in bases on Filipino territory, has assured the south-east Asian nation of protection in case of an armed attack.

In the Philippines on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Philippines is an “irreplaceable ally” while the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reflecting on the Taiwan Strait tensions said: “…the visit of your House Speaker Nancy Pelosi coming here… I did not think it raised the intensity; it just demonstrated how the intensity of the conflict has been…”.

China’s aggressive posturing towards Taiwan, in the wake of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, has shaken up the region. Countries in south-east Asia are worried as Beijing has territorial conflicts with many in the South China Sea (SCS).

In Blinken’s visit, the highest-ranking US official to visit Manila after Ferdinand Marcos Jr became President this June, the two nations reaffirmed their decades-old defence alliance. They are governed by the Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT)–an agreement signed on 30 August 1951 that states that if either of the allies faces an armed attack, the other would come to its defence.

Emphasising that the US would defend its allies in south-east Asia, Blinken told journalists: “An armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft will invoke US mutual defense commitments under that treaty. The Philippines is an irreplaceable friend, partner, and ally to the United States.”

US and the Philippines relations had come under strain under previous President Rodrigo Duterte, who was opposed to the continued presence of US troops on Filipino soil. Duterte had tried to move closer to China at the cost of bilateral relations with the US. That scenario changed as Beijing began to assert itself in the region.

Duterte even watered down the historic arbitration case that the Philippines had won against Beijing over islands in the disputed SCS that belonged to Manila rather than Beijing. During his rule he also decided to unilaterally end the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement that allowed for the deployment and rotation of American soldiers on bases in the country.

For almost a hundred years, the country has fallen back on the US for its security and defence needs. To that extent, Ferdinand Marcos Jr has restored the nation’s foreign policy to what it had been for a long time–go back to the US.

The new president seems keen to restore ties with the US not just in the fields of defence but also in areas of technology and health cooperation.

With China unleashing live-fire drills with a vengeance and a blockade of Taiwan, the public mood in the Philippines which has largely always been positive towards the US is now beginning to swing further to the US. For President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. it will be a tight rope walk – doing the balancing act between two warring powers.

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Medical Fraternity Outraged Over Death Of Doctor; BMC MARD, FAIMA Demand Justice And Systemic Reforms

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Mumbai: The tragic death of Dr. Sampada Mundhe, a young government medical officer posted at the Sub-District Hospital (SDH) in Phaltan, Satara district, has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra’s medical community.

Expressing deep anguish, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (BMC MARD) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) have strongly condemned the incident, calling for immediate justice, accountability, and urgent reforms to safeguard the mental health and working conditions of doctors.

According to reports, Dr. Mundhe had been under severe mental distress linked to a departmental inquiry and had repeatedly complained to her superiors about harassment and humiliation. Her alleged suicide note reportedly names two police officials and mentions both physical assault and mental harassment.

Despite her repeated appeals for help, no adequate measures were taken to ensure her safety, exposing glaring lapses in institutional oversight and empathy.

Both BMC MARD and FAIMA said the incident highlights the immense pressures and psychological burdens faced by doctors, particularly those serving in peripheral and sub-district hospitals where professional isolation, administrative indifference, and lack of support often compound mental distress.

The organisations expressed deep sorrow over the loss of a young and dedicated doctor who, despite her commitment to public service, was left without institutional protection.

Both associations have urged the Government of Maharashtra to immediately suspend the police officials named in the suicide note and initiate a fair, transparent, and time-bound judicial probe into all aspects of the case. They have also sought accountability from the health department and administrative officers who ignored Dr. Mundhe’s repeated complaints and warning signs.

Further, they have called for comprehensive reforms, including the creation of a robust grievance redressal mechanism and a state-level mental health support system for doctors and healthcare workers facing administrative or disciplinary stress. They also demanded psychological, financial, and legal support for Dr. Mundhe’s family.

“This is not an isolated case—it reflects the deep-rooted neglect of doctors’ mental health and workplace well-being. Those who dedicate their lives to public service deserve dignity, empathy, and protection, not despair,” said Dr Akshay Dongardive, President, FAIMA.

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Navi Mumbai: Congress Urges Suspension Of Politically-Motivated Civic Projects Ahead Of Elections

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Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai District Congress has urged the municipal administration to suspend all development works allegedly sanctioned with political motives ahead of the forthcoming civic elections.

District Congress spokesperson Ravindra Sawant submitted a written representation to Municipal Commissioner Kailash Shinde, demanding that the ongoing projects worth Rs 600 to Rs 650 crore be put on hold until after the elections.

Sawant alleged that the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has approved several projects across wards under the influence of former corporators, despite the civic body being under administrative rule for the past few years.

“The administrator has been effectively addressing public needs and civic issues. Launching these works now appears aimed at helping former corporators take credit and secure financial gains,” he stated.

Describing the move as a betrayal of democratic values, Sawant claimed the projects were intended to influence voters ahead of the polls. He urged that all politically motivated development works be immediately suspended and resumed only after the elections under the supervision of duly elected representatives.

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Madhya Pradesh CM takes jibe at Lalu Prasad Yadav on ‘MISA’

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Patna, Oct 24: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, addressing an election rally in Bihar on Friday, took a jibe at Rastriya Janta Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav for joining hands with the Congress in the Assembly election.

Mohan Yadav said the RJD chief, who once named her daughter Misa after he was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), has now joined hands with the Congress, which has become a sinking boat.

“I can’t understand what made the RJD chief stand with Congress. What is surprising is that he had once named her daughter Misa because he was arrested by the Congress during the Emergency in 1975,” Mohan Yadav said while addressing an election rally in Saharsha, Bihar on Friday.

The Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was a highly controversial law passed in 1971 that gave the government broad powers to indefinitely detain individuals without a warrant or trial.

From 1975 to 1977, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of Emergency, during which MISA was used extensively to quell political dissent.

Lalu Yadav, who was then a political opponent of the ruling government and was arrested under the provisions of MISA during this time. He had named his daughter Misa, who was born in 1976.

Misa Bhrti (49), the eldest daughter of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, is a Lok Sabha MP.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who has been included among the top 40 strong campaigners of the BJP for the Bihar Assembly elections, has been visiting the state and addressing public rallies.

On Friday, Mohan Yadav addressed three back-to-back rallies in Bihar and launched a scathing attack on the RJD and the Congress.

The BJP has deployed an army of party workers and senior functionaries from the Madhya Pradesh unit to manage the elections, where polling is scheduled for November 6 and 11.

Apart from CM Yadav and Union Minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan, half a dozen senior leaders, including former state BJP President VD Sharma, former home minister Narottam Mishra, state BJP organisational general secretary Hitanand Sharma, cabinet minister for youth affairs Vishwas Sarang, and former minister for cooperatives Arvind Bhadoriya, have been assigned election management duties.

In addition, state BJP in-charge Mahendra Singh and regional organisational general secretary Ajay Jamwal have been given clusters of 20 to 25 assembly seats each.

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