5 THINGS FIRST PM Modi to unveil world's tallest statue; World Bank to release annual 'ease of doing business' ranking, India likely to move up; SC hearing after Centre submitted details of decision-making process in Rafale deal; Delhi court to hear MJ Akbar's defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani on #MeToo allegations; Fiscal deficit data for September to be released 1. Trump now wants to ban "anchor babies" Escalate: On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump toldAxios on HBO that he is considering an executive order to remove the right to citizenship for babies of non-citizens and unauthorised immigrants born on U.S. soil. This would be a dramatic escalation of Trump's anti-immigration drive, and in particular, his attacks on "chain migration" and "anchor babies". The law: The US regulation that gives a child born in the US a right to citizenship came into being over 150 years ago, in response to the denial of citizenship to former slaves and their descendants, through the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But the law has been challenged many times and the Supreme Court has upheld it every time, though all these challenges pertain to children of documented immigrants or a resident. Crybaby: Trump says the law lets immigrants 'sneak into the US', and worsen the chain migration, where a close relative of a citizen (in this case a baby born in the US) has a greater chance to be a US citizen. "We're the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States .. with all of those benefits," he said. In reality, 30 countries in Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Mexico, have similar laws. Indians too... If Trump pushes forward a broad executive order, it could hit many Indian families and Indian-origin children born in the US. But considering that the US Supreme Court has struck down challenges to the law in the past regarding children of residents or documented immigrants, such as those on working visa (which is the case with most Indians), such a broad executive order would most likely be struck down as unconstitutional. But mainly... But Trump has an easier target: Children of undocumented immigrants (such as those who cross the border discreetly) in the US. That has yet to be challenged in court, and Trump has reasons to be confident on this — he nominated two of the judges in the 9-member Supreme Court that was already leaning conservative. Vote bank: The life of such an executive order, however, could depend on the outcome of the next week's elections to the Senate and Congress — if the Democrats win a majority in the Congress, it can stop Trump by passing an act. Nevertheless, it is not the first time Trump has said he will end birthright citizenship. In 2015, during his election campaign he said "birthright citizenship, it's over", though he has not followed through on it since getting elected. So perhaps the pre-election rhetoric is just that? Meanwhile, the Pentagon said it's sending 5,200 troops to the southwest border just a week before midterm elections even as Trump has put a sharp focus on Central American migrants moving towards the U.S. 2. Move aside cigarettes, air pollution is the new killer Every breath you take... is killing you softly. These aren't the lyrics of Grammy-winning songs but a dire warning by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, who has termed air pollution the new tobacco, responsible for the deaths of 7 million people worldwide annually — though, a research report puts the figure at 8.9 million deaths a year — while 7 million die a year due to tobacco consumption. Humanity's last gasp? The WHO chief, whose remarks came at the opening of the First WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health on Tuesday, said that 91% of the world's population lives in areas with pollution levels above its prescribed limits (10 g/m3 for PM2.5) — India is home to 9 of the world's 10 most polluted cities, including Delhi, where Tuesday evening's PM2.5 concentration was 190.0 g/m3. Stupidity galore: According to Dr Maria Neira, WHO's director for public health and environment, the worst affected are infants and children, with air pollution not only leading to respiratory diseases and cancer, but also damaged intelligence. Closer home... in Delhi, the air quality continued its downward spiral, with the AQI (air quality index) touching 401, falling in the severe zone for the first time this season, with certain areas in the country's capital recording an AQI of 469. In response, the Environmental Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has said it may ban all private vehiclesfrom tomorrow if the smog situation worsens. Meanwhile, a World Bank study pointed out that air pollution isn't just costing India its lives — it's also eating into the country's economy, with India losing 8.5% of its GDP, amounting to $221 billion, due to increased cost of welfare and lost labour due to air pollution. An IIT Mumbai study said that air pollution cost Delhi and Mumbai $10.66 billion, or 0.71% of the GDP. 3. The 'Sardar' of all statues! The tallest statue in the world (of Vallabhbhai Patel) will be inaugurated today (on the 143rd birth anniversary of India’s first deputy prime minister) by Prime Minister Modi on the river island called Sadhu Bet near Rajpipla, Gujarat. A primer on the Statue of Unity. Designed by: Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan recipient Ram Vanji Sutar, who also created the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Indian Parliament Who made it? L&T, the Indian construction giant. Chinese foundry Jiangxi Tongqing Metal Handicrafts (or TQ Art foundry) was chosen by L&T to mould the bronze cladding. Malaysia-based Eversendai, which constructed Dubai's famous Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa buildings, was handed the contract for the steel framework How it was made: The final bronze replica from Sutar, measuring 30 ft, was handed over to L&T. It was scanned into electronic data, and finally converted into a data grid for the 182m design. The data was then taken to the foundry for casting the final bronze claddings. (Think putting together a thousand pieces of a 3D jigsaw puzzle) Construction material used: 5,700,000 kg of structural steel; 18,500,000 kg of reinforced steel bars; 22,500,000 kg of cement; 1,700,000 kg of bronze; 1,850,000 kg of bronze cladding; 5,000,000 kg of iron crowdsourced from Indian farmers as part of the 'Loha Campaign' Construction workforce: 3,400 Construction completed in: 33 months Total height: 208m (58m height of base + 182m height of statue) Can withstand:Wind speeds of up to 50 m/sec; Earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter Scale, at a depth of 10 km and within a radius of 12 km of the statue. Cost: Rs 2,989 crore Cost of operation & maintenance: Rs 657 crore over 15 years/ Rs 43.8 crore annually/ or Rs 12 lakh per day Who'll fund it? Central government; Five PSUs — ONGC, HPCL, BPCL, Indian Oil, OIL — have reportedly pumped in a combined Rs 146.83 crore towards the project under CSR; ticket sales in the future; other revenue sources like the 128-key, 3-star Shrestha Bharat Bhavan hotel built near the statue Ticket prices: Reportedly, Rs 120 for an adult Indian plus Rs 350 to enter the viewing gallery. Footfalls expected: 15,000 tourists daily Controversies: CAG questions PSUs' decision to allocate CSR funds, villagers protesting the destruction of natural resources by the memorial, statue cost may have used taxpayers' money. 4. Why this developed country needs India's help A row: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is on his first visit to India. The visit comes months after the two countries (under Italy's previous prime minister) agreed to press the reset button to bilateral ties. A long-running diplomatic row after two Italian marines were arrested on charges of killing two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala in 2012 had soured relations. That had an impact on India's relations with the European Union as well as membership of groupings like Missile Technology Control Regime. A settlement: Ties have started improving after the two marines were allowed to return home - one in 2014 and the other in 2016. The case is now being heard at the International Court of Justice as Italy had demanded. Problem at home: Italy's economy has stagnated in the third quarter for the first time in four years (after growing just 0.2% in the previous quarter), putting pressure on the Conte's ambitious spending plans. The populist government plans to spend more to increase employment but European Union doesn't want the country to exceed its deficit target. That has also resulted in a credit rating downgrade by Moody's. Opportunity in India: Italy is looking for more business than 600 Italian companies do in India. It is India's fifth largest trading partner in the EU and in 2017-18, India's exports to Italy posted a 16.47% growth at $5.7 billion and imports increased 21% to $4.7 billion. India is one of the biggest arms buyers and Italian defence industry wants to sell. India also has a growing market for Italian companies (especially in sunrise sectors like electric vehicles, green energy and technology) apart from a source of tourists. Full story here NEWS IN CLUES 5. Which the second-richest football club in the world? Clue 1: It was officially founded on Mar. 6, 1902, making it 116 years old. Clue 2: Its current shirt sponsor is the Dubai-based airlines Emirates. Clue 3: Recognised as the FIFA Club of the 20th Century in 2000, the club also received the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. Scroll below for answer 6. Where 45,000 are starving to death Death camp: Nearly 45,000 Syrians, many of them children and women, stranded in a desert camp near the Syria-Jordan border are at risk of starvation amid dwindling supplies and the upcoming winter. Left alone: Aid deliveries to the besieged Rukban camp have repeatedly failed or been postponed, including a U.N. convoy which was supposed to go in on Thursday but has now been indefinitely delayed. At least four people have died in the past month, due to malnutrition and lack of medical care. Fleeing war: People started gathering in Rukban three years ago, fleeing Islamic State militants and airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, Russia and Syria. Jordan sealed its border and stopped regular aid deliveries in 2016 after a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian soldiers. No one's child: Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, has blamed the U.S. for the situation in Rukban, which is within a 55 square kilometre "deconfliction zone" set up by U.S. forces in the nearby Tanf military base. But the US says the Russian claim is "simply misinformation". Jordan, which had previously used cranes to drop aid for Syrians struck in Rukban, said it will not shoulder responsibility for this latest episode but the country is in talks with Russia to find a permanent solution through voluntary returns (to Syrian-army controlled territory) and reconciliation agreements. 7. Politics in India's neighbourhood isn't any less exciting In Sri Lanka, hundreds of protesters gathered in Colombo at a mass rally organised by ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's party against what it said was a 'coup' by President Maithripala Sirisena, amid efforts by opposing sides to secure their numbers in Parliament to end the country's political crisis. Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia cannot contest the upcoming parliamentary election (she was hoping to run against incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) unless the 17-year jail term awarded to her in two separate graft cases is terminated. Bangladesh High Court doubled her jail term to 10 years in a corruption case on Tuesday. The verdict came a day after she was sentenced to seven years in prison in another graft case. Maldives Supreme Court suspended a 13-year jail sentence given to the country's exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed until it reviews his conviction. The Nasheed is set to return to the Maldives tomorrow after living in exile for over two years. Nasheed's party candidate defeated outgoing President Yameen Abdul Gayoom in recent elections. In China, two former senior officials from the Hebei and Inner Mongolia provincial government were arrested over graft charges on Tuesday. The arrests were part of an ongoing anti-corruption campaign launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping since he took office in 2013. 8. Sony doesn't need you to buy its phones to make money Sony continues to make smartphones — it recently launched a top-end model that takes aim at Apple and Samsung (and Huawei). It continues to make music players too (remember Walkman?). Yet none of these are mainstream hits — Sony's market share in smartphones is less than 5% and the music player is really a niche product (for audiophiles seeking high-resolution music). Sony is making a lot of money, though. In fact, on Tuesday Sony boosted its annual profit outlook by 30% to a record level; it expects an annual operating profit of 870 billion yen ($7.7 billion). And the outlook is based on reality — Sony's operating income has climbed 17% in a quarter. The reasons: You love games, and you love taking photos. Even though, Sony has not launched a new PlayStation console in five years, it is selling a lot of games and its subscription service launched for regular gamers too have been a huge hit (the profit from gaming business surged 65%). And photos? Sony does make cameras, like those costly mirrorless ones. But Sony's real cash machine is possibly on your phone. Yes, your non-Sony phone mostly likely uses a Sony image sensor to capture all those beautiful pictures. And that has helped Sony's semiconductor business improve its profits by 17%. YOU SHARE YOUR B'DAY WITH... Source: Various 9. World's wildlife is down 60%. And you're to blame! Fact: The Earth, very soon, will no longer be able to accommodate our expanding appetites. From 1970 to 2014, 60% of all animals with a backbone — fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals — were wiped out by human activity, according to WWF's Living Planet report, based on an ongoing survey of more than 4,000 species spread over 16,700 populations scattered across the globe. The reductions are thought to be directly linked to human activity since current rates of species extinction are now 100 to 1,000 times higher than before human pressures became a factor. The situation's really bad. Sample this: In the last 30 years, the Earth is estimated to have lost about half of its shallow water corals In the past 50 years, 20% of the Amazon — the lungs of the planet — have disappeared. In the last 44 years, the decline in freshwater fauna population was a staggering 80%. Regionally, Latin America was hit hardest, with nearly 90% of its wildlife vanishing over the same period. A mass extinction event is unfolding, only the sixth in the last half-billion years. Measured by weight, or biomass, wild animals today only account for 4% of mammals on Earth, with humans (36%) and livestock (60%) making up the rest. Given the onslaught of hunting, shrinking habitat, pollution, illegal trade and climate change — all caused by humans — the warning shot could not be loud enough. Meanwhile, China said it would legalise the use of rhino horns and tiger bones for "medical research or in healing" as it looks to encourage the growth of traditional Chinese medicine. Though the directive said the remains can be obtained only from rhinos and tigers raised in captivity, environmentalists say the decision would fuel a black market — in 2009, when India's tiger count was just 1,411, then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had urged China to crackdown on such medicines as it was encouraging poaching.  10. Hawking didn't just die rich, he's making others richer too Dr moneybags: Starting today, till November 8, Christie's will be putting on the block 22 items from the estate of physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March this year — including his Ph.D. thesis, which is expected to go for £100,000-150,000 (Rs 94 lakh-Rs 1.41 crore) and his motorised wheelchair, which could fetch anywhere between £10.000-15,000 (Rs 9.4-Rs 14 lakh). Wealth of brilliance: Described as the most brilliant mind of the 20th and 21st centuries, Hawking was also probably the wealthiest scientist — with a net worth of $40 million (Rs 294 crore), according to Forbes magazine, earnings of $3 million (Rs 22 crore) annually from book royalties, talks and other celebrity appearances, which included cameos on sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons and Star Trek, plus an annual salary of £80,000 (Rs 75 lakh) as a professor at Cambridge University. Rejected riches: Believe it or not, Cambridge University rejected an American philanthropist organisation's offer of funding a professorship in cosmology in Hawking's name, to the tune of $6 million (Rs 44 crore) which included an annual salary of £140,000 (Rs 1.31 crore) — the reason for rejection said the donation was "too generous". KEEPING TRACK Good news: Oil prices fell on Tuesday, depressed by concerns that the U.S.-China trade dispute will dent economic growth (thus demand) and by signs of rising global supply (from Russia, US and Saudi Arabia) despite upcoming sanctions against Iran. Offshore: "We will see," is what the three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice K.M. Joseph told the counsel of CBI officer A K Bassi, who was investigating an alleged bribery case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, as he sought an early hearing on the plea challenging Bassi's transfer to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said, he said: After Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) criticism of the government (about undermining the central bank's independence), it was the turn of the Finance minister Arun Jaitley to hit back at RBI, blaming it for looking the other way when banks gave loans indiscriminately in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, resulting in NPAs shooting up. Follow news that matters to you in real-time. Join 3 crore news enthusiasts. GET APP Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Real Madrid. Argentinian Santiago Hernan Solari has been put in temporary charge of Real Madrid after manager Julen Lopetegui was sacked on Monday. The 42-year-old was the coach of Madrid's B team, Castilla, and is now expected to take Madrid for their Copa del Rey game against Melilla on Wednesday. Solari played five seasons at Real Madrid (2000-2005), playing 167 games and scoring 16 goals for the club.