Morning Digest: May 28, 2023

New Parliament building inauguration live | PM Modi inaugurates building, installs ‘Sengol‘ near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 28) unveiled the plaque to mark the inauguration of the the much-awaited new Parliament building. The Prime Minister also installed the scared ‘Sengol’ in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker’s chair, after performing puja. Mr. Modi was handed over the historic ‘Sengol’ by Adheenams before its installed in the new Parliament building.

A new House, again in red sandstone

PM Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited new Parliament building today. The four-storey building has been constructed at an estimated cost of ₹970 crore. The building has been designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management, and constructed by Tata Projects Limited.

The new Parliament is to have a seating capacity of 888 for the Lok Sabha, as against 543 in the old Parliament House, and 300 in the Rajya Sabha as compared with 250 earlier.

PM calls upon CMs to work as ‘Team India’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the eighth Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on Saturday, said the Centre and the States would have to work as “Team India” to realise the objective of a “Viksit Bharat (Developed India)” in 2047, even as several Chief Ministers kept away from the event.

BJP fears caste census will disturb its Hindutva campaign: Bhupesh Baghel 

With his State’s Assembly election around the corner, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel spoke to The Hindu about the investigations in corruption cases against him, his government’s Ramayana festival, and the implications of the Karnataka Assembly election results. 

Flying too close to travel date? Be ready to pay up to five times more

If you are planning a last-minute air travel, either for business or due to a medical emergency, be prepared to spend up to five times more than last month. A multitude of factors, some old and persistent which have grounded nearly 100 aircraft with three airlines, and new ones such as the suspension of flights by Go First are responsible for sending airfares out of control.

Union Ministers highlight Modi-led government’s achievements in past nine years

After inaugurating a day-long conclave ‘9 Saal — Seva, Sushasan, Gareeb Kalyan’, which marked the completion of nine years of government under PM Modi, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the previous governance efforts had become synonymous with scams, while the current government worked with the ethos of “pai pai se gareeb ki bhalai” (every penny for the benefit of the poor).

U.K.-India ties see thaw with Minister Tariq Ahmad’s visit

U.K. Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Tariq Ahmad began his four-day visit to India on May 27, in the first such senior-level visit since tensions over violent pro-Khalistan protests outside the Indian High Commission in London in March. He will also visit Delhi and Hyderabad and is expected to focus on technology and innovation projects in India. 

Five years after Supreme Court judgment, only 9 out of 25 High Courts livestream proceedings

Five years after the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment underscored the significance of live streaming court proceedings and termed it an extension of the principle of ‘open justice’ and ‘open courts’, only nine out of the 25 High Courts in the country have opened their virtual doors to the public. In the Supreme Court itself, live streaming is limited to only Constitutional cases.

Ahead of monsoon, ICMR confirms infection geography of dengue has grown from eight States in 2001 to across the country

As the country gets ready to welcome the southwest monsoon, which is associated with the rise of certain diseases, including malaria, dengue and Zika, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that dengue’s infection geography has grown. Earlier restricted to eight States in 2001, it currently covers all the States and Union Territories in India. Dengue has now breached the country’s last bastion, Ladakh (with two cases in 2022), senior health officials said.

Justine Triet wins Palme d’Or at Cannes for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’

French director Justine wins Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival 2023 for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, a tense courtroom drama about a writer accused of her husband’s murder. Japan’s Koji Yakusho won best actor for “Perfect Days” by German director Wim Wenders while Turkey’s Merve Dizdar won best actress for “About Dry Grasses”.

At least 19 members of security forces injured in suicide blast in northwest Pakistan

As per an official, at least 19 members of Pakistan’s security forces were critically injured on May 27 when a suicide bomber with an explosive-laden motorcycle targeted their convoy in the restive tribal district in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The security forces’ convoy were travelling to Asman Manza area of South Waziristan from DI Khan in Khyber Paktunkhwa province.

Russia tells United States: Don’t lecture Moscow on nuclear deployments

Russia dismissed criticism from U.S. President Joe Biden over Moscow’s plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying Washington had for decades deployed just such nuclear weapons in Europe.

Taiwan reports Chinese aircraft carrier sailed through strait

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait on May 27 accompanied by two other ships, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said, in the latest uptick in military tensions over the island Beijing claims as its own territory. Taiwan’s military closely monitored the group using its own ships and aircraft and “responded appropriately”, the Ministry said in a short statement.

 World Cup schedule and venues to be announced during World Test Championship final

The schedule and venues for the upcoming 50-over World Cup in India is expected to be announced during the final of the World Test Championship in London, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on May 27 after the board’s Special General Meeting (SGM) in Ahmedabad .A decision on the Asia Cup 2023, to be held before the World Cup, will also be taken in the coming days.

Djokovic eyes history at French Open as Swiatek launches title defence

Novak Djokovic will bid for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at a French Open without his old rival Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, while Iga Swiatek attempts to become the first woman to defend the title in 16 years.

Bayern Munich win 11th straight Bundesliga title in dramatic fashion

Bayern Munich spectacularly snatched their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title with a last matchday 2-1 win at Cologne on Saturday courtesy of Jamal Musiala’s 89th minute winner, grabbing the trophy from the hands of rivals Borussia Dortmund.

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Morning Digest: May 5, 2023

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets State Councillor and FM Qin Gang of China on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Panaji, on May 4, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Jaishankar discusses LAC with Qin; holds talks with Lavrov, no talks with Bilawal Bhutto

The unresolved three-year old military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remained the “focus” of India-China talks as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang here on May 4, and held a “detailed” discussion on bilateral ties. This is the second time the two Ministers have held talks this year, as Mr. Qin had previously attended the G-20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Delhi in March. 

DRDO scientist arrested in Pune for providing secret information to Pakistani intelligence operative

A scientist working for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) here has been arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent, officials said. An offense under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act has been registered with Kalachowki unit of the ATS in Mumbai and further probe is on, he added.

Many killed in Manipur riots; State government issues shoot-at-sight order

The Manipur government on May 4 issued a shoot-at-sight order in “extreme cases”, as escalating ethnic violence following a tribal solidarity march displaced more than 9,000 people in the State. There was no official confirmation of the number of people killed or injured in the violence, but Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh admitted that “some precious lives were lost”.

Kamala Harris meets with tech CEOs about artificial intelligence risks

Vice President Kamala Harris met on May 4 with the heads of Google, Microsoft and two other companies developing artificial intelligence as the Biden administration rolls out initiatives meant to ensure the rapidly evolving technology improves lives without putting people’s rights and safety at risk.

After Dantewada attack, roads being combed for IEDs in Chhattisgarh

A week after ten security personnel were killed in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada, a massive exercise is being undertaken to comb newly constructed roads for the presence of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), a senior government official said. The April 26 incident on the Aranpur road in Dantewada, where ten District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the Chhattisgarh police were killed, was the first of its kind in the region in the past five years.

Biden issues order setting path for sanctions in Sudan

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on May 4 setting the path to sanction individuals involved in the recent violence in Sudan that’s left hundreds dead and thrown the African nation into chaos. Sudan’s fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nation’s transition to democracy.

Delhi witnesses rare fog in the hottest month of the year, 3rd coldest May morning since 1901

Delhi saw an unusual episode of shallow fog on May 4 morning much to the bemusement of its residents, who are used to a less-happening, sultry weather this time of the year. Delhi is experiencing an unexpected pattern with cloudy skies, sporadic rain, and cool weather, which officials attribute to back-to-back western disturbances affecting northwest India.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to stay, and countries need to manage it alongside other infectious diseases: WHO

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to stay, and countries need to manage it alongside other infectious diseases, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) issuing an updated ‘COVID-19 Global Strategic Preparedness, Readiness and Response Plan (SPRP) 2023-2025’ earlier this week. The latest update is WHO’s fourth strategic plan for COVID-19. The document is a guide for countries on how to manage COVID-19 over the next two years in the transition from an emergency phase to a longer-term, sustained response.

Calcutta High Court stays move to take part of Amartya Sen’s Shantiniketan land

Calcutta High Court on May 4 gave an interim stay against a move by Visva Bharati to take away a part of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s property — Pratichi — at Shantiniketan. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking relief as the university had passed an order directing the petitioner to vacate 0.13 acres (5,500 sq ft) of land at his ancestral Santiniketan residence by May 6, even as an appeal for a stay on possible eviction was fixed for hearing on May 15, 2023 at a court in Suri in Birbhum district of West Bengal.

Russia says U.S. masterminded drone attack on Kremlin

Russia on Thursday accused the U.S. of masterminding a drone attack on the Kremlin and said sabotage attacks by Ukraine behind Russian lines had reached “unprecedented momentum”. The Kremlin has said Ukraine carried out the attack with two drones aiming to kill President Vladimir Putin — a charge which Kyiv has denied. “Decisions on such attacks are not made in Kyiv, but in Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

President Droupadi Murmu rejects mercy petition of man convicted for raping, killing 4-year-old girl

President Droupadi Murmu has rejected the mercy petition of a man convicted for raping and stoning to death a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra in 2008, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. While upholding the death penalty awarded to the convict, the top court had said that the rape of a minor girl was “a monstrous burial of her dignity in darkness.” The court had referred to the sequence of events in the case and said that the convict, who was a neighbour, lured the girl, raped her and then battered her to death using two heavy stones.

Go First cancels all flights till May 9; suspends bookings till May 15

Budget airline Go First on Thursday extended flight cancellations until May 9 and informed the DGCA that it would not be taking any further bookings till May 15 on a day the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) reserved its judgment on the airline’s plea for insolvency proceedings and an interim moratorium on lessors re-possessing its planes. The airline’s CEO, Kaushik Khona, who was present at the NCLT hearing in Delhi told The Hindu that the total refunds for tickets booked directly through the airline amounted to “₹30-40 lakh”, in addition to which there were refunds for tickets bought through travel agents and web portals.

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