Tag: the hindu news

October 6, 2023

Morning Digest | Army officer injured in ‘grenade accident’ at a post in J&K’s Rajouri; supply copy of FIR to NewsClick founder, court tells Delhi Police, and more

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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.

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October 5, 2023

Morning Digest | 10 civilians dead, 22 army men still missing in Sikkim, rescue operations on; Media bodies write to CJI, call for norms on interrogation of journalists and more

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A flood affected locality at Singtam, in Gangtok district, Wednesday, October. 4, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

10 dead, 22 army men among 82 missing as flash flood wreaks havoc in Sikkim; PM Modi dials CM

At least ten people died and 80 others, including 22 army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin, officials said. All 10 who died have been identified as civilians including 3 of the dead who were washed up in north Bengal, they said adding that one of the 23 army men who had gone missing in the morning was rescued later.

UAPA case against NewsClick for plot to disrupt sovereignty of India: police

A day after the Delhi Police arrested Prabir Purkayastha, founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, and Amit Chakraborty, Human Resources head of the news portal, a government source told The Hindu that the police were investigating a “terror case that has Chinese links.” The foreign remittances received by the news portal are already being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since 2021. The source said that the fresh terror case registered by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police was being investigated by multiple agencies.

NewsClick raids | Media bodies write to CJI, call for norms on interrogation of journalists

Over a dozen media bodies on Wednesday sought Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s intervention on the issue of raids against those linked to NewsClick, a digital news platform. Media persons and activists also turned up in large numbers at the Press Club of India to protest the police action. In a letter to the Chief Justice, the media organisations urged the courts to consider framing norms to discourage the seizure of journalists’ phones and laptops on a “whim”; and to develop guidelines for the interrogation of journalists and for seizures from them, to ensure that “these are not undertaken as fishing expeditions with no bearing to an actual offence”.

With Bihar caste survey, Nitish Kumar has set the national agenda, says JD(U) chief

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has set the national agenda ahead of the 2024 general election with the caste survey conducted in the State, Janata Dal (United)‘s Rajiv Ranjan Singh said on Wednesday. In an interview with The Hindu, he also criticised the BJP for alleging large-scale irregularities in the survey’s data collection process during an all-party meeting in Patna on Tuesday.

Batches of India-manufactured syrups for cough, allergic rhinitis found contaminated: CDSCO

At least five batches of syrups for cough and allergic rhinitis of two Indian manufacturers — one Gujarat-based and one Tamil Nadu-based — have been found to contain higher than permissible levels of contaminants — diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, as per a recent report released by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Previously the World Health Organisation (WHO) too had issued alerts on contamination in cold-cough syrups exported by India and said these two contaminants were found in the drug.

Activists call for defeat of BJP to save MGNREGA from neglect

MGNREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a collective of workers, activists and academics have called for the defeat of the BJP government in the 2024 general elections to save the MGNREGS scheme. The various groups had just concluded their two-day national convention where the state of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was discussed.

New defence indigenisation list has futuristic weapons, systems

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday released the fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 98 items which will be procured by the three armed services from indigenous suppliers in a staggered manner as per specified timelines. He also released the Indian Navy’s updated indigenisation roadmap, named Swavlamban 2.0.

Akshata Murty makes U.K. political stage debut for ‘best friend’ PM Sunak

Britain’s Indian First Lady, Akshata Murty, made a surprise debut on the political stage on October 4 when she stepped out to introduce “best friend” Rishi Sunak for his maiden speech as U.K. Prime Minister to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

Former Russian journalist sentenced in absentia for Ukraine war criticism

A court in Moscow on Wednesday handed a former state TV journalist an 8 1/2-year prison term in absentia for protesting Russia’s war in Ukraine, the latest in a months-long crackdown against dissent that has intensified since Moscow’s invasion 20 months ago. Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine.

Nepal town imposes lockdown and beefs up security to prevent clashes between Hindus and Muslims

Despite quickly escalating tensions between Hindus and Muslims, the night passed peacefully after a lockdown was imposed and security heightened in a city in southwest Nepal, officials said. Trouble began in the regional hub city of Nepalgunj over the weekend after a Hindu boy posted a status about Muslims on social media. Muslims protested the status inside the region’s main government administrator’s office building, burned tires on the streets and blocked traffic.

Lawyers of Imran Khan in Pakistan oppose his closed-door trial over revealing official secrets

Lawyers for Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday opposed his closed-door trial in a case in which he is accused of revealing state secrets after his 2022 ouster, saying it’s aimed at convicting the popular opposition leader quickly.

Moratorium under IBC to exempt aircraft and engines, govt. notifies

In a big relief for aircraft lessors, the government has notified that the protection offered to a corporate debtor from recovery of dues under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 will not cover aircraft, helicopters and engines. If implemented retrospectively, the move may impact Go First’s insolvency resolution proceedings under which the National Company Law Tribunal had granted it a blanket moratorium in May to shield it from lessors and creditors and also restrained the DGCA from accepting any applications for de-registration of aircraft from any lessors.

Tata Group to focus on coffee as core business category for future

Tata Group plans to intensify its focus on branded coffee as part of its strategy of “building core categories for the future.” Tea and salts have so far been Tata’s core categories and the company said it was currently in the process of building more core categories for the future and coffee was clearly a prominent one.

Asian Games | Why did so many decisions go wrong, questions Neeraj

Never before has Neeraj Chopra questioned officiating in any meet at any level. The Olympic and World Champion has preferred to let his performance do the talking so when he says “gadbad to hai” it speaks volumes about the level of officiating in athletics at the Asian Games.

Asian Games | Neeraj defends title, quartermilers take gold as India manages best-ever medal haul in athletics

Neeraj Chopra defended his Asian Games title with a season’s best throw of 88.88m and Kishore Kumar Jena managed a personal best of 87.54m as India completed a one-two in javelin but not before both got the short end of dodgy officiating as India finished the track & field assignments here with a best-ever haul of 29 medals including six on Wednesday – two golds and four silvers – for second spot on the table by numbers.

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September 29, 2023

Morning Digest | EAM Jaishankar meets Blinken amid India-Canada diplomatic row; three killed in Rotterdam twin shootings, and more

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar say a few words to the news media as they meet at the State Department in Washington, U.S. on September 28, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Jaishankar meets Blinken, Sullivan in Washington

Kicking off the Washington segment of his U.S. trip, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. As The Hindu went to press, Mr. Jaishankar was also in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The meetings are routine but also particularly significant given the recent and serious diplomatic challenges in the India-Canada relationship following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that the Indian Government was linked to the assassination of a Khalistani separatist leader in British Columbia.

Two killed in Rotterdam twin shootings

Two people have been killed and a teenager is fighting for her life after a 32-year-old gunman opened fire at a house and a hospital in Rotterdam on Thursday. Dutch police said they were still investigating the motive for the twin attacks by the man dressed in combat gear, who also set fire to the hospital.

Mob tries to storm Manipur CM’s home

A mob tried to storm the personal residence of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh at Heingang in Imphal East on Thursday evening, amid simmering anger over the murder of two Meitei students who went missing in July. The photos of their bodies surfaced on social media earlier this week, leading to agitations and demonstrations by students.

Centre extends deadline for Manipur to record details of illegal migrants

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended its deadline for the Manipur government to record details of illegal migrants in the State, including biometric details. Although the State was due to complete the exercise by September 30, it has now been granted an additional six months till March 31, 2024.

Canadian police say probe into killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar ‘active and ongoing’

The killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar remains an “active and ongoing investigation”, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have said. Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

Afghanistan embassy announces shutdown citing lack of MEA support

Two years after the Taliban took over Kabul, the Afghanistan Embassy to India informed the government that it was being forced to close down, given the lack of resources with the Taliban regime and blamed the Indian Government for not supporting it despite several requests.

RS Chairman Dhankhar signs women‘s reservation Bill; to be placed before President for her assent

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on September 28 signed the women’s reservation Bill as passed by Parliament before it was presented to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent. The Constitution Amendment Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with near unanimity and the Rajya Sabha with unanimity during a special session of Parliament earlier this month.

Elderly have low awareness about welfare schemes, says India Ageing Report 2023

The awareness among the elderly population among the social welfare schemes in the country remains low, the recently published India Ageing Report 2023 has pointed out. The report, produced by the United Nations Population Fund, India, in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences, throws light on the challenges, opportunities, and institutional responses surrounding elderly care in India as the country’s elderly are likely to make up 20% of the country’s population by 2050.

Auto driver arrested in Ujjain rape case

An autorickshaw driver, who was arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl he found on the streets of Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, sustained injuries while attempting to escape from police custody on September 28, investigators said. Earlier this week, the girl, who was left semi-clad and bleeding after the sexual assault, was found wandering the streets of the holy town.

Karnataka bandh call likely to affect normal life in Bengaluru today

Bengaluru is gearing up for yet another bandh scheduled for Friday, as Kannada organisations have declared a day-long shutdown across the state opposing releasing Cauvery water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. This bandh is expected to disrupt the daily lives of residents, with the possibility of private and public transport going off roads, shops, eateries and theatres shutting down, even as schools and colleges have been declared a holiday, as a precautionary measure.

Cricket World Cup 2023 | R. Ashwin replaces injured Axar Patel in India’s final World Cup squad

India have predictably named veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a replacement for injured spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel in their 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup, ICC announced on Thursday.

Sena Split | Cross-examination set for November 23, Sena (UBT) criticises delay

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has announced that the cross-examination process, related to disqualification petitions filed by Shiv Sena MLAs, will commence on November 23. According to the schedule issued by Mr. Narwekar, cross-examination will be held twice a week.

Indian, French Army Chiefs exchange lessons from war in Ukraine

Pointing to the strategic partnership between India and France and the close cooperation between the two Navies and Air Forces, French Army Chief General Pierre Schill said the two Armies were also looking to deepen cooperation with more exercises and sharing best practices among others.

Heavy rain likely in West Bengal, Odisha over weekend

A low-pressure area brewing over the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain across Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha this weekend, the IMD said on September 28. It said that a low-pressure area is likely to form over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal by Friday and intensify thereafter into a well-marked low-pressure area, moving northwestwards in the direction of north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal.

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September 27, 2023

Morning Digest | Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for another six months; ‘High level of military tension’ with China over last three years, says EAM Jaishankar, and more

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, beginning October 1. Image for representation purpose only. File

U.S. calls for ‘full and fair investigation’ into Canada’s allegations against India

The United States has said there ought to be a full and fair investigation into Canada’s allegations that the Indian government was involved in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a news conference on Tuesday.

CBI team led by Special Director to probe ‘killing’ of two students in Manipur

The Central Bureau of Investigation Special Director, Ajay Bhatnagar, will be leaving for Manipur on Wednesday by a special flight along with a team of officers to probe the suspected death of two Meitei students, said agency sources.

Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for another six months

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, beginning October 1. The Act gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction.

Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built real estate empire, judge rules

A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

Told Canada it is not government policy: Jaishankar on Nijjar killing

In the latest round of sparring between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the government had told the Canadian Government that it was not its “policy“ to engage in such acts.

‘High level of military tension’ with China over last three years: EAM Jaishankar

There has been a “high level of military tension” with China over the last three years, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said, characterizing the overall state of “ very abnormal” relations between New Delhi and Beijing since the border clashes of 2020.

Karnataka told to release 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu till October 15

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) at its meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday decided that Karnataka should release 3,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) to Tamil Nadu from September 28 to October 15.

Cheetahs may be flown in from new countries

With six adult cheetahs dying within the first year of their relocation to India, wildlife experts associated with Project Cheetah are considering options of importing the next batch of big cats from countries other than South Africa and Namibia. A final decision is awaited.

Canadian Parliament speaker quits after publicly praising former Nazi soldier

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons lower chamber on September 26 said he would quit, a few days after he publicly praised a former Nazi soldier in Parliament in an incident that Russia said helped justify its war on Ukraine.

Centre asks States to promote heat tolerant wheat seeds in the rabi season

The Union government on Tuesday held an interaction with the States on the preparedness for the upcoming rabi crop season in the background of a 5% decrease in monsoon in this year. The Centre has asked States to promote heat resilient and high yielding varieties of wheat among farmers.

Promote khadi, Prime Minister tells students

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged students to promote khadi as a fashion statement in colleges and universities, which could emerge as hubs for the ‘Vocal for Local’ movement.

Taliban seek economic support and recognition from India ahead of Kazan meeting under Moscow format

Ahead of the Moscow format discussion at Kazan in Russia, the Taliban have called upon India to help in the economic recovery of Afghanistan. The discussion scheduled to be held on September 29 is significant from the regional point of view as this is the first such meeting after China increased engagement with the Taliban and sent a new Ambassador to Kabul earlier this month.

SC to hear Chandrababu Naidu’s plea for relief on September 27

A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna is scheduled to hear on September 27 a petition filed by Telugu Desam Party national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu against an Andhra Pradesh High Court order refusing to quash FIRs against him in the multi-crore skill development scam case.

Bhavani Devi loses in Asian Games quarterfinals, questions referee’s calls in loss to Chinese fencer

Bhavani Devi registered an impressive series of five wins in the morning to enter the knockout stages of the women’s sabre individual fencing event before bowing out to local favourite Yaqi Shao 15-7 in the quarterfinals. The Chinese, who has also been a training partner for Bhavani, won 15-7, racing to a 7-2 lead in the first period even before Bhavani could find her footing. She questioned some of the early decisions from the referee, even challenging them early on.

Canadian PM prone to ‘outrageous’ allegations, says Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Sabry

Weighing in on the recent diplomatic row between India and Canada regarding the killing of Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of making “outrageous allegations”, and remarked that some “terrorists have found a safe haven in Canada”.

U.S. sues Amazon for breaking antitrust law, harming consumers

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com on September 26, charging the online retailer with harming consumers with higher prices in the latest U.S. government legal action aimed at breaking Big Tech’s dominance of the internet.

‘Cannot bend rules of state to state interactions’: Canada’s U.N. Ambassador Rae

More than a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were involved in the June assassination of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) reiterated Ottawa’s concerns about foreign interference and rules of state to state interaction.

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September 24, 2023

Morning Digest | India says no specific information shared by Canada on Nijjar killing; Kovind-led panel to seek political parties’ views on simultaneous elections, and more

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A photograph of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing | No specific information shared by Canada, says India

“No specific information has been shared by Canada on the [Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing case], either then or before or after… We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on September 23.

Kovind-led panel to invite political parties for their views on simultaneous elections

The high-level committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to examine the possibility of simultaneous elections held its first meeting and decided to invite national and regional political parties to submit their views and suggestions on the issue. The first meeting of the committee was to prepare an action plan and discuss holding consultations with stakeholders. Preparation of working papers and research on the subject for an in-depth discussion were also on the agenda of the meeting.

Congress irked at CPI MP’s suggestion to not repeat Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad

A suggestion made during internal discussions at the recent national executive meeting of INDIA bloc member CPI that senior leader Rahul Gandhi not seek re-election from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in 2024 has annoyed the Congress, especially its Kerala unit.

Bidhuri was instigated by ‘unsavoury remarks’ about PM, BJP MP tells Speaker

A day after Opposition parties’ floor leaders in Parliament flooded Speaker Om Birla with letters supporting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali’s demand that BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s communal slurs against him be referred to the privileges committee, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, in turn, wrote to the Speaker, asking that the “unsavoury conduct” of Mr. Ali also be probed.

In Tamil Nadu, yet another sand storm

On March 17, 2021, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court passed an order directing the State authorities to ensure that river sand for construction purposes was supplied only when the buyer produced an approved building plan. The court issued the guidelines while disposing of a couple of writ petitions accusing officials of colluding with lorry owners in the sale of sand and seeking directions to enable members of the public to buy sand through the Tamil Nadu Sand Web Service Portal.

No justification for delay in implementing Women’s Quota Bill: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said there was no justification for a delay in the implementation of the women’s reservation Bill, for which the BJP government at the Centre was trying to find excuses such as the new Census and delimitation of constituencies. On the other hand, the Central government was not willing to conduct a caste census, he said.

PSU engineers who build equipment for ISRO go without salary for 20 months

Around 3,000 employees of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), including technicians and engineers, who helped produce many a equipment for the Indian Space Research Organisation, including the launch pad of Chandrayaan-3, are now forced to sell edibles and garments. These HEC employees, forced to engage as part-time daily wage workers, including driving autorickshaws, have not been paid their rightful salaries for the last 20 months.

423 acres decluttered in Union government offices in two years, data shows

Central government office space of the size of around 320 football fields has been cleared of clutter and junk in the past two years as part of two special drives, data shows. Now, the Centre has decided to scale-up efforts to reach a “saturation level” in all offices as part of its upcoming ‘Special Campaign 3.0’.

Political parties in Punjab adopt contrasting strategies amid India-Canada conflict 

As diplomatic relations between India and Canada take a nosedive, political parties in Punjab are treading cautiously. Mindful of the need to cultivate their vote banks ahead of the parliamentary election due in 2024, major parties are adopting starkly different strategies in the State, which has strong connections to a substantial diaspora population in Canada.

Kamala Harris tasked with new role fighting U.S. gun violence

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris took on a new role Friday fighting gun violence, a job likely to give her more visibility ahead of the 2024 election. The 58-year-old Democrat will head up the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will provide coordination on the issue but largely lacks any kind of enforceable power to tackle the scourge in a country that has more firearms than people.

Muslim bodies seek Bidhuri’s disqualification for remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali

The leading Muslim bodies of the country have called for the disqualification of the BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri who indulged in a slur-laden diatribe against Kunwar Danish Ali, the Bahujan Samaj Party MP on the concluding day of the special session of Parliament.

Is the TDP heading towards a leadership crisis in Andhra Pradesh?

After the arrest of Telugu Desam Party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu by the A.P. CID in the alleged skill development scam case, there seems to be a void on the leadership front in the four-decade-old party.

India-Australia ODI series | Men in Blue looking to seal the deal against visiting Aussies

The Men in Blue landed in this historical city on Saturday as the No. 1 team across formats. They had made history when they beat Australia in the first ODI at Mohali; only South Africa had achieved the feat of being the ICC’s top-ranking team for men in Tests, ODIs and T20Is at the same time, back in 2012.

Cancel Group-I preliminary test held on June 11, reconduct it: HC to TSPSC

Justice P. Madhavi Devi of Telangana High Court on Saturday allowed a writ petition seeking cancellation and re-conduct of the preliminary examination held June 11 for recruitment of Group-I cadre officers.

Pakistan’s PM says manipulation of coming elections by military is ‘absolutely absurd’

Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister said he expects parliamentary elections to take place in the new year, dismissing the possibility that the country’s powerful military would manipulate the results to ensure that jailed former premier Imran Khan’s party doesn’t win.

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May 29, 2023

The View from India | The reign of Erdogan continues

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(This article forms a part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

Before the May 14 general elections in Turkey, most opinion polls stated that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s Islamist leader who has been in power since 2003, was in trouble. Turkey was struggling with hyper-inflation and the lira, the currency, was in free fall. Some 50,000 people were killed in an earthquake in February, which raised questions about the government’s building permit policy. The opposition, which has been in disarray ever since Mr. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) rose to power, came together and put up a united candidate. But still, they failed to defeat Mr. Erdogan. In the first round, Mr. Erdogan won 49.5% vote, while his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a former bureaucrat, secured 44.9% of votes, pushing the race to a second round. In Sunday’s run-off, Mr. Erdogan won 52.1% of the vote, against Mr. Kilicdaroglu’s 47.9%, extending his rule for five more years.

The fact that the opposition forced Mr. Erdogan to go into a run-off itself showed that his brand of politics, a blend of Islamism, welfarism and nationalism, was ageing. But the opposition was not strong enough to beat him. Now that he is reelected, Mr. Erdogan’s balancing foreign policy would continue. Turkey, a NATO member, has cultivated strong ties with Russia in recent years. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Turkey has sent armed drones to Ukraine, but refused to join western sanctions against Moscow. Turkey has also held a veto over the accession of Sweden into NATO. Mr. Erdogan also tried to shift the focus of Turkey’s engagement from Europe to the Arab world. At home, he is accused of suppressing dissent, discriminating against religious and ethnic minorities and Islamising society. What is the enduring allure of the AKP leader? In this profile, I try to trace Mr. Erdogan’s rise to power and his powerful ideology that continues to keep him as Turkey’s most powerful leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The fall of Bakhmut

This image taken from a video shows a damaged building in the Belgorod region, Russia, on May 22, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
AP

After 10 months of fighting, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced last week that its troops have taken control of Bakhmut, in their first major territorial gain since January when they took neighbouring Soledar. Ukraine claims that its troops continue to defend a small area of Bakhmut and is advancing on its flanks, but has admitted that the eastern city “is effectively in Russian hands, for now”. The Russian gain comes at a time when Ukraine was preparing for a counteroffensive with advanced weapons they got from the West. In recent weeks, Ukraine also carried out a number of attacks inside Russia. Now all eyes are on Ukraine’s counteroffensive. The battle of Bakhmut was costly for both sides. Both sides lost men and weapons. But eventually, Ukraine lost the city as well. In December, Ukraine President Zelensky had said that if Bakhmut fell, then it would be an open road for Russia to march to other cities in the east. Now that they have list the city, the pressure is on Ukraine to make gains in their counteroffensive to turn the tide of the war. In this edit, After Bakhmut,The Hindu writes that “As both sides are determined to continue the war, there is no hope for peace or talks on the horizon.”

China watch

China is continuing to expand the network of model villages or ‘Xiaokang’ (moderately prosperous) villages opposite the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Middle sector and Eastern sectors of the border. In addition, new posts are also coming up about 6-7 km from the LAC in the Middle sector, according to official sources and, in some areas, the frequency of patrolling has gone up significantly, reports Dinakar Peri. Opposite Barahoti, which has seen face-offs in the past, the Chinese are building villages at a rapid pace, sometimes as many as 300-400 houses in multi-storey blocks within 90-100 days. Officials said PLA patrols have been observed in 15 days or so compared to once in a season earlier, which is about three or four months. Small patrols are also being seen in Mana, Neeti and Thangla areas.

Meanwhile, China and Bhutan held their 12th Expert Group Meeting (EGM), which oversees the actual boundary talks, in Thumpu, reports Suhasini Haidar. “The two sides expressed their confidence in the Three-Step Roadmap and reiterated the importance of increasing the frequency of their meetings to make further progress in its implementation. They agreed to hold the next EGM in Beijing at an early date,” said the joint statement issued by Bhutanese and Chinese Foreign Ministers after the conclusion of the talks on 24-25 May.

Xie Feng, China’s new Ambassador to the United States, speaks to the media upon his arrival at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in the U.S., on May 23, 2023.

Xie Feng, China’s new Ambassador to the United States, speaks to the media upon his arrival at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in the U.S., on May 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
AP

In another development, China appointed a new Ambassador to the U.S., filling a post that unusually remained vacant for close to five months and heralding what some observers see as a possible sign of a limited thaw in recently frosty relations, reports Ananth Krishnan. Veteran diplomat Xie Feng, who has spent much of his career dealing with the U.S., told reporters after landing in Washington that he had “come here to enhance China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation, and I take this as my important mission”. Beijing is also yet to appoint a new Ambassador to New Delhi for almost seven months, another unusually long gap amid a continuing chill in ties. The former envoy, Sun Weidong, left his post in October and took over as a Vice Foreign Minister in Beijing. It is understood that Beijing as of this month had not yet proposed the name of a successor to New Delhi.

The Top Five

Pakistan’s establishment has an Imran Khan problem: A bad situation is likely to become worse for Pakistan, with four institutions at work pursuing different endgames, writes D. Suba Chandran.

A ‘middle kingdom’ dawns on India’s west: With the emergence of Saudi Arabia as the main arbiter of the Arab world’s agenda, India needs to realign its strategy, writes Mahesh Sachdev.

In Nepal, a fledgling political outfit gives traditional parties a run for their money: The Rastriya Swatantra Party, founded as an anti-corruption platform last year and surged to become the fourth largest party in the Nepal Parliament, seeks to upend the political status quo in the Himalayan country, Sanjeev Satgainya reports from Kathmandu.

 Malaiyaha Tamils | Two hundred years of struggle: Sri Lanka’s hill country Tamils, who are commemorating the 200th anniversary of their ancestors’ arrival in Ceylon, continue to fight exploitation and discrimination, writes Meera Srinivasan in The Hindu Profiles.

A belligerence towards Beijing that is unsettling: Washington’s hostility towards Beijing may bring benefits to India, but a breakdown in China-U.S. ties would be catastrophic for the world, writes Manoj Joshi.

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May 13, 2023

Morning Digest: April 30, 2023

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Home Ministry prepares Model Prisons Act 2023 to replace British-era law

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prepared the ‘Model Prisons Act 2023’ that will replace a British-era law to overhaul the prison administration that will focus on the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates, it said on May 12. Among the salient features of the model Act are provisions of punishment for prisoners and jail staff for use of prohibited items such as mobile phones in jails, establishment and management of high security jails, open jail (open and semi-open), and provisions for protecting the society from the criminal activities of hardened criminals and habitual offenders.

Welfare without discrimination is true secularism: Modi

Giving a thrust to his welfare model, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government does not look at the religion or caste of beneficiaries while reaching out to them with various schemes and welfare programmes and there is no greater social justice than working for the happiness and convenience of the masses. He was in his home state Gujarat on Friday, for a day, to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth around ₹4,400 crore.

Indo-Pacific is a reality: S. Jaishankar in Dhaka 

The vision of the Indo Pacific Is reality in the 21st century External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said on Friday in Dhaka. Addressing the 6th Indian Ocean Conference-2023 in the Bangladeshi capital Mr. Jaishankar noted the “Indo Pacific Outlook” of Bangladesh that was announced recently and cautioned against countries that do not want the region to become dynamic.

Supreme Court flags ‘serious lapses’ in implementation of Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment Act

The Supreme Court on May 12, in a judgment, said there are “serious lapses” and “uncertainty” in the implementation of the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, leaving many working women no choice but to leave their jobs. A Bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, in a 62-page judgment, said the “sorry state of affairs” concerning the anti-sexual harassment at workplace law even after a decade of its introduction was “disquieting”, and it was time for the Centre and States to take affirmative action.

Air India fined ₹30 lakh after pilot invites lady friend into cockpit

The DGCA on Friday imposed a fine of ₹30 lakh on Air India and suspended a pilot-in-command for a period of three months after he entertained a lady friend in the cockpit and demanded that she be served alcohol and snacks. “The CEO of Air India received a complaint from one of the operating crew members of the flight. However, the organisation did not take prompt corrective action despite this being a safety sensitive violation. Anticipating delayed response, the complainant approached the DGCA,” the regulator said in a press statement.

Cyclone Mocha to be stronger than expected

Cyclone Mocha, currently located in the eastern Bay of Bengal, is likely to be stronger than initially forecast but poses little threat to India, with all of its fury likely to be concentrated in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh, suggests the latest forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

We are keeping a watch on Pilot’s  yatra, says Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge

The Jan Sangharsh Yatra undertaken by senior leader Sachin Pilot is a “personal” one; the party was “keeping an eye on” it and would discuss it once Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge returns from Karnataka, All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on May 12. “It his personal yatra, he is taking out the yatra on his own, we are keeping an eye on that and when Kharge ji comes back from Karnataka, all issues would be discussed,” he said.

No democracy in West Bengal under Mamata: Nadda

BJP national president J.P. Nadda on May 12 targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for banning the film  The Kerala Story, alleging that there was no democracy under her rule in West Bengal. He was speaking at an event to launch a book, titled  Democracy in Coma: Silenced Voices of Women Victims in Bengal, authored by Sonali Chitrakar, Vijeta Singh Aggarwal, Shruti Maitra and Monika Agarwal Uniyal. Mr. Nadda said that Ms. Banerjee had banned  The Kerala Story despite the fact that the film had “nothing to do with any religion or State”.

Ten Kuki MLAs from Manipur demand ‘separate administration’ 

As many as 10 legislators from the hill districts of Manipur, which includes those from the ruling BJP have demanded a separate administration as the “State miserably failed to protect” them when the violence started on May 3. In a press statement, the 10 MLAs said the Government of Manipur tacitly supported the “unabated violence” by the majority Meitei community against the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribals, which has already partitioned the State and effected a total separation from the State of Manipur.

Gyanvyapi mosque case: HC allows revision plea for scientific survey of  Shiv Ling

The Allahabad High Court on May 12 allowed a revision petition demanding a scientific survey to determine the age of the purported Shiv Ling found inside the Varanasi-based Gyanvyapi mosque. The survey will be done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which, in its affidavit submitted in the court, maintained that it cannot do carbon dating of the structure due to technical reasons but offered to do the carbon dating of the embedded portions of the Shiv Ling along with some other ways like Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), excavation to name a few.

Elon Musk picks advertisement executive Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO

Elon Musk on May 12 said he has chosen top advertisement executive Linda Yaccarino as CEO of Twitter as he fights to reverse fortunes at the struggling platform he bought for $44 billion last year. In a tweet, Mr. Musk said he would remain in charge of design and technology at Twitter, with Ms. Yaccarino focusing primarily on business operations and turning Twitter into an “everything app” called X.

Fierce Gaza fighting renews as truce hopes fade

Israel and Gaza militants traded heavy fire Friday as hopes faded of securing a truce to end days of fighting that have killed dozens, all but one of them Palestinian. The violence has been met with international calls for de-escalation, with the European Union pushing Thursday for an “immediate comprehensive ceasefire”. Israel announced it was “striking Islamic Jihad targets” in the densely populated Palestinian territory, while AFP journalists saw air strikes hit Gaza City.

Erdogan rival says has evidence of Russia’s online campaign ahead of Turkey vote

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, main challenger of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said on Friday his party has concrete evidence of Russia’s responsibility for the release of “deep fake” online content ahead of Sunday’s presidential elections. Asked why he tweeted on Thursday that Russia was responsible, he told Reuters: “If we did not have it [concrete evidence], I wouldn’t have tweeted.” The party did not contact the Russian embassy in Turkey over the issue, he added.

IPL 2023: MI vs GT | Suryakumar outshines all-round Rashid as Mumbai beats Gujarat

Suryakumar Yadav played some outrageous shots en route his maiden IPL hundred (103 not out) as his stunning knock outshone a superlative all-round show from Rashid Khan to set up Mumbai Indians’ 27-run win over Gujarat Titans in Mumbai on May 12. Invited to bat, MI posted 218 for 5 on the back of world number one T20 batter Suryakumar’s 103 not out off just 49 balls and then restricted GT to 191 for 8 to notch up their seventh win this season. This was MI’s fourth consecutive 200-plus score on their home ground.

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May 3, 2023

Morning Digest: May 3, 2023

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Security forces patrol after British police arrested a man outside Buckingham Palace for throwing what they believe were shotgun cartridges, in London, Britain on May 2, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Man detained after ‘shotgun cartridges’ thrown into Buckingham Palace grounds

Days ahead of King Charles’ May 6 coronation, Buckingham Palace was temporarily cordoned off after a man approached the palace and allegedly threw objects — thought to be shotgun cartridges — into the palace grounds.

India criticises USCIRF report, calls it misrepresentation of facts

India on May 2 categorically rejected as “biased” and “motivated” a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that alleged “severe violations” of religious freedom in the country. In its annual report on religious freedom, the USCIRF asked the U.S. State Department to designate India as a “country of particular concern” on the status of religious freedom

Bilkis Bano case convicts playing for time: Supreme Court judge K.M. Joseph

Supreme Court judge Justice K.M. Joseph said that it was “more than obvious” that the men released early from life imprisonment for gangraping Bilkis Bano and murdering her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots were raising a maze of procedural objections in successive court hearings to avoid his Bench. The oral remark came after the courtroom rang with submissions made by the lawyers for the 11 released convicts, who claimed that they were not served notice of the case.

Ahead of G20 meet in Kashmir, security agencies brace for potential ‘fidayeen’ attack, drone and vehicle-borne threats

Elaborate security measures were finalised on Tuesday for the upcoming meeting of delegates from G20 nations in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar from May 22 to counter the potential threats of ‘fidayeen’ attacks and threats posed by the use of vehicles and drones by militants. The National Security Guard (NSG) teams will be deployed for counter-’fidayeen’ attacks along with the police’s Special Operation Groups, and also to counter drone-borne threats at all venues.

Centre extends time to submit joint options for higher PF pension till June 26

The Centre has extended the time to submit joint options to claim higher provident fund pension till June 26. The deadline to submit the applications was on May 3. The EPFO said more than 12 lakh applications have been received till date. It added that the timeline is being extended to facilitate and provide ample opportunity to the pensioners and members so as to to ease out any difficulty being faced by them.

Nine years after ban, coal mining to resume in Meghalaya, says CM Sangma

Coal mining in Meghalaya, banned since April 2014, is likely to be resumed legally by July. At an election rally on May 1, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the Centre had approved mining leases for four persons, thus paving the way for scientific mining in the State. Despite the ban on rat-hole coal mining, the fossil fuel has been extracted and transported illegally for years in Meghalaya.

China, Russia, Pakistan Foreign Ministers to attend May 4 SCO meet in Goa

The Foreign Ministers of China and Russia will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Goa on May 4 and 5, on key visits expected to lay the groundwork for Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to travel to India in early July. The China and Russia led Eurasian security grouping also includes four Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — while India and Pakistan were added to the group in 2017.

India temporarily relocates embassy from Khartoum to Port Sudan

India has decided to temporarily relocate its embassy from the violence-hit Sudanese capital city of Khartoum to Port Sudan in view of the prevailing security situation in the African country. India has been operating military aircraft and naval ships from Port Sudan to evacuate its citizens from the African country.

AAP used hawala, cash route to funnel liquor policy kickbacks for Goa polls: ED

The Enforcement Directorate has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of “using” a part of the ₹100 crore kickbacks allegedly received from the ‘south group’ liquor lobby to meet its expenditure for the Goa Assembly poll campaign in 2022. The accusation has been made in the agency’s supplementary charge sheet filed in the Delhi Excise policy-linked money laundering case.

Ukraine Minister apologises for Goddess Kali tweet, says ‘we respect unique Indian culture’

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova, who recently visited India, on May 2 expressed “regrets” over the depiction of Goddess Kali in a “distorted manner” by the Defence Ministry and apologised for the act, saying her country and its people respect “unique Indian culture”. The Ukraine Defence Ministry’s tweet, which has now been deleted, was captioned “Work of art” with an image of Goddess Kali superimposed over a blast fume.

Do not want to talk about audio clips, says T.N. CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 said he was not ready to talk about the recent audio clippings, which the opposition claimed purportedly contained the voice of State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan implicating the ruling party in corruption. On Monday, Mr Rajan, had met the Chief Minister during which he is believed to have explained his stand on the issue.

Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea seeking stay on release of movie ‘The Kerala Story’

The Supreme Court on May 2 refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of the movie The Kerala Story on grounds that its the “worst kind of hate speech” and an “audio-visual propaganda”. The Bench said, “There are varieties of hate speeches. This film has got certification and has been cleared by the board. It’s not like a person getting on the podium and starts giving uncontrolled speech. If you want to challenge the release of the movie, you should challenge the certification and through appropriate forum”.

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May 2, 2023

Morning Digest: May 2, 2023

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India leads five countries named as the “Laundromat” countries that buy Russian oil and sell processed products to European countries, thus sidestepping European sanctions against Russia, says a Helsinki-based group. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

India leads ‘Laundromat’ countries buying Russian crude and selling oil products to Europe: report

India leads five countries named as the “Laundromat” countries that buy Russian oil and sell processed products to European countries, thus sidestepping European sanctions against Russia, says a Helsinki-based group that cited the latest figures for the first quarter of 2023. The report accused Indian sellers and European buyers of possibly “circumventing sanctions” by selling crude products from a refinery in Gujarat that is co-owned by Russian oil company Rosneft.

Yellen says U.S. could hit debt ceiling as soon as June 1

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress on May 1 that the U.S. is projected to reach its debt limit as early as June 1, if the body does not raise or suspend the debt limit before then. While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains a burden on U.S. economic growth, Treasury officials say the debate over the debt ceiling poses the greatest risk to the U.S. financial position.

Inaugural ASEAN-India maritime exercise in South China Sea from May 2-8

In a further step, in the expanding India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) military cooperation, the maiden ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) is set to begin on May 2 with war games in South China Sea.  Navy Chief Adm. R. Hari Kumar is in Singapore for the exercise as well as to take part in the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX-23) and International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) being hosted by Singapore.

U.P. urban local body polls: India’s border with Nepal to be sealed Tuesday

India’s border with Nepal will be sealed on May 2, 48-hours before urban local body polls here, to prevent anti-social elements from crossing the boundary and vitiating the election atmosphere, officials said. Urban local body elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in two phases — on Thursday (May 4) and May 11. The votes will be counted on May 13. Maharajganj will go to the polls during the first phase of elections on Thursday.

Centre bans 14 apps in J&K citing use by terror organisations

The Union Government instructed service providers to ban 14 applications in Jammu and Kashmir, following recommendations by the Ministry of Home Affairs, officials said. Most of the apps are communication platforms that allow encrypted messaging, which the government said has been used by terror organisations in the region. The list of apps was determined after authorities examined phones used by detained operatives, an official said.

Can hang me but don’t stop wrestling activities: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on May 1 that ever since the top wrestlers of the country began protesting, all sports related activities had come to a standstill. Speaking to the media, Mr. Singh said, “Wrestling activities have come to a standstill since the last four months, I say hang me, but don’t stop wrestling activities and don’t play with the children’s future. Cadet nationals should be allowed to take place, whoever is organising it, either Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, but don’t stop the wrestling activities.”

May Day: World’s workers rally, France sees pension anger

People squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice took to streets across Asia and Europe to mark May Day on May 1, in an outpouring of worker discontent from Tokyo to Pakistan to France not seen since before the worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns. While May Day is marked around the world as a celebration of labour rights, this year’s rallies tapped into broader frustrations

Ludhiana gas leak: Night-long efforts undertaken to decontaminate affected area, says official

A portion of the Giaspura locality in Punjab’s Ludhiana where 11 people died allegedly after inhaling toxic gas remained cordoned off on May 1 while the district authorities said the affected area underwent a night-long decontamination process. Eleven people, including three children, died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas in the city’s thickly populated Giaspura locality on Sunday, with high levels of Hydrogen sulphide detected in the air and authorities suspecting that it emanated from a sewer.

Japan to train 1,000 Indian engineers before transfer of bullet train tech

Up to 1,000 Indian engineers will be trained by Japanese experts before starting work on the High-Speed Rail Track system for Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor (MAHSR). “Up to 20 Japanese experts will impart intensive training to the Indian engineers, supervisors and technicians and certify their skills. This will also help in ‘Transfer of Technology’ of Japanese HSR track system,” said Rajendra Prasad, MD, NHSRCL.

Despite truce, Sudan near ‘breaking point’, says UN

Gun battles and explosions again rocked Sudan’s capital on May 1 despite the latest truce formally agreed between the warring parties as the UN warned the humanitarian crisis had brought the country near its “breaking point”. More than 500 people have been reported killed since fighting erupted on April 15 between Sudan’s Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Russia missile attack on Ukraine injures 34, damages homes

Russia launched its second large salvo of missiles at Ukraine in recent days early May 1, damaging buildings and wounding at least 34 people in the eastern city of Pavlohrad but failing to hit Kyiv, officials said. Eighteen cruise missiles were fired in total from the Murmansk region and the Caspian region, and 15 of them were intercepted, said Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

LSG vs RCB: Bangalore beats Lucknow by 18 runs in low-scoring encounter

Aided by KL Rahul’s injury early in the match, Royal Challengers Bangalore did just enough to eke out an 18-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in a low-scoring Indian Premier League game in Lucknow on May 1. LSG skipper Rahul pulled his right thigh muscle in the second over of RCB innings while trying to stop a boundary and came out to bat only towards the end, which acted in favour of the visitors.

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May 1, 2023

Morning Digest: May 1, 2023

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File photo of smoke rising from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Sudan Army, rival extend truce, despite ongoing clashes

Sudan’s Army and its rival paramilitary said on April 30 they will extend a humanitarian cease-fire a further 72 hours. The decision follows international pressure to allow the safe passage of civilians and aid but the shaky truce has not so far stopped the clashes. In statements, both sides accused the other of violations. The agreement has deescalated the fighting in some areas but violence continues to push civilians to flee. Aid groups have also struggled to get badly needed supplies into the country.

In a first, Raj Bhavans to start celebrating Statehood days

Around 30 Raj Bhavans will hold programmes to mark the Statehood day of Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1 in what is a new initiative as part of the government’s thrust on celebrating the country’s cultural diversity and different traditions. Official sources said different Raj Bhavans will host people of Maharashtrian and Gujarati origins living in the respective State and also organise different programmes to highlight the cultural riches and cuisines of the two western States.

Suspected Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services: Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria. Mr. Erdogan said the intelligence organization had pursued Qurashi for a long time. Syrian local and security sources said the raid took place in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris, which is controlled by Turkey-backed rebel groups and was one of the worst-affected in the Feb. 6 earthquake that hit both Turkey and Syria.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry deletes tweet allegedly depicting Goddess Kali following online outrage

A tweet posted by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry purportedly showing an image of Goddess Kali over a blast fume triggered online outrage following which the post was deleted. The Twitter handle @DefenceU posted the image with the caption “Work of Art”, triggering angry reactions from many Indian Twitter users who accused the Ukrainian Defence Ministry of insensitivity.

Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) to look at State-specific strategy 

At the end of the three-day meeting of the Central Committee, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s highest decision-making body, the party in a statement said the main task before the 2024 general elections is to “isolate and defeat” the BJP. And to achieve this, the party will work with other secular Opposition parties but electoral arrangements must be State-specific, as the political situation varies with each State.

Nitish Kumar sidesteps query on fighting 2024 Lok Sabha poll

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on April 30 sidestepped a query about the possibility of contesting the next year’s Lok Sabha poll from his pocket borough Nalanda. Sitting MP Kaushalendra Kumar, who is serving his third consecutive term, had on Saturday said he was willing to give up the seat if his mentor wished to enter the fray. “Just leave it. Why do you worry ( chhodiye na aap log kahe chinta karte hain)”, said the longest-serving CM of the State, as he walked past the posse of reporters with a smirk on his face.

I’m fine with being a snake garland on the necks of people who are like Lord Shiva: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi again chose to respond to the Congress’ jibe of poisonous snake against him by saying that the snake was a garland on the neck of Lord Shiva and that he would accept being a snake on the necks of the people of the country, whom he considered Lord Shiva.  It may be noted that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had described Mr. Modi as a poisonous snake recently, triggering a controversy.

Congress dubs 100th episode of Modi’s radio programme as maun ki baat

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat on April 30, the Congress took a dig at Mr. Modi for being “ maun” [silent] on key issues such as China, Adani, increasing economic inequalities and the wrestlers’ protest. The official Twitter handle of the party also targeted the Prime Minister for being silent on key issues such as alleged Chinese aggression, unemployment, price rise, among others.

Inadequate space for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park: former Wildlife Institute of India official

Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), which has seen the death of two cheetahs in less than a month, has “inadequate space” for these felines brought from Africa, a former official of the Wildlife Institute of India has claimed. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which is overseeing the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in the country, has called a meeting in New Delhi on Monday in the wake of the death of two cheetahs out of the 20 felines translocated to KNP from Namibia and South Africa over the last eight months, an official said.

The Kerala Story an attempt to spread hate propaganda, says Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the upcoming movie The Kerala Story was a product of the Sangh Parivar’s “factory of lies”. He said legal action would be taken against those involving themselves in antisocial activities. The statement comes at a time when the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and their youth organisations have all opposed the movie in a united voice.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hand over patrol vessel, landing craft to Maldives

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hand over a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives as India’s “gift” during his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3. During his visit, Mr. Singh will call on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hold talks with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi.

Char Dham pilgrims stopped at Srinagar due to bad weather

Char Dham yatra has been stopped at Srinagar as a precautionary measure due to bad weather at Kedarnath and Badrinath, police said on April 30. On Saturday, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar issued instructions in view of rain and snowfall during the Char Dham yatra and directed officials to be extra vigilant.

Tim David, Suryakumar Yadav fire Mumbai Indians to six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals

Talented youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden century (124) went in vain as Tim David struck three successive sixes in the final over as Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

F1 2023 | Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP in Red Bull 1-2

Sergio Pérez took advantage of a fortunately timed safety car to beat his teammate Max Verstappen to the win in the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, adding it to the sprint he won the day before, as Red Bull kept up its winning start to 2023. Verstappen started second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but swept past him on the long start-finish straight at the end of lap 3, the first lap on which drivers were allowed to use the DRS overtake assist system on the rear wing.

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