[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Prophet row: Supreme Court slams Nupur Sharma, says she should apologize to the whole country

Following the suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma moved Supreme Court seeking the transfer of all the FIRs registered against her, across several states over her controversial remark, to Delhi for investigation, Supreme Court slammed Sharma for her arrogance and said that she should apologize to the whole country. Slamming Sharma, SC said ‘she and her loose tongue has set the entire country on fire. SC says her outburst is responsible for the unfortunate incident at Udaipur, where a tailor was murdered.’ Slamming Sharma, SC said ‘she and her loose tongue has set the entire country on fire. SC says her outburst is responsible for the unfortunate incident at Udaipur, where a tailor was murdered.’ Meanwhile, the senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Sharma, told SC that she apologized for the remarks and withdrew the comments, the apex court said “she should have gone to the TV and apologized to the nation. What is the business of the TV channel and Nupur Sharma to discuss the sub-judice matter, except to promote an agenda?” Finally Singh “withdraws the petition”.

3 Chinese held after police raid software firm in Nepal

Nepal Police have arrested 3 Chinese nationals and a Nepali national from Kaski District with 4.6 million Nepali rupees after raiding a firm suspected to be involved in illegal activities. A team from the District Police Office Kaski on Thu raided the Chinese firm on suspicion of cyber-crime-related activities, ANI reported citing Chief SP. As per police, the firm raided was a software company and had been registered under the name of Suman Tamang, a resident of Kakani Village Council (arrested Nepali national). Identities of Chinese nationals are yet to be ascertained. Police also interrogated 3 Chinese nationals and 75 Nepali nationals working in the company. Nepal is turning out to be a gateway for Chinese criminals and the Himalayan nation has raised concern over the increasing involvement of Chinese nationals in illegal activities. This was evident when the authorities arrested 122 Chinese nationals, also with similar equipment, in Dec 2019 for their alleged involvement in criminal activities – hacking of the SWIFT Code of various banks. Among other things, they are suspected of running Ponzi schemes online and scamming foreign nationals with lures of easy loans. The tip-off provided at the time said that around 4,000 Chinese nationals were carrying out illegal activities from cities such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar, and Chitwan, among others. (here)

PM Modi speaks on the telephone with Putin,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. The two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during President Putin’s visit to India in Dec 2021. In particular, they exchanged ideas on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilizers, and pharma products could be encouraged further. The leaders also discussed global issues, including the state of the international energy and food markets. In the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, PM reiterated India’s long-standing position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy. (PIB) “At the request of PM Modi, Putin informed about the key aspects of Russia’s special military operation, emphasizing the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kyiv regime and its Western patrons to escalate the crisis and disrupt efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically.” Kremlin readout. It added that the current state of affairs in the global food market was considered. This is 4^th time when the two leaders this year only.

[NATIONAL]

India delivers 6 tons of medical assistance to Afghanistan: MEA

India supplied the 7^th batch of medical assistance to Afghanistan on Thu consisting of 6 tons of essential medicines as a part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance. The consignment was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kabul. “Given the urgent appeals made by the UN to assist the Afghan people, India has, so far, supplied 20 tons of medical assistance in seven batches, which includes essential life-saving medicines, anti-TB medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID vaccine, etc. These medical consignments have been handed over to the WHO and Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, Kabul,” MEA said in a statement. It further added, “….India has provided food assistance of 35,000 MTs of wheat.” Moreover, in the wake of the recent tragic earthquake, India, as the first responder, supplied almost 28 tons of earthquake relief assistance in two relief flights. These relief consignments were handed over to the UN Office, the UN World Food Program, and the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Meanwhile, immediate humanitarian assistance was dispatched to affected areas on June 22, including 10 tons of medical supplies sufficient for 5,400 surgeries and medical treatments covering 36,000 people for 3 months by WHO. (here)

In Ashgabat, the Caspian Five echo India’s stand on the speedy launch of the INSTC

Russian President Vladimir Putin has again batted for the “speedy launch” of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to improve the transport and logistics architecture of the Eurasian region. At this week’s Caspian Summit in Ashgabat, Putin spoke in detail about the 7,200 km-long, multimodal trade corridor which will start from Mumbai, with nodes in West Asia, Central Asia, Caucasia, and Russia covering large swathes of territory in landlocked Eurasia. The Russian President highlighted active developments in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to advance the transport artery, emphasizing that Moscow too continues to make “energetic efforts” in the direction. (here)

5 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists arrested at check-posts in Srinagar, Sopore: Police

Five suspected terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT were arrested on Thu in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar and Sopore along with a cache of arms, people aware of the matter said. Police said two of them, arrested in Srinagar, were mostly engaged in giving logistics support and helping the terror group move arms, ammunition, and terrorists. The other three, arrested 50km away in Sopore, were uncategorized terrorists and looking for an opportunity to carry out a terror attack. The first set of arrests in Srinagar was made at special check-posts set up in Srinagar by the police and Rashtriya Rifles personnel in the Sanat Nagar Chowk-Rangreth road area. One terrorist, classified by security agencies as a hybrid terrorist, was arrested during checking with a pistol. Hybrid terrorists are those who are not listed with the security forces and are only brought in by terror groups just once or twice to carry out terrorist attacks. (here)

VK Paul appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Tukey and VV Sapkal to Peru

Virander Kumar Paul (IFS:1991), presently High Commissioner of India to Kenya, has been appointed Ambassador to Tukey. Vishvas Vidu Sapkal appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru – (IFS: 1998), presently Joint Secy in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru. (MEA)

Gold set to get dearer as govt increases customs duty to 15%

The government on Thu raised the import duty on gold to 15% from 10.75% to check the ballooning current account deficit amid rising imports of the yellow metal. The revised import duties will be effective from June 30. Gold imports in May spiked to 107 tonnes while May imports have been significant too, the notification said. The basic customs duty on gold which was 7.5% earlier will now be 12.5%. Including the agriculture infrastructure development cess (AIDC) of 2.5% the effective gold customs duty will be 15%. Gold and fuel imports form a bulk of India’s import bill and any sudden increase puts massive fiscal pressure on the country’s fiscal situation. The demand for gold has increased robustly after a dip during the pandemic. According to the World Gold Council, in 2021, India’s gold imports reached the highest levels in the last 10 years. (here)

Monsoon session of parliament to begin on July 18

ANI-The monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 18 and will conclude on Aug 12. The session will coincide with the presidential and vice-presidential elections. While voting for the presidential election is slated for July 18, for vice-presidential election, it will take place on Aug 6, if necessary. NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu and Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha are in the fray in the presidential election.

ISRO Successfully Launches PSLV-C53 With 3 Singapore Satellites Onboard

The PSLV-C53/DS-EO mission has been accomplished, said Indian Space Research Organisation on Thu. The launch was scheduled for 6 PM from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space, Sriharikota, added ISRO. The countdown of 25 hours leading to the launch started at 5 PM on Wed. PSLV-C53 is the 2^nd dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited. It is designed to orbit the DS-EO satellites along with 2 other co-passenger satellites from Singapore. This is the 55^th mission of PSLV and the 15^th mission using the PSLV-Core Alone variant. It is the 16^th PSLV launch from the 2^nd launch pad. The mission proposes to demonstrate the utilization of the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle as a stabilized platform for scientific payloads after the separation of the satellites. (ANI)

DRDO successfully carries out the maiden flight of the UAV

The Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully carried out the inaugural flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, it announced in a statement on Fri, carried out at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka. The release further said, “Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, waypoint navigation, and a smooth touchdown.” Designed and developed by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment, a premier research laboratory under the DRDO, the UAV is powered by a small, turbofan engine. The vehicle’s airframe, as well as its undercarriage, flight controls, and avionics system, were developed indigenously, it added. (here)

Uddhav strikes back, moves SC to suspend Eknath Shinde, 15 others from Assembly

Shiv Sena chief whip on Fri moved the Supreme Court seeking suspension of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, 15 MLAs from the Assembly against whom disqualification pleas are pending. The SC bench agreed to hear the plea on July 11. A vacation bench was urged by a senior advocate, that the interim plea needed an urgent hearing due to the pendency of disqualification proceedings against 16 lawmakers including the chief minister. The bench said it was “fully conscious of the issue” and will look into it on Jul 11 when the main plea of 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs against the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker would be heard. “We will look into the issue,” the bench said. The vacation bench of the court had on June 27 granted interim relief to the Shinde faction by extending the time for replying to the disqualification notices sent to 16 rebel Sena MLAs till July 12. After Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30, Prabhu moved to the top court seeking his suspension and of 15 rebels on various grounds, alleging that they are “acting as pawns of the BJP, thereby committing the constitutional sin of defection.” (here)

‘There is reason to be afraid’: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on India’s situation

Expressing concern over the current state of affairs in India, Nobel laureate in Economics, Amartya Sen, who was in the city on Thu, said people should work towards maintaining unity. He also said that divisions should not be made on religious lines. “I think if someone asks me if I’m scared of something, I would say ‘yes’. There is a reason to be afraid now. The current situation in the country has become a cause for fear,” the celebrated economist said at the inauguration of the Amartya Research Centre in the Salt Lake area. “I want the country to be united. I don’t want division in a country that was historically liberal. We have to work together,” he said. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China says New Zealand PM’s comments on assertiveness ‘wrong’

China’s embassy in New Zealand rebuked New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for comments she made at the NATO summit about Chinese assertiveness, calling them “misguided” and “wrong”. Ardern said on Wed in Madrid that China has “in recent times also become more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and norms.” “…. which includes some misguided accusations against China,” an embassy spokesman said in a statement on its website on Thursday. “That allegation is wrong and thus regrettable.” “It is obvious that such comment does not help deepen mutual trust between the two countries,” the statement said. New Zealand, which is heavily reliant on China for trade, has often shied away from direct criticism of Beijing. However, it has toughened its tone recently on both security and Beijing’s growing presence in the South Pacific following the recent signing of a security pact between China and the nearby Solomon Islands. (here)

US hypersonic missile fails in test in the latest setback for the project

A flight test of a hypersonic missile system in Hawaii failed due to a problem that took place after ignition, the US Department of Defence said, delivering a fresh blow to a program that has suffered stumbles. It did not provide further details of what took place in the Wed test, but said in a statement sent by email “the department remains confident that it is on track to field offensive and defensive hypersonic capabilities on target dates beginning in the early 2020s”. “An anomaly occurred following ignition of the test asset,” Pentagon said in the statement. “While the department was unable to collect data on the entirety of the planned flight profile, the information gathered from this event will provide vital insights.” (here)

Pakistan hikes petroleum prices by 14-19 per liter under IMF deal to resume bailout program

The Pakistan government has steeply hiked petroleum prices to implement the tough preconditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the stalled USD 6 billion bailout package for the cash-strapped country. Prices of all petroleum products went up by about Rs 14-19/liter after the decision came into effect from midnight on Thu. According to a notification, the govt imposed a Rs 10/liter petroleum levy on petrol and Rs 5 each on high-speed diesel (HSD), kerosene, and light diesel oil (LDO). As a result, the per-liter price of petrol has been increased by Rs 14.85, HSD by Rs 13.23, kerosene by Rs 18.83, and LDO by Rs 18.68. The ex-depot price of petrol now stands at Rs 248.74/liter, HSD at Rs 276.54, kerosene at Rs 230.26, and LDO at Rs 226.15. (here)

Pak govt warns of mobile, internet services shutdown amid power crisis

The Pakistan National Information Technology Board (NITB) has warned about shutting down mobile and internet services amid power outages in the country. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned the country that they might face increased load shedding in the coming month of July, Geo News reported. “Pakistan could not get the required liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, however, the coalition government was trying to make the deal possible,” the PM said. The country has been facing a power crisis since it failed to agree on a deal for the national gas supply next month. Refinitiv data has shown the country struggles to buy LNG for power generation amid a heatwave that is driving demand, reported Geo News. Inflation in Pakistan entered the double-digit mark in July, the biggest surge in nearly six years.

Pakistan envoys accused of illegal business, murder

Pakistan’s diplomatic envoys in South Africa and the UK have been accused of illegal business, and a murder plot bringing shame to the country said a media report. The report published by Geo News mentioned that a probe was ordered into the matter by the South African revenue department and an unannounced ban was implemented on the transfer and registration of vehicles of the Pakistani embassy in the country. On the other hand, the govt of Pakistan did not order a probe into the matter but implemented a similar ban on the South African embassy in the country. Another Pakistan diplomat was also accused of an assassination attempt on a dissident at Rotterdam during a court hearing in London, the report added. The conduct of a diplomat, who is often considered to be the flag bearer of its image in foreign lands, can either make or break the perception of the country in the international community. (here)

The US expands interview waiver eligibility for Pakistani citizens

The US Mission in Pakistan has expanded its interview waiver eligibility for Pakistani citizens renewing B1/B2 tourist and business visas at the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate General in Karachi, the mission said in a press release on Fri. Pakistani citizens who are 45 and older with valid or expired B1/B2 visas within the last 48 months are eligible to participate, said the mission. This is a procedural change designed to improve customer service and expedite the renewal of tourist and business visas for qualified and eligible Pakistani citizens. Some eligible visa holders may be required to appear for interviews at the US Embassy or Consulate-General after submitting their applications, as required by US law. (here)

Reclusive Taliban Supreme Leader Akhundzada attends clerics’ gathering in Kabul

Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is participating in a 3-day religious gathering of clerics at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, local media reported. A total of 3,000 clerics and elders are attending the assembly to rubber-stamp Taliban rule, Bol News reported. 11 months after the re-establishment of the Taliban in the country, this is the first nationwide gathering of Islamic clerics in the country, reported Tolo News. The media has not been permitted to cover the incident, but according to sources, several topics including the education of girls will be discussed during the assembly. Taliban’s deputy spokesperson Bilal Karimi in a tweet on Fri said that Akhundzada has “entered the assembly hall.” Akhundzada has rarely been photographed in public since the Taliban’s return to power in Aug. Earlier, several clerics and civil rights activists said that the gathering of Islamic scholars should be inclusive. (here)