Infiltrators may have fuelled Manipur crisis: Governor
Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey said infiltrators from “across the border” may have fuelled the ongoing unrest in the northeastern State. Manipur shares borders with Assam, Mizoram, and Nagaland. But the Governor is believed to have meant the State’s border with Myanmar, which has been caught in a civil war since February 2021. “It is clarified that statement of Hon’ble Governor was based on intelligence inputs indicating presence of certain inimical elements who could have infiltrated from across the border to fuel the current unrest in Manipur,” a Raj Bhavan statement issued on Friday read.
India, France set to co-develop jet engine
Taking the defence cooperation between India and France to a new level, the two countries announced that they will extend their “ground-breaking” defence cooperation in advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine and also an engine for the Indian multi-role helicopter (IMRH) being designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
‘India, a giant in world history,’ says French President Macron
The strains of Sare Jahan Se Accha rang through the Champs-Élysées on July 14, as a 242-member Indian military contingent marching in France’s Bastille Day parade saluted chief guest Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Welcoming Mr. Modi, Mr. Macron said that India was “a giant in world history, with a decisive role to play in the future, a strategic partner, a friend.”
Jaishankar raises ‘outstanding issues’ along LAC with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday discussed “outstanding issues” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi along the sidelines of the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta. Friday’s meet was Mr. Jaishankar’s third high-level engagement with the Chinese side in recent months, following bilateral talks during visits by Foreign Minister Qin Gang to India for the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ meet in March and for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering in May.
Yamuna floods Rajghat, reaches Supreme Court
The Yamuna continued to be in spate on Friday, with its waters making their way further into the city, flooding Rajghat and reaching the gates of the Supreme Court. The Army and the Navy were called in to assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local civic agencies to stop the flow of river water into the city.
LVM-3’s Chandrayaan success is a big boost for Gaganyaan
With a human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) to be used for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission, the LVM-3’s successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 on July 14 gained significance, as it has further enhanced the reliability of the launch vehicle. Following the launch, LVM project director Mohan Kumar said that the rocket used for the Chandrayaan-3 mission used multiple systems that were rated for humans. “The human-rated S200 [solid strap-on motors] that were used earlier were again used, and the L110 Vikas engine has also completely become human-rated today,” he said.
Data Protection Bill poses severe restrictions to RTI Act, advocacy group NCPRI cautions government
An upcoming amendment to the Right to Information Act, 2005 is set to remove the legal basis allowing government agencies to share personal information in public interest, a move that activists have warned would dilute the transparency law .In the version of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill cleared for introduction in Parliament, a copy of which was reviewed by The Hindu, there exists a section that would eliminate the majority of Section 8(1)(j) of the 2005 law.
Law Commission extends deadline for submitting views on UCC till July 28
The Law Commission on July 14 extended the deadline for the public to send their views on a uniform civil code (UCC) till July 28 .On June 14, the law panel had sought responses from organisations and the public on the UCC. The one-month deadline for filing responses ended on July 14, following which it was extended.
Watch | Why AIADMK-BJP’s uneasy relations could affect Amit Shah’s 2024 plans in Tamil Nadu
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently sounded bullish about the BJP making inroads in Tamil Nadu. He wanted the State to elect more than 25 MPs in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The strain in the AIADMK - BJP alliance became prominent when the late AIADMK supremo and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, had distanced herself from the BJP after a humbling defeat in the 2004 Parliamentary elections.
Indonesian president warns ASEAN ‘can’t be proxy’ of any country
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday said ASEAN cannot become a proxy for other countries, as U.S.-China tensions rise over issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Foreign Ministers from the Southeast Asian bloc have gathered in Jakarta for talks about regional issues, from the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety, to the crisis in Myanmar, where China is the ruling junta’s main ally.
Putin says Prigozhin refused to cede command of Wagner
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin refused to let his fighters serve under someone else’s command, which could have settled the fate of the group. Three weeks after Mr. Prigozhin launched a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s top military brass, the future and whereabouts of Wagner members remain uncertain. The Kremlin had confirmed but gave few details about a meeting between Mr. Putin, Mr. Prigozhin and other Wagner commanders on June 29, five days after the mutiny.
WI vs Ind first Test | Ashwin runs through West Indies batting to set up massive win for India
The world’s top-ranked bowler R. Ashwin was too good for an ill-equipped West Indies batting line-up as his second five-wicket haul of the game set up India’s innings and 141-run victory in the opening Test in Roseau on Friday. After India declared their first innings at 421 for five midway into the afternoon session, an improved batting show was expected from the Caribbean batters but they were simply not up to the task and collapsed to 130 all out in 50 overs to ensure a three-day finish.
