A survey conducted recently has shown that of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 were in India; the Ganga and the Yamuna were ranked among 10 of the world’s most polluted. The Oriental Star, a cruise ship carrying 456 people, capsized on the Yangtze on the night of June 1 because of high winds and heavy rain. An international rescue fleet plucked almost 5,900 migrants from rickety boats making the perilous sea crossing from North Africa to Europe, the Italian coastguard said. Britain’s Prince Harry is now a Knight, as his grandmother, the Queen appointed him to the Royal Victorian Order.
Read on to know what else happened around you
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Last week, prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was approved by the Parliament of Mauritius as the nation’s new president. She will be the first woman to hold this ceremonial position. Another first for the country, is Parliament speaker Maya Hanoomanjee. The opposition also supported the appointment of Fakim, making the vote a mere formality.
WANTED: Code of conduct
India’s renewed request to China for clarity on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates the two Asian giants is still not solved. Instead, Beijing was in favour of framing a “code of conduct” and putting in place comprehensive measures to maintain peace along the border. Huang Xilian, deputy director general with the Asian affairs department in the Chinese foreign ministry said a process should be in place for a “building block”, rather than a “stumbling block”, to boost bilateral ties. His remarks were viewed as a response to India’s pushfor a clearly demarcated border during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in May.
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Away from the RADAR
It was a historic moment for civil liberty advocates and for libertarians of the American right when the U.S. Senate passed on a vote of 67-32. President Barack Obama signed into law, the first reform in a decade limiting the sweeping powers of the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on millions of citizens’ telephone conversations. The USAFA represents the first major reform to the NSA’s mass surveillance of global communications that has been effected since whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the full extent of the spying programmes to the world in 2013.
Temporary MOVE
Taslima Nasreen, a Bangladeshi writer known for her controversial books relocated to the US following threats from Islamic fundamentalists who had allegedly killed atheist bloggers in Bangladesh. She has been living in Delhi for years. She wanted to meet the Government of India representatives, but failed to get an appointment. “Wanted to meet GOI. No appointment. Left. Will be back when feel safe,” she tweeted. A New York-based think tank said it has relocated Nasreen to “safety” in the US amid death threats from Islamist radicals.
INSTANT reaction
Troubles continue to boil for Maggi because the lead content and MSG found in them are above the permitted level. Consumers want to know why the Government allowed food manufacturers to sell unsafe products to its citizens. Though a few states went ahead and banned the sale of Maggi for a few days, latest reports state that Nestle has pulled out Maggi Instant Noodles from stores across the country.