Morning digest | New cryptocurrency bill seeks to ban private players; Apple files lawsuit against NSO Group blamed for Pegasus, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

A representation of the virtual cryptocurrency Bitcoin. File

New cryptocurrency bill seeks to ban private players

The Union Government will introduce a Bill to regulate cryptocurrency and ostensibly ban all private cryptocurrencies, along with 25 other pieces of legislation, in the winter session of Parliament that begins on November 29.

Oral sex with a child a ‘lesser’ offence: Allahabad High Court

“Putting penis into mouth does not fall in the category of aggravated sexual assault or sexual assault. It comes into category of penetrative sexual assault which is punishable under Section 4 of POCSO Act ,” a Single Judge Bench of Justice Anil Kumar Ojha of the High Court has concluded in a recent judgment.

Apple files lawsuit against Israel’s NSO Group

Apple Inc said on Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit against Israeli cyber firm

NSO Group and its parent company OSY Technologies for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users with its Pegasus spyware.

Anand Teltumbde moves NIA court seeking interim bail

Prof.

Anand Teltumbde , accused in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case, moved the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday seeking interim bail to be with his mother after the encounter of his brother Milind Teltumbde in Gadchiroli on November 13.

Every NPA will be pursued in J&K, says Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said money swindled illegally from banks would be taken back, as she promised a major push to public sector banks in Jammu and Kashmir to further spur outside investment in the Union Territory.

10% discount on country liquor for people taking second COVID-19 vaccine jab in M.P.’s Mandsaur

Liquor shops in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur city will offer a 10% discount on country liquor to people who take the second jab of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, an official said on Tuesday.

Kejriwal reaches out to traders, industrialists in poll-bound Punjab

Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced over half a dozen assurances for trade, commerce and industrial development in poll-bound Punjab, if the party formed the next government.

COVID-19 infections reported from Odisha’s educational institutes

Odisha’s plans to gradually open schools and colleges received a setback after COVID-19 infections were reported from different educational institutes.

Supreme Court refuses Trinamool plea to postpone Tripura civic polls

The Supreme Court did not accede on Tuesday to a plea by the Trinamool Congress to postpone the conduct of municipal elections in Tripura, saying such step was a “last and extreme recourse”.

Himalayan glacier changed track 20,000 years ago: study

Nearly 20,000 years ago, a 5-km-long Himalayan glacier “abruptly” changed course and over time fused into an adjacent glacier in present day Pittoragarh, Uttarakhand. This is the first time, say scientists who have described the findings in a peer-reviewed journal this week, that such a turn in glacier’s course has been recorded in the Himalayas. Change in climate along with tectonic movement probably caused this to happen.

Tripura CM, party MLA in verbal spat

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar compared party MLA Sudip Roy Barman, his baiter, with Mir Jafar and Jaichand soon after the latter criticised his Government and held him responsible for the current phase of political violence in the State.

Odisha to regularise land worth ₹4,000 crore encroached by educational institutes

The Odisha Government has approved a policy of regularisation of unauthorised occupation of government land by educational institutes. The worth of the land to be regularised is estimated at ₹4,000 crore. The Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to the proposal.

In U.P., united by grievances but divided over political options

Farmers across caste groups list inflation, falling farm incomes and stray cattle but are unable to agree on an alternative to the BJP.

Why the Indian cricket team has not been truly representative

A Parliamentary committee like the one in England which questioned Rafiq on live television (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) might do Indian cricket a lot of good too. Gathering information, putting it together and discerning patterns may not require a Parliamentary committee, but such a committee will need to be the one to recommend changes. It would also help if they spoke to the stakeholders, perhaps on national television. It is important to remember that caste discrimination is as vile and as pervasive in India as racism is elsewhere.

Shahrukh — finisher par excellence

The finisher is a rare breed. He does not receive too many balls to face, has to strike almost immediately after sauntering in, take the game deeper, and deliver the decisive, sledge-hammer blow.