Centre calls special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22
The Central Government has convened a special session of Parliament for five days between September 18 and 22, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on August 31. There is no official word on the agenda of the session which will be held days after the G20 Summit in the national capital on September 9 and 10.
Unable to give exact date when J&K Statehood would be restored, Centre tells Supreme Court
The Centre on August 31 conveyed to the Supreme Court its inability to commit to an exact time period within which the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir would be restored to full Statehood. The Union government, however, said Jammu and Kashmir was ready to hold elections “any time now”. Appearing before a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir was only a “temporary phenomenon”.
Stepping up its attack on the Narendra Modi government after the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation revealed fresh charges against the Adani Group, the Congress on Thursday called it the “biggest scam in independent India”. The OCCRP probe alleged that millions of dollars were invested in publicly traded Adani Group stocks through Mauritius-based ‘opaque’ investment funds managed by partners of the promoter family. Meanwhile, shares of the Adani group stocks fell after OCCRP’s report. On the BSE, the stock of Adani Green Energy nosedived 4.43% to ₹927.65 apiece, with a market capitalisation of ₹1.47 lakh crore.
Chandrayaan-3 | Another instrument onboard Pragyan confirms presence of sulphur
The ISRO on Thursday said that another instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S) in the south polar region. On August 28, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Pragyan confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region unambiguously. Now the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) instrument has also confirmed the presence of sulphur.
As a heavy exchange of fire continued between two groups in the areas bordering the Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts of Manipur for the third consecutive day, three people died on August 31, including two who had been injured by splinters a day ago, police said. A defence source said that women-led groups in Meitei-dominated Bishnupur have been stopping additional security forces from reaching the areas where the two groups have engaged in an intense gunfight since the early hours of August 29.
President Droupadi Murmu, on August 31, expressed concern over the “very serious issue” of students ending their lives and urged all stakeholders to help them overcome negative thoughts and cope with study pressure in a positive way. Making a fervent appeal to teachers, family members and society to help out students by understanding their psychology, she said that every individual has a unique talent and one should understand one’s own interests and abilities to choose the right direction accordingly.
Goa AAP chief arrested for ‘misrepresentation of facts’ in road accident case
The Goa Crime Branch on August 31 arrested State Aam Aadmi Party president Amit Palekar for allegedly misrepresenting facts in connection with an accident wherein a Mercedes car mowed down three people near Panaji earlier this month, an official said. Mr. Palekar has been accused of misrepresenting facts by introducing a wrong person as the car driver before the investigation officer in an attempt to save the main accused who was at the wheel at the time of the accident, a senior police official said. The AAP leader, however, said he had nothing to do with the crime and claimed the action against him was part of “dirty politics”.
Nagaland first NE State to start Aadhaar-linked birth registration
Nagaland on August 31 became the first among the eight States in the northeast to start Aadhaar-lined birth registration, or ALBR. The initiative, launched in the State’s capital Kohima on August 31, facilitates birth registration–based Aadhaar enrolment for children up to five years of age, officials said.
U.K. PM Rishi Sunak appoints Grant Shapps as new Defence Minister
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on August 31 appointed Grant Shapps as his new Defence Minister in a mini reshuffle following the resignation of Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary for personal reasons. Mr. Shapps, who was Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary in the Cabinet, has been a strong supporter of Mr. Sunak as Conservative Party leader. The new post of Defence Secretary marks his fifth ministerial portfolio within a year, having previously served as Transport Secretary and briefly also as Home Secretary.
Trains suspended; people warned away from coastline as Typhoon Saola churns toward south China
Chinese state media report that at least 121 passenger trains are suspending services in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon Saola, while people in coastal areas of southern China were being warned to stay away from the coastline. The suspensions on key lines running from north to south as well as on regional networks will begin on August 31 and continue through September 6, state broadcaster CCTV reported. China’s National Meteorological Centre said Saola was moving toward the coast at a speed of about 15kmph and is due to make landfall on September 1 afternoon in the southern province of Guangzhou with sustained winds of 119kmph and gusts of up to 220kmph.
At least 73 dead in fire at a building in Johannesburg
A nighttime fire ripped through a rundown five-story building in Johannesburg that was occupied by homeless people and squatters, leaving at least 73 people dead early Thursday, emergency services in South Africa’s biggest city said. Some of the people living in a maze of shacks and other makeshift structures inside the derelict building threw themselves out of windows to escape the fire and might have died then, a local government official said.
China’s Xi Jinping likely to skip G20 summit in Delhi
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip the summit of G20 leaders in New Delhi next week, sources familiar with the matter in India and China told Reuters. Two Indian officials, one diplomat based in China and one official working for the government of another G20 country said Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the September 9-10 meeting in New Delhi.
GDP grew 7.8% in first quarter, says National Statistical Office
Growth in India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy sped to 7.8% in the first quarter of this year, as per estimates released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on August 31. Manufacturing GVA grew for the second quarter in a row, with the pace of growth picking up slightly to 4.7% in Q1 of 2023-24, from 4.5% in the previous quarter. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing GVA grew 3.5% between April to June, while it was the Services sectors that recorded the sharpest surge.
Australia thrashes South Africa by 111 runs in Durban T20
Australia turned the highest Twenty20 total at Kingsmead into a 111-run win over South Africa. Made to bat first, Australia put up 226-6 then bowled out South Africa for 115 in 15.3 overs. New captain Mitch Marsh led with a 22-ball fifty in an unbeaten 92, and was supported by Tim David’s 28-ball 64. All four debutants contributed, especially leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha with 4-31 and fast bowler Spencer Johnson’s 2-33. South Africa never got going. It was 69-5 and lost its last five wickets for nine runs.
