‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’ in President invite stirs debate on country’s name
Invitations sent by President Draupadi Murmu to heads of state, government and Chief Ministers of Indian States for an official banquet on the occasion of the G20 Summit being held in New Delhi created a flutter as the word “India” was replaced with “Bharat”. Instead of the usual, “President of the Republic of India” the word “Bharat” was substituted, creating ripples of speculation among political parties, especially the Opposition INDIA alliance. Opposition leaders alleged that the shift to using the name “Bharat” instead of India in English language communication, was a way of preventing the alliance from being identified with the country’s name or could even be a signal from the government that the special session of Parliament to be held between September 18-22 would be about some change in the name of the country.
China sends ‘deliberate signals’ to India, West as Xi Jinping skips G-20
With Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping a G-20 summit for the first time, Beijing is sending “deliberate signals” to India and the West by essentially downgrading its involvement in a key international forum, according to current and former officials and people familiar with Beijing’s thinking. Missing the summit, they said, conveys China’s displeasure both with the current state of bilateral ties with India — and New Delhi’s stand that normalcy in broader ties is not possible without a restoration of peace on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — and with what Beijing sees as a “politicisation” of the G-20, which it believes should be limited to economic issues and not involve itself with issues such as the war in Ukraine.
‘India’ will chase BJP out of power during the elections: T.N. CM Stalin
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, on Tuesday, sharply criticised the reported move to change the name of the country from India to Bharat. Though the BJP had promised to transform India, all it has done is change the name of the country after nine years of coming to power, Mr. Stalin said on the microblogging website ‘X’. He said the BJP wanted to change the name of ‘India’ to ‘Bharat,’ after the alliance of the Opposition parties named itself I.N.D.I.A.
Indian squad for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 announced
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on September announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 scheduled to be held in October/November. Rohit Sharma has been retained as the captain, while Hardik Pandya will be the vice-captain.
Manipur | India rejects U.N. experts’ concern, calls it ‘unwarranted’, reminds experts of ‘mandate’
India on September 5 rejected the concerns of a team of United Nations experts about the current situation in Manipur saying the report is “unwarranted, presumptive and misleading”. The response came hours after a team of experts under the auspices of the U.N. expressed ‘alarm’ about reports of human rights violations in Manipur. The experts pointed out “inadequate humanitarian response” during the ongoing fight between the Meiteis and the Kukis of Manipur that began in the first week of May and has continued ever since.
The Madras High Court on September 5, 2023 observed that the continuation of V. Senthilbalaji as a Minister without portfolio, despite him being in judicial custody pursuant to his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case, does not serve any purpose and also does not augur well with purity of administration and the constitutional ethos. First Division Bench of Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu said, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin may be well advised to take a decision on continuation of the arrested Minister in the Cabinet in the light of the observations made by them.
‘800’ trailer: Muthiah Muralidaran’s biopic shows persecution of Sri Lankan Tamils, touches upon many sensitive issues
The trailer of 800, the upcoming biographical movie on the legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Muthiah Muralidaran, was released by the makers today. Directed by MS Sripathy, the film stars Madhurr Mittal as the veteran off-spinner. The trailer opens up to a news relay on a violent clash between the Tamils in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and the police. We then see glimpses of how a young Sri Lankan Tamil boy with big dreams fights all odds and the discrimination he faces for his Tamil identity to become the pride of the nation. As actor Nassar’s character states, “For someone who hails from a group of immigrant labourers, getting recognised as a citizen itself is difficult. Today, he has grown to a place where the whole nation is looking at him in awe.”
Broadband India Forum says it is against selective bans on OTT service
Broadband India Forum (BIF) on Monday said it firmly opposes any selective ban on Over-The-Top (OTT) services as they are adequately regulated under the existing IT Act, 2000, and other associated acts and rules. BIF said that any attempt to introduce new regulatory frameworks could disrupt the existing competitive landscape and compromise consumer benefits and innovation.
Africa endures more severe warming than elsewhere, posing risk of conflict
Africa is heating up at a faster rate than the rest of the planet and enduring more severe climate and weather disasters such as droughts, a joint U.N.-African Union report said on Monday, warning that climate change could stoke conflict over resources. The continent was hit by 80 extreme weather and climate hazards last year, said the report sent by the World Meteorological Organization to coincide with Africa’s first climate summit in Kenya where financing is set to be in focus.
Over 260 citizens, mostly former judges, bureaucrats and retired Armed Forces personnel, have written a letter to Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against Tamil Nadu for failing to take action against Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his remarks about Sanatana Dharma at a public forum, which the signatories said amounted to hate speech. The letter referred to orders passed by the Supreme Court that State governments should take suo motu action against any hate speech crime without waiting for any complaint.
Quinton de Kock’s India series participation ‘in doubt’ after BBL signing
South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock’s participation in the white-ball home series against India in December is uncertain due to his commitments in the Big Bash League, according to a report. De Kock, who was signed up by the Melbourne Renegades for the BBL, is scheduled to participate in the tournament that overalps with the India series slated from December 10-21. Cricket South Africa knew about Quinton de Kock’s involvement in the BBL draft but since he is centrally contracted, the board expects his primary commitment to be to the national team, said a report in ESPNCricinfo.
Services PMI indicates strong August show despite a mild downturn
India’s services sector output, as measured by the S&P Global India Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), eased from a 13-year high of 62.3 in July to 60.1 in August, but new export orders grew at the fastest pace in almost nine years. A reading of over 50 on the index indicates an expansion in activity levels. Despite total sales waning slightly from July’s highs, demand remained robust and firms raised prices at the fastest pace in over six years, though input cost pressures eased from the previous month.
Myanmar’s jailed ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi ailing: source
Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is ailing and a request for an outside physician to see her has been denied by the country’s military rulers, a source familiar with the matter and the shadow government loyal to her said on September 5. The 78-year-old Nobel laureate instead has been treated by a prisons department doctor. “She was suffering swelling in her gums and could not eat well and is feeling light-headed along with vomiting,” said the source, who declined to be identified due to fear of arrest.
SC adjourns hearing on Umar Khalid’s plea seeking bail in UAPA case
The Supreme Court on September 5 adjourned for a week the hearing on a plea filed by former JNU student Umar Khalid seeking bail in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020. A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Dipankar Datta deferred the matter as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, was not available. Supreme Court judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had on August 9 recused himself from hearing Khalid’s plea.
Venice Film Festival | Woody Allen’s ‘Coup de Chance’ receives standing ovation, triggers protests
American director and actor Woody Allen’sfilm Coup de Chance received a 5-minute-long standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, reported Deadline. Coup de Chance centres around Fanny and Jean who look like the ideal married couple—they’re both professionally accomplished, they live in a gorgeous apartment in an exclusive neighbourhood of Paris, and they seem to be in love just as much as they were when they first met.
Infographics | Explaining the BRICS expansion
In a landmark decision, current members of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) declared that the grouping would welcome six new countries into the fold. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, towards the end of the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, that the addition of new members would strengthen the grouping and increase confidence in the idea of a multipolar world order. Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are the six new additions to the BRICS.
Indonesia warns ASEAN on ‘destructive’ rivalry as Jakarta summit opens
Indonesia warned on September 5 against Southeast Asia’s bloc getting dragged into big-power rivalry as leaders gathered for a summit seeking to dispel worry about rifts over peace efforts in Myanmar and to reaffirm the relevance of their disparate group. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, opening a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called on the group to devise a “long-term tactical strategy that is relevant and meets people’s expectations”.
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