Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees as protesters storm home
Huge crowds had surrounded Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s home to demand his resignation, blaming government mismanagement for the painful economic crisis. As protesters surged at the gates of the President’s Palace, troops guarding the compound fired in the air to hold back the tide until Mr. Rajapaksa was safely removed, a top defence source said.
Twitter workers brace for more ‘circus’ after Elon Musk torpedoes deal
Twitter Inc employees expressed disbelief and exhaustion on Friday after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said he was terminating a deal to buy the social media company in what could be the start of months of legal wrangling. Employees have expressed widespread concern about billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk taking over Twitter because of his preferences for cutting headcount and other costs, decreasing content moderation and limiting remote work. But Musk's now-reneged offer also marks a 36% premium for the company's shares and could mean a big payday for employees and other shareholders.
Amarnath floods | 15 bodies recovered; 35 injured airlifted for treatment
At least 15 people, mainly Amarnath pilgrims, have died and dozens went missing after flash floods caused landslips near the Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal area. So far, 15 bodies have been retrieved and 35 injured have been airlifted for medical attention and are stable, Inspector General of Kashmir Police Vijay Kumar said. Efforts were on to clear the debris and retrieve the bodies, if any by evening, he added.
Mulayam Singh Yadav’s wife Sadhna Gupta passes away after prolonged illness
Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s wife Sadhna Gupta was suffering from a lung infection and other ailments for the past three months. She was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital, where she breathed her last this morning, SP sources in Lucknow said.
Union Home Ministry sets up panel for delimitation of municipal wards in Delhi: MCD
The exercise will pave the way for the civic polls in Delhi, which would be the first since the reunification of three corporations recently. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also said the panel will have three members — Vijay Dev, State Election Commissioner, Delhi, who will be its chairman; Pankaj Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary in Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; and Randhir Sahay, Additional Commissioner, MCD. The commission will present its report in four months of its formation, the civic body said.
Sanction prosecution of Army personnel involved in Nagaland killings, Centre told
The People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) said the SIT set up by the Nagaland government had completed its investigation into the massacre in March, submitted its chargesheet in mid-April and its final report in May before a local court in Mon. The SIT had named 30 Army personnel in its chargesheet.
My govt will complete tenure, we will even win next election: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dismissed his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray’s call for mid-term elections, asserting the state government was strong and enjoyed the support of 164 MLAs in the house of 288 while the opposition had just 99 legislators.
Will worship in Kashi, Mathura temples in our lifetime: VHP at ‘Samvidhan Sankalp Yatra’
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s international working president Alok Kumar, during the ‘Samvidhan Sankalp Yatra’ in New Delhi, said the body had decided to take a call on Kashi and Mathura after completion of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. At the yatra, organised to condole the ‘brutal’ killings of Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra, Mr. Kumar said that no one can threaten, defeat and divide India in the present time.
Shinzo Abe’s body arrives in Tokyo as Japan mourns death of former Prime Minister
A black hearse carrying former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s body and accompanied by his wife, Akie, arrived at his home in Tokyo’s upscale residential area of Shibuya, where many mourners waited and lowered their heads as the vehicle passed.
Will ‘redouble’ work in Indo-Pacific in memory of Shinzo Abe: Leaders of Australia, India and U.S.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed condolence jointly a day after Abe was assassinated and said Abe played a “transformative” role in Japan’s relationship with each of the three countries.
Ukraine pleads for weapons, war in spotlight at G20 meeting
Ukraine urged its allies to send more weapons as its forces dig in, hoping to stall Russia’s military advance through the eastern Donbas region, while Ukraine’s chief negotiator said a turning part was approaching in the conflict.
U.S., China top diplomats hold ‘constructive’ first talks in months
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held their first talks since October on the Indonesian island of Bali as the two powers stepped up interaction at a time when the West is focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The top five cities in terms of service charge complaints registered between July 5-8 are — New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Ghaziabad. Consumer protection regulator CCPA has written to Chief Secretaries and district Collectors of States and Union Territories to ensure wide publicity of the new guidelines and take appropriate action against violators for protection of consumer interest, it added.
Edgbaston Test racism | Birmingham police arrest man for alleged abuse at Indian fans
“A 32-year-old man has been arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence after reports of racist, abusive behaviour at the Test match in Birmingham on Monday. He remains in custody for questioning,” Birmingham Police tweeted on Friday. Several Indian fans had taken to Twitter to report the racist behaviour they endured during the fourth day’s play on Monday night. They had claimed that some British fans hurled racial taunts at them.
Djokovic to face Kyrgios in blockbuster Wimbledon final
The Serbian top seed was uncharacteristically off-colour in the first set but roared back to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, playing near-flawless tennis. It will be a record 32nd Grand Slam final in the men’s game for the six-time Wimbledon champion - taking him one clear of Roger Federer and two ahead of Rafael Nadal.
