Criminal defamation case | Rahul Gandhi moves SC for suspension of his conviction
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on July 15 approached the Supreme Court against the Gujarat High Court’s refusal to stay his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The petition is likely to be mentioned for early hearing A single Judge Bench of the High Court had found no merit in Mr. Gandhi’s plea to suspend the conviction for him to appeal.
India, UAE to settle trade in respective currencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 15 held comprehensive talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to further deepen the multi-faceted bilateral ties and announced that the two countries have agreed to start trade settlement in their currencies. In his remarks after meeting the UAE President, Mr. Modi said India-UAE trade witnessed a 20 per cent increase since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement last year.
India, China should find a mutually acceptable solution to resolve border issue: Wang Yi
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Jakarta has said that both countries should find a mutually acceptable solution to the border problem without letting “specific issues” define the overall relationship. Mr. Jaishankar has also made it very clear to China that until there is peace and tranquillity in border areas, the relationship between the two countries cannot progress.
Yamuna River water level recedes slowly, concerns remain amid rain forecast
After wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods in parts of Delhi close to it, the swollen Yamuna on July 15 morning followed a downward trend, albeit at a slow pace of a few centimetres per hour. However, it is still flowing over two metres above the danger mark of 205.33 metres. The situation could worsen if weather predictions of more rain in the capital and upper catchment areas come true.
Ajit Pawar to meet PM Modi on July 18
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on July 15 said that he has a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 18 to address the pressing issues faced by farmers in the State. “I am set to meet PM Narendra Modi on July 18, where I will raise various farmer-related concerns with him. In addition to that, (NCP leader) Praful Patel and I will be attending the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting,” he said in Nashik where he attended the ‘Shasan Aplya Dari’ (Government at your Doorstep) programme.
Himachal Pradesh suffered losses of about ₹8,000 crore due to rain: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses of about ₹8,000 crore as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill State, triggering landslides and flash floods and damaging roads and other infrastructure, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on July 15. According to the State emergency response centre, the losses amounted to about ₹4,000 crore till July 14 night and Mr. Sukhu had sought an interim relief of ₹2,000 crore from the Union Home Ministry.
Azam Khan gets two-year jail in another case of hate speech
A court in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, on July 15 sentenced senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan to two years imprisonment in a case of inflammatory speech during the 2019 general elections. Judge Shobhit Bansal convicted Mr. Khan and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He also imposed a fine of ₹2,500 on the former Uttar Pradesh Minister. The case was registered against Mr. Khan during the 2019 Lok Sabha general election for allegedly making a provocative speech during a rally in the Dhamora area on April 8 that year.
CUET-UG results announced; 22,000 candidates score 100 percentile
The National Testing Agency on July 15 declared the results for the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET-UG), which showed that over 22,000 candidates scored 100 percentile. The maximum top scorers were in English, followed by Biology and Economics. Over 11.11 lakh candidates had appeared for the second edition of the entrance exam. While 5,685 candidates scored 100 percentile in English, 4,850 candidates got a top score in Biology/Biotechnology/Biochemistry, followed by 2,836 in Economics.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol makes surprise visit to Ukraine
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine on July 15, offering support for the invaded country in its war with Russia while demonstrating his own nation’s cooperation with NATO. Mr. Yoon’s office said he travelled to Ukraine with his wife, Kim Keon Hee, following trips to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It’s his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine almost 17 months ago.
Torrential rains in South Korea kill at least seven in landslides, floods
Two days of heavy rain in South Korea killed at least seven people and left two others missing in landslides and floods, the government said on July 15. Additionally, eight people were trapped following landslides in central areas earlier in the day. “Three people were killed on Saturday after landslides caused by torrential downpours buried their houses in two central towns,” the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in a report.
Hundreds of flights across Italy are cancelled amid air transport strike at peak of tourism season
Hundreds of flights across Italy were cancelled on July 15, forcing travellers at the peak of tourist season to make alternate plans, after air transport unions went ahead with a planned work stoppage two days following a train strike that paralysed rail service. Summertime in Italy is often the peak season for transport strikes, stranding commuters and tourists alike as unions press demands for better work contracts and conditions. This year, the strikes are taking their toll amid a tourism boom following two years of pandemic losses. National carrier ITA said it cancelled 133 flights, most of them domestic but a few to European destinations such as Madrid, Amsterdam and Barcelona.
Star Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar on July 15 qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after winning a silver medal in the Asian Athletics Championships with a second career-best effort of 8.37m in Bangkok. The 24-year-old Sreeshankar achieved the Olympic qualification with his final round jump of 8.37m. The Paris Games mark is 8.27m and the qualification period began on July 1.
U.S. Open Super 300 | Sindhu loses, Lakshya enters semifinals
Ace Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu suffered a straight-game defeat to crash out in the quarterfinals, but Lakshya Sen marched into the last-four stage of the U.S. Open Super 300 badminton tournament. Sindhu, ranked 12th in the world and seeded third here, was stunned 20-22 13-21 by 24-year-old Gao Fang Jie of China in women singles, while Lakshya defeated S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 21-10 21-17 in an all-Indian men’s singles match on Friday, July 14 night. Lakshya will face second seed Li Shi Feng of China in the semifinals. The Indian enjoys a 5-3 win-loss ratio against Feng.
