Sharad Pawar Makes U-turn, Argues Against Scrapping Farm Laws; Says ‘Amend, Don’t Reject’
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday called for the need to make certain amendments in the three Farm Laws, asserting that they need not be rejected in their entirety. The former Union Agriculture Minister said that parts of contention that were causing grievances to the farming community could be amended instead of the entire laws being scrapped. He also noted that details of the Farm Laws needed to be studied in detail first before arriving at a decision.
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Rahul Gandhi Asks ‘Where Are The Vaccines?’; Union Ministers Reply ‘Read Allocation Sheet’
As India’s vaccination program picks pace, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned ‘Where are the vaccines?’ as several states’ vaccination drive have dipped. Stating ‘July is here’, Gandhi took a dig at Centre’s vaccination promise. India has administered 33,56,71,794 doses till date of which 27,63,39,011 have received the first dose while 5,93,32,783 have received both doses.
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Kiren Rijiju Lauds Sania Mirza & Ankita Raina As Duo Set To Represent India In Olympics
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has congratulated Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina as the duo gears up to represent India in Women’s Doubles Tennis at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2020 after entries were officially announced on Thursday. Taking to the micro-blogging site, Kiren Rijiju gave special mention to Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina as he congratulated the duo who is all set to represent India in Women’s Doubles Tennis at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
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‘Make In India’: Indian Army Inducts Indigenously Developed Short Span Bridging Systems
In a major boost to the ‘Make in India’ in the defence sector, the Indian Army has inducted the first 12 indigenously developed 10 metres Short Span Bridging systems. The system will enable the Indian Army to overcome geographical obstacles like small rivers and canals if operations take place along the western borders with Pakistan.
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Dominica PM Refutes Claims Of Plotting With India To ‘Kidnap’ Mehul Choksi
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Thursday dismissed allegations over his government’s involvement in the alleged abduction of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi calling the charges ‘total nonsense’. His remark comes after Dominica’s Leader of Opposition Lennox Linton claimed that Mehul Choksi was ‘kidnapped’ and forcibly brought to the nation and alleged the role of the Dominica government in the abduction.
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Mayawati Scoffs At SP’s Decision To Ally With Small Parties: “What Choice Do They Have?”
Scoffing at Samajwadi Party (SP)’s decision to contest polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with smaller parties, BSP Supremo Mayawati on Friday, asked ‘What other choice do they have?’. Claiming that SP’s anti-Dalit and unprofessional way of working had distanced SP from other parties, she said that the move was SP’s biggest weakness. The 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly is set to go to polls in February 2022.
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BSF Opens Fire At Pakistan Drone Spotted At International Border; Search Op Underway
On July 2, a Pakistan drone was spotted entering the Indian territory at the International Border (IB) in the Arnia area of the Jammu district by the Border Security Force (BSF) troops. This comes after the twin blasts that took place at Jammu’s Airbase on June 25, which is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). A drone was spotted in the early Friday morning at around 4.25 am. After 5-6 rounds of firing by the BSF troops, the drone’s movement shifted towards Pakistan’s territory.
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Cinematograph Bill 2021: Over 1000 Celebs Request Centre To Scrap New Amendment
The Union govt’s proposed amendments to the Cinematograph Act is creating ripples among the film industry as many in the film industry believe that it curtails freedom of expression. Apart from actor-politician Kamal Haasan who urged citizens to flag concerns, over 1000 Bollywood filmmakers including Farhan Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Nandita Das penning a letter of opposition to the Centre, fearing that they will have to succumb to mob or intimidation censors. Opinions from actors and film critics have been divided on that front.
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Arjuna Ranatunga Lashes Out At SLC For Agreeing To Host Second-string Indian Team
Arjuna Ranatunga, who had led Sri Lanka to their first and only World Cup triumph in 1996 has lashed out at his country’s cricket board – Sri Lanka Cricket for agreeing to host a second-string Indian team in a limited-overs bilateral series later this month.
At the same time, Arjuna Ranatunga has also made it crystal clear that inviting a second-string Indian team for a white-ball series is an ‘insult’ to their cricket.
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France Launches Probe Into Clothing Firms Over Forced Uyghur Labour
French magistrates recently opened an inquiry into allegations four fashion groups, including Uniqlo, profited from forced labour of the Uyghur minority in China. According to a report on the Mediapart investigative website, magistrates at the national anti-terror prosecutor’s office in Paris are probing claims the multinational companies are complicit in crimes against humanity. The case is based on a complaint lodged in April by the anti-corruption group Sherpa, the French branch of the Clean Clothes Campaign, and the Uyghur Institute of Europe, as well as by an Uyghur woman who had been held in a camp in Xinjiang, China.
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