Our aim is to create 20 lakh jobs: Nitish Kumar
A day before his government’s Cabinet expansion, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while delivering Independence Day speech on August 15, announced that his government aimed to create 20 lakh jobs — within and outside the government — in the State.
Chinese hi-tech vessel to dock at Hambantota
China on Monday said Sri Lanka has allowed its satellite and missile tracking ship to berth at the Hambantota port on August 16, but declined to reveal details of talks with Colombo leading to the bankrupt island’s government reversing its earlier stand to defer the high-tech vessel’s entry.
FIFA suspends Indian football federation over ‘third-party influences’
FIFA on August 15 suspended the Indian football federation with “immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties”, jeopardising the country’s staging of the U-17 Women’s World Cup in October.
World football’s governing body called the infraction a “serious violation of the FIFA Statutes”.
Eleven Bilkis Bano case convicts walk out of jail
After spending over 15 years in jail, 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case of the 2002 riots walked out of jail as the Gujarat government has allowed their release under its remission policy.
The State government has accepted the recommendation of a local committee which decided to allow their remission after the Supreme Court directed the State authorities to decide on merit following a convict’s petition in the apex court seeking premature release under the remission policy.
World leaders wish India on Independence Day
India’s place on the world stage is “rightfully” earned, said Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a number of congratulatory messages the government received on India’s 76th Independence Day on August 15. While U.S. President Joseph Biden lauded Indian democracy, guided by Mahatma Gandhi’s message of “truth and non violence”, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s call to Indians in 1947. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and British PM Boris Johnson sent messages in English and Hindi.
Writers call for freedom of expression in India
Over 100 notable international writers and artists on Monday expressed concern over the state of freedom of expression in India and called on President Droupadi Murmu to support democratic ideals.
The group of 102 writers, including Marina Abramovic, Paul Auster, J.M. Coetzee, Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, Azar Nafisi, and Orhan Pamuk, joined the writers’ organisations PEN America and PEN International in signing the letter to Ms. Murmu, a statement by PEN America said.
Terms of Indian Navy’s mega submarine deal unrealistic: Russian official
Russia, which has pulled out of the Indian Navy’s tender for the construction of six advanced submarines under Project-75I, has informed India that it cannot meet the terms and conditions for the over ₹40,000 crore project. Terming it unrealistic, a senior Russian official said on Monday that without any changes in the entire process, the process cannot move forward.
Panel moots district-level survey to bring more children into adoption
In a country with millions of orphans, there are only 2,430 children available for adoption while the number of parents desiring to bring home a child is growing rapidly. To address this paradox, a Parliamentary panel has recommended district-level surveys to proactively identify orphaned and abandoned children.
A report recently tabled on “Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws” in Parliament by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Law and Justice has said, “it is important to get a true picture of number of children who are orphaned/abandoned through a district-level survey and the data needs to be updated on a regular basis.”
Policeman, injured in Srinagar shootout, dies: J&K Police
The Srinagar police on Monday arrested one person in the city for “providing a two-wheeler to militants”, which was seized after a shootout in the Jammu and Kashmir capital on Sunday evening that left one policeman dead.
A police spokesman said Umer Mukhtar Naqeeb from Srinagar’s Natipora was arrested for providing a second-hand Scooty to active terrorist Momin Gulzar on July 27 this year.
Myanmar court convicts Suu Kyi on more corruption charges
A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on more corruption charges on August 15 and sentenced her to an additional six years in prison, a legal official said.
The trial was held behind closed doors, with no access for media or the public, and her lawyers were forbidden by a gag order from revealing information about the proceedings.
Tuchel may be punished for referee comments after Conte feud
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel can expect to receive more than just a suspension in the fallout from the latest feisty match with Tottenham in the Premier League.