Chandrayaan-2 launch rescheduled to July 22, days after being aborted
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that India’s second Moon mission ‘Chandrayaan-2’ launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm on July 22. It will be launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. Earlier, the mission was aborted just 56 minutes before the scheduled launch time.
Saravana owner Rajagopal dies days after surrendering in murder case
Saravana Bhavan owner P Rajagopal passed away on Thursday aged 72 after suffering a heart attack. Rajagopal had surrendered in court in a murder case on July 9 wearing oxygen mask. He had sought time to surrender stating ill health but the court had denied him more time following which he was taken into custody to serve life imprisonment.
Only Pak ICJ judge voted against India in 15-1 verdict in Jadhav case
The International Court of Justice ruled in favour of India in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and voted 15-1, with the only judge to dissent being former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani. Jillani, who’s an ad-hoc judge, agreed with the rest on only one point that the ICJ has jurisdiction to hear India’s plea against Pakistan over Jadhav.
Will proceed as per law: Pak PM ‘appreciates’ ICJ’s Jadhav verdict
After the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of India in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and stayed his death penalty, Pakistan PM Imran Khan tweeted that the country will proceed further “as per law”. “Appreciate ICJ’s decision not to acquit, release & return Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav to India. He’s guilty of crimes against the people of Pakistan,” he added.
Prosecutors drop case accusing Spacey of sexually assaulting man
Prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a case accusing actor Kevin Spacey of groping an 18-year-old man at a bar in 2016 after the accuser refused to testify about a missing phone, which the defence said could prove Spacey’s innocence. The man’s mother alleged in 2017 that Spacey got her son drunk and sexually assaulted him. Spacey has faced several other accusations.
Will withdraw resignation: Rebel K’taka MLA ahead of trust vote
Rebel Karnataka MLA and Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy has announced he would withdraw his resignation and vote in favour of Congress-JD(S) government in the state during the floor test on Thursday. Adding that he had been with the party for 45 years, Reddy said, “I had only resigned as an MLA but I never said I’d move away from Congress.”
Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit goes on display after 13 yrs
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington has put the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, on display after 13 years. Armstrong’s son Rick unveiled the display on July 16, marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 mission’s launch. Neil Armstrong had passed away on August 25, 2012.
My thoughts are with Jadhav, he’s alone in a cell in Pak: Rahul
After ICJ ruled in favour of retired Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “My thoughts tonight are with Kulbhushan Jadhav, alone in a prison cell in Pakistan.” Rahul said the verdict brings Jadhav’s family a “rare moment of relief, joy & renewed hope, that he will one day be free to return to his home in India.”
Tamil Nadu man posts beef festival invite on FB, arrested
A 33-year-old man named S Ezhilan was arrested on Wednesday for posting a Facebook invitation for a beef festival in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. A police officer said that Ezhilan had invited several people and promised to give them “foremost respect” if they showed up. A case was filed following a complaint by Kallappuliyur Village Administrative Officer Sudara Rajan.
Not your fault, ICJ verdict given in English: Giriraj Singh mocks Pak
After Pakistan government called the International Court of Justice’s verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case a ‘Big win for Pakistan’, Union Minister Giriraj Singh tweeted, “Not your fault…judgment delivered in English.” The UN court on Wednesday delivered the verdict in favour of India and found Pakistan guilty of violating Vienna Convention, thereby staying the death penalty to Jadhav by Pakistan.
MM Kalburgi’s wife identifies man who shot him in 2015
The wife of murdered Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi has identified a man presented in a test identification parade as the person who shot her husband on August 30, 2015, Kalburgi’s son has said. The man identified is reportedly 27-year-old Ganesh Miskin, who is also accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in September 2017.
Fear remains till Kulbhushan doesn’t come back from Pak: Family
After the International Court of Justice voted in favour of India, Kulbhushan Jadhav’s uncle Subhash Jadhav said, “We want to see Kulbhushan come out alive from Pakistan. Till that does not happen, the fear will remain.” Meanwhile, Kulbhushan’s childhood friend said, “Pakistan has been exposed and they have a chance to redeem themselves. They should release him at the earliest.”
L&T chief AM Naik appointed as Mindtree Chairman
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Group Chairman AM Naik has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of mid-sized IT services firm Mindtree on Wednesday. The move follows L&T’s acquisition of a controlling stake in the Bengaluru-based company. Mindtree CEO Rostow Ravanan, Executive Chairman Krishnakumar Natarajan and Executive Vice Chairman NS Parthasarathy had resigned earlier this month.
Akshay Kumar donates ₹2 cr for relief work in Assam amid floods
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Wednesday pledged ₹1 crore each towards the Assam CM’s Relief Fund and for rescue operations in Kaziranga National Park as the state faces severe floods. He took to Twitter to make the announcement and appealed to others to contribute as well. “All affected humans or animals deserve support in this hour of crisis,” Kumar tweeted.
China search engine project ‘Dragonfly’ terminated: Google
Karan Bhatia, Google’s Global Government Affairs and Public Policy VP, has revealed the technology giant has “terminated” its controversial Chinese search engine project ‘Dragonfly’. Google had repeatedly faced heavy criticism over its decision to create a censored search engine to comply with Chinese laws. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in late 2018, had said work on the project was “limited”.
Indonesia ride-hailing unicorn Go-Jek gets funding from Visa
Global payments technology provider Visa has invested an undisclosed amount in Indonesian ride-hailing and logistics unicorn Go-Jek’s ongoing Series F round of funding. Go-Jek and Visa will be partnering together to offer payment solutions to Southeast Asian Go-Jek users. Founded in 2010, Go-Jek offers on-demand motorbikes and taxis, along with services like grocery delivery and mobile payments.
Over 2,900 building collapse cases in Mumbai in 6 yrs; 242 killed
In response to an RTI, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said at least 242 people were killed in over 2,900 incidents of building collapse in Mumbai between 2013 and 2018. BMC added that 818 were injured in these incidents. BMC further said that 499 buildings have been listed as ‘unfit/dangerous’ for habitat this year and these need be vacated and demolished.
Noida Authority to clean commercial areas at night: CEO
The Noida Authority CEO said that the city’s commercial areas will be cleaned at night as sanitary workers find it difficult to sweep the areas during the day. She also directed officials to ensure the elimination of open dumping spots by August 31. Thanking the CEO, Sector 18 Market Association President said, markets also need dustbins at various spots.
Pregnant woman shot dead over water dispute in UP, 1 arrested
A 25-year-old pregnant woman was shot dead over a water dispute in Etah on Wednesday, said the Uttar Pradesh police. Samaur village head Bhanu Pratap said that the three to four men who shot at the woman had fought several times with other villagers in the past. The main accused, Santosh, has been arrested.
India drawn with Qatar in World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifiers draw
The Indian football team has been grouped with 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar in Group E of Asian Qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Along with Qatar, India will also play against Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Group E. India will begin their campaign at home against Oman on September 5.
India has potential to win 100 Olympic medals by 2032: Rajyavardhan
Ex-Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has said that with various steps taken by government for promotion of sports and its infrastructure in the country in last five years, India has the potential to win 100 Olympic medals by 2032. Rathore added that the ‘Khelo India’ campaign initiated by PM Modi government has changed the attitude of the country towards sports.
ICJ’s landmark judgement on Jadhav validates India’s position: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement on the International Court of Justice’s verdict in favour of India in the case related to retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. It said that the “landmark judgement validated India’s position”. It added Pakistan is expected to immediately inform Jadhav of his rights and allow Indian consular officers access to Jadhav.
Pakistan’s conduct is under watch: Salve after ICJ verdict on Jadhav
Responding to ICJ’s verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav, senior lawyer Harish Salve, who had represented him, said, “Pakistan’s conduct is under watch and if what they do is another farcical attempt, we’ll be back in the [world] court.” “We expect Pakistan to do whatever it has to do including appropriate legislative measures to guarantee a fair trial [for Jadhav],” he added.
US’ Ebix to acquire Indian travel company Yatra for ₹2,320 crore
US-based software firm Ebix has agreed to acquire Indian travel services company Yatra through a merger at an enterprise value of $337.8 million (₹2,320 crore). Yatra will become part of Ebix’s travel portfolio EbixCash alongside Via and Mercury and will continue to serve customers under the Yatra brand. Ebix has invested nearly $700 million in India through EbixCash since 2017.
Archer Deepika clinches silver at Tokyo Olympics test event
India’s top-ranked woman archer Deepika Kumari won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games test event. The 25-year-old, who won gold in Archery World Cup stage three in 2018, lost to 18-year-old South Korea’s An San 6-0. “Recently, I changed my technique. That’s why the different score,” the former world number one women’s archer said after the loss.
18-yr-old defender Gahlot becomes India’s 2nd youngest goalscorer
India’s 18-year-old defender Narender Gahlot on Tuesday became the second youngest footballer to score a goal for the national team. Gahlot achieved the feat after his 51st-minute header in India’s last league match of 2019 Intercontinental Cup against Syria. Jerry Zirsanga, who scored aged 16 in May 2004, is the youngest footballer to score for India.
L&T Infotech to buy Lymbyc in 5th acquisition since listing
IT services company L&T Infotech (LTI) has signed an agreement to acquire Bengaluru-based advanced analytics startup Lymbyc Solutions for ₹38 crore. This would be LTI’s fifth acquisition since its listing in 2016, after having acquired India-based Ruletronics, AugmentIQ, and European firms Nielsen Partner and Syncordis. The company has committed over ₹340 crore across these acquisitions.
Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’ sentenced to life in prison in US
Mexican drug lord Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán was on Wednesday sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, in the US. The 62-year-old was convicted in February on all 10 counts he faced, including drug trafficking, money laundering and engaging in murder conspiracies. He was earlier ordered to forfeit $12.6 billion (over ₹86,700 crore).
