Today's News - August 12, 2024

TODAY'S  NEWS 

1.  The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, East Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Bihar during next seven days. The weather office has also forecast heavy rainfall over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, North Interior Karnataka during next five days.

2.  PM Modi says, government is committed to empowering farmers of the nation; Releases 109 climate-friendly and high-yielding crop varieties.

3.  NEET PG 2024 exam was conducted successfully in 170 cities across the country.  The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) said that this year around 2 lakh 28 thousand 540 admit cards were issued to candidates for the postgraduate medical entrance examination.

4.  In Uttarakhand, vehicular movement disrupted due to landslides on Chardham Yatra routes; Normal life affected in Himachal Pradesh due to floods and landslides. 

5.  Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas leader Chirag Paswan is planning to convene a meeting of Scheduled Caste MPs of different parties as he works to mobilise support ahead of his party filing a review plea in the Supreme Court against its judgment allowing sub-categorisation of reservation within the community.

6.  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday made detailed enquiries into the washing away of the Tungabhadra Dam gate after its link snapped on Saturday.

7.  Telangana government seeks CWC nod for 67 TMC of Godavari water for Sitarama project : Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday said that irrigation facilities would be provided to 10 lakh acres in Khammam and Bhadrachalam districts through Sitarama lift irrigation scheme (SLIS) by August 15 next year.

8.  20 Killed In Rajasthan Amid Heavy Rainfall, Schools Shut : Heavy rain in Jaipur left the streets waterlogged. It also prompted the district administrations to announce the closure of schools.

9.  The Barapullah bridge in Nizamuddin, built during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir, will be restored and rejuvenated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the next three months, The 200-metre bridge was handed over to the ASI on Sunday, after an anti-encroachment drive over the past week. 

10.  The BJP's Tamil Nadu unit chief, K Annamalai, has called for an investigation into the latest allegations Hindenburg Research against SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch. He noted that previous claims by Hindenburg were found to be baseless.

Annamalai accused Hindenburg of causing panic among investors for profit. "Hindenburg is not a journalist or an NGO but a short selling agent of shares," he said. "They release such reports, trigger panic among investors, make preparations to capitalise on that crisis scenario, and make thousands of crores of profit. This is what Hindenburg is all about," he added.

LEGAL REPORT 

1.  KOLKATA DOCTOR RAPE-MURDER CASE : The semi-nude body of a second-year post-graduate female trainee doctor was found on August 9 (Friday) at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Her body was recovered on Friday morning at 7:30 from a seminar hall of the hospital's emergency building.  The victim was on duty when the incident occured on Thursday night.  

Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder case and a suspect, the civic volunteer Sanjay Roy arrested on Saturday.   

2.  Indian vocalist Kumar Sanu recently became the target of an AI-generated video on social media, falsely depicting him singing about freedom for Imran Khan. The singer has firmly denied these claims, stating he never attended any concert or sang for Pakistan's former Prime Minister. He urged the Indian government to take swift action against those responsible for circulating the misleading video.

3.  A former MLA's wife was killed in a bomb blast in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, The bomb blast was triggered at a house adjacent to that of former Saikul MLA Yamthong Haokip on Saturday evening. 

FINANCE 

1.  Actor Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the Pardo Alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival 2024 on Saturday evening in Switzerland. He is presented the Award in recognition of his significant contributions to Indian cinema.

2.  Priyanka Pandita was emerged as the winner and crowned as Miss Universe  Jammu & Kashmir. The event was inaugurated by Sana Dua, the region’s first Miss India.

3.  Actor Mahesh Babu's 2001 blockbuster, Murari, has returned to theaters with a resounding impact, proving that some films are truly timeless. The 4K re-release had a resounding impact on its first day, raking in an impressive ₹5.46 crore gross worldwide. This re-release has shattered expectations, proving the enduring popularity of the film and the superstar's massive fan base. 

DEFENCE NEWS

1.  India is currently exporting military hardware to around 85 countries, with around 100 local firms involved in the effort. The hardware includes missiles, artillery guns, rockets, armoured vehicles, offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, a variety of radars, surveillance systems and ammunition. India is on course to achieve its defence export target of ₹50,000 crore in the next five years. 

2.  Indian Navy’s frontline frigate, INS Tabar arrived at London harbour on 07 Aug 24 for a four-day visit. Indian Navy and the Royal Navy share historical ties, which have continued to thrive in recent decades. Ships from each side have been visiting each other’s countries regularly and have also participated in various Naval exercises together. The two Navies also share a long-standing partnership for bilateral naval exercise called Konkan, which is held annually for the past several years.

3.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh & Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi and All Ranks of the Indian Army have paid tribute to two soldiers

Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma who were killed in a gunfight iduring a counter-terroristoperation in Anantnag South Kashmir on Saturday.

4.  Turkey may sell its unused Russian S-400 Missiles to India or Pakistan. The S-400s, purchased in 2017, have remained largely unused since their acquisition, leading to discussions about their potential sale to other countries, notably India or Pakistan.

✈ INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

1.  President Smt. Droupadi Murmu returned to New Delhi this evening after concluding her three nation state visit to Fiji, New Zealand and Timor Leste.

2.  External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, Maldives is a key partner for India and two countries aspire to turn their cooperation into a modern partnership.

3.  In the wake of escalating unrest in Bangladesh, an ISKCON center in Meherpur, located in the Khulna division, has been set ablaze. This incident has destroyed the temple, including the sacred deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees residing at the center managed to escape unhurt.

4.  The Indian government has formed a committee to monitor the Indo-Bangladesh border and ensure the safety of Indian citizens and minorities in Bangladesh amidst rising tensions and violence following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

5.  Space Minister Jitendra Singh has revealed that 163 foreign customer satellites  launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its commercial arm between 2019 and 2023.

6.  Russia on Saturday (August 10) denied being engaged in any "public or obscure campaigns" in "fraudulent schemes" to recruit Indian nationals in the country's military amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

🌎 WORLD NEWS 🌍 

1.  Bangladesh's interim government head Muhammad Yunus condemns attacks on minority communities in the country; Urges students to protect them all.

2.  Thousands of minority Hindu community members staged massive protest rallies in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and the north-eastern port city of Chattagram for the second consecutive day. 

Hindu communities have faced the brunt of the violence and devastation after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister. Several Hindu temples, households and businesses have been vandalised, and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party have been killed in the violence since then. 

3.   In response to a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk, Russia has introduced anti-terrorism measures in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine. 

4.  Africa is facing a serious outbreak of mpox, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has held an urgent meeting to decide if this situation should be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

5.  Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam was appointed as acting chief justice of Bangladesh on Saturday. 

🚣🚴🏇🏊 SPORTS 

 OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 (26 JULY 2024 – 11 AUGUST 2024)

1.  After nearly three weeks of thrilling sports action, the curtains came down on Paris Olympics 2024 with a spectacular Closing Ceremony at the iconic Stade de France stadium. 

Medals🏅 Tally

 Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 

1 United States : 

                  40             44      42          126

2 China 

                  40             27            24           91

3 Japan 

                  20             12            13         45

4 Australia 

                  18             19     16          53

5  France 

                  16            26            22         64

71 India 

                    0              1              5            6

2.  Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi extended his support to Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat after winning the gold medal in 57kg freestyle category at Paris Olympic on Friday.

The 28-year-old wrestler was disqualified from Tokyo Olympics qualification for failing to meet the cut during the pre-match weigh-in by 50gram. He came back strong in Paris and secured a victory on points 4-2 against his U.S. opponent Spencer Richard Lee in the final. Higuchi took to social media to offer his support for Vinesh and urged her to reverse her decision of retirement. 

3.  India could not able to match the tally from the last edition in Tokyo. It won six medals in this edition, in comparison to seven in Tokyo three years ago, which was the best medal haul for the country ever in its Olympic history.

4.  The Telangana government released the order allotting 600 sq yards of land at Road No 78, Jubilee Hills, to Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj for his feat in the ICC T20 World Cup that India won.

5.  Arshad Nadeem gave Pakistan its first Olympic gold medal in 32 years, setting a new Games record with an attempt of 92.97 metres in the men's javelin throw final. Before Arshad's remarkable victory in Paris, Pakistan had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics. Pakistan had previously won just three golds, all in field hockey, with their team winning the titles in 1960, 1968 and 1984. It was an astonishing feat for Arshad, who unlike his opponents, struggled to even buy a new javelin for training.

After securing his country's first gold medal since Barcelona 1992, an emotional Arshad, wrapped around a Pakistan flag, hugged his coach, who embraced and congratulated the 27-year-old.