China’s largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan kicked off Thursday, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi left Taiwan Wednesday after a trip that defied a series of stark threats from Beijing, which views the self-ruled island as its territory.
Pelosi was the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, and said her trip made it “unequivocally clear” that the United States would not abandon a democratic ally.It sparked a furious reaction from Beijing, which vowed “punishment” and announced military drills in the seas around Taiwan — some of the world’s busiest waterways.
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Lok Sabha adjourned till 2pm amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs in the House
Asian stocks shuffle higher as Pelosi presses on
Asian stocks rose in a choppy session on Thursday as a bit of nervous tension over Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan dissipated and as investors took cues from robust U.S. data and earnings. The Hang Seng rose 1.7%. Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.7%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares gained 0.5% and crude prices steadied after sliding on news of slackening demand and higher supply. S&P 500 futures were down 0.1% in the Asian afternoon.
Relief for Uddhav Thackeray camp, SC asks EC to not decide on team Eknath Shinde’s plea for now
- Supreme Court asks Election Commission of India not to decide on the application filed by Eknath Shinde camp for recognition as the ‘real Shiv Sena’ party and allotment of the Bow and Arrow symbol to it.
- Supreme Court tells Election Commission that if the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp seeks time to file a response to its notices on Shinde camp’s petition, it should consider their request to adjourn the case.
- Supreme Court says it may decide on August 8 whether to refer some issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis to a five-judge Constitutional bench.
Justice UU Lalit to become the 49th CJI
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana today recommends Justice UU Lalit’s name as his successor. Chief Justice Ramana is retiring this month.
China made multiple incursions of median line
Chinese navy ships and military aircraft briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Thursday morning, a Taiwan source briefed on the matter told Reuters on Thursday.Around 10 Chinese navy ships crossed the median line and remained in the area from Wednesday night through midday on Thursday, and multiple Chinese military aircraft briefly crossed the median line on Thursday morning, said the person, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
AFP journalists see projectiles fired by Chinese army into Taiwan Strait
Chhattisgarh CM to transfer Rs 5.60 crore to Godhan Nyay scheme beneficiaries today
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will virtually transfer a total of Rs 5.60 crore into the bank accounts of cattle-rearers, women self-help groups (SHGs) and gauthan (cow shelter) committees under the Godhan Nyay Yojana on Thursday, officials said. The programme will be held at the official residence of the chief minister at 1 pm, they said.
Patra Chawl land alleged money laundering case: ED custody of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut ends today
He will be produced before PMLA Court once again by ED officials who will seek his further custody. ED has summoned some people for questioning today.
Kerala govt sets up panel for special schools
The Kerala government has set up an exclusive panel to revise the criteria for granting financial assistance packages to special schools where children with intellectual disabilities studied. The decision was taken at a meeting of the managements of special schools convened by General Education Minister V Sivankutty in Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday.
Taiwan ‘preparing for war without seeking war’: military
Taiwan’s military said Thursday its forces were closely monitoring unprecedented Chinese drills taking place in waters surrounding the island and was prepared for conflict, but would not seek it. “The Ministry of National Defence stresses that it will uphold the principle of preparing for war without seeking war, and with an attitude of not escalating conflict and causing disputes,” Taipei’s defence ministry said in a statement.
8k gelatin sticks found in Palakkad
Kerala | Around 8000 gelatin sticks in 40 boxes found abandoned near a quarry in Shornur, Palakkad district, say po… https://t.co/o4HUASzfgn
— ANI (@ANI) 1659588526000
PM Modi to virtually inaugurate, lay foundation of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission’s projects today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various projects worth more than Rs 300 crore of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, a spiritual organisation, in Gujarat’s Valsad district via video link on Thursday afternoon.
China begins military exercises around Taiwan: State media
Sensex climbs 362.13 points to 58,712.66 in early trade; Nifty gains 102.55 points to 17,490.70
Single day rise of 19,893 new coronavirus infections, 53 fatalities push India’s tally of cases to 4,40,87,037, death toll to 5,26,530: Govt
Rupee falls 24 paise to 79.39 against US dollar in early trade
Malaysia says ready to help India meet palm oil demand
Malaysia said on Thursday it was ready to help India meet its palm oil demand in view of potentially erratic supply from top supplier Indonesia. India is expected to see a surge in demand to around 800,000 tonnes per month for the next six months, Malaysia’s Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said in a statement, citing data from the Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association.
COVID cases drop 9% globally last week, deaths stable
New coronavirus cases fell 9% globally last week while deaths remained stable, according to the latest weekly assessment of the pandemic released Wednesday by the World Health Organisation. The U.N. health agency said there were 6.5 million cases reported last week with more than 14,000 deaths. WHO said the number of new cases fell 35% in Europe but increased about 20% in the Western Pacific and 5% in Africa. Deaths rose 44% in the Western Pacific and 26% in the Middle East, while falling about a quarter in Europe.
Zero Hour Submission
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla gives Zero Hour Submission in Rajya Sabha to discuss the admission of medical students who have returned from Ukraine.
EU diplomatic chief condemns China’s ‘aggressive’ drills around Taiwan
Taiwan defence ministry: Website hit by cyber attacks amid China tensions
Taiwan defence ministry said on Thursday its website suffered cyber attacks and went offline temporarily, adding it was working closely with other authorities to enhance cyber security as tensions with China rise.
Southern Chinese tourism city Sanya imposes lockdown measures, restricts businesses
The southern Chinese city of Sanya, a tourism hotspot, imposed lockdown measures from Thursday in most parts of the city, ordering residents to reduce their trips outside to shop for daily necessities to once every two days and confining some strictly to their homes.
Lumpy skin disease in cattle in Rajasthan
Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Min L Kataria held a meeting with officials in view of the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle in the state. Central team has also reached here. Funds have been given for emergency essential medicines, he said
Canada confirms 890 monkeypox cases
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed 890 cases of monkeypox in the country. The health agency said that of the confirmed cases as of Wednesday, 423 cases are from Ontario, 373 from Quebec, 78 from British Columbia, 13 from Alberta, two from Saskatchewan and one from the Yukon, Xinhua news agency reported.
West Bengal | Two workers died and one hospitalised after gas leaked at an electro steel factory in Khardah, North 24 Parganas yesterday, confirmed SDO Barrackpore
Tamil Nadu: six more wetlands get Ramsar recognition
The Ramsar recognition tally of wetlands in the state of Tamil Nadu reached 10 after six more wetlands were added, informed the officials on Wednesday. Confirming the news, Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the state’s forest department on the achievement. “Extremely happy that 6 more wetlands in TN (Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Vembannur Wetland Complex, Vellode Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary & Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary) have got the Ramsar site recognition today,” tweeted the chief minister.
Beirut port blast: Two years on, Lebanon still awaits justice
Two years on, Human rights experts continue to call for an international investigation into 2020 Beirut explosion, a powerful blast caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate in a port warehouse, that occurred on 4 August 2020 and killed more than 200 people while decimating a vast swath of the Lebanese capital.
US Senate backs NATO bid of Finland, Sweden in rebuke to Russia
US Senators have delivered near-unanimous bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a “slam-dunk” for US national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
Monkeypox: Govt to hold meeting of experts today
The Centre has called a meeting of top health experts on Thursday regarding monkeypox, reported The Times of India. The meeting will be reportedly chaired by L Swasticharan, director of Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) — a health ministry division responsible for managing public health issues of international or national concern.
