✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Spyware Pegasus issue: The Pegasus spyware is one of the most chosen tools for “total surveillance”.
India’s parliament has begun a new session on Monday amid allegations that spyware from an Israeli firm was used to hack phones of MPs, businessmen & journalists.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge alleged the govt has not only attacked freedom of speech, but also the fundamental rights of people including of judges, journalists, opposition leaders, ministers and activists.
2. The Congress also asked a set of questions to the PM including as to why Home Minister Shah, the in-charge of the country’s internal security, should not be sacked immediately.
3. France to allow travellers vaccinated with Covishield produced by the Serum Institute of India and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
4. Indian warship INS Tabar was part of a two-day exercise with French frigate FNS Aquitaine and four Rafale fighter aircraft of the French Navy in the Bay of Biscay last week July 15 and 16 July.
🌎WORLD NEWS🌍
1. Thirty people killed, 74 injured in road accident in Pakistan; the accident occurred when a bus was in collision with a container truck in Dera Ghazi Khan district.
2. Two dams storage capacity of 46 million cubic metres, collapse in China’s Inner Mongolia region after torrential rain, more than 16000 affected, 21,700 hectares of farmlands flooded.
3. United Arab Emirates, sweeping COVID-19 safety measures will come into effect in the capital Abu Dhabi from 19 Jul, the first day of the Eid-Al-Adha break. Abu Dhabi will observe overnight lockdown as part of a sterilisation programme for fighting COVID-19, nightly lockdown from 12 A.M. to 5 A.M. The emirate will restrict public movement even as the rest of the country remains open for tourism.
4. Diplomatic missions in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on July 19 (Monday) to halt their military offensives in the country. 15 missions, the EU delegation & the NATO representative in Kabul made the call in a joint statement, saying they are at odds with claims that the militant group wants a negotiated settlement to end the conflict.
5. Afghanistan announced that it was withdrawing all its ambassadors & diplomats from Pakistan’s capital Islamabad in the aftermath of the kidnap & assault of the Afghan envoy to Pakistan Najibullah Alikhil’s daughter last week.
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Ch Narmada Naveen Kumar |
