GS-II

Opposition parties, women activists question govt. move With the government taking the ordinance route to make ‘instant triple talaq’ a penal offence, Opposition parties and women activists on Wednesday wondered why no similar provisions are made for Hindu men deserting their wives. Some said the ordinance ignored problems it could …

Exercise will continue for 60 days: SC The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the opening of the process for receiving claims and objections from 40 lakh persons left out of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam from September 25. A Special Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and …

The new law has safeguards, including bail to the accused before the start of trial The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared an ordinance that makes talaq-e-biddat , or instant triple talaq, a criminal offence that will attract a maximum jail term of three years. President Ram Nath Kovind later in …

The Marvelous Mrs Maiseltook home eight awards overall, including one for best comedy HBO’s record-breaking fantasy epic Game of Thrones stormed back onto the Emmys stage on Monday, winning the coveted best drama series prize on a night full of surprises, including an on-air marriage proposal that stunned the audience. …

They include James Comey’s messages U.S. President Donald Trump declassified a trove of documents related to the early days of the FBI’s Russia investigation, including a portion of a secret surveillance warrant application and former FBI Director James Comey’s messages. Mr. Trump made the extraordinary move on Monday in response …

Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military aircraft, on Monday killing all 15 crew members, when its air defences swung into action against an Israeli missile strike, Russian and Israeli forces said on Tuesday. The Russian Ilyushin dropped off the radar over the Mediterranean moments after Turkey and Russia announced …

Official says joint exercise proposal could have been channelled through China Nepal’s decision not to participate in the India-proposed military exercise of the Bay of Bengal group of countries is not a a snub to New Delhi, but rather it signals that a new set of rules need to be …

President Trump warns Beijing against targeting U.S. farmers U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said China had been taking advantage of the U.S. on trade for many years and that he knew how to stop it. “China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our …

The ruling BJP in Tripura has won around 96% seats uncontested in the by-elections for the three-tier panchayat polls in the State scheduled to be held on September 30, State Election Commissioner G.K. Rao said on Tuesday. Over 3,000 seats were vacant as a large number of members of gram …

Agartala gets space technology incubation centre The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a space technology incubation centre in Tripura capital Agartala on Tuesday. It is the first of six such centres planned nationally to build capacity in new locations. More such space research activities will be splashed in a …

The Centre’s decision to hold elections to urban local bodies and panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir has come despite negative reports submitted to the Union Home Ministry by the J&K police on the ground situation. Meanwhile, in a sudden spike in violence, four panchayat buildings were set on fire in …

Afghanistan is going through a tough period, says envoy Afghanistan is seeking India’s support for its peace process, as well as for military hardware like helicopters, says Ambassador to India Dr. Shaida Abdali , ahead of President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Delhi and talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on …

Asks how foreigners are identified An order by a Foreigners’ Tribunal in central Assam’s Morigaon district has questioned the process of identifying foreigners and ‘D’ (or doubtful voters), who have been struck off the updated National Register of Citizens. Gautam Soren, member of Foreigners Tribunal 3 (FT3) in Morigaon, highlighted …

Congress MLAs petition Governorfor floor test Claiming that the BJP-led government in Goa has collapsed and it has lost the trust of the people, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) led by Chandrakant Kavlekar on Tuesday urged Goa Governor Mridula Sinha to summon a day-long session of the Assembly and direct …

Copies of the Bhagavad Gita and the Manu Smriti burnt Hundreds of people took out a protest march in Hubballi on Tuesday as part of the “Save Constitution” rally to condemn the burning of a copy of the Constitution in New Delhi and demanding steps to save the Constitution. A …

New rates on both sides will go into effect on September 24 The trade rivalry between the U.S. and China escalated to an unprecedented level on Tuesday, with both countries announcing new tariffs on imports from each other. The U.S. has announced 10% tariff on $200 billion of imports from …

‘Missile was given during the Soviet era’ Russia’s Defence Ministry on Monday said that it was releasing fresh information to back its claim that the missile that downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over war-torn Ukraine in 2014 was fired by Kiev’s forces. At a briefing, the Ministry said it was …

Britain’s economy would suffer “substantial costs” should it leave the European Union in March with no divorce agreement, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday. Brussels and London have failed to resolve “fundamental” aspects of Brexit and this could leave London defaulting to World Trade Organization (WTO) tariffs, the IMF …

Trump not satisfied with talks: official China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it would strike back at the U.S. if Washington moved forward with new tariffs on $200 billion of its exports. “If the U.S. launches any new tariff measures, China will have to take countermeasures to firmly ensure …

For seven years, Kim Jong-un has pursued an in-your-face strategy for building his nuclear arsenal: detonating blasts underground and firing missiles into the sky, all to send the message that his country’s nuclear build-up is irreversible. Now, he appears to be changing his approach, current and former U.S. intelligence officials …