TODAY NEWS ON  June 18, 2023
News Headlines

Manipur relief camps | From one eruption to another, day and night spread equal dread
The yu, a popular rice wine, has not been brewing at Sekmai, dry Manipur’s favourite watering hole north of the State’s capital Imphal on National Highway 2.

What’s been brewing for more than a month is the fear of getting killed at the Sekmai relief camp and the realisation that members of 175 Meitei households, spread across several such camps, may never return to their ancestral homes in Kangpokpi, a Kuki-dominated district. The Sekmai camp is on the northern edge of the Imphal Valley, just a few metres from the boundary between Kangpokpi and the Meitei-heavy Imphal East district.

Railways to review operations, to ensure ‘zero compromise’ on safety
The Indian Railways will review every aspect of safety in the operation of trains to ensure foolproof working of the system.

Expressing grave concern over the tragic train accident at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha which left 288 passengers dead and over 900 injured, Chairman Railway Board/Chief Executive Officer (CRB/CEO) A. K. Lahoti directed top railway officers, including General Managers of all Zonal Railways, to review safety in the entire system for foolproof working against external and internal issues.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews safety works in Northern Railways
After the tragic June 2 rail accident in Odisha’s Balasore, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw conducted a three-hour meeting on June 17 at the Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) office, Northern Railways, New Delhi to review safety works.

PM silent as Manipur burns; is State part of India, asks former CM Okram Ibobi Singh
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence even as Manipur has been “burning” for more than 40 days, former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Friday asked whether Mr. Modi considered the State part of India or not.

ED arrests nephew of former judge in connection with a bribery case in Haryana
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ajay Parmar — a relative of Sudhir Parmar, who is a former special judge for ED and Central Bureau of Investigation cases — from Haryana’s Panchkula, in connection with an alleged bribery case.

TMC files highest number of nominations for West Bengal panchayat polls, followed by BJP and CPI(M)
Nomination papers filed by candidates in the West Bengal panchayat elections point to the political dominance of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The party has filed 85,817 nominations for 73,887 seats of the three tier panchayats in West Bengal.

The State’s ruling party is followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has filed nominations for 56,321 nominations or about 75% seats at the panchayat level. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has filed nomination papers for 48,646 seats or 65% of the total seats. The Congress party has filed nominations for 17,750 seats.

IRDAI directs insurers to fast-track claim settlement process due to Biparjoy
Insurance regulator IRDAI has asked insurers to settle claims in the states affected by cyclone Biparjoy in an expeditious manner.
In a circular to CEOs of all general insurance companies, and standalone health insurance companies, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) said it needs to be ensured that all claims are surveyed immediately and claim payments/on account payments are disbursed at the earliest and in any case not exceeding the stipulated timeline.

Letter to DCGI seeks emergency use nod for investigational antibiotics to save lives
Intensivists and infectious diseases specialists, faced with a dire situation where effective antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections are lacking, have called on the government to allow emergency use authorisation (EUA), as successfully done during the COVID-19 pandemic, for certain life-saving drugs.

Months after President Biden, PM Modi calls for G-20 membership for African Union
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to the leaders of the G-20 nations proposing that the African Union be given full membership of the grouping at its upcoming summit in India, official sources said on June 17.

Putin meets with African leaders in Russia to discuss Ukraine peace plan, but no visible progress
Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 17 met with a group of leaders of African countries who traveled to Russia on a self-styled “peace mission” the day after they went to Ukraine, but the meeting ended with no visible progress.

The Ashes 2023 | Usman Khawaja’s first test hundred leads Australia fightback on second day
Opener Usman Khawaja raced away in delight and threw his bat high in the air after scoring his first test century in England as Australia made 311-5 on day two of the Ashes at Edgbaston on June 17.