TODAY NEWS ON July 19, 2024
News Headlines for CAT,CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: From The Hindu

National News

• Two dead, 31 injured as eight coaches of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derail in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda
• NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests four MBBS students of Patna AIIMS
• NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests four MBBS students of Patna AIIMS
• Congress raises demand for nationwide minimum wage of ₹400
• Suryakumar replaces Hardik as T20I captain
• AAP to contest all 90 seats in 2024 Haryana Assembly elections
• Indian Medical Association demands Central law on violence against doctors, hospitals
• Infosys Q1 net profit rises 7.1% to ₹6,368 crore; hikes FY25 growth outlook

International News

• Bangladesh TV goes off air as anti-quota protesters set fire to TV station; mobile internet blocked
• Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Democrats make a fresh push for Joe Biden to reconsider 2024 race ahead of convention
• China’s leaders vow to fight ‘risks’ plaguing economy
• 19 bodies recovered after landslide swept two buses into river in Nepal
• Israeli settlement threatens Palestinian UNESCO village
• Ukraine rushes to create AI-enabled war drones
• Bangladesh students reject PM Sheikh Hasina’s olive branch after deadly protests
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces vote on her bid for second 5-year term

Headlines in Detail

Two dead, 31 injured as eight coaches of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derail in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda

At least two people were killed and 31 others injured after the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed and eight coaches overturned in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district on Thursday afternoon. “Train number 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express that left Wednesday night from Chandigarh derailed near Gonda Junction station between Motiganj and Jhilahi railway stations at around 2.37 p.m. on Thursday under the jurisdiction of North Eastern Railway (NER),” said Sabyasachi De, the chief public relations officer for the Northeast Frontier Railway.

Bangladesh TV goes off air as anti-quota protesters set fire to TV station; mobile internet blocked

The High Commission of India has cautioned Indian citizens and students in Bangladesh to “minimise” their movement beyond their “living premises”. Thursday’s cautionary note came against the backdrop of day long clashes between the police, and students and political activists who have been demanding an end to quotas in government jobs. As part of the crackdown, Bangladeshi authorities blocked mobile internet on Thursday evening.

NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests four MBBS students of Patna AIIMS

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 18 arrested four undergraduate students of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case. All four are students of the institute’s 2021 MBBS batch and allegedly helped in solving the leaked question paper.

Opposition continuously using language inciting violence against PM Modi: BJP

In the wake of the assassination attempt on U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday cautioned the Congress-led Opposition against the use of words such as “violence” and “murder” in their statements targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that it could have dangerous consequences.

Congress takes a dig at PM Modi citing Bhagwat’s ‘man wants to become god’ video

Quoting a cropped video of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, in which he is telling volunteers that there is no end to progress and how people want to “become god”, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the RSS chief’s words were aimed at Mr. Modi.

Congress raises demand for nationwide minimum wage of ₹400

Highlighting the “decline in real wages”, the Congress, ahead of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s Union Budget, raised the demand for nationwide minimum wage of ₹400 per day. In a statement, Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said that multiple data sources, including the government’s own statistics, had pointed out that “workers can buy less today than they could 10 years ago”. The Labour Bureau’s Wage Rate Index, Mr. Ramesh said, showed that real wages for labourers stagnated between 2014-2023, and in fact declined between 2019-2024.

One of three ‘militants’ killed in Assam’s Cachar was farmer from Manipur, says family

A day after three people from the Hmar community, identified as “militants” by the Assam Police, were killed in a gun-battle near the Bhuban Hills of Cachar district in Assam, family members of one of the deceased, 35-year-old Joshua, have told The Hindu that they believed he was killed in an alleged “staged encounter”.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Democrats make a fresh push for Joe Biden to reconsider 2024 race ahead of convention

Former President Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about President Joe Biden’s candidacy, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately warned Mr. Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control in the House if he didn’t step away from the race. Ms. Pelosi also showed Mr. Biden polling that he likely can’t defeat Republican Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss it.

China’s leaders vow to fight ‘risks’ plaguing economy

Beijing’s leaders vowed on July 18 to resolve “risks” plaguing China’s economy, but were yet to offer any concrete steps to pull the country out of its financial woes. The world’s second-largest economy is grappling with a property debt crisis, weakening consumption, and an ageing population. All eyes were on how this week’s Third Plenum meeting of the Communist Party in Beijing, attended by President Xi Jinping, might tackle that deepening economic malaise.

Suryakumar replaces Hardik as T20I captain

Suryakumar Yadav has been anointed as Rohit Sharma’s heir apparent in T20Is while Rohit and Virat Kohli have made themselves available for the ODI leg of India’s forthcoming limited overs series in Sri Lanka. The transition — with Hardik Pandya being overlooked from the leadership group from the shortest format — is significant considering the tour will be Gautam Gambhir’s first official assignment as India men’s head coach.

AAP to contest all 90 seats in 2024 Haryana Assembly elections

The Aam Aadmi Party will contest all 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly elections, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said on July 18. The Haryana Assembly elections are due later this year. Addressing the media, Mr. Singh said the AAP will fight the Haryana Assembly polls strongly. “The AAP will contest all 90 seats,” said the Rajya Sabha MP, who was flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior party leader Sandeep Pathak.

Indian Medical Association demands Central law on violence against doctors, hospitals

Demanding a Central law on violence against doctors and hospitals, the Indian Medical Association is all set to launch a nationwide ‘Justice for doctors’ campaign from the last week of July to the first week of August. In an emergency meeting on July 16, national IMA president R.V. Asokan asked all State branches of IMA to gear up for active participation in the campaign. Expressing concern over the increasing instances of violence against doctors, he said, “The ambience in our hospitals is one of fear and mistrust. The violence against doctors and hospitals has reached epidemic proportions.”

19 bodies recovered after landslide swept two buses into river in Nepal

0Rescuers in Nepal have so far recovered 19 bodies, including that of four Indians, after two buses were swept into a swollen river following a landslide in the Chitwan district last week, sources here said on July 18. The landslide happened in the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district on Friday. Out of 54 people, three people swam to safety soon after the incident. Twenty-four people, including seven Indian nationals, were travelling on the first bus heading towards Kathmandu from Birgunj. Another bus heading to Gaur from Kathmandu was carrying 30 people. The two buses plunged into the Trishuli River when heavy mudslides hit them.

Israeli settlement threatens Palestinian UNESCO village

On a hillside near Palestinian landowner Olayan Olayan’s olive groves, young Israeli settlers are hammering out a new, illegal outpost in a UNESCO-protected zone. Olayan and his neighbours have long battled attempts to settle the land in Battir, a heritage site in the Israeli-occupied West Bank famed for its ancient stone terraces. Israeli construction in the West Bank has boomed since the war began in the Gaza Strip, even though all settlements in the territory are considered illegal under international law. The new outpost on a Battir hilltop, also not approved by Israel, was served an eviction notice that Olayan’s cousin Ghassan Olayan said has not been enforced because of the Gaza war.

Ukraine rushes to create AI-enabled war drones

In Ukraine, a handful of startups are developing Artificial Intelligence systems to help fly a vast fleet of drones, taking warfare into uncharted territory as combatants race to gain a technological edge in battle. Ukraine hopes a rollout of AI-enabled drones across the front line will help it overcome increasing signal jamming by the Russians as well as enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to work in larger groups.

Bangladesh students reject PM Sheikh Hasina’s olive branch after deadly protests

Bangladesh students vowed on July 18 to continue nationwide protests against civil service hiring rules, rebuffing an olive branch from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who pledged justice for seven killed in the demonstrations. Ms. Hasina’s government has ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely and stepped up efforts to contain weeks of rallies demanding equal access to public sector jobs. Riot police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds while protesters and students allied to the premier’s ruling Awami League have battled on the streets with bricks and bamboo rods.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces vote on her bid for second 5-year term

Ursula von der Leyen pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization as she made her final leadership pitch on July 18 in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission. The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month’s election for the European Parliament. “I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house,” Ms. von der Leyen said.

Infosys Q1 net profit rises 7.1% to ₹6,368 crore; hikes FY25 growth outlook

IT major Infosys Ltd on July 18 reported a 7% rise in first quarter net profit and raised its growth outlook for the current financial year. The consolidated net profit of Infosys increased to ₹6,368 crore in the April-June quarter, compared to ₹5,945 crore in the same period a year back, according to a stock exchange filing by the company. Quarter-on-quarter the company’s net profit fell 20% from ₹7,969 crore in the January-March quarter. For the current fiscal year, it raised revenue growth guidance to 3% to 4% in constant currency terms.