TODAY NEWS ON November 19, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• Air pollution in Delhi over 26 times the limit prescribed by WHO
• Punjab farmers to resume ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on December 6
• Maharashtra Assembly election campaign ends; voting on November 20
• Supreme Court Collegium recommends Madras High Court Judge D. Krishnakumar for Manipur High Court Chief Justice
• CJI Sanjiv Khanna recuses from hearing contempt case against DDA over tree felling in Delhi ridge
• Supreme Court issues notice to Centre over vacancies in Debt Recovery Tribunals
• No illegality in mobile phones ban at polling booths: Mumbai High Court
• SpaceX’s Falcon-9 deploys India’s GSAT-N2 satellite into orbit
• Global South hit by food, fuel, fertiliser crises due to conflicts: PM Modi at G-20 Summit
• Manipur violence: MHA to deploy 5,000 additional Central forces; sixth body found
• CCI slaps ₹213 crore penalty on Meta in relation to WhatsApp privacy policy
• Coast Guard rescues 7 Indian fishermen from Pakistan Maritime Security Agency vessel

International News

• Brazil hosts G20 summit overshadowed by wars, Trump’s return, aiming for deal to fight hunger
• Lebanon, Hezbollah agree to U.S. proposal for ceasefire with Israel: Lebanese official
• Even with Lebanon truce deal, Israel will operate against Hezbollah: Israel PM Netanyahu
• Bangladeshi ex-ministers face ‘massacre’ charges in court
• Russia downs 59 Ukrainian drones overnight: Ministry
• The ’super year’ of elections has been super bad for incumbents as voters punish them in droves

Headlines in detail

Air pollution in Delhi over 26 times the limit prescribed by WHO

The overall AQI of Delhi on Monday worsened to 493 at 3 p.m., according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Delhi authorities directed all schools to move classes online and tightened restrictions on construction activities and vehicle movements, citing unfavourable meteorological conditions and low wind speed. At least nine of the 37 stations measuring air quality in Delhi maxed out at 500 by 3 p.m., the CPCB data showed. This indicates that Delhi’s actual air quality is worse than 493.

Punjab farmers to resume ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on December 6

Farmers and farm labourers groups, camping on the inter-State boundaries of Punjab and Haryana since February this year, on Monday announced they would resume their ‘tractor-trolley Delhi Chalo’ march to lay siege to the national capital on December 6.

Maharashtra Assembly election campaign ends; voting on November 20

The election campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls ended on Monday with the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine hoping for a strong comeback. Polling will be held in all the 288 Assembly seats on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

Supreme Court Collegium recommends Madras High Court Judge D. Krishnakumar for Manipur High Court Chief Justice

The Supreme Court Collegium on Monday recommended the appointment of Justice D. Krishnakumar, currently serving as a judge of the Madras High Court, as the chief justice of the Manipur High Court. The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, took the decision in a meeting held on Monday.

CJI Sanjiv Khanna recuses from hearing contempt case against DDA over tree felling in Delhi ridge

The Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday recused himself from alleged illegal felling of several hundred trees in the Delhi Ridge area. He said he had formally met the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi V.K. Saxena as part of a National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) programme. At the outset, the CJI, who was sitting on the bench with Justice Sanjay Kumar, said, “One thing I would like to point out that when I was the NALSA chairman, I had gone to Patna and with Delhi LG had toured jails there. So, it will not be appropriate for me to hear the plea…”.

Supreme Court issues notice to Centre over vacancies in Debt Recovery Tribunals

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Ministry of Finance on a PIL highlighting critical vacancies in Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) across India. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard the submissions of senior advocate KB Sounder Rajan along with lawyer Sudarshan Rajan, appearing for PIL petitioner Nischay Chaudhary, and sought the response of the Union Ministry of Finance.

No illegality in mobile phones ban at polling booths: Mumbai High Court

The Bombay High Court (HC) on Monday said there was no illegality in the Election Commission of India’s decision prohibiting the use of mobile phones at polling booths in the upcoming state assembly elections. A division bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar dismissed a public interest litigation filed by city-based lawyer Ujala Yadav against the ban on mobile phones at polling booths in the Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled on November 20.

SpaceX’s Falcon-9 deploys India’s GSAT-N2 satellite into orbit

India’s GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) communication satellite was successfully launched by SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket in the early hours of November 19, 2024. After lifting off at 12.01 a.m. (Indian Standard Time) from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Falcon-9 put the GSAT-N2 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This is India’s first collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Brazil hosts G20 summit overshadowed by wars, Trump’s return, aiming for deal to fight hunger

With Brazil preparing to host the Group of 20 summit, it appears unlikely the leading rich and developing nations will sign on to a meaningful declaration regarding geopolitics: The meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro is overshadowed by two major wars and Donald Trump’s recent election victory. Heightened global tensions and uncertainty about an incoming Mr. Trump administration have tempered any expectations for a strongly worded statement addressing the conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine.

Global South hit by food, fuel, fertiliser crises due to conflicts: PM Modi at G-20 Summit

The countries of the Global South are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel, and fertiliser crisis caused by global conflicts, and the G-20 must give primacy to their concerns and priorities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday (November 18, 2024). In an address on the first day of the G-20 summit, Mr. Modi complimented the Brazilian presidency of the grouping for taking forward the “people-centric decisions” taken at the bloc’s summit in New Delhi last year. The Indian G-20 presidency's call for "One Earth, One Family, One Future” continued to resonate at the Rio conversations, he said.

Manipur violence: MHA to deploy 5,000 additional Central forces; sixth body found

The Union Home Ministry will deploy 50 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), comprising around 5,000 personnel, in the next few days amid violence and killings in Manipur. “The 20 additional companies, of around 2,000 personnel, that were sanctioned last week will arrive in the State on Tuesday,” officials said. At least 22 people have been killed in the State in fresh round of violence since November 7.

CCI slaps ₹213 crore penalty on Meta in relation to WhatsApp privacy policy

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of ₹213.14 crore on social media major Meta for unfair business ways with respect to WhatsApp privacy policy update done in 2021. Besides, the competition watchdog has directed Meta to “cease and desist” from anti-competitive practices. Meta and WhatsApp have also been asked to implement certain behavioural remedies within a defined timeline to address the anti-competition issues, according to a CCI order.

Coast Guard rescues 7 Indian fishermen from Pakistan Maritime Security Agency vessel

“The Coast Guard has rescued seven Indian fishermen who were apprehended by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in the mid-sea off the Gujarat coast and kept on their ship near the maritime boundary between the two countries,” officials said on Monday (November 18, 2024). The incident took place on Sunday (November 17, 2024) when the Coast Guard received a distress signal from an Indian fishing boat (IFB) operating near the No-Fishing Zone (NFZ) in the afternoon, said an ICG release. “At approximately 15:30 pm, an ICG ship on patrol received a distress call from an Indian fishing boat operating near the NFZ. The call reported that another Indian fishing boat, Kal Bhairav, had been intercepted by a PMSA vessel, and seven Indian crew members on board had been apprehended,” said the release.

Lebanon, Hezbollah agree to U.S. proposal for ceasefire with Israel: Lebanese official

“Lebanon and Hezbollah have agreed to a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire with Israel with some comments on the content,” a top Lebanese official told Reuters on Monday (November 18, 2024), describing the effort as the most serious yet to end to the fighting. Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said Lebanon had delivered its written response to the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon on Monday (November 18, 2024), and White House envoy Amos Hochstein was travelling to Beirut to continue talks. Hezbollah, a heavily armed movement backed by Iran, endorsed its long-time ally Berri to negotiate over a ceasefire.

Even with Lebanon truce deal, Israel will operate against Hezbollah: Israel PM Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to operate militarily against the Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah even if a ceasefire deal is reached in Lebanon. ”The most important thing is not (the deal that) will be laid on paper,” Mr. Netanyahu told the Israeli Parliament. “We will be forced to ensure our security in the north (of Israel) and to systematically carry out operations against Hezbollah’s attacks... even after a ceasefire,” to keep the group from rebuilding, he said. Mr. Netanyahu also said there was no evidence that Hezbollah would respect any ceasefire reached.

Bangladeshi ex-ministers face ‘massacre’ charges in court

Thirteen Bangladeshi former top government officials arrested after the revolution in August appeared in court Monday (November 18, 2024) accused of “enabling massacres”, with prosecutors repeating extradition demands for exiled ex-leader Sheikh Hasina. Dozens of Hasina’s allies have been taken into custody since her regime collapsed, accused of involvement in a police crackdown that killed more than 700 people during the unrest that led to her ouster. Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam said the 13 defendants, who included 11 former ministers, a judge and an ex-government secretary, were accused of command responsibility for the deadly crackdown on the student-led protest that ousted the regime.

Russia downs 59 Ukrainian drones overnight: Ministry

Russia downed 59 Ukranian drones overnight, the majority across border regions, the Defence Ministry said on Monday. “During the past night, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist UAV attacks against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The ’super year’ of elections has been super bad for incumbents as voters punish them in droves

Whether on the left or the right, regardless of how long they’ve been in power, sitting governments around the world have been drubbed this year by disgruntled voters in what has been called the “super year” for elections. Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election was just the latest in a long line of losses for incumbent parties in 2024, with people in some 70 countries accounting for about half the world’s population going to the polls.