TODAY NEWS ON November 22, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• Gautam Adani faces five-count criminal indictment in U.S. for bribery, security fraud
• S. indictment, Adani Group will face greater pressure in Bangladesh over power deal, says expert
• Adani indictment allegations against Jagan, Andhra government are incorrect: YSR Congress
• Space, sea should be subjects of ‘universal cooperation’, not universal conflict: PM Modi in Guyana
• Kuki-Zo bodies withdraw boycott call against CRPF
• India to host global conference of cooperatives for the first time
• Delhi gets break from extreme air pollution; Centre declares staggered timings for its staff
• Bihar to host Khelo India Youth Games, Para Games in 2025
• At least 38 killed in a gun attack on vehicles carrying Shia in northwest Pakistan
• Sindhu exits in second round of China Masters after hard-fought defeat
• Extend AFSPA to entire Manipur to recover looted arms: Kuki MLAs
•  

International News

• Kenya cancels airport and energy deals with Adani group after U.S. indicts the tycoon
• Consensus on new climate finance goal remains elusive in COP29 summit
• ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif
• Indictment of Adani: Former A.P. CM bribed with ₹1750 crore in a power deal, alleges U.S. SEC
• Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for Attorney General
• Australia beats United States at the Davis Cup to reach semifinals
• Russia attacks with intercontinental missile for first time in Ukraine war: Kyiv

Headlines in detail

Kenya cancels airport and energy deals with Adani group after U.S. indicts the tycoon

Kenya’s President said on Thursday that he has cancelled multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Indian tycoon Gautam Adani after U.S. bribery and fraud indictments against one of Asia’s richest men. President William Ruto in a State of the Nation address, said the decision was made “based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations”. He didn’t specify the United States.

Consensus on new climate finance goal remains elusive in COP29 summit

A day before this round of UN climate talks are scheduled to end in Baku, developed and developing countries are far from agreeing on a number — still denoted as ‘x’ in the draft text — that will define the world’s new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on climate finance.

The NCQG refers to money that will be given by developed countries to developing countries to help them meet their goals to transition away from the continued use of fossil fuels and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Developing countries have been repeatedly saying that this would cost “trillions of dollars”. To this end, developed countries say they have mobilised and transferred $115 billion in 2021-22 – though developing countries claim that target has not yet been met – but as per the Paris Agreement, a new target above $100 billion must be agreed upon by 2025.

Russia attacked Ukraine with new missile; West can’t stop, claims Vladimir Putin

“The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv’s use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia,” President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian President warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia.

ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif

The International Criminal Court in The Hague said on Thursday (November 21, 2024) that it had issued warrants for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (also known as Mohammed Deif) and Israel’s President Benjamin Netanyahu and its former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Indictment of Adani: Former A.P. CM bribed with ₹1750 crore in a power deal, alleges U.S. SEC

The Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) by Andhra Pradesh’s electricity distribution companies are under scanner in the $265 million bribery case unearthed by the U.S. The indictment statement by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (USSEC) has accused the Adani Group of bribing former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy among other officials.

Gautam Adani faces five-count criminal indictment in U.S. for bribery, security fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has issued a five-count criminal indictment of Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, and several of his business associates. The charges include promising more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts, conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud, and orchestrating “a multi-billion dollar scheme” to defraud U.S. investors and global financial institutions by giving “false and misleading statements”. The indictment was unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York late on November 20, 2024.

After U.S. indictment, Adani Group will face greater pressure in Bangladesh over power deal, says expert

Indictment of Gautam Adani and several top officials of the Adani conglomerate in the U.S. may become a factor in future negotiations between the Adani Group and the interim government in Bangladesh, energy experts in Dhaka have said. “The energy agreement between Adani and Sheikh Hasina government was controversial from the beginning as this contract, like many other energy contracts of Hasina years, was not done through tendering. Despite that the interim government had taken a positive approach and tried to continue dialogue. But after the U.S. indictment, that space of dialogue may shrink as the group is likely to face greater pressure from Bangladesh to compromise on pricing,” said Dr. Ijaz Hossein, retired professor of BUET (Bangladesh Institute of Engineering and Technology).

Space, sea should be subjects of ‘universal cooperation’, not universal conflict: PM Modi in Guyana

Offering the mantra of ‘Democracy First, Humanity First’ for global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that space and sea should be subjects of “universal cooperation”, not universal conflict. In his address at a Special Session of Parliament of Guyana, PM Modi also said India has “never moved forward with selfishness and an expansionist attitude”, and it has always been away from harbouring any feeling of seizing resources. “For the world to move forward, the biggest mantra is ‘Democracy First, Humanity First’. The spirit of democracy first teaches us to take everyone along and participate in everyone’s development. Humanity First guides our decision-making. When we make humanity first the basis of our decision-making, the results are also ones that benefit humanity,” he said.

Kuki-Zo bodies withdraw boycott call against CRPF

Kuki-Zo student bodies in Manipur withdrew their “non-cooperation” call against Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on Thursday. More than 200 companies, i.e., about 20,000 personnel, of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are deployed in the State in addition to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The student bodies had declared a non-cooperation movement against the CRPF after the November 11 incident in Jiribam district in which 10 armed militants were killed in firing by the Central force.

India to host global conference of cooperatives for the first time

India is all set to host the global conference of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) next week in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025’ at the conference on Monday, November 25, 2024. First time in the 130-year-long history of the ICA, the premier body for global cooperative movement, with the initiative of IFFCO, the ICA General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference will be hosted by India. The event is scheduled to be held from November 25 to 30.

Delhi gets break from extreme air pollution; Centre declares staggered timings for its staff

After nearly a week of breathing extremely polluted air, the city residents received some respite on Thursday with the pollution levels dropping marginally. The air quality is likely to remain the same for the next six days, according to official data. However, the pollution levels were still several times higher than the threshold prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The national capital was ranked the second most polluted city in the country after Bihar’s Hajipur, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for Attorney General

Matt Gaetz withdrew on Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on the former congressman’s ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The Florida Republican’s announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

World must respond: Zelenskyy after Russian strike in Dnipro

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that a Russian attack on Ukraine with a new type of ballistic missile was a “clear and severe escalation” in the war and called for strong worldwide condemnation. “This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote on X, referring to a strike on the central city of Dnipro. “The use of a ballistic missile against Ukraine today is yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace,” he wrote.

At least 38 killed in a gun attack on vehicles carrying Shia in northwest Pakistan

Gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles carrying Shia Muslims in Pakistan’s restive northwest on Thursday (November 21, 2024), killing at least 38 people, including six women, and wounding 20 others in one of the region’s deadliest such attacks in recent years, police said.

Russia attacks with intercontinental missile for first time in Ukraine war: Kyiv

 Ukraine says Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight targeting Dnipro city in the central-east of the country, which, if confirmed, would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war.

Extend AFSPA to entire Manipur to recover looted arms: Kuki MLAs

Manipur Assembly’s 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven of the State’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) alliance, have demanded that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) be extended to the entire State to recover looted arms.

Australia beats United States at the Davis Cup to reach semifinals

Australia reached the Davis Cup semifinals for the third consecutive year, eliminating the United States 2-1 when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in the deciding doubles match on Thursday. The victory on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain means 28-time Davis Cup champion Australia will face defending champion Italy or Argentina on Saturday (November 23, 2024) for a spot in the final of the annual team competition.

Bihar to host Khelo India Youth Games, Para Games in 2025

After successfully conducting the women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament at Rajgir, Bihar will host the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 in April next year. For the first time, the Khelo India Para Games (KIPG), which was organized for the first time in Delhi last year, will also be held in the same state. There will be a gap of 10 to 15 days between KIYG and KIPG. “Bihar has recently showcased its capability to host major sporting events,” said Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Sindhu exits in second round of China Masters after hard-fought defeat

Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu’s campaign at the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament came to an end in the second round after she lost to Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in a hard-fought three-game women’s singles contest on Thursday (November 21, 2024).