TODAY NEWS ON October 24, 2024
News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• BRICS Summit: PM Modi, President Xi meet; direct Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi to discuss border issue
• PM Modi arrives in Delhi after attending BRICS Summit in Russia
• One million people to be moved out of Cyclone Dana’s path in Odisha
• Ganderbal attacker caught on CCTV; security tightened
• Cyberfraud losses could amount to 0.7% of GDP, projects Ministry’s study
• Marital rape case: CJI Chandrachud bows out of hearing, says it may not conclude in foreseeable future
• Stubble-burning violates right to live in a pollution-free environment: Supreme Court
• Supreme Court upholds States’ power to regulate industrial alcohol
• Public places like police stations, bus stands should display contact of nearest legal aid offices: Supreme Court
• Jammu & Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha calls Assembly session on November 4

International News

• Turkiye strikes Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following deadly attack on defence company
• Strike on Iran will show the world Israel’s might: Defence chief Yoav Gallant
• U.S. Defence Secretary Austin confirms North Korea sent troops to Russia
• Leaders urge world to pay up to save nature as COP16 talks open

Headlines in detail

BRICS Summit: PM Modi, President Xi meet; direct Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi to discuss border issue

Foreign Minister Vikram Misri, on Wednesday, said, “PM Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, five years after they last met. The meeting happened close on the heels of the agreement to resolve the situation at the LAC. The leaders welcomed the agreement. PM Modi underscored the importance of not allowing differences on the boundary question to disturb peace and tranquility in the border areas.” Mr. Misri also said that PM Modi and President Xi directed their respective Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi to meet and discuss the border issue.

PM Modi arrives in Delhi after attending BRICS Summit in Russia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi after his two-day visit to Russia, during which he participated in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan. He also met several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

One million people to be moved out of Cyclone Dana’s path in Odisha

Odisha government has sped up process of evacuating 10 lakh people to safer place as the severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall between Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts of Odisha during October 24-25. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi reviewed cyclone preparedness in the evening and directed senior officers to ensure safety of vulnerable people and no loss of life in the disaster.

Ganderbal attacker caught on CCTV; security tightened

One of the two attackers, who opened fire at 12 civilians and left seven dead in Ganderbal’s Gagangeer area on October 20, has been captured on camera. Meanwhile, J&K Lieutenant-Governor directed the J&K Police to beef up security of infrastructure projects.

Cyberfraud losses could amount to 0.7% of GDP, projects Ministry’s study

Indians are likely to lose over ₹1.2 lakh crore over the next year due to cyber frauds, according to a projection made by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which runs under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). A senior government official said that according to a I4C study, mule bank accounts — which are used to facilitate illegal transactions and launder money — are one of the significant contributors to the online financial scams that could potentially siphon off 0.7% of the country’s GDP.

Marital rape case: CJI Chandrachud bows out of hearing, says it may not conclude in foreseeable future

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, who is retiring on November 11, bowed out of hearing the marital rape exception case on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) after remarking that lawyers’ arguments will not conclude in the “foreseeable future”. What was expected to be just another day of hearing of the case started with several senior lawyers on both sides seeking a day each to make their submissions in court. Senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Rakesh Dwivedi, Indira Jaising and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre, informed the Bench led by the Chief Justice that they would at least take a day each to raise detailed arguments. Mr. Mehta said the case was “polycentric” and had a social impact, requiring extensive oral submissions by the government.

Stubble-burning violates right to live in a pollution-free environment: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said continuing cases of stubble-burning and the “pick-and-choose” policy adopted by the Punjab and Haryana governments to penalise a few while letting many violators go “scot-free” after paying a nominal fine violated citizens’ right to live in a pollution-free environment. “There is a fundamental right vested in every citizen under Article 21 of the Constitution to live in an environment free of pollution,” a three-judge Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka observed.

Supreme Court upholds States’ power to regulate industrial alcohol

A Constitution Bench of nine judges, in a 8:1 majority judgment, upheld the States’ right to regulate industrial alcohol. The majority opinion authored by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud held that the phrase ‘intoxicating liquor’ in Entry 8 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution would include industrial alcohol within its ambit. Entry 8 gives States power to regulate the production, manufacture, possession, transport, purchase and sale of intoxicating liquor.

Public places like police stations, bus stands should display contact of nearest legal aid offices: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said awareness is the key to the success of the functioning of the legal aid mechanism and a robust system should be put in place to ensure that beneficial schemes promoted by legal services authority reaches all. Passing a slew of directions on the issue of providing legal aid to prisoners, a Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai said in public places like police stations and bus stands, addresses and phone numbers of the nearest legal aid office should be prominently displayed.

Jammu & Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha calls Assembly session on November 4

“Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) called for a session of the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on November 4 for the election of the Speaker of Legislative Assembly for Jammu & Kashmir,” Raj Bhavan sources said. As per the Raj Bhavan sources, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in the exercise of the powers conferred upon him under Rule 9(1) of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, has fixed Monday, November 4 at 10:30 a.m. for the election of the Speaker of Legislative Assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

U.S. Defence Secretary Austin confirms North Korea sent troops to Russia

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said that there is evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia and South Korea’s spy chief told lawmakers that 3,000 North Korean troops are in the country receiving training on drones and other equipment before being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine. Mr. Austin told reporters “What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” according to a video posted by the Washington Post. If the troops join the war in Ukraine on Russia’s side, it will be “a very, very serious issue,” Mr. Austin said, adding it would have an impact in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region.

Turkiye strikes Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following deadly attack on defence company

Turkiye’s air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in an apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defence company that killed five people and wounded more than 20 others. The defence ministry said more than 30 targets were “destroyed” in the aerial offensive, without providing details on the locations that were hit. It said “all kinds of precautions” were taken to prevent harm to civilians.

Strike on Iran will show the world Israel’s might: Defence chief Yoav Gallant

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told Air Force crews on Wednesday that after striking in Iran, the world will understand Israel’s might and its enemies will learn a lesson, according to a video and an X post published by his office. Israel has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on October 1, Tehran’s second direct attack on Israel in six months.

Leaders urge world to pay up to save nature as COP16 talks open

The nearly 200 countries meeting in Colombia for the United Nations COP16 summit must act urgently to mobilize billions of dollars to stop rapid nature destruction, U.N. leaders and national representatives urged as the talks opened on Monday. “The planet doesn’t have time to lose,” COP16 President Susana Muhamad told the opening meeting in Cali, southwest of Bogota. “We all agree that we are underfunded for this mission,” said Muhamad, who is also Colombia’s Environment Minister.