TODAY NEWS ON July 16, 2024 

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: From The Hindu

National News

• Existing structure at Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh built from temple remains, says ASI survey
• CJI Chandrachud agrees to list petitions challenging Money Bill route for contentious amendments
• Facing media trial and truth will prevail, says under-fire IAS officer Puja Khedkar
• Priests in Uttarakhand miffed over construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi
• Environmental body pulls up Odisha government for building violation in forest land
• Supreme Court to consider setting up Bench to hear pleas against passage of laws as Money Bills
• Vikram Misri takes charge as new Foreign Secretary
• India’s exports rise 2.56% to $35.2 billion in June
• Wholesale price inflation rises to 3.36% in June, highest in 16 months

International News

• Trump announces 39-year-old senator J.D. Vance as running mate
• India and Russia have doubled rupee-rouble payments in 2024, says largest Russian bank
• Stealth frigates from Russia to be delivered in September 2024, February 2025
• Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers
• Biden orders Secret Service to protect Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after attempt on Trump’s life
• FBI says it has gained access to Trump shooting suspect’s phone
• Israel hits Gaza from land, sea and air as Hamas halts talks
• Gambia MPs uphold ban on female genital mutilation
• Pakistan Government to ban jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s party PTI for alleged anti-state activities
• United Nations alarmed as global childhood immunisation levels stall
• K.P. Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister; PM Modi congratulates counterpart
• Euro 2024 final: Birthday-boy Lamine Yamal wins young player award

Headlines in Detail

India and Russia have doubled rupee-rouble payments in 2024, says largest Russian bank

India and Russia have doubled their payments in national currencies (rupee-rouble) since last year despite sanctions by the U.S. and European Union, said Russia’s largest, state-controlled bank Sberbank that handles a majority of payments for Indian exports to Russia. The surge may rise further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow last week, economists and Indian businessmen working in Russia hope, warning that in the absence of the Indian rupee, Chinese businesses and the yuan would continue to benefit from the “vacuum” created by the exit of Western companies.

Existing structure at Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh built from temple remains, says ASI survey

The existing structure at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district was constructed using remains of a temple that existed earlier at the site, said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its scientific survey report, which was submitted to the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday.

CJI Chandrachud agrees to list petitions challenging Money Bill route for contentious amendments

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on July 15 agreed to list petitions challenging the Money Bill route taken by the Centre to pass contentious amendments in the Parliament. “I will list when I form Constitution Benches,” the Chief Justice addressed senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who made an oral mentioning on behalf of the petitioners, including Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh.

Stealth frigates from Russia to be delivered in September 2024, February 2025

After a series of delays, two stealth frigates under construction in Russia for the Indian Navy are set to be delivered soon beginning September. Construction and deliveries were delayed due to COVID, war in Ukraine and western sanctions. “First ship Tushil is ready for acceptance by the Indian Navy and is scheduled to be delivered by September. The commissioning crew reached Russia earlier this month,” a defence official in the know said. “The second ship Tamal is expected to be delivered by February 2025.”

Priests in Uttarakhand miffed over construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand is caught in the eye of a political storm as the priest community in the State, which is also known as ‘Devbhoomi’ (land of the gods), is up in arms against the construction of a temple in Delhi symbolically in the name of Kedarnath shrine, the foundation stone of which was laid by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami last week.

Environmental body pulls up Odisha government for building violation in forest land

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Environment Ministry has reprimanded the Odisha government for building walls, without approval, in forest land that will be part of the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri. The committee has also asked the State’s Wildlife Warden to evaluate the impact of the proposed airport on the breeding of Olive Ridley turtles, which are routinely found in the vicinity of the coast.

Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers

Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts. An Italian-led team reported Monday that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site.

Trump announces 39-year-old senator J.D. Vance as running mate

Donald Trump named right-wing Ohio Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate in the U.S. presidential election, rewarding a one-time harsh critic who became one of his most loyal supporters in Congress .Mr. Trump, 78, announced his pick on the first day of the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, an extravaganza turbocharged by the attempted assassination of the former President.

Biden orders Secret Service to protect Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after attempt on Trump’s life

President Joe Biden has directed the U.S. Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Homeland Security secretary said on June 15. Mr. Kennedy is a longshot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency. But his campaign events have drawn large crowds of supporters and people interested in his message.

FBI says it has gained access to Trump shooting suspect’s phone

The FBI said on July 15 it has gained access to the phone of the Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspect in the shooting of former President Donald Trump, as it continues to investigate his motive for the crime. The FBI stressed that its investigation into Saturday’s shooting, which is being treated as both an assassination attempt and potential domestic terrorism, is still in its early stages.“ FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,” the FBI said in a statement.

Israel hits Gaza from land, sea and air as Hamas halts talks

Israel hammered the Gaza Strip from the air, sea and land on Monday as the war in the Palestinian territory showed no sign of abating, with Hamas saying it was pulling out of truce talks. Shells rained down on the neighbourhoods of Tal Al-Hawa, Sheikh Ajlin and Al-Sabra in Gaza City, AFP correspondents reported, while eyewitnesses said the Israeli Army had shelled the Al-Mughraqa area and the northern outskirts of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Gambia MPs uphold ban on female genital mutilation

Gambian lawmakers voted on July 15 to uphold a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation, rejecting a controversial bill seeking to overturn the law after months of heated debate and international pressure. Legislators killed the bill by voting against all the proposed amendments to the 2015 text that would have decriminalised the practice.

Pakistan Government to ban jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s party PTI for alleged anti-state activities

In a controversial move, the Pakistan Government on July 15 announced that it will ban jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s party for its alleged involvement in anti-state activities and slap cases against him and two of his senior party colleagues for treason. “In view of the foreign funding case, May 9 riots, and the cipher episode as well as the resolution passed in the U.S., we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) banned,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar made the surprising announcement at a press conference. Meanwhile, Mr. Khan, reacted sharply to the government’s decision to ban the party, saying the move came “out of desperation” and is a “sign of panic” within the federal administration.

United Nations alarmed as global childhood immunisation levels stall

Global childhood vaccination levels have stalled, leaving millions more children un- or under-vaccinated than before the pandemic, the United Nations (U.N.) said on July 15, warning of dangerous coverage gaps, enabling outbreaks of diseases like measles. In 2023, 84% of children, or 108 million, received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), with the third dose serving as a key marker for global immunisation coverage, according to data published by the U.N. health and children’s agencies.

K.P. Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister; PM Modi congratulates counterpart

K.P. Sharma Oli on July 15 was sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time. The leader of Nepal’s largest communist party was appointed Nepal’s Prime Minister on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead a new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation. Mr. Oli, 72, succeeds Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on Friday, leading to the formation of the new government headed by Mr. Oli.

Euro 2024 final: Birthday-boy Lamine Yamal wins young player award

Spain’s teenage phenom Lamine Yamal won the European Championship and the tournament’s best young player award just a day after he turned 17. Yamal earned it mostly while he was still 16, but he crowned his contribution to Spain’s success by setting up Nico Williams’ opening goal in a 2-1 win over England in the final on July 14, 2024. “This is the best (birthday) gift I could have asked for. It’s a dream come true,” Yamal said. “It got tough when they tied the score, but I don’t know what this team is made of because we always fight back.”