Govt. denied Pegasus charges

TOP NEWS IN NUTSHELLS (17 August 2021)

*NATIONAL NEWS*

• SC ON PEGASUS SNOOPING: The Supreme Court sought to know if the Centre wanted to file an additional affidavit clarifying if Pegasus spyware was used to snoop on politicians, journalists and activists even as it said it can’t compel the Centre to file such an affidavit. During the hearing, Govt. denied Pegasus charges and said that the top court can appoint expert panel to probe row.
• NO TO EXCISE CUT ON PETROL,DISEL: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman  ruled out a cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel to ease prices, which have touched an all-time high, saying payments in lieu of past subsidised fuel pose limitations.
• PROB INTO EX-MILITANT’S DEATH: Meghalaya Govt. ordered judicial probe into the death of ex-militant. The Govt. also extended curfew in Shillong by another 24 hours till tomorrow morning 5 am as the situation remained tense. The internet suspension will also continue for the next few days.
• SPECIAL PACKAGE TO FIGHT COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced a package of Rs.267 crores for Kerala to fight covid-19 pandemic. He reviewed the situation yesterday in Thiruvananthapuram with state officials. He will visit Assam today to review the covid cases in North East states. In UP, several educational institutions start physical classes amid weaking cases of covid infection.
• LUKEWARM RESPONSE TO RAHUL GANDHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi received lukewarm response from his party leaders on Monday when he arrived on a two-day visit to his constituency Wayanad in Kerala. It was just the Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan and Kozhikode MP, MK Raghavan who were present to receive him.
• PUNJAB PCC APPOITMENT: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has appointed Jalandhar Cantt MLA and his close confidant Pargat Singh as PPCC general secretary (Organisation).
• DHRUV MK-III INDUCTED: DHRUV MK-III indigenous Coast Guard program, 3 Advanced Light helicopters (ALHs) manufactured by HAL were inducted into the stables of the Indian Coast Guard by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar on Monday.

**INTERNATIONAL NEWS**

• AFGHANISTAN AIRSPACE CLOSED: The Afghanistan airspace has been closed for commercial flights including overflying.  US nonstop flights are being rerouted. Air India’s nonstops enroute from the US to India are being diverted so that they do not enter the Afghan airspace.
• EVACUATION RUSH: The US and other countries are rushing to evacuate staff and allies tense Afghanistan. Taliban militants' return to rule, brings an end to almost 20 years of a US-led coalition's presence in the country. India has sent a C17 military aircraft to Kabul to evacuate Indian citizens after the Taliban seized control.
• ITBP ACTIVE SECURING INDIAN EMBASSY: India has taken all steps to ensure safety and security of its nationals and interests in Afghanistan. An armed contingent of paramilitary force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is actively securing the diplomatic staff of the Indian embassy in Kabul and will be there "till required.
• WARNING TO TALIBAN: US President Joe Biden has warned the Taliban not to disrupt or threaten the evacuation of thousands of American diplomats and Afghan translators at the Kabul airport.
• UNSC MEETS ON AFGHANISTAN CRISIS: United Nations Security Council will meet to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. This will be the second meeting on Afghanistan under India's presidency at the council.
• EAM S. JAISHANKAR IN USA: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India has divergences with the US on Afghanistan. He said that the QUAD has become an important grouping in a 21^st century which is more multipolar. But while India’s interest converges with the US in the East, there are divergences in the West, particularly Afghanistan.
• MALAYSIAN PM RESIGNS:  Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigns as political crisis escalates in the country.
• IPCC REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE: The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified greenhouse gases as one of the primary drivers of climatic changes on the planet that may soon become irreversible. Among the greenhouse gases, methane could be the worst. The report said that curbing methane emissions can stabilise global temperatures.

***SPORTS***

• INDIA WINS 2^ND TEST: India beat England by 151 runs to take 1-0 lead in 5 Test series. Chasing 272 on the 5^th day of the match, England were bowled out for 120 in 51.5 overs with skipper Joe Root top-scoring with 33. Captain Virat Kohli said that “tensions on the field” motivated his teammates to Lord’s Test win.
• KOMALIKA BARI WINS IN ARCHERY:  In Archery, Komalika Bari became the new under-21 recurve world champion at the Youth World Championships in Wroclaw, Poland.
• T20 WORLD CUP SCHEDUL:  ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 is scheduled to be announced today. BCCI will host the tournament in UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14.
• PM MODI HOSTS TOKYO OLYMPIC MEDALISTS: PM Modi on Monday hosted Indian athletes at his residence in New Delhi who participated and won at the Tokyo Olympics. He also fulfilled the promise to eat ice cream with Badminton stalwart and two time Olympic medal winner P.V.Sindhu.
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