Today's Big Stories
Stand on Kashmir: PM’s talks with France, Trump’s mediation offer and Imran Khan’s snub
Echoing India's stand on Jammu and Kashmir, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally and no third party should "interfere or incite" violence in the region, after his marathon one-on-one talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi met the Emmanuel Macron in France on the first leg of his three-nation tour. From France, he will travel to the United Arab Emirates where he will hold talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Trump weighs in, again: US President Donald Trump has yet again pitched himself in a position to mediate on Kashmir with Washington stating that it would "work towards reducing tensions" between India and Pakistan. US State Department clarified that the President is willing to assist only if requested by the parties.
Hitting out: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he no longer wishes to seek a dialogue with India as it has repeatedly rebuffed peace overtures. "There is nothing more that we can do," Khan said.
Allegations against Chidambaram serious says special court; sends him to CBI custody till Monday
A special court here on Thursday sent Congress leader P Chidambaram to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation till August 26, saying it was justified in the INX Media corruption case.
Chidambaram, who was Union home minister as also finance minister during the UPA rule from 2004 to 2014, was arrested on Wednesday night after he failed to get protection from the Supreme Court. The CBI court also allowed his family members and lawyers to meet him for 30 minutes every day.
The top court will today hear the leader’s plea against the Delhi High Court’s decision to dismiss anticipatory bail plea.
In Other News
Ravidas temple row: The Delhi Assembly on Thursday tabled a resolution demanding an ordinance by the Centre to allot land for rebuilding the demolished Saint Ravidas temple in the national capital. The resolution came a day after massive protests were held across the national capital over the demolition.
First shots: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday released the first visuals of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-2 from a distance of 2,650 km. ISRO had on Wednesday performed the second lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 and said all spacecraft parameters are normal.
All-out attack: A day after former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy levelled charges against senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda echoed his son’s sentiments. The Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) patriarch told News18 that Siddaramaiah never wanted the Congress-JD(S) coalition government to function properly and kept trying to undermine it.
Raging fires: The raging fires in the Amazon rainforest fuelled a heated exchange between Brazilian President Bolsonaro and his French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron after the latter tweeted saying "Our house is burning. Literally." Bolsonaro, who remains dismissive about the figures that show that there have been twice as many fires in the Amazon than there were in 2013, targeted what he called Macron's "sensationalist tone".
On Our Specials
Srinagar dispatch: In January, police declared Baramulla as Kashmir’s first “militancy-free" area, saying that no local militants were active in the district anymore. However, within months, violent insurgency reared its head once again. The militancy in the southern areas has also been surging since 2010. From Baramulla, Aakash Hassan reports on why after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, militancy might head north in Kashmir.
Tragic incident: Five labourers, all hailing from Bihar, working on a sewer line in Ghaziabad’s Ghukna died after inhaling toxic fumes on Thursday. The deceased’s families were awarded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each and four officers of Ghaziabad’s water supply department were suspended after the incident. An FIR was also lodged against the contractor. Suhas Munshi talks to eyewitnesses who tells him why these deaths were easily avoidable.
On Reel
In a heart-wrenching video that has emerged online, a group of men from Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district are seen lowering the body of a dead person from atop a bridge. Watch to find out more.
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