Fire in Cyprus and Canada, crashes in Haiti and the Phillippines, and the Afghans fearing for their lives. It’s been a day of tragedies. Cattle rearing emits methane which is around 90 million tonnes (MT) annually and is a greenhouse gas that has forced even nations like France to issue advisories on shifting to vegetarianism. Now, Indian scientists have made a breakthrough.
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
💉🇮🇳 Improved Coverage: Since the Centre streamlined supply across the country and SII and Bharat BioTech increased production, vaccinations too increased – almost 20% off all vaccinations were given in two weeks.
💉 Making Sputnik: Panacea Biotec in Himachal Pradesh has got licence to produce Sputnik V.
😱 Rock and the sea: UK health experts say they are frightened by new health secretary Sajid Javed’s move to lift major restrictions from July 19. While the experts say that this could cause more variants to emerge, Javid says these restrictions have caused an uptick in domestic violence and mental health issues.
🎭 Vaccinated & Unvaccinated: Gauhati HC has said that the Mizoram govt’s move to put curbs on unvaccinated people – not allowed to move outside for errands in areas of significant Covid-19 cases, cannot staff stores or drive public transport – violated the Constitution.
INDIA NEWS
🚫 No Drones: Srinagar has banned drones in the city. This comes after the Jammu airport was attacked by drones last week.
*💣 You did it!*: Pak has accused India of planting the bomb outside LeT chief Hafiz Saeed’s house last month that killed three people, the perpetrator was “Indian agent of RAW”.
*😞 Prick of Conscience*: Stan Swamy, 84 and a Parkinson’s disease patient, is on ventilator support. He was kept in jail since October last year under UAPA, and an NIA court earlier refused to let him be treated in hospital.
👩🌾👨🏼🌾 March Ahead: Farmers against the three farm laws will march to Parliament during the Monsoon session that starts on July 19.
“I am young in age and all are experienced and my seniors. My party is my mother that has given me an opportunity to serve. It is my responsibility to take everyone along — seniors with respect and youngsters with affection and take the party as well as the state forward.”
Pushkar Singh Dhami, youngest CM of Uttarakhand
Revamp Service Exam: Following the suicide of a 24-year-old Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirant, many political leaders and retired bureaucrats have called for a revision of the exam to make it more aspirant-friendly.
👥 Assam’s Contention: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma said ‘indigenous Muslims’ have agreed that population is a problem and have created eight sub-groups to look into the issue through the lens of education, health, financial inclusion, women empowerment and population stabilisation.
“If anyone says that Muslims should not stay in India then he is not a Hindu… If you don’t want to call yourself Hindu, you can say Indian instead but we should all work for the country.”
Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief
WORLD NEWS
⛔ Rescue Suspended: A controlled demolition of the Miami building that had partially collapsed last month has forced rescuers to put off their efforts temporarily. The demolition was done in view of an incoming storm. Almost 121 people are still missing and 24 dead.
🔥 Worst Fire: Cyprus is suffering its worst wildfire in its history. The country has been suffering a weeklong heatwave.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia: Tigray rebels declared that they ought to be declared as a legitimate government and that the Ethiopian troops must completely withdraw before there can be any truce.
“I want to talk about happy things, man. Look, it’s Fourth of July. I’m concerned that you’re asking me questions that I will answer next week, but it’s the holiday weekend. I’m going to celebrate it. There’s great things happening.”
-US President Joe Biden on being asked too many questions on Afghanistan.
(Note: This quote is dated Friday. On Sunday the Guardian reported how more Afghan districts fell to the Taliban.)
“There’s no hope for the future. Afghans are leaving the country. I don’t know whether I am going to be safe 10 minutes from now.”
– Zubair Ahmad, a 23-year-old grocer in Afghanistan to NYT
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
🚚🚛🛻🚗 Traffic Back: FasTag toll collection in India on July 1 was Rs 103 crore, just short of Rs 107 crore of March 2020.
🛍️ Privacy: Rule 5(8) under the new rules for e-commerce requires companies to furnish data information under its control to a government agency within 72 hours of getting the receipt.
Jeff Bezos will step down as Amazon CEO 
Andy Jassy will take over
ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE & TECH
🐄💨 Gas Trouble: The ICAR has come up with a supplement called Harti Dhara that not only cuts methane by 17 to 20% but also increases milk production and body weight.
👨🚀 First Walk: Chinese astronauts conducted their first spacewalk to fix a robotic arm and cameras on their upcoming space station Tiangong.
NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Elvis Presley recorded That’s All Right, which was his first hit and helped put rock and roll music on the map on this day in 1954.
All pics are sourced from Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise credited.
News Of Today 