If all goes well, this will be the last Independence Day when you will be able to fly that small plastic Indian Tricolour that you get on the street. It is among the many items that will be banned from July 1, 2022, in the Centre’s attempt to finally put a stop to single-use plastics that have been polluting our waters, land and even air.
INDIA NEWS
Next fight: Twitter’s latest stringent critic is the Congress with Rahul Gandhi attacking it for temporarily blocking the accounts of around 5,000 party leaders for sharing a sensitive picture following a communication from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Gandhi called it an “attack on the democratic structure of the country”. The NCPCR now has also approached Facebook as Gandhi had posted the same pic on Instagram as well.
Holy Cow: The Assam Assebly has passed a bill that prohibits the purchase or sale of beef in areas where there is a community that does not eat it or in a 5-km radius from a temple. The opposition proposed amendments and asked the bill be referred to a select committee but the govt rejected this causing them to walkout before vote.
Not You: The people of Sao Jacinto island near south Goa have said they alone will unfurl the National Flag and do not need the central or state government agencies to do it. They say that they distrust both govts following the inclusion of the island under the Mormugao Port Trust. Respecting their wishes, the Navy has cancelled its event planned there.
WORLD NEWS
Knocking at the door: The Taliban now have Kandahar, Herat and Lashkar Gah and effectively controls over half of the nation’s 34 provincial capitals. India joined Qatar, Turkey, Germany and a host of other countries to say they won’t recognise a govt formed by force.
Pak Kill List: A Pakistan parliamentary committee has ordered a probe after the Taliban confirmed the existence of a “kill list” that named prominent people in the country, including politicians.
Coronavirus News: The US has approved a third dose of vaccine for people with compromised immune system.
ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE & TECH
Under Ice: Scientists have found a well-preserved carcass of a lion cub thought to be at least 28,000 years old as the permafrost thaws due to climate change.
“July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded.”
Rick Spinrad, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
Scrap your Engines: The central govt has launched a new policy in which people who scrap their old vehicles will get registration fee waiver for their new vehicle and relief in road tax.
Another Whammy: The closure of a major Chinese shipping port after one worker was found to be infected with the coronavirus could have major repurcussions on global trade. The Ningbo-Zhoushan port in eastern China is the third largest in the world.
Export/Import numbers: The country exported goods worth a record $35 billion, growing almost 50% from last year in July. But the imports grew faster – $46 billion, a 63% rise. The trade deficit of nearly $11 billion is over double than last year.
News Of Today 