New private investment plans slump to 20 year low in Q1.
First quarter of 2024 has seen a 20 month low , foreign investment of ₹44, 300 crore .
The corresponding year of the past financial year , recorded a new investment of about nearly ₹7.9 lakh crore .
Red flag raised over silver import to India from UAE through GIFT city
In a major disruption for the bullion market , almost all the India’s silver import are now being handled by few private players bringing silver through GIFT city .
Experts belive that this may extend to Gold., platinum and diamond , further disrupting India’s traditional export practices .
and market dynamics .
India’s import for gold and silver from UAE increased by 210 % in 2023 24 to 10.7 billion dollar .
In May , 87% of India’s global silver import came from Dubai at a reduced 8 % duty , and. Was cleared from GIFT city , Ahmedabad d . This meets India UAE CEPA rules , while other ports fail in this .
India allows 15% import duty on silver and only allows RBI and DGFT to import precious metal .However GIFT city has been exempted from this . Means private players in GIFT can import silver or other precious metals .
GIFT city exchanges has demanded thorough investigation into the firms that imported silver .
With two more killed , six militants dead in Operation J&K’s Kulgam
With two more bodies found during the second consecutive day of gunfight , a total of six militants has been killed by security forces .
Two security forces was martyred .
In another operation against militants in Rajauri .
Bail cannot switch as a form of Punishment , SC
The Supreme Court has held that the right to bail of an accused cannot be withheld as a punishment , irrespective to nature of crime .
Refusal to grant. bail to an accused is leading to “ prisonization “ of an accused , who is innocent , until proven guilty , the apex court said .
The observation was based on an order filed by Ghulam Nabi Sheikh , against a Bombay high court decision refusing him bail under UAPA charges .
Death toll in Assam flood hit Assam rises to 66 , rivers still in spate
Death toll in Assam polls has risen to 66 after eight more people died of flooding
28 districts remain on higher alert as Brahmutra , Barak and other major rivers are flowing above the danger mark .
Over 22.7 lakh people have been displaced , about 33 % of the Dhubri river from the bordering Bangladesh .
More than 53,000 people are currently staying in 269 relief camps
World
Exit polls put French left bloc on course to defeat far right
France went for a second round of snap polls on July 7 .
Turnout recorded was 59.7% . This is the highest since 1981.
The Exit polls in the French Election , shows no clear majority to any party .
Far Right National Rally ( NR ) party is expected to get the highest number of seats .
Centrist Renaissance Party of Emanual Macron is expected to come third while , left wing is expected to come second .
A coalition government is expected with NR by Marie Le Pen leading the group .
The counting of votes will start soon after .
Erdogan may invite Assad to Turkey for reconciliation talk
President Racel Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he might invite his Syrian counterpart Bashar al Assad ,” at any moment “ in a connection to reconciliation of ties between Ankara and Damascus .
Mr Erdogan’s comment comes after tensions have mounted over the past weeks , after a mob went on rampage , vandalising business and properties owned by Syrians in a central Anatolian city .
Israel on Monday targeted
Iran’s President elect Pezeshkian to be sworn in next month
Masoud Pezeshkian will take oath as Iranian President on August 4 or 5 , said official IRNA news agency , quoting a member of Parliament’s presiding board .
The president will have 15 days to present his proposed ministers to the parliament for vote of confidence .
Iran’s leader is not the head of the state and the ultimate authority is with the Supreme Leader – a post which is held by Ayotollah Ali Khameinei for the past 35 years .
62 killed and 90 injured in rain related incidents in Nepal in the past four weeks
At least 62 people were killed and 90 sustained injuries , in rain related incidents across Nepal over the past four weeks .
The major cause of death is landslip , floods and lightning strike .
Editorial
Old traditions , new ties
Narendra Modi must convince Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraie war
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Russia on Monday . This is first bilateral visit of PM Modi after holding office . Also this is first visit of PM Modi after Russia Ukraine war .
The two leaders had last time met at SCO summit where PM Modi had reminded that the this is not “ era of war “ .
Energy relations , space , defense purchases will be among the major topics of talk .
Trade imbalance and payment related issues will also hold gravity .
Three was fall of defense supplies from Russia to India , that will be another major concern .
Winds of Change
The rest of the world should do not to engage reformists in Iran
The editorial is about win of Masoud Pezeshkian in Iran’s poll . Mr Pezeshkian is different from his predecessors .
He is not in favour of moral policing . He favours engaging with west rather than conflicting .
The elections shows that because of slump in economy mainly due to sanction of the west Iran a new reformist leader is better .
The low voter turnout of 39.9% in the first phase made it difficult for Pezeshkian .
Voter turnout stood to be 50% in the second round which helped Mr Pezeskian .
Still the control of police and polices mainly lies with Iran’s Supreme leader .
But Mr Pezeskian has a wider say on economic decisions which can play a turning point .
The victory of Masoud Pezeskian , a reformist who opposes moral policing ,
What is internet archives and why it is facing backlash from book publishers ?
Internet Archive ( IA ) is a non profit organisation , that aims to digitise , privatise , lend and share multimedia content .
Recently Internet Archives is facing controversy after publishers has accused it of violating copyright .
Because of this the free digital library is facing forced removal of over half a million books .
Internet archives is an American Non profit digital library .
It provides free access to digitalises materials including websites , software applications and audio visual materials.
Science
Jumping genes and RNA bridges promise to shake up biomedicine
Transposons are genes that were able to move within the genome.
These genes were called mobile elements or transposons ,
Transposons is also called ‘ jumping genes ‘
A new RNA guided gene editing technique used bacterial transposons . . A functional copy of a gene can be replaced within given genomic location .
It may also be able to treat chromosomal inversions or deletion
