Indian Sub-continent

25 June 2018; Thomson Reuters Foundation has found India to be the most dangerous country for women. Seven years ago India ranked fifth, according to the foundation.

In their survey of about 550 experts on women's issues, conducted online, by phone and in person between March 26 and May 4, 2018 across Europe, Africa, the Americas, South East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific, India was found to be most dangerous country for women.

The survey questions were based on following criteria;

Srinagar; 19 June 2018

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pulled out of the alliance with People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, and Mehbooba Mufti and her team of ministers have sent in their resignations to the governor.

There were reports that PDP was unhappy with the Center's decision to revoke the month-long suspension of the ceasefire which was in force during the holy month of Ramzan.

Based on a report published by Indian Express (Express Web Desk) on June 15, 2018, “the Central Intelligence Agency, in its recent edition of the ‘World Factbook’, has named the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal as “religious militant organisations”.

“The agency categorised them under “political pressure groups”, defined as organisations that are involved in politics or that exert political pressure but whose leaders do not stand for legislative election.”

PTI; Kolkata, Jun 15 : The West Bengal government is working on a new law to tackle the menace of fake news and posts on social media, a move which comes against the backdrop of such posts stirring trouble and unrest in many parts of the country.

A Home Department official told PTI that the state government intends to bring more clarity on the nature of the offence and punishment for those responsible for spreading fake news and posting morphed photographs with an aim to disrupt peace and communal harmony or spread hatred in society.

PTI; Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 12 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today assured that no student in the state would be denied a chance to pursue higher secondary education due to shortage of seats for plus one course in government and aided schools.

However, he admitted that there was some disparity in the availability of seats in the state, especially in Malabar (north Kerala) region, where there is a dearth of the same.

"The governmentwould adopt a practical solution to address the problem," Vijayan said.

PTI; Thane (Maharashtra), Jun 12 :  Congress President Rahul

Gandhi will face trial in a defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker after a magistrate court here today framed charges against him.

Gandhi pleaded not guilty in the case.

The 47-year-old Congress leader arrived at the magistrate's court in Bhiwandi at 11.05 am amid heavy security cover and was greeted by people raising slogans in his support.

PTI; Thane (Maharashtra), Jun 12 : Congress president Rahul Gandhi today slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not talking about employment for youth and farmers and said his fight was against the government's policies.

Gandhi, who appeared before a court in Bhiwandi town here in connection with a defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker,

also dared the BJP and the RSS to slap as many cases on him as they wanted to.

PTI; New Delhi, June 12 : Retail inflation jumped to 4-month high of 4.87 per cent in May on costlier food items such as fruits, vegetables and cereals coupled with high fuel rates.

Based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), the retail inflation was at 4.58 per cent in the preceding month, April. In May 2017, however, it was at a low of 2.18 per cent.

The previous high in retail inflation was in January this year at 5.7 per cent.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

On Thursday, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain signed a bill to merge the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the neighbouring province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

BALASORE: India on Sunday Successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Long Range Ballistic Missile Agni-5 with a strike range of 5,000 km from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

The surface-to-surface missile was launched with the help of a mobile launcher from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal at 9.48 am, defence sources said.

This was the sixth trial of the state-of-the-art Agni-5. The missile covered its full distance during the trial which was a total success, they said.