Here are the top stories for todayIf talks are initiated, there will be positive response: Hurriyat responds to J&K Guv
A day after Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said that Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks with New Delhi, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that if “meaningful” talks are initiated, “there will be a positive response”. Farooq told The Indian Express the Hurriyat have always been ready for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue.
RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya quits
RBI Deputy Governor Viral V Acharya has resigned from his post, six months before the scheduled end of his term, sources have confirmed to The Indian Express. Acharya will be returning to New York University as CV Starr Professor of Economics.
India scraps Israel anti-tank missile deal after DRDO says will deliver
India has scrapped a $500-million deal with Israel after indigenous developer Defence Research & Development Organisation claimed that it could deliver an alternative within two years. Officials said DRDO’s effort in creating an anti-tank guided missile was “progressing fast” with the second stage of testing concluded.
Opinion: Cut in Pak’s defence budget is desirable, but not easy
While one remains unsure of how much reduction will actually be brought about, the fact remains that cutting excess fat in the government, especially the defence sector, is possible. Pakistan could comfortably reduce about 25 per cent of defence spending without a change in its current capabilities, Ayesha Siddiqa writes
Record temperatures: Trend projected to continue, what it will take to check it
A new study has projected that the record-setting trend will continue for at least the next 20 years, and for longer unless measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This month, Delhi reported its highest ever temperature of 48°C while Churu in Rajasthan crossed 50°C. Last week, the World Meteorological Organization confirmed two readings as being among the hottest on record globally — 53.9°C in Mitribah, Kuwait (2016) and 53.7°C in Turbat, Pakistan (2017).
13 years later, 15 families back in Bastar: ‘Happy but leave us alone’
They fled with memories of gunshots being fired between Salma Judum and the Maoists. Their return now has brought sudden attention, unwanted by the Maoists, who are trying to spread fear and warning returnees not to seek government jobs. The families of Bastar’s Maraiguda are thus happy to be back but hesitant. “We need to be left alone,” they say. Some question: was the process done in haste?
Turkey’s President Suffers stinging defeat in Istanbul election redo
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey suffered the biggest defeat of his political career on Sunday as his candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu conceded defeat in a repeat election. The result in the do-over ended the ruling party’s 25-year dominance.
And finally….
You can now expect a smooth ride on premium trains as the Indian Railways has finally managed to fix the buffer that links two coaches. The new retrofit solution will eliminate jerks that had your chai spilling and some even losing their balance while walking through the aisles.
