TODAY NEWS ON August 18, 2023
News Headlines

Vasundhara Raje dropped from BJP’s Rajasthan poll panels
Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was left out of two election linked panels in Rajasthan on Thursday. The BJP announced the formation of an election management committee and election manifesto committee for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly polls. BJP State president C.P. Joshi and Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore were also left out.

Stranded Indians cross Niger border to Benin by road
Amid the deteriorating security situation in Niger – one of the most politically unstable and conflict-prone countries in West Africa – a group of Indians, including Keralites, who were stranded in Niamey, the capital of Niger, took the risk of crossing the border by road after their repeated pleas for evacuation from the Sahel region evinced no major response from the Indian Embassy.

Heavy rain and floods batter famed Kalka-Shimla heritage railway line
Heavy rain and floods in Himachal Pradesh have battered the 94-km-long Kalka-Shimla railway line, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The back-to-back floods, first in July and then in August, has led to stoppage of services along the route.

Over 2,000 government employees in Manipur transferred to safer districts
In violence-hit Manipur, over 2,000 government employees — including police personnel — were “transferred to districts where they would face no threats,” according to a status report submitted by the State government in the Supreme Court earlier this month.

No more bulk SIM cards as government steps in to curb fraud
In order to reduce cyber frauds performed through fraudulently acquired SIM cards, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will now require registration and “indisputable verification” of SIM dealers, it was announced on Thursday. Recent efforts to curb fraudulent mobile connections have led to the blacklisting of 67,000 SIM dealers, 52 lakh connections, and the registration of over 300 First Information Reports (FIR), Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.

CJI asks if petitioners want SC to assess Centre’s ‘wisdom’ in repealing Article 370; says its ambit is ‘constitutional violations’
The Supreme Court on Thursday appeared unenthusiastic to accept an “invitation” to judicially review the “wisdom” behind the Union government’s decision to abrogate Article 370, which had given a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Randeep Surjewala appointed Congress general secretary for poll-bound M.P., Mukul Wasnik to handle party affairs in Gujarat
As Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge named Randeep Surjewala as the party’s new general secretary for poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, and Mukul Wasnik for Gujarat, the spotlight is back on the delay in announcing a new Congress Working Committee (CWC).

In Bilkis Bano case, SC asks Gujarat why remission policy was applied selectively
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Gujarat government whether its premature release policy for prisoners was applied only “selectively”.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar denies scheduled meeting with INDIA bloc leaders on his Delhi visi
On his return from New Delhi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar categorically denied having had any scheduled meeting with the Opposition Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders during his visit to the national capital.

China reiterates support for Sri Lanka’s debt relief ahead of crucial IMF review
China has pledged help for Sri Lanka’s debt challenge yet again,even as theRanil Wickremesinghe government tries to finalise the terms of restructuring its foreign loans with bilateral creditors.

Umar Khalid bail plea dropped from SC cause list after being listed before same Bench which had recused itself
Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid’s hopes for an effective bail hearing were dashed when his case was listed and then dropped from the Supreme Court cause list on August 17.

Priya becomes only second Indian U20 World Champion, fiery Panghal one win away from second title
Priya became only the second Indian woman wrestler to become U20 world champion while fast-rising Antim Panghal also stormed into the title clash as unprecedented success followed India at the junior wrestling World Championships in Amman.

For News Based : Daily Current G.K. Analysis ,Short notes & M.C.Q