Today’s Latest News Transcript at 10:30 AM on 1 July 2024
In top national news: Effective today, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Together, these three laws govern the criminal justice jurisprudence — from defining penal offences, prescribing processes for investigation and evidence gathering to governing the process of a trial in court. Among the key changes will be the introduction of new offences in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — from making a deceitful promise to marry (up to 10 years in jail); ‘mob lynching’ on the ground of race, caste or community, sex… (life sentence or death penalty); and more.
In news from Bengal: The ruling TMC in West Bengal came under attack Sunday from the Opposition BJP and CPM after a TMC functionary was captured on tape whipping and assaulting a woman and a man publicly over an alleged extramarital affair at a salishi sabha (kangaroo court) in scenes that the Opposition said were reminiscent of Taliban dispensation of justice. The incident took place in the Lakhipur gram panchayat area of Chopra block in Uttar Dinajpur district on June 28. Outrage mounted after a video clip of the assault surfaced online. As the clip did the rounds of social media, police swung into action and arrested Tajimul Islam and brought him to the Islampur police station.
In educational news: From preparations for entrance exams to acquiring life skills such as time management and understanding the value of money — the report cards of students of classes 9 to 12 could be vastly different, reflecting a lot more than just marks scored in school-level and Board examinations. These elements are part of a new ‘Holistic Progress Card (HPC)’, a report card that PARAKH — a standard-setting body under the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) — recently released for secondary school students (Classes 9 to 12). Sources said that while the report card will not be used in the ongoing 2024-25 academic session, teachers and other officials will be trained on its implementation.
In other news: With five bridges collapsing in a matter of 10 days in Bihar, the state’s Nitish Kumar government has sought detailed reports from its various departments, The Indian Express has learnt. According to government sources, the state government has asked departments such as road construction and rural development to issue notices to agencies and private contractors involved in building these bridges for “grave lapses” — including using substandard material in construction, and poor maintenance. “We are waiting for their reports before taking the next course of action,” a senior official at the Chief Minister’s Office told The Indian Express.
In top international news: Russian forces have taken over the villages of Spirne and Novooleksandrivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday. The ministry, in a brief statement on the Telegram messaging app, said its forces have also improved their positions along the frontline around the villages. Spirne is located in the east of the Donetsk region, close to the border with Ukraine’s Luhansk region. The village of Novooleksandrivka lies about 130 km (80 miles) west of Spirne. Ukraine’s General Staff said in its daily statement on the situation on the battlefield that “heavy fighting” was taking place in the area around the villages, but it did not report any losses.
Meanwhile: Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Sunday accused his political ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce of deceiving the Bolivian people by staging a “self-coup” last week to earn political points among the electorate, marking a sharp downturn in an already fraught relationship. Morales was initially among the country’s most powerful voices to say that approximately 200 members of the military who marched on Bolivia’s government palace alongside armoured vehicles on Wednesday had attempted a “coup d’état.” “We are convinced that democracy is the only way to resolve any difference and that institutions and the rule of law must be respected,” Morales wrote in a post on the social media platform X on the day of the military action.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile eastward, Yonhap News Agency reported today. The South Korean military is analysing the launch, Yonhap said. On Sunday, North Korea criticised a joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan and the United States held last month and warned of an “overwhelming response” against such drills. North Korea said last week it had successfully conducted an important test aimed at developing missiles carrying multiple warheads, a claim rejected by South Korea as “deception” to mask a failed launch.
Lastly: A Taliban delegation on Sunday attended a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar on Afghanistan after organizers said women would be excluded from the gathering. The two-day meeting is the third UN-sponsored gathering on the Afghan crisis in the Qatari capital of Doha. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban government who leads its delegation, wrote on social media platform X that the delegation met with representatives from countries including Russia, India, and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the meeting.