Government to hike minimum support price of agricultural products for Kharif season
The Cabinet has decided to hike the minimum support price or MSP for many agricultural products for the Kharif marketing season at a rate that is the highest in many years, Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal said. The MSP for moong has been raised 10.4%, for sesame seeds 10.3%, long-staple cotton 10%, groundnut oil 9%, medium staple cotton 8.9% and paddy 7%. The MSP for Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Maize, Urad, Tur, Sunflower seeds and oil, among other items, have been raised in the range of 6% to 7%.
Cabinet approves ₹89,047 crore for 4G, 5G spectrum allocation to BSNL
The Union Cabinet on June 7 approved the third revival package for BSNL with a total outlay of ₹89,047 crore. The package includes allotment of 4G and 5G spectrum for BSNL through equity infusion, an official statement said. Also, the authorized capital of BSNL will be increased from ₹1,50,000 crore to ₹2,10,000 crore. The package comprises allotment of premium wireless frequencies 700 MHz band spectrum worth ₹46,338.6 crore; 70 MHz of frequencies in 3300 MHz band worth ₹26,184.2 crore; frequencies in 26 GHz band worth ₹6,564.93 crore; in 2500 MHz band worth ₹9,428.2 crore and ₹531.89 crore for miscellaneous items.
Cabinet approves ₹2,980 crore for Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme
The government on June 7 approved the continuation of the central sector plan ‘Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme’ with an estimated expenditure of ₹2,980 crore. The time period for the extension is from 2021-22 to 2025-26 co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission cycle, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said in a statement.
Top wrestlers agree to suspend protest till June 15 after five-hour meet with Sports Minister
The protesting wrestlers on June 7 agreed to suspend their protest for a week after the government asked them to wait till police completes its probe into sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by June 15. “We were told that police investigation will be complete by June 15. Till then, we have been asked to wait and suspend the protest,” Sakshi Malik told reporters after the meeting. Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Satyawart Kadiyan held nearly a five-hour long talk with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on the day.
Gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva shot dead on Lucknow court premises
Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s alleged aide Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva was shot dead on Lucknow court premises on June 7, police said. According to eyewitnesses, the assailant was dressed like a lawyer. “Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva, who was held in Lucknow jail, was brought to the court for hearing in a case and was shot dead by an unknown assailant,” said Lucknow Police Commissioner S.B. Shiradkar who reached the court premises shortly after the incident.
216 Air India passengers stranded in Russia’s Magadan - a major transit point of infamous Gulag
The 216 people on board the Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco that made an emergency landing on June 6 are stranded in Russia’s remote town of Magadan, a key transit point of the infamous Gulag which was a major instrument of political repression during the Stalin era in the erstwhile Soviet Union. Flight AI173 was diverted to Magadan due to an engine glitch in the Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft. Air India on Wednesday sent a ferry flight - carrying food and other essentials - to Magadan to fly the passengers bound for San Francisco, who are currently stranded.
Cyclone Biparjoy rapidly intensifies into severe cyclonic storm
Cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ has rapidly intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, with meteorologists predicting a “mild” monsoon onset over Kerala and “weak” progress beyond southern peninsula under its influence. It is the first storm brewing in the Arabian Sea this year. In an update, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, “Cyclonic storm Biparjoy over east-central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of 2 kmph during the last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centred over the same region at 5.30 hours, about 890 km west-southwest of Goa, 1,000 km southwest of Mumbai, 1,070 km south-southwest of Porbandar and 1,370 km south of Karachi”.
Manipur group to Amit Shah: Kuki outfits intensifying attacks, cannot surrender arms
A Manipur-based civil society group has said the State’s youth were unwilling to surrender their arms in view of intensified attacks by Kuki “terrorists”. In a memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah on June 4, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) listed a series of attacks by Kuki extremist groups on the Meitei people inhabiting the Imphal Valley and the surrounding foothills. COCOMI primarily represents the Meitei people.
Tension prevailed in Kolhapur on June 7 after protests by Hindutva outfits against ‘objectionable’ social media posts reportedly glorifying Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and 18th century Mysore state ruler Tipu Sultan turned violent, leading to vehicles and establishments being vandalized and the administration imposing curfew. Authorities said that right-wing outfits had called for a shutdown of the district with a large number of these activists congregating at the Kolhapur city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Chowk.
Devastating dam breach plunges southern Ukraine into ongoing flooding crisis
Residents of southern Ukraine braced for a second day of swelling floodwaters on June 7 as authorities warned that a Dnieper River dam breach would continue to unleash pent-up waters from a giant reservoir. Officials said waters were expected to rise further following the dramatic rupture of the Kakhovka dam about 70 km to the east of Kherson, but were slowing. Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam and adjoining hydroelectric power station, which sits in an area Moscow has controlled for more than a year. Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area, where the river separates the two sides.
Quebec orders more evacuations as dozens of wildfires in Canada remain out of control
Northern Quebec’s largest town was being evacuated on June 6 as firefighters worked to beat back threats from out-of-control blazes in remote communities in the northern and northwestern parts of the Province. According to the Province’s forest fire prevention agency, more than 150 forest fires were burning in the Province on June 6, including more than 110 deemed out of control. The intense Canadian wildfires are blanketing the northeastern U.S. and parts of Eastern Canada in a haze, turning the air acrid, the sky yellowish gray and prompting warnings for vulnerable populations to stay inside.
China trade tumbles in May, highlighting slowdown of economic recovery
China’s exports fell 7.5% from a year earlier in May and imports were down 4.5%, adding to signs that an economic rebound following the end of the anti-virus controls is slowing as global demand weakens due to higher interest rates. Exports slid to $283.5 billion, reversing from April’s unexpectedly strong 8.5% growth, customs data showed on June 7. Imports fell to $217.7 billion, moderating from the previous month’s 7.9% contraction. China’s global trade surplus narrowed by 16.1% to $65.8 billion.
Ex-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence launches 2024 election bid, challenging Trump
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served Donald Trump with unwavering loyalty but later turned on him after the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, formally challenged his former boss for the Republican presidential nomination on June 7. “I believe in the American people, and I have faith God is not done with America yet. Together, we can bring this Country back, and the best days for the Greatest Nation on Earth are yet to come!” he said in a post on Twitter accompanying a campaign video.
Women’s Jr Asia Cup Hockey | India looks to draw against Chinese Taipei to make SF
Unbeaten India would look to seal their semifinal berth when they face Chinese Taipei in their final pool match of the Women’s Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament on June 8. India have blanked Uzbekistan 22-0 and then registered a hard-fought 2-1 win over Malaysia. In their last pool match, they came from two goals down to salvage a point with a fighting 2-2 draw against Korea to have two wins and a draw to their name. India is currently atop Pool A with seven points from three games and a draw against Chinese Taipei would be enough to seal a last-four berth.
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