Increased attacks on people, places of worship in India: Blinken
India has seen an increase in attacks on people (due to religious intolerance) and places of worship, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. The secretary also cited Vietnam and Nigeria as examples of countries where religious expression was being curtailed.
Don’t look for shivlings in every mosque, says Mohan Bhagwat
While stating that the Gyanvapi mosque had a history that one could not change, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said there was no need to look for shivlings in mosques daily and needlessly escalate a controversy.
2 dead in fresh targeted killings in Kashmir Valley
Amid continuing targeted killings, a bank manager from Rajasthan and a labourer from Bihar working in a brick kiln were killed in separate incidents in Kashmir on Thursday.
No language is less than Hindi, English: Union Education Minister
No language is any less than Hindi or English, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a conference of Education Ministers from across the country. He said the Centre would work with State governments to frame policies, like “five fingers coming together to form a fist”.
Panel to hear appeals on social media posts
The government has proposed a new panel that will have the power to overturn the decisions related to content moderation/takedown of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, following appeals by users.
Minority certificate plan triggers fears in Assam
The Assam government’s plan announced in March to provide minority certificates to six communities has caused disquiet among certain groups while raising hope among others. While several “indigenous” and Bengali-origin Muslim forums see in it a divisive ploy on the part of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government, some non-Muslim communities have welcomed it as a step that could help them being “finally counted as minorities”.
Lawyer sends notice to ASI, seeks excavation of mosque near Agra Fort
With the Shahi Idgah Mosque-Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple dispute in the courts of Mathura, a plaintiff in the matter on Thursday sent a legal notice to the Union of India and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) asking that they stop people from entering the Begum Sahiba Masjid near the Agra Fort and excavate the site to look for Hindu idols.
Sedition law freeze | No respite for people booked under UAPA
The Supreme Court’s freeze on sedition proceedings under the colonial Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code seems to have not yet made a ripple on the ground for persons who have also been charged under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 in the same case or separately.
Russia tightens grip on Ukrainian city Sievierodonetsk, raps U.S. for supplying rockets
Russian forces were attempting to extend and consolidate their hold on Ukraine’s industrial city of Sievierodonetsk on June 2, edging closer to claiming a big prize in their offensive in the eastern Donbas region. But in a boost for Ukraine, locked in a grinding struggle against Russia’s invading army, the United States announced a $700 million weapons package for Kyiv that will include advanced rocket systems with a range of up to 80 km (50 miles).
Salman Rushdie leads over 40 British Indians in Queen’s Jubilee Honours list
Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai-born author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight’s Children, is named a Companion of Honour, an exclusive club with membership limited to just 65 people at any given time, for services to literature in a list released on the night of June 1 as the Jubilee Honours to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years of service to the U.K.
Nepal tightens flight rules after crash that killed 22 people on board
Flights in Nepal will be cleared to fly only if there is favourable weather forecast throughout their route, according to new regulations announced in the wake of a recent crash that killed 22 people, officials said on June 2. A full investigation into the crash of the Twin Otter aircraft in western Nepal on May 29 is underway, but a preliminary inquiry suggested that bad weather caused the accident.
China demands U.S. stop trade talks with Taiwan
China’s government on June 2 accused Washington of jeopardising peace after U.S. envoys began trade talks with Taiwan aimed at deepening relations with the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing.
