Junior Digest

Aug 16,2022:Kenya’s electoral commission yesterday declared the deputy president, William Ruto, winner of the country’s presidential election. Ruto polled 50.49 per cent of the total votes cast (7,176,141) to defeat his closest rival, ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who got 48.85 per cent (6,942,930), in a tight race watched by diplomats and other international observers.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday congratulated the Kenyan president-elect on his victory in the August 9 election.

However, some senior election officials disowned the poll result, fuelling fears of violence, like that seen after previous disputed polls, Reuters reported.
But hailing the electoral commission members as “heroes”, Ruto said, “There is no looking back. We are looking to the future. We need all hands on deck to move forward.”

The 55-year-old had made Kenya’s class divisions the centrepiece of his campaign to become the country’s fifth president, promising to reward low-income “hustlers” and pouring scorn on Kenya’s political dynasties.
That was a barely veiled jab at his opponent, Odinga, and President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the nation’s first vice president and president, respectively.

Ruto, who headed the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance, had appeared to be leading long-time opposition leader, Odinga, as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.

BEIJING,Aug 08,2022: China search engine giant Baidu Inc said on Monday it has obtained permits to operate fully driverless robotaxi services on open roads from two Chinese cities, the first of their kind in the country.

The permits, awarded by the southwestern municipality of Chongqing and the central city of Wuhan, allow commercial robotaxis to offer rides to the public without human safety drivers in the car. They come into effect on Monday.
Baidu said they marked a “turning point” in China’s policy-making towards autonomous driving.

“These permits have deep significance for the industry,” Wei Dong, chief safety operation officer of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, told Reuters in an interview. “If we think of the exploration of space, this moment is equal to landing on the moon.”

At first, Baidu will deploy a batch of five fee-charging robotaxis in each city, where they will be allowed to operate in designated areas from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Wuhan and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Chongqing, the company said in a statement.

Aug 14,2022:Afghan women hold protest in Kabul. The demonstrators carried a banner, which read ‘August 15 is a black day’ as they demanded rights to work and political participation.
Taliban fighters beat female protesters and fired into the air on Saturday to dispersed a rare rally in the Afghan capital, Kabul, days before the first anniversary of the group’s return to power.

About 40 women marched on the education ministry in Kabul, chanting “bread, work and freedom”. Despite the pledges made when it retook power, the Taliban has limited Afghan women’s rights, including keeping high school girl students out of school.

Aug 11,2022:President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday appointed Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as the 49th Chief Justice of India. He will take over on August 27, said the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Justice Lalit was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in August 2014. He will be the second CJI to be directly elevated to the top court from the Bar, after Justice S.M. Sikri, who served as the 13 th CJI in 1971.

Justice Lalit was enrolled as an advocate by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in June, 1983. He practised in the High Court of Bombay till December, 1985 before moving to Delhi in January, 1986.

He was on the panel of lawyers for the Union of India during the period when Soli J. Sorabjee was the Attorney General. From 1992 till 2002 he practised as Advocate on Record and was designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court in April 2004.

Justice Lalit was also appointed Amicus Curiae in many important issues, including Forest matters, Vehicular Pollution, Pollution of Yamuna etc. He was appointed as Special Public Prosecutor for CBI under the orders of the Supreme Court to conduct trial in all 2G matters.

He has also served as a member of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee for two terms.

NEW YORK, Aug 13,2022: Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born novelist who spent years in hiding after Iran urged Muslims to kill him because of his writing, was stabbed in the neck and torso onstage at a lecture in New York state on Friday and airlifted to a hospital, police said.

After hours of surgery, Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak on Friday evening after an attack condemned by writers and politicians around the world as an assault on the freedom of expression.

Rushdie, 75, was being introduced to give a talk to an audience of hundreds on artistic freedom at western New York’s Chautauqua Institution when a man rushed to the stage and lunged at the novelist, who has lived with a bounty on his head since the late 1980s.

Aug 07,2022:National Democratic Alliance candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th vice president of India as he defeated the Opposition’s candidate Margaret Alva.
Dhankhar, who is the former West Bengal governor, secured 528 votes against Alva’s 182. His victory margin was the highest since 1997. The former Bengal governor secured 72.8 percent of the of the 725 valid votes cast.
The record is held by KR Narayanan, who leads the list for having the highest victory margin by securing 700 of the 701 votes cast in 1992. Dhankhar’s performance in this election outshined Naidu’s 2017 performance by 2 percent.

Dhankhar, 71, will take oath as the vice president on August 11, a day after incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu’s tenure ends. He will be the second vice president from Rajasthan after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who held the office between 2002 and 2007.

The electoral college comprises 788 members, but due to eight vacancies in Rajya Sabha, the actual strength was 780. The returning officer of the vice presidential election said of the total 780 electors, 725 cast their ballots but 15 votes were found to be invalid.

The Trinamool Congress had abstained from voting claiming it was not consulted while naming Alva as the opposition pick. However, two of its MPs — Sisir Kumar Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari — broke ranks and cast their ballots. The party has 36 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha.

Patna (Bihar),Aug 10,2022: Amid Bihar’s political crisis, Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar is all set to take oath as Bihar’s chief minister again. After having announced a new “Grand Alliance” which includes Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other Opposition parties, Nitish will take oath on Wednesday afternoon. Interestingly, this will be the eighth time that Nitish Kumar will take oath as the Bihar CM.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav is also likely to take an oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Seven parties including 164 MLAs along with independent MLAs will be there in our Mahagathbandhan, says Nitish Kumar at a joint presser with RJD`s Tejashwi Yadav after meeting Bihar Governor.

Kumar ended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance and rejoined hands with RJD on a day of rapidly changing political developments in Bihar. According to a tweet by Kumar’s new alliance partner RJD, the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 2 pm at Raj Bhavan.

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Aug 14,2022:Sri Lanka says it has granted permission for a controversial Chinese research vessel to visit the island, despite security concerns raised by India.

The Yuan Wang 5 is described as a research and survey vessel by international shipping and analytics sites, but according to Indian media, it is a dual-use spy ship.

India has provided more help to Sri Lanka this year than any other nation. But it fears China will use the Hambantota port near the main Asia-Europe shipping route as a military base.

The Yuan Wang 5 was initially due to arrive in a port in Hambantota on the southern coast of Sri Lanka on August 11, but will now arrive on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said.

The visit had initially been approved on July 12, a day before former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled following months of protests against the country’s economic crisis.

Aug 12,2022:Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict S. Nalini has approached the Supreme Court seeking premature release from life imprisonment.

The Madras High Court had, in June, dismissed writ petitions filed by S. Nalini and R.P. Ravichandran, the life convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to release them forthwith without waiting further for the Governor’s nod to a September 9, 2018, Cabinet recommendation.

The High Court had held that the Governor’s signature was sine qua non under Article 161 of the Constitution. The court had also observed that it could not exercise extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to pass an order similar to the one that released A.G. Perarivalan, another convict in the assassination case, on May 18.

Perarivalan had served over 30 years in prison.

Aug 12,2022:At least six protesters and six police officers were killed as anti-government protests in Sierra Leone turned violent, according to officials and local media reports.

Hundreds of people took to the streets on Wednesday in a public display of anger over economic conditions in the country and to protest the perceived failure by the government to cushion the effect of rising prices.
At least six protesters were killed, the AFP news agency reported, citing a morgue technician at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown; local media reported that seven protesters died.

Two police officers were killed in Freetown, three in the northern town of Kamakwie and one in the northern city of Makeni, Police Inspector General William Fayia Sellu told the Reuters news agency.

Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify death tolls.

Deadly unrest is uncommon for Sierra Leone, especially in the West African country’s capital Freetown. Relative calm returned to the city on Thursday after a nationwide curfew was imposed. Police and troops patrolled the streets of the capital, and some shops in the city’s central business district had reopened, AFP reported.

Washington,Aug 14,2022: Renowned author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and will be able to talk, a day after he was stabbed in western New York State on Friday morning during a lecture.

Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed that Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and could be able to talk, without giving further details, according to the Washington Post.
Earlier, Hadi Matar, who is suspected of stabbing Indian-born-British author Salman Rushdie, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the second degree and other charges in a New York court.

Matar was arraigned in centralised arraignment on Saturday and was remanded without bail at Chautauqua County Jail.

According to Nathaniel Barone, his public defender said that Matar pleaded not guilty, CNN reported.

On Friday, Matar was brought before a court on charges of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree and was remanded without bail at Chautauqua County Jail.

Aug 09,2022:On his last day as Rajya Sabha Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu said his last piece of advice to MPs was to not only maintain the dignity of Parliament but to also ensure that democratic principles are upheld and maintained.

A champion of the mother tongue and Indian languages, Naidu said he started the process to ensure all speeches and proceedings of Parliament be made available in all languages as a matter of process.

“The entire world is watching India…. Keeping that in mind, I appeal to members of Rajya Sabha, and to those going to come to this House in future, to maintain decency, dignity and decorum so that the image and respect of the House is maintained and people will be receptive to show us, to hear us, and also to follow our advice,” he said. “This is my advice to all of you.”
He said, “…try to do your bit while committing yourself to your ideological line, but see to it that democratic principles and standards set by our great people are followed.”

Aug 08,2022:Renewed Russian shelling damaged three radiation sensors and wounded a worker at the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the second such strike in consecutive days, Ukraine said on Sunday.

The attack heightened fears of a radiation disaster.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Saturday night’s shelling “Russian nuclear terror” that warranted more international sanctions – this time on Moscow’s nuclear sector. Ukraine said Russian shells hit a power line at the plant on Friday.

However, the Russian-installed authority of the area said Ukraine hit the site with a multiple-rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and an area nearby.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Europe’s largest nuclear facility.

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said he was alarmed by the reports of damage and demanded an IAEA team of experts urgently be allowed to visit the plant to assess and safeguard the site.

Aug 07,2022:Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high-seas “cat and mouse” on Sunday, according to a report, as Beijing wrapped up four days of unprecedented military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

The air and naval drills were launched in response to a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and involved test launches of ballistic missiles over the island’s capital for the first time.
China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory, also cut off communication links with Washington.

The Reuters news agency, citing a person with knowledge of the matter, said some 10 warships each from China and Taiwan sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line, the unofficial buffer separating the two sides.

As Chinese forces “pressed” the line, the Taiwan side stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross, the person told Reuters.

“The two sides are showing restraint,” the person said, describing the manoeuvres as high seas “cat and mouse”. “One side tries to cross, and the other stands in the way and forces them to a more disadvantaged position and eventually return to the other side.”

The island’s defence ministry said in a statement that multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy.
The island’s defence ministry said in a statement that multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones were simulating attacks on the island and its navy.

It said its forces scrambled jets to warn away 20 Chinese aircraft on Saturday, including 14 that crossed the median line. It also detected 14 Chinese ships conducting activity around the Taiwan Strait. It added that its shore-based anti-ship missiles and its Patriot surface-to-air missiles were on standby.

The Chinese exercises, centred on six locations around the island that China claims as its own, began on Thursday and are scheduled to last until midday on Sunday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last week. China’s military said on Saturday the exercises, north, southwest and east of Taiwan, had a focus on land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.

SEOUL, Aug 12,2022: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol pardoned Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee on Friday, with South Korea’s Justice Ministry saying the business leader was needed to help overcome a “national economic crisis”.

The pardon is largely symbolic, with Lee already out on parole after serving 18 months in jail for bribery relating to his time leading the world’s biggest smartphone and memory-chip maker.
However, it should mean Lee will be able to carry out business activities more freely and could herald some big moves from Samsung, analysts said.

Aug 12,2022:The United Nations chief has called for an immediate end to all military activity around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for renewed shelling.

Ukraine’s Energoatom agency said the Zaporizhzhia complex was struck five times on Thursday, including near where radioactive materials are stored.
Russian-appointed officials, meanwhile, said Ukraine shelled the plant twice, disrupting a shift changeover, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

In a statement ahead of a UN Security Council meeting called by Russia, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that any damage could lead to “catastrophic consequences” in the region and beyond.

“The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, urgent agreement is needed at a technical level on a safe perimeter of demilitarisation to ensure the safety of the area,” Guterres said in a statement.

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the military activity around Zaporizhzhia was “very alarming” and called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately allow nuclear experts to assess damage as well as evaluate safety and security at the complex because the situation had “been deteriorating very rapidly”.
Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), pointed to shelling and several explosions at Zaporizhzhia last Friday that forced the shutdown of the electrical power transformer and two backup transformers, leading to one of the nuclear reactors being shut down.

He had earlier warned that the situation at Zaporizhzhia, which was seized by Russia in March, soon after the February 24 invasion, was getting more perilous every day.

While the plant in southeastern Ukraine is controlled by Russia, its Ukrainian staff continues to run its operations.

Grossi said statements received from Russia and Ukraine were “frequently contradicted” and that the IAEA could not corroborate the facts unless its experts visited the site, a call that was backed by the United States.

Aug 7,2022:ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Sunday informed the space agency’s maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) suffered “data loss” at the terminal stage, although three stages “performed and separated,” and said the space agency was analysing the data to ascertain the status of the vehicle and the satellites.

SSLV-D1/EOS 02 was carrying an earth observation satellite and a student satellite.
ISRO’s maiden small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), carrying earth observation satellite EOS-02 and co-passenger students satellite AzaadiSAT lifted off from this spaceport on Sunday. The SSLV-D1/EOS-02 mission by the Indian space agency is aimed at garnering a larger pie in the small launch vehicles market, as ite can place the satellites into Low Earth Orbit.
The SSLV can put payloads (mini, micro or nanosatellites) weighing upto 500 kg into the 500 km planar orbit, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
SSLV’s all stages performed as expected, but suffered data loss at terminal phase of the mission, said ISRO Chief Somanath.

BAMAKO,Aug 14,2022: Mali Prime Minister Choguel Maiga has been ordered by his doctor to rest after months of intense exertion, his office said on Saturday, while an adviser denied media reports that he had been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

“After 14 months of working without a break, the prime minister, head of government, Choguel Kokalla Maiga was placed on forced rest by his doctor,” his office said on its Facebook page.
“He will resume his activities next week, God-willing.”

Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine first reported that Maiga had suffered a stroke, citing sources close to him. An adviser to Maiga, reached by Reuters, denied this.

Mali’s ruling junta named Maiga, a former opposition leader, as prime minister of the transitional government it leads in June of last year. The junta came to power in an August 2020 coup and has promised to organise democratic elections in 2024.

Aug 08,2022:Gustavo Petro, a former rebel fighter, has been sworn in as Colombia’s first left-wing president.

The former member of the M-19 armed group took his oath of office in Bogota’s Bolivar Plaza on Sunday afternoon, pledging to unite the polarised country in the fight against inequality and climate change, and achieve peace with rebel groups and crime gangs.

Petro, a 62-year-old former senator, has promised to revive scuppered peace negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and to apply a 2016 peace deal to ex-members of the FARC fighters who reject it.

His foreign minister has said the government will hold dialogue with gangs and potentially give members reduced sentences in exchange for information about drug trafficking.
He also called for a new international strategy to fight drug trafficking, saying the United States-led war on drugs has failed.

Climate change must be fought internationally, but especially by countries which emit the most greenhouse gases, Petro added, saying Colombia would transition to an economy without coal or oil.

On the campaign trail, Petro said Colombia will stop granting new licenses for oil exploration and will ban fracking projects, even though the oil industry makes up almost 50 percent of the nation’s legal exports. He plans to finance social spending with a $10bn-a-year tax reform that would boost taxes on the rich and do away with corporate tax breaks.

Petro has also said a top priority is to fight hunger in the country of 50 million, where nearly half the population lives at some level of poverty. He has also pledged free public university education and healthcare changes, and constructed a broad congressional coalition of left-wing and centrist parties to pass his platform.