Junior Digest

London, July 5,2024: The Labour Party has officially won enough seats to have a majority in Britain’s Parliament, as vote counting continues.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is set to become the first Labour prime minister in 14 years, says his government will always put “country first, party second.”

He said a “mandate like this comes with great responsibility,” and added that his government will be focused on “national renewal.”

“We have to return politics to public service,” he said.

With more than half of all 650 seats counted, Labour looks set to secure one of its biggest ever majorities in the House of Commons.

Starmer is expected to pay a visit to King Charles III later Friday to get the monarch’s permission to form a new government.

“We did it,” Starmer told supporters at the Tate Modern museum in London.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says Labour has won the election.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the British people have “delivered a sobering verdict,” and the Labour Party has won the election.

Sunak, who held onto his seat in North Yorkshire, told those gathered: “The Labour party has won this general election.”

“I take responsibility for the loss,” he said. “To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.”

He added that he has called Labour leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

“Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country’s stability and future,” Sunak said.

WASHINGTON, July 2,2024: U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity set a “dangerous precedent” that could turn presidents into kings and called on the American people to “dissent” by rejecting Donald Trump in November’s election.

In clear, measured remarks from the White House, Biden said the court decision meant Trump was highly unlikely to go on trial before the Nov. 5 election for his role in seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and warned it could turn U.S. presidents into kings.

The court found Trump cannot be prosecuted for any actions that were within his constitutional powers as president, but can be for private acts, in a landmark ruling recognizing for the first time any form of presidential immunity from prosecution.

“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law. Not even the president of the United States,” Biden said, reading from a teleprompter.

He said the court’s decision meant there were now virtually no limits on what a president could do.

“It’s a dangerous precedent, because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law,” Biden said. “The only limits will be self-imposed by the president alone.”

Biden, 81, was making his first set of remarks at the White House since his shaky debate against Trump last week led to calls for him to step aside as the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer for the election.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s bid for immunity from federal prosecution for 2020 election subversion, at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

After he stumbled over his words on the Atlanta debate stage, his remarks and comportment are being scrutinized for signs that he is up to the job of running for re-election and of governing the country for four more years.

Biden said he sided with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote she feared for U.S. democracy in her dissent in the 6-3 decision.

“Now the American people will have to do what the court should have been willing to do, but will not. The American people will render judgment on Donald Trump’s tenure,” Biden said, alluding to the November presidential election.

“I concur with Justice Sotomayor’s dissent today,” he added. “So should the American people dissent. I dissent. May God bless you all. May God help preserve our democracy,” Biden said in closing.

Asked on Fox News about Biden’s remarks, House Speaker Mike Johnson called them “despicable” and “dangerous” and accused the president of “trying to undermine the Supreme Court.”

Biden is running for re-election against Trump and has been sharply critical of his rival’s actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, raid on the U.S. Capitol by Trump’s supporters, who believed Trump’s false claims that he had won the 2020 election.

“Now the man who sent that mob to the U.S. Capitol is facing potential criminal conviction for what happened that day. The American people deserve to have an answer in the courts before the upcoming election,” Biden said, referring to Trump being charged for his role in spurring the riot.

Biden said the public has a right to know the results of that prosecution before the election in November. “Now, because of today’s decision, that is highly, highly unlikely. It’s a terrible disservice to the people in this nation.”

Johannesburg, July 1,2024: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lineup of his new national executive cabinet Sunday, comprising ministers from various political parties that form the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Ramaphosa finally made the long-awaited announcement after protracted negotiations that nearly collapsed when the main opposition party within the GNU demanded additional ministerial positions.

The announcement came more than a week after Ramaphosa’s inauguration on June 19 for his second presidential term. His re-election came with a reduced majority, forcing his party, the African National Congress, to share power for the first time in three decades.

This led to the formation of the GNU with 10 opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, among others.

In his late-night televised national address, Ramaphosa declared that the economy and the stability of the government would be of top concern to the new cabinet.

“The incoming government will prioritize rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and the creation of a more just society by tackling poverty and inequality,” said the president.

The DA, which garnered over 21 percent in the recent elections, was allocated six cabinet posts. The party’s leader John Steenhuisen, 48, was appointed minister of agriculture.

Some minor parties also saw their leaders receive cabinet posts.

Moscow, July 1,2024: Washington’s NATO allies fear that the replacement of President Joe Biden with another candidate from the Democratic Party will lead to a decrease in stability in Western countries, CNN reported.

It will allegedly allow China and Russia to make the US democratic system look weak and create opportunities for the spread of propaganda by countries that are adversaries of the West, as well as for disagreements among Western allies, the report said on Sunday.

The New York Times Editorial in an op-ed wrote on Friday that Biden should suspend his presidential campaign after a poor showing at the first presidential debate and let a fresh new Democratic candidate take his place. Meanwhile, Biden and his campaign admitted that the US president had a rough showing at the debate in Atlanta but they assured the public that they would not end the reelection bid.

The US presidential election is slated for November 2024. The main contenders expected on the ballot are Biden and former US President Donald Trump, who have both won enough delegates’ votes to be their respective Democratic and Republican parties’ presumptive nominees. Trump and Biden are set to debate again on September 10.

New Delhi, June 27,2024: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the resolve of “reform, perform and transform” has made India the world’s fastest-growing economy.

Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament for the first time after the formation of the third Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, President Murmu said, “In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest economy and despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate”.

“The resolve to reform, perform and transform has made India the world’s fastest-growing economy,” she said.

“This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in national interest in the last 10 years” he added.

Speaking about the reforms undertaken by the Modi government in the last 10 years, the President said, “Today, India contributes 15 percent of the global growth and the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world”.

Highlighting the other development projects, the President said the government is giving equal importance to all three pillars of the economy – manufacturing, services and agriculture.

The President added that PLI schemes and Ease of Doing Business are increasing investment and employment opportunities on a large scale.

Talking about farmers, President Murmu said that more than Rs. 3 lakh 20 thousand crore has been given to them under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

The President said the government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops.

“Today’s India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs. Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand” she further added.

Turning to the Defence sector, the President said, following the reforms, India has upped its defence manufacturing to more than Rs 1 lakh crores

“In the last decade, our defence exports have increased by 18 times and touched Rs 21,000 crores” she said.

The President also congratulated the new Members of parliament and the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla.

She said, “A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Government for the third time.

“People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations…The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways” she said.

On the upcoming Union Budget, the President said, it would be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision…Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget”.

Hailing the role of Election Commission for the successful conduct of the “free and fair” Lok Sabha elections, the President said, “This was the biggest election in the world…Decades-long records of voting have been broken in J&K”.

“For the past 4 decades, Kashmir witnessed low voting amid shutdowns and strikes. India’s enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces” she said.

Touching upon the issuea in the Northeast, The President said for the development of the Northeast, the government has increased the (budget) allocation by over 4 times in the last 10 years.

“My Government is working continuously to bring peace in the Northeast. In the last 10 years, several old issues have been resolved, several agreements have been made and phase-wise repealing of AFSPA is underway in areas with unrest after making rapid progress there” she said.

Mumbai, July 3,2024: The BSE Sensex on Wednesday posted 572 point gains to touch the 80K level for the first time at 80,013.77 in the opening level, as buying was witnessed across the level amid a strong Asian market.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) jumped 154.30 points to 24,278.15.

The BSE Sensex registered intraday highs at 80,074 and lows at 79,754.95 point, respectively.

The NSE registered days high and low at 24,307.25 and 24,207.10 point, respectively.

In 30 scrips, 20 advanced while 10 declined.

The mid cap rose by 0.54 pc and mall cap by 0.65 pc.

The gainers were HDFC Bank by 2.91 pc to Rs 1780.95, Axis Bank by 1.89 pc to Rs 1277.45, ICICI Bank by 1.78 pc to Rs 1211.60, Kotak Bank by 1.57 pc to Rs 1797.10, and IndusInd Bank by 3.71 pc to Rs 1439.70.

The losers were TCS by 1.04 pc to Rs 3974.10, Ultrasemco by 0.62 pc to Rs 11773.40, Reliance Industries by 0.45 pc to Rs 3118.25, and Maruti Suzuki by 0.36 pc to Rs 11995.45.

New Delhi, July 2,2024: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday rejected the Opposition’s claim that the three new criminal laws were passed in haste and said it was unfortunate that the Opposition was giving a political colour to the issue despite the fact that elaborate discussions were held on the new legal provisions.

Addressing a press conference here, Shah hailed the three Criminal Laws and said that in Independent India such a diligent exercise to pass a Bill has never been carried out and I want to tell this “on record”.

He said, “In Lok Sabha more than nine hours were given for discussion and 34 members participated in this. While in Rajya Sabha, the discussion was of more than six hours and 40 Members took part”.

Rejecting the Opposition claim that the Bill was brought after suspending their members, Shah said, “A false news was also being spread that the Bill was brought after suspending the Opposition members of both Houses. The Bill was already there in the Business Advisory Committee and from 14 December, the Opposition had decided to boycott Parliament. In Both the Houses, the Opposition through their deeds forced the Chair to take action against them”.

Stating that the Bill was brought after suggestions from various stake holders, the Home Minister said, “In 2020, I had personally written letters to all MPs and sought suggestions, I had also written to all the Chief Ministers, Justices of the Supreme Court, Chief Justices of all High Courts. Moreover, the Home Secretary had also written letters to all IPS officers, collectors and sought suggestions and after that I personally went through all of them several times and then this Bill was drafted.”

He said before Parliament passed the Bill, it was sent to the Home Ministry Committee. There was a detailed discussion on the Bill and all Members of political parties participated in it and gave their suggestions. Except for some political suggestions, all suggestions were incorporated with 93 changes and the Bill was passed by the Cabinet and then tabled in Parliament, he said.

Urging the Opposition to not politicise the issue, the Home Minister said, “There are several issues for politics, and the Government is ready to respond to them but these laws are for 140 crore people of the country and it is an exercise to deliver law and respect to the people as per Constitution”.

The three new Criminal Laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 came into effect on Monday.

New Delhi, June 26,2024: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the courtroom, in connection with the Excise policy case.
CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal after the Vacation Judge of Delhi Court allowed CBI to examine/interrogate him in the courtroom so that the agency could proceed with his formal arrest.
The court also asked CBI to place on record the material that they have for his arrest.
Kejriwal was today produced before the court of vacation judge Amitabh Rawat in compliance of the production warrant issued by the court yesterday.
During the hearing, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Dilip Pandey remained present in the courtroom.
CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh extensively argued and opposed submissions by Kejriwal’s lawyer.
The advocate also moved an application seeking a supply of applications for interrogation by CBI and the order passed related to that.
Yesterday, Kejriwal was in Tihar Jail and recorded his statement related to the Excise Policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Excise Policy money laundering case on March 21 this year and presently in Judicial Custody in the case.
One of the lawyers for the Aam Aadmi Party also posted on X, and said that, “The dirty tricks of the Modi government fears the release of Arvind Kejriwal by SC has asked to CBI to make arrest in the same matter almost a year after he joined the investigation. What it shows nothing changed the vindictive mindset of BJP. Shame.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of section 45 of Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.
The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court.
On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively and reserved orders on the ED’s application to stay the bail order and halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order.

June 29,2024: India produced a brilliant performance to defeat South Africa by just seven runs in a dramatic men’s T20 World Cup final, ending a long 13-year wait for the cricket-obsessed nation since its last World Cup win.

It was a nail-biting finale in Bridgetown, Barbados as India set a total of 177 to win – the highest ever score in a men’s T20 final – but South Africa matched it run for run, even pulling ahead at points before some exceptional bowling from India and an outstanding catch from Suryakumar Yadav restricted the Proteas right at the end.

Victory sparked jubilant and emotional celebrations for India after a year of heartbreak for many of its players who lost to Australia in the finals of both the ODI Cricket World Cup and World Test Championship.

India was under pressure early in its innings as some sharp South African bowling reduced it to 39-3 after five overs. But with Axar Patel and talismanic batter Virat Kohli at the crease, India rebuilt.

Together, they put on a 72-run partnership as Axar lofted several sixes over the boundary before a moment’s hesitation allowed Quinton de Kock to run him out at the non-striker’s end and he departed with 47 off 31 balls.

Shivam Dube walked out to the middle and added a quickfire 27 while at the other end, Kohli ticked along and reached a half century – even as he struggled to find the boundary for much of the game. Perhaps spurred by the knowledge that he was playing in his final T20 match for India, as he revealed in his post-match interview, Kohli accelerated in the final three overs to score 76 off 59 balls – a match-changing innings.

He departed in the 18th over, and India lost several late wickets as it chased any possible runs to set a total of 176-7.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has already enjoyed a phenomenal tournament and was named its best player after the match, gave India the perfect start as he bowled Reeza Hendricks in only the second over and South Africa found itself 12-2 shortly afterwards.

But there was still time for the game’s momentum to shift once more as De Kock and rising star Tristan Stubbs sprinted towards a 50-run partnership before Stubbs was bowled by Axar, much to the frustration of De Kock.

South Africa continued to build steadily and almost found itself in a match-winning position when Heinrich Klaasen produced an astonishing performance in the 15th over, hitting Axar for 24 runs and racing towards a half century in just 23 balls, the fastest ever in a men’s T20 World Cup final, according to Opta.

He was finally out after edging Hardik Pandya to Rishabh Pant, giving India a lifeline.

With the match poised on a knife-edge, India’s captain Rohit Sharma sent Bumrah in to bowl his final two overs well ahead of schedule and the star bowler repaid his captain by stymieing the run rate and taking the wicket of Marco Jansen for good measure.

Then, as the tide turned towards India, it seemed as if David Miller had hit a six for South Africa in the penultimate over but for a brilliant catch from Suryakumar Yadav on the boundary, where he caught the ball, threw it up in the air and caught it again as he jumped back inside the ropes.

That gave India the platform it needed and it held on to take the victory by the narrowest of margins.

Ranchi (Jharkhand) , June 26,2024: Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, Minister Satyanand Bhokta, and others on Wednesday attended a state-level awareness programme against the consumption and sale of narcotic substances in Ranchi.
“Someone who gets affected by narcotics loses hope of going forward and doing good work. Action has been taken against such gangs who peddle drugs…Different types of drugs are being smuggled. Schools and its vicinity are the most affected. By targeting them, the future of youth is being pushed into darkness. If the youth are affected, the state will plunge into darkness once again. So, we should consider this very important. Awareness about this should created in our family and across the state…” said the Jharkhand CM while addressing the event.
CM Soren highlighted that the state is running an awareness campaign in which people have been communicated about narcotics addiction and made aware of how it could potentially destroy society, youth, and their future.
“We are running an awareness campaign in which we try to communicate with every person. We tried to make people aware of how the consumption of narcotics destroys society, youth, and their future. There is an entire nexus of it at work which promotes addiction to various things like brown sugar, opium, ganja, and many more,” said the CM.
Urging people to make a resolution against narcotics abuse, the CM said, “There must be awareness regarding the sale and consumption of narcotics in the state. We should take resolution against this so that we will stay away from narcotics and lead a happy and healthy life. We have given out information on how it can potentially affect the body. I request you to stay in connection with the administration so that you can report such matters and make Jharkhand and the country free of such addictions.”
He further emphasised that the campaign started on June 19 will ensure stringent actions against the peddlers to save the youth and Jharkhand free from the drug menace.

July 2,2024: The United States Supreme Court has for the first time recognised that former presidents have immunity from prosecution for certain actions taken in office, as it threw out a judicial decision rejecting Donald Trump’s bid to shield himself from criminal charges involving his efforts to undo his 2020 election loss.

The court on Monday ruled 6-3 that while former presidents enjoy immunity for actions they take within their constitutional authority, they do not for actions taken in a private capacity.

The ruling marked the first time since the nation’s 18th-century founding that the Supreme Court has declared that former presidents may be shielded from criminal charges in any instance.
‘Big win’

The decision will boost Trump’s defence against federal charges over his efforts to overturn the 2020 vote, which he lost to President Joe Biden. It could also affect similar state-level election interference charges in Georgia.

Trump was quick to welcome the ruling. “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN,” the former president wrote in a social media post.

Chief Justice John Roberts announced the landmark decision on behalf of the court’s six-justice conservative majority. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.

The Supreme Court justices argued that enabling the prosecution of former presidents over their official acts in office could open the door for political retribution and despotism.

“The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution,” they wrote.

They stressed that the immunity does not apply just to Trump but “to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party”.

Three of the six justices who backed the ruling were appointed by Trump himself.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor forcefully rejected the majority’s opinion on Monday, arguing that the ruling effectively legalises abuse of power.

“The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the country, and possibly the world. When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution,” she wrote.

“Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.”

Several Democrats decried the top court’s decision on Monday. Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the ruling an “assault on American democracy”.
Over to lower court

The decision sends the federal election subversion case back to a lower court. The legal proceedings were delayed for months to resolve the immunity questions.

While the top court did not specify whether Trump’s conduct in its entirety around the election was “official” or private, it ruled that his conversations with Justice Department officials are immune from prosecution.

US authorities had accused Trump of using “the power and authority of the Justice Department to conduct sham election crime investigations and to send a letter to the targeted states that falsely claimed that the Justice Department had identified significant concerns that may have impacted the election outcome”.

But the court ruled that Trump is “absolutely immune from prosecution for the alleged conduct involving his discussions with Justice Department officials”.

Assessing whether other actions by Trump are protected by the immunity granted by the Supreme Court’s decision will likely further delay a trial in the case, pushing the proceedings past the presidential election in November, when the defendant is set for a rematch against Biden.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said the judge overseeing the federal elections case will ultimately decide what charges will stand after Monday’s ruling.

“This is going to go back to the judge in the DC District Court, Tanya Chutkan, who will have to go through the charges against Trump line by line to decide what constitutes official actions and what constitutes private actions,” Hanna said.

Democrats paint Trump as a threat to Democracy, citing his efforts to reverse the 2020 elections, which they say culminated in the January 6 Capitol riot by his supporters.

For his part, the former president – who is facing four sets of criminal charges – accuses Biden of weaponising the justice system against him.

Trump is the first former US president to face criminal charges. Late in May, he was found guilty of falsifying business documents in relation to a hush-money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election.

Barbados, June 30,2024: In a momentous announcement that echoes through the annals of cricket history, Rohit Sharma has joined Virat Kohli in retiring from T20 internationals after India’s mesmerizing World Cup triumph over South Africa on Saturday.

Rohit, a colossal figure in India’s cricketing saga, revealed he would continue to grace the fields in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test cricket.

“This was my last [T20I] game as well,” Rohit declared in a poignant post-match press conference. “There’s no better time to bid adieu to this format. I’ve cherished every moment. I began my India career in this format, and it’s poetic to conclude it with a World Cup win.”

Reflecting on the exhilarating victory, Rohit’s emotions ran deep: “I wanted this so badly. It’s hard to articulate. This was an immensely emotional moment for me. I was desperate for this title in my life, and I’m ecstatic that we finally crossed the line.”

Rohit exits T20 internationals as its highest scorer, with a staggering 4231 runs in 159 matches, and he holds the record for the most centuries (five) in T20 internationals. His illustrious career bookends two T20 World Cup titles: the inaugural one as a player in 2007 and now as a triumphant captain in 2024.

The retirements of both Rohit and Kohli from the T20I format were anticipated. Neither had featured in T20Is since India’s semifinal heartbreak in the 2022 T20 World Cup and only resumed playing T20Is in January this year, their eyes set firmly on the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Rohit’s farewell tournament saw him emerge as the second-highest run-scorer, amassing 257 runs at a scintillating strike rate of 156.70, a testament to his mastery in challenging batting conditions in the USA and the West Indies. He was instrumental in providing India with explosive starts, delivering crucial half-centuries in their last Super Eight game against Australia and the semifinal against England.

Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20 internationals marks the end of an enchanting chapter in cricket, his legacy destined to inspire generations to come.

Ranchi, July 4,2024: Within a week of getting bail in an alleged corruption case, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren on Thursday took oath as Chief Minister of the state for the third time.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to Soren at Raj Bhawan, the official said, adding that other Cabinet members are likely to be sworn-in on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Soren, along with leaders of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and allies Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal, met the Governor and staked claim to form government.

With the latest swearing-in, Soren will occupy the CM’s post for the third time, an official said. He will equal the record of JMM leader Shibu Soren and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arjun Munda who have served as CM thrice.

In Jharkhand, the alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD has been ruling since December of 2019.

Soren’s return as CM was expected after he got bail in a property scam case on June 28. Soren had stepped down as CM on January 31, handing over the chair to party colleague Champai Soren after his arrest in the case.

Champai Soren tendered his resignation to the governor on Wednesday, paving the way for Soren’s return to CM office.

MOSCOW, June 29,2024: President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia should resume production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles and then consider where to deploy them after the United States brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.

Putin’s move finally kills off all that remains from one of the most significant arms controls treaties of the Cold War amid fears that the world’s two biggest nuclear powers could be entering a new arms race together with China.

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987, marked the first time the superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals and eliminated a whole category of nuclear weapons.

The United States under former President Donald Trump formally withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 after saying that Moscow was violating the accord, an accusation the Kremlin repeatedly denied and dismissed as a pretext.

Russia then imposed a moratorium on its own development of missiles previously banned by the INF treaty – ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 km to 5,500 km.

Putin said Russia had pledged not to deploy such missiles but that the United States had resumed their production, brought them to Denmark for exercises and also taken them to the Philippines.

“We need to respond to this and make decisions about what we will have to do in this direction next,” Putin was shown on state television telling Russia’s Security Council.

“Apparently, we need to start manufacturing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to ensure our safety – to place them,” he said.
DISINTEGRATION

Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the disintegration of the tangle of arms control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Trump in 2018 said he wanted to terminate the INF Treaty because of what he said were years of Russian violations and his concerns about China’s intermediate-range missile arsenal.

Putin has said in the past that the U.S. withdrawal would trigger a new arms race.

The United States publicly blamed Russia’s development of the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, known in NATO as the SSC-8, as the reason for it leaving the INF Treaty.

In his moratorium proposal, Putin suggested Russia could agree not to deploy the missiles in its Baltic coast exclave of Kaliningrad. Since leaving the pact, the United States has tested missiles with a similar profile.

Putin said earlier this month he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons.

In his comments on Friday, Putin gave no indication of where the missiles could be deployed.