Latest News: Kozhikode plane crash; IPS officer reaches Patna; US sanctions Carrie Lam

Kozhikode Plane Crash: Civil Aviation Minister on his way to airport

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that he is going to Kozhikode airport to take stock of the situation after Air India Express crash-landed on August 7. Speaking to reporters, Puri said that the fatalities in the plane crash have increased to 18 and 127 people are still in hospitals. He hailed the pilots who lost their lives in the tragic incident, saying their timely action reduced the impact of the accident. 

"It was a Vande Bharat flight. It landed at 07:41 pm. Weather conditions were unfavourable. Our task would have been much more difficult if the plane had caught fire. I am going to the airport," Puri said.

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SSR Death Case: IPS officer quarantined in Mumbai reaches Patna 

Bihar IPS Officer Vinay Tiwari has reached Patna after he was released from the enforced quarantine. Director-General of Police (DGP) of Bihar Gupteshwar Pandey had confirmed on August 7 that the IPS officer will be returning to Patna via Hyderabad on Friday evening. He said that everyone is waiting to hear his experience in Mumbai.

"Following the remarks of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, Bihar Police Headquarters wrote another letter to the Commissioner of BMC requesting the release of IPS officer Vinay Tiwari, after which Vinay has been released. He is coming back to Patna today evening. Thankful to BMC," Gupteshwar Pandey tweeted in Hindi.

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Modi govt pushing RSS agenda through NEP: Left Parties

The CPI(M) and the CPI on Friday accused the central government of pushing the agenda of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in the academia through the new National Education Policy (NEP). They alleged that such a policy would lead to commercialisation, centralisation and communalisation of education. In a series of tweets,  CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the NEP was being opposed by a large section of society, contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims. CPI general secretary D Raja said the NEP has virtually made education inaccessible for the poor and everything that the Prime Minister said is mere rhetoric. He added that the Modi government is implementing the agenda of the RSS and handing over of the entire education system to the private sector.

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US sanctions Hong Kong leader, other Chinese authorities

The United States imposed sanctions on Chinese officials including Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam, accusing them of involvement in curbing the autonomy of the former British colony. The Treasury Department announced sanctions on August 7, which is the latest in a string of actions taken by the Trump administration against China as tensions between the two nations rise over trade disputes and the coronavirus. The sanctions were authorised by an executive order that President Donald Trump recently signed.

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US intelligence official claims Russia, China, Iran meddling in elections

A top US intelligence official warned of a repeat of the 2016 election, highlighting foreign threats to the 2020 election. William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, said in a statement that they are primarily concerned about the “ongoing and potential activity” by China, Russia, and Iran. Evanina said that the assessment shows China deems US President Donald Trump unpredictable and doesn’t want him to win the election while Russia Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Joe Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia “establishment.”

“We assess that Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections,” he added.

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