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PM Modi Dials CM Sonowal To Take Stock Of Assam Floods

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take stock of a range of issues including floods, COVID-19, and Baghjan Oil Well fire. Taking to Twitter, the Assam chief minister said that PM Modi expressed his concern and offered all the required support to the state amid the crisis. Assam has been hit with incessant rainfall leading to severe floods in the state affecting near 36 lakh people from 28 out of the 33 districts of the state with a death toll of 105 so far, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). 

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Ashok Gehlot May Call Assembly Session

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called on Governor Kalraj Mishra on the evening of July 18 amidst the political crisis in the Congress-ruled state. While a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said it was a courtesy meeting over coronavirus pandemic, Republic TV sources on Sunday said that the meeting was a part of Gehlot's new strategy to pressurise the MLAs of Sachin Pilot’s camp. Sources said that Rajasthan CM is now planning to call an Assembly session so that he can order the MLAs to attend the session by issuing the whip.

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Aditya Chopra Disputes 'YRF Commitment' Claims

Yash Raj Films supremo Aditya Chopra has recorded his statement with Mumbai Police on July 18 in connection to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. As per sources, Chopra presented a different narrative quite contrary to that of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s. Padmaavat director had said that Sushant was unable to commit his dates to him due to his commitment with Yash Raj Films, adding that he also spoke to officials at YRF office but was unable to sign Sushant for the roles. However, Aditya Chopra has refuted claims of binding Sushant to restrictive clauses in the contract between him and Yash Raj Films' talent management agency which had allegedly signed the late actor. 

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Russian Envoy Refutes UK Claims Of Helping Hackers

Russian ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, has rubbished the accusations by Britain of assisting hackers to target the COVID-19 vaccine research data. In a UK television interview to be broadcast on July 19, Kelin said that the alleged link between APT29, the hacker group accused of trying to steal vaccine research, and Russian intelligence services made “no sense”. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) published an advisory on July 16, detailing tactics and techniques of a hacker group commonly known as ‘APT29’, also known as ‘the Dukes’ or ‘Cozy Bear’. The British government said that experts as NCSC are almost certain that APT29, which has targeted medical research and development organisations, is a part of the Russian Intelligence Services

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Congress' Singhvi Alleges Political Angle In CBI Seeking Report

After reports of Ministry of Home Affairs seeking a report from Rajasthan’s Chief Secretary over the phone tapping issue emerged, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that these steps are being taken to 'thwart truth'. Singhvi said that even as police inquiry is going on, BJP has 'conveniently' demanded CBI probe, after which the MHA has stepped in. Singhvi is representing the Congress CLP in Sachin Pilot's plea in the Rajasthan HC against the speaker's disqualification notice to him.

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