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Morning briefing: India ready to mediate Ukraine-Russia peace; Centre bans riverbed mining in monsoons; and more
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items that you should check out.
India on Friday said that it is willing to play a constructive role in restoring peace between Russia and Ukraine, though it is the prerogative of the two warring countries to decide when and how to commence peace talks. Addressing a regular media briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal sought to play down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent criticism of India’s oil purchases from Russia and New Delhi’s decision not to sign on for the joint communique issued after the first peace summit on Ukraine. There has been widespread speculation in diplomatic circles about any possible role for India in mediating between Russia and Ukraine following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow in July and to Kyiv last week. People familiar with the matter had said on condition of anonymity that New Delhi would prefer to pass messages between the two sides instead of engaging in direct mediation. Jaiswal emphasised it is too early to comment on “specific modalities and pathways” for ending the conflict and restoring peace. Dig Deeper
The Union environment ministry has said no quarrying of riverbed material and sand mining operations should be carried out during the monsoon season. The ministry wrote to state governments and UTs on its decision this week following several requests by Uttarakhand government and mining companies in Himachal Pradesh earlier this year to extend the permission for sand mining till June-- the first monsoon month. The Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand in a letter on May 17 requested the Ministry to amend/extend the period of sand mining stipulated in the approvals granted by the ministry for quarrying of sand to bring uniformity in the approvals granted for sand mining in the forest areas, the Forest Advisory Committee stated in its meeting held on July 4. For most such mining projects, the period allowed for mining is October 1 to May 31 every year. Dig Deeper
PM Narendra Modi to flag off 3 new Vande Bharat Express trains today: Check routes, timings, stops
Business
SpiceJet temporarily furloughs 150 cabin crew members amid financial crunch and weak travel season
Alibaba wins Beijing’s approval in end to years-long scrutiny
World’s lowest birth rate pushes South Korea to hire foreign nannies
Global Matters
Capri Sun addresses uncertainty surrounding the future of its iconic pouches vs. plastic bottles
Trump govt stopped aid to Pakistan over ISI's 'undeniable complicity' with terrorists: Ex-US NSA
Indian-origin writer dramatises history of Empire for ‘walking play’ in London
Sports
India batter Suryakumar Yadav's participation in the upcoming Duleep Trophy hangs in the balance after he injured his hand during the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament on Friday. This could subsequently impact his aim to return to the Indian Test team for the first time in 19 months since he made his debut in February 2023, during the Border-Gavaskar series at home against Australia. Days after being announced as the new captain of the Indian T20I team, thus replacing Rohit Sharma, who had retired from the format in June after the T20 World Cup trophy triumph, Suryakumar revealed his intention of returning to the Test team. Hence, he not only made himself available for the Duleep Trophy next month but also took part in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Coimbatore this week, hosted by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Dig Deeper
Entertainment
Telugu actor Nani was asked about his role in Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2, sequel to Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone's Kalki 2898 AD. In an interview with India Today, Nani reacted to rumours that have been swirling about his involvement in the sequel, and said that he would love to be a part of Prabhas's film.The actor, who has been busy with the promotions of his latest film, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram, said, "I don't know why this started — maybe it's because of the close relationship I share with the whole team. But nothing has been discussed so far about me playing a cameo in the film. However, I would love to be in a Prabhas anna, Nagi's, or Swapna's film. They are all very close to me, but I'm not sure about doing a cameo. I haven't actually thought about it, and I haven't done any cameos in a long time. I have my own jazz going on non-stop. But you never know.” Dig Deeper
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In an incident which left many social media users in disbelief, two passengers on a flight took it upon themselves to stop a screaming toddler. How they tried to “educate her” about not “disturbing” others with her cries has caused an outrage. Reportedly, the women locked the girl inside the plane’s toilet. The incident came to light when one of the passengers, Gou Tingting, who was involved in “educating” the child, recorded a video and shared it on China’s TikTok counterpart, Douyin. Gou claimed that the kid was screaming and crying loudly, which caused some passengers to put tissues in their ears and made some others move their seats, reported Metro. So, she and another of her fellow passengers locked the girl in the toilet to “set rules” and “let everyone have a good rest.” The toddler was travelling with her grandparents, and her grandmother allowed the women to handle her. Dig Deeper
