News Flash (2nd July 2020): Top 11 Stories Of The Day

1. Schools, colleges, universities of Haryana to remain shut till July 31

On Wednesday, the government of Haryana announced that schools, colleges, and universities in the state will continue to remain shut till July 31, as per guidelines issued by the union government.  While schools will reopen after the summer vacations on July 27, the decision on restarting classes will be taken later, an official said. Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal in an official statement said, “From July 27, 2020, the school will reopen for teachers and non-academic staff only, and students will not attend schools,”.

2. CBSE directs schools to plan a retest for failed Class 9, 11 students

The Central Board for Secondary Education issued a notice to its accredited schools to provide students who have failed in Class 9 and Class 11 another opportunity to appear for their final examinations. The opportunity will also be given to students who were offered a second attempt earlier.  The board stated that schools can conduct online or offline innovative tests to promote the students.

3. India raises concern over Honk Kong issue at UN, days after Chinese app ban

Days after the Indian Government banned 59 Chinese apps, for the first time, the country spoke about the situation in Honk Kong saying it has taken note of “several statements expressing concerns on these developments.” India was making a statement at the 3^rd meeting of the 44^th Regular Session Human Rights Council.

Earlier this week, China passed the controversial security law clamping down freedom in Honk Kong. The first arrest was made under the new law on Wednesday.

4. Putin wins vote that could allow him to remain President till 2036

Russians have chosen to keep Vladimir Putin in power until 2036 by majority voting in favor of constitutional changes that will allow him to run for president twice.  The official results that were released showed that the former KGB officer who ruled Russia for more than two decades had easily won the right to run for two more six-year terms. His current term ends in 2024. 

5. OnePlus to launch it’s new smart TV lineup today

OnePlus is all set to launch three new variants of its TV line-up in a digital-only launch event today. The company revealed that the starting prices for these models could start under Rs.20,000 and could go up to Rs. 50,000. According to reports, there will be three different screen sizes for the upcoming TV models – 32-inch, 43-inch, and 55-inch.

6. Pak temporarily bans PUBG, cites ‘negative impact’

The online battle royale game, PUBG has been temporarily banned by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) after receiving complaints that it was addictive. PTA said that it received “numerous” complaints saying the game had a “serious negative impact on the physical and psychological health of the children.” A hearing in this regard will be conducted by the Lahore High Court on July 9, the regulator said.

7. 1 policeman held, 4 arrested by CB-CID in TN custodial deaths case

The CB-CID, the special wing of the Criminal Investigation Department, arrested Sub Inspector Raghu Ganesh, key accused in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case on Wednesday night. Inspector Sridhar, Sub Inspector Bala Krishnan, and Head Constable Murugan were also arrested soon after, on Thursday morning. Constable Mathuraj, meanwhile, has been held by the police but his name has not been added to the FIR yet.

8. IMD issues Orange alert for extremely heavy rainfall in 6 states

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday stated that six states, namely, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar are likely to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall during the next five days. The department also placed most meteorological sub-divisions under these states under ‘Orange Alert’ from July 2 to 5.

9. Uttarakhand Tourism Department reconsiders projects with Chinese firms

The Uttarakhand Tourism Department announced that it would reconsider all of its contracts with Chinese companies. Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said, “I have directed the tourism secretary to make a list of all the projects in which China is involved.” He added that gradually, the state would move towards disengaging all projects with China.

10. Facebook’s 15-sec video app ‘Lasso’ to be shut in July: Reports

Tech giant Facebook will be shutting its 15-seconds video making app ‘Lasso’ on July 10, media reports said. Users received a notification informing them about the closure of the app. Earlier this year, it was reported that Facebook was planning to launch the app in India, however, a spokesperson denied the report.

11. More than 350 elephants die in Botswana in 2 months. Reasons unknown

Over the last two months, more than 350 elephants have died “mysteriously” in the north African city of Botswana. According to the government, the cause of death is not clear as lab results samples are still weeks away. “Outside of drought, I don’t know of a die-off that has been this significant,” said Dr. Nial McCann, director of conservation at UK-based charity National Park Rescue.