POLITICS
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Sep- 2025 -7 September
ADR report: 47 per cent of Ministers in India have criminal charges, including serious offences
Nearly 47 per cent of ministers in India have declared criminal cases against them, including serious charges such as murder and crimes against women, according to an ADR report. The analysis also highlights billionaire ministers, with TDP’s Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani topping the wealth list New Delhi: Nearly 47 per cent of Ministers in the country have declared criminal cases against themselves, including serious charges such as murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women, according to an analysis of poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report came days after the Centre introduced three bills that sought the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers arrested for 30 days on serious criminal charges. ADR examined self-sworn affidavits of…
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7 September
Kerala faces Rs 8,000–10,000 crore revenue loss after GST rate cuts: FM Balagopal
Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal warned that the state could lose Rs 8,000–10,000 crore annually due to GST rate rationalisation. He urged the Centre to ensure benefits reach consumers and pressed for compensation to states facing major revenue losses New Delhi: Kerala is expected to see an annual revenue loss of Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore due to Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said on Thursday. While making it clear that the state supports the GST rate cuts that will reduce prices, the minister said the central government should ensure that the rate cut benefits are passed on to the common people. On Wednesday, the GST Council approved a two-rate…
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7 September
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calls GST revamp ‘1.5’, insists wait for ‘true GST 2.0’ continues
The Congress on Thursday termed the GST overhaul “GST 1.5” and said the wait for a “true GST 2.0” continues. Party leaders Kharge, Chidambaram, and Ramesh demanded five more years of compensation for States, simplification of compliance, and relief for MSMEs New Delhi: With the GST Council approving a complete overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the Congress on Thursday termed it a “GST 1.5” and said the wait for a “true GST 2.0” continues. The opposition party also demanded that all States should be given compensation for a period of five years, considering 2024-25 as the base year, citing that the reduction in rates would hurt their revenue. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that for almost a…
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7 September
Rahul Gandhi flags FRA violations in clearances for Great Nicobar Project
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has urged Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to review alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in granting clearances for the Great Nicobar Project, warning that tribal rights and ecological balance are under threat New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram expressing deep concern over the alleged violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the grant of clearances to the Great Nicobar Project and urged the government to ensure adherence to the due process prescribed under the law. In his letter to Oram, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha urged him to examine the concerns raised by the Tribal Council and the local communities over the…
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7 September
Poachers kill farmer in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer
A farmer in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district was fatally attacked with a sharp weapon after stopping poachers from hunting deer. Villagers staged protests, torching a shop linked to a suspect. Police detained three accused, imposed restrictions, and tightened security in the area Jodhpur: A farmer was fatally attacked by a sharp-edged weapon after he stopped poachers from hunting deer in Dangri village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, triggering protests by villagers who set afire a shop, police said on Thursday. Three accused have been detained in connection with incident that has led to tension in the area. Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Shivhare said the incident occurred in Dangri village on Tuesday night when the 50-year-old farmer Khet Singh was sleeping in…
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7 September
TVK President Vijay to begin state-wide tour from Tiruchy later this month
TVK President Vijay will launch his state-wide “Meet the People” tour from Tiruchy this September. Covering delta and Kongu regions, the campaign marks his push to turn stardom into political strength. Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President and actor Vijay is set to launch his much-awaited “Meet the People” state-wide tour in the third week of September, beginning from the politically significant delta region, party sources said on Thursday. Party insiders indicated that Tiruchy is the frontrunner to host the inaugural leg of the campaign, with the first phase expected to span about a week and cover nearly 10 districts. The actor-turned-politician had announced the tour during his party’s second state conference in Madurai last month, promising to take his…
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7 September
European leaders face tough choices as the UK, France host another meeting on Ukraine
European leaders met in Paris to discuss postwar security guarantees for Ukraine but remain divided, with US support uncertain. While UK and France consider troop deployment under a ceasefire, experts warn risks are high and reliance on Trump makes guarantees fragile London: European countries are stuck between a rock and a hard place as a coalition of countries meets in Paris on Thursday to discuss security guarantees for a postwar Ukraine. The war is raging unabated, with no ceasefire in sight — and the crucial question of American involvement in ensuring Ukraine’s future security remains unresolved. For months, the so-called “coalition of the willing” has been meeting to discuss aid for Ukraine, including sketching out plans for military support in the…
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7 September
Trump orders strike on ‘Venezuelan drug vessel’; 11 killed in Caribbean Sea
President Donald Trump ordered the destruction of a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. Senator Marco Rubio hailed it as a crackdown on cartels, but legal experts questioned its legitimacy under international law. Mexico City: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that American forces could have intercepted a Venezuelan vessel suspected of carrying illegal drugs, but President Donald Trump instead ordered it destroyed, resulting in the deaths of 11 people. “Instead of interdicting it, on the President’s orders, we blew it up — and it’ll happen again,” Rubio told reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday (local time), defending what he called an unprecedented escalation. The strike, described by the US as a “precision…
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7 September
Climate change made heat, dryness that fuelled Iberian wildfires 40 times more likely
A new study found extreme hot, dry and windy conditions fueling Iberian wildfires were 40 times more likely due to climate change. Fires in Spain and Portugal killed eight, displaced 35,000, and scorched 640,000 hectares, worsened by rural neglect and poor forestry management Madrid: The extremely hot, dry and windy conditions, which fuelled one of the Iberian Peninsula’s most destructive wildfire seasons in recorded history, were 40 times more likely due to climate change, according to a study released Thursday. The analysis by World Weather Attribution, or WWA, said the weather conditions were about 30 per cent more intense compared to the preindustrial era, when heavy reliance on fossil fuels began. Summer wildfires Hundreds of wildfires in the Iberian Peninsula broke…
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7 September
US Florida plans to eliminate all vaccine mandates
Florida announced plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schoolchildren, becoming the first US state to do so. Officials cite parental choice, but health experts warn the move risks outbreaks of measles and other preventable infectious diseases Florida: The US State of Florida announced plans to end all State vaccine mandates, including for school children, making it the first state in the nation to do so. Florida State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said at a press conference on Wednesday (local time) that current vaccine requirements in schools hamper parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children. The move would make Florida the first State in the United States to completely withdraw from a practice credited with increasing vaccination…
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