Morning digest: July 5, 2022

India is leading the world in digital revolution, asserts PM Modi

The PM launched multiple digital portals at the ongoing Digital India Week 2022 including a single sign-in portal Meri Pehchaan, Digital India Bhashini, Digital India Genesis, Chips to Startup (C2S) programme at an event at Gandhinagar in his native state Gujarat.

Party denied me CM post in 2019, Shinde says after winning trust vote

After the newly formed Maharashtra government of rebel Shiv Sena leader and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won the trust vote in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Shinde claimed that he could have become the Chief Minister back in 2019, but his party did not allow it.

U.S. Independence Day celebrations marred by Illinois shooting

A shooting at a United States Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb disrupted Monday’s celebrations and further rocked a nation already awash in turmoil over high court rulings on abortion and guns as well as hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Hacker claims to have stolen 1 billion records of Chinese citizens from police

A hacker has claimed to have procured a trove of personal information from the Shanghai police on one billion Chinese citizens, which tech experts say, if true, would be one of the biggest data breaches in history. The anonymous internet user, identified as “ChinaDan”, posted on hacker forum Breach Forums last week offering to sell the more than 23 terabytes (TB) of data for 10 bitcoin, equivalent to about $200,000.

New Indian diplomats for key capitals this month

Indian diplomacy is preparing for new faces in key capitals this month, as several senior Ambassadors retired, with India’s Ambassador to Bhutan Ruchira Khamboj taking over as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami likely to be the next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. The two decisions are among the first few major postings with the new Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra’s stamp on them, given that they indicate a higher profile for the neighbourhood as well. The envoys will take over from T.S. Tirumurti in New York, and Gaitri Issar Kumar in London, both of whom retired at the end of June.

Hotels can’t levy service charge on customers: Centre

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued guidelines here on Monday preventing hotels and restaurants from levying service charge on customers. Hotels or restaurants should not add service charge automatically or by default in the food bill, according to the guidelines.

Work hard with complete honesty: Arvind Kejriwal to newly inducted Punjab ministers

AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday congratulated party MLAs who were inducted as ministers in the Punjab government and asked them to work hard with complete honesty .Five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators were inducted as ministers in the Punjab government earlier in the day as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expanded his cabinet.

Australia plans to supply critical minerals to Indian electric vehicle makers, space and defence programmes

Australia is all set to supply critical minerals required for India’s electric vehicles, solar power projects and other strategic areas, said Canberra’s Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King on Monday. Welcoming India’s Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Prahlad Joshi, Ms. King said Australia will commit A$5.8 million to the three-year India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership.

People of Gujarat must get free electricity: Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener, on Monday promised that people of Gujarat will get free electricity if his party is voted to power in the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly election to be held later this year. 

Congress leaders discuss Gujarat poll strategy

The coming Assembly polls in Gujarat should not be pitched as a Congress versus Prime Minister Narendra Modi battle, top party leaders opined at a meeting of the task force. Instead of personal attacks, the party should focus on the policies of the Modi government and the failures of the State government. Top leaders are said to have discussed the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party that could potentially dent the party’s voter base in the State.

Woman brutally tortured, publicly humiliated in Dewas

A 30-year-old tribal woman was subjected to torture and paraded by a mob that included her husband and in-laws, over a suspected extra-marital affair in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas on Sunday.

Nick Kyrgios shrugs off injury to set up Wimbledon quarter-final clash against Cristian Garin

Much quieter, much calmer than in his previous match, Nick Kyrgios overcame a troublesome right shoulder to deliver 35 aces and beat Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 at Wimbledon on Monday to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time in 7 1/2 years. The unseeded Kyrgios improved to 6-0 over his career in five-setters at the All England Club and collected his tour-leading 11th grass-court victory of the season.

‘We have gained from playing alongside Jhulan Goswami’: Meghna Singh

How the young Indian pace attack would perform was one of the topics of interest ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka. By omitting the seasoned duo of Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, the selectors had put a lot of faith in those relatively inexperienced bowlers. Those young bowlers have not disappointed. Renuka Singh and Meghna Singh were instrumental in restricting the host to 173 in the second ODI at Pallekele on Monday.