Quick Reads
News Dabba for 15 August 2023: Five stories for a balanced news diet
Here are the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites.
Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from the PM's Independence Day address, Trump charged in Georgia election inquiry, to Odisha removing ‘deemed forests’.
Trump and 18 others charged in Georgia election inquiry, BBC reports
BBC reports that former US President Donald Trump has been charged with attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state of Georgia. It is the fourth criminal case brought against him in as many months.Trump was indicted along with 18 other allies. He denies all 13 charges against him, the report says, and they include racketeering and election meddling. He has said they are politically motivated. Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis first launched an investigation in February 2021 into allegations of election meddling. Read the full report here.
Indian Express on criticism by Congress on PM's Independence Day address
The Congress on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address was a crass election speech, Indian Express reports. The report adds that the last of the PM's second term speech, as per Congress, was filled with “distortions, lies, exaggerations and vague promises”. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said the PM made the speech all about himself and his image. The PM delivered an around 90 minute long speech, in which he asserted that he will return to the Red Fort next year, again hinting at a third term. Read the full report here.
At least 30 killed in explosion at petrol station in Russia's Dagestan: Al Jazeera
A fire and explosion at a petrol station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan has killed at least 30 people, including three children, Al Jazeera reports. More than 100 are injured, according to local officials and news reports. The report states that the fire started at an auto repair shop on the roadside of a highway in the Dagestani capital Makhachkala on Monday night and caused blasts spreading to a nearby petrol station. An aircraft had been dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow. Read the full report here.
Typhoon Lan makes landfall in Japan, The Straits Times
The Straits Times reports that a slow-moving typhoon made landfall in western Japan early on Tuesday, cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes. Nearly 900 flights were cancelled in Japan and 2,40,000 people were ordered to move to safety, the report mentions. Typhoon Lan, approaching from the Pacific Ocean, made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture. The report says the authorities issued flood and landslide warnings, and some tornadoes formed. Read the full report here.
Hindustan Times: Odisha removes ‘deemed forests’ as per new law
The Odisha government has directed all district collectors to ensure that diversion of forest land for infrastructure projects, particularly state development projects, should follow provisions of the new law. Hindustan Times reports that this comes days after Parliament passed the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023, in the monsoon session. All forest land diverted for non-forest purposes by any authority before December 12, 1996, will not attract the provisions of the new law, it added. The draft legislation received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu on August 4, the report adds. Read the full report here.
