| Good morning, India is set to celebrate the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas today, marking its victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War in 1999. However, there are still some unanswered questions regarding the failures that allowed Pakistani troops to occupy Indian territory without detection. In recent years, there have been numerous public accounts where senior officers have revealed that there were tell-tale signs indicating something was amiss weeks or months before the intrusions were discovered. One of them claimed that intelligence agencies and Army leadership made insufficient efforts to determine why the Pakistan Army replaced regular infantry battalions along the Line of Control (LoC) with Northern Light Infantry (NLI) units. While these claims and statements cannot be wished away, they will continue to resonate on every Kargil war anniversary until a definite answer is found. With that, let's move on to the top 5 stories from today's edition:
🚨 Big Story After announcing a Rs 4,850-crore line of credit to the Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his confidence in the friendship between the two nations. During the PM's two-day state visit, India also launched talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Maldives. Modi said the Maldives holds an important place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, underlining that cooperation in defence and security is a testament to mutual trust. The turnaround in the bilateral ties assumes significance as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, known to be close to China, came to power in the island nation in November 2023 on the back of an “India Out” campaign. Arguably, New Delhi’s sustained efforts, including assisting the island nation in dealing with economic woes, helped bring the relations back on track.
⚡ Only in Express The Fault in our Salt: Prompted by the “alarming” salt consumption patterns in India, mainly through ultra-processed food, ICMR-NIE has launched Project Namak, a three-year-long community-led programme focusing on salt reduction in individuals with hypertension. While the permissible amount of salt consumption, as prescribed by the World Health Organisation, is 5 g a day per person (2,000 mg of sodium or about a teaspoon of salt), several studies have pointed to how Indians consume more than double the amount, posing risks of hypertension, stroke and heart diseases. Others have also warned against consuming "too little salt." How does one strike a balance with something as ubiquitous as salt?
💡 Express Explained Even as India’s annual retail food inflation rate fell to minus 1.06% in June, the lowest since January 2019, consumers continue to feel the pinch from higher costs of some items. Among them are vegetable oils, especially coconut oil, selling for around Rs 460 per kg, close to double its early-January price of Rs 240-250, equivalent to three times the cost of other cooking oils. This makes coconut oil more expensive now than sesame (or gingelly) oil. What could be the factors behind the increase in oil prices? We explain.
✍️ Express Opinion In our Opinion section today, Chintan Vaishnav delves into a significant evolution in the G20’s architecture in 2023 when Startup20 was formally recognised as an official Engagement Group of the G20. Vaishnav highlights the initiative's success: "As Startup20 enters its third year, we must still ask the foundational question: What is this forum doing that wouldn’t happen otherwise? The answer is clear: Startup20 provides the world’s highest policy platform where G20 nations’ start-up and SME ecosystems can collectively articulate their needs — needs that no single country can address alone."
🍿 Movie Review Wondering what to watch this weekend? We’ve got you covered! The Fantastic Four: First Steps has hit the screens, allowing you to wander around the Marvel world again. Shalini Langer, in her review, writes: "As far as world-destruction events go, First Steps is as ambitious as they come... It may seem all too familiar if you are just coming off the latest Superman. The difference is, unlike the chaos of that film from two weeks ago, you can slide into this Fantastic Four reboot, and feel safe and warm, like home. A lot has to do with the fantastic four at the heart of this Marvel family, who live together and eat together, and are played by actors who play well off each other, particularly the always-splendid Kirby." That’s all for today. Have a lovely weekend! Until next time,
Ariba |
No comments:
Post a Comment