Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 26 August 2016
:: National ::
Home Minister says future of India and Kashmir is linked
The future of India and Kashmir are linked, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, stating that the Centre was willing to talk to all groups, including the separatists.
During his visit to Kashmir, the Minister announced reconciliatory measures to douse the 47-day unrest in the State, including replacing pellet guns and sending an all-party delegation.
Addressing a joint press conference with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Mr. Singh said, “An expert committee on pellet guns will submit its report soon to find an alternative."
"Whether a civilian or a soldier dies, it pains the entire nation. However, nobody will be allowed to play with the future of Kashmir.”
He said the forces were “exercising maximum restraint” and more than 4,600 security personnel had been injured so far.
More leaked documents on scorpene submarine published
More documents were made public from the 22,400 pages of the data on the combat and stealth capabilities of the Scorpene submarines which were leaked from the French manufacturer, DCNS.
The Australian, the newspaper which reported the data leak, posted nine pages on its website, consisting of the technical manual related to the Scorpene’s underwater warfare sub-system and the operating instruction manual.
The government claimed that it was taking up the issue with foreign governments through diplomatic channels.
“The Indian Navy has taken up the matter with the Director General of Armament of the French Government, expressing concern over this incident, and has requested the French Government to investigate this incident with urgency and share their findings with the Indian side,” the Navy said in a statement.
India hardened its position on talks with Pakistan (Register and Login to read Full News..)
China urged India to do more to reinforce peace and stability along the border (Register and Login to read Full News..)
:: International ::
Islamic forces saw decline in Iraq
Iraqi forces pushed the Islamic State group from Qayyarah, a northern town considered strategic for any future offensive against the jihadists’ last stronghold of Mosul.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the victory as a key step in the fight against IS. Special forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition air strikes, wrapped up a three-day operation to retake Qayyarah.
The bodies of suspected IS fighters were strewn across some of the town's streets, especially around its southern entrance, which saw the worst fighting and significant destruction.
Abadi issued a statement hailing what he said was a key step towards reclaiming Mosul .
UN investigation said that President Bashar carried out chemical attacks
A UN investigation has established that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces carried out at least two chemical attacks in Syria and that Islamic State jihadists used mustard gas as a weapon, according to a report.
The panel was able to identify the perpetrators of three chemical attacks carried out in 2014 and 2015.
The panel found that the Islamic State “was the only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulphur mustard” in an attack on the town of Marea in northern Aleppo province on August 21, 2015.