School Assembly Headlines for July 23: Top national, international, sports and business updates

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post, and President Droupadi Murmu accepted it under Article 67(a) of the Constitution. India strongly defended its purchase of Russian oil amid EU pressure, stressing that energy security is its top priority. Meanwhile, PM Modi is set to begin his visit to the UK and Maldives, where he will meet UK PM Keir Starmer, King Charles III, and top business leaders. A British F-35B fighter jet that had been grounded in Kerala since June finally flew out after repairs. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal dismissed Congress’ appeal for tax exemption in a ₹199 crore case, and the Indian Army received its first batch of Apache helicopters from the US.

On the international front, Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a Jeffrey Epstein article may fail due to timing issues. The US announced its exit from UNESCO again, citing anti-Israel bias. Israeli strikes killed at least 20 in Gaza, while Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy offered to meet Putin despite continued Russian attacks. In Bangladesh, students protested after a military jet crash into a school killed 31 people. In sports, BCCI will come under the new National Sports Governance Bill. Qatar confirmed talks with the IOC for the 2036 Olympics, and Delhi hiked Olympic medalist cash rewards. In business, former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar was found guilty of accepting a ₹64 crore bribe. Air India sought a $200 million loan to buy Boeing planes and found no faults in a precautionary check on fuel switches. The PMO also gave the go-ahead for a major GST overhaul.

School Assembly Headlines for July 23: National news

President Murmu accepts Jagdeep Dhankar's resignation as Vice President
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation, submitted under Article 67(a) of the Constitution, was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday.


India takes tough stand on EU sanctions over Russian oil, says 'energy security top priority'
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri responded to queries regarding mounting western pressure on India over purchasing Russian oil ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the UK. Misri said, "We have been very clear that insofar as energy security is concerned, it is the highest priority of the government of India to provide energy security for the people of India, and we will do what we need to do with regard to that."

Grounded since June, British F-35B fighter jet finally leaves Kerala after repairs
A British F-35B fighter jet that had made an emergency landing at the international airport here over a month ago flew back on Tuesday after undergoing maintenance, according to airport sources who spoke to PTI.

No relief for Congress in Rs 199 crore tax case: Tribunal says no exemption
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has upheld a tax demand of Rs 199.15 crore against the Congress party, rejecting its appeal. "The assessee's return filed on 02.02.2019 is not within the 'due' date to make it eligible for the impugned exemption," the tribunal stated. The case pertains to the 2018–19 assessment year, for which the party had sought exemption under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act.

MEA briefs on PM Modi's UK visit
A pre-departure briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forthcoming trips to the UK and the Maldives, which start on July 23, was held by the ministry of external affairs. "The Prime Minister will embark on an official visit to the United Kingdom tomorrow, July 23, for discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer," stated foreign secretary Vikram Misri, outlining the itinerary for the trip. In addition, he will meet with prominent business figures from India and the UK and pay a visit to King Charles III.

Indian Army gets 'tank in the air' Apache helicopters from US
The Indian Army has announced that it has received the first batch of three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the United States, marking a significant enhancement to its combat capabilities.

School Assembly Headlines for July 23: International news

Trump's Wall Street Journal suit over Epstein story faces timing hurdle
Donald Trump's legal case against the Wall Street Journal over a story about the U.S. president and Jeffrey Epstein could face hurdles, one of which is that it does not appear to comply with Florida state rules over the timing of defamation lawsuits, legal experts told Reuters.

US to leave UN cultural agency UNESCO again, only 2 years after rejoining
The United States announced Tuesday it will again pull out of the U.N.’s educational, scientific and cultural agency because of what Washington sees as its anti-Israel bias, only two years after rejoining.

Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say
Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said Tuesday, as Israel pushed on with a new incursion in an area that had largely been spared heavy fighting during the 21-month war.

Zelenskyy renews offer to meet with Putin as officials say Russian attacks kill a child in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday renewed his offer to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, but hopes of progress were low as delegations prepared to hold another round of talks.

Bangladesh students protest after air force jet crash into school kills 31
Hundreds of students protested Tuesday near the site of the crash of a Bangladesh air force training jet into a school in the nation’s capital, demanding accountability, compensation for victims' families and the halt of training flights.

School Assembly Headlines for July 23: Sports news

BCCI will be covered in National Sports Governance Bill
The BCCI will come under the purview of the National Sports Governance Bill that is set to be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday and will be required to take recognition from the proposed National Sports Board even though it is not reliant on government funding.

Qatar confirms talks over hosting 2036 Games
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) said on Tuesday it was taking part in discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the election process for the host city of the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Delhi govt hikes cash awards for Olympic winners
The Delhi government has hiked the cash awards for Olympic and Paralympic medallists from the national capital, minister Ashish Sood said on Tuesday.

School Assembly Headlines for July 23: Business news

Ex ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar held guilty of Rs 64-crore bribe in Rs 300-crore loan sanction to Videocon
An appellate tribunal has found former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar guilty of receiving a bribe of Rs 64 crore in exchange for sanctioning a Rs 300 crore loan to the Videocon group.

Air India seeks $200 million loan to buy fleet of Boeing 777
Air India is seeking a bank loan of about $200 million to purchase a fleet of Boeing 777 planes from a US-based aircraft leasing company, reported Bloomberg.

Air India finds no fault in Boeing 787, 737 fuel switches after "precautionary" inspection
Air India on Tuesday said it has completed "precautionary" inspection of the locking mechanism of the fuel control switch (FCS) on its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft fleet and no issues were found.

Prime Minister Office greenlights GST revamp
The Prime Minister’s Office has given in-principle go-ahead for a significant recast of the goods and services tax (GST) framework, setting the stage for the first major overhaul of the levy rolled out eight years ago, sources told ET.

School Assembly Headlines for July 23: Thought of the Day

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." — Theodore Roosevelt