Modi declares rural India ‘open defecation-free’ on Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary

  • In Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Modi wrote in the visitor’s book that he is satisfied that on the occasion of Gandhi At 150, we’re witnessing the fulfillment of his dream of ‘Swachh Bharat’.
  • He was addressing village heads of 20,000 villages across the country and declared rural India as open defecation free.
  • He also issued a Rs 150 commemorative coin to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at the Swachh Bharat Diwas programme at the Sabarmati Riverfront.
  • At another event in the city, Modi said that the event of Modi in United States recently had displayed India’s strength to the international community and added that every world leader he met knew about it.

S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Pompeo met to discuss Kashmir issue

  • Apart from the situation in J&K, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed growing strategic bilateral ties and growing matters of concern.
  • The Minister of External Affiars is on a three-day tour to the United States and he said that Pakistan’s plans regarding Jammu and Kashmir in the last 70 years would fall flat once development picked up pace in the Valley.
  • He also said US would appreciate India’s rationale for purchasing a missile defence system from Russia despite the threat of sanctions from Washington.

UK PM Johnson says Britain is ready to leave EU without a deal on Oct 31st

  • Along with making the statement, he added the phrase ‘come what may’ and also criticised the parliament saying that it refuses to do anything constructive and it refuses to deliver on the Brexit mandate.
  • He also asked the Queen to suspend the Parliament for a month on August 28, with the proceedings to resume only on October 14.
  • Earlier, the Scottish top court had ruled Johnson’s decision to suspend the parliament as unlawful.
  • Parliament has already rejected Johnson’s call to hold a snap election in the UK on October 15 twice.
  • Regarding the Northern Ireland issue, the PM said that he would insist that Northern Ireland leave the customs union immediately, along with the United Kingdom.