The proposed amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 have attracted objections on various grounds:

• ‘Dilution’ of the Supreme Court’s 1996 judgment in the Godavarman case that extended protection to wide tracts of forests, even if they were not recorded as forests

• In geographically sensitive areas within 100 km of the International Borders or the Line of Control, no forest clearance required to construct highways, hydel power projects and so on

• No Central protection for vast tracts of so-called ‘deemed forest’ (forests not officially recorded as forests) and permitting activities such as tourism, compromising their integrity

The firm, which represented Twitter as Musk tried to back out of his deal to buy Twitter, received a $90 million fee for getting the deal over the finish line, according to The New York Times. Elon Musk’s Twitter alleges the payment is “unjust enrichment” and wants the fee to be returned.

From the article:

Large-scale irregularities and violence was reported during the polling for the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Saturday, July 8, 2023.. Voting started for about 7 am and reports of snatching of ballot papers and clashes started coming since the morning. 

Despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court that central forces be deployed outside every polling booth, at several places in the State no deployment of central forces outside the polling booths was seen.

Violence was reported from Rejinagar in Murshidbad where a Trinamool Congress supporter was killed. At Khargram in the district another body was found. Two Trinamool Congress supporters sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district.

Governor visits violence-hit areas

Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited parts of violence-affected North 24 Parganas where large scale violence have been reported. The district has accounted to highest number of deaths in political violence since the process of panchayat polls started.

One person was found dead at Sujapur in adjoining Malda district. Violence was reported at various places in Cooch Behar district where one person was allegedly killed in poll-related violence. A supporter of CPI(M) was killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.” At least 600 companies of central forces have been deployed for the elections along with around 70,000 state police.

Ballot boxes set on fire

Incidents of rigging, snatching of ballot papers and pouring waters in the ballot boxes were also reported at various places in the State. Ballot boxes were set on fire at a polling booth at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. Chaos and pandemonium outside polling booths was seen in different parts of the State and polling agents were also not spared.

Sharing a video on Twitter, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that ballot boxes were set ablaze at a booth in Coochbehar district with poll officials having fled the scene.

Incidents of isolating and confining supporters of Opposition came from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas where Indian Secular Front candidates were confined in their houses. Voters who had queued up to cast their votes sustained bullet injuries at Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur. Miscreants with batons and fire arms were seen on the streets in different rural habitations that went to polls. Incidents of crude bombs attacks was also reported from parts of the State.

Earlier in the morning, long queues outside polling booths were seen as early as 6 am with people turning out early amid the intermittent rains.

About 5.67 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections for 63,239 seats at the gram panchayats, 9,730 panchayat samiti seats and 928 zilla parishad seats. 

About 2.06 lakh candidates are in election fray across the State. Trinamool Congress has put up candidates on 71, 938 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up candidates 46,404 seats and the Communist Party of India ( Marxist) has fielded candidates on 42, 910 seats. The notification for panchayat polls was issued on June 8 and 18 persons have lost their lives in the campaign before the start of polling process on Saturday, July 8, morning.

From the article:

The Dutch government collapsed Friday, June 7, 2023, because of irreconcilable differences within the four-party coalition about how to rein in migration, a divisive issue that has split nations across Europe. The resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the longest-serving premier of the nation, means the country will face a general election later this year. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new ruling coalition is chosen.

“It is no secret that the coalition partners have very different views on migration policy,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague. “And today, unfortunately, we have to draw the conclusion that those differences are irreconcilable. That is why I will immediately … offer the resignation of the entire Cabinet to the king in writing” Opposition lawmakers wasted no time in calling for fresh elections even before Rutte formally confirmed his resignation. Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, tweeted, “Quick elections now.” Across the political spectrum, Green Left leader Jesse Klaver also called for elections and told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “This country needs a change of direction.”

Rutte had presided over late-night meetings Wednesday and Thursday that failed to result in a deal on migration policy. At one final round of talks Friday evening, the parties decided unanimously that they could not agree and, as a result, could not remain together in the coalition. The decision underscored ideological divisions that existed from the day the coalition was sworn in just over 18 months ago between parties that do not support a strict crackdown on migration — D66 and fellow centrist party ChristenUnie, or Christian Union — and the two that favor tougher measures — Rutte’s conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Christian Democrats. Similar discussions are going on across political divides elsewhere in Europe as migrants fleeing conflict or seeking a better life make perilous sea crossings from northern Africa to reach the continent. Hundreds of thousands of people also have fled the grinding war in Ukraine.

Migration is set to be an essential theme of European Union parliamentary elections next year, but the issue hit early in the Netherlands, a nation that has long been torn between a welcoming international outreach and increasing resistance to foreign influences.

Rutte’s coalition tried for months to hash out a deal to reduce the flow of new migrants arriving in the country of nearly 18 million people. Proposals reportedly included creating two classes of asylum — a temporary one for people fleeing conflicts and a permanent one for people trying to escape persecution — and reducing the number of family members who are allowed to join asylum-seekers in the Netherlands.

Last year, hundreds of asylum-seekers were forced to sleep outdoors in squalid conditions near an overcrowded reception center as the number of people arriving in the Netherlands outstripped the available beds. Dutch aid agencies provided assistance.

Just over 21,500 people from outside Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2022, according to the country’s statistics office. Tens of thousands more moved to the Netherlands to work and study.

The numbers have put a strain on housing that already was in short supply in the densely populated country. Rutte’s government worked for a law that could compel municipalities to provide accommodations for newly arrived asylum-seekers, but the legislation has yet to pass through both houses of parliament. The prime minister also promoted European Union efforts to slow migration to the 27-nation bloc. Rutte visited Tunisia last month with his Italian counterpart and the president of the EU’s executive commission to offer more than 1 billion euros in financial aid to rescue the North African nation’s teetering economy and to stem migration from its shores to Europe. Rutte’s coalition government, the fourth he has led, took office in January 2022 following the longest coalition negotiations in Dutch political history.

The election for the lower house of the Dutch parliament later this year will take place in a polarized and splintered political landscape — there are 20 parties in the 150-seat lower house.

During provincial elections earlier this year, a populist pro-farmer party put Rutte’s party into second place. The defeat was seen as a possible incentive for Rutte to do his utmost to hold together his coalition until its term ends in 2025.

Here is a summary of the article:

• French President Emmanuel Macron has said the government should have the power to control social media networks during periods of unrest.

• Macron made the comments during an interview with a French TV station. He was referring to recent protests in France against the government's cost of living policies.

• Macron said during periods of crisis, the government needs the power to "block content that goes against republican values and is clearly creating confusion and putting people's lives at risk."

• Critics say Macron's call for more government control of social media raises concerns about censorship and freedom of speech.

• Opposition politicians accused Macron of attacking fundamental French freedoms and wanting to restrict the free flow of information.

• Macron countered that social media networks are already heavily regulated in France over issues like hate speech and terrorist propaganda. He argued the government needed similar powers during unrest.