Mobile phone service activated in five districts in Jammu

  • Services at Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch districts have been activated after three weeks of suspension.
  • Mobile phone, landline and internet services were stopped on August 5th when Article 370 which gave the state a special status was revoked.
  • J&K Governor Satya Pal Singh has said that services will be resumed gradually. He added that communication is a weapon used against us and that’s why the services were stopped.

Centre announces a big FDI push in a bid to revive the economy

  • Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said 100% foreign direct investment under automatic route in coal mining and associated infrastructure, and contract manufacturing were approved by the cabinet.
  • Digital media company can have 26% stake by a foreign investor. Previously, the government did not have any policy regarding digital media companies.
  • The government will allow a Rs 6,268-crore subsidy for export of six million tonnes of sugar in the 2019-’20 to liquidate surplus domestic stock,

UK Parliament suspended for a month

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson had requested Queen Elizabeth to shut down the parliament, the process known as prorogation, from September 14th to October 14th.
  • Johnson said the session will be suspended a few days after MPs return from summer recess next week and would resume only on October 14 for the Queen’s speech.
  • The deadline for Britain to leave the EU following the Brexit vote is October 31st, which means the parliament will have no time to block the no-deal Brexit from happening.
  • The decision has stirred up a lot of controversies, both among the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition, Labours, with several parliamentarians threatening to take legal course.