Morning Digest: Biden, Harris press Netanyahu over Gaza war; Jaishankar pushes for urgency in resolving LAC standoff in meeting with China’s Wang, and more

The Hindu’s Morning Digest on July 24, 2024, gives a select list of stories to start the day

For the second time this month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with the two leaders highlighting the need to resolve the four-year-old military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with “purpose and urgency”. The meeting was among the first few bilateral meetings the External Affairs Minister had after landing in Vientiane, Laos for a number of ASEAN-related meetings (July 25-27).

Kamala Harris sharply pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about the humanitarian situation in Gaza in “frank” talks that were watched for signs of how she might shift American policy about Israel if she becomes president. Hours earlier, President Joe Biden pressed for a ceasefire to the 9-month-old war in Gaza.

The July 31 deadline for filing Income Tax (I-T) returns is unlikely to be extended. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has intervened to fix recent glitches and downtimes reported on the I-T portal by ramping up its back-end capacity to cope with a higher workload experienced this year.

Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities broke out in the State on May 3, 2023. The Chief Minister, who left the State’s capital Imphal for New Delhi on July 25, said some time with the Prime Minister could be carved out during two major events he is scheduled to attend.

The J&K Police on Thursday claimed a breakthrough in the Kathua attack, which left five soldiers dead on July 8, with the arrest of two locals who allegedly provided support to these attackers. A police spokesman said the names of two locals emerged during “a meticulous investigation”. The police described these locals as “overground workers” of the militants. 

NEET-UG 2024 revised results yet to be declared: Education Ministry

The Education Ministry on Thursday said an official announcement would be made when the NEET-UG 2024 final revised results were shared. “The revised results for NEET-UG 2024 have not been declared yet. Kindly wait for official information,” an official spokesperson from the Ministry said.