Express daily briefing: NASA finds Vikram lander’s debris on moon’s surface, Maharashtra scraps award of horse fair contract to Gujarat firm; and more

Maharashtra scraps award of horse fair contract to Gujarat firm

In the first significant reversal of a decision taken by the previous Fadnavis government, Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government has ordered the cancellation of a Rs 321-crore contract awarded to a Gujarat-based event management company for organising an international horse fair that came under the scanner for “serious financial irregularity”. The firm had previously been associated with the Kumbh Mela and Rann Utsav.

Gujarat: Ferry PM Modi rode for Ro-Ro launch is up for sale

Facing losses, Gujarat-based Ro-Ro ferry operator in the Gulf of Khambhat has put up for sale the vessel that PM Modi rode in October 2017 while inaugurating the Roll-on, Roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service between Bhavnagar’s Ghogha and Bharuch’s Dahej ports. The services of the vessel, were suspended in September this year.

Opinion: Mr Bajaj speaks again

Twenty-six years after industrialist Rahul Bajaj made news as the voice of beleaguered Indian big business, he has once again spoken on their behalf. “If, in 1993, Bajaj voiced business’ “concerns”, today he voices its “fears”. There is a world of difference between fear and concern,” writes Sanjaya Barua.

Right to life most basic human right: Jaishankar to Sweden counterpart on J&K

Days after Sweden raised the issue of human rights in J&K, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde that cross-border terrorism would lead to loss of life, a violation of the “right to life which is the most basic human right”. Sweden last week urged India to restore free movement and communication in Jammu and Kashmir.

Cars powered by hydrogen cells: Japanese research is key input in Govt’s SC reply

Research on hydrogen-based vehicle technology or fuel cells, done at Kyushu University in Japan is learnt to be a crucial input in the submissions to be presented by the Centre in the Supreme Court on December 3. The top court had in November directed the Centre to look into the feasibility of introducing hydrogen-based technology to deal with air pollution in the National Capital Region.

India’s new U-19 captain thanks father: He sold milk to see me play

Priyam Garg remembers the days when his father used to sell milk from door to door during the day and slip a Rs 10 note to him at night so that he could travel to Meerut for cricket nets. Then, there were days when money was tight and Garg would travel on the roof of buses to pursue his dream. On Monday, Garg took the first step by becoming captain of the Indian team for the U-19 World Cup in South Africa next month.

Trump renews tariff threat against France over tech taxes

The Trump administration has vowed to impose tariffs as high as 100 per cent on certain French imports valued at $2.4 billion, including cheese, wine and handbags. The announcement is in retaliation of a new French tax that hit American technology companies. The US said the tech tax “discriminates against US companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of international tax policy and is unusually burdensome for affected US companies.”