From the Newsroom - Japan's Abe announces resignation; Sonia Gandhi urges govt to listen to students' voices over NEET, JEE

In your evening news brief, From The Newsroom, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces his resignation; Congress president Sonia Gandhi urges the government to listen to the voices of students on the issue of conducting NEET and JEE and act according to their wishes and Retired High Court Justice H S Kempanna has been appointed as the Claims Commissioner to assess the damages caused to public and private properties during the recent Bengaluru riots.

Here are the top news of today, Friday: August 28, 2020:

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced that he will resign.

Abe said that he is suffering a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis that forced him to cut short a first term in office, and that he no longer felt able to continue as Japan’s prime minister.

"Now that I am not able to fulfil the mandate from the people with confidence, I have decided that I should no longer occupy the position of the prime minister," he said.

While speculation about Abe's political future has grown in recent weeks, after two hospital visits for unspecified health checks, the resignation nonetheless came as a surprise.

Even as recently as this morning, the government spokesman had appeared to dismiss concerns about Abe's health and suggested that he would stay on.

But Abe made clear that would not be possible, apologising for once again cutting short his tenure.

"I would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Japan for leaving my post with one year left in my term of office, and amid the coronavirus woes," he said.

Abe said that he would firmly execute his duty to the end, and until the next prime minister is appointed, possibly through a leadership election involving ruling party lawmakers and members.

The resignation shocked the markets, with Tokyo stocks plunging more than two percent towards the end of afternoon trade when reports of Abe's decision first emerged.

Abe had been expected to stay in office until the end of his term as LDP leader in September 2021, and the jockeying for position to succeed him was still in its early stages.

Still, some potential successors have already emerged, among them Finance Minister Taro Aso, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida.

Kishida is rumoured to be Abe's personal choice, while Aso commands one of the strongest blocs within the ruling party.

Most of the potential successors are seen as unlikely to break significantly with Abe's policies.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has urged the government to listen to the voices of students on the issue of conducting NEET and JEE and act according to their wishes.

Various opposition parties have demanded that NEET and JEE be deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the country, even as the Centre has made it clear that the exams will be held as per schedule with due precautions.

Six ministers of opposition-ruled states have moved the Supreme Court today seeking a review of its order permitting the Centre to conduct NEET and JEE this year amid the persisting pandemic.

As part of the Congress' day-long campaign of holding protests and voicing opposition on social media, the party posted Sonia Gandhi's message to students and the government on the issue of conducting the exams.

"I feel for you because you are now facing a very difficult situation. The issue of your exams, of when they should be taken up is the most important issue, not only for you but for your family," Sonia Gandhi said in a video addressing students.

"You are our future. We depend on you to build a better India," she said.

Therefore, if any decision has to be taken regarding students' future, it is important that it is "being taken with your concurrence", the Congress leader said

The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the UGC's direction to universities across the country to hold final examinations by September 30.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah declared that no state government can promote students without the final examinations.

The court said that the State Disaster Management Authority can decide to postpone the examinations due to Covid-19 pandemic or other reasons after taking consent from the UGC.

The court's judgement came on a batch of petitions filed by Praneeth K, a Bengaluru resident, and others, who questioned the validity of the UGC's July 6 directions due to growing cases of Covid-19 and flood in certain states.

On August 18, the court reserved its judgement in the matter.

The UGC's notification was vehemently opposed by states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Odisha.

The defence ministry has taken an in-principle decision to host the next edition of Aero India -- considered Asia's largest aerospace exhibition -- in its traditional venue of Bengaluru from February 3-5 next year notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic, official sources told PTI.

The ministry took the decision to hold the biennial event as scheduled following inputs from the domestic defence industry and global aerospace majors, they said.

The sources said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has already held a number of internal meetings on hosting the mega event.

"It was decided that the event will be hosted while taking maximum precaution against the coronavirus pandemic," said a source.

Since its inception in 1996, Bengaluru has been hosting the event.

The sources said a significant number of global defence majors and big investors are expected to participate in the event besides official delegations from several countries.

Retired High Court Justice H S Kempanna has been appointed as the Claims Commissioner to assess the damages caused to public and private properties during the recent Bengaluru riots, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said Friday.

This follows the state government’s decision to recover the losses to damaged properties from the rioters.

“Our Govt approached Hon'ble High Court to appoint Claims Commissioner to assess the damages caused to public & private properties during riots in KJ Halli & DJ Halli, Bengaluru. Today, Hon'ble HC appointed Justice HS Kempanna (Retd) as Claims Commissioner,” Yediyurappa said in a tweet.

On August 11, a mob ran amok in DJ Halli, KG Halli and Kaval Byrasandra allegedly because of an inflammatory social media post. In the rioting, Congress’ Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy’s house was gutted and police stations among other public properties were vandalized.