Asian Horizon Network

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has claimed that its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, was detained by the Delhi Police on Monday while the party attempted to march toward Parliament in protest over the alleged NEET examination paper leak. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das accused the police of taking Dipke into custody and alleged that peaceful demonstrators were being subjected to force. In a post on X, Das appealed to Members of Parliament to support the protesting students, alleging that authorities were carrying out a crackdown on those participating in the demonstration.

Dipke had ended his indefinite hunger strike after activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital, urged him to do so. Dipke had begun his fast following Wangchuk's hospitalization on July 18 after the activist completed a 21-day hunger strike. As protests gathered momentum, CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda at his residence. According to Das, the meeting lasted around ten minutes after a wait of more than two hours. The delegation submitted a written memorandum outlining the party's demands, and Das said the minister assured them that the matter would be discussed internally. He also expressed concern over reports of multiple detentions during the ongoing protests.

Sonam Wangchuk requested doctors at Safdarjung Hospital to permit his discharge, saying his health had improved and that he wished to join the "Sansad Chalo" march. In a message posted on his official X account, Wangchuk stated that his medical condition was stable and sought temporary permission to leave the hospital so he could participate in the protest march to Parliament.

The demonstrations in the national capital intensified as hundreds of protesters attempted to move from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament House. Police intervened to stop the march, using a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The protest also led to traffic congestion in parts of central Delhi as security forces were deployed in large numbers.

Authorities had already imposed restrictions in the area ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. According to a Delhi Police advisory, gatherings of five or more people, processions, and protest marches are prohibited outside designated locations. Jantar Mantar remains the only approved site for demonstrations, subject to prior permission from the authorities.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut on Monday criticized Opposition parties for disrupting proceedings in the Lok Sabha, saying Parliament is meant for debate and accountability, not repeated interruptions. She also maintained that an elected government cannot be compelled to make decisions under political pressure.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Ranaut said the purpose of the parliamentary session is to allow lawmakers to discuss national issues in depth while ensuring the government remains answerable to the people. According to her, frequent protests and disruptions prevent meaningful debate and affect the smooth functioning of the House.

She argued that Opposition members should raise their concerns through proper parliamentary discussions instead of creating disorder. Ranaut added that turning the proceedings into a protest venue weakens the institution's ability to function effectively. Commenting on demands related to the removal or continuation of ministers and government officials, the BJP MP said such decisions rest solely with the elected government. She asserted that no political party should attempt to influence these choices through what she described as "arm-twisting" tactics.

Ranaut further remarked that if political opponents believe they have a stronger mandate, they should seek public support through elections rather than trying to dictate how the government should operate. She emphasized that voters have entrusted the government with the responsibility of governing and making administrative decisions.

Her remarks came on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, when the Lok Sabha was adjourned shortly after proceedings began due to continuous sloganeering by Opposition MPs. Members of the Opposition demanded discussions on the NEET-UG 2026 controversy and allegations related to the misuse of donations collected by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

The session had begun with Speaker Om Birla paying tribute to several former Members of Parliament and other distinguished personalities who recently passed away. However, soon after the obituary references concluded, Opposition lawmakers began raising slogans, leading to repeated appeals from the Speaker to maintain order.

Despite Om Birla's requests for members to cooperate and allow the House to function normally, the protests continued, leaving him with little option but to adjourn the proceedings until noon. Ahead of the Monsoon Session, the Congress had indicated that it would push for detailed discussions on the NEET examination controversy as well as the alleged financial irregularities involving donations linked to the Ram Temple trust, setting the stage for a stormy start to Parliament's latest session.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Users across several countries experienced a temporary disruption on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the social media platform stopped functioning normally for many people. Thousands of users reported that their timelines were not refreshing, posts failed to load, and several features became inaccessible, sparking widespread discussion across the internet.

The issue affected both the X mobile application and the web version of the platform. As complaints surged, outage-tracking websites recorded a sharp increase in reports from users who said they were unable to access their feeds or view newly published posts. Some users encountered endless loading screens, while others found that their "For You" timeline remained blank or failed to update with fresh content.

The disruption appeared to be widespread rather than limited to a specific country or internet service provider. Users from different parts of the world reported facing similar issues around the same time, indicating that the problem was likely linked to X's infrastructure rather than individual devices or local network connections.

As the outage unfolded, many people turned to other social media platforms to confirm whether the problem was affecting everyone. It has become a familiar pattern whenever a major digital service experiences technical difficulties, with users quickly seeking updates elsewhere while waiting for normal operations to resume.

Within a relatively short period, the platform gradually began recovering, and reports of technical problems started to decline. Timelines resumed updating, posts became visible again, and most users were able to access the service without difficulty. However, X had not immediately shared a detailed explanation about what triggered the disruption or whether it was caused by a server issue, a software update, or another technical fault.

Although the outage was brief, it underscored the growing importance of X as a real-time communication platform. Millions of people rely on the service every day to follow breaking news, engage with public figures, share updates, and communicate with businesses. Even a short interruption can affect journalists, emergency services, brands, marketers, and users who depend on the platform for instant information.

Technical outages are not uncommon for large online platforms that serve hundreds of millions of users worldwide. As digital services continue to expand, occasional disruptions remain an industry-wide challenge despite continuous investments in infrastructure and reliability. Most such incidents are resolved quickly, but they often generate significant attention because of the central role these platforms play in everyday communication. At the time of writing, X's services appear to have returned to normal for most users, with timelines refreshing and posts loading as expected. The company is yet to release a detailed statement explaining the cause of the temporary outage.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.

A literacy initiative launched in 2016 to provide education to out-of-school children in Pakistan's merged tribal districts is facing an uncertain future due to prolonged financial and administrative setbacks. The Literacy for All in FATA programme, introduced to improve access to education in underserved areas, has reportedly been affected by delays in funding and administrative approvals. As a result, around 269 teachers associated with the initiative have gone without salaries for more than 30 months, raising concerns over the continuity of education for more than 18,000 students enrolled in 191 Community-Based Education (CBE) centres.

Despite not being paid for nearly three years, many teachers have continued to teach in remote communities. Several educators have described the financial strain they have endured while remaining committed to their students. One teacher from Kurram district said she has been educating nearly 70 girls for the past eight years and still covers her own travel expenses to reach a remote village, despite receiving no salary for an extended period. Another teacher from Bajaur explained that convincing families to send girls to school was initially a challenge, but sustained awareness campaigns and community engagement gradually improved enrolment. She noted that many former students have since excelled in their studies.

Teachers from Orakzai and Bajaur emphasized that these community learning centres are often the only educational institutions available in villages where neither government nor private schools exist. However, many centres continue to function with minimal infrastructure, lacking essentials such as classroom furniture, teaching materials, and other basic facilities.

The programme was originally launched under the former FATA Annual Development Programme. Following the merger of the tribal districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, responsibility for the initiative shifted to the Merged Areas Education Foundation (MEAF) under the province's Elementary and Secondary Education Department.

While 209 centres were initially established, 191 remain operational, supported by 269 teachers and seven literacy supervisors. A significant proportion of the enrolled students are girls, reflecting the programme's role in promoting female education in underserved regions. Education specialists have warned that more than 1.2 million children in the merged tribal districts are still out of school. They have urged the government to permanently incorporate the community-based education initiative into the provincial education system to ensure stable funding and long-term sustainability.

Although officials have proposed including the programme in the government's regular budget and the 2025-26 Annual Development Programme, approval is still pending. Until a decision is made, the future of the literacy initiative—and the education of thousands of children who rely on it—remains uncertain.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, but the tournament will be remembered for far more than the action on the pitch. From debates over hydration breaks, controversial VAR decisions, and a demanding match schedule to growing concerns about football's evolving identity under increasing commercial influence, the competition sparked widespread discussion. Andrea Heng and Poh Kok Ing examine the tournament's most talked-about controversies alongside Dr. Tom Heenan, a lecturer at the Monash Intercultural Lab at Monash University, offering insights into how these issues shaped the World Cup experience both on and off the field.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

Counter-terrorism officers have assumed responsibility for the investigation into the death of former MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe after authorities said new information and evidence emerged during the inquiry. Police arrested a 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday on suspicion of murder. The development was discussed by Lucy Hough and The Guardian's head of national news, Archie Bland, in a video available on YouTube.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.

On the July 13 edition of Open For Business, Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman spoke with Mel Siew, Head of Asia Public Credit at Muzinich & Co., to examine the latest market trends. The discussion covered the resilience of Asian credit markets, growth opportunities in AI infrastructure, and the potential inflationary impact of rising oil prices on the global economy.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

With just one week remaining before the World Cup champion is decided, the tournament has delivered plenty of memorable moments, including Donald Trump's unexpected intervention this week that stunned the football community.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.