New Delhi, Jul 23: DD Free Dish, the free-to-air DTH platform of Prasar Bharati, now has an expanded presence of South Indian language content, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday. According to Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan, several measures have been taken to enhance regional representation on the platform, including reserved slots for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam channels in the 2025 e-auctions. Eligibility norms were also eased to encourage participation from private southern broadcasters.

Three new South Indian channels — TV9 Telugu, Aastha Kannada, and Aastha Telugu — have been added since April 1, 2025. Regional Doordarshan channels like DD Tamil, DD Saptagiri, DD Chandana, DD Yadagiri, and DD Malayalam are also now part of the platform with ongoing upgrades to improve visibility. Currently, DD Free Dish reaches about 49 million households, up from 33 million in 2018. It also hosts 27 educational channels offering content in various South Indian languages.

New Delhi, July 23: In a ground-breaking climate ruling, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the prime judicial organ of the United Nations, on Wednesday ruled what the science “is saying that climate change is an existential threat of planetary proportions”.

Presenting the opinion in The Hague, court’s President Iwasawa Yuji said greenhouse gas emissions are “unequivocally” caused by human activities and acknowledged the “urgent and existential threat” posed by climate change.

“The consequences of climate change are severe and far-reaching. They affect both natural ecosystems and human populations. These consequences underscore the urgent and existential threat posed by climate change,” said Iwasawa.

Before the court’s 15 judges were two fundamental questions that is the obligations of states (nations) in respect of climate change: What are states’ obligations under international law to address climate change for present and future generations? And what are the legal consequences under these obligations for states failing to do so? The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, delivers its advisory opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change.

In response to the ruling by the ICJ, Mohamed Adow, Director of Nairobi-based think-tank Power Shift Africa, told IANS: “This ruling is a rocket boost for climate justice. The ICJ has confirmed what Africa has long demanded that rich nations must be held accountable for the damage their emissions have caused.

“For a continent like Africa — least responsible but most affected — this decision is a lifeline. It strengthens our call for reparations, debt relief, and real climate finance — not loans that deepen poverty.

“The era of polluters hiding behind vague promises is over. Africa will not be a sacrificial lamb for the excesses of others. The law now backs our moral case. It’s time for rich nations to pay their climate debt and support a just transition powered by Africa’s renewable energy potential.”

The ICJ was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations.

The seat of the court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands.

New Delhi, July 23: Silver prices surged by Rs 4,000 to hit a record high of Rs 1,18,000 per kilogram while gold advanced Rs 1,000 in the national capital on Wednesday due to heavy buying by stockists.

According to the All India Sarafa Association, gold of 99.9 per cent purity climbed Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,01,020 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). It had closed at Rs 1,00,020 per 10 grams in the previous market close.

Gold of 99.5 per cent purity appreciated Rs 900 to Rs 1,00,450 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) on Wednesday. In the previous trade, the yellow metal finished at Rs 99,550 per 10 grams.

“Gold continues to be in demand as global uncertainty rises, largely due to diminishing expectations for a US-EU trade deal ahead of the August 1 deadline.

“This uncertainty has intensified market anxiety, which drives flow towards the safe-haven,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst – Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.

The precious metal is also supported by overall weakness in the US Dollar, Gandhi said.

In the national capital, Silver had soared Rs 3,000 to close at Rs 1,14,000 per kg on Tuesday. It had risen by Rs 7,500 per kg in the last three sessions.

Bullion traders said the ongoing bullish sentiment in the silver market is primarily driven by industrial demand.

Meanwhile, silver futures for September delivery climbed Rs 896 or 0.77 per cent to hit a fresh record high of Rs 1,16,551 per kg on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).

Additionally, gold futures for August delivery slipped Rs 24 to Rs 1,00,305 per 10 grams on the commodities bourse.

On the global front, spot gold fell 0.26 per cent to USD 3,422.87 per ounce.

According to Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst – Commodity and Currency at LKP Securities, investors will await manufacturing and services PMI data from major economies, including the US, the UK and the Eurozone, which will provide more cues trajectory of bullion prices in the near term.

Spot silver climbed 0.26 per cent to USD 39.39 per ounce in the overseas markets.

New Delhi, July 23: The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday responded to allegations raised in a UK media report regarding misidentification of bodies repatriated after the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, affirming that all mortal remains were handled “with utmost professionalism and due regard for the dignity of the deceased.”

“In response to media queries regarding a report in the Daily Mail on the Air India crash, the Official Spokesperson, Shri Randhir Jaiswal, said: ‘We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention. In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements. All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased. We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue,’” the MEA said in a statement issued in New Delhi.

The comments come after the media reported that two British families alleged they had received the wrong bodies following the repatriation of remains from India. DNA testing reportedly indicated mismatches in at least two of the caskets sent to the UK after the crash of Air India flight AI171. According to lawyer James Healy, representing the affected families, 12 to 13 sets of remains were flown to the UK, with two families subsequently informed that the remains did not match their relatives based on DNA analysis, reports NDTV.

The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, slamming into a residential complex near BJ Medical College. Of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard, only one survived.