News in Short

• President Xi Jinping put China’s wealthiest citizens on notice, offering an outline for “common prosperity” that includes income regulation and redistribution.
• Since Xi took office in 2012, the ruling party has made it a priority to end poverty and build a moderately prosperous society, goals that the party sees as central to promoting well-being and strengthening its governance.
• Income inequality in the country is wide – the richest 20% earn more than 10 times poorest 20% -- and hasn’t budged since 2015. Beijing has undertaken massive efforts to reduce poverty, especially in rural areas.

• Maki Kaji, the creator of the popular numbers puzzle Sudoku whose life’s work was spreading the joy of puzzles, has died. He was 69.
• Known as the “Godfather of Sudoku,” Kaji created the puzzle to be easy for children and others who didn’t want to think too hard.
• It wasn’t until 2004 when Sudoku became a global hit, after a fan from New Zealand pitched it and got it published in the British newspaper The Times.

• U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have agreed to hold a virtual G7 leaders’ meeting next week to discuss a common strategy and approach.
• The decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to stick to the troop withdrawal deal struck by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump has stirred widespread criticism at home and among U.S. allies.
• Foreign powers are assessing how to respond to the transformed situation on the ground after Afghan forces melted away in just days.

• The Supreme Court collegium headed by CJI NV Ramana has recommended nine judges to Supreme court, including 3 women.
• Justice B V Nagarathna of Karnataka HC, if recommended, would become the first woman CJI of India. She may have a tenure of nearly nine months as the first woman CJI.
• The selection of nine would concentrate the judge population in the SC mainly to a few states – Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

• A Delhi court discharged Congress leader Shashi Tharoor from all charges, including abetment to suicide, in connection with the death of his wife SunandaPushkar in January 2014.
• SunandaPushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.
• The Delhi Police’s charge sheet had named Mr. Tharoor as an accused for alleged offences under Sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment of suicide).