Recent Posts

› Unlabelled › 8pm NEWSFEED

8pm NEWSFEED

18, మార్చి 2022, శుక్రవారం

8pm NEWSFEED

Australia imposes sanctions on 11 Russian banks, many Government bodies: Foreign Ministry

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 07:54 PM PDT

Australia has imposed sanctions on 11 Russian banks and many governmental entities, including those responsible for managing the Russian sovereign debt, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The sanctions have been introduced over the Russian military operation in Ukraine. “The Australian Government has placed sanctions on 11 additional Russian banks and government entities, with the majority of the country’s banking assets now covered by our sanctions along with all of the entities that handle Russia’s sovereign debt,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Today’s listing includes the Russian National Wealth Fund and the Russian Ministry of Finance. With our recent inclusion of the Central Bank of Russia, Australia has now targeted all Russian Government entities responsible for issuing and managing Russia’s sovereign debt,” the statement added. 

Ukraine, Russia tangle over women, children and elderly killed in war at UNSC

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 07:48 PM PDT

Ukrainian ambassador to the UN confronted his Russian counterpart on Thursday (local time) over women and children killed in attacks, during the UN Security Council meeting.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya directly addressed his Russian counterpart Vasily Nebenzya over the issue, reported CNN. “Ambassador, do the eyes of Ukrainian children, women, and elderly killed by the Russians flash before you?” Kyslytsya asked.

He continued, “If they do, we may consider how to sponsor a decision to help you deal with perpetration-inducted traumatic stress. But now, have some decency and stop the egregious manipulation of the Security Council. It is obscene.”

However, Russian ambassador Nebenzya did not respond to the comments, but told reporters after the meeting that he does not “engage in personal exchanges” with Kyslytsya, reported CNN.

“But when he asked about the eyes of children killed, I would also like to ask him whether he had any remorse when he thought about the children of Donetsk that were killed by Ukrainian forces,” Nebenzia said.

Kyslytsya also spoke to reporters after the meeting, saying there has not been any improvement in the situation in Ukraine.

“No, there is no improvement. The actions of the Russian Federation continue to be very brazen and the atrocities are taking place every day, unfortunately,” Kyslytsya said.

US must disclose information about military biological labs in Ukraine: Russian Embassy

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 07:45 PM PDT

The United States must immediately disclose the information about its military biological activities in Ukrainian laboratories, the Russian Embassy in Washington said.

“We demand that the US Side disclose information about military biological activity in laboratories on the territory of Ukraine as soon as possible. What kind of peaceful research we are talking about if the Pentagon stands behind these projects,” the Embassy wrote on its Telegram channel.

PM Modi greets citizens on Holi

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 07:39 PM PDT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended greetings to countrymen on the occasion of Holi and wished that the festival brings every colour of happiness in the lives of people.

“Wishing you all a very Happy Holi. May this festival of colors, a symbol of mutual love, affection and brotherhood, bring every color of happiness in your life,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil.

Even though Holi is a predominantly Hindu festival, it is celebrated by people of other faiths as well. It marks the arrival of the spring harvest season in the country.

People celebrate the festival by binging on some lip-smacking sweets, thandai and splash coloured powder, water, and balloons while chanting “Holi Hai”. 

Mamata Banerjee reveals Israeli spyware firm NSO Group approached Bengal Police to sell Pegasus 4-5 years ago

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:03 PM PDT

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group had approached the state police four-five years ago to sell its spyware ‘Pegasus’.

“The NSO Group had come to our police department 4-5 years ago to sell their machine (Pegasus spyware) and demanded Rs 25 crore. I turned it down as it could have been used politically, against judges and officials, which is not acceptable,” said Banerjee. It may be mentioned that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive member from West Bengal Anirban Ganguly last month had alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been using Pegasus since she came to power in 2016.
In July 2021, names of several opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and over 40 Indian journalists appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance allegedly using Pegasus spyware, according to a news report.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had responded to the opposition allegations in Parliament and said “there is no substance behind the sensationalism”.
The matter is subjudice in Supreme Court. The top court had earlier set up a technical expert committee to look into the allegations of snooping against the Centre.

Tripura Governor fails to complete his customary address as Opposition stages walkout at beginning of the Budget session

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:00 PM PDT

Disruption marred the beginning of Tripura Assembly’s five-day budget session, as members of the Opposition parties staged a walkout soon after Governor Satyadeo Narayan Arya started delivering his customary address to mark the beginning of the business on Thursday.

The Opposition legislators led by Leader of the Opposition Manik Sarkar started to voice their grievances against the state government. While the Governor continued to deliver his speech, Sarkar and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) legislators started showing their dissent and at a point of time, the Sarkar and left MLAs walked out of the house. Due to the disruption, the Governor could not complete his speech and left the podium.

Later, addressing a press conference at the chamber of CPI-M legislators, leader of the Opposition Manik Sarkar said, “People of the state must know what prompted us to take such a step. The Governor of a state is the administrative head of the state and a guardian for the people and the elected government. By virtue of his post, he is capable of making suggestions to the government on what it should do and what not.”

He further said, “Unfortunately, our state is going through a bad phase. The law and order situation has stooped to a new low. Lack of livelihood opportunities is driving people to spend nights in starvation or half-fed. The Opposition parties are the worst victim of the intimidation of the ruling party workers. And, the police is acting as the puppet in the ruling party’s hands.”

Justifying their move of the walkout, Sarkar said that ‘inaction’ on part of the Governor prompted them to stage the walkout.

In the second half of the session, the Opposition party MLAs once again walked out of the house after disagreement emerged between the treasury bench and the Opposition bench centering on the introduction of a private member resolution moved by CPI-M MLA Moboshor Ali.

After 2 year gap, International Surajkund Crafts Mela begins this Saturday

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:59 PM PDT

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday announced that the Surajkund International Craft Mela will start from March 19 and will last till April 4.

“The Surajkund International Craft Mela will take place from March 19 onwards and will last till April 4. It will last for 16 days instead of the usual 15 days. Artists from 20 countries will take part in the fair. E-Ticketing will be provided this time,” said Khattar while addressing the press conference. The Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir will be the ‘partner state’ and Uzbekistan will be the ‘partner country’ in the 35th edition of the annual fair this year.

The Mela is organized annually in Faridabad by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.

In 2013, the fair was upgraded to an international level and the last edition was held in 2020, before the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oil prices surge to above USD 100 amid Russia-Ukraine war

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:49 PM PDT

Amid intensified Russia-Ukraine war that entered the twenty-second day on Thursday, oil prices spiked back above USD 100 affecting energy supplies.

The concerns are growing over the potential length of war affecting energy supplies as the war in Ukraine is disrupting Russia’s energy supplies, reported CNN. After sinking below USD 94 a barrel earlier this week, US crude soared 8 per cent to USD 102.65 a barrel in recent trading. Brent crude spiked 9 per cent to USD 107 a barrel.
The swift rebound in oil prices will be watched closely by leaders in Washington and Wall Street because high energy prices threaten to exacerbate inflation and slow down the economy, reported CNN.

Energy traders blamed Thursday’s spike on growing pessimism about a resolution between Russia and Ukraine being reached in the near term.

“The mood has darkened a little bit,” said Robert Yawger, vice president of energy futures at Mizuho Securities. “It sounds like this is going to be a dragged-out situation.”

The recent drop in oil prices was driven in part by hopes for a potential ceasefire. The longer the war goes on, the bigger the threat to Russia’s oil flows, reported CNN.
“Given Putin’s actions in recent times, we shouldn’t get our hopes up,” said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst of the Americas at Kpler.

The International Energy Agency warned Wednesday that a staggering 30 per cent of Russia’s oil production could be knocked offline within weeks, exposing the world economy to a potential supply crisis.

“The implications of a potential loss of Russian oil exports to global markets cannot be understated,” the IEA said in its monthly report.

Despite Thursday’s rebound, oil prices remain well below their recent peaks. US crude spiked to a nearly 14-year high of USD 130.50 a barrel on March 6, while Brent hit nearly USD 140 a barrel, reported CNN.

Gasoline prices are only inching lower, drawing criticism of the energy industry from the White House. The national average for regular gas dipped to USD 4.29 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. That’s down by two pennies from Wednesday and four pennies from the record high of USD 4.33.

4 rockets hit Iraq’s largest air base

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:43 PM PDT

Four Katyusha rockets on Thursday struck the Balad Air Base, Iraq’s largest military airbase in the north of the capital Baghdad, a local security source said.

The rockets landed at the Balad Air Base in Salahudin province, some 90 km north of Baghdad, causing no human casualties, Col Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police told Xinhua. Three of the rockets hit a building inside the base, leaving minor damages, while the fourth landed in an empty area, al-Bazi said, adding that the rockets were fired from the neighbouring province of Diyala.

Balad Air Base houses Iraq’s F-16 fighters. The US technical team has already withdrawn from the base amid rocket attacks by unidentified militias.

On December 29, 2021, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi confirmed the end of the US-led coalition forces’ combat mission in Iraq.

Centre to allocate Rs 500-600 cr for Tripura’s second airport

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:33 PM PDT

Tripura is set to get its second airport at Kailashahar, the headquarters of the Unakoti district in Tripura.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday said, “Tripura’s second airport at Kailashahar is coming up soon and the central government is likely to release funds shortly.” According to Deb, the Centre would be releasing funds to the tune of Rs 500 to Rs 600 crore for the construction and related infrastructure development at the new airport site located at Kailashahar, about 139 KMs away from Agartala.

“People of Unakoti district have been demanding for the airport for a long time and the central government is all set to fulfil their demands through this airport. Tripura will have two airports in total after Kailashahar included in the flying map”, said the Chief Minister.

The CM conveyed his thanks to Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma for the presentation of a “people-centric budget”.

Speaking to reporters at his Assembly Chamber, Deb said “A people-centric budget has been presented in the state assembly today by the Dev Varma. All the key sectors essential for the state’s growth such as forestry, animal resources, infrastructure, education and health, etc have been covered.”

He said the budget was a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Atma Nirbhar Tripura.”

“This budget gave a clear message that it is for all, from children to elderly. Our government has so far been able to live up to the expectations of the common people. With the blessings of PM Modi, we have succeeded to overcome all impediments. The opposition thought the government would face difficulties in fulfilling the commitment, but we were able to pass the hurdles”, he added.

The five-day budget session of the Tripura assembly began on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Verma presented a Rs 26,892.67-crore tax-free Budget proposal for the 2022-23 financial year.

The Budget is 18.34 per cent higher than last year’s Budget estimates and an increase of over Rs 4,000 crore.

J-K: 15 arrested for pelting stones at security forces during post-encounter sanitization in Srinagar’s Nowgam

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:27 PM PDT

15 people allegedly involved in stone-pelting on security forces after an encounter in Srinagar in which three militants were killed, have been arrested, the police informed on Thursday.

According to the police, three terrorists were neutralised in Nowgam, Srinagar on March 16, after which the site was being cleared to ensure the safety of citizens, when a large unruly mob started pelting stones. The Srinagar police in an official statement said, “As per the standard operating procedure, the encounter site was being cleared to ensure the safety of citizens. Accordingly, signboards were also placed around the site of encounter, while it was being sanitized, to dissuade citizens from approaching the site prior to sanitization with regard to any left-over explosive from the terrorists.”

It further said, “A large unruly mob assembled from adjacent areas of Shankerpora Wanabal carrying ‘lathies’ and stones in their hands and pelted stones on the deployed staff. In order to disperse the mob smoke shells had to be used.”

A case has been registered under relevant sections in the Nowgam Police station and 15 identified persons were also arrested in the said case, added the police statement.
The police also requested the citizens to stay away from the encounter sites to ensure safety, keeping in mind the likelihood of leftover explosives from the terrorists.

Pak Opposition urges Imran Khan to step down voluntarily after ‘losing majority’

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:21 PM PDT

After several ruling party lawmakers announced that they would not follow the party line in the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the opposition leaders urged him to step down voluntarily, saying that he has “lost the majority” in the National Assembly.

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that MNAs have been threatened with violence, arrest and dire consequences if they take part in the no-confidence process, reported The Express Tribune. Bilawal said PPP along with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will take all measures to protect lawmakers from ‘fascist regime.’

“Their lives, liberty and family are under threat. MNAs will take any and all means for their own protection against this fascist regime,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, disgruntled ruling party lawmaker Raja Riaz revealed that as many as 24 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs were staying in the Sindh House in Islamabad due to “security concerns”.

“We will not show all our cards now. IA (InshaaAllah) a few friends will respond to IKs (PM Imran) accusations. More to come in the coming days. Out of respect to the OIC conference, we don’t want anarchy in Islamabad. The government must not provoke us,” said Bilawal.

The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting is slated to be held on March 24.

“Today, Imran Khan has lost the moral legitimacy to run the government and the country. Clearly, the Imran Khan has no majority in the House,” said PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab chapter President Rana Sanaullah expressing similar views called upon PM Imran to reign after “losing the support” of the majority of lawmakers in the lower house of parliament, reported The Express Tribune.

He said as of now only ruling dissident PTI MNAs have surfaced. “Three ministers are also coming out now… just don’t panic.”

Another senior leader of PML-N Khawaja Asif said PM Imran should prove the support of 172 MNAs in the house which is a “constitutional requirement”.

He added that opposition parties are all set to expel the premier from the “stadium”.
Ahead of the vote on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against Prime Minister Imran Khan, dozens of dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs came out in the open on Thursday.

The dissident MNAs were found staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad, with two of them – Raja Riaz and Malik Nawab Sher Waseer – saying their vote on the no-trust vote will be “accordance with their conscience”, reported the Dawn newspaper.

Giving a clear indication of their stance in the upcoming vote, several other PTI lawmakers — including MNAs Noor Alam Khan and Basit Bukhari — were staying at the facility, the media outlet reported citing a TV footage.

Citing fears of government action against them, there are around 24 PTI lawmakers staying at the Sindh House, the Pakistani publication quoted Riaz, a member of the Jahangir Tareen group, as saying to Geo News.

Humanitarian action in Ukraine should not be politicised: India at UNSC

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:16 PM PDT

India emphasized that humanitarian action shall be guided by the principles of humanity and should not be politicised while reiterating its previous calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Thursday (local time).

“Allow me to underscore that it is important that humanitarian action is always guided by the principles of humanitarian assistance, i.e., humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. These measures should not be politicized,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN TS Tirumurti said at the meeting. The UNSC session was called following a request by six countries including the UK, US, France, Albania, Ireland, and Norway to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

“We reiterate our call for the immediate cessation of hostilities across Ukraine. Our Prime Minister has reiterated this on several occasions and called for immediate ceasefire and emphasized that there is no option but the path of dialogue and diplomacy,” Tirumurti further said.

India’s representative also raised concerns on the ongoing humanitarian situation, including the displacement of thousands of people internally and the outflow of more than three million refugees to neighbouring countries. He also highlighted India’s contribution in addressing the worrisome situation.

“Keeping in view the dire humanitarian situation unfolding in Ukraine, India has already sent over 90 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Ukraine and its neighbours, as part of nine separate tranches of humanitarian assistance delivered thus far since 1st March. These supplies have included medicines and other essential relief material. We are in the process of identifying other such requirements and sending further supplies in the coming days,” Tirumurti said.

Talking about India’s evacuation of its citizens from conflict-ridden Ukraine under Operation Ganga, Tirumurti said, “India has ensured the safe return of about 22,500 Indians from Ukraine. We have also assisted nationals from 18 other countries in that process. We are deeply appreciative of the facilitation rendered by the authorities of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries in ensuring their safe return.”

“We stand ready to continue to engage on these objectives in the Security Council, as well as with the Parties, in the coming days. We continue to underline the need to respect the UN Charter, international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” Tirumurti said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry today expressed disappointment over the “unfriendly actions” of the Slovakian authorities which expelled three Russian diplomatic staff.

“We are disappointed by the unfriendly actions of the Slovakian authorities which expelled three Russian diplomatic staff under false pretexts. It goes without saying that the decisions taken by Slovakia will not go unanswered,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

However, the European Space Agency today announced it has suspended the Russian-European Mars mission over the Russia Ukraine war.

“We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine. While recognizing the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its Member States,” ESA said in a statement.

12 killed, 34 injured in at least 43 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine, says WHO

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:11 PM PDT

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday (local time) said that at least 12 people have been killed and 34 people have been injured in at least 43 attacks on health care facilities in Ukraine amid intensified attacks by Russia.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his remarks to the UN Security Council said, “Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law – anytime, anywhere. They deprive people of urgently-needed care and break already strained health systems. That is what we are seeing in Ukraine.”

Mental health services are also being greatly affected by the conflict, with more than 35,000 mental health patients in Ukrainian psychiatric hospitals and long-term care facilities, “which are facing severe shortages of medicines, food, heating, blankets and more.”

Tedros said the war in Ukraine is also exacerbating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country due to decline in testing rates and only 40 per cent Ukrainian population being vaccinated.

“Declining rates of testing since the start of the conflict mean there is likely to be significant undetected transmission. And with less than 40 per cent of the adult population fully vaccinated, this increases the risk of large numbers of people developing severe disease,” Tedros said.

WHO has sent about 100 metric tons of medical supplies to the region, including “oxygen, insulin, surgical supplies, anesthetics, and blood transfusion kits – enough for 4,500 trauma patients and 450,000 primary health care patients, for one month. Other equipment, including oxygen generators, electrical generators and defibrillators have also been delivered, and we are preparing to send a further 108 metric tons,” Tedros said.

Although WHO has more critical supplies ready for UN convoys attempting to enter regions in Ukraine, they have not been successful, the Director-General said.
“For example, the UN convoy to Sumy that included a WHO truck carrying critical medical supplies was unable to enter. Loads ready for Mariupol remain in staging areas and cannot proceed. Access to these, and other areas, is now critical,” Tedros said.

Tedros ended his remarks by stating that while Ukraine is “rightly the focus of the world’s attention,” he urged the council “not to lose sight of the many other crises in which people are suffering,” including millions of people still suffering in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. 

Imran Khan fights for survival amid opposition’s ‘no-confidence’ move

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:07 PM PDT

As discomfort between the powerful Army and Pakistan Prime Minister continues to grow over several issues, it appears that Pakistan’s powerful military establishment is fed up with the Imran Khan-led government.

The economic mismanagement, poor governance, and Khan government’s failed foreign policy in the last three and a half years are evident reasons for his anticipated ousting from power in the coming weeks. The opposition parties have brought a “no-confidence” motion against the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly on March 8. If all goes well, it is expected that the voting on the no-trust motion will take place in the last week of this month.

There are indications that Khan may fail to save his government this time as besides the military establishment’s unhappiness, there is also better coordination between the opposition parties and Khan’s key allies – Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

After failing to dislodge the Pakistan army-installed ‘hybrid regime’ of Khan, through street protests, the nine-member opposition alliance ‘Pakistan Democratic Movement’ (PDM) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) signed the no-confidence motion against the PTI government on March 8.

The originally 11-party grouping, PDM was formed in September 2020 with the sole purpose of dislodging Imran Khan from power through street protests and parliamentary maneuvering. But those attempts failed since the PTI government got support from the powerful military establishment. But things have changed now.

The civil-military relations are at a new low and there is growing tension between Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. At a public gathering in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 10, Imran Khan admitted that General Bajwa advised him against calling names of opposition party members; the advice he refused to follow. In addition, he took an indirect jibe at the Army that “Allah did not allow us to be neutral as only animals are neutral”, in context to the establishment’s neutral stance in the no-confidence motion episode.

All these incidents have further weakened civil-military relations, besides the Khan government’s incompetence of handling economic and foreign policy issues. These differences between PM Khan and General Bajwa have given an opening to the opposition parties to start a political movement against the PTI, with a possible nod from the army establishment. That is evident from the proactive participation of PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif and PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari in the attempt to oust the government.

Both leaders have been jailed and harassed by Imran Khan, with the establishment’s support, since he came to power in August 2018. More importantly, PPP and PML-N have set aside their political differences – even if temporarily – to join hands to remove Khan from power. Even PTI’s ‘Jahangir Tareen’ group has signaled its reluctance to support the Imran Khan government and endorsed PML-N’s stance of removing PTI’s chief minister Usman Buzdar in Punjab.

For PM Khan, it is a ‘do-or-die’ situation, and therefore, he is leaving no stone unturned to win over the disgruntled as well as opportunistic coalition partners, especially PML-Q and MQM-P, to save his government. So far, his allies have given mixed signals, some even in support of the opposition, as the negotiations are still underway between them.

Unless PM Khan heeds to their demands, or gives them some concessions such as the chief ministerial position to PML-Q in Punjab, it will be difficult for the PTI government to survive the no-confidence motion this time. Opposition parties hold 162 seats in the 342-member lower house, 10 short of the majority votes required to oust PM Khan. The combined strength of the PTI government and its allies in the national assembly is about 179.

The opposition seems confident that it has the required number needed to shunt Khan. The military establishment may sacrifice Khan on the pretext of gross “economic mismanagement” in the last three and a half years of the PTI rule. Khan has abjectly failed to handle Pakistan’s economic crisis. He has appointed four finance ministers and about half a dozen finance secretaries since 2018.

He was also reluctant to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After accepting the funding in 2019, the IMF programme was suspended because Pakistan failed to meet IMF conditions for it. The plan was again revived in November last year after the PTI government agreed to tougher conditions, including raising oil prices and electricity tariffs. But in an attempt to woo the public and counter the opposition’s pressure, PM Khan cut domestic fuel costs and power rates, measures seen as putting the IMF program in jeopardy.

The recent political developments in Pakistan have caused great concerns in China, as the governance instability in the country will impact China Pakistan Economic Corridor activities in the coming months. As a result, the deputy head of Mission of Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Pang Chunxue, met the PML-Q leadership on March 13 to discuss the current political situation and convey that China wants political and economic stability in Pakistan.

Clearly, the coming weeks are going to be very difficult for Imran Khan, as he faces a no-trust motion in the parliament. For the opposition alliance, this is possibly the last attempt to dislodge the PTI government before the 2024 general elections. For now, odds are in favour of the opposition.

No trust vote: Imran Khan govt directs spy agencies to monitor lawmakers

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:02 PM PDT

Ahead of the vote on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has directed the civilian intelligence agencies to monitor the lawmakers, reported local media citing sources.

According to the sources, the development came during a meeting of the PTI’s political committee chaired by Imran Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday, reported The News International. Imran Khan has directed the spy agencies to monitor the lawmakers’ location, movement and record their phone calls. The premier also ordered them to strictly monitor Sindh House and submit a report to him on a daily basis.

Notably, this comes after dozens of dissident PTI MNAs came out in open on Thursday and moved to Sindh House citing security concerns.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan tasked Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to placate the disgruntled lawmakers of PTI to thwart the Opposition’s no-trust move, according to the media outlet.

Amid growing discontent against the Imran Khan government, the Opposition parties in Pakistan had submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8.

India calls for diplomacy, dialogue to address Ukraine crisis

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PDT

India has called for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.

Bagchi’s remarks came during the weekly briefing of MEA where he reiterated India’s stand on the Ukraine situation. “We have been clear and consistent, we feel that the only way out is through diplomacy and dialogue which has been emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his conversation with President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” he stated.

Bagchi said that India at the United Nations has been highlighting the need to respect the UN charter and the territorial integrity of countries.

The MEA spokesperson also informed that Operation Ganga, launched for the evacuation of Indian nationals in war-torn Ukraine, is still underway.

“We have evacuated over 22,500 Indian nationals from Ukraine. As this is a developing situation, there might be some people in isolated pockets. As per our knowledge, some 15-20 people are there who want to come back, while the rest do not want to leave. We, particularly through our embassy in Warsaw, will continue to help any Indian citizen who wants to return,” he said.

On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics requested help in defending themselves.
Russia has been facing immense pressure from the international community to stop its military operations in Ukraine which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Direct tax collections surge 48 per cent to Rs 13.63 lakh crore

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:55 AM PDT

Net direct tax collections surged by 48.4 per cent to Rs 13,63,038 crore in the current financial year till March 16 as compared with the Rs 9,18,430.5 crore over the corresponding period of last year, the government data showed on Thursday.

The net direct tax collection of Rs 13,63,038.3 crore till 16th March in the current financial year include Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs 7,19,035.0 crore (net of refund) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Security Transaction Tax (STT) at Rs 6,40,588.3 crore (net of refund). Collection of Rs 13,63,038.3 crore as on 16th March 2022 is as against a target of Rs 11.08 lakh crore (budget estimate) as revised to Rs 12.50 lakh crore (revised estimate), according to data released by the Union Ministry of Finance.

The gross collection of Direct Taxes (before adjusting for refunds) for the FY 2021-22 (as on 16.03.2022) stands at Rs 15,50,364.2 crore compared to Rs 11,20,638.6 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year.

The gross collection for the FY 2019-20 was Rs 11,34,706.3 crore and that for FY 2018-19 was Rs. 11,68,048.7 crore in the corresponding period.

The gross collection of Rs 15,50,364.2 crore includes Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs 8,36,838.2 crore and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Security Transaction Tax(STT) at Rs 7,10,056.8 crore.

Minor head wise collection (as on 16.03.2022), comprises Advance Tax of Rs 6,62,896.3 crore, Tax Deducted at Source of Rs 6,86,798.7 crore, Self-Assessment Tax of Rs 1,34,391.1 crore; Regular Assessment Tax of Rs 55,249.5 crore; Dividend Distribution Tax of Rs 7,486.6 crore and Tax under other minor heads of Rs 3,542.1 crore.

The cumulative Advance Tax collections for the FY 2021-22 stand at Rs 6,62,896.3 crore as on 16.03.22, against Advance Tax collections of Rs 4,70,984.4 crore for the corresponding period of the immediately preceding Financial Year i.e 2020-21, showing a growth of 40.75 per cent.

Further, the cumulative Advance tax collection of Rs 6,62,896.3 crore as on 16.03.2022 (FY 2021-22) shows a growth of 50.56 per cent over the corresponding period in FY 2019-20 when the advance tax collection (cumulative) was Rs 4,40,281.4 crore and a growth of 30.82 per cent over the corresponding period in FY 2018-19 when the advance tax collection (cumulative) was Rs 5,06,714.2 crore.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann urges officials to make state ‘real Punjab’, not London, Paris

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:29 AM PDT

A day after assuming office, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday urged officials to turn the state into a frontrunner.

Addressing his maiden meeting after taking oath, Mann urged the top officials of the state’s civil and police administration to discharge their duties as public servants in the letter and spirit. Giving an example of the Indian cricket team, the newly-elected chief minister said, “Matches are won or lost but it is the team spirit which matters. Our prime concern should be to make our state as real Punjab, not the London, California or Paris.”

The AAP leader said that his government would not indulge in political vendetta and asked the entire state administration to discharge their duties fearlessly without any political pressure, unlike earlier regimes, with utmost dedication, sincerity and honesty to cherish the aspirations of the Punjabis who have voted AAP to power with the unprecedented verdict.

Attacking the previous governments in the state, Mann said, “I do not keep a red diary like the earlier political parties and have only green one so you need not worry about any vendetta.”

A day after Mann assumed office, the AAP-led Punjab government took the first step towards fulfilling the promises which it had made during the run-up to the state assembly polls – a corruption-free government.

Ensuring a corruption-free government, Mann announced that his government would launch a WhatsApp number on coming March 23 on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh exclusively for the public to upload videos of corrupt officials demanding bribes for their day to day works or indulging in other malpractices so that such erring officials could be given exemplary punishment.

Reiterating his commitment to making Punjab a model state, Mann said the foremost concern of his government would be to create abundant job opportunities for the youth to check the unfortunate trend of brain drain from the state to foreign shores.
He said, “This scenario has even forced the poor and hapless parents to sell off their properties for sending their wards abroad for better prospects to earn a livelihood.”

He promised his government would soon come up with a comprehensive action plan to generate tremendous job potential for the unemployed youth on top priority.

The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

Punjab CM to launch anti-corruption helpline, says complaints will be received on his personal WhatsApp number

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 05:25 AM PDT

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced that an anti-corruption helpline will be launched in the state on Shaheed Diwas on March 23.

The newly elected chief minister said that people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp. “99 per cent of people are honest, because of 1 per cent the system breaks down,” said Mann.

Mann had also taken to Twitter to post, “On the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh ji, we will launch the anti-corruption helpline number. That will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone asks you for a bribe, send it to me by recording a video/audio of it. A strict action will be taken against the corrupt. Corruption will no longer work in Punjab.”

A day after Mann assumed office, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government took the first step towards fulfilling the promises which it had made during the run-up to the state assembly polls – a corruption-free government and controlling drug menace in the state that shares a border with Pakistan.

The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

India’s merchandise export set to cross $400 billion in current fiscal: Piyush Goyal

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 03:25 AM PDT

India’s merchandise exports have reached $390 billion till March 14 of the current financial year and will certainly cross $400 billion during the year ending March 31, 2022, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

Addressing an event organised by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Goyal said India’s auto components industry has, for the first time, recorded a trade surplus of $600 million. According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on March 14, India’s merchandise exports for the period April-February 2021-22 stood at $374.81 billion as against $256.55 billion during the period April-February 2020-21, registering a growth of 46.09 per cent.
In February 2022, merchandise exports surged to $34.57 billion, registering a year-on-year growth of 25.1 per cent.

Addressing the ACMA event, Goyal noted that India’s automotive industry is worth more than $100 billion and contributes 8 per cent to the country’s total export and accounts for 2.3 per cent of India’s GDP. India’s auto industry is estimated to become the 3rd largest in the world by 2025.

UEFA Champions League: Holders Chelsea through to last eight

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 03:12 AM PDT

Holders Chelsea are through to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after resisting LOSC Lille’s resurgence. With Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta scoring in northern France as the English side came from behind to wrap up a 4-1 aggregate win on Wednesday.

The scoreline looked comfortable but the Premier League side had their credentials checked in northern France. Just for a moment, when Burak Yilmaz fired in from the penalty spot, the holders were rocking. Jorginho’s handball had led to the penalty and the midfielder quickly made amends just before the break, rounding off an intricate move with a lovely through ball that Pulisic collected before dispatching an unerring finish across goal into the bottom corner.

LOSC were not done yet, beginning the second period with renewed purpose. Burak went close, Agim Zeka went closer with a header against the post, but Azpilicueta calmed Chelsea nerves as he turned in Mason Mount’s cross with his knee to wrap up the tie.

‘Reform, perform, transform’: PM Modi’s mantra to trainee civil servants

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 02:26 AM PDT

Urging trainee civil servants to focus on the ‘biggest goal of the 21st century’ Aatmnirbhar Bharat and Modern India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked them to ‘reform, perform and transform’ to the next level.

“In this period of Amrit Kaal, we have to take Reform, Perform, Transform to the next level. That is why today’s India is moving ahead with the spirit of ‘Sabka Prayas,” said PM Modi, while addressing a valedictory function of the 96th Common Foundation Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussorie via video conferencing. He further said that the country has been facing many problems due to a lack of coordination between different government departments.

He also recalled Mahatama Gandhi’s mantra that every decision should be evaluated on the touchstone of the welfare of the last person in the last line.

“That’s the reason why we introduce PM Gati Shakti. Once, we identify the problem, it is easier to find solutions,” he added while asking trainee officers to never let their sense of service and duty sag.

PM Modi said during these times of transformation of civil services, the government is bringing many reforms like mission Karmayogi and Aarambh program.
The Prime Minister urged the civil servants not to make a hasty decision and always wish for challenging projects don’t make comfort yourself.

The Prime Minister advised the officers for recording their aspirations and plans at the time of their departure from the Academy to revisit them after 25 or 50 years to evaluate the level of achievement.

“Try identifying five challenges in the sector of your choice. It is very important to find these challenges locally faced by society to find solutions. When we have the power of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ then 1+1 does not equal 2, but 1+1 equals the strength of 11,” he said.

“When you are involved in decision making, try to understand the root cause of what happened in the past and understand their reasons. Never make a hasty decision. Always make an informed decision.

He said identification of the challenges is the first step in the rectification of the challenges. He gave the example of the government’s identification of challenges of providing pucca houses and electricity connection for the poor, which were addressed by schemes like PM Awas Yojana, Saubhagya Scheme and schemes for Aspirational Districts.

He further said to work by understanding the difference between files and fields. You will have to connect with the field for the real feel. “Figures contained in the files are not just numbers. Every figure, every number, is a life. You have to work for every single life, not for mere numbers,” added PM Modi.

The Prime Minister said not to restrict to the comfort zone while urged to hunt for challenging jobs to develop risk-taking capacity. “It will not only help in your personal development but also take the nation to newer heights of success,” he said.
“You should hope to never get easy work. Coming out of your comfort zone will teach you more in the next 2-4 years then what you have learned in the last 20 years,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that the importance of service and sense of duty has been an integral part of the training because when we work with a sense of duty and sense of purpose, “we do not feel the burden of work. You must become a part of a positive change for the society, for the country.”

As per the PMO, the 96th Foundation Course is the first Common Foundation Course at LBSNAA based on the principle of ‘Mission Karmyogi’, with new pedagogy and design.

Emphasis was put on transforming the Officer Trainee from a student/civilian into a public servant through initiatives like interaction with the Padma Awardees in the spirit of ‘Sabka Prayas’. All 488 Officer Trainees were given first-level training in Krav Maga and various other sports.

Tiger Shroff’s ‘Heropanti 2’ trailer released

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:39 AM PDT

The makers of Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria-starrer ‘Heropanti 2’ have pushed the envelope of action entertainers, as seen from the trailer of their film unveiled on Thursday.


The three-and-a-half-minutes long trailer boasts of top-notch action. Tiger channels his heroic skills as Babloo, Tara performs the gorgeous Inaaya and Nawazuddin Siddiqui gets in the skin of the mysterious antagonist Laila. The film features multiple international locations including Russia, China, Africa and Egypt.


The sequel to Tiger’s debut ‘Heropanti’ (2014), the film has been mounted on a huge budget and will witness never-seen-before action.


Written by Rajat Arora with music by A R Rahman, Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Heropanti 2’ is directed by Ahmed Khan.


The movie promises audiences a dose of action, thrill, romance and entertainment, all set to release in theatres this Eid, on April 29, 2022.

New post-pandemic world order shaping up, India needs to grow fast: PM Modi

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:27 AM PDT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India needs to develop at a faster pace to find its role while the new world order shapes up in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister said that the whole world is looking at India. “In the circumstances created by COVID-19, new world order is emerging. In this new order, India has to develop itself at a faster pace,” he added. The Prime Minister was addressing a valedictory function of the 96th Common Foundation Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie via video conferencing.

He said that the current batch of civil servants will play a big role in the development of the country in the next 25 years.

“Over the years, I have spoken to and spent a long time with various batches of Civil Servants. But this batch is very special. You are starting your work in the 75th year of India’s Independence. In this Amrit Kaal, you will play a big role in the development of the country in the next 25 years,” said PM Modi.

He further urged the civil servants to keep the goals of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and laying the foundation of ‘New, Modern India’ at the top of their priorities.
“You always have to keep the goals of 21st century India in mind. The goal of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the goal of laying the foundation of New, Modern India,” said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister also stated that the inauguration of the new sports complex and revamped Happy Valley Complex will give a new direction to the Academy.

“During training, you were enlightened with the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Service and duty have been a vital part of your training. The importance of service and sense of duty has been an integral part of your training,” he added.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the new sports complex and dedicated the revamped ‘Happy Valley Complex’ to the nation.

Based on the principle of ‘Mission Karmyogi’, with new pedagogy and design, the 96th Foundation Course at LBSNAA comprises 488 (Officer-trainees) OTs from 16 services and three Royal Bhutan Services (Administrative, Police, and Forest).

The new pedagogy based on the principles of ‘Mission Karmayogi’ was designed to harness the adventurous and innovative spirit of the youthful batch, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in an official statement.

As per the PMO, the 96th Foundation Course is the first Common Foundation Course at LBSNAA based on the principle of ‘Mission Karmyogi’, with new pedagogy and design. Emphasis was put on transforming the Officer Trainee from a student/civilian into a public servant through initiatives like interaction with the Padma Awardees in the spirit of ‘Sabka Prayas’. All 488 Officer Trainees were given first-level training in Krav Maga and various other sports.

Indian stocks shrug off US Fed hike; Sensex soars 1115 points

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:23 AM PDT

Shrugging off the first interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve in over three years, the Indian equities markets key indices, Sensex and Nifty, surged by nearly 2 per cent on Thursday led by a strong buying support in infra and financial stocks.

The benchmark Sensex started the day on a bullish note at 57,620.28 points. Buying support got stronger later in the day. At around 12 noon, the 30 stock S&P BSE Sensex was trading at 57,932.54 points, which is 1115.89 points or 1.96 per cent higher from its previous day’s close at 56,816.65 points. This is the second consecutive day of a strong rally in the Indian stock markets. The Sensex had gained 1039.80 points or 1.86 per cent on Wednesday.

The broader Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange was trading 318.40 points or 1.88 per cent higher at 17,293.75 points against its previous day’s close at 16,975.35 points. The Nifty had gained 312.35 points or 1.87 per cent on Wednesday.
The Indian equities markets have rallied despite the rake hike by the US Fed. The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday hiked the interest rate by 25 basis points or 0.25 per cent. This is the first rate hike by the US Fed since December 2018. Analysts said the 25 basis points hike in interest rate by the US Fed was largely priced in by the market.

HDFC soared 4.88 per cent to Rs 2400. Titan surged 4.48 per cent to Rs 2705.25. Asian Paints jumped 3.56 per cent to Rs 3149.80. Kotak Bank surged 3.37 per cent to Rs 1820.70. Tata Steel jumped 2.96 per cent to Rs 1302.70.

There was across the board buying support. Only two of the 30 scrips that are part of the benchmark Sensex were trading in the red. HCL Technology was down 0.60 per cent and Power Grid Corporation was trading 0.10 per cent down.

Women, caste combination, age, performance key factors in Yogi 2.0 govt: Sources

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 12:21 AM PDT

Many factors like women, caste combination, education qualification, age and performance of the MLAs will be taken into consideration before the formation of the Yogi government 2.0, said sources on Thursday.

Several rounds of meetings have taken place within the party after poll results on March 10. “Many new leaders who joined the BJP within months before the election have also come out victorious and they are likely to be inducted into the government.

However, what is come out from the exercise that has been carried out so far is that without a doubt the caste combination of a particular region and the representation of the elected MLA from that area will be taken into consideration while announcing cabinet,” the sources said.

According to sources, there was open public displeasure against several ministers and MLAs of the last term largely owing to the fact that these leaders would hardly go and meet people in the constituency.

“Like Bihar, this time in Uttar Pradesh women voters who stood up in huge numbers to vote for the party were instrumental to BJP winning a majority in the state. It is also given to understand that the women representation in the Yogi Cabinet will be a substantial one and quite a few women MLAs would be inducted,” sources added.

In the next couple of days, the BJP will also be finalizing the candidates for MLC elections on 36 seats. A few ministers, who have also been MLCs before, are likely to get repeated.

“What are the big shocks in this election for the BJP was the loss of Keshav Prasad Maurya who was a deputy Chief Minister in Yogi 1.0 government from Sirathu. Given his experience as well as popularity it is being said that he will be made an MLC.

Congress turned BJP leader Jitin Prasada is also likely to be repeated as an MLC as he has been a minister in the Yogi government,” said sources.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made at least two visits to the national capital after the election results to meet top leaders of the party.

Among the other leaders from the state who attended these meetings include Dinesh Sharma, Keshav Maurya, BJP State President Swatantra Dev Singh, Uttar Pradesh General Secretary Sunil Bansal.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a part of a few meetings, most of the meetings have been taken place in the presence of BJP national president JP Nadda, general secretary organization B L Santosh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Uttar Pradesh election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP UP in charge Radha Mohan Singh.

BJP Uttar Pradesh core committee held a six-hour-long crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss the formation of government in the state.

The BJP emerged victorious winning 255 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP was the second largest party with 111 seats and its ally SBSP secured the win in six constituencies. Mayawati’s BSP was reduced to only one seat. 

180 media outlets closed in past seven months in Afghanistan

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 12:07 AM PDT

As many as 180 media outlets out of 475 have been closed in Afghanistan in the past seven months following the takeover by the Taliban in August this year, local media reported.

On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s National House of Journalists in its latest survey said Afghan media outlets have been affected the most after the Taliban takeover as a result only 290 media outlets are active in the war-torn country, Khaama Press reported. A recent survey released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) indicates that about 43 percent of Afghan media outlets have shut down their operations, leaving almost 60 percent of journalists unemployed.

Head of Afghanistan’s National House of Journalists Sayed Yaseen Mateen said that reason behind the mass closure of media was economic woes and migration of professional media workers in the country.

Apart from the economic woes and stoppage of foreign support of the media in Afghanistan, the lack of access to information cited by Afghan journalists is said to be another big issue for media in the country, Khaama Press reported.

On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always denied the claim.
They said that the closure of media outlets in Afghanistan is owing to the stoppage of their donors. They denied having restricted Afghan journalists and media, Khaama Press reported.

The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power in August last year.
Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated.

The Taliban have committed and continue to commit human rights violations including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, a massive rollback of the rights of women and girls, censorship of and attacks against the media.

Moreover, people in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, that have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system.

Dubai Expo: ‘Media and Entertainment’ fortnight at India Pavilion to focus on Global Investments

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 11:46 PM PDT

The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai is set to host the ‘Media & Entertainment fortnight’ starting March 18th and showcase vast business and investment opportunities across India’s media & entertainment industry to global audience.

Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), Government of India will inaugurate the sector floor at the India Pavilion on March 18th. As part of the fortnight, the Ministry of I&B will organise various events covering areas including Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC), Film, Broadcasting, Events, and OTT among others. During the fortnight, India’s prowess in the sector will be showcased to global audience and discussions on possible collaborations of the Indian industry with their global counterparts would be organised.

The delegation will organise and attend various B2B, G2B and G2G meetings and the startups from the sector will showcase its innovative ideas at the Elevate pitching series. The fortnight will also comprise various celebrity visits including a performance by Padamshree Kailash Kher and Kailasha Live on the inaugural day.

Senior officials from the Ministry of I&B along with industry representatives will participate in various sessions covering emerging themes like opportunities in media startups, Indian gaming ecosystem, animation and VFX, content production and creation between India and the UAE, and India as the most favourable shooting destination.

M&E fortnight will also see the star cast of upcoming period action-drama movie, ‘RRR’ at the India Pavilion to host a promotional event on March 18th in addition to hosting the world premiere of Malayalam film ‘Viral Sebi’ on March 20th.

The scale of Indian market and the Government’s nod to 100% FDI (with some exceptions) has enabled various global media companies to invest and capitalise on the country’s fast-growing digital consumption. With the objective of attracting investments, the M&E delegation at EXPO2020 will showcase opportunities in areas like shared content creation between India and the UAE, and VFX and post-production.

The fortnight will also host a conference on 21st March to highlight the journey of Indian M&E Industry@75 which will see participation from various industry leaders and government officials from the sector. The conference will also announce the launch of ‘FICCI-EY Report on Media and Entertainment and Overall Presentation on Media and Entertainment Industry’. The screening of National Award-winning films will also be organised during the fortnight at the India Pavilion.

The M&E fortnight will conclude on 31st March.

Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast Governor alleges Russian forces of stealing food, evicting civilians from home

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 11:39 PM PDT

Russian forces in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast are evicting the civilians from their homes and are also stealing food, Sumy’s Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said.

Zhyvytsky gave in-detailed information about the looting through the Telegram on March 16, reported The Kyiv Independent. The city sustained heavy fighting since the Russian forces launched its military operations in Ukraine on February 24.

Russia has been facing immense pressure from the international community to stop its military operations in Ukraine which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruled that pending the final decision in the case, Russia must suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24 in the territory of Ukraine.

Ukraine on February 26 had filed an application at the ICJ to initiate proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 7-storey complex built in 45 days for 5th gen fighter jet project in Bengaluru

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 11:35 PM PDT

A seven-storey building whose construction has been completed in 45 days for the homegrown fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme would be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has built the seven-storey building in the record 45 days using In-House Developed Hybrid Technology which would be used as the R&D facilities for the indigenous development of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) in Bengaluru. The Flight Control System (FCS) Complex at Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is a seven-storeyed building with a plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet.

DRDO has completed the construction of a multi-storeyed (G+6) infrastructure for Flight Control System at ADE Bengaluru with in-house developed Hybrid technology consisting of conventional, pre-engineered and precast methodology.

“The building would be used for the development of Avionics for Fighter Aircrafts and Flight Control System (FCS) for AMCA being undertaken by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) Bengaluru. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to be given a presentation on the project inside the building itself,” said the DRDO officials.

He said that to support the R&D activities of developing Avionics for Fighter Aircrafts and Flight Control System (FCS) for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) being undertaken by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) Bengaluru, it was decided to provide necessary state of the art infrastructure through composite construction technology in the shortest time frame of just 45 days.

The foundation stone for this project was laid on November 22, 2021, and actual construction began on February 1, 2022. “It is a unique record of completing a permanent building of seven stories with Hybrid construction technology that too in ready to move condition for the first time ever in the history of the construction industry in the country,” the Official added.

In Hybrid Construction Technology, the column and beam elements of the structural frame are built with steel plates, the columns are of hollow steel tubular section. These Columns are concrete-filled steel hollow cross-sections.

The slabs are partially precast and all these structural members are assembled at site. Concreting is done simultaneously to make the structure monolithically cast thus eliminating any dry joints as in the case of precast construction.

In this case of concrete-filled hollow sections, the steel provides a permanent framework to the concrete core which reduces the time and effort drastically as compared to conventional construction.

The state-of-the-art building is also provided with VRF air-conditioning system along with an electrical system and fire protection as per the standard National building code.

All structural design norms as per relevant IS Codes and relevant codes have been adhered to. Design check and technical support were provided by IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee teams.

Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Wella Company to lead 2022 India Edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky® summit on April 19

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 10:55 PM PDT

House of Rose Professional (HORP) announced today that India’s top CEOs and Organizations would lead for the 2022 India Edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky® – the success and leadership summit for women to be held virtually on April 19, 2022.

The speaker lineup for the 2022 India Edition includes Neeraj Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd; Nishi Vasudeva, Former Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL; Sarthak Ranade, Managing Director, Janssen India Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson; Dr. Lois Lee, Founder & President, Children of the Night; Manish Bhagat, General Manager, South Asia; Wella Company; Anouchah Sanei, Chief Innovation and Science Officer, Amway; Hemant Badri, SVP and Head of Supply Chain, Flipkart Group; Madhulika Sachdeva Mathur, Co-Founder, WeddingSutra.com; Anurag Patnaik, Director, Human Resources, South Asia Region, Nestle; Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World; Vartika Shukla, Chairman and Managing Director, Engineers India Limited and Manos Nikolakis, General Manager, BIC Cello.

The 2022 India Edition of the summit is a one-day virtual forum, that offers organizations the opportunity to learn and exchange cross-industry best practices on leadership, diversity & inclusion, and success alongside the best Companies in India at a fraction of the cost of other expensive training programs/ internal training. Research around the world shows conclusively that greater gender equality in organizations delivers improved business results, better innovation, and greater corporate social responsibility.

Neeraj Garg, CEO, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, said, “Diversity is at the core of our business. As a company inspired by India, we aim to create a microcosm of India within HCCB. We continue to invest and make progress in unlocking the full potential of our people with equal access to development and opportunity. There is much work to be done and it is in this spirit of sharing and learning that we have been partnering with this forum. It gives participants an opportunity of cross-industry learning and defining the interventions that are further required”

Sarthak Ranade, Managing Director, Janssen India, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson commented, “Diversity & Inclusion at Johnson & Johnson is not just a commitment–it is the reality of how we live and work. It is about creating a deep sense of belonging. It’s about a culture where you are valued, your ideas are heard and you advance this culture for everyone. We are delighted to partner with Break the ceiling touch the sky® and contribute to unleashing the full potential of so many leaders.”

Suresh Narayanan, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestle India Ltd., shared; “With ‘Respect for Diversity’ as one of our core values, diversity & inclusion is a part of the cultural fabric of our organization. Our journey on diversity and inclusion with Break the ceiling touch the sky® continues in 2022. Break the ceiling touch the sky ® is a platform that provides a great opportunity for all of us to learn, share and connect and take our diversity and inclusion journey to the next level.”

Commented Anthony A. Rose, Chairman and CEO, House of Rose Professional and best-selling author of the book Break the Ceiling, Touch the Sky: success secrets of the world’s most inspirational women which inspired the summit: “The 2022 India edition is an important enabler of HORP’s MISSION 2029 FOR A BETTER WORLD – its 10 year global initiative to shape a better world by quintupling the number of Female CEOs in the worlds 500 largest Companies by 2029 (from 14 in 2020 to 70 in 2029) and doubling the number of Male CEOs actually investing gender diversity & inclusion. India is a critical part of this Mission.”

The 2022 India Edition is a key pillar of the 2022 World tour of Break the ceiling touch the sky® which travels virtually or live through North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, ANZ, Africa in 2022. Since mid-2014, Break the ceiling touch the sky® has inspired and enabled over 30000 women leaders to success across the world, led by a team of over 900 C-Suite speakers to date. The 2022 India Edition is the seventh annual India edition of Break the ceiling touch the sky®.

House of Rose Professional Pte. Ltd® is a global leader in the Talent, Training and Transformation businesses. The Company operates internationally via its registered brands Break the ceiling touch the sky®, Dream Job International® and CEOSmith®, helping Companies accelerate their business impact via gender diversity & inclusion and contribute to a more equal, better world.

‘The Kashmir Files’ shows half-truths, says Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 10:17 PM PDT

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said that the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ shows half-truths and added that not only Hindus, but Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs were also murdered in Kashmir.

“I watched ‘The Kashmir Files’, the film is made on the terrorist incidents that happened in Kashmir. The entire film is focused on only one family but in the end, the main hero emphasized that not only Hindus, the people of different religions including Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs were also murdered. But this film has been made to send only one political message that only Kashmiri Pandits were displaced,” said the Chief Minister after watching the film. “Half-truth is shown in the film. It is not appropriate to show one side in the film. If they (BJP-led central government) want to do politics through this and doing preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then they are taking the country in a very wrong direction,” said Baghel.

He further said that even today the problem of Kashmiri Pandits has not been solved and no attempts have been made for their resettlement.

“This is the period of 1989-90 when VP Singh was the Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani were leading at that time. Jagmohan was the Lieutenant Governor at that time. No attempt was made to stop the Kashmiri Pandits, but he asked the Kashmiri Pandits to leave. President’s rule was imposed there, but the army was not sent there. Even today the problem of Kashmiri Pandits is the same; 370 has been removed, but no work is being done for the resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits,” said Baghel.

Further criticizing the film, the Chief Minister said that the film has given no solution to the problem and only gave a lecture.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ruled for 6 years then and now there is Modi’s government for 8 years, Numerous days have passed since Article 370 was removed but no attempt has been made to solve their problem (resettlement).Even the film was unable to show any solution. When a director makes a movie he has to show the solution to the problem he is raising but the director fails to provide a solution in the film and only gave lectures and this government only did politics by removing Article 370,” he said.
He further said that the film has shown intense violence which will not have a good impression on a child’s mind.

Emphasizing that it is necessary to find a solution to the problem, he said that “the Government of India has so far not done anything in the direction of resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits.”

“The lead actor of the film also narrated the bloody part of Kashmir’s history, saying that Buddhists, Sikhs and Muslims were also murdered at that time,” he said while lamenting that the film showed nothing on the other part of the story.

“However, all the things are said in the speech of the hero. Whether a Buddhist or Muslim, all were murdered, temples and mosques were also destroyed,” he said.
“It seems like an attempt has been made to promote someone’s ideology but I believe that the way the message has been delivered in this film will not be successful,” he added.

When asked about the censor board should act for showing so much violence in the film, he said nowadays censor board has no importance.

“Showing such violence will not have a very good impact on society. I condemn it. There can never be any support for terrorism but it is not appropriate to show one side and one part,” he added.

Talking about making the film tax-free in Chhattisgarh, the Chief Minister said, “BJP people are asking me to make the film tax-free, even the director of the film asked me to do so when the director met the Prime Minister why didn’t he asked for making the film tax-free across the country.”

The film ‘The Kashmir Files’ focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s.

‘The Kashmir Files’ has been directed by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. It was released on March 11.

ED again summons TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, his wife in coal scam

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 10:04 PM PDT

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) National Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee here in the national capital next week in connection with an alleged coal scam.

Abhishek has been asked by the ED to appear before the investigators on March 21 while his wife has been asked to appear on March 22, said sources. Abhishek was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with the case and he had appeared before the investigating officers in Delhi.

Abhishek and his wife last year had moved the Delhi High Court against the summons issued by the agency last year in September which was dismissed on March 11.
On March 11, a bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar had denied the relief to Abhishek and his wife over the summons by ED over appearing in the national capital since they are the residents of Bengal.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing ED raising Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) said that the jurisdiction of ED is not ‘confined’ to any particular area or a police station.

Following the court’s order, ED issued summons to Abhishek and his wife.
On September 6 last year, Abhishek was questioned over eight hours here in Delhi in connection with the coal scam.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) started the probe in the coal smuggling case and the ED initiated a parallel investigation.

The CBI registered the case in November last year. It is alleged that illegally mined coal, worth several thousand crores of rupees, has been sold in the black market over several years by a racket operating in the western parts of West Bengal where the

Eastern Coalfields Limited runs several mines.
On February 21 last year, a CBI team visited Abhishek’s residence and summoned his wife and his sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir over the alleged connection in the coal scam.

After quizzing Rujira, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials said that they are not satisfied with her reply.

India logs 2,539 new COVID-19 cases, positivity rate falls to 0.35 pc

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 10:01 PM PDT

With the addition of 2,539 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the total active cases in India further declined to 30,799 constituting 0.07 per cent of the country’s total positive cases, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

The overall COVID-19 cases in the country stand at 4,30,01,477. According to the health ministry, the daily positivity rate has fallen to 0.35 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate is 0.42 per cent.

With 4,491 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recovery in the country stands at 4,24,54,546. While death count rose to 5,16,132 with 60 fresh COVID-related fatalities.

The recovery rate in India has increased to 98.72 per cent and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent.

“India has so far conducted 78.12 crore COVID-19 tests including 7,17,330 tests conducted in the last 24 hours,” it added.

Under Nationwide Vaccination Drive, the country’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 180.80 crore (1,80,80,24,147) as per provisional reports till 7 am today.

COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on Wednesday and in the last 24 hours, more than 3 lakhs (3,00,405) adolescents have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

1.75 crore houses have been completed under PM Awaas Yojana-Gramin: Centre

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:55 PM PDT

The Central government on Wednesday informed that 1.75 crore houses have been completed under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G).

Union Minister for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday said under the scheme, 2.28 crore houses have been sanctioned to the beneficiaries, out of which 1.75 crore houses have been completed as on March 9, 2022. “The PMAY-G guidelines provide for the construction of a house within 12 months from the date of sanctioning the same to the beneficiary. The assistance is released to the beneficiary in a minimum of 3 installments linked to various stages of completion like at the time of sanction, foundation, plinth, windowsill, lintel, roof, etc. Since the figures of house sanction and completion are dynamic and there is a gap of 12 months between sanction of the house till its completion, therefore, there would always be some gap between the figures of houses sanctioned and houses built during the implementation of the scheme,” she stated.

The minister said that during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic induced nation-wide lockdown, all construction activities including construction of houses under PMAY-G were also affected which retarded the pace of construction of PMAY-G houses.

“Besides, the delays are also due to delay in release of Central & State Share from State Treasury to State Nodal Account of PMAY-G, cases of the unwillingness of beneficiaries to complete the construction, migration, disputed succession of deceased beneficiaries, delay in allotment of land to landless beneficiaries by the States/UTs and at times those occuring on account of General/Assembly/Panchayat elections, unavailability of building materials etc,” she added.

She also informed that the Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of PMAY-G beyond March 2021 till March 2024 for completion of remaining houses within the cumulative target of 2.95 crores houses under PMAY-G.

Equity indices open in green, Sensex up by 873 points

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:33 PM PDT

Equity benchmark indices opened in the green on Thursday with Sensex up by 873.74 points and Nifty up by 246.60 points.

At 9:21 am, the BSE Sensex was up by 873.74 points or 1.54 per cent at 57690.39. The 50-scrip NSE Nifty was trading at 17221.90, at 9:21 am, up by 246.60 points or 1.45 per cent. 

Miss World 2021: Poland’s Karolina Bielawska wins crown, Indian-American Shree Saini becomes 1st runner-up

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:31 PM PDT

Karolina Bielawska from Poland won the title of international beauty pageant Miss World 2021.

Indian-American Shree Saini from the United States bagged the first runner-up title, followed by Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire as the second runner-up.

The pageant took place on March 16 (March 17 IST) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after it was delayed in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Femina Miss India World 2020 Manasa Varanasi represented India at the Miss World 2021. She reached the Top 13 contestants but could not make it to the Top 6 finalists.

The newly crowned Miss World is preceded by Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica.

India last bagged the crown in 2017, represented by model-actor Manushi Chhillar.

COVID-19: On first day, over 2 lakh kids administered vaccine doses

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:29 PM PDT

On the first day of vaccination for children, more than two lakh vaccine doses were administered with the first dose, said the Ministry of Health and family welfare in an official statement on Thursday.

On the first day, 2,60,136 children between the age group of 12-14 with the first dose of COVID -19 vaccines were administered. More than 2.15 Crore (2,15,44,283) precaution doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries (HCWs, FLWs and Over 60 years) for COVID vaccination have been administered so far.

Number of people injured by earthquake in Japan rises to 126, two persons dead

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:42 PM PDT

Tokyo [Japan]: The number of people, who were injured by a powerful earthquake in Japan, has increased to 92 while the death toll stands at two people, the NHK broadcaster reported on Thursday.


The 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan on Wednesday, causing a one-meter tsunami in the Miyagi prefecture. Previous reports said that the number of injured people stood at 92.


Japan is located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire and regularly suffers from powerful earthquakes. The 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the following tsunami killed over 15,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.

La Liga: Barcelona is riding high now, feels Madrid’s Carvajal ahead of El Clasico

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:40 PM PDT

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal shared his thoughts on the team’s rivalry with Barcelona FC ahead of the El Clasico on March 21 in the La Liga.

The veteran defender also added that the Catalonia team is riding high currently as they have some very strong signings in the winter market of this season. “It’s a game you always look out for in the calendar. There is a fierce rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. It’s a very special but tight game indeed. Barcelona is riding high now; they have made some very strong signings in the winter market and that’s helped them put on some really impressive displays,” said Dani Carvajal.

Speaking about Real Madrid’s chances of winning the La Liga this year, Carvajal said, “Even though we are in a very strong position, we can’t let them up until we are mathematical champions. It would be a great way (if Madrid beat Barca) to make sure they have no chance of winning La Liga. The team is staying solid week after week and that is our foundation of success.”

Currently standing tall at no. 1 in the La Liga table with 66 points, Carvajal hopes to recover soon from his injury and help his team to take on Barcelona on March 21 in the match which will be broadcast on MTV India, Voot and Jio select Platforms.

“We want to approach every game like it’s our last and we want to keep the momentum going. You can always improve defensively and offensively. But the best way to improve would be to win all our remaining games and that is something we are going all out to achieve,” the Spaniard said.

“It’s really something to win La Liga again. I’d love to win another champion’s league, help bring trophies to this great club continue to make history with real Madrid. I hope I can leave my injuries behind me, finish the season well and keep helping the team to go forward. That is what I want more than anything,” he added.

Standing at no. 3 position in La Liga table with 51 points, dominant Barcelona defeated CA Osasuna 4-0 at home on Sunday night. Madrid secured the fourth consecutive win in La Liga after they defeated Mallorca 3-0 on Monday.

Follow these pre-and post-Holi care tips to protect your hair and skin from damage

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:34 PM PDT

New Delhi: Summertime is here and one of the most fun-filled festivals — Holi — is right around the corner.


Almost everyone enjoys playing with colours and the fun day seems to end way too soon, leading to the dreadful phase of scrubbing the ‘pakka colour’ off our dry and irritated faces for the next two weeks. If you love playing holi but are afraid, you’ll ruin your skin and hair, fret no more as we have some super easy and quick tips to help you have a happy Holi without stressing a bit.

PRE HOLI TIPS
Our skin is very sensitive, especially to the harsh chemicals in most of the colours used in the festival. To save our skin from damage, we need to create a barrier between our skin and the colour. This can be done by applying sunscreen, oil and/or moisturiser, atleast 30 minutes before stepping out to play.

moisturise your face

Remember to moisturise not just your face, but your ears and neck as well. All the exposed body parts should definitely be moisturised.


While our clothes can also act as a barrier, if we wear thin fabric like a cotton tee, then chances are that the colour may seep underneath as well. It is therefore advisable to wear comparatively thick fabrics and go for full sleeves to ensure our bare skin gets the least (chemical-loaded) colour exposure.

Another tricky issue is that the colour often gets stuck in and on our nails, failing to wash away days after the festival.
To save oneself from future misery, trim your nails and coat them with nail paint. Those who refrain from using nail paint can apply clear-coated nail polish. A pro-tip is to apply the polish to the skin around your nails so that no colour seeps or gets stuck around your nails.

To protect your hair from getting damaged, oil them overnight. One can use any oil available – coconut, mustard or olive. This step requires drenching your hair in oil, so avoid using your expensive bottles.

An effective hair hack is to tie your hair in a tight bun. This way, most of your hair length would be tucked in, away from any direct exposure.

Lastly, drink plenty of water throughout the day, to keep yourself hydrated from within.

POST HOLI HACKS
Now that your friends have dumped your organic colours down the drain and smeared your face with a combination of black, pink and other indecipherable colour shades, here’s how you can avoid looking ghost-like for the rest of the week.

Once you head back home, instead of stepping straight into the shower, take off the colours with oil first. Some Holi colours only worsen when they come in contact with water. So, use oil for your rescue and try to remove as much colour as possible by dabbing an old cloth with oil and using it to remove the colours off your skin.

In the shower, do not use hot water. Always use cold or lukewarm water, for effective removal of the colour from your skin.

Remember to not exfoliate or scrub your pink-or-green-stained arms. It will only worsen your skin and make it more sensitive to damage.

Use gentle soap and shampoo products instead of harsh ones. Be patient and do not set unrealistic goals, hoping to clean up within a day.

Once you are done with your shower, moisture your skin well. If you have religiously followed the pre-holi tips, your post-Holi efforts will most definitely be reduced.

Lastly, while you may be tempted to go for a relaxing salon treatment, avoid having one around Holi as the skin and hair get more vulnerable to damage.

With these easy-to-do and effective tips up your sleeves, have a Happy and colourful Holi 2022.

Shikhar Dhawan not thinking about Team India’s call-up

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:33 PM PDT

Team India’s batter Shikhar Dhawan is all set for his new innings with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings in the 2022 season. Shikhar Dhawan was bought by the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022 mega auction for a sum of Rs 8.25 crores.

Dhawan revealed that he is just focusing on doing well in the upcoming IPL 2022 and not thinking about a call-up from Team India.

“I am practising hard, and focusing on my work and not thinking too much this time if I get a call back from Team India I would love to join but if it doesn’t happen then I am happy and without any tension,” said Shikhar Dhawan.

In this IPL season, the batter will play for Punjab and he is excited about his new role under the captaincy of Mayank Agarwal.

“I am looking very positive. Playing under Mayank will be good for me, we have a strong team all youngsters are very good and talented we hope we will do something big this time, also if get chance to open with Mayank then it will be so good for me because it will be a big responsibility and I am ready to handle it,” added Dhawan.

The upcoming IPL 2022 will begin from March 26 with the final scheduled for May 29. The league stage of the tournament will be hosted in Maharashtra with three venues in Mumbai and one in Pune. A total of 70 matches will be played between 10 franchises, with Mumbai hosting 55 and Pune hosting 15 encounters.

Dhawan also came with a big announcement apart from cricket as he introduced his NGO named ‘Sikhar Dhawan Foundation’. This foundation will work for kids and animals.
“We introduce this NGO with a wide vision as we will take care of kids, malnutrition, poor, animals and will also help the people with food. We will help out every walk of society at the initial stage. We will cover Delhi and NCR and soon we will expand it across the country. Needy people can contact us through our website,” told Shikhar Dhawan.

In a first since border stand-off, Chinese foreign minister plans to visit India soon

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:27 PM PDT

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may visit India soon, a first high profile visit from China since border stand-off in Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

However, it is learnt that Wang’s visit to India is being worked out. Meanwhile, neither the Chinese embassy in Delhi nor the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the proposed visit formally.

This will be the first high profile and physical meeting between the leaders of both countries after Galwan clash and the beginning of the border stand-off that started in May 2020.

The key objective of Wang’s visit is to restart physical engagement and also invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS meet to be hosted by Beijing later this year.
It is pertinent to mention that India-China stand-off at border is still continuing as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic discussions did not reap results. India has called for complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh at all friction points.

Earlier, the 15th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11, 2022.

India and China agreed to maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector during the 15th round China-India Corps Commander Level talks, said the Indian Army Spokesperson.

The two countries carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on January 12, 2022, for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.

India and China have been holding talks on the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff.

The talks held till now have resulted in the resolution of the North and South Bank of Pangong Tso, Galwan and Gogra Hot Spring areas.

According to the sources, both sides will now focus to achieve a resolution of balance at friction areas.

Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature.

India also highlighted that India-China relationship are going through a very difficult phase and made it clear to Beijing that peace and tranquillity at border are the basis for good bilateral relations. 

Yum recipes to treat your loved ones to scrumptious delights this Holi

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:24 PM PDT

New Delhi: Holi week is here and the countdown has started for celebrating the auspicious festival.


Tales in mythology recount the origins of this festival which is celebrated with colours, forgetting social differences and enjoying good food. With vibrant colours of gulal making the air jazzy, Holi is also a festival when people savour on a gamut of scrumptious sweet dishes. So, if you are planning to treat your family members with signature sweet delicacies, we have several suggestions.


1. Gujiya: It is a signature Holi dish, which is also known as Karanji. These are deep-fried dumplings prepared with maida, or suji with the stuffing of meva, crushed dried fruits, jaggery, and khoya. This appetising dish is enough to satisfy your taste buds it is accompanied by a hot cup of masala chai (tea).

2. Puran Poli: An authentic Holi sweet, Puran Poli is a sweet buttery flatbread made with chana dal with the stuffing of jaggery, coconut, cardamom, and butter or ghee. When you return home after playing Holi, the heavenly bite of this piping hot scrumptious dish is enough to satisfy your cravings.

3. Bhaang (hemp) laddoos: This is one of the most loved and famous dishes of Holi. To prepare these at home, heat ghee in a pan and then add sugar along with mawa to it. Keep stirring the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely. Add almonds, cashews, pistachios along hemp powder (not too much as it is an intoxicant) on top of the mixture and keep it to cool. When the mixture cools down completely, prepare it in the shape of laddoo balls. Put them in the fridge for two to three hours and enjoy them later.

4. Thandai: Made from full-fat milk, sugar, almonds, kalimirchi, fennel seeds and little saffron, Thandai is also one of the most famous dishes enjoyed on Holi. This cold milk drink is prepared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, watermelon kernels, rose petals, pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom, saffron, and sugar. You can prepare it in different flavours like coffee, rose, vanilla, or chocolate.

To prepare this dish, first fry all the spices in a pan. After this, keep them soaked in water for approx two hours. Grind it in a mixer and make a paste. After that add full-cream milk to it. Prepare the liquid by pouring it in a muslin cloth and filtering it. Use rose leaves to garnish and serve chilled.


5. Ras Malai: Known as one of the yummiest sweet dishes to feast on the festival of Holi, Ras Malai is prepared by dipping spongy chenna balls in Rabri milk mixture. To prepare it, pour milk in a thick bottomed pan and heat it over medium flame. When it comes to the boiling point, reduce the flame to low and add saffron strands. Stir it for around 15 minutes. Mix 1-teaspoon of cornflour with 1 tablespoon water and stir to avoid any lumps. Add 3-tablespoons sugar, corn flour-water mixture and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder. Cook it until sugar dissolves. Add the chenna balls and chopped dry fruits and cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium flame, so that the chenna absorbs the milk and gets the flavour. Turn off the flame and cool it to room temperature. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. Serve chilled by garnishing the dish with rose petals or saffron strands.

Now that we have got you all covered, feast and indulge in your favourite delicacies for this Holi and play safe. 

Coal supplies have increased to normal level, there is no shortage, says Govt

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:10 PM PDT

New Delhi: Coal stock at the power plants had depleted to a low of 7.2 million tonnes in October 2021 due to interruption in supply and increased demands, but the supply has now normalised and there is no shortage, Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday.


“There is no shortage of coal in the country,” the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. However, the minister admitted that the country faced a shortage of coal supply in October.


“Due to increased demand of power, less power generation by imported coal based power plants and some interruption in the supply of coal due to heavy rains, the coal stock at the power plants depleted to 7.2 MT as on 8th October 2021,” he said.


“Subsequently with increased coal supplies, the coal stock has started increasing and has now reached 26.5 MT as on 09.03.2022 with respect to the plants based on domestic coal. In addition, coal stock at Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) pithead as on 13.03.2022 is 47.95 MT and 4.49MT respectively,” Joshi added.


The minister noted that owing to COVID -19 pandemic, the subdued demand in power and non-power sectors had adversely affected coal dispatch from the coal companies.


The pithead coal stock at Coal India Limited was 99.33 Million Tonnes (MT) as on 1st April 2021 and 28.66 MT at the Thermal Power Plants end. The coal production got regulated due to high levels of coal inventory and less demand from the consumers, he said. 

Sadhus want land in Kashmir to re-establish Vedic traditions after watching ‘The Kashmir Files’

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:06 PM PDT

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Saints after watching ‘The Kashmir Files’ requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate them land in the Kashmir valley so that they can re-establish the Vedic traditions there.


BJP leader from Indore, Deepak Jain booked two theatres and watched the film with hundreds of ‘sadhus’ on Wednesday.


Mahamandaleshwar Radhe Radhe Baba, a seer who watched the film said, “Kashmir is the land of Lord Kashyap, Lord Shankaracharya’s place of worship. In Vedic times, Kashmir was known by the name of Pandits. Today all the saints, Mahamandaleshwar, Batuk had come to watch the film.”


He added, “To destroy the Vedic traditions, heinous crimes were done and the Kashmiri pandits were ill-treated. The new generation should be aware of these facts.”


“I want to thank PM Modi for the decision to scrap Article 370. I also request the PM to allocate the land in Jammu and Kashmir to the saints so that we can establish the Vedic traditions there,” Mahamandaleshwar Radhe Radhe Baba added.

He also added that the state and central government should add it in school curriculums or special screenings for the students should be arranged.


While speaking speaking on the matter Jain said, “Today we got the film screened for our Mahamandaleshwar and saints so that the society can know the reality of the ill-fated act that the Kashmiri Pandits had to go through.”


He added, “The reality of genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits has been shown in the movie.”


“After 2014, our nation is changing and so is the thought process of Bollywood film-makers. Various patriotic films are now being made, which were earlier not made in such good numbers or the censor board and the government would not let them released. This has changed now,” Jain said.


‘The Kashmir Files’ has been directed by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. It was released on March 11.


Several states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Goa, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh have declared the film as “tax-free”.

Kanye West’s Instagram account temporarily suspended

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:55 PM PDT

Washington: Rapper Kanye West won’t be able to post anything on Instagram for 24 hours.
As per Variety, Kanye has been suspended from the social media application for a day for violating the platform’s harassment policy. A Meta spokesperson stated that the platform has deleted content posted by Kanye for “violating their policies on hate speech, bullying and harassment.”


Now, he can’t post, comment, and send DMs for a 24-hour period.


A day ago, Kanye directed a racial slur at ‘The Daily Show’ host Trevor Noah via an Instagram post after Noah discussed the ongoing feud between West, his former wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend, ‘Saturday Night Live’ comedian Pete Davidson, on his show Tuesday night.


Not only this, but West has also used the medium frequently to discuss his custody troubles, posting several videos alleging that Kardashian is keeping him from seeing his children when he would like to. 

61,882 arrested in drug trafficking last year

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:51 PM PDT

New Delhi: The government said on Wednesday that 61,882 persons had been arrested by central and state drug law enforcement agencies (DLEAs) in 2021 drug trafficking cases.


In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the arrests were made in 45,314 cases registered by law enforcement agencies. Citing provisional data of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), he said while 99.36 per cent of those arrested were Indians, 0.64 per cent were foreign nationals.


The minister was replying to a question about the number of cases registered for drug trafficking in the country during the last one year along with the percentage of Indian nationals and foreign nationals involved in the cases.

BJP’s UP core committee holds six-hour-long meeting to finalise new state cabinet

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:46 PM PDT

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Uttar Pradesh core committee held a six-hour-long crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss the formation of government in the state.


After registering a thumping victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a meeting was held at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise the new state cabinet. BJP National President JP Nadda, national general secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh, UP Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, and Dinesh Sharma who were deputy chief ministers in the outgoing state government attended the meeting where names of 36 candidates for Uttar Pradesh Legislative council were also discussed.


Discussions were also held on the names of prominent faces who will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony, which, according to sources, is likely to be held after Holi.
The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share.


Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state.


Adityanath, a monk-turned-politician, won his first-ever Assembly election by a margin of 1,03,390 from Gorakhpur Urban constituency, defeating the Samajwadi Party candidate Subhawati Upendra Dutt Shukla, who secured 62,109 votes in the recently-concluded UP Assembly elections. 

Ghulam Nabi Azad likely to meet Sonia Gandhi today over G-23 proposals; Rahul-Priyanka to sit in

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:34 PM PDT

Following the poll debacle of Congress in five states and a row and accountability over leadership, senior Congress leader and member of the dissident “G-23” group of leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, is likely to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Thursday.

Sources said Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also be present at the meeting. Azad’s meeting with the Gandhis carries much significance amid dissatisfaction of G-23 leaders over the working style of the Congress leadership. It is believed that Azad will present the final proposal of the G-23 members before the party’s high command. The future of G23 will be decided after Azad’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi.

Azad hosted a number of G-23 leaders at his residence here on wednessday. Among those seen arriving at his residence included Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish TewariMani Shankar Aiyar, PJ Kurien, Parneet Kaur, Sandeep Dikshit and Raj Babbar.

According to sources, meeting was set to be held at the residence of Kapil Sibal, who had invited the leaders of G-23 and other parties to his residence for dinner but the venue was shifted to Azad’s residence after Sibal’s recent “attack” on the Gandhis. Sibal had after the Congress’ rout in five assembly polls had given an interview to a newspaper said that it was time for a leadership change in the party and for someone else other than the Gandhis to head the Congress.

According to sources, the Congress leadership is extremely unhappy with Kapil Sibal and also with Anand Sharma. A middle way can be found only after the meeting of Azad and Sonia Gandhi, said sources. 

Six countries including US, UK request UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:28 PM PDT

Six countries – including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States – have requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, the UK permanent mission to the UN said on Wednesday.

“The UK and [Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, and the United States] have called for a Security Council meeting on #Ukraine. Russia is committing war crimes and targeting civilians. Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine is a threat to us all,” the mission said on its Twitter page. The development comes amidst the continued efforts by Russia and Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement through the talks being held in Belarus.

While the fourth round of talks continued on Wednesday, a few details emerged suggesting that talks might be reaching some headway with a Ukrainian delegation member saying that the two sides are now willing to reach a compromise.

“The positions of the parties were very different and we have only now begun to reach some kind of compromise,” Ukrainian delegation member Mykhailo Podolyak told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster, he added that Kyiv and Moscow will reach a peace agreement sooner or later, Sputnik News Agency reported.

Podolyak also later tweeted that a draft peace plan circulating in the media calling for severe concessions from Ukraine was actually just a draft of the Russian side’s request.

“Briefly. FT published a draft, which represents the requesting position of the Russian side. Nothing more. The side has its own positions. The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops, and security guarantees from a number of countries,” the tweet said.

Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said that the preservation and development of Ukraine’s neutral status, the country’s demilitarization, as well as issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army, had been discussed at the talks. The Ukrainian side proposed “the Austrian, Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, yet a state with its own armed forces and navy,” he said. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later today that this option “can be seen as a real compromise,” Sputnik News Agency reported.

“[Ukraine’s] neutral status is now being seriously discussed in conjunction with security guarantees, of course,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

A businesslike spirit at the talks gives hope that it will be possible to agree on the issue of the neutral status of Ukraine, the minister added.

UK to provide Ukraine with high-velocity anti-aircraft missile systems Starstreak, confirms Defense Ministry

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:25 PM PDT

The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with high-velocity anti-aircraft missile systems Starstreak along with other military aid, the UK Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, following an extraordinary meeting of NATO defence chiefs.

“During the meeting, Defense Ministers agreed to continue providing significant military supplies to Ukraine including lethal and non-lethal aid. The UK Defence Secretary highlighted that the UK would be providing Starstreak, a high-velocity anti-aircraft missile system, that complements the other military aid provided by the UK Armed Forces, including over 4,000 anti-tank missiles,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry cited Ben Wallace as saying that the UK and allies will continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s military operation.

The ministry added that it has recently doubled the number of troops in Estonia, has sent the patrolling vessel HMS Trent and the air defence destroyer HMS Diamond to the Eastern Mediterranean, and is conducting joint air policing missions in Romanian and Polish airspace to bolster its commitments in Eastern Europe.

Russia launched an operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the breakaway Donbas republics “appealed for help” in defending themselves against the Ukrainian military. In response, Western nations have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.

Congress’ G23 leaders suggest adoption of the model of collective and inclusive leadership ‘only way forward’ for the party

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:22 PM PDT

After the G23 meeting concluded at senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence to deliberate on the ‘demoralizing outcome’ of the recent results of the Assembly elections, the Congress’ G23 leaders on Wednesday said that the only way forward for the party is to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels.

The joint statement of Congress’ G23 leaders read, “We the following members of the Congress Party met to deliberate on the demoralizing outcome of the recent results of the Assembly elections and the constant exodus of both our workers and leaders.” It further said, “We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels,” he further added.

In order to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is necessary to strengthen the Congress Party. We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other likeminded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024 and the next steps in this regard will be announced soon,” it said.

As per the statement, the meeting was held in the knowledge of party chief Sonia Gandhi and “she was informed of the meeting when Azad and the party chief had a telephonic conversation on Tuesday to have a meeting on Thursday.”

The statement said that the meeting was called to inform the rest of the members about the discussion held in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and to decide on a further strategy.

G23 leaders including Shashi Tharoor, Kapil Sibbal, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tiwari, and others were seen leaving the residence of Azad after the meeting ended.

Following the poll debacle of Congress in five states and a row and accountability over leadership, senior Congress leader and member of the dissident “G-23” group of leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, is likely to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Thursday, the time of which is yet to be finalized from the party chief’s office.
Azad hosted a number of G23 leaders at his residence on Wednesday.

The meeting was earlier set to be held at the residence of Kapil Sibal, who had invited the leaders of G23 and other parties to his residence for dinner but the venue was shifted to Azad’s residence after Sibal’s recent “attack” on the Gandhis. Sibal had after the Congress’ rout in five assembly polls had given an interview to a newspaper said that it was time for a leadership change in the party and for someone else other than the Gandhis to head the Congress.

According to sources, the Congress leadership is extremely unhappy with Kapil Sibal and also with Anand Sharma. A middle way can be found only after the meeting of Azad and Sonia Gandhi, said sources. 

After two earthquakes hit Ladakh in a day, 5.2 magnitude quake jolts Srinagar

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:03 PM PDT

After Ladakh was hit by two earthquakes on Wednesday, a quake of 5.2 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Srinagar.

“Earthquake of Magnitude:4.2, Occurred on 16-03-2022, 21:40:51 IST, Lat: 35.16 & Long: 74.72, Depth: 30 Km ,Location: 119km N of Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir,” said the National Center for Seismology (NCS) on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 hit Ladakh at 7:05 pm followed by another quake of magnitude 4.3 that hit Ladakh’s Kargil at 7:34 pm on Wednesday, as per NCS.

NCS in a tweet said, “Earthquake of Magnitude:5.2, Occurred on 16-03-2022, 19:05:23 IST, Lat: 36.01 & Long: 75.18, Depth: 110 Km ,Location: Ladakh.”

Informing about another earthquake in Ladakh, NCS said, “Earthquake of Magnitude:4.3, Occurred on 16-03-2022, 19:34:53 IST, Lat: 36.01 & Long: 75.32, Depth: 115 Km ,Location: 178km NNW of Kargil, Laddakh, India.”

Elon Musk to resign from Endeavor Board of Directors

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:00 PM PDT

Tesla founder Elon Musk will resign from the board of directors of Endeavor Group Holdings, the Hollywood conglomerate whose properties include the William Morris talent agency and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the company announced Musk’s departure in its annual report with the SEC, saying that his resignation will be effective June 30, 2022. “We thank Elon Musk for his commitment to Endeavor through our first year as a public company, in which he contributed meaningfully to our long-term strategy and vision for the future of sports and entertainment. We know he has a lot of demands and little time, and we appreciate the support he provided us,” an Endeavor spokesperson said.

The company mentioned that Musk notified his resignation on March 12, and it was not due to any type of dispute.

Meanwhile, in addition to running Tesla, Musk is also the founder, CEO, and chief engineer at SpaceX.

IndiGo says it is “in talks with Central govt” to bring aviation fuel under GST ambit amid price hike

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:56 PM PDT

As crude oil prices continue to soar, IndiGo’s full-time Director and Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta on Wednesday urged the Central government to bring the Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) under goods and service tax (GST) ambit for the benefit of the aviation sector as well as customers.

Dutta in an official statement said, “We are in talks with the government to bring ATF under GST as it brings the benefit of the input tax credit. We believe that such measures are needed now more than ever to offset the increase in cost and make flying viable for airlines and affordable for consumers.” He further said, “Over the past few weeks, crude oil prices have soared to a seven-year high nearing USD 140 per barrel, due to the ongoing conflict in Europe. This has resulted in over 50 per cent ATF price hike from January 2022 till date, including the 18 per cent hike on Wednesday.”

“ATF constitutes over 45 per cent of the operational cost of the airline, hence this situation will have an adverse effect on us,” said Dutta.

“A rationalization of taxes will result in high growth for the sector, creating a multiplier effect throughout the economy, promoting trade, tourism, and job creation,” he added.

Joe Biden announces additional USD 800 million in security assistance to Ukraine

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:53 PM PDT

US President Joe Biden in a press conference on Wednesday announced an additional USD 800 million in security assistance to Ukraine amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia.

The new security assistance provided to Ukraine includes 800 anti-aircraft, 9000 anti-armour systems, 7,000 small arms such as machine guns, shotguns, and grenade launchers as well as drones and other military equipment. “I’m once again using my presidential authority to activate additional security assistance to continue to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s assault, an additional USD 800 million in assistance,” Biden said during the press conference as quoted by Sputnik.

The development comes a day after the US announced an additional USD 186 million to the war-torn country in humanitarian assistance to support internally displaced persons and the more than three million refugees affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“This will provide further support for humanitarian organizations responding to the crisis and complement the generosity of the neighboring countries that are welcoming and supporting refugees,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said in the statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Biden had signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2022, which funds the federal government through September 30, 2022, and provides USD 13.6 billion in humanitarian, economic, and defence assistance for Ukraine, Sputnik reported.

“We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms,” US President had announced on Monday, taking to Twitter.

Meanwhile, Biden is scheduled to travel to Belgium to attend an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 along with participating in a European Council Summit, a White House statement informed on Tuesday.

Delhi HC raises concerns over lack of ‘quality, affordable’ medical colleges in country

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:48 PM PDT

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said the lack of medical institutions providing quality and affordable education often compel aspiring students to pursue their studies abroad. The observation came while hearing the matter of a medical institute seeking an increase in the number of seats.

Justice Rekha Palli’s remarks came in an order passed on March 15, 2022, in a matter where the National Medical Commission rejected the petitioners’ request for grant of permission for an increase of seats in a college in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course as also in post-graduate courses of MS (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and MS (Orthopaedics). Court said, “This reality has especially become a cause of concern at a time when due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, several thousand Indian medical students, who had gone to pursue their medical education in the now war-hit Ukraine have been rescued and brought home, have also lost their seats in medical colleges.”

Justice Rekha Palli while deciding the matter said, keeping in view that there is no deficiency in the infrastructure of the petitioner institute, coupled with the fact that the deficiency in clinical material, found during the initial inspections, also stood rectified in the inspection held in November 2021, this Court, instead of remanding the matter back to the respondents for a fresh inspection, is inclined to direct the respondents to grant permission to the petitioner institute on the basis of the said inspection report and to increase the seats from 4 to 7 in MS (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), from 3 to 7 in MS (Orthopaedics), and from 100-150 in the MBBS course at the petitioner institute.

Court also said that no doubt the respondents cannot be asked to lower the standards prescribed under the regulations however, simultaneously, in a situation like the present, when it is found that an institute like the petitioner which has been running for the last more than 20 years is not lacking in any infrastructure and has also rectified the deficiencies which were found at the time of initial inspections, that too when the said deficiencies were only on account of the COVID pandemic, it would also be against the public interest to deny permission to the petitioner to increase the seats.

At a time when the ratio of the medical profession as vis-a-vis the population of the country is abysmally low, an increase in the number of PG and UG seats would certainly contribute to the bigger goal of strengthening the medical infrastructure of the country, the court said.

Congress accuses government of denying OROP to ex-servicemen, says it is now ‘One Rank, Five Pensions’

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:45 PM PDT

The Congress on Wednesday accused the Centre of not presenting full facts before the Supreme Court in the case concerning One Rank, One Pension (OROP) and said the BJP-led had “refused to implement” the order issued by Congress-led UPA government in 2014.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP government of “betraying” the interests of ex-servicemen and posed some questions. “OROP Denied – it is now “One Rank, Five Pensions”! Ex Servicemen and Armed Forces betrayed by our own Govt, which opposed right of persons holding the same rank, with the same length of service to get same pension, irrespective of date of retirement,” Surejwala said in a tweet.

“PM and Raksha Mantri ji, Pl answer – 1. Why did you deny and oppose #OROP in Supreme Court? 2. Why are you refusing to implement the order dated 24th April, 2014 issued by UPA-Cong Govt giving OROP?” he added.

He said the BJP-led government had “rejected Koshiyari Committee recommendations on OROP before Supreme Court.

“Why did you disown (then) Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s speech of Feb 17,2014 in Parliament endorsing Koshiyari Committee, in the Supreme Court?” he asked.
Surjewala said the government had told the Supreme Court that the Minutes of Meeting of February 26, 2014 chaired by then Defence Minister A K Antony “didn’t constitute a decision of the government”.

“Why was this done before Court to deny relief to armed forces?”he asked.
He asked if the promise of OROP “made with much bravado in Uttrakhand-U.P-Punjab a mere facade for vote-catching and to be denied in Supreme Court?”

He said the government should implement OROP as per UPA-Congress Govt’s decision of April 24, 2014.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that there was no constitutional infirmity in the One Rank One Pension policy introduced by the government.

A three-judge Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said that definition, as argued by the petitioner, is not found to be arbitrary.

The Court said that it does not find any constitutional infirmity on the OROP principle and the notification dated November 7, 2015.

The Court disposed of the petition filed by the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement seeking implementation of OROP in the defence forces. The petitioner had questioned the Central government’s notification dated November 7, 2015.

With $103 billion wealth Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s richest; Gautam Adani richer by $49 bn in a year

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:38 PM PDT

Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s richest man with $103 billion wealth, a whopping 24 per cent jump in a year, while Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar has become the newest billionaire in India, according to Global Rich List report compiled by research platform Hurun.

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani is the second richest man in India. He added the most amount of wealth in a year. Adani’s wealth surged by $49 billion in a year, taking his net worth to $81 billion. Adani’s wealth increased by around Rs 6,000 crore every week over the last year. The research platform Hurun has compiled the rich list in association with real estate firm M3M. The report titled ‘2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List’ ranked 3381 billionaires from 2557 companies and 69 countries. Out of the total 3381 billionaires, wealth of 2071 increased in the last one year, while the wealth of 942 people declined. 490 were new faces joined the billionaire club during the year.

With 215 Billionaires residing in India and 58 new additions, India continues to be the third largest billionaire producing nation in the world. The number rises to 249 if Indian origin billionaires are added.

China has 1133 billionaires almost 5 times bigger than India with 215 billionaires.
In the last 10 years, Indian billionaires have added $700 billion to their cumulative wealth. This is equivalent to Switzerland’s GDP and twice the GDP of United Arab Emirates.

Mumbai is home to 72 billionaires, followed by New Delhi 51 and Bengaluru 28.
“India has 18 per cent of the world’s population and 8 per cent of the world’s ‘known’ billionaires, up from 50 per cent compared to last year. Of the 34 living outside of India, the preferred residences were the USA, the UAE and the UK,” Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and Chief Researcher said in a statement.

Mumbai and New Delhi are amongst the top three cities with the fastest-growing number of billionaires in the world. 215 Indian billionaires in 2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List hail from 21 cities.

“To give a perspective, the billionaires from US, China and Germany hail from 240, 135 and 68 cities respectively. India’s plutocratic makeover has some catching up to do when it comes to geographic spread. Some of the Government projects such as the Smart-City initiative, Digital India and so on will catalyse rapid urbanisation that could accelerate wealth distribution across the country,” the report said.

“Interestingly, 59 per cent of the country’s billionaires are self-made, thus indicating that the new-generation entrepreneurs are financially-wise, asset-rich and investment-vibrant. Also, gender inclusivity and equality has been a noticeable theme with women outranking men across industries,” said Pankaj Bansal, Director, M3M India.

The year was also a moment of reckoning for India’s startup ecosystem which witnessed major startup IPOs including 4 companies in Hurun Global Unicorn Index. 2021’s IPO story began with a bang but fizzled out towards the end owing to bubble concerns. 10 Tech companies that listed in 2021 cumulatively lost $23 billion or Rs 1,72,000 crore since listing, resulting in a momentary pause of the tech IPO.

Tiger Shroff to star as ‘Babloo’, Tara Sutaria as ‘Inaaya’ in ‘Heropanti 2’

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:32 AM PDT

The makers of ‘Heropanti 2’ have introduced the character posters of the forthcoming action film on Wednesday.

‘Heropanti 2’ stars Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria in lead roles along with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a pivotal role. In the film, Tiger plays the role of Babloo, looking suave in the poster with his signature charisma, even amidst guns pointing at him from all corners.

Tara looks gorgeous and powerful in her character as Inaaya, unveiled in the new poster.

Nawaz will be playing the role of the dark and dramatic character — Laila.
The makers also announced that the trailer of the action-packed film will be unveiled on Thursday.

Written by Rajat Arora and music by A R Rahman, Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Heropanti 2’ will be directed by Ahmed Khan, who also directed Tiger’s last release ‘Baaghi 3’. The movie is scheduled to release in theatres on April 29, 2022, on the auspicious occasion of Eid.

IPL debutants first foray into the training camp of an IPL franchise

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:27 AM PDT

The U-19 World Cup-winning Captain Yash Dhull, along with youngsters Vicky Ostwal and Ashwin Hebbar made their first foray into the training camp of an IPL franchise in Mumbai on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

Speaking about his experience with the Delhi Capitals so far, Dhull said, “This is my first time in the IPL and I am giving my 100 per cent in everything that I am doing. I am looking forward to interacting with Rishabh bhaiyya and David Warner. I am also very excited to meet Ricky Ponting. He has been a great player and a great human being. It will be a big achievement for me to interact with him.” The left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal expressed about his first practice session with the Delhi Capitals, “From watching the IPL on TV to getting into a franchise is a big journey for me. It will sink in slowly. It’s been great to meet all the players and the members of the coaching staff.”

Ostwal also said that he is looking to take tips from all-rounder Axar Patel, “I want to meet Axar Patel as soon as possible. Being a left-arm spinner, he has been an inspiration for me. I am looking to take tips from him with regards to the way I should bowl in T20s. It will also be good to work with a legend of the game – Ricky Ponting and Pravin Amre sir and it’s such a proud moment for me to be around these people.”

Batsman Ashwin Hebbar was pretty happy with the way his first training session panned out, “It’s been wonderful to be in the Delhi Capitals camp. I am really happy and excited to be here. I was feeling a bit nervous as it was my first nets session with an IPL team, but I had a good session. Once I started batting, I didn’t think of anything else.”

The IPL 2022 will begin on March 26. Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in their first match of the season on March 27.

Accommodate Ukraine-returned students in Indian medical colleges, Mamata Banerjee to PM Modi

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:10 AM PDT

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s immediate intervention to facilitate the further studies of medical students who returned from war-torn Ukraine.

In her letter to PM Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo provided suggestions to accommodate and allow Ukraine-returned students for internships in the government medical colleges and admission in private medical colleges of the country. The chief minister said 391 students from West Bengal have returned from Ukraine and they are passing through severe stress and anxiety due to their uncertain future. She said all these students have invested considerable financial resources as well as time in pursuance of their dreams but they are now left in the lurch.

As per the current guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC), students who are eligible for the internship will be allowed to undergo the internship in government medical colleges of the state and they will be also paid the stipend at par with the other candidates.

“For other students in different years of the studies, they may be allowed to get admitted at the equivalent level in the private medical colleges against the existing seats and these medical colleges may be allowed to increase the equivalent number of seats for accommodating these students,” she suggested.

“The present stipulations of the NMC mandate that only those students who qualify for the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET-UG) can only get admission into the medical colleges. Many of the students who have returned from Ukraine do not meet this requirement. It is requested that the relevant guidelines may be relaxed as a very special case to accommodate these students,” opined the TMC supremo.

The chief minister informed that the private medical colleges in West Bengal have agreed to accommodate these students at state quota fees. The state government
“Sir, this is an unprecedented war situation which calls for an extraordinary solution. Hence, I request your kind urgent intervention. I also request that as students who have returned to other states are facing similar problems, the steps that may be taken by NMC be implemented for other states as well,” urged Banerjee.

AAP likely to send cricketer Harbhajan Singh to Rajya Sabha

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:06 AM PDT

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to send former cricketer Harbhajan Singh to Rajya Sabha in the biennial elections from Punjab.

According to sources, the newly-elected AAP government in the state may also give command of sports university to Harbhajan Singh. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has promised to set up a sports university in Jalandhar. Immediately after the AAP’s victory, Singh, popularly known as Bhajji had took to Twitter to congratulate Mann.

“Congratulations to @AamAadmiParty and My friend #BhagwantMann on Becoming our New Chief minister .. great to hear that he will be taking oath as the new CM in Bhagat Singh’s village Khatkarkalan…what a picture…this is a proud moment for Mata ji”, he wrote.

For the AAP, it is the party’s maiden victory in Punjab, where it has won 92 of the 117 Assembly constituencies Five Rajya Sabha seats from the seat will fall vacant next month and the Election Commission has already announced the dates for the biennial elections to the Upper House of Parliament. If needed the voting will take place on March 31.

AAP strength in the Rajya Sabha is expected to rise from 3 to 8 after the Rajya Sabha polls. The party is expected to soon announce names for the seats. 

Gautam Adani’s Wealth Jumps By $49 Billion, Higher Than Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk: Report

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:47 AM PDT

New Delhi: Gautam Adani, India’s and Asia’s second-richest person, added $49 billion to his wealth last year – more than the net addition of wealth by the top three global billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault, the 2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List said on Wednesday.

Mukesh Ambani, who runs the oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries, continues to be the richest Indian with a wealth of $103 billion, a 24 per cent rise year on year.

Adani, the head of the ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group, is a close second, with his wealth surging 153 per cent to $81 billion.

In the last 10 years, while Ambani’s wealth has grown 400 per cent, Adani has seen a 1,830 per cent increase, the list said.

HCL’s Shiv Nadar is ranked third with USD 28 billion wealth, followed by Serum Institute’s Cyrus Poonawalla (USD 26 billion) and steel magnate Lakshmi N Mittal ($25 billion).

“Gautam Adani, 59, is the biggest gainer in the M3M Hurun Global List 2022 and added USD 49 billion to his wealth last year,” M3M Hurun Global Rich List said in a statement. His net wealth addition is “more than top three global billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault.” 

After listing renewable energy company Adani Green, his wealth increased nearly five times to $81 billion from $17 billion in 2020.

Ambani’s wealth grew by USD 20 billion in 2021, it said.

Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar ($7.6 billion) is the wealthiest new entrant in the Hurun Global Rich List 2022.

The statement said that the 2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List ranked 3,381 billionaires from 2,557 companies and 69 countries.

Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and Chief Researcher, said India ranks third based on the number of billionaires and the number of billionaires who have added at least a billion-dollar to their wealth.

“Over the last 10 years, Indian billionaires added circa $700 billion to their cumulative wealth – this is equivalent to Switzerland’s GDP and twice the GDP of the UAE!” he said.

India, he said, has 18 per cent of the world’s population and 8 per cent of the world’s ‘known’ billionaires, up from 4.9 per cent five years ago.

India has 215 billionaires compared to 1,133 Chinese billionaires and 716 Americans.

The statement said Adani is the biggest wealth gainer in the 2022 list, followed by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and founder and CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, Bernard Arnault ($39 billion addition).

Ambani is ranked 8th in terms of wealth addition.

According to the List, Ambani’s wealth was $45 billion five years back and $20.5 billion 10 years ago. Adani was worth $8.8 billion 10 years back and $14 billion five years back.

With a net worth of $23 billion each, Radhakishan Damani of Avenue Supermarts and SP Hinduja of Hinduja entered into the top 100 in 2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List for the first time.

President Zelensky delivers an emotional address to joint session of US congress

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:35 AM PDT

More than three weeks into the war, besieged President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a joint session of the US Congress.

The US Congress gave President Volodymyr Zelensky a standing ovation as he began his address.

In his address, he mentioned the Pearl Harbour attack, recalling the air raid that brought the United States into World War II. He also reminded the senators of the 9/11 attacks.

“Remember Pearl Harbor, terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you,” he said,

“Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, in battlefields,” he told lawmakers to the nation.

“Our country experienced the same every day.”

He addressed President Joe Biden directly, urging him to be “the leader of peace” as he showed lawmakers a wrenching video of ruined buildings and injured Ukrainian civilians including children, with the final frame showing the words “close the sky.”

He also thanked the US and said that Ukraine was grateful to the US for their overwhelming support.

“Russia attacked not just us, not just our land, not just our cities, it went on a brutal offensive against our values, against our right to live freely in our own country, against our national dreams. Just like the same dreams you Americans have” He stated.

Neutralisation of 3 terrorists in Srinagar a “big success” for joint forces; IGP Kashmir

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 07:04 AM PDT

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The elimination of three wanted terrorists who were involved in the recent killing of Sarpanch Sameer Ahmad Bhat is a big success for the joint forces, said Kashmir IGP, Vijay Kumar on Wednesday.


“I congratulate the joint forces for conducting successful anti-terrorist operations without any collateral damage. The killed terrorists were also planning to attack security forces in the National Health and Welfare Department (NHW),” Kumar said.

Jammu and Kashmir Police neutralised three wanted terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) in Srinagar today. Sarpanch Sameer Ahmad Bhat was shot dead by terrorists in the Khonmoh area on the outskirts of Srinagar.


The encounter between the security forces and the terrorists started in the Nowgam area in the early hours of Wednesday.


After getting the information about the presence of terrorists in the Nowgam area, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police and 50RR in the said area, according to an official statement by Jammu and Kashmir police.


During the search operation, the team proceeded towards the suspected spot and the terrorists fired at them which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. Later on, CRPF also joined the encounter.


As per police records, the deceased has been identified as Adil Nabi Teli (Pampore), Shakir Ahmad Tantray (Ronipora Shopian) and Yasir Ahmad Wagay (Kulgam).
Police informed that the killer terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and active since 2021.


Pertinently, terrorist Adil Teli, along with his associates, was also involved in the killing of Inspector Pervaiz Ahmad Dar at Menganwari Nowgam on June 22 last year and in the killing of Javaid Ahmed Malik at Lurgam Tral, police added.


Besides, he was also involved in a grenade attack on the joint party of Police and CRPF at Barbarshah Srinagar in which one civilian was killed and three civilians were injured.


Similarly, police said that the other terrorists Shakir Ahmad and Yasir Ahmad were also involved in several terror crime cases including the killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf near Police Station Bijbehara, Anantnag on December 22, 2022.


Following the encounter, police recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK rifle, three AK Magazines, 14 AK rounds, two Pistols, four Pistol Magazines, six Pistol rounds from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.


A case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated. 

Avalanche near Himachal’s Tailing village, rescue operation underway

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:58 AM PDT

Lahaul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh): An incident of avalanche occurred near Tailing village in the Lahaul and Spiti district on Wednesday afternoon, the police informed.
The district police officials informed that the incident occurred around 4 pm in the afternoon. A police team is on the spot and rescue operation is underway.
Further probe is underway. 

UEFA Champions League: Benfica stun Ajax with Nunez’s late winner to reach QFs

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:17 AM PDT

Darwin Nunez’s late header took Benfica through to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win after a battling defensive display in Amsterdam against Ajax on Tuesday.

Much like the teams’ meeting in Lisbon, the first half was all Ajax. Antony menaced down the right, Dusan Tadic schemed on the left and Ryan Gravenberch gracefully roamed the middle with all the unencumbered ease of a man wearing velvet slippers.

Yet for all their dominance, the hosts reached half-time with nothing to show for it.
Soualiho Meite came on to interrupt Ajax’s flow, and Benfica kept the Dutch side at arm’s length with some comfort until they won a free-kick near the corner flag with 13 minutes left.

Alex Grimaldo swung it in and Darwin rose majestically above his marker and past the onrushing Andre Onana to send the Eagles through.

Kunal Kemmu starrer ‘Abhay’ season 3 trailer released

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:09 AM PDT

The trailer for the third season of Kunal Kemmu starrer thriller series ‘Abhay’ was released on Wednesday.

Kunal Kemmu is back as a “determined cop” -investigating officer Abhay Pratap Singh in ‘Abhay 3’ that also stars Tanuj Virwani, Rahul Dev, Divya Agarwal and Vijay Raaz in pivotal roles. Asha Negi and Nidhi Singh are also reprising their roles in the forthcoming season. The two-minute intriguing trailer opens with a voice saying, “It is time to free humanity, that is stuck like a gravel, from the wheel of life.”

The trailer sees Kunal in the titular role who faces many new unknown threats while trying to balance his professional and personal life.

Kunal said, “The stakes are higher in Abhay season 3 as the crimes get darker and more sinister and Abhay is at a crossroad as his professional and personal life get intertwined. This season charters into new territory both for the audiences and Abhay. Add to that, the exciting new cast members. I’m nervous and excited to present this season to the fans of the show and to the new audience that it finds”.

Directed by Ken Ghosh and produced by Zee Studios, ‘Abhay 3’ also stars Asha Negi returning as Sonam and Nidhi Singh as Khushboo, Abhay’s straight-arrow cop colleague.

This season sees the entry of Dr Anant Sinha (played by Vijay Raaz), the head psychiatrist of the city asylum who has a mysterious alter ego and a cult following of devoted disciples (including Vidya Malvade’s character, Nidhi).

There is also Rahul Dev’s character, Avatar who is a fearless fighter, sharpshooter, and a threat to Abhay. And lastly, there is the addition of Divya Agarwal and Tanuj Virwani who play social media influencers, Harleen and Kabir but with a dark side.

Excited about the forthcoming season, Ken Ghosh said, “After 2 successful seasons, it was challenging to come up with tactics to beat the success of earlier seasons, but challenges always push you to strive harder. Now, after completing the shoot and edit of S3, I am confident that viewers are in for another thrilling ride in S3 and that too, with an amazing cast to keep them on the edge of the seat”.

Through the two-minute intriguing trailer, it’s safe to say that the fans are in for a darker and edge-of the seat thriller season that will premiere on ZEE5 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu from April 8, 2022.

No need to gloat over Assembly poll wins, TMC support needed for Presidential polls- Mamta Banerjee to BJP

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:04 AM PDT

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that without the support of Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre will not have a free run in the upcoming Presidential election.

“Presidential elections will take place soon. Without our support, you (BJP) will not sail through. You should not forget that,” Banerjee said in the state Assembly after BJP MLAs walked out. The chief minister said BJP does not have half of the total legislators in the country and it might not be easy for the party to win the Presidential election.

Referring to the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the TMC supremo said, Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party had bagged 78 seats more than the previous election, and the BJP’s seat share decreased so it should not talk big.

Pertinent to mention, President Ram Nath Kovind’s tenure will end on July 24, 2022.
Presidential elections are held indirectly by means of an electoral college consisting of elected members of Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies of states and union territories. To win, a candidate has to get at least 50 per cent of the total points plus one vote.

ICC Men’s Test Rankings: Bumrah jumps to 4th spot, Kohli slips to 9th

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:58 AM PDT

Jasprit Bumrah and Dimuth Karunaratne have made significant gains in the latest ICC Test Rankings, following their impressive performances in the recently concluded India-Sri Lanka Test series. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has slipped from fifth to ninth among batters.

Jasprit Bumrah, who bagged eight wickets, including his maiden Test five-for at home in the second India v Sri Lanka Test in Bangalore, jumped up six spots to attain fourth ranking in the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers. The Indian speedster leapfrogged Shaheen Afridi, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, James Anderson, Neil Wagner and Josh Hazlewood in the table. Mohammed Shami climbed up a spot to displace fellow countryman Ravindra Jadeja to 17th, while Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen

Jayawickrama jumped up five positions each to 32nd and 45th slot respectively. Pat Cummins, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada have retained the top three spots among bowlers.

In the batting charts, Sri Lanka Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne jumped up to a career-best No.5 after his fighting 107 in the second innings in Bangalore. Virat Kohli, however, slipped to the ninth spot, with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam advancing to No.8 in the table led by Marnus Labuschagne, followed by Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson respectively.

Nkrumah Bonner and Shreyas Iyer took giant leaps, advancing a staggering 22 and 40 spots respectively to 22nd and 37th position. While Bonner scored 123 and gritty, unbeaten 38 in the first drawn Test against England in Antigua last week, Iyer was rewarded for his match-winning 92 and 67 against Sri Lanka. Zak Crawley’s 121 in the second innings against West Indies saw him jump 13 spots to 49th.

In the all-rounders’ table, Jason Holder has reclaimed the top spot, replacing Ravindra Jadeja, who had risen to No.1 after his 175* and nine wickets in the Mohali Test earlier this month. Ravichandran Ashwin, Shakib Al Hasan and Ben Stokes round off the top five. 

PM Modi congratulates Bhagwant Mann on becoming Punjab CM

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 05:33 AM PDT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to Bhagwant Mann for taking oath as Punjab Chief Minister.

“Congratulations to Bhagwant Mann on taking oath as Punjab CM. Will work together for the growth of Punjab and welfare of the state’s people,” tweeted PM Modi. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Mann was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
A grand ceremony of the swearing-in was organized at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

The AAP registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. The Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy.

As the AAP wins Punjab, it will be the party’s maiden victory in the state and a vast improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when the party had finished behind Congress.

Sonia Gandhi holds meeting with Congress MPs from Punjab

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 04:24 AM PDT

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with the MPs of Punjab at the party’s office in the national capital on Wednesday.

The meeting comes hours after, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the post of Punjab Congress chief. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought the resignations of state party chiefs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate the reorganization of the Pradesh Congress Committees.

Congress high command’s move comes after Congress Working Committee’s meeting on Sunday.

The meeting was held after the party’s crushing defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states.

The results of five assembly polls came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country.

UEFA Champions League: Atletico win at Old Trafford to knock Manchester United out

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 04:16 AM PDT

Renan Lodi struck in the first half and Atletico Madrid’s defence held firm in the second as Diego Simeone’s men won at Old Trafford to progress 2-1 on aggregate against Manchester United in the round of 16 tie.

The two goalkeepers took centre stage in the first-half high on endeavour but low on chances, Anthony Elanga being denied by the head of Jan Oblak from a low Bruno Fernandes cross before Rodrigo De Paul’s deflected shot was pushed away by David de Gea. Joao Felix did have the ball in the net for the visitors but Marcos Llorente had strayed offside before teeing up the Portuguese striker. It proved a temporary reprieve for the Red Devils, though, as Joao Felix’s back-heel released Antoine Griezmann, who stood up an inviting cross to the far post for Renan Lodi to head in.

Ralf Rangnick’s men increased the pressure after the break and nearly levelled when Jadon Sancho’s ferocious volley fizzed just over. Raphael Varane thought he had forced extra time with a thumping header from Alex Telles’ free-kick but Oblak continued his stunning resistance as Atletico dug in to see out the remaining time. 

France received 17,000 Ukrainian refugees since start of conflict: Interior Minister

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 04:07 AM PDT

France has accepted 17,000 refugees from Ukraine since the Russian military operation in the country began, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.

“17,000 people [from Ukraine]… have entered France,” Darmanin told the French BFMTV broadcaster. At the request of French President Emmanuel Macron, his ministry is working to be able to host at least 100,000 refugees in France, the minister added.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation to “demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,” responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only.

According to the UN refugee agency, over 3 million people have already left Ukraine for neighboring countries since the start of hostilities.

‘Mann Ki Baat’: Meteoric rise of a comedian

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 03:53 AM PDT

The comedian-turned politician and the newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann has seen a meteoric rise in his career, making the debut in state politics to win the Lok Sabha elections to take the top post in a span of just eight years.

Born in Satoj village of Sangrur in 1973, Mann has had an eventful journey from starting his career as a comedian to becoming the Punjab Chief Minister. Mann graduated in 1992 from Shaheed Udham Singh Government College. His stint as a stand-up comic in the popular show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2006, when Congress leader and his now political rival Navjot Singh Sidhu was a judge of the reality show, garnered him popularity.

He entered mainstream politics in 2011 by joining Manpreet Singh Badal led Punjab People’s Party. In 2012, he unsuccessfully contested the elections from the Lehragaga constituency.

Mann later left Punjab People’s Party and joined Aam Aadmi Party in 2014. For the first time in his political career then, he successfully contested the election from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. His importance in Punjab politics grew when he defeated the veteran leader of Punjab Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was then with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

After the 2017 Assembly elections, Mann was made the party’s state unit chief.
In 2019, he again won from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency.
Mann gained popularity with his comedy stints in the TV show ‘Jugnu Mast Mast’. He also featured in several other comedy shows.

Mann was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Attendees of the event included the veteran Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan, AAP leader Raghav Chadha among other party MLAs.

The ceremony was an AAP exclusive event. Besides Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, no other Chief Ministers of the states were present. Outgoing Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was also missing.

The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy.

As AAP wins Punjab, it is the party’s maiden victory in the state and a vast improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when the party had finished behind Congress.

‘The Kashmir Files’ crosses 50 crore mark at box office

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:47 AM PDT

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Vivek Agnihotri’s latest directorial, ‘The Kashmir Files’, is unstoppable at the box office. The film, which stars Anupam Kher in the lead, has entered the 50 crore club after minting Rs 18 crore on day five of its release.


Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the box office collection of the movie on his Twitter handle.


The film, which collected Rs 3.55 crore on its opening day, witnessed an increase in numbers on Saturday, earning Rs 8.50 crore. The movie registered even higher figures on Sunday and Monday, minting Rs 15.10 crore and Rs 15.05 crore, respectively.


On Tuesday, the film minted Rs 18 crore, taking its total to Rs 60.20 crore. This double-digit figure on a weekday has broken post-pandemic records set by previous Bollywood films.


‘The Kashmir Files’, which revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, stars Anupam, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar and others.


The film has been declared tax-free in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana and Uttarakhand. 

Beijing vows to protect interests of Chinese firms in event of US sanctions

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:23 AM PDT

Beijing [China]: Amid the uncertainty surrounding the impact of sanctions on Russia on global companies, China on Wednesday assured to protect the rights and interests of national companies in the event of unilateral sanctions by the US.


“China opposes any form of unilateral US sanctions and will resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters when asked about the prospects for US sanctions against China for its stance on the Ukraine crisis. The Chinese diplomat asked Washington not to harm China’s legitimate rights and interests in any way.


There is a lot of conjecture about the strategic relationship between China and Russia, and the degree of knowledge that Chairman Xi Jinping had before President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion on Ukraine.


Last week, CIA Director William J. Burns hinted at a potentially tenuous China-Russia relationship in the wake of Moscow’s increasingly tactics against Ukraine, with Burns telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that Xi is “unsettled”.


“The Chinese leadership, first, has invested a lot in partnership with Russia, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon,” Burns said during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual worldwide threats hearing. “I do however believe that the Chinese leadership, President Xi in particular, is unsettled by what he’s seeing, partly because his own intelligence doesn’t appear to have told him what was going to happen.”


Xi and Putin issued a 5,000-word joint statement ahead of the Winter Olympics last month outlining how the two nations approached different issues, with the statement released following a meeting of the leaders in Beijing. The New York Times had reported that Chinese officials asked the Russian government to hold off on invading Ukraine until the end of the Winter Olympics.


But the reality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the targeting of civilians and displacement of millions of Ukrainians, may have shifted China’s calculus.

Sonia Gandhi holds meeting with Congress MPs from Punjab

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:16 AM PDT

New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with the MPs of Punjab at the party’s office in the national capital on Wednesday.


The meeting comes hours after, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the post of Punjab Congress chief. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought the resignations of state party chiefs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate the reorganisation of the Pradesh Congress Committees.


Congress high command’s move comes after Congress Working Committee’s meeting on Sunday.


The meeting was held after the party’s crushing defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states.


The results of five assembly polls came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country. 

IPL 2022: Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag looks forward to work with Ravichandran Ashwin

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:01 AM PDT

At the age of just 20, Rajasthan Royals’ youngster Riyan Parag will be taking part in his fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when his team starts their campaign in Pune in a fortnight’s time.

The all-rounder from Guwahati already has 30 IPL matches under his belt, and is ready to make the most of his fourth season in the league. “I started my IPL journey at the Royals, and I’m delighted that I was bought back. I know there were four teams involved in the bidding and it was nice to see that because that means I’ve been doing something right. But I was always rooting to come back here. Why this team means so much to me is because of the very family vibe, where everyone takes care of you, everyone is very friendly and approachable. It’s just a very positive set-up which can help you develop and excel, and that is what I intend to do,” said Riyan in an official statement.


Reflecting on his domestic season so far, Riyan said it has been “average” for the standards he’s set for himself.

“I recently played the Ranji Trophy, and even if I like missed a few 100s, I think I was in good nick and was batting well. In terms of bowling too, I got my first five-fer. So yes, there is still huge scope for improvement. The focus now is on prepping up for the IPL as I’ve played less white-ball cricket in the last month or so, but a few sessions of good practice should help in preparing,” he said.

Asked who he’s most looking forward to working with, Riyan had a clear answer, “That will definitely be Ashwin. If not the best ever, he’s like one of the best off-spinners going around in the world, and I’ll definitely try to carry a red ball with me in the tournament so that I can get a few tips.”

“But even with the white ball, I think if I can pick his brains on the varieties and all the mysteries, I think my white-ball bowling is going to be much better after the season,” added the all-rounder.

IPL 2022 will kick start from March 26 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squaring off in the first game. RR will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match on March 29.

India’s road network to be at par with US by 2024, Nitin Gadkari in RS

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 01:39 AM PDT

New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Centre is planning to develop India’s road infrastructure equivalent to that of the US by the end of 2024.


Gadkari made the assertion while replying to a question during Question Hour in the Upper House, and sought more efforts to create awareness among the public about road safety. Noting that “expanding road infrastructure is not the only problem”, the minister said there are other aspects such as “road engineering, automobile engineering, awareness among people, and education”.


Gadkari also mentioned how people in India easily obtain a driving licence.
Replying to a question by Congress MP L. Hanumanthaiah, the minister further said the number of accidents on National Highways and also about enlarging roads connecting to the National Highways are the major concern of the government for which his Ministry is taking each step.


Gadkari mentioned how nearly 1.5 lakh people in India lose their lives every year in road accidents, saying “that this figure is higher that those killed in war”.


To reduce the number of road accidents, the minister said black spots are spotted when more than one accident occurs at one point and necessary step is taken.

Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon-starrer ‘Ghudchadi’ completes first filming schedule

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 01:37 AM PDT

The first filming schedule of actors Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon’s upcoming movie ‘Ghudchadi’ has wrapped up on Wednesday.

The film, which also stars Khushali Kumar and Parth Samathan, has completed the first 19-day schedule of its production in Delhi and Jaipur. The news of the wrap was confirmed by film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh on Instagram, who shared pictures featuring the film’s cast and crew.

In the caption, he wrote, “SANJAY DUTT – RAVEENA TANDON – KHUSHALII KUMAR – PARTH SAMTHAAN STAR: ‘GHUDCHADI’ FIRST SCHEDULE ENDS… #Ghudchadi – the rom-com drama starring #SanjayDutt, #RaveenaTandon, #KhushaliiKumar and #ParthSamthaan – completed the first 19-day schedule in #Delhi and #Jaipur.”

Before ‘Ghudchadi’, Sanjay and Raveena have collaborated on ‘KGF: Chapter 2’, which will hit the big screens on April 14.

For the unversed, ‘Ghudchadi’ is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Nidhi Dutta and Binoy Gandhi, who is donning the director’s hat for the movie.

Salman Khan to make Telugu film debut with Chiranjeevi-starrer ‘Godfather’

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 01:33 AM PDT

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan will soon be making his Telugu cinema debut with ‘Godfather’, co-starring Chiranjeevi, Nayanthara, and Ram Charan.

The news was confirmed by Chiranjeevi, who took to his Twitter handle on Wednesday and welcomed his co-star by writing, “Welcome aboard #Godfather, Bhai @BeingSalmanKhan!” “Your entry has energized everyone and the excitement has gone to next level. Sharing screen with you is an absolute joy. Your presence will no doubt give that magical #KICK to the audience. @jayam_mohanraja @AlwaysRamCharan,” he added.

Along with the tweet, Chiranjeevi had also posted a photo in which he could be seen all smiles while welcoming Salman with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

The details of the role that Salman will play in the film have currently been kept under wraps.

Directed by Mohan Raja, ‘Godfather’ is the Telugu remake of the 2019 blockbuster film ‘Lucifer’ which starred Mohanlal in the lead role with Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Vivek Oberoi.

Bhagwant Mann takes oath as Punjab CM in Bhagat Singh’s native village

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 01:21 AM PDT

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab.


Mann was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. A grand ceremony of the swearing-in has been organized in Khatkar Kalan, the anscestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.


Mann in a video message released earlier invited the people of the state for his oath-taking ceremony, urging men to wear ‘basanti (yellow)’ turbans and women yellow ‘dupatta (stole)’ for the ceremony.


Notably, Mann has been wearing yellow turbans, which is identified with Bhagat Singh.


The AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.


Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress’ Dalvir Singh Goldy.


As AAP wins Punjab, it will be the party’s maiden victory in the state and a vast improvement from its performance in the 2017 elections when the party had finished behind Congress.

SC says no Constitutional infirmity in OROP policy introduced by govt

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 01:03 AM PDT

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that there was no constitutional infirmity in the “One Rank One Pension” policy introduced by the government.

A three-judge Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said that definition, as argued by the petitioner, is not found to be arbitrary. The Court said that it does not find any constitutional infirmity on the OROP principle and the notification dated November 7, 2015.

The Court disposed of the petition filed by the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement seeking implementation of the “One Rank One Pension” (OROP) in the Defense Forces. The petitioner has questioned the Central government’s notification dated November 7, 2015.

The Supreme Court on February 23 reserved judgment on the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement plea relating to One Rank One Pension (OROP) in defense forces.
The Centre had apprised that Finance Minister’s speech dated February 17, 2014, was not based on any decision or recommendation by the then Union Cabinet.

The Central Government in its affidavit had said that the Centre while framing the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) regime has not brought out any discrimination between the defence personnel who are in the same rank with the same length of service.

In its affidavit, the Centre had said, “The petitioners are seeking an OROP on merely same rank overlooking the same length of service.”

The Centre had filed an affidavit in response to the top court query which was hearing a petition filed by the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM).

The Centre had further submitted that the contention of the Petitioners defeats one of the core values of the OROP, which is not only the same rank but with the same length of service.

“This pair cannot be impaired. One cannot take only the same rank and ignore the length of service and similarly one cannot merely take the length of service and ignore the rank. The core parameter is the same rank and same length of service. It is important to highlight the expression “same” appears twice as “same rank” and “same length of service”. By any stretch of the imagination, it cannot be read as the same rank different length of service or same length of service different ranks, ” the Centre submitted.

Social media being used to hack democracy, charges Sonia Gandhi in LS, calls for curbs

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:59 AM PDT

New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that global companies like Facebook and Twitter are used increasingly to shape political narratives and urged the government to end the influence of social media giants on electoral politics in India.


She said that social media platforms are being used to “hack our democracy”. “Thank you for allowing me to take up an issue of paramount importance – the rising danger of social media being abused to hack our democracy. Global companies like Facebook and Twitter are used increasingly to shape political narratives by leaders, parties and their proxies,” said Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha while making the mention of the issue in Zero Hour in the House.


“Young and old minds are being filled with hate through emotionally charged disinformation, and proxy advertising companies like Facebook are aware of it and are profiting from it,” she said.


“I urge Government to put an end to the systematic influence and interference of Facebook and other social media giants in the electoral politics of the world’s largest democracy. This is beyond parties and politics,” the Congress interim president said.
Sonia Gandhi said that “we need to protect democracy and social harmony regardless of who is in power.”

Sensex surges 1039 points on positive cues from global equities

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:28 AM PDT

Mumbai: The Indian equities markets key indices, Sensex and Nifty, surged by nearly 2 per cent on Wednesday led by strong buying support in banking, financial and infra stocks as some positive development in Russia-Ukraine talks boosted investors’ sentiments.


Taking cues from the rally in the global markets, the benchmark Sensex started the day sharply higher at 56,555.33 points and jumped to a high of 56,860.89 points in the intra-day. The 30 stock S&P BSE Sensex witnessed strong buying support towards the end of the day. The Sensex ended the day at 56,816.65 points, which is 1039.80 points or 1.86 per cent higher than its previous day’s close at 55,776.85 points.


The Sensex had lost 709.17 points or 1.26 per cent on Tuesday.


The broader Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange surged 312.35 points or 1.87 per cent to 16,975.35 points against its previous day’s close at 16,663.00 points. The Nifty had lost 208.30 points or 1.23 per cent on Tuesday.


There was strong buying support in infra and banking and financial stocks.


UltraTech Cement surged 4.69 per cent to Rs 6303.55. Axis Bank surged 3.66 per cent to Rs 723.70. IndusInd Bank jumped 3.60 per cent to Rs 928.20. Bajaj Finance soared 2.63 per cent to Rs 6840.10 and Bajaj Finserv jumped 2.60 per cent to Rs 16116.95.


Only two of the 30 Sensex scrips closed in the red. Sun Pharma and Power Grid Corporation closed marginally in the red.

There was a strong buying support in banking and financial stocks.

Axis Bank surged 3.77 per cent to Rs 724.55. IndusInd Bank jumped 3.35 per cent to Rs 926. Bajaj Finance soared 2.57 per cent to Rs 6836.05. Bajaj Finserv was trading 2.61 per cent higher at Rs 16119.20.

UltraTech Cement jumped 2.93 per cent to Rs 6197.05. Tata Steel soared 2.24 per cent to Rs 1261.25. Infosys rose 1.68 per cent to Rs 1870.

Only one of the 30 Sensex scrips was trading in the red. Sun Pharma fell 0.78 per cent to Rs 885.

Hijab ban: SC may list hearing against Karnataka HC order post-Holi break

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:24 AM PDT

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would list for hearing after Holi break appeals challenging Karnataka High Court’s order that dismissed petitions against the ban on Hijab in educational institutions.


A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli said it will consider listing the pleas after Holi vacation after senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for petitioners, sought an urgent hearing. “The urgency is this that there are several girls who have to attend colleges. List this on Monday,” Hegde said.


To this, the CJI said, “Others have mentioned too. We will see, we will post the matter. Let us see we will post the matter after Holi vacations.”


Some of the petitioners before the High Court have approached the apex court challenging the order upholding the Karnataka government’s order which directs strict enforcement of schools and colleges uniform rules.


One of the appeals in the top court has alleged “step-motherly behaviour of government authorities which has prevented students from practicing their faith and resulted in an unwanted law and order situation”.


The appeal said the High Court in its impugned order “had vehemently failed to apply its mind and was unable to understand the gravity of the situation as well as the core aspect of the Essential Religious Practices enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of India”.


“Wearing of Hijab or headscarf is a practice that is essential to the practice of Islam,” it added.


A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi on Tuesday held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit.


The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside college over being denied entry.


After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka.


As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue.


On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students could only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire would be allowed in colleges.


The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and do not disturb the social order.


A batch of petitions was filed against the government’s rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions.
On February 10, the High Court had issued an interim order stating that students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issued the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. 

Women’s CWC: Charlie Dean’s four-wicket haul powers England to win over India

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:21 AM PDT

Brilliant bowling spell by Charlie Dean and Anya Shrubsole were backed by courageous batting performance as England defeated India by four wickets in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 here at Bay Oval on Wednesday.

It was a clinical performance from the defending champion as they successfully bowled out India inside 37 overs at the Bay Oval. Chasing 135, Danielle Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont came out to open. On the other hand, Jhulan Goswami bowled the first over for India. She conceded three runs in the first over of the innings. Meghna Singh came to do the second over and gave a big blow to England as soon as she came. She sent Wyatt to the pavilion. Wyatt was caught by Sneh Rana at the first slip.

Women in Blue looked in trouble, as Natalie Sciver applied caution and she snitched a crucial partnership with captain Heather Knight. England reached 50/2 at the 15-over mark of their innings. Pooja Vastrakar broke the dangerous-looking partnership between the captain and vice-captain as she sent Sciver back to the pavilion in 16th over. Gayakwad gave India a much-needed breakthrough and send Amy Jones to the pavilion, Harmanpreet took the best catch.

It was with the ball that England really shone, as Charlie Dean (4/23) ripped through the India top-order and Anya Shrubsole (2/20) put the polish on impressive team performance. The returning Heather Knight fifty added the finishing touch on a late England flurry with the bat.

Skipper Heather Knight scored a brilliant fifty as England register their maiden win in the ongoing tournament.

Brief score: India 134/10 (Smriti Mandhana 35, Richa Ghosh 33; Charlie Dean 4-23) vs England 136/6 (Nat Sciver 45, Heather Knight 53*; Meghna Singh 3-26).

Delhi Capitals bus vandalised in Mumbai’s Colaba

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:19 AM PDT

Mumbai: Delhi Capitals IPL team bus was vandalised in Mumbai’s Colaba. The team bus was parked when the incident happened. Colaba Police has detained four people, including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s transport wing vice president Prashant Gandhi. Search for one more accused is underway.

An FIR has been registered against 5-6 unknown persons under sections 143,147,149,427 of IPC for allegedly attacking the Delhi Capital IPL team parked bus, police said.

‘Not invited’ to Channi’s oath-taking, Manish Tewari thanks Bhagwant Mann for swearing-in ceremony invitation

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:14 AM PDT

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Wednesday thanked Punjab Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann for inviting him to his swearing-in ceremony. However, the Lok Sabha MP from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib said he could not attend the ceremony due to Parliament being in session.

Interestingly, Tewari claimed that he was not Charanjit Singh Channi ‘s swearing-in ceremony on September 20 last year. “I congratulate Bhagwant Mann on being sworn in as Chief Minister. I thank him for inviting me to his swearing-in. Due to Parliament being in session I will not be able to make it. It is ironic I was not invited to Charanjit Singh Channi’s swearing-in though he was one of my MLA’s,” Tewari said in a tweet. Tewari also shared the invitation card on the microblogging site.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a landslide victory in the Punjab polls with 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress had won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

In what can be seen as an apparent rift in the Punjab Congress, Manish Tewari was not on the list of party’s star campaigners for the Assembly elections.

Bhagwant Mann is all set to be sworn in state’s Chief Minister at Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village, in the presence of the party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and all its MLAs while the outgoing CM Charanjit Singh Channi hasn’t been invited.

Also, no Union Minister or any big leader of the national level has been invited for the oath-taking ceremony, which will be attended only by AAP leaders and party’s Punjab leaders, added the AAP sources.

Further, the family members and those who are close to the Chief Minister-designate have been invited to the oath-taking ceremony, besides several artists from Punjab.

Nawab Malik’s son skips ED summons for second time

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:10 AM PDT

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Tuesday summoned Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik’s son Faraz Malik for questioning in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case, however, he failed to appear before the agency for the second consecutive time.


According to ED, Faraz will soon be sent a third summon asking him to appear for questioning. ED wants to question Faraz about the deals and payments regarding Goawala Building in Kurla, Mumbai.


Earlier, ED had summoned Faraz, then Faraz sent his lawyer and asked for a week’s time, to submit documents to the investigative agency related to the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case but the ED denied the request.


Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday denied any interim relief to Nawab and refused to pass an order for his release from judicial custody.


Malik in his plea has demanded that the FIR against him be cancelled. The plea also calls the Enforcement Directorate against him illegal and wrong.


Malik was arrested on February 23. He is currently in judicial custody. 

Kejriwal leaves for Khatkar Kalan to attend Bhagwant Mann’s oath-taking ceremony as Punjab CM

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 11:57 PM PDT

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that “Punjab is set to witness new dawn” as Punjab CM-designate Bhagwant Mann is set to take oath on Wednesday.

AAP National Convener Kejriwal said, “Today is a big day for Punjab. Today the whole Punjab will come together to witness the dawn of new hope and take a pledge to make Punjab prosperous again. To witness that historic moment, I am going to Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s paternal village Khatkar Kalan.” Aam Admi Party (AAP)’s Punjab face Bhagwant Mann is all set to be sworn in state’s Chief Minister at 11.30 am at Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village, in the presence of the party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and all its MLAs while the outgoing CM Charanjit Singh Channi hasn’t been invited.

The swearing-in ceremony is slated to be an AAP exclusive event.

Besides Kejriwal, no other Chief Minister will be present in the oath-taking ceremony, according to AAP sources.

Raghav Chadha, who is the co-observer for the AAP Punjab unit, said, “Today marks an important day in the history of Punjab as 3 crore Punjabis will together be sworn in as Chief Minister along with @BhagwantMann. Oath to change this corrupt system & to fulfill dreams of Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh & Babasaheb Ambedkar. Ajj ton har Punjabi CM hoga.”

Also, no Union Minister or any big leader of the national level has been invited for the oath-taking ceremony, which will be attended only by AAP leaders and party’s Punjab leaders, added the AAP sources.

Further, the family members and those who are close to the Chief Minister-designate have been invited to the oath-taking ceremony, besides several artists from Punjab.
Arrangements have been made to accommodate lakhs of people at Khatkar Kalan for the ceremony on 100 acres of land.

The CM-designate in a video message released earlier invited the people of the state for his oath-taking ceremony, urging men to wear (yellow)’ turbans and women yellow ‘dupatta (stole)’ for the ceremony.

Earthquake of 4.1 magnitude strikes Ladakh

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 11:49 PM PDT

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 on the Richter scale jolted Ladakh on Wednesday, informed the National Center for Seismology (NSC).


The earthquake occurred at 11.40 am, 245 km north-northeast of Leh. “Earthquake of Magnitude:4.1, Occurred on 16-03-2022, 11:40:13 IST, Lat: 36.23 & Long: 78.50, Depth: 80 Km ,Location: 245km NNE of Leh, Ladakh,” NSC tweeted.

Navjot Singh Sidhu resigns from post of Punjab Congress chief

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 11:47 PM PDT

Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday resigned from the post of Punjab Congress chief, a day after Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi sought the resignations of party chiefs of five states in order to facilitate the reorganisation of the Pradesh Congress Committees.

“As desired by the Congress President I have sent my resignation,” Sidhu said in a tweet as he posted the one line resignation letter. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought the resignations of state party chiefs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of the Pradesh Congress Committees.

Congress high command’s move comes after Congress Working Committee’s met on Sunday.

The meeting was held after the party’s crushing defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states.
The results of five assembly polls came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country.

Yogi Adityanath inspects COVID-19 vaccination as drive begins for 12-14 years age group

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 10:53 PM PDT

Lucknow: As the COVID-19 vaccination for children in the age group 12-14 years and for all above 60 years of age began on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached a Civil Hospital in Lucknow for inspection.


Speaking to media persons after the inspection, Adityanath said that “COVID-19 is under control in Uttar Pradesh, which is the largest state of the country”. “Uttar Pradesh administered the largest number of vaccination doses,” he added.

The state has so far administered more than 29 crores 54 lakh doses of the vaccines. “Over 82 per cent of the people of the state have taken the second dose of the vaccines,” the Chief Minister said.


The state has nearly 1,000 active cases of the virus, he said. Emphasizing on following COVID appropriate behaviour, Adityanath said, “We need to be cautious as experts are predicting the fourth COVID-19 wave.”

The Chief Minister also said that 84 lakh 64 thousand children in the age group 12-14 years will be given a “protective shield” under this vaccination drive.
India has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination drive with the inclusion of children in the age group of 12-14 years, starting on Wednesday while those aged above 60 years are also eligible now for the precaution dose.


The children in the said age group will be administered Corbevax vaccine manufactured by Hyderabad-based Biological E. It is India’s first indigenously developed ‘Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine’ against COVID-19.


Meanwhile, the co-morbidity clause for administering precaution doses to those aged 60 years has been removed and all above 60 years of the age can be administered with precaution dose starting today.


As per sources, Adityanath will visit Delhi later in the day to attend a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He will return from the national capital late in the evening.

India reports 2,876 fresh COVID-19 infections, 98 deaths in last 24 hrs

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 10:45 PM PDT

New Delhi: With 2,876 fresh COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 42,998,938, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.


The total positive cases stands at 0.08 per cent while the active cases dipped to 32,811. The country’s death toll climbed to 5,16,072 with 98 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours.


A total of 3,884 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients since the beginning of the pandemic is now at 4,24,50,055.
India’s recovery rate stands at 98.72 per cent while the fatality rate stood at 1.20 per cent.


The weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.44 per cent and the daily positivity rate is reported to be 0.38 per cent.


As per the health ministry, a total of 7,52,818 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tests to 78,05,06,974 in the country.


The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive have exceeded 180.60 crore. 

Navjot Singh Sidhu resigns from post of Punjab Congress chief

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 10:43 PM PDT

New Delhi : Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday resigned from the post of Punjab Congress chief, a day after Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi sought the resignations of party chiefs of five states in order to facilitate the reorganisation of the Pradesh Congress Committees.


“As desired by the Congress President I have sent my resignation,” Sidhu said in a tweet as he posted the one line resignation letter. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought the resignations of state party chiefs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of the Pradesh Congress Committees.


Congress high command’s move comes after Congress Working Committee’s met on Sunday.


The meeting was held after the party’s crushing defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states.


The results of five assembly polls came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country.

వినోదం - తాజా - Google వార్తలు

లోడ్ అవుతోంది...