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21, మార్చి 2022, సోమవారం

8pm NEWSFEED

Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if it had been member of NATO, says Zelenskyy

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 09:17 AM PDT

Kyiv [Ukraine]: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if his country would have been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), according to a media report.


“If we were a NATO member, a war wouldn’t have started. I’d like to receive security guarantees for my country, for my people. If NATO members are ready to see us in the alliance, then do it immediately because people are dying on a daily basis,” CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying during an exclusive interview. “But if you are not ready to preserve the lives of our people, if you just want to see us straddle two worlds, if you want to see us in this dubious position where we don’t understand whether you can accept us or not — you cannot place us in this situation, you cannot force us to be in this limbo,” he added.


The Ukrainian President said that he demanded clarity on NATO’s stance on accepting Ukraine in the alliance. “I requested them personally to say directly that we are going to accept you into NATO in a year or two or five, just say it directly and clearly, or just say no. And the response was very clear, you’re not going to be a NATO member, but publicly, the doors will remain open,” he said.


Zelenskyy further said that he was ready for negotiation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but warned that the failure of such attempts could lead to a “Third World War”.


“I’m ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations, we cannot end this war. If there’s just one per cent chance for us to stop this war, I think that we need to take this chance,” he said, according to the media outlet.


“Russian forces have come to exterminate us, to kill us. And we can demonstrate that the dignity of our people and our army that we are able to deal a powerful blow, we are able to strike back. But, unfortunately, our dignity is not going to preserve the lives. So, I think we have to use any format, any chance in order to have a possibility of negotiating, possibility of talking to Putin. But if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third World War,” he added.


However, Zelenskyy clarified that there are “compromises” that Ukraine cannot make in negotiations with Putin.


“Any compromises related to our territorial integrity and our sovereignty and the Ukrainian people have spoken about it, they have not greeted Russian soldiers with a bunch of flowers, they have greeted them with bravery, they have greeted them with weapons in their hands,” the media outlet quoted him as saying.


On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics requested help in defending themselves. 

Haryana: 3 hand grenades, 1 IED recovered on Ambala-Chandigarh highway

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 09:12 AM PDT

Chandigarh (Haryana): Three live hand grenades and one IED were recovered outside a private university on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway, which has been disposed of, said Ambala Superintendent of Police (SP) Jashdeep Randhawa on Sunday.


The matter is being investigated, added Randhawa.


National Investigation Agency and other central agencies have also been informed, stated Randhawa.

A case under Explosives Act has been registered in this matter, he added.

Eye on Rajasthan polls next year, AAP to hold 2-day convention in Jaipur to strengthen party

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 09:08 AM PDT

Jaipur (Rajasthan): After getting a boost by winning Punjab assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has now set its focus on Rajasthan and decided to hold a two-day convention in Jaipur to strengthen the organisation in the state where Assembly Elections are slated to be held next year.


The two-day convention will be held in Jaipur on March 26 and 27. According to the party, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who is also national spokesperson for the AAP and the state-in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan, will hold discussions on the welfare of the party.


AAP’s state co-incharge Khemchand Jagirdar said that the convention will ‘strengthen’ the organisation in Rajasthan.


“AAP is eyeing to win 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan, whose preparation will be done from Birla Auditorium in Jaipur. We will hold a state-level ‘Vijayotsav Samaroh’ with workers on March 26-27, in which many leaders will attend and Sanjay Singh ji will come,” Jagirdar said.


Khemchand Jagirdar further informed that a brainstorming session will be held regarding its organisational expansion and upcoming programs of the party. “Many prominent people will also take membership of the Aam Aadmi Party. The public’s trust in AAP is continuously increasing. This is the reason that after Delhi, the party has come with full vigour in Punjab. This victory journey of the party will continue even further and its effect will also be seen in the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan,” he said.


Earlier, on March 17, Punjab’s newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly. The legislators were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Protem Speaker Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar.


The AAP leader and the party’s face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls Bhagwant Mann took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16.


The AAP recorded a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls winning 92 seats, sidelining most of its rivals. 

Jaishankar welcomes Austrian FM, says ‘looks forward to productive discussions’

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 09:02 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday welcomed Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to India and said that he “looks forward to productive discussions”.

“A warm welcome back to Austrian FM @a_schallenberg to India. Look forward to productive discussions today,” Jaishankar tweeted. Alexander Schallenberg arrived here in India on Saturday. Schallenberg’s India visit comes amid the Ukraine crisis.


Earlier, on Friday, India and Austria held the sixth round of Foreign Office Consultations virtually and discussed various aspects of bilateral relations including political, economic, commercial ties as well as cultural and academic linkages.The Indian side was led by Dammu Ravi, Additional Secretary (Europe and COVID19), and the Austrian side was led by Ambassador Gregor Koessler, Director General for Political Affairs in the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, according to the MEA.


“India and Austria have warm and cordial relations which are based on shared values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and equality. Our bilateral relations are marked by strong linkages across institutions, academia, culture, and people-to-people ties,” MEA said in a statement.


The talks covered the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, and commercial ties as well as cultural and academic linkages, the ministry said.


It further stated that two sides exchanged views on the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery including vaccines. Regional and global issues including developments in the Indo-Pacific, neighbourhood policy, terrorism, and India-EU Relations, amongst others, were discussed.


The ministry added that the deliberations also covered multilateral issues such as United Nations reforms and India’s priorities during its term in the United Nations Security Council. 

Millions in China’s northeast placed under COVID-19 lockdown, amid biggest COVID-19 outbreak

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 08:55 AM PDT

Beijing [China]: China has imposed stay-at-home orders on millions of people in the country’s northeast, as the nation is facing its worst COVID-19 surge since the pandemic first emerged in the city of Wuhan, Al Jazeera reported.


The country has largely kept the virus at bay since it controlled its initial outbreak in 2020 using targeted lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions. China on Saturday reported its first deaths from the virus in more than a year.


The two deaths were in the northeastern province of Jilin, according to China’s national health commission. This week, Jilin banned its 24 million residents from leaving the province or travelling between cities because of the surging case numbers there, according to Al Jazeera.


Beijing is facing mounting pressure to guard against imported infections amid a recent surge in cases throughout the country.


“On the whole, the local epidemic situation in China is still in the development stage, and many provinces and regions are fighting against the Omicron epidemic in multiple cities at the same time,” a Chinese official was quoted as saying by state media outlet Global Times.


The official added that China’s epidemic prevention and control situation “remains grim and complex.” “Epidemic prevention and control is a priority for the country,” Mi Feng, a spokesperson from the National Health Commission (NHC), said.


Further, Mi urged that the public and the relevant departments resist a “relax, rest, wait and see,” attitude and not show fatigue in the face of the epidemic battle, no fluking, slacking, noting persistence is victory.


Since the beginning of this year, the epidemic situation in China’s neighbouring countries and regions has been increasingly volatile. Since March this year, the average number of daily imported cases in China has exceeded 200.

Venezuela’s Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas sets new world record

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 08:48 AM PDT

Belgrade [Serbia]: Venezuela’s world and Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas improved her own world indoor and outright records to 15.74m on Sunday at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 2022.


With her sixth and the last effort in a packed Stark Arena, Rojas surpassed the outright best of 15.67 metres set at the Tokyo Olympics last year, as well as her indoor record of 15.43 metres, set in 2020.

Silver was also decided in the final round as 2019 world long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk took inspiration from the previous day’s gold medal high jump performance by her Ukrainian teammate Yaroslava Mahuchikh to move into second place in her second-best event with a final effort of 14.74m.


The bronze went to Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams with 14.62 metres.


This is Rojas’ third straight world indoor triple jump gold, adding to the triumph in Portland in 2016 and Birmingham in 2018.

Russia-Ukraine war jolts Taiwan into action against threat of Chinese invasion

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 08:43 AM PDT

Beijing [China]: The war between Russia and Ukraine has galvanised Taiwanese as a poll shows that more than 70 per cent of Taiwanese citizens are willing to militarily defend the country in the event of war against China.


Asia Times reported that there is also growing public support for overhauling military reservists’ training and, if necessary, extending mandatory military service in order to ensure “total defence” against any prospective invasion by Taiwan’s giant neighbour in the future. It’s almost a month into Russia’s action in Ukraine, there is still no definitive end in sight. Russia’s bombardment of major Ukrainian cities continues unabated, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that is spilling into Eastern Europe.


On Friday, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke virtually for approximately two hours on the “Ukraine situation.” Xi told Biden that the action “is not something we want to see,” according to Chinese summations of the discussion, and that “the events again show that countries should not come to the point of meeting on the battlefield.”


Biden reportedly requested the call after some Chinese officials issued conflicting statements concerning their support for Ukraine and Russia. He also warned of “consequences” if China is found to provide material support to Russia’s military action in Ukraine.


Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.


Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that “Taiwan’s independence” means war. 

1000 Olive Ridley hatchlings released into sea in Visakhapatnam

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 08:37 AM PDT

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): As many as 1000 hatchlings of Olive Ridley turtles were released into the sea at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam by the District collector Mallikarjuna, and forest officials.


The forest department, which has collected a total of 40,000 turtle eggs this year, said it has released 4,000 turtles in various stages so far. District Forest Officer Anantha Shankar said, “We have set up hatcheries at RK Beach, Jodugullapalem, Chepaluppada, Muthyalamma Palli, and Peda Nagamayya Palem on the coast to preserve these rare turtles from being eaten up by dogs and foxes. The baby turtles were coming out of them. The hatching of eggs from collected and preserved ones will continue until the end of May. The cubs will complete thousands of miles and later return to the same shore to lay their eggs.”

The endangered Olive Ridley turtles, listed under schedule one, of the endangered species list, come to the coast of Visakhapatnam to lay their eggs every year in the months of January and February.


Forest officials have set up hatcheries at five locations along the Visakhapatnam coast to prevent these rare turtles from being eaten by dogs and foxes. After 45 to 50 days the juvenile olive ridges come out looking for the sea.


However, there is a risk of them being eaten by birds and dogs before they reach the sea, so the authorities carefully collect them and release them in large numbers at once into the Sea. 

56 people killed in Russian tank attack at nursing home in Luhansk: Report

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 07:47 AM PDT

As many as 56 people were killed in a Russian tank attack at a nursing home in Luhansk, said a media report citing Luhansk Governor Serhiy Hayday.

“Death toll reaches 56 in Russian tank attack at nursing home in Luhansk Oblast on March 11. Russians moved 15 survivors to a facility on the occupied territories. Ukrainians still can’t reach the site of the attack. Source: Serhiy Hayday, the governor of Luhansk Oblast,” tweeted The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian media outlet.

Meanwhile, an art school being used as a shelter in the besieged city of Mariupol has been bombed by Russian forces, CNN reported citing a statement by Mariupol city council on its Telegram channel.

According to the council, nearly 400 people were sheltered in the building, however, there is no clarity on the number of casualties as of now.

Moreover, amid an attack by Russian forces, over 39,000 people have fled the Mariupol in one week, reported The Kyiv Independent citing Mariupol city council.
Further, 115 children have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion and 140 more have been injured, the media outlet reported citing the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Russian military on Sunday claimed that it had launched a series of strikes on military targets in Ukraine employing hypersonic and cruise missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning, reported CNN.

In a statement released on Sunday, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea and air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile systems were fired from the airspace over Crimea.

In a statement, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said that the missiles targeted a large storage base for fuels and lubricants of the Ukrainian armed forces near the settlement of Kostyantynivka, in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region.

However, the armed forces of Ukraine have claimed that Russia has lost nearly 14,700 of its troops since the beginning of this military operation.

Russia had started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.

As per the UK Defence Ministry, Russian forces are continuing to encircle a number of cities across eastern Ukraine.

“Over the past week Russian forces have made limited progress in capturing these cities; instead, Russia has increased its indiscriminate shelling of urban areas resulting in widespread destruction and large numbers of civilian casualties,” tweeted the ministry.

Imran Khan lauds India for its foreign policy, says it’s for betterment of people

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 07:40 AM PDT

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has admitted that the foreign policy of India is independent and for the betterment of people.

This comes when Imran Khan is scheduled to face the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him. A session of the National Assembly has been called on March 25. During a public rally in the Malakand area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran Khan lauded India and said that the country imported oil from Russia despite American sanctions and is an ally of the US as well – his foreign policy would also favour the people of Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported on Sunday.

“I praise our neighbouring country as they always had independent foreign policy. Today India is in their (America) alliance and they are part of QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue); they say that are neutral. They are importing oil from Russia despite sanctions because their policy is for the betterment of people,” he said.
“I haven’t bowed before anyone and will not let my nation bow either,” Imran was quoted by The Express Tribune as saying.

On March 8, US President Joe Biden announced the banning of Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the US in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Today I am announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy. We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy,” Biden said in remarks from the White House. “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”

The move made by the US is unilateral, without its European allies. Notably, there were some disagreements among European nations about whether to ban Russian energy imports.

Punjab: AAP govt constitutes new SIT to probe drugs charges against SAD leader Bikram Majithia

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 07:37 AM PDT

Days after the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, the state police have formed a new special investigation team (SIT) to probe the charges in the drugs case against former cabinet minister and Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia.

A new SIT team consisting of four members has been formed to be headed by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) S Rahul, for the investigation of the drug case. Speaking to reporters today, Punjab state police chief Viresh Kumar Bhawra said, “A new SIT team consisting of four members has been formed to be headed by AIG S Rahul, for the investigation of a drug case involving SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia.”

“Senior officers of the Bureau of Investigation will supervise the probe,” he said.
On March 8, Mohali District Court extended Majithia’s judicial custody till March 22, in a drugs case. On February 24, Majithia was sent to judicial custody till March 8 by the court.

The SAD leader had surrendered in the court and applied for regular bail in a drug case registered against him in December last year.

Majithia has been booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, on the allegations of his alleged involvement in a drug racket in the state.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 24 had dismissed Majithia’s anticipatory bail plea. Earlier, Supreme Court had also granted protection from arrest to Majithia till February 23 in view of the Punjab Assembly elections.

Majithia was apprehending arrest after a case under the provisions of the NDPS Act was registered at Mohali on December 20, last year. 

Uttarakhand: Rajnath Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi to visit Dehradun for legislature party meeting, CM’s name to be announced tomorrow

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 07:31 AM PDT

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi will be visiting Dehradun tomorrow for the BJP Legislature Party meeting where the Chief Minister’s name will be declared, said the party’s State media in-charge Manveer Chauhan.

Earlier today, Uttarakhand BJP chief Madan Kaushik on Sunday informed that all newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly will take oath in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday. Kaushik had also informed that the name for Uttarakhand Chief Minister will be decided after today’s Legislative Party meeting.

“All newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly will take oath at 11 am in Vidhan Sabha, tomorrow,” he had said.

“The meeting of Legislative Party will be held in the evening. Thereafter, the Chief Minister’s name will be announced,” Kaushik had said.
Earlier today, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Kaushik, and former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in the national capital to discuss government formation.

BJP President JP Nadda and party leaders BL Santhosh and Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj were also present at Shah’s residence.

Meanwhile, Dhami had said that the procedure for government formation is underway and the BJP central leadership will take a decision on the next leader of the legislature party in the state.

“The procedure for government formation is underway…the BJP central leadership will take a decision (on CM face),” had said Dhami, at Uttarakhand Bhawan in Delhi.
Notably, BJP MLA and former minister Rekha Arya have supported Dhami as the next Chief Minister.

Several MLAs, including Ganesh Joshi and Arvind Pandey, have given their consent for the name of Dhami as the leader of the legislature party.

Till now six MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party have announced their willingness to vacate their Assembly seats to help Dhami get elected to the House. Dhami had lost to Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri by a margin of 6,579 votes. Dhami got a total of 41,598 votes with a vote share of 44.8 per cent as against Kapri who got 48,177 with a huge vote share of 51.89 per cent.

The BJP won the popular mandate for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand, bagging 47 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

Bengaluru pitch used for 2nd India vs SL Test rated ‘below average’ by ICC

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 05:30 AM PDT

Javagal Srinath of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees has rated the pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that was used for the second Test between India and Sri Lanka as “below average” and the venue has received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Srinath’s report has been forwarded to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. India claimed an emphatic 238-run victory against Sri Lanka as they bowled out the visitors for 208 in the second innings of the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Rohit Sharma-led team wrapped up the Test match inside three days as hosts swept the two-match series 2-0.

Srinath said: “The pitch offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between bat and ball.”

Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period. And when a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.

Playing under Sanju Samson’s captaincy is going to be a fresh experience- Navdeep Saini

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 05:24 AM PDT

One of the fastest bowlers in the country currently, Navdeep Saini will be an important cog in the newly forged fast bowling line-up of Rajasthan Royals.

Having recently been a part of the Delhi squad during the league stage of the Ranji Trophy, where he picked up 5 wickets in two matches, the Karnal Express hopes to get better as he shifts his focus to the white-ball game, aiming to contribute and help the Royals in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Speaking on the opportunity of playing for the Royals, Saini said, “It’s wonderful to play for a franchise like Rajasthan Royals, who were the first-ever champions of the IPL. I’m looking forward to working with the very experienced coaching group and a talented group of players. The Royals are known for fostering a fantastic atmosphere around the group, and I’m simply looking to experience that and connect with everyone and get going this season.”

Being a bowler who relies on swing and accuracy, Saini said he’s looking forward to working with one of the biggest names in T20 cricket. “I am most looking forward to connecting with Trent Boult during the IPL. He is someone who has achieved so much in both international and IPL cricket, and it’ll be a great experience to just speak to him about various aspects of fast bowling. I’ll be most focused on observing him go about his business, and hopefully, that should also help in improving my own game,” expressed Saini, who has 17 wickets in the IPL at an economy of 8.47.

The 29-year-old also revealed how he shares a good bond with the Royals skipper, “I share a great rapport with Sanju. I have spent a lot of time with him on the national team and have had a lot of discussions with him off the field. I feel it’s going to be a fresh experience, playing under him; he’s someone who creates a fun atmosphere around the team which helps everyone settle in quickly and feel a part of the team.”
Having missed the majority of IPL 2021 due to injury concerns, Saini said he’s been putting in the hard yards. “I wasn’t able to play a lot of matches last season, but I think I’m coming into this season on the back of a lot of hard work that I’ve put into myself, both on and off the field. I’m feeling good about my bowling again, and can’t wait to get back into the IPL and perform for the team.”

Recollecting some of his earlier memories of the Royals, the new recruit was quick to mark the influence of one Royals’ legend on him. “Rahul Dravid has been someone who I’ve always looked up to, he is someone who’s inspired me a lot through the years and continues to inspire me even to this day. And to be a part of a franchise that is so closely associated with him is really special,” added Saini, who was picked up by the Royals for INR 2.6 Cr.

“I’m also really excited to work with Kumar Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga and pick their brains on various aspects of the game. I think this will be a great opportunity for me to learn and groom myself, further evolving my skills and contributing to the team’s performances,” Saini spoke whilst confessing his admiration for the legends in the Royals coaching setup.

The speedster signed off by touching upon his ambitions for the season with the Royals. “I feel we’ve got a good squad with a mix of exciting and experienced players, all of whom have done well for their respective nations and state sides in the build-up to the IPL. There’s been a nice feeling around the camp even at training, and some really intense sessions.”

“On a more personal note, the goal is to help the team with my abilities and performances, be it bowling with the new ball, in the middle overs, or at the death. It is important to plan smartly and then execute them properly, especially, given the nature of modern-day T20 cricket, where there’s no margin for error for the bowlers,” he said.

India-Australia Summit: Australia to announce ‘largest-ever’ investment worth Rs 1,500 cr in India

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 05:10 AM PDT

In the largest-ever investment by the Australian government in India, Canberra will announce an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in the country in multiple sectors at the India-Australia bilateral summit to be held on Monday.

India and Australia will conclude an early harvest agreement by the end of this month, according to sources. An early harvest agreement is aimed at liberalising tariffs on the trade of certain goods between two countries or trading blocs before a comprehensive agreement.

As per a diplomatic source, the two countries will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of critical minerals, which will help increase India’s access to metallic coal and lithium in Australia and cater to India’s growing demand for electric vehicles and growing infrastructure.


Australia has one of the biggest reserves of lithium and is also a provider of the cleanest metallic coal.

The two countries will also be building a centre to promote partnership, which will be located in Canberra, Australia. Announcements on space, cyber activities, technology, agriculture, education and broadcasting will also be made, said the source.

According to the source, India-Australia’s comprehensive strategic partnership is not just symbolism but there is remarkable depth in relation.

Tomorrow both leaders will demonstrate that India and Australia are top tier partners that deliver.

When asked whether Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and India’s position will have any impact, the source said that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s 1957 no condemnation policy and space of resolution policy is in place and every country has a different relationship with different countries.

It is widely believed and reported that PM Modi is in discussion with Russian President Putin on the issue.

The source also said that it will have no negative impact on India-Australia bilateral relations or quad, although incidents in Ukraine will have implications in the Indo-Pacific region.

Further, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines in India, Pralhad Joshi, is expected to visit Australia soon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will hold the second India-Australia Virtual Summit on Monday to lay the way forward on new initiatives and enhance cooperation in a diverse range of sectors between the two countries.

The Summit follows the historic first Virtual Summit in June 2020 when the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During the upcoming virtual summit, the Leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education, among others, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

According to the MEA release, views on regional and international issues of mutual interest will also be discussed by the Leaders. It also said the Summit highlights the importance attached by both countries to their bilateral relations as also their close cooperation on regional and global issues.

The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory with both countries continuing to collaborate closely, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in wide-ranging areas including science and technology, defence, cyber, critical and strategic materials, water resource management, as well as public administration and governance.

PM Modi and Morrison met in Washington DC for the first in-person meeting after the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2021 on the margins of the Quad Leaders’ Summit and jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November 2021.

On Friday, Morrison had underlined that the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries is based on a shared vision of an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.

In an official statement, he said, “Australia and India’s strong bilateral relationship is based on mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to democracy, and a shared vision of an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

“Prime Minister Modi and I will discuss deepening our trade and investment relationship and harnessing new economic opportunities to support our mutual economic recovery and growth. Central to these endeavours are strengthened cooperation in defence and security, science and technology, and critical minerals and clean energy,” he added.

Furthermore, the Australian PM said both sides will also discuss a range of regional and multilateral issues, including the situation in Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific, and Myanmar.

N Biren Singh to remain as Manipur chief minister

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 04:58 AM PDT

N Biren Singh has been chosen as Manipur Chief Minister for a second time. Ten days after election results came, the BJP today announced Mr Singh as the Chief Minister among two more contenders – Biswajit Singh and Yumnam Khemchand.

All the three had met with the BJP’s central leadership in Delhi yesterday, as the party discussed who would be Manipur’s next Chief Minister.

Today, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju, who are the BJP’s central observers for Manipur, landed in state capital Imphal to make the announcement.

BJP likely to announce new Manipur CM today, leaders reach party office in Imphal

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:55 AM PDT

Imphal (Manipur): Manipur state’s caretaker chief minister N Biren Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi and BJP MLAs reached the party office in Imphal today for the Legislature Party meeting where the name of new Manipur CM is likely to be announced.


The BJP leaders have been discussing the government formation in Manipur after the BJP won an absolute majority in the state for the first time. It will be the second successive government of the party in the state.


Earlier on Saturday, Singh said he has never contested elections “for CM or any other post” but as a worker of BJP and the party’s central leadership will take a decision on the next chief minister in the state.


The BJP had formed the previous government in the state with the support of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the National People’s Party (NPP) with Biren Singh as Chief Minister.


BJP legislator T Biswajit Singh’s name has also been doing the rounds as a possible choice for the post of CM in Manipur. 

No confidence motion: Pak National Assembly Speaker summons Parliament session on March 25

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:50 AM PDT

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has summoned a session of the Lower House at the Parliament in Islamabad on March 25 for a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.


“Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has summoned a session of the Lower House at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Friday at 11 a.m,” Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. The leadership of Pakistan opposition parties has asked their parliamentarians to stay put in Islamabad to ensure their presence in the National Assembly session ahead of the voting for the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.


According to the opposition leaders, the speaker of the lower house of the parliament could convene the assembly session any time and directed the lawmakers belonging to their parties to stay put in Islamabad, ARY News reported.


The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8.


While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan.


On Saturday, Pakistan Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif slammed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for siding with Prime Minister Imran Khan stating that the former should “come to his senses”.


Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sharif who is the PML-N President chided the Speaker saying, “Don’t let democracy derail, otherwise neither history nor the people of Pakistan would forgive you,” reported The News International.


Sharif also condemned the recent attack on the Sindh House saying, “Whatever happened at the Sindh House was not a trivial matter.” He said that the attack was not only about the integrity of Sindh but was an assault on Pakistan.


Earlier, the opposition parties rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister, the opposition has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation, reported local media. 

Hijab verdict judges receive death threats; CM Bommai says anti-national forces won’t be tolerated

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:44 AM PDT

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said that anti-national forces who pose a challenge to the nation’s system of law and order cannot be tolerated.


His remarks came after the chief minister informed that death threats against three judges of the Karnataka High court have been received from Tamil Nadu for their judgement on the Hijab row. “Three judges of Karnataka High court including the Chief Justice have received death threats from Tamil Nadu. A case has been registered in this regard. Everyone should accept the Court’s verdict,” Bommai told media persons here today.


He further described that there are provisions for filing review petitions if the petitions are not satisfied with the judgement, however, the disruptive forces are still inciting the people to rise against the system.


Following the death threats, the chief minister directed the State Director General of Police to start the investigation immediately.


“A case has been registered in Tamil Nadu. The Bar Council of Karnataka High Court too has filed a case at Vidhana Soudha police station. This case has been taken up very seriously. Orders have been issued to get their custody to bring them to the State and take stringent legal action against the accused,” CM Bommai stated.


Karnataka Chief Minister also affirmed that the security for three judges has been tightened by raising it to the ‘Y’ category.


Bommai slammed the secularists for remaining silent about this case and said that appeasing a section of the people like this is not secularism, it amounts to communalism.


“We need to fight unitedly in cases like this as we need to preserve the judicial system of the country. Cases like this pose a threat to the nation’s democratic system. It should be strongly condemned in public,” he added.


The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

Political turmoil in Pakistan deepens with PTI govt supporters, Opposition taking to streets

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:37 AM PDT

Islamabad [Pakistan]: The deepening rift in ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government ahead of the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly has triggered protests in Pakistan with the supporters of the government and the Opposition both taking to the streets, reported local media.


While the PTI supporters gathered outside the house of MNA Malik Ahmed Hassan Dehar to protest against his defiance, workers of the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) staged a rally outside the residence of another PTI dissident Noor Alam Khan in a show of support for him and his family, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Notably, PTI supporters in Multan, armed with batons and stones, chanted slogans against Dehar and against another MNA Rana Qasim Noon for switching their loyalties.


All the “turncoats” should either resign and contest elections against PTI candidates or face public wrath, the media outlet quoted PTI leader Nadeem Qureshi, who led the protest, as saying.


Meanwhile, JUI-F workers staged a rally outside the house of Noor Alam Khan to express their solidarity with him, according to the media outlet.


Moreover, PTI supporters also protested outside the house of MNA Wajiha Akram in Lahore on Friday, soon after she was seen inside Sindh House in Islamabad, where the defiant lawmakers are residing.


The developments come as Pakistan is going through political turmoil ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan after dozens of PTI MNAs come out in open defiance against the ruling party. 

Rajasthan minister Mamata Bhupesh says bribes are being taken for transfers and postings

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:32 AM PDT

Dausa (Rajasthan): Rajasthan Congress faced embarrassment when cabinet minister Mamta Bhupesh on Saturday said that “bribes are being taken for transfers and postings” and urged party workers to work honestly.


In a video that went viral on the internet, Mamta Bhupesh was seen addressing a public gathering and speaking about the corruption that exists within the system and the party. “I received complaints about an officer, so I told him that I will transfer him. To which, he told me that he has given Rs 3 lakhs to one of our party workers for getting his current posting,” said the Congress leader in Dausa.


Reacting to the information, Bhupesh said that such activities ruin the party image and requested the Congress leaders not to indulge in these things.


“I haven’t taken any money from anyone. I want party workers to work honestly and should not indulge in this type of activity. Such things malign party image,” she added.

India-Russia oil trade: what is at stake?

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 03:06 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: In order to shield the economy from the negative impact of the recent surge in crude oil prices, India is exploring the possibility of importing additional oil at discounted rates from Russia, which is facing sanctions and global backlash due to the Ukraine conflict.


According to commodities data and analytics firm Kpler, India’s import of crude oil from Russia in March this year so far is nearly four times higher when compared with the corresponding period of last year. India’s import of crude oil from Russia stood at around an average of nearly 360,000 barrels a day in the first half of this month. As per the current shipment schedules, the average oil trade between the two countries is estimated to be around 203,000 barrels per day.


“Already committed oil cargoes from Russia that can’t find buyers in Europe are being bought by India,” Financial Times quoted Alex Booth, head of research at Kpler, as saying.


“Exports to India surged in March before any official announcement by New Delhi,” Booth said.


There is no government-to-government (G2G) arrangement for oil trade between India and Russia. The majority of the crude oil purchase from Russia for India has been done by Indian Oil Corporation.


Although the United States has acknowledged that crude oil purchases by India would not violate US sanctions, it has warned that it would put India on the wrong side of history.


The US has been putting increasing pressure on India to distance itself from Russia.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday in Washington that the United States is in touch with the Indian leaders at various levels over the issue of India’s decision to buy oil from Russia at discounted rates.


“We will project and convey to any leader around the world is that the rest of the world is watching, where you are going to stand, as it relates to this conflict, (and) whether it is support for Russia, in any form as they are illegally invading Ukraine,” Psaki said.


India has so far adopted a neutral approach in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is among the few countries that have not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. India also abstained from voting on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution deploring Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.


India’s decision to increase crude oil trade and economic engagements with Russia would have huge diplomatic and economic ramifications.


It is important to note that India is heavily dependent on imports to meet its oil requirements. Nearly 85 per cent of the country’s average daily crude oil requirement of around 5 million barrels is met through imports.


The rise in crude oil prices put huge pressure on the Indian economy. High crude oil prices pose inflationary, fiscal, and external sector risks. India’s budget calculations for the financial year 2022-23 have been made with an assumption of crude oil price of $70 to $75 per barrel.


Crude oil prices have surged due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It soared to near $140 a barrel earlier this month.


Being a major importer India has to keep exploring competitive prices. A heavy discount offered by Russia is an opportunity. It is extremely important from the perspective of the Indian economy.


Commenting on the India-Russia oil trade, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said being a major importer of oil India looks at all options at all points of time. “India does import most of its oil requirements, it’s met by imports. So we are always exploring all possibilities in global energy markets because of this situation that we face importing our oil requirements,” Bagchi said.


Russia is the second-largest exporter of crude oil behind Saudi Arabia. Nearly three-fourth of Russia’s crude oil exports go to OECD member countries. Major European countries like Germany, France and Italy, who are also members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), are heavily dependent on the Russian oil supply. If the NATO member countries continue to import Russian oil due to economic reasons, India must also give primacy to the economic interest.


One major challenge in the India-Russia oil trade is the payment system. According to sources, the two countries have been exploring the possibility of setting up a rupee-rouble trade mechanism for paying for oil and other goods.


Apart from the payment mechanism, there are several other issues that need to be worked out. It includes insurance and freight. In the time of military conflict, the insurance cost goes up substantially. India’s import of oil from Russia has traditionally been low due to high freight costs.


Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Rajya Sabha recently that the Indian government was evaluating the Russian offer of crude oil import at discounted rates.


“Discussions are currently underway. Several issues are required to be gone into, like how much oil is available either in Russia or in new markets or with new suppliers that may be coming into the market. Also, there are issues relating to insurance, freight, and a host of other issues, including the payment arrangements,” the minister had said.


Russia has been among the closest and most reliable allies of India. It is by far its biggest arms supplier to India. According to data available with the Ministry of External Affairs, Russian Investments in India stand at $18 billion while the Indian investments in Russia stand at $13 billion. The trade balance is in favour of Russia. India’s imports from Russia stood at $7.75 billion while India’s exports to Russia stood at $3.22 billion in 2018.


Despite the threats of US sanctions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in 2018 entered into a $5.43 billion deal with Russia to buy S-400 defence system. The delivery of the missile system began in 2021.


However, India needs to make a cautious move. The United States and other western allies are also crucially important. 

Assam’s Kaziranga National Park witnesses highest-ever footfall in 12 years

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:59 AM PDT

Kaziranga (Assam): Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve saw a tremendous rise in tourist footfall, the park authorities said on Sunday.


The globally renowned Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve received over two lakh visitors which was the highest in the last 12 years. The national park’s revenue also topped up the charts, crossing a total of Rs 4.5 crores. According to the park authorities, a total of 2,20,027 lakh Indian visitors and 733 foreign visitors had visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The number of foreign tourists visiting the national park had dipped in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the recent relaxations in the COVID-19 regulations help soar the tourists in great numbers.


Ramesh Gogoi, Divisional Forest Officer(DFO) said that compared to the previous year more tourists have visited the Kaziranga National Park this time.


“Over 2.20 lakh tourists have visited the Kaziranga National Park in 2021-22 so far and this is the highest number of tourists visiting the park. We have so far collected revenue of Rs 4.47 crore from tourists,” Gogoi said.


The average footfall is expected to be even higher as the national park remains open till the end of May month.


“Two more tourist months in this year are available for the tourists for visiting the park and we hope that the tourists in huge numbers will visit the park and we will be able to earn even more revenue. The number of visitors to the park this year is highest compared to previous years,” Gogoi said. 

Sharad-Lalu reunite after 25 years, LJD merges with RJD

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:53 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav on Sunday merged his Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by Lalu Prasad Yadav.


After announcing the merger of the two parties, Sharad Yadav said that the move is the “first step towards (the formation of) a united Opposition”. “Merger of our party with the RJD is the first step towards forging the Opposition unity. It’s imperative that the whole Opposition gets united across India to defeat the BJP. As of now, unification is our priority. It’ll be only after that we would think about who will lead the united Opposition,” he added.


Sharad Yadav had formed the LJD in 2018 after parting his ways from Janata Dal (United) over the party’s alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.


The LJD never fought elections since its inception while its chief Sharad Yadav lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Madhepura on the RJD ticket.


Sharad Yadav was the Cabinet Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government at the Centre.


The two leaders, incidentally, have come together after a gap of 25 years. They had parted ways in 1997 when Lalu Prasad Yadav had founded the RJD and Sharad Yadav along with Nitish Kumar launched the JD(U).


Lalu Prasad Yadav was later convicted in the fodder scam.


He rode the “Mandal” politics bandwagon in the 1990s to dominate Bihar politics, besides playing a key role in national politics.


After the LJD-RJD merger, the RJD is likely to nominate Sharad Yadav to the Rajya Sabha during biennial polls for the Upper House slated for June. 

All political parties, including mine, divide people: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:47 AM PDT

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): Stating that political parties, including Congress, create division among people on various grounds, former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and member of G23 of the Opposition party, on Sunday, while referring to the 1990 exodus and killings of the Kashmiri Pandits, said that Pakistan and terrorism were responsible for all that took place in the valley.


His remarks came in the backdrop of the ongoing controversy over the film ‘The Kashmir Files’, which is based on the 1990 exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. “Political parties create division (among people) 24×7 on the basis of religion, caste and other things. I’m not forgiving any party, including mine (Congress). Civil society should stay together. Justice must be given to everyone irrespective of caste, religion,” Azad said.


He stressed that “Mahatma Gandhi was the biggest Hindu and secularist”. “Pakistan and militancy are responsible for what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. It has affected all in Jammu and Kashmir, including Hindus, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, Dogras,” added Azad in Jammu.


The film, which focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s, has been mired in controversy since its release on March 11 with the BJP and Opposition parties sparring over the portrayal of the incidents.


At a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the film. saying that attempts were being made to discredit it. 

Rename Guntur’s ‘Jinnah Towers’-Andhra BJP; recommends naming after APJ Abdul Kalam

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:42 AM PDT

Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh): The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reiterated the demand for renaming the ‘Jinnah Tower’ in Guntur, arguing that the name of the founder of Pakistan should be removed as “he was responsible for killings of lakhs of Hindus during the partition of India”.


The Andhra Pradesh BJP co-in charge Sunil Deodhar on Saturday said that the ‘Jinnah Tower’ in Guntur should be renamed while stressing that the party isn’t against Islam, but against fundamentalism and appeasement politics. Speaking at Ranabheri in Kadapa, Deodhar said, “In Guntur, a tower is named after Jinnah. He was responsible for the killing of lakhs of Hindus during the partition of ‘Akhanda Bharat (undivided India)’, and the persecution of Hindus in Pakistan. The BJP demands that the name of Muhammad Ali Jinnah be removed from the tower in Guntur.”


The BJP leader alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is not willing to rename the tower because he fears losing his vote bank.


“The BJP won’t tolerate this. The BJP is not against Muslims or Islam, but against fundamentalism and appeasement politics. The tower can be renamed after (former President) APJ Abdul Kalam, but he (CM) won’t do it, as he will not get votes,” Deodhar said.


Notably, the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP in December last year had submitted a memorandum to the Guntur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Challa Anuradha to press for the demand to rename ‘Jinnah Tower’ after the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.


The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) authorities have got the tower painted in tricolour.


Further, Deodhar also asserted that the BJP will not allow the building of Tipu Sultan’s statue at Kadapa. “The name of this district is Kadapa, which means ‘Chaukhat (entrance to Venkateswara Swami)’. The BJP will not allow the building of the statue of Tipu Sultan at Kadapa. He was a barbaric ruler who killed and forcefully converted millions of Hindus to Islam, while his army raped lakhs of Hindu women.” 

Uttarakhand MLAs to take oath tomorrow, CM to be decided tonight

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:30 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Uttarakhand BJP chief Madan Kaushik on Sunday informed that all newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly will take oath in the Vidhan Sabha tomorrow.


Kaushik also informed that the name for Uttarakhand Chief Minister will be decided after today’s Legislative Party meeting. “All newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly will take oath at 11 am in Vidhan Sabha, tomorrow,” he said.


“The meeting of Legislative Party will be held in the evening. Thereafter, the Chief Minister’s name will be announced,” Kaushik added.


Earlier today, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Kaushik, and former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in the national capital to discuss government formation.


BJP President JP Nadda and party leaders BL Santhosh and Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj were also present at Shah’s residence.


Meanwhile, Dhami said that the procedure for government formation is underway and the BJP central leadership will take a decision on the next leader of the legislature party in the state.


“The procedure for government formation is underway…the BJP central leadership will take a decision (on CM face),” said Dhami, at Uttarakhand Bhawan in Delhi.
Notably, BJP MLA and former minister Rekha Arya has supported Dhami as the next Chief Minister.


Several MLAs, including Ganesh Joshi and Arvind Pandey, have given their consent for the name of Dhami as the leader of the legislature party.


Till now six MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party have announced their willingness to vacate their Assembly seats to help Dhami get elected to the House. Dhami had lost to Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri by a margin of 6,579 votes.

Dhami got a total of 41,598 votes with a vote share of 44.8 per cent as against Kapri who got 48,177 with a huge vote share of 51.89 per cent.


The BJP won the popular mandate for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand, bagging 47 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

Accidental fire broke out at Sialkot garrison, no casualty: Pak Army

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:28 AM PDT

An accidental fire broke out at an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison but no loss was incurred during the incident, Pakistan Army informed on Sunday.

The accidental fire broke out in an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison due to short-circuiting, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) was quoted as saying by Ary News. “Due to effective and timely response, the damages were immediately contained and fire has been extinguished. No damage to property or loss of life,” the Pakistan military’s media wing said.

Earlier today, an explosion was heard in the city of Sialkot. Media reports said the sound of the blast was reportedly heard near the cantonment area in the Punjab province.

Russian confirms firing hypersonic missiles in Ukraine again

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:26 AM PDT

Moscow [Russia]: Russia has confirmed that it has again fired hypersonic missiles in Ukraine. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has further confirmed on Sunday that Ships of the Russian navy have destroyed an armoured vehicles repair plant of Ukrainian forces with Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea.


According to the spokesman, the Russian armed forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities with long-range precision weapons in the evening of March 19 and in the morning of March 20. “Workshops at the Nizhyn repair plant used for the repair of Ukrainian armoured vehicles damaged in combat operations were destroyed with sea-based Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the waters of the Black Sea,” Konashenkov said.


He added that Kalibr missiles launched from the Caspian Sea and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles launched from the airspace over Crimea had also destroyed a huge Ukrainian base for storing fuel and lubricants located near the settlement of Kostyantynivka in the Mykolaiv region.


Konashenkov noted that the base had been used for supplying fuel to Ukrainian armoured vehicles in the combat areas in south of the country.

Observers in Ukraine confirm that the humanitarian situation was deteriorating in besieged Ukrainian cities under relentless Russian bombardment on Sunday, as Kyiv called on Moscow’s ally Beijing to “condemn Russian barbarism”.

Delhi Capitals Head Coach Ricky Ponting expresses thoughts about IPL 2022 season

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:18 AM PDT

Delhi Capitals Head Coach Ricky Ponting was impressed with the energetic vibe around the group of players when he attended his first training session with the team in Mumbai.

Ahead of the IPL 2022 season, Ponting said, “At the moment, we need to really focus on what we need to do to get ready for game one. I had a great first session with the players. There’s an energetic vibe around the team, which is what we always strive for.” The Delhi Capitals camp has a lot of new faces post the IPL Mega Auction earlier this year. The Head Coach expressed that it’s going to be a challenge for the new group to gel together quickly,

“I have told the boys to keep their doors open when they are in their rooms and get to know each other. I am going to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with all the younger guys that I don’t know. When you show love towards the younger guys as a coach or a senior player, you know that they are going to give it back.”

The Australian legend further added, “The guys who have been in the Delhi Capitals camp for a while definitely have the responsibility of guiding the youngsters in the team. Rishabh’s Captain, so he’s going to do that anyway, but guys like Prithvi, Axar and Nortje will also have their roles and responsibilities within the team.”

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

Watch auto Overturn in UP after revellers throw water balloon on Holi

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:08 AM PDT

After Holi celebrations, a video is doing rounds on social media platforms wherein a speeding auto-rickshaw can be seen turning turtle after being hit with a water balloon. The incident which took place on Saturday in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh and was caught on camera

Tourists flock to hill stations in Himachal as temperature rises in plains

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 02:05 AM PDT

Tourists have started rushing to hill stations like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Narkanda, and other parts of Himachal Pradesh as the temperature began to rise in parts of the country.

“It is very hot in Mumbai these days, so we decided to come to Shimla with family to explore the hills. We are enjoying ourselves and the weather conditions are pleasant. I am a nature lover and have decided to trek here. I would recommend everyone to come here,” Suraj, a tourist from Mumbai told ANI. A tourist from Haryana said, “Due to work from home, we could neither meet nor go out. As we travelled from Kalka to Shimla in a toy train, we were refreshed. The weather here is really great. I am really happy to be here.”

India Meteorological Department (IMD) observed heat wave conditions in parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The recent influx of tourists comes as a ray of hope for the tourist agents in the area.
Tara Singh, a local travel agent said “Due to COVID, the last two years were very difficult for our business. Now as the tourists have started coming again we hope for the best.”

Meanwhile, the weather forecasting agency predicted thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and hail at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh.

PM Modi, Morrison to hold second India-Australia virtual summit on Monday

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 01:58 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison will hold the second India-Australia Virtual Summit on Monday to lay the way forward on new initiatives and enhance cooperation in a diverse range of sectors between the two countries.


The Summit follows the historic first Virtual Summit in June 2020 when the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During the upcoming virtual summit, the Leaders will take stock of progress made on various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Leaders are expected to commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education, among others, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.


According to the MEA release, views on regional and international issues of mutual interest will also be discussed by the Leaders. It also said the Summit highlights the importance attached by both countries to their bilateral relations as also their close cooperation on regional and global issues.


The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory with both countries continuing to collaborate closely, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, in wide-ranging areas including science and technology, defence, cyber, critical and strategic materials, water resource management, as well as public administration and governance.


PM Modi and Morrison met in Washington DC for the first in-person meeting after the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2021 on the margins of the Quad Leaders’ Summit and jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November 2021.


On Friday, Morrison had underlined that the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries is based on a shared vision of an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.


In an official statement, he said, “Australia and India’s strong bilateral relationship is based on mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to democracy, and a shared vision of an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”


“Prime Minister Modi and I will discuss deepening our trade and investment relationship and harnessing new economic opportunities to support our mutual economic recovery and growth. Central to these endeavours are strengthened cooperation in defence and security, science and technology, and critical minerals and clean energy,” he added.


Furthermore, the Australian PM said both sides will also discuss a range of regional and multilateral issues, including the situation in Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific, and Myanmar. 

Arvind Kejriwal asks Bhagwant Mann to set targets for Punjab ministers, fix accountability

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 01:58 AM PDT

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will set targets for each minister in his Cabinet, and the people can hold them accountable if they don’t deliver on the tasks.

Kejriwal said that the people can demand change of ministers if they don’t fulfil the targets set by the Chief Minister. “Bhagwant Mann will give a target to each minister and they have to do the work within the fixed time limit. You have to work day and night. If your target is not fulfilled then the people can raise demand for change of the minister,” said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal said that Mann has done good work within three days of taking the oath of the office. “I’m very proud of Bhagwant Mann’s work in just three days,” he said.
“The whole country is talking about Bhagwant Mann and his works. Compensation for crops damaged in October has been released and farmers will get cheques in the coming days,” said AAP’s national convenor.

He further said that Mann has already “removed the security of old ministers to improve the law and order situation in the state”.

“He also announced anti-corruption action helpline and improvements have started on their own while 25,000 jobs were announced. People’s expectation from us is now turning into confidence,” Kejriwal added.

He said that it has been over 70 years since Independence but till date Punjab has not progressed as it should have.

“Therefore, you have a big responsibility to fulfil the ambitions of the people of the state. There is less time, so everyone will have to work day and night so that the promises made to the public can be fulfilled. Bhagwant Mann is your captain, a team leader,” he added.

The Delhi Chief Minister said that the party’s mantra is that an MLA will be with the people, and go to villages.

Kejriwal said that there are reports that some of the MLAs are upset for not being made a minister.

“We have won 92 seats and only 17 can be made ministers. The people of Punjab have selected diamonds and we have to work as a team of 92 under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann. We have to do good work together so that every MLA should rule the hearts of the people,” he added.

He also asked the MLAs to work together under the leadership of Mann. “You all have to work together under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann. I am like your elder brother to give guidance,” Kejriwal said.

Arvind Kejriwal also said that instead of showing interest in things like ministers’ posts and own benefits, all the 92 MLAs will have to focus on the work of the people.
“No MLA or minister needs to boast that he was born to become an MLA or a minister.

The people do not spare those who boast such arrogance. This time also the public removed the big leaders from the chair. You have to only focus on the work. Instead of sitting in Chandigarh, Chief Minister Mann will keep an eye on everything,” he added.

The AAP recorded a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls winning 92 seats in the 117-member House.

The AAP leader and the party’s face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls Bhagwant Mann took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16.

On March 17, Punjab’s newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly.

Ten AAP MLAs, including a woman, were inducted in the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet in Punjab on Saturday. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 10 ministers at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh.

Arvind Kejriwal takes swipe at BJP delaying govt formation in four states

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 01:52 AM PDT

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) despite winning four states in the recently concluded Assembly elections is not able to form the governments due to infighting within the party.

“The BJP which has won in four states, but is not able to form governments till now due to infighting within the party,” said Kejriwal while addressing Punjab AAP MLAs through video conference on Sunday. Kejriwal said that the AAP MLAs immediately took oath in Punjab Assembly and the government was also formed without wasting time. “The government has begun working in Punjab,” said Kejriwal.

The Delhi Chief Minister also wondered what would the BJP governments in the four states do when the party cannot form the government there after so many days.
Kejriwal claimed that the BJP continues to be busy dealing with infighting in the party ranks in the four states.

He further lauded the work of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “I’m very proud of Bhagwant Mann’s work in just three days,” said Kejriwal.

“The whole country is talking about Bhagwant Mann and his works. Compensation for crops damaged in October has been released and farmers will get cheques in the coming days. You have done good work within three days of forming the government,” said Kejriwal.

The meeting of the AAP MLAs was held in Mohali and Kejriwal joined it via video conferencing from Delhi.

The BJP registered a win in four of the five states barring Punjab that went to Assembly polls in February-March, the result of which came on March 10.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and its allies won 255 seats out of 403 assembly constituencies. In Uttarakhand, the party secured 47 seats out of 70 seats.

In Goa, the BJP won 20 seats, out of 40, and got the support of independent candidates while in Manipur, the ruling BJP coalition bagged 31 seats out of 60 seats.

MG Motor India partners with engineering colleges to bolster skill development

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 12:16 AM PDT

MG Motor India today announced its plan to extend cars to select engineering colleges in Gujarat. This partnership will enhance technological skill sets in students under the MG Nurture initiative, thereby bridging the existing gap between the industry and academia in the auto-tech world.

The partnership will empower students to carry out in-depth, hands-on research and garner insights into the intricacies of technologically advanced vehicles. Students will study a wide range of parts, technology, and systems, including fuel systems, engines, ignition systems, vehicle chassis, and body engineering, and much more. With this, tomorrow’s innovators will be empowered with first-hand knowledge of major automotive systems. This will enhance their future employability and make them industry ready for MG or any other automotive brand.

Commenting on the announcement, Rajeev Chaba, President, and MD, MG Motor India, said, “We are committed to equipping the current generation of students with skills relevant to tomorrow’s mobility segment. The alliance with engineering colleges and plan to provide vehicles is also aligned with MG’s vision of CASE mobility, learning & skill development, and overall commitment to strengthening the mobility ecosystem.”

MG Motor India has taken positive strides towards creating a robust innovation ecosystem in the country. The company has recently extended its collaboration with IIT Delhi by donating its top-of-the-line ZS EV to fuel the research and development of future electric vehicles in India. It has also partnered with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and launched ‘Project Dakshata’ in collaboration with Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) and Autobot India to educate and foster skill development in the EV & AI industry. Such initiatives act as an ideal platform to brainstorm new technologies and motivate youngsters to carry the torch of innovation to become visionary leaders.

The company is committed to developing the students’ skillsets by offering insights into innovative advancements and preparing them for the transition in the automobile industry.

Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world-famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by many celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has thousands of loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic, and innovative brand over the last 96 years.

Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Halol, Gujarat, has an annual production capacity of 80,000 vehicles and employs nearly 2,500 workers. Driven by its vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility, the cutting-edge automaker has augmented across-the-board ‘experiences’ within the automobile segment today. It has introduced several ‘firsts’ in India, including India’s first Internet SUV – MG Hector, India’s first Pure Electric Internet SUV – MG ZS EV, India’s first Autonomous (Level 1) Premium SUV – MG Gloster, and MG Astor- India’s first SUV with personal AI assistant and Autonomous (Level 2) technology.
This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

India’s forex reserves dip by $9.64 billion, the biggest drop in 2 years

Posted: 20 Mar 2022 12:11 AM PDT

India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves declined by $9.646 billion to $622.275 billion in the week ended March 11, the sharpest decline in nearly two years, as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) heavily sold dollars to prevent the slide in the value of rupee.

According to the RBI’s weekly statistical supplement, the foreign currency assets, which is the biggest component of the forex reserves, slumped by $11.108 billion to $554.359 billion during the week under review. Expressed in US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-dollar currencies like Euro, UK’s Pound Sterling and Japanese Yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.

This sharp decline in the country’s foreign currency assets coincides with the week during which the rupee hit an all-time low.

The Indian rupee plunged to a record low of 77.02 against a US dollar on March 7.
According to the market analysts, the RBI intervened in the currency markets by selling dollars. The central bank is estimated to have sold $1 billion a day during the week to prevent further weakness in the Indian currency.

The decline in the forex reserves during the week ended March 11 this year was the sharpest in nearly two years. The country’s forex reserves had slipped by $11.9 billion during the week ended March 20, 2020. The country’s forex reserves had touched an all-time high of $642.453 billion in the week ended September 3, 2021.

The value of India’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by $53 million to $18.928 billion. India’s reserve position in the IMF dropped by $7 million to $5.146 billion during the week ended March 11, the RBI data showed.

However, the value of gold reserves rose sharply in line with the sharp appreciation in the gold price during the week. The value of gold reserves jumped by $1.522 billion to $43.842 billion during the week under review. 

Skipper Shreyas Iyer ready to bat at any position for KKR

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 11:29 PM PDT

Kolkata Night Riders (KKR) newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer said that he is ready to bat at any position in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
In the mega auction, KKR had bought Shreyas Iyer for Rs 12.25 crore. Earlier, the right-handed batter had led Delhi Capitals in the IPL. “You can’t basically portray yourself as an anchor. It can differ as well. On a given day, I can be a power-hitter and there can be some other player who can play an anchor role. The situations and roles can change based on conditions, and you can’t basically rely on a certain player to anchor the innings. If it’s your day, you need to go all out and see to it that you win the match for the team,” said Shreyas Iyer in a video posted on KKR’s Youtube channel.

“Basically, the responsibility has to be taken by all players in the team – to go out there and win the match and not rely on other players. For me, personally, I feel No. 3 is my position because I love to bat there and I’ve been batting at that position since very long. I’ve been very flexible; wherever the team wants me to bat at, I’m very comfortable at that and I’m ready to explore,” he added.

Shreyas Iyer is also pleased with the agressive and fearless mindset of KKR and said that he wants his players to carry on this intensity.

“They [KKR] have always been aggressive and they’ve been fearless as a team. Right from ball one, they like to throw the punch and put you on the back foot. And obviously, you need to have that kind of a mindset. I go through with the same mindset whenever I go out to bat, and when I want to lead as a captain, I want such kind of intensity from my players as well. If it comes from the coach, it’s greater because the energy is basically provided by the coach and captain,” said the skipper.
“I’m really happy with the mindset and planning that KKR have nourished over the years. Basically, I also have a similar kind of mindset – go out there and express ourselves as much as possible and not to have any regrets when we get off the field. Whatever you do, you do it for the team and you put yourself second – I think that’s the mindset I like to focus on as captain,” he added.

IPL 2022 will kick start from March 26 with KKR squaring off with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the inaugural clash of the season.

Pakistan: Massive explosion heard in Sialkot Cannt area

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 11:21 PM PDT

A massive explosion occurred in the northern Pakistani city of Sialkot, media reports said on Sunday.

The sound of the blast was reportedly heard near the cantonment area in the Punjab province. “Pakistan – Multiple explosions at the Sialkot military base in northern Pakistan. Initial indications are this is an ammunition storage area. A large fire is burning. Cause as yet unverified,” Rishi Suri, editor of The Daily Milap said in a tweet.
The story is still developing and more information is awaited.

Medical students studying in China Universities stage protest in Kerala, seek recognition of physical training in India

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 11:12 PM PDT

Several Indian students pursuing MBBS in Chinese universities staged a protest outside the Kerala secretariat on Saturday seeking recognition of their physical training in India.

The protest was held under the banner of Foreign Medical Graduates Parents Association (FMGPA) – an association of parents of medical students in foreign countries. Forced to return to India after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the medical students have since been unable to return to their host country and continued their physical training at government and private hospitals in the state.

Stuck in their home country due to the non-availability of visas from the Chinese authorities, the Indian students have resorted to completing their courses with the help of online classes.

“We were forced to come back from China in January 2020. It’s been two years since we have been attending online classes. We don’t have any recognition of whether the Indian government will accept us with these online classes. Most of us are doing are practicals at various government and private hospitals in Kerala, but is not recognised,” said Murshid Aleen, a fourth-year medical student at Yangzhou University.

Worried about repaying their loans and completing their education, the student said they have communicated about their problems to the Central government through an online portal – Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).

“We are helpless right now. We need a certificate from the government that we are going to the hospitals for a certain period and we are getting the observation with certain department,” Aleen said.

He further highlighted that China is presently facing another wave of COVID-19 and said that the situation there is becoming “more critical.”

Vice president of FMGPA, Subair MC said that students want authorisation from the Kerala government and Indian government to get their certificates to deem their education as “valid.”

Anxious over uncertainty on their return, students at the protest held placards highlighting their plight. One of the placards drew a comparison of these medical students with those who returned from Ukraine, following Russian military operations, demanding urgent government intervention in their problems as well.

“Students from China are facing the same difficulties as students from Ukraine. Please don’t forget us,” it read.

Last month, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Centre and National Medical Council (NMC) on a plea moved by students seeking directions to NMC to allow physical training in India of Indian students studying medicine in China, who are stuck in their home country India, due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The Petitioners, 147 students of medicine in the Ningbo University (China) states that they returned to India in early 2020 (January to March) and thereafter, have been stuck in their home country India, ever since due to the non-availability of visas from the Chinese authorities.

The Division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh had sought response of Central Government through the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Medical Council and listed the matter for March 21, 2022.

Arvind Kejriwal to hold virtual meeting with Punjab AAP MLAs today

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 11:03 PM PDT

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with his party MLAs from Punjab via videoconference on Sunday.

The meeting of the AAP MLAs will be held in Mohali and Kejriwal will join it via video conferencing from Delhi at 12 noon. The AAP recorded a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls winning 92 seats in the 117-member House. The AAP leader and the party’s face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls Bhagwant Mann took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16. On March 17, Punjab’s newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly.

Ten AAP MLAs, including a woman, were inducted in the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet in Punjab on Saturday. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 10 ministers at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh.

India’s daily COVID-19 cases drop below 2,000 mark, positivity rate at 0.41 pc

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:58 PM PDT

While several countries in the world are witnessing a fresh COVID-19 wave, India continued to witness a declining trend with daily infections dropping below the 2,000 mark on Sunday.

In the last 24 hours, 4,31,973 tests were conducted and 1,761 new cases were found positive across the country. On Saturday, India had logged 2,075 fresh infections. The active caseload further declined to 26,240. They account for 0.06 per cent of the country’s total positive cases, as per government data.

Total 3,196 people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, increasing the cumulative tally to 4,24,65,122. Consequently, the recovery rate improved to 98.74 per cent.

Both the daily and weekly positivity rates stood at 0.41 per cent.
With 127 deaths recorded in the last 23 hours, the death toll of the country rose to 5,16,479. The case fatality rate is at 1.20 per cent.

Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 181.21 crores. A total of 1,81,21,11,675 vaccine doses have been administered so far, as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,13,75,059 sessions, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.

Over 17 lakh vaccine doses have been administered to the age group 12-14 years, whose vaccinated commenced on March 16 this year. As many as 17,36,464 children in the said age group have taken their first dose of the Corbevax vaccine.

‘Precaution dose’, whose identified beneficiaries include frontline workers, healthcare workers and those above the age of 60 years, have been given to 2,17,33,502 people so far. Of these, 43,58,282 were given to healthcare workers, 66,63,768 to frontline workers and 1,07,11,452 to people above the age of 60 years.

In the age group of 15-18 years, 5,62,03,581 children have taken first dose and 3,54,81,792 have taken second dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, the only vaccine being given to the category.

Meanwhile, the ministry in a statement said that more than 183.52 crore (1,83,52,25,060) vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through the government’s free of cost channel and through direct state procurement category.
Over 17.04 crore (17,04,30,756) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered, it further stated. 

‘Imran Khan is fighting an unwinnable war’

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 08:19 PM PDT

As Pakistan Prime Minister faces uncertainty ahead of the no-confidence vote this month, a Pakistan analyst has argued that Imran Khan is fighting what increasingly appears to be an “unwinnable war.”

Opposition political parties have sought a no-confidence motion in Parliament to remove Imran Khan. The ruling party has responded by threatening violence and briefly detaining two members of parliament (MPs). Pakistan’sopposition leaders have threatened to stage a “sit-in” in the lower house and disrupt the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, if the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan is not presented in the national assembly on Monday, the deadline for tabling the resolution.

In an editorial piece in the Dawn newspaper, Fahd Husain, said the pre-power days Imran Khan was riding high on a wave of popularity fuelled by factors that were partly organic, and partly not. The incumbents did not stand a chance.
In the post-power days, he has been surfing on a wave of expectations fuelled by hope and ignited by the spark of state machinery, he said. The final outcome of what could be Khan’s last stand is still 10 days away, as the date of the no-confidence motion against Khan inches closer.

According to Husain, what is fairly clear to those not blinded by partisan rage is that the events we see around us today — the vote of no-confidence, betrayal by own members and dithering of allies — all these happenings did not break out like a cloudburst.
The Opposition parties submitted the no-trust motion against Imran Khan in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the ImranKhan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the opposition is sure that they will oust Khan.
Notably, the opposition parties have rejected the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister and has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation.
If Imran Khan is voted out through the motion, it would create history as a vote of no-confidence has never been carried against the prime minister in Pakistan.

Maharashtra by election: Congress fields Jayshree Jadhav for Kolhapur North Assembly seat

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:53 PM PDT

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Congress has announced the candidature of Jayashree Chandrakant Jadhav as the party’s candidate for the ensuing by-election to Maharashtra Assembly from Kolhapur North constituency.


The election on the said seat is necessitated by the death of Jayashree’s husband, Chandrakant Jadhav due to COVID-19 last year. Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Satyajit Kadam for the Kolhapur North seat.


The election will take place on April 12 and the votes will be counted on April 16. 

Pralhad Joshi suggests introducing Bhagavad Gita in schools across India

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:50 PM PDT

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday suggested that every state government can think about implementing the Gujarat government’s decision of introducing Bhagavad Gita in schools.

Joshi said, “Bhagwad Gita teaches us morality and ethics. It shows us the responsibility towards well being of society. Many moral stories are there that can inspire our students. Every state government can think about that.” Earlier on Thursday, Gujarat education minister Jitu Vaghani had said that Bhagavad Gita will be introduced as a part of the school syllabus for class 6 to class 12 students in Gujarat from the academic year 2022-23.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly during a discussion on budgetary allocation for the education department, Vaghani had said, “To include Indian culture and knowledge system in school education from the academic year 2022-23, In the first phase, values and principles contained in Bhagavad Gita are being introduced in schools from classes 6-12 as per understanding and interest of children.”

“Bhagavad Gita should be introduced in the form of story and recitation in the textbooks in class 6 to 8. In class 9 to 12, Bhagavad Gita should be introduced in the form of story and recitation in the first language textbook,” the minister had said.
He had said that the 700-verse long Hindu scripture should also be included in the prayer program.

“Recitation of Bhagavad Gita should be included in the prayer program. Various competitions and creative activities like Shlokgan, Shlokpurti, Vaktrutva, Nibandh, Natya, Chitra, Quiz etc based on Bhagavad Gita should be organized in schools,” he had said.

PM Modi, CM of BJP-ruled states likely to attend swearing-in ceremony of newly elected U’khand govt

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:49 PM PDT

Dehradun (Uttarakhand): The BJP legislature party meeting to decide the new chief minister of Uttarakhand is likely to be held on Sunday.


The party’s central observers for Uttarakhand Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi will also be present in the meeting. BJP President Madan Kaushik informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in the state.


Speaking to reporters briefly today, Kaushik confirmed the information and said that chief ministers of various states will also attend the induction.


The political future of Pushkar Singh Dhami, the current caretaker Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, is likely to be decided at a crucial BJP legislature party meeting which is to be held on March 20, sources earlier said.


Giving information on Wednesday, a senior state BJP leader on anonymity had said that there is a festival of Holi in the Kumaon division on March 19, due to which the meeting of the legislature party will be held on March 20. He told that in this meeting, apart from the party observer, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, who was the party’s election in-charge, will also be present.


According to the party’s state president Madan Kaushik, all the party MLAs have been asked to reach Dehradun after Holi.


Uttarakhand outgoing Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami resigned to pave way for the formation of the new government in the state after the conclusion of the Assembly elections.


Following his resignation, around seven MLAs have met Dhami to offer to vacate their seats for him to contest for re-election in the event he’s elected leader of the legislature party of the BJP in the state. In addition, Ganesh Joshi and Arvind Pandey, who were Dhami’s Cabinet colleagues, also announced their support to him.


Dhami was defeated by the Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri by a margin of 6,579 votes. Dhami got a total of 41,598 votes with a vote share of 44.8 per cent as against Kapri who got 48,177 with a huge vote share of 51.89 per cent.


The BJP won the popular mandate for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand, bagging 47 seats in the 70-member Assembly. 

6 boys drown in Kharasrota River in Odisha, 3 bodies recovered

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:44 PM PDT

Jajpur (Odisha): Three bodies have been recovered out of the six boys who drowned in the Kharasrota river in Odisha’s Jajpur on Saturday.


The search operation is being carried out by the Fire department and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF).


“The locals had recovered one of the bodies before we arrived. We have rescued two others, three are still missing. The rescue operation has been halted due to low light. We will continue it from Sunday morning,” said Purna Chandra Marandi, District Assistant Fire Officer.


According to locals, the boys went to the river for taking a bath after playing Holi on Saturday.


“As they were taking a bath in the river after playing Holi, they noticed that one of them is drowning in the river. So my nephew tried to rescue his friend. One by one all of them drowned in a bid to rescue others. At last my son went to rescue and he also drowned in the river,” said Satya Chandra Jena, father of one of the deceased. 

Israeli PM Bennett delighted over his first visit to India

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:40 PM PDT

Tel Aviv [Israel]: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed delight over his first scheduled official visit to India on April 2 this year at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, an Israeli government press release informed on Saturday.


“I am delighted to pay my first official visit to India at the invitation of my friend, Prime Minister Modi, and together we will continue leading the way for our countries’ relations,” Prime Minister Bennett said. The purpose of the visit is to advance and strengthen the strategic alliance between the countries, and to expand bilateral ties.

In addition, the leaders will discuss the strengthening of cooperation in a variety of areas, including innovation, economy, research and development, agriculture and more,” the Press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of Israel informed.


The Israeli PM will meet Prime Minister Modi and other senior government officials, as well as visit the Jewish community in the country.


This visit will reaffirm the important connection between the countries and the leaders and will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Israel and India, the press release further said.


The leaders first met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow last October, at which Prime Minister Modi invited Prime Minister Bennett to pay an official visit to the country.


“The relations between our two unique cultures — the Indian culture and the Jewish culture — are deep, and they rely on deep appreciation and meaningful collaborations. There are many things we can learn from the Indians, and this is what we strive to do. Together we will expand our cooperation to other areas, from innovation and technology, security and cyber, to agriculture and climate change,” Bennett said while crediting PM Modi with “restarting relations between India and Israel.” 

Oscars 2022: American Cinema Editors condemn Academy’s decision to pre-record eight award categories

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:39 PM PDT

In a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Cinema Editors condemned the Academy’s decision to not present eight Oscar categories in the live broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards.

The letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, condemned the Academy’s controversial plan that was met with immediate backlash when it was announced on February 22. “Treating certain categories differently from others has struck a nerve within our community, with the overwhelming majority of our membership feeling unheard, disrespected and abandoned by the very same Academy which so many of us have supported for decades,” read the message, signed by the ACE board of directors.

The Academy currently plans to present the eight Oscars — for film editing, documentary short, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short and sound — inside the Dolby Theatre an hour before the live telecast commences. They will be recorded and edited into the subsequent live broadcast, with the move following record-low ratings for ABC’s 2021 Oscars telecast.

ACE continued, “While editors can empathize with the need to balance honouring art with the popularity and viewership of the event, we must restate our belief that the decision to cull these categories in the manner described is not the solution to the dwindling ratings. There are other creative and entertaining ways to shorten a show — we know, that’s what we do! We believe that true fans of the Oscars don’t want to see an evening celebrating the highest honour in our industry reduced to a buzzy variety spectacle.”

In recent weeks, film editors have been among those who have signed multiple petitions urging the Academy to reverse its approach to the broadcast.

Apart from ACE, other such groups included Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700), International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600), Society of Composers and Lyricists, Cinema Audio Society and Motion Picture Sound Editors.

Talks with PM Kishida extensive and productive: PM Modi

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:37 PM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Calling Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a great friend of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the talks between him and his counterpart were extensive and productive.


“The talks with PM @kishida230 were extensive and productive. He has always been a great friend of India’s. We took stock of the progress in our bilateral relations over the last few years. We also discussed various regional and global issues,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. He went on to highlight that the economic partnership between India and Japan are getting robust, adding that the two countries aim to reach an investment target of 5 trillion yen (3.2 lakh crores) in the next five years.


“Economic ties between India and Japan are getting more robust. Japan is among the top investors in India. Based on the trend of the last few years, we are aiming to reach an investment target of 5 trillion Yen in the coming 5 years. This will bring great economic opportunities,” Prime Minister Modi said.


The Prime Minister also talked about the other issues that were deliberated upon in the meeting.


“Some of the other subjects that were discussed during the talks with PM @kishida230 included climate change, clean energy, infrastructure development and cultural cooperation. We also met business leaders earlier in the day,” Prime Minister Modi said.


Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on a two-day visit to India for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. This is PM Kishida’s first bilateral visit to India.


The Indian and Japanese counterparts held deliberations on a wide range of topics and welcomed the launch of several new initiatives between the two countries, on clean energy partnership, development of India’s northeast and bamboo cultivation and processing.


The two leaders also issued a detailed joint press statement on a number of contemporary global issues including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, maritime access in the Indo-Pacific region, especially the South China sea, and sustainable growth in the post-COVID world.

Kanye West barred from performing at Grammy Awards

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:34 PM PDT

Kanye West’s performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards has been scrapped following his online posts.

A representative for the artist confirmed to Variety, claiming that the artist’s team received a phone call on Friday night informing him he had been “unfortunately” removed from the lineup of performers for the show due to his “concerning online behaviour.” While West was not among the first list of performers announced on Tuesday, he may have been a planned performer.

Kanye was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours this week after posting a racial slur directed 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.

Meanwhile, Noah will be hosting the Grammy Awards ceremony. The award ceremony will be broadcasted live on Sunday, April 3, 2022, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+, as per Variety. 

Disclose components of biological weapons in US controlled labs in Ukraine; Russia at UNSC

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:31 PM PDT

New York [US]: Accusing the United States of developing components of biological weapons in labs in Ukraine, Russia on Friday supported China’s demand at the UNSC asking the Americans to disclose information about the activities of 360 labs in the world that are allegedly controlled by the country.


“Over the past week, we have discovered new details indicating that components of biological weapons were being developed in Ukraine,” said the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, adding later that, “we fully support China’s demand to the United States to disclose information about activities of 360 US-controlled labs in the world.” The Russian representative gave details of financial aid channelled to select labs in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv and said that the Ukrainian authorities were in cahoots with the Americans to carry out dangerous biological experiments on Ukrainian territory.


“Simply speaking, Ukrainian authorities gave Pentagon a carte blanche and let them carry out dangerous biological experiments on the territory of Ukraine,” Permanent Representative Nebenzia said.


“We would not be surprised should similar facts come to light regarding the activity of US-sponsored labs in other parts of the globe. We call on states who provide their areas to Pentagon for such experiments to read carefully contract documents regarding their cooperation with the United States in the biological area,” Nebenzia further said.


The Russian representative went on to allege that the US and Ukraine had violated the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), adding that, the implications of the dangerous biological research “could have ‘spilled’ beyond the borders of Ukraine and even the entire region at any point.”


Earlier, the Russian Embassy in the US had demanded that the United States must immediately disclose information about its military biological activities in Ukrainian laboratories.


“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.


India had noted the remarks made by the UN Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu regarding biological activities relating to Ukraine and said that “India attaches high importance to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) as a key global and non-discriminatory disarmament Convention, prohibiting an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.”


R Ravindra, Deputy Permanent Representative at UNSC briefing said, “It is important to ensure full and effective implementation of the BTWC in letter and spirit. We also believe that any matter relating to obligations under the BTWC should be addressed as per the provisions of the Convention and through consultations and cooperation between the parties concerned.” (ANI)


Earlier in March, the Russian Defense Ministry unveiled new findings after analysing documents obtained from experts from Ukrainian laboratories.


Igor Kirillov, the chief of the Russian armed forces’ radiation, chemical, and biological defence, said that Pentagon created a network of over 30 biological laboratories in Ukrainian territory.


According to Kirillov, the United States removed all materials necessary for further research from Ukraine after the beginning of Russia’s special military operation.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow may launch a consultation mechanism under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) to discuss Washington’s non-compliance with the document.


However, a US Defense Department official denied the accusations saying the United States is not assisting Ukraine with biological weapons in its war with Russia and there are no indications that biological weapons are being used by Ukraine.


Russia had started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.


The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation was only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and the civilian population was not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and only seeks to “demilitarise” and “denazify” the country.


Western nations have imposed severe sanctions on Russia following the invasion and have raised an outcry over Russian “war crimes” and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.


Meanwhile, at least 6,623 people have been evacuated via humanitarian corridors from besieged Ukrainian cities on Saturday, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior official in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, CNN reported.


Among the besieged cities, Mariupol is witnessing some of the most severe fighting with almost constant bombardment and increasing civilian casualties.


A theatre sheltering civilians was bombed in Mariupol a few days ago which drew widespread condemnation. The bombing led to more than 1300 people getting trapped under debris, and one person receiving severe injuries.


US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Saturday (local time) that Russia continues to make “incremental gains” in Ukraine’s south and has used “brutal, savage techniques” in the way it has targeted civilians, CNN reported. 

India U-18 girls continue winning run with 1-0 victory against Bangladesh

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:26 PM PDT

The India U-18 girls continued their winning run with a 1-0 win over Bangladesh in their second fixture in the ongoing SAFF U-18 Women’s Championship 2022. Following the result, India are firmly seated at the top of the table, having collected six points from two matches thanks to Nitu Linda’s well-taken shot in the 63rd minute.

Coach Thomas Dennerby made only one change in the starting line-up from the last game, having brought in Kajal in place of Naketa. The game kicked off at a slow pace but the hosts came very close to opening the scoring in the 9th minute when Astam played a low ball into the six-yard box hoping for Lynda Kom to fill in the spaces, but it was eventually cleared.

In the 21st minute, the second chance for India came when Anita Kumari tried a low shot that went wide. A couple of minutes later, Bangladesh served a reminder of danger to the hosts as Eity Khatun’s first time shot near the goalline was blocked by Ritu Devi.

At the half-hour mark, Anita had another go from the left which was gathered by the Bangladesh custodian Rupna. In the 39th minute, Priyanka Sujeesh launched another effort on goal to break the deadlock but Rupna was equal to it.
Both teams went to the dressing room locked at 0-0 after the first 45 minutes.
Switching sides, the hosts changed their strategy and tried to build attacks from both flanks. Coach Dennerby introduced Nitu and Shubhangi in place of Martina and Sujeesh.

Back to back efforts went in vain when first Amisha in the 49th minute tried to shoot but was denied by the keeper. Rupna made no mistake to save the other one when Lynda Kom tried to turn in the rebound.

In the 51st minute, Sapna Rani curled in a dangerous corner into the Indian box but Indian goalie Melody made no mistake to punch it away. Another chance came India’s way when Astam had sent in a cross from the left which Shilky received and went for a back volley, but missed the target.

Another substitution took place in the 61st minute as Sunita Munda was replaced by Anita Kumari.

India finally broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute by Nitu Linda who tapped into an open net through Ritu Devi’s pass from the right-wing which was spilt by Bangladesh goalkeeper Rupna.

The final substitution was made in the 76th minute where Rejiya and Apurna were brought in place of Amisha and Lynda Kom respectively.

The game slowed down considerably during the final minutes of the game, but India continued to show their dominance. In the additional time, Nitu Linda tried her luck once again to double the score but her shot was crashed onto the woodwork which made the final scoreline 1-0 in favour of the hosts.

India are scheduled to take on Nepal in their next match on March 21.


India: Melody Keisham (GK), Ritu Devi, Shilky Devi, Astam Oraon, Martina Thokchom (Nitu Linda 46′), Amisha Baxla (Rejiya 76′), Lynda Kom (Apurna 76′), Priyanka Sujeesh (Shubhangi 46), Anita Kumari (Sunita Munda 61′), Purnima Kumari, Kajal. 

Western sanctions will make Russia, China cooperation stronger- Sergey Lavrov

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:23 PM PDT

Moscow [Russia]: Amid escalating fight between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said that Moscow’s cooperation with Beijing will “get stronger” in the face of western sanctions.


During a media event, he said, “At a time when the west is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, we — as two great powers — need to think how to carry on in this world,” reported CNN.

The view was echoed at a separate event in Beijing on Saturday. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Western sanctions against Russia were getting “more and more outrageous,” according to UK-based media.


Although China has expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, Beijing has fallen short of condemning the Russian invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden during a video call Friday, “the Ukraine crisis is something we don’t want to see.”


The Western countries have strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine calling it an invasion and imposed harsh sanctions on Russia.


Lavrov also said that Russia hopes its military operation in Ukraine will end with a “comprehensive agreement” on security issues and Ukraine agreeing to neutral status, reported CNN.


Lavrov said Moscow is “ready” to look for guarantees of security and “to coordinate them for Ukraine, for the Europeans and, of course, for ourselves beyond the expansion of the North-Atlantic Treaty.”

‘Immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine’- PM Modi & PM Kishida

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 06:18 PM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Saturday said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China were discussed during the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, where both leaders expressed the seriousness about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis and assessed broader implications for Indo-Pacific.


Addressing a special briefing after the 14th India-Japan summit meeting between the two leaders, Shringla said both sides exchanged perspectives on the “global level issue.” “PM Modi and Japanese PM Kishida emphasised on the importance of the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other path than dialogue for resolving the Ukraine crisis,” the foreign secretary said.


Shringla said that PM Modi expressed the seriousness of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine assessed its border implications, particularly for the Indo Pacific region.


“They emphasised that the contemporary global order had been built at UN charter international law and respect to the sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the foreign secretary said today.


“Both the PMs discussed China, we informed Japan of the situation in Ladakh, the attempts of amassing the troops, and our talks with China on border-related issues… Japanese PM also briefed us on his own perspective vis-a-vis East and South China sea, Shringla said.


The Foreign Secretary further said that three agreements were concluded during a memorandum of cooperation on cyber security, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of sustainable development and a memorandum of cooperation on wastewater management.


On the bilateral side, PM Modi and Japanese PM Kishida discussed the entire range of areas including economic cooperation, digital cooperation, cooperation for the development of the NorthEast region of India, skill development etc, said Shringla.


PM Kishida arrived in New Delhi on a two-day India visit on Saturday. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the Japanese Prime Minister at the airport.


The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.


Last year witnessed increasing bilateral and multilateral engagement between India and Japan, and further strengthening of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.


The two sides maintained the momentum in ties through virtual meetings and phone calls despite the pandemic.


Prime Minister spoke to the then Japanese Prime Minister Suga on April 26, 2021, to exchange views on the management of the pandemic and for strengthening cooperation in the post-COVID-19 world.


Both nations also witnessed further strengthening of bilateral security and defence cooperation.

Google’s Android app to allow deleting last 15 minutes of search history

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:29 AM PDT

Washington [US]: American tech giant Google will be bringing the ability to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history to its Android app.


The company confirmed to The Verge, “We’re currently rolling this feature out on the Google app for Android and expect it to be available to everyone using the app in the next few weeks. We’re continuing to explore ways to bring this helpful feature to other surfaces.” To check the feature, The Verge suggests users to open Google’s Android app, tap the profile picture, and look for the ‘Delete last 15 min’ option.


For the unversed, Google first announced the feature at Google I/O in May, and it came to Google’s iOS app in July. At that time, Google said it would arrive on the Android version of the app later in 2021, but for some reason, the company missed that deadline. 

Railway tickets worth Rs 3.44 lakh recovered, 23 touts held

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:24 AM PDT

Guwahati (Assam): The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has recovered railway tickets worth more than Rs 3.44 lakh and apprehended 23 touts, the Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said.


RPF of Northeast Frontier Railway conducted a raid and search at different locations over Northeast Frontier Railway during the last few days to check illegal sale of railway tickets.

The raid was conducted between March 11 to 18, 2022. 344 railway tickets worth more than Rs 3.44 lakh were recovered. RPF also apprehended 23 persons during this period, for illegal involvement in procuring and supplying railway tickets and prosecuted them under section 143 of the Railways Act.


In an incident on March 18, 2022, the RPF team of Agartala conducted a drive against the illegal business of railway e-ticketing at a shop named ‘Ramthakur Enterprise’, located at Jogendranagar of West Tripura (Tripura).


During the raid and search, they apprehended the shop owner and recovered 10 past railway e-tickets, worth about Rs 7 thousand, which were generated by using a personal user ID.


In this regard, Inspector of Protection Force, Agartala registered a case under section 143 of the Railways Act. On that day, a decoy check was conducted at the shop of “ss & ms digital photo studio” situated at Damcherra, North Tripura by the special RPF team of Dharmanagar and obtained one railway e-ticket.


An extra charge was taken by one who generated the ticket at the shop. Accordingly, a raid was conducted at the said shop with the assistance of local police and the person was apprehended.


A total of 14 railway e-tickets worth about Rs 59,696/- which were generated by using personal user IDs were recovered. In this regard, Inspector of Protection Force, Dharmanagar registered a case under section 143 of the Railways Act, the officer said.


In another incident on March 17, 2022, the RPF team of Badarpur conducted a raid and search against touting activities in a shop namely “Riya Varieties & Travels” located near New Karimganj station and recovered 30 used railway e-tickets, valued at more than Rs 30 thousand.


The owner of the shop was apprehended and prosecuted under section 143 of the Railways Act.


On the same day, the RPF team of Silchar, with the assistance of local police conducted a raid and search against touting activities in a shop namely “J. S. Tele Point” located at Algapur market, Silchar and recovered 5 used railway e-tickets, valued about Rs 1892.


One person was apprehended in this regard and prosecuted under section 143 of the Railways Act.


Again on that day, the RPF team of Dimapur conducted checking against illegal business of railway e-ticketing at a shop namely, “Smart Hub” located at Lahorijan area in Karbi Anglong (Assam) and recovered 4 used railway e-tickets, valued at Rs 650.


In this connection, a person was apprehended and a case was registered under section 143 of the Railways Act.


Moreover, RPF of NF Railway while conducting a raid and search at different shops/agencies at different locations over NF Railway from March 11 to 16, 2022 apprehended 18 touts and recovered 281 railway e-tickets worth over Rs 2.44 lakhs.
RPF of NF Railway keeps a close vigil on touting activities to prevent the illegal selling of Railway Tickets. Unauthorised procurement and supply of railway tickets is a punishable offence under section 143 of the Railways Act.


Passengers are requested to purchase journey tickets from railway/IRCTC authorised agents or PRS/UTS counters only to avoid any problem during the journey, the officer added.

Uttar Pradesh flour-masala mill scheme to provide employment to over 2000 women

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:18 AM PDT

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): In order to uplift women from underprivileged section of the society, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday finalised the draft of the Atta-masala mill scheme, which aims to provide over 2000 women with employment opportunities.


The BJP, which has formed the government for the second consecutive time in the state, will focus on women living below the poverty line in the next five years. Efforts will be made to give them employment and connect them with self-employment opportunities, according to an official press release by the Chief Minister’s office.

For this, the present government has finalised the draft of the Atta-masala mill scheme. Immediately after the formation of the government, the Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation will start giving the benefit of this scheme to women on a war footing basis.


Under the scheme, women will be given a grant to set up a flour and spice mill unit. In this, the method of setting up a flour-masala mill will also be provided support to women. Along with giving employment opportunities, it will make them strong to take care of the family and friends, it added.


“Under the scheme of the government, first of all, 125 women per district will be benefited in the districts of 18 divisional headquarters of the state. A total of 2250 women will be able to establish their flour-masala mill unit by joining the scheme. Rs 20,000 will be given per woman for setting up the unit. In this, 10,000 rupees will be given as a grant and the remaining amount will be given as interest-free loan from special central assistance,” the release stated.


This scheme will be started as a pilot project for two districts for which as many as 17 women beneficiaries have also been selected. In the rest of the districts, preparations for connecting women to the scheme will be started more rapidly, it added.

Imran Khan losing political credibility in Pakistan

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:13 AM PDT

Islamabad [Pakistan]: With his remarks on “neutrality” insinuating General Qaisar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of Pakistan’s army, who helped him win what was widely considered a “controlled” election in 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan appears to have sealed his political fate.


“There’s nothing called neutrality in politics, only animals stay neutral,” Imran Khan had said a day after the military’s spokesperson clarified that the Army had nothing to do with politics, calling for an end to speculation regarding its role in political affairs. The political “signals” of this “neutrality” have caused a veritable exodus from among the allies who sustain his government, but at least a dozen of his PTI lawmakers who have been disgruntled, to reduce his majority support when put to vote later this month.


The “signals” have also travelled to the opposition parties that have united against him and have moved a no-confidence motion, the ultimate parliamentary weapon to bring down a government.


Unitedly and also separately, the opposition parties are also staging protest rallies in different cities and “Long Marches” to converge on the national capital in time for the parliamentary vote, likely to take place on March 27.


Khan and colleagues close to him are in the political dock for turning what could have been –and should have been – a parliamentary exercise into an unseemly political brawl involving street power. This compelled the Supreme Court to hear on March 19 a petition from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) urging that the apex court end what the bar body called “political anarchy.”


The court issued notices to the major political parties and undertook to hear on a daily basis the constitutional issues governing the no-confidence motion exercise.


Whatever the court’s verdict, what has been happening has involved the use of abusive language by Khan and his men (also a lady lawmaker), fisticuffs by the party cadres and an actual storming of Sindh House in Islamabad where a dozen PTI Members of the National Assembly MNAs) were hiding for safety.

This was after the PTI cadres had stormed the Parliament’s Lodges where the lawmakers reside.


Khan’s ministers have threatened a massive rally at the Constitution Avenue in front of Parliament, popularly called “D Chowk” – D for democracy – where the dissenting lawmakers would be screened, and their “legs broken”, when they return after voting.


Violence has been in the air even as Khan, who has angered practically all sections of Pakistan’s society, displays zeal to root out corruption, using the state’s agencies as political weapons.


The first major red signal for Khan came when he sought to oppose the army brass’ decision to shift Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, chief of the all-powerful ISI, whom Khan entrusted political peddling of keeping the lawmakers on their toes and also engage in a diplomatic task like facilitating the formation of interim Taliban government in Kabul after the extremist Sunni militia captured power in Afghanistan. While the prime minister has a say in choosing the Army Chief, the military does not generally countenance interference in the internal appointments.


On the diplomatic front also, Khan has annoyed all friends of Pakistan. He was in Moscow hours after the Ukraine crisis started, even calling the moment “exciting times.”


To fight off his political challenge, he has taken to a daily diatribe against the US and the European Union, all major benefactors. He blames them for bringing the Afghan war against the soviets into Pakistan. Critics have said the Western-educated Khan, who was a renowned cricketer who captained Pakistan’s side, sympathises with the Taliban and Islamist militant groups while claiming to fight them. Indeed, his government is in talks for peace deals with them even while banning them.


The current political crisis has not pushed these groups away. Attacks in cities and border areas have killed over a hundred soldiers and civilians in 2022 from attacks by Al Qaida, IS and their Pakistani affiliates, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that, by the government’s own claims, has killed over 80,000 people since 2008.


Khan has annoyed the media at home and now newspaper editorials freely criticise his use of abuses and expletives to describe his critics, especially dissident lawmakers. A woman lawmaker of Khan’s party called the dissenters ‘prostitutes.’
Khan’s strategy to fight off his political opponents includes attacking the West in general, injecting anti-India sentiments and raising the Kashmir issue as a diversion.


More pointedly, he has specifically named the US, blaming it for hatching a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him. This is seen as a loss of nerve and, in the process, his political credibility. Even if untrue, this charge could damn Khan, as the military and civil establishment, well-favoured by the US are unlikely to like it. 

African countries cancelling projects with China due to poor quality

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 10:04 AM PDT

Beijing [China]: China is facing severe criticism from across African countries over the poor quality of its infrastructure projects, with some nations even cancelling their agreements with the Chinese companies, said a media report.


Chinese projects are facing problems over “shoddy work” and “lack of transparency” on the part of their companies, reported the Hong Kong Post. On February 11, the Department of Employment and Labour of South Africa filed a case against China’s Huawei Technologies in South Africa for not complying with the Employment Equity Policy of the country.


Further, a Kenyan High Court last year ordered the cancellation of a USD 3.2 billion agreement between Kenya and China for failing to comply with the country’s laws, according to the media outlet.


Expressing unhappiness over China’s exploitative tendencies, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi has also called for a review of mining contracts signed with China in 2008. Noting that he wanted to get fairer deals for his country, Tshisekedi said, “Those with whom his country signed contracts are getting richer while DRC people remain poor.”


Notably, between 2000 to 2019, China signed 1,141 loan commitments worth USD 153 billion with the African governments and their state-owned enterprises, the media outlet reported citing the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.


However, with COVID-19 weighing down on economy, African countries are facing difficulties to service loans they have taken from China and thus they prefer to suspend controversial projects lacking unaccountability.


Moreover, China’s projects under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are also being resisted by local environment and civil society groups in Africa.


Thus, Beijing is facing several difficulties in implementing its projects in Africa amid public opposition over work quality, environmental and social concerns, according to the media outlet. 

Russia’s ‘Kinzhal’ hypersonic missiles destroy Ukraine arms depot

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:56 AM PDT

Moscow [Russia]: Russian military has used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, for the first time since the start of the war on February 24, to destroy an arms depot near the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine.


Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov during a briefing said that the strike with the air-launched missile system took place on Friday, reported Russian Times. Kinzhal missiles are carried by MiG-31K supersonic interceptor aircraft, which NATO calls ‘Foxhound’.


Kinzhal, means ‘dagger’ in English and these ammunitions are said to be able to penetrate any existing air defences by travelling at a whopping speed of up to Mach 10 and constantly manoeuvring during their flight.


It targeted “a large underground depot of missiles and aerial munitions of the Ukrainian forces” in the village of Deliatyn, he added.


The hardware is one of several hypersonic systems prepared for the country’s military in recent years, together with the Avangard glider, which is fitted on silo-based ICBMs, and Zircon (Tsirkon) missiles, developed for the navy, reported Russian Times.


Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine’s breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a “special military operation” to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine. 

India in talks with Egypt, China, others to export wheat

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:50 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: India is in talks with countries like Egypt, Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and other countries beyond its Asian and South Asian neighbours, to export wheat.


According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries like Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and others to start wheat export.

The export of wheat recorded a huge surge at USD 1,742 million during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched USD 340.17 million.


India has reported a wheat export worth USD 2,352.22 million in the last three years, including the first ten months of the current fiscal 2021-22. In 2019-20, the wheat export was worth USD 61.84 million which rose to USD 549.67 million in 2020-21.


Though India is not among the top ten wheat exporters in the global trade, its rate of growth in exports has surpassed that of other countries, indicating the rapid strides it is taking in reaching new markets worldwide.


India’s wheat exports are mainly to neighbouring countries with Bangladesh having the largest share of more than 54 per cent in both volume and value terms in 2020-21. In 2020-21, India entered new wheat markets such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar and Indonesia.


Earlier on Thursday, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organised a meeting of key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries which have a huge shipment potential.


The meeting followed directions from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation.


The meeting witnessed the participation of key stakeholders such as traders, exporters, port officials, policy influencers from the Ministries of Food and Consumer Affairs, Railways and officials from various State governments.


At the meeting, the Railways assured to make available sufficient rakes to meet any immediate demand for additional wheat transport. Port authorities have also been asked to augment dedicated terminals along with dedicated containers for wheat.


Given the bumper wheat production estimation, the APEDA asked all stakeholders to strengthen its infrastructure for facilitating hassle-free wheat export.


According to data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), the top ten importing countries for Indian wheat in 2020-21 were Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia. The top ten countries accounted for more than 99 per cent share in India’s wheat exports in 2020-21 in both volume and value terms.


“We are giving thrust on building infrastructure in the value chain for giving boosts to cereal exports in collaboration with the state governments and other stakeholders such as exporters, farmer producer organisations, transporters etc,” said M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA.


According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India accounts for even less than one per cent of world wheat export. However, its share has increased from 0.14 per cent in 2016 to 0.54 per cent in 2020. India is the second-largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of world total production in 2020.


India produces around 107.59 Million MT of wheat annually while a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption. Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.


The unit price of wheat plays an important role in international trade. While the unit export price of wheat has increased for all countries in the last five years, India’s unit export price is slightly higher than that of other countries. This is one of the factors adversely impacting wheat exports from India.


APEDA has been focusing on facilitating shipments by Indian exporters and helping them make inroads into new markets. In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, APEDA has recognised 220 labs across India to provide testing services for a wide range of products and exporters.


APEDA also assists in upgradation and strengthening of recognised laboratories for export testing and residue monitoring plans. APEDA also provides assistance under the financial assistance schemes of infrastructure development, quality improvement and market development for boosting the export of agricultural products. 

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani lifts Asian Billiards Championship 2022

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:50 AM PDT

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defeated compatriot Dhruv Sitwala by six frames to win his eighth title at the 19th Asian 100 UP Billiards Championship 2022 here on Saturday.

This is Advani’s 24th international title and 8th Asian crown.

Against Sitwala, a two-time Asian Billiards champion, Advani won the first frame before following it up with a smooth century break to extend the lead to 2-0.

In the third frame, Advani opened up a 84-14 lead and went up three frames to nil and resorted to white pot at 87 and positioned it well for a red in-off the spot.

Sitwala fought back and pulled one back when his famed opponent missed a red early in the frame. He came up with a 82 break to reduce the lead.

Advani won the fifth frame to establish a 4-1 lead and stormed ahead to take the sixth too.

Sitwala capitalised on a miss by his countryman to take the seventh frame before Advani re-focussed to capture the eighth frame despite an impressive break by his opponent for a 6-2 triumph.

Earlier, Advani had held off the stiff challenge of Pauk Sa of Myanmar to secure a spot in the final. He managed a 5-4 win after his opponent fought back strongly to level the match at four frames each.

Japan’s PM, Kishida greets people with ‘namaste’, ‘dhanyawad’

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:43 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]): On his first visit in his role as Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida began his media statement on Saturday with a ‘namaskar’, a traditional Indian greeting and ended by thanking people with a ‘dhanyawad’.


Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today on his maiden visit to India as the head of the Japanese government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crores (5 trillion Yen) in the next five years in India. PM Modi’s remarks came during a press statement following the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit attended by him along with his Japanese counterpart.


“PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan,” said PM Modi.


“There has been progress in the economic partnership between India- Japan economic partnership. Japan is one of the largest investors in India. India-Japan are working as ‘One team- One project’ on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor,” he added.


Speaking on both countries’ steps towards achieving sustainable economic growth, PM Modi said, “India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply. This is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth and to deal with climate change.”


Earlier, before the summit, the two leaders held productive talks during which ways to boost economic and cultural linkages between the two countries were discussed. 

Britney Spears returns to Instagram

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:39 AM PDT

Washington [US]: Pop star Britney Spears has returned to Instagram!


The ‘Toxic’ star has reactivated her Instagram, a few days after her sudden disappearance. Britney shared a slew of pictures in which she could be seen posing in a white coloured top with puffy organza sleeves. She paired her outfit with a short velvet colour blue skirt and a pair of tanned pointed-toe pumps.


While Britney’s caption was a simple rose emoji, her fans flocked to the comments section, welcoming her back to the platform.

However, the Grammy winner didn’t mention any reason for her sudden disappearance.


In September, Britney disabled her Instagram handle for a week and returned to celebrate her engagement to Sam Asghari.


The 40-year-old singer had most recently been using her account to speak out about the controversies going around her familial relationships and how she was treated during her conservatorship that ended last year.


Britney was earlier placed under a conservatorship in 2008 in which she was unable to make her own personal or financial decisions. The conservatorship was solely owned by her father Jamie Spears at that time. 

‘Bachchhan Paandey’ box office collection Day 1: Akshay Kumar’s film mints Rs 13 crore

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:37 AM PDT

Akshay Kumar’s latest film ‘Bachchhan Paandey’ has registered a strong opening, minting Rs 13.25 crore on its first day of release.

The movie, which also features Arshad Warsi and Jacqueline Fernandez, performed well despite strong competition from Anupam Kher-starrer ‘The Kashmir Files’. Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the movie’s box office collection on his Instagram account.

While ‘Bachchhan Paandey’ has recorded decent numbers on its opening day, it is much lower than Akshay’s previous release ‘Sooryavanshi’, which earned Rs 26 crore on its first day.

Directed by Farhad Samji, the action-comedy film ‘Bachchhan Paandey’ is a remake of the Tamil film ‘Jigarthanda’ that had released in 2014.

‘Bachchhan Paandey’, which is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and written by Nischay Kuttanda and Samji, also features Pankaj Tripathi, Prateik Babbar, Abhimanyu Singh, Snehal Daabbi and Saharsh Kumar Shukla.

The film’s story revolves around an aspiring director (Kriti) who wants to make a film on a deadly gangster (Akshay).

Minor girl sexually abused by father, brother, granddad, uncle over 4 years: Pune Police

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:35 AM PDT

Pune (Maharashtra): In a horrifying case, a minor girl in Pune was allegedly repeatedly sexually abused by her father and brother and two other male relatives over the last four years, police said on Saturday.


An FIR had been registered against the 11-year-old girl’s father, brother, grandfather and maternal uncle in Bundgarden Police Station, Pune police said. The sordid affair came to light after the girl spoke about it with her school counsellor during a “good touch, bad touch” session organised in the school, added the police.


According to Police Inspector and IO Ashwini Satpute Bundgarden Police Station, “On March 15, a minor girl was brought to the police station by a counsellor of a social group, in prima facie enquiry, she informed us that the girl was sexually abused by her relatives which included her own father, brother, grandfather and uncle at her home.”


The inspector said that after a detailed enquiry of the girl and counsellor, as per law, a medical examination of the girl was initiated. “After confirmation from the medical test we registered FIR against four of them, the father and her brother were booked under IPC sections of 376, 377 and POCSO Act, whereas her uncle and grandfather were booked under the bad touch sections,” said Inspector Satpute.


Police said the family hailed from Bihar and were currently staying in Pune.


An investigation has been initiated and the process to arrest the accused is underway, police said.

Bangladesh-Vandalised ISKON temple officials seek support of PM Modi & PM Sheikh Hasina

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:30 AM PDT

Dhaka [Bangladesh]: Noting that goons were still threatening them and they were still scared though “a little security” has been provided’, Rasmani Keshavdas, an eyewitness to the attack on ISKCON Radhakanta temple in Dhaka, has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.


In an interview, Keshavdas, Medical Officer, ISKCON, said no arrests have been made in the case so far. A mob of over 200 people attacked devotees and vandalised the ISKCON Radhakanta Temple in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Thursday.


Keshavdas said the police supported those indulging in violence.
He said a man Haji Shafiullah had been threatening them for years to leave the temple.


“He had offered us money too. One of his men, Ishraf Sufi had given us life threats. That day these two, along with 500-600 people, vandalised the temple’s wall. Two of our people were hit when they tried to stop the mob. They behaved the same even before police,” he said.


“Police supported them. They didn’t want to listen to us. They asked us to leave the temple but it’s ours. No arrests yet. Two of our people hospitalised, their condition is slightly better. Goons are still threatening us that they’ll kill us if someone meets us,” he added.


Keshavdas said they had been given “a little security” but were still scared.
“We were given a little security after making a police complaint. Right now, 10 police personnel are deployed here. We are still scared, though. Through you, we request your Government to help us. Our PM is also trying to help us. We request both PMs to help us,” he said.


A temple official said on Friday that the mob took away idols and injured several devotees,


Amani Krishna Das, the public relations officer of ISKCON temple, said: “….More than 200 terrorists led by Haji Shafiullah attacked, vandalised and looted the ISKCON Radhakanta temple at 222, Lal Mohan Saha Street in Wari. The miscreants attempted to break the security wall of the temple,” Das said.


The devotees who were beaten up by the mob were identified as Sumantra Chandra Shravan, Nihar Haldar, Rajiv Bhadram, he said.


This incident comes a few months after a series of attacks on minority religious places in Bangladesh last October.


An ISKCON temple in Noakhali city was vandalised in October last year. 

Kylie Jenner secretly gets married to Travis Scott?

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:29 AM PDT

Weeks after welcoming her second child with beau Travis Scott, Kylie Jenner has sparked wedding rumours by posting a picture in which she sports a massive diamond ring on her left ring finger.

As per Page Six, the beauty mogul recently posted a picture of her French-manicured hand clutching a green Hermes Kelly bag with two dazzling diamond rings stacked on her left finger. The snap has led fans to wonder whether she and Travis Scott have secretly got married.

In addition to a larger two-row diamond band, the reality star appeared to be wearing Cartier’s small diamond Love Ring in yellow gold.

For the unversed, Kylie has sparked marriage speculations earlier too by wearing diamonds on her ring finger; in 2018, she even sported a sparkling band adorned with her Travis’s real name initials, ‘JW’ — Jacques Webster.

Kylie and Travis were in an on and off relationship since they began dating in 2017. They welcomed their second child, son Wolf Webster, in February 2022, and also share 4-year-old daughter Stormi.

Japanese PM announces $42 billion investment target in India

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:24 AM PDT

Japan will invest Rs 3.2 lakh crore in the next five years in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, noting that the two countries have already achieved the investment target that was set in 2014.


In a joint press statement with visiting Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after the 14th summit meeting between the two countries, he said strengthening of bilateral ties will encourage peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and in the world. He said both India and Japan understand the importance of “secure, trusted, predictable aur stable energy supply” and this is important to achieve goals of sustainable economic growth and dealing with climate change.

“PM Kishida has been an old friend of India. I have had the opportunity to exchange views with him when he was the Foreign Minister of Japan. Japan is one of the largest investors in India,” he said.


“I am happy that we have crossed the investment target of 3.5 trillion Yen set in 2014 and we have decided to increase our aspirations. In the coming five years, we have set a new target of 5 trillion Yen investment i.e. about 3.20 lakh crore,” he added.


The Prime Minister said the world is still coping with the ill effects of COVID-19.
“There are obstacles in the global economic recovery process. The geopolitical developments are also posing new challenges. In this context, it is not only important for India and Japan to strengthen their bilateral partnership but it will encourage peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and in the world,” he said.


He said Japan has made a notable contribution in the flagship projects like Dedicated Freight Corridor aur Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project.

Kishida arrived here in the national capital earlier today for his first visit to India as Japan Prime Minister. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018. 

Excited to get going for Royals: Rajasthan Royals’ Shimron Hetmyer

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:20 AM PDT

After playing a high-impact Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2021 for Delhi Capitals, Shimron Hetmyer is now a part of the Rajasthan Royals.

The West Indian batter, expressing excitement about playing for his third IPL franchise in the tournament said, “I’m really excited to get going for the Royals. I’ve heard some really nice things about the franchise from my good friend Evin Lewis, and I can’t wait to get going and just enjoy myself as part of the squad.” “My first season in the IPL at RCB was a challenging one, for a young player, and being the only West Indian in the squad was a tough one to start off in franchise cricket. IPL, in general, has been a wonderful learning experience that has taught me to look at myself and my game differently and has enabled me to learn and develop the right processes,” added the 25-year-old.

Recalling his initial IPL days and U-19 World Cup win as a captain in 2016, he said, “I think it was 2018, I had a chance to go to a camp with the Royals in Mumbai and that was one of my first interactions with an IPL team. It felt like a great atmosphere back then, met some really thoughtful cricketing people and was again glad to see some of them still with the squad this season as well.”

“It was fantastic being around an IPL set-up such as the Royals, and how they would approach and work towards things. I felt it was an insightful experience and something that I’ve carried with myself ever since”, he added.

Hetmyer, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 8.5 Crore, said that he feels no pressure from the price tag, and added that it’s important for him to play whatever role the team wants.

“There’s no pressure of the price tag on me, it’s a challenge to help the Royals when I’m out there. The price tag does not really matter to me, it’s the runs I score that help contribute to the team’s cause that matter,” he said.

Referring to his potential role in the team, he added, “I’m ready for any role the team needs me to perform. It’s imperative to do well as a player in the squad. And at my end, as I’ve always believed, is to just give myself that chance to be out there and the performance will come, no matter what the situation of the game is.”

The Guyanese left-hander talks highly about Royals coach Kumar Sangakkara’s leadership and added that the new squad has the potential to win IPL this year, he said, “It’s very exciting to play under someone like Kumar Sangakkara. A legend of the game, I’ve heard some amazing things about him and can’t wait to get his brains on certain aspects of my game, that can help become better not just in the white-ball format but also in the longer version of the game with the red ball. Yes, I am very excited about the team that we have this year. I believe there is big potential in the squad to bring the cup home this year.”

Babul Supriyo ‘changes parties like shirts’; BJP’s Keya Ghosh

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:17 AM PDT

Kolkata (West Bengal): Bharatiya Janata Party’s Keya Ghosh who is pitted against Trinamool Congress’ Babul Supriyo in the forthcoming bypolls in the Ballygunge Assembly constituency took a dig at the former Union Minister who she said “changes parties like shirts.”


“We don’t want ‘Khela Hobe’ of murdering people but a democratic ‘Khela Hobe’. Earlier, Babul Supriyo asked for votes for BJP and now he will ask for votes against BJP. People will laugh at him,” Keya Ghosh said. She further slammed Supriyo stating that he keeps changing parties like changing shirts.


“He was made union minister twice. He spoilt the name of Bengalis by deceiving PM Modi. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also deceived by Mamata Banerjee. These people are ruining the image of Bengalis,” she added.


The singer-turned-politician Supriyo had started his campaign on Monday for the by polls for which voting is scheduled for April 12.


Supriyo was a Union Minister in the BJP government. The Asansol Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Supriyo, a two-time BJP MP, quit the party last year and joined the TMC last year.


Meanwhile, the Ballygunge Assembly seat from where Babul Supriyo is contesting bypolls fell vacant following the demise of state Minister Subrata Mukherjee.


The CPI(M) has fielded Saira Shah Halim from Ballygunge. “Ballygunge is an interesting constituency, there are people from all strata of society. Issues of education, jobs, sanitation, electricity, and water need to be solved. I am contesting to end communal politics,” Halim said.


Polling will be held on April 12 for one parliamentary constituency Asansol and one assembly constituency each in West Bengal (Ballygunge), Chhattisgarh (Khairagarh), Bihar (Bochahan) and Maharashtra (Kolhapur North) and counting of votes will take place on April 16. 

All England Open: Lakshya Sen stuns defending champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia to enter final

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:10 AM PDT

Birmingham [UK]: World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen beat defending champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia 21-13 12-21 21-19 in a match that lasted for one hour and sixteen minutes to advance to the men’s singles final of the All England Badminton Championships 2022 here at Utilita Arena Birmingham.


The 20-year-old Indian started the match brilliantly taking an early lead of 10-6 in the opening game against the Malaysian shuttler. Lee Zii Jia clawed his way back by reducing the deficit to make it 12-13. But Lakshya then raced his level and won six points on the trot to make it 19-12 and finally went on to win the opening game 21-13.

The Malaysian, who defeated World No.2 and two-time World Champion Kento Momota of Japan in the quarter-final, made a roaring comeback in the next game by taking an early lead of 9-2 winning six consecutive points. Lakshya Sen who was trailing at 5-16 tried to make a comeback of sorts winning five points on the trot to make it 10-16 but it was too little too late as the Malaysian went on to win the game 21-12 as the match went to the decider.


In the third and final game, Lakshya made a decent start taking a 2-0 lead but his slender lead could not last long as Lee Zii Jia took the lead and went into the break with an 11-9 lead. After the break, the Malaysian won three points on the trot to take a 14-10 lead but the World Championships bronze medallist fought back to level scores at 18-18. From there on the Indian won two consecutive points to make it 20-18 and finally won the deciding game 21-19.


The last time an Indian reached the final of All England was Saina Nehwal in 2015 where she ended up as runners-up and the last time an Indian who won All England Badminton Championships 2022 was Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Only two Indians have won this tournament before are Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Lakshya Sen is just one win away from being the third Indian. Lakshya also becomes the fifth Indian to enter the All England final.


The Almora lad is enjoying a decent run of form as he bagged a bronze medal in World Championship, secured his maiden Super 500 title at India Open in January and then claimed a runners-up finish at the German Open. 

India may soon top hate, anger charts- Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at Centre

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 09:02 AM PDT

New Delhi [India]: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday in an apparent jibe at the Centre over the country’s ranking in the latest World Happiness Report, said India would soon top hate and anger charts.


Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi shared the report and said, “Hunger Rank: 10, Freedom Rank: 119, Happiness Rank: 136. But, we may soon top the Hate and Anger charts!”


Published by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the World Happiness Report ranks 150 countries of the world on several factors such as sense of well-being, GDP per capita, social support system, life expectancy, generosity, liberty to make life choices and perceptions of corruption, etc.


In this year’s report, Finland topped the list. The other countries ranked among the top 10 list include Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand (rankwise from second to tenth).


India performed slightly well this year and moved up three places to 136th position in the World Happiness Report. Last year, India was ranked 139th in this list.


The United States ranked 16th, the United Kingdom ranked 17th and France secured 20th position in the said report.

Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka from August 27

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PDT

Colombo: The Asia Cup will be held in Sri Lanka from August 27 to September 11 in the T20 format and the qualifiers will start from August 20.


There will be six teams in the Asia Cup 2022, which includes India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a qualifier. India will be playing Pakistan for the first time after the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. The qualifier match will be played between UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong.

India will be competing as defending champions, which conquered the title in 2018. The 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled due to Covid-19 and its restrictions. India remains the most dominant team in the history of the Asia Cup clinching it seven times out of the 14 editions so far, including the last two editions.


They have also made the most appearances in Asia Cup followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh who have played the tournament 13 times each. Pakistan have won the remaining two times – 2000 and 2012. This will be the 15th edition of the Asia cup, which was started in 1984.

Zoji La pass on Srinagar-Leh highway reopens after 73 instead of usual 110 days

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 08:53 AM PDT

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Border Roads Organisation (BRO), on Saturday, reopened the Zoji La pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway after 73 days, for the vehicular traffic movement, informed the officials.


Rajeev Chaudhary, Director General of BRO said this is a celebration and its not only a historical but unimaginable day too.


The DG said, “Zoji La pass has reopened after 73 days. This is a celebration, a unique day for making this record. Earlier Ladakh used to cut off for 6 months, but last year we reduced it to 110 days and this time just 73 days.”

Replying to the media persons, on the strategic benefits of the decision, the DG said, “The air maintenance of the troops deployed in Ladakh is easy by road. With the early opening of this pass, the movement of logistics, and supplies of ammunition for the army will be easy. It will assist BRO to stock the material required for the construction of important infrastructure projects in Ladakh, adding that, the people of Ladakh used to cut off for 6 months, depriving them of essential commodities supplied from the valley. It will facilitate the availability of essential goods and supplies for people and help increase their trade and commerce.”


He said, “This is a mind-changing initiative, last year, when we reopened the pass after 110 days, we observed that it saved Rs 7 crore of the Indian government, per day. In total, we saved Rs 400 crores of the Indian government used for the supply of essential goods to Ladakh by air, adding that, this year reopening it after 73 days, is a historical decision and will have its own benefits.”


Since February 15, 2022, the snow clearance operations were undertaken from both sides of the pass by Project Beacon and Vijayak, located in J&K and Ladakh respectively. After sustained efforts, the connectivity across Zoji La Pass was initially established on March 04, 2022.


The DG expressed his gratitude to the State administration for the possible help and lauded Media persons for the coverage of the celebration.


“For the last 60 years, the BRO opens this pass every year, after 6 months. This area receives the maximum snowfall, the temperature here ranges from -15 to -25 degrees and is prone to avalanches. In such tough weather conditions, the workers of BRO worked day and night to open the pass. Team Beacon and Vijayak of the BRO have worked extraordinarily to complete the snow clearance operation,” DG said.


Mohd. Saleem, a resident of Ladakh extended his appreciation for the BRO team and said, “It is a happy day for the people of Ladakh who used to cut off from the world for at least 3-4 months every year. The issue of depriving essential commodities will be resolved now. Thanks to BRO Team, and Vijayak team workers for successfully operating this project making it beneficial for the public.”


Situated at 11,650 feet above sea level, the Zoji La pass is strategically very important as it lies near the border with Pakistan and provides a vital link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. It is the key to the operational mobility of the Armed Forces.


Every year, with the onset of winter, when the temperature dips to sub-zero degrees, the pass normally closes by the end of November and reopens only by mid-April, the next year.


Various dignitaries from civil administration and the Indian Army, including Director General Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, were present during the re-opening of the pass. 

West Bengal: Naseeruddin Shah’s niece Saira Halim of CPI (M) against TMC’s Babul Supriyo in Ballygunge bypolls

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 08:44 AM PDT

Kolkata (West Bengal): CPI(M) candidate Saira Shah Halim on Saturday said that she is contesting the upcoming Ballygunge Assembly by polls in a bid to end communal politics and to build a syncretic culture.


“Ballygunge is an interesting constituency. There are people from all strata of society. Issues of education, jobs, sanitation, electricity and water need to be solved. I am contesting to end communal politics and to build a syncretic culture,” Saira said.

The Left Front has fielded the CPI (M) candidate against Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Babul Supriyo and BJP’s nominee Keya Ghosh. Saira, an activist and motivational speaker is the niece of actor Naseeruddin Shah. Her husband Dr Fuad Halim had contested the 2011 Assembly polls from the Ballygunge seat on a CPI(M) ticket.


By-polls in the Ballygunge Assembly constituency will be held on April 12 while results will be declared on April 16.


The polls are seen as a prestige battle in the state ruled by Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which had trounced the BJP in the Assembly polls in 2021.


The Ballygunge Assembly seat fell vacant following the demise of state Minister Subrata Mukherjee. 

25,000 government jobs announced after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s first cabinet meeting

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 05:26 AM PDT

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government on Saturday passed a proposal of providing a total of 25,000 government jobs in its first Cabinet meeting, the chief minister’s office said.

“The Cabinet has passed the proposal of providing a total of 25,000 government jobs, including 10,000 vacancies in the Punjab Police department and 15,000 vacancies in other government departments,” CM Mann was quoted as saying. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its poll promise had said that after the formation of the government, they will provide jobs to the unemployed youths.

Among other poll promises of the AAP in Punjab, the national convenor of the party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to improve the condition of government schools and hospitals in the state, generate employment avenues, free electricity up to 300 units per billing cycle and also promised Rs 1,000 per month to women above 18 years.

He had also promised a corruption-free government and controlling drug menace in the state.

Earlier on Thursday, Mann announced that an anti-corruption helpline will be launched in the state on ‘Shaheed Diwas (Martyr’s Day)’ on March 23.
Mann had said that the people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp.

Ten ministers were sworn in today in Punjab, with senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal joining the Bhagwant Mann led Cabinet in the state.

The ministers took oath of offices at a swearing-in ceremony in Chandigarh at Raj Bhawan.

The oath was administered by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Besides Cheema and Dhaliwal, the AAP MLAs — Dr Baljit Kaur, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Dr Vijay Singla, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Brahm Shankar Jimpa and Harjot Singh Bains — were sworn in at the ceremony in the Raj Bhavan.

The AAP won a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins of the electoral politics in the state.

J-K: Several accused in terror funding case shared common agenda with Pakistan, says NIA court

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 04:09 AM PDT

A National Investigation Agency court on Saturday observed that a terror funding accused and Pakistan share common agenda in their aims to promote secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA Judge Praveen Singh after going through the statements of witnesses said, “So from the statements of witnesses, a pattern is emerging – Pakistan or its agencies and accused share a common goal and there is an agreement on the means to be used for achieving that goal and for that funding is also being provided by Pakistan”. The court ordered framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of Indian Penal Code and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc.

The court after reading a joint press statement issued by Syed Ali Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik and others noted that the terrorist organizations and JRL/APHC not only share a common goal but from their own official words, it is apparent that they work in unison towards that goal.

The court also noted that prima facie there existed a criminal conspiracy pursuant to which large-scale protests, resulting in violence and arson at a massive scale, were orchestrated. The court according to the NIA charge-sheet, the JKLF chief Yasin Malik had set up an elaborate structure and mechanism across the world to raise funds for carrying out terrorist and other unlawful activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of “freedom struggle”.

The NIA special Judge Praveen Singh in the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, after discussion of the evidence, said that prima facie it is established that accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Er. Rashid, Altaf Fantoosh, Masrat and Hurriyat/JRL were the direct recipients of terror funds.

The NIA court while passing an order on framing of charges noted that money for terror funding was sent from Pakistan and its agencies and even the diplomatic mission was used to fulfil the evil design. Money for terror funding was also sent by proclaimed international terrorists and accused Hafiz Saeed.

The NIA court further said that accused Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was one of the main conduits for the flow of this terror funding and accused Naval Kishore Kapoor had played an active part in facilitating it.

The NIA court has ordered framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a case pertaining to terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the court also clarified that whatever has been expressed in the order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail.
According to the NIA various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT),

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces.

It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.

The NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like HM, LeT, etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala.

The NIA also stated before the court that, this was done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India. 

Punjab Cabinet: Decision on employment likely as Bhagwant Mann sets out to fulfil poll promises

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 03:56 AM PDT

The first Punjab Cabinet meeting is underway amid indications of the Bhagwant Mann-led government set to take a big decision to fulfil its poll promises to address the issue of unemployment among the youth, sources said on Saturday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its poll promises had said that after the formation of the government, they will provide jobs to the unemployed youths. Among other poll promises of the AAP in Punjab, the national convenor of the party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to improve the condition of government schools and hospitals in the state, generate employment avenues, free electricity up to 300 units per billing cycle and also promised Rs 1,000 per month to women above 18 years.

He had also promised a corruption-free government and controlling drug menace in the state.

Earlier on Thursday, the Punjab Chief Minister announced that an anti-corruption helpline will be launched in the state on ‘Shaheed Diwas (Martyr’s Day)’ on March 23.
Mann had said that the people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp.

Earlier, on March 17, Punjab’s newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly.

The AAP leader and the party’s face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16.

The AAP won a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins of the electoral politics in the state.

Rahul Gandhi says inflation to rise further, urges Centre to protect people

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 01:10 AM PDT

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that inflation is likely to rise further and urged the government to act immediately and protect the people.

The Wayanad MP also said that the crude oil prices are expected to rise above USD 100 per barrel and food prices could rise by 22 per cent. “Inflation is a tax on all Indians. Record price rise had crushed the poor and middle class even before Ukraine war began. It will increase further as: Crude > $100/barrel, Food prices expected to rise 22 per cent, COVID disrupts Global Supply Chain. GOI must act NOW. Protect people,” Gandhi tweeted.

Earlier this week, the Congress leader had slammed the Central government over high inflation and reduced rates of fixed deposits and provident fund, and said the common people are facing the consequences of its “wrong policies.”

“Common citizens are facing the consequences of the wrong policies of the government: FD: 5.1 per cent (down), PPF: 7.1 per cent (down), EPF: 8.1 per cent (down). Retail Inflation: 6.07 per cent (up). Wholesale Inflation: 13.11 per cent (up). Is it not the responsibility of the government to provide relief to people?” Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday (roughly translated from Hindi).

Pakistan: EC fines Imran Khan for holding public rally on March 11

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 01:06 AM PDT

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a fine worth Pakistani Rupees Rs 50,000 against Prime Minister Imran Khan for holding a public gathering in Lower Dir of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The district monitoring officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan directed the Pakistan PM to submit the bank ‘challan’ by March 22, ARY News reported on Friday. Imran Khan conducted the public rally in Lower Dir on March 11.

The ECP’s officer for electioneering in Chitral also imposed Rs 50,000 fine against KP Chief Minister’s special assistant Wazir Zada for violating the election code of conduct.
KP Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA), appeared before the officer but failed to give a satisfactory response to the officer, according to the ECP spokesperson.
After the imposition of fines, Wazir said in a statement that ECP’s decision was ill-intended and he will file an appeal against it.

The Islamabad High Court on Friday called Pakistan PM’s rally on March 11 “inappropriate” and rejected his and Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar’s plea to suspend the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notice issued to them for participating in the rally.

After the violation of the election code of conduct, ECP served the notices to Pakistani PM, KP Governor Shah Farman, KP CM Mahmood Khan and others for attending the rally in Lower Dir ahead of KP’s local government election.

Meanwhile, ECP is considering putting off the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that were scheduled to take place in 18 districts of the province on March 31 saying that the election code of conduct was being seriously violated in the districts.

ECP believes that the level playing field had been disturbed in the area where the polls would be held and the commission would soon make a decision about when to hold the local government elections, The Express Tribune reported citing sources.
Separately, the ECP has also stopped Imran Khan from going ahead with his planned visit to the Malakand district of the province.

Parliamentary panel asks MHA to fix timeline for launch of counter-terrorism NATGRID

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 01:01 AM PDT

A Parliamentary committee has advised the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to “fix a timeline” to expedite the evaluation, and delivery of products for the full operationalisation of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), which is proposed to be a robust mechanism to track suspects and prevent terrorist attacks with real-time data and access to classified information like immigration, banking, individual taxpayers, air and train travel. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs is headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma.

The 238th report, tabled in Parliament on Monday, stresses the need for expediting operationalisation of NATGRID, saying “the Committee understands the importance of NATGRID for creation of a comprehensive network for intelligence inputs and access for intelligence and security agencies”.

“The Committee observes that administrative approval and procedural delays are hampering the progress of NATGRID and leading to under-utilization of funds,” noted the report.

“The Committee recommends that MHA may fix a timeline for evaluation, and delivery of products for the full operationalisation of NATGRID so that the funds can be optimally utilissed. The Committee would like to be informed about the progress made in this regard,” stated the report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to soon launch the NATGRID that aims to provide a “cutting-edge technology to enhance India’s counter-terror capabilities”, official sources said.

They said the final “synchronisation and testing” of the ambitious electronic database, which was mooted after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, is being carried out so that it can go live.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had last year indicated that NATGRID, conceptualised as a seamless and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes and similar incidents, may finally see the light of day.

“Had corona (COVID-19) not been there, the Prime Minister would have dedicated NATGRID to the country. I am hopeful that the Prime Minister will dedicate NATGRID to the country in some time,” Shah said during the 51st Foundation Day event of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) here on September 4 last year.
The 26/11 terrorist siege in Mumbai back in 2008 exposed the deficiency that security agencies had no mechanism to look for vital information on a real-time basis.

According to the first phase plan, 10 user agencies and 21 service providers will be connected with the NATGRID, while in later phases, about 950 additional organisations will be brought on board. In the following years, more than 1,000 organisations will be further integrated into the NATGRID.

These data sources include records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions and telecommunications.
Prominent federal agencies of the country have been authorised to access the NATGRID database.

They are the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for the Income Tax Department), the Cabinet Secretariat, the Intelligence Bureau, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence, the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Financial Intelligence Unit, and the National Investigation Agency.

Lack of quick information to intelligence and enforcement agencies was considered one of the major hurdles in detecting U.S. terror suspect David Headley’s movement across the country during his multiple visits between 2006 and 2009.

Headley had provided key information and videos of terror targets to Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba that carried out the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, including foreigners.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had given approval to the Rs 3,400 crore NATGRID project back in 2010 but its work slowed down after 2012.
However, Modi, who came to power for the first time in 2014, later gave directions for its revival.

Terror funding case: Former MLA Er Rashid tried to incite disaffection towards GOI, armed forces, says NIA Court

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 12:46 AM PDT

The NIA court after going through a video states that the accused Er. Rashid, a former Jammu and Kashmir MLA tried to incite disaffection towards the Government of India (GoI) and against the armed forces.

He is seen issuing subtle but ominous messages to the police personnel of Jammu and Kashmir asking them not to obey the orders of their officers as accepting those orders would amount to committing atrocities on their own brothers. Then there are veiled threats. NIA court while ordering framing of charges also noted that Er Rashid also tried to incite a feeling of disaffection amongst police personnel of Jammu and Kashmir against the Indian Army which directly is a challenge to the government of India as by Law established. There are witnesses who have spoken about the connection of this person with stone pelters which reflects how his words are taken and how he executes what is stated in his speech.

It is also to be considered that these are words spoken by a person who was a member of the legislative assembly having a considerable following. This statement in no manner can be said to be discussed as he is not in a discussion and the moment there are threats issued to the police personnel, with the innuendo that Indian armed forces are occupational forces and that there shall be consequences of supporting the Indian army, the accused has crossed the line from advocacy and chartered into the territory of incitement, the court noted.

NIA special Judge Praveen Singh while ordered for framing of charges against Rashid Engineer said, I find that this evidence is prima facie sufficient to raise a grave suspicion against accused Rashid for the commission of offence u/s 124A IPC.
In the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court after discussion of evidence said that it prima facie establishes that accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Er. Rashid, Altaf Fantoosh, Masrat and Hurriyat/JRL were the direct recipients of terror funds.

Accused Peer Saifullah had funded, for Hurriyat, stone-pelting an activity already prima facie found to be covered within the definition of a terrorist act.

NIA special Judge Praveen Singh while passing an order on framing of charges said, money for terror funding was sent from and by Pakistan and its agencies and even the diplomatic mission was used to fulfil the evil design. Money for terror funding was also sent by proclaimed international terrorists and accused Hafiz Saeed.

The NIA court further said that accused Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was one of the main conduits for the flow of this terror funding and accused Naval Kishore Kapoor had played an active part in facilitating it.

The court also noted that prima facie there existed a criminal conspiracy pursuant to which large-scale protests, resulting in violence and arson at a massive scale, were orchestrated. The court According to the NIA charge sheet, JKLF chief Yasin Malik had set up an elaborate structure and mechanism across the world to raise funds for carrying out terrorist and other unlawful activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of “freedom struggle”.

The NIA court has ordered framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a case pertaining to terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed Jammu and Kashmir.

The Court also ordered framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of Indian Penal Code and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc.

However, the court also clarified that whatever has been expressed in the order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail.

According to the NIA various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces.

It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.
The NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like HM, LeT, etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala.

The NIA also stated before the court that, this was done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.

Angadia extortion case: DCP Saurabh Tripathi files anticipatory bail plea in Mumbai court

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 12:21 AM PDT

Mumbai Police DCP Saurabh Tripathi filed an anticipatory bail plea in Sessions Court on Saturday in connection with the angadia extortion case, in which he is an accused.
The hearing on the plea is posted for March 23. In a previous hearing of the matter in magistrate’s court earlier this week (15th March), the Crime Branch had informed the court that DCP Saurabh Tripathi has been made an accused in the case based on the statements of the other accused. The Crime Branch team also told the court that Tripathi was not reporting for his duty and that is why it was looking for him as a wanted accused.

Advocate Aniket Nikam, who has filed the anticipatory bail application for Saurabh Tripathi, told ANI that he has been falsely implicated in the case as his name had never surfaced during the initial inquiry conducted by the police.

The Police had earlier suspended three officers for allegedly extorting Rs 15-18 lakh from an angadia operator. Later, the officers – Nitin Kadam (API), Samadaan Jamdade (Sub Inspector) and Om Vangate were arrested.

Hong Kong COVID-19 cases cross 1 million

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 12:15 AM PDT

Hong Kong’s COVID-19 case count surpassed 1 million on Friday, amid the fifth and the worst wave of the disease.

As many as 20,082 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the city on Friday, of which 12,116 were identified through rapid tests, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported. As of Thursday, Hong Kong reported 996,862 COVID-19 infections and 5,136 people lost their lives to its fifth-wave COVID-19 outbreak, according to Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

Chuang Shuk-Kwan, the head of the CHP’s Communicable Disease Branch, during the press briefing on Thursday said that over the past week, the number of daily cases had gone “up and down” around 30,000 and authorities needed to observe the statistics for a few more days before a conclusion could be drawn.

Imran Khan should step down to end political crisis, says ruling PTI founding member

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 12:08 AM PDT

Amid the ongoing political unrest in the country, Founding member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government Najeeb Haroon said the only way to end the turmoil is the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, local media reported.

“The PM (Imran Khan) should resign and bring forward any other member from the party to become prime minister,” Haroon said in the Geo News programme. “That’s the only way to move forward and bring this crisis to an end,” he stated.

“The country can no longer sustain instability and PM Imran Khan must shed his stubbornness and somebody else from within the party be brought forward as the prime ministerial candidate,” he suggested, according to Geo News.

As the date of the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan inches closer, several disgruntled Members of National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling PTI party said that they have parted ways with the ruling party and would not contest the next elections on a PTI ticket.

Not only this, one of them has claimed that three federal ministers have already quit the PTI.

The opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan. 

Hilary Duff slams Putin in emotional post about Ukraine, says she’s ‘gutted and angry’

Posted: 19 Mar 2022 12:03 AM PDT

American actor-singer Hilary Duff recently criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for the country’s invasion of Ukraine. In an emotional post about what the Ukrainian people are going through, Hilary said that she is “feeling helpless and gutted.”

The ‘How I Met Your Father’ actor took to her Instagram account to slam Putin along with sharing some heart-breaking pictures of individuals crying in the war-ravaged region. In the post, Hilary wrote, “GREED. Fuc—g Putin. I hope his existence is so LONELY and TORTURED and EMPTY. Money doesn’t make people happy. It can make your life easier but my only hope is by the grace of god his life is a miserable one.

Watching the news is excruciating. I can’t imagine day after day of this reality …Fear. Loss. Losing everything you love and have worked hard for. separating from your family or watching them die. Not being able to lay them to rest. No safety. No food.”

The actor acknowledged the people of Ukraine, saying they have “pride and strength” that not even she could think to muster. She also spoke about the reports of increased human trafficking as a result of the war.

She wrote, “These Ukrainian people have some pride and strength I don’t think I could muster. I’m now hearing human trafficking is an issue for women and children escaping the country. I’m just sobbing thinking about this. Escaping one hell to another. Why and how can the world be this way? How can humans do these things to one another ? Feeling helpless and gutted and angry and really just wanted to share. I’m seriously sad for the people of Russia too. I can’t imagine they want to be involved in this. #Ukraine.”

Several celebrities including Mila Kunis, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Andrew Garfield, Mark Ruffalo and Ryan Reynolds have expressed their support for Ukraine.
Recently, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made donations to numerous charities in Ukraine.

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

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, almost 600 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

Punjab: Bhagwant Mann Cabinet expands, 10 ministers take oath

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 11:56 PM PDT

Ten ministers were sworn in on Saturday in Punjab, with the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal joining the Bhagwant Mann led Cabinet in the state.

The ministers took the oath of offices at a swearing-in ceremony in Chandigarh at Raj Bhawan. The oath was administered by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Besides Cheema and Dhaliwal, the AAP MLAs — Dr Baljit Kaur, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Dr Vijay Singla, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Brahm Shankar Jimpa and Harjot Singh Bains — were sworn in at the ceremony in the Raj Bhavan.

Besides Mann, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya was also present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Mann’s daughter Seerat Kaur Mann and son Dilshan Mann were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, on March 17, Punjab’s newly-elected MLAs, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly. The legislators were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Protem Speaker Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar.

The AAP leader and the party’s face for recently held Punjab Assembly polls Bhagwant Mann took oath as the Chief Minister of the state on March 16.

The AAP recorded a landslide victory in the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls winning 92 seats, sidelining most of its rivals. 

Bangladesh win first-ever ODI in South Africa, go 1-0 up in series

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 10:36 PM PDT

Centurion [South Africa]: Bangladesh won their first-ever ODI on South African soil on Friday as they defeated the Proteas by 38 runs at Centurion to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.


The tourists had never won a One Day International in South Africa in 19 previous attempts, but produced a superb display in the first ODI of the tour to break new ground in the format. Bangladesh’s stunning win further strengthens their place at the top of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League standings, where they lead England and India in the top three.


The victory was built on the foundations set by a team effort with the bat, with Litton Das (50), Shakib Al Hasan (77) and Yasir Ali (50) all making half-centuries. And other useful contributions came right down the order as the Tigers built on a solid start to post 314/7.


Early wickets pegged South Africa’s chase back, Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed making the early inroads.


Impressive half-centuries from Rassie van der Dussen (86) and David Miller (79) gave the hosts some hope. But Mehidy Hasan Miraz rattled the tail with a four-for, picking up the crucial wicket of Miller.


There were jubilant scenes on the pitch and amongst the watching Bangladesh fans when Mahmudullah trapped Keshav Maharaj in-front to seal a 38-run win.


Brief Scores: Bangladesh 314/7 (Shakib 77, Yasir 50, Litton 50; Maharaj 2-56, Jansen 2-57) beat South Africa 276 (van der Dussen 86, Miller 79; Mehidy 4-61, Taskin 3-36, Shoriful 2-47) by 38 runs.

Japan PM Fumio Kishida begins 2-day India visit from today for 14th annual summit

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 10:33 PM PDT

New Delhi: In his first visit to India after assuming office and also amid the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his two-day stay in New Delhi will take part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit, besides holding bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi.


The India-Japan Annual Summit had last taken place in Tokyo in October 2018. Kishida’s visit to India gains significance amid the western countries slapping sanctions against Russia for its military operation in Ukraine while the major oil-consuming countries are keeping a close watch on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on oil prices.


India and Japan have multi-faceted cooperation as partners within the ambit of their “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.


The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.


Earlier PM Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after the Japanese Prime Minister had assumed office. Both sides had expressed a desire to further strengthen “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.


Since PM Modi’s visit to Japan in 2014, tremendous progress has been made with the implementation of several important decisions taken by both countries. Shinzo Abe was then the Japanese PM.


Japan had announced an investment of Yen 3.5 trillion for India, which included public and private participation in various projects.


At present, there are 1455 Japanese companies in India. Eleven Japan Industrial Townships (JIT) have been established, including Neemrana in Rajasthan and Sri City in Andhra Pradesh hosting the most number of Japanese companies. Japan is also India’s 5th largest source of FDI, besides being the largest development partner.


However, several infrastructure projects are currently underway with the help of Japanese assistance, including Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, Dedicated Freight Corridor, Metro projects, and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project.


India and Japan had signed a “Digital Partnership” in October 2018. At present, Indian startups have raised more than USD 10 billion from Japanese Venture Capitalists. India and Japan have also launched a private sector driven fund-of-funds to invest in technology startups in India which has raised USD 100 million so far.
Both sides also have Cooperation in the field of ICT, in areas such as 5G, under-sea cables, telecom and network security.


Progress has also been made in skill development. The total number of Japan-India Institutes of Manufacturing (JIM) now is 19 (it was 8 in 2018). These institutes are established by Japanese companies based in India for training skilled workers.


Japanese companies have also set up seven Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) at various colleges while 220 Indian youth have been placed in Japan as interns under “Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP)”.


Last year, India had also signed a “Specified Skilled Workers Agreement”. The Japanese side has since January this year started holding examinations for nursing care under this programme.


The “Agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defence Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (or ACSA)”, which was signed on 9 September 2020, came into force on July 11 2021.


Both the countries signed a convergence on free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. They signed a Reciprocal Provision of “Supplies and Services Agreement (RPSS)”. Meanwhile, the inaugural 2+2 ministerial meeting was held in November 2019.


A decision was also taken in the 2017 Summit to establish the “India-Japan Act East Forum”. The objective is to coordinate developmental projects in Northeastern parts of India in areas of connectivity, forest management, disaster risk reduction and capacity building.


Several projects, including the up-gradation of highways in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are underway.

Goa BJP MLA claims leadership issue settled, Pramod Sawant will be next CM

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 09:55 PM PDT

Panaji (Goa): Ahead of the legislature party meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Subhash Phal Desai on Saturday claimed that “there’s no need for further discussion on the issue of the next Goa Chief Minister since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Pramod Sawant will continue to lead the government in the state”.


Desai’s comments came amidst speculation doing the rounds in the political circles that Sawant will again be the Chief Minister of Goa. Stating that the BJP is a party of disciplined workers, Desai said, “Since the BJP is a national party, we need time to decide on the date of the swearing-in ceremony. I have said over a hundred times that if our Prime Minister says that Pramod Sawant is going to be the Chief Minister of Goa then there is no need for further discussion.”


He also stated that the swearing-in ceremony would be held as soon as possible, which has been delayed “because of Shigmo Utsav” being celebrated in Goa.


“The swearing-in ceremony will be held in three to four days. Besides Holi, Goans are celebrating Shigmotsav, which is very close to the people of Goa. We will follow the schedules given by the party high command and the swearing-in ceremony would be immediately held,” Desai said.


In the recently concluded state Assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and decimated Congress to 11 seats. The BJP fell one seat short of the majority figure in Goa but is set to retain power in the state with the help of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak (MGP) and independent candidates.


After the BJP Parliamentary Board’s appointment of Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan as the central observer and co-observer for Goa, the next Chief Minister’s name will be announced in the BJP’s state legislature party meeting. 

India reports 2,075 new COVID-19 cases, 71 deaths in last 24 hours

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 09:51 PM PDT

New Delhi: India reported a total of 2,075 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 4,30,06,080, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.


The death count rose to 5,16,352 with 71 fresh COVID-related fatalities. The active cases declined to 27,802. They now constitute 0.06 per cent of the country’s total positive cases.


A total of 4,24,61,926 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the country since March 2020 of which 3,383 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours.


The country’s recovery rate currently stands at 98.73 per cent, while the case fatality rate is at 1.20 per cent.


The daily positivity rate stands at 0.56 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was at 0.41 per cent.


As per the health ministry, 78.22 crore tests have been conducted so far. Of these, 3,70,514 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.


Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 181.04 crore as per provisional reports till 7 am today.


So far, 11,68,106 in the age group 12-14 years have been vaccinated against COVID-19.


The vaccination drive for this age group commenced on March 16 and children are being administered the Corbevax vaccine. 

One dead, five apprehended after fatal brawl in Delhi’s Naraina

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 09:48 PM PDT

New Delhi: Five people have been apprehended for allegedly killing a man in Delhi’s Naraina area after a fight broke out between them on Friday, said police.


The fight broke out at a paan shop at around 10 pm near PVR Naraina in which, Shiva (27), a resident of Naraina was killed. Police said that the vehicle of the deceased had hit an employee of the paan shop leading to an altercation between them in which the paan shop owner also got involved and called four people.


As per an eyewitness, the five men allegedly stabbed Shiva with a sharp object.
Police said that an FIR has been registered under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).


Further investigation is underway. 

J-K terror funding: NIA court orders framing of charges against Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam, Hafiz Syed, Shalahuddin under UAPA

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 09:44 PM PDT

New Delhi: National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has ordered framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a case pertains to the terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed the State of Jammu and Kashmir.


The Court also ordered framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of Indian Penal Code and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities etc.

NIA special Judge Praveen Singh in an order passed on March 16 said, “the above analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/terrorist organisations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment”.


Court noted that, during the course of arguments, none of the accused has argued that individually they do not have a secessionist ideology or agenda or that they have not worked for secession or advocated for the secession of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir from the Government of India.


Witnesses after witnesses have deposed that APHC, its factions after division and JRL had only one object and that was the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Government of India.


Witnesses have connected accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate to All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and JRL. Another witness has connected Er. Rashid to Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali who in turn is closely intertwined with APHC and Pakistani establishment/ agencies, the Court noted.


However, Court also clarified that whatever has been expressed in this order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail.


Money for terror funding was sent from and by Pakistan and its agencies and even the diplomatic mission was used to fulfil the evil design. Money for terror funding was also sent by proclaimed international terrorists and accused Hafiz Saeed, NIA Court noted.


According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), various terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces.


It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.


NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organisations like HM, LeT etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala.


NIA also stated before the court that, this has been done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.


On this information, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the NIA to register a case.
Accordingly, the present case was registered by NIA for offences under sections 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA.


NIA further added that during the investigation, it was also revealed that APHC and other secessionists instigate the general public, especially the youth to observe strikes and to resort to violence especially stone pelting on the security forces. This was done to create disaffection amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards the Government of India.


NIA also submitted that the investigation has revealed that the secessionists were mobilising funds from all possible sources to fuel unrest and support the ongoing secessionist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The secessionists were getting funds from Pakistan, funds from Pakistan based terrorist organisations and from local donations.

Iconic Gold Awards 2022 held in Mumbai amid the presence of a galaxy of tinsel town celebrities

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 08:06 PM PDT

A galaxy of tinsel town celebrities gathered under one roof to attend the much-awaited awards show ‘Iconic Gold Awards 2022’ held at Hotel Sahara Star in Mumbai on March 12.

The awards night saw the presence of several celebrities including Siddharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty, Shamita Shetty, Kirti Sonan, Kartik Aryan, Ahan Shetty, Apoorva Mehta, Kay Kay Menon, etc. who were felicitated by the CEO of Iconic Gold Awards, Piyuus Jaiswal. The Iconic Gold Awards 2022 saw many popular faces from the Television and Entertainment industry winning bit at the event. These celebrities revealed their glamorous side on the red carpet. Rohitashv Gour, Shivangi Joshi, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Sharad Malhotra, Sai Ketan Rao, Shivangi Khedekar, Erica Fernandes, Urvashi Dholakia, Debattama Saha, Sanjay Gagnani, Flora Saini, Payal Dev, Divanka Tripathi Dahiya, Sharib Hasmi, Vijay Varma, Helly Shah, Ishita Raj, Karanvir Sharma, Jasmin Bhasin and Soundarya Sharma were awarded with the prestigious Iconic Gold trophies.

List of the Iconic Gold Awards 2022 winners
Kriti Sanon- Iconic best actress of the year for Mimi
Sidharth Malhotra- Iconic Best Actor of the Year For Shershaah
Kartik Aaryan- Iconic best actor of the year (Critics Choice) for Dhamaka
Nushrratt bharuccha- Iconic Best Actress of the Year (Critics Choice) For Chhori
Vaani Kapoor- Iconic Powerpack performance of the Year for Chandigarh Karen Aashiqui
Ahan Shetty-Iconic best debut actor of the year for Tadap
Vishnu Vardhan Induri- Iconic best film director of the year for Shershaah
Shabbir Boxwala-Producer-Iconic Best film of the year for Shershaah
Apoorva Mehta- Producer- Iconic best film of the year for Shershaah
Warda Nadiadwala-Iconic Stylish Producer of the year
Mahima Makwana-Iconic best debut actress of the year for Antim The Final Truth
Manish Malhotra-Iconic Outstanding Contribution in Bollywood Fashion
Shilpa Shetty- Best Fitness Icon of the year.
Divya Khosla Kumar- Iconic Best Actress of the Year – Popular Choice For Satyameva Jayate 2
Sharvari- Iconic Breakthrough Performance of the year for Bunty aur bubli 2
Mukesh Chhabra-Iconic best casting director of the year 83

List of Webseries/OTT television celebrities bagging the Iconic Gold Awards 2022
Rohitashv Gour -Iconic best comedy TV Actor of the Year-Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai
Bhabhiji Ghar pe hai-Iconic best comic tv series of the year
Shivangi Joshi-Iconic most popular tv actress of the year
Dheeraj Dhoopar- Iconic Most Stylish TV actor of the year
Dheeraj Dhoopar-Iconic best tv actor of the year Kundali Bhagya
Sharad Malhotra-Iconic most trustworthy actor of the year
Ranjan Kumar Singh-Iconic All Time Favorite TV Director of the Year
Sai Ketan Rao-Iconic Best Debut TV Actor of the year Mehendi He Rachnewali
Shivangi Khedekar-Iconic Best Debut TV Actress of the year- Mehendi He Rachnewali
Erica J Fernandes-Iconic Most Glamorous TV Actress of the year
Urvashi Dholakia-Iconic Best Negative TV Actress of the year
Debattama Saha- Iconic Most Liked Tv Actress of the year

Anupamaa-Iconic best tv show of the year
Sanjay Gagnani- Iconic best negative lead role of the year-TV – Kundali Bhagya
Shamita Shetty-Iconic best powerpack personality of the year-Reality Show
Kiku Sharda-Iconic Best Supporting Comedian of the year- The Kapil Sharma Show
Flora Saini-Iconic best supporting actress of the year- City of dreams season 2
Payal Dev-Iconic best female singer of the year- Baarish Ban jana
Aditya Dev- Iconic best music producer of the year
Vivek Dahiya-Iconic impressive performance of the year- State of seige & Temple attack
Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya- Iconic Fearless performance of the year- Khatron ke khiladi
Sharib Hashmi -Iconic best supporting Actor of the year 2022- Family Man – 2
Vijay Varma-Iconic breakthrough performer of the year- OK Computer
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CSS Corp acquires San Francisco-based Directly’s OnDemand business

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 07:56 PM PDT

CSS Corp , a global customer experience and technology services provider, today announced acquiring Directly’s OnDemand business unit , including its next-gen GigCX services platform.

OnDemand offers fast and empathetic technical support and customer service for the world’s leading brands, with patented technology and a global network of product and technical experts in a flexible freelance model. Some key customers of the platform include Microsoft, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Autodesk. The OnDemand platform is powered by multilingual capabilities, new-age technologies, and a flexible network of freelance product experts across over 60 countries. These gig experts are either alpha-users familiar with the system they are assisting with, or domain experts with the necessary credentials to provide an elevated, yet more intimate level of support. The platform seamlessly integrates into the existing contact center technology stack, CRM platforms, messaging applications, and recording support, like Microsoft

Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle, Salesforce, to name a few.
The acquisition of OnDemand adds a strategic technology-enabled services platform to CSS Corp’s portfolio. The company now is able to integrate GigCX seamlessly with agent-based models, recruit global talent as employees or freelancers, and integrate it with digital solutions powered by CSS Edison®, a digital CX transformation platform. The company also sees immense potential to expand OnDemand’s reach into incremental and niche skills for digital technologies, AI/ML training and aggregation, and intelligence services.

Sunil Mittal, CEO, CSS Corp, said, “This acquisition significantly strengthens our service offerings as we solidify our strategy. Modern customers have high expectations and expect precise resolutions to their problems along with proactive service, personalized interactions, and connected experiences across digital channels. The Directly OnDemand platform leverages a unique and proven approach to achieving customer outcomes and offering world-class experience through gig experts spread across the globe. With our deep, technology-led operations and expertise, infused with OnDemand’s global gig expert capabilities, we are well-positioned to leverage the knowledge economy and offer unique and scalable operations to our clients. We look forward with excitement to welcoming the OnDemand team into the CSS Corp family.”

Mike de la Cruz, CEO, Directly, said, “The global workforce has shifted from fixed to fluid models, and there is no turning back. With the addition of OnDemand, CSS Corp is at the forefront of this shift and will be able to help their clients thrive in the new world. The OnDemand service is in safe hands and is now backed by full-time associates, consulting services, and the CSS Edison technology platform. Directly, the company, now focuses on its next act: to invest in Directly Darwin and reinvent customer experience automation.”

CSS Corp has been growing at over 25% for the last couple of years, on the back of strong delivery capabilities, resilient operations, and innovative business engagement models. In February 2021, Capital Square Partners, a Singapore-based Private Equity Fund Manager, acquired a controlling stake in CSS Corp, followed by investments from Morgan Stanley Private Credit and Onex Falcon. These transactions have enabled CSS Corp to continue its industry-leading organic growth and expand its capabilities and geographical footprint through strategic alternatives.

CSS Corp is a global customer experience and technology services provider, disrupting the industry with a unique intersection of industry-leading proprietary solutions, resilient operations, and innovative business engagement models.
The company is a digital transformation partner of choice for its clients, which include the world’s top innovators across industries, from mid-market players to large enterprises. Its diverse team of over 11,200 customer-centric thinkers, collaborators, and co-creators across 20 global locations is passionate about helping clients succeed through intelligent automation-led outcomes. The company has overcome macroeconomic headwinds to become the industry’s fastest growing and most awarded company in its revenue range.

Based in San Francisco and everywhere our employees want to live, Directly is reinventing customer support automation. Directly has delivered millions and millions of amazing customer support experiences for companies like Microsoft, Airbnb, and Samsung. Directly is creating Darwin, a support automation platform that uses artificial intelligence to better understand customers and improve support operations. Directly is backed by Microsoft’s M12 Ventures, True Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, Industry Ventures, Triangle Peak Partners, and Northgate Capital.
This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

Queen Media Pvt Ltd to relaunch POPULAR TV for kids

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 07:52 PM PDT

To address the dearth of Kids’ channels on free platforms Queen Media Pvt Ltd, the broadcasting marketing company for many Satellite TV Channels is foraying into the Kids/under eighteen entertainment genre TV Channel with POPULAR TV.

The programs will be specially designed for kids to relaunch on DD free Dish platform beside other platforms. The launch is scheduled for April 1st, 2022. Popular TV, an FTA, Channel, will showcase unique national and international cartoon material, animated videos, movies, kids’ comedy, talk – shows, games, contests, and many more in the Hindi Language. There will be special programming on weekends and on holidays. The company has a robust library of the kids’ content and is syndicating with related production houses to create more.

In the past two years, the scope for kids’ entertainment has widely emerged with the percentage of young viewers going up. The company believes that the time is right to leverage this and give this audience a destination of its own.

“Over the last few years, several platforms have come up to broadcast content of different genres; however, quality children’s program is still limited. Entertainment is important for every age group and is sometimes educational in nature. We at Queen Media are extremely excited for this launch”, said a spokesperson at Queen Media Pvt Ltd.

The channel will only be focusing on Fun and Entertainment for Kids.
This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

England pacer Mark Wood ruled out of IPL 2022 and WI Test series

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 07:34 PM PDT

England pacer Mark Wood who was supposed to represent newly bought franchise Lucknow Super Giants in IPL this season has a right elbow injury, according to reports. The 32-year-old pacer has been ruled out of the remainder ongoing Test series against West Indies.

Mark Wood started struggling with the injury on the third day of the first Test in Antigua. The scans have confirmed a problem and he will return home next week. A big blow for Lucknow Super Giants as new entrants had paid Rs 7.50 crore for Wood at the IPL auction while England will decide later if a replacement will be called up for the third Test, which takes place in Grenada from March 24. 

Not here to prove anything, we are here to play good cricket: Hardik Pandya

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 07:30 PM PDT

All the teams have started to train ahead of the IPL 2022 starting from March 26. Like all the IPL debutants Gujarat Titans are also gearing up ahead of the high profile league and they have started their training. The Gujarat franchise will be led by all-rounder Hardik Pandya who is captaining an IPL side for the first time.

“I am quite happy with the team, it is a new team. To be honest, we are not here to prove anything, we are here to play good cricket. We are here to make sure the environment is right and players can flourish. There is no expectation as such, we are going to be a team which will make sure that it keeps improving,” said Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya in a video posted on IPL’s Twitter handle. Hardik Pandya will be seen in action for the first time since November 2021 as the 28-year old was out due to a back injury. It will be interesting to see whether he will bowl or not or he will play only as a batter for Gujarat Titans. This franchise will play their first match of the IPL against the other debutant Lucknow Super Giants on March 28 at the Wankhede Stadium and they are placed alongside Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings in Group B.

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