| Piyush Goyal Meets Deputy NSA Daleep Singh, Discusses Steps To Deepen Ties Posted: 30 Mar 2022 10:22 AM PDT New Delhi [India]: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Piyush Goyal on Wednesday met the US Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) for International Economics Daleep Singh and discussed steps to further deepen India-US economic and strategic ties.
“Met US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics & G20 Sherpa, Daleep Singh. Discussed at length steps for further deepening India-US economic & strategic ties. Our complementary partnership will help us build resilient economies in a dynamic world order,” Goyal said in a tweet. Daleep Singh is on a two-day visit to India ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the US.
Singh is scheduled to meet with Government of India officials to deepen cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and prosperity, and a free and open Indo-Pacific, a US National Security Council statement said.
Singh will consult closely with counterparts on the consequences of Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and mitigate its impact on the global economy, the statement said.
Singh will also discuss the priorities of the Biden Administration, including the promotion of high-quality infrastructure through Build Back Better World and the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the statement added.
Meanwhile, India and United States are scheduled to hold a 2+2 dialogue in Washington on April 11.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet their counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh will also have other meetings scheduled on the sidelines.
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| Lok Sabha Passes Bill To Unify Delhi’s Three Municipal Corporations Posted: 30 Mar 2022 09:31 AM PDT New Delhi [India]): Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to unify the three municipal corporations in Delhi into a single entity.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by the House after a reply by Home Minister Amit Shah. He rejected opposition allegations that the BJP-led government had brought the bill as it was “scared” of municipal polls in the national capital.
The bill seeks to ensure a robust mechanism for synergised planning and optimal utilisation of resources and bring about improved governance and more efficient delivery of civic service for the people of Delhi.
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| Russia Intends To Continue Energy Supplies To Europe: Deputy Foreign Minister Posted: 30 Mar 2022 08:40 AM PDT Moscow [Russia]: Russia intends to further supply Europe with energy but Moscow’s interests should be considered, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
Ryabkov stressed that Russia has always been a reliable energy supplier for all and will remain one, yet Russia’s demands should be respected.
He noted that Moscow’s decision to switch gas payments into rubles for “unfriendly” nations did not seek to modify the terms of the existing contracts but aimed to safeguard Russia’s interests. “We are not modifying [the terms of] contracts, we are protecting our interests from a tsunami, a wave of totally irresponsible sanctions that just hit the foundations of international trade and the international system,” Ryabkov told RT broadcaster in an interview.
Meanwhile, he expressed hope that European countries will change their decision to abandon ruble payments for energy and will use the time left to “find a creative solution to the situation.”
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| Al Rihla Is The Official Match Ball For FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Posted: 30 Mar 2022 08:33 AM PDT Doha [Qatar]: Al Rihla has been revealed by Adidas as the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Wednesday.
The 14th successive ball that Adidas has created for the FIFA World Cup is designed to support peak game speeds, as it travels faster in flight than any ball in the tournament’s history.
Al Rihla means “the journey” in Arabic and is inspired by the culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag of Qatar. The bold, vibrant colours set on a pearlescent background represent the FIFA World Cup host country and the ever-increasing speed of the game.
Designed from the inside out using data and rigorous testing at Adidas labs, in wind tunnels and on the pitch by football players themselves, Al Rihla provides the highest levels of accuracy and reliability on the field of play, partly due to its new panel shape and surface textures, as per FIFA.
“The game is getting faster and, as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability become critically important,” said Franziska Loffelmann, the Design Director – Football Graphics and Hardwear at Adidas.
“The new design allows the ball to maintain a significantly higher speed as it journeys through the air. For the biggest global stage in all of sport, we set out to make the impossible possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date,” he added.
The ball was designed with sustainability as a priority; indeed, Al Rihla is the first FIFA World Cup ball to be made exclusively with water-based inks and glues.
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| Imran Khan Defers Address To Nation Amid Political Tensions In Pakistan Posted: 30 Mar 2022 08:24 AM PDT Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday deferred his address to the nation hours after an announcement was made that he will take people into confidence about a “foreign-funded conspiracy letter” to show “evidence” of attempts to topple his government.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator Faisal Javed Khan gave the information about the address having been postponed, reported Geo News. Imran Khan government is facing the heat over the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition. “PM Imran Khan’s address to the nation for today has been postponed,” Javed Khan said in a tweet.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had told the media that Imran Khan will address the nation on Wednesday evening to take people into confidence that there is a “foreign-funded conspiracy” letter that contains evidence that outside elements are trying to topple the government.
Rasheed earlier had also said that PM has summoned an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet to take party leaders and allies into confidence over the contents of the letter.
As per the previous information shared by the Interior Minister, the parties allied with the ruling PTI were also to be invited to the meeting.
Imran Khan earlier in the day said that he will share the ‘foreign-funded conspiracy’ letter with senior journalists and ally party members. “The letter will reveal the elements who are conspiring against the country from abroad,” he said at the launch of e-passport services in Islamabad and added, “suspicions were cast that the government is doing all this to save itself.”
“The letter clearly shows how big conspiracy is against the government and it is far bigger conspiracy than what I am telling to you,” he added.
After the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan government was tabled in the National Assembly with a total of 161 votes in favour, the proceedings were adjourned till March 31.
The no-confidence motion was submitted by the opposition parties on March 8. The opposition is confident that its motion would be carried as some allies of PTI have come out in the open against Imran Khan.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo To Appear In His 5th FIFA World Cup As Portugal Qualify For Qatar Posted: 30 Mar 2022 06:15 AM PDT Porto [Portugal]: Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to appear in his 5th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to celebrate the momentous achievement on Tuesday.
Ronaldo who has played in every World Cup since 2006 helped Portugal in defeating North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for Qatar 2022.
Bruno Fernandes put in an impressive display, scoring in each half in Portugal’s play-off against North Macedonia with Ronaldo and Diogo Jota providing assists to lead their country to its sixth consecutive World Cup.
“Goal achieved, we’re at the Qatar World Cup,” Ronaldo said on Instagram. “We’re in our rightful place! Thank you to all the Portuguese people for the tireless support! Let’s go Portugal!”
In Porto, Portugal looked as if they might be set for a long evening, with both skipper Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota going close in the first 30 minutes.
Fernandes then intercepted a stray pass just after the half-hour mark before combining well with the Portugal captain and drilling a low strike past Stole Dimitrievski. North Macedonia rarely troubled Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal in the first period but started brightly after the interval.
However, Fernandes put paid to any thoughts of another big scalp for the visitors after a swift counterattack set Diogo Jota down the left. His pinpoint delivery sat up nicely for the goalscorer to double his tally, hitting a neat first-time finish at speed.
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| Axis Bank To Acquire Citibank India For Rs.12,325 Crore Posted: 30 Mar 2022 06:06 AM PDT Mumbai (Maharashtra): Axis Bank, the country’s third-largest private sector lender, on Wednesday said it will acquire Citibank’s India consumer banking businesses covering loans, credit cards, wealth management and retail banking operations for Rs 12,325 crore.
The transaction comprises the sale of the consumer businesses of Citibank India, which include credit cards, retail banking, wealth management and consumer loans.
The deal also includes the sale of the consumer business of Citi’s non-banking financial company, Citicorp Finance (India) Limited, comprising the asset-backed financing business, which includes commercial vehicle and construction equipment loans, as well as the personal loans portfolio.
Axis Bank looks at this acquisition as a healthy strategic fit. It will gain access to the large and affluent customer franchise of Citibank having a bouquet of fee-oriented and profitable segments, that include a quality credit card portfolio, affluent wealth management clientele, meaningful deposits with 81 per cent being CASA, along with a strong consumer lending portfolio, Axis Bank said in a statement.
“We are delighted with the addition of an enviable retail franchise and a high-quality talent pool as we continue our journey towards becoming a premier financial services brand, in line with our GPS strategy framework,” Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO, Axis Bank, said in a statement.
Post the acquisition, Axis Bank will have 28.5 million Savings Accounts, over 2.3 lakh Burgundy customers and 10.6 million Cards.
“This is a significant milestone in Axis’ journey of growth and leadership and will bring in great value for all stakeholders. The amplified scale and width of offerings, the diversified portfolio of products and global best practices will enhance customer experience, while greater synergies both on revenue and cost side will augment value for the new franchise,” Chaudhry said.
The acquired portfolio would increase Axis Bank’s credit card customer base by nearly 31 per cent with an additional 2.5 million cards, which will in turn bolster the Cards balance sheet position to be amongst the top 3 players in the Indian market.
Moreover, the wealth and private banking portfolio will add great value to the Axis Burgundy business, further accelerating its growth ambitions in that segment. On an overall basis, the proposed transaction will add 7 per cent to the Bank’s deposit base (with 12 per cent increase in CASA) and 4 per cent increase in advances.
The deal excludes Citi’s institutional client businesses in India.
“We continue to remain committed to contributing to India’s growth and development as we deepen our presence through our institutional businesses and our community initiatives,” said Citi India CEO, Ashu Khullar.
“Citi will also continue to harness India’s rich talent pool in the areas of Technology, Operations, Analytics, Finance and allied functional areas through its network of Citi Solution Centers that are located in five cities in India and support our global businesses,” Khullar said.
As part of the deal, nearly 3,600 employees of Citibank will be absorbed in Axis Bank.
“We look forward to collaborating with Citi’s experienced senior leadership team and diverse talent pool, as they join Axis’ 86,000+ strong, dedicated workforce,” Chaudhry said.
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| PM Modi Lauds Enthusiasm Over Pariksha Pe Charcha Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:47 AM PDT New Delhi [India]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appreciated the enthusiasm of lakhs of people who have shared their valuable insights towards this year’s Pariksha Pe Charcha.
The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to students, parents and teachers who have contributed to Pariksha Pe Charcha. “The enthusiasm towards this year’s Pariksha Pe Charcha has been phenomenal.
Lakhs of people have shared their valuable insights and experiences. I thank all those students, parents and teachers who have contributed. Looking forward to the programme on 1st April,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
The Prime Minister will interact with the students, teachers and parents all over the world during the fifth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha on April 1.
It will be held in New Delhi in a town-hall interactive format from Talkatora Stadium at 11 am. Crores of students, teachers and parents from India and abroad will be participating, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said earlier.
“Pariksha Pe Charcha is a much-awaited annual event in which the Prime Minister responds to questions related to examination stress and related areas posed by students in his uniquely engaging style in a live programme,” Pradhan had said.
Terming Pariksha pe Charcha, a public movement, Minister Pradhan outlined the importance of this year’s PPC in wake of the country coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and exams shifting back to offline mode.
Underlining the importance of initiatives like PPC in building the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century, he said that PPC is becoming a formal institution through which Prime Minister interacts directly with the students.
Pradhan informed that select students across the country will also visit Raj Bhawans to watch the event in the presence of the State Governors.
He also expressed confidence that State Governments across the country will also encourage the participation of students, teachers and parents. The Minister mentioned that PPC will be streamed, not only across India, but also in other countries reaching out to the Indian diaspora. He also called for support from the media in making this program a mass movement and ensuring stress-free exams for the students. |
| R. Ashwin Grabs No.2 Spot In Latest ICC Test Rankings Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:32 AM PDT Dubai [UAE]: India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced Jason Holder at the No.2 spot in the latest ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders.
While Kyle Mayers’ brilliance in Grenada has helped him leap a staggering 29 spots to No. 11. Ravindra Jadeja is in the top position among the all-rounders. Among the batters, Usman Khawaja’s stellar show in Australia’s impressive Test series win over Pakistan has helped him surge to No.7 in the latest ICC Test Rankings.
Khawaja was easily the standout batter in the three-match Test series, having aggregated 496 runs from five innings at a whopping 165.33. His scores in the series read 97, 160, 44*, 91 and 104* – the last two coming in Australia’s series-clinching 115-run win in the third Test in Lahore.
Mayers, who bagged 2/13 and 5/18 in the third Test, his only appearance in the series, has jumped up 33 spots to No.48 among bowlers. Shaheen Afridi has displaced Kyle Jamieson to claim the fifth spot, while Mitchell Starc has jumped up four spots to No.11.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins has further consolidated his status as the top-ranked Test bowler, after having bagged 12 wickets from three Tests, including a game-changing five-for in the third.
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| Imran Khan Will Not Resign: Pakistan Minister Ahead Of No-Confidence Vote Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:27 AM PDT Islamabad [Pakistan]: Even as Imran Khan faces mounting pressure with some allies leaving the ruling coalition ahead of the no-confidence vote, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the Pakistan Prime Minister will not resign.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan is a player who fights till the last ball. You will not get his resignation,” Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet in Urdu. Imran Khan is in a precarious position, with the voting on the no-confidence motion expected on April 3.
The ruling PTI got another major shock when one of its key allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has quit the ruling coalition and joined ranks with the Opposition.
In a ‘power show’ rally in Islamabad on Sunday, Imran Khan brandished a letter, saying that the letter contained the ‘proof’ that he was being threatened by ‘foreign elements’ who seek to topple his government.
Khan today had announced that he would share the letter with ‘senior journalists’ and ‘key allies’ later today.
The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172.
The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members – Imran Khan’s PTI having 155 members and other major allies including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) have some 20 seats.
Imran Khan’s situation is precarious given that three of the four allies – MQM-P, PML-Q, and BAP have stated their support for the opposition’s no-confidence motion and said that they will vote accordingly.
The opposition parties in Pakistan are seen to have the support of 162 members of the house and are expected to be joined by the three ruling coalition parties during the vote, helping them cross the majority mark.
The no-confidence motion was tabled in the house on March 28 with the support of 161 members of the house.
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| Rahul Gandhi To Meet Telangana Congress Leaders In Delhi Today Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:20 AM PDT New Delhi [India]: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will meet senior party leaders from Telangana at his residence on Wednesday.
A discussion is likely to take place on the political situation in the state and also about digital membership in the state, said sources.
Telangana Congress leaders including state party chief Revanth Reddy, MPs Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy among others will be present. AICC in-charge of the Telangana Manickam Tagore will also attend the meeting.
With Congress making efforts for the success of its membership drive, the party’s Telangana unit is ahead of other southern states in enrolling new members, party sources said.
The membership drive began on November 1 and the emphasis seems to be on digital membership to make the party better prepared for electoral challenges.
The sources said around 40 lakh members had enrolled in Telangana, 34 lakh in Karnataka, 15 lakh in Maharashtra, 10 lakh in Gujarat, 10 lakh in Kerala, five lakh in Chhattisgarh, four lakh in Bihar, three lakh in Delhi and three lakh in Rajasthan.
The southern states appear to have an upper hand in terms of Congress membership drive. Party leaders are trying to boost the ‘digital membership’ drive in all states including the five where assembly polls were held in February-March.
Congress is keen that those who have taken membership via ‘paper’ are also part of the digital register. This, the party feels, will help in better preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The party’s membership drive is expected to be completed on March 31.
Sources said about 4.5 crore people have become members of Congress so far with options available for enrolling through paper and digitally.
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| Russian Foreign Minister’s 2-Day Visit To India Begins Tomorrow Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:14 AM PDT New Delhi [India]: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to New Delhi from March 31 to April 1, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
This visit comes amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. This will be Lavrov’s first visit to India since Moscow began its “special military operation” in Ukraine last month.
Lavrov is currently holding multinational meetings in Tunxi, China.
Russian Foreign Minister is taking part in two multinational meetings on Afghanistan along with representatives from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Russian foreign minister today held meetings with representatives from China and Pakistan.
“Those who tried to make Afghanistan centre of the world politics, now try to make Ukraine to replace Afghanistan. And we all understand what it is about,” Lavrov said during talks with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Lavrov will also attend a separate meeting of the “Extended Troika” with special Afghan envoys from China and the US.
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| Imran Claims Receipt Of Threat Letter Against Govt. Will Share Contents Soon Posted: 30 Mar 2022 05:08 AM PDT Islamabad [Pakistan]: Facing imminent ouster amid the no-confidence motion against his government, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has claimed to possess a ‘threat letter’ from ‘foreign elements’ against his government.
The letter was brandished by Imran Khan during the ‘power show’ rally organised by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), News International reported. A senior official from the Pakistani government, however, said that the letter was nothing but a mere diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan.
The official, requesting anonymity, said that the telegram was received in Islamabad on March 7, a day before the opposition requestioned the National Assembly for a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the report said.
It is suggested that the letter contains a message from high-ranking US officials regarding the conduct of Khan’s government towards the United States. “I assume it is a diplomatic cable from Ambassador Khan, based on his interaction with some US authorities,” a diplomatic source told The News International.
The letter apparently contains direct quotes of US officials recorded by Ambassador Khan. However, there is no official confirmation on this yet.
Both opposition and security officials have cast doubts about whether the contents of the letter are grounded in facts. And if so, why such a letter is not presented before the high-powered National Security Committee of the cabinet, the report said.
Earlier today, Imran Khan announced that he would show the letter he was brandishing to senior journalists and the government’s allies later today.
He made the revelation while addressing a ceremony for the launch of the e-passport facility in Islamabad, The Dawn reported.
Separately, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the prime minister would also address the nation later today.
Imran Khan is in a precarious position, with the no-confidence motion against him tabled in the parliament and the voting on the motion expected on April 3.
The ruling PTI got another major shock when one of its key allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has quit the ruling coalition and joined ranks with the Opposition.
The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members, with Imran Khan’s PTI having 155 members, and four major allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) having seven, five, five and three members respectively.
Imran Khan’s situation is precarious given that three of the four allies, that is, MQM-P, PML-Q, and BAP have stated their support for the Opposition’s no-confidence motion and said that they will vote accordingly.
In addition, more than 40 of the ruling PTI’s legislators disappeared on the day of the session of the National Assembly on no-confidence on March 25.
The Opposition parties in Pakistan on the other hand hold the support of 162 members of the house and are expected to be joined by the three ruling coalition parties during the vote, helping them cross the majority mark, with 179 members supporting the no-confidence motion.
The no-confidence motion was tabled in the house on March 28 with the support of 161 members of the house.
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| DA Hiked By 3% For All Govt Employees And Pensioners Posted: 30 Mar 2022 04:53 AM PDT Good news for Government employees. The Dearness Allowance for government employees and pensioners has been hiked by 3 percent. With this latest increase, the DA stands at 34% of basic pay or pension as against the earlier 31%. The latest hike will be applicable from January 1, 2022. |
| BJP Wants To Eliminate Arvind Kejriwal: Manish Sisodia Posted: 30 Mar 2022 03:28 AM PDT New Delhi: Manish Sisodia reacted sharply against the protests that turned violent outside Arvind Kejriwal’s house today. In a press conference, Sisodia accused BJP of wanting to eliminate Arvind Kejriwal out of desperation. BJP workers clashed with the police outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence during a protest against Mr Kejriwal’s remarks on the recently released controversial movie ‘The Kashmir Files’. BJP workers dismantled barricades as they huddled outside Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s house during a protest, this afternoon BJP leaders have accused Mr Kejriwal of mocking the “genocide” of Kashmiri Hindus. Several senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders have accused the Delhi police of facilitating vandalism and violence by allowing BJP leaders and workers to reach the Chief Minister’s house. |
SECURITY BARRIERS BROKEN
