New York [US]: Noting that reports of civilian killings in Ukraine’s Bucha town are “deeply disturbing,” India on Tuesday condemned these killings and supported the call for an independent investigation.
Speaking at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti said India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for an immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities.
He said India continues to emphasise that the global order is anchored on international law, the UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.
Tirumurti said diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option to end the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“We have emphasised right from the beginning of the conflict the need to pursue the path of diplomacy and dialogue. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option. In this context, we take note of the ongoing efforts, including the meetings held recently between the parties,” he said.
Trimurti said the situation in Ukraine has not shown any significant improvement since the Council last discussed the issue.
“The security situation has only deteriorated, as well as its humanitarian consequences. Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We unequivocally condemn these killings and support the call for an independent probe,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had on Sunday called for an independent probe into the killing of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is checked. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets, by their homes and in mass graves.
Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukraine propaganda.
Trimurti said keeping in view the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine, India has been sending humanitarian supplies to Ukraine and it’s neighbours, which include medicines and other essential relief materials.
“We stand ready to provide more medical supplies to Ukraine in the coming days. We hope the international community will continue to respond positively to humanitarian needs. We support calls urging for guarantees of safe passage to deliver essential humanitarian and medical supplies,” he said.
He said the impact of the crisis is being felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries.
“It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict,” Trimurti said.
He said humanitarian action must always be guided by the principles of humanitarian assistance – humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
“Allow me to reiterate the importance of UN Guiding Principles of Humanitarian Assistance once again. Humanitarian action must always be guided by the principles of humanitarian assistance, i.e., humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
These measures should never be politicised,” Trimurti said.
“We continue to emphasise to all member states of the UN that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states,” he added.
New Delhi [India]: As the wedding season is gradually approaching its conclusion, it seems like B-town’s most adorable couple, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, also called ‘Ralia’, are in line to get hitched while following the age-old Bollywood tradition of discreet marriages.
Adorably called ‘Ralia’ by some fans, the couple has often teased netizens with glimpses of their relationship. The celebrity sweethearts have recently sparked wedding rumours, and if reports are to be believed, they will be taking the plunge by tying the knot this April.
While the news of Ralia wedding can be interpreted as that of a match made in heaven, Alia and Ranbir’s love story isn’t a typical ‘guy-meets-girl’ romance, with details about the couple’s timeline mostly shrouded by secrecy. So let’s look back at how it all began!
Not many people might know, but Alia had reportedly said that she first had a crush on Ranbir when she was just 11 years old. The actor had revealed that she was auditioning for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Black’ where the suave star was working as an assistant director, and she fell head over heels for him.
Years later, after Alia had made her Bollywood debut as an actor in 2014, she expressed her desire to marry Ranbir during one of the episodes of Karan Johar’s talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’. Not just that, Ranbir too showed up that year to promote Alia’s film ‘Highway’.
Following that, both Alia and Ranbir were linked to several Bollywood celebs over the years, however, rumours about the two dating each other were also rife back then.
When the actors got roped in for filmmaker Ayan Mukerji’s ‘Brahmastra’ in 2017, those rumours gained more momentum, and it was finally in 2018 that the duo made head turns by marking their first appearance as a couple at the wedding reception of Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja.
Both of them were dressed in their traditional best, complimenting each other perfectly.
Soon after making the appearance, Ranbir confirmed their relationship to a magazine. Back then, he had stated that their relationship was “new” and that he didn’t want to speak much about it.
This was followed by several more appearances on many occasions, including family weddings and cozy lunch or dinner parties. When in September 2018, Ranbir’s father, Rishi Kapoor, got admitted to a medical facility in New York, the couple was often snapped visiting him together.
Alia also rang in the 2019 New Year celebrations with Ranbir’s family and the pictures of their gathering went viral on social media in no time. The entire gang seemed like one big happy family.
The same year, while making an appearance at an awards ceremony, Ralia openly proclaimed their love for each other. The actors had won Filmfare awards for best acting in their respective roles that year.
In December 2020, Alia also accompanied Ranbir and his mother Neetu Kapoor to Armaan Jain’s wedding celebration.
Almost every time they stepped out, Ralia made headlines for their adorable chemistry. That year, there had been strong rumours about them tying the knot, but it did not happen, and COVID might have been a contributing factor to that.
Later, Alia’s 2021 Instagram posts proved that the duo was still very much in love. The couple had even flown to Rajasthan to celebrate Ranbir’s 39th birthday. Alia shared a picture from the calm, natural setting as she wished Ranbir a happy birthday.
She also shared a post with Ranbir on the festival of Diwali, which left fans excited and craving for more. In the picture, Alia and Ranbir could be seen in an embrace while gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.
In December 2021, during the motion poster launch event of ‘Brahmastra’, the adorable couple was seen at their candid best. They answered several fan questions while subtly engaging in some adorable PDA.
On being asked by a fan, “When will you marry Alia or someone else?” Ranbir wittily replied, “Haven’t we seen a lot of people getting married in the last year? I think we should be happy with that.” However, turning towards Alia, he cheekily added, “Humari kab hogi?” to which a visibly blushing Alia replied, “Why are you asking me?”
Now it remains to be seen whether Alia and Ranbir will take their relationship to the next level and breathe life into their marriage rumours by tying the knot this April, or will fans still have to wait for the union of their favourite Bollywood couple.
Washington [US]: Microblogging site Twitter on Tuesday announced that it is appointing Tesla CEO Elon Musk to the company’s board of directors.
The announcement was made by Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal. “I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board,” Agrawal said in a tweet.
“He’s both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need on @Twitter, and in the boardroom, to make us stronger in the long-term. Welcome, Elon! I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board!
Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board,” Agrawal added.
In response, Musk tweeted he is “looking forward to working with Parag and Twitter board to make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months!”
A day earlier, Musk had disclosed that he had taken a nine per cent stake in the social media platform.
Twitter said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it plans to appoint the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to its board for a term that ends in 2024. As part of the deal, Musk has agreed not to acquire more than 14.9 per cent of the company’s shares while he remains on the board, CNN reported.
Washington [US]: The United States on Tuesday said it is deeply concerned about the economic situation in Sri Lanka and urged authorities in the island nation to exercise restraint and avoid social media blackouts.
“We are deeply concerned about the economic situation in Sri Lanka. All have the right to peacefully protest and voice their views. We urge authorities to exercise restraint and to avoid social media blackouts and arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in response,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price tweeted.
Anti-government protests continue to take place in the island nation, demanding solutions to the current economic crisis. An emergency health situation has been declared in Sri Lanka today, due to a severe shortage of medicines in the country.
Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on Tuesday has decided to close its embassies in Norway and Iraq along with the Consulate General in Sydney, Australia with effect from April 30.
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.
Brussels [Belgium]: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday proposed the fifth package of sanctions against Russia which include an import ban on coal and a ban on Russian and Russian-operated vessels from accessing the European Union (EU) ports.
Taking to her Twitter, the European Commission President said, “Russia is waging a cruel, ruthless war, also against Ukraine’s civilian population. We need to sustain utmost pressure at this critical point. So today we are proposing the 5th package of sanctions.” The sanctions include an import ban on coal from Russia, worth 4 billion euros per year, aimed at cutting an important revenue source for Russia. Further, it includes a full transaction ban on four key Russian banks, including Russia’s largest bank, VTB.
The sanctions also comprise a ban on Russian and Russian operated vessels from accessing EU ports and a ban on Russian and Belarusian road transport operators. They also include export bans, worth 10 billion euros, in crucial areas like advanced semiconductors, machinery and transport equipment.
Specific new import bans worth 5.5 billion euros and targeted measures such as a ban on participation of Russian companies in public procurement and exclusion of all financial support from EU or national to Russian public bodies are also included in the sanctions.
The European Commission President further said that the EU is also proposing further listings of individuals and working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports, and reflecting on some of the ideas of the Member States, like taxes or specific payment channels such as an escrow account.
“Today over 40 countries apply sanctions like these. To take a clear stand is crucial for the whole world. A clear stand against Putin’s war of choice. Against the massacre of civilians. Against the violation of the fundamental principles of the world order. Slava Ukrainje,” she tweeted.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities.
Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia.
Washington [US]: The world is becoming unstable and the likelihood of a significant international conflict between the great powers, including China and Russia, is increasing, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said during congressional testimony on Tuesday.
“We are now facing two global powers, China and Russia, each with significant military capabilities, both who intend to fundamentally change rules based on the global order. We are entering a world that is becoming unstable. The potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing, not decreasing,” Milley told the US House Armed Services Committee. At the same time, the US military stands ready to deter and fight and win any country that seeks to attack the United States, Milley said.
The United States is witnessing the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe in the world in the past several decades and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is threatening to undermine both European and global peace and stability, and the is World Becoming Unstable, the general noted.
On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Ministry of Defence said the operation is solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and the civilian population is not in danger.
New Delhi [India]: Maharashtra MLAs will attend a tea party at Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s house at 6 PM and later a dinner party at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s house.
A tea party has been organised at the house of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in Delhi with MLAs elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the first time. After the tea party at Raut’s house, a dinner party has been organised for all these MLAs at the house of NCP leader Sharad Pawar.
Talking on the matter, senior leaders of Maharashtra Congress Prithviraj Chavan, who is also a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly informed that the first time MLAs elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by the Lok Sabha Secretariat have been called to Delhi for an orientation program for 2 days, that is from April 5 to April 6.
“To mark the occasion, we have also kept a dinner party,” he added.
Prithviraj Chavan said that both the meetings will be a courtesy meeting only.
New Delhi [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party has invited diplomats of foreign nations on Wednesday on the occasion of the party’s foundation day in a bid to establish better relations and dialogues with other countries. The event named ‘To Know BJP’ will take place at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
It will be attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, national president JP Nadda, party spokespersons Sudhanshu Trivedi, Jay Panda along with officials of the External Affairs Ministry.
“So far envoy of France Emmanuel Lenain, European Union’s Ugo Astuto, Portugal’s Carlos Pereira Marques, Switzerland’s Ralf Heckner Poland’s Adam Burakowski, Romania’s Daniela Sezonov Tane, Bangladesh’s Muhammad Imran, Singapore’s Simon Wong Wie Kuen, Slovakia’s Robert Maxiam, Italy’s Vincenzo De Luca, Hungary’s Andras Laszlo Kiraly, Vietnams’ Pham Sanh Chau and Norway’s Hans Jacob Frydenlund have confirmed their presence to the event,” read the BJP’s official release.
Mostly, envoys of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations, along with some Asian and European nations have been invited to ‘To Know BJP’ event.
According to BJP Foreign Affairs In-Charge Vijay Chauthaiwale, the party aims to foster friendly relations with foreign country envoys.
The event will begin with JP Nadda briefing the envoys about the activities that the BJP is undertaking. It will be followed by a short documentary on the party, individual interaction with envoys and a tour of the entire party headquarters.
“We aspire to start a similar dialogue with other countries too. This is our first such interaction programme. We will go ahead and have a similar one to one interaction with the political parties of friendly nations,” said Chauthaiwale.
Chauthaiwale added that different leaders from BJP will be engaged from time to time in these discussions.
“We have also prepared a coffee table book which consists of the work undertaken by the party starting from the days of Jan Sangh till COVID-19. That book will be presented to the foreign ambassadors who will be present at ‘To Know BJP’ event,” Chauthaiwale added.
Stressing the importance of interactions with foreign diplomats, BJP leaders quoted the visit of Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba to the party headquarters which helped them clear many misconceptions about the party and initiatives of BJP led state governments.
“PM Deuba visited BJP Hq here in Delhi and then went to Uttar Pradesh. The delegation raised the misconception they had about the Nepali temple in Varanasi.
The rumours were spread that the Nepali temple was removed during the construction of the Varanasi corridor. The Nepali delegation raised the issue and UP CM Yogi Adityanath clarified to them that an encroachment near the temple has been removed, and the temple in safe and secure. They were happy and satisfied with our explanation and they also tweeted about it,” said Chauthaiwale.
BJP is aiming to rectify any such rumours around the party with such interactions with foreign delegations.
The BJP will organise various programmes from April 6 till April 20 to celebrate the party’s foundation day.
New Delhi [India]: The Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to merge three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to merge three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity, was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote after a reply by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The bill was earlier passed by Lok Sabha. Amit Shah said that the bill seeks to unify the three municipal corporations into “a single, integrated and well-equipped entity” to ensure a robust mechanism for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources.
Shah also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi of “step-motherly” treatment of three municipal corporations of the national capital–North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation.
“All the three municipal corporations of Delhi are not functioning properly due to the step-motherly behaviour of the AAP party,” Shah said.
The Home Minister said it is necessary to unify the three municipal corporations into one entity so that these can work in a proper manner.
Shah said AAP’s “step-motherly attitude towards these municipal corporations have resulted into dissatisfaction into their employees, and the three units are functioning in different ways despite being part of one city”.
The bill proposes to appoint “Special officer” who will essentially discharge the functions of the elected wing of councillors as in the interim till the first meeting of the new corporation is held.
The Bill aims to merge three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity by seeking an amendment to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957.
The Act was amended in 2011 by Delhi Legislative Assembly to trifurcate the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi into North, South, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 30.
The bill proposes to completely omit the section on directors, local bodies in the amended act that governs the functioning of the MCDs.
Amid the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on Tuesday has decided to close its embassies in Norway and Iraq along with the Consulate General in Sydney, Australia with effect from April 30.
“Following a recent decision by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated action to temporarily close down the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oslo, the Kingdom of Norway; the Sri Lanka Embassy in Baghdad, the Republic of Iraq; and the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Sydney, the Commonwealth of Australia; with effect from 30 April 2022,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said. “The decision with regard to the temporary closure of the two Missions and Post was taken by the Government of Sri Lanka following careful deliberation. It is part of a general restructuring of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic representation overseas, undertaken by the Foreign Ministry in the context of the current economic situation and foreign currency constraints faced by the country,” the statement further said.
The move comes as the country deals with the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948 with prices of essential commodities like fruits and vegetables skyrocketing.
The Sri Lankan government statement emphasized that the closure of the missions would not affect the bilateral relations of Sri Lanka with the countries.
“The decision to close the resident Missions in Norway and Iraq, undertaken as a temporary measure in the current context, would not in any way impinge upon Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations with the two countries which are maintained at an optimum level of friendship and cordiality,” the statement said.
Following the closure of the two resident Missions, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Stockholm, Sweden will be concurrently accredited to Norway, and the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates will be concurrently accredited to Iraq. The consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General in Sydney will revert to the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Canberra, Australia in order to continue carrying out the routine work of the diplomatic missions.
Amid the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa has called for abolishing the Executive Presidential system. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.
On Sunday, 26-member Sri Lankan Cabinet Ministers submitted resignations amid rising public anger against the government over the economic crisis. Meanwhile, the 36-hour long curfew that was imposed on Sri Lanka on Saturday evening at 6 pm was lifted on Monday morning at 6 am but the country is still under a state of emergency.
Mumbai (Maharashtra): Wedding bells are ringing for one of the much-loved couples of Bollywood — Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor — as per several rumours circulating on social media.
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, who have been dating for around four years, are reportedly gearing up for their wedding this April. The rumours further claim that the couple will tie the knot in an intimate ceremony at RK house in Chembur, Mumbai, just like late star Rishi Kapoor and veteran actor Neetu Kapoor’s wedding ceremonies took place in 1980.
If reports are to be believed, the couple will be inviting only close family members and friends.
Details about Ranbir’s rumoured bachelor’s party are also floating on the internet, including Arjun Kapoor and Ayan Mukherji on the guest list.
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor had fallen in love on the sets of their upcoming film ‘Brahmastra’. The two made their first appearance as a couple at Sonam Kapoor’s reception in 2018.
The couple has been vocal about their relationship — sharing pictures of several vacations together and visiting each other’s houses for family get-togethers on numerous occasions.
Alia was also present at Rishi Kapoor’s funeral service in 2020.
Having seen the couple being there for each other in joy and sorrow, Ranbir and Alia’s fans are eagerly waiting for them to put a ring on their relationship.
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