Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ‘Empowering Youth, Transforming J&K’ programme, in Srinagar, on June 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Poll preparations on, J&K to shape its future as a State soon, says PM Modi in Srinagar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Srinagar amid tight security, said the day was not far when people will elect a new government and shape Jammu & Kashmir’s future as a State once again. He pledged to “teach a lesson to the enemies of J&K”, while referring to recent terror attacks. The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than ₹1,500 crore. He launched Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project worth ₹1,800 crore and handed over appointment letters to 200 fresh government recruits.

Arvind Kejriwal granted bail in Delhi Excise policy case

A Delhi court granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy of 2021-22. Vacation judge, Rouse Avenue Court, Niyay Bindu passed the order after hearing Mr. Kejriwal and the ED at length. The bail order was dictated by the judge in an open court on June 20 evening. The detailed court order is awaited. Mr. Kejriwal, earlier this month, had filed two bail applications in the Rouse Avenue Court, one for a seven days bail for treatment which was denied on June 5.

NEET, UGC-NET paper leaks: Government to form panel to improve NTA’s working, says Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the alleged irregularities in the recently held National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), and the cancelled University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) were “an institutional failure of the National Testing Agency”. Mr. Pradhan has said that a reform committee consisting of technocrats, bureaucrats and scientists would be formulated, which would suggest improvements to the NTA’s working.

French journalist forced to leave India as MHA refuses to renew his work permit 

A second French journalist, working in India since 2011, said he had been forced to leave the country after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) denied the renewal of his work permit without providing any reason. Earlier this year, French journalist Vanessa Dougnac, who had been living in India for 22 years, left the country after the MHA sent a notice citing “malicious reportage” and visa violations, asking why her OCI card should not be cancelled.

ECI receives 11 requests for EVM and VVPAT memory verification post results

The Election Commission of India has received 11 requests for memory verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) from the recently concluded Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. These requests essentially mean rematching the votes polled in 5% of the EVMs in each of these constituencies. This is the first time that such requests have been received since the Supreme Court order of April 24 allowing verification on the request of the runners-up in any election.

UGC-NET exam cancelled to safeguard students’ interest, says Education Ministry official

A day after the UGC-NET was cancelled, Education Ministry officials said no complaints were received about the exam but a suo motu action was taken on the basis of inputs available with them to protect students’ interest. Education Ministry Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal said the details of the inputs cannot be shared as the matter has been referred to the CBI and is currently under investigation

India shuns China’s calls to resume passenger flights after 4 years, officials say

China is pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as a border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world’s two most populous countries, officials said. India-China relations have been tense since the biggest military confrontation in decades on their disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers in June 2020. Thousands of troops remain mobilised on each side.

IRCTC apologises to Vande Bharat passenger who found cockroach in food

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) apologised to a couple who found a cockroach in their meal while traveling on the Vande Bharat Express from Bhopal to Agra. After an X user Vidit Varshney took to the social media platform about his uncle and aunt finding an insect in their meal on the Vande Bharat Express, IRCTC responded by apologising for the incident and said they are taking it seriously.

Jaishankar reviews India-backed energy, connectivity projects during Colombo visit

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar undertook a day-long visit to Colombo and discussed progress on key energy sector initiatives that India and Sri Lanka have agreed to jointly undertake. Participating in a ceremony with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, he commissioned a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and handed over new homes built with Indian assistance. In his first bilateral visit abroad after being re-appointed to the post in the newly installed coalition government, EAM Jaishankar focused mostly on progress made in the implementation of ongoing India-backed projects across the island nation, sources said

IIT Bombay imposes fine on 8 students for performing play that allegedly mocked Lord Ram

The Indian Institute of India (IIT) Bombay has imposed a fine of up to ₹1.2 lakh on eight students, who performed a play that allegedly mocked Lord Ram and portrayed the ‘Ramayana’ in a bad light, a fellow student said. The students had presented the play named ‘Raahovan’ on March 31 this year, as part of the Performing Arts Festival (PAF).

Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: Madras High Court to hear on June 21 a plea for CBI probe

The Madras High Court on Thursday agreed to hear a public interest litgation petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that had so far claimed over 30 lives and left many others hospitalised. The petitioner insisted on a CBI probe since there was serious suspicion of the spurious liquor sale having taken place with the connivance of local politicians belonging to the ruling party and the police personnel.

Sanjay Singh seeks INDIA bloc’s support to get Delhi’s share of water from Haryana

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh sought the INDIA bloc’s support in the party’s fight to get Delhi’s share of water from Haryana. Mr. Singh said Delhi Water minister Atishi will be starting an indefinite fast from June 21 to get Delhi’s share of water from Haryana, which is ruled by the BJP.

Rain brings some relief to North India, heatwave conditions ease

Heatwave conditions have abated over large parts of North India, the India Meteorological Department said, but this is expected to be short-lived as dry conditions are expected to resurface over the weekend or early next week. “Heat wave conditions have abated from Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, north Rajasthan and many parts of Uttar Pradesh today the 20th June 2024. Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall has been observed over Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, north Haryana-Chandigarh and north Uttar Pradesh during past 24 hours (Thursday). Isolated very heavy rainfall has also been observed over Uttarakhand during this period,” the IMD said on Thursday.

68 Indians among over 600 to die due to heat during Haj pilgrimage

A diplomat in Saudi Arabia said that 68 Indian nationals died during the haj pilgrimage this year marked by searing heath, bringing the overall tally to more than 600. “We have confirmed around 68 dead… Some are because of natural causes and we had many old-age pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that’s what we assume,” the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

T20 World Cup, AFG vs IND: After the Suryakumar show, Bumrah takes over

India had no trouble adapting to conditions in the West Indies. The move from USA to Barbados was seamless, as India crushed Afghanistan by 47 runs in its first Super 8 game on Thursday. Led by Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, India passed the pitch test with flying colours to make a commanding 181 for eight. With ball in hand, Jasprit Bumrah (3/7) and the three spinners put the stranglehold on the Afghans.

Education Ministry announces cancellation of UGC-NET; CBI probe ordered

The Education Ministry announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination after inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs suggested that the integrity of the examinations had been compromised. The University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test is conducted by the National Testing Agency. The development comes at a time when the NTA is embroiled in a controversy over irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical and allied courses.

At least 9 die after consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi

At least nine persons including a woman died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district. While six of them died in Kallakurichi, three others succumbed in neighbouring Salem district. It is feared the toll could go up. Only last year, at least 22 persons had died in twin hooch tragedies in nearby Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts.

Official data: more frequent surveys, quicker results on the cards

The Centre is eyeing an increase in the frequency of some critical official Surveys, including the periodic survey to measure employment, and releasing their results faster to facilitate timely and informed policy decisions, a top Statistics Ministry official said on June 19.

Centre raises paddy MSP by ₹117 to ₹2,300 per quintal for 2024-25

The government raised the minimum support price for paddy by 5.35% to ₹2,300 per quintal for the 2024-25 kharif marketing season. The hike in paddy support price comes despite the government sitting on surplus rice stocks, but it is significant ahead of elections in states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

Canadian Parliament holds moment of silence for Nijjar killing anniversary; India says it will mourn Kanishka victims

Canadian parliamentarians stood for a moment of silence to mark one year since the killing of Khalistani separatist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a sign that bilateral ties between India and Canada are likely to spiral further downwards, despite a meeting between the two countries’ Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau, in Italy on June 14. Khalistani groups were also allowed to take out processions in different Canadian cities, where they shouted anti-India slogans over the killing and called for a trial against Indian officials and Mr. Modi.

The Hindu’s senior photojournalist Nissar Ahmad passes away in Srinagar — an obituary

A camera shutter that captured the multiple phases of Kashmir’s turbulent history shut forever with the demise of senior photojournalist of The Hindu, Nissar Ahmad, in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar. Mr. Ahmad, 59, started his journalistic career in the late 1980s. He has the distinction of working with reputed Urdu dailies published from Kashmir, which include the Aftaab and the Alsafa. His work brought to light the violent phase of Kashmir’s history in the early 1990s when he started working with the widely-respected Jammu-based newspaper, the Kashmir Times. 

Madhya Pradesh suspends licence of Som Distilleries over child labour row

The Madhya Pradesh Government temporarily suspended the licence of Som Distilleries, a liquor factory in Raisen district. Authorities rescued 59 children from the factory last week amid allegations they were made to toil in the factory. An inspection was conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on a complaint by the non-profit Bachpan Bachao Andolan on June 15. The inspectors said, 39 boys and 20 girls were rescued from the liquor manufacturing unit.

Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly polls, Sharad Pawar launches Baramati blitz to challenge nephew Ajit’s hold over constituency 

After trouncing his nephew Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party in the Lok Sabha election, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has begun a whirlwind campaign in the Baramati Assembly segment in a bid to supplant the younger Pawar in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. On June 19, the 83-year-old Mr. Sharad Pawar, on a three-day tour of drought-affected villages in Baramati, expressed confidence in the NCP (SP) coming to power in Maharashtra after the Assembly election.

CISF yet to get formal orders to take over Parliament security

The Central Industrial Security Force is yet to receive formal orders to take over the security at the Parliament, officials told The Hindu. In the past few months, over 2,500 CISF personnel have been deployed on the premises replacing the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Force. CISF has assumed some key duties earlier assigned to the Parliament Security Service such as issuance of pass and facilitating the entry of MPs.

Demolition drive in Lucknow: More than 1,200 illegal structures razed in Akbarnagar

“The demolition work of illegal buildings on the river bed of Kukrail river in Akbarnagar has been completed,” officials of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) said. “Around 1,169 illegal residential properties and more than 100 commercial properties were demolished using heavy machinery, including bulldozers,” they said.

Renukaswamy died due to shock and haemorrhage, says post-mortem report 

The post-mortem report of Renukaswamy, who was allegedly murdered by actor Darshan and his associates, according to documents obtained by The Hindu, has concluded that “the death is due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries”. Police sources said it was the post-mortem report that threw light on the victim being administered electric shocks, a fact that the police did not know and the accused had tried to suppress.

Restore statues of leaders to their original position in Parliament complex: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman that the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and other national leaders that were relocated and placed at the newly inaugurated Prerna Sthal inside the Parliament complex should be restored to their original place.

Stood against hatred: Congress, INDIA bloc leaders hail Rahul Gandhi on birthday

Birthday wishes poured in for Rahul Gandhi as he turned 54 with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge saying that his qualities of unwavering commitment to the values espoused in the Constitution and his emphatic compassion for the millions of unheard voices set him apart. Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress president and MP from Rae Bareli, has instructed all Congress workers to avoid any grand celebrations and instead celebrate this occasion by engaging in humanitarian efforts and charity.

Sri Lanka needs to connect with India to benefit from its industrial success: President Wickremesinghe

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said Sri Lanka needs to connect with neighbouring India to reap the benefits of its massive industrial development. “Our neighbour India is going through a phase of massive industrial development. Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are experiencing it. We must also join in,” said Mr. Wickremesinghe in his address at the Industry 2024 event in Colombo.

Monsoon gathering pace, to strengthen in Maharashtra by June 21-22: IMD

The south-west monsoon, which has slowed down after hitting Mumbai, is gathering pace and is expected to progress further by June 21-22, an official of the India Meteorological Department said. The progress of the monsoon will provide a much-needed relief to north India, which is reeling under an intense heatwave.

Mizoram awaits Centre instruction to initiate biometric enrollment for Myanmar refugees

“The Mizoram government is waiting for instruction from the Centre to initiate biometric enrollment for more than 33,000 Myanmar refugees in the northeastern State,” a Home Department official said. The official said that a new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared. In April last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had directed Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to capture the biometric and biographic details of “illegal immigrants” in their States.

AI creating false stories about World War II, Holocaust: UNESCO

AI technology is helping to create false stories about World War II atrocities including Holocaust denial, risking an “explosive spread of anti-Semitism”, the U.N. warned. The U.N.’s education and culture body UNESCO called for governments and tech companies to introduce ethical safeguards around AI technology, and for schools to spread the word about the risks of AI-generated content.

Israel may have violated laws of war in Gaza campaign, UN rights office says

Israeli forces may have repeatedly violated fundamental principles of the laws of war and failed to distinguish between civilians and fighters in their Gaza Strip military campaign, the United Nations human rights office said. In a report assessing six Israeli attacks that caused a high number of casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, the U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces “may have systematically violated the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.”

You are one of the greats: Wesley Hall tells Kohli

Legendary West Indies pacer Wesley Hall has seen a lot of great batters over the years and in his opinion, Indian superstar Virat Kohli belongs right at the top with the all-time legends of the game. The 86-year-old from Barbados, who formed a lethal bowling partnership with Charlie Griffith in the 1960s, also feels that the modern day West Indies players can’t be expected to turn down million-dollar contracts in franchise cricket though it does impact the health of Test cricket in the region.

Heatwaves push power demand in North India to record high

Amid the longest spell of heatwaves in the past 15 years, the power demand in North India surged to 89 GW (89,000 MW) , the highest ever for a single day. To meet this demand, nearly 25%-30% of power had to be “imported” from outside the region, the Power Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Most of the northern States continue to reel under heatwaves, with Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh reporting a maximum temperature of 47.6 degrees Celsius.

41 airports go into a tizzy after receiving bomb threat by email

As many as 41 airports in the country received an email threat warning of a bomb on their premises and all of them were later found out to be hoax calls. Airport sources said that on Tuesday, 41 airport directors received a bomb threat mail at 12.40 p.m. The mail was received from exhumedyou888@gmail.com stating: “There are explosives hidden in the airport. The bombs will soon explode. You will all die.” All airports constituted Bomb Threat Assessment Committees and declared the threat as “non-specific” or hoax. 

PM to inaugurate Nalanda University; visit will send positive message, says interim VC

On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar’s Nalanda University to inaugurate its new campus on Wednesday, the university‘s interim vice-chancellor professor Abhay Kumar Singh termed the occasion “historic”. Mr. Singh said after the Prime Minister’s visit, the university will become more popular at the international level. At present, students from 26 countries are studying here.

Despite rising number of accidents, Kavach work still on the slow track

The accident involving the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, which claimed 10 lives, has brought to the fore once again the delay in installing Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) system, across the country’s rail network. On Monday, a goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express between Rangapani and Chatterhat in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, derailing four coaches of the passenger train and five wagons of the goods train.

Days after ‘attack’, U.P. cattle transporter dies

Saddam Qureshi, the sole survivor in which three cattle transporters from Uttar Pradesh were allegedly attacked by a mob in Chhattisgarh’s Arang earlier this month, succumbed to his injuries. On June 7, two cattle transporters, Guddu Khan (35) and Chand Miya Khan (23), were found dead under suspicious circumstances after being allegedly chased by a mob.

Railways backs out of human error claim; toll climbs to 10

The death toll from a goods train’s collision with the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express rose to ten on Tuesday, with a six-year child succumbing to injuries at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will begin his inquiry into the cause of the accident on Wednesday, even as the Railways seemed to walk back its initial claim that human error was behind the accident by acknowledging that the automatic signalling system was not working along the route.

Uttar Pradesh tops list of complaints with National Commission for Women

The highest number of complaints received by the National Commission for Women so far this year has been from Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi and then Maharashtra. Strife-torn Manipur has recorded only three complaints of “crime against women” with the commission. Of the total 12,648 complaints received by the NCW till now in 2024, 6,492 were from Uttar Pradesh. 

When can Rashid take oath as MP, court asks NIA

A Delhi court directed the National Investigation Agency to file its reply on the date Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, has to take oath as a parliamentarian. The court’s directions came during the hearing of an interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid, who won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking bail to take oath in the Parliament.

Congress plans strategy meetings for poll-bound States of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and J&K next week

Buoyed by the Lok Sabha results, the Congress on June 18 announced a series of strategy meetings for Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir where Assembly polls are expected later this year. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi would be meeting leaders from Jharkhand on June 24 to discuss the party’s election preparedness in the State and it will be followed by a meeting with leaders from Maharashtra the next day.

As first Lok Sabha session approaches, BJP tightens coordination among allies

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting of senior Ministers, as well as some National Democratic Alliance allies in New Delhi, to approach the upcoming Parliament session with a degree of coordination between various partners in the government, and to fine tune the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament before it’s placed before the Union Cabinet.

Jaishankar to visit Colombo on June 20

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankarwill arrive in Colombo on June 20, in his official first visit to a neighbouring country since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s coalition government assumed charge in India earlier this month. Confirming his Indian counterpart’s visit, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told The Hindu on Tuesday that projects that India and Sri Lanka have agreed to jointly implement will be reviewed.

Priyanka’s Lok Sabha electoral bid from Wayanad supercharges UDF and miffs LDF and BJP

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s upcoming electoral bid to supplant her brother, Rahul Gandhi, as the party’s MP from the Wayanad  Lok Sabha constituency has buoyed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and nettled the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress strategises that Ms. Vadra’s pivot to Kerala would invigorate the Opposition’s future electoral campaigns, potentially broadening its path to victory in the 2025 local body elections and beyond.

In a first, CDS releases its blueprint for warfare in cyberspace

Acknowledging that cyberspace has emerged as a crucial and challenging domain in modern warfare, the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan released India’s first joint doctrine for cyberspace operations during a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Tuesday. The joint doctrine is a keystone publication that will guide commanders of the armed forces in conducting cyberspace operations in today’s complex military operating environment, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Prajwal Revanna remanded into 14 days judicial custody

Former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, accused in three cases of rape, was remanded into judicial custody for 14 days by the Special Court of Magistrate for Criminal Cases against former and present MPs and MLAs. The SIT has taken him into custody in two rape cases till date, even as he has another rape case pending against him.  

PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat to resume from June 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monthly radio broadcast will resume from June 30 and urged people to share their ideas and inputs for it. Prime Minister Modi’s monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast was last aired on February 25 and then took a break for the Lok Sabha polls.

Sikkim: More stranded tourists evacuated from Lachung; schools closed in landslides-hit Mangan

Fifteen more stranded tourists were evacuated from Lachung and adjoining regions of Sikkim’s landslides-hit Mangan district on June 18, officials said. Sixty-four tourists were evacuated from North Sikkim’s Lachung on June 17 and moved to Mangan town, officials said.

Israeli intel warned of Hamas plans before October 7 attack: report

An Israeli intelligence brief prepared weeks before Hamas’s October 7 attack had warned military officials of the Palestinian group’s preparations for an assault, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The Israeli military’s signals intelligence unit drafted the brief in September, less than a month before the Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Kan reported on Monday.

US sues Adobe over subscription plan disclosures

The U.S. government sued Adobe, accusing the maker of Photoshop and Acrobat of harming consumers by enrolling them in its most lucrative subscription plans without clearly disclosing important terms. The government said Adobe hides important terms in fine print and behind textboxes and hyperlinks, clearly discloses the fees only when subscribers try to cancel, and makes canceling an onerous and complicated process.

Rescue work underway after a collision between the Kanchanjungha Express and a goods train, near Rangapani railway station, on June 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi retains Rae Bareli

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala in a bypoll, after her brother and former Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, decided to retain the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Gandhi said it was a difficult decision for him as he has an emotional connection with both Rae Bareli and the people of Wayanad.

Kanchanjunga accident: locopilot of goods train had authority to cross all signals in red

The locopilot of the goods train that rammed into the rear of Kanchanjunga Express between Rangapani and Chattar Hat railway stations of the Northeast Frontier Railway in West Bengal had the authority to cross all signals in danger. Documents made available to The Hindu revealed that the Station Master of the Rangapani railway station issued Travel Authority (TA-912) authorising the locopilot of the goods to cross all signals in red. 

Nikhil Gupta, accused of murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Pannun, pleads not guilty in U.S. court

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil pleaded not guilty in the case at a federal court in New York. Gupta was extradited to the U.S. from the Czech Republic on Friday.

Gaurav Gogoi asks EC to release data on EVMs found faulty in Lok Sabha elections

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi asked the Election Commission of India to put out data on how many EVMs were found faulty throughout the Lok Sabha polls. Mr. Gogoi’s statement came a day after a fresh political row erupted more than EVM tampering claims with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of the Shiv Sena candidate in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency was found using a mobile phone “connected” to an electronic voting machine during the counting of votes on June 4.

NCERT working as RSS arm, assaulting Constitution: Jairam Ramesh over textbook revision row

The Congress accused the NCERT of working as an “affiliate” of the RSS amid the controversy over revision of NCERT text books. The comments by Opposition leaders come amid changes including removal of certain events like the Gujarat riots and Babri masjid demolition from the NCERT school textbooks. However, NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani had defended the move by calling the changes as part of annual revision process.

Delhi water crisis BJP-made: AAP’s Sanjay Singh

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that the water crisis in New Delhi was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Several areas in the national capital have been reeling under a water crisis for weeks, with little to no supply, and shortage being met by private water tankers.

BJP sounds poll bugle for Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana, and J&K

The Bharatiya Janata Party ignalled its poll readiness for Assembly elections in three States and one Union Territory, that of Jammu and Kashmir, where Assembly election is to be held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 and removal of statehood. In a communiqué from the BJP, the party stated that Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw will be election in-charges for Maharashtra; their Cabinet colleagues Dharmendra Pradhan and Tripura MP Biplab Deb of Haryana; Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to be in-charge of Jharkhand; and Union Minister G. Kishen Reddy will be in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP stages protest in Karnataka against great distress brought to the public by fuel tax hike

BJP leaders staged a protest against the State government’s decision to increase taxes on fuel, leading to a hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, in several districts. Some protestors rode bikes pulled by bullocks on the main streets. They staged a protest at the Kittur Channamma Circle and stopped traffic for some time. They raised slogans against the Congress government in the State.

With BJP in office, Odisha govt. leans in on Central schemes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to release the 17th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, amounting to over ₹20,000 crore on June 18 in Odisha. The scheme is likely to benefit 9.26 crore farmers. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo will be in western Odisha district of Bargarh, known as the rice bowl of Odisha, to celebrate the PM-Kisan Utsav.

2024 Tony Awards: Daniel Radcliffe, ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Stereophonic’ win big as women make strides

The Outsiders, a gritty adaptation of the classic young adult novel, became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday, winning the Tony Award for best new musical on a night when women made strides.The musical based on the beloved S. E. Hinton book is about rival gangs of haves and have-nots in 1960s Oklahoma. The win meant Angelina Jolie, a producer, landed her first Tony, too.

Chinese vessel, Philippine supply ship collide in disputed South China Sea

A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, China’s coast guard said. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that’s part of territory claimed by several nations.

Arvind Kejriwal arrest | After India summons envoy, U.S. stresses it encourages fair, transparent legal proceedings

After India summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to lodge a protest over remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Washington on Wednesday stressed that it encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes and “we don’t think anyone should object to that”. “We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Two killed after anti-CAA meeting in Meghalaya

Two persons were killed in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district on Wednesday following a meeting organised by a local organisation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019. Police said the bodies of the two persons — both non-tribals — were found at Ichamati and Dalda under the Shella Assembly constituency. Both places are close to the State’s border with Bangladesh. The district’s Superintendent of Police, Rituraj Ravi, told journalists that the post-mortem was yet to be done. “Additional police teams from Shillong have been sent to the site,” he said.

IPL-17 : MI vs SRH | Records go for a six as SRH outshines MI in run fest

Travis Head played a gem of an innings, Abhishek Sharma was stunning and Heinrich Klaasen flamboyant as the trio fashioned Sunrisers Hyderabad’s impressive 31-run win against Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring IPL league match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Wednesday night.

Priest can give CAA eligibility certificate, says government helpline

A local priest may issue an “eligibility certificate” under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 to validate the religion of an applicant, according to a response received by The Hindu through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ CAA helpline. The certificate, a mandatory document, is to be enclosed along with an affidavit and other documents that the applicants are to upload on the CAA portal. “The reasons for which applicant wishes to acquire Indian citizenship” must also be stated.

Congress announces 14 more candidates for Lok Sabha polls

The Congress on Wednesday brought out a fresh list of 14 candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections. Some of these were cleared by the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party earlier in the evening. Sources said the CEC had discussed around 18 names and most had been cleared. In Uttar Pradesh, the party named Dolly Sharma from Ghaziabad, Virendra Chowdhury from Maharajganj, Nakul Dubey from Sitapur and Shivram Valmiki from Bulandshahr.

₹50 lakh stolen from van carrying cash to ATM in Kerala

In a brazen daylight theft, ₹50 lakh was stolen from a van that was taking the money to fill cash vending machines, at Uppala in Kasaragod in Kerala on Wednesday .The incident occurred outside an ATM of the Axis Bank around 2 p.m. The van involved in the incident belongs to a private agency, Secure Valley. Notably, it arrived at the location without security personnel. The police apprehended the driver and seized the van.

Nirmala Sitharaman decides against contesting Lok Sabha polls

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has decided against contesting the Lok Sabha election, she said on Wednesday, citing the lack of “money to contest” the poll and her inability to meet the “winnability criteria” in southern States such as Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu that she could have considered battling from. The Minister, in her second term in the Rajya Sabha, had been sounded out by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top brass to consider a Lok Sabha candidature in the upcoming election, along with some of her Upper House cabinet colleagues such as Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Environment and Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Government notifies revised wages under the MGNREGS

The Union government on Wednesday notified the revised wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), with several States reporting a hike in wages by 8 to 10%. The hike ranged from ₹7 in Uttar Pradesh (2023- ₹230 – to 2024 rate of ₹237) to ₹34 hike in Goa (2023 wages ₹322 to 2024 wages ₹356). Significant jump in wages have been reported by Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Goa, where the hikes varied from 8% to 10.5%. Bihar follows closely behind, where the wages have been revised by ₹17. 

Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt convicted in false drug seizure case

A court in Gujarat on Wednesday convicted former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a drugs seizure case dating back to 1996. The court is expected to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday. The sessions court in Palanpur held Bhatt guilty of falsely implicating a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumer Singh Rajpurohit, by claiming that police had seized drugs from a hotel room in Palanpur where the lawyer was staying. The case was lodged when Bhatt was the district Superintendent of Police.

‘Close your eyes, feel my presence’: Arvind Kejriwal’s wife reads out his message to people

Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, posted a video message on the CM’s X account on Wednesday, where she relayed a message from her husband: “While my body is in jail, my spirit is with the people of Delhi.” “Close your eyes, and you will feel my presence around you,” Ms. Kejriwal said, relaying her husband’s message with her eyes closed and hands folded. While remanding Mr. Kejriwal in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody, a court in New Delhi had allowed him to meet his wife and lawyers between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

Solution cannot be found on battlefield, says Jaishankar on Russia-Ukraine conflict

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on March 27 said India’s position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been that a solution cannot be found on the battlefield and New Delhi wants to find a way of bringing this conflict to an end. Responding to a question on India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict during his interaction with the Indian diaspora in the Malaysian capital, Mr. Jaishankar said that there are “no winners of a conflict”. “We took the position from the start, that you’re not going to get a solution to this conflict on the battlefield,” he said.

In its seventh list, BJP announces Navneet Rana’s candidature for the contentious Amravati Lok Sabha seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced the candidature of Navneet Rana for the reserved Amravati Lok Sabha seat in its seventh list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Ms. Rana, an independent MP and the incumbent legislator of the Amravati Lok Sabha seat, is a supporter of the BJP along with her husband Ravi Rana, who is the current MLA from Badnera (in Amravati). The announcement now paves the way for Ms. Rana to formally join the BJP and contest on the Scheduled Caste (SC) reserved seat.

Rameshwaram Cafe blast: NIA conducts simultaneous raids in Shivamogga and Tamil Nadu

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing Bengaluru’s The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, conducted simultaneous raids and questioned several suspects in Shivamogga, Karnataka, Chennai, and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (March 27). NIA sleuths on Wednesday raided the residences of Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha in Thirthahalli. The duo are accused in the 2020 Al Hind IS module case registered in Suddaguntepalya and have been absconding since. They are also said to be the kingpins of the Thirthahalli module and accused in the Mangaluru cooker blast of November 2022. Given the similarity in the timer and detonator devices in the IEDs used in The Rameshwaram Cafe blast and the cooker blast, agencies have suspected the role of the same module. 

Woman stripped, paraded and beaten up in M.P. village; four women held

Four women were arrested for allegedly beating up, stripping and parading a 30-year-old woman over a dispute at a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district, police said on Wednesday. A video of the purported incident that occurred during the Holi celebrations also surfaced on social media. “On Monday, four women forcibly pulled the victim out of her house, beat her up and humiliated her by stripping her naked in public at Bachhora village of Gautampura police station area,” Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sunil Mehta said.

Employment scenario in India grim, says ILO report

India’s youth account for almost 83% of the unemployed workforce and the share of youngsters with secondary or higher education in the total unemployed youth has almost doubled from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022, as per the India Employment Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of Human Development (IHD) here on Tuesday. The youth employment and underemployment increased between 2000 and 2019 but declined during the pandemic years, the study, released by Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, said, adding that educated youths have experienced much higher levels of unemployment in the country during the period.

Photojournalists covering AAP protest face police’s wrath

Photojournalists covering the Aam Aadmi Party protests were harassed by the Delhi Police on Tuesday. The matter escalated between members of the press and police forces as photojournalists were attempting to click pictures of AAP leaders protesting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. Salman Ali, a photojournalist with the Hindustan Times, was injured during the exchange, fracturing his elbow. Mr. Ali told The Hindu that there was heavy police force, and they were misbehaving with members of the media, going to the extent of grabbing a fellow photojournalist’s collar. 

IPL-17: CSK vs GT | Super Kings put on a regal display to subdue Titans with consummate ease

Like most Indian venues, Chepauk is used to the chants of ‘Sachin, Sachin’ while cheering the nation’s most celebrated cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, in his playing days .Figuring in only his second IPL match, Rachin Ravindra found a way into the hearts of the city’s passionate fans, who quickly belted out ‘Rachin, Rachin’ as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener produced another impressive cameo that laid the foundation for the defending champion’s thumping 63-run win over Gujarat Titans at the MAC Stadium on Tuesday.

In its seventh list, Congress announces four candidates for Chhattisgarh

The Congress on Tuesday announced its seventh list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. The list has five names — four, including two women candidates, from Chhattisgarh, and one from Tamil Nadu.  With these four — Shashi Singh from Surguja, Dr. Menka Devi Singh from Raigarh, Biresh Thakur from Kanker [all three seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST)] and Devendra Singh Yadav from Bilaspur — the party has now announced all the names from Chhattisgarh that has 11 parliamentary constituencies.

Crew of cargo ship that lost power and collided with bridge in Baltimore, U.S. are all Indian

The entire 22-member crew of the cargo ship that struck a major bridge in Baltimore early on March 26, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below are Indians, the company said. The Singapore-flagged container ship “Dali” collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore at approximately 1:30 am local time. According to the vessel information provided by the Synergy Marine Group, the crew was “All Indian, 22 in total”.

Ladakh activist Wangchuk ends 21-day fast, urges PM Modi, Amit Shah to deliver on promises

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on March 26 (Tuesday) ended his 21-day fast in Leh, as he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “prove themselves as statesmen” .“It was for 21days. From tomorrow, women’s groups will start their fast and will be followed by youth, then monks and so on,” Mr. Wangchuk told The Hindu. Mr. Wangchuk has visibly grown frail and his voice has also strained. The Ladakhi activist has matched the longest fast held by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement.

Big tech told to identify AI deepfakes ahead of EU vote

The EU called on Facebook, TikTok and other tech titans on March 26 to crack down on deepfakes and other AI-generated content by using clear labels ahead of Europe-wide polls in June .The recommendation is part of a raft of guidelines published under a landmark content law by the European Commission for digital giants to tackle risks to elections including disinformation. The EU executive body has unleashed a string of measures to clamp down on big tech, especially regarding content moderation.

RJD, Congress hold talks to iron out differences over seats

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leaders held talks on Tuesday to sort out the differences that have emerged between the two allies over the seat-sharing arrangements in Bihar. The much-awaited meeting took place at senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik’s official residence here after a week of tussle. Mr. Wasnik is the convener of his party’s alliance committee. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh and AICC in-charge Mohan Prakash were also present. Another meeting could take place on Wednesday before a final agreement is announced in Patna.

ED attaches ₹124.57-crore assets in Religare Finvest Limited case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹124.57 crore belonging to RS Infrastructure, Kenwood Mercantile, Goodfaith Builders and other suspects in a case related to Religare Finvest Limited and others. The agency, in a statement, said Kenwood Mercantile and Goodfaith Builders were entities belonging to the M3M group, a Gurugram-based realtor. “Land measuring 430 acres in Gurugram/Faridabad belonging to the entities of M3M group has been provisionally attached (it) being the proceeds of crime (PoC) flowing through a maze of companies to the M3M group,” it said.

In Gujarat, BJP drops nearly 50% of sitting MPs

In Gujarat, the BJP has dropped more than a dozen sitting MPs, including Ministers Darshna Jordosh and Mahendra Munjapara, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Two Cabinet Ministers, Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala, whose Rajya Sabha terms end in April, find a place on the candidate list instead .The ruling party has fielded Mr. Mandaviya from the Porbandar seat in the place of Ramesh Dhaduk and Mr. Rupala from Rajkot in the place of Mohan Kundariya. With Mr. Mandaviya hailing from Bhavnagar and Mr. Rupala from Amteli, both candidates were considered outsiders.

Home-cooked food, bed: facilities CM Kejriwal is allowed in ED lock-up

Inside the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) lock-up, where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is currently lodged after being arrested in an excise policy-linked money laundering charge, an accused gets access to basic facilities like bed and bottled drinking water. It is learnt that the toilet and bathroom are located a little away from the lock-up, which is guarded round the clock by security personnel. The premises are also monitored through closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs).

Supreme Court raises concern over the rich gagging media

The Supreme Court has highlighted the problem of the affluent getting pre-trial injunctions from courts against the media and civil society, gagging free speech and the public’s right to information about important affairs .A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said such ex-parte interim injunctions granted by courts rather mechanically spell a death sentence to journalistic stories even before the allegations against them are proven right, if ever.

FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Afghanistan shocks India in Sunil Chhetri’s 150th international match

Lower-ranked Afghanistan shocked India 2-1 as the home team suffered one of its most embarrassing defeats in recent years despite talisman Sunil Chhetri’s 94th international goal in his 150th match, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati on March 26. In his landmark game, Chhetri did what was expected of him and found the back of the net from the spot in the 37th minute after Haroon Amiri handled the ball inside the box in India’s home leg match in the second round of the joint qualifiers for the World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., March 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.N. Security Council for the first time demands immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The United Nations Security Council on March 25 demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages after the United States abstained from the vote .The remaining 14 council members voted for the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the body. Washington had been averse to the word ceasefire earlier in the nearly six-month-old war in the Gaza Strip and had used its veto power to shield U.S. ally Israel as it retaliated against Hamas for an Oct. 7 attack that Israel says killed 1,200 people.

European Union investigates Tech giants under new digital Law

The EU, on March 25, launched probes into whether Apple, Alphabet and Meta violated a new law, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), in what is the latest instance of governments trying to exercise greater control over the functioning of big tech companies. The companies could be fined up to 10% of their global revenues and 20% for repeat infringements of the DMA.

Congress questions Modi government’s record in implementing women’s welfare schemes

On a day when an objectionable post by the Congress’ social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate against actor and BJP candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, Kangana Ranaut, triggered outrage, the Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for reducing the budget of women-centred welfare schemes, flagging five key problems. Ms. Shrinate later clarified that the post had been authored by someone who had access to her social media accounts.

Alcohol warning in Hindi, foreign films on the rise

In recent weeks, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has started requiring an increasing number of Hindi and foreign films to display anti-liquor watermarks for films that feature alcohol consumption, The Hindu has found, based on a review of cut lists of recent films issued by the censor board. For instance, All of Us Strangers, a British film classified ‘A’ for adult-only audiences that extensively features liquor abuse, has the warning onscreen for a significant duration of the film. 

Holi is special this year due to Ram temple inauguration, says Amit Shah in Gujarat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on March 25 celebrated Holi with party functionaries in Ahmedabad .At the gathering in the BJP’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha office, located in Thaltej area, Mr. Shah and Mr. Patel applied colours on party leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Mayant Nayak, MLA Amit Thakar, Gandhinagar Mayor Hitesh Makwana, Gujarat BJP’s general secretary K.C. Patel and others of the women’s wing.

RLP supremo Hanuman Beniwal is INDIA bloc candidate from Nagaur following alliance with Congress

The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) on March 25 announced its supremo Hanuman Beniwal as the INDIA bloc candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Rajasthan’s Nagaur seat following an alliance formed with the Opposition Congress. Mr. Beniwal — elected as an MLA from Nagaur district’s Khinvsar in 2023 — is likely to file his nomination papers on March 27 .The Congress had left the Nagaur seat for the RLP in the list of candidates released on Saturday. The two parties entered into an alliance in the State after intense negotiations lasting several days amid doubts created by the resignation of Mr. Beniwal’s close confidant Ummeda Ram Beniwal from the RLP and his entry into the Congress.

Advocate Robert Bruce to take on BJP’s Nainar Nagenthran in Tirunelveli

After days of marathon negotiations, intra-party squabbles and persuasions, advocate C. Robert Bruce, 62, of Saralvilai near Kattathurai in Kanniyakumari district has been fielded in Tirunelveli Parliamentary constituency as the Congress candidate. Sources in the Congress said the delay in announcing the candidate to take on BJP’s Nainar Nagenthran was due to the intense race among the aspirants in getting the ticket who left no stone unturned to achieve their political goal.

Congress lists ‘massive failures’ of WCD ministry, says will usher era of women’s safety in June

The Congress listed “massive failures” of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in the last 10 years on March 25 and asserted that a new era of women’s safety, prosperity, and development will begin when its government “takes charge in June” .Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the formation of a Congress-led government in June 2024 will end the “10 years of anyaay-kaal for women”. He alleged the BJP government’s slogans of ‘nari shakti’ remain empty words without real action.

Kyiv endures a third bombardment in 5 days as Russia steps up targeting of Ukrainian cities

Russia launched missiles against Kyiv for the third time in five days Monday as Moscow escalated its aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities while the front line in the war remains largely stationary .Nine people were injured in the strike on the Ukrainian capital, the Ukraine Rescue Service said. The Pecherskyi district was the hardest hit. Missile debris damaged homes in two districts and a local college gym in another district, Ukraine’s National Police said.

Don’t show hostility towards resident associations if they use public buildings for holding functions, Madras High Court tells civic bodies

Civic bodies such as the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) need not show hostility towards residents’ welfare associations by locking and sealing public buildings if vacant spaces in those buildings had been used by the residents for celebrating birthdays or for teaching yoga/music/dance to the children in the locality without any commercial motive, the Madras High Court has advised.

With nothing to lose, Akali Dal banking on panthic agenda

At the recently held core committee meeting, the SAD resolved to focus on panth issues, in an effort to resurrect itself on the hustings. “The party will continue to put principles above politics and it will never deviate from its historic role as a champion of the interests of Khalsa Panth [Sikh community], minorities, as well as all Punjabis. At the same time, we will continue to devote all our energies towards preserving the atmosphere of peace and communal harmony… As the sole representative of the Sikhs and all Punjabis, the party will continue its fight for more powers and genuine autonomy to the States. We have never compromised on these interests nor will we let our guard down on these issues in future,” said a resolution passed at the meeting, which was presided by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Donald Trump’s $454 million civil fraud judgment fine slashed to $175M by New York appeals court

A New York appeals court on March 25 agreed to hold off collection of former President Donald Trump’s $454 million civil fraud judgment — if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. If he does, it will stop the clock on collection and prevent the State from seizing the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee’s assets while he appeals. The development came just before New York Attorney General Letitia James was expected to initiate efforts to collect the judgment. Messages seeking comment were sent to Ms. James’ office and to Mr. Trump’s lawyers.

IPL-17: RCB vs PBKS | Virat Kohli’s exceptional fifty carries Bengaluru to four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings

Virat Kohli produced a quality half-century on a slightly gummy pitch that took the Holi-day crowd on a joyride and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in an IPL match here on Monday .The 177-run target wasn’t a massively tough one, but needed a meticulous scaling down because of the deck’s nature. Kohli (77, 49b, 11×4, 2×6) conducted it to near-perfection as RCB made 178 for six with four balls to spare to register their first win of this IPL.

Refrain from contesting Lok Sabha election, Manipur’s Kuki-Zo tribals urged

A tribal forum in ethnic strife-torn Manipur has urged the Kuki-Zo people to exercise their franchise but refrain from contesting in the Lok Sabha election in April .The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has been the voice of the ethnic communities belonging to the Kuki-Zo group since their conflict with the Meiteis broke out on May 3, 2023. “The ITLF Presidential Council, in consultation with its constituent member-tribes, has agreed that no member from the Kuki-Zo community should file nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, considering the plight that we are facing,” the forum said in a statement on March 25.

Left candidates trounce ABVP in JNU students’ union elections

Around 11.30 p.m, the election committee declared that the United Left panel won three posts of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), while the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) won one post. The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad lost all the posts by a few hundred votes. Dhananjay of the AISA, who won the president’s post with a total of 2,598 votes, said, “I’m overwhelmed at the support I have received. It has been made clear that the students are unhappy with the government and they want things to change.” The ABVP’s Umesh Chandra Ajmeera came second with 1,676 votes.

Lok Sabha elections | Congress drops Jaipur candidate after row over links to right-wing forum

Following a political uproar over its choice of candidate for the Jaipur City Lok Sabha seat, the Congress on March 24 dropped Sunil Sharma and fielded former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas in his place .Mr. Sharma has been associated with Jaipur Dialogues, a right-wing forum that is known to target the Congress leadership and target minority communities. In a fresh list of three names on Sunday, the party fielded Mr. Khachariyawas, a minister in the Ashok Gehlot government, from Jaipur.

Lok Sabha elections | Kangana Ranaut, Arun Govil, Maneka Gandhi in BJP fifth list; Varun Gandhi dropped

Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut and television actor Arun Govil, who starred in the Ramayan series, are among the names in the BJP’s fifth list of 111 candidates from 17 States for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, released on Sunday. Ms. Ranaut will contest from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, while Mr. Govil will contest from Meerut.

Pakistan to ‘seriously examine’ restarting trade with India: Foreign Minister

Pakistan will “seriously examine” whether to restart trade with India, said its newly appointed Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Responding to questions during a press meet in London, Mr. Dar said he had been approached last year by Pakistani businesspersons over the issue, and said any decision would follow a full discussion with all stakeholders. Meanwhile, visiting Singapore, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankarhit out at Pakistan for its “industry-level” support to terrorism, stressing that any talks with Pakistan would need to “face up to the problem”. 

IPL 2024, GT vs MI | Titans keep their nerve, MI loses its poise and the plot

Shubman Gill passed his first captaincy test as Gujarat Titans eked out a nervous six-run win over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday .Pursuing 169, MI was coasting along at 107 for two after 12 overs. But Sai Kishore trapping Rohit Sharma (43, 29b, 7×4, 1×6) leg-before and Mohit Sharma sending back Dewald Brevis (46, 38b, 2×4, 3×6) and Tim David triggered a scarcely believable downturn.

Sri Lanka’s ex-president Sirisena to be quizzed by police over controversial remark on Easter bombings

Sri Lanka’s former President Maithripala Sirisena will face police questioning on Monday on his recent remarks on the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings that he was “aware” of the masterminds of the attacks that killed 270 people, including 11 Indians. Sirisena, 72, was president between 2015 January and 2019 November. He had previously denied any knowledge of the attacks. Police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon told reporters on Sunday that Sirisena’s statement would be recorded on Monday.

AAP leadership goes into huddle, workers told to remain united

The entire brass of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi went into a huddle on Sunday, with its leaders asking workers to step up their presence on social media platforms and remain united following the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in an excise policy case .Mr. Kejriwal, AAP national convener, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the case involving allegations that the now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers for monetary considerations.

IPL 2024 | Just a matter of time before Pant regains form: Sidhu

Former India opener Navjot Sidhu is confident wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant’s return to form is just a “matter of time” following his nearly 15-month-long absence from professional cricket after a horrific car crash .Pant is back leading his Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals after missing the action last season due to his recovery and rehabilitation. Though Pant did not have the comeback he would have wished for in DC’s match against Punjab Kings here on Saturday, being dismissed for 18 by Harshal Patel, he was quick between the wickets, took a catch behind the stumps and also effected a stumping.

Former judge, Trinamool turncoats, and woman from Sandeshkhali in West Bengal BJP candidate list

The second list of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election comprised a mixed bag, including former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, two turncoats from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and a woman from Sandeshkhali who was at the receiving end of the violence .Former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who resigned from the Calcutta High Court recently, has been nominated from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat. The party has fielded Arjun Singh from Barrackpore, and Tapas Roy from Kolkata Uttar. Both Mr. Singh and Mr. Roy had quit the Trinamool Congress to join the BJP recently. The BJP candidates from Tamluk, Kolkata Uttar, and Barrackpore had joined the party earlier this month.

CBI team revisits Sandeshkhali to gather more evidence in the ED team attack case

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, probing the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali on January 5, on March 24 visited a village in the area to gather more evidence .This is the second visit by the CBI to Sarberia village in North 24 Parganas district after getting the custody of suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh, the main accused in the attack, on March 6. CBI officials had gone to Mr. Sheikh’s house the following day and, after finding it locked, clicked its photos and talked to local people.

Lok Sabha polls: Samajwadi Party fields S.T. Hasan from Moradabad, changes its Bijnor candidate

The Samajwadi Party on March 24 renominated its Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad S T Hasan from the same seat and changed its Bijnor candidate by fielding Deepak Saini, the son of a party MLA .The party announced the names in a post on X. The Samajwadi Party had earlier named Yashveer Singh as its candidate from Bijnor. However, on Sunday, it named Deepak Saini as its candidate for the seat. He is the son of Ram Avtar Saini, the SP legislator from the Noorpur assembly segment that comes under the Bijnor parliamentary constituency.

Myanmar rights group asks India not to deport refugees

A Myanmar-based organisation has asked the Manipur government not to deport Myanmar refugees back to the war-torn country unless they choose to return. They say people returning are likely to face conscription .The Nongthombam Biren Singh government began the process of sending back 77 refugees from Myanmar by deporting eight of them on March 8. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Burma Refugees Committee – Kabaw Valley said they feared that they would be handed over to the military junta.

Ireland to get its youngest ever premier as Simon Harris elected leader of Fine Gael party

Ireland is poised to get its youngest-ever premier after Simon Harris secured the leadership of the Fine Gael party on Sunday, replacing Leo Varadkar who announced his surprise resignation last week .The 37-year-old Mr. Harris, who is the government’s Further and Higher Education Minister, was the only candidate to put his name forward to succeed Mr. Varadkar, who had been Ireland’s previous youngest Prime Minister, or what Ireland calls its taoiseach.

Industrialist and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal joins BJP

Industrialist and former MP Naveen Jindal quit the Congress and joined the BJP on Sunday. He said that he wanted to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda of ‘Viksit Bharat’ .BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde was present at the ceremony. He said Jindal’s presence in the party will help the government’s agenda of boosting the economy and creating prosperity. Mr. Tawde noted that the Jindal Steel chairperson has a keen interest in sports and education as well.

Only classes 3 and 6 will receive new textbooks in 2024-25, says CBSE

Only students in Classes 3 and 6 will receive new textbooks for the upcoming academic year of 2024-25, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) confirmed on March 22, in a circular sent to all schools affiliated with the board. The new textbooks are being formulated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

Congress names Digvijaya Singh from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Ajay Rai from PM Modi’s Varanasi seat in fourth list

The Congress on Saturday announced 45 names in its fourth list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls while one seat for the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) in Rajasthan. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh will contest the Rajgarh seat in the State while Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai has been fielded from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seat of Varanasi. Chhattisgarh Congress chief and sitting member from Bastar, Deepak Baij, has been dropped as the party named Kawasi Lakhma from the seat.

Electoral bonds linked to project clearances by BRS government in Telangana

The purchase of electoral bonds and subsequent encashment by the then ruling party in Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), seemed to be closely linked to the award of contracts and opening of new units by donor companies, if the report submitted to the Election Commission (EC) is to be believed .In Telangana, the BRS encashed the bonds donated by IRB Infra, which were purchased a few weeks after the Outer Ring Road (ORR) contract was awarded to the company. The BRS government gave a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to IRB Infra on April 27, 2023, leasing out the ORR for 30 years for maintenance.

BJP made ‘bribes’ legal via electoral bonds: Congress

Alleging that the electoral bond (EB) scheme ensured that “prepaid, postpaid, and post-raid bribes” could be routed through regular banking channels, the Congress on March 23 reiterated its demand for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the scheme .Addressing a press conference at party headquarters, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that an analysis of recently published State Bank of India (SBI) data has revealed that 38 corporate groups received 179 government contracts and projects worth ₹3.8 lakh crore after donating electoral bonds to the BJP.

AAP raises concern with CEC as Delhi Police block party office

Alleging that the Delhi police have blocked all routes to the Aam Aadmi Party’s office in the national capital after the arrest of the party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on March 23 seeking a meeting to present their urgent grievances.

Winter lacks bite in Munnar as frost gives the hill station a miss this year

Munnar, the hill station famed for its misty mornings from December to February, has deviated from its usual winter pattern this year. Officials say winter was marked by a total lack of frost, a first in the past two decades, which is unprecedented .Data from the United Planters Association of South India tea research centre in Munnar show that no sub-zero temperature was reported this year in Munnar town. “The lowest recorded temperature was 2°C on January 18 and 19 at Silent Valley Estate under Kanan Devan Plantations in Munnar. “This year, there was an absence of frosty conditions in Munnar compared to the past 20 years,” says a source.

Nitish shortlists JD(U) candidates for 16 seats in Bihar, many of them are sitting MPs

With the first phase of the upcoming Lok Sabha election less than a month away, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), has shortlisted candidates for its 16 constituencies in Bihar based on seat-sharing within the alliance. Barring a few seats, party president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, it is said, has opted to repeat several candidates.

Now, Karnataka knocks on Supreme Court’s door seeking drought relief from Centre

As repeated appeals seeking funds under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) from the Centre have not yielded results, the Congress government in Karnataka has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Union government for denying financial assistance for drought management in the State .The move is expected to trigger a fresh political debate in the run-up to the two-phase Lok Sabha elections in the State. Earlier too, Karnataka raised the issue of “discrimination” by the Centre in devolution of funds, clearances to projects and financial assistance for schemes.

2024 Lok Sabha election | Prakash Ambedkar remains ambivalent over MVA tie-up; will clear stand on March 26

Continuing to maintain an ambivalent stance towards forging an alliance with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday said his party would announce its decision on March 26 on whether it would contest the Lok Sabha election independently or go along with the MVA. Mr. Ambedkar again claimed that the MVA parties (which include Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena UBT, the Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP) had yet to resolve their seat-sharing problems and that it was wrong to point fingers at the VBA for acting as a roadblock in seat-sharing discussions.

2024 Lok Sabha election: U.P. BJP to depute minority party workers to counter ‘bogus’ voting

In a first of its kind move, the Uttar Pradesh wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will depute women members from the Muslim community as agents on minority dominant polling booths to keep a check on bogus voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The BJP Minority Morcha, which planned this initiative, said the focus will be on parts of Western U.P. from where the party claims to have received reports of bogus voting in previous elections. 

IPL-17: KKR vs SRH | Russell, Salt fifties carry KKR to four-run win over SRH despite Klaasen’s heroics

Andre Russel’s all-round effort headlined Kolkata Knight Riders’ sweaty four-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match here on Saturday .Russell’s brutal unbeaten 64 off 25 balls with three fours and seven sixes and Phil Salt’s more pragmatic 54 off 40 balls guided KKR to 208 for seven. Left-arm pacer T Natarajan was their most successful bowler with a three-wicket haul (3/32). At several points, SRH threatened to chase 208 down, particularly when Heinrich Klaasen (63, 29b, 8x6s) went berserk in the backend of the innings.

Hong Kong lawmakers pass new national security law, giving government more power to curb dissent

Hong Kong lawmakers passed a new national security law on Tuesday that grants the government more power to quash dissent, widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown that was triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019. The legislature passed the Safeguarding National Security Law during a special session Tuesday. It comes on top of a similar law imposed by Beijing four years ago, which has already largely silenced opposition voices in the financial hub.

BJP ends alliance with SKM; to contest Lok Sabha, Assembly polls in Sikkim alone

The BJP on March 23 called off its alliance with the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and announced that the party would go alone in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the Himalayan State. The SKM, on the other hand, did not rule out the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the BJP on the lines of a similar arrangement made after the 2019 polls. The announcement to fight the upcoming polls alone was made by State BJP president D.R. Thapa, who returned to Sikkim after attending a meeting with the party’s central leadership in Delhi on seat-sharing with SKM.

Israel says 170 Gaza gunmen killed in hospital raid

Israeli forces fighting in Gaza have killed more than 170 gunmen during their days-long raid at the Palestinian enclave’s main hospital, the military said on Saturday .Israeli troops entered Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in the early hours of March 18 morning and have been combing through the sprawling complex, which the military says is connected to a tunnel network used as a base for Hamas and other Palestinian fighters. “Thus far, the forces eliminated more than 170 terrorists in the area of the hospital, questioned over 800 suspects, and located numerous weapons and terror infrastructure,” the military said.

Kejriwal seeks police officer’s removal from security; court orders for CCTV camera footage to be preserved

A local court has directed authorities to preserve CCTV camera footage on a plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking the removal of a Delhi Police officer deployed for security in the court for alleged misconduct .“Application has been filed on behalf of the accused [Kejriwal] stating that the security staff/in-charge responsible for bringing him for production before the court, namely ACP [Assistant Commissioner of Police] A.K. Singh, is unnecessarily harsh and mishandled the people around the courtroom,” Special Judge Kaveri Baweja noted.

2024 General elections | These are the Lok Sabha constituencies, Assemblies going to polls in Phase 1

The 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, which are set to commence from April 19, will see the country vote in seven phases as simultaneous elections also take place for four State Assemblies — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh .A total of 102 Parliamentary constituencies in 21 States and Union Territories (UTs) will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19. The last date of nominations in Phase 1 for all 20 States and UTs other than Bihar is March 27. For Bihar, it is March 28 due to a festival.

People lay flowers and lit candles in memory of the Moscow concert gun attack victims in the center of Simferopol, Crimea, on March 22, 2024. Gunmen opened fire at a Moscow concert hall on March 22, 2024 killing at least 40 people, wounding more than 100 and sparking an inferno, authorities said, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility.
| Photo Credit: AFP

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on Moscow concert hall that killed several people 

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Moscow concert hall on March 22, which Russian authorities said killed several people. IS fighters “attacked a large gathering… on the outskirts of the Russian capital Moscow”, the group said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Russia’s Federal Security Service said 40 people died and more than 100 were wounded in the attack.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu seeks debt relief from India amid tensions

After his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has struck a reconciliatory tone, saying India will continue to remain his country’s “closest ally” and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the archipelago nation.

Arvind Kejriwal sent to ED custody till March 28

A court on March 22 remanded Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 28, a day after the Central agency arrested him in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case. Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts asked for Mr. Kejriwal to be produced before her on March 28 at 2 p.m. The six-day remand came on an ED plea seeking his 10-day custody in the case.

INDIA bloc leaders reach out to EC, highlight ‘misuse’ of Central agencies

A day after the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case, a delegation of INDIA bloc leaders on March 22 called on the Election Commission (EC) to allege “unrelenting, blatant and illegal deployment of Central Agencies” by the ruling BJP to target the Opposition parties. The delegation presented a memorandum in which the INDIA bloc leaders submitted a list of 10 instances of agencies going after the Opposition parties since January and the absence of a level playing field in the elections.

Delhi High Court rejects Congress’s plea against tax reassessment

In a huge setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi High Court on March 22 rejected its pleas challenging the reassessment proceedings initiated against it by the Income Tax department. The court said the I-T department “appears to have collated substantial and concrete evidence warranting further scrutiny and examination”.

AAP workers hit streets; police ramp up security; traffic goes into a tailspin

Central Delhi turned into a fortress as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers reached Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg on Friday to protest against the arrest of their party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Stalin launches campaign with scathing attack on PM Modi over electoral bonds, corruption

Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin hit the campaign trail for the Lok Sabha election on Friday with a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the electoral bonds scheme had turned out to be a “Himalayan scam” that had brought shame to the country.

Lalu Prasad shortlists candidates, may field daughter Rohini from Saran Lok Sabha seat

The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar is abuzz with talks that party chief Lalu Prasad is likely to field two of his daughters in the Lok Sabha election. Mr. Prasad could field eldest daughter Misa Bharti from Patliputra seat again and second daughter Rohini Acharya from Saran, said party sources.

Arrest of Kejriwal will only positively impact the INDIA bloc, says VCK chief Thirumavalavan

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Friday condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case but said it will only galvanise the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Result of his own actions: Anna Hazare on Kejriwal’s arrest

Social activist Anna Hazare on March 22 said that he had cautioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently arrested in the excise policy case, to refrain from involvement in such policy matters. Mr. Hazare, a key figure in the Lokpal movement alongside Mr. Kejriwal in the early 2010s, stated that the Delhi Chief Minister’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was a consequence of his own actions.

OBC leaders extend unconditional support for Congress

An umbrella organisation of backward classes outfits, representing the interest of other backward classes (OBC), called on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday and announced its “unconditional support” to the INDIA bloc. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting that took place in Mr. Kharge’s official residence.

Rights groups seek return of land taken away in Sandeshkhali

A collective of four civil rights organisations on Friday released a fact finding report on Sandeshkhali violence and demanded that the lands which have been forcibly taken from the villagers be returned and made cultivable at the expense of the State government. Sandeshkhali, a block in Sundarban and under the administrative control of North 24 Parganas district was on the boil over past several weeks over allegations of sexual assault.

Post surprise inspection, CBSE cancels affiliations of 20 schools citing malpractices

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has cancelled the affiliation of 20 schools across India on Friday, after it was revealed that these schools were involved in malpractices. The malpractices included presenting dummy students, ineligible candidates and not maintaining records properly, said Secretary, CBSE, Himanshu Gupta.

Arvind Kejriwal entitled to fair and impartial trial, says German Foreign Ministry

Germany on Friday became the first major global power to remind that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday has the right to a “fair and impartial trial.”

YouTuber Elvish Yadav gets bail in drugs case, to be taken to Gurugram from Noida jail today

A Gautam Buddh Nagar court granted bail to controversial YouTuber Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav in a drugs case on March 22, six days after he was lodged in a jail in Noida, his lawyers said. The jail authorities said they have received Mr. Yadav’s release order but he would be handed over on March 23 to the custody of a court in Haryana’s Gurugram, where he is to be produced in an assault case involving content creator Sagar Thakur alias Maxtern.

With Bhutan’s Gelephu project in mind, India to double assistance to ₹10,000 crore for next 5 years

India has decided to double Bhutan’s assistance over the next five years, from ₹5,000 crore in 2019-2024 to ₹10,000 crore for the period till 2029, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Thimphu on March 22. Mr. Modi made the announcement after he was awarded Bhutan’s highest honour, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’, which was announced in 2021, to acknowledge India’s role in ensuring “Bhutan’s success in managing the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Princess of Wales Kate Middleton says she is having chemotherapy after cancer discovery

Britain’s Princess of Wales Catherine “Kate” Middleton, said on March 22 she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests taken following major abdominal surgery in January revealed cancer had been present. Princess Kate, 42, the wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince William, spent two weeks in hospital in January after having what her office said at the time was a successful, planned surgery for a non-cancerous but unspecified condition.

Simon Harris set to be Ireland’s youngest PM

Simon Harris, set to become Ireland’s youngest ever taoiseach (Prime Minister), will hope his social media skills and fresh face can save his party’s flagging fortunes as elections loom. Already dubbed by media the “TikTok Taoiseach” (pronounced “Tee-shock”), the 37-year-old beats the previous record holder, predecessor Leo Varadkar, who was 38 when he took the top job in 2017.

Russia and China veto U.S. resolution in UNSC calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Russia and China on March 22 vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention.

IPL-17; CSK vs RCB | Mustafizur and batters fashion CSK’s winning start

Ruturaj Gaikwad couldn’t have asked for a better start as captain of Chennai Super Kings as his side began its title defence in style with a comfortable six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game of IPL-17 at MAC Stadium on March 17. Chasing 174, CSK powered through to the target, riding on a series of cameos from its batters. Opener Rachin Ravindra set the ball rolling by blasting a quickfire 37 (15b, 3×4, 3×6) before Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with valuable contributions.