BJP in a fix over choosing Dhami, Biren
A day after results were announced for Assembly polls in five States, the BJP wrestled with a quandary in Uttarakhand as Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost his seat amid the party’s victory. In Manipur, there were murmurs about the continuation of current Chief Minister N. Biren Singh with several aspirants vying for the post.
Russia offers more oil to India
Beleaguered by sanctions from the western countries and a ban on fuel exports to the United States, Russia is keen to increase its oil and petroleum product exports to India and India’s investments in the Russian oil sector, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak conveyed to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Friday.
Putin sees ‘positive shifts’ in talks with Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday some progress had been made in Moscow’s talks with Ukraine, while the Kremlin said the conflict would end when the West took action to address Moscow concerns.
At a Kremlin meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Mr. Putin said Western sanctions would not hinder Russian development and that Russia would end up stronger.
Lancet report on India’s alleged excess deaths due to COVID-19 faulty: Government
A study published in an international journal claiming COVID-19 mortality in India is higher than official counts is speculative and misinformed said the Health Ministry on Friday in a statement issued by it.
The Lancet reported recently that excess mortality rates due to COVID-19 among the Indian States are not the highest in the world, because of India’s large population, but the country accounted for around over 20% of global excess deaths as of December 31, 2021. The Ministry in its statement added that the authors themselves admit to several methodology flaws and inconsistencies in this paper.
India orders high-level inquiry into accidental firing of missile
India on Friday said a technical malfunction prompted the misfiring of a missile that landed in Pakistan on March 9. New Delhi’s response came a day after Islamabad summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires and lodged a strong protest against the incident. “In the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry,” The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.
“It is learnt” that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan, and the incident was “deeply regrettable”, the MoD said adding, “It is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident”. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press note said India should investigate the incident that took place around 6.50 p.m. on Wednesday and warned that there could be “unpleasant consequences” to such developments.
G-23 meets to discuss Congress debacle
The crushing defeat in the Assembly elections may have stunned Congress’ top leadership into silence but some of the group of 23 (G-23) leaders met at former Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Delhi residence on Friday evening to discuss the latest round of poll debacle for the party.
The meeting of the G-23, the group of leaders who had written a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 to press for internal reforms and collective leadership, comes ahead of the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that will be convened shortly for a post-mortem on the poll results.
Air India staff interest protected: Madras High Court
The Madras High Court on Friday said, it was “fully convinced” that the Centre had protected the interests of Air India employees “to the hilt” while going for 100% disinvestment of the sinking public air carrier, which could not be revived despite pumping in over ₹1 lakh crore of public money and handing it over to Talace Private Limited of the Tata Group earlier this year.
India vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah feels that cricketers need to make a few “mental adjustments” going into a ‘Pink Ball’ Test but defining one set parameter for that is not possible since all three day-night games they have played in the past were in varied conditions.
Malinga joins Rajasthan Royals as fast-bowling coach; Upton returns
Former Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga has joined Rajasthan Royals as their fast-bowling coach for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League, which starts here on March 26.
Rajasthan Royals on Friday also announced that Paddy Upton has joined the squad as a ‘Team Catalyst’.
