Morning digest: Fourth phase of U.P. Assembly polls today; Biden announces sanctions against Russian oligarchs and banks, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

February 23, 2022 07:38 am | Updated 07:41 am IST

Polling duty staff reporting at the distribution centre to collect Electronic Voting Machine and other necessary election material at Smriti Upvan on the eve of fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Polling duty staff reporting at the distribution centre to collect Electronic Voting Machine and other necessary election material at Smriti Upvan on the eve of fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election in Lucknow on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA

Uttar Pradesh Phase IV polls on February 23; all eyes on Lakhimpur Kheri

Said to be a Bharatiya Janata Party stronghold, 60 Assembly constituencies spread over nine districts will vote in the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on Wednesday.

Biden announces sanctions against Russian oligarchs, banks

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered heavy US financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs on Tuesday, stepping up the West’s confrontation with Moscow, even as Russian lawmakers authorised President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside their country.

Election Commission allows political rallies without capacity limit, road shows

The Election Commission on Tuesday lifted restrictions on large political rallies and allowed roadshows for the remaining phases of the Uttar Pradesh and the Manipur Assembly polls.,

Home Ministry panel on AFSPA removal from Nagaland misses ‘45-day’ deadline

A committee constituted by the Union Home Ministry in December to study the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA from Nagaland, slated to submit a report within 45-days, as claimed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, is yet to conclude its findings.

Russia faces new sanctions, war fears rise after Putin recognises two Ukraine regions

Russia faced the prospect of harsh new Western sanctions on Tuesday after President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered the deployment of troops there, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe.

In Prayagraj , BJP hopes to power through on ‘bulldozer’ narrative

Mafia–don–turned politician, Atiq Ahmad, who has been a five–term MLA in Uttar Pradesh and Lok Sabha MP from Phulpur, may now be lodged in jail in Gujarat, but his shadow looms large on the poll narrative in the area in the form of a government–run bulldozer.

EAM S. Jaishankar seeks peaceful solution to Ukraine crisis

Most of the countries are looking for a diplomatic solution to the escalating Ukraine-Russia crisis, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, in Paris on Tuesday.

Nirmala Sitharaman rebuts Opposition on charges of misuse of Central agencies

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has dismissed Opposition parties’ charges that the Central government is deploying investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate to put pressure on them, calling such allegations ‘baseless’ and ‘impossible’.

Trump-linked SPAC’s shares surge as Truth Social app tops Apple downloads

Shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp, the blank-check company behind former U.S. President Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, rose about 14% on Tuesday as the app topped downloads on Apple’s App Store after its launch late on Sunday.

Potential investors in LIC’s giant IPO fret over government control of insurer

Prospective investors in Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) $8 billion IPO are seeking assurances from the company management that it will not sacrifice their interests to meet the goals set out by the government, its controlling shareholder, sources said.

Scheme for COVID-19 orphans extended

The Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Tuesday that the PM CARES scheme for children orphaned due to COVID-19 pandemic has been extended till February 28, 2022.

India sends first consignment of aid for Afghanistan

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla flagged off a convoy of 50 trucks carrying 2500 MT of wheat as humanitarian aid for Afghanistan at the India-Pakistan integrated check post (ICP) on Tuesday, the first of about 1000 truckloads which will head for Jalalabad over the next few weeks.

A year of sweeping changes in Indian teams across formats

A year in cricket is a long time. If the year looks anything like the one gone by for the National men’s team, then the sweet-sour taste — bitter for some — stays a bit longer.

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