Atiq Ahmed killing | U.P. government forms 3-member judicial commission
The Uttar Pradesh Government on April 16 constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe into the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azeem alias Ashraf. The commission will be headed by a retired High Court judge Arvind Kumar Tripathi, retired judge Brijesh Kumar Soni and former DGP Subesh Kumar Singh will be its members, officials said. The commission will have to submit its report to the government within two months, they said, adding the State Home Department has constituted the commission under Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952.
Just over four years after he made the ‘Modi and thieves’ remark that has now led to his sentence and disqualification from Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday termed industrialist Gautam Adani as “symbol of corruption” in the country and reiterated that despite his disqualification, he would continue to raise questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s relationship with Adani. “They (BJP) do not want me to talk in Parliament. They are afraid that I will raise questions on Adani. They disqualified me from Parliament thinking that I will remain silent and I will be scared. I am not scared. I will again ask the Prime Minister,” he said, addressing a massive gathering of Congress workers in Kolar.
Excise Policy case | Kejriwal appears before CBI for questioning
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appeared before the CBI for questioning in connection with the Excise Policy case. The agency had summoned him on Friday, seeking his appearance as a witness before the investigation team to answer their queries on the inputs generated during the probe in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was also arrested on February 26, they said. Mr. Kejriwal arrived at the heavily fortified CBI headquarters, where the Delhi Police had placed four rings of barricading to prevent any possible protests by the AAP supporters.
NGO moves Supreme Court against Arun Goel’s appointment as Election Commissioner
NGO Association for Democratic Reforms has moved the Supreme Court against Arun Goel’s appointment as Election Commissioner claiming it is arbitrary and violative of institutional integrity and independence of the poll body. The NGO has sought the constitution of a “neutral and independent committee” for the appointment of members of the Election Commission. The plea alleged that the Union Government and the ECI have through their acts of “omissions and commission” participated in a carefully orchestrated “selection procedure” for their own benefits.
Spanish PM apologises over sexual consent law reform loophole
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez apologised in an interview published on April 16 to victims of sexual abuse over a sexual violence law that included a loophole enabling at least 978 imprisoned offenders to get their sentences reduced or ended early. The “Only Yes Is Yes” law, which arose partly as a result of public outrage over the so-called Wolf Pack case, centred on consent and was meant to resolve cases where defendants were convicted of the lesser crime of sexual abuse because victims had not resisted out of fear.
G7 vows to step up moves to renewable energy, zero carbon
Energy and Environment Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations vowed on April 16 to work to hasten the shift toward cleaner, renewable energy, but set no timetable for phasing out coal-fired power plants as they wrapped up two days of talks in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. The officials issued a 36-page communique laying out their commitments ahead of a G7 summit in Hiroshima in May. Japan won endorsements from fellow G7 countries for its own national strategy emphasising so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to help ensure its energy security.
No rolling back clean energy transition, says U.S. climate envoy John Kerry
So much has been invested in clean energy that there can be no rolling back of moves to end carbon emissions, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said on April 16. Mr. Kerry noted that if countries deliver on promises to phase out polluting fossil fuels, the world can limit average global warming to 1.7 degrees Celsius, better than the worst-case scenarios but still above the current limit of 1.5 C global warming above pre-industrial levels.
U.S. emerges as India’s biggest trading partner in FY23 at $128.55 billion; China at second position
The U.S. has emerged as India’s biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of increasing economic ties between the two countries. According to the provisional data of the Commerce Ministry, the bilateral trade between India and the U.S. has increased by 7.65% to $128.55 in 2022-23 as against $119.5 billion in 2021-22. It was $80.51 billion in 2020-21. Exports to the U.S. rose by 2.81% to $78.31 billion in 2022-23 as against $76.18 billion in 2021-22, while imports grew by about 16% to $50.24 billion, the data showed.
IPL 2023: RCB vs CSK | Dhoni’s fitness in focus as CSK look for middle overs push against RCB
Chennai Super Kings will look to pick up the pace in the middle overs and hope their inspirational skipper M.S. Dhoni takes the field despite a knee niggle against fierce rivals Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eagerly awaited Southern derby in the IPL on April 17 . It will be a special atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium when the two teams battle to gain momentum after an up and down campaign so far. The knee has been troubling Mr. Dhoni since the start of the tournament but he has ended up playing all four games so far. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan expects the skipper to lead against RCB.
