At least 41 Sri Lankan lawmakers walked out of the ruling coalition on Tuesday, leaving the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a minority in parliament as it struggles with the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. In another setback for the administration, Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigned a day after his appointment and ahead of crucial talks scheduled with the International Monetary Fund for a loan programme.
I&B Ministry orders blocking of 22 YouTube–based news channels
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has ordered the blocking of 22 YouTube–based news channels, four of which were being run from Pakistan, by exercising its powers under the IT Rules, 2021. The blocked channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore and were being used to spread fake news, and coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, foreign relations and public order, said the Ministry.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court seeks record of National Assembly proceedings on no-trust motion
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the record of the proceedings of the National Assembly conducted on the no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan as it adjourned till Wednesday the hearing of the high-profile case. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday ruled that the no-confidence motion was linked with a foreign conspiracy to topple the government and hence was not maintainable. Minutes later, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on advice of Prime Minister Khan.
After ED attaches his assets, Sanjay Raut decries ‘harassment’ of middle-class Maharashtrians
The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) attachment of his “honestly-earned assets” was an instance of persecution of middle-class Maharashtrians in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday. He accused the BJP-ruled Central government of unleashing its agencies against him after he allegedly refused to help the BJP topple the tripartite ruling ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ (MVA) government.
Parliament proceedings | People can self enumerate in the next census: Govt tells Lok Sabha
The upcoming census will be digital for the first time and people will have the option of self enumeration, the Lok Sabha was informed on April 5. The housing listing phase of the census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR) were scheduled to be carried out across the country from April 1 to September 30, 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Lok Sabha live updates | April 5, 2022 :: Rajya Sabha live updates | April 5, 2022
Parliament proceedings | 4-5% of ₹1.25 lakh crore spent on CSR funds in past 7 years went to PM Cares: Govt
Of the total ₹1.25 lakh crore spent on CSR in the last seven years, only 4 to 5% funds have gone to the PM Cares Fund and that too during the last two years amid COVID-19, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh told the Rajya Sabha on April 5. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, the Minister also informed the members that there was an attempt initially to include Chief Minister’s Relief fund for spending CSR funds but it was disallowed by the Government of India.
Rajya Sabha passes accountancy Bill
Parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to revamp the functioning of the institutes of chartered accountants, cost accountants and company secretaries, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserting that the changes will not impact the autonomy of these bodies. Rajya Sabha passed the Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2022 with a voice vote after negating all amendments moved by the Opposition.
Road ahead for Congress more challenging than ever before: Sonia Gandhi
Noting that the recent Assembly election results have been shocking, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said revival of the Congress is essential for democracy as the Union Government regularly resorts to “division and polarisation”. The Congress Parliamentary Party meeting took place in the Central Hall of the Parliament and all Congress members from both the Houses, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh participated in it.
Ensure assets of children orphaned by pandemic are protected: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has directed District Magistrates (DMs) and child welfare authorities to ensure that properties and assets of children orphaned by the pandemic are protected. A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao has asked the officials to take the help of legal services authorities in the districts concerned to provide legal aid to such children.
European Union allies expel over 120 Russian diplomats in two days
Italy, Denmark and Sweden on April 5 joined European Union (EU) allies in expelling Russian diplomats over the war in Ukraine, with more than 120 sent packing in the last 48 hours. The expulsions come amid international outrage over killings in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv, where dozens of bodies were found over the weekend in mass graves or littering the streets.
Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | April 5, 2022
Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh ‘not acceptable to the people of Haryana’
The Haryana State Assembly on Tuesday termed the Punjab Legislative Assembly’s recent resolution urging the Central government to transfer the Union Territory of Chandigarh to Punjab as “not acceptable to the people of Haryana”, and asserted that Haryana continues to retain its right to the the two States’ joint capital territory of Chandigarh.
IPL 2022, KKR vs MI | Winless Mumbai Indians face uphill task against Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians’ domestic bowlers will look to step up as they take on a buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL in Pune on April 6, looking to turn things around after back-to-back defeats. MI have so far looked like anything but IPL’s five-time champions, losing both their opening games – first against Delhi Capitals by four wickets and then against a resurgent Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs.
IPL 2022 | Glenn Maxwell will be available against Mumbai Indians on April 9, says RCB head coach Hesson
Royals Challengers Bangalore can avail the services of star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in its upcoming IPL match against Mumbai Indians on April 9, said the team’s head coach Mike Hesson.
Germany reports rise in attacks against Russian, Ukrainian migrants
Attacks against Russian and Ukrainian migrants in Germany have risen since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in remarks made available on Tuesday. Faeser told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung this week that since the end of February 308 anti-Russian offences were recorded by police, including 15 acts of violence.
Electoral bonds scheme: Supreme Court says it will take up matter
Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Tuesday told advocate Prashant Bhushan that the court wanted to take up earlier a long-pending challenge against the government’s electoral bonds scheme, but the COVID-19 pandemic played spoilsport. Mr. Bhushan, who represents petitioner Association for Democratic Reforms, informed the CJI that the case has been pending for a year without a hearing.
Six times more funds for improving infrastructure along China border in Arunachal: Government
The government has allocated six times more funds for the development of infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh -- from ₹42.87 crore in 2020-21 to ₹249.12 in 2021-22. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha that ₹602.30 crore has been allocated in 2021-22 and Rs 355.12 crore in 2020-21 under the Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) scheme to improve infrastructure along the international border in the Northeast -- with China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Petrol prices up by only 5% as against 50% in developed nations, says Union Minister Puri in LS
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said in the Lok Sabha that in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war, petrol prices in India have gone up by merely 5% as against over 50% in some of the developed countries. Intervening in the short duration discussion in the Upper House on ‘Situation in Ukraine’, the Minister rejected the Opposition’s charge that Operation Ganga was ‘operation transport’ and not ‘operation evacuation’.
