Farmers from Punjab at Shambhu border tried to move towards the barricades on February 21 as part of their protest march to Delhi over their demands with police using tear gas shells to control the situation. Protesting farmers said Haryana Police had fired tear gas shells to disperse them. Meanwhile, according to an official statement, Shubhkaran Singh, (21) from Balloh village in Bathinda suffered a fatal head injury at Dhabi Gujran in Patiala. The statement added that during the ongoing farmer protest at nine people have suffered injuries at Shambhu and 14 at Dhabi Gujran, near Khanauri-Jind on the inter-State boundary. Separately, Haryana Police said that at the Data Singhwala border, the protesters surrounded the police from all sides by pouring chilli powder in the stubble, attacked the policemen using sticks along with stone pelting, in which 12 policemen were seriously injured.
INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party and Congress have announced a tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the SP left 17 out of the 80 seats in the State for the Congress. The Congress will contest Raebareli and Amethi, once considered pocket boroughs of the party, and Varanasi.
India, Greece agree to soon firm up migration & mobility pact; boost anti-terror cooperation
India and Greece on February 21 agreed to work towards co-production and co-development of military hardware and decided to firm up a mobility and migration pact as soon as possible with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis holding extensive talks to impart “new energy” to the bilateral ties. Mr. Modi said the two sides have common concerns and priorities in the fight against terrorism and there was a discussion in detail on how to further strengthen cooperation in this area.
Dalits, backward cannot get job in Modi’s Ram Rajya: Rahul Gandhi in Kanpur
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on February 21 accused the BJP-led Centre of not creating enough jobs for the Dalits and other backward classes, which constitute “90% of the population,” and discriminating against them in his ‘Ram Rajya.’ “What kind of Ram Rajya is this where … Backward classes, Dalits, tribals and minorities, who constitute about 90% of the total population, cannot get jobs,” Mr. Gandhi said in Kanpur during his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ in a public meeting at the Ghantaghar intersection in the city.
The Supreme Court on February 21 refused to pass an order on an urgent listing of a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal Government that has accused the CBI of going ahead with its probe in post-poll violence cases, without securing the prerequisite nod from the State under the law. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the matter on behalf of the West Bengal government, told a Bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that the matter has been adjourned nine times.
The Bombay High Court on February 21 issued a notice to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and 10 MLAs belonging to Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction on petitions challenging the Speaker’s decision to not disqualify them. Anil Patil, chief whip of the Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, had filed two petitions challenging the Speaker’s decision to not disqualify 10 MLAs from the Sharad Pawar camp.
India, China hold fresh round of military talks
India and China agreed to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground in border areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh during a fresh round of high-level military talks earlier this week. However, there was no clear forward movement at Monday’s talks in resolution of the more than three-and-half-year lingering row in a number of friction points, people familiar with the matter said.
Internet suspension in Manipur’s Churachandpur extended till February 26
The Manipur government on February 21 extended the suspension of internet services in Churachandpur district for five days in view of the prevailing law and order situation in the district, following violence over an action taken against a policeman. A home department order, issued by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, said, “The state government after reviewing the prevailing law and order situation in Churachandpur district decided to continue suspension of internet services and services through VPN throughout the whole revenue jurisdiction of Churachandpur district.” Mobile service providers are also directed to ensure compliance with the order, it said.
Syria says an Israeli strike that hit a Damascus residential area killed 2 people
Israeli strikes hit a neighbourhood of Damascus, a Syrian capital on February 21 morning, killing two people and causing material damage, Syria’s state TV said. There was no confirmation of the strikes from Israel. The Syrian state TV reported that several missiles hit the western neighbourhood of Kfar Sousseh, but did not elaborate or say who were the people killed. The pro-government Sham FM radio station said the strike hit a building near an Iranian school.
The U.K.’s Labour Party has called for a “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas as it attempts to prevent a second rebellion among its MPs, who are deeply divided on Israel’s retaliation in Gaza for Hamas’s October 7 attack on its soil. With more than 29,000 Palestinians already killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel has threatened to expand operations and undertake a ground invasion of the city of Rafah, unless hostages are returned.
Protesting Spanish farmers drive hundreds of tractors to Madrid
Convoys of tractors disrupted traffic around the Spanish capital on February 21 as farmers protesting against what they see as excessive red tape and insufficient state aid converged in downtown Madrid to march towards the Agriculture Ministry. Farmers have been protesting for weeks across European countries, most recently including Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic. They all call for a reduction of bureaucracy linked to the European Union’s Common Agriculture Policy and a loosening of the bloc’s environmental rules.
AUS vs NZ 1st T20 | David, Marsh propel Australia to thrilling T20 win over New Zealand
Tim David hit a four off the last ball to give Australia a nail-biting six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 international in Wellington on February 21. Having been set 216 to win, Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh hammered 72 off 44 balls before batting partner David (31 not out) sealed a thrilling last-gasp victory. “I thought we were done, to be honest,” admitted the relieved Marsh.
