Hijab not an essential practice of Islam, rules Karnataka High Court
Wearing of hijab (head scarf) by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practices in Islamic faith and it is not protected under the right to freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, the High Court of Karnataka declared on March 15.
Diplomacy is the only way out, says S. Jaishankar on Ukraine situation
On the issues raised about India’s advisories to nationals in Ukraine, Mr. Jaishankar says, when an embassy tells nationals to go home it is serious. Students didn’t want to leave because universities threatened to cancel their degrees. “I care about the students future, whether you do or not,” the External Affairs Minister adds.
Also read: Rajya Sabha live updates | March 15, 2022 | Lok Sabha live updates | March 15, 2022 | Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | March 15, 2022|
U.S., China clash over Beijing’s support to Russia
The United States on Monday warned China that it “will not stand by” should it provide military support to Russia, while Beijing pushed back against what it called “disinformation” that “smeared” its stand on the Ukraine issue, as senior officials from the two countries met in Rome. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s meeting with Communist Party of China Politburo member Yang Jiechi, who is Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, had “substantial discussion of Russia’s war against Ukraine”, the White House said in a brief readout, adding that both officials “underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China.”
No decision yet on country-wide NRC: Government to Lok Sabha
The Centre has not yet taken any decision to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens for the entire country, Union Minister Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
IPL 2022 | Mumbai Indians begin preparation; Kishan, Rohit, Bumrah join squad
Record five time IPL champions Mumbai Indians on Tuesday set the ground running for their 2022 campaign. The 12-day strength and conditioning pre-season camp, ahead of Mumbai Indians’ first match, is being held at their in-house training facility at Reliance Jio Stadium in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.
Care should be taken not to mix vaccines, particularly for 12-14 years age group: Health Ministry
There should be no mixing of vaccines, particularly for 12-14 years age group, and vaccinators and vaccination teams need to be trained to ensure this, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, a day before the country begins integration of this cohort into the COVID-19 vaccination programme. The government is yet to issue an official statement on mixed-use dose of vaccine for any cohort.
Bombay High Court refuses interim relief to Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused interim release to Maharashtra’s Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case of 1999 linking him to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Missile incident: Standard Operating Procedures being reviewed, says Rajnath Singh
A review of the Standard Operating Procedures for “operations, maintenance and inspections” is being conducted in the wake of the accidental firing of a missile which landed in Pakistan last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday while stating that the government has taken a serious note of it and a formal high–level inquiry has been ordered.
ICC Women’s World Cup | India aim for consistency in clash against England
Their confidence high after an impressive win over the West Indies, India would look for much-needed consistency with the bat against a struggling England in their fourth league stage match of the ICC Women’s World Cup here on Wednesday. Currently placed third after a morale-boosting 155-run against the West Indies, India would like to keep the winning momentum going and maintain its stay in the top four especially when they take on table toppers Australia after England.
Over 5 lakh COVID-19 deaths so far this year, Health Ministry tells Rajya Sabha
A total of 5,15,355 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported by the States and Union Territories as on March 9, 2022, Minister of State in Health Ministry, Bharati Pravin Pawar, said in her response in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. She was responding to a question by Member of Parliament Abir Ranjan Biswas on the number of COVID-19 victims from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
No plans to introduce cryptocurrency, says Government
There is no plan to introduce cryptocurrency by the government, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Currently, cryptocurrencies are unregulated in India, he said in a written reply.
Sri Lankan government will seek financial support from the IMF, softening its resistance against the international lender as it desperately tries to salvage the country’s beleaguered economy that is currently reeling under a severe foreign exchange crisis. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa gave the nod to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Markets break 5-day rally; Sensex tumbles 709 points on weak global trends
Equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty halted their five-day rally on Tuesday and settled deep in the red, mirroring weak global markets, with decline in index heavyweights Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC Bank. Despite opening with gains of over 200 points, the 30-share Sensex turned highly volatile and tumbled 709.17 points or 1.26% to close at 55,776.85. During the day, the benchmark index plunged 1,067.07 points or 1.88% to 55,418.95.
Explained | The surge in oil and natural gas prices
On March 8, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. was banning the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal to the country, a move aimed at depriving Russia of the economic resources needed to continue its war in Ukraine. In the run up to the U.S. announcement, international oil prices surged to a 14-year high on March 7, with Brent crude futures hitting $139.13 intraday. However, following the U.S. decision, oil prices yo-yoed and Brent ended last week at $112.67 a barrel, which was 4.8% lower than the preceding week’s close.
