Lakshya Sen loses to Viktor Axelsen in All England Open final
Lakshya Sen’s dream run at the All England Championships ended with a heartbreaking straight-game loss against world number one and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the men’s singles final, continuing India’s 21-year-long agonising wait for the coveted trophy.
BJP to announce Chief Ministers for Goa and Uttarakhand on Monday
Monday is the D-Day for the announcement of the Chief Ministers for Uttarakhand and Goa, 11 days after the results of the Assembly polls saw the BJP return to power in both States, but political complications and timing issues having delayed the announcement. In both States, meetings of the legislature parties have been scheduled for Monday to elect the Chief Minister.
Quad has accepted Indian stand on Ukraine, says Australian envoy
There is no reason to be unhappy with the Indian position regarding the Ukraine crisis, the Australian envoy to India said here on Sunday.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, High Commissioner Barry O’Farrel appreciated India’s efforts in this regard and said Canberra is hopeful of concluding the early harvest trade deal by the end of the March.
Dalit woman gang-raped in Rajasthan
A 26-year-old Dalit woman has filed a police complaint saying she was recently gang-raped at gunpoint in front of her children in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district.
In her complaint, the woman said earlier this week she was returning home along with her husband and children from an agricultural field, where they worked.
Turkey says Russia, Ukraine ‘close to agreement’
Turkey on Sunday said Russia and Ukraine made progress on their negotiations to halt the invasion and the two warring sides were close to an agreement.
“Of course, it is not an easy thing to come to terms with while the war is going on, while civilians are killed, but we would like to say that momentum is still gained,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in live comments from the southern Turkish province of Antalya.
Japan still hopes India will re-join RCEP: Noriyuki Shikata
Japan has still not given up hope that India might reconsider joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that it quit in 2019, a senior Japanese official said, indicating that India-Japan collaborations in other countries may be impacted if India continues to stay out. In particular, the official said that the RCEP “Rules of Origin” clause could also make it more difficult for products that have an Indian component to be sold easily among the 15-member grouping countries in the future.
NTAGI recommends reduced time gap between first and second dose for Covishield
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended that second dose of Covishield can be administered from 8 to 16 weeks after first dose. Currently the second dose is being given 12-16 weeks after the first dose.
Delhi court orders framing of charge against Yasin Malik, Hafiz Saeed, others
A Delhi court has ordered framing of charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik and others in a case related to alleged terrorism and secessionist activities that disturbed the Valley in 2017.
Sharad Yadav merges his party with RJD, seeks opposition unity
Former Union Minister and socialist leader Sharad Yadav merged his party Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on March 20, pitching for unity in Opposition ranks to take on the BJP.
Tripura People’s Front merges with the BJP
Tripura People’s Front (TPF), which has partial influence over the State’s indigenous communities, on Sunday merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a programme attended by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and senior leaders of the party. TPF president Patal Kanya Jamatia said she took the decision after closely observing the “pro-people governance” of the BJP-led State government, which has completed four years in office.
Beleaguered Imran pats India’s foreign policy
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday launched a verbal attack on the Pakistan Army and the Opposition as his three and half year old government was presented with its biggest crisis with the announcement of a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly on March 25. Mr. Khan said the Opposition had criticised him for declining an American request for a military base for action against the Taliban and said he would forgive dissidents who had left his party in recent weeks.
Diesel price for bulk users hiked ₹25/litre; private retailers stare closure
The price of diesel sold to bulk users has been hiked by about ₹25 per litre in line with a near 40% rise in international oil prices, but retail rates at petrol pumps remain unchanged, sources said.
