OPERATION KAVERI: 278 INDIANS START JOURNEY HOME FROM SUDAN PORT

The first batch of Indians stranded in violence-hit Sudan left the country onboard India’s naval ship INS Sumedha as part of the evacuation mission ‘Operation Kaveri‘.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said 278 people onboard the ship departed Port Sudan for the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

In Jeddah, the Indian Air Force has kept two planes ready to bring the Indians back home.

This came a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that about 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan where INS Sumedha was docked.

Port Sudan is about 850 kms away from Sudan’s capital city Khartoum. Situation has been volatile in Khartoum with reports of fierce fighting at various locations.

Officials said that the Navy ship option is being used since Sudan’s airspace has been closed, making the evacuation of stranded Indians from the African country a big challenge.

There are some 3,000 Indian citizens located across Sudan.

INDIA DUBS AS MISCHIEVOUS PAK REMARKS AT UNSC

India tore into Pakistan after it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a UN Security Council meeting here, prompting India’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj to assert that she would not waste the Council’s time by responding to such “mischievous” remarks.

Kamboj’s stern response to Pakistan came in her remarks at the UN Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security: Effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” chaired by Russia, president of the Council for April.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the UN Munir Akram referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his statement.

“Lastly, this august forum has today heard some mischievous remarks by a permanent representative arising purely out of ignorance and lack of an understanding on the basic facts of decolonisation,” Kamboj said. “I will not be wasting the time of this Council in responding to those remarks. Our advice to that delegation is please refer to our numerous rights of reply that we have expressed in the past,” she added.

8 EX-NAVY MEN FACE DEATH FOR SPYING IN QATAR

Sacked by their Qatari employers, eight veterans of the Indian Navy, kept in solitary confinement in Doha since August last year, face stringent charges, including the death penalty, at the next court hearing on May 3.

Charges have also been framed against two Qataris, including former Oman Air Force officer Khamis al-Ajmi, who is also the CEO of Dahra Global which had employed them for a super-secret project to build Italian technology-based midget submarines with stealth characteristics. Qatar’s Head of International Military Operations, Maj Gen Tariq Khalid Al Obaidly, is the other Qatari national to be charged.

The eight former Indian Navy personnel have been charged with spying for Israel with the Qatari authorities said to be in possession of electronic evidence in this regard. “We are engaged with the Qatari authorities. Our embassy in Doha continues to remain in touch with the families. The next day of the hearing is in early May. We are trying to see what can be done before that in connection with that hearing,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said when queried about the developments in this regard.

PARKASH SINGH BADAL PASSES AWAY

Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, 95, is no more. The five-time Chief Minister of Punjab, the towering man who strode like a colossus across the political landscape of the state for over seven decades, gently bowed out this evening. It’s the end of an era in Punjab politics. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has lost its architect, and the state its great reconciler, a leader who believed in building bridges with disparate ideologies, to keep it on the path of peace.

Badal’s journey in politics started with that of independent India, when he was elected as a sarpanch at the age of 20. And it would go on to mirror that of Punjab itself — from the wars with Pakistan and the crackdown during Emergency, to the decade–long militancy in the 1980s, he weathered it all.

A staunch Akali, he went to jail for various morchas (movements) – and was also imprisoned during Emergency — prompting PM Narendra Modi to call him the Nelson Mandela of India. Though a strong votary of federalism, he never adopted an anti-India stance even during the height of militancy in the state.

A firm believer in the moderate brand of politics, Badal forged four post-poll coalitions with the Jan Sangh despite their different ideologies in the early days of Punjab after its reorganisation in 1966. In 1977, he was a Union minister in the Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government.

Later, after militancy got over in Punjab, he stitched together a political alliance with the BJP, starting 1997, which would be one of the longest such partnerships in the country. It was finally undone due to the differences between the two parties on farm laws in 2021.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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TRUMP FACES RAPE ALLEGATION AS E JEAN CARROLL’S SUIT GOES TO TRIAL

New York : In a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, a jury will begin hearing E Jean Carroll’s allegation that former President Donald Trump raped her more than two decades ago in a department store dressing room, in a proceeding that seeks to apply the accountability of the #MeToo era to a dominating political figure. The trial in federal district court in Manhattan, expected to last one to two weeks, stems from a lawsuit and will take place amid a barrage of legal action aimed at Trump, who is running to regain the presidency and arguing that the suits and investigations are meant to drag him down. Carroll, a former magazine columnist, said nothing publicly about the encounter for decades before publishing a memoir in 2019 that accused Trump of attacking her.

Trump has denied that he raped Carroll, has accused her of lying and has attacked her repeatedly in public statements and on social media, both while in office and after leaving.

IRAN CHARGES TWO ACTRESSES FOR NOT COVERING HEAD

Iran has charged two prominent actresses for publishing pictures of themselves flouting the country’s dress code for women, just weeks after announcing a crackdown on breaches, local media reported. Police in Tehran have referred the case against Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to Iran’s judiciary, accusing them of “the crime of removing the hijab in public and posting photos on the internet”.

Last week, photos of Bahram, 53, went viral after she posed without a headscarf at a film screening, while Riahi, 61, posted several photos taken in public places around Tehran in which she did not wear a headscarf.

SINGAPORE HANGS MAN FOR TRAFFICKING 1KG CANNABIS

Singapore has hanged 46-year-old Tangaraju Suppiah who was found guilty in 2018 of trafficking more than 1kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis, despite last-minute appeals for clemency from his family and activists.

Tangaraju Suppiah was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the attempted trafficking of just more than 1kg of cannabis. A judge found he was using a phone number that was communicating with traffickers attempting to smuggle the drugs into Singapore.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson deplored the execution and said the evidence against Tangaraju was “far from clear cut – since he never actually touched the marijuana in question, was questioned by police without a lawyer, and denied access to a Tamil interpreter when he asked for one”.

Amnesty International described the execution as “unlawful” and said that proceedings “violated international law and standards”.

The execution was the first in Singapore in six months after it carried out 11 death sentences last year.

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LEADERS ACROSS POLITICAL SPECTRUM REMEMBER PARKASH SINGH BADAL

Leaders across political spectrum condoled the demise of former Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal Tuesday evening.

Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Badal’s passing away was a “personal loss for him” and said, “he worked tirelessly for the progress of Punjab and anchored the state through critical times.”

“Extremely saddened by the passing away of Shri Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He was a colossal figure of Indian politics, and a remarkable statesman who contributed greatly to our nation. He worked tirelessly for the progress of Punjab and anchored the state through critical times,” Modi said.

President Droupadi Murmu called Badal “one of the tallest political stalwarts since independence,” and said, “though his exemplary career in public service was largely confined to Punjab, he was respected across the country.”

“The news of the demise of Sardar Parkash Singh Badal is sad. He was a lifelong leader of the politics of India and Punjab,” tweeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tweeted his condolence message praying for the peace of the departed soul and for fortitude of the family to bear the loss.

RAHUL GANDHI MOVES GUJARAT HC AGAINST SURAT COURT’S REFUSAL TO STAY HIS CONVICTION

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed a revision application challenging a Surat court’s refusal to stay his conviction in a criminal defamation case on Tuesday before the Gujarat High Court.

Advocate BM Mangukiya said that the revision application has been filed under CrPC section 397 at 4 pm Tuesday, primarily on the grounds that the punishment of two years for criminal defamation is disproportionate and that irreversible damage has been caused that has led to Gandhi losing membership of the Lower House of Parliament.

A Surat court of additional sessions Judge Robin Mogera on April 20 had rejected Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on the conviction, observing that “if such power is exercised in a casual and mechanical manner, the same would have serious impact on the public perception on the justice delivery systems and such order will shake public confidence in judiciary.”

A Surat magistrate court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi to two years simple imprisonment for criminal defamation.

A KEY CHANGE IN BIHAR JAIL MANUAL HELPS ANAND MOHAN OUT

Once upon a time, Nitish Kumar and Anand Mohan Singh were seen as representatives of two opposite sides of Bihar’s politics. But, power is a great leveller – as is caste.

And hence, days after a tweak in the Bihar Jail Manuals by a government led by Nitish Kumar, former MP Anand Mohan serving life sentence for murder is set to walk out of prison.

The jail manual change dropped “murder of a public servant on duty” as one of the categories of crime for which the accused could not be considered for premature release, before 20 years. It was in 2007 that Anand Mohan was convicted for murder after then Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah was lynched by a mob.

Ironically, at the time, the conviction was hailed as a sign of change in Bihar under Nitish, of speedy trials and crackdown against musclemen politicians — after the long rule of the RJD which was associated with lawlessness. Nitish was into his first real stint as CM, having taken oath in 2005 (in 2000, his tenure had ended in seven days). After Anand Mohan, former MP Mohammed Shahabuddin and a few others were also convicted.

“Nitish Kumar is setting a horrible precedent by releasing a person convicted of murder. It will embolden criminals to attack government officials because they know they can easily get out of prison. For just a few Rajput votes, he has taken a decision that has so many consequences for the common people. The Rajput community should think over this – whether they want a criminal like Anand Mohan to represent them in politics,” said G Uma Krishnaiah, wife of IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was killed by Mohan in 1994.

WE HAVE MADE CRIMINALS & MAFIA BEG FOR THEIR LIVES, SAYS ADITYANATH

Campaigning for the urban local body elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that in the past, criminals in Uttar Pradesh walked around with their heads held high but now they hang placards around their necks begging for their lives.

Adityanath addressed election rallies in Unnao and Raebareli ahead of the polls scheduled to take place in two phases on May 4 and May 11.

He said that before 2017, when urban local body polls were previously held in the state, people of a certain political party used to brandish guns, whereas today youths are getting smartphones and tablets. “Earlier, there were heaps of garbage but cities are becoming smart today. Now, there is no place for mafia, criminals, crime, corruption and corrupt people in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, “BJP claims it is a party with a difference. However, at some places, it seemed like the party with distance because people distanced themselves from it. He (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) should say how many cases were there against him and which of these were withdrawn. And how many [cases] were related to riots? I would like to say that they [BJP] are trying to divert people’s attention because they have failed to provide basic facilities to people.”

HOW FAR WOULD WE HAVE TO GO: SC IN SAME SEX MARRIAGE CASE

Petitioners seeking recognition to same-sex marriage on Tuesday contested the Centre’s position that Parliament alone was the appropriate forum to deal with the issue, saying constitutional courts could always intervene if fundamental rights were violated.

“When our rights are being violated, we have the right to come to this court,” senior counsel Menaka Guruswamy submitted before a five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud which will continue with the hearing on Wednesday.

Highlighting that several Supreme Court verdicts had given protection to homosexual couples, Guruswamy said the top court must declare same-sex marriages valid under the Special Marriage Act,1954.

The Bench posed a number of questions to the petitioners on the intersection of the SMA and personal laws as it wanted clarity on potential issues that might arise if same-sex marriages were declared valid under the SMA.

“If we declare that man and woman in the SMA should be read as spouse, can we stop at that today? What happens when two Hindu women get married (under SMA) and one of them dies?... the surviving spouse will be left with nothing because under the Hindu law, there is a different line of succession for men and women,” the CJI pointed out.

Maintaining that declaring same-sex marriages valid was the first step, Guruswamy said many statutes would require fresh interpretation to make the declaration workable.

SC NOTICE TO DELHI ON WRESTLERS’ PLEA FOR FIR AGAINST WFI CHIEF

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Delhi Government and others on a plea by seven women wrestlers seeking an FIR against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, saying the allegations of sexual harassment are “serious” in nature.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud issued the notices after senior advocate Kapil Sibal alleged the police had refused to lodge an FIR against Singh despite allegations of sexual harassment by the petitioners.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on Friday. “There are serious allegations by wrestlers who have represented India. The matter requires consideration by this court,” it said. The wrestlers have been sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar.

HARRY BELAFONTE, SINGER, ACTOR & ACTIVIST, DIES AT 96

Harry Belafonte, who stormed the pop charts and smashed racial barriers in the 1950s with his highly personal brand of folk music, and who went on to become amajor force in the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 96. The cause was congestive heart failure, said Ken Sunshine, his longtime spokesman.

At a time when segregation was still widespread and Black faces were still a rarity on screens, Belafonte’s ascent to the upper echelon of show business was historic. He was not the first Black entertainer to transcend racial boundaries; Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and others had achieved stardom before him. But none had made as much of a splash as he did, and for a few years no one in music, was bigger.

IPL MATCH 35: GUJARAT TITANS BEAT MUMBAI INDIANS BY A HUGE MARGIN

Gujarat Titans produced a clinical performance to outclass Mumbai Indians by 55 runs in a completely one-sided match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Set a stiff target of 208, MI were stopped at 152 for nine.

GT's lower middle-order used the long handle to good effect and powered their team to a formidable 207 for six.

David Miller blazed away to a 22-ball 46, Rahul Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 20 in just five balls, while Abhinav Manohar needed only 21 deliveries to make 42 during a vital partnership of 71 runs for the fifth wicket with the South African. This was after Shubman Gill made a neat 34-ball 56.\

Wins Tally; GT 5/7; MI 3/7

WTC FINAL: RAHANE BACK; SKY AND KULDEEP DROPPED

Ajinkya Rahane, who has added a dash of aggression to his batting style, made a comeback to the Indian team on Tuesday for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia as the BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the one-off contest.

The WTC final will be played in London at the Oval from June 7 to 11.

Aggressive batter Suryakumar Yadav, spinner Kuldeep Yadav and young stumper-batter Ishan Kishan, who were all part of the home series against Australia, have been dropped for the contest.

BCCI's five-man selection panel, secretary Jay Shah along with skipper Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid met on Monday evening to decide on the squad.

India's Test squad WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, K L Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions. - Dalai Lama

OFF TRACK

Wife : Ka karat ho?

Husband : Ek dost ko chitthi likhat hu!

Wife : Par tuhar likhna to aawe nahi.

Husband : Vo sasura bhi to padhna nahi jaanat.