NO LET UP YET, BUT A RAY OF HOPE FOR THE END OF WAR IN UKRAINE

The key component of discussions between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul was a multilateral security agreement backed by other countries as guarantors. However, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that there has not been any abatement of assault by Russian forces either in Kyiv or Chernihiv, as Russia had announced, and the trust deficit still remains.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily statement on Tuesday evening, after the negotiations, that the “signals we hear from the negotiating platform can be called positive” but, he said, “these signals do not drown out the ruptures of Russian shells”.

Zelenskyy’s adviser and member of the negotiating team in Turkey, Mykhailo Podoliak, told the media that talks were pragmatic and there will be specific security guarantees, agreement made with countries that will take international legal obligations. With this treaty, the countries will be able to build another much more effective security architecture for the world, he said, adding, along with the permanent members of the UNSC, Ukraine would also want Turkey, Germany and Poland on board.

He said if the assault is reduced, as Russian negotiators said, “we will consider that Russia, by making this decision, is making a step towards us and a step towards peace, towards ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine”.

Discussing the negotiations in Turkey, Podolik said that “the key takeaways are that we have begun to talk pragmatically. There is a lot of discussions we have been fighting for 34 days, against a powerful Russian Army”. “We are talking constructively now, and it will not be fantasies but specific security guarantees, agreement made with countries that will take international legal obligations……During the first round of negotiations, Russia spoke of ultimatums, and they thought they will complete their special operations very soon. Now, we have very clear, very specific construction, that we have received owing to the Ukrainian Army.” Podoliak  added that now Russians are talking to Ukraine “in different terms”.

HIGH-LEVEL FOREIGN DIGNITARIES VISITING INDIA

Consultations with New Delhi continued to remain in a high gear with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar late on Wednesday night.

The talks covered the Ukraine crisis and the resultant bleak global scenario, besides the Indo-Pacific, tweeted Jaishankar.

A review of bilateral ties was another topic of discussion. Several high-level foreign dignitaries are visiting the country for talks.

Ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s arrival on Thursday, the US administration has dispatched its Deputy NSA for International Economics Daleep Singh, whom its media called “architect” of Russian sanctions.

Also in the country are German Security and Foreign Policy Adviser Jens Plötner, who met his counterpart NSA Ajit Doval, and Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who interacted with his counterpart S Jaishankar.

UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss is also arriving today for a meeting with Jaishankar.

The US Deputy NSA met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as Washington doubles down on its drive to isolate Russia. Truss also arrives with the same objective.

The German NSA and Doval discussed a wide range of bilateral issues as well as major global developments, including in their respective regions.

MAKE BAY OF BENGAL BRIDGE OF CONNECTIVITY: PM MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon members of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) to transform the Bay of Bengal into a bridge of connectivity, prosperity, and security even as the virtual summit hosted by Sri Lanka took some vital decisions to infuse dynamism in its activity.

The summit’s main outcome was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC Charter, which formalises the grouping into an “organisation made up of member states that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal”. “Now we should focus our attention on how to make this architecture stronger,” suggested the PM.

India and some other countries, frustrated by the obstacles in SAARC’s efforts to promote regional cooperation, have been working to make BIMSTEC the premier vehicle in this regard.

LOK SABHA CLEARS BILL TO MERGE THREE DELHI MCs

The Lok Sabha yesterday cleared the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that seeks to unify the three municipal corporations of the national capital following an intense debate.

Opposition parties such as the Congress and TMC called the legislation “unconstitutional”, accusing the ruling BJP of “running away” from elections for the “fear of losing”.

The Bill was passed by a voice vote as various amendments moved by Opposition members were rejected.

In a hard-hitting counter to observations of Opposition MPs, Home Minister Amit Shah said the Bill was well within the powers vested in Parliament as per Section 239 AA of the Constitution.

“The Bill is as per the Constitution of India. Since Delhi is a Union Territory, the  of India has the right to bring any legislation related to it,” he said, trashing arguments by Congress and TMC MPs.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / March 31

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 1,225

Active Cases 14,307 (-397)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,21,129 (11)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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RUSSIA SHELLS AREAS IN UKRAINE WHERE IT VOWED TO SCALE BACK

Russian forces bombarded the outskirts of Kyiv and a besieged city in northern Ukraine on Wednesday, a day after promising to scale down operations there in what the West dismissed as a ploy to regroup by invaders suffering heavy losses.

Ukrainian officials called Russia out for having said on Tuesday it would curtail operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv “to increase mutual trust” for peace talks.

The capital itself was not hit, but windows rattled from the relentless artillery on its outskirts.

Ukraine and Western leaders had cautioned that Moscow’s apparent peace gesture at Tuesday’s talks in Istanbul was a cover for reorganising forces that had failed to take Kyiv. Russia has started to reposition under 20% of the forces arrayed around Kyiv, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, but cautioned Russia was expected to refit and resupply them for redeployment, and not bring the forces home. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said some of the Russian forces may have already moved into Belarus, as opposed to their home garrisons.

PUTIN ADVISERS AFRAID TO TELL HIM TRUTH ON UKRAINE, SAYS US OFFICIAL

Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled by advisers who were too scared to tell him how poorly the war in Ukraine is going and how damaging Western sanctions have been, a US official said on Wednesday, citing declassified intelligence. Russia’s invasion has been halted on most fronts by stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces who have recaptured territory even as civilians are trapped in besieged cities. “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, leading him to mistrust the military leadership,” the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Putin didn’t even know his military was using and losing conscripts in Ukraine, showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president,” the official said. The official did not provide the intelligence report, but said the information had been declassified. The Kremlin made no immediate comment after the end of the working day in Moscow, and the Russian embassy in Washington did not comment.

IMRAN KHAN'S GOVT TOTTERS AS KEY ALLY SWITCHES SIDES

MQM-P’s decision to walk out of ruling coalition in Pakistan effectively ended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s majority in the lower house of parliament, leaving the coalition  with 164 lawmakers, eight short of the 172 required for PM Imran Khan to stay in .

The opposition’s strength in the 342-member National Assembly swelled to 177 even without the expected support of 25 to 40 dissident lawmakers of Imran’s party. Addressing a joint presser with other members of the combined front, Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, urged Khan to resign and start a new chapter in the political history of the country. “I don’t think he will resign, but it’s a hope against hope. ”

The PM said at an event in the capital on Wednesday that the current political crisis started due to his ’s “independent foreign policy” that used to be earlier “controlled through phone calls”. He later shared the contents of a letter with a few journalists, purportedly containing evidence of a foreign conspiracy against his . The PM, according to the journalists, neither named the country nor the officials, saying these details had been shared with the army and ISI chiefs. “What they shared with us is that this letter is a conversation between Pakistani officials and those of another country. They said that Europe and the US were not happy with Pakistan’s stance on Russia and Ukraine,” said Imran Riaz, one of the journalists.

Another journalist who participated in the meeting said only the gist of the letter was shared. According to him, it was clearly stated in the letter that the country concerned was “unhappy” with Pakistan’s policies. “The Russia tour was clearly mentioned and it was said that it (the visit) was the PM’s individual decision,” he said. “The letter says that if the no-confidence vote succeeds, we will forgive everything; otherwise, the days ahead will be difficult.”

No Pakistan Prime Minister has ever served a full five-year term. But no Pakistan PM has ever been ousted by a no-confidence motion either.

THE REST

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AAP CLAIMS BJP WANTS TO KILL KEJRIWAL AFTER VIOLENCE AT HIS HOME

BJP’s Yuva Morcha president and MP Tejasvi Surya yesterday led a protest against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly mocking Kashmiri Pandits. Calling him an “incorrigible liar,” he sought an “unconditional apology” even as he trashed Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s charge that there had been an attempt to kill the Delhi CM under a “well-thought-out conspiracy”. Sisodia alleged that activists of the BJP Yuva Morcha damaged CCTV cameras and security barriers at Kejriwal’s residence.

Addressing the media, the BYJM president said the protest against Kejriwal for “making fun of the massacre of Kashmiri Pandits (in the Vidhan Sabha)”, would continue till he apologised. The Delhi CM had last week targeted BJP leaders for promoting film ‘The Kashmir Files’ and declaring it tax-free. Kejriwal demanded that the movie be uploaded on YouTube so that “the entire country can understand the plight of Kashmiri Pandits” and urged filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri to spend the money earned from the movie on their welfare.

Surya alleged, “They had raised questions over the Batla House encounter and the surgical strikes on Pakistan. These anti-Indian and anti-Hindu sentiments have always existed in AAP. Kejriwal is an incorrigible liar.”

Delhi Police has initiated an internal enquiry to find how 15-20 members of the BJYM got past the third barricade of the North district police and reached the main gate of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in Civil Lines, where they broke the boom barrier and kicked and banged the main gate.

NOW HALAL BOYCOTT CALLS IN KARNATAKA

In the backdrop of a growing online campaign against halal meat sold by Muslim traders in Karnataka, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the issue has to be studied in entirety. A few right-wing groups in the state have given a call to boycott halal meat, ahead of ‘varshadodaku’, the day after Ugadi when many communities in the state have a non-vegetarian feast.

JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy hit out at the  for remaining silent over the issue. The state never witnessed such a divide between any religion and there was a harmonious relationship, he said. “People who eat non-vegetarian food in rural areas do not see whether it a halal meat or not. For all these years, it was not an issue and why has it cropped up now,” he asked.

As a corporate voice of concern in India’s technology capital, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Ltd, has urged the CM, through a tweet, to resolve the “growing religious divide” in the state. She warned that the country’s “global leadership” in tech and biotech was at stake. In a subsequent tweet, she posted: “Our CM is a very progressive leader. I am sure he will resolve this issue soon.”

MORE DELAY, 5G SPECTRUM AUCTION NEXT YEAR LIKELY

The long-awaited auction of 5G spectrum is set for further delay with the  on Tuesday saying the process was likely to take place during the next year.

“The 5G spectrum is likely to be auctioned during next year. The department has identified 5G spectrum and TRAI recommendation has been sought,” the DoT said in its action taken note on Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology’s report.

In the report, the panel warned the  against missing the 5G bus after previously missing 2G, 3G and 4G buses. The committee had earlier said sufficient preparatory work had not been done for launch of 5G services in India and the DoT had not learnt from past mistakes.

Headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the panel rapped the  for “failing to explain the reasons behind the delayed rollout of 5G services in India.” “We had desired to know why the country had not moved beyond the modest beginning stage in rolling out 5G services. Instead of spelling out reasons for delay, the department has listed some of their early initiatives,” the panel said.

RAMDEV SHUTS UP REPORTER ON FUEL PRICE QUERY

Yoga guru Ramdev was seen on camera losing his cool and threatening a journalist, who asked him about his comments in the past on reducing petrol price.

During an event in Haryana's Karnal, a journalist asked the Patanjali brand ambassador about his comment to the media that people should consider a  that can ensure petrol for ₹ 40 a litre and cooking gas at ₹ 300 a cylinder.

To this, Ramdev replied, "Yes, I said it, what can you do? Don't keep asking such questions. Am I your thekedar (contractor) who has to keep answering your questions?"

When the journalist asked the question again, a visibly upset Ramdev, pointing at the journalist, shot back, "I made the comment. Ab kya kar lega (what will you do)? Just shut up. If you ask again, it is not good. Don't speak like this, you must be the son of decent parents."

Petrol and diesel prices were raised by 80 paise a litre each on Wednesday, taking the total increase in rates in the last nine days to ₹ 5.60 per litre.

BRUCE WILLIS STEPPING AWAY FROM ACTING FOLLOWING APHASIA DIAGNOSIS

Bruce Willis’ family on Wednesday announced that the actor is “stepping away” from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia. Aphasia is a communication disorder that makes it hard to use words. It can affect your speech, writing, and ability to understand language.

The family posted a joint statement on social media announcing Willis’ retirement. He’s 67.

The statement read, “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

Willis was last seen in A Day to Die, which hit screens in March this year.

IPL MATCH 6: RCB EDGE KKR IN THRILLING FINISH

Royal Challengers Bangalore batters overcame some nervy moments after leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga spun his way to a four-wicket haul to register a three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a low-scoring IPL match, in Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday.

Hasaranga lived up to his Rs 10.75 crore price tag as his four-wicket burst helped RCB dismiss KKR for 128.

In reply, Sherfane Rutherford (28), David Willey (18) and Shahbaz Ahmed (27) played crucial innings as RCB survived some anxious moments before overhauling the target, scoring 132 for 7 in 19.2 overs after Tim Southee (3/20) and Umesh Yadav (2/16) blew away their top-order.

Yadav and Southee troubled the top-order batters with their pace and bounce, leaving RCB at 17 for 3 at one stage.

Needing 17 off last two overs, Harshal Patel (10 not out) smashed two fours, while Dinesh Karthik (14 not out) blasted a six and a four in the first two balls of the last over to take the team home.

BCCI SPELLS TERMS FOR IPL MEDIA RIGHTS, SETS BASE PRICE AT RS 32,890 CR

India’s cricket board has set a combined base price of Rs 32,890 crore for the media rights of the IPL under four packages, seeking to double the amount from the last five-year rights cycle ending in 2022.

The BCCI, in the previous cycle, sold IPL media rights for Rs 16,348 crore. This year’s IPL season has 10 teams—two more than last year—and 74 matches. The board seeks to garner Rs 100 crore per match.

Media network Star India paid Rs 16,347.5 crore in 2017 to win IPL media rights for five years, competing in a consolidated bid. This time there will be four categories and interested parties have to bid separately for each.

The first category, with a base price of Rs 49 crore per game, is for television rights in the Indian subcontinent. The television rights base price means each season will bring the BCCI at least Rs 3,626 crore. For a five-year period, it comes to Rs 18,130 crore. Category II is for digital rights, which has a base price of Rs 33 crore per game.

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GBP 0.76 /US$, Euro 0.89 /US$, Jap.Yen 121.90 /US$, Aus$ 1.33 /US$, Sing 1.35 /US$, Bang Taka 84.48 /US$, Can$ 1.24 /US$, Mal Ring 4.20 /US$,

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Bitcoin - USD 47,287

Dollar Index 97.84 Brent Crude 109.00 BDI 2,369.00

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,928 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,198 / 4,765, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 71,700

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. - Ursula Le Guin

OFF TRACK

Our Next generation will not be able to see Tigers !!!!

Toh Hum kya karein? Humne bhi to Dinosaur nahin dekha hai. Kabhi shikayat ki kya?

There are more boys than girls in India .........SAVE GIRLS !!! We can save the tigers later....Bike pe piche ladki chahiye ya tiger ?? Choice is yours....