Tag: Cheetah

The Hindu Morning Digest, March 11, 2024

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State Bank of India (SBI) has moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time till June 30 to submit details of Electoral Bonds to the Election Commission of India. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Government likely to appoint new Election Commissioners by March 15

The two vacancies in the Election Commission (EC), created by the surprise resignation of Arun Goel and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey, are likely to be filled by March 15, sources indicated. A high-level selection committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising a Union Minister and Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, is likely to meet on March 14. Keen to fill up the vacancies at the earliest, sources told The Hindu that the Opposition leader has been sounded out about a change of date to advance the meeting date by a day or two.

Electoral bonds: SC to hear SBI’s plea seeking extension to disclose details on March 11

The Supreme Court will on March 11 hear the application filed by the State Bank of India (SBI) seeking extension till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties before the scheme was scrapped last month. In a landmark verdict delivered on February 15, a five-judge constitution Bench scrapped the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it “unconstitutional” and ordered disclosure by the Election Commission of the donors, the amount donated by them, and the recipients by March 13.

In re-constituted National Commission for Scheduled Castes, govt. ensures a place for Madiga member

With the Lok Sabha election around the corner, the Union government has chosen to constitute the most-recent National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) by ensuring the presence of at least one member from the Madiga community, one of the most populous Scheduled Caste communities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Madiga community has argued that despite being among the most populous of the SCs, they are routinely crowded out of benefits and reservation by the relatively dominant Mala community. 

Uttar Pradesh Congress passes resolution for candidature from Gandhi family

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress unanimously passed a resolution for the candidature from the Gandhi family in Amethi and Raebareli seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) refrained from officially naming the candidates from the family but sources confirmed the push is for Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra from Raebareli.

Cheetah Gamini gives birth to five cubs at MP’s Kuno National Park; big cat count rises to 26

Cheetah ‘Gamini’ on Sunday gave birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, taking the total number of the big cats in the country to 26, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said. This is the fourth cheetah litter on Indian soil and the first litter of cheetahs brought from South Africa, Mr. Yadav informed. In March last year, cheetah Jwala (Namibian name Siyaya) had given birth to four cubs but only one managed to survive. Jwala gave birth to her second litter of four cubs in January this year., which was followed by cheetah Aasha delivering three cubs.

Haryana BJP MP Brijendra Singh resigns from party, joins Congress

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Hisar Lok Sabha member Brijendra Singh quit the party due to “compelling political reasons” and joined the Congress within a few hours. He later also resigned as the Lok Sabha member. Formally joining the Congress in the presence of party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Singh said that he took the decision to quit the BJP as he was “uncomfortable” and “not in agreement” over a few issues, including the farmers movement, the Agniveer scheme and the wrestlers protest.

Worst fears about presence of drugs in Tamil Nadu confirmed, says Governor R.N. Ravi

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, said the recent interdictions of sizeable quantities of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and apprehension of members of international drug cartels in Tamil Nadu and other places by the central agencies had “confirmed the worst fears about prevalence of drugs in the State.

Congress president Kharge says alliance with Trinamool can happen anytime before withdrawal of nominations

Hours after the Trinamool Congress announced its candidates for all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the Congress said an alliance with Trinamool is possible until withdrawal of nominations. The party also asserted that any agreement has to be finalised through negotiations and not unilateral announcements. “Our doors are always open and an alliance can happen anytime before withdrawal,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, month of fasting starts Monday for many

Officials saw the crescent moon on Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asian countries, like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon.

Nepal PM ‘Prachanda’ to seek third vote of confidence by March 13: report

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is seeking to hold his third vote of confidence in Parliament by March 13, days after he forged a new alliance with the CPN-UML, a media report said. The third round of vote of confidence comes after Mr. Prachanda, a former guerilla leader, dumped the Nepali Congress and forged a new alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) – the second-biggest party – led by former premier K.P. Sharma Oli on Monday.

Portugal votes with centre-right poised to oust Socialists

Voters in Portugal go to the polls on March 10 in an early election that could see the country join a shift to the right seen across Europe after eight years of Socialist rule. Final opinion polls published on March 8 show the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) narrowly ahead of the Socialist Party (PS) but short of an outright majority in parliament, which could make the far-right party Chega a kingmaker for forming a governing coalition.

Satwik-Chirag win French Open doubles title

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their love affair with Paris, lifting the French Open badminton crown for the second time with a dominating straight game win over Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the men’s doubles final.The world No. 1 Indian pair had finished runners-up in the French Open in 2019 before winning the title in 2022.

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Morning Digest: May 1, 2023

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File photo of smoke rising from burning aircraft inside Khartoum Airport during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, Sudan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Sudan Army, rival extend truce, despite ongoing clashes

Sudan’s Army and its rival paramilitary said on April 30 they will extend a humanitarian cease-fire a further 72 hours. The decision follows international pressure to allow the safe passage of civilians and aid but the shaky truce has not so far stopped the clashes. In statements, both sides accused the other of violations. The agreement has deescalated the fighting in some areas but violence continues to push civilians to flee. Aid groups have also struggled to get badly needed supplies into the country.

In a first, Raj Bhavans to start celebrating Statehood days

Around 30 Raj Bhavans will hold programmes to mark the Statehood day of Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1 in what is a new initiative as part of the government’s thrust on celebrating the country’s cultural diversity and different traditions. Official sources said different Raj Bhavans will host people of Maharashtrian and Gujarati origins living in the respective State and also organise different programmes to highlight the cultural riches and cuisines of the two western States. 

Suspected Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services: Erdogan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria. Mr. Erdogan said the intelligence organization had pursued Qurashi for a long time. Syrian local and security sources said the raid took place in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris, which is controlled by Turkey-backed rebel groups and was one of the worst-affected in the Feb. 6 earthquake that hit both Turkey and Syria.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry deletes tweet allegedly depicting Goddess Kali following online outrage

A tweet posted by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry purportedly showing an image of Goddess Kali over a blast fume triggered online outrage following which the post was deleted. The Twitter handle @DefenceU posted the image with the caption “Work of Art”, triggering angry reactions from many Indian Twitter users who accused the Ukrainian Defence Ministry of insensitivity.

Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) to look at State-specific strategy 

At the end of the three-day meeting of the Central Committee, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s highest decision-making body, the party in a statement said the main task before the 2024 general elections is to “isolate and defeat” the BJP. And to achieve this, the party will work with other secular Opposition parties but electoral arrangements must be State-specific, as the political situation varies with each State. 

Nitish Kumar sidesteps query on fighting 2024 Lok Sabha poll

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on April 30 sidestepped a query about the possibility of contesting the next year’s Lok Sabha poll from his pocket borough Nalanda. Sitting MP Kaushalendra Kumar, who is serving his third consecutive term, had on Saturday said he was willing to give up the seat if his mentor wished to enter the fray. “Just leave it. Why do you worry ( chhodiye na aap log kahe chinta karte hain)”, said the longest-serving CM of the State, as he walked past the posse of reporters with a smirk on his face.

I’m fine with being a snake garland on the necks of people who are like Lord Shiva: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi again chose to respond to the Congress’ jibe of poisonous snake against him by saying that the snake was a garland on the neck of Lord Shiva and that he would accept being a snake on the necks of the people of the country, whom he considered Lord Shiva.  It may be noted that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had described Mr. Modi as a poisonous snake recently, triggering a controversy. 

Congress dubs 100th episode of Modi’s radio programme as maun ki baat

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat on April 30, the Congress took a dig at Mr. Modi for being “ maun” [silent] on key issues such as China, Adani, increasing economic inequalities and the wrestlers’ protest. The official Twitter handle of the party also targeted the Prime Minister for being silent on key issues such as alleged Chinese aggression, unemployment, price rise, among others.

Inadequate space for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park: former Wildlife Institute of India official

Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), which has seen the death of two cheetahs in less than a month, has “inadequate space” for these felines brought from Africa, a former official of the Wildlife Institute of India has claimed. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which is overseeing the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in the country, has called a meeting in New Delhi on Monday in the wake of the death of two cheetahs out of the 20 felines translocated to KNP from Namibia and South Africa over the last eight months, an official said.

The Kerala Story an attempt to spread hate propaganda, says Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the upcoming movie The Kerala Story was a product of the Sangh Parivar’s “factory of lies”. He said legal action would be taken against those involving themselves in antisocial activities. The statement comes at a time when the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and their youth organisations have all opposed the movie in a united voice.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hand over patrol vessel, landing craft to Maldives

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hand over a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives as India’s “gift” during his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3. During his visit, Mr. Singh will call on Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hold talks with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and Defence Minister Mariya Didi.

Char Dham pilgrims stopped at Srinagar due to bad weather

Char Dham yatra has been stopped at Srinagar as a precautionary measure due to bad weather at Kedarnath and Badrinath, police said on April 30. On Saturday, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar issued instructions in view of rain and snowfall during the Char Dham yatra and directed officials to be extra vigilant.

Tim David, Suryakumar Yadav fire Mumbai Indians to six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals

Talented youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden century (124) went in vain as Tim David struck three successive sixes in the final over as Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

F1 2023 | Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP in Red Bull 1-2

Sergio Pérez took advantage of a fortunately timed safety car to beat his teammate Max Verstappen to the win in the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, adding it to the sprint he won the day before, as Red Bull kept up its winning start to 2023. Verstappen started second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but swept past him on the long start-finish straight at the end of lap 3, the first lap on which drivers were allowed to use the DRS overtake assist system on the rear wing.

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