NEWS

Releasing the autobiography of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, titled “Ungalil Oruvan” (One Among You), here Monday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP-led central government for “snatching” Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)'s powers and reducing it to a Union Territory (UT), which, he charged, has led to bureaucrats from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat ruling it now.

Gandhi made these comments while referring to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's remarks made in his speech earlier at the event, which was also attended by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav, among others.

As war rages on in Ukraine, the plight of Indian students stuck in the war-torn country has been reported extensively. Many Indian students have reportedly continued to face harsh conditions and even harassment at the hands of soldiers.

Amid all of this, a Hindi postcard featuring General Sergey Shoygu, the Russian Minister of Defence, has gone viral on social media. The postcard says Indian nationals in Ukraine should display the Indian flag on their homes and vehicles. It also claims that following this, the Russian Armed Forces would ensure safe passage for them.

The text in Hindi inside the postcard quoted Shoygu saying, "The Russian soldiers in Ukraine will not hurt those Indians who will display the Indian flag on their cars and houses. They will be moved to a safer place by the personnel of the Russian army instead." The postcard also included some praise for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating "Our tea-seller has guts."

The IPCC released the second part of its sixth assessment report on Monday. It deals with climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation measures. For the first time, the panel has come out with regional assessments, even focussing on mega-cities, in its report. India is one of the most vulnerable countries globally in terms of the population that will be affected by sea-level rise, IPCC reports.

By the middle of the century, around 35 million people in India could face annual coastal flooding, with 45-50 million at risk by the end of the century if emissions are high, the report says. Direct damage is estimated at $24 billion if emissions are cut as currently promised, and $36 billion, if they are high and ice sheets are unstable. Damage from sea-level rise in Mumbai alone could be up to $162 billion a year by 2050, IPCC warns.

Russia is a long-standing ally of India. Many observers were curious to find out how the world's biggest democracy would react to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by its mighty friend.

While India abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution against the Russian invasion, a screengrab of a news report is now viral on social media.

"India should not interfere, otherwise be ready to face the consequences," the CNN report quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying. One such post can be seen here.