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#MEA: Govt Responds After OIC Expresses 'Deep Concern' Over Life Imprisonment To Yasin Malik

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said the comments made by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) criticising India for the judgement in the case of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik were "unacceptable".

"India finds unacceptable the comments by OIC-IPHRC today criticising India for judgement in the case of Yasin Malik. Through these comments, OIC-IPHRC has implicitly expressed support for terrorist activities of Yasin Malik, which were documented and presented in the Court. The world seeks zero tolerance of terrorism and we urge OIC not to justify it any manner," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Earlier in the day, the OIC expressed "deep concern" after Malik was on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment in a terror funding case.

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#TexasSchoolShooting: Cops On School Shooting: Shouldn't Have Waited To Take Down Gunman

The Texas head of public safety said Friday that in "hindsight" it was the wrong decision for police not to immediately breach the Uvalde classroom where a gunman ultimately shot dead 19 children and two teachers.

"From the benefit of hindsight... it was the wrong decision, period," Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw told a news conference at which he was assailed by questions over why police waited for tactical backup before going in.

"From what we know, we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can," McCraw said, adding: "If I thought it would help, I'd apologize."

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#Coronavirus: India Reports 2,710 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In 24 Hours

India reported 2,710 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally of coronavirus cases to 4,31,47,530, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The country also reported 14 more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Covid-related fatalities to 5,24,539.

Currently, there are 15,814 active cases in the country, the ministry's data showed.

The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.75 per cent, the ministry said.

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#WestBengal: State Govt To Amend Law To Make CM Mamata Banerjee Chancellor of State-Run Varsities

The West Bengal government announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will replace the Governor as Chancellor of all state-run universities.

The decision was taken by the state cabinet on Thursday, May 26. Accordingly, law will be amended by the state government in the assembly to make CM the Chancellor of state-run universities.

The state cabinet's decision was announced by Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu after the cabinet meeting.

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#Russia-UkraineWar: West Likely To Allow Russian Oligarchs To Buy Way Out Of Sanctions

Western allies are considering whether to allow Russian oligarchs to buy their way out of sanctions and use the money to rebuild Ukraine, according to government officials familiar with the matter.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland proposed the idea at a G-7 finance ministers' meeting in Germany last week.

Freeland raised the issue after oligarchs spoke to her about it, one official said. The Canadian minister knows some Russian oligarchs from her time as a journalist in Moscow.