TOP NEWS

Uttar Pradesh CM-designate Yogi Adityanath will be sworn in for his second term as the state's Chief Minister on March 25 (next Friday), as per sources. The BJP got a historic victory in the state elections last week. It was after 37 years that a party had returned to power in the country's most populous state. 

Following that, Adityanath held talks with the BJP's central leadership in Delhi, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President JP Nadda. Adityanath discussed his new Cabinet and post-election strategy.

It is being speculated if the BJP will induct a new face as the deputy CM after Keshav Prasad Maurya lost the assembly poll from Sirathu seat to Samajwadi Party's Pallavi Patel by 7,337 votes. 

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is arriving on Saturday for his first visit to India as Prime Minister, in what is going to be the first head of government visit to India in 2022. Kishida, who has come to India as Japan’s Foreign Minister earlier, has met PM Narendra Modi four times in the past few years. But, this is also his first bilateral visit overseas — he visited Glasgow for CoP26 last year.

The summit between the Indian and Japanese PMs is taking place three and half years since the last Summit was held in Japan in 2018.

Russian State Duma Deputy Yevgeny Fedorov has proposed a 10-year ban on the work of foreign companies that will not return to the country`s market until May 1. A copy of the letter addressed to the head of the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov was reported by RT.

The deputy recalled that a number of foreign companies have suspended their work in Russia, the provision of services to Russians and investments.

According to him, they plunged tens of thousands of citizens into a state of uncertainty about their future work and well-being.

India slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for inviting the All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman to its foreign ministerial meeting in Islamabad next week, saying India takes very serious view of such actions aimed at subverting the country's unity and violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India does not expect the OIC to encourage actors and organisations engaged in terrorism and anti-India activities.

"It is highly unfortunate that the OIC continues to be guided by a single member's political agenda rather than focusing on important development activities," Bagchi said. India has repeatedly said in the past that OIC has allowed Pakistan to hijack its agenda.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said land routes and ports were not given due attention after Independence, despite having served in the ancient times as a medium of trade dominance for India and a bridge for foreign travellers coming to India to spread its influence globally.

Addressing an event organised here by the Land Ports Authority of India on its 10th foundation day, Shah said the LPAI, though set up only 10 years ago, has filled up the void of the last 75 years and proved its usefulness and relevance. Stating that the LPAI plays a vital role in boosting the economy without compromising security and also increasing business in the neighbouring countries, Shah said the authority creates strong and renewed ties between nations sharing borders through cultural exchanges and promoting dialogue between peoples who share similar ways of living, dialect and culture.