Today’s Top News Headlines and Latest News at 10:30 am on 18 March 2024

In top national news: A day before the Supreme Court hears the State Bank of India’s response regarding its failure to disclose the unique alphanumeric code for matching electoral bond donors to political parties, the ECI lifted another veil of secrecy over political funding Sunday by revealing contributions received via electoral bonds by political parties in the run-up to the hotly-contested 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The second tranche of data published by the ECI about donations received between March 2018 and April 2019 is crucial, as it contains voluntary disclosure of donor details by at least four regional parties: the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), AAP, Janata Dal (Secular) and JKNC.

Meanwhile, Twenty-four hours after the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced, Mumbai became the site of the battleground between INDIA versus the NDA as Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The Congress leader’s final day was dotted with symbolism, starting from Mani Bhavan, Mahatma Gandhi’s long-time headquarters in then Bombay, and ending at Chaitya Bhoomi, the cremation site of Dr B R Ambedkar. Rahul skipped the Vinayak Damodar Memorial opposite Chaitya Bhoomi but visited the Bal Thackeray Memorial next door after the BJP tried to put Rahul's ally Uddhav Thackeray in a spot over it.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls amid nationalist sentiments after the Pulwama terror attack, the main Opposition, Congress, had recorded a surge in donations through poll bonds. The party had received Rs 622 crore through poll bonds in 2019, nearly 85% of which had come in March and April when the canvassing for Lok Sabha elections was at its peak. The party received Rs 270.75 crore in March 2019, Rs 260.11 crore in April, and Rs 50 crore in May through electoral bonds. In October of that year, the Congress received only Rs 1.75 crore. As per the details shared by the Election Commission Sunday, the Congress in January 2019 had received Rs 39.51 crore.

In news from Kolkata: A five-storey under-construction building collapsed in Kolkata’s congested Garden Reach area late Sunday night, following which the police and disaster management personnel evacuated 10 people, even as searches continued for anyone else who may be trapped. The incident took place after midnight, with locals saying that initially, concrete chunks started falling off the under-construction building. Later, the entire structure collapsed, with parts of it falling on neighbouring residences in the densely populated area. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and senior officers, along with disaster management teams and fire service officials, had rushed to the spot. According to rescuers, gas cutters were being used to get through the rubble and look for survivors.

In top international news: North Korea fired ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday for the first time in two months, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul for a conference hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol on advancing democracy. South Korea’s military said multiple short-range missiles were fired from a region south of the North’s capital, Pyongyang, landing east of the Korean peninsula. It did not provide further details and said it was sharing information on the launch with the United States and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the launches after his country’s coast guard also reported the firing of what it said appeared to be a ballistic missile.

In news from Russia: President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia’s election on Sunday, cementing his grip on power through thousands of opponents staged a noon protest at polling stations and the United States said the vote was neither free nor fair. For Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel who first rose to power in 1999, the result is intended to underscore to the West that its leaders will have to reckon with an emboldened Russia, whether in war or peace, for many more years to come. The early result means Putin, 71, will easily secure a new six-year term that would enable him to overtake Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving leader for more than 200 years.

In news from Nepal: Signalling that Nepal will seek China’s help in development, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamla Dahal Sunday said he would urge China to treat the Pokhara International Airport as a “grant project” from its side and operate regular commercial flights to and from China. Prime Minister Prachanda announced Pokhara while declaring it the “tourism capital of Nepal”. The Pokhara International Airport built by China was declared ready for commercial operation in January 2022, but remained unused ever since, as the governments of Nepal and China have conflicted over whether it was a project under the Belt and Road Initiative or not, with Nepal sticking to the latter status.

Lastly: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed on Sunday against growing criticism from the United States against his leadership amid the devasting war with Hamas, saying the pressure won’t stop Israel from achieving “total victory.” In recent days, top officials from the US, Israel’s staunchest ally which has provided key military and diplomatic support during the war, have publicly voiced their frustration with Netanyahu and his government. US President Joe Biden accused Netanyahu of hurting Israel because of the huge civilian death toll in Gaza.