Today’s Top News Headlines and Latest News at 10:30 am on 21 March 2024

In top national news: Quite like Assam’s Barak Valley where its Bengali-speaking Hindus who have migrated from Bangladesh are not rushing to register under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, in the Matua community in West Bengal, the initial euphoria over the implementation of the legislation has given way to apprehension. Now, Matua community leaders have issued statements asking their members to wait till the elections are over, and the confusion over the papers to be submitted is sorted. BJP leaders have reached out to Delhi saying that a clause in the rules seeking proof of residence in neighbouring Bangladesh, Afghanistan or Pakistan be done away with.

The Election Commission of India has given the Ministry of Rural Development the go-ahead to notify revised wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for the next financial year, effective April 1. It is learnt that the Ministry, which implements the MGNREGS, approached the Election Commission for its permission after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 16 when the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections was announced. The poll panel, it is learnt, gave the Ministry its approval to notify the revised wages which is likely to be done within a week. The Centre fixes state-wise wage rates for MGNREGS workers under sub-section (1) of section 6 of the MGNREGA, 2005.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Wednesday, conveying India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and that it would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moves are afoot to schedule a visit to New Delhi next week by Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba at a time when Kyiv is keen on India’s presence at the peace summit in Switzerland. It is learnt that officials in Switzerland, India and Ukraine are working towards India’s participation at the summit this summer. China has also indicated that it is likely to attend the summit, sources said.

The United States is working with the Indian government to hold accountable those behind a plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to the Biden administration. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was charged by federal prosecutors in November last year in connection with his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. US federal prosecutors have charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 1,00,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations.

In top international news: A British privacy watchdog said Wednesday it was investigating a report that staff at a private London hospital tried to snoop on the Princess of Wales’s medical records while she was a patient for abdominal surgery. The Information Commissioner’s Office said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.” The Daily Mirror newspaper reported that at least one staff member at the London Clinic tried to look at Kate’s notes during her stay there in January. The princess had surgery at the clinic in central London on Jan. 16 and was discharged almost two weeks later.
In other news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Republican senators on Wednesday that Israel will continue its efforts to defeat the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, senators told reporters after he addressed a party lunch. “He’s going to do what he said he’s going to do. He’s going to finish it,” Senator Jim Risch said. The conservative Israeli leader spoke to Republicans via videolink nearly a week after the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, gave a Senate speech branding Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and urging new elections in Israel. Wednesday’s meeting underscored the politicization of Washington’s Israel policy.

"The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on three procurement networks that are supporting Iran’s ballistic missile, nuclear and defence programs, the Treasury Department said in a statement. It said the networks – based in Iran, Turkey, Oman and Germany – had procured carbon fibre, epoxy resins and other missile-applicable goods. “Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Lastly: The government of Nepal will seek resolution of the border dispute with India as one of its priorities. The resolution of the border dispute “through diplomatic channel”, along with a review of treaties wherever necessary is among the 7-point common minimum programme finalized by the 7-Party coalition led by Maoist Centre Chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Prachanda aligned with the Communist Party of Nepal-unified Marxist Leninist led by K P Oli forcing the exit of the Nepali Congress on March 4, and the new government has decided to pick up the issue which, among other things, had caused downside in Nepal- India relations in 2021 during Oli’s tenure as the Prime Minister.

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