RIVANCH

Interacting with India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the visiting US Deputy National Advisor for International Economics, Daleep Singh, threatened India with sanctions if it did business with Russia, against Washington’s trade and economic ban under force against Moscow. He is also reported to have told his Indian interlocutor that when India needed Russia against China in times of a military conflict, Moscow, as ‘junior’, would side only with Beijing. “I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests,” Singh told Delhi newsmen in between his meetings in the Indian capital on Thursday. “And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,” he added. According to Singh, America is also “very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the (Russ

At a time when the nation is debating halal and halalonomics, my mind invariably goes back to Goa almost a decade ago. There’s something about Goa that has always fascinated me, apart from its beaches and foods. The place just slows you down, makes you care-free, introspective and observant. So, there I was with my wife and friends — a Muslim couple. We were walking leisurely along a narrow Goan alley one afternoon, looking for an eatery with authentic local foods. We found one but as we entered its premises, my friend rushed ahead. “Maybe he’s too hungry,” I thought. By the time we could find a table, he was back, signalling us not to sit. The place didn’t have the food we were looking for, he said. We resumed the search again. Soon, we were at the gates of another eatery. And again, my friend rushed ahead and came back with the same firman! Thankfully, we found the right restaurant next time and we settled for a sumptuous lunch and drink. It was only later, and a chance overhearin

Many political leaders or top bureaucratic personnel from globally influential countries have either visited Delhi or have held intense conversations through virtual mode with their Indian counterparts in recent days. The main focus of all these conversations have been the ongoing war in Ukraine, India’s political stand on the Russian invasion or wide ranging Western sanctions against Russia and to some extent its impact on the peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. What is significant is that leaders from both sides of the strategic divide have been trying hard to impress upon the Indian government their views and policies on the Ukrainian issue. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have landed in Delhi to discuss their approaches. And, on the other hand, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Delhi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held summit level interactions with the Indian Prime Minister. American Deputy Nationa

World Health Organization has suspended the supply of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, through procurement agencies of the United Nations to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and address deficiencies found in an inspection. According to several media reports, WHO has also recommended that countries that have received the vaccine must take appropriate action. However, WHO maintained that according to the data available, Covaxin has no safety concerns. The suspension came after an inspection for 'emergency use listing’ between 14 and 22 March, and the suspension of production for export will result in the interruption of the supply. There was a need to conduct process and facility upgrade to address recently identified good manufacturing practice (GMP) deficiencies, pointed out the international health body, reports News18. Bharat Biotech may also suspend its production of Covaxin for export purposes. On Friday, Bharat Biotech said

The Bihar vigilance department on Saturday unearthed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 4 crore, in a raid at the office of a block supply officer in Musahari in the state's Muzaffarpur. The team led by DSP Kanhaiya Lal also conducted raids at the houses of the officer Santosh Kumar in Hajipur and Daudpur Kothi. Lal said, “Although nothing was found from Muzaffarpur, goods were recovered from Hajipur.” Vigilance officials recovered a kilogram of gold, 13 lakh rupees in cash and illegal assets worth around Rs 4 crore. They said Kumar owns luxurious houses in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and two districts of Bihar. He also owns some plots of land in the state. A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against Kumar. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/ZJhH53x FP Staff

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people ahead of the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. "May this holy month inspire people to serve the poor. May it also further enhance the spirit of peace, harmony and compassion in our society," he said. Greetings on the commencement of Ramzan. pic.twitter.com/Q5YaWzaz38 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 2, 2022 The Ramzan moon was sighted on Saturday evening and Muslims in India will begin fasting from Sunday. Every year, the sighting of the Ramzan moon brings great cheer for Muslims as they scamper to make preparations for fasting and head to mosques to begin special 'Taraweeh' prayers. Fatehpuri Masjid Imam Mufti Mukarram Ahmad said the moon was sighted in various parts of the country and Muslims would begin fasting from Sunday. "As the holy month begins, we pray for the welfare of all the people in the country. We pray for peace and development in the country," he told PTI . In

Every year, Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month. This year, the festival, which also heralds the start of the new year for people in Maharashtra and Goa, will be celebrated on 2 April. Gudi Padwa is also known as Samvatsar Padvo and is the first day of the new year for the Marathi and Konkani communities. The festival also marks the onset of the spring season as well as the harvest season. Many people celebrate this auspicious day with grandeur and prepare traditional delicacies as well. Some of the lip-smacking items that are prepared on the occasion of Gudi Padwa are basundi, shrikhand, puran poli, and modaks, among others. Here are some of the festive recipes which you can try at home for Gudi Padwa this year: Puran Poli - Puran Poli is not just a festive dish but also a comfort food for many. The outer bread (poli) stuffed with sweet lentil filling (puran) remains a favourite for several people, especially as the preparation time is very little. The d

Ugadi, also known as Yugadi or Ugadhi, marks the beginning of the new year in the southern states of India. It is an important Hindu festival that is celebrated by the people from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with great cheer and festivity. It also refers to the beginning of Samvastara which means starting a cycle of sixty years. The term ‘Yugadi’ is derived from two Sanskrit words, ‘Yuga’ which means age and ‘Adi’ which means the beginning. The people of Maharashtra celebrate it by the name of ‘Gudi Parwa’. According to Drik Panchang , Ugadi is the new year as per the lunisolar calendar. Due to this, the Hindu new year is celebrated twice in one year with different names on both occasions. According to the solar calendar, Yugadi is observed as Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam, Vaisakhi in Punjab, Pana Sankranti in Odisha and Naba Barsha in West Bengal. According to Hindi mythology, Lord Brahma initiated the creation of the universe on this auspicious day. The very f

Cheti Chand is an important festival for Sindhis, who begin their new year with this much-awaited feast. It is a festival that marks the birth anniversary of Ishta Deva Uderolal, who is popularly known as Lord Jhulelal. Lord Jhulelal is a patron saint, who is often portrayed as an old man sporting a white beard and a moustache. Due to his name, the occasion is also known as Jhulelal Jayanti. This year, Cheti Chand will be celebrated on 2 April, 2022. On this day, devotees worship him for prosperity and happiness in life. As the celebration is about to begin, here are some wishes and messages to share with loved ones on this Cheti Chand: Wishes and Messages: This New Year's Day, I pray that Lord Jhulelal restores harmony around the world. May no one suffer from illness. Happy Cheti Chand! You have a wonderful day today. May the divine power of Lord Jhulelal be helpful to your near and dear family. Cheti Chand Wishes! Wish you a Happy Cheti Chand with hope, joy and peace for t

Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the New Year for the residents of Maharashtra and Goa. Popularly known as Samvatsara Padvo, the festival also marks the start of the harvest season for reaping rabi crops. According to the Hindu calendar, Gudi Padwa is observed by the Maharashtrian and Konkani communities on the first day of the Chaitra Navaratri, which stipulates the start of the spring season. Gudi Padva consists of the words, ‘Gudi’ and ‘Padwa’. ‘Gudi’ means an emblem of Lord Brahma and ‘Padwa’ denotes the first day of the phase of the moon. Mythology says that on this day Lord Rama was crowned as the king of Ayodhya after his victory over Ravana. It is also believed that Lord Brahma created the universe on this day and introduced days, weeks and months. As per another ancient legend, the people of Paithan hoisted the Gudi Flag to embrace the victory of King Shalivahana. On this day, people hoist the traditional Gudi flags which consist of a bright colourful cloth tied at the top

Sajibu Nongma Panba is the traditional lunar new year for followers of the Sanamahism religion in Manipur.  This year the day falls on 2 April. The day is mostly observed on the first day of the lunar month of Sajibu, means it usually falls in the month of April, according to the western calendar. Also known as Meetei Cheiraoba or Sajibu Cheiraoba, Sajibu Nongma Panba is marked by the Meitei people, one of the largest ethnic communities in Manipur. How is the day celebrated? To celebrate the occasion, people clean their houses, lawns, and wash old utensils for the new year. Sajibu Nongma Panba denotes the start of the new year and strengthens feelings of love and brotherhood among the community. People arrange a joint family feast on Sajibu Nongma Panba where they offer traditional dishes to local deities. After the feast, people climb a nearby hilltop or the Cheirao Ching Hill in Chingmeirong to offer prayers to the gods. According to local beliefs, climbing a hilltop to pray to

Gudi Padwa or Samvatsar Padvo will be observed on Saturday, 2 April, this year. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Gudi Padwa is the first day of the Chaitra month. For the Marathi and Konkani communities, the day heralds the arrival of spring and marks the start of the new year. Gudi Padwa comes from the words 'gudi', meaning flag or symbol of Lord Brahma, and 'padwa', which means the first day of the moon, which is why the festival is marked on the first day of Chaitra. People in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Gudi Padwa as Ugadi. The lively festival also marks the start of the harvest season. The day starts with a ceremonial oil bath and prayers. According to the scriptures, taking an oil bath and eating neem leaves is considered good on this day. People decorate their house with rangolis and fresh flowers and also prepare a variety of delicacies such as puran polis, basundi etc on this day. People also hang Gudi flags at the main entrance

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is all set to inaugurate two new Mumbai Metro lines for public operation on 2 April. The inauguration will take place on the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa. Trains on the new Mumbai Metro lines will function between Aarey and Dhanukarwadi and run at a frequency of 10-11 minutes, according to reports. According to a report in Indian Express , a total of nine rakes will operate over 150 trips. These trains, which will run between 6.00 am and 10.00 pm, have the capacity to carry more than three lakh passengers every day. The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has also finalised the timetable for the two new lines, which will run after the inauguration on 2 April. Currently, the MMRDA is developing a 35 km long stretch of two elevated Mumbai Metro corridors including Mumbai Metro Line 7  between Dahisar East and Andheri East and Mumbai Metro Line 2A between Dahisar and D N Nagar. Furthermore, these two new metro lin

A short circuit triggered a security scare during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Bengaluru on Wednesday, NDTV reported. The sound was heard at around 4:30 pm near the city's Mount Carmel College which was on Shah's route, the report added. His route was changed due to the incident, IANS quoted officials as saying. The incident happened while the home minister was returning from an event in Chickballapur. Fire incident reported at Vasant Nagar #Bengaluru due to short circuit of underground electric cables,Union Home Minister Amit Shah @AmitShah was to take this route to reach Palace grounds.Later police changed the route of HM's convoy.. Situation under control . pic.twitter.com/Vw9pU3aKzY — Yasir Mushtaq (@path2shah) April 1, 2022 Police later found that underground electric cables had short circuited in the sewage. According to NDTV , a thorough inspection was carried out by several policemen accompanied by sniffer dogs. Security personnel in

Gudi Padwa is celebrated each year on the first day of the Chaitra month, according to the Hindu Calendar. The festival is celebrated by people in Goa and Maharashtra with great joy and fervour. This year, Gudi Padwa will be celebrated and marked on 2 April. Gudi Padwa also marks the onset of the spring season. The festival of Gudi Padwa is also celebrated as Ugadi in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa, here is everything you need to know about this festival: Did you know that Gudi Padwa is formed of two words, that is, Gudi and Padwa, wherein Gudi means a flag or the emblem of Lord Brahma and Padwa means the first day of the moon. Therefore, the festival is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month. Gudi Padwa History The festival of Gudi Padwa is associated with Hindu mythology. According to Hindu legends, it is believed that the universe was created by Lord Brahma on the day of Gudi Padwa. It is also believed that Lord Brahma introduc

The Upper House of Parliament has, for long, kept the bicameral edifice of the country functioning and flourishing. Just like its distinctive three-tiered chamber, the Rajya Sabha has over the years seen some of the finest minds of India congregate and confabulate. But now as 13 Rajya Sabha seats went to elections, existential questions arise about the dilution of the Upper House and its continuing relevance. The larger issue is the perils of a single ruling party, like the BJP, dominating both Houses. Meanwhile, the BJP won both the Rajya Sabha seats from Assam in the election to the Upper House held on Thursday. With this, the party’s tally in the Rajya Sabha touched the 100 mark — the first party to do so since 1988. Staking out a broader battlefield for the coming Lok Sabha Polls, the BJP is looking to push through its agenda and bills relentlessly in the interim. The Congress numbers have shrivelled to such an extent the party could lose its status of Leader of Opposition by J

There is a familiar ring to the current political crisis in Pakistan. A prime minister, embattled on different fronts struggling to stay on in power to complete a full term. Familiar because no prime minister in Pakistan has to date ever completed his or her full term of five years — as good an indication as any of how much a fledgling project democracy in Pakistan remains. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government was from the beginning a coalition with a slender majority. It now is on its last legs with a key ally having deserted it to join up with the combined Opposition determined to force a change by a vote of no confidence. This outcome owes much to acts of omission and commission of the government and of the prime minister. These included an excessively combative Imran Khan almost from the time he was sworn in — using accountability and anti-corruption to mount what appeared often to be a witch hunt and which had the predictable consequence of making the Opposition parties coalesc

Cheti Chand is a significant festival that is celebrated by the Sindhi community around the world, especially in countries like India and Pakistan. This grand festival marks the birth of Ishta Deva Uderolal, who is popularly known as Lord Jhulelal; which is why the occasion is also known as Jhulelal Jayanti. Lord Jhulelal is a patron saint of the Sindhis, who is often depicted as an old man sporting white beard and moustache. Usually, the date of Cheti Chand is decided based on the Hindu calendar. As per the calendar, this festival is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha, when the new moon becomes visible after no moon day. On many occasions, the festival is marked a day after Ugadi and Gudi Padwa. Moreover, the day is known as Cheti Chand because of the first appearance of the moon during the Cheti month. The Sindhi community begins their new year with this much-awaited festival, wherein devotees of Jhulelal celebrate the occasion as a 'ThanksGiving Day'. C

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tried her hands at making momos at a local stall on the last day of her scheduled visit to North Bengal on Thursday. The TMC supremo went for a morning walk in Darjeeling where she was seen trying to make momos with the locals sellers. Dressed in her trademark white saree and a pair of white slippers, Banerjee interacted with women members of the local self-help groups. Women at the local store explained to her the art of momo-making and asked her to try. Visibly excited, Banerjee began flattening the dough, put filling into it, and shape the momos with her hands. Soon a large group of local people circled her and started encouraging her to prepare a perfect bite-size momo. Watch the chief minister in action here: The chief minister, during her stay, suggested to the residents of North Bengal that self-help groups are not only for women but also men can come forward to form such local groups to avail of benefits from the state government.

An elderly man was run over by a car in Ghaziabad yesterday, 30 March. A video of the incident, captured on CCTV, shows the vehicle fleeing the scene after hitting the man. The chilling video of the hit-and-run has gone viral. The clip shows an elderly man moving to sit on a chair outside his house. But as he moves towards the chair, a car enters the narrow lane and hits the man. The vehicle then flees the scene, leaving the man lying wounded on the road. Have a look at the video here: On-Camera, Driver Deliberately Runs Over Elderly Man Near Delhi pic.twitter.com/wTAJu9BkE7 — Lokmanchtoday (@lokmanchtoday) March 31, 2022 The victim has alleged that his neighbours were involved in the hit-and-run due to a six-month-long dispute between them. Following the incident, the man has filed a complaint against his neighbours. According to reports, police are conducting an investigation into the matter. This is not the only hit-and-run that took place in Delhi-NCR yesterday. Another suc

After losing his father in October 2020, Chirag Paswan on Wednesday vacated the bungalow at 12-Janpath in New Delhi, which had been allocated to former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, following eviction orders. According to news agency ANI , officials said that an eviction order was issued last year by the Directorate of Estates (DoE) and multiple reminders were sent. The bungalow has served as a hub of Paswan’s political activities with Ram Vilas Paswan holding several press conferences there. Interestingly, after the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan, the bungalow was allotted to Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in August last year. This is the third such eviction in as many days by DoE, which got 7-Moti Lal Nehru evicted by BJP Lok Sabha MP Ram Shankar Katheria and 10-Pandit Pant Marg, occupied by Union minister and BJP MP P C Sarangi. Here’s a look at how these bungalows are allocated, who is entitled to such accommodations and the many controversies surrounding them.