Daily Briefing: India abstains on UNGA vote that sacks Russia from rights council; tourism demand grows in J&K

Only in the Express

The Ukraine crisis can push BRICS closer together with an aim to become a “real alternative to the West”, write Soumya Kanti Ghosh and Bikramjit Chaudhuri. “Both the Asian giants — India and China — may stand to reap the “best of both worlds” as the Ukraine imbroglio plays out. Russia has every incentive to accommodate both India and China in the energy sector. This could mean greater industrial and energy cross investments between Russia and India as well as between Russia and China.”

From the Front Page

The demand for tourism in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the ongoing summer travel season is four times what was witnessed pre-pandemic, travel agencies said, adding that the increased number of direct flights to Srinagar, in addition to the UT’s tourism department initiatives, are drawing travellers there.

Allowing rights activist and Chair of Amnesty International India Board Aakar Patel to travel to the United States, a Delhi court has directed the CBI to withdraw a lookout circular issued against him. It also asked the CBI director to issue a written apology to Patel, stating that this will go a long way in upholding the trust of the public in the premier institution.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to allow the installation of “advanced broadcast technology” at the Golden Temple to beam the Gurbani live, globally. The Akali-dominated SGPC, however, asked him to “focus on running the government” and “not meddle in religious affairs”.

A group of 40 men were protesting outside a police station in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district against the arrest of a theater artiste in a case related to defaming a BJP MLA. However, after a photo of eight of the men, including a YouTuber, stripped down to their undergarments at the police station, went viral, the police have launched an internal inquiry into the incident. “Irrespective of the crime committed by the culprits, such action (of stripping) is not acceptable,” Sidhi SP Mukesh Shrivastava told The Indian Express.

Must Read

It’s rare for any country that is the largest producer and exporter of a product to experience domestic shortages of the same product — so much so as to force its government to introduce price controls and curbs on shipments. But that is precisely the story of Indonesia vis-à-vis palm oil. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated the archipelago’s palm oil production for 2021-22 (October-September) at 45.5 million tonnes (mt). That’s almost 60% of the total global output. Yet, the country has seen domestic prices of branded cooking oil spiral. We explain why.

The Mumbai police registered an FIR against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, his son Neil Somaiya, and others for alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust linked to the collection of funds upto Rs 57 crore, meant for restoring the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The allegations against Somaiya were first made by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who claimed that the BJP leader invested the funds in his son’s construction company instead of depositing it with the Maharashtra Governor as promised.

When Russia first invaded Ukraine, the country’s aviation industry was heavily sanctioned by the West, which resulted in the suspension of flight services operated by European and American carriers. At the time, Air India was one of the only airlines still flying in Russia. Now the Tata Group-owned airline has suspended its flight from Delhi to Moscow after international insurance underwriters warned that its flights landing in Russia would not be valid for insurance given the threat perception there on account of the war.

And Finally…

Delhi Capitals had nothing in the tank against Lucknow Super Giants’ spinners after Prithvi Shaw’s initial blitz, and Quinton de Kock’s 80 set LSG on course for a six-wicket victory. In the 45 deliveries for which DC’s fresh opening pair of David Warner and Shaw was in the middle, Warner faced a total of 11 balls, in which he scraped four runs. This complete absence of rhythm was to mark the rest of the DC innings.

🤫 Delhi Confidential: TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien raised an unusual problem in the House on Wednesday — Goa residents with Portuguese names, such as D’Rosario and D’Cruz, are unable to receive provident fund because of their names. Apparently, the computer programme installed for EPFO does not accept apostrophes in names.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 things’ podcast, Prof Navroz K Dubash, one of the coordinating lead authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, breaks down the panel’s latest assessment.

Until tomorrow,
Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta

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