Author: venkat.narayanan

Sudan’s Army Appears to Gain Upper Hand in Bloody Power Struggle Sudan’s transitional government faced an uncertain future after a bloody power struggle between rival paramilitary groups. On Saturday, fighting broke out between the army loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF (RSF), headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. A dispute arose due to the disagreement about merging the RSF with the military as a component of the shift toward democratic governance, leading to the conflict. Air strikes by the army appeared to have the upper hand over the RSF by Sunday, but…

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has been called in by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to testify in a case involving the excise law in Delhi.  Kejriwal is being called as a witness and is not an accused in the case. The Delhi Chief Minister will appear before the CBI at 11 am IST on 16 April.   Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, a close friend of Kejriwal, was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on 26 February. Around 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, would be stationed outside the CBI headquarters…

China has been accused of promoting a ‘debt trap’ narrative in its lending practices to poorer countries. Despite Beijing denying the allegation, it is worth noting that the Dragon has become one of the biggest individual creditor nations globally. Its loans to lower and middle-income countries have tripled in the past ten years and amounted to $170bn by the end of 2020. However, half of the dragons lending to developing countries is not reported in official debt statistics, with many loans off government balance sheets and instead directed to state-owned companies and banks, joint ventures, or private institutions. While…

Israeli forces firing stun grenades and arresting worshippers inside Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem has escalated tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On April 5th, Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa compound in East Jerusalem in a violent raid, arresting and attacking Palestinian worshippers. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces used excessive force, including stun grenades and tear gas, which caused suffocation injuries to the worshippers, as well as beatings with batons and rifles. Twelve injuries were reported by the Palestinian Red Crescent, three of which required hospitalization. Israeli forces also prevented medics from reaching the mosque. Excessive force used against Palestinian worshippers At least…

China has renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Southern Tibet’, which is seen as an audacious claim over the Indian state. China has recently stirred up controversy by releasing the standardized names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, India, which it claims as the southern part of Tibet. This move is following the country’s regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council and its cabinet. However, this has been regarded as a renewed attempt by China to assert its territorial claim over the disputed region. The renaming exercise has been seen by many as a way for…

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a celebrated Maratha king who died on 3 April 1680 at the age of 50. He is known for his outstanding leadership qualities, courage on the battlefield, and compassion for his subjects. During his reign, Shivaji succeeded in reviving the Hindawi Swarajya, which led to the establishment of a progressive society in India. Shivaji’s early conquests Shivaji started his conquests before he turned 20 when he conquered Torna Fort with the help of the Mavalas. Thereafter, he conquered many other forts of Adil Shah of Bijapur, including Chakana, Simhagad, Kondana, and Purandar. A notable episode…

The banned terrorist group, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), has claimed responsibility for a series of arson attacks that occurred in three different locations across Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The recent incidents have once again brought attention to the group and raised concerns about the threat of extremist groups in the region. KLF Claims Responsibility for Fires A press release allegedly linked to KLF and disseminated through social media accounts associated with the group stated that it was responsible for igniting three significant fires across Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh on April 1. The statement, attributed to KLF member Ranjodh…

Former Pakistan cricket captain and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan recently launched a blistering attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Khan attacked BCCI over its ongoing dispute with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the scheduling of the Asia Cup and the One-Day International World Cup. His criticism highlights the issue of power dynamics in world cricket and the need for cooperation between nations. The Indian and Pakistani cricket boards have been at odds for the past few weeks over the scheduling of these two major tournaments. While Pakistan will host the Asia Cup, India will host the…

India will observe Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day on March 23, 2024, to honor the memory of the brave souls who laid down their lives for the country’s freedom. Shaheed Diwas marks the sacrifice of three of India’s most celebrated revolutionaries – Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru – who were hanged to death by the British colonial rulers in 1931. A brief history about the brave hearts Bhagat Singh, born on September 28, 1907, in Punjab, was an influential figure in the Indian independence movement. He was a prolific writer and a visionary leader who believed in the…

At least 13 people have lost their lives, and more than 90 others have been injured in Afghanistan and Pakistan after a powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday. The earthquake was felt across a vast area affecting over 285 million people in Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. The epicenter was located 40 kilometers southeast of Jurm hamlet in the Hindu Kush mountains, in the sparsely inhabited Badakhshan province of northeastern Afghanistan. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a considerable depth of 187km. In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at least nine people…