TODAY NEWS ON 26 APRIL 2022

News Headlines

Twitter confirms sale of company to Elon Musk for $44 billion

Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion on Monday, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform where he promotes his interests, attacks critics and opines on social and economic issues to more than 83 million followers.

No limits to Russia-China friendship, warns EU chief amid Ukraine crisis 

The friendship between Russia and China has “no limits”, said the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi on April 25, 2022. Addressing the inaugural session at the annual Raisina Dialogue which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, she condemned the Russian aggression in Ukraine but also supported the need to find a “diplomatic solution” to the crisis.

News analysis | A political deadlock threatens Sri Lanka’s economic recovery

As Sri Lanka witnesses a severe economic crash, a political deadlock at the helm is threatening to delay any action for recovery. The Rajapaksa administration has lost public confidence, going by citizens’ persistent calls for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and their government.

Cong. sets up Empowered Action Group for 2024 polls

After deliberating upon the report of the eight-member Congress panel that examined poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s revival plan, party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday decided to set up an Empowered Action Group to deal with the political challenges ahead of the 2024 elections.

India, again, ‘Country of Particular Concern’ on religious freedom grounds, says U.S. Commission

Saying religious freedom conditions in India had “significantly worsened“ in 2021, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan independent body, recommended, for the third year in a row, that India be designated a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC) , i.e., the category of governments performing most poorly on religious freedom criteria.

Human rights groups raise hate speech concerns after Musk’s takeover of Twitter

Human rights groups on Monday raised concerns about hate speech on Twitter and the power that its takeover by Elon Musk would give the billionaire after the self-described “free speech absolutist” clinched a deal to take the social media platform private.

BJP prepares to celebrate Modi government anniversary after two years of COVID-19 induced break

A committee formed by the BJP to formalise a programme to mark the third anniversary of the second Narendra Modi government met on Monday at the party headquarters. The committee includes Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and Rajeev Chandrashekhar; party general secretaries Arun Singh, C.T. Ravi and D. Purandareshwari; Rajya Sabha members Anil Baluni and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe; and Lok Sabha member Aparajita Sarangi among others.

Kyiv wants U.N. to seek Mariupol evacuation

Ukraine’s foreign minister is urging the U.N. chief to press Russia on Tuesday for an evacuation of the besieged port of Mariupol, calling it something the world body is capable of achieving.

Shikhar Dhawan sets up Punjab Kings’ narrow win over Super Kings

Shikhar Dhawan’s free-spirited batting and his sheer physicality has the heart and the rhythm of Bhangra, a popular Punjabi dance. Cricket and batting for him is a celebration, a waltz where he expresses himself. The left-handed opener’s unbeaten 59-ball 88 was a major hand in Punjab Kings’ 11-run win over Chennai Super Kings in their Tata-IPL clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Mevani re-arrested for ‘outraging modesty’ of woman police officer 

Minutes after getting bail in a case related to an “offensive” tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, independent MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani was re-arrested by the Assam police for allegedly assaulting and outraging the modesty of a woman police officer.