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  • Modi Strengthens India-Mauritius Relations with Key Agreements

    Modi Strengthens India-Mauritius Relations with Key Agreements

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Mauritius for two days, starting March 12, to celebrate the country’s National Day as the guest of honor. During this visit, India and Mauritius will sign several important agreements to improve cooperation in various areas. These agreements will focus on sharing information about ships, building capacities, increasing trade, and fighting financial crimes.

    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted that the relationship between India and Mauritius has grown significantly over the past decade. Indian military forces and a navy ship will join the National Day celebrations.

    Mauritius has a strong connection with India because about 70% of its population has Indian roots. Over the past 18 years, India’s trade with Mauritius has increased from around $206 million to over $851 million in 2023-24. In the last fiscal year, India exported goods worth $778 million to Mauritius, while Mauritius exported about $73 million worth of goods back to India.

    Since 2000, Mauritius has invested $175 billion in India, making it a key partner. Although recent changes to a tax agreement caused a drop in foreign investments from Mauritius, it remains the third-largest source of foreign investment for India.

    On February 22, 2021, India and Mauritius agreed on a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) after nearly 15 years of talks, marking India’s first trade agreement with an African country.

  • Driver Crashes Into CarMax in Inglewood, Injuring Eight People

    Driver Crashes Into CarMax in Inglewood, Injuring Eight People

    On Saturday afternoon, a driver crashed into a CarMax store in Inglewood, California, injuring at least eight people. The accident happened at the CarMax on South La Cienega Boulevard, just after 2 p.m. Among the injured, two people are in critical condition, while the other six were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Fortunately, the building itself did not suffer serious damage.

    It is unclear what exactly caused the crash. Videos from the scene show the car repeatedly smashing into the building and hitting several objects inside. According to reports from 2 Urban Girls, the driver is a white male who used to work at CarMax. He is believed to have been upset after a disagreement with a co-worker, which led him to drive into the store as a way of getting back at them.

  • TMC Takes Action Against Duplicate Voter IDs – Urgent Meeting Ahead

    TMC Takes Action Against Duplicate Voter IDs – Urgent Meeting Ahead

    A group of ten lawmakers from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will meet the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, on Tuesday. They want to talk about problems with Voter ID cards, specifically the issue of duplicate Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) numbers. TMC MP Derek O’Brien shared this news on Saturday.

    There’s been a lot of talk in West Bengal about this issue. On February 27, the TMC accused the Election Commission of India of messing with voter records. They claimed this gives an unfair advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). O’Brien said, “We have asked for a meeting with the CEC, and he has agreed. Our team will meet him at 5:30 PM on Tuesday.”

    The TMC group includes important leaders like Kalyan Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kirti Azad, and Sagarika Ghose. While many opposition parties are planning to talk about the duplicate EPIC numbers in Parliament, TMC is taking the first step by meeting the Election Commission.

    One TMC member pointed out that since each EPIC number should be unique to every voter, having duplicates could lead to people being denied their voting rights. The Election Commission’s handbook says that EPIC numbers must be unique. It’s concerning that voters in different areas, and even different states, have the same EPIC numbers. The TMC wants the Election Commission to explain how these duplicate numbers occurred and why they can’t make sure every voter has their own unique ID.

  • Russia’s Ruling Party Gifts Meat Grinders to Bereaved Soldiers’ Mothers

    Russia’s Ruling Party Gifts Meat Grinders to Bereaved Soldiers’ Mothers

    Local leaders from Russia’s ruling party are facing criticism for giving mothers of soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine unusual gifts. In a recent event for International Women’s Day, officials from the United Russia party visited grieving mothers in the Murmansk region. They brought flowers and meat grinders with them while smiling for photos.

    Many people on social media called this gesture “shameful” and “inappropriate.” After the backlash, the local party in the town of Polyarniye Zori said that those who criticized them were misunderstanding the situation. Mayor Maxim Chengayev explained that the meat grinders weren’t initially planned as gifts, but one mother asked for it during the visit.

    In a video shared later, a mother thanked the party awkwardly for the meat grinder, saying she needed one and had asked for it. She noted she had wanted to buy it herself, but the party gave it to her just in time.

    It’s important to mention that Russia has not shared many details about how many soldiers have died in this conflict, so the real number of losses is still unclear.

  • India and US Trade Talks: Will Tariffs Be Reduced

    India and US Trade Talks: Will Tariffs Be Reduced

    In New Delhi, people are talking about a new trade deal between India and the US. Officials say it’s still too early to discuss specific details like cutting taxes (tariffs) on goods. This comes after US President Donald Trump mentioned that India promised to lower these tariffs on American products. Trump claimed that India has high tariffs, which makes it hard for businesses from the US to sell their products there.

    According to discussions that took place earlier this year, India and the US plan to negotiate a trade agreement that benefits both countries by the fall of 2025. Talks about tariffs and other trade issues have continued since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington last month. Both countries have important interests to consider, so they need to communicate and negotiate carefully.

    In the media, Trump once again stated that the US is treated unfairly in trade by many nations, including India. He said that India has “massive tariffs,” making it difficult for American products to enter the Indian market. He claimed that because someone is finally pointing out these issues, India has agreed to cut tariffs.

    However, these claims lack backup from real trade numbers. According to the US trade representative, American exports to India were around $41.8 billion out of $129.2 billion in overall trade in 2024. When asked about Trump’s comments, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said he couldn’t provide details because the discussions are still going on. He emphasized that India has signed trade agreements with many countries recently, which included tax reductions.

    India has made significant tariff cuts for developed countries like Australia and Switzerland in past agreements, and they are also negotiating with the EU and the UK. The Indian officials reminded everyone that the current discussions with the US should be seen in the context of these ongoing negotiations. They want to deepen their trade relationship by making it easier for each country to access markets, reduce barriers, and improve supply chains.

    In earlier talks during Trump’s first term, India and the US had worked on a limited trade deal, but they didn’t reach an agreement. India has already reduced tariffs on some American goods, like bourbon whiskey and premium motorcycles, and they are looking to cut more tariffs as part of this potential trade deal.

  • Teacher Forced to Work Sick in Odisha: Shocking Incident Unfolds

    Teacher Forced to Work Sick in Odisha: Shocking Incident Unfolds

    A teacher in Odisha had to go to school even when he was very sick because his boss wouldn’t let him take a day off. Prakash Bhoi, who teaches math in Bolangir, said he felt really unwell after his grandfather’s funeral and asked his principal, Bijayalakshmi Pradhan, if he could have some time off to feel better. Unfortunately, she said no.

    Because he couldn’t afford to see a doctor, Bhoi went to school with an IV drip attached to him, which is used to give medicine directly into the body. His health got worse when he was sent to the District Education Officer and the District Project Coordinator by the principal. Even when he asked to visit a hospital, she told him to come back by 2 PM.

    “The government hospital was far away, and I didn’t have any money to go to a private one. My banking app was not working either, so I had to come back to work without any treatment,” Bhoi said. Although he tried to take medicine that night, he didn’t feel better. The next day, he asked again for leave but was told he had to stay because his help was important for preparing for exams.

    In a very bad condition, Bhoi had to get an IV drip from a doctor again and went to school. Luckily, when his coworkers saw how sick he was, they took him to the hospital for immediate care.

    The Block Education Officer, Prasad Majhi, said they are looking into Bhoi’s complaint about the principal. If she is found wrong, she might be punished

  • Jadavpur University Protests: Students and Teachers Seek to Resolve Issues

    Jadavpur University Protests: Students and Teachers Seek to Resolve Issues

    The Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) on Saturday asked leftist students who are protesting to think about stopping their boycott of classes and exams. This protest began after a student got hurt on March 1 when West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu’s car brushed against him during a demonstration on campus.

    The acting vice-chancellor of the university, Bhaskar Gupta, who is in the hospital since March 5, urged everyone to help bring back normalcy and continue with academic work. He said, “let’s talk and solve these issues peacefully.”

    JUTA supported the students’ demands to drop police cases made against some protesters related to the March 1 incident. In a statement, they said it was important for students and teachers to have respect for each other and maintain a good relationship, as is the tradition at the university.

    The protesting students, part of leftist groups like SFI, AIDSO, RSF, and AISA, threatened to stop all work at the university’s administrative building if the management didn’t engage in talks with them by March 10. They began an indefinite sit-in protest to make their voices heard.

    Two students were hurt when Minister Basu’s car and a follow-up vehicle passed close to them during the protest. Many students have been skipping classes and exams since the incident, and the university is facing disruptions in operations.

    JUTA urged students to reconsider their boycott so that academic activities could continue. They also called for a fair investigation into what happened that day. The vice-chancellor expressed sadness for the injuries that occurred and hoped that everyone would recover.

    The trouble started when students wanted to speak to the minister about delaying student union elections, which have not happened in the university since 2020. One student leader stated, “We haven’t been able to talk to anyone from the university since the incident. If the acting VC is not well, we want other officials to meet us so we can discuss this.” All the student groups, except for those from the ruling TMC and RSS, are standing together for their rights.

  • Hampi Rape Incident: Police Arrest Two; CM Calls It a Horrific Crime

    Hampi Rape Incident: Police Arrest Two; CM Calls It a Horrific Crime

    Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, spoke out against a serious crime that happened near the Hampi heritage site, where two women, one of them from Israel, were attacked by three men on the night of March 6. He called the incident “a horrible crime” and mentioned that two suspects have already been caught by the police, while they are still searching for the third.

    Siddaramaiah said, “As soon as we heard about the incident, I told the police to act quickly, and they have already arrested two suspects. The investigation is continuing.” Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, also promised strict actions against those responsible for the crime. He mentioned that when the two women and a male friend went out for stargazing, they were approached by the three attackers.

    According to police reports, the group had gone to the Tungabhadra Canal to look at the stars and play music. The attackers first asked for petrol. After an argument over money, they threatened the group with stones. The attackers physically assaulted and raped the two women, while the male friend was pushed into the water. One of the women bravely detailed her experience in her police complaint.

    Sowmya Reddy, a leader from the Karnataka Mahila Congress, highlighted the need for better safety for women and noted an increase in crimes against women in recent years. Congress MP GC Chandrashekhar described the attack as “unfortunate” and assured that state authorities will take action against the criminals.

  • Bajrang Dal Protests Iftar Party at Rishikul Ayurvedic College

    Bajrang Dal Protests Iftar Party at Rishikul Ayurvedic College

    On Saturday, members of the Bajrang Dal group entered Rishikul Ayurvedic College in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. They were upset because some Muslim students had organized an Iftar party on campus and had invited outside guests. The police talked to the protesters, who threatened to continue their protests if the college did not take action within three days.

    The Iftar party was held by Muslim students on Friday. Bajrang Dal’s Amit Kumar said that Haridwar, a religious city, should not have such events organized by non-Hindus. He claimed it was against local rules and suggested there was an “Islamic Jihad” conspiracy at play. He warned the college that if the students involved were not expelled quickly, they would escalate their protest.

    D.C. Singh, the college director, confirmed he received a complaint about the party. He said the celebration was stopped because it did not have permission from the school. A committee of teachers is investigating the situation.

  • Telegram Blocked in Russia’s Dagestan and Chechnya: What You Need to Know

    Telegram Blocked in Russia’s Dagestan and Chechnya: What You Need to Know

    On March 8, officials in two areas of Russia, Dagestan and Chechnya, decided to block the Telegram messaging app. They are worried that it could be misused by people who want to cause trouble, especially after riots at an airport in Dagestan. Yuri Gamzatov, the digital development minister in Dagestan, explained that Telegram was used during the protests against Israel last October when angry crowds tried to attack passengers coming from Israel. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the police have arrested several people for their actions.

    During the riots, people shared messages on Telegram that called for violence against those arriving on the flight. Telegram said they would remove those harmful channels. The app is widely used in Russia and many other countries, with almost 1 billion users worldwide. In the past, Russia tried to block Telegram in 2018 but wasn’t successful. Gamzatov mentioned that Telegram might be unblocked later, but for now, he advised people to consider using other messaging apps.