Six women, two children burnt to death in Bengal’s Birbhum

Eight people, six women and two children, were burnt to death in violence that erupted at Baktui village in West Bengal ‘s Birbhum district on Tuesday following the murder of a deputy pradhan of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Several houses were set on fire after the murder and seven charred bodies recovered from one house alone. One person died of burn injuries at a hospital in Birbhum, the police said.

Steep fuel price hikes spark uproar in Parliament

After a four and a half month freeze on fuel prices in the run up to five State Assembly elections, India’s oil marketing companies began recovering the higher crude oil costs that have prevailed in recent months on Tuesday, with an 80 paise increase per litre in retail prices for petrol and diesel, along with a ₹50 increase in domestic cooking gas prices.

IIT-Kanpur hasn’t forecast fourth wave of COVID-19: Centre

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, has clarified that they have not forecasted another wave of COVID-19. It was an independent study done by a team of researchers from their Department of Mathematics and Statistics who have prepared a mathematical model and submitted the same to a pre-print server for experts to comment on. The same was not peer-reviewed, the Health Ministry submitted in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Sonia Gandhi reaches out to G-23 leaders

Days after meeting G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi reached out to other members of the group by meeting Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Vivek Tankha on Tuesday.

Delhi University intake to be based on Common University Entrance Test scores

Marks obtained in Class XII Board examinations will no longer play a role in the admission process at Delhi University which was earlier the sole criteria for admission.

Employment data to be released faster, government assures House panel

The government will aim to release employment data within five months of conducting the relevant surveys and strive to align these releases with GDP data in the long run, the Statistics Ministry told a Parliamentary panel that questioned the significant delay in the release of ‘one of the most important socio-economic indicators’ for policymaking.

Akhilesh Yadav quits Lok Sabha, to retain Karhal 

After days of discussion, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday decided to take on the BJP as Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He has retained the Karhal seat and submitted his resignation from the Azamgarh parliamentary constituency to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. He won the Karhal seat by defeating Union Minister S.P. Baghel by a margin of over 67,000 votes to become an MLA for the first time.

Watch: BJP’s Next Chief Ministers | Talking Politics With Nistula Hebbar

On March 21, the BJP decided to maintain a status-quo by continuing with incumbent Chief Ministers Pushkar Singh Dhami and Pramod Sawant for the new governments in Uttarakhand and Goa. This came a day after N. Biren Singh was repeated in Manipur in a similar manner.

Why did this decision take so long and what is the politics behind it? What does it mean for the BJP?

Sri Lankan Tamil families flee to India citing economic crisis

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has forced two ethnic Tamil families to flee the island nation. They reached Rameswaram clandestinely in a fibre boat in the early hours of Tuesday. In all, six persons, including a four-month-old baby boy, reached Arichalmunai near Dhanushkodi.

Ukraine eyes Mariupol evacuation bid as Kyiv locks down

Ukrainian authorities announced a new bid on Tuesday to rescue civilians from besieged port city Mariupol which has been under heavy bombardments since Russia’s invasion began almost a month ago, as capital Kyiv hunkered down in a curfew.

China Eastern crash: Rescue on but no survivors found yet, airline grounds Boeing fleet

Rescuers continued the search for survivors from Monday’s crash of a China Eastern Airlines aircraft in the hills of southern China, while the airline, China’s second-largest, grounded its entire Boeing 737-800 fleet.

Sri Lanka ropes in troops to oversee fuel distribution amid crisis

Sri Lanka has roped in its army to oversee fuel distribution in the country, while citizens queue up for hours outside petrol and diesel stations due to a severe shortage as the country grapples with an unprecedented economic crisis.  

Russia-related energy market shock could tip world into recession: Vitol CEO

The energy market shock following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could tip the world into an economic recession, especially if the war drags on, Vitol’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

Oil rises towards $116 as European Union weighs Russian ban

Oil rose towards $116 a barrel on Tuesday, adding to a 7% surge the previous day, supported by supply risks from a potential European Union oil embargo on Russia and concern about attacks on Saudi oil facilities.