| | 5 THINGS FIRST | Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer to hold bilateral meeting with Indian counterpart S Jaishankar; Supreme Court to hear Delhi CM Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest in money laundering case; Last day of withdrawal of nominations for the sixth phase of LS polls; IPL 2024 – PBKS vs RCB; Fifth and final T20 I (W) – India vs Bangladesh
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| | 1. Is BJP losing its govt in Haryana? |  | A crisis- The BJP is fighting to keep its Haryana government afloat in the middle of the Lok Sabha election and months away from the Assembly polls.
- It began with three Independent MLAs announcing their withdrawal of support to the Nayab Singh Saini government.
- Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) announced that they would back the Congress.
- The Congress, on the other hand, claimed that the Saini government has been reduced to a minority and demanded the imposition of President's Rule.
What Congress wants- “The government is in the minority and they have no right to stay in power. We will demand that the government be dismissed, President's Rule be imposed and fresh elections be held," Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan said.
- The Congress also asked the JJP, the INLD and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu to write to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatrey to give credence to its claim against the BJP government.
BJP says- Haryana CM Saini said, "The government is not in any trouble, it is working strongly."
- He also hit out at the Congress, saying the opposition party's actions are only aimed at fulfilling the personal aspirations of some people.
And...- The BJP's former ally Jannayak Janata Party said if a no-confidence motion is brought against the Saini government, its MLAs will vote against the government.
- JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said, "I want to tell Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda that going by the present numbers in the Assembly, when this government is in a minority, if a step is taken that this government is brought down during (Lok Sabha) elections, then we will fully consider to support them in this from outside."
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| | | 2. ‘Daal mein kuchh kaala hai’: Modi’s Ambani-Adani taunt at Rahul |  | What- Mounting an attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday taunted his rival Rahul Gandhi asking why he has stopped raising the “Ambani-Adani” issue since the Lok Sabha election was announced.
- Asking “if the Congress has struck a deal” and have "tempo loads of notes (money)" reached the Congress that it has stopped targeting Ambani-Adani", Modi hit out at the Congress leader at an election rally in Telangana’s Vemulawada.
What Modi said- "Ever since elections have been announced, these people have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight," he asked.
- “Why did you stop abusing Ambani and Adani overnight? Zaroor daal mein kucchh kaala hai [something is fishy]. You abused them for five years and then it stopped overnight?"
The issue- The Congress has been attacking the Modi government, accusing the prime minister of favouring the top five industrialists in the country, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.
- Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly said that while the BJP government has made 22 Indians "arabpati [billionaires]", the Congress aims to make crores of people "lakhpati" if it comes to power in the ongoing election.
Time and place- Modi’s choice of place and time for his retort is interesting. The Congress-ruled Telangana recently signed several MoUs with the Adani Group for an investment of Rs 12,400 crore.
- This also comes on the back of Modi’s allegation that the Congress aims to redistribute the wealth of the rich among its vote bank.
- Also, former Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, now with the BJP, has said the party leadership of Gandhis forced him to speak against billionaire Gautam Adani.
A response- Responding to Modi’s jibe, Rahul Gandhi said, “Namaskar Modiji, are you scared? Normally you talk about Ambani, Adani behind closed door. For the first time you said 'Ambani 'Adani' in public."
- In his retort to Modi, Gandhi said, "And you also know they give money in tempos. Is that your personal experience?"
- "Get an enquiry done as soon as possible," Gandhi said.
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| | TOI EXPLAINS | | 3. What is the buzz about Pandian? |  | Sudden rise
- The elections in Odisha now seem to be centred around VK Pandian, a Tamil Nadu-born ex-IAS officer of the Odisha cadre.
- After leaving his service to join BJD, Pandian has risen as the party's chief campaigner among the 40-star campaigners, often taking a central role and now being considered a potential successor to CM Naveen Patnaik.
Main target- Pandian has become the prime target of leaders, right from PM Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda to Congress’s Rahul Gandhi.
- Questions are being raised on how a non-Odia may take over the state’s reins if BJD returns to office.
Who is Pandian?- Pandian, a 2000-batch IAS officer initially allocated to the Punjab cadre, was swiftly transferred to the Odisha cadre shortly after his marriage to Sujata Rout (now an IAS officer of the 2000-batch Odisha cadre).
- After becoming Naveen's private secretary in 2011, Pandian's efficiency led to his selection as a 'backroom boy,' tasked with crafting Naveen's election strategy for both the 2014 and 2019 election.
- When alliance talks between BJP and BJD were going on in March, Pandian was the main negotiator for BJD, making several trips to Delhi.
Question of Odia identity- Cashing in on "Odia asmita," BJP seeks its first state government and hopes to increase Lok Sabha seats from 8 in 2019.
- Leaving it to the people of Odisha to judge if he is an outsider, Pandian rejects the BJP's critique of his Odia identity, citing instances of the BJP's negligence towards Odisha's heritage, including the Paika revolt of 1817.
Making room?
- Speculation is rife that Naveen, who has been contesting from two Assembly seats — Hinjili and Kantabanji — may vacate one for Pandian.
- Political analysts view Naveen's decision to promote Pandian as a calculated risk. “If BJD does well, Pandian will get legitimacy. If it falters, the blame will fall on him because Naveen has never lost elections since 2000,” said Surya Nayaran Mishra, a retired professor of political science from Utkal University. More here
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| | 4. Crew on ‘mass sick leave’ grounds Air India Express flights |  | What- Air India Express has cancelled more than 80 flights after facing disruptions since Tuesday night.
- A video circulating on the social media platform 'X' shows that the chaos erupted at the Delhi airport when Air India Express cancelled flights to Goa, Guwahati, and Srinagar at the last moment. The announcement led to a state of confusion and distress among the affected travellers, who congregated around the airline's counter, visibly upset and demanding explanations.
- This incident comes a month after Tata Group's other airline, Vistara, faced pilot shortages, which forced it to cut down the carrier's flying capacity by 10 percent or around 25-30 flights daily.
Reason behind cancellations- Discontent has been growing among cabin crew since, as part of consolidating its airline business, the Tata Group announced plans to merge Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.
- Air India Express has announced the cancellation of over 80 international and domestic flights scheduled from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning. The airline's spokesperson stated that the cancellations were due to a "mass sick leave" taken by senior crew members.
- The Air India Express Employees Union, a recognised union that claims to represent around 300 cabin crew personnel, most of whom are seniors, has also stated that mishandling of affairs has deeply affected staff morale.
What do we know about Air India Express- Air India Express was acquired by the Tata Group, along with Air India, in a government-led strategic divestment programme in January 2022.
- As per Directorate General of Civil Aviation, AIX Connect has a 5.8% stake in the domestic aviation market and independently, Air India Express is the third largest Indian carrier for international traffic to and from India.
- The company currently has a fleet size of 73 aircraft including 28 Airbus A320.
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| | | NEWS IN CLUES | | 5. Can you guess this place? | Clue 1: Home to the famous energy drink Red Bull
Clue 2: Has the world’s longest-reigning monarch
Clue 3: Only Southeast Asian country that was never colonised by a European power
Scroll below for answer
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| | 6. AstraZeneca recalls its COVID vaccine |  | Global recall- UK-based pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca has started global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was provided in India as 'Covishield' in partnership with Serum Institute of India.
- This decision comes in the wake of the company's acknowledgment of rare side effects, associated with its COVID-19 vaccines, which involve blood clotting and low platelet counts.
What the company said- The vaccine maker has cited commercial reasons for the withdrawal.
- The company voluntarily withdrew its "marketing authorisation" in the European Union, adding that the vaccine was no longer being produced and could no longer be used.
- The withdrawal was initiated due to a surplus of available updated vaccines.
Partnership- AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, developed the COVID-19 vaccine, marketed as Covishield in India and as Vaxzevria in Europe.
Legal challenges- AstraZeneca faces a £100 million lawsuit in the UK following admission in court documents regarding a rare side effect caused by the vaccine, with reports indicating that 51 cases have been filed in the high court.
- In one of the court documents in February, the company stated that its vaccines can, "in very rare cases, cause TTS or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome".
What is TTS?- Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a rare but serious condition characterised by the formation of blood clots combined with low levels of platelets.
- TTS, which usually occurs within days to weeks post-vaccination, presents symptoms like severe headache, abdominal pain, leg swelling, and neurological manifestations, indicating potential blood clot formation in critical areas like the brain, abdomen, or lungs.
- Treatment for TTS often involves hospitalisation and specialised care, including anticoagulant therapy to prevent further clot formation and intravenous immunoglobulin to stabilise platelet levels. More here
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| | | 8. CBI’s crackdown in Russian military recruitment case |  | What- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two more people in connection with the human trafficking case in which young Indian men were duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
- The central agency said that Arun and Yesudas Junior, both residents of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, were arrested on Monday, while Nijil Jobi Bensam, a contractual employee in the Russian Defence Ministry, and Anthony Michael Elangovan, a resident of Mumbai, were arrested on April 24, and sent to judicial custody.
- Reportedly, nearly 100 Indians have been recruited by the Russian military over the past year.
Organised network- The CBI launched an investigation into the incident followed by raids in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ambala, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai.
- According to them, the traffickers have been operating as an organised network, luring youth by promising them lucrative jobs with high-paying salaries.
- These men were then trained in combat roles and then sent to the Russian bases. Some of them got seriously injured on the war front.
How it operated- According to the CBI, Nijil Jobi Bensam, who worked as a translator in Russia, was responsible for recruiting Indian nationals in the Russian army. Bensam is the prime suspect of the trafficking network. Micheal Antony is accused of helping co-accused Faisal Baba, who is based in Dubai, with visa processing and ticket bookings.
- Arun and Yesudas Junior were responsible for recruiting youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the Russian Army.
Backlash- The families of two Indian men who were killed in the war have told Reuters they had gone to Russia expecting to work as "helpers" in the army.
- MEA says each case has been "strongly taken up" with Russia, but Moscow has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
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| | 9. Why US halted its bomb shipment to Israel |  | What- According to a senior American administration official, the US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the Biden administration.
- The shipment was supposed to consist of 900-kilogram bombs and 1,700 225-kilogram bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
- More than one million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Helping hand- The US has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel, which has only accelerated in the aftermath of the October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants.
Seeds of discord- The pausing of the aid shipment is the most striking manifestation of the growing disenchantment between Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has called on Israel to do far more to protect the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza.
- It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and US laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war.
- This decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.
Current status- Israeli troops on Tuesday seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing in what the White House described as a limited operation that stopped short of the full-on Israeli invasion of the city.
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| | | ANSWER TO NEWS IN CLUES |  | Thailand. The Southeast Asian country has extended its visa exemption programme for tourists from India and Taiwan for another six months, allowing these travellers to enter the country without a visa until November 11, 2024. The move aims to attract more foreign visitors to boost Thailand's economy, which relies heavily on tourism. According to reports, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced the extension following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, indicating that travellers from India and Taiwan can stay for a maximum of 30 days without a visa.
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| Written by: Prabhash K Dutta, Rajesh Sharma and Jairaj Singh
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