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New Delhi: Seventeen Indian wrestlers led by Vinesh Phogat and Aman Sehrawat will be on the hunt for quotas at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers for Paris which starts in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from Friday.

The 18th Lok Sabha elections in India begin on April 19 with polling in 102 constituencies in the first phase. The seven phase polls covering 90 crore voters out of around 142 crore total population of the country, will end on June 1 after polling is over in 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. The results will be declared on June 4 after which it will be clear whether the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is heading the campaign on behalf of the ruling BJP as also the NDA, will be getting his third consecutive term after getting majority in the new Lok Sabha.

In the middle of campaign for second phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 scheduled for April 26, a considerable rise in political heat is felt in 13 states where 87 Lok Sabha constituencies are going to poll. The reason being, higher stake for BJP due to INDIA bloc’s mounting challenge to their candidates in almost all constituencies. The comparative ease of PM Narendra Modi during the first phase of election campaign, seems to have already disappeared.

With the elections process already on, health is serious issue to be taken up by the political parties. Health has been an issue of serious concern to the people because as per government’s own admission over 6 crore people are pushed to poverty because of out of pocket expenditure on health. The health activists have been demanding from the state to own its responsibility to ensure health for all. It is therefore important that the political parties give priority to the concept of universal healthcare in their agenda so that health needs of each citizen are fulfilled without any discrepancy based on religion, caste, creed, gender or economic status. It is therefore pertinent that the government has to directly intervene in making policies which fulfil people’s needs for health. The political parties should commit to make health as a fundamental right and promise to increase the spending on the healthcare to 6% of the GDP.

There is no bar on the Prime Minister to mislead. Five days ago, while accusing the INDIA bloc of nursing a “Mughal mindset”, Narendra Modi refuted the Opposition assertion that the Ayodhya Ram Mandir was a “poll plank” for the BJP. There was no way to check if he was telling the truth. Of course, the newly consecrated Ayodhya Ram Mandir is a cherished “poll plank” of the BJP and anybody who refutes this is a barefaced contradiction.

We are celebrating April 22, the day Lenin was born. He was the one who introduced us to change, the only finality in the entire creation, assuring us that there is no end to it, nor does it repeat itself. There are only stages that move on with the old and also new. New has the hegemony and the old starts dimming into oblivion. But socio economic forces keep evolving as ever. The existing new no more remains new and gets replaced by ever new forces.

For 20 years, Iran supported various militias in the Middle East as it opposed Israel from a distance. However, its recent direct attack on Israel represents a major change in strategy and a significant risk. Iran is aware that its military is not as strong as Israel's, especially given the U.S.'s support for Israel. Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran has had limited support from other countries for any direct conflict with a U.S. ally.

Myanmar celebrated on April 17 the first day of the Burmese New Year, the Thingyan festival. It's a Buddhist festival celebrated for four to five days in the middle of April. Myanmar nationals in other countries celebrated the Thingyan festival, marked by great fun throwing water at each other, which they believe drives out bad luck and brings health and happiness. In the Arakan traditional culture, evenings are reserved for joyous Thingyan dance and music after the day's water play.

New Delhi: Hailing Hockey India's decision to hold National Women's League former Skipper Pritam Rani Siwach described it as a significant initiative for aspiring players who are looking to reach the national team set-up.

New Delhi: Despite suffering a whitewash against Australia in a away hockey series last week, ace drag flicker and captain Harmanpreet Singh has excused confidence that India will have a podium finish at the Paris Olympics.