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At a time when India is baffled by China’s preposterous and farcical claims over the state of Arunachal Pradesh, its government-owned Sanghai Automobile Industry Corporation, commonly known as SAIC Motor, has joined hands with billionaire Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group to manufacture passenger cars and commercial vehicles in India. China is aspiring to have a substantial presence in India’s automotive sector despite government restrictions on equity control. China seems to have opened two fronts to tackle India.

Who will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls? The election battle has started after the Chief Election Commissioner announced the poll schedule on March 16. The polling will begin on April 19 and end on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

A sense of despondency has gripped the non-RJD constituents of the INDIA bloc in Bihar at the sudden attitudinal change in RJD chief Lalu Yadav towards them and his impulsive tactic not to concede their request for allocating them the seats where they have roots.

Pharmaceutical companies have been a bone of contention around the globe. Exorbitant profiteering in this industry should not be a priority. But around the world these companies are making huge profits at the expense of people’s health. There is enough data to support super profits by the pharmaceutical companies. During the COVID Pandemic when the people were dying in large numbers, the vaccine making companies made huge profits. Not only that, they forced many developing countries that do not have resources or technical knowhow to make vaccines, to accept the conditions laid down by these companies. These included the clause of no civil liability of the company in case of any adverse reaction to the vaccine. They also made the governments to mortgage their properties as a guarantee.

The UN Security Council has voted, for the first time, for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Only the pressure of world opinion has forced this change. Western powers initially lined up to endorse Israel’s war. One by one those endorsements have fallen away, as horror at flattened cities, assaults on hospitals and the systematic starvation of civilians by Israel swept the world.

Despite efforts by President Vladimir Putin and Russian state-controlled media to attribute Friday's fatal Moscow theatre attack killing 139 persons to Ukraine, additional information is surfacing about the jihadist organization IS-K, which has declared responsibility for the incident.

Tamil Nadu, which goes to Lok Sabha polls in the first phase itself on April 19 is likely to see interesting three-cornered contest with alliances by the three formations having been firmed up. With most of the smaller regional parties having joined one formation or the other, it is quite clear that the fight is between my dynast versus your dynast in many of key constituencies. BJP too is no exception. If at all there is one party where dynasts are less, it is AIADMK, which could turn out to be the dark horse in these general elections. Also it is the party with least number of alliance partners and perhaps has the largest cadre base with nearly two crore membership in the state.

The stage is set in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections beginning on 19 April. While the ruling dispensation of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress has a leg up vis-a-vis the principal Opposition party BJP as the former has come up with its entire list of candidates and hit the campaign trail running, the latter is yet to do so revealing fissures likely to turn into cracks, come the polling day.

It is no holds barred. And, says AAP, Arvind Kejriwal behind bars is more dangerous than when he was free and ducking summons. The AAP decided Sunday that a ’Main Bhi Kejriwal’ campaign will be organized. Two, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not resign. This when the Delhi Chief Minister was being grilled in the “ED lock-up”. The resourceful AAP has found a conduit to get through to Kejriwal-in-the-ED-lock-up.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was an extraordinary move. But then, the compulsions that constrained Kerala to move the Supreme Court against President Draupadi Murmu were also extraordinary. True to its reputation, the State has blazed, yet again, a new trail.