Morning Digest: Mahayuti yet to take a call on new Maharashtra Chief Minister; U.S. agency conducting due diligence on Adani’s Sri Lanka project, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day.

Mahayuti yet to take a call on new Maharashtra Chief Minister

Even as the Election Commission presented its notification and the government gazette with the names of elected candidates in the Assembly polls to the Governor of Maharashtra, government formation in the State may take time, sources indicated to The Hindu. As per the internal communication of the legislature secretariat sources, the swearing-in and the Assembly session may take place on 27 or 28 of November.

U.S. agency conducting due diligence on Adani’s Sri Lanka project

A U.S. agency that agreed to lend more than $500 million to a Sri Lanka port development backed by the Adani Group said it is still conducting due diligence on the project in the wake of bribery allegations against the group’s billionaire founder Gautam Adani and other top executives. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has not reached a final agreement on the loan, an official with the agency said in an email.

Autopsy report of Manipur family says victims were shot multiple times before bodies dumped in river

The autopsy report of three of the six members of a Meitei family who were allegedly abducted by armed militants during an encounter with security forces in the Jiribam district of Manipur. The report said that one of the victims, a 3-year-old boy, had a bullet wound on his chin and his right eye was “missing”. The body had several lacerations, indicating injuries by a blunt object, and was infested with maggots when brought for post mortem, the report said.

Maharashtra’s mandate: the role of issues and candidates

This Maharashtra Assembly election result marks a significant shift from the Lok Sabha elections, held earlier this year where the Mahayuti trailed behind the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by a considerable margin. The Assembly outcome highlights Mahayuti’s strong performance, clearly scoring over the competition and securing a clear mandate. Given this decisive victory, it is important to examine key voting issues that shaped the electorate’s choices and contributed to the election outcome.

Kolkata police arrest one more person in coal smuggling scam case

The Kolkata police arrested Bikash Mishra, accused in the coal smuggling scam case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The arrest comes at a time when the process of framing charges in the multi-crore scam has commenced before a special CBI court at Asansol in West Burdwan district.

Bengal Governor Ananda Bose draws flak for ‘unveiling’ own statue

West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose found himself embroiled in a new controversy after photographs of him unveiling his statue emerged on social media. The Governor has launched elaborate celebrations to mark two years in office. As the photograph went viral, the Raj Bhawan Media Cell issued a statement saying that the statue was presented to the Governor and he did not unveil it. The development, however, sparked criticism in political circles with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Left parties criticising the Governor. Trinamool spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder described the act as “megalomania”.

Noida woman duped of ₹34 lakh, gets fake ED notices in case of 'digital arrest'

A woman was duped of ₹34 lakh in a case of "digital arrest" by cyber criminals who threatened her with fake notices by the Enforcement Directorate, officials said. “The fraudsters claimed that a parcel was being sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name containing five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 U.S. dollars and 200 grams of narcotics,” they said.

Main suspect in Delhi Police constable murder case killed in encounter

A day after an on-duty constable was stabbed to death by three persons, the prime accused, Raghav alias Rocky, 20, was killed in an encounter in south-east Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, the police said. The other two suspects were arrested a day earlier and booked under Section 103 (murder) of the BNS. The three allegedly killed constable Kiran Pal in south-east Delhi’s Govindpuri around 5.30 a.m. on Saturday following an argument after he signalled them to stop their scooter.

Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially-constructed bridge in U.P.; 3 dead

Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially-constructed bridge in Bareilly, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route. The accident occurred around 10 a.m. on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.

Pakistan Minister vows to 'protect Islamabad' as Imran Khan's supporters march towards capital to stage protest

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi vowed to "protect Islamabad" as thousands of supporters of Imran Khan made their way to the capital to stage a protest amid heavy deployment of security forces and restrictions on mobile and internet services. The 72-year-old jailed former premier issued a "final call" on November 13 for nationwide protests on November 24, denouncing what he termed as the stolen mandate.

Bus crash in eastern Brazil leaves 23 dead

Twenty-three people died when a bus on a remote mountain road in Brazil’s Alagoas State dived into a ravine, regional authorities said. Rescue services confirmed that 22 died at the scene and another person — a pregnant woman — succumbed after being taken to hospital, the Alagoas state government said in a statement.

World chess championship: It is Gukesh’s form and youth against Ding’s experience and fighting spirit 

On a December day in the Singapore island of Sentosa, D. Gukesh could understand what poet William Wordsworth meant when he wrote, The Prelude, about being alive and young during the French Revolution. If Gukesh triumphs in the World Chess Championship match, which begins on Monday, he would be writing another glorious chapter of India’s own chess revolution. Gukesh is just 18. If he wins his best-of-14 match against the 32-year-old Ding, he will become the youngest winner of the World chess championship, the history of which goes back to 1886. The record belongs to Garry Kasparov. 

IPL Auctions 2025: Ponting welcomes new rule on overseas players participation

Jofra Archer was added at the last minute ahead of the Indian Premier League’s 2025 player auction. And on Sunday, of the three players that remained unsold in the first six sets, two — David Warner and Jonny Bairstow — were overseas cricketers. These two events are interlinked, possibly due to the amended rule vis-a-vis overseas cricketers’ participation in IPL. In a bid to curb overseas cricketers registering for the auction and then withdrawing before the season citing personal reasons, the IPL authorities have introduced a new rule.

Published - November 25, 2024 06:28 am IST