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The Big Story
Ahead of their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo tomorrow, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden will have a “constructive and straightforward” conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the “impact” of Russia’s “brutal invasion of Ukraine”. The discussion on Ukraine between Biden and Modi “won’t be a new conversation”, Sullivan said. “It will be a continuation of the conversation they’ve already had..." Sources said the Quad leaders are expected to launch a new maritime initiative aimed at curbing illegal fishing in the Indo-Pacific. This is aimed at countering China, which is responsible for an estimated 80 to 95 per cent of the illegal fishing in the region. We explain how the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) may play a key role in a Quad initiative against illegal fishing. Only in the Express Several countries are reporting severe hepatitis in children who have contracted Covid-19. A study from Madhya Pradesh, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, has shown that 8% of children from the group being investigated, reported a unique form of hepatitis and subsequent asymptomatic Covid-19 infection. An expert explains if the current bout of unexplained hepatitis in Covid-hit children is related to the virus in some way. From the Front Page Speaking at an event organised to celebrate 75 years of RSS-affiliated magazines Organiser and Panchjanya, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Eid Namaz was not conducted on roads for the first time in the state, and “the volume of the mosque loudspeaker has gone down” following the state’s recent crackdown. Adityanath also referred to the BJP retaining power in UP, and spoke about the law and order in the context of communal clashes occurring in some other states amid a string of religious festivals last month. The committee that looked into an alleged scam in recruitment for Group C and Group D posts in the School Education Department is learnt to have recommended criminal proceedings against four West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) officials, former and current, and a senior education department officer for alleged criminal conspiracy. Based on the committee’s report, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed a fresh FIR against the five. 
Animal Adoption and Rescue Team Pune organised a pet adoption camp at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam E-learning school. (📸 by Ashish Kale) Must Read A day after a mob of about 40 people from Salonabari village in Assam set fire to a part of the Batadrava police station in Dhing circle over the death of Safikul Islam, a local fish-seller, after he was taken into custody, authorities in Nagaon district demolished the homes of five families that were allegedly involved in torching the building. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to phase out the harmonium within three years from the Golden Temple so that the kirtan can be accompanied by traditional string instruments. While one group of scholars support the move and say the harmonium was “imposed” by the British, there are also those who ask: the world can’t go back in time, why should music? From his family members to close aides to crisis managers, a number of those close to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are increasingly finding themselves in a spot either of their own making or allegedly due to their proximity with the Congress CM. As the Rajasthan Congress gears up for the Assembly elections, slated for December 2023, these developments seem to have triggered apprehensions among some party leaders that they might be “caught in the net” of various agencies. Ending days of speculation, BJP vice-president and the party’s Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh joined the Trinamool Congress — the latest in a long list of BJP leaders to return to the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Singh is among the biggest leaders to return to the TMC, which they deserted for the BJP ahead of the elections to the Lok Sabha in 2019 and the Assembly in 2021. And Finally... On Sunday afternoon, as the Indian Premier League juggernaut prepared to move from Mumbai to Kolkata, Cheteshwar Pujara posted some pictures of him and wife Puja with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Hours later, on Sunday evening, he returned to the India squad that will travel to England in June for the final Test of the five-match series – which had been postponed last year – and will now be played from July 1 in Birmingham. In February, when the IPL auction had taken place, Pujara had gone unsold and in hindsight, that is when his fortunes changed. Delhi confidential: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar is learning Japanese these days. At an event organised to celebrate 75 years of RSS-affiliated magazines Organiser and Panchjanya, Khattar said since considerable investment is coming to his state from Japan, he thought it prudent to learn Japanese as people feel respected when spoken to in their language. In the latest episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, Apurva Vishwanath talks about the Krishna Janmabhoomi case, why it has been reopened, and what the courts will be looking at. Next, The Indian Express’s Rural Affairs Editor Harish Damodaran explains why cotton prices have skyrocketed, and why the demand for banning its export may not be justified. And in the end, Nitin Sharma tells us what led to Nikhat Zareen winning a gold medal at the Women’s World Boxing Championship. Until tomorrow,
Leela Prasad and Rounak Bagchi
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