Month: March 2025

Pope Francis suffered two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency” on Monday as the 88-year-old pontiff continues to battle pneumonia, according to Vatican News, citing the Holy See Press Office.

In a statement on Monday, the Holy See Press Office said, “Today, the Holy Father suffered two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm.”

“Two bronchoscopies were therefore performed, with the need to remove large secretions,” it added.

It further said that non-invasive mechanical ventilation was resumed in the afternoon. According to the statement, Pope Francis remained alert, oriented and cooperative at all times.

In a statement, the Holy See Press Office said, “In the afternoon, non-invasive mechanical ventilation was resumed. The Holy Father remained alert, oriented and cooperative at all times,” Vatican News reported.

“The prognosis remains guarded,” it added.

Pope Francis’s test values are unchanged, suggesting that he does not have leukocytosis (a high white blood cell count). This, in turn, suggests that there is no new infection, and the accumulation of mucus is merely the consequence of the pontiff’s pre-existing pneumonia.

The cause of the two attacks was the bronchi’s reaction, which attempted to expel the accumulated mucus to eliminate the bacteria. The pontiff’s clinical condition remains complex, and further crises, such as those that occurred this afternoon, are possible.

Earlier on March 2, Pope Francis made a passionate plea for peace, describing war as “absurd,” according to the Holy See Press Office release.

Pope Francis made a poignant plea for peace, specifically mentioning several conflict-ridden regions around the world. He urged the faithful to pray for Ukraine, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, Kivu, Palestine and Israel.

In an Angelus address prepared by Pope Francis while he continues his hospital treatment and published by the Holy See Press Office, the Pope thanked the faithful for their closeness in his moment of “frailty.” He urged them to continue praying for peace in the world, just as they pray for him.

Expressing his gratitude for the faithful’s prayers and support, Pope Francis urged them to continue praying for peace in the world and called for special prayers for these conflict-torn regions: Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Kivu.

“From here, war appears even more absurd,” he said, calling in particular for prayers for “tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Kivu,” Vatican News quoted a statement published by the Holy See Press Office.

By highlighting these specific regions, Pope Francis brought attention to the urgent need for peace, reconciliation, and humanitarian support in these areas. The Pope also reflected on his own illness, saying it has taught him to trust in the Lord and share in the suffering of others. He expressed his appreciation for his medical care and acknowledged the hidden graces within his illness.

The Pope also expressed his gratitude to the doctors and healthcare professionals “for the attention with which they are taking care of me” and reflected on the hidden grace within his illness.

“It is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord; at the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people,” he said.

Pope Francis went on to emphasise the importance of fraternal correction, encouraging the faithful to examine their own lives and how they look at others. (ANI)

Protesting farmers claimed that the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had got “angry” and “provoked” them during a metting held with him in Chandigarh.

The meeting on Monday was held by Mann o persuade farmers who had been sitting on a protest at the Khanauri border in the Sangrur district of the State to call off their protest on March 5.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal described the Chief Minister Mann as unusually angry, noting that he had never witnessed such an outburst, even in high-level negotiations.

“The meeting was going on well, and we were coming to agreements on several issues. After we came to an agreement on the eighth issue, the CM said he wanted to leave, owing to a doctor’s appointment. Then he asked about our plans for March 5. He said we are holding talks; why do you still want to proceed with the protest? He became very angry and left the meeting saying ‘do whatever you want to do’… I have had negotiations at the Prime Minister level but have never seen a leader so angry. We will come to Chandigarh (on 5 March),” he said.

Farmer leader Raminder Patila said that the Punjab CM got provoked and it is not the way how a Chief Minister should behave.

“We had a memorandum of 18 demands, and we had reached the 8th point when he straight up asked us not to protest on March 5. If he will not listen to our demands, we have the right to make ourselves heard. If he thinks that things will end just by meeting, that is not the case. The behaviour displayed by the CM was condemnable. He left the meeting mid-way. This should not be how a CM is supposed to behave. We will come back on 5th March and force the CM to sit with us… We wanted thorough discussions, and we will not accept it if he tries to curtail or dictate our discussions… He had invited us for this meeting… We will hold an indefinite protest,” Patila said.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, claimed that the CM was furious during the meeting.

“Earlier he had asked us not to protest, he would solve our problems through meetings. We said that you don’t meet with us without protests. Last time, we also got to meet you because we were protesting. The same has happened now. He got angry and asked us to sit for protests then… I have had a lot of meetings with the centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nobody gets so angry. We don’t think that should happen. We are prepared for March 5. The protests will be for an indefinite period,” Lakhowal said.

On February 22, as part of the central government’s outreach to farmers, three Union Ministers held a meeting with farmers leaders in Chandigarh, assuring that they would study the reports and data presented, based on which discussions will proceed on March 19.

This meeting was the second between the central ministers and the farmers, following a previous session held on February 14 in Chandigarh. (ANI)

The two heavyweights in cricket, India and Australia, will clash in the first semi-final of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, where both teams will aim to secure their places for the title clash on Sunday.

Once again, the knockout stage of an ICC tournament sets the stage for high drama, fireworks, and thrilling cricket. India’s clash with Australia is no exception, as both teams bring history, rivalry, and recent form into the mix.

There’s no question the Indians will have 2023 on their mind… and perhaps even the recent Border-Gavaskar series played down under.

One thing that can’t be questioned is Australia’s capacity to rise to the challenge in the biggest games, even without the presence of several key contributors.

Recent form:

India: It’s hard to fault India’s form after their win over New Zealand, which capped off a perfect group stage, winning all three in Dubai. Having those games and time to adjust to the Dubai conditions will also hold them in good stead, with India to unleash potentially up to four spinners good enough to make dangerous inroads.

Australia: Two of the Aussies’ three Champions Trophy games have been rain-affected, including one wholly abandoned. But they were on track to cruise to an impressive victory last start against Afghanistan before rain ended proceedings. They started the tournament with an impressive win over England that involved a mammoth run chase.

Players in focus:

India: Kuldeep Yadav

Given India’s well-publicised spin bowling bullpen, Kuldeep is a prominent player to highlight. He’s taken multiple wickets in two of India’s three group stage games and will have all the confidence he needs to hit his spots in the middle overs once the ball stops swinging. Kuldeep’s 3/40 against Pakistan helped restrict their rivals to 241 all out, which was chased down comfortably by India’s batting lineup.

Australia: Adam Zampa

Unsurprisingly, Australia’s spin bowlers will need to step up in Dubai. The XI the Aussies opt for will be fascinating, as to whether they stick to three quicks or deploy an additional slow bowling option. Either way, Australia will need to maximise their returns from Zampa’s 10 overs. By his own admission, the 32-year-old leg spinner hasn’t been at his best in the Champions Trophy. So this is his time to shine.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine after the Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, Fox News reported.

According to Fox News, the Trump administration is pausing all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland, until Ukrainian leaders show more appreciation for the US support and a commitment to peace.

A senior Trump administration official told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.

“This is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” a senior Trump administration official emphasized. “The orders are going out right now.”

Last week, during media interaction with Ukraine President at the Oval Office , Trump used some strong words, telling the visiting leader that Volodymyr Zelenskyy “does not have the cards” and is not “acting thankful” for the support the United States has provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began in February 2022.

The two leaders had an exchange in an explosive press conference with the Ukrainian President emphasising the need of security guarantees and noting that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had continued with his actions against his country even during Trump’s first term as President.

US Vice President JD Vance also expressed his disapproval of Zelenskyy’s remarks, saying it is “disrespectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country.”

Trump emphasised the need of a deal to bring peace and prevent killings and told Zelenskyy “if you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks”.

Earlier in the day, during an investment announcement, Trump spoke on the ceasefire deal and suggested that reaching a deal between Russia and Ukraine should be possible if all relevant parties, including European nations, are willing to negotiate.

“It takes two to tango, and if you are going to have to make a deal with Russia and Ukraine, you are going to have to have the assent and the consent from the European nations,” he said, stressing the importance of getting everyone involved in the room to make the deal.

He further stated that such a deal could be reached “very fast,” and added that if any party is unwilling to negotiate, they may not remain in power for long. “Maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long,” Trump remarked.

“Because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal. I believe certainly the people of Ukraine want to make a deal. They have suffered more than anybody else,” he added. (ANI)

Rajasthan police have arrested Abhay Singh, also known as IIT Baba, for possession of ‘ganja’ under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. However, the latter was released later on bail.

According to SHO Rajendra Godara of Shiprapath Police Station, the police received information that Baba Abhay Singh was staying at a hotel and may have been contemplating suicide. Upon reaching the location, Singh admitted to consuming ‘ganja’ and having it in his possession.

“We received this information that he (Baba Abhay Singh aka IIT Baba) was staying in a hotel, and he might commit suicide. When we reached there, he said that I consume ‘ganja’, I still have it in my possession, and I might have said something when I was unconscious. Possession of ‘ganja’ is a crime under the NDPS Act. So, we arrested him… Due to the small quantity, we have interrogated him and then released him on a bail bond. His followers informed the police that he was going to commit suicide as he had posted something on social media pages,” SHO Godara said.

“If needed, he will be called again for the interrogation,” he added.

Speaking to the media, IIT Baba said that it was his birthday and he just wanted to be happy.

“I have nothing to say about it as of now. It’s my birthday, and I want to be happy today,” he said.

Abhay Singh rose to fame as “IIT Baba” at the recently concluded Mahakumbh. He claimed that he got graduated from IIT Bombay in aerospace engineering.

Speaking to ANI in January, Baba Abhay Singh aka IIT Baba spoke about his transition to the path of ‘Bhakti’ and said, “I was born in Haryana’s Jhajjar. I did my schooling there then I started preparing for JE, after which I went to IIT Mumbai for Aerospace Engineering. Life took different turns, changed my path from engineering to arts and kept changing my paths until I came to the ‘final truth,’ that’s how I would like to describe it.”

“I realised that my life took a lot of turns during my time there in aerospace engineering. There was a point where I started searching for a ‘meaning to life’ and finally then I found something which is destiny. If you read the lives of many people, you will find that there is no choice, you dont choose bhakti, there is just a rujhaan, a connection to all this,” said the baba. (ANI)

As fans eagerly count down the days to the release of Salman Khan’s much-anticipated high-octane action film Sikandar, the makers have now unveiled the teaser for its first song, Zohra Jabeen.

The teaser for the first song was shared by the makers on Monday, which offers a sneak peek of the song featuring Salman and Rashmika Mandanna. Their on-screen chemistry has already captured the attention of fans. The dance number has been choreographed by Farah Khan.

Zohra Jabeen is sung by Nakash Aziz and Dev Negi, with lyrics written by Sameer and Danish Sabri.

Take a look

Last month, Salman shared an intriguing teaser for his high-octane film. The one-minute and 21-second-long teaser introduced Salman’s character, named Sanjay, who is affectionately called Sikandar by his grandmother.

Salman showcased his full massy avatar in the teaser, packed with high-octane action sequences and punchy, ‘paisa-vasool’ dialogues.

“Kayde mein raho fayde mein rahoge” and “Insaaf nahi hisab karne aaya hun” are some of the one-liners that Salman delivered with his trademark swag.

The film is directed by AR Murugadoss, renowned for his Tamil and Hindi blockbusters like Ghajini and Thuppakki. Sajid Nadiadwala has produced the project, marking Salman Khan’s reunion with him after their 2014 blockbuster, Kick.

Salman had also revealed a new poster for Sikandar, showing him deflecting an attack from a sharp object.

Sikandar is set to release this Eid. Salman will also appear in Kick 2 in the coming months. (ANI)

The Congress on Monday accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists in connivance with the Election Commission and said the party will seek remedy to the issue through legal, political and other means.

In a statement, the EAGLE group (Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts), set up by the party, alleged that there has been “deliberate act of voter list manipulation to aid the ruling party” and that “BJP wins or attempts to win elections by manipulating voter lists”.

It said there are some startling developments on the issue of voter list manipulation that have surfaced and there is a “grave danger to the very idea of India as an electoral democracy”..

“The same voter ID number is being used for several voters, both from the same constituency in the same state as well as from other states. This is utterly shocking. A unique voter id for every Indian voter is the fundamental requirement and premise of a clean voter list. Multiple voters having the same voter ID number is as bizarre as multiple vehicles bearing the same registration number in the country. It is unheard of in any electoral democracy,” the party said.

The statement said the Congress had pointed out “huge irregularities and abnormalities in voter lists” in the Maharashtra 2024 assembly election.

“It is both a logical and statistical absurdity that the Election Commission registered more new net voters (40 lakh) in five months between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024 than they did in the entire five-year period between 2019 and 2024 (32 lakh),” the statement said.

“This was substantiated through ground reports in some constituencies where thousands of voters were added to the rolls from just one building or brought in from other states. It was further shown that suspiciously, most of these new voters enrolled seem to have voted only for the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, thereby tilting the eventual outcome in their favour,” the statement added.

The party said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised this issue on the floor of the Lok Sabha and demanded the voter lists of Maharashtra. Opposition parties in Maharashtra had held a joint press conference on the issue.

“The Election Commission’s stoic silence has only lent credence to their complicity in voter list manipulation,” the Congress said.

The statement said that when confronted with proof of the same voter ID number being used by multiple voters, the Election Commission initially responded by claiming that a voter ID number may be the same across states, but it is unique to a particular state.

“Even that turned out to be a blatant lie as there are cases of the same voter id number used by several voters in the same state and in the same constituency. After this was pointed out, there has been pin drop silence,” the statement added.

The party said it is elementary knowledge that a person who can legally migrate to any state of the country must have a unique voter id number throughout the country.

“The Election Commission cannot feign ignorance or incompetence in this matter. It is a deliberate act of voter list manipulation to aid the ruling party and thwart the idea of free and fair elections,” the statement said.

“The cover is now blown. It is clear that the ruling BJP wins or attempts to win elections by manipulating voter lists in connivance with the Election Commission. Which is why the process of appointment of the Election Commissioners is so critical to the Narendra Modi government that it subverted a Supreme Court ruling to have a balanced committee to appoint Election Commissioners,” it added.

The Congress said it will not let this issue fade away and is actively working on seeking remedy through legal, political, legislative and any other means.

“This is a grave danger to the very idea of India as an electoral democracy. This transcends political parties and politics. Babasaheb Ambedkar fought for the setting up of an independent Election Commission to precisely resist this urge of executive interference in elections,” the statement said. (ANI)

Former cricketer Yograj Singh lashed out at Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for her controversial remark on India captain Rohit Sharma.

Yograj didn’t mince his words in his reaction to Mohamed’s remark on the Indian skipper. He claimed that if he were the prime minister of this country, he would have asked her to “pack her bags and leave the country.”

Mohamed had criticised Rohit’s fitness and said the Indian skipper needs to “lose weight.” She went on to call the seasoned opener “fat” for a sportsman and the country’s “most unimpressive captain”.

Her remarks came in the aftermath of Rohit’s dismissal on 15 (17) during India’s final group stage match against New Zealand for the Champions Trophy on Sunday. On the eve of India’s semi-final clash against Australia in the Champions Trophy, her comment triggered outrage and has drawn widespread criticism across the nation.

“I only want to say one thing, jisaka kaam usee ko saaje aur kare to danda baaje (the work only suits those to whom it belongs; if done by anyone else, it is ruined). Indian cricketers, people and the land are more dear to me than my own life. If someone in the political system makes such a statement about a player who has brought pride to our nation, that person should be ashamed,” he told ANI.

“They have no right to stay in our nation. Cricket is our religion; we lost against New Zealand and Australia, and a lot of things were said about Rohit and Virat. We stood up for them. I feel so sad. These things happen in Pakistan. Their former star player said, ‘Who will eat so many bananas?’ (Taking a jibe at Wasim Akram). Action should be taken. This should not be tolerated. If I were the prime minister, I would have said, Pack your bags and leave the country,” he added.

After the immense backlash, Mohamed clarified her statement while speaking to ANI and said, “It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sports person should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I just tweeted about that. I have been attacked for no reason. When I compared him with previous captains, I put in a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying that? It is a democracy.” (ANI)

In a heartbreaking turn of events, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG), appearing for the Centre, informed the court that Shahzadi Khan, the woman from Uttar Pradesh, had been executed on February 15.

The ASG also stated that the authorities are extending all possible assistance to her family and her cremation is scheduled for March 5.

The father’s plea for MEA intervention for his daughter on UAE death row ended in tragedy, and as a result, the court has disposed of the plea.

Representing the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and Advocate Ashish Dikshit informed the Delhi High Court that the Embassy of India in UAE received an official communication on February 28, 2025, from the UAE government. The communication stated that Shehzadi’s death sentence was executed on February 15, 2025, in accordance with UAE laws and regulations.

On the same day, the Embassy informed Shabbir Khan, the father of Shehzadi, about the confirmation of her execution. He was also informed that the family could come to the UAE by March 5, 2025, to participate in her last rites. Additionally, a dedicated mobile number for contacting the Indian Embassy was provided to Khan, stated MEA.

The father of Shahzadi Khan, the UP woman facing a death sentence in the UAE, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a directive to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and appropriate authorities to issue a bulletin and ascertain information regarding the exact current legal status and well-being of his daughter.

Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old woman from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, was facing execution in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Shahzadi Khan, who was imprisoned in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba jail, was sentenced to death by a court for the death of a child who was under her care.

Plea moved through advocate Ali Md Maaz stated that in December 2021, Shabbir Khan’s daughter obtained a visa and traveled to Abu Dhabi, with a transit in Dubai. In August 2022, her employer gave birth to a son for whom Shabbir’s daughter was employed as a caregiver. On December 7, 2022, the infant received routine vaccinations and tragically passed away that evening.

The hospital recommended a postmortem, but the infant’s parents refused and signed a consent letter waiving further investigation, the plea stated.

It further stated that in February 2023, a video recording allegedly showed Shabbir’s daughter confessing to the infant’s homicide, a confession she claims was extracted through torture and abuse by Employer and her family. On February 10, 2023, she was handed over to the Abu Dhabi police, and on July 31, 2023, she was sentenced to death for the infant’s homicide.

Although legal counsel was provided by the Indian Embassy, it reportedly pressured her to confess, denying her adequate representation. Her appeal in September 2023 was dismissed, and the death penalty was upheld on February 28, 2024.

Following the dismissal, Shabbir Khan sought clemency proceedings through the Indian Embassy but received a reply concerning an unrelated case. He filed a new mercy petition in May 2024.

On July 11, 2024, he forwarded a mercy petition to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi but received no response. On February 14, 2025, Shabbir Khan received a call from his incarcerated daughter, suggesting imminent execution. He then filed a formal request with the Ministry of External Affairs on February 20, 2025, seeking an inquiry into her legal status and wellbeing, but received no update. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday couples of the state to “give birth to child immediately” to ensure greater representation in Parliament.

This move is a direct response to the Centre’s plans for constituency delimitation on a ‘pro-rata’ basis, which Stalin believes will unfairly limit southern states’ representation.

Addressing at the marriage ceremony of a party worker’s son, Stalin said that MPs count depends on population adding that now he won’t say don’t rush to give birth to child.

“Before it is used to say don’t give birth to child immediately, no need to rush. But now it is not necessary, we shouldn’t say that also..Because it is being said that the number of MPs would be decided based on population. The situation created is more population, more MPs. But we have achieved success with focusing on family planning. Now I won’t say don’t rush to give birth to child, give birth to child immediately.”

Stalin emphasised that the number of MPs is directly tied to population, saying, “With 39 MPs, we are fighting for rights, with more MPs, we can achieve our thoughts.”

Stalin also requested all parties to attend an all party meeting regarding delimitation.

The context behind Stalin’s statement is the looming delimitation exercise, which may significantly impact Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation. The state’s Lok Sabha share is expected to increase only marginally, while other states, like Uttar Pradesh, are poised for more substantial gains.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin emphasised that Tamil Nadu rejects the NEP, delimitation, and Hindi imposition. He accused the central government of trying to “impose Hindi sideways” and through the NEP.

“The Tamil Nadu CM is the person who has brought the Metro Railway project to Chennai. The CM said three things recently: we don’t accept NEP, we won’t accept delimitation, and we won’t accept Hindi imposition. Today, the central is trying to impose the Hindi language sideways. Centre is directly trying to impose Hindi through the New Education Policy. Tamil Nadu will never accept the New Education Policy and Hindi imposition in any manner. We (DMK) are not feared by Central Government threats because the current regime is DMK, not AIADMK. The current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is MK Stalin, not Edappadi Palaniswami (AIADMK Chief and Former CM)…,” said Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at a BJP programme in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, that the southern States will not be disadvantaged by the delimitation process.

The southern leaders, including Stalin and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, has strongly criticised the government over constituency delimitation.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urged the people to “rise” to defend the state in a fight against the delimitation of constituencies and the three-language policy.

Stalin criticised the three-language policy, saying that it had resulted in the centre withholding the state’s funds and that delimitation would now ‘affect’ the state’s representation.

“Their three-language policy has already resulted in the withholding of our rightful funds. Likewise, while they claim they will not reduce Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary seats, they are unwilling to assure that the representation of other states will not be disproportionately increased. Our demand is clear – do not determine parliamentary constituencies based on population alone…We will never compromise on Tamil Nadu’s welfare and future for anyone or anything…Tamil Nadu will resist! Tamil Nadu will prevail,” Stalin said. (ANI)