India
Morning Roundup: Russia Hopes BRICS Can Ease Iran-UAE Tensions; Pilot Cites Unity in Punjab Congress
By HT News Desk
Russia has expressed confidence that BRICS member nations will be able to resolve differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the West Asia conflict, and reach consensus on joint documents ahead of the grouping's summit set to be hosted by India this weekend. A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed this optimism on Tuesday.
In Punjab, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot, recently appointed as the party's state in-charge, said senior leaders including Charanjit Singh Channi have assured him of united support for the party's campaign ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. In an interview with HT, Pilot discussed his new responsibilities and the party's electoral prospects in the state.
The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet on Tuesday against US national Mathew Aaron VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, notably excluding charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. VanDyke had been arrested at Kolkata airport on March 13 under UAPA Section 18, which addresses conspiracy and incitement related to terrorist acts. His six Ukrainian associates—Hurba Petro, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi—were detained the same day at airports in Delhi and Lucknow.
Pakistan's turbulent England cricket tour has drawn sharp criticism and mockery from prominent English cricket figures. On the Stick to Cricket podcast, Phil Tufnell, David Lloyd, Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook openly ridiculed the Pakistan Cricket Board's dramatic mid-series changes. Pakistan fell 2-0 behind in the series after losing by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley, followed by a 194-run defeat at Lord's, with subsequent developments proving even more surprising.
Actor Preity Zinta has spoken about the disappointing box office results of her comeback film Batwara 1947, which also starred Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi. Despite the ensemble cast and anticipation surrounding her return to cinema, the film underperformed commercially. Zinta noted that she remains proud of the project, acknowledging that certain aspects of a film's reception are simply beyond an actor's control.