Hindustan Times News | 14th March 2022 | 8 AM

HT Daily News Wrap

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath meets prime minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the contours of his new government, Russia escalated attacks in western Ukraine with a deadly airstrike, Sonia Gandhi expressed her willingness to step down from the party's post and other top news in this bulletin.
Days after disastrous results in the latest round of assembly elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed her willingness to step down from the party’s post along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, an offer that was rejected by her colleagues, even as the party decided to make “necessary and comprehensive” changes in the organisation. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the interim chief till organisational polls are held and announced a brain-storming session, signalling an urgency ahead of assembly elections in other states and the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. Russia escalated attacks in western Ukraine on Sunday with a deadly airstrike on a military base where Ukrainian troops had trained with NATO forces, bringing the conflict closer to Poland and prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to renew his pleas for a no-fly zone. In a warning to NATO countries, the Ukraine president said: “If you don’t close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, on NATO territory.” A fresh round of talks will be held between both the countries on Monday. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president JP Nadda, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Delhi on Sunday to discuss the contours of his new government expected to be formed after Holi, which falls on March 18 this year. The second half of the budget session resumes Monday, days after the BJP won the assembly elections in four of five states, calling it a win of “pro-people” and “development” agenda. In reflection mode over the huge setback in the state polls, the Congress on Sunday said it will raise the issues of unemployment, inflation and the Ukraine war in both the houses of the parliament. The first half on the session was held between February 1 and February 11. Another home Test and Shreyas Iyer has been in sublime touch. He scored an extraordinary 92 in the first innings against Sri Lanka on a tricky Bengaluru track on Saturday and an evening later followed it up with a second half-century in the same Test. With the twin fifties, Iyer became the first Indian two achieve a sensational feat in Test cricket. Shefali Shah and Vidya Balan are preparing for the release of their upcoming film Jalsa. Though the film is an investigation thriller, some found the title too familiar and wondered if it’s about actor Amitabh Bachchan’s famous bungalow Jalsa. Vidya Balan was amused with the question and had a hilarious reaction ready for it. “It’s a biopic on Mr Bachchan’s house. Can you believe it?” she has been quoted as saying in an interview in Bollywood Hungama.