- Indians die in Saudi Arabia: An Indian national has died in Riyadh; the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia is assisting the family and the MEA has reported six deaths so far.
- Sri Lanka’s neutrality: Sri Lanka has rejected a U.S. request to send fighter jets on the grounds of remaining neutral in the war with Iran.
- Air India error: Air India has recalled its Delhi-Vancouver flight after deploying unapproved Boeing 777-200LR.
- TMC manifesto released: Mamata Banerjee unveiled the Trinamool Congress manifesto, which made 10 promises for the West Bengal polls.
- Rupee hits record fall: The Indian rupee hit a record low of 93.71 against the US dollar amid rising oil prices and global tensions.
Here are the top 5 stories of the day:
Indian national dies in Saudi Arabia, embassy offers support to family; MEA says 6 deaths so far
Following developments on March 18, an Indian national died in Riyadh, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said in an official statement. The embassy said it was in contact with the deceased’s family and local authorities and was providing all necessary assistance. It also expressed its condolences, adding that it was coordinating closely with Saudi officials on the matter. Read more
Sri Lanka says it refuses US request to land warplanes and remains neutral in Iran war
President Anura Kumar Dissanayake said Sri Lanka earlier this month rejected a U.S. request to deploy two military aircraft at a civilian airport in the south of the island. He said Washington proposed moving two missile aircraft from a base in Djibouti to Mattala International Airport. The request was made on February 26 but rejected in order to maintain Colombo’s neutrality and ensure that its territory would not be used to aid or hinder either side in the conflict. Follow real-time updates
Air India sends ‘wrong’ Boeing 777 to Canada from Delhi, asked to return over China
An Air India flight bound for Vancouver was forced to return to New Delhi on Thursday after being in the air for nearly nine hours despite avoiding conflict zones in the Gulf. The shift occurred because the airline deployed the wrong aircraft for the route. Although Air India has been approved to operate its Boeing 777-300ER on Canadian routes, it mistakenly sent a Boeing 777-200LR flight as a fully loaded AI 185 flight, which was not authorized to enter Canadian airspace. After more than four hours of flight, the error was discovered when the plane arrived near Kunming. Read more
West Bengal elections: Mamata releases TMC poll manifesto,
Mamata Banerjee has released her party manifesto for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. She unveiled 10 ‘Protigya’ schemes for the state, laying out a roadmap focusing on welfare and development for a possible fourth term. Banerjee said in a post on Follow real-time updates
Rupee slips 82 paise to all-time low of 93.71 against US dollar as crude oil prices surge
The Indian rupee tumbled 82 paise (nearly 1 per cent) against the US dollar on Friday to settle at a record low of Rs 93.71 (provisional) as global crude prices surged amid continued foreign fund outflows and rising geopolitical tensions. Currencies remain under heavy pressure as soaring energy costs and a broad shift in risk aversion dent investor sentiment, currency traders said. Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty has also fueled concerns that rising oil prices could widen India’s trade deficit and add to inflationary pressures. Read more
