Daily Briefing: Uttarakhand rescue ops continue, Cyprus President reacts to ICIJ revelations, and more

🔎 Express Investigation

Twenty-four hours after ICIJ published its Cyprus Confidential investigation, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides pledged to launch a government probe in response to revelations that the island’s financial industry has been co-opted by billionaires and sanctions dodgers, and used to bolster Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.

“Everything that has come to light will be investigated,” Christodoulides said. “The reputation of our country, the credibility of our country, you understand, is crucial.”

Writing for Express Investigations, Hamish Boland-Rudder, Scilla Alecci, Joanna Robin and Carmen Molina Acosta report on the impact of the investigation and how Cyprus authorities, European lawmakers and even a German book publisher responded.

⚡ Decision 2023

Amid rising hopes within the BJP of a victory in Rajasthan, party circles are abuzz with speculation over who could be the next chief minister. While former CM Vasundhara Raje remains the BJP’s most popular face in the state, Mahant Balaknath, the incumbent BJP MP from Alwar, has emerged as the dark horse, writes Liz Mathew.

A farm loan waiver, Rs 15,000 to women every year, subsidies on gas cylinders, Rs 10,000 for landless labourers, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)… and other schemes. As political parties across election states open their goodie bags, Jayprakash S Naidu dissects how Chhattisgarh shows the hole that the state exchequers could be looking at.

📰 From the Front page

Five days after 40 workers were trapped in an under-construction tunnel, the rescue ops are in full swing, with a powerful drilling machine flown in from Delhi to create a small but stable passage. Though the trapped workers remain safe, Avaneesh Mishra reports that the rescue process has not been without hiccups.

Days after the Supreme Court expressed “serious concern” about Governors not acting on Bills, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has returned 10 pending Bills to the state government, prompting the DMK-led government to call a special Assembly session on Saturday.

On November 27, 1984, two bullets fired in the tepid Mumbai winter had dragged India’s financial capital into the heart of the age-old Israeli-Palestinian feud. Zeeshan Shaikh tracks the story of the unsolved murder.

👩‍💻 Must read

Indian banks have seen a sharp rise in unsecured loans — mostly personal loans and credit cards — that has outpaced the overall bank credit growth of about 15 per cent over the past year, catching the RBI’s attention. Find out the steps it has taken to stave off stress in the banking system.

In our Opinion section today, Flavia Agnes and Audrey Dmello write on how the justice system fails domestic violence survivors in India: “While the police’s apathy towards recording FIRs in cases of domestic violence stems from a patriarchal mindset, one cannot negate the impact of demeaning comments by the Supreme Court and the various high courts.”

With controversy engulfing the art world after the resignation of cultural theorist and curator Ranjit Hoskote from the Finding Committee of Documenta, we explain the troubled history behind what is perhaps the world’s most prestigious art exhibition.

⌛ And finally

🏏 With all eyes on the World Cup final this Sunday, we take a look at this tournament’s ‘sleeper hit’: ‘The Pavilion’, a no-frills, rich-in-content talk show featuring four of Pakistan’s most renowned cricket pundits: Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik — along with a pleasant presenter, Fakhr-e-Alam.

From BJP’s ‘counterpoint’ campaign strategy this election season, to Smriti Irani’s Diwali celebrations, find out what’s happening in the world of politics and power only in today’s Delhi Confidential!

In the latest episode of the 3 Things podcast, we discuss Israel’s rationale for entering Al-Shifa, the National Medical Commission’s suspension of its MBBS seat cap decision, and the current challenges to electoral bonds.

Until next time,

Navmi Krishna and Arushi Bhaskar

Business As Usual by E P Unny