Top news of the day: October 23, 2022

ICC Twenty20 World Cup | Kohli shines for India in sensational win against Pakistan

Virat Kohli single-handedly powered India to an epic four-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan with a magnificent 53-ball 82 not out in their big-ticket T20 World Cup game. Pakistan recovered from a wobbly start to post a fighting 159 for eight. India completed the chase in the last ball, with Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40) doing the bulk of the scoring after a horror start to their innings. The two revived India with a 113-run stand for the fourth wicket after they were reeling at 31/4 at one stage.

I am standing to be British Prime Minister, says Rishi Sunak

Britain’s former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on October 23, 2022 he was standing to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister. “The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” he said on Twitter. “That’s why I am standing to be leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister.” Even before declaring on October 23, 2022, Mr. Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals — former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Johnson, who is attempting a comeback. Even before declaring on October 23, 2022, Mr. Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals — former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Johnson, who is attempting a comeback.

PM Modi offers prayers to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya

Immediately after reaching Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations, Mr. Modi went to the makeshift Ram temple and offered prayers to Ram Lalla. He lit an earthen lamp there and performed an “aarti”. He was also briefed by officials on the construction going on for a grand Ram temple at the site. Earlier, the PM was welcomed by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Home Ministry cancels FCRA licences of two NGOs headed by Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), the two non-government organisations (NGOs) whose FCRA registration has been cancelled. Registration under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act is mandatory to receive foreign funds. The cancellation makes the two NGOs ineligible to receive foreign funds.

ISRO renames GSLV Mark-III as LVM-3

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark -III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, mainly to identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits. The LVM-3 rocket will also be used for India’s maiden human space flight tentatively scheduled for late 2024 and is also emerging as a favourite for ISRO’s commercial launches after the successful placing in orbits of 36 OneWeb satellites on Sunday.

Punjab Speaker announces ₹1 lakh to villages of his constituency to discourage stubble burning

To discourage stubble burning in his Assembly segment, Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Sunday announced that he will give ₹1 lakh to every village panchayat where farmers shun the practice. This amount will be given from his discretionary quota, said an official statement in Chandigarh on Sunday. Mr. Sandhwan, an AAP MLA, represents the Kotkapura Assembly constituency.

BJP ex-MLA joins Congress ahead of Gujarat polls, claims saffron party sidelined him

Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls due later this year, former BJP MLA Balkrishna Patel joined the opposition Congress on Sunday, claiming he was sidelined in the ruling fold despite his hard work and commitment. Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and former president Siddharth Patel welcomed Balkrishna Patel (66) into the Congress at the party headquarters in Ahmedabad. Balkrishna Patel represented Dabhoi seat in Vadodara district between 2012 and 2017 as the BJP MLA. He had defeated Congress’ Siddharth Patel in 2012 to become the legislator.

Government to create ‘substantial’ number of posts at DGCA to enhance safety oversight, says Scindia

The civil aviation ministry will create a “substantial” number of posts at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enhance its safety oversight function, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said. Responding to a recent communication by Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Civil Aviation Minister also said the DGCA has completed as many as 202 surveillance inspections in this fiscal so far.

China unveils new leadership, dominated by key Xi Jinping allies

Chinese leader Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third five-year term on Sunday in even firmer control of the ruling Communist Party after filling the newly announced Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) with all of his allies. As many as four allies of Xi (69) were on October 23, 2022 appointed to the PBSC that was announced after the first meeting of the new Central Committee, which was unveiled on October 22, 2022 following the conclusion of the week long CPC congress. With two other allies continuing on the PBSC, this marks an unprecedented clean sweep of all seven positions on the all-powerful body, a first in Chinese Communist Party politics where power in the past was shared power between different party factions, an arrangement shattered by Xi.

Russian warplane falls on building in Siberia, 2 pilots die

A Russian warplane crashed into a residential building in the Siberian city of Irkutsk Sunday, killing both crewmembers — the second incident in less than a week in which a combat jet has crashed in a residential area. Irkutsk Gov. Igor Kobzev said the plane came down on a private, two-story building housing two families. There were no casualties on the ground. The local branch of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said the Su-30 fighter jet crashed during a training flight, sparking a fire. A surveillance cam video posted on Russian social networks showed the fighter coming down in a nearly vertical dive. Other videos showed the building engulfed by flames and firefighters deployed to extinguish the blaze.

Demonetisation behind the buoyancy in tax collections, says RBI MPC member

RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Ashima Goyal has attributed the rise in tax collections to demonetisation and said that it will help the nation move towards the ideal situation where low taxes are levied on a large base. Noting that demonetisation had short-term costs but some long-term benefits, Ms. Goyal said it enhanced digitisation and formalization in the economy and reduced tax evasion, although all this has further to go.