Afternoon briefing: BSP MP Ritesh Pandey joins BJP; Jaishankar on India-US ties during Trump's presidency, more news

A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Ritesh Pandey tendered his resignation from the party's primary membership on Sunday, citing a lack of communication and engagement from the party leadership. He highlighted that he had not been called for any meetings nor had any interaction with BSP chief Mayawati. Subsequently, Pandey joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi. He shared his resignation letter addressed to Mayawati on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This move follows Pandey's recent lunch meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with seven other opposition MPs in the Parliament canteen. Dig deeper

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BSP MP Ritesh Pandey joined BJP on Sunday. (ANI)

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the India-US relationship deepened during Donald Trump's tenure as US president, despite “there were issues”. Speaking at the ‘Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create’ session at the 9th Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, S Jaishankar said, “Trump was president from 2017 to 2021. We had a very good relationship with him. He came here on a visit, my prime minister went there for visits. Like any relationship, there were issues but overall if I look, in those four years did our relationship deepen? Did it grow? Absolutely, it did.” Dig deeper

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India News

Mann Ki Baat: 'India's Nari Shakti touching new heights', says PM Modi | Top quotes Dig deeper

Prashant Kishor asked 'how does BJP win if it doesn't address youth?' His reply Dig deeper

Global Matters

American and British warplanes on Saturday conducted a collaborative assault on 18 locations in Yemen held by the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran. This marked the fourth joint operation by the two allies, with the stated objective of "further degrading" the Houthi's capacity to endanger shipping along the crucial Red Sea trade route. The Pentagon, in a joint announcement, stated that the airstrikes targeted Houthi facilities linked to underground and missile storage, drones, air defense, radars, and a helicopter. Dig deeper

Entertainment Focus

Actress Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram to announce her involvement as an executive producer in the Oscar-nominated documentary "To Kill a Tiger." Netflix has also confirmed the global streaming release of the film. Chopra shared a screenshot of a Deadline article, revealing the documentary's nomination in the Best Feature Documentary category at the 2024 Oscars. "To Kill a Tiger" chronicles the story of Ranjit, a farmer from Jharkhand, as he fights for justice for his 13-year-old daughter, Kiran, who survived a sexual assault by three men in 2017. Dig deeper

Lifestyle and Health

Throughout history, interior design has held a captivating influence in molding our encounters, mirroring societal changes, and articulating our deepest identities. Despite the prevalence of minimalist and subdued color schemes in recent times, there's a noticeable shift towards embracing audacity and uniqueness. Departing from conventional norms, homeowners are now gravitating towards vivid hues and captivating patterns, infusing their environments with character and flair. However, navigating this surge in creativity without overwhelming visual chaos can be challenging. But fret not, we're here to assist you every step of the way. Dig deeper

Sports Goings

Dhruv Jurel emerged as a steadfast force, thwarting England's attempts to swiftly dismiss India by notching up his debut half-century on Day 3 in Ranchi. His impressive innings of 90 helped India reach a total of 307, with Shoaib Bashir securing his maiden five-wicket-haul in First-Class cricket. This remarkable performance narrowed the deficit to a mere 46 runs. Starting the day at 219/7, Jurel steadily gained momentum, supported by his overnight partner Kuldeep Yadav, who also contributed to pushing the total past the 250 mark. Dig deeper

That’s all we have at this hour in our Afternoon briefing. Catch you in the evening.