Left, Right & Centre

Sri Lankan shares closed lower on Wednesday after news that despite widespread protests, the President of the debt-laden island nation, currently facing an economic crisis, would not resign. Former State Minister of Finance and Sri Lanka MP Eran Wickramaratne gives an insight into the unfolding crisis.

It's been more than 40 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, beginning a long-drawn-out war which is now seeing horrific human suffering. Over the last few days, the images of hundreds of dead bodies lying around in the Ukrainian town of Bucha have stunned and shocked the world. Many of the corpses had their hands tied behind their backs and wounds to the back of their heads. Russia denied its involvement, instead accusing Ukraine of "stage-managing" the dead bodies for the western media. President Zelensky speaking at the UNSC compared Russian forces to terrorists. Will the Bucha mass killings end up being a turning point in this war?

142 people were taken into custody on Sunday, after the Hyderabad Police busted a rave party at the pub of 5-star hotel in the city. Those taken into custody include celebrities, children of prominent politicians and even a top bureaucrat. Weed and cocaine were seized from them. Now, a day later, those named were let off after collecting blood samples but the probe is continuing on who consumed drugs, who supplied the banned substances and who was peddling them. The raid on high profile celebrities comes months after the Aryan Khan case.

A new Covid variant called the XE variant has been discovered, which is prevalent in the UK and in China, where the numbers are surging. This new variant may be 10 per cent more transmissible than even Omicron, which fuelled the third wave. But is this new strain a cause for concern - and in light of this, does every adult Indian now need a booster?

Fairly incredible political developments in Pakistan - the Deputy Speaker dismisses the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, the opposition goes to court, the President calls elections in three months. And Imran Khan names the US diplomat who he says was responsible for instigating the no-confidence motion in the first place. Just who is in charge of Pakistan right now? Will the Army step in to fill the political vacuum? (Video Courtesy: PTV News)

A new Covid variant has been found in the UK, the World Health Organisation said in its latest report. The new mutant, called XE, may be more transmissible than any strain of COVID-19, the health body said. Is this a cause of concern?

After a landslide victory in the Punjab polls, the Aam Aadmi Party has set its eyes on expanding its base in Gujarat, the home state of PM Modi.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has lost majority and is facing mounting pressure with some allies leaving the ruling coalition ahead of the no-confidence vote. On Wednesday, he cancelled his planned address to the nation after the Pakistani Army chief and the head of the ISI met with him. On Left, Right and Centre, we debate: has Imran Khan lost this match?

Approaching the end of its six-month deadline to frame charges against Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) today sought more time to build its case, saying that its investigations are still on. On Left, Right and Centre, we debate: is NCB dragging its feet in the Aryan Khan case?

A huge day today on the Ukraine war front, with Russia saying it would scale down military activity around Kyiv following "meaningful" talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia also said there were now "sufficient" conditions for a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine wants an "an international mechanism of security guarantees where guarantor countries will act in a similar way to NATO's article number five -- and even more firmly".