# Russia – Ukraine

• External affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in loksabha on Wednesday that India will be glad to help in bringing about a resolution for the crisis in Ukraine.
• He said India encourage talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their presidents.
• Meanwhile, Russia continues to remain the largest arms supplier to India despite strong competition from France, Israrel, USA and other Western countries.

# Pakistan

• Pakistan’s president Arif alvi on Wednesday asked the Election commission of Pakistan to fix a date for the fresh general elections.
• Meanwhile, the Supreme Court adjourned hearing into the legality of political manoeuvres that led to the parliament being dissolved.
• The Court which will sit for a fourth day on Thursday – must rule if the Deputy speaker of the national Assembly violated the Constitution by refusing to allow a no-confidence vote against Imran khan on the weekend.

# Covid-19 variant

• The Union Health ministry on Wednesday refuted claims that India has reported its first case of the Covid -19 variant, XE, in Mumbai.
• The rebuttal came shortly after the Brihanmumbai municipal Corporation said that the results of the 11th batch of next generation genome sequencing on 230 covid 19 patients had found one case of XE.
• The patient was a 50 year old double vaccinated women who arrived from South Africa in February.

# Human rights Council

• India’s vote at United Nations General Assembly will be watched closely, as a resolution sponsored by the US, UK and other countries seeks to suspend Russia’s membership of the United Nations Human rights Council, where it is an elected member.
• This move came after the discovery of mass graves and human rights excesses in the Ukrainian city of Butcha.
• Thus far, India has abstained on at least 10 resolutions critical of Russia at the UN Security Council, UN General assembly, Human rights Council and International atomic energy agency.