LIVE
Thu, 14 October 2021
JCO, soldier critically hurt in Poonch encounter
Timeline Refresh
23:37 JK achieves 100% coverage of first COVID vaccine dose
Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday achieved 100 per cent coverage of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines for the age group of 18 years and above, even as the Union Territory recorded 93 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the infected number of persons to 3,30,834.
As many as 82,229 doses of COVID vaccine were administered in the last 24 hours across the UT bringing the cumulative number of doses administered in the UT to 1,34,94,675, the official data said.
Meanwhile, JK registered 93 new positive coronavirus cases on Thursday -- 21 from Jammu division and 72 from Kashmir division.
Srinagar reported the highest of 47 cases, followed by 12 in Baramulla.
The number of active cases was 935, while 3,25,473 patients have recovered from the disease.
The total number of deaths due to the virus was 4,426 as no fresh death took place in the last 24 hours. -- PTI
23:20 JCO, soldier critically injured in Poonch encounter
Two army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were critically injured in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Thursday night, officials said.
"In an ongoing counter terrorist operation in general area Nar Khas forest in Mendhar sub-division there has been exchange of fire between army troops and terrorists during evening hours on Thursday", PRO defence said.
During the ensuing exchange of fire, one JCO and one soldier have been critically injured, he said.
The operations are under progress, PRO said. -- PTI
22:40 Rahul visits AIIMS, inquires about Manmohan Singh's health
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi inquired about the health of former prime minister Manmohan Singh at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Thursday.
Singh was admitted to the AIIMS on Wednesday evening after he suffered from fever and weakness.
Gandhi met the former prime minister's wife, Gursharan Kaur, and also spoke to the doctors attending on Singh.
The former Congress chief spent around half an hour at the hospital in the evening.
A number of leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have wished Singh good health and a speedy recovery. -- PTI
22:15 NCB chief Sameer Wankhede's security beefed up
The Mumbai police enhanced the number of bodyguards and armed personnel giving protection to Narcotics Control Bureau zonal director Sameer Wankhede after snooping allegations by him a couple of days ago.
Accordingly, armed bodyguards from the Mumbai police and the NCB have been added to the security of Wankhede, who is currently heading the probe into the high-profile Mumbai cruise drug haul case.
The official vehicle of the NCB officer has also been changed due to security reasons, reports India Today.
The police deployment outside the NCB office has also been increased. -- ANI
21:42 Over 30 countries agree on mutual recognition of Covid certificates with India
Over 30 countries have agreed on mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine certificates with India, official sources said on Thursday.
The countries that have agreed on mutual recognition with India include the UK, France, Germany, Nepal, Belarus, Lebanon, Armenia, Ukraine, Belgium, Hungary and Serbia, they said.
South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China and some nations in Europe, including the UK, are among the countries whose travellers need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing, the sources said. -- PTI
21:29 Will abide by Rahul-Priyanka's decision, says Navjot Sidhu
Navjot Singh Sidhu may continue as the president of the Punjab Congress, said All India Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of the state Harish Rawat.
An announcement in this regard would be made on Friday said Rawat after a meeting with the cricketer-turned-politician at the party headquarters in Punjab on Thursday.
"Navjot Sidhu has clearly stated that the decision of the Congress president will be acceptable to him. The instructions are clear that Sidhu should work as Punjab Congress president and set up organisational structure. An announcement will be made tomorrow (Friday)," said Rawat.
Sidhu and Punjab chief minister Charanjit Channi spoke on some issues, he said adding a solution would emerge. There are some things that takes time, said Rawat.
The cricketer-turned-politician said that he would follow the instructions of the party leadership.
"I expressed my concerns regarding Punjab and Punjab Congress to the party high-command. I've full faith in the Congress president, Priyanka ji and Rahul ji. Whatever decision they'll take, it'll for the betterment of Congress and Punjab. I'll follow their directions," said Sidhu after the meeting. -- ANI
20:59 Mumbai logs 546 new COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths in 24 hrs
Mumbai reported 546 new coronavirus positive cases and five deaths on Thursday, taking the tally to 7,49,620 and toll to 16,172, a civic official said.
The country's financial capital logged more than 500 daily infection cases after a gap of four days.
On October 9, the city had reported 523 new COVID-19 cases, after which the daily case count dipped below 500.
On Wednesday, it had reported 481 cases and three fatalities.
There are 5,317 active coronavirus cases in the city after 337 patients got discharge from hospitals during the day, which pushed the recovery count to 7,25,619.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said that as 37,007 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, the city's cumulative test count climbed to 1,08,57,715. -- PTI
20:25 Actor Armaan Kohli denied bail in drugs case
Actor Armaan Kohli denied bail in drugs case A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances court in Mumbai on Thursday rejected the bail application of Bollywood actor Armaan Kohli in a drugs case.
Judge A A Joglekar rejected the bail plea. A detailed order was not available yet.
Kohli was arrested on August 29 following a raid by the Narcotics Control Bureau at his residence during which banned drugs were allegedly seized.
His lawyers had argued that only a small quantity of drugs was allegedly recovered from his possession, which is a relatively lesser offense, so he was entitled to bail.
The NCB opposed the application, claiming that the actor had direct links with two prime accused in the case from whom a large "commercial" quantity of contraband was recovered.
Under the NDPS Act, offenses involving commercial quantity (which varies for different banned substances) attract higher punishment. Earlier, a magistrate's court had denied bail to Kohli.
The actor had featured in the Salman Khan-starter 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' among other Hindi films, and was also one of the contestants of TV reality show 'Bigg Boss.' -- PTI
20:08 Global Hunger Index puts India behind Pak, Nepal and Bangladesh
India has slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index 2021 of 116 countries, from its 2020 position of 94th and is behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five, the website of the GHI that tracks hunger and malnutrition said on Thursday.
The report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, termed the level of hunger in India 'alarming.'
In 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries. Now with 116 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 101st rank.
India's GHI score has also decelerated -- from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 - 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.
"People have been severely hit by COVID-19 and by pandemic related restrictions in India, the country with highest child wasting rate worldwide," the report said.
Neighbouring countries like Nepal (76), Bangladesh (76), Myanmar (71) and Pakistan (92) are also in the 'alarming' hunger category, but have fared better at feeding its citizens than India, according to the report.
However, India has shown improvement in other indicators such as the under-5 mortality rate, prevalence of stunting among children and prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food, the report said. -- PTI
19:09 Akhilesh goofs up with Ram Navmi tweet, faces flak
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav invited the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday over his tweet wishing people on the occasion of Ram Navami on a day when Hindus worldwide celebrate Maha Navami, with the ruling party describing him as naya naya Hindu.
In the tweet, Yadav extended his greetings to people on Ram Navami.
Prominent among those who were quick to respond was Amit Malviya of the BJP, who pointed out that Ram Navami is celebrated in the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar, which falls in March-April, and during this period, people celebrate Maha Navami, which is a day of worshipping goddess Durga.
"This is what happens when those who open fire on kar sevaks put up the drama of being Hindus with elections approaching," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
The official Twitter handle of the Uttar Pradesh BJP posted two pictures side by side -- one of Yadav and another of chief minister Yogi Adityanath performing kanya pujan -- and said 'the difference is clear -- naya naya Hindu (new Hindu) and sanatani Hindu.'
"Akhileshji, who does not know the difference between Ram Navami and Maha Navami, talks about Ram and Parashuram. Do not fool the people (maat pehnaye topi), it looks better on you," it said.
The SP workers often wear red caps.
The SP had announced that a 108-foot-tall statue of Lord Parashuram will be installed in Lucknow.
The BJP has claimed that the SP president has withdrawn his tweet and his Twitter handle now conveys his wishes to people on Maha Navami.
The BJP leaders also retweeted a similar tweet by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, who wished people on Ram Navami.
18:26 No vaccination at centres run by BMC, state govt in Mumbai on Oct 15
The vaccination against coronavirus at the centres run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra government in Mumbai will remain suspended on Friday, a senior civic official said.
The civic body has a sufficient stock of vaccine doses and the inoculation will resume from Saturday, he said.
There are 374 active inoculation centres in the city, including 309 run by the civic body and 20 run by the state government.
As many as 1,33,13,138 people have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab in the city as of October 13 evening.
Of these, 47,52,723 people have taken both the doses. -- PTI
Bhulai Bhai
18:09 Rajnath meets 107-year-old BJP worker
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today met one of the oldest (107-year-old) BJP worker and former Jan Sangh MLA from Uttar Pradesh Bhulai Bhai at UP Bhavan.
"I came to meet Bhulai Bhai. Probably, he is the oldest among all the BJP workers of the time of Jan Sangh in the country. His age is 107 years. In 1977, when I was an MLA, he was also an MLA. Had a very good meeting with him," Rajnath said.
Bhulai Bhai told ANI that meeting Rajnath Singh was akin to Lord Krishna meeting with Sudama. "I received Rajnath-ji's love and blessings. We discussed various things of the past. I also invited him home. BJP will come at the first place in the upcoming UP polls," the BJP worker said.
17:59 Maha increases MLAD funds to Rs 4 crore
The Maharashtra Government has increased the MLA Local Area Development Fund from Rs 3 crores to Rs 4 crores to each legislator: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
These funds are used utilised for local area development.
17:44 India, US to begin 15-day military exercise in Alaska from Friday
India and the US will kickstart a 15-day mega military exercise in Alaska from Friday to further deepen bilateral military cooperation.
The 17th edition of the exercise "Yudh Abhyas" will be conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska from October 15 to 29, the Indian Army said on Thursday.
The Indian contingent at the exercise will comprise 350 personnel of an infantry battalion group of the Indian Army. The previous edition of the exercise took place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner in February.
17:29 Hair loss after Covid vax? You're not alone
It has not yet been proven that the COVID-19 vaccine causes hair loss, but experts say that the possibility of side effects cannot be ruled out.
According to Chung Wa Dae on the 14th, 53-aged man 'A' uploaded a petition complaining that he had hair loss after COVID-19 vaccination on the website of the National Petition on the 7th. 'A' said that he had a fever and lethargy and serious hair loss began two days after vaccination.
'A's wife, who wrote the petition, said, "I am worried about how my husband can work for the company," and that, "I hope that the government quickly collect and respond to the case of vaccine side effects."
On the 8th, another petition was posted by a woman who said that she had hair loss after the Pfizer vaccination.
This woman said she visited the dermatologist for her hair loss after the first-dose vaccination, but it did not have much effect. She also claimed that her hair loss has gotten worse after the second-dose vaccination.
Experts explain that hair loss may be caused by a weakened immune system due to the vaccination.
17:07 Mapped: The top gainers at the stock market today
The ITC scrip rose by 2.89 per cent today. Here's how the other scrips did.
16:57 No bail for Aryan Khan, next hearing on 20th
Breaking news: The Mumbai Special NDPS court reserves order for 20th October on bail application of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's 23-year-old son Aryan did not get bail in the drugs-on-cruise case today from a Mumbai sessions court that reserved the order till Wednesday, sending him back to jail.
He has been in jail since October 8.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has told the special court that its probe has revealed that Aryan, who is currently lodged in Mumbais Arthur Road jail, was involved in the conspiracy, illicit drug trafficking as well as its procurement and consumption.
16:46 If you want a city with a soul: come to Calcutta
"Calcutta embodies the Bengali love of culture; the triumph of intellectualism over greed; the complete transparency of all emotions, the disdain with which hypocrisy and insincerity are treated; the warmth of genuine humanity; and the supremacy of emotion over all other aspects of human existence."
Vir Sanghvi's evergreen piece on Kolkata and the Durga puja.
Read this to understand what the pujas mean to Bengalis. And it's not just about the feasting.
16:39 Punjab CM to meet Amarinder today
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi arrives at former CM Captain Amarinder Singh's farmhouse, in Siswan, Mohali.
A day after the Centre increased the jurisdiction of Border Security Force (BSF) in a few states, including Punjab, former hockey Olympian and Cabinet minister Pargat Singh alleged former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's role behind the move.
Taking a dig at BJP and claiming Amarinder is hand-in-glove with the saffron party, Pargat said the development smacked of a "design to implement Governor's rule in the state by tagging it as a disturbed state'.
16:33 Rahul to visit Dr Singh at AIIMS
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi to meet former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Thursday, informed sources.
Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished for the speedy recovery of former PM Manmohan Singh, who was admitted to AIIMS on Wednesday.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also prayed for the speedy recovery of Singh.
The eighty-nine-year-old Congress leader had complained of weakness and is stable and under the observation of doctors, hospital sources said.
16:16 Mapped: Covid figures across states
Cases rising in Kerala again, but the good news is that though India logged 18,987 fresh coronavirus cases today, the national Covid recovery rate increased to 98.07 per cent.
16:05 Sensex zooms 569 points to fresh record highs
Extending its winning run to the sixth straight session, equity benchmark Sensex rallied 569 points to close at a new peak, driven by gains in index majors HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and ITC amid positive macro cues and upbeat global markets.
Closing above the 61,000-mark for the first time, the 30-share Sensex settled 568.90 points or 0.94 per cent higher at 61,305.95.
Similarly, the Nifty surged 176.80 points or 0.97 per cent to a new lifetime closing high of 18,338.55.
ITC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 3 per cent, followed by HDFC Bank, PowerGrid, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and NTPC. On the other hand, TCS, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance and Asian Paints were among the laggards.
15:59 Meeting of minds
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor shares this image with the acclaimed film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. "A great honour to interview eminent film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan at his lovely home in a wide-ranging conversation for @sansad_tv on his life and work," Tharoor tweeted.
The burnt SUV at Lakhimpur Kheri
15:33 Lakhimpur: SIT takes minister's son to crime scene
The SIT probing the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Thursday took Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son and three others arrested in the case to recreate the sequence of events leading to the incident in Uttar Pradesh's Tikonia village.
Amid tight security, the three accused were taken to the site of the incident on the Tikonia-Banbirpur road, around 60 km from district headquarters Lakhimpur city, police said.
Eight people died in the October 3 violence and of them, four were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Infuriated farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.
The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver. In the incident, a journalist was also killed.
Farmers claimed that Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time. Ashish Mishra 'Monu' was arrested in the case on October 9 after 12 hours of questioning, and a court has accepted his police custody from October 12 to October 15.
The other three -- Shekhar Bharti was arrested on October 12, and Ankit Das and Latif alias Kale were arrested on October 13. Das, Latif and Bharti are in police custody from October 14 to October 17.
On Thursday, investigators reached the district jail premises in the morning to take Das, Latif and Bharti into police custody.
The trio were taken to the crime branch's office at the Reserve Police Lines, which is near the district jail where main accused Ashish Mishra is lodged. They were taken to Tikonia village by the special investigation team (SIT) amid heavy security for further investigations, police said. PTI
15:02 SIT arrives in Lakhimpur to probe incident
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, on Thursday reached the site along with security forces.
A total of eight people including three farmers had died in the violence in the Lakhimpur Kheri district on October 3.
A Congress delegation on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding an independent judicial investigation by a Commission comprising of two sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India or the High Court.
File pic
14:31 Kerala continues to receive heavy rain
Several parts of Kerala continued to receive heavy rains on Thursday as the weatherman issued an 'orange alert' for six northern districts indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall there.
According to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Orange Alert was issued for Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts and a Yellow Alert for Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts.
It also said the southern state was expected to receive widespread rainfall for the next three days from today under the influence of a low pressure area, formed in the Arabian Sea off Lakshadweep area.
14:23 Global Covid deaths this week lowest in a year
The number of weekly coronavirus deaths worldwide continues to decline and is now at its lowest level in nearly a year.
This was announced on Wednesday at a briefing in Geneva by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, quoted by TASS.
"The number of reported deaths from COVID-19 continues to decline and is now at its lowest level in nearly a year," he said.
However, this number is still unacceptably high - almost 50 thousand cases per week, and the real number is undoubtedly even higher," said the head of the WHO.
"Mortality is declining in all regions except Europe, where several countries are facing new waves of disease and death," Gebreyesus said, stressing that mortality is highest in countries and populations that "have the least access." to vaccines against COVID-19 '.
To date, the WHO has reported 238,229,951 cases of coronavirus infection worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic and 4,859,277 deaths.
13:47 Aryan Khan's bail hearing resumes
Aryan Khan's bail hearing in the drugs-on-cruise case resumes.
This is his third bail hearing since his arrest almost two weeks ago in the case.
The Narcotics Control Bureau told a Mumbai sessions court yesterday that Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan allegedly "indulged in illicit drug trafficking" and was involved in the "procuring and distribution of drugs."
ASG Anil Singh who arrived late in court says that the records and the evidence before the court shows that Aryan Khan is a regular consumer of contraband since the last few years.
The contraband in possession of Arbaz Merchant who accompanied Khan, was for consumption of both of them, the ASG says.
Khan, 23, was arrested along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant and six others after the October 2 mid-sea drugs raid on the Goa-bound Cordelia cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai.
He has been in a Mumbai jail since Friday.
13:37 Actor Nora Fatehi to join ED probe in Rs 200 cr extortion case
Actor and dancer Nora Fatehi on Thursday arrived at the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join the investigation in connection with the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar case.
A Delhi Court on Saturday had sent Sukesh Chandrasekhar and actress Leena Maria Paul to three days ED remand in connection with a Rs 200 crore extortion case.
They were arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the extortion racket which was being run from a Delhi jail. -- ANI
13:36 Dangerous directions
The five days of Durga Puja in West Bengal constitute one of the largest street carnivals in the world.
It is undeniably a Hindu religious and cultural festival symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, the invocation of shakti, and even the homecoming of the daughter and her children.
Over the centuries, it has evolved from being a family event to a community celebration involving people of all faiths -- in line with the way the Christmas season (as opposed to Christmas Day) has evolved in the West.
Predictably, it has also acquired a huge commercial dimension, in the same way as Diwali in northern India. This has been accompanied, particularly in the past decade, by over-politicization and the sites of worship being converted into avenues of political propaganda.
BJP's Swapan Dasgupta holds forth. Read the column here.
13:29 Varun Gandhi's message to Modi via Vajpayee
BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Thursday posted on Twitter a short clip of a speech of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1980 in which he warns the then Indira Gandhi government against repressing farmers and extends his support to them.
Gandhi tweeted, "Wise words from a big-hearted leader..."
The BJP MP has been vocal in empathising with farmers agitating against the three agri laws enacted by the Modi government and sharing Vajpayee's speech is seen as his message to the central government.
In the video clip, Vajpayee is heard telling a gathering that farmers cannot be scared.
"If the government will suppress (farmers), misuse laws and repress a peaceful agitation, then we will not shy away from joining the farmers' struggle and standing with them," he is heard saying.
Gandhi has also sought stringent action against those responsible for the death of four farmers after vehicles, allegedly linked to BJP leaders, ran over them in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri.
He was recently dropped from the BJP national executive in what was seen as an indication of the party leadership's unhappiness with the Pilibhit MP. PTI
13:03 Uddhav to hold Sena's Dussehra meet in a hall
Shiv Sena President and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will address the party's annual Dussehra rally behind closed doors at Shanmukhananda Hall, Sion, with full Covid-19 protocols in place, says MP Sanjay Raut.
Sena chief spokesperson Arvind Sawant said, "The gathering will be held at Shanmukhanad Hall with 50% capacity. Only a limited number of people will be asked to come there; around 1,300 people will be there... "
12:53 Rahul to PM: Have no fear
For those of you who missed this cheeky quip by Rahul Gandhi during his press conference outside Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday, here's what the Congress leader said: "Try it Modi ji, daro mat. #KisanKoNyayDo."
The comment alludes to PM Narendra Modi's refusal to hold a press conference since the party came to power at the Centre in 2014. Not one in seven years.
12:43 Making of the iconic Air India mascot
With Tata Sons buying Air India, here's some interesting trivia on the country's national carrier.
The man and the muse behind Air India mascot, the Maharaja. \
Read more here.
12:31 Mapped: Inflation figures
Wholesale price-based inflation eases to 10.66 pc in September, against 11.39 per cent in August.
12:23 Covid down, allow Chhath puja: Kejriwal tells LG
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wrote to LG Anil Baijal, urging him to allow Chhath puja celebrations as the Covid situation in Delhi is under control.
He requested Baijal to call a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) as soon as possible to grant permission for Chhath celebrations.
In its order on September 30, the DDMA had prohibited Chhath celebrations at public places, including riverbanks, waterbodies, and temples, in view of the threat posed by COVID-19, leading to protests by the Delhi BJP.
Kejriwal said the Covid situation in Delhi is under control for the last three months and he believed that the permission to celebrate Chhath should be given with protocols for the pandemic.
He said other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, have allowed Chhath celebrations with reasonable restrictions. PTI
11:51 UP's 'fake baba' will be removed soon: Akhilesh
Slamming the Uttar Pradesh government over the Lakhimpur incident, former Chief Minister of state and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged that "the BJP government was anti-farmer" and claimed that there will be a regime change in the state soon.
"The BJP workers crushed and killed the farmers with their vehicles. This government is anti-farmer, manure-stealer, and is behind the rise of prices of pesticides," alleged Yadav. "Fake Baba will be removed soon," the SP leader claimed while addressing the 'Rath Yatra' ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2022.
11:33 Infosys, Mindtree shares skyrocket
-- Shares of Infosys on Thursday jumped over 4 per cent after the company reported a better-than-expected 12 per cent rise in its second-quarter net profit.
The stock gained 4.40 per cent to Rs 1,784.05 on the BSE.
At the NSE, it jumped 4.35 per cent to Rs 1,783.60.
-- Shares of IT firm Mindtree jumped nearly 12 per cent on Thursday after the company posted a 57.2 per cent increase in net profit for the second quarter ended September 2021.
The stock opened in the green and jumped 11.92 per cent to a 52-week high of Rs 4,883.40 on the BSE. At the NSE, it zoomed 11.91 per cent to its 52-week high of Rs 4,884.
11:09 Aryan Khan moved to common cell in jail
Aryan Khan and 5 others shifted to a common cell from the quarantine barrack in Arthur Road jail after their Covid report came negative, says Nitin Waychal superintendent of the jail.
Aryan Khan, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son, was arrested hours after the anti-drugs agency's officers raided a Mumbai cruise ship party in disguise on October 2.
Seven others, including his friend Arbaaz Merchant, were arrested on October 3.
All the accused are in judicial custody as their bail has been rejected.
Yesterday, the the NCB submitted a statement to the court on its investigations into the allegations against Aryan Khan.
It told the court that he and all the other accused are connected and their roles cannot be separated.
Aryan Khan - Accused No. 1 for the NCB - sourced drugs and was in touch with "some persons abroad who appear to be a part of an International Drug Network for illicit procurement of drugs", the anti-drugs agency said.
All those arrested "are inextricably connected with each other" and "it is not possible to dissect the role, involvement of one accused from that of the other", it said.
11:00 Will miss him a lot: Martyred sepoy's family
The family of sepoy Saraj Singh, killed in action during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, mourned their loss as the mortal remains of the late soldier reached his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur on Thursday.
Sepoy Saraj Singh, a native of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, has been survived by two brothers, his wife and his mother. Singh was the youngest of the three brothers.
Mourning the loss of her son, Saraj Singh's mother Paramjit Kaur said that she is very proud of her son who lost his life serving the nation.
"I miss him a lot. My all three sons are serving the country, one of them is now martyred. I am very proud of him," she stated.
"His wife is very sad right now. He recently got married, they both had dreams. Those dreams are shattered now," said Sukhvir Singh, Saraj Singh's brother.
10:56 28 Tihar prison officials suspended for being complicit with Unitech's jailed ex-promoters
The Delhi Prisons Department has suspended 28 jail officials after they were found to be complicit with Unitech's imprisoned ex-promoters Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra, officials said on Thursday.
According to a senior jail official, 28 officials of Tihar Jail number 7 have been suspended while the services of two contractual employees are being terminated.
Two officials will be suspended by the Delhi government, the official said. The Delhi Police Crime Branch had on Tuesday registered a case after 32 officials of Tihar Jail were found to be complicit with the duo.
The FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, and investigation was taken up.
The Supreme Court had on October 6 directed suspension of Tihar jail officials, registration of case against them and full-fledged probe into their collusion with Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, based on Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana's report.
The apex court had also directed that the officials of Tihar Jail who have been prima facie found to be complicit in the course of the enquiry to be placed under suspension and had further directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to respond to the suggestions which were contained in the report submitted by Asthana.
10:42 India conducts over 13 lakh COVID-19 tests in last 24 hours
With over 13 lakh COVID-19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the cumulative tests conducted so far crossed 58.76 crores, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.
As per the research body, a total of 13,01,083 samples were tested on Wednesday.
With this, the total samples tested up to October 13 touched 58,76,64,525. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry informed 18,987 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours
10:26 Mandaviya visists Dr Manmohan Singh at AIIMS
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday arrived at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi to meet former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh.
Singh was admitted to AIIMS yesterday for evaluation of fever.
A few hours after his admission, Singh was reported to be stable. -- ANI
10:06 Sensex jumps over 350 points to hit 61,159
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 350 points in opening trade on Thursday to cross the 61,000-mark for the first time, driven by gains in index heavyweights Infosys, HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries amid a positive trend in global markets.
After touching a record of 61,159.48 in the opening session, the 30-share Sensex was trading 356.73 points or 0.59 per cent higher at 61,093.78.
Similarly, the Nifty surged 119.75 points or 0.66 per cent to a new intra-day record of 18,281.50.
L&T was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 2 per cent, followed by Infosys, SBI, NTPC, HDFC Bank, Maruti, ITC and Titan.
On the other hand, HCL Tech, TCS, M&M, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finance were among the laggards. In the previous session, the 30-share index settled 452.74 points or 0.75 per cent higher at 60,737.05, taking its winning run to the fifth consecutive day, and Nifty rallied 169.80 points or 0.94 per cent to 18,161.75.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital market, as they purchased shares worth Rs 937.31 crore on Wednesday, as per exchange data.
'Strong results from Infosys, Wipro and Mindtree indicate that the market disappointing results from TCS was a one-off. Even though high attrition is a challenge for the sector, strong deal wins and robust demand are clear positives,' said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.
IT is likely to resume its leadership position since the prospects of the sector look bright for the next many years on the back of accelerating digitisation by businesses globally, he said, adding that the strong performance of HDFC Bank indicates good Q2 results and the banking major joining the bull rally.
Globally, the US FOMC minutes indicate that tapering is on course, possibly starting November and ending by mid-2022. This is a known event, hence, markets are likely to discount it before the actual announcement, he noted.
"Since there are no known triggers for a sharp correction in the short run and the market momentum continues to be strong, the exuberant retail investors are likely to drive the markets further up even though seasoned investors are worried about the excessive valuations," he added.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with strong gains in mid-session deals.
Stock exchanges on Wall Street too ended on a positive note in the overnight session.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.61 per cent to $83.69 per barrel. -- PTI
09:55 Covid: Active cases decline with 18,987 new infections
India recorded 18,987 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the infection tally to 3,40,20,730 on Thursday, while the national Covid recovery rate increased to 98.07 per cent, according to the Union health ministry's data.
The death toll reached 4,51,435 with 246 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 20 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 109 consecutive days now.
The active cases have declined to 2,06,586 comprising 0.61 per cent of the total infections while the national Covid recovery rate was recorded at 98.07 per cent, the ministry said.
A decrease of 1,067 cases has been recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours.
A total of 13,01,083 tests were conducted on Wednesday, taking the number of cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 58,76,64,525.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 33362709, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.46 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.44 per cent, according to the health ministry.
Over 96.82 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. -- PTI
09:33 Lookout notice against man in selfie with Aryan
Pune City Police has issued a lookout notice for Kiran Gosavi, the man who made headlines after he was seen accosting Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan at Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) office in a viral selfie.
City police commissioner Amitabh Gupta said that the lookout notice was issued on Wednesday and bars him from going outside the country.
Police informed that Gosavi is wanted in a case registered with Pune City police in 2018, wherein a chargesheet has been submitted to the court.
Gosavi was the witness in the NCB raid on the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2.
Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik had raised objections to Gosavi's presence at the NCB office after the arrest of Aryan Khan in the drugs case.
Meanwhile, the NCB had clarified that Gosavi was not an officer or employee of the agency.
A case was registered against Gosavi with Faraskhana police station of Pune city on May 19, 2018 for allegedly committing fraud by promising a person a job in Malaysia by taking money.
However, he neither returned the money nor offered the job to the complainant.
The accused was booked under sections 419, 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with relevant sections of the Intellectual Technology (IT) Act.
Chargesheet was filed in the court as the accused was not found. He is still wanted in the case. -- ANI
09:00 WHO establishes new group to study origins of coronavirus
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an expert group that will study the origins of new pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the news during his press briefing from Geneva, 'following a public call for experts'.
The proposed members of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) were selected for their expertise in areas such as epidemiology, animal health, clinical medicine, virology and genomics.
The 26 experts were selected from over 700 applications and were chosen for their world-class expertise and experience in a range of disciplines, as well as their geographic and gender diversity.
"SAGO will advise WHO on the development of a global framework to define and guide studies into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential, including SARS-CoV-2," he said.
"The emergence of new viruses with the potential to spark epidemics and pandemics is a fact of nature, and while SARS-CoV-2 is the latest such virus, it will not be the last."
A two-week public consultation period will take place for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed SAGO members.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Technical Lead on COVID-19, said the world must be better prepared for any future 'Disease X'.
Answering a question, she stated that SAGO will recommend further studies in China, and potentially elsewhere, to understand the origins of the new coronavirus, UN News reported.
While SAGO will advise WHO, any future missions will be organised by the UN agency and the country in question.
"I want to make it very clear that the SAGO is not the next mission team. There's been some misrepresentation about that going forward," she said.
A WHO-led team of scientists that travelled to China in early 2021 to investigate the origins of the virus struggled to get a clear picture of what research China was conducting beforehand, faced constraints during its visit, and had little power to conduct thorough and impartial research. -- ANI
08:16 Won't compromise: Sidhu ahead of crucial meet
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu Wednesday said he is always grateful to the party high command for 'facilitating' him even as he asserted there 'can never be compromises'.
He further said those who understand his 'ishq' (love) for Punjab will never level any accusations against him. Sidhu shared a video of him on his Twitter handle, discussing various Punjab-related issues.
"I have 'ishq' with Punjab. What is the meaning of 'ishq'? People think it is something physical. No..... It breaks away from all relationships and this is the kind of my 'ishq' for Punjab. Those who understand my 'ishq' for Punjab will never level any allegations against me," he said.
"Everywhere my merit was ignored. In politics 5 can be made 50 and 50 can be turned into zero," he said.
"You should be facilitated and which is done by the high command. I will always be grateful to them. But how to move forward by making compromises? This system stands up like a monster and bites you," he said.
He also talked about curbing corruption and stressed on raising resources and income of the state.
"Solution to every problem of Punjab is income, he said.
Amid the factional feud in the Punjab Congress, Sidhu will be meeting All India Congress Committee general secretary Harish Rawat and senior party leader K C Venugopal on October 14 for a discussion on organisational matters related to the party's state unit.
Sidhu was made the Punjab Congress chief in July despite strong opposition from the then chief minister Amarinder Singh.
However, Sidhu last month had resigned as the Punjab Congress chief and also had raised a question over the appointments of director general of police, state's advocate general and tainted leaders.
Later, the party decided to form a coordination panel for consultation before making any major decisions by the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government. -- PTI
00:40 MP scraps bull sterilisation drive after Pragya's outcry
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday withdrew a bull sterilisation campaign after it faced strong criticism from BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who termed the programme as an attempt to put an end to indigenous cows.
"I brought the order (of bulls' sterilisation) into the notice of chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) and animal husbandry minister (Prem Singh Patel). (After I brought the issue to their notice) The order was cancelled today,' Thakur told reporters in Bhopal on Wednesday night.
The Lok Sabha MP from Bhopal dubbed the campaign as 'an internal conspiracy.'
She said, "I feel this is an internal conspiracy and there is a need to be careful because no one can ever destroy the indigenous cow. It should not even be done. How this happened is a matter of investigation." Thakur said she will urge the chief minister to order a probe to find out how it all happened. -- PTI
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