LIVE! Friday prayers: Noida cops hold anti-riot drills

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Wed, 08 June 2022

Friday prayers: Noida cops hold anti-riot drills

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23:48 Telangana guv to hold 'Mahila Darbar' on June 10

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has decided to hold a 'Mahila Darbar' on June 10 to "hear the unheard voices of women."

The 'Darbar' would be held from noon to 1 pm on June 10 at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.

Women who wish to meet the Governor at the 'Mahila Darbar' can take an appointment for the purpose, a Raj Bhavan press communique said on Wednesday. -- PTI

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23:37 Friday prayers: Noida cops hold anti-riot drills

The Gautam Buddh Nagar police on Wednesday conducted anti-riot drills ahead of Friday prayers in the wake of a communal clashes in Kanpur, officials said.

The police officials in anti-riot gears along with the specialised Pinaka commandos participated in the drills held at various communally sensitive locations across Noida and Greater Noida, they said.

Leaves of police officials have also been cancelled till Saturday, police sources told PTI.

Riots had broken out in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on June 3 in the wake of a communal controversy stoked by allegedly derogatory remarks of now-sacked BJP functionaries.

"Police officials across the three zones of Noida, Central Noida and Greater Noida participated in the anti-riot drills along with pinaka commandos," a police spokesperson said.

According to a senior official, "leaves of several police personnel have also been cancelled till Saturday in view of the situation."

The police officials on Wednesday also held peace meetings with religious leaders and preachers across the district ahead of Friday prayers.

"Religious leaders and eminent people of communities have been asked to take caution and avoid any rumours in order to prevent any untoward incident by miscreants. They have been asked to immediately contact police officials in case of any emergency," the official said. -- PTI

India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 194.57 crore (1,94,57,68,383) mark on Wednesday. The health ministry informed that more than 13 lakh (13,31,833) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm on Wednesday.

The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late on Wednesday night.

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the central government data said.

The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country.

The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021.

The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on June 21, 2021.

The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them and streamlining of the vaccine supply chain. -- ANI

23:03 Water supply to be hit in parts of Delhi

Water supply will be affected in parts of Delhi starting Thursday due to the depletion of water level at the Wazirabad pond following reduction in the release of raw water by Haryana in the Yamuna, the Delhi Jal Board said on Wednesday.

Operations have been affected at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants.

Water supply will be affected from Thursday morning till the pond level improves to normal, it said.

The areas likely to be affected are Civil Lines, Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoining areas, Kamla Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Karol Bagh, Paharganj, NDMC areas, Rajinder Nagar, Patel Nagar, Baljeet Nagar, Prem Nagar, Inderpuri, Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Tugalkabad, Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar.

Areas like Prahladpur, Ramleela Ground, Delhi Gate, Subhash Park, Model Town, Gulabi Bagh, Punjabi Bagh, Jahangirpuri, Moolchand, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Burari, parts of Cantonment areas and south Delhi will also face a water shortage, it said.

The Chandrawal, Wazirabad and Okhla WTPs have a capacity of 90 MGD, 135 MGD and 20 MGD, respectively. -- PTI

22:39 Maintain operational readiness: Pak Army chief

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday asked his senior commanders to maintain "operational preparedness" due to the peculiar regional security environment.

Gen Bajwa, who chaired the 80th Formation Commanders' Conference at the army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, "laid special emphasis on maintaining high standards of operational preparedness in the wake of evolving geo-strategic milieu," the army said in a statement.

He said the army being a professional institution shall always fulfil its responsibilities towards security, integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan as a sacred duty.

The conference was attended by corps commanders, principal staff officers and all formation commanders of the Pakistan Army.

Earlier, the participants were briefed on professional matters, national security challenges and response measures. -- PTI

Hollywood ex-producer Harvey Weinstein has been charged with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London dating back over 25 years, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service said on Wednesday.

Weinstein, 70, was charged by Scotland Yard after a review of evidence gathered by the force in its investigation into the alleged offences which are said to have taken place between July and August in 1996.

The complainant is now aged in her 50s and the charges have been made contrary to Section 14(1) of the UK's Sexual Offences Act 1956.

The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Harvey Weinstein with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in August 1996, said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS special crime division.

Charges have been authorised against Harvey Weinstein, 70, following a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.

The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial, she said.

The CPS highlighted that it is "extremely important" there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice the proceedings in the ensuing court case.

It also highlighted that its assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. -- PTI

21:40 Iranian FM meets Modi amid Prophet remark row

Relations between India and Iran have mutually benefited both the countries and have promoted regional security and prosperity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on him on Wednesday.

Abdollahian is on a three-day visit to India to further enhance bilateral ties.

"Was happy to receive Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian for a useful discussion on further development of Centuries-old civilisational links between India and Iran. Our relations have mutually benefited both the countries and have promoted regional security and prosperity," the prime minister tweeted.

Abdollahian called on Modi after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The Iranian foreign minister also met national security advisor Ajit Doval.

Iran has been a key country for India in the Gulf region.

The two sides have been jointly focusing on improving connectivity between South East Asia and Central Asia.

At a connectivity conference in Tashkent last in July last year, Jaishankar projected Iran's Chabahar Port as a key regional transit hub including Afghanistan. -- PTI

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21:32 Delhi reports 564 new Covid cases, 1 death; positivity rate at 2.84%

Delhi recorded 564 new COVID cases, the highest since May 15, and one more fatality on Wednesday, while the positivity rate rose to 2.84 per cent, according to data shared by the health department in Delhi.

With this, the national capital's COVID-19 case tally increased to 19,09,991, while the death toll rose to 26,214.

The fresh cases emerged out of 19,876 COVID-19 tests conducted in Delhi the previous day, the department said in its latest bulletin.

Wednesday's cases are highest since May 15 when Delhi logged 613 COVID cases with a positivity rate of 2.74 per cent and three deaths.

On Tuesday, the national capital logged 450 fresh COVID cases and one more death, while the positivity rate stood at 1.92 per cent.

Delhi on Monday logged 247 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 3.47 per cent while no new death was reported due to the viral disease.

On Sunday, Delhi reported 343 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 1.91 per cent while no new death had occurred due to the viral disease.

On Saturday, the capital logged 405 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 2.07 per cent while no death was reported.

The number of daily COVID cases in Delhi had touched the record high of 28,867 on January 13 this year during the third wave of the pandemic.

The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the third wave of the pandemic. -- PTI

20:59 Rahul Gandhi to appear before ED on June 13

The Congress is preparing for a major show of strength in the national capital on June 13 when former party chief Rahul Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case.

Sources said on Wednesday that all party MPs, of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and senior leaders have been asked to reach the party headquarters on Akbar Road Monday morning.

The party plans to take out a march to the ED office on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in a show of support for Gandhi when he appears before the agency.

The party has convened a virtual meeting of general secretaries, in-charges of various states and state unit presidents on Thursday evening to finalise the protest plans.

Senior party leaders said the state units should also conduct various campaigns in protest against the ED summons in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-AJL deal.

The Congress has termed the charges "fake and baseless" and added the summonses to Rahul Gandhi and party president Sonia Gandhi was part of the BJP's 'vendetta politics.'

The party had put up a similar show of strength earlier when the Gandhis appeared in a court after they were summoned in a related case.

The Congress on Wednesday had said its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi would appear before the ED as they had nothing to hide from the probe agency, and that the BJP should learn lessons from it. -- PTI

The Mumbai Customs on Wednesday destroyed 2,040 kg of narcotic drugs worth Rs 225 crore at Taloja MIDC area in Navi Mumbai, an official said.

The activity was carried out at Mumbai Waste Management Ltd site on the occasion of Drug Destruction Day, a statement issued by Press Information Bureau said.

At least 1,064 kg of methamphetamine, 238 kg mephedrone, 483 kg ephedrine and 204 kg Madrax, totally valued at Rs 225 crore, were destroyed under the supervision of Roopam Kapur, chief commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone III, it said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj, CBIC chairman Vivek Johri and other senior officials from the finance ministry virtually witnessed the process at six locations, including Guwahati, Lucknow and Mumbai, the statement said.

At least 42 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were destroyed at special operations carried out at 14 locations in the country, it mentioned.

"Due to good coordination among drug enforcement agencies, particularly DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) with other law enforcement agencies and robust use of data analytics, the department has been able to identify cases and book the offenders," CBIC chairman Johri said in the statement. -- PTI

The Central Industrial Security Force has written to the ministry of home affairs to review the security of Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana, who has been in controversy over the Hanuman Chalisa issue since April.

The CISF, a paramilitary force under MHA, has cited more threats to Rana in its letter sent to the Ministry this week, said sources.

Rana was accorded armed VIP security cover by the CISF at the end of April this year.

The CISF has been providing 'Y' category with all India security cover to her since April 14. She was provided Central security cover after a threat analysis by the MHA.

Rana, a former Indian actress who mainly acted in Telugu cinema, is an elected Member of Parliament from Amravati in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate.

Rana came into the limelight over the Hanuman Chalisa row followed by her arrest and an alleged 'inhumane treatment' meted out at Khar police station in Mumbai in April end.

Rana and her husband Ravi Rana, who is an independent MLA, were arrested in April end from their Mumbai residence after declaring that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's home in Bandra. -- ANI

19:55 Moosewala shooter's main aide arrested: Police

Siddhesh Hiraman Kamle, close associate of the main shooter in the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab, has been arrested, the Delhi police said on Wednesday.

Gangster Lawrance Bishnoi is the mastermind behind the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala, the special commissioner of police (special cell) HS Dhaliwal, said.

Recovering from its lifetime low, the rupee advanced 10 paise to settle at 77.68 against the US dollar on Wednesday after the RBI raised the interest rate by 50 basis points to tame inflation.

However, elevated oil prices and persistent foreign capital outflows capped the gains, forex dealers said.

At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened strong at 77.70 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 77.64 and a low of 77.79.

It finally settled at 77.68, up 10 paise over its previous close.

The rupee had slumped to its lifetime low of 77.78 on Tuesday. -- PTI

One of the UK's largest cinema chains has announced the cancellation of all screenings of a controversial new film claiming to reflect the story of the daughter of Prophet Muhammad after British Muslim protests across different cities.

Cineworld said in a statement on Tuesday that it took the decision to cancel all showings of The Lady of Heaven to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

An online petition calling for the film's removal from all UK cinemas has attracted over 123,000 signatures, with several British Muslim groups issuing statements in protest.

"Due to the recent incidents regarding screenings of The Lady of Heaven, we have made the decision to cancel upcoming screenings of the film nationwide to ensure the safety of our staff and customers," Cineworld said in an email to the protesting groups.

"Please accept our sincere apologies for the caused inconvenience," the chain said.

The film, described on its website as a heart-wrenching journey of Lady Fatima 'the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.'

"In accordance with Islamic tradition, during the making of this film no individual represented a Holy Personality. The performances of the Holy Personalities were achieved through a unique synthesis of actors, in-camera effects, lighting and visual effects," the website reads.

But the protesters and those behind the online petition on Change.Org have condemned it for inaccurate depictions of early Islamic history and claim the film has been created to "cause heartache for all Muslims as well as spread false information on Islam."

"It is underpinned with a sectarian ideology and is blasphemous in nature to the Muslim community," reads a statement from the Bolton Council of Mosques, which led protests against the screenings in north-west England. -- PTI

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19:10 2701 Covid cases in Maharashtra; 1765 in Mumbai

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 2,701 new Covid-19 cases, the highest in nearly four months.

Mumbai alone sees 1,765 fresh infections, up from 1,242 a day ago, the state health department disclosed.

West Bengal assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday rejected a plea by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari to disqualify BJP legislator Mukul Roy, saying that he did not find merit in the argument of the petitioner.

Banerjee maintained his previous decision on the matter.

The Calcutta high court on April 11 set aside the Speaker's earlier order dismissing a petition by Adhikari which sought disqualification of Roy as a member of the House on the ground of defection and restored the matter for fresh consideration. -- PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that there was "no need" for an anti-conversion law in the state where the government was "alert" and members of different religious communities lived in peace.

He gave the statement when asked by journalists about the need for such a law in the wake of reports appearing in the press, sporadically, about Hindus allegedly changing their faith following enticements offered by proselytizers.

"The government has always been alert here. And all people, be they from any religious group, live in peace. Hence such a move is not required here," the chief minister said emphatically.

The averment by Kumar, who controls the Janata Dal-United and owes his rise in politics to the socialist movement, could also be seen as a strong message to his ally BJP.

BJP hardliners such as Union minister Giriraj Singh have been stressing on the need for an anti-conversion law.

Ideological divide between Kumar and BJP has also come to the fore on the issue of caste census.

BJP leaders, including some ministers in the cabinet, have been alleging that many "Rohingyas" and "Bangladeshis" have sneaked into Bihar and care must be taken not to legitimise their stay by including them in the state-level headcount of castes.

Notwithstanding their political collaboration that goes back to the 1990s, Kumar has not been on the same page with the BJP on issues such as Ayodhya, Article 370, Uniform Civil Code, triple talaq, NRC and legislative measures for population control. -- PTI

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18:59 Puducherry electricity dept staff begin relay fast against privatisation plan

Officials of the electricity department in Puducherry commenced a five-day relay fast in Puducherry on Wednesday to protest against the government's move to privatise distribution of power in the Union Territory.

A joint action committee formed by engineering staff and other employees in the department has been protesting in a phased manner the move to open up the distribution of power in keeping with the policy of the Centre.

A spokesman of the Association of Employees of Department of Electricity on Wednesday said privatisation would be damaging to consumers and the department was already making good profit.

With political parties showing solidarity with the proposed move, protesting staff were already observing 'work to rule' as part of their demonstration against the privatisation plan. -- PTI

President Ram Nath Kovind will address the fifth convocation of the Indian Institute of Management in Jammu on Thursday and will also inaugurate a diversity cell at the institute.

A total of 214 students, including 77 women, will be awarded Master of Business Administration degree at the convocation this year.

President Kovind will be the chief guest on the occasion and deliver the convocation address.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will be the guests of honour. Confederation of Indian Industries director general Chandrajit Banerjee and Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce president Ravi Kumar Narra will attend the convocation as special guests.

IIM Jammu director BS Sahay said, "We are very happy that President Ram Nath Kovind has consented to grace the occasion and to address the graduating students."

The President will also inaugurate a diversity cell at the institute.

IIM Jammu has set high standards for outstanding value-based quality education, high-quality research, executive education, consultancy and strong corporate as well as international linkages, Sahay said. -- PTI

Two more BJP MLAs will be inducted as ministers as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the first cabinet expansion of his government on Wednesday, nearly a month after completing one year in power.

The two new faces are chief minister's political secretary Jayanta Malla Baruah, the MLA of Nalbari, and Haflong MLA Nandita Gorlosa, the department of information and public relations said in a statement.

"The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 3 pm on Thursday at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra auditorium," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Majuli.

Sarma took over as the chief minister of Assam in May last year as BJP returned to power in the assembly elections for the second consecutive term. -- PTI

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17:55 Deboard fliers without mask: DGCA to airlines

Airlines must de-board any passenger before departure if they refuse to wear face mask inside an aircraft even after being warned, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Wednesday.

Besides, airport operators must take help of the local police and security agencies and levy fines on people not wearing face masks, the DGCA said in a circular.

The circular followed a Delhi high court order of June 3 which said the "DGCA should issue separate binding directions to all staff persons deployed at the airports and in the aircraft, including flight attendants, air hostesses, captains/pilots and others, to take strict action against passengers and others who violate the masking and hygiene norms."

All such persons as are found violating the norms must be fined and persistent defaulters must be placed on the no- fly list, the court had said.

The DGCA's Wednesday circular said airlines must ensure the passengers wear masks properly on flights and they are removed from faces only "under exceptional circumstances and for permitted reasons".

If a passenger needs an extra face mask, the airline must provide it, it noted.

"The airline shall ensure that in case any passenger does not adhere to above instructions even after repeated warnings, he or she should be de-boarded, if need be, before departure," it said.

In case any passenger refuses to wear mask or violates the COVID-19 protocol even after repeated warnings in flight mid-air, he must be treated as "unruly passenger" as defined in the DGCA regulations, the circular said. -- PTI

RIL was down 1.74 per cent

17:18 Sensex falls 215 points in volatile trade post RBI policy

Equity benchmarks extended their decline for the fourth straight session on Wednesday, with the Sensex falling 214.85 points after the Reserve Bank raised the key interest rate by 50 basis points.

Continuous foreign fund outflows and surging crude oil prices also weighed on markets.

The 30-share BSE benchmark dropped 214.85 points or 0.39 per cent to settle at 54,892.49. During the day, the benchmark hit a high of 55,423.97 and a low of 54,683.30.

The broader NSE Nifty declined 60.10 points or 0.37 per cent to finish at 16,356.25. Home, auto and other loan EMIs will rise after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday raised the key interest rate by 50 basis points, the second increase in five weeks, to rein in rise in prices that it saw continuing to hurt consumers in the near term.

BJP MLAs perform Yoga at a resort in Jaipur

17:12 How Raj Cong MLAs confined to hotel spend time

Confined to a resort in Udaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, Congress MLAs from Rajasthan are making the best of it.

Activities lined up for the Congress MLAs and independents supporting the party have ranged from "antakshri" to cricket, as revealed by video clips that have surfaced online.

The Congress had on June 2 shifted its MLAs to the luxury Taj Aravali resort and spa fearing horse trading by the BJP ahead of the June 10 polls to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state. The BJP has also sequestered its MLAs at Devi Ratn hotel in Jaipur's Jamdoli but the party is calling it a "training camp". Videos and pictures emerging from the Congress camp show legislators enjoying cultural evenings, sports activities and magic shows among others.

On Monday evening, a show by noted magician Aanchal was held.

"The show amused the MLAs. The CM also attended the show," said a legislator.

As the day begins, some of the MLAs go to gym and others for a walk in the lush green garden of the hotel, which is located at a picturesque location on the outskirts of the lake city. Some legislators play cricket and others enjoy swimming. Women legislators also keep themselves engaged in "antakshri" and such activities. A movie show in the theatre of the hotel was also organised.

In the middle of this, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra held a meeting about organisational elections, an MLA said.

On the other hand, BJP MLAs start the day with yoga and exercise at the Jaipur hotel. The BJP is holding sessions on party polices, ideology, achievements of the Union government in the past eight years to keep the MLAs engaged.

"We are holding sessions for the MLAs in the training camp for the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, people are watching what the Congress legislators are doing. The government is in the hotel and having fun, enjoying shows," a BJP spokesperson said.

"People of the state are suffering, law and order is deteriorating but the Congress is not bothered at all," he said.

Congress MLAs are likely to come to Jaipur from Udaipur in a chartered plane on Thursday afternoon. They will be shifted to a hotel and taken to the state Assembly on the day of voting on June 10.

The Congress with its 108 MLAs in the 200-member state Assembly is set to win two seats. After winning the two seats, it will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.

Congress leaders claim they have the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 from the party itself. The party needs 123 MLAs to win three seats. The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly, enough to get one seat comfortably. After that, it will have 30 surplus votes, which along with three of the RLP are set to go to media baron Subhash Chandra, who has filed his papers He will need eight more votes to win the seat. -- PTI

A man lights lamps on the occasion of Kheer Bhavani

16:38 Country stands shoulder to shoulder with you: Kejriwal to KPs

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday greeted Kashmiri Pandits on the occasion of 'Jyeshtha Ashtami' and said the entire country stands shoulder to shoulder with them in their happiness and sorrow.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor's remarks came in the backdrop of the spate of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir.

"Today is the holy day of Jyeshtha Ashtami. (I extend my) warm wishes to all Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters on this auspicious day. May the blessings of Maa Kheer Bhavani always be with you all," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

"I want to assure the Kashmiri Pandit community that the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with you in your every happiness and sorrow," he said.

The AAP has been raising the issue of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits for the past few weeks. The party held a 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at Jantar Mantar on June 5 over the issue. Addressing the rally, Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP-led central government for failing to provide security to Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

He also demanded that the Centre put forth an action plan to stop the killings. -- PTI

16:35 IBM begins laying off staff in Russia

IBM has started an "orderly wind-down" of its business and laying off the workforce in Russia with its Indian-origin CEO Arvind Krishna saying the global IT giant will continue to stand by its employees in the country.

In early March, the New York-headquartered multinational technology corporation announced the suspension of its business in Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, prompting the West to impose crippling sanctions on Moscow.

The company on Tuesday issued an update on its business operations in Russia, saying it has made the decision to carry out an orderly wind-down of IBM's business in Russia.

In the statement, IBM's Chairman, President and CEO Krishna said: On March 7th, I shared with you our decision to suspend IBM's business operations in Russia due to the war in Ukraine.

"Our focus for months has been on looking after the safety and security of IBMers and their families in impacted regions. We chose to suspend operations so that we could evaluate longer-term options while continuing to pay and provide for our employees in Russia. As the consequences of the war continue to mount and uncertainty about its long-term ramifications grows, the company has now made the decision to carry out an orderly wind-down of IBM's business in Russia. We see this move as both right and necessary, and a natural next step following our business suspension," Krishna said.

This process will commence on Tuesday and result in the separation of the local workforce, he said.

"Our colleagues in Russia have, through no fault of their own, endured months of stress and uncertainty. We recognise that this news is difficult, and I want to assure them that IBM will continue to stand by them and take all reasonable steps to provide support and make their transition as orderly as possible," he said.

Image: Girls view the remains of their Lyceum Number 25 School in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Pic: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Housing demand is likely to be affected in short-term as home loans are set to become costlier following the RBI's decision to hike repo rate by 50 basis points, according to real estate developers.

The cost of borrowing for developers could also increase, impacting their profit margins, they said, while hoping that the move would control inflation thus bringing down the cost of construction raw materials like steel and cement.

Builders welcomed the RBI's decision to increase the existing limits on individual housing loans by co-operative banks.

According to property consultant Anarock, housing sales across seven cities increased 71 per cent in the January-March period to 99,550 units, the highest quarterly sales since 2015, on low interest rates on home loans.

CREDAI National President Harsh Vardhan Patodia said: "With consumer loans and home loans getting costlier, there may be an impact on demand in the short term."

He welcomed the 100 per cent increase in the limit for individual housing loans by urban cooperative banks and rural cooperative banks.

"The rate hike will impact the robust sales in the residential housing segment, although in the short term. So far, the post Covid recovery and the bullish sentiments were supported by the low interest rate to a great extent," Realtors body NAREDCO President Rajan Bandelkar said.

However, Boman Irani, President of CREDAI-MCHI, said, the impact on the consumers in MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) would be near zero.

Hiranandani group MD Niranjan Hiranandani said that the home loan interest rate hike will "impair the home buying rally as pay out in terms of EMI is scheduled to rise".

"But according to me, this crater in demand sentiment is a makeshift move, as home loans are based on floating rate for a long tenure," he added. -- PTI

Actor Taapsee Pannu on Wednesday said Mithali Raj, who announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket after a two-decade long illustrious career, will be remembered as an inspiring figure.

Raj, one of the greatest female cricketers to have played the game, ended her glorious career with a record 7805 runs in 232 ODIs.

She also represented India in 12 Tests and 89 T20 Internationals. Pannu, who plays Raj in her upcoming biopic "Shabaash Mithu", credited the 39-year-old for being an inspiring figure.

"There are cricketers who have records under their name. There are cricketers who have tremendous fan following. There are cricketers who inspire you and make you believe that if they can so can you!

"And then there's Mithali who did all of this in her classic graceful style and also changed the game of cricket where the presence of women is concerned," Pannu said in a statement.

The actor said Raj's legacy will always be remembered, especially her contribution to women's cricket. Pannu said she felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to play the cricketer in the film, which is expected to release in July.

"Not just in our country but she will be remembered for her contribution to women's cricket across the globe. I just got too fortunate as a fan who got to live her glorious journey of 23 years for a bit on camera which taught me so much about resilience and perseverance. She is truly a legend we can never thank enough," Pannu added.

Raj had already retired from the T20 format and her decision to stop playing all formats was expected after India's ODI World Cup campaign ended in March. Directed by filmmaker Srijit Mukherji and written by Priya Aven, the film is a coming-of-age story of women's cricket in India and will chronicle the highs and lows, setbacks and moments of euphoria of Raj's life. -- PTI

15:47 Govt believes in Vasudaiva Kutumbakam: Naqvi

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said India's strength of coexistence of various communities cannot be harmed by any narrow-minded communal conspiracy, with its commitment to "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" ensuring that the followers of all religions flourish in an environment of equality, freedom and inclusivity.

Equal rights, dignity and prosperity of the minorities, including Muslims, is a part of the country's commitment to tolerance, harmony and inclusivity, Naqvi told reporters, amid many Islamic countries expressing their displeasure to the Indian government over the controversial comments of two BJP leaders, one now suspended and another expelled from the party, targeting Prophet Mohammad.

"In the last eight years, the Narendra Modi government has made all sections of the society, including minorities, an equal partner in peace and prosperity," Naqvi said.

"Unable to digest this positive atmosphere of development with trust in the country, some people are spreading falsehood before the world on the issue of minorities, which is fabricated and opposite to the ground reality," he added.

These people are trying to hide the "mountain of truth" behind "bushes of lies", the Union minister said.

India believes in "Vasudaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is a family) and "Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah" (everyone should be happy), he said.

Naqvi said terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda, which has recently issued threats to India, are a problem and not "protection" for Muslims as those are involved in an evil design to bleed the entire humanity by misusing Islam as a "safety cover".

The BJP leader said one out of 10 Muslims in the world lives in India and enjoys the same socio-economic, educational, religious and constitutional rights as any other citizen of the country.

"The selective silence on oppression and cruelty against minorities in our neighbouring country is something that is hypocritically shocking," he said, in an apparent reference to statements from Islamic countries.

The population of minorities in Pakistan, which was about 24 per cent in 1947, has now been reduced to below two per cent, while their numbers in India have grown to nearly 22 per cent from eight per cent, Naqvi pointed out.

There are more than three lakh active mosques in India and an equal number of other places of worship of the Muslim community.

There are over 50,000 registered madrasas and more than 50,000 minority educational institutions, which is more than those put together in several Islamic countries, he said. There are thousands of churches, gurdwaras and places of worship of Buddhists, Parsis and Jains, showing the country's "unity in diversity", Naqvi said. -- PTI

15:44 RBI key policy rates

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said the government is "mindful" of the current inflation situation, and it is up to the Centre to take further supply-side measures to contain the price rise situation.

"I am sure the government is mindful of the current inflation situation and it is for the government to decide on further supply-side measures which they consider as necessary," Das said addressing the customary post-policy press conference at the central bank headquarters.

15:19 Industry lauds RBI's credit policy

The RBI has endeavoured to strike the right balance between inflation and growth at this critical juncture, industry experts on Wednesday said after a 50 basis points hike in the key rate by the central bank.

Announcing the credit policy, Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das said that the Indian economy is resilient, though negative global spillovers continue to weigh on the domestic economic growth outlook.

CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said the RBI's decision to raise the policy repo rate by 50 bps has been noted, given the imperatives of anchoring inflationary expectations.

"The RBI has demonstrated restraint and foresight to strike the right balance between inflation and growth," he said.

Industry chamber Assocham said the RBI decision to raise the repo rate is largely on the expected lines and seemed unavoidable.

"While the MPC has decided to withdraw the accommodative stance to rein in inflation, it also remains cognizant of the growth imperatives of the economy, retaining the policy rate below the pre-pandemic level," said Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood.

Akhil Saraf, founder and CEO of Reloy, said an increase in the repo rate will push the lending rates up and eventually it will hit home-buyers' pockets.

"However, given the possibility that interest rate goes up by 50-100 basis points, it will still remain under the comfort zone of below 8 per cent per annum. With other factors and market conditions in favour of home buyers, sales momentum is expected to continue without any major hiccups," he added.

The second hike in repo rate comes within five weeks of the RBI increasing the key interest rate by 40 basis points in an off-cycle monetary policy review on May 4.

Cartoons protesting the Charlie Hebdo attack in 2015

15:04 Pakistanis held over links to Charlie Hebdo attack

A total of 14 arrests were made during an anti-terror raid on a Pakistani cell operating in Italy and other European countries, several media reports said.

The cell was allegedly linked to a network linked to a Pakistani man named Zaheer Hassan Mahmoud, Italy's leading wire service Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) reported.

The 27-year-old Pakistani was the one who attacked the former offices of the Paris based satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

Charlie Hebdo is famous for its controversial depictions of the Prophet Muhammad and for reprinting cartoons about the prophet that had been published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Those arrested in Italy and Europe have been charged with conspiracy to commit international terrorism, according to the Italian news agency.

The Pakistani man went to Charlie Hebdo's former offices to punish them for re-publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad for which several people were killed in January 2015.

Zaheer did not know that the magazine had moved in the meantime. He wounded two staffers of an agency that had taken over the offices.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), France is no stranger to Islamist extremist violence.

In January 2015, there were deadly attacks in Paris at Charlie Hebdo's office and a kosher supermarket, and that November at the Stade de France and the Bataclan theatre. On Bastille Day 2016, there was an attack in Nice. Earlier in 2011, the Charlie Hebdo offices were firebombed.

The national highway between Amravati and Akola districts

14:52 Nitin Gadkari's 'baby' enters Guinness Book

State-owned NHAI has created a Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous lane of 75 kilometres in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the national highway between Amravati and Akola districts in Maharashtra.

Mentioning about the record, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the project was implemented by 720 workers including a team of independent consultants who worked day and night.

The total length of the 75 kilometres of single lane continuous bituminous concrete road is equivalent to 37.5 kilometres of two-lane paved shoulder road and the work started on June 3, at 7:27 am and was completed on June 7, at 5 pm, the minister said in a video message.

The previous Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous was for building 25.275 kilometres of road that was achieved in Doha, Qatar in February 2019 and that task was completed in 10 days, Gadkari said.

The Amravati to Akola section is part of NH 53 and this is an important east-east corridor which connects major cities like Kolkata, Raipur, Nagpur and Surat.

According to Gadkari, once completed, this stretch will play a major role in easing movement of traffic and freight on this route. -- PTI

14:30 Fringe is BJP's core: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacts to the continuing saga of Nupur Sharma's comment against Prophet Muhammed.

Summoned by the governments of several Islamic nations over her remarks on Prophet Muhammad, Indian Ambassadors dismissed Sharma as "fringe elements".

The comments -- purportedly insulting the Prophet -- were made the BJP's national spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a TV debate last week in the backdrop of a series of communal incidents across the country. A second leader, Naveen Jindal, posted a tweet about the Prophet, which he later deleted amid escalating outrage.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted headlines of comments made by several senior BJP leaders, including the Home Minister Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, saying, "'Fringe' is BJP's core."

Cricketer Mithali Raj announces retirement from all forms of international cricket. "It was an honour to have led the team for so many years. It definitely shaped me as a person and hopefully helped shape Indian Women's Cricket as well," her statement reads.

14:04 Netaji in Nagaland: The untold story

A 103-year-old freedom fighter recalls his life with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who came to stay in his mountain village during the INA advance into India. Read the report here.

He is slated to visit UAE and Rome to take part in investors' meets there. Read the report here.

In what appears to be a miracle and 'first time in history', a small clinical trial has found that every single rectal cancer patient who received an experimental treatment found that their cancer had vanished.

According to New York Times, in the small clinical trial conducted by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 18 patients took a drug called Dostarlimab for around six months, and in the end, every one of them saw their tumours disappear.

Dr Luis A. Diaz J. of New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said this was "the first time this has happened in the history of cancer".

According to experts, Dostarlimab is a drug with laboratory-produced molecules and it acts as substitute antibodies in the human body. The cancer is undetectable by physical exam; endoscopy; positron emission tomography or PET scans or MRI scans, added Experts.

This proves that Dostarlimab can be a 'potential' cure for one of the most deadly common cancers. According to New York Times, patients involved in the clinical trial earlier underwent treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and invasive surgery that could result in bowel, urinary, and even sexual dysfunction.

The 18 patients went into the trial expecting to have to go through these procedures as the next step. However, to their surprise, no further treatment was needed.

The findings of this trial have shocked experts and they have pointed out that complete remission in every single patient is "unheard-of".

Dr Alan P. Venook, who is a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, said that the complete remission in every single patient is "unheard-of".

He hailed the research as a "world-first".

Experts stated that the research was impressive as not all of the patients suffered significant complications from the drug trial. "There were a lot of happy tears," said Oncologist Dr Andrea Cercek, describing the moment patients found out they were cancer-free as quoted by New York Times. -- ANI

BJP spokes Nupur Sharma has been suspended by the party

13:56 India seriously looking into Al-Qaeda threat

Central agencies are "seriously" looking into the threat letter sent by terror outfit Al-Qaeda regarding suicide attacks in Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to "fight for the honour of the Prophet", said top agency sources.

Alerts have been issued across Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat through law enforcement agencies to strict the vigil at specific locations like airports, metro, railway stations and market areas, said the source, privy to the development.

"Security personnel have been instructed to report to the concerned department soon after noticing any suspicious activity," the agency said.

In a threat letter dated June 6, Al-Qaeda said it would launch suicide attacks in Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to "fight for the honour of the Prophet".

The letter comes in light of the controversy that has erupted after a few Bharatiya Janata Party leaders made controversial remarks on the Prophet Muhammad.

"We shall kill those who affront our Prophet and we shall bind explosives with our bodies and the bodies of our children to blow away the ranks of those who dare to dishonour our Prophet... The saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi, Bombay, UP and Gujarat," the letter read.

Over the last few days, several countries such as Malaysia, Kuwait and Pakistan condemned recent remarks made by a few BJP leaders on Prophet Muhammad. While Nupur Sharma made comments during a TV debate, another leader Naveen Jindal posted a controversial remark on Twitter.

13:53 Lt Gen Anil Chauhan new CDS?

Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, who served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, may be the new Chief of Defense Staff. The Lt Gen has been appointed the National Maritime Security Coordinator within the National Security Council Secretariat under National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Yesterday, the Centre amended the rules of appointing CDS.

Any serving or retired Lieutenant General, Air Marshal and Vice Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 years is now eligible for the post of CDS. The post has been lying vacant after India's first CDS General Bipin Rawat was killed in a chopper crash.

13:10 Minor gang-raped after drinking date-rape pill

In a grim incident similar to the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case, a minor girl was allegedly raped inside a bus by three persons in the Bettiah city of Bihar's West Champaran district on Wednesday, police said.

According to the preliminary report, the victim was found in the bus in a semi-conscious state.

Police also recorded the victim's statement in which she alleged that the driver and his accomplice offered her a cold drink which contained a pill.

After consuming the cold drink, it made her unconscious and the accused gang-raped the minor girl, according to police citing the victim's statement.

"Three people were accused of allegedly raping a minor girl inside a bus in Bettiah, West Champaran district. The girl was found on the bus in a semi-conscious state," Mukul Pandey, Bettiah Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) told ANI.

Out of the three accused, two persons have been arrested by the police in connection with the rape case.

"The bus has been seized, the driver and helper of the bus have been arrested," Pandey added.

The police have sent the girl for medical examination and the two arrested accused are being interrogated.

In the 2012 gangrape case, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in New Delhi. She later succumbed to her injuries, igniting widespread outrage and protests across the country. -- ANI

12:34 The woman behind VP Naidu...

Her name is Padma Karri, IFS, second secretary (political and Information) and she tweeted this image with VP Venkaiah Naidu in Qatar. "Years of hardwork went in trying to develop my skills to bridge the language barrier... A professional and a personal moment ...!! An inspiration to learn more and do better..."

The unseen, unheard faces behind India's diplomatic services.

The results are in, boys and girls

12:29 Maha Board Std 12 results: 94.22% pass

Girls performed better than boys in the annual Class 12 exams conducted by the Maharashtra Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, the results of which were declared by the board on Wednesday.

A total of 94.22 per cent students state board's Higher Secondary Education (HSC) exams this year, which is less compared to 99.63 per cent of students who passed the exams last year.

The pass percentage of girls was 95.35 per cent, while that of boys was 93.29 per cent, according to the results announced by the board's chairperson, Sharad Gosavi.

A total of 14,59,664 students registered for the exams. Out of them 14,39,731 students appeared for the exams and 13,56,604 of them passed.

The Konkan division in the state registered the highest pass percentage of 97.21, followed by Nagpur - 96.52 per cent, Amaravati - 96.34 per cent, Latur- 95.25 per cent, Kolhapur- 95.07 per cent), Nashik- 95.03 per cent), Aurangabad- 94.97 per cent, Pune- 93.61 per cent, while the Mumbai division recorded the lowest pass percentage of 90.91.

The pass percentage in the science stream was 98.30 per cent, in arts- 90.51 per cent, commerce-91.71 per cent and in vocational streams - 92.40 per cent, Gosavi said. PTI

The tricolour draped body of Moosewala during the funeral

12:08 Hundreds attend Moosewala's bhog ceremony

From wearing t-shirts with pictures of Sidhu Moosewala printed on them with the message 'legends never die' to several children dressing like him, scores of people from many places in Punjab, Haryana and other states on Wednesday assembled at a grain market in Mansa to attend the 'bhog' ceremony (funeral service) of the slain singer.

Many people were also carrying posters mentioning 'black day on May 29' and 'Moosewala amar rahe' and demanded 'justice for Moosewala'.

Some were carrying flags with pictures of the singer.

Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29.

Notwithstanding the scorching heat, a large number of people including youth, children and women assembled from various parts of Punjab and other states to attend the 'antim ardas' (marking the end of last rituals for the deceased) and 'bhog' ceremony of Moosewala at the grain market. Security personnel in large numbers were deployed at the site.

A lawyer from Jalandhar demanded that the state government should ensure justice to the family of the slain singer. The investigation into the murder of Moosewala should be put on fast track and those involved in his murder be hanged to death, he said.

Three friends from Ganganagar in Rajasthan reached Mansa at 4 am on Wednesday to pay respects to Moosewala.

"We were shocked when we came to know about the death of Moosewala," said one of them. They were sporting t-shirts with pictures of Moosewala printed on them and the message 'legends never die'.

A group of youngsters, who were carrying posters of Moosewala, came from Fatehabad and Sirsa districts of Haryana to attend the ceremony and they demanded that those behind the heinous crime be brought to justice at the earliest.

Three friends from Haryana's Panipat said they loved Moosewala's songs and came here to attend the 'bhog' ceremony.

Several children who came with their families could be seen dressed like the singer. A family from Ludhiana distributed badges carrying pictures of Moosewala to people.

After Moosewala's killing, the state police had termed the incident as a case of an inter-gang rivalry. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang was said to be behind the murder. -- PTI

12:03 This used to be a school

The human face of the horror of war.

Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), tweets this image, writing, "Anna Episheva: My niece was supposed to graduate this year from her high school. She and her friends bought dresses and were looking forward to this day. Then Russians came. Her school was directly hit and destroyed. Today she came back to what is left of her school and her plans."

Benchmark indices pared early losses, with the Sensex jumping 317 points in morning trade on Wednesday, after the RBI retained its growth projection at 7.2 per cent for current fiscal year on the back of improvement in urban demand and gradual recovery in rural India.

The 30-share BSE benchmark rallied 316.63 points to 55,423.97 in morning trade. The broader NSE Nifty was trading with a gain of 97.95 points at 16,514.30.

Unveiling the third monetary policy for 2022-23, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the Indian economy remained resilient, and the central bank will continue to support growth. RBI on Wednesday raised the interest rate by 50 basis points to a two-year high of 4.9 per cent as it doubled down to tame inflation that has surged in the last couple of months. -- PTI

Jailed journalist Siddique Kappan

11:48 In India, the war on journalists is all-encompassing

As the government mistreats the press, ordinary people are now joining in blaming reporters for violence and mayhem. Read the report here.

The Reserve Bank on Wednesday allowed credit cards to be linked with the unified payments interface (UPI), which will enable more people to make payments using the popular platform.

At present, UPI facilitates transactions by linking savings or current accounts through users' debit cards. "it is proposed to allow linking of credit cards to UPI," RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said while announcing the regulatory moves, along with the bi-monthly policy review.

He said that to start with Rupay credit cards issued by the RBI-promoted National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will be enabled with this facility, and the facility will be made available after system developments. Das said the new arrangement is expected to provide more avenues and convenience to the customers in making payments through the UPI platform.

UPI has become the most inclusive mode of payment in India, with over 26 crore unique users and 5 crore merchants onboarded on the platform, he added. -- PTI

A massive fire broke out at the electric motor parking in Jamia Nagar, Delhi. Seven fire tenders have reached the spot. The fire has been brought under control. Many vehicles have been damaged in the fire, and several e-rickshaws were burnt to ashes, the Delhi Fire Service said.

A total of 10 cars, 1 motorcycle, 2 scooty, 30 new e-rickshaws, and 50 old e-rickshaws had caught fire. No casualties were reported.

KK's final journey in Mumbai

10:54 Candle in the wind for you, KK

Only in Kolkata can something so moving be done.
People paid homage to singer KK who died in the city on May 31 after a performance at Nazrul Mancha. Watch the tribute to an extraordinary singer.

KK was cremated at Mumbai's Versova on June 2, a kilometre away from his home.

A 16-year-old boy allegedly shot dead his mother as she stopped him from playing the online game PUBG, police said on Wednesday.

The boy was addicted to the online game and could not take his mother preventing him to play it, so he shot her dead, they said.

Police said they recovered the partially decomposed body of the woman on Tuesday night and sent it for post-mortem. The boy was apprehended.

The minor fatally shot her mother on Saturday and kept the body locked inside a room of their house here for two days before informing his father, an Army personnel posted in West Bengal, about the incident, they said. His nine-year-old sister was also at home when the incident took place.

He allegedly threatened her not to reveal the incident to anyone and used a room freshener to hide the smell of the decomposed body, police said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Qasim Abidi said, "The incident took place in Yamunapuram Colony under PGI police station area. The deceased used to live with her two children at the house. Her husband, who is a JCO (Junior Commissioned Officer), is currently posted in West Bengal."

"The 16-year-old boy was addicted to online game PUBG. He told us that his mother used to stop him from playing the game, this is why he killed her. The minor used the registered firearm of his father to kill the mother," he said.

Police said they have recovered the weapon. According to the police, the minor shot dead the mother on Saturday night and took her younger sister to another room. He locked the room where the body was lying.

"On Tuesday evening when the smell of the decomposed body became severe, he informed his father about the incident. The father called the neighbours and they informed the police," Abidi said. "The boy initially tried to weave a false story around the incident but finally revealed the truth," he said. -- PTI

Update: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday raised the interest rate by 50 basis points to a two-year high of 4.9 per cent as it doubled down to tame inflation that has surged in the last couple of months.

The rate hike comes on the back of a 40 bps increase effected by RBI at an unscheduled meeting on May 4. All the six members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, unanimously voted for the latest rate hike.

Das said inflation is likely to remain above 6 per cent in first three quarters of current fiscal.

The RBI raised inflation forecast to 6.7 per cent for FY23 from an earlier estimate of 5.7 per cent.

"The upside risk to inflation persists; a recent spike in tomato, crude prices fuelling inflation," Das said.

The RBI now permits rural cooperative banks to extend finance to commercial real estate. Urban cooperative banks allowed to provide door-step banking services.

The RBI Guv says overall situation remains challenging, committed to dealing with challenges emanating from overseas. The RBI is focussed on orderly government borrowing programme.

A further cut in VAT by states on motor fuel can further soften inflation.

RBI retains its growth projection at 7.2 per cent for current fiscal.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das: The MPC voted unanimously to increase the policy repo rate by 50 bps to 4.90%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility - the SDF rate - stands adjusted to 4.65% and the marginal standing facility - MSF rate and bank rate - to 5.15%.

Das said that the Indian economy remained resilient and the RBI will remain supportive to growth. He said the war in Ukraine has led to globalisation of inflation.

The 40-storey twin towers of Supertech, Emerald project in Noida will be demolished on August 21, said New Okhla Industrial Development Authority on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court last month had extended the deadline for the demolition of Supertech's twin 40-storey towers in Noida till August 28. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha had granted three months extension to demolish the twin towers after the agency appointed for demolition Edifice Engineering sought time.

The earlier date fixed to demolish the towers, which have been held illegal for a violation of norms, was May 22, 2022.

The application for an extension of time to demolish the towers filed by Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) for Supertech said that after the test blast conducted by the Edifice Engineering it was found that the structure was stronger and more stable than it was expected.

IRP was appointed superseding the board of Supertech Ltd by the National Company Law Tribunal while hearing a petition filed by the Union Bank of India against the real estate major for non-payment of dues worth around Rs 432 crore.

10:01 RBI may hike repo rate by 25-50 basis points

Amid rising inflation concerns in the economy, all eyes are on today's Monetary Policy Meeting outcome as experts believe that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to increase the repo rate by 25 to 50 basis points (BPS).

RBI will announce the credit policy at 10 am today. Last month, the central bank raised the repo rate or short term lending rate by 40 basis points in an off-cycle monetary policy review to check spiralling inflation.

It was the first increase in the policy repo rate in nearly two years.

The repo rate is the interest rate at which the central bank lends short-term funds to banks. India's largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI) in its research report has said that might keep the following challenges in mind while deciding its policy.

Uncertainty around the evolution of the pandemic continues to prevail.

The emergence of monkeypox adds further to a layer of uncertainty. Geopolitical tension to increase in coming months as high crude prices impacts growth. By 2022 so far, more than 45 central banks across AEs and EMEs have raised policy interest rates and/or scaled back liquidity, with many central banks hiking interest rates in back-to-back policies.

SBI's view is that RBI may increase the repo rate by 50 bps and keep its stance accommodative.

A rescue effort in 2019 that wasn't successful

09:45 Boy falls in borewell, rescued successfully

A two-year-old boy fell into a deep borewell at a farm in Gujarat's Surendranagar district, following which a team of the Army, fire brigade, police and health officials rushed to the spot and rescued him, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place around 8 pm on Tuesday when the boy, Shivam, was playing at a farm in Dudapur village where his parents worked as labourers. He fell into the borewell and got trapped at a depth of 20-25 feet, Dhrangadhra administration official M P Patel told reporters.

Soon after the district administration officials got to know about it, they alerted the local disaster management cell as well as a team of the National Disaster Response Force in Ahmedabad, located nearly 100 km from here. The local administration also sought help of the Army, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and police.

A team of the Army, police, district administration staff and villagers then rushed the spot. They worked in coordination and the child was pulled out of the borewell by 10.45 pm, the official said.

The boy was then taken to a government hospital in Dhrangadhra town, from where he was referred to the district civil hospital for further treatment, he said, adding that the child's condition is stable.

Get your booster dose now

09:37 Covid cases: 41% jump in India, 81% in Maha

India reported 5,233 new Coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 41 per cent more than the previous day, as infections soared sharply in several states.

The surge was led by Maharashtra, which recorded 1,881 new coronavirus cases last evening, a huge 81 per cent jump and highest since February 18.The state also reported one case of B.A.5 variant, the state health department said.

The total tally of Covid-19 cases is 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 5,24,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,881 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.67 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent, according to the ministry.

The Hyderabad police on Tuesday said six persons have been apprehended in connection with the gangrape of a teenage girl last month.

"Six accused have been arrested in this case... Out of six, one is a major," Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand told reporters Tuesday night.

The rest are juveniles, including one just one month short of 18 years of age, he said.

Five of the arrested persons were involved in the rape of the teenage girl on May 28. One juvenile was allegedly seen in videos misbehaving with the girl, but was not involved in rape.

Anand said stringent sections of law have been invoked against those involved in the heinous crime.

The punishment under the sections could be imprisonment for life till death or even death penalty, he said. The case would be tried in a special court.

Amid allegations of involvement of children of influential persons, he said the gangrape happened in a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). It "seems to be" an official vehicle, he said. -- PTI

Al-Qaeda's threat letter

08:45 Al-Qaeda threatens to attack India over Prophet remarks

Terror outfit Al-Qaeda has threatened suicide attacks in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai and Delhi to "fight for the dignity of our Prophet" amid brewing controversy over the remarks by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on the founder of Islam.

In a threat letter dated June 6, Al-Qaeda warned that "saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi and Bombay and in UP and Gujarat".

"A few days ago, the propagators and flag bearers of Hindutva -- a system and philosophy hostile to the religion and Shariah of Allah -- insulted and slandered the purest of beings, the most honourable after God himself, Muhammad al Mustafa, Ahmad al Mujtaba, and his noble and pure wife, the mother of the believers, Sayyidah Ayesha bint Abu Bakr as Siddeeq in the most vile and evil manner on an Indian TV channel. In response to this affront, the hearts of Muslim all over the world are bleeding and are filled with feelings of revenge and retribution," the letter says.

It adds, "We warn every audacious and impudent foul mouth of the world, especially the Hindutva terrorists occupying Indian that we should fight for the dignity of our Prophet, we should urge others to fight and die for the honour of our Prophet, we should kill those who affront our Prophet and we should bind explosives with our bodies and the bodies of our children to blow away the ranks of those who dare to dishonour our Prophet."

"The saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi, Bombay, UP and Gujarat. They should find refuge neither in their homes nor in their fortified army cantonments," the letter states.

Bharatiya Janata Party-backed Independent candidate Subhash Chandra on Tuesday claimed that eight Congress MLAs may vote for him in the Rajya Sabha polls and asked former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot to also cross sides.

This would be an opportunity for Pilot to avenge his "humiliation", the media baron told reporters.

Pilot had rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot two years ago, plunging the Congress government in the state into a crisis.

Following the rebellion, Pilot was removed from the posts of the deputy chief minister and the state Congress president.

"This is an opportunity to take revenge or to give a message. If he misses this opportunity, he will not be able to become the chief minister till 2028," Chandra said as he claimed that Pilot is feeling "humiliated" in the party.

Apparently referring to the Congress, he said, "It is my guess that eight MLAs will cross-vote. They will cross-vote not because they have affection towards Chandra but due to the behaviour of the government and the kind of humiliation."

Reacting to Chandra, Sachin Pilot advised him to withdraw from the contest to avoid being humiliated.

"An advice to the Independent candidate of Rajasthan -- Better to be out of the contest before voting on 10th. It is better to be humble than to be humiliated," Pilot tweeted.

"Unfortunately politics is not like making a TV series where you decide who will do what," he said, targeting the media baron.

The Independent candidate made the statement in the wake of the ruling Congress expressing fears of horse trading by the BJP ahead of the elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state.

While the Congress with its 108 MLAs in set to win two seats, it requires the support of Independents and legislators of other parties to win a third seat.

Chandra has the support of 33 legislators--30 of the BJP and three of the RLP--and is short of eight votes to win the contest.

The BJP with its 71 MLAs is set to win one seat.

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday claimed that there was a grave threat to jailed leader Bikram Singh Majithia's life and that he was likely to be implicated in a "false" case at the behest of ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who holds the additional charge of prisons.

The former minister's wife and SAD legislator Ganieve Kaur has written in this connection to the state police chief with a copy marked to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Citing the threat, Akali leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema demanded the government to immediately remove Sidhu, the anti-drug special task force chief, from the additional charge of prisons.

Majithia is lodged in Patiala jail in connection with a drug case.

The SAD leaders claimed that Majithia's family members have grave apprehensions that the IPS officer would "misuse" his official position to implicate the former minister in another case.

They said that there was animosity between the families of Majithia and Sidhu and that the officer was looking to settle scores.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act last year on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into a drug racket in the state.

The report was filed by Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana high court. -- PTI

Representational image

00:19 BTP in Rajasthan to back Cong in RS polls

Two MLAs of the Bharatiya Tribal Party have decided to back the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections, said a statement after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with them at a Udaipur hotel.

The ruling Congress party in the state has shifted its MLAs to the hotel alleging that the BJP wants to poach its MLAs.

The elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state are scheduled for June 10.

Congress aims to win two seats but needs the support of Independent legislators and those belonging to other parties to win a third seat.

After a meeting with the chief minister, the two legislators of the Bharatiya Tribal Party decided to support the ruling Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls, the official statement said.

Election Commission announced the poll schedule for Biennial Elections for 57 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states.

These states include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. -- PTI

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