LIVE! Asani makes landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh

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Wed, 11 May 2022

Asani makes landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh

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23:36 Asani makes landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh

Cyclonic storm Asani made landfall between Machilipatnam and Narsapuram in Andhra Pradesh late on Wednesday night after weakening into a deep depression, the State Disaster Management Authority said.

Asani would further weaken into a depression and emerge into the Bay of Bengal in the Yanam-Kakinada region in the state, SDMA Director B R Ambedkar said in a release.

However, coastal AP districts would receive moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places with winds gushing to a speed of 50-60 km per hour, he said.

"People should remain cautious and fishermen should not venture into the sea as Bay of Bengal would continue to be rough," Ambedkar added.

On Wednesday evening, Asani lay centred some 20-30 km off Machilipatnam coast in Krishna district.

Many districts along the Bay of Bengal coast witnessed moderate to heavy rain under the influence of Asani even as the government machinery has been fully geared up to meet any emergency. -- PTI

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Bala Nandgaonkar on Wednesday met Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil over a letter threatening Raj Thackeray, and demanded action.

Speaking to reporters later, he said there would be repercussions across the state if the MNS chief was harmed.

Mumbai Police, meanwhile, registered a case in connection with the anonymous letter.

His office received the letter, Nandgaonkar said, adding that it was written in Hindi with a smattering of Urdu words and referred to Thackeray's warning that the Hanuman Chalisa would be played in front of mosques if loudspeakers were continued to be used to broadcast `azaan' (the Muslim call to prayer).

"The home minister said he will talk to the police commissioner. Now they will take whatever action that is necessary. But if even the slightest harm comes to Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra will burn. The state government has to take note of this," Nandgaonkar added.

He had met Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey over the letter on Tuesday, he said.

Nandgaonkar also said that he had been asking for security for the MNS chief and his family, but the state government was not paying heed. The Union government should look into this, he said. -- PTI

China on Wednesday scampered to censor World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' sharp criticism of its much-touted dynamic zero COVID policy as unsustainable, while the foreign ministry curtly told him to refrain from making "irresponsible remarks".

"We hope the relevant individual will take an objective and reasonable view of China's epidemic protocol and policy and try to get a better understanding of the facts and refrain from making irresponsible remarks," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here answering a spate of questions on the criticism by the Director-General of the World Health Organisation.

Zhao said no matter how hard it is, the Chinese people and the government have every confidence to bring the virus under control.

"We have the foundation and capability to successfully carry out the zero COVID policy which is a protocol that suits China's national conditions," he said.

Earlier, Chinese sensors scampered to scrub the Chinese social media, especially Weibo, which is akin to Twitter, to remove Tedros comments sharply critical of Zero COVID policy of putting a number of cities on either lockdowns or semi-lockdowns to deal with the spread of the Omicron variant.

Tedros, once the toast of the Chinese government for praising President Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus when it emerged first in Wuhan in December 2019 before it spiralled into a pandemic, said on Tuesday that the zero COVID policy which drew criticism from the Chinese public is unsustainable.

Tedros who faced global criticism for praising Xi and China as the virus turned into a pandemic affecting millions of people all over the world later faced criticism for calling a detailed probe into the allegation of the coronavirus leaked from a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

"As we all know the virus is evolving, changing its behaviour and becoming more transmissible. With that changing behaviour, changing your measures will be very important, Tedros told a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

"When we talk about zero COVID strategy, we don't think it is sustainable considering the behaviour of the virus now what we anticipate in the future, especially when we have now the good knowledge and understanding of the virus," he told a media briefing in Geneva.

With the availability of good tools, transiting into another strategy will be very important, Tedros said in the recording of his press conference circulated by the WHO to the media.

"We have discussed about this issue with Chinese experts and we indicated that the approach will not be sustainable, considering the behaviour of the virus I think a shift will be very important," he said in strong comments critical of China's zero COVID policy pursued vigorously by Beijing under the directives of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On Wednesday, China's National Health Commission reported 1,847 cases, mostly from Shanghai, the country's business hub with over 25 million population, which remained under lockdown for over a month.

Also, the capital Beijing, which is under semi-lockdown, conducted the ninth nucleic acid test on Wednesday for its over 21 million people. The 10th test will be conducted on Thursday. -- PTI

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday that he will appoint a new Prime Minister and a Cabinet this week which would introduce constitutional reforms, amid continuing widespread anti-government protests over the country's worst economic crisis.

In an address to the nation, President Gotabaya also said that after appointing the new Prime Minister, and Government a constitutional amendment will be moved to enact the content of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which will vest more powers with the Parliament.

"I will appoint a young cabinet without any of the Rajapaksas," Gotabaya said, as he started talks with political parties to stop the country from sliding into anarchy.

"The new government's Prime Minister will be awarded the opportunity to produce a new program and take this country forward," he added.

Sri Lanka has been without a government since the last two days after his President Gotabaya's elder brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned, making way to form an all party interim government.

The President is constitutionally empowered to run the country without a cabinet.

Speaking on the violence that took place in the nation earlier this week, he said what happened on May 9 was very unfortunate.

"The murders, assaults, acts of intimidation, destruction of property, and the series of heinous acts that followed cannot be justified at all," the President said.

Gotabaya said that the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to conduct investigations.

He also said that Sri Lanka Police and Three-Armed Forces have been ordered to strictly enforce the law against those who cause violence.

"Steps will be taken to strictly enforce the law against those who planned, aided, promoted, and are connected to these events," Gotabaya said while urging everyone to maintain calm.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking the resignation of President Gotabaya and his brother Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply. -- PTI

Representative image

21:50 No need to panic on reports of tomato flu in Kerala: : Minister

Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar on Wednesday said there is no need to panic about reports of tomato flu in neighbouring Kerala, as it is endemic to that State, and instructed authorities in the border district to remain vigilant aimed at controlling its spread.

Tomato flu is a rare viral disease, which causes red-coloured rashes, skin irritation and dehydration, and the disease gets its name from the blisters it causes, which look like tomatoes.

The tomato fever is affecting children below the age of five in Kerala.

"Though some symptoms are similar to COVID-19, the tomato flu has nothing to do with COVID-19. These symptoms are usually seen in other types of viral infections also. There is no need to panic as the authorities have been asked to remain alert. Moreover, the tomato flu is endemic to Kerala," Sudhakar said.

The main symptom of the tomato flu is large blisters the size of tomatoes which are red in colour. Other symptoms include high fever, body ache, joint swelling and fatigue - much like chikungunya, the Minister's office said in a statement.

Cases of tomato flu have currently been reported from Aryankavu, Anchal and Neduvathur in Kerala State.

In this background, the border districts of Karnataka -- Mangaluru (Dakshina Kannada), Udupi, Kodagu, Chamrajnagara and Mysuru -- have been directed to keep a vigil on daily travellers from Kerala and also monitor children for any of the aforementioned signs and symptoms in OPDs of Health Institutions, the statement said.

Further directions have been given to inform the State IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme) section immediately if any cases with such symptoms are detected, it said, adding that DHOs of districts concerned and other districts too are directed by the Commissioner of Health to ensure surveillance. -- PTI

Several parts of Odisha and West Bengal are bracing for heavy rain as severe cyclone Asani weakened to a cyclonic storm on Wednesday, barrelling towards north coastal Andhra Pradesh, packing a wind speed of 85 km per hour, the Met Department said.

The weather system is likely to further lose steam and turn into a depression by Thursday morning, it said.

"It is very likely to move nearly northwards for next few hours and recurve slowly north-northeastwards along Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts during noon to evening on Wednesday, and emerge into west-central Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by night, the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin.

In this situation, the Odisha government said the system will have no major impact on the state except heavy rainfall in some southern districts.

The Odisha government has put five southern districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati - on high alert, as they are likely to be affected by the system.

"It is unlikely to have much impact on Odisha. It is likely to make landfall between Kakinada and Narsapur of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night, Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra in Bhubaneswar said southern Odisha will experience wind speed up to 40-50 kmph as the cyclone would make the landfall.

Fishermen should not venture into the sea till May 12, he said.

Light to moderate rain or thundershower was experienced in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

Jena said 60 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) units and 132 teams of fire service personnel have been deployed in the state, considering the emerging situation.

The National Disaster Response Force has earmarked a total of 50 teams for undertaking rescue and relief operations in areas affected by Asani, the federal agency said.

Of the 50 teams, 22 have been deployed on the ground in West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh while the remaining 28 have been asked to be on alert within these states, an NDRF spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the weather office in Kolkata said the system is likely to cause light to moderate rain in the districts of Gangetic West Bengal.

"Heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places over Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts of Gangetic West Bengal till Thursday morning," it said.

Kolkata recorded 44.8 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours till 8.30 am, the Met Department said.

In probably the first public endorsement of Raj Thackeray's proposed visit to Ayodhya, senior Bharatiya Jantaa Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that MPs of his party should not oppose the MNS chief's coming to the temple town.

Fadnavis' comments came days after BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh set a pre-condition that Raj Thackeray should apologise to north Indians for taking an aggressive stand against them in the past before visiting the temple town.

The MNS chief is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on June 5.

"BJP MPs should not oppose MNS chief Raj Thackeray's proposed visit to Ayodhya. Anyone can visit Lord Ram and seek his blessings," said Fadnavis, the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

While Raj Thackeray has not yet reacted to Singh's statement, the MNS had said the BJP MP does not speak for the entire Uttar Pradesh.

"He (Singh) has expressed his view. We have decided to go (to Ayodhya). We are working on the bookings and other arrangements," MNS leader Bala Nangaonkar said on Tuesday when asked about Singh's statement.

Raj Thackeray recently gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government (comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress) to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 4. He had also said that he will visit Ayodhya on June 5 to seek the blessings of Lord Ram.

His party MNS, formed to raise the cause of sons-of-the soil, had targeted north Indians in the past and also agitated against students from UP and Bihar appearing in an exam in Maharashtra.

Singh had last week opposed Thackeray's upcoming visit to Ayodhya and warned that the latter would not be allowed to enter the city till he tendered a public apology for allegedly humiliating north Indians.

20:40 UP top cop removed for 'neglecting work'

Uttar Pradesh police chief Mukul Goel was on Wednesday removed from his post for neglecting his work, an official statement said.

He has been made the Director General (DG) of the Civil Defence department, it said.

The statement added that Goel was removed from the post of DGP for neglecting official work and not taking interest in departmental work.

Goel, a 1987-batch IPS officer, was appointed the Uttar Pradesh director general of police in June last year. -- PTI

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

20:29 Morgan Stanley cuts India's growth forecasts

American brokerage Morgan Stanley on Wednesday cut its India growth estimate by 30 basis points for 2022-23 and 2023-24 on global headwinds, and warned that macro stability indicators like inflation are set to "worsen" going ahead.

The brokerage expects India to clock a real GDP growth of 7.6 per cent in the ongoing FY23, as against its earlier estimate of 7.9 per cent, while the rate will slide further to 6.7 per cent in FY24 as against the earlier expected 7 per cent, it said.

Many analysts have been worried about the impact on the GDP growth as a result of the ongoing geopolitical events, which have fanned inflation and led central banks, including the RBI, to prioritise price rise over growth by hiking rates to cut demand in the economy.

"A slowdown in global growth, higher commodity prices, and potential risk aversion in global capital markets expose India to downside risks. The key channels of impact will likely be higher inflation, weaker consumer demand, tighter financial conditions, the adverse impact on business sentiment, and a delay in capex recovery," it said.

The brokerage said it expects support from the government's supply-side response and the reopening vibrancy to help counter the downside on the growth front.

It said the reopening vibrancy will benefit the informal sector and in turn, support the consumption story growth which has been a "laggard", and private capital expenditure will recover in the next 6-9 months as the government's infra spending will increase the utilisation levels.

Stating that "macro stability indicators (are set) to worsen", Morgan Stanley said it expects "both inflation and the current account deficit to deteriorate".

The retail inflation will average at 6.5 per cent for FY23, as against the 6 per cent upper band comfort available to the RBI, and the currenyt account deficit will reach a ten-year high of 3.3 per cent on the back of commodity price pressures.

The RBI will hike rates by 0.50 per cent each at the June and the August reviews, and take the repo at whcih it lends to be at 6 per cent by December 2022. -- PTI

20:23 Pakistan Taliban extends ceasefire till May 15

The ceasefire deal reached between the Pakistan Army and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan on the account of Eid-ul-Fitr has been extended for another five days.

The banned TTP in an order issued by its military commission on Tuesday announced that the ceasefire will remain in place till May 15 and new directives will be issued on May 16, the Express Tribune reported.

The Taliban and the military had reached a ceasefire on account of Eid for 10 days. The terms and conditions of this truce have not been released either by the TTP or the military.

The militant outfit on Tuesday warned its fighters against defying the order, directing them to avoid skirmishes with security forces till further orders.

The Pakistani Taliban has been behind many major attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians, including the attack on an Army school in Peshawar in 2014 that killed over 150 people, mostly children. -- PTI

19:59 Edu Min issues guidelines to combat heatwave

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday issued guidelines to schools for combating heatwave, asking them to relax the uniform norms and modify timings.

A torrid heatwave had sent the mercury soaring across large swathes of India with the temperature in Delhi rising to 46 degrees Celsius. The national capital also recorded its second hottest April in 72 years with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius.

The guidelines by the Ministry of Education asked the schools to modify timings and reduce the number of school hours each day.

Schools may relax norms about uniforms and canvas shoes may be allowed instead of leather ones, it stated.

The ministry also said that schools should ensure that fans are functional and also may arrange for power backup.

Revising school timings, restricting outdoor activities, stocking ORS and glucose sachets, and constantly motivating children to stay hydrated are among the steps schools are taking because of the heatwave conditions in the national capital region.

The India Meteorological Department had earlier this week said a fresh spell of heatwave is likely to begin over northwest India from May 7 and over central India from May 8.

19:28 Gyanvapi mosque survey: Court order tomorrow

A Varanasi court will deliver its verdict on Thursday in the case related to the video survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The court will also decide on a plea by the Gyanvapi mosque management committee (Anjuman Intezamiya Masjid) seeking removal of Ajay Kumar Mishra as the court commissioner for the survey, lawyers said.

The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who had earlier heard the arguments of the Hindu and Muslim sides, further heard the matter relating to opening of the two basements located inside the barricading in the Gyanvapi complex for videography and replacement of advocate commissioner.

Advocate commissioner Mishra also presented his side, lawyer Shivam Gaur representing the Hindu side told reporters.

"The court has reserved its order till 12 o'clock tomorrow. It is expected that tomorrow the court will give the next date for videography and also give a verdict on whether the commissioner will be changed or not," Gaur said.

After hearing arguments of both sides, the court has reserved its decision for Thursday, government counsel Mahendra Prasad Pandey said.

Meanwhile, joint secretary of Anjuman Intezamiya Masjid Syed Mohammad Yasin told PTI that there is barricading all around Gyanvapi Masjid and the Hindu side is talking about videography of the two basements located beneath the mosque by opening them.

Gaur claimed that in the order for videography-survey issued by the court on April 26, the matter of videography by going inside the barricading is also included.

The videography and survey of the mosque was ordered by Judge Diwakar on a plea by Delhi women Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu and others seeking permission to perform daily worship of deities Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi whose idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.

The women had moved the court with their plea on April 18, 2021, and also sought a court's order to stop the opponents from causing any damage to the idols.

The counsel for the mosque management committee had earlier contended that the court had not given any order to do the videography inside the mosque but to do it only till the 'chabutra' (courtyard) outside the barricades enclosing the mosque area.

A Delhi court Wednesday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on a plea moved by Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez seeking suspension of a Look Out Circular issued against her and permitting her to travel abroad.

The ED issued the LOC against her last year concerning a Rs 200 crore extortion case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

Fernandez sought the court's permission to travel abroad for 15 days, stating that she was required to attend events in Abu Dhabi, UAE, France, and Nepal.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh sought a response from the ED and listed the matter for May 18, 2022, for further hearing.

In her application, Fernandez claimed that the ED has seized her Passport without citing any reason.

"The applicant being a renowned film actress has been invited for events, press conferences, rehearsals, and participation in the event. That the Applicant prays for the release of her passport and seeks permission from this court to travel to Abu Dhabi, UAE, tentatively from May 17 to 22 as IIFA is organizing 2022 IIFA Weekend & Awards in Abu Dhabi, UAE," her application said.

It further said that she has also been invited to Cannes Film Festival in France from May 17 to 28 and another show in Nepal from May 27 to 28.

"Grave prejudice will be caused to the applicant if her permission to travel abroad is denied," the application said.

It said that she has always joined the investigation before the ED and was willing to abide by any conditions the court imposes.

Fernandez is a Sri Lankan National and is living in India since 2009.

The ED had stopped her from flying abroad, saying she may be required to join an ongoing money-laundering investigation.

The actor has been questioned by the ED in multiple sessions in connection with the case being probed against Chandrashekar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul.

The Bharatiya Janata Party will launch a massive fortnight-long campaign on May 30 to reach out to all sections of society, with particular emphasis on minorities and scheduled castes and tribes, to mark the 8th anniversary of the Modi government.

Elected representatives of the party, including MPs and MLAs, will actively participate in the public outreach programmes from booth to national level during which rallies and 'Prabhat Pheri' will be organised across the country and a report card on the performance of the Modi government released, according to a party booklet.

BJP president J P Nadda will kick off the campaign themed '8 Years: Service, Good Governance and Welfare of the Poor' on May 30 with the release of a book titled 'A Report to the Nation'.

Top party leaders, including Union ministers, will attend the function.

It will be followed by a public outreach programme over 10 days though the celebrations will continue for five days more. Each day of the exercise has been dedicated to specific segments of the society such as farmers, women, SCs, STs, OBCs, weaker sections, urban poor and others.

Under the campaign, the BJP has earmarked three days each for highlighting the welfare programmes focusing on minorities and tribals.

From June 6 to 8, the party will reach out to minorities under the programme-- 'Interacting with Minorities'. The party's minority cell members will meet people from minority communities and inform them about the community specific welfare programmes undertaken by the Modi government.

From June 3 to 5, 'Birsa Munda Vishwas Rally and Tribal Mela' will be held in Ranchi, where BJP's tribal leaders, including MPs, will highlight the government's efforts for the uplift of the tribal communities. Tribal fairs will be organised in all scheduled tribe dominated districts across the country.

The BJP's youth wing, Bhartiya Yuva Janata Morcha, has been tasked with organising 'Prabhat pheri' during which young volunteers will hold early morning processions highlighting the achievements of the Modi government. The BJYM will also take out 'Vikas Tirath' bike rallies in all districts where local MLAs and MPs will also participate.

The party will also reach out to the vast scheduled caste community in a big way with a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Mau. All senior dalit leaders of the party, including MPs and MLAs, will attend the rally.

The BJP will underline its unwavering commitment to the poor with emphasis on 'Seva' (service) all through the campaign, according to the booklet.

A campaign song and website will also be launched during the exercise. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the second global virtual summit on COVID-19 on Thursday being hosted by United States President Joe Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

It said the summit intends to galvanise new actions to address the challenges of the pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture.

Modi participated in the first global virtual summit on Covid hosted by Biden on September 22 last year.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit on May 12 at the invitation of the President of the USA, Joseph R Biden Jr," the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The Summit intends to galvanize new actions to address the continued challenges of the Covid pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture," it said.

The MEA said the prime minister would deliver his remarks in the opening session of the summit on the theme 'Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritising Preparedness'.

"India is playing a key role in ongoing global efforts to combat the pandemic by supplying safe and affordable vaccines, medicines, development of low-cost indigenous technologies to test and treat, genomic surveillance, and capacity building for health care workers," it said.

"India is also proactively engaged in multilateral fora with the objective of strengthening and reforming the global health security architecture with WHO at its centre," the MEA said.

Leaders of a number of countries are expected to participate in the summit.

The summit will also be attended by heads of state/government of Belize in its capacity as Chair of CARICOM, Senegal as Chair of African Union, Indonesia as President of G20 and Germany as President of G7 respectively.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal in alleged money laundering case.

Singhal was questioned by ED yesterday and today along with her husband in a money-laundering probe linked to alleged embezzlement of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act funds in Khunti and other charges.

Finally, on Wednesday, the ED said she has been arrested.

Terming the Delhi high court's split verdict on the issue of criminalisation of marital rape "disappointing", some women activists expressed hope that the Supreme Court will exercise "much more wisdom" in the matter, saying the current provisions are discriminatory against one category of rape victims.

Noting that the high court has "simply passed the buck" to the Supreme Court in the matter, All India Progressive Women's Association member Kavita Krishnan said: "The verdict by high court is very disappointing and upsetting.The legal issue is very clear and it is discriminatory against one category of rape victims -- wives. I hope that SC will show the courage and clarity needed for removing this shameful law."

The Delhi high court delivered a split verdict on the issue of criminalisation of marital rape with one of the judges favouring striking down the provision, the other holding it was not unconstitutional. The division bench granted leave to the parties to file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

Vani Subramanian, a member of the women's group Saheli Trust, questioned that if domestic violence is a crime, then how is marital rape not a crime.

She also pointed out that just because a woman got married, does not mean that she has given consent once in for all.

"It is a very sad day. If this (marital rape) has happened, we need to acknowledge it, we cannot only consider the cases where it is very brutal. Women's consent is central to this and the idea of equality, of bodily integrity. There needs to be some clarity on violence, that violence is violence where ever it happened. This is also a part of domestic violence. So domestic violence is a crime so how come rape is not a crime. I hope the Supreme Court will exercise much more wisdom," Subramanian said.

Meanwhile, anti-rape activist Yogita Bhayana is content that at least a discussion around marital rape has begun.

She believes as the matter has been referred to a bench of the Supreme Court, there will be a robust discussion on the matter.

"I am happy that it has been referred to SC bench because now the order will be unbiased. The discourse around the matter has started. One year back, people were not even talking. Now they have started discussing," she said.

Under the exception given in Section 375 of the IPC, sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being minor, is not rape.

While Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who headed the division bench, favoured striking down the marital rape exception, Justice C Hari Shankar said the exception under the IPC is not unconstitutional and was based on an intelligible differentia.

In February, the Centre had urged the court to grant more time to enable it to state its stand on the issue after a consultative process.

The request was however turned down by the bench on the ground that it was not possible to defer an ongoing matter endlessly.

In its 2017 affidavit, the Centre had opposed the pleas, saying that marital rape cannot be made a criminal offence as it could become a phenomenon that may destabilise the institution of marriage and an easy tool for harassing husbands. -- PTI

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday drew parallels between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Centre's "use of agencies to destabilise a democratically elected government", asserting that he would not kowtow under pressure.

Soren, who in the midst of an office-of-profit controversy, also said that he would give a befitting reply to the BJP-led Centre, "just like Ukraine had been responding to Russia's offensive".

"The way the Centre had been spreading propaganda, using agencies to destabilise a democratially elected state government in Jharkhand, it can be compared to Russia's military action to demilitarize and wipeout Ukraine. Russia had thought it could knock down Ukraine in a day or two, but look how Ukraine is staging a counter-offensive, with the war going on for three months now," Soren told PTI.

If the Centre thinks it can destabilise a democratically elected government by creating a "false narrative", it is grossly mistaken, he asserted.

"We are going to fight...I will not kowtow or run away like a coward," Soren said.

The CM has been asked to furnish reply to Election Commission as to why he should not be disqualified for holding an "office of profit" by granting a mining lease in his favour.

He had sought four weeks to furnish a reply to the notice, but the poll panel has given him just 10 days.

"The allegations against me are unfounded, false and fabricated. The mining lease issue is an old matter, which was duly declared by me in election affidavits way back in 2007," Soren said, seeking to know "why did the BJP wake up from slumber all of sudden.

The CM pointed out legal opinion is in his favour and it is unlikely that he would be disqualified as MLA.

"This is a ploy by the BJP to thwart development work in the state. The saffron party's ulterior motives are not unknown to anyone. All throughout, the Centre had meted out a step-motherly treatment to the poor state, exploited its mineral resources," he claimed.

Hitting out at the Centre over the dues pending from coal PSUs, Soren reiterated that the state was going through an economic crisis, and the BJP-led Union government, despite being told about it, was "maintaining silence over the matter, rather creating obstacles for the state".

Non-payment of Rs 1.36 lakh crore by the coal companies is impacting the socio-economic development projects in the fund-starved state," he stated.

Soren had earlier warned the Centre that it would stop coal supply to the PSUs if the dues were not cleared.

In a letter to the Centre recently, he underlined, "Jharkhand is a mineral-rich state and proceedings from coal is the main contributor (80 per cent) to its exchequer." -- PTI

A video clip of a remark by a Lucknow University professor has triggered a controversy with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad staging a protest and filing an FIR against him for allegedly hurting Hindu religious sentiments.

The FIR against professor Ravikant Chandan was registered on Tuesday after a clip of his remark surfaced on social media, the ABVP's Avadh Prant organisation secretary Anshul Srivastava told PTI.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is a student organisation affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The Lucknow University administration has sought a written clarification from the professor, but he said he has not received any such communication.

"During a debate on a social media platform, I had quoted a popular story from the book 'Feathers and Stones' by Pattabhi Sitaramayya regarding the Kashi temple demolition and building of a mosque," professor Chandan told PTI.

"The ABVP and other organisations used part of the video to indulge in wrong publicity and instigated people, leading to a mob gathering against me at the university on Tuesday and raising objectionable slogans," he said.

The professor added that he could not independently corroborate the story, which described a rape that took place inside the temple complex when Aurangzeb was passing through Varanasi.

Chandan said the ABVP used a part of the video to indulge in wrong publicity and instigate people against him.

Students of the university took offence over his remark and staged a protest against him, the professor added.

According to Srivastava, the professor too lodged an FIR against ABVP activists and some students on Wednesday, alleging that they tried to assault him and created hatred against him through social media.

Professor Chandan, however, said that he had also lodged a complaint, but no FIR was registered.

"Our objection was that without knowing the facts, speaking on a public platform on the basis of a book is not right, and it is least expected from a teacher. It is not just ABVP activists but also common students and all those having faith in the Hindu religion and culture who will be agitated by it and comments in this regard started pouring in from the very first day," Srivastava added.

The students wanted to express their objection in a peaceful manner before the proctorial board and ABVP activists were also present there, and things could have been resolved if the professor had expressed regret over the same, but he started sending messages to his people that there is an attempt to lynch him, he said.

Professor Chandan, a Dalit, said he was asked to express regret over his remark but casteist remarks were made against him as well. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the much awaited expansion or rejig of his Cabinet on Wednesday, said the BJP central leadership would communicate its decision in this regard after discussions, and that "anything may happen at any time."

He said the party high command would take a decision based on the developments during the next couple of days.

"I have met and spoken to Amit Shah on several issues, discussions have also taken place regarding the Cabinet. I have brought to his notice regarding the political situation and on matters required to take a decision regarding the Cabinet," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters, he said Shah has stated that he would speak to BJP national president J P Nadda and other central leaders of the party and take appropriate decisions.

"Based on the development over the next two-three days, we will decide and communicate, this is what he (Shah) has told me," he added.

The Chief Minister is under pressure from aspirants to expand his Cabinet at the earliest, ahead of Assembly polls next year.

To a question whether this means that there won't be Cabinet expansion or rejig for now, Bommai said, "Anything may happen at any time...as a political party this has to be decided. Based on the political situation such decisions are taken and in this backdrop I have informed him (Shah) what the current situation is."

The Chief Minister's meeting with Shah gained significance as Bommai on Tuesday had said that he would not be holding consultations regarding Cabinet with the BJP central leadership during this Delhi visit, citing their non-availability. -- PTI

16:22 Mohali explosion: History sheeter detained

The Punjab Police is learnt to have detained a man from Tarn Taran district in connection with the explosion at the intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali, sources said on Wednesday.

Nishan Singh, a resident of Kulla village in Tarn Taran district, will be questioned for his alleged role in the Mohali explosion incident, said sources.

Singh is already facing several criminal cases including one related to attempt to murder' and another under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The Punjab Police have already rounded up several suspects for questioning. In an audacious attack on Monday, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in Mohali's Sector 77 at 7.45 pm, which sent the state in a high alert mode.

Later, CCTV footage of the RPG attack had emerged. In the video, a car was seen moving on the road in front of the building of the intelligence headquarters. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, suggesting that the RPG was fired from that moving car.

The police on Tuesday had said that it recovered the launcher used in the attack. The Mohali police had on Monday termed the explosion at the headquarters as minor. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said the strictest punishment would be meted out to those trying to spoil the state's atmosphere.

Mann, who had held a meeting with the Director General of Police and other senior officials on Tuesday, said that nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab. He said the elements trying to foment unrest in the state will not be allowed to succeed. -- PTI

15:54 282 skeletons of 1857 'mutiny' soldiers found

The skeletons of 282 Indian soldiers who participated in India's First War of Independence in 1857 were found during the excavation near Amritsar, said Dr JS Sehrawat, Assistant Professor, Dept Anthropology, Punjab University.

The soldiers were said to have revolted against the use of pork and beef-greased cartridges.

"These skeletons belong to 282 Indian soldiers killed during India's first freedom struggle against the British in 1857. These were excavated from a well found underneath a religious structure in Ajnala near Amritsar in Punjab," said the assistant professor.

"These soldiers were revolting against the use of pork and beef greased cartridges, a study has suggested. Coins, medals, DNA study, elemental analysis, anthropological, radio-carbon dating, all point towards the same," Sehrawat added.

The 1857 revolt was called the First War of Independence by some historians. Some Indian sepoys recruited in the British Indian army had revolted against the use of pork and beef greased cartridges citing religious beliefs.

Santoor maestro Pt Shivkumar Sharma was on Wednesday cremated with full state honours in the presence of family and close friends. The 83-year-old musician died on Tuesday morning following a heart attack at his Pali Hill residence in Mumbai.

Sharma, one of India's most well known classical musicians, was credited for taking santoor, the folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir, to the global stage. He also straddled the world of Indian cinema as one half of the famous 'Shiv-Hari' composer duo along with flautist Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia. They composed music for films like "Silsila", "Lamhe", "Chandni" and "Darr". After a guard of honour in Juhu, where his mortal remains were kept for people to pay their respects, Sharma's funeral was held at Vile Parle's Pawan Hans Crematorium.

The musician's family, including wife Manorama and sons Rahul and Rohit, his friends from the fraternity, including long-time collaborator Chaurasia and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, were present. Sharma's last rites were performed by his sons, followed by a gun salute.

Earlier in the day, celebrities like megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, lyricist Javed Akhtar, music composer duo Jatin-Lalit and singer Ila Arun, among others paid their last respects at Abhijit Cooperative Housing Society.

Booster doses for 18+ began in April in India

15:27 4th Covid vaccine dose provides strong immunity boost: UK study

A fourth dose of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is safe and boosts antibody levels, even higher than that of a third dose, according to the latest results from a nationwide study in the UK.

Fourth doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been offered as a spring booster for those most vulnerable in the UK, the researchers said.

This has been a precautionary strategy to maintain high levels of immunity prior to the study data being available, they said.

The findings, published in The Lancet Infectious Disease journal, show that fourth dose mRNA booster vaccines for Covid-19 are well-tolerated in people who received Pfizer as a third dose. They are also effective at increasing both antibody and cellular immunity up to and above baseline and peak levels observed following third dose boosters, according to the researchers.

"These results underline the benefits of the most vulnerable people receiving current spring boosters and gives confidence for any prospective autumn booster programme in the UK, if the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation considers it needed at that time," said Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and Director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility.

In the study, 166 people who had received a third dose of Pfizer, following Pfizer or AstraZeneca initial doses in June 2021, were randomised to receive full dose Pfizer or half dose Moderna as a fourth dose. The fourth dose was administered approximately seven months after the third dose. While pain at vaccination site and fatigue were the most common side effects, there were no vaccine-related serious adverse events and fourth doses were safe and well tolerated, the researchers said. -- PTI

As the Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold the application of sedition law, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju invoked "Lakshman Rekha" guiding different institutions, including the Executive and the Judiciary, and said no one should cross it.

Responding to queries by reporters soon after the top court gave its directions, Rijiju said, "We respect each other. Court should respect the government, legislature. So as the government also should respect court. We have clear demarcation of boundary and that 'Lakshman Rekha' should not be crossed by anybody."

In its significant order on the law that has been under intense public scrutiny, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said there was a need to balance the interest of civil liberties and interests of citizens with that of the state.

Taking note of the concerns of the Centre, the apex court said the rigours of Section 124A (sedition) of the IPC is not in tune with the current social milieu and permitted reconsideration of the provision.

The bench, also comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohil, directed the Centre and states to not register any fresh FIR invoking sedition charges until the sedition law is "under reconsideration". The court listed the matter in the third week of July and said its directions shall continue till further orders. PTI

15:01 Kejriwal in Rajkot

AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrives in Rajkot, Gujarat. He will hold a public rally here later today.

Even though India was declared Open Defecation Free by the Narendra Modi government in 2019, the latest NFHS survey conducted in 2019-21 showed that 19 per cent of households do not use any toilet facility.

However, the report said the percentage of households practising open defecation decreased from 39 percent in 2015-16 to 19 per cent in 2019-21. Access to a toilet facility is lowest in Bihar (62 per cent), followed by Jharkhand (70 per cent) and Odisha (71 per cent).

The NFHS-5 found that 69 percent of households use an improved sanitation facility that is not shared with other households and eight percent use a facility that would be considered improved if it was not shared.

"Nineteen percent of households have no facility, which means that the household members practice open defecation," the report said.

"83% percent of households have access to a toilet facility. Sixty-nine percent of Indian households use improved toilet facilities, which are non-shared facilities that prevent people from coming into contact with human waste and can reduce the transmission of cholera, typhoid, and other diseases," it said.

The survey found that 11 percent of urban households use a shared facility, compared with seven percent of rural households. Access to a toilet facility ranges from 69 percent among scheduled tribe households to 93 percent among households which are not scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, or other backward class households.

On safe drinking water, the report showed that 58 percent of households do not treat their water prior to drinking. "Treatment is less common in rural areas than urban areas; 66 percent of rural households do not treat their water, compared with 44 percent of urban households," the report said.

The NFHS found that boiling water and straining the water through a cloth before drinking are the most common water treatment procedures used prior to drinking (16 per cent and 15 per cent of households, respectively). In India, almost all urban households (99 per cent) and rural households (95 per cent) have access to an improved source of drinking water.

"Improved sources of water protect against outside contamination so that the water is more likely to be safe to drink. Urban and rural households rely on different sources of drinking water," the survey said. The main sources of drinking water for urban households is water piped into their dwelling, yard, or plot (54 per cent), tube wells or boreholes (16 per cent), and public taps or standpipes (12 per cent).

In contrast, rural households rely most on tube wells or boreholes (46 per cent), followed by water piped into their dwelling, yard, or plot (23 per cent). In rural areas, 68 percent of households have water on their premises or delivered to their dwelling, compared with 86 percent in urban areas. -- PTI

Update: The Delhi High Court Wednesday delivered a split verdict on the issue of criminalisation of marital rape and granted leave to the parties to file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

The petitioners had challenged the constitutionality of the marital rape exception under Section 375 IPC (rape) on the ground that it discriminated against married women who are sexually assaulted by their husbands. Under the exception given in Section 375 of the IPC, sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being minor, is not rape. PTI

14:32 HC split verdict in criminalising marital rape

Breaking news: On criminalisation of marital rape, split verdict from Delhi High Court. While Justice Rajiv Shakdher favours striking down of marital rape exception, Justice C Hari Shankar says it is not unconstitutional.

14:25 Cyclone Asani may hit AP coast in few hours

Asani, which weakened from a severe cyclone into a cyclone in Bay of Bengal on Wednesday afternoon and lay 40 km southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, is expected to cross the coast near Antarvedi in a few hours, the State Disaster Management Authority said.

By late evening, Asani is expected to weaken further into a depression and drift back into the sea close to Yanam, the SDMA said.

While moderate to heavy rains were likely to continue in the coastal districts, winds with a speed ranging from 60-80 kmph were forecast along the Bay of Bengal coast.

Rainfall ranging from 1 cm to 6.5 cm was recorded at different places in the coastal districts from Srikakulam to Bapatla since Tuesday, authorities here said. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted a videoconference with Collectors of coastal districts and reviewed the situation. -- PTI

The land on which the Taj Mahal was built originally belonged to Jaipur's ruler Jai Singh and it was acquired by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, BJP MP Diya Kumari claimed on Wednesday, asserting that records are available with the erstwhile Jaipur royal family.

She also supported a petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking a fact-finding inquiry into the "history" of the Taj Mahal and also opening of the doors of its "22 rooms" to see "the truth, whatever it is".

"It should be investigated what was there before the monument was built and people have the right to know. There are records available with the Jaipur family and it would provide these, if required," Kumari, a member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, said.

"Compensation was given in lieu of the land but how much was it, whether it was accepted or not, I cannot say this because I have not studied the records which are there in our 'pothikhana'. But the land belonged to our family and Shah Jahan had acquired it," she told reporters here.

"Since there was no judiciary, no appeal could have been made at that time. Things will be clear only after examining the records," the BJP leader said. Referring to the petition, she said that it was a valid point that the rooms should be opened and an investigation should be done.

"People should know why the rooms are locked there. There could have been anything before the Taj Mahal, may be a temple. People have the right to know what was there originally before the 'maqbara'," Kumari said.

She said that she has not studied the records and can reach a conclusion only after examining them. "What I am saying is on behalf of what I have learnt and heard. I have not studied the records. We can provide the records to the court if necessary. Only after examining the records, we can reach a conclusion," Kumari said.

The writ petition was filed on Saturday in the registry of the Lucknow bench of the high court by Rajneesh Singh, who is the media in-charge of the BJP's Ayodhya unit. -- PTI

Newly elected TMC legislator Babul Supriyo was Wednesday sworn in as MLA of the West Bengal assembly, ending weeks of uncertainty over who would administer oath, after Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar insisted that he would not change his decision of nominating the deputy speaker for the job.

The singer-turned politician, who was last month elected MLA from the Ballygunge assembly constituency, was sworn in by Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee.

"It feels great to be part of the historic West Bengal assembly. This is going to be a new experience," Supriyo said.

Though Supriyo, who quit his job as a central minister and the BJP, was elected on April 16, confusion prevailed over his oath-taking ceremony. Usually, the speaker is nominated by the governor to swear in a new member of the assembly.

However, Dhankhar had decided to name the deputy speaker for the job, and despite repeated pleas by Surpiyo seeking permission for the speaker to administer the oath to him, the Governor had decided to stick to his decision. The by-election to the Ballygunge assembly seat was held on April 12, and the result was declared on April 16. --PTI

Various left-wing organisations took out a citizens' march to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's residence to protest against the anti-encroachment drives being carried out by BJP-led municipal corporations in the city.

The march started from Kashmere Gate and was proceeding towards Baijal's residence when it was stopped by the police.

Carrying banners like 'Stop Communal Attacks on Muslims', 'Unite Against Casteism and All forms of Capitalist Exploitation', protesters raised slogans of "Halla Bol" as they braved the scorching heat.

There were about 70 protesters, according to police. Civic authorities on Wednesday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in Najafgarh and other areas in south Delhi, as bulldozers continued to roll in the city to carry out the action. BJP-led municipal corporations on Tuesday carried out anti-encroachment drives in their respective areas, including New Friends Colony, Vasant Kunj, Raghubir Nagar and Mangolpuri, as officials reached the spot with bulldozers along with police personnel and removed illegal temporary structures.

This comes a day after the civic body had to return without executing the action in Shaheen Bagh on Monday following protests by locals and political leaders. PTI

About 50 per cent of women aged 15-24 years still use cloth for menstrual protection, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report, with experts attributing it to lack of awareness and taboo existing around menstruation.

The experts also said that if an unclean cloth is reused, it increases exposure to multiple local infections.

In the recently released NFHS-5, women aged 15-24 years were asked what method or methods they use for menstrual protection, if anything. In India, 64 per cent use sanitary napkins, 50 per cent use cloth, and 15 per cent use locally prepared napkins, the report stated.

Overall, 78 per cent of women in this age group use a hygienic method of menstrual protection. Locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins, tampons and menstrual cups are considered to be hygienic methods of protection. -- PTI

Shireen Abu Akleh. Pic courtesy: Al-Jazeera

12:29 Israel kills Al-Jazeera reporter in 'cold blood'

A journalist for Al-Jazeera was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday.

Al-Jazeera blamed Israeli forces, who said they were investigating the incident.

Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and died soon afterward. Another Palestinian journalist working for the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper was wounded but in stable condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to "condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague, Shireen Abu Akleh. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word PRESS. The Israeli military said its forces came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin, and that they fired back. The military said it is investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said it had proposed to the Palestinian Authority a joint pathological investigation into the reporter's death. Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth, he tweeted.

Stress may directly impact female fertility and ovarian reserve -- the number and quality of eggs they produce, according to a small study conducted in mice.

Exposing female rats to scream sounds, researchers noted a decrease in estrogen and Anti-Mullerian hormone levels, which are vital for fertility. Stress also reduced the number and quality of eggs, resulting in smaller litters, they said. The findings, published in the journal Endocrinology, shed light on the role stress may play in female reproduction.

12:08 SC puts sedition law on hold

The Supreme Court has put the draconian sedition law on hold.

The court has urged the Centre and states to refrain from registering any FIRs invoking Section 124A IPC. In other words, registering any FIR invoking sedition charges cannot be done till the Act is reexamined.

"All pending cases, appeals and proceedings with respect to charges framed for sedition should be kept in abeyance," the court said.

The SC further stated that if sedition cases are to be registered, the parties are at liberty to approach the court and the court has to expeditiously dispose of the same.

The Court allows the Central government to re-examine and reconsider the provisions of Section 124A of the IPC which criminalises the offence of sedition. Supreme Court says till the exercise of re-examination is complete, no case will be registered under 124A.

The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a superintendent of police rank officer can be made responsible for monitoring registration of FIRs for the offence of sedition.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, that however, the registration of FIRs for the offence of sedition cannot be prevented as the provision dealt with a cognisable offence and was upheld by a Constitution bench in 1962.

With regard to pending sedition cases, the Centre suggested that hearing on bail pleas in such matters may be expedited as the government did not know the gravity of offence in each case and they may have terror or money laundering angles.

"Ultimately, pending cases are before judicial forum and we need to trust courts," the law officer told the bench which also comprised justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli. The proceedings are on.

On Tuesday, the bench had asked the Centre make its stand clear within 24 hours on keeping the pending sedition cases in abeyance to protect the interests of citizens already booked and not registering fresh cases till the government's re-examination of the colonial-era penal law is over. PTI

11:28 Gita Gopinath has reason to celebrate

IMF First Deputy MD Gita Gopinath shares this picture with her parents: "A great feeling to celebrate my father's 85th birthday with him and my mother."

11:10 India not sending troops to Sri Lanka: MEA

The Indian High Commission in Colombo on Wednesday categorically dismissed speculative media reports about New Delhi sending its troops to Colombo, saying India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery.

The denial from the Indian mission came a day after it refuted as "fake and blatantly false" local social media speculation that former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members have fled to India.

The whereabouts of Mahinda Rajapaksa has been speculated since his resignation on Monday.

It was reported that Mahinda had left his office-cum-official residence, Temple Trees.

In its first reaction to the situation in Sri Lanka, India on Tuesday said that it is "fully supportive" of the island nation's democracy, stability and economic recovery.

"The High Commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about #India sending her troops to Sri Lanka. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of #India," the Indian mission said on Twitter.

The Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated yesterday that India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery, it said in another tweet.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi on Tuesday: "India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes".

Mahinda, 76, resigned as prime minister amid unprecedented economic turmoil in the country, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians. -- PTI

People pay their last respects to eminent santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma at his residence in Mumbai. He passed away yesterday. Standing on the left is his son, Rahul Sharma, who also plays the santoor.

Cyclone Asani continues to disrupt the flight operations in Andhra's Visakhapatnam and Tamil Nadu's Chennai as all IndiGo flights were cancelled on Wednesday morning.

Air Asia also cancelled one flight from Bengaluru and one from New Delhi, said Airport Director of Visakhapatnam, K Srinivasa Rao. However, the decision about the evening flights is still awaited.

"Air India is yet to decide and convey about their flight operations. SpiceJet Kolkata-Visakhapatnam-Kolkata stands cancelled, they will take a call on Hyderabad flight post 2 pm," Rao said.

While, as many as 17 domestic flights were cancelled at Chennai airport for the second day today due to the cyclone.

Notably, 10 flights from Chennai to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Mumbai and Jaipur were cancelled yesterday.

A total of 17 flights have been cancelled so far this morning, including 6 from Visakhapatnam, 4 from Hyderabad, 2 from Hyderabad, 2 from Rajahmundry and 1 each from Bangalore, Jaipur and Kolkata, as per the Chennai Airport Authority. -- PTI

10:36 Rahul seeks exemption from court appearance

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has moved an application in a court at Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district, seeking permanent exemption from appearance in a defamation case filed against him.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) J V Paliwal on Tuesday directed the complainant, local RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, to respond to the application and posted the matter for further hearing on May 18.

In 2014, Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi after watching his speech in Thane's Bhiwandi township, where the Congress leader alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.

Kunte had claimed this statement slandered the reputation of the RSS. In his application moved on Tuesday, Gandhi said being a member of Parliament (from Wayanad in Kerala), he has to visit his constituency, attend to the party work and travel a lot, hence he be exempted from appearing in person before the court.

His advocate Narayan Iyer said Gandhi has also stated in his application that whenever required, he be allowed to be represented by his lawyer in the hearing.

On Tuesday, Kunte also moved an application seeking exemption from appearance as he was unwell, which was allowed by the court.

In 2018, the court had framed charges against Gandhi in the case, but he had pleaded not guilty.

Last month, Kunte paid Rs 1,500 cost to Gandhi, as per the court's directions, as he (Kunte) had sought adjournment in the case. Kunte had moved applications seeking adjournment in the case twice - in March and April - which the court had rejected and asked him to pay Rs 500 (for March) and Rs 1,000 (for April) to Gandhi. -- PTI

10:22 Markets rebound amid global recovery

Equity benchmark indices rebounded on Wednesday, with the Sensex jumping over 190 points in early trade, tracking recovery in global markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 190.34 points higher at 54,555.19. The NSE Nifty jumped 65.55 points to 16,305.60 in early deals.

Among the Sensex firms, Bharti Airtel, Tech Mahindra, Power Grid, Tata Steel, HDFC and M&M were the prominent gainers in early trade. In contrast, Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, Larsen & Toubro and IndusInd Bank were among the laggards.

10:07 Veteran Cong leader Sukh Ram dies at 94

Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Sukh Ram has died, his grandson said on Wednesday. He was 94. He had suffered a brain stroke in Manali in Himachal Pradesh on May 4, following which he was admitted at the regional hospital in Mandi.

Later, the Congress leader was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for better treatment on May 7. Sukh Ram's grandson Aashray Sharma said his body will be kept at Seri Manch in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi for 'antim darshans' on Thursday. "Goodbye grandfather, the phone won't ring now (alvida dadajee, abhi nahi bajegee phone ki ghanti)," Aashray Sharma said in a Facebook post around 2 am on Wednesday. However, the post did not mention when Sukh Ram breathed his last.

In another post on Wednesday morning, Aashray Sharma said Sukh Ram's body will reach his home city Mandi on Wednesday at 6 pm. His body will be kept at Seri Manch in Mandi for 'antim darshans' for the public to pay tributes on Thursday at 11 am, he added. Aashray Sharma also posted his childhood photo with his grandfather.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on May 7 had provided a state helicopter for airlifting the veteran political leader to Delhi for treatment.

Sukh Ram was the Union minister of state communications (independent charge) from 1993 to 1996. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from the Mandi constituency. He won in five assembly elections and was thrice elected to Lok Sabha. In 2011, Sukh Ram was sentenced to five years imprisonment for corruption when he was communications minister in 1996. His son Anil Sharma is a BJP MLA from Mandi.

Severe Cyclone Asani weakened to a cyclonic storm on Wednesday as it barrelled towards north coastal Andhra Pradesh and came within 34 km of Narsapur in the state, packing wind speed of 85 km per hour and bringing heavy rains to the region, the weather office said in New Delhi.

The weather system was expected to move away from the coast and further weaken into a depression by Thursday, it said.

It is very likely to move nearly northwards for next few hour and recurve slowly north-northeastwards along Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts during noon to evening on Wednesday and emerge into west central Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by night, the India Meteorological Department said in its national bulletin.

It is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by 12th May morning, it said.

The weather office has been monitoring the cyclonic storm since the first signs of its formation emerged last week. It has issued 30 national bulletins since May 7, predicting the track of the cyclone and alerting civic administrations about the possible damage it could cause.

The weather office had asked fishermen to suspend fishing operations in the region as sea condition is likely to be high over west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal till Wednesday evening and very rough to rough over the same region thereafter Thursday.

It said storm surge of height about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Krishna, East & West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam of UT of Puducherry.

According to the weather office, the cyclone could damage thatched huts, cause minor damage to power and communication lines, harm paddy and other standing crops in Krishna, East and West Godavari, and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam in Puducherry. -- PTI

09:33 US pumps in $40bn more aid to Ukraine

The US House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden's initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin's bloody three-month-old invasion.

The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion more than Biden's request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defence and humanitarian programmes.

The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops.

The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans. House debate reflected a perspective, shared broadly by both parties, that the US has even more at stake than standing by Ukraine.

The Ukrainian people, they need us, they are in desperate need of our support," said Rep Rosa DeLauro, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. "Vladimir Putin and his cronies must be held responsible. This bill does that by protecting democracy, limiting Russian aggression and strengthening our own national security. As China, Iran and North Korea watch our response, we must show the world that America stands firm with its allies and will do what is necessary to protect our interests abroad, said Rep Kay Granger of Texas, top Republican on that committee.

The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly $54 billion, including the $13.6 billion in support Congress enacted in March.

That's about $6 billion more than the US spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers. It's also around 1% of the entire federal budget.

The measure was released as Washington has become increasingly assertive about its goals and its willingness to help Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently the US wants a weakened Russia that can't quickly restore its capability to attack other countries.

Image: A Ukrainian serviceman carries a mortar shell at a position at an unknown location in the Kharkiv region. Pic: Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters

09:11 Asani damages beach road in Andhra

Cylone Asani update: Traffic movement on the Kakinada-Uppada Beach Road has been closed in the wake of Cyclone Asani.

"Pitch road is damaged. We have put up two check-posts in our limits to control vehicular movement. We're stopping everybody from taking this route," the police said.

Severe cyclone Asani neared the east coast, packing gale-force winds up to 105 kmph, amid indication of gradual weakening on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The cyclone, which was moving at 5 kmph in the morning, gained speed to 25 kmph later in the day, as it lay centred around 210 km south-southeast of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and 530 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha, according to the latest bulletin issued at 4.30 pm.

09:01 Bill Gates tests positive for Covid-19

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

The billionaire philanthropist said he will isolate until he is again healthy. "I'm fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care," Gates wrote.

The Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the most influential private foundation in the world, with an endowment of about $65 billion. Bill Gates has been a vocal proponent for pandemic mitigation measures, specifically access to vaccines and medication for poorer countries.

Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he would restore former United States President Donald Trump's banned account on Twitter if his deal to acquire the company is completed.

"I think it was a morally bad decision to be clear and foolish in the extreme," he said at a Future of the Car event hosted by the Financial Times.

The world's richest man Musk called the ban a 'morally bad decision', saying permanent bans undermine trust in Twitter.

"If there are tweets that are wrong and bad, those should be either deleted or made invisible, and a suspension--a temporary suspension--is appropriate, but not a permanent ban," said Musk.

"I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake ... It alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice," he added.

The Tesla tycoon's $44 billion takeover bid was accepted by Twitter's board of directors last month, but it still needs regulatory approval.

Trump has said he would have no interest in rejoining Twitter even if his account were reinstated, insisting that he plans instead to stick with his fledgling social media network, Truth Social.

Last week, Musk denied a report that Trump had encouraged him to buy Twitter, tweeting that he has had 'no communication, directly or indirectly', with the former President.

Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter following the January 6 Capitol Riot for violating the platform's rules against violence incitement, a decision the company has said was headed by Jack Dorsey.

Twitter declined to comment on Musk's comments.Trump, for his part, has said he would not return to Twitter even if his account were restored, instead of promoting his own social media venture, Truth Social.

Musk agreed last month to buy Twitter in a $44 billion deal.

However, he said that the transaction wasn't a done deal and that several steps, including a Twitter shareholder vote, still needed to be completed. -- ANI

08:31 Cyclone Asani brings heavy rains to Kakinada

Amid cyclone Asani, rain lashes parts of the Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning.

Earlier on Tuesday, Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said that cyclone Asani is likely to reach Kakinada on the Andhra coast on Wednesday morning.

"The cyclonic storm Asani is moving from West Central Bay of Bengal towards North Andhra coast and as per estimation, the cyclone is likely to reach Kakinada of Andhra coast tomorrow morning," Jena had told ANI.

While on Tuesday, a senior Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) official said that a heavy to very heavy rainfall warning has been issued along with the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh in the wake of cyclone Asani.

Telangana's Nalgonda, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mulugu districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall.

The officials had said that cyclone Asani has changed its direction and is going to touch the nearby Kakinada coast. After touching the Kakinada coast, it will come again to sea between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam.

"Heavy to very heavy rainfall warnings have been issued along with the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana's Nalgonda, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mulugu districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall," Dr Nagaratna, head, Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad, had told ANI.

The weather office officials had earlier said that light to moderate rain or thundershowers is likely to occur at a few places of Telangana due to the cyclone Asani.

"Heavy to very heavy rains warnings have been issued along with coastal Andhra Pradesh districts. Telangana is likely to have the impact of the cyclonic storm in adjoining districts. Nalgonda, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mulugu are likely to receive light to moderate rains. At times heavy rains are expected," Nagaratna had said.

The officials had said that the southern districts of Telangana are likely to receive light to moderate rains.

They had said that Hyderabad is likely to experience light rains in the next 24 hours and cloudy conditions would persist for the next 48 hours. -- ANI

After Governor Jagdeep Dhankar insisted that he would not change his decision on who would administer the oath to Babul Supriyo who quit his job as a central minister and the BJP party to join the TMC, it has been decided the singer-turned politician who was last month elected MLA from the Ballygunge assembly constituency will be sworn in by West Bengal assembly deputy speaker Asish Banerjee on Wednesday.

Usually the Speaker is nominated by the governor to swear in a new member of the assembly.

However, Dhankar had decided to name the deputy speaker for the job and despite repeated pleas by Surpiyo seeking permission for the speaker to administer the oath to him, the governor had decided to stick to his decision.

Though Supriyo was elected on April 16, confusion consequently prevailed over his oath-taking ceremony.

On April 30, the former minister tweeted a letter he had written to the governor on his plea.

"For the sake of the people of Ballygunge, who did not have a MLA for several months since the demise of Subroto Mukherjee, I would request your excellency @jdhankhar1 ji to reverse the decision & allow Honb'le Speaker to preside over my oath taking allowing me to start my work." Supriyo said on Twitter.

The governor replied the next day also on the social media : "Public domain request of Shri Babul Supriyo, ... seeking governor for administration of oath by hon'ble speaker is not acceptable as not being in consonance with the Constitution." -- PTI

01:05 Will welcome Raj Thackeray in Ayodhya: BJP MP

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Lallu Singh Tuesday said he will welcome and is ready to play a host to MNS chief Raj Thackeray during his proposed Ayodhya visit next month, even as ruling party lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh opposed the Maharashtra leader's trip.

The MNS chief has announced to visit Ayodhya on June 5 with his supporters to offer prayers at Ram Janmabhoomi.

In a statement on Tuesday, Lallu Singh, the MP from Faizabad constituency which also comprises Ayodhya city, said anyone who wants to come in the refuge of Lord Rama is always welcome.

"As we are the servants of the devotees of Lord Rama, we will welcome him. We will also pray to Lord Rama to give Raj Thackeray good wisdom so that he works under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the betterment of himself and Maharashtra," he said.

This comes after BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said Thackeray will not be allowed to enter the borders of Ayodhya unless he apologises to all north Indians with folded hands for "humiliating" them. -- PTI

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