Khichi, 45, who represents Dev Nagar ward number 84 in the MCD House, has been associated with the AAP since its inception in 2012. 

He was also a part of the 2011 India Against Corruption movement that led to birth of the Arvind Kejriwal-party. 

"Considering his contribution to the party, he was fielded as candidate from Dev Nagar ward. He won, and in the last one year, he has worked diligently with the people on the ground. Considering all of this, the party has decided to make him the mayoral candidate for the upcoming term," Delhi AAP convener Gopal Rai said at a press conference. 

Kichi has campaigned for the AAP in many elections, including those in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 

He has also served as booth president, ward president and RWA president of Karol Bagh. 

The Dev Nagar ward falls under the Karol Bagh assembly constituency. Kichi is a B.Com graduate from Delhi University's Moti Lal Nehru College. -- PTI

The LG's order comes after Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi claimed there was a plot to kill Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case, by denying him home-cooked food and insulin in jail, a charge rejected by the prison authorities. 

The Raj Niwas said, "Shri VK Saxena @LtGovDelhi has expressed grave concern over reports based on statements by Ministers & AAP leaders alleging non provision of insulin to Hon'ble CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal who is in jail & purported "conspiracies" against him. 

"Shri Saxena has asked DG Prisons to submit a factual and comprehensive report in the matter within 24 hrs. Although Prisons as a transferred subject comes directly & totally under the AAP Govt, LG has assured that no laxity with regards to CM's health will be tolerated," Raj Niwas said in a series of posts on X. -- PTI

In a more than 13-minute telephonic conversation with them, Modi spoke about his visit to the border region during Diwali and asserted that connecting the village with the mobile network will quicken the 'Digital India' campaign. 

The government is now prioritising linking all places with the communication technology after meeting success with the electrification exercise, the prime minister said, noting that when he came to power more than 18,000 villages lacked electricity. 

A villager told him that they could not believe it for a moment when they were told that the area will be connected to the mobile network and their happiness knew know no bounds when it finally happened. 

They had to earlier travel for around eight kilometres to use their mobile-phones, he said. 

Modi highlighted his government's efforts to boost development in border areas under the 'Vibrant Village Programme', saying the earlier dispensations left these regions to their fate. -- PTI

The NCS stated that the tremors struck at precisely 8:52 pm Indian Standard Time.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at Latitude 33.32 and Longitude 76.67, at a depth of 5 kilometers, the NCS shared. 

"Earthquake of Magnitude:4.0, Occurred on 18-04-2024, 20:52:34 IST, Lat: 33.32 & Long: 76.67, Depth: 5 Km ,Region: Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir," the NCS posted on X. 

Last week, on Saturday, April 13, an earthquake of magnitude 3.3 on the Richter scale struck Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh region. 

"Earthquake of Magnitude:3.3, Occurred on 13-04-2024, 20:38:40 IST, Lat: 30.19 & Long: 80.43, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand," the NCS posted on X. -- PTI

The development comes after a woman cadet named Ann Tessa Joseph landed at the Cochin International airport, who was among the 17 Indians onboard container vessel MSC Aries. 

"All of them are free to go. They are not detained. They can return India. They are under command of the captain," said envoy Elahi in response to ANI. 

In a major diplomatic win for New Delhi, Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, one of the 17 Indian crew members of the Israel-linked cargo ship 'MSC Aries' that was seized by Iran on April 13, returned safely to her homeland, the ministry of external affairs informed through an official statement on Thursday. 

The Indian deck cadet landed at Cochin International Airport on Thursday afternoon and was received by the regional passport officer of Cochin. 

The ministry of external affairs on Thursday also added that the Indian mission in Tehran is in touch with the remaining 16 Indian crew members of the container vessel. -- ANI

While Manindra Agrawal has been appointed as the director of IIT-Kanpur, Devendra Jalihal of IIT-Madras has been appointed as the director of IIT-Guwahati, they said.

Agrawal was a professor at IIT-Kanpur's Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

"Avinash Kumar Agarwal, professor at IIT-Kanpur's Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed as the director of IIT-Jodhpur," a source said.

"Sukumar Mishra has been appointed as the director of IIT-Dhanbad while DS Katti will be the new head of IIT-Goa," the source added. 

Amit Patra has been appointed as the director of IIT-BHU.

Kejriwal is lodged in the Tihar jail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. 

The plea said to fulfil the responsibilities of the chief minister, Kejriwal's physical presence is required in his office and home to take quick decisions on all issues and to pass orders in the welfare of the public at large. 

The petition is listed for hearing on April 22 before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora. 

A chief minister is also required to pass several orders and directions on different issues and problems on a daily basis, which is not possible from jail or judicial custody, it said. 

The petitioner, a law student, mentioned his name as "We, the people of India" in the plea, claiming that he does not want any name, fame or money from this matter. 

The public interest litigation claimed that the safety and security of Kejriwal is in danger because he is confined with hardcore criminals, who are facing prosecution in cases such as rape, murder, dacoity and bomb blast. -- PTI

Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain said over 1,000 women officers and officials have been deployed across these stations to facilitate the electoral process, with women security personnel also stationed for assistance. 

Terming it as nique' for a record number of women to participate in the electoral process this time, the CEO highlighted that six district election officers in the state are women. 

"In Roing, the headquarters of Lower Dibang Valley district, the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and majority of the polling officials are women. It is a encouraging that women are contributing in the election process," Sain said. 

Altogether 50,842 government employees have been deployed for conducting polls in the state. 

The CEO informed that 2,073 polling teams on Thursday moved to their destinations from various district headquarters. 

He added 864 vehicles transporting electronic voting machines and other poll materials have been fitted with GPS system. There are 2,226 polling stations in the state, an official said. -- PTI

The video which is going viral, appears to have been shot on Wednesday during the Sri Ram Navami procession in the city. 

In a post on 'X,' Madhavi said it has come to her notice that an incomplete video of her is being circulated in the media to create negativity. 

"I would like to clarify that it's an incomplete video and even because of such video if any one's sentiments are hurt then I would like to apologise as I respect all individuals," she said in the post. 

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday, reacting to the video came down heavily on the saffron party saying there is threat to peace from BJP and RSS. 

He rebuked mediapersons also for not giving enough importance to the video. 

"You people are not showing the vulgar aggressive act being played near a religious structure by the BJP and RSS. What kind of message is being given with his kind of acts? Had it been me, you people would have put a snake around my neck," he said. -- PTI

An Independent candidate, Naresh Singh Bhadauriya, also filed nominations from Kheri seat during the day. 

Teni reached the collectorate alongwith BJP district president Sunil Singh, Lakhimpur BJP MLA Yogesh Verma and others to submit his nomination papers to the returning officer. Election on this seat will be held on May 13. 

Teni won the seat in 2014 and 2019. He is in the fray from the seat for the third consecutive time. 

His son Ashish Mishra is serving a jail term in connection with the killing of four protesting farmers and a local journalist over the now repealed three farm laws in 2021. He is on bail in the case at present. -- PTI

The SUV was on its way to Nashik from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. 

The accident took place at Khamble Shivar village near Sinnar town. 

As the driver of the ill-fated vehicle lost control, it crossed the divider, broke side barriers and turned turtle, a police official said. 

The passengers of the SUV were residents of Karodi village in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. 

The deceased were identified as Bajirao Eknath Gangurde (65) who died on the spot and Nisha Ramkisan Gatkal (20) who died during treatment at a hospital. 

One of the injured persons was admitted to a private hospital in Sinnar and the other two were admitted in District Civil Hospital in Nashik, the official said. -- PTI

The Medical College police said Mohamed has been booked under IPC Section 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot--if rioting be committed--if not committed) and Section 125 of the Representation of People's Act (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) based on the complaint forwarded to them by the Election Commission. 

The poll panel received the complaint from a native of Thiruvananthapuram, they said. 

According to police, Mohamed, while addressing an election meeting at the Kuttikkattoor area, allegedly said, "If the BJP comes to power again at the Centre, the places of worship of minority communities will be harmed."  

Mohamed said that she did not intend to hurt religious sentiments and stood by what she said. -- PTI

Elections are the most beautiful expression of India's democracy and there is "nothing like voting", he said in a video message. 

In view of the heatwave, Kumar said people must take all precautions. 

"But I know the spirit of the Indian voter will beat the summer heat," he said. 

"In our great democracy, elections belong to you, the choice belongs to you... you are deciding the government. You are doing it for your sake, for your family and children, for your village or town and, of course, for the country," he said. 

"I call upon the youth to lead a revolution in electoral participation," the chief election commissioner said as he urged people to cast their ballot. He reminded people that they should never underestimate the power of "your one vote". There are many instances, when one vote has mattered in a critical contest," Kumar said. 

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will kick off on Friday with polling for the first phase scheduled in 102 seats spread across 21 states and Union territories -- PTI

Heavy rains swept through the United Arab Emirates and surrounding countries on Tuesday, affecting normal life. The tarmac of the busy Dubai International Airport was left submerged, leading to the cancellation of flights.

In a post on X, India's consulate mentioned the helpline numbers through which the Indian community can seek help for their issues following extreme weather conditions.

According to the consulate, +971501205172, +971569950590, +971507347676, and +971585754213 were available for weather-related emergencies.

The consulate also said it is in touch with UAE authorities and the airlines to facilitate stranded passengers.

Regular updates from airlines are being conveyed to travellers, and relief measures have been extended in association with Indian community organisations, the Indian consulate said.

"We have facilitated connection between stranded passengers and their families in India. Helpline numbers will continue until normalcy returns. We remain committed to serving the Indian community living in or travelling to Dubai and the Northern Emirates," the mission said.        

Authorities struggled on Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 mm (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 mm (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport. 

Other areas of the country saw even more precipitation.

The UAE's drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed, flooding neighbourhoods, business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway running through Dubai.

During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for the successful test flight of the ITCM. 

He stated that the successful development of the indigenous long-range subsonic cruise missile powered by indigenous propulsion is a major milestone for Indian defence R&D. 

The Defence Research and Development Organisation said that the performance of the missile was monitored by several range sensors such as radar, electro optical tracking system and telemetry deployed by the Integrated Test Range at various locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path. 

The flight of the missile was also monitored from the Su-30-Mk-I aircraft of the Indian Air Force, they said. 

"The missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation and demonstrated very low altitude sea-skimming flight. This successful flight test has also established the reliable performance of the indigenous propulsion system developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru,' the DRDO said in a release. -- PTI

 Taking to social media, user Revant Himatsingka 'Food Pharmer' said there is a shocking video about food served by IndiGo. 

 "Most of us already know that Maggi is a high sodium food! What most of (us) don't know is that Indigo's Magic Upma has 50% more sodium than Maggi, Indigo's Poha has ~83% more sodium than Maggi, and Daal Chawal has as much sodium as Maggi," he said in a post on X on Wednesday. 

 He also said that just because 'Upma', 'Poha' and 'Daal Chawal' sound healthy, does not mean they are healthy. In a statement on Thursday, IndiGo said the preparation of some pre-packaged products is done as per traditional Indian recipes and the salt content is well within prescribed norms. 

"IndiGo serves fresh and pre-packaged food only from the most reputed vendors. All food served on board IndiGo flights carries details on ingredients and nutritional information as per FSSAI norms," it said. Further, IndiGo said it welcomes all feedback to improve the services. The information printed on the package acts as an advisory for passengers to estimate their nutritional intake and consume as per their discretion, the statement said. 

 In January, food safety watchdog FSSAI issued a show cause notice to IndIGo for serving unsafe food to a passenger after a worm was found in a sandwich served onboard a flight. At that time, IndiGo regretted the incident and said it has already taken steps to avoid such incidents in the future.

 In the post on Sunday, Himatsingka also said that junk food pretending to be healthy is even more dangerous than junk food. "Indians already consume too much sodium and consuming excess sodium on a regular basis raises our blood pressure and can result in hypertension, heart issues and kidney issues," he said. 

 He also pointed out that high altitudes reduce taste bud sensitivity. "This is also one of the reasons why most airlines add excess salt" in food. PTI

As many as 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 states and Union territories will go to polls in the first phase which is also the largest of the seven phases of the elections. 

Separately, voting will also be held for 92 assembly seats in the state elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim on Friday. 

 Of the 102 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had won 39 in 2019, with the ruling alliance NDA bagging 12, five and three of them in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, respectively. 

The BJP's existing allies hold seven of them. Voting will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm, though the closure of poll timings differs in some seats. The Election Commission has deployed over 18 lakh polling personnel across 1.87 lakh polling stations where over 16.63 crore voters will exercise their franchise. Voters include 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women and 11,371 third gender. There are as many as 35.67 lakh first time voters, besides 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years. A total of 41 helicopters, 84 special trains and nearly one lakh vehicles have been deployed to ferry polling and security personnel, the poll panel pointed out. Webcasting will be done in more than 50 per cent of the polling stations along with deployment of micro observers in all polling stations. 

Additionally, 361 observers -- 127 general, 67 police and 167 expenditure observers -- have already reached their constituencies days before the polls. They will serve as the eyes and ears of the Commission. Special observers have also been deployed in certain states. 

 Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has been leading the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections for the past two years. He had led a conference of state chief electoral officers at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. 

 Amongst the prominent leaders trying their electoral luck in phase one are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh (West), Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner, Sarbanada Sonowal from Dibrugarh in Assam, Sanjeev Baliyan from Muzaffarnagar in western UP, Jitendra Singh from Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir and Bhupendra Yadav from Alwar in Rajasthan. Tamilisai Soundararajan, who recently resigned as governor of Telangana and Lt Governor of Puducherry to return to active politics, is contesting from Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency. Nakul Nath, son of Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, is seeking reelection from Chhindwara. Of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Tripura, the seat of West Tripura that votes in the first phase will see a high-voltage clash between former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and state Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha.

 Aiming to enhance voter turnout, ahead of the polling, the poll panel had also organised a conference on low voter turnout with focus on parliamentary constituencies with a history of low poll participation in previous elections. Polling for the 543 seats for electing the 18th Lok Sabha will be held in seven phases. The votes will be counted on June 4. PTI

The Indian deck cadet landed at the Cochin International Airport on Thursday afternoon and was received by the Regional Passport Officer of Cochin.

"With the concerted efforts of Indian Mission in Tehran and the Iranian Government, Indian deck cadet Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, who was among the Indian crew members of container vessel MSC Aries, has landed safely at the Cochin International Airport today afternoon. At the airport, Ms. Joseph was received by the Regional Passport Officer, Cochin," MEA statement read.

In the wake of the seizure of the container vessel, External Affairs Minister s Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, bringing up the release of the 17 Indian crew members.

The two leaders, earlier, discussed the prevailing situation in West Asia, stressing the importance of avoiding escalation.

"Spoke to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian this evening. Took up the release of 17 Indian crew members of MSC Aries. Discussed the current situation in the region. Stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to diplomacy. Agreed to remain in touch," Jaishankar posted from his official X handle.

The Indian Mission in Tehran was in touch with the remaining 16 Indian crew members of the container vessel, which is currently under Iranian control, the MEA informed.

The crew members are in good health and in touch with their family members back home, the MEA release added.

 In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters in New Delhi, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, who is the first woman vice-chancellor of the university, said the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is "not saffronised" and there is no pressure from the central government in its day-to-day functioning. 

 Pandit, also a JNU alumnus, however, admitted that the campus was polarised when she took over and termed the phase as "unfortunate". 

She claimed that there were mistakes on both sides (students and administration) and the leadership erred in handling the situation. PTI

 A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict after hearing the response of Election Commission on the pleas. 

 The petitioners have also sought reversal of the poll panel's 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass through which a voter can see the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, explained the process of how an EVM functions. Advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Gopal Sankararanarayanan appeared for the petitioners. Other lawyers represented the intervenors. 

 On April 16, the top court had deprecated criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and calls for reverting to ballot papers, saying the electoral process in India is a "humongous task" and attempts should not be made to "bring down the system". PTI

 The Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat will witness a high-stakes battle, with Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai facing DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK's Singai Ramachandran. 

In his post on X, Annamalai said, "For an honest political change to take place in Tamil Nadu, for youth politics to be born, for equal opportunities to flourish for all, for the pride of Kongu land to be known throughout the country, for Coimbatore to travel on the path of development, I earnestly request all the voters of the Coimbatore Parliament to vote for the lotus symbol." 

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, will be eyeing a third straight victory from Maharashtra's Nagpur seat. The seat will witness the contest between senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre, who is currently the Nagpur West MLA. Recently, Nitin Gadkari released 'Vachan Nama' (Manifesto) for the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. "We plan to open an organic fruits and vegetables and foodgrains market in Nagpur," he said. "I am 101 per cent sure of my victory. This time I will win the election with a very good margin. Given the support of the public, their enthusiasm, the hard work of the party workers, I will try my best to win with a margin of more than 5 lakhs," Gadkari said after his name was announced by the party.

Jitin Prasada, who quit Congress in 2021, is one of the prominent faces of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections as he replaced two-time MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi. 

Former Bihar Chief Minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi is contesting the Gaya seat in Bihar. This election holds important political significance for the 79-year-old Manjhi. Gaya has the highest number of 14 candidates contesting the elections. In the 2024 election, the BJP has left the Gaya (reserved) seat for its ally, the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S).

The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to snatch the lone seat won by the Congress in the 2019 elections, Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. 

Nakul Nath, son of former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath is fighting again from the Chhindwara seat against BJP candidate Vivek Bunty Sahu, who had lost to Kamal Nath in the last two assembly polls. The BJP already showed in the recently conducted assembly polls that it has an upper advantage in the Hindi heartland states. In the 2019 elections, Congress leader Nakul Nath got a total of 47.1 per cent of vote share whereas the defeated BJP candidate touched 44.1 per cent. 

The Jorhat seat in Assam will decide if the Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi can make it to the elected house this time too. The Constituency has been seen as a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's decision to contest the elections from Jorhat, instead of his family's stronghold Kaziranga (erstwhile Kaliabor) -- from where he is sitting MP -- has made the contest interesting. 

 The former Mumbai Congress chief, who crossed over to the rival Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier this year, also said he was ready to contest from the Mumbai South constituency -- which he represented as Congress MP from 2004 to 2014 -- if his new party wanted.

 "Congress has unfortunately surrendered to a party which it neither trusts, nor values as an alliance partner. I know what the Congress party feels about Uddhav Thackeray," Deora told PTI in an interview earlier this week. 

Under the seat-sharing agreement of the Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Uddhav Thackeray's party will contest Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North-East and Mumbai North-West seats, leaving only two seats --- Mumbai North and Mumbai North-Central -- for the Congress. This did not go down well with the local leadership of Congress which traditionally contested five of the six seats in Mumbai. After the seat-sharing deal was finalised, the party's city unit chief Varsha Gaikwad voiced her disgruntlement openly. 

"I know very well what they (Congress leaders) felt when the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance was being formed (in 2019), and I know they still feel the same way," he claimed. By giving in to the Sena (UBT)'s demands, the party did a huge disservice not to its leaders but to its "karyakartas" (workers), Deora said.

 Rane also called the Congress manifesto a "bluff" saying the party never fulfilled promises during its long rule. 

"Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray have gone mad and are making all kinds of claims. They are saying the BJP will barely win 200 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has won 300 seats in the previous poll and will cross 400 this time," Rane told reporters on Wednesday.

 "The Congress manifesto is a bluff. It was in power for nearly 65 years and never implemented any of the schemes mentioned in the manifesto. In the 2019 polls, they somehow managed to win 50 seats," Rane added.

 The BJP on Thursday announced the candidature of Rane from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra's Konkan region. PTI

"I was surprised to hear that AK Antony, senior Congress leader and father of Anil Antony, does not want his son to win. I respect him for his honesty and integrity, but his reaction against his son has surprised me," he said.

During his speech, Rajnath praised AK Antony as an individual but attacked the Congress party for their involvement in corruption, and many of its leaders have been to jail over corruption charges.

He attacked Congress and CPI (M) for the ties between the two parties at the national level despite rivalry in the state, "Rahul Gandhi migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Kerala. He is contesting elections from Wayanad in Kerala. He could not gather courage to contest elections from Amethi. The left parties have also fielded a candidate against him from Wayanad. Congress and Left fight against each other in Kerala but they are friends in Delhi," he said.

Singh mocked Rahul Gandhi, saying BJP has launched Mangalyaan, Chandrayan, and Adityayaan, but Congress has failed to launch its own 'Rahulyaan' for the last 20 years.

 ANI has learnt from government sources that India's food regulator "FSSAI is examining the report - will be placed before the scientific panel" Nestle responding to ANI queries said, "We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritize using high-quality ingredients. Over the past 5 years, Nestle India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant, in our infant cereals portfolio (milk cereal based complementary food). We regularly review our portfolio and continue to innovate and reformulate our products to further reduce the level of added sugars without compromising on quality, safety and taste."

 The report, however, says Nestle has violated WHO guidelines against adding honey or sugar in baby food products not only in India but also in many Asian, African and Latin American countries. 

 The report says that out of the 15 Indian Cerelac products tested, laboratory analyses revealed that each serving of cereal contained more than 2.7 gm of added sugar. 

While Nestle's labelling highlights the nutrients, added sugar is not as transparently displayed. The report further finds that Nestle was not following the WHO guidelines in poor countries, but was seemingly favouring higher-income countries. 

"Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-old babies sold by Nestle in Germany and the United Kingdom have no added sugar, while the same product contains over 5 gm per serving in Ethiopia and 6 gm in Thailand," the study said. A recent WHO study found that over 11 per cent of Indians are diabetic and 35.5 per cent suffer from hypertension. WHO study warns that obesity has reached "epidemic proportions" in low- and middle-income countries and is accelerating the rise of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. -- ANI

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for CBI and ED cases, Kaveri Baweja, who directed the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter, including Kejriwal's diet chart. 

 Kejriwal has moved the court seeking permission to consult his regular doctor via video conference because of fluctuating sugar levels. The judge directed the authorities concerned to file the report by tomorrow, when the court is likely to take up the matter again. 

 "Arvind Kejriwal is eating high sugar content food despite having type 2 diabetes. He is consuming 'aloo poori', mango, sweets, daily. This is being done to make grounds for medical bail," the ED told the court. PTI

 The top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), an independent vote verification system which enables an elector to see whether his vote was cast correctly.

 "These news reports are false. We have verified the allegation from the district collector and it appears that they are false. We will submit a detailed report to the court," senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. 

 Vyas was present in the courtroom to apprise the bench about the functioning of EVMs. Earlier during the day, the top court asked senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, to look into the issue after advocate Prashant Bhushan flagged the anomaly. Bhushan, who is appearing for petitioner NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms', told the court that there were reports about EVMs showing one extra vote during a mock poll exercise. PTI

 Addressing a public meeting in Kannur, Kerala, today, Rahul asked how can one come to Kerala or Tamil Nadu and say that there is going to be one language. 

 "By using ED and CBI as political weapons, the BJP is trying to change the nature of our country. The Congress and UDF accept the diversity of India. We accept the multiple languages, traditions, and different histories of all our people. The BJP wants to impose one history, one nation, and one language on the people," he said. 

 "First of all, this is a fundamental misunderstanding of what India is. How can you come to the people of Kerala, Tamil Nadu or West Bengal and say that there is going to be one language. You are insulting every single citizen of Kerala. Malyalam is not just a simple language; inside it is the hidden history, tragedy, and happiness of the Kerala people. How will a mother of Kerala explain the history of this great land to her children? How can she do it in English or Hindi?" Rahul Gandhi asked.

 He emphasised that this is what the Congress is protecting. Further, Rahul Gandhi put up a bouquet of flowers and said that this is what India looks like. 

 "Every colour is unique, and every flower has a different expression. Imagine if I said that only white flowers would remain here. There will be no leaves. That is what the BJP and RSS are trying to do. In Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and India. It shows that they don't understand India," he said.

 Rahul also mentioned that PM Modi recently visited Tamil Nadu and said there that he liked dosas. "The Prime Minister recently went to Tamil Nadu, which has brilliant poets. It has a huge history, and traditions. The PM here says that he likes Dosa. I also like Dosa, but please try to understand other things about the state as well. India can never be changed. You are wasting your time. You are creating disharmony that is harming millions of people," he added. -- ANI

 A blast happened near a procession in Murshidabad's Shaktipur area on Wednesday, injuring a woman, police said. 

 "Everything was pre-planned. The DIG of Murshidabad was removed a day ahead of Ram Navami so that you (the BJP) can carry out violence," she said at an election rally in the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency. 

 The chief minister also claimed that goons associated with the BJP roughed up police personnel in the district. The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that stones were pelted at a Ram Navami procession in Rejinagar area of the district. PTI

Brij Bhushan had filed a fresh appeal in the Rouse Avenue Court claiming he was not in India when the incident occurred.

 The case pertains to cheating of investor funds through use of Bitcoins. The attached properties include residential flat in Juhu (Mumbai) presently in the name of Shetty and residential bungalow in Pune and equity shares in the name of Kundra, the federal agency said in a statement. 

 A provisional attachment order has been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these properties worth Rs 97.79 crore, it said. 

 The money laundering case stems from FIRs of the Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company named Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj and number of agents, where it was alleged that they had collected huge amounts of funds in the form of Bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from gullible public with the false promises of 10 per cent per month return in the form of Bitcoins. 

 The promoters cheated the investors and have been concealing the ill gotten Bitcoins in obscure online wallets, the ED alleged.

 Kundra, it claimed, received 285 Bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi "s" Amit Bhardwaj for setting up Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. Kundra is still in possession of 285 Bitcoins which are presently valued at more than Rs 150 crore, the ED said. PTI

 If a lot is at stake for the ruling party in the 102 constituencies going to the polls as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a stronger majority, the challenge is even bigger for the opposition INDIA bloc, whose several constituents are in a battle of survival and hope for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections. 

Among the 21 states and Union Territories where these seats are spread, Tamil Nadu has emerged as a riveting battleground thanks to the BJP's high-octane push to open up its traditionally bipolar polity amid the main opposition AIADMK's continued struggle since J Jayalalithaa's death. Elections in all the 39 seats in the state, where the BJP drew a blank in 2019, will be held on Friday. 

Modi has led the saffron charge, frequenting the state for long before the polls were announced and holding several rallies and road shows since then. 

 The BJP, which has allied with a few smaller parties, has sought to upend the state's conventional politics, which has so far been indifferent to Hindutva politics, by taking the ruling DMK head-on for its alleged insult of Sanatan Dharma besides involvement in corruption. 

 The prime minister has visited many temples in the run-up to the elections, especially in the days ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in January. He has deftly mixed this with his championing of Tamil culture and pride to counter the Dravidian criticism of the BJP as a party pushing north Indian values in the state.

 Chief Minister M K Stalin has dismissed all the buzz around the BJP as propaganda, while terming the fight against the national party as a battle for democracy's survival in the country. 

 Political strategist Prashant Kishor has, however, predicted a big rise in the BJP's vote share in the state, while the party's state president K Annamalai, who quit the IPS to join politics and has energised its campaign, has claimed that its seats will be in double digits. 

 It is also one state where the BJP has invested heavily in its regional leadership represented by Annamalai, who is himself contesting from Coimbatore. The poll outcome in the state on June 4, when the nationwide counting of all seats will be done, will have wide repercussions.

More details in a bit.

 Singh said Gandhi, following his defeat, migrated to Kerala from Uttar Pradesh.

 "However, I have heard that the people of Wayanad have decided not to make him their MP," he claimed while speaking at an election meeting in the Pathanamathitta Lok Sabha constituency to garner support for BJP candidate Anil K Antony. 

 Singh also said that while various space programmes and projects were being launched in the country, "the launching of Congress' young leader has not happened for the last 20 years". 

 "The Congress party's 'Rahulyaan' has neither been launched nor has it landed anywhere," he said taking a dig at the Congress MP from Wayanad. During his speech, Singh praised Congress stalwart A K Antony and called him a disciplined and principled person whose honesty and integrity cannot be questioned. 

 He said he was surprised on reading Antony's statement that Anil Antony should lose in the Lok Sabha polls. 

 "I know he (A K Antony) is a principled person and I understand his compulsions. It is difficult for him to support Anil Antony. However, I would like to tell him that Anil is his son. 

 "You (A K Antony) may not vote for him (Anil) or canvass votes for him, but you are his father so I would like to request that your blessings should be with him," Singh said. 

 The Lok Sabha elections in Kerala will be held on April 26 and the results will be declared on June 4. -- PTI 

Rane's son Nilesh Rane had won the seat in 2009 as the Congress candidate.

Even before the seat was announced Narayan Rane has claimed that he will win the seat by a margin of over 2 lakh votes by defeating Sena UBT MP Vinayak Raut. 

Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Kiran Samant, brother of state's Industries Minister Uday Samant, was interested in contesting from this seat but BJP seems to have sidelined its ally. 

"And for the BJP, that is a good thing -- that people will not read," writes Prem Panicker. 

Read the column here. 

 The removal of these plants will help in protecting the lake's biodiversity along with enhancing its natural richness, the BMC said in a release on Wednesday. 

 The BMC said it has cleared 23 per cent of the total 123 acres of water hyacinth-infected area of the lake, built during the British era. The civic body has undertaken the clearing process from March 8 "to preserve and rejuvenate the natural environment of the Powai Lake," it said. 

 The lake is spread over 557.50 acres. Nearly 123.97 acres area was infected by the water hyacinth, the civic body said. 

 "The water hyacinth removal work on the remaining 94.72 acres area is also being carried out at a fast pace," the release said. 

 Built in 1891, the Powai lake has a storage capacity of 5,455 MLD (megalitres per day) and its catchment area is spread over 600 hectares. The lake water is not potable and hence used for other purposes, the release said. PTI

 All the accused are residents of MS Palya, police said. 

 Meanwhile, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje who is contesting from Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency, met the victims at their residence on Wednesday night and condemned the incident. 

 According to police, the incident happened when Pavan Kumar, Rahul and Binayak, residents of Sanjeevininagar, were going in their car towards MS Palya to check a second hand two-wheeler. They had a saffron flag and were shouting "Jai Shri Ram". 

Farman and Sameer riding a bike stopped them and Farman started questioning them why they were raising "Jai Shri Ram" slogans and that they should only say "Allahu Akbar".

 Farman tried to snatch the flag. However, the victims chased him while Sameer rode away. Later, they returned to their car. 

The accused Sameer, Farman along with two minors came back and assaulted Pavan Kumar, Rahul and Binayak and left the spot, a senior police officer said. 

 "After our police team reached the spot, the victims were brought to the station and the injured were sent to hospital for treatment," the officer said. 

 Rahul was hit on the head with a stick and Binayak sustained an injury to nose bone, he added. 

 Based on a complaint received from Pavan, a case was registered by Vidyaranyapura police under IPC sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs); 298 (uttering, words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings); 143 (unlawful assembly); 147 (punishment for rioting); 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace); 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means); 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt); 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed), police said. PTI

 In a post on X from Congress' official handle, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP-RSS are against the idea of India. "You are the Congress worker, our backbone and the DNA of our party. You understand our ideology and you fight for it every day. We couldn't do without you. The elections are taking place. The BJP-RSS are against the idea of India. They are attacking our Constitution, the country's democratic structure, our institutions, including the ECI, as well as the legal framework of India. You fight against the ideology of the RSS on the streets, in the villages, and everywhere. You are the defenders," he said. 

 "You helped us bring key ideas from the people of India into our Manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. We rely on you, and we love you! I send you my best wishes. We're going to defeat the BJP and their ideology!" Rahul Gandhi added. 

 In another post on X from his official handle, Rahul Gandhi said that the aim of the Congress is to ensure the participation of tribals in the building of modern India. 

 "The aim of the Congress is not only to protect water, forests and land but also to ensure the participation of tribals in the building of modern India. These 6 resolutions of ours dedicated to the tribal society will become a shield for the rights of the tribals by preventing the plunder of resources. The country will become strong only when the foundation is strong," he said. -- PTI

Read the editorial from the Guardian here. 

On the occasion of Ram Navami yesterday, a beam of sunlight fell directly on Ram Lalla's idol at the new temple in Ayodhya on noon, marking the 'Surya Tilak' of the idol on the first Ram Navami since its consecration.

Read more on that here. 

 Sunetra Pawar is contesting her sister-in-law, the sitting MP Supriya Sule who is daughter of veteran leader Sharad Pawar and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate. 

 Supriya will also file her nomination from the Baramati seat today. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Thursday that whenever any candidate of Mahayuti files their nomination, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will try to remain present. 

 Ajit Pawar said, "I have prayed to Lord Bappa that when PM Modi gets elected for the third time there should be a major contribution from Maharashtra and that maximum Mahayuti candidates from Maharashtra shall get elected. We have decided that whenever any candidate of Mahayuti files their nomination, the CM and Deputy CM will try to remain present, we have called everyone to be present today but there is nothing like 'Shakti Pradarshan'." 

 Sunetra Pawar said that today was a big day for her. "I am going to file my nomination today. So we came here, offered prayers and took blessings," she said. Baramati seat has been considered the bastion of the Pawar family with Supriya Sule winning the last three Lok Sabha elections from Baramati.

"The accused conducted a 'recce' of Salman Khan's farmhouse in Panvel. They intended to just scare him, not murder him. The statements of both families have been recorded in Bihar. Around 7 people have been called from Haryana and other states for questioning, which is ongoing," said a Mumbai Crime Branch official.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the Mumbai Crime Branch will record Salman Khan's statement as a witness in the case related to the firing outside his Bandra residence.

Upon the arrival of Mumbai Police officials at Salman Khan's house following the incident, the actor reportedly expressed anger and concern about his family's security. He also raised questions about the security provided by Mumbai Police, saying that such an incident took place despite the heavy deployment of security personnel at his place, sources said.

Earlier, the Mumbai Crime Branch disclosed that the perpetrators had conducted a reconnaissance of the actor's residence before carrying out the attack. Moments before the shooting, the assailants parked a motorcycle approximately 100 metres away from Salman Khan's residence at Galaxy Apartments in Bandra.

After confirming the absence of individuals outside Khan's house, the shooters approached the premises on the motorcycle and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

In another development, the Mumbai Police filed a case against Anmol Bishnoi in connection with the firing incident, citing his use of threatening language on Facebook. -- ANI

The Mumbai Police Wednesday registered an FIR against an unnamed person in connection with a deepfake video of actor Aamir Khan in which he was seen promoting a political party, official said.

 

The FIR was filed at the Khar Police station by Khan's office under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 419 (impersonation), 420 (cheating) and other sections of the Information Technology Act.

In the purported 27-second clip, which seems to have been edited using artificial intelligence (AI), Khan could be seen talking about staying away from rhetoric (jumla).  

A spokesperson for the actor had said on Tuesday that while Khan has in the past raised awareness through Election Commission campaigns through the years, he never promoted any political party.

The disputed deepfake video inserts Khan into a scene from a decade-old episode of his television show, Satyamev Jayate. 

"We want to clarify that Mr Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party throughout his 35-year career. He has dedicated his efforts to raising awareness through Election Commission public awareness campaigns for many past elections," Khan's spokesperson had said in a statement.

"We are alarmed by the recent viral video alleging that Aamir Khan is promoting a particular political party. He would like to clarify that this is a fake video and totally untrue. He has reported the matter to various authorities related to this issue, including filing an FIR with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police," Khan's spokesperson said in a statement. -- PTI 

Refuting the claims that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is putting up a "brave fight" against the BJP, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that his actions suggest otherwise and alleged Gandhi is "hesitant" to contest from the BJP-ruled states. 

He further alleged that Gandhi seeks refuge in states with considerably high minority population.

Azad took a dig at Gandhi and National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah, referring to them as "spoon-fed kids" rather than politicians, and said that both have done nothing on their own.

"Why is Rahul Gandhi hesitant to contest in the BJP-ruled states? While Gandhi claims to be fighting the BJP, his actions suggest otherwise. Why fly from the BJP-ruled states and seek refuge in minority-dominated ones?" Azad said while addressing public meetings in Sangaldan, Ukhral areas of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. 

Azad, who is campaigning in support of his party candidate G M Saroori, criticised the party for what he called "reluctance" to engage in direct confrontations and a "tendency to seek out safe seats" where minority populations are sizeable. 

He questioned the party's commitment to fighting the BJP on the ground, accusing it of preferring "safe seats" in states like Kerala. 

Azad, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family, said that Gandhi and Abdullah are "spoon-fed kids" rather than politicians. "They have not made personal sacrifices in life and are merely enjoying political legacies inherited from figures like Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah. Both have done nothing on their own," he added.

"Abdullah is campaigning in the Chenab valley against the DPAP, not the BJP. He has been tasked to divide the secular votes. He did nothing for his own constituency," he said. -- PTI 

A bird flu outbreak has been reported in two places in this district, officials said here on Thursday.

The bird flu was confirmed in ducks reared in an area of ward 1 of Edathva Grama Panchayat and another area in ward 3 of Cheruthana Grama Panchayat, they said.

The disease was confirmed after the samples of the ducks showing symptoms of bird flu were sent to a lab in Bhopal for testing.

A district administration official confirmed that samples tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1).

In this situation, according to the action plan of the Government of India, a meeting chaired by the District Collector decided to initiate the process of killing and destroying (culling) domestic birds within a radius of one kilometer from the epicenter.

A Rapid Action Force will be formed and related preparations will be completed by the Animal Welfare Department as soon as possible, the official said.

The district administration said there is no need to panic unnecessarily as there is no possibility of the disease transmitting to humans. -- PTI