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Fri, 12 July 2024
ED arrests Karnataka ex-minister B Nagendra
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IAS officer Puja Khedkar
23:50 Video showing Puja Khedkar's mother threatening group of men with gun goes viral
A video showing IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother threatening a group of men with a gun has gone viral, adding to the woes of the controversial bureaucrat.
The 2023-batch IAS officer is accused of posing as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate in her UPSC candidature.
She also claimed she was visually and mentally disabled but refused to take tests to corroborate her claims.
An official said the incident in the video was about a parcel of land bought by Puja's father Dilip khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government officer, in Mulshi tehsil of Pune district.
Locals had claimed that the Khedkars had encroached on the land of neighbouring farmers.
The two-minute video shows Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar with her security guards, engaged in a heated argument with the neighbours. -- PTI
Ex-minister and Congress leader B Nagendra/Courtesy X
23:42 ED arrests Karnataka ex-minister B Nagendra
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested former state minister and Congress leader B Nagendra in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, sources said.
The sources said the legislator was taken into custody at around 10.30 pm at the agency's office in Bengaluru.
He was questioned for more than 13 hours.
He was taken to the ED office from his residence early morning.
He is expected to be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court on Saturday where the ED will seek his remand for custodial interrogation.
The agency had conducted raids in four states, including Karnataka, on Thursday in this case and has seized about Rs 50 lakh cash and some documents till now.
Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Nagendra, who was the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister, tendered his resignation on June 6.
"I'm being brought from my home... I don't know anything," Nagendra told reporters as he was being taken to the ED office in the morning. -- PTI
23:09 IFS officer commits suicide in Gujarat
A Gujarat-cadre Indian Forest Service officer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver at his house in Gujarat's Dahod town in the early hours of Friday, the police said.
RM Parmar (56) shot himself with a revolver he owned at his residence around 5 am, said Rajdeepsinh Zala, Dahod district superintendent of police.
"Parmar committed suicide using his revolver. He has not left behind any suicide note. We have sent the dead body for post-mortem and launched a probe to find out the reasons for the extreme step," the official said.
Parmar joined the state forest service as a range forest officer and was promoted to an IFS officer in 2022.
He was the deputy conservator of forest, Social Forestry Division in Dahod.
"Parmar's family members rushed to his bedroom after hearing a loud noise. They saw him lying in a pool of blood and realised that he had shot himself in the head with his gun," Parvat Damor, a local community leader, said. -- PTI
CM Eknath Shinde (left) and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis/ANI Photo
22:56 MLC poll win a trailer, says Shinde; Dy CMs ridicule cross voting predictions
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the victory of all nine Mahayuti (ruling alliance) candidates in the Legislative Council polls was a trailer ahead of the state assembly polls later this year.
Talking to reporters, Shinde said a false narrative was set by the opposition in the Lok Sabha polls and people were misled.
"Mahayuti has registered a big win. This is a good start. A false narrative (that the Constitution will be changed by the BJP) was set. People were misled. Mahayuti's victory (in the legislative council polls) is a trailer," he said.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Opposition was claiming a candidate of the ruling alliance would lose but the results showed the Mahayuti got votes of not just its constituents but even from Maha Vikas Aghadi legislators.
The Bharatiya Janata Party won five seats, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party bagged two each, giving the ruling alliance wins on nine of the 11 seats for which polls were held earlier in the day. -- PTI
US President Joe Biden/Brian Snyder/Reuters
22:38 Jolt to Biden's campaign as donors withhold $90 mn
In a major jolt to the re-election campaign of President Joe Biden days after his debate debacle, a group of his fundraisers have decided to put on hold some $90 million in contributions pledged earlier if he remains on top of the Democratic presidential ticket.
"The cash freeze deals a blow to Biden's campaign," The New York Times reported about the development on Friday and said, the Democratic donors have told this to Future Forward, the largest pro-Biden Super PAC.
"The frozen contributions include multiple eight-figure commitments, according to two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation," the daily reported.
"The decision to withhold such enormous sums of money is one of the most concrete examples of the fallout from Mr. Biden's poor debate performance at the end of June," it said.
Following his disastrous debate performance against his Republican rival Donald Trump in Atlanta on June 27, Biden, 81, has been gradually losing his support from some of his key friends and allies.
So far, as many as 18 Democratic lawmakers have asked him to drop from the November 5 presidential race. -- PTI
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22:30 Blaze at Kolkata vest factory doused after 10 hours, none injured
A massive fire broke out at a vest manufacturing unit and warehouse in the city's Dumdum area in the early hours of Friday, the police said.
No injuries were reported from the blaze, which erupted around 3 am at Nagerbazar on Jessore Road, they said.
Thirty fire tenders took over 10 hours to extinguish the fire, believed to have originated from an adjacent ice-cream factory and godown, a senior police officer said.
"The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. It took a massive form because of the presence of combustible materials inside the godown and the manufacturing unit," he said.
The area, home to several warehouses and small manufacturing units, posed additional challenges for fire brigade personnel, the officer said.
A team of forensic experts would soon visit the spot and collect samples, he said.
West Bengal fire minister Sujit Bose supervised the firefighting operation. -- PTI
21:59 CJI Chandrachud offers prayers at Ayodhya Ram temple
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Friday.
According to the district administration, Chandrachud landed at the Ayodhya airport around 3 pm and was received by District Magistrate Nitish Kumar.
The CJI then visited the Hanumangarhi temple and the Ram temple.
Talking to PTI, Kumar said Chandrachud was in Ayodhya for nearly two-and-a-half hours. He left for Lucknow by helicopter from the Ramkatha Park helipad at 5:30 pm, the official added.
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21:37 LS polls: SC rejects PIL seeking data on discrepancies in counting of votes
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking disclosure of data related to alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes by the poll panel in the general elections this year.
"We are dismissing it...Elections have been held. The government has been formed. Please do not file these kind of PILs (public interest litigations)," said a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The PIL, filed by one Priya Mishra, had sought a direction to the Election Commission to release the data on counting of votes done during the recent general elections.
It alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes.
The results of general elections were declared on June 4 and the NDA government led by Narendra Modi came back to power. -- PTI
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde casting his vote for the MLC polls, in Mumbai/ANI Photo
21:28 7 Congress MLAs cross-voted in Maha council polls
At least seven Congress MLAs defied the party's directive while voting in Friday's biennial elections to 11 seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, results showed.
Congress, which has 37 MLAs, had fixed a quota of 30 first preference votes for its candidate Pradyna Satav, and seven remaining votes were to go to Milind Narvekar, candidate of the ally Shiv Sena-UBT, party sources said.
Eventually, Satav got 25 and Narvekar 22 first preference votes, which meant at least seven Congress MLAs cross-voted.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP won all the nine seats it contested, while Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers' Party, supported by Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP, lost. -- PTI
21:20 India's forex reserves surge to touch fresh peak
In the week that ended on July 5, the foreign exchange kitty rose by $5.158 billion to $657.155 billion, official data from the Reserve Bank of India showed on Friday.
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20:46 In a first, Kerala Kalamandalam serves non-vegetarian food to students
For the first time in the history of the Kerala Kalamandalam, a premier public institution for the preservation and promotion of the traditional performing arts of the state, non-vegetarian dishes were served at its canteen to students on July 10, on popular demand.
An official at the Deemed-to-be-University said that chicken biryani, prepared at the famous kitchen run by inmates of Viyyur Central Jail, was served to the students on Wednesday.
This marked the first time since its founding in 1930 that food was served to students at the institution which was not just plant-based or dairy-based, according to the official.
Kalamandalam is a residential institution that imparts training in various performance arts, such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Thullal, Kutiyattam (male and female), Panchavadyam, Carnatic music, Mridangam, etc.
The official said the decision to serve meat-based dishes was taken by the university authorities in response to the demand from students to not be restricted to plant-based food.
Initially, a mess committee comprising representatives of students, teachers, and non-teaching staff was formed, and based on student demand it was decided to serve chicken biryani on July 10. -- PTI
Uddhav Thackeray
20:20 Uddhav man manages to win Maha MLC polls
The ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra on Friday won all the nine seats it contested in the biennial elections to 11 seats for the state legislative council.
In the results announced in the evening for the polls conducted earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won five seats, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) bagged two each.
From the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Milind Narvekar, close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and Congress candidate Pradnya Satav won the elections.
Peasants and Workers' Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil, who was supported by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), lost the polls.
The election was necessitated as 11 members of the legislative council (MLCs) are completing their six-year term on July 27.
The 288-member legislative assembly was the electoral college for the polls and its current strength is 274. Each winning candidate required a quota of 23 first-preference votes.
The BJP is the largest party in the assembly with 103 members, followed by the Shiv Sena (38), NCP (42), Congress (37), Shiv Sena (UBT) 15 and NCP (SP) 10.
The BJP had fielded five candidates -- former Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe and Sadabhau Khot, and its ally Shiv Sena two -- former Lok Sabha MPs Krupal Tumane and Bhavana Gawali. NCP had given tickets to Shivajirao Garje and Rajesh Vitekar.
The Congress had nominated Satav for another term, while Sena (UBT) had fielded Narvekar. The third MVA constituent, NCP (SP), did not field its nominee and instead extended support to PWP's Jayant Patil.
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20:12 21 killed in lightning strike incidents in Bihar
A total of 21 people died across Bihar in lightning-related incidents in the last 24 hours, the Chief Minister's Office said on Friday.
The maximum number of six fatalities were reported from Madhubani, followed by four in Aurangabad, two from Patna, and one each from Rohtas, Bhojpur, Kaimur, Saran, Jehanabad, Gopalganj, Supaul, Lakhisarai and Madhepura districts, the CMO said in a statement.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has condoled the deaths and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.
He also urged people to take all precautions during bad weather, avoid going outdoors unless necessary and follow advisories issued by the disaster management department from time to time.
Rain and thunderstorms have been lashing Bihar for the past few weeks, and close to 70 people have been killed in lightning-related incidents since the beginning of this month. -- PTI
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus/File image
19:49 Part of building canopy collapses at CSMT station; nobody injured
Some portion of an office building's canopy collapsed on the covered area at the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai on Friday evening, officials said.
There was no injury to any passenger in the incident that occurred around 5.45 pm, a spokesperson of the Central Railway said.
"Some part of a canopy of a building fell on the covered area at the CSMT," he said.
Another railway official said the canopy was of the traffic accounts' office building located next to the open space between main line and the suburban line concourse.
A small portion of the roofing got damaged due to the debris that fell on it, he said.
The CSMT is one of the busiest railway stations in Mumbai. Lakhs of commuters travel to and from the terminus daily. -- PTI
19:38 Costly vegetables push retail inflation to 4-month high of 5.08% in June
Retail inflation increased to four-month high of 5.08 percent in June as food items, including vegetables became dearer, according to government data released on Friday.
The Consumer Price Index based retail inflation was on a decline since January, before rising again in June.
The CPI-based retail inflation was 4.8 percent in May 2024 and 4.87 percent in June 2023.
The previous high was in February at 5.09 percent.
Inflation in the food basket was 9.36 percent in June, up from 8.69 percent in May, according to the data of the National Statistical Office.
The government has tasked the Reserve Bank to ensure that the CPI inflation remains at 4 percent with a margin of 2 percent on either side. -- PTI
File image/ANI Photo
19:18 Noida bans 14 drugs of Patanjali, Divya Pharmacy
The sale of 14 Ayurvedic medicines manufactured by Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Ayurveda Limited has been banned by the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration.
The Supreme Court on July 9 directed Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, founded by yoga guru Ramdev, to file an affidavit stating whether advertisements of its 14 products, whose manufacturing licences were initially suspended but later restored, have been withdrawn.
The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority had on April 15 issued an order suspending the manufacturing licences of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy.
The Regional Ayurvedic and Unani Officer of Gautam Buddh Nagar issued the directive banning the 14 products on Friday, officials said.
This action follows orders from the State Drug Licensing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani Services, Uttarakhand, they said.
According to information shared by the district information office, all medical practitioners and medical stores operating in the district have been informed to cease the sale of the 14 listed products immediately. -- PTI
19:07 BSE Sensex top gainers today
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty soared nearly 1 percent to hit new lifetime highs on Friday, fuelled by intense buying in IT and tech stocks after robust TCS earnings amid hopes of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
A rally in Reliance Industries and Infosys also boosted investor sentiments, traders said.
The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 622 points or 0.78 percent to settle at a record closing level of 80,519.34.
Among the Sensex pack, Tata Consultancy Services climbed nearly 7 percent after the country's largest IT services player reported 8.7 percent growth for the June quarter net profit at Rs 12,040 crore. Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance and Larsen & Toubro were the other major gainers.
NCP leader Nawab Malik
18:59 SC extends Nawab Malik's interim bail by 2 weeks on medical grounds
The Supreme Court on Friday extended by two weeks the interim bail granted earlier on medical grounds to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma took note of the submissions of a counsel, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, that he was yet to receive fresh instructions in the case and adjourned the hearing by two weeks.
The top court extended the relief of interim bail by the same period.
The interim bail, which was granted to Malik in August 2023, has been extended from time to time.
Malik had moved the top court against the Bombay high court's July 13, 2023, order denying him bail on medical grounds in the case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The top court had earlier noted that Malik is suffering from kidney ailment and his condition has not improved since August 11, 2023 when he was granted interim bail for two months.
The ED had arrested Malik in February 2022 in the case allegedly linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. -- PTI
Pic: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images
18:29 Kamala Harris is qualified to be president, says Biden
US President Joe Biden on Thursday said his deputy, Vice President Kamala Harris, is "qualified" to lead the country.
At a high-stake press conference in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Biden said, "From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be the president. That's why I picked her."
When asked about the reasons for this, he said, "Firstly because of the way she's handled the issue of freedom of women's bodies, to have control of their bodies and secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board. This was a hell of a prosecutor. She was a first-rate person and in the Senate, she was really good. I wouldn't have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be the president."
Harris, 59, is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected as US Vice President in 2020.
Biden's remarks on Harris came amidst growing calls for the 81-year-old to step aside from the race for the White House in November since he stumbled through a TV debate with his Republican rival Donald Trump last month.
The president mistakenly referred to Kamala Harris as former president Trump during the press conference.
He said, "I wouldn't have picked Trump to be the vice president, did I think she was not qualified to be president. The fact is that the consideration is that I think I'm the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again."
"The idea that senators and congressmen are running for office worrying about the ticket is not unusual. And I might add, there were at least five presidents running or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than I have now later in a campaign," he said.
"So, there's a long way to go in this campaign and so I'm just going to keep moving," Biden, the presumptive presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, said.
-- Lalit K Jha in Washington, DC/PTI
Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'/Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
18:15 Nepal PM 'Prachanda' loses trust vote in Parl; Oli set to be new PM
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Friday lost a vote of confidence in Parliament after coalition partner CPN-UML withdrew its support to him, a development that will lead to the formation of a new government led by ex-premier KP Sharma Oli.
Prachanda received only 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives and there were 194 votes against the motion.
At least 138 votes are needed to win the vote of trust.
A total of 258 HoR members participated in the voting while one member abstained. Prachanda, 69, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, had survived four trust votes since he assumed the prime minister's post on December 25, 2022.
He faced the same predicament yet another time because former prime minister Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist withdrew support from the Prachanda-led government last week after inking a power-sharing deal with the largest party in the House -- the Nepali Congress. -- PTI
Former minister V Senthil Balaji/File image
18:11 Court extends former TN minister Senthil Balaji's remand in PMLA case
A sessions court here on Friday extended the remand of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested in a money laundering case last year by the ED, till July 16.
Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14, 2023 in connection with the case.
Principal sessions judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the Central Puzhal Prison in Chennai, also extended his judicial custody till July 16.
Further, the judge dismissed a petition filed by Balaji, which sought to defer the present proceedings and adjourn the case to a later date.
Balaji was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister during an earlier AIADMK regime.
Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital.
Later, the ED took him into custody for interrogation and following that he was remanded in judicial custody.
His remand was periodically extended by the court. -- PTI
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17:51 Forex reserves jump $5.16 bn to $657.16 bn
India's forex reserves jumped $5.158 billion to $657.155 billion during the week ended July 5, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday.
The forex kitty had declined for the previous two consecutive weeks, dropping $1.713 billion to $651.997 billion for the week ended June 28.
The reserves had touched an all-time high of $655.817 billion as on June 7 this year.
For the week ended July 5, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased $4.228 billion to $577.11 billion, as per the the data released on Friday.
Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.
Gold reserves increased $904 million to $57.432 billion during the week, the RBI said.
The Special Drawing Rights were up $21 million to $18.036 billion, the apex bank said. -- PTI
17:35 Bulldozers outside IAS officer Khedkar's home
A day after the central government formed a panel to probe the candidature of trainee IAS officer, Pooja Khedkar, who is accused of misusing her authority, she said she will follow the procedure and give her submissions to the committee.
While speaking to media persons, Pooja Khedkar, probationary IAS officer said, "I am not authorised to say anything to the media. I will give my submissions before the committee. I will follow the procedure."
The central government on Thursday, constituted a single-member committee to verify the candidature claims and other details of Khedkar following a controversy over her alleged misuse of power as a civil servant.
The Ministry of Personnel announced in a statement, emphasising that the committee is chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary under the Central Government and that it will submit its report in two weeks.
"The Central Government has constituted a single-member committee, chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India, to verify the candidature claims and other details of IAS Puja Manorma Dilip Khedkar, a candidate of Civil Services Examination 2022 and earlier CSEs. The Committee will submit its report in 2 weeks," reads the Ministry of Personnel statement.
The Pune Municipal Corporation is also likely to take action against illegal encroachment on the footpath outside Puja Khedekar's family bungalow and others nearby, with bulldozers seen on standby near the bungalow.
17:16 Feeling rich? Investors' wealth jumped Rs 1.17 lakh crore today
The market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms soared to a new lifetime high of Rs 452.38 lakh crore on Friday, with investors' wealth rising Rs 1.17 lakh crore, amid a rally in equities where the Sensex hit its fresh all-time peak.
The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 622 points or 0.78 per cent to settle at a new closing high of 80,519.34. During the day, it zoomed 996.17 points or 1.24 per cent to hit an all-time peak of 80,893.51. Thanks to the optimism in equities, the market capitalisation (mcap) of BSE-listed firms hit a record peak of Rs 4,52,38,553.68 crore (USD 5.42 trillion). Investors' wealth also climbed Rs 1.17 lakh crore.
17:08 Shock, surprise, awe?
The exact moment Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reacts to US President Joe Biden calling him 'Putin'.
Read this if you you don't know what happened: Biden refers to Zelenskyy as Putin, Kamala as Trump
17:00 Band, baaja, baarat: Anant Ambani leaves for wedding mandap
Anant Ambani leaves from Antilia -- the Ambani residence. He is set to tie the knot with Radhika Merchant today in Mumbai.
Anant Ambani, the youngest of three children of Reliance industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, is set to marry Radhika Merchant at a grand ceremony hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre today, July 12.
The wedding celebrations have commenced in full splendor, with the Ambani residence, Antilia, transformed into a spectacle to mark the joyous occasion.
The baraatis, led by Anant Ambani himself, departed from their residence amidst a jubilant atmosphere. Adorned cars embellished with flowers and the lively beats of dhol accompanied their procession to the wedding venue, setting the tone for an opulent celebration.
KBK Infographics
16:47 Domestic PV wholesales up 3 pc at 3,37,757 units in June
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose 3 per cent year-on-year to 3,37,757 units in June, automobile industry body SIAM said on Friday.
The overall passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches from companies to dealers stood at 3,27,788 units in June 2023. As per the data issued by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), two-wheeler wholesales rose 21 per cent to 16,14,154 units last month, as compared with 13,30,826 units in June 2023.
Three-wheeler wholesales increased 12 per cent to 59,544 units from 53,025 units in June last year. PTI
16:40 Govt to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'
The government has decided to observe June 25, the day the Emergency was declared in 1975, as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to commemorate the "massive contributions" of those who endured inhuman pains of the period, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Friday.
He also said the observance of 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defence of the democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing "dictatorial forces" like the Congress from "repeating those horrors".
A gazette notification issued on Friday by the Union Home Ministry notes that Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, following which there was "gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities". The people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution and the power of its resilient democracy, it said.
"Therefore, Government of India declares 25th June as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future," says the notification.
Shah said that on June 25, 1975, then prime minister Indira Gandhi, in a "brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of India's democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation". Lakhs of people were thrown behind the bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced, he said.
"The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.' This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency," he said in a post on X.
"The decision made by the government led by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji is intended to honour the spirit of millions who struggled to revive democracy despite facing inexplicable persecution at the hands of an oppressive government," he said. PTI
US Vice President Kamala Harris
16:32 So, why did Rahul speak to US VP Kamala Harris?
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and US Vice President Kamala Harris had a telephonic conversation on Thursday, sources said. Though the specifics of the conversation were not known, this comes in the run-up to the US presidential polls later this year.
There is talk in Democratic party circles that Harris, who is of Indian and African heritage, could step in as a challenger to Donald Trump as questions remain over whether President Joe Biden should continue as the nominee for the November 5 presidential election. A defiant Biden has insisted that he is "determined" and fit to seek re-election and defeat his Republican rival Trump. PTI
16:29 Sensex, Nifty rally nearly 1 to scale fresh highs
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty soared nearly 1 per cent to hit new lifetime highs on Friday, fuelled by intense buying in IT and tech stocks after robust TCS earnings. A rally in Reliance Industries and Infosys also boosted investor sentiments, traders said.
The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 622 points or 0.78 per cent to settle at a new closing high of 80,519.34. During the day, it zoomed 996.17 points or 1.24 per cent to hit an all-time high of 80,893.51.
The NSE Nifty surged 186.20 points or 0.77 per cent to settle at a record closing high of 24,502.15. Intra-day, it jumped 276.25 points or 1.13 per cent to hit a new lifetime peak of 24,592.20.
Among the Sensex pack, Tata Consultancy Services climbed nearly 7 per cent after the country's largest IT services player reported 8.7 per cent growth for the June quarter net profit at Rs 12,040 crore. Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finance and Larsen & Toubro were the other major gainers. Maruti, Asian Paints, Titan, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharti Airtel and ICICI Bank were among the laggards.
16:15 Indian techie who drowned in US had texted mother hours before tragedy
Indian techie Siddhant Vitthal Patil, who is presumed dead after drowning in the Glacier National Park in the United States, had texted his mother from the park hours before the tragedy, his family said on Friday.
"Last Friday, Siddhant called up his mother Priti from the Park and told her that he has been in the Park for three days with six other Indian friends and is enjoying the trip," his maternal uncle Pritesh Chaudhari told PTI. Chaudhari, who is based in Pune, said Siddhant (26) also texted his mother two hours before the tragic incident, telling her that he would be returning to San Jose, where he worked with Cadence Design Systems, in another three days.
His friends got his iPhone IMEI numbers from the phone box in his room and gave it to the Park rangers in Montana and other authorities to help in the search work, Chaudhari said.
This hasn't yielded results yet, he added. Both Priti, a homemaker, and Siddhant's father Vitthal, who retired from Maharashtra government's irrigation department in May, are in shock and not in a position to speak, Chaudhari said.
"Suresh Sharma from the Indian consulate in Seattle called me after the incident as he had given my number as a contact to the US authorities," Chaudhari said. "I have been in touch with the consulate since Monday," he said.
Leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis have written to the government seeking its help, he said. Union minister Murlidhar Mohol, who hails from Pune, is in touch with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for updates on the search operation, he added.
"Siddhant went to the US in 2020 to do his MS from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He joined Cadence in 2023," Chaudhari said. Siddhant's body is yet to be located despite helicopters conducting aerial searches, but officials suspected that the body was being held down by submerged obstacles like fallen trees and rocks. He is presumed dead by authorities. -- PTI
15:54 Sanatan rituals for Anant-Radhika's nuptials
The opulent wedding of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani with Radhika Merchant promises to be a spectacular celebration of Indian culture, civilization, spirituality, Indian folk art, craftsmanship, music, cuisine, and much more.
The wedding decor theme of 'An Ode to Varanasi,' pays homage to the eternal city, its traditions, piety, culture, arts, crafts and Banarasi cuisine.
Banarasi street food like chaat, mithai, lassi, chai, khari, paan, and mukhwas are on the menu. The carefully curated stalls and dedicated guest services have been designed for attendees to not only enjoy the event but also take away lasting memories of their journey through the ghats of Banaras.
From chaat to chai, Ode to Banaras features the culinary delights from one of the world's oldest living cities. Apart from these, sweets, paan and mukhwas, kharik from Ahmedabad, chaat counters, malai toast and chai, lassi and lemon tea the food counters set up for guests promise to bring the Banaras' rich and varied food culture to Mumbai.
With a bevvy of international celebrities invited for the grand wedding, the Ambanis are using the occasion to showcase the traditional arts of the country such as brasswork, pottery, Banarasi and Kanjeevaram sarees, Polki jewellery, and rosewood furniture.
15:40 When Shekhar Kapur met Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala, riding high on the success of Heeramandi, posts this image alongside on X, writing, "Shekhar Kapur was in town recently and it was a full house at home. Incidentally it was Shekhar who had first signed me for a film but somehow it didn't work out. I hold Shekhar very close to my heart. He has always been a dear friend.I adore my time talking to him @shekharkapur."
CM Shinde arrives to cast his vote
15:23 203 MLAs cast vote till noon in Maha MLC polls
As many as 203 MLAs have cast their votes till noon on Friday in the biennial elections to 11 seats of the Maharashtra legislative council.
There are 12 candidates in the fray for the 11 seats in the upper house of the state legislature where the 274 current members of the legislative assembly form the electoral college.
The voting began at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai at 9 am and will continue till 4 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm.
Eleven members of the upper house of the state legislature are retiring on July 27 and these high-stakes polls are being held to fill the vacancies.
Each winning candidate would need a quota of 23 first-preference votes.
The BJP has fielded five candidates, while its Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena and NCP have nominated two each. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have fielded one candidate each, while their Maha Vikas Aghadi partner NCP (SP) is backing the nominee of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP).
15:13 Wish more would learn from Rahul: Sachin Pilot
Congress MLA from Tonk, Sachin Pilot, reacts to Rahul Gandhi's tweet in support of Smriti Irani (see our 14:59 post). Pilot says: "Humility, respect, empathy and dignity. These are the values we much cherish. Wish more would learn for @RahulGandhi."
15:06 Weddings are such a lovely time, says Kangana
Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut shares this image on Instagram writing, "Weddings are such a lovely time for entire family' Dear Seema welcome to Ranaut family, we are very fortunate to have you, congratulations to Varun and Seema."
15:02 HC denies bail to Bibhav Kumar in Swati Maliwal assault case
The Delhi High Court on Friday denied bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar who is accused of assaulting AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal.
Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta dismissed Kumar's bail plea, saying no ground to grant him the relief was made out. Kumar, presently in judicial custody, allegedly assaulted Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's official residence. He was arrested on May 18.
An FIR was registered against Kumar on May 16 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide. Kumar had sought bail, claiming the allegations were false and his custody was no longer required as the probe was over. PTI
14:59 Rahul warns haters: Don't be nasty to Smriti Irani
Irrespective of which side of the political divide you are on, this is truly graceful of Rahul Gandhi to send out a message against haters in support of former Amethi MP, Smriti Irani.
Rahul posted this message on X saying, "Winning and losing happen in life. I urge everyone to refrain from using derogatory language and being nasty towards Smt. Smriti Irani or any other leader for that matter. Humiliating and insulting people is a sign of weakness, not strength."
Union minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress's Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion of Amethi five years ago, met a crushing defeat in one of the key prestige battles in this Lok Sabha election. The Congress party's Kishori Lal Sharma won from Amethi.
Gandhi, meanwhile, won a record victory in Raebareli, where he chose to take up his mother Sonia Gandhi's mantle.
After the verdict, Irani thanked those who stood by her.
"Such is life... A decade of my life going from one village to another, building lives, nurturing hope & aspirations, working on infrastructure - roads, naali, khadanja, bypass, medical college and more. To those who stood by me through loss and victory, I am forever grateful. To those celebrating today, congratulations. And to those asking, 'How's the josh?' I say- it's still high, Sir," she wrote on X.
14:20 Jagan Reddy, cops booked in attempt to murder case
Andhra Pradesh police registered an "attempt to murder" case against former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, two senior IPS officers and two retired officials, following a complaint lodged by a TDP MLA, an official said on Friday.
The complaint was lodged by the ruling party's Undi MLA K Raghurama Krishna Raju. Besides Reddy, police booked senior IPS officers PV Sunil Kumar and PSR Sitaramanjaneyulu and retired police officer R Vijay Paul and former Guntur Government General Hospital superintendent G Prabhavati, the official said.
Vijay Paul and Prabhavati have superannuated. "Raju sent his police complaint through mail one month ago and after taking legal opinion, I registered a case at 7 pm on Thursday against the former CM and others," the official told PTI. Raju also alleged that he was subjected to "custodial torture," the official added.
Police booked the five accused persons under IPC Sections 120 B, 166, 167, 197, 307, 326, 465 and 506 read with 34. Police invoked the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as the case is three years old. The case was booked at Nagarampalem police station in Guntur.
13:58 Big relief to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case
In a relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Bombay High Court on Friday quashed a magistrate's order permitting an RSS worker to submit fresh and additional documents in a pending criminal defamation complaint.
RSS worker Rajesh Kunte had in 2014 lodged a defamation complaint before the Bhiwandi magistrate's court, claiming the Congress leader had made false and defamatory statements during a speech that the right-wing outfit was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
In 2023, the magistrate court in Bhiwandi in Thane district permitted Kunte to submit the transcript of Gandhi's speech, which was part of a petition the Congress leader had filed in 2014 seeking the quashing of summons issued to him. Kunte contended that by including the transcript as part of his petition, Gandhi had "unambiguously owned up to the speech and its contents". Gandhi challenged the magistrate's order before the high court.
On Friday, a single bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan allowed Gandhi's petition. "The petition is allowed. Impugned order and consequent exhibition of documents are quashed and set aside. The magistrate court is directed to proceed with the trial regarding the exhibit in accordance with the observations made in the order," the court said.
13:41 It's lonely to be Muslim in today's world: Lucky Ali
It's lonely to be a Muslim in today's world, popular singer Lucky Ali posted on social media on Friday. While he didn't elaborate on his X post or the context for the comments, the Bengaluru-based singer said Muslims are labelled as "terrorists" and abandoned by their friends.
"Its a lonely thing to be a Muslim in the World today. Its a lonely thing to follow the sunnah of the Prophet (sic), your friends will leave you, the world will call you a terrorist," wrote Ali, known for songs such as "O Sanam", "Ek Pal Ka Jeena", and "Hairat".
The singer, who is the son of the late actor and comedian Mehmood, recently accused an IAS officer and her family of land grabbing. In connection with the matter, the singer has lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Lokayukta. PTI
CM Shinde arrives to cast his vote
13:22 203 MLAs cast vote till noon in Maha MLC polls
As many as 203 MLAs have cast their votes till noon on Friday in the biennial elections to 11 seats of the Maharashtra legislative council.
There are 12 candidates in the fray for the 11 seats in the upper house of the state legislature where the 274 current members of the legislative assembly form the electoral college.
The voting began at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai at 9 am and will continue till 4 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm.
Eleven members of the upper house of the state legislature are retiring on July 27 and these high-stakes polls are being held to fill the vacancies.
Each winning candidate would need a quota of 23 first-preference votes.
The BJP has fielded five candidates, while its Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena and NCP have nominated two each. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have fielded one candidate each, while their Maha Vikas Aghadi partner NCP (SP) is backing the nominee of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP).
Farmers protest at Shambhu border
13:05 Farmers' protests: SC asks Haryana to open highway
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Haryana government how it can block a highway and directed it to remove the barricading set up at the Shambhu border near Ambala where farmers have been camping since February 13.
The Haryana government had set up barricades at the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February when Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) had announced to move towards Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan made the observation after counsel for Haryana government said the state is in the process of filing an appeal against the high court's July 10 order which directed it to open the highway within seven days.
"How can a State block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate," Justice Bhuyan said after the counsel informed the bench about filing of appeal in the apex court. PTI
12:49 Sensex on record high, piggybacks on TCS result
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hit their fresh record high levels on Friday amid heavy buying in IT stocks after TCS announced its June quarter earnings.
The 30-share BSE Sensex zoomed 996.17 points to hit all-time high of 80,893.51. The NSE Nifty jumped 276.25 points to a new lifetime peak of 24,592.20.
Among the Sensex pack, Tata Consultancy Services climbed nearly 6 per cent after the country's largest IT services player reported 8.7 per cent growth for the June quarter net profit at Rs 12,040 crore.
Infosys, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Axis Bank and Bajaj Finance were the other major gainers. Maruti, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Asian Paints and ITC were among the laggards.
12:22 Truth can't be defeated: AAP on Kejriwal bail
Aam Aadmi Party on Friday hailed the Supreme Court decision to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on his plea challenging arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the alleged liquor scam case and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for "hatching a conspiracy" against the AAP.
The apex court today granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case in connection with the now scrapped excise policy, registered by the ED. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Minister Atishi asked the BJP to stop hatching a conspiracy against other parties and said that truth can be troubled but not defeated.
"BJP knew that he (Arvind Kejriwal) has been granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, they know that he will get bail by the Supreme Court too. That is why, they hatched another conspiracy and the day on which the bail hearing was scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court, they made CBI arrest Arvind Kejriwal a day before that. Why was he arrested by the CBI? Because if he received bail in ED case, he would come out of jail and work for the people of Delhi 10 times faster," Atishi said. Atishi asked the BJP why Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI and asked it to "end its arrogance".
"I would like to tell the BJP today, one after the other - every court in this country has exposed your conspiracy... every court is granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal. I would like to tell BJP, end your arrogance and stop hatching conspiracy against other parties. Truth can be troubled but not defeated," she added.
AAP leader Sandeep Pathak addressing a press conference termed the Supreme Court judgement as "historic."
121 people were killed in the stampede
11:56 Hathras stampede: SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking probe
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a probe into the Hathras stampede that left 121 dead, and asked the petitioner to move the Allahabad High Court.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said such incidents are disturbing but the high courts are equipped to deal with such cases.
"Of course, these are disturbing incidents. This (filing of PIL) is usually done here to make a big deal of such incidents. The high court is equipped to deal with this case. Dismissed," the bench said.
It asked lawyer and petitioner Vishal Tiwari to move the Allahabad High Court and disposed of the PIL. Tiwari said the issue regarding the non-availability of proper medical facilities to deal with such incidents is a pan India concern and the PIL can be dealt with by the Supreme Court also.
The CJI rejected the submission. The plea had sought the appointment of a five-member expert committee under the supervision of a retired apex court judge to probe the July 2 stampede incident.
The stampede took place at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on July 2.
Over 2.5 lakh devotees had gathered in Hathras district's Phulrai village for the 'satsang' conducted by Baba Narayan Hari, who is also known as Saakar Vishwahari and Bhole Baba. The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered an FIR against the organisers, accusing them of hiding evidence and flouting conditions with 2.5 lakh people gathering for the event in which only 80,000 were permitted. PTI
File pic
11:55 Kim & Khloe Kardashian in Mumbai for Ambani shaadi
American media personalities and sisters Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian are in India to attend the grand wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, set to be held in Mumbai on Friday.
According to videos circulating on social media, Kim, 43, and Khloe, 40, landed here early Friday morning with their staff and security detail. In one of the videos, Kim could be seen exiting the airport and giving a quick wave to the paparazzi waiting outside with Khloe following her as they stepped into a car.
Kim also shared a series of videos and photos on her Instagram Stories upon her arrival in India.
This is both Kim and Khloe's first visit to the country, according to media reports. In a video, a security personnel for the Kardashian sisters can be seen urging the paparazzi, who were busy clicking away their pictures and making reels, to make way for the car.
She captioned this clip as: "Hi" accompanied by the Indian flag. An Instagram Story featured Kim saying "Thank you!" after she received a warm welcome from the hotel staff, who put a 'teeka' on her forehead and presented a shawl as well as a bouquet of flowers to her.
In the next slides, she posted glimpses of the decorations at the hotel along with the staff leading the sisters to their rooms to the sound of a live flute performance as they held salvers decorated with 'diyas' and flowers in their hands.
In a video shared by Khloe on her Instagram Stories, a production crew with cameras, lights and microphones were seen following the sister duo around.
After four months of star-studded pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani, youngest son of Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, will tie the knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant. Several other notable celebrities from different walks of life will also be a part of the celebration.
On Thursday, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas reached Mumbai accompanied by her singer husband Nick Jonas to attend the wedding. The pre-wedding festivities kickstarted in March in Gujarat's Jamnagar which witnessed the performances by pop diva Rihanna and the three Khans -- Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir -- along with Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt.
The wedding on Friday will take place at Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai, followed by dinner receptions on the following days. Besides the Kardashians, the extravaganza is expected to be attended by former UK prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, futurist Peter Diamandis, artist Jeff Koons, self-help coach Jay Shetty, former US Secretary of State John Kerry, former Canadian PM Stephen Harper, sources said. Indian film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Ram Charan are also expected to attend. Anant and Radhika got engaged in a traditional ceremony last January. PTI
11:44 MP preacher Amritpal Singh's brother held in drug case
Radical Sikh preacher and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh's brother Harpreet Singh has been apprehended by Jalandhar police in a drug case, a senior police official said on Friday.
Harpreet Singh was nabbed by Jalandhar Rural police on Thursday evening, the official said. He was found to be in possession of some drugs, the official added. Police said that further investigations are on in the matter.
Amritpal Singh is currently lodged in a prison in Assam's Dibrugarh district for offences under the National Security Act. Recently, he was flown to Delhi on a four-day custody parole for taking oath as a Lok Sabha member. Having fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, Amritpal Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib seat defeating Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira.
Sheena Bora
11:31 The Curious Case Of Sheena Bora's Teeth
One of the high points of the proceedings was when Indrani Mukerjea's lawyer smartly utilised Dr Zeba Khan's expert status to pose her A Most Curious Question.
He asked if a skull can grow new teeth after the person, who it belonged to, had died, three years before.
We can be sure that the discrepancy between the number of teeth discovered in the skull unearthed in 2012 and the skull shown in court in September 2019 will come up soon in Courtroom No 51.
Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora Murder Trial.
Read more here.
11:27 Biden ready to undergo neurological exam if...
Amid the mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to end his re-election campaign, US President Joe Biden has indicated willingness to undergo a neurological exam to address concerns about his mental fitness for office, but only if his doctors recommend it, CNN reported.
"I am not opposed, if my doctors tell me I should have another neurological exam, I'll do it," he said at a rare solo news conference Thursday at the conclusion of the NATO Summit.
He further added, "Every single day I'm surrounded by good docs. If they think there's a problem, I promise you - or even if they don't think it's a problem and think I should have a neurologic exam again, I'll do it. No one's suggesting that right now," as per CNN.
But, the president lamented growing concerns about his age, "No matter what I did, no one's gonna be satisfied."
Biden said he has had three brain health checks while in office, with the most recent one happening in February.
"I'm tested every single day on my neurological capacity - the decisions I make every day," he said, pointing to age as a source of wisdom.
Further, Biden told reporters Thursday he's committed to remaining in the race ahead, but acknowledged he has to make his case to detractors and American voters concerned over his fitness for office following a disastrous debate performance.
"I'm determined on running, but I think it's important that I allay fears by seeing -- letting them see me out there," Biden said.
He cited his robust travel schedule in the days since the debate, pointing to "over 20 major events, from Wisconsin and North Carolina," emphasizing he's "going out to the areas where we can persuade people to move our way or people are already there."
"I'm going to be going around making the case of the things that I think we have to finish and how we can't afford to lose what we've done," he said, citing efforts under his administration.
11:10 SC grants interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal
Update: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the now scrapped excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna referred to his petition challenging his arrest by the ED to a larger bench.
Supreme Court while granting interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case observed that the Delhi Chief Minister has suffered incarceration of 90 days and it's conscious that he is an elected leader.
Kejriwal's lawyer Rishikesh Kumar described the verdict as "a big victory."
"The Supreme Court has granted him interim bail and the issue of Section 19 and necessity of arrest has been referred to a larger bench. CM Kejriwal will remain in custody as his bail in the CBI case is still pending. This is a big victory," Kumar told ANI.
Supreme Court lawyer Shadan Farasat representing Kejriwal said, "The court observed that in so far as his arrest is concerned, there are certain aspects on the necessity of arrest... They said Mr Kejriwal has undergone a large period of incarceration already and therefore, directed his release and bail immediately in the ED matter."
The top court had reserved the verdict on Kejriwal's plea on May 17.On May 10, the apex court granted Kejriwal interim bail till June 1 in the money laundering case registered by the ED in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy, however, ordered that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat. -- ANI
11:01 Biden defends himself after introducing Zelenskyy as Putin
US President Joe Biden has defended himself after calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin and asserted that it was the "most successful conference" he had attended in a long time.
While addressing a press conference after the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, Biden asked the journalists whether they have seen a more successful conference.
Responding to a question over his remarks confusing Zelenskyy with Putin, Biden said, "Did you see any damage to our stand in my leading this conference? Have you seen a more successful conference? What do you think? And the Putin piece, I was talking about Putin and I said, "and now at the very end, I said here, I mean Putin. I said, no, I'm sorry, Zelenskyy". Then I added five other names."
"Look, guys, the idea anybody suggests that we haven't had an incredibly successful conference, how many times did you hear in that conference? I know it sounds too self-serving, but other leaders, and heads of state in thanking me, saying the reason we're together is because of Biden, because Biden did the following. It was the most successful conference I've attended in a long time and find me a world leader who didn't think it was," he added.
Biden's statement came after he introduced Ukrainian President as President Putin and later corrected himself. In his remarks at the event on the Ukraine Compact, Biden said, "Now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin."
He quickly corrected himself and said, "He's going to beat President Putin -- President Zelenskyy. I'm so focused on beating Putin, we got to worry about it."
After referring to Zelenskyy as Putin, Biden confused Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump. When asked whether he had concerns about Harris' ability to beat Donald Trump if he decided not to run again, Biden responded, "Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President. But, I think she's not qualified to President."
10:44 Arvind Kejriwal gets interim bail
The Supreme Court grants interim bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to excise policy 'scam'.
10:37 Heavy rains lash Mumbai, waterlogging in places
Incessant rains with intermittent spells of moderate to heavy showers since Friday morning have slowed down public transport services and traffic in Mumbai. Several parts of the country's financial capital received more than 15 mm of rainfall between 7 am and 8 am.
Due to heavy rains, low-lying areas like Sion saw waterlogging prompting the authorities to divert road traffic. In the Western suburbs, the Andheri subway between Andheri and Jogeshwari railway stations was also waterlogged.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai issued a Nowcast warning at 8 am, predicting heavy intense spells of rain very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai during next 3-4 hours.
The weatherman has predicted moderate to heavy rain in the city and suburbs with the possibility of very heavy rainfall at isolated places for the next 24 hours for the Maharashtra capital. A civic official said there will be a high tide of 3.87 metres in the Arabian Sea at 4.09 pm. Being a saucer-shaped city, high tides coupled with heavy rains can trigger flooding as water doesn't get discharged into the sea at that time.
In the 24 hours that ended at 8 am on Friday, Mumbai's island city recorded an average 93.16 mm of rainfall. The figure was 66.03 mm and 78.93 mm for eastern Mumbai and western Mumbai, respectively, a civic official said.
A spokesperson from Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said that the public bus service body has diverted three bus routes due to waterlogging at Sion since 7.50 am. Western Railway and Central Railway, which operate local trains in Mumbai, claimed on X that their suburban services were running.
However, commuters complained of some delays, though there was no waterlogging on the tracks. PTI
10:20 India's population to peak in early 2060s to 1.7 bn
India's population is projected to peak in the early 2060s at about 1.7 billion and then decline by 12 per cent, but the country will remain the world's most populous throughout the century, the United Nations has said.
The World Population Prospects 2024 report, released in the UN on Thursday, said that the world's population is expected to continue growing over the coming 50-60 years, reaching a peak of around 10.3 billion people in the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion in 2024.
After peaking, the global population is projected to start declining gradually, falling to 10.2 billion people by the end of the century. India, which surpassed China as the world's most populous nation last year, will continue to hold that position through 2100.
"The population of India, which is expected to remain the world's largest throughout the century, will likely decline by 12 per cent after reaching its peak in the early 2060s at about 1.7 billion," the UN report published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Population Division said.
According to the report, India's population in 2024 is projected at 1.45 billion and this will peak to 1.69 billion in 2054. After this, India's population is projected to decline to 1.5 billion by the end of the century in 2100, but the country will still remain the most populous nation on Earth.
Responding to a question by PTI on population projections for India, Senior Population Affairs Officer, Population Division, UN DESA Clare Menozzi said at a press conference that "India is currently the largest country in the world in terms of population, and it is projected to stay so throughout the century. The population is currently estimated at 1.45 billion, and it's supposed to increase further" to 1.69 billion.
"It's supposed to peak around the 2060s in size and then it starts to slightly decline. So by the end of the century, India is projected to be around 1.5 billion, but still the largest country in the world by a large margin. The report said that China's population, currently 1.41 billion in 2024, will fall to 1.21 billion in 2054 and further decline to 633 million by 2100.
"It is anticipated that China, the country currently with the world's second-largest population, will likely experience the largest absolute population loss between 2024 and 2054 (204 million)," followed by Japan (21 million) and Russia (10 million). "Longer-range population projections are more uncertain" for China, it said.
"However, due to its large size and sustained low level of fertility, China is also likely to record the largest population decline of any country through the end of the century (786 million people). By 2100, China is projected to have lost more than a half of its current population and to have returned to a population size comparable to that recorded in the late 1950s (50 per cent probability)."
10:07 LIVE! Voting begins for crucial council elections in Maha
Voting for the biennial elections to 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council began at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex in Mumbai on Friday morning. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Gaikwad was the first to cast his vote through the secret ballot system.
There are 12 candidates in the fray for 11 seats. Voting is scheduled to be held from 9 am to 4 pm, though Shiv Sena (UBT) has demanded that it be extended by an hour due to heavy rains in Mumbai. The 288-member legislative assembly is the electoral college for the polls and its current strength is 274. Each winning candidate would need a quota of 23 first-preference votes.
Eleven members of the upper house of the state legislature are retiring on July 27 and these high-stakes polls are being held to fill the vacancies. The BJP has fielded five candidates, while its Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena and NCP have nominated two each.
The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have fielded one candidate each, while their Maha Vikas Aghadi partner NCP (SP) is backing the nominee of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP). The MVA does not have numbers on its side to get the third candidate elected, but it is banking on some MLAs of the NCP and the Shiv Sena, both constituents of Mahayuti, to cross-vote in their favour.
Over the last few days, the NCP (SP) has claimed that some MLAs of the rival camp led by Ajit Pawar are in touch with the opposition party for a possible return after MVA's impressive show in the Lok Sabha polls. PTI
09:48 Nepal: 65 missing as landslide sweeps away 2 buses
At least 65 people are believed to be missing after two buses were swept away by a landslide in Nepal and pushed into a swollen river on Friday, according to media reports.
The two buses carrying 65 passengers went missing in the Trishuli River in the landslides at Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district, myRepublica news portal reported quoting officials.
Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Indradev Yadav, confirmed the incident.
According to Yadav, the Kathmandu-bound Angel bus and Ganpati Deluxe, en route to Gaur from the Capital, met with the accident at around 3.30 am.
Twenty-four people were onboard the bus travelling to Kathmandu and 41 on the other, police said.
Three of the passengers on the Ganpati Deluxe bus managed to escape after jumping out of the vehicle, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Yadav said that the rescue workers have started clearing the landslide debris. Expressing grief over the disappearance of the bus in the Trishuli River, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has issued directives for immediate search and rescue operations.
'I am deeply saddened by the loss of nearly five dozen passengers and the loss of property due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country when a bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers,' Prachanda posted on X.
The prime minister also expressed grief over the loss of life and property due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country.
He urged citizens to take necessary precautions.
Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel are heading towards the incident sites for rescue operations, Superintendent of Police Bhawesh Rimal said.
Debris from landslides at various places has obstructed traffic on the Narayanghat-Mugling road section.
More than 1,800 people have lost their lives in a decade due to monsoon disasters.
During this period, about 400 people went missing and more than 1,500 people were injured in the disaster. -- PTI
09:25 JNU to establish centres for Hindu, Buddhist, Jain studies
The Jawaharlal Nehru University will open a Centre for Hindu Studies as well as centres for Buddhist and Jain studies, according to an official notification.
The three new centres will be established under the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, it said.
The decision to set up the new centres was approved by the Executive Council of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in a meeting on May 29.
A committee was constituted by the JNU to explore and recommend the implementation of the National Education Policy (2020) and the Indian Knowledge System at the university.
'The Executive Council in its meeting held on 29.05.2024 has approved the recommendation of the committee constituted to explore and recommend on NEP-2020 and Indian Knowledge System and its further implementation in the University, and establishing of following centres within the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies,' a notification dated July 9 released on Friday read.
The Delhi University (DU) last year established a Centre for Hindu Studies that currently offers a master's degree.
The centre also plans to introduce undergraduate courses. The DU already has a department for Buddhist Studies and in March, it got central government's nod to establish a Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhism, at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore. -- PTI
08:57 Biden refers to Zelenskyy as Putin, Harris as Trump
United States President Joe Biden, who is under intense scrutiny over his advanced age, on Thursday introduced Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin at a NATO event and later at a solo press conference in Washington, DC mixed up the name of his vice president, Kamala Harris with the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
"And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," Biden,81, said at the NATO summit in Washington, DC on July 11, drawing gasps from those in the room.
After a two second pause, he immediately corrected himself and said, "Going to beat President Putin, President Zelenskyy. I am so focused on beating Putin."
Zelenskyy responded to Biden's comments with 'I am better (than Putin)', to which Biden replied 'You are a hell of a lot better', as some in the room laughed, before Zelenskyy began his own address.
Fellow leaders at the NATO summit fielded questions about Biden, and their answers have largely been supportive.
"We all slip up sometimes," said French President Emmanuel Macron, "It's happened to me and it could happen again tomorrow. I would ask for your indulgence."
Later, at a solo press conference, Biden was repeatedly asked about the concerns over his age on his candidacy.
He responded with 'I've gotta finish the job'.
In another embarrassing gaffe, he mistakenly referred to his Vice-President Kamala Harris as 'Vice-President Trump'.
"Look, I wouldn't have picked Trump to be vice president if she was not qualified to be president. So start there," Biden stated as he responded to a question about his confidence in Harris.
CNN reported that Trump pounced on the verbal stumble to to post on Truth Social to highlight the moment.
'Crooked Joe begins his 'Big Boy' Press Conference with, 'I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, though I think she was not qualified to be president.' Great job, Joe!' Trump wrote, along with a video clip of the moment.
Biden's re-election campaign has been struggling for the past two weeks, following his debate performance against his opponent Trump, who is 78 years old.
Meanwhile, four more Democrats in the House of Representatives called on Biden to end his campaign: Brad Schneider of Illinois, Greg Stanton of Arizona, Ed Case of Hawaii, and Hillary Scholten of Michigan.
"For our country's sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders," Stanton said in a prepared statement.
Following this, some Senate Democrats said they were still uncertain about Biden's ability to win after meeting with Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and other top aides. -- ANI
IMAGE: US President Joe Biden holds a press conference during NATO's 75th anniversary summit, in Washington, DC., on 11, 2024. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Reuters
00:43 250 speakers at Jarange rally to send his message 'loud and clear'
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange will hold a rally in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Saturday wherein he might announce the next course of his agitation, organisers said on Thursday.
To send his message "loud and clear', 250 loudspeakers will be installed in all four directions in a 500-metre radius of the venue, they said.
Jarange had on June 13 suspended his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota and set a deadline of one month before the state government to accept the community's demands.
The activist's rally will commence at 11 am on Saturday (July 13) from the CIDCO bus stand and culminate 4 km away at Kranti Chowk, where he will address a gathering, said the organisers.
Jarange might spell out his next step at the public meeting, they said. -- PTI
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
00:41 SC verdict today on Kejriwal plea against arrest
The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver on Friday its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
As per the cause list of July 12 uploaded on the apex court's website, a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna will pronounce the judgement.
On May 17, the bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, had reserved its verdict on Kejriwal's plea.
The apex court had on April 15 sought a response from the ED on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest in the money laundering case.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief has challenged in the top court the April 9 order of the Delhi high court that had upheld his arrest in the case.
The high court had upheld Kejriwal's arrest in the case, saying there was no illegality about it and that the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The chief minister was arrested on March 21 by the ED in the money laundering case.
On June 20, he was granted bail by a trial court here on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh in the case. -- PTI
00:35 Soldier killed in accident along LAC in Eastern Ladakh
A soldier lost his life in an accident on Thursday during his duty along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, an official said.
"While performing his duties, soldier Sankara Rao Gottapu sustained fatal injuries in an accident today," he said.
The official did not elaborate about the nature of accident.
The Indian Army regrets the loss of the brave soldier deployed in Eastern Ladakh, he said. -- PTI
00:31 Sensex top losers
Benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed marginally down in a rangebound session on Thursday as investors booked profits in heavyweights ahead of the announcement of key financial results for the June quarter.
Retreating from early highs, the 30-share BSE Sensex closed lower by 27.43 points or 0.03 percent at 79,897.34.
As many as 15 Sensex shares closed with gains while the rest decline.
Among Sensex shares, Bajaj Finance fell the most by 1.48 percent.
Mahindra & Mahindra (1.24 percent), NTPC (1.14 percent) and Nestle (1.05 percent) were also among the major losers.
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, Power Grid, UltraTech Cement, Bharti Airtel, RIL and Larsen & Toubro also declined.
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