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Nupur Sharma had made some controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad
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3 min read Last Updated : Jun 05 2022 | 11:13 PM IST
11:13 PM
The bus that fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on Sunday was carrying 28 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, as per the state government.
According to the Uttarkashi administration, at least 25 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh died and three were critically injured on Sunday evening when the bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge en route to the Yamunotri temple in the Uttarkashi district.
Expressing condolence over the death of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh in the bus accident, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he along with state minister Bijendra Pratap Singh, DGP Sudhir Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora and the entire team are leaving for Dehradun immediately in the night.
The MP Home Department has issued a list of 28 passengers from the Panna district who were travelling in the ill-fated bus.
I have talked to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Dhami ji over the phone and requested him to ensure adequate arrangements for the treatment of the injured, Chouhan said in a tweet.
The chief minister said he had sought information about the incident and rescue operations and is in constant touch with Dhami.
I and my team are in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government and local district administration. The arrangements are being made to treat the injured and bring the bodies to Madhya Pradesh, the chief minister said.
11:06 PM
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hypocrisy and alleged that while he has weakened all environmental and forest laws in India, he is posing as an eco-champion on the world stage.
Ramesh, a former environment minister himself, said this as the prime minister is set to launch the "LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment)" initiative on World Environment Day.
"Today is World Environment Day, celebrated since 1973. Vishguru is launching LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). This is maximum hypocrisy, since he's weakening all environmental and forest laws, regulations and institutions at home, while posing to be an eco-champion on world stage!" the former Union minister wrote on Twitter.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also hit out at the prime minister, saying "his understanding of climate change came out clearly when he loudly proclaimed, 'There is no climate change but only 'our tolerance and habits' have changed".
In a tweet on Saturday, Modi said, "Tomorrow, 5th June is marked as #WorldEnvironmentDay. At 6 PM, the LiFE global movement will be launched. This movement seeks to encourage practices that further sustainable living and environmentally friendly development."
11:04 PM
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday said being in the NDA as a junior partner of the BJP and the JD(U) was causing "ghutan" (suffocation) and he regretted having stepped down in 2015, less than a year after being sworn in to the highest seat of power in the state.
Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha has four MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, was also of the view that with proper "samanjasya" (coordination) "we can make our presence felt in the upcoming legislative council polls when our support will be solicited by our bigger partners".
Manjhi, whose son Santosh Kumar Suman is a minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet and has also been anointed as the HAM national president, was addressing the party's national executive.
NDA leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, sneered at "yet another tantrum" thrown by the septuagenarian and pointed towards his past vacillations to assert that his averments, though objectionable, were of little significance for the ruling coalition.
10:58 PM
Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Sunday described as "necessary and timely" the action by Bharatiya Janata Party against its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal for their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. In a statement, Jamiat said disciplinary action by BJP was "necessary and timely" for "maintaining law and order in the country". Maulana Hakeemuddin Qasmi, general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said "there is no bigger communalism and no greater offence than this, so we hope that law enforcement agencies will take legal action against them without delay and will indeed punish them, as well as take action against all such individuals who are constantly insulting the Prophet." According to the statement, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind had recently passed a resolution in its national governing body meeting calling for the immediate passing of a law to protect the sanctity and dignity of all religious personalities.
Sharma was on Sunday suspended from the party and Jindal expelled after their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad as the BJP sought to defuse the row over the issue.
10:54 PM
Gunmen opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria on Sunday, leaving dozens feared dead, state lawmakers said.
The attackers targeted the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state just as the worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, legislator Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said. Among the dead were many children, he said.
The presiding priest was abducted as well, said Adelegbe Timileyin, who represents the Owo area in Nigeria's lower legislative chamber.
Our hearts are heavy," Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu tweeted Sunday. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people.
Authorities did not immediately release an official death toll. Timileyin said at least 50 people had been killed, though others put the figure higher. Videos appearing to be from the scene of the attack showed church worshippers lying in pools of blood while people around them wailed.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said only fiends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such dastardly act, according to a statement from his spokesman.
No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win, said Buhari, who was elected after vowing to end Nigeria's prolonged security crisis.
10:47 PM
BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday asked party workers of Jharkhand to be internet savvy and updated with data to disseminate information on the achievements of the Narendra Modi government to people.
The move is being seen as preparation for the parliamentary and assembly elections in 2024.
The eight years of good governance have given new hope. Before 2014 (When Modi became the PM), the political culture in the country was dynasty, appeasement and vote bank. But now, it has changed to the politics of development, he said while addressing party workers here.
The country is making a giant leap in every sector after the pandemic - from exports to GST collections to economic growth, Nadda claimed.
The per capita income which was Rs 79,000 earlier and has now reached 1.5 lakh, he said.
The BJP leader said that there were only 6.5 crore broadband connections earlier and now the figure is 78 crore.
In 70 years, merely 6.37 lakh primary schools were built in the country while during the eight years of the Modi government, 6.53 lakh such schools were set up, Nadda claimed.
Around Rs 22 lakh crore have been transferred to the beneficiaries' accounts under welfare schemes of the Modi government in the past eight years, he said.
Nadda participated in a rally at the Morhabadi Grounds here earlier in the day.
In the evening, he addressed party leaders and workers at the BJP headquarters and inaugurated two district offices virtually.
10:46 PM
Flagging instances of environmental norm violations in West Bengal will now fetch handsome monetary rewards, with the state pollution control board Sunday announcing Rs 500 for reporting such cases through its mobile app.
The novel initiative is aimed at creating more awareness among the public about the environment, West Bengal Pollution Control Board member secretary Rajesh Kumar said.
"For example, if you visit a restaurant and find certain environmental norms are flouted; you can inform us through the existing Paribesh app' of WBPCB.
Your identity will be kept secret and if the information is found to be true, we will give Rs 500 as incentive for each update. A sum of up to Rs 1 crore can be won by a citizen for multiple information," Kumar told PTI on the sidelines of a function to mark the World Environment Day at Science City here.
Kumar said WBPCB has set up around 150 monitoring units to check surface water, groundwater and river content.
"We have also installed over 120 noise monitoring units to curb sound pollution and an almost equal number of air monitoring stations across the state," he said.
He also said the board is actively coordinating with 125 urban local bodies for solid waste management.
WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra said that it has mobilised 2,000 children from schools and colleges, as they can be the true ambassadors for the campaign to save the planet.
10:40 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand.
The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each.
"The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each," tweeted the Office of the Prime Minister.
Twenty-two people were killed and six were injured after a bus carrying 28 pilgrims from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh fell into a gorge near Damta in Uttarkashi district, informed the local administration.
"As per Uttrakhand local Administration, 22 pilgrims died and six inured NDRF team rush to spot and any moment will reach there," MoS Home Nityanand Rai had told ANI.
"A bus carrying 28 pilgrims from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh fell into a gorge near Damta in Uttarkashi district. Bodies of 6 people recovered while 6 injured have been sent to the hospital. Police and SDRF on the spot," DGP Ashok Kumar had said.
Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the district administration to carry out relief and rescue work expeditiously.
The Chief Minister has given instructions to make arrangements for proper treatment of the injured.
10:34 PM
The flood situation in Assam improved significantly on Sunday although over 40,700 people are still affected in two districts, an official bulletin said.
According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 40,700 people were suffering in Cachar and Morigaon districts.
Morigaon is the worst hit with over 30,400 people affected, followed by Cachar (10,300).
Till Saturday, over 68,500 people were suffering in four districts. A total of 38 people have died in the state this year due to floods and landslides.
At present, 137 villages have been inundated and 6,029.50 hectares of farmlands damaged, the bulletin said.
Authorities are running seven relief camps and distribution centres in three districts, where 705 people, including 165 children, are taking shelter. The authorities have distributed 423.37 quintals of rice, dal, salt and other flood relief items.
Massive erosions have taken place in Dhubri, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Kokrajhar, Nagaon and Morigaon, ASDMA said.
10:25 PM
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday after a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a gorge in the state's Uttarkashi district and said local rescue teams are engaged in the rescue operation while National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel will also reach the spot shortly.
At least 15 people are feared dead in the accident.
"It is very sad to hear about the bus of devotees falling into a gorge in Uttarakhand. I have spoken to Chief Minister @pushkardhami on this. Local administration and SDRF teams are engaged in rescue work and the injured are being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. NDRF is also reaching there soon," Shah said in a tweet in Hindi.
The bus was carrying over 30 passengers to Yamunotri, officials said.
10:00 PM
Congress held a meeting of the Central Planning Group here on Sunday to prepare for the Bharat Jodo Yatra which will be taken out from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is aimed at connecting Kanyakumari in Southern India to Kashmir in Northern India, will begin on October 2.
"The first meeting of the Central Planning Group for Bharat Jodo Yatra took place today. The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra will start on October 2 and planning for it began in right earnest. Rahul Gandhi also attended the meeting," INC Member of Rajya Sabha Digvijay Singh said in a tweet.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi announced this mass campaign to counter polarisation politics with the slogan Bharat Jodo" on May 16--the last day of the Congress -led Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.
According to party sources, the five-month-long yatra which is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,500 kilometres and more than a dozen states, will commence from Kanyakumari and will conclude in Kashmir.
The yatra will include padayatras, rallies, and public meetings which will be attended by the Congress top brass including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Earlier, the sources had said that like-minded parties, members, and organisations from civil society will also be a part of this mass campaign.
9:59 PM
Qatar and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and handed over to them protest notes on what the Gulf countries called categorical "rejection and condemnation" of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Mohammed.
Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, a spokesperson of the Indian Embassy in Qatar said that the "Ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."
The spokesperson said that Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting Qatar and on Sunday he met Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani here.
Earlier, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the State, handed the note to the Ambassador of the Republic of India, the ministry said in a statement.
It welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's leader and said Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India.
"Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks, the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy here said.
9:58 PM
A blistering heatwave baked parts of western Odisha on Sunday even as people in other regions of the state got some respite due to rain, the Met office said.
At least 13 weather stations recorded a maximum of over 40 degrees Celsius even as the temperatures fell by 1-2 notches in some places due to rainfall on Monday night, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.
Heatwave prevailed in Bolangir, Boudh, Subarnapur and Bargarh. The conditions are likely to continue in these districts over the next two days, according to a bulletin.
Intense heat scorched Bolangir as the maximum temperature rose to 44.3 degrees Celsius in the district headquarters and 44.6 degrees Celsius in Titilagarh, the highest in the state, a bulletin stated.
Subarnapur recorded 44.7 degrees Celsius, followed by 44.3 in Boudh and 43.7 in Sambalpur. Bargarh and Bhawanipatna recorded 43 degrees Celsius each, while the mercury climbed up to 42.8 in Jharsuguda, three levels above normal, it said.
The temperature in state capital Bhubaneswar dropped by three notches below average to settle at 33.8, while it was 34 degrees Celsius in Cuttack, the department said.
There will be no significant change in the maximum temperature over the next four-five days, it said.
The weatherman forecast isolated to scattered rain with thunderstorms over the next five days under the influence of an east-west trough and strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal.
9:45 PM
A shooting near a Tennessee nightclub early Sunday led to three deaths and 14 people suffering gunshot wounds and other injuries, police said.
Fourteen people were hit by gunfire and three were hit by vehicles while trying to flee the scene, Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy said during a press conference.
Two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died after being hit by a vehicle, Murphy said. Sixteen of the victims were adults and one was a juvenile and several remained in critical condition, she said.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 2:42 am on McCallie Avenue near a nightclub and found multiple victims upon arrival. She said officers immediately began rendering aid and securing the scene.
There were multiple shooters and Murphy asked anyone in the community with information about the shooting to come forward. She said police believe it was an isolated incident and authorities don't believe there's an ongoing public safety threat.
Murphy said it would be a complex investigation going forward.
We're trying to determine exactly what happened and what led up to this taking place, she said.
The shooting comes the weekend after six juveniles were wounded during an exchange of gunfire in a downtown Chattanooga business district.
9:38 PM
The AAP on Sunday accused BJP candidate for Rajinder Nagar bypoll Rajesh Bhatia of running three illegal hotels in the area, a charge denied by the saffron party.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned the BJP on why the party hasn't demolished Rajesh Bhatia's and his family's hotels despite them having been recorded as illegal by the MCD.
"BJP's Rajinder Nagar bypoll candidate is running three unauthorised hotels himself; why hasn't he faced bulldozer action yet? BJP and Adesh Gupta were celebrating when bulldozers demolished homes and shops of the poor all over Delhi; they must tell the public when their candidate's hotels will be demolished," he said.
The Delhi BJP said that the AAP was rattled by BJP's move to field its popular leader, saying the ruling party is levelling baseless allegations to divert the attention of people.
In a statement, the Delhi BJP said: "These allegations have been levelled earlier also. Even in 2012, when he (Bhatia) contested for the MCD elections, Congress had made similar claims. But he had secured 62 per cent of the votes. During his tenure as councillor, he built schools and open gyms, and his tenure was free of any allegations."
The bypoll has been necessitated after the Rajinder Nagar Assembly seat became vacant as AAP MLA Raghav Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. Chadha had defeated BJP's R P Singh in the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls with a margin of over 20,000 votes.
9:28 PM
Delhi on Sunday logged 343 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 1.91 per cent while no new death was reported due to the viral disease, according to data shared by the city health department.
With this, the national capital's COVID-19 case tally increased to 19,08,730 while the death toll stood at 26,212.
A total of 17,917 COVID-19 tests were conducted in Delhi the previous day, the department said in its latest bulletin.
On Saturday, the capital had logged 405 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 2.07 per cent while no new death was reported.
Delhi on Friday had logged 345 Covid cases and zero death while the positivity rate was 1.88 per cent. On Thursday, 373 cases with a positivity rate of 1.85 per cent and two new deaths were reported.
The number of daily Covid cases in Delhi had touched the record high of 28,867 on January 13 this year during the third wave of the pandemic.
The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the third wave of the pandemic.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi dropped to 1,422 from 1,467 on Saturday, the bulletin said.
9:18 PM
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said the state secretariat and assembly will be made plastic-free and the campaign will continue unabated.
After planting a tree on the Cantt Road near his residence here on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Chief Minister directed to run a cleanliness drive in all the cities of the state.
In this regard, he said the drive should be started from Dehradun first and after that cleanliness campaigns should be conducted in other cities also.
Dhami asked the district magistrates to identify and renovate 75 wetlands in each district. He also told the need for special attention towards rain water harvesting, solar energy, eco-tourism.
Describing Uttarakhand as a boon of nature and a state full of biodiversity, Dhami said that environmental protection is the collective responsibility of all of us.
He said that for the coming generations to get pure water, air, soil and environment, everyone will have to pay special attention to environmental protection and plantation.
9:17 PM
The Tamil Nadu BJP unit on Sunday alleged a loss of Rs 77 crore to the state exchequer in connection with provision of nutrition kits to pregnant women by involving a private firm.
State BJP president K Annamalai claimed the said firm provided a health mix and iron supplement, given as part of the Amma Maternity nutrition kit to the pregnant women, at higher costs compared to state-run agencies. The scheme was launched in the previous AIADMK regime and named after late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
However, the government issued a clarification regarding the health mix and iron supplement, insisting it suffered no loss on account of procuring the existing components, and even claimed that it saved on account of differential between the procurement and market rates.
Addressing reporters here, Annamalai said while a technical committee concerned had earlier decided to remove the health mix provided by the private firm and replace it with that of state-run Aavin, as part of cost-cutting measures, the decision was later "reversed at the behest" of certain individuals.
"This caused the government a loss of Rs 45 crore," as the cost of the health mix provided by the firm was higher than that of Aavin by about 60 per cent, he alleged.
8:54 PM
A village here in the district has resolved to donate one roti' (bread) from each household to feed the stray cows lodged in its cowshed.
Rudragarh Nausi village of Gonda took the decision after it was proposed by a district official.
Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Mohan Saxena had come forward with the proposal Saturday during a visit to the village to inspect the gaushala', said Mansoor Ali, the husband of the village pradhan, Nazia Fatima.
Saxena had proposed to the people to contribute one 'roti' from each house of the village.
The villagers found the proposal appropriate and adopted it unanimously later in a panchayat meeting, Ali said.
The gaushala in Rudragarh Nausi village was started in 2018 and is operational since then.
There are 1,500 houses in the village panchayat, and if one roti is contributed from each house, it will "forge a new bond between the villagers and the stray cattle, Ali said.
8:51 PM
At least 15 people are feared dead after a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a gorge here on Sunday, officials said.
The bus was carrying over 30 passengers to Yamunotri, they said.
Senior officials, including Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela, have rushed to the spot.
The officials said 15 of the passengers are feared dead.
Further information is awaited.
Yamunotri along with the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri are commonly known as Char Dham.
8:47 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that "reduce, reuse, and recycle" are the concepts woven into our life and the circular economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle.
The Prime Minister was speaking after virtually launching a global initiative 'Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement'. The launch will initiate 'LiFE Global Call for Papers' inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities, and research institutions to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle.
Addressing the gathering, he said that today is an apt day for the launch of the global initiative 'Lifestyle for the Environment - LiFE Movement' as he stressed the need of the hour to solve the challenge faced by our planet using human-centric, collective efforts and robust action that further sustainable development.
The Prime Minister reminded the gathering that this global initiative was proposed by him at COP-26 last year. "The vision of LiFE is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it. And those who live such a lifestyle are called 'Pro-Planet People'. Mission LiFE borrows from the past, operates in the present, and focuses on the future. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the concepts woven into our life. The Circular Economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle," he said.
He noted that thanks to 1.3 billion Indians in the country, he was able to do many good things for the environment in our country.
8:45 PM
Gujarat on Sunday reported 68 COVID-19 cases, which took its tally to 12,25,462, while the death toll stood unchanged at 10,944, an official said.
The recovery count increased by 21 to touch 12,14,178, leaving the state with an active caseload of 340, he added.
Ahmedabad accounted for 42 of the new cases, followed by 11 in Vadodara, four in Rajkot, two in Surat, among other districts, he informed.
The number of COVID-19 vaccination doses administered in the state rose to 11.02 crore, including 55,714 on Sunday, a government release said.
The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu continued to be coronavirus-free, a local official said.
Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,25,462, new cases 68, death toll 10,944, discharged 12,14,178, active cases 340, people tested so far - figures not released.
8:44 PM
The operator of a factory here was arrested on Sunday, a day after an explosion at the unit claimed 13 lives while 20 people sustained injuries, police said.
Wasim had fled the factory premises after the explosion. He sustained burn injuries on his hands and there were stitches on his head as well, a senior police official said, adding he received first-aid after the incident and took off.
"The operator was arrested on Sunday afternoon from the Hapur-Meerut bypass," Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhuker told PTI. "We are providing medical treatment to him," he said.
An FIR has been registered against the owner and the operator of the factory, police said.
The explosion took place on Saturday at Ruhi Industries in the Dhaulana area.
"So far, 13 people have been killed, while 20 are injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut," Bhuker said.
He added that 11 out of the 13 deceased have been identified, and they are from Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar.
Inspector General of Police Praveen Kumar said the factory was licensed to manufacture only electronic goods, and an investigation is underway to ascertain how explosives reached there.
8:40 PM
Maharashtra on Sunday reported 1,494 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 961 in Mumbai, and one fatality due to the infection, taking the tally of infections to 78,93,197 and the toll to 1,47,866, the state health department said.
The state had recorded 1,357 new coronavirus infections and one pandemic-related death the day before.
Sunday is the fourth consecutive day when the state reported more than 1,000 cases.
The state has 6,767 active cases now, the department said in a statement.
A total of 25,994 samples were tested on Sunday, taking the cumulative number of tests conducted so far in Maharashtra to 8,10,61,270.
With the discharge of 614 patients after COVID-19 treatment, the state's count of recoveries mounted to 77,38,564.
Mumbai saw 961 fresh cases and one COVID-19 fatality, raising the tally to 10,68,936 and the death toll to 19,569.
The Mumbai division reported 1,362 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 22,46,796. The overall COVID-19 death toll in the Mumbai region is 39,840.
8:38 PM
Normal life was affected in parts of Rajasthan due to excessive heat on Sunday, a MeT department spokesperson said.
At 46.7 degrees Celsius, Sriganganagar was the hottest place in the state.
According to the meteorological department, there is no likely relief from the heat for a few days.
The mercury touched 46.4 degrees Celsius in Dholpur, 45.1 degrees Celsius in Alwar and Sangaria, 45 degrees Celsius in Karauli and Churu, 44.9 degrees Celsius in Pilani, 44.4 degrees Celsius in Kota and 43.7 degrees Celsius in Bikaner.
State capital Jaipur recorded a maximum temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius.
No significant change in the temperatures is expected in the next 48 hours, a spokesperson of the meteorological department said.
He said the effect of dry westerly winds will continue over most parts of the state during the next one week and the weather will remain dry at most places.
Pre-monsoon activities are likely to start in some parts of the state after June 14-15. However, for the next three days, relatively strong dusty winds with a speed of 25-35 kilometres per hour are likely in the districts of Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions.
8:37 PM
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Sunday said he is inspired by India's leadership and efforts to curb carbon emissions.
He said collective global action to address climate change is needed more than ever and India's role and leadership are crucial in ensuring that "we reach our climate goals".
Speaking at the launch of 'Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement', a global initiative, Gates stressed the need for innovative technologies and participation from all to eliminate greenhouse gases.
"Ensuring that these innovative technologies are widely adopted will not only require large investments and partnerships between private and public sectors but also demands from individuals. Individual actions will send market signals that will encourage governments and businesses to invest in these innovations and create the breakthroughs we need," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the LiFE Movement and asserted that its vision is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it.
"Those who live such a lifestyle are called pro-planet people," he said in a video address, and added that "Mission LiFE' borrows from the past, operates in the present and focuses on the future.
Gates congratulated Prime Minister Modi for taking a lead on the global initiative of citizen action to promote pro-climate behaviours. "Together, we can build a green industrial revolution," he added.
Several other dignitaries attended the programme.
8:36 PM
When leaders gather this week in Los Angeles at the Summit of the Americas, the focus is likely to veer from common policy changes migration, climate change and galloping inflation and instead shift to something Hollywood thrives on: the drama of the red carpet.
With Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador topping a list of leaders threatening to stay home to protest the US' exclusion of authoritarian leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, experts say the event could turn into a embarrassment for US President Joe Biden.
Even some progressive Democrats have criticized the administration for bowing to pressure from exiles in the swing state of Florida and barring communist Cuba, which attended the last two summits.
The real question is why the Biden administration didn't do its homework, said Jorge Castaeda, a former Mexican foreign minister who now teaches at New York University.
While the Biden administration insists the president in Los Angeles will outline his vision for a "sustainable, resilient, and equitable future for the hemisphere, Castaeda said it's clear from the last-minute wrangling over the guest list that Latin America is not a priority for the US president.
This ambitious agenda, no one knows exactly what it is, other than a series of bromides," he said.
The US is hosting the summit for the first time since its launch in 1994, in Miami, as part of an effort to galvanize support for a free trade agreement stretching from Alaska to Patagonia.
8:30 PM
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested five more people in connection with the Kanpur violence, taking the number of total arrests to 29, and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.
The arrested persons, including prime accused Hayat Zafar Hashmi, were produced before the special remand magistrate court which sent them to judicial custody for 14 days, a senior police official said.
The violence broke out in Pared, Nai Sadak and Yateemkhana areas of the city on Friday when some people tried to force shopkeepers to down shutters over allegedly insulting remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate, according to police.
With five more arrests on Sunday, the number of arrested accused has gone up to 29. The identities of over 100 more accused have been established, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Pramod Kumar said.
He said it has been decided to move an application before the court on Monday seeking 14-day police custody of the accused.
Kanpur Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena said an SIT has been set up to probe the incident properly.
The SIT has been asked to identify those who instigated the communal tension, he said.
8:27 PM
The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar on Sunday charged the BJP-led NDA, which rules the Centre as well as the state, with imposing an undeclared emergency on the country wherein dissent is being stamped out by misuse of probe agencies and smear campaigns are launched against those critical of the regime.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the state, besides CPI and CPI(ML) secretaries general D Raja and Dipankar Bhattacharya respectively, were among those who addressed a mammoth gathering here.
The meeting was organised on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the call given by Jayaprakash Narayan for sampoorna Kranti (total revolution) on this date at the historic Gandhi Maidan in the city.
The occasion was also marked by Yadav presenting a report card on the alleged misrule of the Nitish Kumar government which has been ruling the state since 2005 except for a period of less than two years during which Yadav's party allied with the JD(U) and he served as the deputy chief minister.
Yadav said his report card sought to underscore that the government in the state, though headed by Kumar, a socialist, was being run as per the agenda of Nagpur, an allusion to the headquarters of the RSS, the apex body of the Sangh Parivar of which the BJP is the political offshoot.
He lambasted the NDA for achieving power through backdoor, an obvious reference to the BJP and Kumar's sudden realignment in 2017 after nearly four years of acrimony, and alleged misuse of administrative machinery in the 2020 assembly elections wherein the Grand Alliance stopped short of winning a majority.
8:24 PM
India on Sunday delivered consignments of essential medicines to a hospital in Sri Lanka to bridge the shortage of medical supplies in the island nation amidst the country's ongoing economic crisis, according to the Indian High Commission here.
India has been providing medical supplies along with other basic essentials to Sri Lanka as it is going through its worst economic crisis.
A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices heaped misery on the people.
On Sunday, the new consignments of medicines were supplied to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Indian aid to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Two truck loads of life saving drugs and medical equipment were handed over by Consul General Raakesh Natraj to Director Jaffna Hospital Nanthakumar today, a tweet from the Indian High Commission said.
During the visit by the external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar early this year his attention was brought on the dire medical supplies situation in the island.
The Government Medical Officers' Association, which is the doctor's trade union, also opened up a portal seeking donations of medicines and consumables as part of their initiative to bring at least a temporary relief to the medicine shortage in such a time.
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First Published: Jun 05 2022 | 6:51 AM IST
