LIVE news updates: Nomination process for presidential election begins

Live news updates: The nomination process began on a day when various opposition parties are meeting in Delhi to decide on a presidential candidate

2:57 PM

Bombay HC quashes decree granting ownership of Kanjurmarg land to private firm; says court was misled

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday set aside a 2020 decree which granted ownership of a 6,000-acre parcel of land in suburban Kanjurmarg to a private firm, saying that a huge "fraud was played on the court" while obtaining the earlier order.

 

The order could be significant for the Mumbai Metro project.

2:49 PM

DU students will get printed degrees in year of convocation for first time: Official

The Delhi University (DU) has announced that students who completed their degrees in 2021 will be getting their printed certificates this year, unlike earlier when it used to take several years.

 

"It used to take several years for printed degrees to arrive but this year students will be getting printed degrees in the year of convocation. We have 85,000 degrees with us," DU Dean of Examination DS Rawat told PTI.

 

The university held its 98th convocation in February.

 

The colleges have been directed to depute officials for the collection of degrees.

2:40 PM

‘Cutting chai': Pak minister urges people to reduce tea consumption

Cash-strapped Pakistan has urged its countrymen to cut down the consumption of tea to help reduce the import bill eating into the country's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

 

The appeal from Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal came after it emerged that Pakistan consumed tea worth Rs 83.88 billion (USD 400 million) in the fiscal year 2021-22, The News International newspaper reported.

 

He said that Pakistan, one of the biggest importers of tea in the world, has to borrow money to import it.

 

“I appeal to the nation to cut down the consumption of tea by 1-2 cups because we import tea on loan," Iqbal said while speaking to reporters here on Tuesday.

 

2:32 PM

More than 100 CEOs urge US Congress to pass China competition bill

Chief executives from Alphabet Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp on Wednesday called on Congress to pass legislation aimed at boosting US economic competitiveness against China, including in chip manufacturing.

 

Those executives and more than 100 others signed a letter urging the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, which each have passed different versions of the legislation, to reach an agreement and send a bill to President Joe Biden for his signature. Legislators will break for a summer recess in August, after which most observers expect lawmakers to shift their attention to this fall's midterm elections.

 

2:30 PM

Police denies entering Congress party headquarter in Delhi

2:28 PM

Police enters Congress party headquarter in Delhi

2:27 PM

No untoward incident in last 2 days during Prophet remark stir; 218 held for violence: WB govt to HC

The West Bengal government on Wednesday submitted a report before the Calcutta High Court, stating that there has been no untoward incident in the last two days during protests over now-sacked BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

 

The report stated that a total of 218 people have been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out on June 9 amid the outrage, and also the subsequent violation of prohibitory orders.

 

2:08 PM

Singapore's veteran Indian-origin prosecutor G Kannan passes away

G Kannan, Singapore's veteran Indian-origin prosecutor, has died while holidaying in Thailand's Phuket island. He was 52.

 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kannan, who died on Tuesday, is survived by his wife and two sons.

 

A spokesman for his family said that they have asked for privacy to mourn.

 

Kannan, also a senior state counsel, was a senior director of the crime division at the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC).

2:06 PM

Nomination process for presidential election begins

The process to file nominations for the presidential election began on Wednesday with the Election Commission issuing a notification calling upon the electors to fill the vacancy.

 

The election is scheduled to be held on July 18.

 

The nomination process began on a day when various opposition parties are meeting in Delhi to decide on a presidential candidate.

 

The nominations can be filed till June 29 and the scrutiny of the papers will take place on June 30. July 2 has been decided as the last date of withdrawing from the electoral battle.

 

2:04 PM

I-T deptt notifies cost inflation index for current fiscal

The Income Tax Department has notified the cost inflation index for the current fiscal to calculate long-term capital gains arising from the sale of immovable property, securities and jewellery.

 

The cost inflation index (CII) is used by a taxpayer to compute gains arising out of the sale of capital assets after adjusting for inflation.

 

The Cost Inflation Index for FY 2022-23 relevant to AY 2023-24 is 331.

11:59 AM

ED quizzes Rahul for 3rd consecutive day in National Herald money laundering case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday for the third consecutive day of questioning in the National Herald money laundering case. Gandhi (51) arrived at the ED headquarters on APJ Abdul Kalam Road in central Delhi around 11.35 am with his "Z+" category CRPF security escort. He was accompanied by his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

 

He had left this office at 11:30 pm on Tuesday night after being questioned for over 11 hours. A huge contingent of police and paramilitary personnel was deployed around the federal agency's office, and prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is in force.

10:37 AM

Thundershowers likely in Delhi on Wednesday

The meteorological department has issued a yellow alert, warning of thundershowers and gusty winds towards Wednesday afternoon or evening in the national capital. The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's base station, recorded a minimum temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal. The maximum temperature is predicted to settle around 40 degrees Celsius.

 

On Tuesday, a cloud cover had cocooned Delhi, causing the maximum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory to drop below 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this month.

10:37 AM

Telangana Rashtra Samiti unlikely to send representative to Mamata's meeting

Telangana  Rashtra Samiti unlikely to send representative to Mamata's meeting of opposition leaders.

10:33 AM

Curfew under Section 144 continues in Bhaderwah town over a social media post

Jammu: Curfew under Section 144 continues in Bhaderwah town to maintain law and order situation following tensions over a social media post.

 

10:02 AM

Pro-Khalistan slogans seen scrawled on walls near Jalandhar Shakti Peeth: Police

Pro-Khalistan slogans seen scrawled on walls near Jalandhar Shakti Peeth, Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar. Police say, "We're checking CCTV footage to find out who wrote the slogans. Delhi CM-AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal & CM Bhagwant Mann to visit Jalandhar today.

9:42 AM

$150 million aid by World Bank comes as relief to Afghan farmers under Taliban regime

The World Bank has granted USD 150 million in aid to Afghan farmers as food security continues to plummet in the country due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

 

According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aid has been provided to the farmers to enhance their agricultural products as well as to reduce increased insecurity and widespread humanitarian crisis pressure has resulted in extreme food insecurity among Afghans at various levels, Khaama Press reported.

 

According to the FAO, this is the first tranche of World Bank assistance, with the second instalment, totalling USD 45 million, expected to be released within the forthcoming 24 months.

9:42 AM

NIA conducts searches at multiple locations in J&K linked to a terror funding case: ANI

National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted searches at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir linked to a terror funding case: ANI

 

9:41 AM

Cases against over 200 people for protest against supporters of Nupur Sharma

The Bhiwandi police have registered two cases against more than 200 people for alleged unlawful assembly to protest against supporters of BJP functionary Nupur Sharma, who was recently suspended by the party over her derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, officials said. On June 12, several people gathered at a spot in Bhiwandi town here in Maharashtra, leading to a tense situation. 

 

Some of them had also marched to the houses two persons - Mukesh Baburam Chavan and Saad Ansari- and protested against their posts on social media showing support to Sharma, police said. Some of the protesters had also allegedly hit Ansari, they said, adding that Chavan and Ansari were subsequently taken into custody.

9:40 AM

Over 600 new Covid-19 cases in Thane, 1 death

With the addition of 607 new COVID-19 cases, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 7,15,305, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The viral infection also claimed the life of one person, taking the death toll in the district to 11,896, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 1.67 per cent.

8:49 AM

India logs 8,822 new cases in 24 hours

India has logged 8,822 new cases in 24 hours. 15 new deaths have been reported. Caseload stands at 43,245,517.

7:52 AM

I2U2 part of US' effort to revitalize, re-energise its system of partnerships

The new grouping of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, which will hold its first virtual summit next month as part of the efforts of the Biden administration to re-energize and revitalize American alliances across the world, a US official said. Part of our approach, from the start, is not only to revitalise and re-energize our system of alliances and partnerships around the world, but also to stitch together partnerships that did not exist previously or were not utilised to their full extent, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday.

7:11 AM

Dollar towers over peers as markets bet on large Fed rate hike

The dollar held near its overnight 20-year peak on Wednesday ahead of the outcome of the Federal Reserve policy meeting at which markets are pricing in an outsized 75 basis point interest rate hike as policymakers try to rein in rampant inflation. A key U.S. currency index, which tracks its performance against six peers, was at 105.3 having hit 105.65 on Tuesday, its strongest since December 2002.

 

Sterling was at $1.20135 after slumping to a 15-month low versus the dollar at $1.1934 the previous day, not helped by the possibility of a new referendum on Scottish independence, while the euro was at $1.0428 just above its overnight one-month low.

7:02 AM

Mexico to begin COVID-19 vaccination of children between 5-11 yrs old

Mexico will begin vaccinating children between 5 and 11 years old against COVID-19 in the coming days, following the completion of six immunization phases, Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion Hugo Lopez-Gatell announced Tuesday. The official said the process will be carried out by municipalities, with registration starting on Thursday. "In essence, the policy has been very consistent with what we planned from the beginning," Lopez-Gatell told journalists from the National Palace in Mexico City.

6:59 AM

Two LeT militants killed in encounter in J-K

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said. The encounter broke out between the militants and security forces at Kanjiular in Shopian after the personnel launched a cordon and search operation in the area, they said.

6:57 AM

EU buys almost 110,000 doses of Danish vaccine to curb monkeypox

The European Union (EU) has signed a deal with Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic for the purchase of 109,090 doses of vaccine to curb the spread of monkeypox. European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides said that the vaccines will be donated to EU member states, Norway, and Iceland. The first deliveries were scheduled for the end of June.