Live: 4 more Sena MLAs arrive in Guwahati as rebel Shinde builds numbers

From Maharashtra political crisis to coronavirus cases in India to Ukraine-Russia crisis and more, catch all the latest developments from across the globe here

10:23 PM

Shiv Sena seeks to disqualify Shinde, 11 other rebel MLAs

Eknath Shinde among 12 rebel MLAs against whom Shiv Sena has filed for disqualification, reports NDTV.com.

9:43 PM

4 more Sena MLAs arrive in Guwahati

Four more MLAs arrive in Guwahati to join Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde and 41 legislators, say reports

7:08 PM

If Shiv Sena wants, can extend outside support too, says Congress

Congress says it willing lend Shiv Sena outside support, seemingly offering to leave Maharashtra ruling alliance, NDTV.com reports. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut gas said it would consider exiting the Maharashtra alliance with Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress but only if rebel MLAs returned "in 24 hours" to Mumbai.

 

6:03 PM

Modi speaks at BRICS summit

The economic impact of the coronavirus continue in the world, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at BRICS summit. He is speaking via video.

5:33 PM

Don’t think Uddhav Thackeray will consider rebels' demand: Congress leader

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said on Thursday that he did not think that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would do an "about-turn" and agree to the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs' demand that the Sena pull out of the ruling MVA alliance. Chavan was reacting to Sena MP Sanjay Raut's statement earlier in the day that the Sena was "ready to consider" the demand of the MLAs led by Eknath Shinde that it should end the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with the NCP and Congress.

 

5:20 PM

Shiv Sena editorial warns rebel MLAs

As the rebellion by senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde plunged the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra in a political crisis, an editorial in the party mouthpiece `Saamana' on Thursday said the renegade legislators should "mend their ways in time". The MLAs who have succumbed to the BJP's "pressure tactics and inducements" should know that they would become "permanently former" if common Sena workers made up their mind, PTI quoted the editorial as saying.

4:48 PM

BJP conspiring to topple Maharashtra government: Mamata

The BJP is trying to topple Maharashtra’s MVA government in an unethical manner, says Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

4:29 PM

Delhi bans entry of heavy vehicles from Oct to Feb 2023

Delhi government bans entry of medium and heavy vehicles from October 1 to February 28, 2023 as a preventive measure against air pollution during winter.

4:19 PM

Two MLAs return from Guwahati: Sena leader

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi says MLAs Kailash Patil and Nitin Deshmukh returned to Mumbai on Thursday after defecting to the Eknath Shinde camp earlier this week.

Felicitated our two MLAs Kailash Patil ji and Nitin Deshmukh ji who returned from Guwahati, Assam. Many more to return.. patience & time. pic.twitter.com/orTpELhMlN

— Priyanka Chaturvedi

4:01 PM

Ekanth Shinde claims support of 400 corporators: Report

Rebel Shiv Sena leader Ekanth Shinde has a list of party 400 corporators and a few MPs who are willing to cross over to his camp if he manages to form the government in Maharashtra by topping Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, reports the Indian Express.

3:43 PM

Will sit in Opposition if Shiv Sena-led government falls: NCP's Jayant Patil

Jayant Patil, Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader, said on Thursday that if the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra falls the NCP will prefer to sit in Opposition. His statement comes after a NCP meeting was held at party chief Sharad Pawar's residence.

 

3:06 PM

Shiv Sena ready to walk out of MVA govt: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena ready to walk out of alliance govt in Maharashtra, but party rebels should return to Mumbai (from Guwahati) in 24 hours, says MP Sanjay Raut.

1:56 PM

Assam flood situation grim, 5.45 million hit, 12 fresh deaths

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday with over 5.45 million people still affected and 12 fresh deaths reported, officials said. The toll due to the flood since mid-May is now 101, they said.

 

Brahmaputra and Barak rivers along with its tributaries are in spate in most of the affected districts and vast tracts of land remained inundated in 32 of the total 36 districts in the state. The flood waters, however, receded in a few places.

 

Altogether 3,658 persons were evacuated with the help of 276 boats across the state by NDRF, SDRF and other agencies during the day, according to the bulletin.

1:42 PM

JP Nadda spoke to me about filing of nomination of Droupadi Murmu for President Election: Naveen Patnaik

BJP President JP Nadda spoke to me about the filing of nomination of Droupadi Murmu for President Election. My cabinet colleagues Jagannath Saraka and Tukuni Sahu will sign nomination papers today and attend the event tomorrow: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

 

1:41 PM

Dummy cars and a govt on dialysis do not last long: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Dummy cars and a govt on dialysis do not last long, says Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Maharashtra political crisis

 

1:40 PM

Sonia Gandhi appoints Kumari Selja, Abhishek Manu Singhvi as CWC members

Sonia Gandhi appoints Kumari Selja, Abhishek Manu Singhvi as CWC members

 

12:55 PM

I have invited all our MLAs for a meeting to brief them on the ongoing developments: NCP's Jayant Patil

At 5 pm today, I have invited all our MLAs for a meeting to brief them on the ongoing developments. Our MPs, organisation chief (Sharad Pawar) will be there too: NCP's Jayant Patil on political instability in MVA

 

10:07 AM

Maharashtra political crisis update

3 more Shiv Sena MLAs leave for Guwahati to join rebel camp led by cabinet minister Eknath Shinde

 

10:05 AM

Mansukh Mandaviya to chair review meeting today amid rising COVID-19 cases

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting with the core team of experts on Thursday, said sources. Sources have also confirmed that the meeting will be held in physical format in the afternoon.

 

Earlier, on June 13, Mandaviya chaired a meeting through video conferencing with Health Ministers and senior officials of States and Union Territories (UTs) to review the progress of the vaccination exercise HarGharDastak 2.0 campaign.

 

"COVID is not over yet. There are reports of rising cases of COVID in some states. It is important at this time to be alert and not forget COVID Appropriate behaviour (CAB) such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance to prevent the spread of the infection," he had stressed.

10:04 AM

Assembly by-polls turnout

Till 9 am, 11.56% voter turnout recorded in Atmakur (Andhra Pradesh)
 

15.29% in Agartala (Tripura) 

16.25% in Town Bardowali (Tripura)

13% in Surma (Tripura)

14% in Jubarajnagar (Tripura)

13.49% in Mandar (Jharkhand)

5.20% in Rajinder Nagar (Delhi)

10:03 AM

Ending terrorism is only way for Pakistan to help Kashmiris: India

India has said that the only thing Pakistan can do to help the people of Kashmir is to stop terrorism.

 

"The only contribution that Pakistan can make is to stop state-sponsored terrorism," Nitish Birdi, the Minister in India's UN Mission, said on Tuesday replying to the Pakistani envoy's comment about Kashmiris needing UN humanitarian aid.

 

He added that Pakistan's representative continuously misuses UN platforms to spew "malicious and false propaganda" against India "like a broken record".

 

10:03 AM

U.S. recession fears darken outlook for Japan, global factories

Japan's factory activity growth slowed to a four-month low in June as China's COVID-19 curbs disrupted supply chains, while many other economies in Asia were also facing headwinds amid growing risks to the outlook from a potential U.S. recession.

 

Australia's manufacturing activity held steady this month, data showed on Thursday which, together with Japan's figures, come ahead of a string of European and U.S. purchasing managers' index (PMI) surveys due out later in the day.

 

The readings will be closely scrutinised as financial markets fret over sharp interest rises by the Federal Reserve, and further aggressive tightening planned over coming months, which have substantially raised the risk of a U.S. recession.

9:55 AM

Delhi: Voting underway for Rajinder Nagar bypolls; AAP, BJP in key battle

Polling for the bypoll on the Rajinder Nagar seat of the national capital is underway where Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party are in a direct battle.

 

The seat remained vacated after the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Raghav Chadha was nominated for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on March 21. the Kejriwal government has been criticised by the Opposition for its liquor policy.

9:55 AM

Rupee recovers from record low, inches higher by 9 paise against US dollar in early trade

Recovering from its record low, the rupee inched higher by 9 paise to 78.23 against the US dollar in early morning trade on Thursday. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 78.26 against the American dollar, then inched higher to quote at 78.23, registering a rise of 9 paise from the previous close.

 

On Wednesday, the rupee declined by 19 paise to settle at an all-time low of 78.32 against the US dollar.

9:47 AM

Long Covid in infected children can last at least two months: Lancet study

Children infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can experience symptoms of long COVID lasting at least two months, according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal on Thursday.

 

The largest study to date of long COVID symptoms in children aged 0-14 years used national level sampling of children in Denmark and matched COVID-19 positive cases with a control group with no prior history of a the disease.

 

"The overall aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of long-lasting symptoms in children and infants, alongside quality of life, and absence from school or day care," said Professor Selina Kikkenborg Berg, from Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark

9:45 AM

Ukraine set to be approved as EU candidate at Brussels summit

During a summit in Brussels on Thursday, Ukraine is set to be approved as an European Union (EU) candidate after the European Commission gave the go-ahead.

 

Just four days after Russia launched its invasion of Kiev on February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had signed an official appeal to the EU asking for the accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure.

 

And on June 11, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc will finalise the assessment on granting Ukraine EU candidate status.

 

9:37 AM

Taliban appeals for int'l aid following devastating earthquake

In the aftermath of the devastating 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan's Paktika province that killed at least 1,000 people, the country's Taliban-led government has appealed for international aid, the media reported on Thursday.

The earthquake on Wednesday, deemed to be the deadliest to strike the country in two decades, and subsequent landslides also injured 1,500 people in the two districts of Gayan and Barmal.

The epicentre was 44 km from Khost city and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India.

In a statement, senior Taliban official Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the regime was "financially unable to assist the people to the extent that is needed" as Afghanistan is in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis, the BBC reported.

Despite help from "aid agencies, neighbouring countries and world powers", he said that "the assistance needs to be scaled up to a very large extent because this is a devastating earthquake which hasn't been experienced in decades".

9:21 AM

4.1 and 4.9 magnitude earthquakes hit Central Nepal

Two mild earthquakes measuring below 5.0 magnitude hit Central Nepal early on Thursday morning, the national seismological centre announced.

As per the readings from the centre, an earthquake measuring 4.9 magnitudes struck the Kaski District of Nepal and surrounding areas at around 3:56 AM (NST).

The epicentre of that quake lay at Dhampus of Machhapurchhare Rural Municipality-7 in the Kaski district. Shockwaves from the quake were felt in Baglung, Parbat, Myagdi and Tanahun districts.

9:17 AM

4 people wounded by man on stabbing rampage in New Zealand

A man wounded four people in a stabbing rampage Thursday in a New Zealand city before bystanders brought him to the ground, authorities said.

Police District Commander Naila Hassan said the suspect in the Auckland attack was in custody.

This was an extremely fast-moving incident, where our police staff responded quickly, apprehended the offender and prevented further harm to our communities, Hassan said.

No motive for the attack was immediately apparent.

9:13 AM

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar introduces anti-India resolution in House

Continuing with her anti-India tirade, Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has introduced a resolution that calls the US Secretary of State to designate India as a country of particular concern for alleged violation of religious freedom.

 

Co-sponsored by Congresswoman Rashida Talib and Congresswoman Juan Vargas, the resolution urges the Biden Administration to implement the recommendations of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom which has called for designating India as a country of particular concern for three consecutive years.

 

Introduced in the House of Representative on Tuesday, the resolution has been sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for necessary action.