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Live news updates: Catch the latest on India, the war in Ukraine, the coronavirus and other headlines

7:31 PM

Train derailment in east Iran kills at least 21, injures 87

A passenger train travelling through eastern Iran struck an excavator and nearly half its cars derailed before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring 87, officials said. The derailment near the desert city of Tabas was the latest disaster to strike the Islamic Republic in recent weeks as Tehran struggles under US sanctions and any return to its nuclear deal with world powers remains in doubt, the AP reported.

6:37 PM

India's coal production rises 34% in May

The country's coal production registered a rise of 33.88 per cent to 71.30 million tonnes (MT) in May. Output in the same month the previous fiscal was 53.25 MT, according to Coal Ministry data.

 

6:25 PM

Microsoft scales down Russia operations

 Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it was making substantial cuts to its business in Russia, joining a string of companies that are reducing their exposure or pulling out of the country following its invasion of Ukraine. The company, however, said it would fulfill its existing contractual obligations with Russian customers, while the suspension of new sales that was announced earlier in March remains in effect, said Reuters.

6:18 PM

KL Rahul ruled out of South Africa T20 series: PTI

India captain KL Rahul is ruled out of the T20 cricket series against South Africa due to injury, reports quoting sources in the BCCI.

6:13 PM

Germany never gave fixed date on weapons delivery: Spokesperson

Germany has never given a fixed date when it comes to the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, said a German government spokesperson on Wednesday in response to reports about delays. "What's clear is that everything we have decided to deliver and have announced, we want to deliver as soon as possible," added the spokesperson.

 

6:01 PM

Kremlin says sanctions must be lifted for Russian grain to reach markets

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Western sanctions against Moscow must be lifted before Russian grain could be delivered to international markets, Reuters reported. "President (Vladimir) Putin said that in order for Russian grain volumes to be delivered to international markets, direct and indirect sanctions against Russia must be lifted," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

5:26 PM

Over 15% jump in waste at Delhi's landfills in a year: Govt data

Delhi has registered a jump of around 15 per cent in the quantity of waste being dumped into its three landfill sites as compared to last year, PTI reported quoting government data. According to reports submitted to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi generated 10,990 tonnes per day (TPD) of municipal solid waste (MSW) in April 2021 on an average.

4:49 PM

SC chides committee over vacant seats in NEET-PG-21

The Supreme Court Wednesday pulled up Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for leaving more than 1450 seats vacant in NEET-PG-21, saying it will not only put the aspirants in difficulty but would also lead to a dearth of doctors. The apex court gave 24-hours to the Centre and the MCC to file an affidavit indicating the position of total seats which have remained vacant and the reasons as to why they were not filled up by the candidates. It directed the counsel appearing for the Centre and MCC to file the affidavit during the course of the day and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday, PTI reported.

4:14 PM

Minimum support price for kharif crops hiked

Government is hiking minimum support price for kharif crops, says Union Minister Anurag Thakur at press conference in Delhi.

4:07 PM

1 dead, 8 injured after driver hits pedestrians in Berlin

A man drove a car into pedestrians in a popular Berlin shopping district on Wednesday, killing at at least one person and injuring at least eight others, rescue services said. The man drove into people on a street corner at around 10:30 a.m. before getting the car back on the road and then crashing into a shop window around a block further on, the AP reported a police spokesman as saying.

3:48 PM

One person dead after vehicle drives into crowd in Berlin

One person is dead and at least 30 are injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd near a church in Berlin. The vehicle struck people outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Berlin Fire Brigade told CNN.

3:43 PM

Police file charges against politician couple for Mumbai protest

The Mumbai Police has filed 85-page chargesheet against politician couple Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana for resisting arrest while they were protesting outside the chief minister’s residence in April. Ravi Rana is an MLA.

 

3:38 PM

Lalu Prasad apologizes for 2009 poll code violation

Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was fined Rs 6,000 by a court on Wednesday for violating the model code of conduct during the 2009 assembly elections in the state. Prasad was campaigning when his helicopter landed in a paddy field in Garhwa apparently due to the pilot’s mistake instead of the helipad in Medininagar. Prasad, chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, apologised 

 

3:25 PM

Sonia and Rahul will appear before ED: Congress

The Congress party says its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will appear before Enforcement Directorate as they have nothing to hide from the probe agency.

2:34 PM

AAP dissolves its Gujarat unit in preparation for upcoming elections

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dissolves its Gujarat unit in preparation for the upcoming state elections, a new state unit to be announced soon.

 

2:11 PM

Rajasthan: Narcotics dropped by Pak drone seized, four held

The Border Security Force on Tuesday said it apprehended four persons and seized over three kilogram of narcotics substance dropped by a Pakistani drone in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.

 

Villagers in the Khyaliwali area near the Indo-Pak border nabbed two suspected persons early Tuesday morning and informed the BSF, an official of the force said.

 

On their information, two more persons were nabbed while they were escaping in a car, he said.

2:10 PM

NHAI sets new Guinness World Record, lays 75-km long highway in over 105 hrs

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday announced that a new Guinness World Record was created by NHAI in laying 75 km of bituminous concrete in a single lane on NH53 in 105 hours and 33 minutes.

 

In a video message shared by Gadkari on Twitter, he said, "Commemorating 75 years of India's independence and under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NHAI has created a world record that was certified by the Guinness World Records."

 

Gadkari congratulated all the engineers, contractors, consultants, and workers from NHAI and Raj Path Infracon Pvt Ltd for the efficient implementation of the project that has helped in the successful completion of this world record.

 

He said the record has been made for laying 75 km of bituminous concrete in a single lane on NH 53 between Amrawati to Akola Districts in 105 hours and 33 minutes.

2:09 PM

Monetary, fiscal authorities taking steps to moderate inflation, push growth: DEA Secy

Monetary and fiscal authorities are taking steps to moderate inflation and push growth, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said on Wednesday.

 

His comments came in the backdrop of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiking key interest rate by 50 basis points to tame inflation. The central bank also upped inflation projection to 6.7 per cent while maintaining growth estimate at 7.2 per cent for the current fiscal.

 

"There are domestic challenges and larger ones are there in the global scenario. Whatever it takes for monetary and fiscal authorities, those actions are being taken. We (are working) to moderate the inflation (and) at the same time keep the growth efforts as earlier," Seth told reporters.

2:08 PM

Myanmar: Junta vows to enforce death sentences

Myanmar's military junta announced on June 3, that it would execute four people whose appeals were rejected following grossly unjust closed-door trials, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

 

The activist Kyaw Min Yu, known as "Ko Jimmy," and the opposition lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw were sentenced to death on January 21 by a military tribunal under Myanmar's overbroad Counterterrorism Law of 2014.

 

According to HRW, military tribunals in Myanmar have sentenced 114 people to death since the February 2021 military coup, including 41 in absentia.

 

The United Nations (UN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and concerned governments should press the junta to immediately release all those wrongfully imprisoned, including Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy, and commute all death sentences.

2:08 PM

22 people killed as van falls into ravine in Pakistan's Balochistan

At least 22 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured on Wednesday as a van they were travelling in fell hundreds of feet into a ravine in Pakistan's mountainous Balochistan province, an official said.

 

The vehicle plunged into the ravine when the driver apparently failed to negotiate a sharp bend in the mountainous area of Akhtarzai near Killa Saifullah, which is at an elevation of 1,572 metres.

 

Twenty-two people were killed and a child was injured in the accident, the Dawn newspaper reported.

 

Deputy Commissioner of the Zhob district, Hafiz Muhammad Qasim, said that the passenger bus was travelling to Zhob town from Loralia.

12:16 PM

World Bank warns of recession as Ukraine war hits economies already rocked by Covid

Countries around the world are facing recession as the Ukraine war hits economies already rocked by the Covid pandemic, the World Bank has warned, BBC reported. Less developed countries in Europe and east Asia face a "major recession", it said.

 

The risk of high inflation and low growth -- so -- called "stagflation" -- is also higher, World Bank President David Malpass said.

 

Energy and food bills have been rising around the world.

12:16 PM

Gupta brothers await extradition to South Africa after arrest in UAE

Rajesh and Atul Gupta, wanted in South Africa for their alleged involvement in a massive corruption scheme, are awaiting extradition after being arrested in the United Arab Emirates where they are believed to have sought refuge since 2018, the media reported.

 

The Guptas are deeply implicated in corruption allegations during the tenure of former South African president Jacob Zuma. The brothers and their families left South Africa for the UAE when Zuma resigned in 2018, CNN reported.

 

Dubai police confirmed on Tuesday that they arrested the pair on June 2, calling them "among South Africa's most wanted suspects".

11:48 AM

India, Vietnam ink vision document to significantly expand defence ties

India and Vietnam on Wednesday inked a vision document to further broad-base the "scope and scale" of defence cooperation and sealed a mutual logistics support pact, in reflection of a major upswing in their strategic ties amid common concerns over China's increasing muscle-flexing in the South China Sea region.

 

The two documents were inked after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held "fruitful" talks with his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi.

 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics support will allow the militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for the repair and replenishment of supplies.

11:12 AM

The Supreme Court has said it will deliver judgement on NEET counselling today itself

The Supreme Court has said it will deliver judgement on NEET counselling today itself

10:38 AM

RBI Monetary Policy LIVE: Rupay Credit Cards will be linked to UPI platforms: Das

Rupay Credit Cards will be linked to UPI platforms. This will provide additional convenience to users and enhance the scope of digital payments.

10:36 AM

75% of inflation hike attributed largely to food group: RBI Governor Das

75% of increase in inflation can be attributed largely to food group, the RBI Guv said.

 

10:33 AM

RBI Monetary Policy LIVE: We are monitoring g-sec market very closely, says Das

 RBI monitoring government securities market very closely. We will take necessary steps as and when required, says Das

10:31 AM

RBI Monetary Policy LIVE: The recurring payment limit has been increased to Rs 15,000 per transaction: Das

The recurring payment limit has been increased to Rs 15,000 per transaction from Rs 5,000.

10:31 AM

RBI Monetary Policy LIVE: CPI inflation forecast for Q1 estimated at 7.5%

The CPI inflation forecast for Q1 estimated at 7.5%, revised from 6.3%. For Q2, CPI inflation revised to 7.4% from 5.8%. For Q3, CPI inflation seen at 6.2%, revised from 5.4%. For Q4, CPI inflation forecast revised to 5.8% from 5.1%

 

10:28 AM

RBI Monetary Policy LIVE: Food, energy and prices remain elevated, Das says

Food, energy and prices remain elevated, Das said, adding that process of recovery in EMs