Live: Sri Lanka has to 'get out of crisis', says new PM Wickremesinghe

Live news updates: From crisis in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, to the political developments back home and more, catch all the live updates on latest news here

7:33 PM

Centre asks states to be prepared for monsoon to avoid losses

The Centre on Wednesday asked state governments to be prepared during the monsoon so that losses due to natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and landslides can be minimised, PTI reported. In his address during the annual conference of relief commissioners and secretaries of departments of disaster management of various states and Union Territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla stressed the need for building up capacities and response reflexes to ensure round the clock preparedness throughout the year.

10:06 PM

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 517.16 mn: Reuters

More than 517.16 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 6,653,721​ have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

7:23 PM

TV ad volumes 3 pc in Jan-March: Monitor

Indian advertising on television channels declined by around 3 per cent to 443 million seconds in the January-March quarter as against the year-ago period, said a monitoring agency on Thursday. Advertising volumes declined despite an increase in the number of advertisers to 4,259 during the first quarter of the current calendar year as against 4,175 in the year-ago period, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) said. 

5:00 PM

Delhi Police serves notice to Rajasthan CM's aide in phone tapping case

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has served a fresh notice to Lokesh Sharma, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, asking him to appear before it on Saturday for questioning in a phone tapping case. The phone tapping controversy erupted in Rajasthan in July 2020. Audio clips of alleged telephonic conversations, apparently between Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress leaders surfaced amidst a rebellion against Gehlot by his then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 party MLAs supporting him.

4:46 PM

Rajya Sabha elections for 57 seats on June 10

Elections will be held on June 10 to fill 57 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states falling vacant due to the retirement of members on different dates between June and August, the Election Commission said on Thursday. Prominent among those retiring are Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Congress leaders Ambika Soni, Jairam Ramesh and Kapil Sibal, and BSP's Satish Chandra Misra.

4:18 PM

Many Sri Lankans flee Colombo as crisis persists

Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns during a brief relaxation in curfew, imposed after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy, Reuters reported. The island nation is battling its worst economic crisis since independence. Violence erupted on Monday after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's elder brother, attacked an anti-government protest camp in Colombo, Reuters reported.

3:52 PM

Live: RBI intervenes to defend rupee, likely sold $700 mn dollars

The Reserve Bank of India likely sold $700 million dollars to prop up the rupee on Thursday as it plunged to a record low, according to three traders, amid broad based selling in Asian currency markets. The rupee fell as much as 0.5% to 77.63 to the dollar, its second record low in less than a week. The central bank intervened both in the spot and the futures market when the rupee hit 77.55-77.60, the traders, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters.

3:50 PM

Jharkhand govt suspends mining secretary arrested in laundering case

Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal earlier arrested and remanded to the custody of the ED in a suspected money laundering case was suspended by the Jharkhand government on Thursday, an official said. The ED had produced her before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma after two consecutive days of questioning by the central probe agency on Tuesday and Wednesday, PTI reported.

3:02 PM

Gyanvapi mosque: Court rejects plea to change official, survey to be completed by Tuesday

A district court here on Thursday rejected the plea to change the court-appointed advocate commissioner for conducting a video survey of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex and appointed two additional advocate commissioners to assist him.

The court also directed for completion of the survey by May 17 and submission of its report, Abhay Nath Yadav, who is representing the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, said.

The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar, which had also heard the matter relating to the opening of the two basements located inside the mosque complex for videography, delivered the verdict after hearing the arguments of both the sides.

2:59 PM

NSE scam: Court denies bail to Chitra Ramkrishna, Anand Subramanian

A special CBI court here on Thursday refused to grant bail to former NSE head Chitra Ramkrishna and former employee Anand Subramanian, who were arrested by the probe agency in connection with the NSE co-location case.

 

The special CBI judge of the Rouse Avenue court dismissed their bail applications after hearing the submissions.

 

Both Ramkrishna and Subramanian, currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody, have been charge-sheeted under various sections of the IPC.

 

The co-location scam denotes how some of the brokers, who in the co-location facility offered by the NSE, could place their servers within the stock exchange premises giving them faster access to the markets, had in connivance with insiders abused the algorithm and the facility to make windfall profits.

 

The CBI has been probing the case since May 2018.

2:56 PM

Cyclone Asani further weakens into depression, Odisha, Bengal heave sigh of relief

Cyclone Asani, which had turned into a deep depression over coastal Andhra Pradesh, has further weakened to a depression, the IMD said on Thursday, forecasting light to moderate rain in some districts of Odisha and West Bengal.

 

The weather system remained practically stationary during the last six hours and weakened to a depression, and is likely to turn into a well-marked low pressure area during the next 12 hours, it said in a bulletin.

 

Isolated places in coastal Andhra Pradesh could receive heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours, the weather office said.

 

It has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershower in some areas of Odisha from 8.30 am on Thursday to 8.30 am on Friday.

2:55 PM

Lankan Prez Gotabaya says will consider abolition of executive presidency; mum on resignation

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, under immense pressure from the public and the Opposition to quit over the island nation's worst economic crisis, said on Thursday that the abolition of the executive presidency, a move that will curb his powers, will be considered by Parliament.

 

Abolishing the presidential system of governance, in existence in the country since 1978, and replacing it with a system that reinforces constitutional democracy, has been one of the key demands of the Opposition.

 

In a series of tweets, the President outlined the steps to be taken to end the current political impasse after his elder brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday.

2:55 PM

Lankan Prez Gotabaya says will consider abolition of executive presidency; mum on resignation

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, under immense pressure from the public and the Opposition to quit over the island nation's worst economic crisis, said on Thursday that the abolition of the executive presidency, a move that will curb his powers, will be considered by Parliament.

 

Abolishing the presidential system of governance, in existence in the country since 1978, and replacing it with a system that reinforces constitutional democracy, has been one of the key demands of the Opposition.

 

In a series of tweets, the President outlined the steps to be taken to end the current political impasse after his elder brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday.

2:50 PM

Congress will be 'central pillar' of anti-BJP formation for 2024 polls: Sachin Pilot

The Congress is and will have to remain the "pivot" around which an anti-BJP coalition is formed and a "UPA plus plus'' formation would be the "best one" to take on the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 general elections, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Thursday.

 

In an interview with PTI ahead of the party's 'Chintan Shivir' starting here on Friday, Pilot asserted that formulating a successful electoral strategy would be a top agenda point at the three-day brainstorming session.

 

Accusing the ruling BJP of diverting people's attention from the real issues, he said "some fringe elements" are trying to change the name of some monuments and roads.

2:45 PM

PM Modi to visit Lumbini in Nepal on May 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Lumbini in Nepal on May 16 on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

Modi is visiting the neighbouring country at the invitation of Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

It will be Prime Minister Modi's fifth visit to Nepal since 2014.

"At Lumbini, the prime minister will visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers. The prime minister will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organised by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal," the MEA said.

2:40 PM

100% coverage of govt schemes ends discrimination and politics of appeasement: PM Modi

Achieving 100 per cent coverage of government schemes brings an end to discrimination as well as politics of appeasement as it leaves no scope for anyone to indulge in such things, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Due to lack of information, the government schemes either remain on paper or ineligible people avail their benefits, he said, adding that although the process to reach out to each and every beneficiary was difficult, it was the "only way" to serve the people.

He was speaking via video link at 'Utkarsh Samaroh', an event held in Gujarat's Bharuch city by the district administration to mark 100 per cent saturation of four key schemes of the state government meant for providing financial assistance to widows, elderly and destitute citizens.

"Hundred per cent saturation of government schemes ends discrimination and need for a recommendation to get the benefits, because people are confident that they will eventually get the benefit. It also puts an end to appeasement politics because 100 per cent coverage leaves no space for it," he said.

2:32 PM

50% hospitalised Covid patients continue to suffer after 2 years: Lancet

Two years after infection with Covid-19, half of patients who were admitted to hospital still have at least one symptom, according to the study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

 

The study followed 1,192 participants in China infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first phase of the pandemic in 2020.

 

While physical and mental health generally improved over time, the analysis suggests that Covid-19 patients still tend to have poorer health and quality of life than the general population.

 

This is especially the case for participants with long Covid, who typically still have at least one symptom including fatigue, shortness of breath, and sleep difficulties two years after initially falling ill.

2:30 PM

Lanka's ex-PM Wickremesinghe, with 1 seat in Parliament, may return to premiership: Reports

Sri Lanka's former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has just one seat in the 225-member Parliament, could become the next premier, media reports said on Thursday, amidst the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation.

 

The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday and is expected to meet him again on Thursday, the Colombo Page newspaper reported.

 

Wickremesinghe, who has served as the country's prime minister for four times, was in October 2018 fired from the post of prime minister by then President Maithripala Sirisena. However, he was reinstalled as the prime minister by Sirisena after two months.

2:23 PM

More oil, slower demand mean world can weather Russian losses: IEA

Lower output from Russia due to the fallout from its invasion of Ukraine will not leave the world short of oil, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, as supply ramps up elsewhere and Chinese lockdowns tamp down demand.

"Over time, steadily rising volumes from Middle East OPEC+ and the U.S. along with a slowdown in demand growth is expected to fend off an acute supply deficit amid a worsening Russian supply disruption," the IEA said in its monthly oil report.

Slower products exports and falling domestic demand following sanctions means around a million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil was shut in last month - about half a million bpd less than the Paris-based agency forecast last month.

2:08 PM

We may consider preferential trade pact with Oman: Goyal

India may consider negotiating a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Oman to further boost economic ties between the countries, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

India is also under active discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for a comprehensive trade agreement, the minister said.

GCC is a union of six countries in the Gulf region, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"We may consider doing a preferential trade agreement with Oman to begin with because we are looking for a comprehensive agreement between the GCC region and India, (which is) under active discussion," Goyal said.

2:00 PM

Mamata bats for creation of more districts in Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said there is a need to create more districts in the state for expediting development work, but it has been constrained by lack of manpower and infrastructure.

Speaking at a meeting with West Bengal Civil Service officers at the renovated Town Hall here, she said the area of the existing 23 districts in the state is vast, so there is a need to divide them and increase the number.

The state needs more manpower and infrastructure for this purpose.

"We need to divide the districts as these are very large. The state will have more districts. This will help expedite development work, she said.

12:59 PM

SC declines to grant interim relief in challenge to the LIC IPO

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to grant interim relief to petitioners challenging the amendments to LIC Act by Finance Act of 2021, which facilitated the LIC IPO. A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said: "We are of the view that no case of interim relief has been made out. No interim relief granted."

 

The top court declined to interfere with the LIC IPO process at this juncture. A bunch of policy holders had moved the apex court alleging violation of the LIC Act.

12:56 PM

ED carries out search operations at various offices & residential premises of Ex-MLA of Odisha

ED has carried out search operations at various offices & residential premises of Jitendra Nath Patnaik, Ex-MLA Champua, Odisha & related entities at Joda, Keonjhar District under PMLA & seized Rs 70 Lakh cash & Rs 133.17 Cr FD in illegal mining case, the agency said

 

12:25 PM

MoU signed between NSDC & UAE's DP World for the development of Skill India International Centre at Varanasi

Delhi | MoU signed between National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) & UAE's DP World for the development of Skill India International Centre at Varanasi, in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UAE minister Dr. Ahmad Belhoul

 

11:44 AM

Section 144 back in riot-hit MP's Khargone

Section 144 has been re-imposed in the riot-hit Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh as a preventive measure.

 

A notification issued jointly by the district administration and the police on Wednesday stated that no rallies, processions, Jagarans and shobha yatras or political rallies will be allowed in the district till July 10.

 

It came a week after the administration had lifted curfew from the riot-hit area claiming that the situation had returned to normal in the district. Last time section 144 was imposed was on April 11, a day after communal violence broke out in the district during the Navratri festival.

11:26 AM

Reaching the saturation means that the government has penetrated all sections of the society: PM Modi

Reaching the saturation means that the government has reached the last mile and penetrated all sections of the society: PM Modi

11:24 AM

Saturation removes all discrimination and selfishness: PM Modi

Saturation removes all discrimination and selfishness: PM Modi

11:23 AM

I have come to power to serve the people: PM Modi

I have come to power to serve the people and make sure all schemes hit 100 per cent saturation: PM Modi

11:21 AM

As our government completes 8 years, we are moving ahead with renewed spirit and energy: PM Modi

As our government completes 8 years, we are moving ahead with renewed spirit and energy: PM Modi

10:48 AM

We were able to provide free vaccination to the people of Gujarat: CM Bhupendra Patel

We were able to provide healthcare facilities and free vaccination during Covid times to the people of Gujarat under the leadership and guidance of PM Modi: CM Bhupendra Patel