Live news: 26 die in fire near Delhi metro station, more than 40 injured

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

8:01 AM

ICMR simulator set up after 2nd wave helped India's Covid response: Experts

A user-friendly, web-based modelling 'simulator' developed by ICMR after the second wave of Covid helped health officials and policymakers in various states to model plausible scenarios for a third wave in India, according to an article published in the British Medical Journal.

 

Based on experience, experts recommended use of such initiatives to bolster pandemic preparedness in other countries in South and South-East Asia.

 

The simulator was developed by ICMR in collaboration with Imperial College London and Dure technologies, a locally present (India-based) consultancy firm.

 

The collaboration was spearheaded by Dr Samiran Panda, additional DG ICMR and head of Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Division.

8:01 AM

Biden backs NATO's open-door policy in call with Sweden, Finland leaders

US President Joe Biden, in a call with leaders of Sweden and Finland discussed close defense cooperation between countries and underscored his support for NATO's open-door policy.

 

This comes as Finland and Sweden have started discussing the possibility of abandoning long-term neutrality and joining NATO amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

 

"President Biden underscored his support for NATO's Open Door policy and for the right of Finland and Sweden to decide their own future, foreign policy, and security arrangements," said a White House press release after the call.

 

8:01 AM

Congress Chintan Shivir: Sonia Gandhi expresses dire need for reforms, organisational changes

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday called for urgent changes in the organisation and emphasised that "extraordinary situations can be faced only in extraordinary ways" as the party is facing an unprecedented situation.

 

In an opening address at 'Chintan Shivir' in Udaipur, Gandhi said, "The organization is facing an unprecedented situation. We are in dire need of reforms and changes in strategy. Extraordinary situations can be faced only in extraordinary ways."

 

"The party has given us a lot, now it is the time to pay off the debt. We have to keep personal expectations in the interests of the organization," she said while reiterating her message of the previous Congress Working Committee.

11:08 PM

More than 70 people in Delhi building that caught fire

More than 70 people were in the building when the fire started on the first floor and engulfed the structure. Police personnel said they rescued many by breaking the windows in and using ropes, Hindustan Times website reported.

 

11:03 PM

Delhi Police recover 26 bodies from fire

Delhi Police says they have recovered 26 bodies from a fire at a building near Mundka Metro station.

10:56 PM

20 die in fire near Delhi metro station

At least 20 people died in a fire near Mundka metro station in Outer Delhi on Friday, Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said. He added that the toll could go up as the fire continued to rage till Friday night and a rescue operation was still underway.

 

9:02 PM

China reacts to new Sri Lanka PM's appointment, says following 'latest developments'

China, one of the largest creditors of Sri Lanka, on Friday reacted warily to the appointment of Ranil Wickramasinghe as the country's Prime Minister succeeding pro-Beijing Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying it supports the government's efforts to sustain stability in the face of chaos. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here that China and Sri Lanka enjoyed a traditional friendship and that Beijing has been following  closely the developments in Colombo.

"As a traditional, friendly country to Sri Lanka, we closely follow the latest developments, and we also support the Sri Lanka government's effort to sustain stability," Zhao said.

8:41 PM

New Sril Lanka PM Wickremesinghe meets ambassadors

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister, on Friday met with ambassadors of India, Japan, the US and China and discussed the formation of an international forum for financial assistance to his country that’s engulfed in its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn-in as Sri Lanka's 26th prime minister on Thursday to stabilise the country.

8:07 PM

US consumer sentiment deteriorates in early May

US consumer sentiment deteriorated in early May as concerns about inflation persisted, a survey showed on Friday. The University of Michigan said its preliminary consumer sentiment index fell to 59.1 early this month from a final reading of 65.2 in April. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index dipping to 64.

 

7:17 PM

Nagaland CM to meet Shah on autonomy issue

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio along with legislators of the all party United Democratic Alliance will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah next week to hold discussions to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue, a state minister said on Friday. The decision to this effect was taken during the first meeting of the Core Committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Naga Issue of the state government on Friday following the April 29 merger of 21 out of the 25 Naga People's Front (NPF) legislators to the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).

7:11 PM

RBI appoints Ranjan, Pattanaik as executive directors

The Reserve Bank on Friday said Sitikantha Pattanaik and Rajiv Ranjan have been appointed as executive directors with effect from May 1. Ranjan will also serve as an ex-officio member of the rate-setting panel Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

6:07 PM

2 LeT terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J-K's Bandipora

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who had recently infiltrated into Kashmir were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district on Friday, police said.

 

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Brar in the Aragam area of Bandipora in north Kashmir following inputs about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

 

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired upon security forces personnel, who retaliated.

5:51 PM

Leader says Turkey opposes letting Finland, Sweden join NATO

A report by the Swedish government on the changed security environment facing the Nordic country after Russia's invasion of Ukraine says Moscow would react negatively to Sweden joining NATO and launch several counter-measures.

 

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his country is not favourable toward Finland and Sweden joining the alliance. As a NATO member, Turkey could veto moves to admit the two countries.

 

We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland carefully but we are not of a favourable opinion, Erdogan told reporters.

 

The Swedish government's security policy analysis, which will be used as a basis for Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's Cabinet to decide whether to seek membership in the Western military alliance, was presented to Swedish lawmakers on Friday.

5:51 PM

Maruti Suzuki finalises site for new manufacturing facility in Haryana; to invest Rs 11,000 cr in first phase

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Friday said it will invest Rs 11,000 crore in the first phase of its new manufacturing facility in Haryana.

 

The company on Friday completed the process of allotment of an 800-acre site at IMT Kharkhoda in Sonipat district with HSIIDC (Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited), the auto major said in a regulatory filing.

 

The new plant's first phase with a manufacturing capacity of 2.5 lakh units per annum is expected to be commissioned by 2025, subject to administrative approvals.

 

In the first phase, the investment would be over Rs 11,000 crore, MSI said.

5:44 PM

Delhi Police declares AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan as 'bad character'

The Delhi Police has declared Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan as a "bad character", according to an official document.

 

The proposal for declaring Khan as a "bad character" was sent on March 28 by the Jamia Nagar police station in Southeast district and approved on March 30.

 

A total of 18 FIRs have been registered against him, the document stated.

5:09 PM

Kerala to get monsoon rains by May 27: IMD

Southwest monsoon, considered the lifeline of India's agri-based economy, is likely to bring first showers to Kerala by May 27, earlier than the normal onset date, the weather office announced on Friday.

 

The normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is June 1.

 

This year, the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than the normal date of onset. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on May 27 with a model error of four days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

4:35 PM

Govt fixes LIC issue price at Rs 949 a share; policyholders, retail investors get discount

Govt fixes LIC issue price at Rs 949 a share; policyholders, retail investors get discount

 

The government has fixed the issue price of LIC shares at Rs 949 apiece, the upper end of the IPO price band, ahead of the listing of the country's largest insurer on May 17.

 

However, LIC policyholders and retail investors have got the shares at a price of Rs 889 and Rs 904 a piece, respectively.

 

The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) closed on May 9 and shares were allocated to bidders on May 12. The government sold over 22.13 crore shares or 3.5 per cent stake in LIC through the IPO at a price band of Rs 902-949 a share.

 

The retail investors and eligible employees of LIC were offered a discount of Rs 45 per equity share over the issue price, while policyholders got a discount of Rs 60 per share.

 

As per the prospectus filed by LIC on May 12, the offer price of the share sale has been fixed at Rs 949 per equity share.

4:27 PM

Tesla puts India entry plan on hold after deadlock on tariffs: Report

Tesla Inc has put on hold plans to sell electric cars in India, abandoned a search for showroom space and reassigned some of its domestic team after failing to secure lower import taxes, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

 

The decision caps more than a year of deadlocked talks with government representatives as Tesla sought to first test demand by selling electric vehicles (EVs) imported from production hubs in the United States and China, at lower tariffs.

 

But the Indian government is pushing Tesla to commit to manufacturing locally before it will lower tariffs, which can run as high as 100% on imported vehicles.

 

Tesla had set itself a deadline of Feb. 1, the day India unveils its budget and announces tax changes, to see if its lobbying brought a result, the sources with knowledge of the company's plan told Reuters.

4:22 PM

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies

UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away on Friday, local reports quoting the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said.

 

"The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, a WAM statement read.

 

Sheikh Khalifa served as the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi since November 3, 2004.

4:04 PM

Elon Musk says Twitter deal 'temporarily on hold'

Elon Musk said on Friday his $44-billion deal for Twitter Inc was temporarily on hold, citing pending details on spam and fake accounts.

 

"Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users," Musk said in a tweet.

 

The company had earlier this month estimated that false or spam accounts represented fewer than 5% of its monetizable daily active users during the first quarter.

 

3:45 PM

Spain announces temporary cap on gas price for power plants

Spain's government on Friday announced a temporary cap on the reference price of gas used by power plants, in a move the energy minister said would immediately reduce costs for more than a third of private individuals and 70% of industry, Reuters reported. European countries are struggling to manage surging gas and power prices, pushed higher by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and to mitigate their impact on consumers' spending power.

3:43 PM

Europe faces shortfall of key gasoline input

The market for naphtha, a key component in the production of gasoline, is about to get tighter in Europe -- bad news for motorists already contending with soaring prices for the fuel. Exports of the product from Russia, the world’s top supplier, have shriveled to a multiyear low as countries and companies shun the nation’s oil following its invasion of Ukraine. Naphtha is used to make goods from fuel to plastics, and seasonal demand is about to kick into higher gear, Bloomberg reported. 

 

1:51 PM

Army officer posted in Port Blair booked by CBI for bribery

The CBI has booked an Army officer posted at Port Blair for alleged corruption and bribery from different private suppliers in connivance with field officers in procurement of ration and other material for department, canteen and stores, officials said Friday. It is alleged that Lt Col Abhishek Chandra, the then SSO (Contract and Victualling) had demanded bribes from different suppliers during 2018, they said. The action comes after the Government gave sanction to the CBI to proceed with the probe against the officer.

1:34 PM

Police use batons, tear gas to quell protest over killing of Kashmiri Pandit employee at govt office

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday resorted to baton charge and firing of tear gas shells to disperse Kashmiri Pandit community members marching towards Srinagar airport to protest the killing of Rahut Bhat by terrorists in Budgam a day back, officials said.

 

The protesters first assembled at the Sheikhpora area of Budgam district, in central Kashmir, and then tried to proceed towards the airport but were stopped by a posse of police personnel, they said. The protesters were requested to disperse but they refused to budge and insisted on marching ahead, following which the police used batons and fired some tear smoke shells, the officials said.

1:24 PM

Amit Shah to address public meeting in Telangana on Saturday

Top BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a public meeting here on Saturday to mark the culmination of the second phase of party Telangana unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar's 'padayatra'. Shah would visit the forensic science laboratory at Ramanthapur in the city on Saturday before attending the rally, BJP sources said.

 

The public meeting would be held Saturday evening at Tukkuguda on city outskirts. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, who inspected the venue of the meeting on Friday, expressed confidence that BJP would come to power in the state.

1:24 PM

Anti-encroachment drive at civic stadium in Mangolpuri, other areas

North and South Delhi Municipal Corporation authorities on Friday initiated anti-encroachment drives in various parts of the city, including at a civic stadium at Mangolpuri which had been illegally occupied by a few people who had also "brought in cattle inside its premises," a senior official said.

 

The property comes under the education department of the NDMC, another official said.

 

"Action was underway in Mangolpuri at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium, where the inner area was encroached upon by few people and cattle had been brought in inside its premises," the senior official said.

11:19 AM

Any person who is holding a post for 5 yrs should have to step down: Congress' Ajay Maken

There's almost complete unanimity among panel members on the proposal that to ensure that party leaders don't give tickets to their kin or relatives without any work in the party, at least 5 years of prior work in the party will be required. Any person who is holding a post for 5 years should have to step down, and there should be a cooling period of at least 3 years for that person to come back on the same post. For more than 5 years a person should not be on the same post: Ajay Maken, Cong on party organisation

 

10:41 AM

Delhi HC issues notice to CBI on plea seeking probe in use of black money in TSR auto finance business

Delhi HC issues notice to CBI on plea seeking probe in use of black money in alleged illegal, unauthorised TSR auto finance business

10:14 AM

India reports 2,841 new coronavirus cases, 9 fatalities in 24 hours

With 2,841 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 43,116,254, while the active cases dipped to 18,604, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday.

 

The death toll climbed to 524,190 with 9 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

 

The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the health ministry said.

 

A decrease of 463 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

 

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.58 per cent and weekly positivity rate was 0.69 per cent, according to the health ministry.

 

9:19 AM

Nithari case update

An appeal has been filed in the Allahabad High Court against the decision of the CBI court in the Nithari case of Noida. The appeal is filed against the death sentence of accused Surinder Koli, Maninder Pandher. The hearing will be held on May 27.