Highlights of the day: Six dead, 1,500 tourists stranded as landslides, rain wreak havoc in Sikkim

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11:30 PM

PIB's fact check unit busts fake news in 134 videos across 12 YouTube channels

The government on Thursday claimed to have busted fake news carried in 134 videos across 12 YouTube channels, having cumulative subscribers running into several lakhs.

 

The Press Information Bureau's Fact Checking Unit said the YouTube channels in question carried videos making misleading claims such as payouts to the tune of Rs 51,000 to meet expenses of daughter's wedding, benefits totalling Rs 2.5 lakh to ration card holders and fake news regarding Covid vaccines.

11:25 PM

Massive searches continue in J-K to hunt down terrorists; DGP meets top army officer in Jammu

The search operation launched in Jammu and Kashmir to track down and neutralise terrorists after the June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims entered the fifth day on Thursday, officials said, as Director General of Police R R Swain met a top army officer here to discuss the ongoing action.

 

Over the past few days, terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts, killing nine people, including seven pilgrims and a CRPF jawan, and leaving seven security personnel and others injured.

11:12 PM

Sena MLA opposes handing over of Kurla plot to house Dharavi slum dwellers

Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kudalkar on Thursday opposed handing over of a plot belonging to Mother Dairy for rehabilitation of slum dwellers of Dharavi, saying residents have been demanding a sports complex on the land. In a letter to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Kudalkar said under a new government resolution (GR) dated June 10, the 8.5 hectare plot in Nehru Nagar in Kurla has been handed over to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority for rehabilitating the slum dwellers of Dharavi, which is undergoing a revamp. 

10:36 PM

NHRC notice to UP govt, DGP over death of 3 workers in septic tank

The NHRC has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state's police chief over reports that three workers died after they went down a private septic tank in Vrindavan, officials said on Thursday.

 

Reportedly, they were electrocuted while repairing a motor inside the tank "without any safety gear", the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.

10:17 PM

Mercedes Benz to make Rs 3,000 crore investment in Maharashtra: minister

German car-maker Mercedes Benz will make an investment of Rs 3,000 crore in Maharashtra, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Thursday.

 

In a post on X, Samant said while on a tour of Germany, he met top executives of Mercedes Benz on Thursday and discussed investment opportunities in the state.

9:56 PM

NCLT to hear insolvency plea filed by Engine Lease Finance against SpiceJet on August 2

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has issued a notice to SpiceJet over an insolvency plea filed by Engine Lease Finance BV, an aircraft engine lessor of the debt-ridden air carrier.

 

The single-member NCLT bench has asked SpiceJet to file a response over the Engine Lease Finance (ELF) plea and directed listing the matter for hearing on August 2, 2024.

9:05 PM

Firefighters battle massive fire at northern Iraq oil refinery

A team of 32 firefighters in northern Iraq was battling to put out a massive fire Thursday, a day after it broke out at an oil refinery, local officials said.

 

The fire broke out late Wednesday at a large refinery in Irbil, in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

8:39 PM

ED raids multiple places in Maha for involvement in betting on poll results

The Enforcement Directorate Thursday said it has conducted raids in Mumbai and Pune as part of a money laundering investigation against a website that allegedly indulged in online betting on 2024 Lok Sabha election results and illegal broadcast of IPL cricket matches.

 

The searches were launched on Wednesday at 19 locations in the two cities of Maharashtra of the portal 'Fairplay'--https://thefairplay.io, the federal agency said in a statement.

8:24 PM

Six dead, 1,500 tourists stranded as landslides, rain wreak havoc in Sikkim

At least six people were killed and 1,500-odd tourists stranded as massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall caused devastation in northern Sikkim's Mangan district, officials said on Thursday. A newly-constructed bailey bridge at Sangkalang collapsed snapping the link between Mangan with Dzongu and Chungthang. Landslides blocked stretches of roads and several houses were inundated or damaged, while electricity poles were swept away, they said.

8:15 PM

Congress demands SC-monitored probe into NEET-UG exam controversy

Alleging that there has been fraud and "paper leak" in the NEET-UG exam conducted by National Testing Agency, the Congress on Wednesday said there was a "scam" and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

 

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the problem in NEET exam did not pertain only to grace marks.

7:56 PM

Heat wave continues in Haryana, Punjab; Faridabad sizzles at 46.8 degree C

Heat wave conditions sweeping Haryana and Punjab continued unabated on Thursday, with Faridabad sizzling at 46.8 degrees Celsius, officials said.

 

Blistering heat also continued to prevail in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which recorded a maximum temperature of 44.6 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department here.

7:24 PM

Civil Aviation Ministry to work on 100-day action plan: Minister Naidu

New Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said his ministry will soon come out with a 100-day action plan and find ways to bring down prices of air tickets. Soon after taking over as the Civil Aviation Minister, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Naidu said one of his most important priorities would be to create an "ease of flying" scenario in civil aviation as air travel is becoming more and more approachable to the common man, and that has always been the motto of the NDA government.

7:07 PM

Kuwait identifies bodies of 45 Indian nationals killed in fire incident

Kuwait Thursday said authorities have identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the tragic fire incident in a building housing foreign workers as the Gulf Kingdom vowed to promptly investigate the incident and assured full support in repatriating the mortal remains of the victims. At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on Wednesday at the seven-storey building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern city of Mangaf.

6:28 PM

Need to boost farm productivity through research: Agri Minister Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized the importance of enhancing agricultural productivity through research. He instructed officials to evaluate the performance of India's 113 research institutes and identify any shortcomings in meeting their objectives. Chouhan, leading a meeting with senior agriculture ministry and research body officials, emphasized the need to assess whether the research institutes have delivered the anticipated outcomes and function effectively. He called for a detailed report on any identified gaps.

6:10 PM

TN govt to operate LNG, CNG buses on experimental basis for select routes

In an effort to minimize the environmental footprint and cut costs associated with diesel-run buses, the Tamil Nadu government introduced CNG and LNG buses on selected routes on Thursday as a pilot initiative. Switching to alternative fuels is expected to save the government between 7 to 20 percent on expenses and reduce carbon emissions from the state's transport department.

5:45 PM

Kuwait fire: IAF's C-130J Super Hercules on stand-by at Hindan airbase for bringing back bodies of Indians

Indian Air Force's C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft is on standby at Hindan airbase near Delhi to bring back the bodies of Indian-origin individuals who died in a fire in Kuwait, according to Defence officials on Thursday.

 

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya assured Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh of swift repatriation of the mortal remains of Indians killed in a fire at a labour housing facility in Mangaf area on Wednesday.

5:27 PM

Spymaster Ajit Doval reappointed national security adviser: Govt order

The government on Thursday reappointed former IPS officer Ajit Doval as the National Security Adviser (NSA), according to an official order.

His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or until further orders, it said.

4:35 PM

Vi to sell stake to Nokia, Ericsson to settle part of outstanding dues

Vodafone Idea plans up to Rs 2,458 crore preferential share allotment to Nokia and Ericsson to settle part of its outstanding dues.

4:23 PM

Vi board approves preferential allotment of shares worth Rs 2,458 cr

Voda Idea board approves preferential allotment of shares worth Rs 2,458 cr to Nokia Solutions and Networks India, and Ericsson India: filing.

4:17 PM

Maratha quota: Jarange suspends indefinite fast; gives 1 month to govt to accept community's demands

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange suspended his indefinite fast over the reservation issue on Thursday, six days after beginning it, giving the Maharashtra government a one-month deadline to meet the community's demands.

3:54 PM

UK PM Sunak to push for decisive support for Ukraine at G7 Summit

India has reaffirmed its stance that dialogue and diplomacy are the best approaches, while British Prime Minister Sunak is advocating for strong and unwavering support for Ukraine. "We must be decisive and creative in our efforts to support Ukraine and end [Russian President] Putin's illegal war at this critical moment," Sunak stated ahead of the summit talks.

3:31 PM

Crude oil softens on Fed rate decision, ample supply outlook

Oil prices slipped on Thursday as investors digested that the U.S. Federal Reserve had likely pushed back an interest rate cut to December and as U.S. crude and fuel stocks rose. Brent crude futures was down 43 cents, or 0.5%, to $82.17 a barrel by 0902 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US crude futures fell 46 cents, or 0.6%, to $78.04. Both benchmarks had gained nearly 1% in the previous session.

3:22 PM

Palm oil imports in May jumps 74% on rising demand

India's palm oil imports surged 74 per cent to 7,63,300 tonnes in May this year from 4,39,173 tonnes in the year-ago period, as the world's largest vegetable oil buyer stocked up the commodity to meet rising domestic demand, industry body Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) said on Thursday. The total vegetable oil imports rose to 15.29 lakh tonnes in May this year from 10.58 lakh tonnes in May 2023, it added.

2:57 PM

Indian ship recyclers' revenue likely to rise 15% this fiscal: CRISIL

The Indian ship recycling industry will see revenue growth of 15 per cent this fiscal after two years of decline, accoring to Crisil ratings.

2:43 PM

Ten individuals injured in blast at explosives factory near Nagpur

Ten workers were injured, three of them seriously, in a blast at an explosives-manufacturing factory near Nagpur city on Thursday afternoon, police said.

2:41 PM

Prepare well for Maharashtra assembly polls to ensure victory: Goyal urges BJP cadres

Senior BJP leader from Maharashtra and Union minister Piyush Goyal has said that active participation of party members was crucial to preparing for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls to fix shortcomings in the party system.

2:32 PM

Market share of top 5 cement makers to rise to 55% by Mar 2025: ICRA

Top five domestic cement manufacturers are likely to expand their market share to up to 55 per cent by March 2025, through organic and inorganic expansions, leading to further consolidation, said a report from rating agency ICRA.

 

2:21 PM

Delhi govt was aware of expected scorching heat in capital, it did nothing: BJP's Bansuri Swaraj

BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj attacked Delhi government on the prevailing water crisis situaion in the national capital. “In March, IMD had predicted that Delhi will face scorching heat. Delhi Minister Atishi and AAP government should have taken some steps with regard to it. An all-party meeting should have been called, attention should have been paid to the infrastructure of the Delhi Jal Board and pipes repaired but they did not do anything,” she said.

2:18 PM

Postal department recruitment fraud: CBI searches 67 locations in Odisha

The CBI is undertaking searches at 67 locations in Odisha in connection with an alleged recruitment fraud in the postal department, officials said Thursday.

 

1:52 PM

Reliance Jio JV gets space regulator's approval to operate satellites

A joint venture between Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms and Luxembourg-based SES to provide gigabit fibre internet has got the approval from the Indian space regulator to operate satellites there, Reuters reported citing a government official.