Highlights of the day: AAP MLA Amanatullah arrested in Delhi Waqf Board-linked money laundering case

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

9:46 PM

AAP MLA Amanatullah arrested in Delhi Waqf Board-linked money laundering case

9:34 PM

New directors appointed in six IITS

Six Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) got new directors on Thursday, according to sources in the education ministry.

While Manindra Agrawal has been appointed as the director of IIT-Kanpur, Devendra Jalihal of IIT-Madras has been appointed as the director of IIT-Guwahati, they said.

Agrawal was a professor at IIT-Kanpur's Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

"Avinash Kumar Agarwal, professor at IIT-Kanpur's Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed as the director of IIT-Jodhpur," a source said.

"Sukumar Mishra has been appointed as the director of IIT-Dhanbad while DS Katti will be the new head of IIT-Goa," the source added. Amit Patra has been appointed as the director of IIT-BHU.

9:33 PM

Former railway minister Mukul Roy hospitalised with frail health

Former railway minister Mukul Roy was on Thursday admitted to a Kolkata-based hospital after doctors found his health condition feeble, an official of the medical institution said.

The senior Trinamool Congress leader, who has been suffering from neurological ailments, was found to be not eating food properly.

"Roy's health condition is very feeble as he was not eating food properly. He was not keeping well and doctors visiting him prescribed hospitalisation. He was brought to the hospital from his Kachrapara residence," he said.

One of the founding members of the Trinamool Congress, Roy had joined the BJP in 2017 and had won from Krishnanagar Uttar constituency in the 2021 assembly polls on a ticket of the saffron party, before returning to the ruling party in the state.

9:28 PM

Earthquake in Jammu

9:28 PM

Bhubaneswar hottest in Odisha at 43.6 degrees Celsius

Bhubaneswar on Thursday recorded the highest temperature in Odisha at 43.6 degrees Celsius, the Indian Meteorological Department said.

 

According to the IMD's evening bulletin, the entire state is reeling under intense heatwave conditions with temperatures crossing the 40 degrees Celsius mark at 32 places, of which 17 recorded mercury levels above 42 degrees Celsius.

 

Boudh district headquarters recorded the second-highest temperature at 43.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Angul (43.3), Jharsuguda (42.8) and Baripada (42.6), it said.

 

7:48 PM

Indian mission in Dubai launches helpline numbers for Indians

India's consulate here has launched helpline numbers for Indians and stranded passengers affected by unprecedented heavy rains pounded the city and the northern Emirate of the UAE. Heavy rains swept through the United Arab Emirates and surrounding countries on Tuesday, affecting normal life. The tarmac of the busy Dubai International Airport was left submerged, leading to the cancellation of flights.

7:48 PM

Tata plans Jaguar Land Rover EV imports to India under new policy

Tata Motors plans to import its Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) luxury electric cars under a new government policy that lowers import taxes for companies agreeing to set up local manufacturing, two Indian government sources said. Tesla is also expected to start importing its cars to India and make an investment in the country, Reuters has reported, but Tata's plan if realised would make it the first Indian carmaker to opt for the new policy designed to increase use of electric vehicles (EVs).

7:47 PM

US and UK sanction Iranian firms involved in drone production in response to Tehran's attack on Israel

7:47 PM

RVNL partners with TUMAS India for transportation projects

RVNL signs MoU with Turkish Engineering Consulting & Contracting - TUMAS India Private Limited for partnership and collaboration in public transportation projects and infrastructure projects in India

7:46 PM

India has power to take action against terrorism even across border: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that India possesses the capability to counter terror activities by taking action across the border, if required. "If anyone tries to encourage terrorist activities in India, we have the power to deal with it here and, if required, take action even on the other side of the border," the minister said. Singh made the statement here while criticising the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF for having sought proof of the cross-border airstrike in 2019 carried out by Indian defence forces on terror camps across the border.

6:51 PM

Chinese foreign minister criticizes US role in Gaza talks during visit to Indonesia

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attacked the United States for earlier blocking United Nations resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Gaza after a meeting with his counterpart in Indonesia.

 

The Chinese and Indonesian foreign ministers reiterated their countries' calls for an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza after a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, condemning the humanitarian costs of Israel's ongoing war against Hamas.

 

The US, together with Egypt and Qatar, brokered a brief cease-fire earlier in the war that included some swaps of hostages taken by Hamas and other militant groups in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and has sought to bring about a new deal.

 

But the US vetoed a number of proposed UN Security Council cease-fire resolutions because they didn't tie the calls directly to the release of Israel hostages or condemn Hamas' attack that prompted the war before allowing a resolution to a pass with an abstention in late March.

6:45 PM

Ericsson lays off more than 200 employees in China

6:44 PM

Tesla advisor joins India’s first consultative meeting on new EV policy

6:44 PM

Mahindra Lifespace Developers sells Rs 3.50 bn worth homes in 2 days

Mahindra Lifespace Developers sells homes worth Rs 3.50 Billion In two days at Mahindra Zen

6:44 PM

Air India set to deploy A350 aircraft on Delhi-Dubai route from May 1

Air India on Thursday announced the deployment of its recently onboarded A350 aircraft on the Delhi-Dubai route from May 1 2024

6:43 PM

Haryana court sends GL Public school owner Rajendra Lodha to five-day police remand

In the ongoing Haryana school bus accident case, GL Public School owner Rajendra Lodha has been sent to a five-day police remand by a Haryana court. The accident, which resulted in several casualties, has sparked widespread concern and legal actions against those responsible.

5:12 PM

Supreme Court reserves judgment on pleas for 100% EVM-VVPAT verification

The top court today reserved judgment on a batch of petitions seeking 100% verification of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) data with Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit trail (VVPAT). After a day-long hearing today, which was preceded by a half-day hearing on April 16, the SC bench  reserved the verdict on the pleas filed by Association for Democratic Rights (ADR) and others.

5:03 PM

Infosys Q4 profit jumps 30% to Rs 7,969 crore, revenue up 1.3%

Infosys Q4 consolidated profit jumps 30 per cent to Rs 7,969 crore, revenue up 1.3 per cent at Rs 37,923 crore.

4:54 PM

Bajaj Auto Q4 standalone net profit rises 35.1% to Rs 1,936 crore

The 'Pulsar' bike-maker's standalone net profit climbed 35.1% to Rs 1,936 crore ($231.8 million) for the three months to March 31 from a year earlier.

4:35 PM

DRDO conducts successful flight test of Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile off Odisha coast

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation. 

4:14 PM

India ready to take 'adequate steps' to mitigate impact of Iran-Israel conflict, says FM

 India is prepared to take adequate steps to mitigate any impact of the Iran-Israel conflict on its economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the CNBC Awaaz news channel in an interview on Thursday.

3:57 PM

VVPAT and EVM count should happen simultaneously; votes should be tallied: Advocate Stephens to SC

The VVPAT and EVM count should happen simultaneously and the votes should be tallied. if there is discrepancy then it must be looked into. hundred percent counting of VVPAT is the need of the hour, says Advocate Stephens. 

 

3:49 PM

Pained by what has been said, ECI tells Supreme Court in EVM-VVPAT case

The Election Commission today told the Supreme Court that it was pained by what was said about the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The poll body stated that it took "painstaking efforts" to prepare for elections for the past three years.

3:29 PM

X says ‘continue to work' with Pakistan govt to understand its ‘concerns'

Social media platform X today for the first time stated that it continues to work with the relevant authorities on their concerns. This comes a day after the Pakistan government told a high court that the popular microblogging website X has been banned in the country due to national security issues.

The Elon Musk-owned  platform was suspended in Pakistan on February 17 when former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused the chief election commissioner and the chief justice of being involved in rigging the February 8 general elections.

3:23 PM

More than 11,000 evacuated in northern Indonesia as volcano erupts

More than 11,000 people have been evacuated after a volcanic eruption in the province of North Sulawesi Indonesia, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.  Mount Ruang, first erupted at 9: 45 pm local time on Tuesday and then four times on Wednesday.

3:15 PM

FSSAI examining report on Nestle, will place before scientific panel

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is examining the report by Public Eye that claimed Swiss multinational company Nestle added sugar to its milk formula brand intended for infants and children of up to two years, news agency ANI reported today citing sources. FSSAI is reportedly examining the report and it will be placed before the scientific panel.

3:00 PM

News update: Deepak Parekh steps down as chairman, non-executive director of HDFC Life Insurance

Deepak Parekh has stepped down from the role of chairman and non-executive director of HDFC Life Insurance.

2:56 PM

Kejriwal deliberately eating mangoes, sweets: ED on Delhi CM's plea to monitor sugar levels

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of deliberately consuming mangoes, sweets, and sugar with tea in an apparent bid to elevate his blood sugar levels.  A Delhi court was hearing the pleas moved by Kejriwal to monitor his sugar levels continuously and to allow him to consult his doctor.

2:41 PM

Tata Motors planning to build Jaguar Land Rover cars at its $1 bn Tamil Nadu plant: Report

Tata Motors is planning to manufacture Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) luxury cars at a $1 billion plant that it is planning to build in Tamil Nadu, news agency Reuters reported today.

2:21 PM

Delhi mayor, deputy mayor polls: AAP's Mahesh Khichi and Ravinder Bhardwaj file nominations