Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

From Jairam Ramesh hitting out at the BJP for giving a ticket to Brij Bhushan's SAon to the damage done by the dust storm in national capital on Friday, catch all the news from around the world here

10:06 PM

Imran Khan prefers to stay in jail: Former Pakistan President

Former President Arif Alvi said on Saturday that Imran Khan, former PM and the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party who is currently detained in Adiala Jail, would prefer to remain behind bars rather than make 'any deal,' ARY News reported.

8:04 PM

ED arrests 3 more in 'land grab' linked money laundering case against Hemant Soren

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has made three more arrests in connection with an alleged land grab linked money laundering case in which it had arrested former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and some others.

5:32 PM

Maldives replaces Indian military with civilians

Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer on Saturday said 76 Indian military personnel were replaced by civilian employees of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which manufactured the helicopters gifted by India, thus also ending the suspense over the exact number of those repatriated.

4:33 PM

Afghanistan flood toll rises to 153

The death toll from devastating flash floods in northern Afghanistan has risen to 153 people across three provinces, the Taliban's interior ministry said on Saturday.At least 138 people have also been injured in the flooding across northern Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan, caused by heavy rains on Friday, ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qaniee told Reuters.Taliban authorities sent helicopters to try to assist civilians overnight after receiving reports that over 100 people were stranded.

4:30 PM

34,971 Palestinians killed, 78,641 injured in Israel's military offensive since October 7

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 34,971 Palestinians have been killed and 78,641 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7.The Israeli military on Saturday ordered Palestinians to leave more areas of eastern Rafah and the northern Gaza Strip as it pressed ahead with its fight against Hamas militants.Israel's massive military campaign in Gaza began after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

4:28 PM

Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of all AAP MLAs on Sunday, party sources said.

 

The meeting will be held at the Chief Minister's residence in Civil Lines, they said.

 

"It is a key meeting and will also see discussions on the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi on May 25," a party source said.

 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor was granted interim bail till June 1 by the Supreme Court on Friday in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

 

He will have to surrender and go back to prison on June 2.

3:49 PM

Modi is master of lies and exploits people emotionally: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a master of lies and alleged he did not fulfill any of the promises he made.

 

He claimed that people had realised that Modi spoke lies and exploits them emotionally.

 

Reacting to the Prime Minister's statement that the opposition wanted to bury him, Siddaramaiah said no one wants to make his graveyard. Instead, they are opposing him politically.

 

"He (Modi) had been the Prime Minister for the past 10 years. He did nothing for the poor. In addition to it, there are allegations that he is a 'master of lies' (Sullina Sardara) because he did not fulfill any of the promises he made," the Chief Minister told reporters here.

3:48 PM

People like Kejriwal, Sisodia, Jain never welcome in BJP: Anurag Thakur

Amid a recent influx of opposition politicians into the BJP, Union minister Anurag Thakur said that while the party continues to attract rivals, it will never accept Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are facing serious charges of corruption.

 

Hours after Kejriwal was released from jail on interim bail in the liquor scam case, Thakur said in an interview with PTI late Friday that Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has not been absolved of the charges against him and will have to return to jail after June 1 and face trial.

 

He also accused Kejriwal of "crushing" the Constitution by not resigning from his post despite being in jail pending trial on serious charges in the liquor excise policy case.

 

Thakur said people of the country have seen his alleged corruption and will not support him anymore as he stands exposed before them now.

2:57 PM

YSRCP, TDP, Janasena are 'B' team of BJP in Andhra, says Rahul Gandhi

Attacking the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and other opposition parties in the state, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said BJP stands for Babu (TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu), Jagan and Pawan (Janasena founder Pawan Kalyan).

 

2:53 PM

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's visit to Pakistan postponed

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's much-anticipated visit to Pakistan has been deferred for unspecified reasons, PTI reported.

2:48 PM

Rain, thunderstorm in parts of Rajasthan due to western disturbance

Rain and thunderstorms were witnessed in many areas of Rajasthan due to the impact of a western disturbance during the last 24 hours, the local weather office said on Saturday.

 

2:38 PM

All Opposition leaders will be behind bars if BJP wins elections, says Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that all opposition leaders, including his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav, will be put behind the bars if the BJP wins the Lok Sabha polls. CM Kejriwal was addressing his party workers at the AAP headquarters here, where he asserted the BJP will not return to power and said the INDIA bloc will form the government on June 4.

 

2:22 PM

LS polls: Mehbooba Mufti accuses J&K admin of trying to 'fix' elections

Jammu and Kashmir leader and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday accused the J&K administration of trying to "fix" the Lok Sabha elections by "selectively targeting and harassing" her party and its supporters.

 

2:19 PM

Tripura facing fuel crisis as goods train services not yet normalised

The state of Tripura is facing a fuel crisis as goods train services to the northeastern state have not yet been restored, an official of the Food and Civil Supplies department said on Saturday.

 

2:14 PM

To expand ops, Israel orders new evacuations in the S Gaza city of Rafah

As it prepares to expand its operations in the region, Israel ordered more evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday.

2:03 PM

Kerala CM's foreign trip: Governor Khan 'thanks' media for information

Kerala Governor Khan said he had earlier written to the President of India that the Raj Bhavan was 'kept in the dark' about such foreign visits.

12:37 PM

Sudden explosion at fireworks manufacturing unit in Sivakasi guts godown

A sudden explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Sivakasi completely gutted three rooms of a godown in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.

 

12:31 PM

PM Modi, Odisha CM Patnaik two sides of same coin, says Jairam Ramesh

Accusing the BJP and BJD of supporting each other, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that PM Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are "two sides of the same coin".

12:24 PM

Will win Amethi, Rae Bareli by 'big margin': Cong leader Bhupesh Baghel

BJP's Smriti Irani has carved her identity by opposing Rahul Gandhi but cannot do so in Amethi this time and will face defeat, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has said. He also asserted that Congress will secure wins by huge margins in Amethi and Rae Bareli.

12:06 PM

Congress won't win 50 LS seats, will not get Oppn party status, says PM

Congress won't win 50 LS seats, will not get Oppn party status, said Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi on Saturday in Odisha.

11:45 AM

Delhi CM Kejriwal offers prayers at Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, Delhi

11:44 AM

BJP Govt worked more, talked less in last 10 years: Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini

BJP Govt worked more, talked less in last 10 years, says Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, ANI reported.

11:42 AM

PM Modi felicitates Padma Shri awardee Purnamasi Jani, touches her feet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitates Padma Shri awardee Purnamasi Jani & seeks blessings by teaching her feet, during his public meeting in Odisha's Kandhamal.

11:33 AM

Pleasant weather in Delhi after dust storm, max temp likely to be 39 deg

Delhi-NCR on Saturday woke up to a pleasant weather after it witnessed overnight dust storms and rain.

 

11:16 AM

LS polls: People of Odisha will create history in elections says PM Modi

Ahead of three election rallies in Odisha on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi asserted that the state will create a history in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

 

11:09 AM

Closing out G20 Summit most satisfying, forging friendships most significant in his career: EAM Jaishankar

Reminiscing the challenges and achievements of hosting the G20 summt and India's presidency of the forum, EAM S Jaishankar said that, if closing out the G20 Summit was the most satisfying moment of his career, the most significant was being associated with "enormous changes in some crucial relationships" such as the US, Australia, UAE and Japan during the last five years, the minister said.

 

10:49 AM

America's debt tops $34 trn, but commission to address it appears dead

For Mike Johnson controlling the risign US debt was effectively a Day 1 priority. It's well past time, the newly elected House speaker said in October, to establish a bipartisan commission to tackle the federal government's growing $34.6 trillion in debt.

10:43 AM

LS polls: People of disputed Kotia to cast votes in both AP, Odisha

Over 5,500 electors of the disputed Kotia region are eligible to exercise their franchise in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha elections in the fourth phase on May 13. The resident of this disputed region hold two voter cards issued by the two states and will vote in both states.

 

10:17 AM

Kim Jong Un supervises latest test of new multiple rocket launcher

North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un supervised another test firing of a new multiple rocket launch system the country plans to deploy to its forces starting this year.

10:05 AM

IIT-IIM graduates act as big talent pool: Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore has been a attractive destination for global talent and has the biggest concentration of graduates from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who will step down as head of the government on May 15.