Breaking News, May 10 | LIVE UPDATES

The Excise Policy 2022-23 being framed by the Delhi government may discontinue the norm of opening two vends per municipal ward in view of problems arising out of constraints of doing so in unregularised parts of the city, officials said on Tuesday.

A special court here on Monday framed charges against eight persons, including a prominent Hurriyat leader, for selling Pakistani MBBS seats in Jammu and Kashmir to fund terror activities.

The NDRF has earmarked a total of 50 teams for undertaking rescue and relief operations in areas affected by severe cyclone Asani, the federal agency said on Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday while praising the BJP-led Assam government for strongly tackling illegal migration, alleged that the West Bengal government was not cooperating with the Centre in dealing with the problem.

Eleven Punjab policemen including a DSP have been booked for allegedly abducting a 21-year-old Kota man in a drug case, police said on Tuesday. The man, a local of Kota city, was booked by Hoshiarpur Police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act with alleged recovery of 10 kilograms of opium from his possession, they said.

Grewia asiatica, which goes by the name Phalsa, and Hardwickia binata, better known as ‘Anjan’ in Hindi, are almost on the verge of extinction in Bihar and the state government has decided to carry out a survey to find out the reason.

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to apprise it about the views on the issue of protection of interest of citizens till the colonial-era penal law on sedition is reconsidered by an appropriate forum.

SSP Vivek Soni denies media reports of a second explosion in Mohali, Punjab

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party will form the next government in Gujarat, as he attacked the BJP-led central government “for creating one India for the rich and one for the poor.”

“In the BJP model, which has created two Indias, one for the rich and one for the poor, resources of the country belonging to poor people are being given to a few rich people,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the Centre taking different stands on the issue of identification of minorities, including Hindus, at the state level and directed it to hold consultations with the states on the issue within three months.

In supersession of its earlier stand, the Centre had on Monday told the apex court that the power to notify minorities is vested with the Union government and any decision in this regard will be taken after discussion with states and other stakeholders.

The Centre had in March said that it was for the states and Union Territories (UTs) to take a call on whether or not to grant minority status to Hindus and other communities where they are less in number.

A week after he was arrested and released on bail for making controversial remarks against the Muslim community, another case was registered against senior politician P C George by the police on Tuesday, on charges of hate speech.

Palarivattom police here booked the former MLA over his objectionable remarks during a speech, which he delivered in connection with a temple festival at Vennala here on May 8.

The case was registered under IPC 153 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), a police officer said.

Four people were killed and 13 others sustained injuries as the tractor-trolley in which they were travelling overturned after being hit by a truck on Tuesday morning, police said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.

According to police, the tractor-trolley was carrying around 18 people returning to their homes in Hanuwatkheda village after attending a wedding in Batawda village of the district on Monday night.

“The mishap occurred around 6.30 am on Tuesday. The speeding truck loaded with around 7-8 tractors hit the tractor trolley from behind,” SHO of Baran Sadar Police Station Rajesh Khatana said.

A protest began in front of Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee Naval Base on Tuesday after reports emerged that former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members were there after leaving the official residence in Colombo, a media report said.

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of then prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by squally winds with speed 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph likely at isolated places in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Krishna, Guntur & West Godavari dists till 0830am of May 11: IMD, Andhra Pradesh

Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn", a portrait of iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe, has sold for a whopping USD 195 million and set a record for the most expensive artwork by a US artist sold at an auction.

The 1964 portrait auctioned on Monday shows Monroe in vibrant close-up -- hair yellow, eyeshadow blue, and lips red -- on a turquoise background.

Eighteen migrants were found dead and 203 others rescued by the Moroccan navy off the country's coasts, state-run MAP news agency reported.

Citing a military source, MAP said in its report that the migrants were rescued in the week of May 2 in operations in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, most of whom are sub-Saharans, including women, reports Xinhua news agency.

Examination for the students of Classes 9 and 10 will be conducted on a new pattern, as recommended in the National Education Policy (NEP).

The question paper will be divided into two parts.

In the first section, 30 per cent marks will be earmarked for multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that will be answered on an OMR sheet. The second section will consist of 70 per cent marks and will be descriptive in nature.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) to notify the programme for local body elections in the state within two weeks.

The apex court observed that election is due in respect of over 23,000 local bodies across Madhya Pradesh. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said until the triple test exercise, which was mentioned in a Constitution bench verdict of 2010, is completed in all respect, no reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) can be provisioned.

The top court said that election process cannot be delayed as it would result in creating a hiatus situation upon expiry of the five-year term and it is the constitutional obligation of the authorities to hold elections on time.

A Ukrainian official says authorities have found the bodies of 44 civilians in the rubble of a building destroyed by Russia in March.
Oleh Synehubov, the head of Kharkiv's regional administration, made the announcement on Tuesday via a message on social media. Izyum is in the Kharkiv region.

He said the five-story building had collapsed with the civilians inside.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the city police on a plea by Khalid Saifi, founder of the organisation 'United Against Hate', seeking bail in a case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the Delhi riots in February 2020.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notice to the police on the petition challenging the trial court’s April 8 order by which Saifi’s bail plea was dismissed.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad accepted the notice on behalf of the Delhi government. The high court listed the matter for further hearing on July 11.

Veteran santoor player and music composer Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma died here on Tuesday morning following a heart attack, family sources said. He was 84.

Sharma, one of India's most well known classical musicians, was due to perform in Bhopal next week. He was also suffering from renal ailments.

"He had a severe heart attack at around 9 am... He was active and was to perform in Bhopal next week. He was on regular dialysis but was still was active," the family source told PTI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said improved law and order and peace accords with militant outfits led to the partial withdrawal of AFSPA in Assam, and that he was confident it will be revoked soon from the entire state.

Shah, after presenting the President's Colour to the Assam Police here, said in his address that due to the efforts of the Centre and Chief Minister Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, most of the militant outfits have entered into peace agreements and the “day is not far when the entire state will be completely free from insurgency and violence”.

Punjab and Haryana High Court grants interim relief of stay on arrest to BJP's Tajinder Singh Bagga; interim relief to continue till July 5

With more than 300 billion PKR in stuck up dues, more than two dozen Chinese firms operating in Pakistan said that they will be forced to shut down their power plants this month unless payments are made upfront, the media reported.

This revelation came at a meeting presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal with more than 30 Chinese companies operating under the flagship multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in various areas including energy, communication, railways and others, reports Dawn news.

In a shocking incident, the village head of Pavti Khurd village under Charthawal police circle, made a public announcement -- known as 'munadi' in local parlance -- warning people 'not to venture near the houses of Dalits'.

The announcement further warned of 'offenders' getting slapped by slippers 100 times and a fine of Rs 5,000.

Two persons have been arrested after the video of the incident went viral on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court order issuing non-bailable warrants against senior IAS officer and Chief Executive Officer of NOIDA in a contempt case related to a land acquisition matter.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli agreed to hear the plea of Uttar Pradesh official Ritu Maheshwari against the order of the high court.

“This is a gross case where a lady appeared in the Allahabad High Court, her lawyer was present and sought a pass over. The high court issued the order asking her to appear and in custody,” senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the IAS officer, said.

The Ukrainian military is warning that Russia could target the country's chemical industries. The claim by Ukraine's general staff wasn't immediately explained in a report Tuesday. However, it comes after oil depots and other industrial sites have been targeted by Russian shelling in the war.

The military said, “The possibility of sabotage at the chemical industry of Ukraine with further accusations of units of the armed forces of Ukraine is not ruled out.”

Nagpur Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Tuesday said the explosive content in 54 detonators found in the railway station premises here was "very less" and they did not have the capacity to trigger a blast.

On Monday evening, a policeman had spotted an unclaimed bag outside the Nagpur railway station's main gate. A total of 54 detonators were found in the bag, Kumar told reporters.

Severe cyclone Asani neared the east coast, packing gale-force winds up to 105 kmph, amid indication of gradual weakening on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The cyclone, which was moving at a speed of 25 kmph on Monday, has slowed down to 5 kmph as it lays centered around 300 km southeast of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.

The system is expected to recurve on Tuesday night and move parallel to the coast in the north-northeast direction.

Luxury carmaker Audi India on Tuesday said it has appointed PPS Motors Pvt Ltd as its new dealer partner in Kerala.
This partnership includes Audi Kochi, Audi Service Kozhikode and Audi Service Trivandrum, effective May 1, 2022, the German carmaker said in a statement.

"Kerala is an extremely important market for Audi India, and we are confident that our partners PPS Motors will deliver exceptional services to customers in this region," Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said.

PPS Motors Dealer Principal Rajiv Sanghvi said: "We have a long-standing partnership with Audi India and are extremely happy to extend this association to the Kerala market".

A fire broke out in a duct of a 17-storey residential building in Maharashtra's Thane city on Tuesday morning, a civic official said.
There was no casualty, he said, adding that 70 to 75 residents were evacuated from the building, located in Anand Nagar area, Thane Municipal Corporations'c regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Avinash Sawant said.

To join or not to join? The NATO question is coming to a head this week in Finland and Sweden where Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shattered the long-held belief that remaining outside the military alliance was the best way to avoid trouble with their giant neighbour.

If Finland's president and the governing Social Democrats in both countries come out in favor of accession in the next few days, NATO could soon add two members right on Russia's doorstep.

That would be a historic development for the two Nordic countries: Sweden has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, while Finland adopted neutrality after being defeated by the Soviet Union in World War II.

Rajasthan High Court adjourns hearing of TV journalist Aman Chopra case for tomorrow. The court had earlier stayed his arrest in connection with two FIRs filed against him in the state allegedly for insulting religious beliefs & promoting enmity in Alwar temple demolition case.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah to launch Assam govt's own monthly newspaper this evening

The minimum temperature in the city settled at 28 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with a fresh spell of heatwave expected to sweep the national capital starting May 11.

The relative humidity at 8:30 AM on Tuesday stood at 61 per cent, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

On Monday, the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal for this time of the year. 

Two Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday, marking the sixth day of intrusions this month.

A People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopter appeared in the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), reported Taiwan News.

It further reported that a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest and southeast corners of the zone. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the aircraft.

An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country's airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

Amid rising political heat, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is scurrying to take the Pakistani youth onboard his party and in order to fulfill this, he has launched a party membership application called "Raabta".

Khan said that overseas Pakistanis can also use the Raabta application to become a member of the party. While terming the overseas Pakistanis an 'invaluable asset' the ex-PM accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government of curbing the rights of overseas Pakistanis, as per ARY News.

10 flights including from Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur and Mumbai cancelled at Chennai Airport due to Cyclone Asani. Passengers were informed over the same yesterday: Airport Authority, Chennai

India's head coach Rahul Dravid will be participating in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha's National Working Committee session in Dharamshala scheduled to be held from May 12 to May 15, informed BJP Dharamsala MLA Vishal Nehria on Monday.

India reports 2,288 fresh cases, 3,044  recoveries, and 10 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total active cases 19,637. Daily positivity rate at 0.47%

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 517.8 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 6.25 million and vaccinations to over 11.36 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 517,888,062 and 6,253,145, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered increased to 11,367,626,812.

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, on Monday decided to fill 200 posts of ayurvedic medical officer in the Ayush Department.

Out of these, 100 posts would be filled through direct recruitment and the remaining on batch wise.

This would go a long way in further strengthening the Ayush Department of the state, an official statement said.

The Cabinet also decided to fill 100 posts of ayurvedic pharmacist on contract.

A state museum employee has been missing from his office at the Lucknow Zoo since May 4 and the police remain clueless about his whereabouts.

According to the police, Warif Ansari had left his vehicle and belongings at his office on May 4 and went somewhere on foot.

An FIR was lodged following a complaint filed by his family members.

Over 3 crore youngsters between 12-14 age group have received 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Efforts were underway Monday to clear a road where dozens of fully grown evergreen trees as well as rocks and dirt toppled into an Alaska bay, covering the roadway and cutting off road access for scores of people. There were no injuries in the Saturday evening landslide about a half-mile (0.8 km) south of downtown Seward, City Manager Janette Bower said.

A private contractor was handling the removal process and planned to use heavy equipment to clear the debris at the top first, working down to the roadway, Bower said. Part of the work has created additional slides within the original slide, slowing the process.

The slide measured 200 feet (61 metres) long by 300 feet (91 metres) wide and could take up to two weeks to clear, she estimated.

Two journalists were shot to death in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz on Monday, state prosecutors said.

The Veracruz State Prosecutor's Office said via Twitter that it was investigating the killings of Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila Johana García Olivera, the director and a reporter, respectively, of the online news site El Veraz in Cosoleacaque.

They are the 10th and 11th journalists killed in Mexico this year.

Veracruz State Prosecutor Veronica Hernandez Giadans said the investigation would be exhaustive, including considering their journalism work as a motive in their killing.

Washington sought to portray a united front against Russia's invasion of Ukraine as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan measure to reboot the World War II-era “lend-lease” programme, which helped defeat Nazi Germany, to bolster Kyiv and Eastern European allies.

The signing on Monday comes as the US Congress is poised to unleash billions more to fight the war against Russia — with Democrats preparing $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid, larger than the $33 billion package Biden has requested.

It all serves as a rejoinder to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has seized on Victory in Europe Day — the anniversary of Germany's unconditional surrender in 1945 and Russia's biggest patriotic holiday — to rally his people behind the invasion.

“This aid has been critical to Ukraine's success on the battlefield,” Biden said in a statement.

Eight Turkish citizens have been kidnapped in Haiti's capital, an official told The Associated Press on Monday, apparently the latest in a string of high-profile kidnappings by powerful gangs.

Hugues Josue, Turkey's honorary consul in Haiti, said the group had boarded a bus in the neighbouring Dominican Republic and were kidnapped late Sunday afternoon in the Croix-des-Bouquets neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince. Those kidnapped were five men and three women, he said.

A clash between rival Ecuadorian gangs killed 44 inmates, officials said Monday, little more than a month after another prison riot resulted in 20 deaths.

Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo said at a news conference that one group of inmates left their cells to attack another inside the Bellavista lockup in Santo Domingo, some 70 km (45 miles) west of Quito, the capital.

“It's evident that those who lost their lives were executed by knives; most of the bodies had those characteristics,” he said, and offered relatives help in transporting the bodies to their hometowns.

Conservative Yoon Suk Yeol took office as South Korea's president on Tuesday, facing a tougher mix of foreign policy and domestic challenges than other recent South Korean leaders encountered at the start of their presidencies.

The former top prosecutor began his five-year term at midnight Monday by taking command of South Korea's 555,000-member military and receiving a briefing on North Korea from his military chief at the new presidential office in central Seoul, formerly the Defence Ministry building.

One person died and 11 people went missing after a fishing vessel sank off the coast of Ghana, local police confirmed Monday.

John Quayson, Crime Officer of the Marine Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Tema, a port city in eastern Ghana, told Xinhua that the accident happened on Saturday on the high seas of Elmina, a fishing community along the coast of Ghana.

There were 26 crew members on board, including 20 Ghanaians and six Chinese nationals, he confirmed.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday warned TV channels against airing content against the country's armed forces and judiciary.

The media watchdog said that legal action under the relevant laws would be pursued in case of any violation by the private electronic media, reported The Express Tribune.

Omar Sarfaraz Cheema has been denotified as Punjab Governor on Tuesday. The development came hours after President Arif Alvi strongly rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advice to remove the Punjab province Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema from his office, reported Geo News.

In contrast to the President's rejection of the PM's advice, the cabinet division issued late Monday night a notification regarding the removal of Omar Cheema as governor of Punjab.

According to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), at least 900,000 Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban took control last August. Working women are disproportionately affected, according to SIGAR, with women's employment expected to fall by 21 per cent by mid-2022, reported The Khaama Press.

Since the Taliban took power, unemployment has skyrocketed, and poverty across many parts of the country has put millions of people at risk.

According to the International Labour Organization, more than 500,000 Afghan workers lost their jobs in the third quarter of 2021, and the number of people who will lose their jobs since the Taliban took control is expected to reach 700,000 to 900,000 people by mid-2022, reported Khaama Press.

Russian forces are committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine as they engage in a brutal war that is causing immense suffering and needless destruction, the White House has said.

Addressing reporters at her daily news conference on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US is continuing to do what it can to provide support for Ukraine at this pivotal moment -- flowing security, economic and humanitarian assistance.

"Today, the President (Joe Biden) signed the Lend-Lease Act into law, which adds to our suite of tools as we provide Ukraine with the weapons and equipment they need,” Psaki said.

Police have arrested a man for sharing a sensitive photograph on a social media platform in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said here on Tuesday.

An information was received through reliable sources that a person named Prem, a resident of Budhal area, has uploaded a sensitive photograph on a social media platform Monday night, they said.

The photograph has the potential to trigger enmity between different religious groups, the officials said.

Pulitzer Prize 2022 winners in Journalism, Books, Drama and Music were announced at 3 pm (Eastern Time) on Monday.

The winner's list included The Washington Post, including Indians Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave, and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters in Journalism.

Journalists from Ukraine were recognized with a 2022 Pulitzer Prize special citation, while jurors of journalism's top honours also recognized coverage of the January 6th attacks on the Capitol, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Surfside condominium collapse in Florida.

Calling for commitment to the party's accelerated revival, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said it is imperative that leaders and workers step forward and repay their "debt to the party in full measure at a critical juncture" when the party is beset with challenges.

In her opening remarks at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee here to discuss the agenda of the Chintan Shivir being held in Udaipur from May 13 to 15, Sonia Gandhi noted that there are no magic wands for electoral success.

She urged party leaders to ensure that the single over-riding message to come from the party's three-day Chintan Shivir in Udaipur is "of unity, cohesion, determination and commitment to party's accelerated revival".

The US on Monday said that it is closely monitoring the volatile situation in Sri Lanka after the protestors burned the houses of Ministers.

"Closely monitoring the situation in Sri Lanka. We are deeply concerned by the violence against peaceful protesters and innocent bystanders, and are urging all Sri Lankans to focus on finding and enabling long-term solutions to the country's economic and political challenges," tweeted US State Department Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA).

Meanwhile, the ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in Medamulana, Hambantota was set on fire by protesters, reported local media.

Due to mobility problems, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the customary opening of Parliament on Tuesday. 

"The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow," said Buckingham Palace in a statement on Monday, reported CNN.

"At Her Majesty's request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen's speech on Her Majesty's behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance," the Palace added.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Asani moved with a speed of 12kmph in west-northwest direction during last 6 hrs & is about 590 southwest of Puri & about 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur, Odisha: Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar