Breaking News, May 25 | LIVE UPDATES

Former chief minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar on Wednesday urged his rival from BJP, the new Chief Minister Manik Saha to bring back "a democratic atmosphere" to Tripura.

Vinai Kumar Saxena will take oath as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on Thursday at a ceremony at the Raj Niwas which is expected to be attended by hundreds of guests, including Union ministers. Invitations for the ceremony have been sent to more than 500 dignitaries, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, high court judges, Union ministers, MPs and MLAs, official sources said on Wednesday.

Bihar's ruling party Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday said it is seeking adequate funds from the Centre for addressing the issue of burgeoning volume of electronic waste in the state. In a statement, senior JD(U) leader and former MLC Ranbir Nandan said the Union government should initiate steps and provide adequate funds to the state for regulating the e-waste.

India's cumulative investments in Africa stand at USD 70 billion while it has extended Lines of Credit (LoCs) worth USD 12.26 billion to countries in the continent, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It said on Wednesday that India's concessional loans, grants and capacity building programme have played a significant role in Africa's socio-economic development.

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday rejected the regular bail plea of an accused in a communal clash that broke out in Himmatnagar city of Sabarkantha district on Ram Navami last month. The accused, Prakash Pandya, was part of a procession that was taken out to celebrate the festival on April 10 and he was purportedly seen wielding a sword in a CCTV grab.

The mercury in major cities of Rajasthan rose by one to four degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the meteorological department said. Phalodi was the hottest place in the state with a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius, it said.

The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Wednesday condemned the conviction and the life sentence given to separatist leader Mohammad Yasin Malik by a Delhi court.

Tightening the noose around unrecognised registered political parties for flouting rules, including those related to filing of contribution reports and indulging in "serious" financial impropriety, the Election Commission on Wednesday said it has initiated graded action against more than 2,100 such parties.

The air intelligence unit (AIU) of customs has seized US dollars valued at around Rs 12 crore from three Sudanese nationals, an official said on Wednesday. Two Sudanese passengers were detained by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel on Tuesday during a check at the International Security Hold Area of Terminal -2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

Assam Police on Wednesday said the third and last of the three accused has been arrested for allegedly gangraping a minor girl in Kokrajhar district of Assam.

A 25-year-old autorickshaw driver has been arrested for the murder of a woman, who owned the vehicle, in Navi Mumbai, police said on Wednesday. The police on Tuesday arrested Jayant Kolkhekar, a resident of Adai village in Panvel, for allegedly killing Reshma Sachin Garude, assistant commissioner of police (crime) Vinayak Vast said.

A Delhi government panel on Wednesday visited Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar markets as part of its survey of 20 major markets for feasibility of beautification, officials said. The panel is to shortlist five of these markets to redevelop as announced in the Rozgar Budget for 2022-23.

BJP leader and Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh has urged his party-led Uttar Pradesh government to resolve the issues of farmers and homebuyers in Noida and Greater Noida.

 The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday approved the implementation of the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJY) scheme for the residents in its area, according to officials.

A Delhi court on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik in a terror funding case. Special Judge Praveen Singh also awarded varying jail terms for various offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded a caste-based census, saying such an exercise was necessary to ensure social equality. Addressing a meeting of the NCP OBC cell, Pawar said everybody should get what is rightfully due to them.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday sought an explanation from the Rajasthan Police on the "delay" in registering an FIR against Congress MLA Ved Prakash Solanki for posting pictures of the mother and children of a rape victim on social media without the family's consent.

The Mumbai police on Wednesday detained nearly 40 BJP workers, including senior party leaders Chandrakant Patil, Pravin Darekar and Sudhir Mungantiwar, while they were protesting outside the party office near the state secretariat, seeking reservation for the OBCs in elections.

Police have arrested a 24-year-old woman, her parents and a Muslim cleric, accusing them of illegal confinement of a minor boy, his forcible religious conversion and marrying him to the woman, an official said on Wednesday.

The Delhi government will conduct a weekly fair to promote alternatives to single-use plastic (SUP) items from June 1, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday. The government will also incentivise units engaged in the production of alternatives to SUP items under the Delhi Start-up Policy, he said.

Doctors at a Delhi government-run hospital have conducted a study to examine the epidemiological characteristics of the pandemic by describing clinical profiles of COVID-19 patients, and found that hypertension was the most common co-morbidity among them. The outbreak of the pandemic in Delhi was first reported in March 2020.

Punjab Revenue Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa on Wednesday said his department registered a 30.45 per cent jump in registration and stamp duty collection in April compared to the same period of the last year.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on Wednesday preparing for the release of the long-anticipated partygate report into law-breaking parties at Downing Street, compiled by senior civil servant Sue Gray. Gray’s interim report, critical of leadership failures, had triggered a police investigation under Scotland Yard’s Operation Hillman. That investigation concluded last week with 83 fines being issued for breach of coronavirus lockdown rules within UK government quarters, including one each for Johnson, wife Carrie and UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak. It cleared the decks for the original Sue Gray report to be published in full, which is expected to be first handed over to Downing Street before Johnson addresses Parliament over its findings. "It's not just the optics, it's understandable that people will feel anger because there were instances where people couldn't attend funerals of close friends, couldn't visit loved ones," UK Environment Secretary George Eustice told the BBC, with reference to the breaches.

To facilitate those who are unable to spare time during the day to take the test for obtaining driving license, the Delhi government has started three automated driving tracks where people can do so in the evening, an official said on Wednesday. Delhi Transpor Minister Kailash Gahlot inaugurated the three tracks in Mayur Vihar, Shakur Basti and Vishwas Nagar. Those willing to take the test, will be able to take the appointment between 5 pm to 7 pm, the official said. Without an appointment, the test will not be taken, the official added. 

Madhaiyan, the elder brother of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan died of a cardiac arrest at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital in Salem in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. Madhaiyan, aged 80 was undergoing a life term in the Salem Central prison and was admitted to the hospital, following complaints of severe chest pain on May 1. A court in Erode had sentenced him to a life term in connection with the murder of a forest ranger, Chidamabaram in 1987 and was in jail for the last 34 years. He had served a jail term in Mysuru for a murder case and was then shifted to the Coimbatore and Salem prisons, police said.

Roman Abramovich's 19 years as Chelsea owner is closer to ending after the British government approved the sale of the Premier League club by the sanctioned Russian oligarch to a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly. The government had to be sure that Abramovich, who was sanctioned over his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, did not profit from the enforced sale of the club that his investment turned into one of the most successful in European football. The reigning FIFA Club World Cup winners and 2021 European champions will be sold for 2.5 billion pounds ($3.1 billion) — the highest price ever for a sports team — once Premier League approval is granted.

A man allegedly thrashed his 22-year-old wife to death following a domestic quarrel in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday. The incident took old man in Khoni village of Bhiwandi division on Tuesday evening following which the 28-year-old accused, Shankar Waghmare, was arrested, an official from Nizampura police station said. The couple had a fight following which the accused allegedly thrashed his wife Jyotsana Shankar Waghmare with a wooden log. The woman died on the spot, he said.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Finance Minister of the debt-ridden country on Wednesday by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, an official statement said. Wickremesinghe, 73 was sworn in as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stability and National Policies. The five-time prime minister was re-appointed to the job on May 12 following the political circus precipitated by the unprecedented economic crisis in the island’s history. He replaced Mahinda Raja. 

An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said. "Encounter has started at Najibhat crossing in Kreeri area of #Baramulla. Police and Army on job. Further details shall follow," a police spokesperson tweeted. There were no reports of any casualties so far on either side. 

Two persons here in Madhya Pradesh allegedly killed their friend for not ensuring an early bail in a criminal case, police said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Siddharth Srivastava and Gaurav, were arrested on Tuesday, City Superintendent of Police Deepak Mishra said. Their friend Jaideep Rathore (42) was found dead in his house in Srinath ki Talaiya locality on May 16, he said.

Domestic no-frills carrier SpiceJet said on Wednesday said it has signed and concluded the settlement and consent terms with Credit Suisse in a pending dispute with the latter. The settlement and consent terms, executed on May 23, have also been filed before the Supreme Court for final orders, the airline said in a statement.

Residents of a town in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district held a traditional funeral of a monkey that died due to electrocution. A funeral procession was taken out before the animal's last rites in Teother town on Monday. A video surfaced on social media, in which some people along with a music band were seen taking out a procession. A man was seen holding the carcass with garlands and wrapped in a cloth with the name of Lord Ram inscribed on it.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ)has reported a 21.78 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,033 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 2022. The country's largest integrated logistics player had clocked a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,321 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, according to a BSE filing late Tuesday.

As the ruling Biju Janata Dal and opposition BJP are engaged in a war of words over the Puri Heritage Corridor Project, senior saffron party leader Bijay Mohapatra targeted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and alleged that the central agency was responsible for the mess. While demanding a CBI probe into the entire corridor project episode, Mohapatra Tuesday said: "The ASI remained silent all along when the state government demolished mutts and also excavated bug pits within 75 metres from the protected monument like Shree Jagannath Temple."

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In a second incident within 48 hours, a 30-year-old farmer was mauled to death by a tiger near Majhara railway station in Tikunia forest area of Lakhimpur Kheri district. The victim Kamlesh Kumar was returning home on his bicycle after working in a cane field in the forest area of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve when a tiger suddenly pounced on him and tried to drag him into the forest. His friends who were on a bullock cart shouted and threw sticks at the tiger to scare it away. The animal fled leaving behind the fatally injured man.

To meet the rising power demand, coal production increased to 34 million tonnes (MT) in the first half of May, the government said on Tuesday, adding that total coal production increased to 33.94 MT, achieving a growth of 36.23 per cent over the production of 24.91 MT during the same period last year. The total dispatch of coal has been at 37.18 MT, recording an increase of 15.87 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The total coal dispatch including non-CIL coal producing units has been to the tune of 71.77 MT for the entire month of April, registering a growth of 9.39 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

Power outages caused by the destructive storm that swept across Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec stretched into the fourth day. An intense wall of thunderstorms swept across Ontario and into Quebec on Saturday, with high winds knocking down trees and bringing down power lines, killing 10 people and knocking out electricity for millions, Xinhua news agency reported. Many parts of the area were without electricity on Tuesday, especially in rural parts where residents are also without water.

North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, just a day after US President Joe Biden wrapped up his Asia trip highlighting America's security commitment to Seoul and Tokyo. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at around 6 a.m., 6:37 a.m. and 6:42 a.m., respectively, which marked the North's 17th show of force this year, Yonhap news agency reported. "While reinforcing monitoring and vigilance activities, our military, in close cooperation with the United States, is maintaining a full readiness posture," the JCS said in a text message sent to report

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In one of the worst school shootings in American history, an 18-year-old gunman has killed 21 people, including 18 children, and rendered several other grievously injured at an elementary school in Texas state, before the assailant was eliminated in police firing. Gunshots rang out of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde town, Texas, 134 km from San Antonio, at about 11.30 AM on Tuesday.

A minor girl was allegedly raped by three men in Assam's Kokrajhar district and police has arrested two of them, a senior police official said on Tuesday. According to the official, the incident took place on Monday night at Dholmara village when the 16-year-old girl was returning home from a nearby shop. The girl's father lodgd an FIR at Kokrajhar police station alleging that three youths had raped his daughter, police said.

Union Minister Pashupati Paras has assured Rs 10 lakh for each entrepreneur who sets up small scale food processing units in Meghalaya, state Food Processing Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh said on Tuesday. Paras has also assured funding of Rs 47 crore to set up a food park at a convenient location in the state, he said. Lyngdoh had called on Parasd, the union minister for food processing in Delhi.

Workers digging through the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol found 200 bodies in the basement, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday, as more horrors come to light in the ruined city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war. The bodies were decomposing and the stench hung over the neighbourhood, said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor. He did not say when they were discovered, but the sheer number of victims makes it one of the deadliest known attacks of the war.

Some antiviral medications might have the potential to shorten symptoms of monkeypox and reduce the amount of time a patient is contagious, according to a study of seven patients diagnosed with the rare viral disease in the UK between 2018 and 2021. The cases analysed in the study, published on Tuesday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, represent the first instances of in-hospital transmission and household transmission outside of Africa.