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RCB clinch final playoff berth as Delhi stumble against Mumbai
Royal Challengers Bangalore sealed the final IPL playoff spot after Delhi Capitals suffered a five-wicket defeat by Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Bangalore will face Lucknow Super Giants in Wednesday's eliminator game, while Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals in Tuesday's playoff match.
India, 195 nations join hands to fight drought
Pledging to accelerate the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land globally by 2030, 196 countries, including India, late Friday adopted 38 decisions to step up drought preparedness and give new political and financial impetus to help nations deal with devastating impacts of land/soil degradation.
Freed after 19 yrs in jail, Paki man still in UP thana
A 70-year-old Pakistani national, after spending 19 years in jail for a terror case, has been languishing in a local UP police thana even after being “technically released” and acquitted by the Allahabad high court in 2019. His kin back home in Pakistan’s Wazirabad told TOI that they were “completely unaware” of his whereabouts during the past few years.
Proceeds of crime Rs 16cr: ED in Nawab Malik case
Pegging the total proceeds of crime at Rs 16 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that ‘muscleman’ Nawab Malik had illegally occupied “Kurla General Store” in Goawala building compound in Kurla West in 1996, and after becoming a state minister a few years later, he usurped the entire premises with the help of Haseena Parkar, late sister of gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Fate of lowest bid for Executive Enclave project hangs in balance
The fate of lowest bid for the Executive Enclave project, which is part of the mega Central Vista revamp plan, hangs in balance even nearly two months after the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) had opened the financial bids. Sources said some decision is expected within days about giving finality to the lowest bid quoted by a construction major.
Govt jacks up thermal power output, averts major blackout
Coal-fired electricity generation has registered a sharp increase this month, preventing large-scale blackouts as the power, coal and railway ministries made a concerted bid to improve fuel supply to power stations from domestic sources and imports. The latest available government data till May 17 shows daily generation from domestic coal-fired plants rising more than 31% to 3,244 MU (million units) this month from 2,465 MU during all of May 2021.
Northeast floods and landslides take 29 lives in 9 days
t least 29 people have lost their lives to nature’s fury in nine days in three northeastern states — Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh — which have been reeling under severe floods and landslides. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, four more deaths in floods have been reported on Saturday, which has taken Assam’s death toll to 18 since May 14.
No adjournments beyond a month, consumer panels told
The consumer affairs ministry has urged the registrars of all consumer commissions not to grant any adjournments for more than 30 days and has also suggested imposing costs on parties where there is delay beyond two months in resolving cases due to adjournment requests. A letter by the ministry read, “Frequent and long adjournments not only deny a consumer his right to be heard and seek redressal, but also take away the spirit of enactment which the legislature intended."
Rahul says deep state eating India, BJP hits back
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said his party does not want to be the “big daddy” and will carry out a joint fight against BJP. He said his remark at Udaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ that “regional parties cannot fight ideological battle against BJP, and only Congress can”, has been misinterpreted. The BJP accused him of harming India in his “hate” against PM Modi and alleged that his frequent critical remarks about the country from foreign soils amounted to “betrayal”.
Foreign secretary hints India may join US-Indo-Pacific plan
With PM Modi set to leave for Japan to attend the Quad summit, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said the proposed US-Indo-Pacific economic framework plan for the region was still under discussion but hinted that India may join the initiative. The economic dimension of the Quad cooperation was important for harnessing economic opportunities in the region, and this will be one of the focus areas for PM Modi during the visit, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra added.
Day after SC order, Gyanvapi files shifted to district court
All files related to the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi mosque lawsuit were transferred to the Varanasi district court on Saturday in compliance with SC’s Friday order to shift the case from the civil judge (senior division) to the district judge. District government counsel (civil) has confirmed the shifting of files and said district judge Ajay Kumar Vishwesh will hear the case from now on. The next hearing is slated for May 23, but the points to be taken up will be stated by the court on Monday.
10-year-old girl from Maharashtra summits Everest base camp
A little 10-year-old champion skater from Worli, Rhythm Mamania, has become one of the youngest Indian mountaineers to summit the Everest Base Camp (EBC) in the Himalayan ranges in Nepal. Rhythm had no coach or formal training, and would practise by running up and down the long flight of steps near Shastri Garden at 5am.
Shah outlines steps to turn NE into ‘most-developed’ area
The Centre has adopted a three-pronged approach to rid the northeast of inter-state disputes, insurgency and illegal weapons, thereby laying the platform for the region to reclaim its sense of belonging and become the “most-developed” part of the country, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap on Saturday.
Quad is constructive, doesn't create debt burden: India
Ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to Japan for the Quad summit starting Monday, India talked up the "positive and constructive" agenda of the grouping saying Quad was partnering, among other things, for infrastructure cooperation that avoids burdening other countries with unsustainable debts. The mention of unsustainable debts by foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra is seen as a dig at Beijing which believes Quad is aimed at containing China.
Govt seeks to cool down steel, plastic and cement prices
The government on Saturday unveiled a series of duty cuts to cool down prices of iron and steel, coal and plastics, while promising to more than double the subsidy allocation for fertilisers to cushion the impact of the Ukraine war on farmers. Along with a reduction in import duty on iron and steel, the finance ministry also imposed import duty on a host of steel products, in a move that will benefit user industries and small-scale players that have been complaining of a massive jump in prices.
Centre slashes excise duty by ₹8 on petrol, ₹6 on diesel to tame inflation
The Centre on Saturday slashed excise duty by Rs 8 on petrol and Rs 6 on diesel to bring down fuel prices and ease inflation by reducing transportation charges for the Aam-Aadmi’s daily staples. The government also announced a Rs 200 subsidy on LPG for consumers who were given connection free of cost under the Ujjwala programme, one of the Narendra Modi government’s flagship social welfare schemes launched in 2016.
IPL: RCB seal last playoff berth after MI beat DC
Royal Challengers Bangalore sneaked into the play-offs after Mumbai Indians broke Delhi Capitals' heart with a five-wicket win in their last IPL match on Saturday. Already out of contention, MI played party poppers as they first restricted DC to 159 for 7 with Jasprit Bumrah snapping three wickets and then returned to overhaul the target in 19.1 overs to knock the 2020 finalists out of the tournament.