Breaking News, April 18 | LIVE UPDATES

Premier engineering institute IIT Guwahati (IIT-G) has resumed its physical classes and research work with full capacity after two years, officials said on Monday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday requested China for support for the planned revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project to end the woes of hundreds of thousands of commuters in the metropolis, the media reported.

Considering the increasing number of COVID cases in some of the  States and UTs, all the residents of UT Chandigarh are advised to wear face masks in the crowded places said Chandigarh Health department. 

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure the expeditious release of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana to fulfill the promise made to the Sikh community to release eight Sikh prisoners who have served more than the effective equivalent of a life sentence on the eve of the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has attached assets worth Rs 757.77 crore belonging to Amway India Enterprises Private Limited -- a company accused of running a multi-level marketing scam, in connection with a money laundering case.

Clashes broke out on Monday between two groups of people over control of a construction site in the southern part of the city, leaving at least eight injured, a senior police officer said.

A head constable of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) was killed on Monday and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) injured as militants opened fire at them in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

There is no evidence for the theory that a bid to plant saffron flags at a mosque led to violence in Delhi's Jahangirpuri but was "a minor argument which later took the shape of massive violence", Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said on Monday.

Afghanistan has reported a death toll of at least 47 after Pakistani military air strikes hit the provinces of Khost and Kunar provinces, Pajhwok News reported.

At least six people were killed and eight others were wounded after five missiles struck Ukraine's western city of Lviv on Monday morning, said Maksym Kozytsky, head of the Lviv regional military-civilian administration.

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an apex body of eight influential students' organisations of the region, has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to revoke the decision to make Hindi a compulsory subject in all the northeastern states up to Class 10 as "the move in the region would be detrimental".

Jaish-e-Mohammad member Ashiq Ahmed Nengroo declared designated terrorist

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi raises questions over the alleged use of weapons during a religious procession in Jahangirpuri's C block in Delhi. 

Sensex dips 1172.19 points, currently trading at 57,166.74; Nifty is down by 302.00 points, currently at 17,173.65 points

A meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence Janpath 10 is underway with Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Singh Surjewala, KC Venugopal, & Ambika Soni.

Equity investors have shedded around Rs 2.5 trillion on Monday as the benchmark indices took a deep dive. 

Petrol prices in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district rose to Rs 123 per litre on Monday morning, making it the costliest in the country.

Afghanistan has reported a death toll of at least 47 after Pakistani military airstrikes hit the provinces of Khost and Kunar provinces, Pajhwok News reported. Pakistani security forces carried out airstrikes on Waziristan refugees in Sperai district of southeastern Khost province and in the Shaltan district of eastern Kunar province, inflicting casualties on people.

"Forty-one civilians, mainly women and children, were killed and 22 others were wounded in air strikes by Pakistani forces near the Durand line in Khost province," Shabir Ahmad Osmani, director of information and culture in Khost told Pajhwok.

Sri Lankan Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana said on Monday that the country will take steps to stabilise the economy, including strengthening public finance.

Siriwardana made the remarks as the Sri Lankan government sent a delegation to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to seek assistance.

Figures show that around 125 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($384 million) of banknotes were printed in April and the government expenditure has also increased despite escalating foreign exchange shortages, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the violence in several parts of the country on Hanuman Jayanti, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday demanded a ban on all kinds of religious processions.

Manjhi said that such processions were a serious threat to the unity and integrity of the country.

"Following violence in several places including in Delhi over Hanuman Jayanti, the unity and integrity of the country is under huge threat. Hence, the time now has come to ban religious marches," Manjhi said in a tweet on Monday.

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday said that troopers at Border Out Post (BoP) Garjala in West Bengal's North 24 Paraganas have recovered 8.275 kg silver ornaments hidden in the field at India Bangladesh border.

Recovery of silver ornaments was made on April 16 during a search operation in a nearby field close to the fencing which was concealed there for smuggling purposes, an official of the South Bengal Frontiers said.

The estimated cost of these recovered silver ornaments is over Rs four lakh.

The Hindu Sena, a right-wing organisation, on Monday approached the Delhi High Court seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the communal clashes in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri.

Talking to IANS, Advocate Vidlesh Aggarwal, who represented the Hindu Sena in the court, alleged that there is a connection in all the similar incidents that took place in many parts of the country on the occasions of Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.

Terming the incident a 'PFI work', he alleged that the Pakistan intelligence agency ISI is funding to disrupt the peace in India.

The board of Tata Steel will consider a stock-split proposal during its meeting on May 3. The meeting will be held to consider the company's financial results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2022, according to a regulatory filing.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday accused the previous governments of pushing the state into debt, and said the AAP dispensation will inquire where the money was used and make recovery.

"Previous governments have left a debt of Rs 3 lakh crore on Punjab. But where has this been used? We will investigate and make recovery, because it is people's money," a tweet in Punjabi from the party's state unit said while quoting the chief minister.

In the run up to the Punjab Assembly polls in February, AAP leaders had targeted successive governments in the state for allegedly pushing the state into a debt trap.

A special court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik till April 22 even as the NCP leader complained of ill health.

Malik was produced before Special Judge R N Rokade, designated to hear cases related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The NCP leader stepped into the witness box and told the court that he has been unwell due to kidney ailments and that he has a swelling in his legs.

Malik further said that whenever he complained of pain in his legs, the jail authorities only gave him painkillers. 

"I want a permanent solution to my medical problems," Malik said.

At least 16 more pigs died of African Swine Fever in Mizoram with the toll due to the disease rising to 770 in the state in a little over two months, an official said.

At least 124 pigs have been culled to prevent the spread of the infection since February this year, he said.

“Besides, 205 pigs have died due to suspected African Swine Fever. At least 17 villages in Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei and Saitual districts have been affected due to the outbreak,” animal husbandry and veterinary department joint director Dr Lalhmingthanga said.

Delhi police commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Monday said that the police are monitoring social media to curb the spread of misinformation in the wake of the violence that erupted in the Jahangirpuri area, while also stating that action will be taken against culprits attempting to disturb the peace.

"Some people are trying to disturb peace through social media posts. We are monitoring social media closely, and legal action will be taken against those who are found spreading misinformation. The public should not pay heed to rumours," Asthana said.

Asthana also said that action will be taken against any person found guilty in the violence.

German luxury carmaker BMW on Monday launched the 'Silver Shadow Edition' of its X4 model with price starting at Rs 71.9 lakh (ex-showroom).

Locally produced at BMW Group plant in Chennai, the new exclusive edition comes in both petrol and diesel engine options.

The petrol engine variant has a 2-litre engine with a power of 252 hp and is capable of accelerating from 0-100 kmph in 6.6 seconds. It is priced at Rs 71.9 lakh, the company said in a statement.

German luxury carmaker Audi is gearing up to drive in the new version of its flagship sedan A8 in India, which will be its second launch of the year, as it chases double-digit sales growth in the country, according to a senior company official.

The company plans to open bookings for the new A8 long-wheelbase sedan in the coming days, with launch expected to follow in the next few weeks.

A 14-year-old boy was killed while another of the same age got injured in an explosion while they were trying to make firecrackers in the district, police said on Monday. Sukhjit Singh was killed while his friend Taranpreet Singh got multiple burn injuries in the explosion, they said.

The incident happened when a group of teenagers were trying to make firecrackers in a playground to celebrate their victory in a volleyball match, the police said.

In view of an increase in Covid cases, wearing face masks in public places is mandatory in Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Govt

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Monday said it has increased prices of its entire model range with immediate effect in order to partially offset the impact of rise in input costs.

The company, which sells a range of vehicles from Alto to S-Cross, said the weighted average increase across models is 1.3 per cent (ex showroom Delhi).

Witnesses said multiple explosions believed to be caused by missiles struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv early Monday as the country was bracing for an all-out Russian assault in the east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to “fight absolutely to the end” in strategically vital Mariupol, meanwhile, where the ruined port city's last known pocket of resistance was holed up in a sprawling steel plant laced with tunnels.

Lviv and the rest of western Ukraine have been less affected by the fighting than other parts of the country, and the city was considered to be a relatively safe haven.

During a visit to Syria in 2017, Vladimir Putin lavished praise on a Syrian general whose division played an instrumental role in defeating insurgents in the country's long-running civil war. The Russian president told him his cooperation with Russian troops “will lead to great successes in the future.”

Now members of Brig. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan's division are among hundreds of Russian-trained Syrian fighters who have reportedly signed up to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, including Syrian soldiers, former rebels and experienced fighters who fought for years against the Islamic State group in Syria's desert.

Seven shops were gutted in a fire in the communally sensitive Jalebi Chowk area adjacent to the famous Mahadevgarh temple in Khandwa city of Madhya Pradesh early Monday, police said. No one was injured in the blaze which broke out at 3.20 AM. The flames were put out in an hour, Khandwa City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Lalit Gathre told PTI over the phone.

He said the cause of the fire is being investigated from all angles given that the area is communally sensitive.

The CSP said tyres and burnt electric meters were found outside shops.

When asked if the police suspects any communal angle in the incident, he said every aspect will be examined.

At least 216 people have been arrested in various parts of Odisha for allegedly driving in an inebriated condition, an official said on Monday.
The arrests were made and the driving licences of 138 people suspended during a joint drive by the transport department and the state police, he said.

“Of 2,600 people who underwent breath analyser tests across the state on Saturday night, 251 were found driving after consuming alcohol. Overall 216 were arrested,” the official said.

At least 59 arrests, the highest in the special drive against drink-driving, were made in Cuttack, followed by 17 in Subarnapur district.

The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted by the Allahabad High Court to Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. A special bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli also asked the accused to surrender in a week's time.

The top court on April 4 had reserved its order on a plea of farmers seeking cancellation of bail to Mishra. Earlier, the high court had granted bail to him.

On October 3 last year, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

The Russian forces have eliminated more than 470 Ukrainian drones since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 136 aircraft, 471 unmanned aerial vehicles, 249 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,308 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 254 multiple launch rocket systems, 998 field artillery guns and mortars, and 2,171 special military vehicles," Konashenkov said on Sunday.

A letter petition has been filed before the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana urging him to take suo motu cognizance of the Jahangirpuri violence in Delhi. Advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa asked the Supreme Court to exercise its epistolary jurisdiction and constitute a committee headed by a sitting judge of the top court, to conduct an impartial probe into the violence.

"With this letter I beseech your lordship's attention in exercising epistolary jurisdiction, thereby constituting a committee headed by a sitting judge of this Court, to conduct an impartial probe into Jahangirpuri violence. At least, the scar as the instant one is somewhat remedied," the lawyer stated in the letter.

The rupee declined 24 paise to 76.43 against the US dollar in the opening trade on Monday tracking the strength of the dollar and elevated crude oil prices.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a muted note at 76.41 against the American dollar, then fell and touched an early low of 76.43 in initial deals, registering a fall of 24 paise over its previous close.

On Wednesday, the rupee dipped 4 paise to close at 76.19 against the US dollar.

Various auto-rickshaw, cab and taxi unions in the national capital went on a strike on Monday, demanding a CNG subsidy and a fare revision in the wake of rising fuel prices. Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh General Secretary Rajendra Soni said they will also hold a protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines later in the day to press their demands.

Commuters in the city faced difficulties in getting cabs and autos on Monday morning. Though cars were available on Ola and Uber apps, the fares were inflated.

Auto and cab drivers’ unions have been demanding a hike in fare and slashing of CNG prices to offset the impact of rising fuel prices.

The national capital is likely to witness heatwave conditions during the day, with the maximum temperature settling around 42 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.

The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 22.5 degrees Celsius, one notch higher than the season's normal, the IMD said.

"Heatwave conditions in isolated pockets very likely to prevail over Punjab, Haryana-Delhi, south Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand during 18th-19th," the IMD said in a bulletin.

The relative humidity in the city at 8.30 am was 52 per cent.

Equity benchmark indices, which resumed trading after a long holiday, faced heavy drubbing on Monday, with the Sensex plunging over 1,186 points in early trade.

The key index was dragged down by heavyweights Infosys and HDFC Bank amid weak trend in Asian markets.

India reports 2,183 fresh COVID cases, 1,985 recoveries and 214 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Active cases 11,542

FIR filed at High Grounds Police Station against 36 Congress members incl former CM Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar Randeep Singh Surjewala and others under sections 341,143 IPC & 103 KP Act, for unlawful assembly at Chief Minister's Race Course Road residence on April 13

Use of loudspeakers at religious sites in the state to be allowed only with due permission: Maharashtra Home Department

State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil will hold a meeting with the DGP today to instruct him to direct all police commissioners & officers on this.

To discuss the upcoming monsoon season, Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change is scheduled to hear the views of the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Director General-India Meteorological Department on Monday on "Monsoon prospects-projections for 2022".

The meeting is scheduled to be held between 11 am and 12 noon within Parliament premises.

Six people returning from a wedding ceremony died while four others got grievously injured after their jeep collided head-on with a truck in Gauriganj area of the district, police said Monday.

Superintendent of Police Dinesh Singh said the accident took place near Babuganj Sagra Ashram late Sunday night (around 12.15 am).
He said the Bolero jeep was returning from Nasirabad area of Rae Bareli with people from different villages in Amethi.

A 56-year-old BJP supporter was allegedly shot dead outside his house in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Sunday, police said. Enraged BJP workers attacked the minor son and wife of the accused while they were escaping, leaving them injured.

The incident took place at Kandhapal village when the accused Nrupati Nayak, said to be a supporter of the ruling BJD, fired from a gun killing Dalei Nayak, a BJP supporter.

Dhenkanal SDPO Bikash Behura said "The accused Nrupati Nayak, a contractor, was trying to lift soil from a nearby pond using tractors. The deceased and his family members protested, saying the vehicles were damaging the narrow village road. This angered the accused who fired at the victim using a country-made gun."

Drone patrolling, intensive rooftop surveillance in sensitive areas of the national capital with deployment of additional police forces and meetings with Aman (peace) committee members are among the major measures taken by the Delhi Police on Sunday to maintain law and order in the city. Drone patrolling, foot patrolling was done in areas of Jamia Nagar, Jama Masjid, Sangam Vihar, Chandni Mahal, Jasola, Huaz Qasi among other communally sensitive areas including those of northeast which had witnessed violence in 2020.

This comes a day after a clash broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city''s Jahangirpuri area in which nine policemen and a civilian was injured.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai sounded the poll bugle for the 2023 Assembly elections on Sunday and said that the party will seek a positive mandate from farmers, women and weaker sections for the good governance provided by the state government.

Addressing the convention Bommai called Vijayanagar a holy land and said the BJP has declared a democratic war based on the principles of justice and positive democratic values.

"Let us march ahead under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his welfare programmes. Let us march together, victory will be ours," he said.

Air India has cancelled flight services to Hong Kong due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong authorities and limited demand in the sector, the airline said.

"Due to restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong authorities and limited demand on the sector, our flights to Hong Kong and back of 19th and 23rd April stand cancelled," Air India tweeted on Sunday.

Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong only if they have a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done 48 hours prior to the journey, according to rules issued by the Hong Kong government.

A classified satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office was launched into space from California on Sunday. The NROL-85 satellite lifted off at 6:13 a.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It was the first mission by the NRO to reuse a SpaceX rocket booster, Vandenberg said in a statement.

The Falcon's first stage flew back and landed at the seaside base northwest of Los Angeles. The NRO only described the NROL-85 satellite as a “critical national security payload.”

Turkey has launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, Turkey's defense minister announced early Monday.

Turkish jets and artillery struck targets belonging to Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, before commando troops — supported by helicopters and drones — crossed into the neighbouring region by land or were airlifted by helicopters, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a video posted on the ministry's website.

Akar said the jets “successfully” struck shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and headquarters belonging to the PKK. The group maintains bases in northern Iraq and have used the territory for attacks on Turkey.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops in southern Ukraine have been carrying out torture and kidnappings, and he called on the world Sunday to respond.

“Torture chambers are built there,” Zelenskyy said in an evening address to the nation. “They abduct representatives of local governments and anyone deemed visible to local communities.”

Zelenskyy said humanitarian aid has been stolen, creating famine.

In occupied parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, he said, the Russians are creating separatist states and introducing Russian currency, the ruble.
Intensified Russian shelling of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has killed 18 people and wounded 106 in the last four days alone, Zelenskyy said.

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced the operationalisation of the Vande Bharat Express train between Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district and Delhi.

During his visit to the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, the Minister said that two rake points have been approved at Chhatarpur and Khajuraho.
Along with this, he also informed that rail tickets can now be obtained from 45,000 post offices.

"Soon Rail Over Bridge /Road Under Bridge (ROB/RUB) will be constructed at important places," he said while mentioning the operation of Bharat Gaurav trains like Ramayana Express, the electrification of which is to be completed by August.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning. This is his maiden visit to Delhi after taking oath as the Chief Minister of Manipur for the second term.

After being administered the oath, Singh had said that his government's first task would be to make Manipur a corruption-free state and will work day and night to wash out the corruption from the state.

"Next task would be to wash out all drugs-related matter from the state and thirdly, would try to see that all the insurgents operating in the state are brought to the negotiating table and political dialogues are held with them," he added.

Two people have been killed in a storm while at least 50 were injured in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district on Sunday. The deaths have been reported from Moamari Gram Panchayat, Block No 1, Cooch Behar.

"Two dead and at least 50 injured in a storm in Moamari Gram Panchayat, Block No 1 of Cooch Behar district," Chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality Rabindra Nath Ghosh said.

BJP Yuva Morcha Punjab vice-president Ashok Sareen on Sunday sent a legal notice to AAP leader Raghav Chadha demanding a written apology for his comments on the Bharatiya Janata Party. Rajya Sabha MP and Delhi Jal board Vice Chairman have created a row with his remarks on the BJP during a press conference on April 16.

While addressing a press conference Chada called BJP a 'Goondon-Lafango ki party' besides spelling BJP as 'Bharat ki Jahil Party'.

In the legal notice sent under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sareen has demanded a written apology from Chada within 3 days, failing which a civil and criminal complaint will be filed.

As least 20 people lost their lives in several incidents of severe storms and lightning strikes throughout Assam since late March. As per the data shared by Chief Executive Officer of Assam State Disaster Management Authority GD Tripathi, in the last three days (i.e. from April 14, 2022) 22 districts have reported storm and lightning incidents in 80 Revenue Circles spanning over 1,410 villages impacting 95,239 people.

"Total of 20 deaths have been reported during this season due to storms and lightning, of which 19 deaths were reported in April (till April 17) and one in the last week of March."

Notably, an ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of deceased persons has been initiated and it will be completed soon.

A 45-year-old woman was attacked by a wild bear in the Laxmicherra area under Tripura's South District, leaving her grievously injured.

The victim was learnt to have gone deep into the forest to gather tubers and vegetables but did not return. The local youth later spotted her and shifted her to a local hospital. According to police sources, the woman has been identified as Mousanti Reang.

Following communal clashes during a Ram Navami procession, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to divide society.

He said, "These riots that took place in Khargone are against the culture of our country. Our culture is to unite the society but BJP is trying to divide it. I spoke to Khargone's IG and he assured me he would maintain peace in the district."

China's Shanghai reports first Covid deaths since the start of lockdown