National

    Rs 3.8 crore mutual fund investments, Rs 55,000 cash in Rahul Gandhi’s assets

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala’s Wayanad, from where he is a sitting MP. According to the affidavit filed by Rahul Gandhi, he has stock market investments of Rs 4.3 crore, mutual funds deposits of Rs 3.81 crore, and Rs 26.25 lakh in a bank account. The 53-year-old leader also declared Rs 55,000 in cash and a total income of Rs 1,02,78,680 during the financial year 2022-23. Rahul Gandhi also possesses gold bonds worth Rs 15.2 lakh. He has investments in National Savings Schemes, Postal Savings, insurance policies, etc., worth Rs 61.52 lakh. Rahul Gandhi’s jewellery assets are worth Rs 4.2 lakh, as per the affidavit. The total value of his movable assets stands at Rs 9.24 crore, while the total value of his immovable property is around Rs 11.14 crore. His total assets are worth over Rs 20 crore, according to…
    National

    Boxer Vijender Singh joins BJP day after reposting Rahul Gandhi’s tweet jabbing PM

    Boxer and Olympic medallist Vijender Singh joined the BJP on Wednesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, ending his association with Congress, under which he had contested the 2019 polls from the South Delhi constituency. Just a day earlier, Vijender Singh had reposted a tweet of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi jabbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
    HYDERABAD

    GHMC earns Rs 1,917 cr in property tax collection

    Tax rebates have once again proved to be effective as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) raked in an impressive Rs 1,917 crore in property tax for 2023-24. Notably, a major chunk of that collection came from the Early Bird Scheme (EBS) at the start of the financial year and the One-Time Scheme (OTS) at the end. Over Rs 500 crore was collected in March 2024 alone, with the tax paid under the OTS being Rs 319.59 crore up to 10 pm on March 31. The scheme exempted 90 per cent of interest on property tax arrears provided one cleared the principal amount of tax up to 2022-23. The EBS in April 2023 saw a collection of Rs 765 crore, generated from over 7.5 lakh assessments. This campaign gave a five per cent rebate on the property tax. Both these schemes combined fetched more than Rs 1,000 crore, leading to tax collections…
    National

    Apple doesn’t have access to a customer’s passcode, says company policy

    New Delhi: Amid the debate over Apple reportedly denying to unlock the iPhone of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), people close to the development said on Wednesday that no one at the tech giant in India or the global level were contacted directly for unlocking the device. The ED had approached “informally” to Apple to help unlock the device, as per reports. However, Apple has a clear-cut policy that it cannot provide the passcode of an iOS device that is currently locked. “No, Apple does not have access to a customer’s passcode,” according to the company’s ‘Legal Process Guidelines’ for government and law enforcement outside the US. “Questions or inquiries regarding the government legal process can be emailed to lawenforcement@apple.com”. According to sources, there was no written communication from ED to Apple. Apple’s notice policy applies to account requests from law enforcement, government and private…
    National

    ‘Made in India’ tech transformative globally: Bill Gates

    New Delhi: Microsoft Co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Saturday said that technologies like digital public infrastructure (DPI) that are created in India can be transformative for the world. A day after having a candid conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an array of topics ranging from AI to healthcare and climate change, Gates said the technology is bridging the digital divide for millions of people in the country. “During my visit to India, I saw how AI and DPI are improving access to education, healthcare, and lives of small farmers, and how these technologies can be transformative for the world,” Gates posted on X social media platform. DPIs like Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar are poised to propel India towards a $8 trillion economy by 2030, helping the country achieve a $1 trillion digital economy target, a Nasscom-led report said recently. During his interaction with Gates, PM…
    International

    Russia calls for jointly combating terrorism with India, other nations

    New Delhi: Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, said on Saturday that his country is committed to fighting terrorism together with India and other nations, as he highlighted the strong statement of support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The remarks came after a dastardly terror attack near Moscow on March 22 left more than 140 people dead and several injured as terrorists, reportedly dressed in camouflage uniforms, stormed the Crocus City Hall, opening fire and setting off explosives. “Russia is committed to decisively fight the menace of terrorism together with India and other countries bilaterally and multilaterally,” Ambassador Alipov said in a post on X. “Strong statements of support to Russia and rejection of terrorism in all manifestations were made by Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of political parties, ministers, senior officials and public activists,” he added. He also “highly appreciated” the sentiments towards the victims, their kin, and the Russian…
    National

    Sierra Leone national arrested at Mumbai airport with cocaine worth Rs 20 crore

    The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Monday arrested a woman from Sierra Leone, who was in possession of 1,979 grams of cocaine worth Rs 19.79 crore at the Mumbai international airport, an official said. The woman, who had landed in the maximum city from the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi, was taken into custody on Sunday on a tip-off, the official added. “We found the items she was carrying, like shoes, moisturiser bottle, shampoo bottle etc, were heavy and rigid. When we checked them, we found white powder concealed in these items,” the DRI official said. When the powder was tested using a field kit with the apprehending team, it was found to be cocaine, the statement said. “We seized 1,979 grams of cocaine worth Rs 19.79 crore from the illicit market. She was placed under arrest and has been remanded in judicial custody. Further probe into the smuggling network…
    International

    Israel’s war on Gaza live: Tanks ‘crushed bodies’ at al-Shifa Hospital

    Palestinians who fled the ongoing Israeli siege of al-Shifa Hospital say Israeli tanks and armoured bulldozers drove over at least four bodies and ambulances. Israeli forces have also surrounded al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in southern Gaza. Israel informed the UN it would no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north Gaza, where 70 percent of people face an extreme level of food scarcity. Mediation efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza appear to be struggling, with a Hamas official telling Al Jazeera that Israeli negotiators have rejected their latest proposals for a ceasefire. At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139, with dozens taken captive.
    Telangana

    Reach out to farmers hit by hailstorms: Harish Rao

    Hyderabad: BRS leader and MLA T Harish Rao on Tuesday demanded that State government immediately reach out to farmers who suffered extensive crop losses due to untimely rains in several districts in the State. Appealing to the government on ‘X’ to extend help to the affected farmers, he said hailstorms had wreaked havoc on paddy, maize and sorghum crops. Even horticultural crops, including papaya and mango, were also damaged in a big way in the districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet and Rangareddy. He wanted the Congress government to rise to the occasion and stand by the farming community. The government should take up immediate enumeration of the crop losses and ensure payment of compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre. He wondered why the government did not respond to the situation even as the rains continued to damage the crops for the last two to three days. When untimely rains caused crop losses in a big way last year, the…
    International

    Russia-Ukraine war live: Border shelling intensifies after Putin reelected

    Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will not be intimidated as he cements his grip on power in a landslide election victory. Allies such as China were quick to congratulate Putin but Western countries denounced what they called an illegal election. Ukraine says residents are being evacuated from border settlements in the northeastern region of Sumy due to increased Russian shelling. Russia claims downing eight Vampire, two Alder and one Grad multiple-launch rocket system shells over its Belgorod region.

    POLITICS

    • Mar- 2024 -
      13 March
      302

      UK grants asylum to Palestinian citizen of Israel in ‘seismic’ U-turn

      London, United Kingdom – The United Kingdom has granted asylum to a Palestinian citizen of Israel, ruling that he would likely be persecuted if he returned – a decision the refugee’s legal team has described as “seismic”. Hasan’s lawyers told an immigration tribunal that he faced an “enhanced risk of persecution” in Israel, given his Palestinian ethnicity, Muslim faith, anti-Zionist beliefs, and history of pro-Palestinian activism in the UK. Hasan, who has lived in the UK for most of his life – more than 20 years according to his lawyers, first sought asylum in 2019. The decision for his case was initially delayed, likely by the coronavirus pandemic and successive lockdowns, his lawyers said. In 2022, the Home Office rejected Hasan’s…

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    • 12 March
      397

      Israel’s war on Gaza live: 400 aid seekers killed in two weeks

      At least eleven people were killed when Israeli forces again targeted aid seekers in Gaza. The Government Media Office says that more than 400 aid seekers have been killed since the “flour massacre” in late February. The WHO chief says an aid mission managed to reach al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, bringing food and medical supplies, as the Health Ministry says 2,000 medical workers in the north face famine. Israel has carried out strikes in the vicinity of Lebanon’s Baalbek, nearly 100km (62 miles) from the Lebanon-Israel border. Israel imposes restrictions on West Bank worshippers entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, as 35,000 gather for prayers on the first day of Ramadan. At least 31,184 Palestinians have been killed…

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    • 12 March
      310

      Chandrababu Naidu named main accused in Rs 4,400 crore Amaravati land scam

      The Andhra Pradesh Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in a chargesheet named former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and former minister P Narayana, among others, as the main accused in the Rs 4,400 crore Amaravati land scam. The Telugu Desam Party chief, Narayana, A Sudheer Babu and K P V Anjani Kumar are accused of grabbing assigned 1,100 acres of land worth Rs 4,400 crore. “In conspiracy with Naidu, Narayana, other ministers and their benamis, with an intention to grab the assigned lands in the capital city area from the SCs, STs and BCs, put them under the apprehension that the assigned lands will be taken away by the government under land pooling scheme without giving any package and purchased…

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    • 12 March
      376

      ‘Was long overdue’: Hindu American groups applaud CAA rollout

      The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been rolled out with the notification of rules on Monday. The CAA fast-tracks the path to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who faced religious persecution and entered India on or before December 31, 2014. Indian-Americans have praised the Indian government for implementing the CAA. Hindu American groups like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) have welcomed the CAA, calling it “long overdue”. They said India’s CAA mirrors the Lautenberg Amendment for religious refugees in the United States, news agency PTI reported. “India’s Citizenship Amendment Act is long overdue and necessary. It protects some of the most vulnerable refugees in India, granting them the human rights they were denied in their home country,…

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    • 12 March
      309

      6 Pakistani men arrested near Gujarat coast with Rs 450 crore-worth drugs

      Six Pakistani nationals on a boat carrying Rs 450 crore drugs were arrested near Gujarat’s Porbandar, officials said on Tuesday.  Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) caught the Pakistani nationals when they were trying to enter the Indian territory last night. This is the second big drugs consignment seized off Gujarat’s coast in the last 30 days. On February 28, at least 3,300 kg of drugs from a boat manned by suspected Pakistani crew members was seized off the coast of Gujarat. The international market value of these drugs was more than Rs 2,000 crore. It is the biggest seizure of narcotics in the Indian subcontinent. The Indian Coast…

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    • 2 March
      633

      Nizamabad: 1,91,081 children to be administered polio drops

      Nizamabad: As many as 1,91,081 children below the age of five years in the district will be administered a dose of oral polio vaccine on Sunday as part of the nationwide Pulse Polio immunisation drive. The immunisation drive will continue till March 5. According to District Medical Officer Dr. Sudharshan, the health department has set up 1,007 booths, 37 transit booths and 37 mobile booths to administer the vaccine to the children. A total of 2.40 lakh polio doses have been procured to administer oral polio vaccine in the district, he said. Dr. Sudharshan has asked parents to get their children below the age of five polio shots at the nearest booth. In all residential areas, primary health centers, government hospitals,…

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    • 2 March
      625

      India: Sex racket run by self-styled godman busted

      Thane: Seven persons, including a self-styled godman, were arrested for allegedly running a sex racket in the guise of performing rituals for people wanting to get rich, a Thane Crime Branch official said on Saturday. The probe into the racket began after a 15-year-old girl went missing from Rabodi and a kidnapping case was registered, the official said.

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    • 2 March
      654

      ‘India has eliminated extreme poverty,’ claims US think-tank

      New Delhi: India has eliminated extreme poverty and is now eligible to move to a higher poverty line, claimed Brookings, a US-based think-tank, in its report. Citing a comprehensive set of data, it said that the country has registered a decline in headcount poverty ratio (HCR) and a significant jump in household consumption expenditure, which in turn has helped it in getting rid of abject poverty. The report, authored by noted economists Surjit Bhalla and Karan Bhasin, saw the findings as an encouraging development and said, time has come for India to graduate to higher poverty line, much like other developed counterparts. The Brookings report attributes the country’s freedom from extreme poverty to PM Modi government’s policy thrust on redistribution under…

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    • 2 March
      667

      After Macron touted troops to Ukraine, Putin warns West of nuclear war risk

      President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons if Western powers send soldiers to within striking distance of Russia. His comments on Thursday, in a state of the nation address, were the kind of remarks usually uttered by Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who served as Russia’s president from 2008-2012 and prime minister until becoming a top security official in 2020. Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Medvedev has warned of nuclear action and penned countless social media posts showering Western leaders and nations with slurs and threats. “Medvedev used to write posts about the riders of the apocalypse in the style of [US filmmaker Quentin] Tarantino, and Putin brought his threats back to the limits of sanity,” Kyiv-based analyst Aleksey Kushch told…

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    • 2 March
      599

      Telangana households consuming less than 200 units electricity get ‘zero bills’ under Gruha Jyothi scheme

      Hyderabad: With the State government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme of providing up to 200 units of free power being officially launched, the Discoms have started handing out ‘zero electricity bills’ to beneficiaries on Friday. Several consumers across the State received ‘zero’ bills who consumed electricity within their average usage. Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya formally launched the zero billing initiative in Kothaguda and Gangaram mandals in Mahabubabad on Friday. The Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) meter readers were seen issuing zero bills to beneficiaries in Quthbullapur, Yousufguda, Vidya Nagar, Saroornagar and other places in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits on Friday. The beneficiaries residing in districts such as Sangareddy, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar, Mulugu, Bhupalpally and Wanaparthy too…

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