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

    • Apr- 2023 -
      28 April
      365

      China gives ‘outrageous’ RSVP to King’s Coronation invite

      China’s President Xi Jinping has snubbed an invitation to attend the Coronation of King Charles III. Instead, the man who spearheaded China’s clampdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong is expected to attend in his place. The move to send China’s vice-president, Han Zheng, to the historic event has been slammed as “outrageous” and “disrespectful” by critics appalled at his handling of demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019. Thousands of campaigners were arrested, many were injured and some were shot and killed. Mr Han took a zero-tolerance approach to the protests at the time, labelling them as “extreme and destructive acts”. The late Queen, Elizabeth II, reportedly realised how catastrophic Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview was – and immediately summoned him after she read the…

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    • 27 April
      236

      News|Infrastructure

      World’s highest railway bridge to open in Kashmir soon The bridge over the Chenab River, taller than the Eiffel Tower, will provide all-weather connectivity with the valley. A file photo of the world’s highest railway bridge under construction on Chenab River in Indian-administered Kashmir [File: Jaipal Singh] In the middle of the mighty Himalayas in Indian-administered Kashmir lies the world’s highest railway bridge. The bridge over the Chenab River – 1,315-metre-long (4,314 feet) and 359-metre-high (1,177 feet) from the bed of the river – will link the remote region with India’s vast railway network by providing all-weather connectivity. At the peak of the winter, a large part of the disputed region is cut off from the rest of India. The…

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    • 27 April
      363

      US House of Representatives passes debt bill, faces Biden veto

      The Biden administration has called on House Speaker McCarthy to instead raise the debt ceiling ‘without conditions’. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has issued a statement on Wednesday pushing the Senate and President Joe Biden to pass a controversial bill to raise the debt ceiling [Tom Brenner] The Republican-led House of Representatives has passed a bill that would boost the United States’s $31.4 trillion federal debt ceiling in exchange for slashing government spending, including programmes championed by Democratic President Joe Biden. Passed by a party-line vote of 217 to 215, with four Republicans breaking ranks, the bill now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it stands little chance of passing. Biden has already threatened to veto the bill, which includes spending…

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    • 27 April
      374

      US sanctions Sri Lankan governor over civil war killings

      US to deny visas on human rights grounds to the North Western Province governor and ex-navy chief Wasantha Karannagoda and his wife. Karannagoda is accused of abducting teenage children of wealthy families and killing them after extorting money. The United States says it will refuse visas on human rights grounds to a Sri Lankan provincial governor who has been charged with killings during the island nation’s long civil war. A Sri Lankan investigation accused Wasantha Karannagoda, a former navy chief, among others, of abducting teenage children of wealthy families and killing them after extorting money. Authorities in 2021 dropped the charges, prompting an outcry from human rights groups, and he was soon named governor of North Western Province by then President…

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    • 27 April
      389

      Sudan army chief backs ceasefire extension as skirmishes continue

      Hundreds have been killed with Khartoum residents struggling to find food, water and other basic supplies. Thousands of Sudanese have fled the violence in their country [Mahamet Ramdane] Sudan’s army has expressed willingness to extend a shaky ceasefire for a further 72 hours amid continuing battles with the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the outskirts of the capital Khartoum. The army said late on Wednesday that its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had given initial approval to a plan to extend the truce – due to expire late on Thursday – for another 72 hours and send an army envoy to Juba, the South Sudan capital, for talks. There was no immediate response from the RSF to the…

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    • 27 April
      339

      Uighur refugee dies after nine years in detention in Thailand

      Mattohti Mattursun was one of 350 Uighur refugees, including children, who were detained in March 2014. The Uighurs were detained nine years ago near the border with Malaysia [File: Athit Perawongmetha] An ethnic Uighur man who was detained by Thailand in 2014 after fleeing China has died in immigration detention, the second Uighur refugee to die in Thai custody this year. Mattohti Mattursun died of suspected liver failure in the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok on April 21, according to an April 24 statement from the World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP). He was 40 years old. Mattohti, who was also known as Muhammad Tursun, was one of 350 Uighurs, including children, who were…

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    • 27 April
      344

      Ukraine gains an edge in Kherson as counteroffensive nears

      Reports suggest Ukrainian forces may have started securing a foothold among weak Russian defences in southern Ukraine. View of damage following a deadly Russian artillery attack on a market, according to officials in Kherson, Ukraine [Kherson Regional State Administration/Handout] Ukrainian forces have advanced on a poorly-defended part of the riverine coast of Kherson, the southern region bisected by the Dnipro River, according to several reports during the 61st week of the war. Ukraine took back a large swathe of the region, including the capital city also called Kherson, from invading Russian forces last year but the Russians entrenched themselves on the river’s left bank. Geolocated footage published by a Russian military reporter on April 22 showed that Ukrainian forces had…

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    • 27 April
      366

      Innovation is India’s key power: PM

      NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India has the power to innovate even in the toughest of circumstances as it faces forces that threaten to break it and put hurdles in the way of its target for 2047. Virtually addressing the closing ceremony of “Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam”, the Prime Minister said that India is a country that celebrates its diversities that do not divide us but strengthen our bonds and relationships. “Today we have the target of India in 2047 (to make India a developed nation). We also have the challenges of the era of slavery and the period of seven decades after that. We have to take the country forward, but on the way, there will…

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    • 27 April
      400

      BRS to contest Maharashtra zilla parishad polls

      KCR said BRS committees will be formed in every village of Maharashtra from May 7 to June 7 and a huge Kisan rally will be organized there with 10 to 12 lakh people. Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-headed BRS will constitute party committees and contest in zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra whenever they are held. Rao made the announcement while speaking at a party function on Wednesday, wherein some leaders from the neighbouring state joined BRS, according to a press release. He further said BRS committees will be formed in every village of Maharashtra from May 7 to June 7 and a huge Kisan rally will be organized there with 10 to 12 lakh people. The BRS party…

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    • 27 April
      359

      Beware of Rahul Gandhi’s promises, Madhya Pradesh CM cautions voters in K’taka

      Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chouhan during the election campaign in Karnataka. Belagavi: While BJP candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi was busy campaigning in neighbouring constituencies, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chouhan was in Gokak assembly segment to campaign for him and urged the voters not to fall for “false promises” made by the Congress. In place of Ramesh, his brother Balachandra Jarkiholi — a BJP candidate from Arabhavi assembly seat – was present during the campaign along with senior local saffron party leaders on Wednesday. Ramesh, a six time MLA, is an influential political leader not only in his home turf but also the entire Belagavi district. He was among the 17 MLAs who defected from Congress to the BJP in 2019…

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