Latest news LIVE: TRS renamed as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), says KCR

From coronavirus cases in India to all the latest developments from across the globe, catch all the updates here

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that Kyiv will not conduct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi earlier held a phone call with Zelenskyy and said that the endangerment of nuclear facilities amid the Russia-Ukraine war could lead to catastrophic consequences for the environment.

India records 2,468 cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, taking the nation's tally from the coronavirus pandemic to 44,601,934. With 17 new deaths, including nine reconciled by Kerala, India's Covid-19 toll now stands at 528,733. A total of 3,731 people recovered from the Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of cured cases to 44,039,883.

Advancing its 5G launch, Reliance Jio will start a beta trial of the service in four cities on Wednesday, offering select customers unlimited data with up to 1 Gbps speed. Jio was scheduled to go live with 5G on Diwali. Rival Bharti Airtel announced its 5G launch on October 1, taking others by surprise. The Jio trial will be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Varanasi for Jio users on the invitation and extended to other cities progressively.

Billionaire Elon Musk is proposing to go ahead with his original offer of $44 billion to take Twitter Inc private, signaling an end to a bitter legal battle that was about to go to trial. The agreement puts the world's richest person in charge of one of the most influential media platforms and ends months of turbulent litigation that damaged Twitter's brand and fed Musk's reputation for erratic behavior. Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc, will take over a company he originally committed to buying in April, but soon soured on.

3:01 PM

No talks with Pak; Modi govt won't tolerate terrorism, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out holding any dialogue with Pakistan and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and make it the most peaceful place in the country.

Addressing a rally here, Shah asked whether terrorism has ever benefited anyone as the menace has claimed 42,000 lives since the 1990s in J and K.

He also blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the alleged underdevelopment of Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state most of the time since the country's independence in 1947.

2:55 PM

Thirteen Indians trapped in Myanmar's Myawaddy area rescued

Thirteen Indians, who were among a group that was trapped in Myanmar's Myawaddy area after falling prey to an international job racket, have been rescued.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Indians reached Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

Last month, 32 Indians were rescued from Myawaddy following joint efforts by Indian missions in Myanmar and Thailand.

"We have been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar.Thanks to the efforts of @IndiainMyanmar & @IndiainThailand, around 32 Indians had already been rescued," Bagchi tweeted.

"Another 13 Indian citizens have now been rescued, & reached Tamil Nadu today," he said.

2:40 PM

Mulayam Singh remains critical, being given life-saving drugs, says hospital

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav continues to be in the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta hospital in Gurugram and his condition remains critical, the hospital said.

 

He is being administered life-saving drugs, it added.

 

"Mulayam Singh ji is still critical and on life saving drugs, he is being treated in the ICU Medanta hospital, Gurugram, by a comprehensive team of specialists," the hospital said in a health bulletin tweeted by the Samajwadi Party's (SP) official handle.

2:21 PM

Development in Himachal possible as people voted BJP to power both in state, Centre: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that previous governments used to lay stones and forget about completing projects after polls but his government lays stones and also inaugurates projects.

Development in Himachal Pradesh, he said, has been possible as people have voted the BJP to power both at the Centre and in the state.

Addressing a public meeting at Luhnu ground after inaugurating AIIMS and Hydro Engineering College here, Modi said Himachal Pradesh plays crucial role in 'rashtra raksha' (saving nation) and now with AIIMS at Bilaspur, it will also play a pivotal role in 'jeevan raksha' (saving lives).

1:51 PM

RBI plans to extensively use AI, ML to improve regulatory supervision

The Reserve Bank is planning to extensively use advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse its huge database and improve regulatory supervision on banks and NBFCs.

 

For this purpose, the central bank is also looking to hire external experts.

 

While the RBI is already using AI and ML in supervisory processes, it now intends to upscale it to ensure that the benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to the Department of Supervision in the central bank.

1:47 PM

AIIMS Bilaspur will increase access to affordable healthcare, also eco-friendly: PM Modi

"In the last eight years, we have worked on ensuring development benefits reach the remotest parts of the country. AIIMS Bilaspur will not only increase access to affordable healthcare in Himachal but is also eco-friendly and will be known as 'Green AIIMS'," says PM Narendra Modi, in Bilaspur

 

1:45 PM

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) renamed as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) renamed as 'Bharat Rashtra Samithi' (BRS). 

The decision to rechristen TRS to BRS has been taken in the General body meeting. A resolution has been passed by TRS General Body.

 

1:32 PM

Two more PFI members' booked under UAPA by Delhi Police

Delhi Police has booked two Popular Front of India (PFI) members under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged suspicious activities, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior police officer said an FIR has been registered against two PFI activists under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), along with section 10/13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Khajuri Khas police station, for allegedly planning and conspiring against the government and the country.

However, no arrests have been made yet in the matter, he said, adding investigation is underway.

1:11 PM

One pilot killed after Army Cheetah helicopter crashes near Tawang

One pilot killed after Army Cheetah helicopter crashes near Tawang area in Arunachal Pradesh, say army officials=

 

12:55 PM

Sugarcane crushing season to start in first week of November: Haryana Minister Banwari Lal

A target of crushing about 500 lakh quintals of sugarcane has been fixed during the current financial year, Haryana's Cooperation Minister Banwari Lal said.

 

The crushing work of sugarcane in all the sugar mills of the state will start in the first week of November, he added.

 

All the preparations for this must be completed by the end of October, the minister directed the officials while presiding over a review meeting of the Cooperative Federation on Tuesday.

 

12:54 PM

Pakistan entangled in Russia-Ukraine war, supplying arms, ammunition to Kyiv

Pakistan is entangled in yet another controversy as Islamabad has been found supplying arms and ammunition to Kyiv in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

As per reports Pakistan is not impartial in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and has been involved in supplying arms and ammunition, made in Pakistan, for the end use of Ukraine. Islamabad is apparently utilising third-country-based defence suppliers and contractors to route these defence sales to Ukraine, reported Europe-based publication Geo-politik.

Credible inputs suggest that Islamabad-based arms supplier M/s DMI Associates has been in contact with Bulgaria-based firm M/s Defence Industry Group to facilitate the supply of manufactured defence stores to the Ukrainian government.

12:38 PM

Russia to resume gas deliveries to Italy, says Gazprom

Russia to resume gas deliveries to Italy, says Gazprom, reports AFP

12:19 PM

Putin signs laws annexing four Ukrainian regions into Russia

President Vladimir Putin signs laws annexing four Ukrainian regions into Russia in defiance of international law, following sham “referendums” as Moscow loses more ground on the battlefield.

12:16 PM

Both GST and Excise duty can be imposed on tobacco: Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court has ruled that the Union government is entitled to levy Central GST (CGST) as well as excise duty on tobacco and tobacco-derived products.

It dismissed a bunch of petitions by tobacco manufacturers who had challenged the same.

"The levy of excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products is a matter of public policy and this court in exercise of writ jurisdiction would not interfere with the same. The CGST itself contemplates levy of excise duty upon tobacco and tobacco products apart from they being taxed under the provisions of CGST," Justice M I Arun said in the recent judgment.

12:14 PM

Navalny allies see weakened Kremlin, say they'll regroup

Navalny allies see weakened Kremlin, say they'll regroup Top allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny announced on Tuesday that they would reestablish a network of groups across Russia, saying the time was right because the government has been weakened by questions about the war in Ukraine.

 

“The sleeping majority woke up, Putin himself woke him up,” said Ivan Zhdanov, former director of Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, in a YouTube video posted by Navalny's closest ally and top strategist, Leonid Volkov.