Latest news LIVE: UK's Prince Philip will not have a state funeral

Unnao rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar's wife Sangeeta will contest from Fatehpur Chaurasi Tritaya seat on a BJP ticket in the UP panchayat polls. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

India and China are likely to hold the next round of corps commander level talks today that is expected to focus on disengagement of troops in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will chair the 24th meeting of the High-level Group of Ministers (GoM) to discuss the current national and international scenario of coronavirus pandemic and strategies that are to be adopted for availability and distribution of vaccines in the coming days. The meeting will take place at 10:30 am at Nirman Bhawan. The matters to be discussed are important in view of the recent developments in the country.

 Ahead of the fourth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Amit Shah will today take on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a constituency she represented earlier.

Meanwhile, BJP national chief Jagat Prakash Nadda will hold three roadshows in the state today. The first roadshow will take place from Baghupati VIP to Satgachi Jessore Road from 11:30 AM. The second roadshow will take place from Chakdaha Chowrasta to Chakdaha Rathtala, the statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at 1 PM. The third roadshow will take place from Vijay Ram to Baje Pratappur at 3 PM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with his counterpart from the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, today with a focus on finding new ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

PM Modi will also release the Hindi translation of the book 'Odisha Itihaas', written by Utkal Keshari Harekrushna Mahtab, today at the Ambedkar International Center.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

3:59 AM

Chief medical examiner takes the stand in George Floyd case

The chief county medical examiner who ruled George Floyd's death a homicide took the stand Friday at former Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial, saying he did not watch the harrowing video of the arrest before examining Floyd so that he would not be biased by what he saw.
 

“I was aware that at least one video had gone viral on the Internet, but I intentionally chose not to look at that until I had examined Mr. Floyd,” said Dr. Andrew Baker.
 

"I did not want to bias my exam by going in with any preconceived notions that might lead me down one pathway or another.” Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, concluded last year that Floyd died from cardiopulmonary arrest — that is, his heart stopped — complicated by the way police restrained him and compressed his neck as the 46-year-old Black man lay on the pavement last May.
 

Another medical expert Friday blamed Floyd's death on the way police held him down, as Chauvin's attorney pressed the witness with hypothetical questions and other means to suggest that Floyd's drug use or heart disease killed him.
 

The testimony of Dr. Lindsey Thomas, a forensic pathologist who retired in 2017 from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, bolstered the findings of other prosecution experts who have taken the stand at Chauvin's murder trial.

3:57 AM

Pentagon defends its Navy ship asserting navigational rights inside India's EEZ without permission

The Pentagon has said that its Navy ship conducting navigational rights within India's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without the permission of New Delhi was consistent with international law.
 

India has lodged a strong protest against such a move by the US regarding the passage of US Navy ship John Paul Jones through its EEZ.
 

"I can tell you is that the USS John Paul Jones, a Navy destroyer, asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the Republic of the Maldives by conducting innocent passage through its territorial sea in normal operations within its exclusive economic zone without requesting prior permission," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
 

"That's consistent with international law. Again, we continue to maintain the right, indeed the responsibility, to fly, sail, and operate in accordance with international law," he said in response to a question from reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
 

3:56 AM

Pentagon to better screen recruits for extremist behaviour

The Pentagon is developing ways to better screen military recruits for extremist behaviour, while improving training for troops leaving the service so they can be more prepared if violent hate groups lure them to join.
 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a memo Friday that ordered some new, immediate steps the department will take, as well as longer-term efforts aimed at rooting out extremism in the ranks and clarifying how personnel can better identify and report problem behaviour.
 

The military has long been aware of small numbers of white supremacists and other extremists in its ranks. But Pentagon leaders launched an all-out effort to address the problem after it became clear that a significant number of military veterans and some current military members were present at the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
 

Austin in early February gave all military units 60 days to conduct a "stand down" day to discuss extremism, and on Friday morning he met with all his service leaders to hear the results and talk about what next steps the department will take.
 

12:23 AM

EC flags instances of star campaigners, leaders not wearing masks while campaigning

Amid rising coronavirus cases, the Election Commission on Friday flagged instances of star campaigners and political leaders not wearing masks while campaigning, and asked them to follow in all seriousness the guidelines on Covid-appropriate behaviour issued by it last year.
 

In a letter to leaders of all recognised political parties, the poll panel said, "It is widely known that in the recent weeks, Covid cases are being reported in larger numbers. However, instances of election meetings/campaigns have come to the notice of the commission, where norms of social distancing, wearing of masks have been flouted in disregard to the commission's guidelines." The letter pointed out instances of star campaigners and political leaders or candidates not observing Covid-19 protocols, "including non-wearing of masks themselves at stage or while campaigning".
 

"By doing so, the political parties and candidates are exposing themselves as well as the public attending such election meetings to the grave danger of the infection," the letter said.

12:21 AM

Airlines pull some Boeing 737 MAX jets after production snag

Airlines pulled dozens of 737 MAX jets from service on Friday after Boeing Co warned them of a possible electrical insulation fault in the recent production of some planes.
 

The glitch is the latest problem to beset Boeing's most-sold model but is not related to computer design problems that contributed to a 20-month safety ban in the wake of two crashes.
 

Regulators said the new problem involved the electrical grounding - or connections designed to maintain safety in the event of a surge of voltage - inside a backup power control system.
 

Boeing told airlines a fix could take hours or a few days per airplane, according to a notification seen by Reuters.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said regulators wanted to ensure "full confidence" in the planes forced to halt flights on Friday, before they could fly again.
 

Shares in Boeing fell around 1.4% as most analysts told investors the issue was unlikely to cause lengthy disruption.
 

9:06 PM

Assam to order probe into 'spotting of polling officers with ballot papers'

The Cachar district administration in Assam on Friday said it will conduct an enquiry into media reports that "a few election officers" were spotted with ballot papers here.
 

A preliminary investigation revealed that no official engaged in the polling process was involved in the reported incident, district Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli told PTI.
 

According to the media reports, the "polling officers were seen with ballot papers on Thursday night".
 

"Election officers do not discharge their duties at night. Since a section of media reported that a few polling officers were spotted with ballot papers last night, we will order an enquiry into it," she said.
 

Silchar constituency went to the poll in the second phase of the assembly elections on April 1.
 

Referring to a separate incident in connection with dispatching of postal ballot twice to a voter, the district administration said the media reports, in this case, were confusing.
 

After a proper investigation into the incident, it was found that the postal ballot was sent to a wrong person because of mistaken identity, according to a statement issued by the district administration.
 

A teacher of a government school, Sumitra Das, who is a resident of Vivekananda Road area in the town, applied for a postal ballot and the postman delivered it to another Sumitra Das, who also resides in the same locality and is engaged in private tuition, it quoted the DC as saying.
 

8:54 PM

UK's Prince Philip: 3 royal visits to India and a tiger controversy

Britain's Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 99 on Friday morning, made three memorable royal visits to India in his long years of accompanying the 94-year-old monarch during her nearly 69-year reign.

 

The UK's longest-serving royal consort joined the Queen in India in 1961, 1983 and 1997 during which he made quite an impression with his sense of humour, which often also got him into some controversy.

 

During his 1961 visit to India, he was pictured with the Queen and the Maharaja and Maharani of Jaipur with a dead eight-foot tiger he had shot while on a hunt. It happened to be the same year he became president of the World Wildlife Fund UK.

 

He also shot a crocodile and mountain sheep on that trip but it was the photograph of the tiger that caused ripples around the world. Read here

8:39 PM

Britain asks public not to gather at royal residences following Prince Philip death

Britain's government asked the public not to gather outside or lay flowers at royal residences following the death of Prince Philip.
 

"Although this is an extraordinarily difficult time for many, we are asking the public not to gather at Royal Residences, and continue to follow public health advice particularly on avoiding meeting in large groups and on minimising travel," a Cabinet Office spokesman said.
 

"We are supporting the Royal Household in asking that floral tributes should not be laid at Royal Residences at this time." (Reuters)

8:21 PM

'Public streets should not be blocked', says SC

Public streets should not be blocked, observed the Supreme Court on Friday while hearing a plea of a Noida-based woman alleging difficulties in commuting to Delhi for work due to road blockades by protesting farmers.
 

A bench comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta took note of the reply of Delhi Police Commissioner on the plea and said for proper adjudication, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also needed to be made parties.
 

Without referring to the ongoing farmers' protest against the three agri laws, the bench said, "We are not concerned with how you resolve this issue, whether politically, administratively or judicially. But, we have said this before that roads should not be blocked. This is a single mother who has to face many issues because of blocked roads". (PTI)

8:01 PM

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired a seminar on 'Policing roadmap for the next decade

7:59 PM

Macrotech Developers IPO receives 1.36 times subscription on last day

The initial public offer of realty major Macrotech Developers was subscribed 1.36 times on the last day of subscription on Friday.

 

The Rs 2,500-crore issue received bids for 4,94,64,480 shares against 3,64,18,219 shares on offer, as per NSE data.

 

The portion meant for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 3.05 times, non-institutional investors 1.44 times and retail individual investors (RIIs) 40 per cent. (PTI)

7:43 PM

CBI records statement of a bar owner who is close to Sachin Waze

7:31 PM

Latest News: Fresh restrictions may impact festive season auto sales, says Icra

The fresh restrictions imposed in Maharashtra to contain the second wave of Covid-19 are likely to impact the festive season auto sales, as Navaratri and Gudi Padwa are falling in April, according to rating agency Icra.

 

These two festivals account for a sizeable chunk of the annual vehicle sales across the country, especially in Maharashtra, it said.

 

Gudi Padwa, which is a major festival of Maharashtra, will be celebrated on April 13, while Navrarati will also begin on the same day. (PTI)

7:23 PM

Bomb scare-murder case: Court sends Waze to judicial custody

A special NIA court here on Friday sent suspended police officer Sachin Waze to judicial custody till April 23 in the case of recovery of an explosives-laden SUV from near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

 

Waze, arrested on March 13, was produced before the special court after the end of his NIA remand and the judge chided him for leaking documents to the media.

 

On April 7, Waze had released a letter in which he had claimed that former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 2 crore from him to continue his service in the Mumbai police and alleged another minister Anil Parab asked him to collect money from contractors. (PTI)

6:25 PM

Mamata in fear of losing election, says Nadda

BJP national president J P Nadda on Friday claimed that the people of West Bengal have decided to end the rule of the Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scared of losing the assembly election.

 

There is no rule of law in the state under the TMC government, Nadda alleged after a colourful roadshow at Baguiati in North 24 Parganas district.

 

"Bengal has decided to put an end to the TMC's rule and bring the BJP to power. In the last 10 years of the Mamata Banerjee government, women were attacked and youths were suffering from frustration," he said. (PTI)