Highlights of the day: Joe Biden says anti-Semitism has 'no place' on any US campus

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10:40 PM

Biden says violence and hate speech have no role in peaceful protest

President Joe Biden said Thursday that “dissent is essential for democracy,” but “chaos” has no part in a peaceful protest. He spoke as arrests continue on campuses around the U.S. as police dismantle camps of students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza.At UCLA, officers arrested at least 132 people in sometimes violent confrontations. Most protesters left the library at Portland State University, where police on Thursday were preparing to arrest those who remained behind barricades. Other arrests were made at the University of Texas, Yale, Dartmouth, and the New York State universities at Buffalo and Stony Brook. The Associated Press has kept track, with nearly 1,750 people arrested at 32 schools.

9:53 PM

Delhi's maximum temperature settles at 35.5 deg C

Delhi on Thursday recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department.

 

The relative humidity oscillated between 17 and 51 per cent during the day, it said.

 

The weather office has forecast partly cloudy skies for Friday with strong surface winds at speeds of 25 to 35 kmph during the day.

 

On Friday, the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to settle at 38 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively, the weather office said.

 

"After May 2, the temperature will start rising again in the capital as it dropped on Tuesday and Wednesday due to strong surface winds," Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist and head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, told PTI earlier.

9:32 PM

Universal Music Group first-quarter core earnings beat forecast

Universal Music Group on Thursday posted first-quarter adjusted core profit that beat expectations, helped by the success of its star Taylor Swift.

The world's biggest music label posted adjusted core earnings (Ebitda) of 591 million euros ($632.6 million), up 15.9 poer cent year-on-year and comfortably above the 567 million expected by analysts in a Visible Alpha consensus shared by the company.

9:17 PM

Israel says Turkey's Erdogan is breaking agreements by blocking ports for trade

Israel's foreign minister said on Thursday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was breaking agreements by blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports.

"This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements," Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X.

Katz said he instructed the foreign ministry to work to create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.

9:16 PM

Joe Biden says anti-Semitism has 'no place' on any US campus

President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right to protest but insisted that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face unrest over the war in Gaza. “Dissent is essential for democracy," he said at the White House. "But dissent must never lead to disorder.” The Democratic president also said the protests have not caused him to reconsider his approach to the war. Biden has occasionally criticised Israel's conduct but continued to supply it with weapons. Biden said the campus protests haven't prompted him to rethink his Middle East policies, and he opposes sending in National Guard.

8:11 PM

Bajaj Finance says cenbank lifts ban on two lending products

Bajaj Finance said on Thursday the Reserve Bank of India has lifted the restrictions imposed it in November on the sanction and disbursal of loans via two of the non-bank lender's products.

5:00 PM

No political clearance was either sought from or issued: MEA on Prajwal Revanna leaving for Germany

"No political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany. Obviously, no visa note was issued either. No visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. The Ministry has also not issued any visa note for any other country for the said MP...Yes, he travelled on a diplomatic passport," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said today on JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna leaving the country for Germany.

4:41 PM

Mumbai Police constable dies after gang of thieves injects him with poison

A Mumbai Police constable died on Wednesday after battling for life for three days, after he was allegedly injected with a poisonous substance by a gang of robbers and drug addicts on railway tracks near Matunga on April 28. He was posted with the Worli Local Arms division-3 and was a resident of Thane.

4:12 PM

Vodafone Idea in talks with lenders, seeking $1.8 billion of loans in next two years

Vodafone Idea is holding discussions with lenders for loans totaling $1.8 billion in the next two years, Bloomberg reported today.

4:03 PM

News alert: Cops begin removing blockades at pro-Palestinian demonstrators' camp at University of California

Police personnel have started removing barricades at a pro-Palestinian demonstrators' encampment at University of California, Los Angeles.

3:59 PM

Delhi-NCR schools bomb hoax: Sender aimed to create mass panic, says FIR

The intention of the bomb hoax emails received by over 100 Delhi schools was to "create mass panic and disturb public order," the Delhi Police says in an FIR registered by its Special Cell. At least 125 bomb threat calls were received from different schools from 5.47 am to 2.13 pm on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported.

3:51 PM

Bomb hoax case: Delhi police approaches Moscow to provide suspect’s details

 A day after over 250 schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) received bomb threat emails that turned out to be a hoax, the Delhi Police has approached the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Moscow, Russia to assist them with details of the person who created the email account with the country domain (.ru) to send the threats.

3:24 PM

South Korea raises diplomatic alert levels citing North Korea threat

South Korea today raised the terrorism alert level for five diplomatic offices in the region citing intelligence that North Korea may attempt to harm its officials. The five locations include Seoul's embassies in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, as well as consulates in Vladivostok, Russia, and Shenyang, China, the ministry said in a statement.

3:01 PM

Death toll from south China road collapse rises to 48

The death toll from a highway collapse in southern China's Guangdong province has increased to 48, local officials said today. Constant rains caused a stretch of road running from Meizhou city towards Dabu county to cave in at around 2:10 am on Wednesday , according to state news agency Xinhua.

2:57 PM

'Go hang yourself' not necessarily abetment of suicide: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has refused to categorise the statement 'go hang yourself' as abetment of suicide. Justice M Nagaprasanna addressed the complexity of determining abetment of suicide in cases involving contentious statements. The petitioner was accused of abetting a priest's suicide by allegedly asking him to "go hang himself" during a conversation about the priest's alleged relationship with the petitioner's wife. 

2:50 PM

Money laundering case: Court allows Enforcement Directorate to quiz ex-DMK member Jaffer Sadiq in Tihar

A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to quiz former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq and four others in Tihar central jail in connection with a drug-related money laundering case. Special Judge Sudhir Kumar Sirohi allowed the ED to question Sadiq, Mukesh P U, Mujeepur Rahaman R, Ashok Kumar and S G Sadanandan (Sathanantham) from May 8 to 10.

2:37 PM

Supreme Court directs implementation of minimum 1/3rd women's reservation in posts of SC Bar Association

The Supreme Court today ordered the implementation of a minimum 1/3rd women's reservation in the posts of the Supreme Court Bar Association, including the coming elections (2024-2025). The court further directed that in the ensuing elections for 2024-25, the post of Treasurer of SCBA shall be reserved for a woman candidate.

2:10 PM

Telangana CM had no role in creating or spreading Amit Shah fake video: Revanth Reddy’s lawyer to Delhi Police

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s lawyer told the Cyber Crime unit of the Delhi Police probing the Amit Shah deepfake video case that the chief minister had no role in creating or spreading the said video.

 

1:43 PM

CBI not controlled by Union of India, Centre tells Supreme Court on West Bengal govt's lawsuit

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is not under the "control" of the Union, the Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court while raising preliminary objections on a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal government on the agency going ahead with its probe in several cases without the prerequisite nod from the state.

The West Bengal government has filed an original suit in the top court against the Centre under Article 131 of the Constitution, alleging that the CBI has been filing FIRs and proceeding with its investigation, despite the state having withdrawn the general consent to the agency to investigate cases within its jurisdiction.

1:17 PM

Flights cancelled in UAE after Abu Dhabi, Dubai hit by heavy rain, thunder

Abu Dhabi and Dubai were hit by heavy rain, thunder and lightning in the early hours of today morning. Emirates Airline stated  today that six flights - between Dubai and Istanbul, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Cairo, Amann and Singapore - had been cancelled due to the bad weather. "We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience. Affected customers will be reaccommodated," Emirates said on its website. More rain is expected throughout the day.

 

1:07 PM

CAG considering tax concessions as 'presumptive loss' not fair: Former RBI Governor Subbarao

Former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao stated that if tax concessions announced by the government are treated as 'presumptive loss' by federal auditor Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), it would diminish democracy and not enhance it. "If a democratically elected government decides to forego revenue in order to serve the larger public good of deepening telecom penetration, is it open to the CAG to substitute his own judgement for the government's and call it a 'presumptive loss'?" he asked.

 

1:00 PM

Low attendance in Delhi schools day after bomb scare; principals revisit evacuation plans for future

A day after around 200 schools received hoax bomb emails, educational institutions in the city witnessed a slightly lower attendance, even as principals revisited evacuation plans for such emergencies in the future. Around 200 schools in Delhi-NCR Wednesday morning received a hoax bomb threat via email which led to widespread panic among parents and students, prompting authorities to suspend classes and ask parents to pick their wards from the school.

12:57 PM

Noida resident held for sharing deepfake video of UP CM Yogi Adityanath

A man was arrested here by the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly posting an AI-generated "deepfake" video of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, officials said today. The video was used to spread misleading facts, strengthening anti-national elements, Additional Director General of Police (UP STF) Amitabh Yash said.

12:49 PM

Former DCW chief Swati Maliwal slams Delhi LG's order to terminate services of 223 employees

Former DCW chief and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal slammed the order. In a Hindi post on X, she said, "LG Saheb has issued a 'Tughlaqi' order to remove all the contract staff of DCW. Today, there are a total of 90 staffers in the Women's Commission, out of which only 8 people have been given by the government, the rest are on a contract for 3 months each."

12:17 PM

Karnataka obscene videos case: SIT issues lookout circular against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the obscene videos case against  JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna has issued a lookout circular against him. This development comes after both Prajwal Revanna and his father, who were summoned by the SIT, failed to appear following a notice of appearance served earlier.

11:57 AM

Boiler explosion in Punjab factory, two killed Ludhiana

Two labourers were killed after a boiler exploded at a rubber factory in Ludhiana, police said today. The incident took place in the factory located in an industrial area of Jaspal Bangar village on Wednesday. Their bodies have been sent to the Civil Hospital for postmortem.

11:45 AM

Motorbikes collide head-on killing 2 in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich

Two people were killed and another was injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles on Rupaidiha road here, police said today. The accident took place on Wednesday when Arshad Raza alias Taju (35), a shoe businessman from Nanpara, was returning from Rupaidiha.

11:19 AM

2018 defamation case: Hearing against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi postponed to May 1

The hearing in a 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged objectionable remark targeting Home Minister Amit Shah will now be held on May 14 as no judge was assigned to the MP-MLA court. The hearing was scheduled for Thursday but could not be held as a judge was yet to be assigned to the court, Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla said today.

11:02 AM

News update: AAP leader Manish Sisodia moves Delhi High Court seeking bail in excise policy case

AAP leader Manish Sisodia moves Delhi HC seeking bail in corruption, money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED in the excise policy case.

11:00 AM

China, Japan and India's economic woes due to 'xenophobia': US President Biden

President Joe Biden today said stated that "xenophobia" from China to Japan and India is hobbling their growth, as he argued that migration has been good for the US economy. "One of the reasons why our economy's growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants," Biden said at a Washington fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign and marking the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.