Highlights: BJP fields ex-diplomat Taranjit Sandhu from Amritsar, singer Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot, ex-Cong MP Preneet Kaur from Patiala for LS 2024

From Amit Shah's visit to Assam to US Federal Chair Jerome Powell's statement on interest rates and keeping an eye on inflation, track all the news from around the world here

BJP has named 11 more candidates for the upcoming LS polls. Former Indian ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu is the party's candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat while Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot. Ex-BJD leader B Mahtab is fielded from Cuttack, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana and Preneet Kaur from Patiala, among others. 

Union minister Rajnath Singh will head BJP's manifesto committee for LS polls while Nirmala Sitharaman has been made its convener and Piyush Goyal named as co-convener. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Assam CMs among 27 members of BJP's LS poll manifesto committee.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted its first chargesheet in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), PTI reported.

Over 60 environmental and social groups in the country have demanded a complete ban on all large infrastructure projects, such as those related to the railways, dams, hydro projects and four-lane highways in the Himalayas. The groups have urged to make referendums and public consultations compulsory for all development projects.

The UP Police has strengthened security arrangements outside Mukhtar Ansari's house in Ghazipur and a burial ground in the Uttar Pradesh district ahead of the last rites of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari on Saturday. The last rites of Mukhtar Ansari is scheduled to be held around 10 am, sources in the family said. He died due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday and his body was brought to his home town around midnight on Friday.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Assam on April 6, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. CM Sarma said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Assam on April 6. We have also discussed with New Delhi, the programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will come to know the details of the Prime Minister's Assam visit tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated that the US central bank is in no hurry to cut interest rates as policymakers await more evidence that inflation is in control, Bloomberg reported. “The fact that the US economy is growing at such a solid pace, the fact that the labor market is still very, very strong, gives us the chance to just be a little more confident about inflation coming down before we take the important step of cutting rates,” Powell said on Friday, March 29.

10:48 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Preparations underway for INDIA bloc's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday

10:45 PM

Lot of 'onion peeling' for attaining global first: SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch on T+0 settlement

Attaining the global first involved a lot of problem-solving and personal discomforts, SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on Saturday giving the analogy of "onion peeling" for the achievement.

Speaking at the annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Buch said the current generation of Indians is on its way to seeing the "high noon" of the new India.

"My colleagues often tell me that problem-solving with me is like peeling an onion. It makes everybody cry in the process. But by the time you are done, peeling layer after layer after layer of the onion, you suddenly realise there is no problem left," Buch said while addressing students of IIMA as the chief guest of the 59th annual convocation.

Stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Thursday launched the beta version of T+0, or same-day trade settlement on an optional basis for select stocks, which will offer investors an option to transact in 25 securities in T+0 settlement.

"When India became the first large market in the world to move to T+1 settlement, and just two days ago when we went live with an optional T+0 settlement, the process felt pretty much the same--lots of onion peeling happened to make for a global first," Buch said.

Notably, Buch is the first-ever woman to head the capital markets regulator- the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

 

9:57 PM

IIT student detained in Assam wanted to become engineer, lift family out of poverty: Relative

A relative of the IIT-Guwahati student detained in Assam for allegedly pledging allegiance to the IS said that the 22-year-old wanted to become an engineer to lift his family out of poverty. Touseef Ali Farouqui, a resident of Okhla in the national capital, was allegedly on his way to join the terror group when he was nabbed in the Hajo area near Guwahati on March 23. The accused was arrested the next day under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

9:45 PM

Samajwadi Party leader Zaheer Salmani's wife shot dead in UP's Hapur; probe underway

9:41 PM

Iran-backed Palestinian leader vows victory over Israel in the war in Gaza

The leader of the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad vowed victory over Israel in the war in Gaza as he met Iran's foreign minister for talks in Tehran on Saturday.

“I promise you that we will be the victors in the war,” Ziad al-Nakhalah told reporters, according to the official IRNA news agency.

He called his meeting with Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian “important” and thanked Iran for its support for the Palestinians.

Iran hasn't directly intervened in the Israel-Hamas war, despite long describing Israel as its archenemy. However, experts say Iran provides both financial and political support to Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza and that launched the October 7 attack on Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.

“Active diplomacy by Islamic Republic of Iran has had a great role in defining the stance of Palestinian resistance,” al-Nakhalah was quoted as saying.

8:11 PM

Odisha govt announces change in school timings from April 2 due to ongoing heat wave

7:59 PM

2020 Delhi riots: Court rejects former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain's bail plea

A court here on Saturday rejected the regular bail plea of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

"After going through the record, the court is of the view that the allegations against the accused are prima facie true," Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai said.

He also said that there was a bar on granting bail to the accused according to the provisions of the UAPA.

"Accordingly, the bail application is dismissed, the court said. 

7:43 PM

In India, we don't have diamonds, we don't produce gold, still you have created very large industry: Ambani

7:06 PM

LS polls: Sharad Pawar-led NCP names candidates on 5 seats in Maha; Supriya Sule fielded again from Baramati

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Saturday declared its first list of five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra, retaining Supriya Sule from Baramati, and fielding Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, in Ahmednagar constituency. "Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe have been retained from Baramati and Shirur constituencies, respectively," said state unit NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil while declaring the list. Bhaskar Bhagre has been nominated from Dindori seat in Nashik district and former Congress MLA Amar Kale from Wardha. Bhagre will square off against Union minister and sitting BJP MP Bharati Pawar in Dindori (ST) seat.

6:26 PM

9 surrendered pirates being brought to India for further legal action, says Indian Navy

Nine surrendered pirates being brought to India for further legal action, said Indian Navy day after rescuing Iranian fishing vessel

6:17 PM

23 Pakistani crew members at FV AI-Kambar ship given thorough medical checkup prior to clearance: Indian Navy

After successfully forcing the surrender of nine armed pirates, the Indian Navy’s specialist teams have completed sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of FV Al-Kambar. The crew comprising 23 Pakistani nationals were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities. The nine pirates are being brought to India for further legal action in accordance with the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2022, said Indian Navy. 

6:13 PM

Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ramvilas) releases list of candidates on 5 seats in Bihar for upcoming LS polls

6:10 PM

Police detain man who walked out of nightclub where hostages were being held in Dutch town

Meanwhile, in a latest development, Dutch police have detained a man who walked out of a nightclub where hostages were being held after a tense hours-long standoff. “The last hostage has just been released. One person was arrested, we cannot give more information at the moment,” police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. The man walked out of the club before being ordered by armed police to kneel with his hands on his head. He was then handcuffed before being led into a waiting police car.

5:13 PM

Popular Tamil film actor 'Daniel' Balaji, popular for his villain roles, dies of heart attack in Chennai

Noted Tamil film actor 'Daniel' Balaji, popular for his villain roles and on-screen aggression, died due to heart attack, a hospital source said here on Saturday.

He was 48. The actor, who was living in Thiruvanmiyur, complained of chest pain and was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Kottivakkam here. He, however, succumbed.

"Daniel's sudden passing away is shocking. The agony of death at a young age is distressing," actor-politician Kamal Haasan said and extended his condolences to the bereaved family and friends.

"Shocking to hear that #DanielBalaji is no more! A great actor gone too soon! My heart goes out to his family and friends," actress Keerthy Suresh said in a post on the social media platform 'X'.

4:53 PM

INDIA bloc rally: Delhi Police issues traffic advisory for Sunday ahead of opposition's mega rally

The Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory in view of the opposition INDIA bloc's 'Loktantra Bachao Rally' on Sunday and said that movement of vehicles in the city would be regulated for six hours on that day.Top  INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav will attend the rally at the Ramleela ground on March 31. It is being held in the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.

According to the traffic advisory, traffic movement will be regulated and may be restricted on Ranjeet Singh Flyover from Barakhamba Road to Guru Nanak Chowk, Vivekanand Marg from Minto Road to roundabout Kamla Market, Hamdard Chowk, JLN Marg from Delhi Gate to Guru Nanak Chowk and Ajmeri Gate, round about Kamla Market to Guru Nanak Chowk and Chaman Lal Marg near VIP Gate, Guru Nanak Chowk to Turkman Gate from 9 am to 3 pm. Traffic diversion may be imposed on Rajghat Chowk, Minto Road, DDU Marg, Mirdard Chowk, Paharganj Chowk, A-Point, and Delhi Gate from 9 am onwards, it stated, adding that traffic regulations and diversion will be reviewed according to the requirement and update will be issued accordingly.