Latest LIVE: Delhi HC directs Vivo to furnish Rs 950-cr bank guarantee

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12:45 PM

SC to consider hearing plea against tenure extension of ED director

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider listing of a plea challenging the Centre's decision to grant one year extension to Sanjay Kumar Mishra as director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

 

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submission of a lawyer that he has filed the plea against the extension of tenure of the ED director by the Centre through an ordinance.

 

12:41 PM

Delhi HC directs Vivo to furnish bank guarantee worth Rs 950 crore

The Delhi HC directed the Chinese company, Vivo to furnish a bank guarantee worth Rs 950 cr. Vivo is meanwhile permitted to operate its bank accounts to the extent that a balance of Rs 250 crore is maintained in its accounts at all times.

12:21 PM

SC hearing plea on house demolition in UP

Supreme Court begins hearing a plea filed by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh authorities to ensure that no further demolitions of properties are carried out in the State without following due process.

 

12:08 PM

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees

Sri Lanka on Wednesday declared a state of emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military jet in the face of a public revolt against his government for mishandling the country's economy.

 

The Prime Minister's office informed the media organisations that the state of emergency in the country and a curfew in the Western province had been imposed.

 

Meanwhile, protesters marched to the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office, urging him to resign after the news came in that President Rajapaksa had left for the Maldives.

12:07 PM

SC to hear next week pleas against Karnataka HC order refusing to lift ban on hijab

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear next week a batch of pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict refusing to lift the ban on hijab in educational institutions of the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the matters were filed long back but were yet to be listed for hearing.

The girls are losing out on studies, Bhushan said.

11:53 AM

Inflation in India to be about 5% by March 23

The State Bank of India (SBI) expects the inflation in India to be about five per cent by March 23.

In a research report, the SBI also said the 7.01 per cent consumer price index (CPI) inflation announced by the Indian government on Tuesday for June 2022 confirms the fact that the peak point has passed.

According to the SBI report, CPI inflation attributable to supply side factors started moving up after September'21 while demand led CPI remained more or less constant.

11:53 AM

Pak facing serious problems as forex reserves deplete; Chinese loans taken at high rates

Pakistan could face a serious problem as its foreign exchange reserves are depleting fast amid rising external debt servicing, state media reported.

The country's external debt servicing rose to $10.886 billion in the first three quarters of 2021-22 compared to $13.38 billion in the entire FY-21, Dawn reported.

It was just $1.653 billion in 1QFY22 against $3.51billion in the first quarter of 2020-21. However, the debt servicing jumped to $4.357 billion in 2QFY22 and further to $4.875 billion in 3QFY22.

The country has been facing a serious threat from its external front as the State Bank of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves fell to single digits despite a $2.3 billion inflow from China late June, Dawn reported.

The increasing size of the external debt servicing in each quarter indicates the government has been borrowing dollars at higher commercial rates to meet its foreign debt repayment obligations.

11:51 AM

Protests near Maldives Prez's house urging to send Gotabaya Rajapaksa back to Sri Lanka

Maldivians and Sri Lankan expatriates are protesting near Maldives President Ibrahim Solih's house urging the authorities to send ousted Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out from their country's soil, the Head of the Maldivian TV channel told Daily Mirror.

President Rajapaksa fled the country for the Maldives early on Wednesday morning, along with his wife and two security officers amid mass scale protests against him in Sri Lanka, Daily Mirror reported.

The Sri Lankan President arrived at the Velena International airport in the Maldives at 3.07 a.m. on Wednesday and the Maldives capital was under heavy security at that time, sources confirmed to Daily Mirror.

11:27 AM

ICMR releases guidelines for 54 common illnesses across 11 specialities for use by physicians

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released a set of new standard treatment guidelines for 54 common conditions across 11 specialities for use by physicians at all levels of public health care.

 

The volume III of the 'Standard Treatment Workflows' seeks to address problems associated with irrational use of medicines, over and under diagnosis and poor referral practices, among others.

 

Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, released the book ICMR Standard Treatment Workflows Volume III pertaining to 54 conditions under 11 specialities and also a mobile app on Tuesday, an ICMR statement said on Wednesday.

11:18 AM

SC on hijab row

SC agrees to hear next week pleas challenging Karnataka HC verdict refusing to lift ban on hijab in educational institutions

 

11:16 AM

IMD forecasts intense showers in many parts of Maha over next 3 to 4 hrs

The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday morning issued a nowcast warning for Maharashtra's Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts, predicting moderate to intense rainfall at isolated places in next 3 to 4 hours.

 

A nowcast is a prediction made by analysis of data currently available.

 

The IMD has also issued a similar warning for Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Dhule, Nandurbar, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Beed and Nashik districts.

 

"Moderate to intense rain spells also very likely to occur at isolated places in Thane, Palghar, Mumbai and Raigad during the next 3 to 4 hours," IMD's weather forecasting division head Anupam Kashyapi said.

10:07 AM

India logs 16,906 new coronavirus cases, 45 deaths in 24 hours

India logged 16,906 new coronavirus infections pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 43,669,850, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 525,519 with 45 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active Covid cases have increased to 132,457. The active cases comprise 0.30 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.49 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,414 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

10:06 AM

Surging gas prices likely drove US inflation to 40-year high

US inflation likely reached a new 40-year high in June, driven up by a spike in gas costs, more expensive food and rent, and pricier cars and hotel rooms.

A government report Wednesday is expected to show that consumer prices soared 8.8% in June compared with a year earlier, according to data provide FactSet. That would be an increase from 8.6% in May and the biggest yearly rise since December 1981.

Inflation at that level would make it highly likely the Federal Reserve will implement another large interest rate increase at its next meeting in two weeks. Higher rates are intended to cool consumer and business spending and slow the economy and inflation.

9:54 AM

Thane records 169 new COVID-19 cases; active tally over 1,900

Maharashtra's Thane district has reported 169 new COVID-19 cases, raising its infection count to 7,31,747, a health official said on Wednesday.

With the addition of the new cases on Tuesday, the district currently has 1,920 active COVID-19 cases, he said.

9:53 AM

Day to express gratitude to all teachers: PM Modi greets people on Guru Purnima

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted people on 'Guru Purnima' and described it as a day to express gratitude to all exemplary teachers who have inspired and mentored humankind.

Greetings on Guru Purnima. This is a day of expressing gratitude to all exemplary Gurus who have inspired us, mentored us and taught us so much about life. Our society attaches immense importance to learning and wisdom. May the blessings of our Gurus take India to newer heights," he tweeted.

Modi also extended his wishes on the occasion of 'Ashadha Purnima', a sacred day especially for Buddhists.