Live: 4 more Sena MLAs arrive in Guwahati as rebel Shinde builds numbers

From Maharashtra political crisis to coronavirus cases in India to Ukraine-Russia crisis and more, catch all the latest developments from across the globe here

9:09 AM

India logs 13,313 new cases

India logged 13,313 in last 24 hours. 38 new deaths have been reported.

9:04 AM

Former Tesla worker rejects $15 million award in racism case

A Black former Tesla worker who said he was harassed and faced with daily racist epithets, including the N-word, while working at the company's Fremont, California, plant has rejected a substantially reduced award of $15 million in his lawsuit.

Owen Diaz, who worked at the Tesla plant in 2015 and 2016 as a contracted elevator operator before quitting, was originally awarded $6.9 million in damages for emotional distress and $130 million in punitive damages in the case.

A judge slashed that by nearly 90% to $15 million, which Diaz turned down, according to a court filing. Diaz's rejection of the award could mean a new trial in the case.

8:50 AM

Voting underway in by-poll in Jharkhand's Mandar Assembly constituency

Polling is underway for the bye-election in Mandar assembly constituency in Ranchi district amid tight security.

Voting would be held in 433 polling booths from 7 am to 4 pm.

The Congress has fielded Shilpi Neha Tirkey, daughter of Bandhu Tirkey, while the BJP has pitted former MLA Gangotri Kujur against her. BJP rebel candidate Deo Kumar Dhan is contesting the election as an independent candidate supported by All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

8:49 AM

Biden appoints Indian-American scientist to cabinet

US President Joe Biden has appointed Indian-American scientist, Arati Prabhakar to his cabinet as the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), according to the White House.

Her nomination, which would make her the current second Indian-American cabinet member alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, was sent to the Senate for confirmation on Wednesday, the White House said.

She will also become the President's chief advisor for science and technology and a co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

The White House credited Prabhakar with a role long before the pandemic in paving the way for Covid vaccines that use mRNA technology.

8:35 AM

Punjab: Voting begins for Sangrur bypoll

Voting began Thursday morning for the bypoll to the Punjab's Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, where the ruling AAP is facing its first test of popularity after its impressive performance in the assembly elections.

Amid tight security, the polling began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm, officials said, adding the counting of votes will be taken up on June 26.

There are 15,69,240 eligible voters -- 8,30,056 men, 7,39,140 women and 44 from transgender community -- in the Sangrur parliamentary constituency.

8:31 AM

Respite to OPS: No other unannounced resolutions can be taken up at meet:HC

The Madras High Court on Thursday ruled no unannounced resolutions could be taken up at the meeting of the AIADMK General and Executive councils here, restraining the camp led by Joint Co-ordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) from initiating any such move over the possible single leadership issue.

The meeting of the main opposition party's General Council, its highest decision-making body, and the Executive is slated at a marriage hall in Vanagaram near here.

In a late night hearing that stretched till early Thursday, a special division bench of Justices M Duraiswamy and Sundar Mohan granted the relief to party co-ordinator O Panneerselvam at a special sitting at the senior judge's residence at Anna Nagar in the city, on an appeal against a single judge order.

8:17 AM

China suppressing protests against its 'Zero-COVID' policy in the most brazen manner

A growing discontent is seen among people in China against the government's "Zero-Covid" strategy and its suppression of people's demonstrations and protests against the policy in the "most brazen and heartless manner".

However, according to Singapore Post, China seems to be unaffected by this discontent and the subsequent protests. Even at the slightest inkling of the spread of the virus, China resorts to the strictest measures which are causing increasing frustration among the people.

Around mid-May this year, graduate students at Peking University staged a rare, but peaceful protest over the school's decision to erect a sheet-metal wall to keep them further sequestered on campus, while allowing the faculty to come and go freely.

8:13 AM

G7 nations consistently breaking promises for climate finance: Report

As leaders of the world's seven richest nations will gather in Germany this weekend, a report from humanitarian organisation CARE on Thursday said most of the public climate finance reported by rich countries is taken directly from development aid budgets, despite long-standing commitments to provide new money.

 

At COP15 in 2009, the G7 and other rich countries promised to provide "scaled-up, new and additional finance" to the value of $100 billion a year by 2020 to support the global South with their climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

 

The reported sum of public climate finance provided by these rich countries totals $220 billion over the years 2011-18. Of this, only $99 billion can be considered as "weakly additional to support for development".

8:09 AM

By-elections to four assembly seats in Tripura begins

By-elections to four assembly seats in Tripura began at 7 AM on Thursday amid tight security arrangements, an election official said.

Polling to the Agartala, Town Bardowali, Surma and Jubarajnagar seats is taking place in 221 booths, and it will continue till 5 PM.

A total of 25 companies of central forces, apart from Tripura State Rifles (TSR) have been deployed.

8:08 AM

Lok Sabha bypolls: Voting begins in UP's Azamgarh, Rampur; 19 candidates in fray

Polling began on Thursday morning in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh and Rampur, the Lok Sabha seats considered as the bastions of the Opposition Samajwadi Party in the state.

Over 35 lakh people are eligible to vote in the bypolls and will be deciding the fate of 19 candidates.

The bypolls to the Azamgarh seat were necessitated by the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly as an MLA in the elections earlier this year.

8:08 AM

UN agencies rush to aid Afghanistan following deadly quake

The UN and partners have rushed to support Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that hit two provinces in the east of the country early on Wednesday morning.

An earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, and the death toll has surpassed 1,000, with more than 1,500 people injured, news reports said. The most affected areas are in Spera District in Khost Province, and Barmala, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts in Paktika Province.

The UN was already mounting one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world in Afghanistan, where nearly 20 million people, roughly half the population, are going hungry.

7:32 AM

1 dead, 1 injured in US' San Francisco shooting

One person was killed and another injured following a shooting that occurred inside a Muni train in US' San Francisco, according to the police. The shooting incident took place on Wednesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported. San Francisco police responded to the shooting report at the Muni Forest Hill station and found that the train had left, heading toward the Castro station.

7:31 AM

Voting begins for Rajinder Nagar bypoll in Delhi

Voting began Thursday morning for the bypoll to Rajinder Nagar in Delhi, largely being seen as a battle between a confident AAP and a spirited BJP for the crucial assembly constituency. A total of 1,64,698 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the bye-election, in which 14 candidates are in the fray, with water shortage and the city government's liquor policy among the key election issues. The two major contenders -- the AAP and the BJP have exuded confidence that their candidates will emerge victorious in the bypoll with a huge margin.

7:31 AM

By-elections to four assembly seats in Tripura begins

By-elections to four assembly seats in Tripura began at 7 AM on Thursday amid tight security arrangements, an election official said. Polling to the Agartala, Town Bardowali, Surma and Jubarajnagar seats is taking place in 221 booths, and it will continue till 5 PM. A total of 25 companies of central forces, apart from Tripura State Rifles (TSR) have been deployed. As many as 1,89,032 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 25 candidates in the fray.

7:30 AM

Lok Sabha bypolls: Voting begins in UP's Azamgarh, Rampur; 19 candidates in fray

Polling began on Thursday morning in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh and Rampur, the Lok Sabha seats considered as the bastions of the Opposition Samajwadi Party in the state. Over 3.5 million people are eligible to vote in the bypolls and will be deciding the fate of 19 candidates. The bypolls to the Azamgarh seat were necessitated by the resignation of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly as an MLA in the elections earlier this year. The Rampur seat was vacated by senior SP leader Azam Khan, who too was elected to the state Assembly. The polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said here.