News LIVE: Rebel MLAs name group after Balasaheb, say they are in Sena

Live news updates: From the political crisis in Maharashtra to the end of constitutional protection for abortions in US, catch all the latest updates here

2:36 PM

Amid Shiv Sena tussle, prohibitory orders issued in Thane

Thane collector Rajesh Narvekar has issued prohibitory orders in the district against the backdrop of Shiv Sena strongman from the region Eknath Shinde rebelling against his party, an official said on Saturday.

The order, which will be in force till June 30, prohibits processions, display of posters and placards etc, as well as possession and carrying of lethal weapons, the official added.

Similar orders have also been issued by the Thane police commissioner.

2:25 PM

Maharashtra crisis: Shinde calls meeting of rebel MLAs to discuss strategy

Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has called a meeting at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati on Saturday afternoon to discuss further strategy, said sources.

The political crisis in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra erupted after the party legislators joined a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde who is staying at a hotel in Guwahati. The rebel MLAs who are at the same hotel authorised Shinde to decide on a further course of action.

Shinde along with 38 party MLAs and nine independent MLAs are campaigning at Radisson Blu Hotel from June 22.

On the other hand, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also called a meeting of the party's national executive committee on Saturday at 1 pm.

2:24 PM

'Neither supporting BJP nor against oppn, decision keeping BSP in mind': Mayawati backs Murmu

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday backed Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.

 

Addressing a press conference, Mayawati said the BSP has taken this decision neither in support of BJP or NDA nor against opposition but keeping her party and movement in mind.

 

"We have decided to support NDA's Presidential election candidate Droupadi Murmu. We have taken this decision neither in support of BJP or NDA nor against opposition but keeping our party and movement in mind," said the BSP chief.

2:23 PM

Exposure to air pollution increases death risk by 20%: Study

Exposure to above-average levels of outdoor air pollution increased the risk of death by 20 per cent, and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 17 per cent, according to researchers, including one of Indian origin.

 

The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, showed that using wood- or kerosene-burning stoves, not properly ventilated through a chimney, to cook food or heat the home also increased the overall risk of death (by 23 per cent and 9 per cent) and cardiovascular death risk (by 36 per cent and 19 per cent).

 

"Our study highlights the role that key environmental factors of indoor/outdoor air pollution, access to modern health services, and proximity to noisy, polluted roadways play in all causes of death and deaths from cardiovascular disease in particular," said researcher Rajesh Vedanthan from NYU Langone Health.

2:14 PM

Modi pushing RSS agenda, says RJD, but Sangh insists it's above politics

After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, many things have changed in the country and hardcore neo-Hinduism has become a core issue of debate.

 

The opposition leaders believe that the government has been continuously promoting its hidden agenda to implement hardcore Hindutva in the country and the situation has reached such a pass that the existence of a united India is under threat. On the other hand, organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) believe that it is the only way for the country to stay united and the BJP is the political party which is capable of achieving the goals.

2:13 PM

Cong to counter muscular Hindutva with focus on economic issues

The Congress is wary of the BJP's neo-Hindutva in the backdrop of the Gyanvapi row and the recent political turmoil in Maharashtra where the Shiv Sena rebels have taken the cover of Hindutva to break away ahead of the crucial Presidential polls where the BJP has fielded a tribal woman candidate.

The Congress wants to take on 'Hindutva', with a social and economic agenda to counter the BJP.

The party leaders, having long deliberated over the issue, said that ideological differences with the BJP is core to the Congress politics and to fight for the people's cause is the key takeaway from the just concluded Chintan Shivir of the party. The party is now readying for its nationwide satyagraha on June 27 against the Agnipath scheme on military recruitment and wants to assimilate itself with peoples issue.

2:04 PM

Maharashtra crisis: Edgy Sena rebels fear a 'Moosewala type' fate

Exasperated Shiv Sena rebel MLAs have alleged that the security cover of around 16 legislators - currently camping in Guwahati - has been abruptly withdrawn, terming it as an illegal move arising out of vendetta.

 

The affected rebels have also expressed fear that a situation akin to Punjab where the security of several high profile persons was withdrawn by their state government, resulting in their being targeted by the mafia in that state, without naming, referring to the May 29 killing of rap singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu alias 'Moosewala'.

 

The rebels' group has shot off a letter to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders like Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Director-General of Police Rajnish Seth and all police commissioners in the state.

2:03 PM

On IMF demands, Pakistan raises tax rates for salaried class

Owing to the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) withdrawing relief given on June 10, Shehbaz Sharif government on Friday increased the tax rates for the salaried class.

It had withdrawn the tax relief to the salaried class announced on June 10 and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR's) collection target was increased to Rs 7,470 billion, reported Geo News.

On Personal Income Tax (PIT), the government raised a tax amount of Rs 80 billion as first, the government abolished tax relief of Rs 47 billion and then raised a tax amount of Rs 35 billion, so the FBR was going to collect Rs 235 billion from salaried class in the next budget against a collection of Rs 200 billion in the outgoing fiscal year.

2:03 PM

Pakistan risks losing GSP+ status as EU looks to prepare draft report

As the European Union (EU) looks to prepare a draft report on GSP+ status, Pakistan needs to work in several areas to avoid losing the special incentive arrangements of the EU that it has enjoyed for the last seven years.

 

The GSP is a trade and development policy instrument in place since 1971 which is set to expire on Dec 31, 2023. Pakistan, a major recipient of the GSP+ scheme, benefitted from zero duty on several products.

 

The 27-member-bloc sees the coming months as crucial for extending the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status for 2024.

1:58 PM

His decisions always right, want to see him become CM: People from Shinde's village rally behind him

The residents of Dare village in Maharashtra's Satara district, the native place of Eknath Shinde, who is at the centre of the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra, recall the Shiv Sena leader as a "people's man" and some of them feel that the decisions he had taken in the past later turned out to be right.

The people from the village with around 80 households say they are standing strongly behind Shinde and want to see him become the state chief minister soon.

1:50 PM

Assam flood situation grim, Silchar submerged for sixth day

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Saturday with the death count rising to 118 and Silchar town in Cachar district submerged for the sixth straight day, officials said.

Ten more people have died in the past 24 hours -- two each from Barpeta, Dhubri, Karimganj and Udalguri districts and one death each from Cachar and Morigaon -- due to floods and landslides.

The total population affected by the floods declined to 33.03 lakh in 28 districts as against the previous day's figure of 45.34 lakh in 30 districts, a bulletin issued by the Assam State Management Disaster Authority (ASDMA) said.

The situation improved marginally in some districts, as rivers showed a receding trend though the Brahmaputra at Dhubri and Kopili in Nagaon were flowing above the danger mark, the officials said.

1:50 PM

PM Modi to have 15 hectic engagements during Germany, UAE visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold meetings with over 12 world leaders during his visit to Germany and the United Arab Emirates and will have over 15 hectic engagements, official sources said on Saturday.

Modi will also speak at an Indian community event in Munich, which is expected to be the largest such programme post-COVID-19.

He is travelling to Germany to attend the G7 summit, to be held on June 26 and 27, and will travel to the UAE on June 28 to pay his condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the Gulf nation.

1:36 PM

PM Hasina opens Bangladesh's longest bridge

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated the long-awaited Padma bridge, the country's longest and entirely built with domestic funding.

 

The 6.15-km-long road-rail four-lane bridge is built over the Padma river connecting southwestern Bangladesh with the capital and other parts.

 

The multipurpose road-rail bridge, which is fully funded by the Bangladesh government, has been constructed at a cost of USD 3.6 billion.

 

The inauguration of the Padma bridge carries a lot of significance as the structure was built entirely with domestic financing, defying speculations by some financial analysts if Bangladesh could mobilise the fund depending on domestic resources.

1:36 PM

IAEA team finds Indian nuclear regulatory arrangements solid, recommends some improvement

Peer reviewing the nuclear and radiation safety in India, an expert team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed satisfaction at India's atomic energy sector regulator's professionalism, said India's atomic energy sector regulator.

 

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team from IAEA recently concluded its 12 day peer review of the progress made by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in the implementation of the recommendations and suggestions relating to nuclear power plants made by IRRS during its 2015 review mission.

 

The follow-up mission had an extended scope, also reviewing radiation sources. Such sources are used in facilities and in activities in the country in the field of research, industry, medicine and agriculture, said IAEA.

1:17 PM

5.6-magnitude quake jolts Iran

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit Iran on Saturday at 03

As per US Geological Survey (USGS) the quake hit 30 km NE of Kish and the epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 26.7253 degrees north latitude and 54.2613 degrees east longitude, reported Xinhua.

The quake comes after a major magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan's Paktika province in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

To date, around 1000 people are estimated to have been killed across Barmal and Giyan districts in Paktika province, and Spera district in Khost province.