NSE co-location scam: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a coordinated search operation at over 10 locations in multiple cities on Saturday in connection with the NSE co-location scam case, officials said. The search operation will cover brokers at more than 12 premises in Mumbai, Gandhinagar, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Kolkata, among other cities, they added. The officials said that the central agency has filed a chargesheet against former National Stock Exchange (NSE) CEO and MD Chitra Ramkrishna and group operating officer Anand Subramanian. The probe has so far established that from 2010 to 2015 when Ramkrishna was managing the affairs of the NSE, OPG Securities, one of the accused in the FIR, had connected to the secondary POP server on 670 trading days in the “Futures and Options” segment.
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Fire breaks out at a factory in Delhi
Officials said that a fire broke out at a factory in north Delhi’s Bawana area on Saturday morning. The information about the fire was received at 11.05 am. The fire officials said that seven to eight fire tenders are working at the spot to douse the blaze. In another incident, a fire broke out at East Delhi’s Pandav Nagar shop. The fire department received information about it at 11.05 am, they said.
Taliban ditches former ally TTP over the quest for global recognition.
In a quest to gain global recognition, the Taliban has brokered the deal between Islamabad and the Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan rebels detained and handed over to Pakistan by the organization. This move comes after the Taliban, to prove its usefulness to the world community, has been going to every length and breadth to keep the interests of Kabul and to end violent skirmishes that the TTP’s presence on its soil has been causing.
Russia attacks Ukraine’s eastern cities.
Russian forces continued attacking the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk to try to cut the area off from the rest of Ukraine, the region’s governor said.
U.S., others walk out of APEC talks over Russia’s Ukraine invasion: officials
Thousands of Covid-negative Beijing residents sent to quarantine.
Thousands of Covid-negative Beijing residents were forcibly relocated to quarantine hotels overnight due to a handful of infections as the capital begins to take more extreme control measures resembling virus-hit Shanghai. Beijing has been battling its worst outbreak since the pandemic started. The Omicron variant has infected over 1,300 since late April, leading city restaurants, schools, and tourist attractions to be closed indefinitely. China’s strategy to achieve zero Covid cases includes strict border closures, lengthy quarantines, mass testing, and rapid, targeted lockdowns.
NSE co-location scam: CBI raids brokers and traders. Searches are underway at 10 locations. Searches are underway in Mumbai, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, and Kolkatta.
Senior Akali leader Tota Singh passes away.
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab minister Tota Singh, 81, passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Saturday after a prolonged illness. Singh had served as the agriculture and education minister in the Akali government. He was the senior vice president and a member of the core committee of the SAD. He was also a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Singh was elected as a legislator for the first time from the Moga Assembly seat in 1997. He was inducted as education minister in the Parkash Singh Badal-led government then.
IndiGrid Mar qtr net jumps 45 pc to Rs 99.80 cr
Infrastructure investment trust IndiGrid has posted over a 45 percent rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 99.80 crore in the March quarter, mainly on higher revenues. A regulatory filing showed that the consolidated net profit of India Grid Trust (IndiGrid) was Rs 68.69 crore in the quarter that ended March 31, 2021. Total income in the quarter under review rose to Rs 568.50 crore from Rs 514.09 crore a year ago. The consolidated net profit in fiscal 2021-22 also rose to Rs 343.27 crore from Rs 334.40 crore in 2020-21.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy proposes a formal deal on compensation from Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a formal deal with the country’s allies to secure Russian compensation for the damage its forces have caused during the war. Zelenskyy, who says Russia is trying to destroy as much of Ukraine’s infrastructure as it can, said such a deal would show nations planning aggressive acts that would have to pay for their actions.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said crypto-currencies are “based on nothing” and should be regulated to prevent people from speculating on them with their life savings.
Dominica withdraws illegal entry case against Mehul Choksi.
Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi on Saturday got relief from the Commonwealth of Dominica, where he was charged with illegal entry by the police. The prosecution of Dominica decided to withdraw/discontinue the legal proceedings in the unlawful entry case against him. “Choksi is pleased that the Dominican Government has dropped all charges against him for unlawful entry in May 2021. By doing so, they now recognize that there was never any case against him. Choksi was forcibly removed from Antigua against his will by agents of the Indian State, viciously assaulted, and taken to Dominica by boat, where he was again unlawfully handed over to authorities for an offense he never committed. Choksi’s legal team continues to pursue all avenues for justice to redress the human rights violations committed against him.
Indian men’s compound archery team wins successive World Cup gold medals.
The Indian men’s compound archery team on Saturday came from behind to prevail over France by two points in an intense finish to win the gold medal in successive World Cup stages. In a repeat of Stage 1 final, the fourth-seeded men’s team, comprising Abhishek Verma, Aman Saini, and Rajat Chauhan, found itself trailing against its sixth-seed rivals in the first two ends.
North Korea reports more fevers as Kim claims virus progress.
North Korea said on Saturday it found nearly 220,000 more people with feverish symptoms even as leader Kim Jong Un claimed progress in slowing a largely undiagnosed spread of COVID-19 across an unvaccinated population of 26 million. The outbreak has caused concern about serious tragedies in the poor, isolated country with one of the world’s worst healthcare systems and a high tolerance for civilian suffering. Experts say North Korea is almost certainly downplaying the true scale of the viral spread, including a strangely small death toll, to soften the political blow on Kim as he navigates the toughest moment in his decade of rule.
Assam: Flood throws life out of gear in the beautiful city of Haflong
Haflong– the beautiful city in Assam’s Dima Hasao district– has been devastated as a result of the ongoing flood in the state. The unmanageable water has brought a pause to the traffic and has made it nearly impossible for people to live in their houses. With the bar being completely ruined, it was also reported that the walls of the houses in this district have ruptured.
Russia stops Finland gas flow over payments dispute.
Russia’s Gazprom on Saturday halted gas exports to neighboring Finland, the Finnish gas system operator said, the latest escalation of an energy payments dispute with Western nations. “Gas imports through the Imatra entry point have been stopped,” Gasgrid Finland said in a statement. Imatra is the entry point for Russian gas into Finland. On Friday, Finnish state-owned gas wholesaler Gasum said Gazprom had warned that flows would be halted from 0400 GMT on Saturday morning.
Amit Shah embarks on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah embarked on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh to attend various programs and inaugurate many development projects. “Leaving for Arunachal Pradesh on a two-day visit. Looking forward to attending various programs in this beautiful part of India,” Shah tweeted after leaving Delhi. During the two-day visit to the northeastern state, the Home Minister will attend public events, inaugurate various development projects and interact with the personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)– the Central Armed Police Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs deployed in the region to guard Border and maintain the internal security of the country.
J&K tunnel collapse: Operation to rescue missing laborers resumes
The operation to rescue nine laborers feared trapped under the debris following the collapse of an under-construction tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway resumed early on Saturday after a fresh landslide forced the authorities to suspend the process last evening, officials said. Their chances of survival are, however, bleak, they said. A laborer was killed and three others rescued when the audit tunnel of T3 on the highway near Khooni Nallah In Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district caved in at the start of the work around 10.15 pm on Thursday.
Thunderstorms with light-intensity rain to occur over certain parts of Delhi NCR
Thunderstorms/duststorms with light intensity rain and gusty winds with speeds of 30-40 kmph would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of the south, and southeast Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh during the next 2 hours, said the India Meteorological Department reports.
Thane district’s COVID-19 count rises by 27
With the addition of 27 positive coronavirus cases, the infection count in the Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 7,09,494, an official said on Saturday. These cases were reported on Friday. As nobody succumbed to the infection during the day, the death toll in the district remained unchanged at 11,895, he said, adding that the mortality rate is 1.67 percent.
Ukraine gets 600-million-euro financial aid from E.U.
Ukraine has received the second tranche of 600 million euros (634 million U.S. dollars) of the European Union’s (E.U.’s) emergency macro-financial assistance program, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry said on Friday. “The funds will be used to maintain financial stability in Ukraine during the war,” the ministry said in a statement. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal welcomed the aid and thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the assistance.
Truss says NATO is considering supplying Moldova with weapons.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says the United Kingdom and other NATO members are discussing the possibility of sending modern weaponry to Moldova. “I would want to see Moldova equipped to Nato standard. This is a discussion we’re having with our allies,” Truss said in a Friday interview with The Telegraph. According to Truss, NATO members are discussing the possibility of ensuring that not only Ukraine but also Moldova has modern defenses.
India Covid update
India reports 2,323 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours
The Central government has announced a fresh composition of the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council comprising 13 members, including its Chairman, Union Home Minister Amit Shah: MHA notification
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with India’s contingent at the Deaflympics at 9:30 am today
Axis Mutual Fund sacks second fund manager
Axis Mutual Fund has fired Deepak Agrawal, the second fund manager facing a probe for front-loading and insider trading. Last Wednesday, India’s seventh-biggest asset manager, by way of pooled cash under management, sacked its chief dealer Viresh Joshi for the same charges.
First formula flights from Europe to arrive this weekend
The first flights of infant formula from Europe, authorized by President Joe Biden to relieve a deepening U.S. shortage, will come in Indiana aboard military aircraft this weekend, the White House announced.
Rajiv Gandhi’s 31st death anniversary
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi pay homage at Vir Bhumi in Delhi.
Russia claims to have taken full control of Mariupol
Russia claimed to have captured Mariupol in what would be its biggest victory in its war with Ukraine after a nearly three-month siege that reduced much of the strategic port city to a smoking ruin, with over 20,000 civilians feared dead.
China Covid cases update
Mainland China reported 1,211 new coronavirus cases on May 20, of which 201 were symptomatic, and 1,010 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said.
Delhi’s peak power demand hits season’s high at over 7000 MW
CNG price increased by Rs 2 per kg in Delhi, nearby areas
Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has hiked the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Delhi by Rs 2 per kg to Rs 75.61 per Kg. For Noida, Greater Noida & Ghaziabad, the CNG price has been hiked to Rs 78.17 per Kg, while Gurugram will cost Rs 83.94 per Kg.
Chinese bridges on Pangong Lake illegal: India
India has asserted that Chinese bridges on Pangong Lake are illegal and stated that it has neither accepted illegal occupation on its territory nor such construction activities on its part by China.
PMLA case: E.D. attaches assets
E.D. provisionally attached immovable assets in the form of land ad-measuring 3.39 lakh sq m worth approx Rs 185 crores & movable assets worth Rs 7.51cr in the form of bank balances, belonging to DDPL Global Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Unicorn Infraproject,s and Estates Pvt Ltd: EDThe assets also belonged to Brightview Projects and Estates Pvt Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, in the case of PACL India Ltd & others. Probe underway: E.D.
Assam Floods
As per the reports of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, nearly 7.12 lakh people in 29 districts are reeling under the fury of floods. Over 3.36 lakh people were affected in Nagaon, 1.66 lahks in Cachar, 1.11 lakh in Hojai, & 52,709 in Darrang.
Raman Singh calls Rahul Gandhi ‘non-playing’ captain.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP vice President Dr. Raman Singh has taken a dig at recently-concluded Congress ‘Chintan Shivir’ and targeted Rahul Gandhi by calling him a ‘non-playing’ captain. He said Rahul Gandhi neither wants to become a captain nor enter the field.
World Economic Forum in Davos
Piyush Goyal to lead team India at World Economic Forum in Davos
Trump pays $110,000 fine for blocking New York state tax probe
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has paid a $110,000 fine for obstructing a major tax evasion investigation led since 2019 by New York state authorities.
