News Digest: Supreme Court refuses to stay Calcutta HC order directing NIA probe into Ram Navami violence

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, May 20, 2023
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Supreme Court refuses to stay Calcutta HC order directing NIA probe into Ram Navami violence A day after failing to sustain its ban on screening of 'The Kerala story', the West Bengal government suffered another setback as the Supreme Court refused to stay an order of the Calcutta HC directing NIA probe into violent attacks on Ram Navami procession in Howrah's Shibpur, Hooghly's Rishra and Uttar Dinajpur's Dalkhola areas on March 30. Produce files on remission of bahubali neta, Supreme Court tells Bihar The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Bihar government to produce before it original records pertaining to the remission of sentence of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, who was serving a life term for the 1994 murder of then Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah. Value of desi defence production up 12%, crosses Rs1 lakh crore mark The value of India's domestic defence production crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark for the first time in 2022-23, which is 12% higher than the preceding financial year, the defence ministry said on Friday. More India News»

		Science
		Bezos firm wins Nasa bid to build astronaut lunar lander A team led by Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin won a coveted Nasa contract to build a spacecraft that will send astronauts to and from the moon's surface, Nasa's chief announced on Friday, capping a high-stakes contest. US scientists, led by Indian, make pathbreaking discovery that could improve lives of brain cancer patients In a pathbreaking finding that could bring in a fundamental change in the treatment of cancerous brain tumours, a team of scientists from the San Francisco Medical Centre, University of California, discovered that the cancerous cells link up with healthy brain cells to become hyperactive and cause speedy cognitive loss and death in patients. In a 1st, science and tech mantri won't hold earth sciences charge More Science News»

		Technology
		Google Pixel Buds Pro may soon get Clear Calling feature Google is preparing a software update for its flagship Pixel Buds Pro earbuds to introduce the Clear Calling feature, which filters out background noise to enhance voices, and may be supported by wider audio improvements such as Super Wide Band speech to improve call quality. Along with hearing-related Digital Wellbeing features, the updates are expected to arrive in the coming months. PlayStation has a new 'bug' and here's what's happening Several PlayStation Plus subscribers have reported a bug that prevents them from playing online games, according to Engadget. Users complained that while playing PS5 or PS4 games, an alert would pop up saying 'The game will expire in 15 minutes', sending the console back to the home screen. Although they were redirected back to the game, the issue persisted every 15 minutes and was disrupting gameplay. ChatGPT may soon get an Android app OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has launched its official iOS app. The company has now announced that it will soon launch its official Android app as well. More Technology News»

		Business
		RBI withdraws Rs 2,000 notes, but they remain legal tender The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced the withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 banknote from circulation with the public being "encouraged" to deposit or exchange the notes at bank branches until September 30, 2023. At the same time, the central bank maintained that these notes will enjoy legal tender status even beyond the September 30 deadline. September 30 deadline to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 notes: RBI The Reserve Bank of India's assertion that Rs 2,000 currency notes will remain legal tender even after September is meant to ensure that there is no panic among the public and leaves the door open for extending the deadline for exchanging or depositing the high-value notes. No TCS on overseas card spends up to Rs 7 lakh: Finance ministry The government announced that credit and debit card spending up to Rs 7 lakh in a financial year will not attract the prescribed tax collected at source (TCS), a move that is expected to provide relief to citizens worried about the new rules that kick in from July. More Business News»

		Sports
		IPL: Rajasthan keep slim play-off hopes alive with key win, Punjab eliminated Rajasthan Royals registered a key four-wicket last-over win over Punjab Kings in their final league game as Sanju Samson and co. kept their slim play-off hopes alive in what has been a roller-coaster business end of the season. With their seventh win, Rajasthan climbed to the fifth spot on the table as their fate is now on the other results if they are to make it to the knockouts. Punjab, on the other hand are now eliminated from the top-four race after Shikhar Dhawan and co. were handed their 8th defeat of the season. 'Dhoni's knee has not been 100%': Hussey on MSD batting down the order Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Mike Hussey has shed light on skipper MS Dhoni's approach of batting down the order, citing his knee injury as the reason. Hussey stated, "It's pretty clear that he likes to come in the last few overs, that's his plan. His knee has not been 100 percent, and he's trying to get through the matches as best as he can throughout the tournament." If Jasprit Bumrah was around, things would have been different for MI: Zaheer Former India pacer Zaheer Khan feels five-time champions Mumbai Indians are sorely missing the services of their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Mumbai Indians are currently fifth on the table with 14 wins in 13 matches and have just one match left to play in the league stage. They will face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. More Sports News»

		Education
		14.99 lakh candidates to appear in Common University Entrance Test 2023 Govt panel recommends more simplified accreditation of higher education institutes 2.6 lakh candidates to write K-CET starting tomorrow More Education News»

		Environment
		'Warm ice age' altered Earth's climate cycles: Study Flirting with climate danger: UN forecasts 2 in 3 chance of briefly hitting key heat limit soon Early heat wave in Pacific Northwest could break records An early May heat wave this weekend could surpass daily records in parts of the Pacific Northwest and worsen wildfires already burning in western Canada, a historically temperate region that has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years. More Environment News»

		World
		MbS brings together an odd pairing at Arab summit: Putin's ally Assad and foe Zelenskyy Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the summit in Jeddah, the Ukrainian leader said some countries, including members of the Arab League, preferred to ‘turn a blind eye’ to Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian land. Police searches Imran Khan's residence in Lahore Tension prevailed in Lahore on Friday as police searched former prime minister Imran Khan’s residence for suspects involved in attacks on military and government installations following his arrest. Iran executes 3 over anti-government protests Iran on Friday executed three men it said were implicated in the deaths of three members of its security forces during last year's anti-government protests, the country's judiciary said. More World News»

		Environment
		'Warm ice age' altered Earth's climate cycles: Study Flirting with climate danger: UN forecasts 2 in 3 chance of briefly hitting key heat limit soon Early heat wave in Pacific Northwest could break records An early May heat wave this weekend could surpass daily records in parts of the Pacific Northwest and worsen wildfires already burning in western Canada, a historically temperate region that has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years. More Environment News»

		Hyderabad
		Man sparks panic at bank with fake bomb vest, held Dramatic scenes unfolded at a bank in Shapur Nagar, Jeedimetla, when a man claiming to be a suicide bomber said he would blow himself up. The accused, who was sporting a 'vest', said there was a bomb attached to it and demanded he be given 2 lakh cash. Cops later discovered the threat was a hoax. Heatwave claims lives of two more kids in Telangana Two children died of heatstroke in separate incidents in districts with temperatures soaring across Telangana. 7-year-old boy mauled to death by strays in Telangana's Kazipet A-seven-year old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs near a park in Kazipet on Friday morning. The deceased was the son of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh. More Hyderabad News»

		Chandigarh
		Dy mayor issues notice to PSPCL for recovery of dues Deputy mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi has issued a legal notice to Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), asking it to deposit funds worth crores it owes to the civic body as it has been collecting 2% municipal cess from consumers for many years but not giving the money to the civic body. Harmless to humans, deadly 'Nepalese knife' for others Not thicker than a ballpoint pen but six to seven inches long, this snakelet with striking black arrow patterns virtually got under the skin of a Panchkula householder in Sector 21. The agitated householder realised it was a "snake baby" and insisted it be "rescued" from his backyard, a task ultimately undertaken by the Tricity's veteran snake-rescue expert, Salim Khan. The tiny fellow turned out to be Russell's kukri (Oligodon russelius), a non-venomous species reckoned as common in North India. Remarkably though, only a few specimens have been rescued from the Tricity. Telcos pay Rs 1.27 crore to MC to lay underground cables After receiving MC nod to lay underground cables, various cellular companies have paid around Rs 1.27 crore to the civic body in the current financial year, which started on April 1. More Chandigarh News»

		Ahmedabad
		Amit Shah to lay foundation stone of NACP campus Beginning his two-day visit to the state from Saturday, Union home minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for the permanent campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) at Okha in Devbhumi Dwarka district on Saturday. SC notice to Centre over Rajnish Rai's appeal The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and the director general of Central Reserve Force on an appeal filed by retired IPS officer Rajnish Rai, a 1992-batch officer who worked with Gujarat cadre. Govt restructures format for recruitment of clerks The Gujarat government on Friday restructured the format for recruitment of Class III employees which include head clerks, senior clerks and junior clerks in government service. More Ahmedabad News»

		Chennai
		Chat bait: Man robbed of gold chain, phone, Rs 5,000 cash A message promising escort services got the manager of a private firm all excited - and robbed of a gold chain, mobile phone, 5,000 and watch near Guduvancherry on Thursday night. One person has been arrested in this connection. Techie dies in road accident near Potheri, three critical An IT employee died and three others suffered injuries on Thurday night after their car rammed a median near Potheri in Chengalpet. Metro to tunnel at Marina by September Metro rail is expected to start tunnelling near Light House Marina Beach sometime in September. Flamingo, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will be assembled in a shaft under construction at the Light House metro station in August, underwent an acceptance test on Thursday at the factory of Herrenknecht, the German manufacturer, in Alinjivakkam. More Chennai News»

		Bangalore
		Tamil Nadu CM Stalin to attend Siddaramaiah's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah telephoned Stalin and invited him for the swearing-in, said a state government release. RRI study detects brightest flare of century-old blazar The brightness of BL Lacertae (BL Lac), a blazar located about 950 million light years from Earth and discovered almost a century ago, has been found to have reached its maxima. Some interesting vignettes from life of Karnataka-CM designate Siddaramaiah More Bangalore News»

		Bangalore
		Tamil Nadu CM Stalin to attend Siddaramaiah's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah telephoned Stalin and invited him for the swearing-in, said a state government release. RRI study detects brightest flare of century-old blazar The brightness of BL Lacertae (BL Lac), a blazar located about 950 million light years from Earth and discovered almost a century ago, has been found to have reached its maxima. Some interesting vignettes from life of Karnataka-CM designate Siddaramaiah More Bangalore News»

		Mumbai
		Gokhale bridge to open next May: MLA; BMC says Dec '23 Besides reviewing the BMC's pre-monsoon preparedness in the western suburbs on Friday, CM Eknath Shinde also inspected the ongoing reconstruction work at Andheri's Gokhale bridge. Samruddhi E-way's 'breathtaking' Sahyadri stretch ready One of the crucial stretches of Samruddhi Mahamarg bridging the Sahyadri valley is expected to be special for more than one reason. Other than boasting the country's widest and Maharashtra's longest road tunnels, it will give motorists "a breathtaking view" of the Sahyadri ranges on viaduct-II, which has been built over a dense forest area overlooking mountains, said officials. Mumbai University: Semester-5 papers 'missing', LLB students may've to reappear Some of Mumbai University's final-year LLB students, who were marked absent in Semester V exams, may now be compelled to re-appear for it as the university says it is unable to trace their answersheets, reports Yogita Rao. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Minister threatened me, says services secretary Senior IAS officer Ashish Madhaorao More, who was served a show-cause notice by the Delhi government last week for allegedly not complying with its orders and "absconding" from work, on Friday accused AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of harassment and issuing threats of ruining his career. Delhi's biggest cyber fraud: Rs 4.5cr stolen from doctor Crooks claiming to be from "Maharashtra narcotics division" duped a Delhi doctor of her savings of Rs 4.47 crore, in what is being seen as the biggest cyber con job on an individual in Delhi till date. Delhi govt gets SC boost on DERC pick The Supreme Court on Friday vindicated the AAP government's stand that on appointment of a retired high court judge as the chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority, the elected government was to consult the chief justice of that HC where the retired judge worked. More Delhi News»

		Delhi
		Minister threatened me, says services secretary Senior IAS officer Ashish Madhaorao More, who was served a show-cause notice by the Delhi government last week for allegedly not complying with its orders and "absconding" from work, on Friday accused AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of harassment and issuing threats of ruining his career. Delhi's biggest cyber fraud: Rs 4.5cr stolen from doctor Crooks claiming to be from "Maharashtra narcotics division" duped a Delhi doctor of her savings of Rs 4.47 crore, in what is being seen as the biggest cyber con job on an individual in Delhi till date. Delhi govt gets SC boost on DERC pick The Supreme Court on Friday vindicated the AAP government's stand that on appointment of a retired high court judge as the chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority, the elected government was to consult the chief justice of that HC where the retired judge worked. More Delhi News»

		Delhi
		Minister threatened me, says services secretary Senior IAS officer Ashish Madhaorao More, who was served a show-cause notice by the Delhi government last week for allegedly not complying with its orders and "absconding" from work, on Friday accused AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of harassment and issuing threats of ruining his career. Delhi's biggest cyber fraud: Rs 4.5cr stolen from doctor Crooks claiming to be from "Maharashtra narcotics division" duped a Delhi doctor of her savings of Rs 4.47 crore, in what is being seen as the biggest cyber con job on an individual in Delhi till date. Delhi govt gets SC boost on DERC pick The Supreme Court on Friday vindicated the AAP government's stand that on appointment of a retired high court judge as the chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority, the elected government was to consult the chief justice of that HC where the retired judge worked. More Delhi News»

		Allahabad
		HC: Appointment of head of prosecution directorate illegal The Allahabad high court on Friday declared the appointment of senior police officer Ashutosh Pandey as the head of directorate of prosecution, UP, as illegal on grounds that it was not in line with the provisions of section 25A (2) of CrPC, reports Rajesh Kumar Pandey. The particular section provides for appointment of a candidate who has practised as an advocate for 10 years and that such appointment be made with the concurrence of the chief justice of HC. Robbers' gang busted, 4 held with cash & weapons Judicial probe panel meets journos who were present at site More Allahabad News»

		Bhopal
		Woman booked for throwing acid on former lover's wife in Madhya Pradesh; accused levels rape allegations Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve employees booked for burning dead elephant, destroying evidence Five employees of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh have been booked by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) team from Delhi and the state wildlife's Special Task Force (STF) for their alleged involvement in the clandestine burning of a dead wild elephant. Chief secy Bains gets six months extension Chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh, Iqbal Singh Bains, got another extension in service for six months. The Union government on Thursday gave a go ahead to the state government's request for extension for Bains in the wake of assembly elections scheduled in the state for November. More Bhopal News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Jumbo rescued from a 10-foot deep well Forest officials in Keonjhar rescued a 20-year-old female elephant from a 10-foot deep abandoned well near Tunutuna village under Champua forest range area in the district around 5: 30 am on Thursday, after an hour-long exercise. 2nd Vande Bharat from Puri to Rourkela Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that the Vande Metro trains will run from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to Puri. He also declared that the second Vande Bharat Express train will run between Puri and Rourkela and, hinted at the introduction of Vande sleeper trains. Naveen Patnaik pins hopes on PM Modi inaugurating Puri airport within 4 years In what could be interpreted as a hint of his expectation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning the Lok Sabha polls next year, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said that he hoped the PM will inaugurate an upcoming airport at Puri within the next four years. More Bhubaneswar News»

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