News Highlights: Ready to touch PM's feet for welfare of Bengal, says Mamata

Responding to the transfer of her Chief Secretary to Delhi, which is believed to have been a result of 'skipping' the Cyclone Yaas review meet, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that she was ready to touch PM Modi's feet for the welfare of the people of Bengal. On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had slammed Mamata, saying that she had put arrogance over public welfare.

UP cancels Class 10 board exams, abridged version proposed for class 12 in July

The UP Secondary Education Council on Saturday cancelled board examinations for class 10 students and proposed to take a 90-minute test of each subject for class 12 students in the second week of July, if feasible.

The detailed examinations scheduled for class 12 board examinations will be announced soon, UP's Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said.

The Council’s decision to cancel class 10 examinations would benefit over 29.94 lakh students, allowing their promotion to the next class, he said in an official statement. (PTI)

I was invited to review meeting as leader of opposition in Bengal assembly and MLA of cyclone-hit Nandigram: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

For a non-MLA (Mamata Banerjee) to keep complaining about an MLA (Suvendu) and duly recognized LoP by Assembly Speaker is not constitutional reality (ANI)

Earlier in the day, CM Mamata Banerjee had questioned why BJP leaders and the governor were called for a cyclone review meeting with PM Modi.

NIA files chargesheet against an ISIS operative from Tamil Nadu’s Madurai in special court: National Investigation Agency (ANI)

Oxygen concentrators case: Delhi court grants bail to Navneet Kalra

A Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to businessman NavneetKalrain a case pertaining to the seizure of oxygen concentrators from his upscale restaurants, including Khan Chacha, here.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Arun Kumar Garg has directed the accused not to contact the customers to whom he had sold the concentrators, not to tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses, and join the investigation as and when called by the police. (PTI)

If prime minister asks me to touch his feet for welfare of Bengal people, I am ready to do that; but I should not be insulted: CM Mamata Banerjee (PTI)

Goa extends Covid curfew in the state till June 7.

Karnataka to continue stringent Covid-19 measures throughout June?

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated Saturday that stringent measures to contain Covid-19 will be in place for the whole of June, with rural areas remaining a concern due to high cases.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announces Rs 5 lakh assistance to children who lost both the parents due to Covid-19

IPL moved to UAE for remainder of 2021 season, says Rajeev Shukla

Vietnam detects hybrid of B.1.617.2 and UK Covid-19 variant

Vietnam health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday the country has detected a new variant of the coronavirus, a mix of B.1.617.2 and UK Covid-19 variants that spreads quickly by air, online newspaper VnExpress reported.

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National Commission for Protection of Child Rights asks all states and union territories to upload data of children who lost either one or both parents to Covid-19 on its portal.

Fuel prices hiked again, Petrol breaches Rs 100-mark in Mumbai

Fuel prices were hiked again on Saturday taking petrol price in the financial capital of Mumbai beyond Rs 100 (per litre) while diesel rates stood at Rs 92.17, according to Indian Oil Corporation.

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India's daily Covid-19 cases under 1.75L after 45 days; 3,617 deaths reported in 24 hours

India on Saturday continued to report a dip in daily Covid-19 infections with 1.73 lakh new cases in the last 24 hours. With 3,617 new fatalities, the death toll due to the virus reached 3,22,512.

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Search for origin of Covid-19 'poisoned by politics', says WHO expert Mike Ryan

The World Health Organization's (WHO) top emergency expert said on Friday the search for the origin of the coronavirus was being "poisoned by politics", days after US President Joe Biden ordered aides to find answers.

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S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in Washington D.C. on Friday.

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Indian govt invites application for citizenship from non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan

The Centre on Friday invited non-Muslims like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists belonging to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and residing in 13 districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

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Global supply of Covax hit due to coronavirus crisis in India, USAID tells lawmakers

Due to the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis in India, the global supply of COVAX has been badly hit, so much so that there are many parts of the world where one shot has been dispensed to health workers or frontline workers and the second shot has not been forthcoming, a top Biden administration official told lawmakers on Thursday.

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Brazil on drought alert as country faces worst dry spell in 91 years

Brazilian government agencies warned of droughts across the country this week as the nation faces its worst dry spell in 91 years, hurting hydroelectric power generation and agriculture while raising the risk of fires in the Amazon rainforest.

Late on Thursday, an agency linked to Brazil's Mines and Energy Ministry recommended that the country's water regulator ANA recognize a state of "water scarcity," after a prolonged drought hit Central and Southern parts of Brazil along the Paraná river basin. (Reuters)