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economy back on track so that it does not come to a standstill, finance and planning adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has said. Former Bangladesh Bank governor Ahmed was entrusted with the charge of the finance and planning ministries by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who announced the portfolios of his 16-member council of advisors on Friday. The interim government was formed after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5 following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. Talking to reporters on Saturday for the first time after assuming office, Ahmed said the government's priority is to restore the trust of common people in the banks while resuming the operations of the central bank.

fresh allegations dragging the role of Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband in the Hindenburg case, the Adani Group on Sunday issued a statement saying they have absolutely no commercial relationship with the individuals and that the claims are no more than red herrings thrown by a desperate entity. “The latest allegations by Hindenburg are malicious, mischievous and manipulative selections of publicly available information to arrive at pre-determined conclusions for personal profiteering with wanton disregard for facts and the law. We completely reject these allegations against the Adani Group which are a recycling of discredited claims that have been thoroughly investigated, proven to be baseless and already dismissed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in January 2024,” the Adani Group said in a statement.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav affirmed on Sunday that the decisions taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will empower women and change the atmosphere of the entire state. «It is a matter of great fortune for us that sisters have come from such faraway places to tie Rakhi during Sawan… The joy of festivals celebrated with collectiveness is different. It is said that there are 12 months and 13 festivals. Raksha Bandhan is like the king of all the festivals and there is no comparison to it. Today, 1 crore 29 lakh women have gotten not just Rs 1250 under the Ladli Behna Yojana but also an addition of Rs 250. I am happy that the decision taken by our government will empower women and change the atmosphere of the entire state,» said the Chief Minister during a programme organised under 'Rakshabandhan and Shravan Utsav'. On the occasion, the CM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development works worth Rs 344 crore.

Protesters carried American and Bangladeshi flags and held posters demanding that Bangladeshi minorities be «saved.» They chanted slogans of «We want justice» and called for peace amid the recent surge in violence. The crowd, which included activists from various human rights organizations, members of the Bangladeshi diaspora and Indian-American Hindu allies, came from Washington, Maryland, Virginia, and New York.

Hindenburg Research alleged that Madhabi Puri Buch, chairperson of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and her husband Dhaval Buch held stakes in an offshore fund with significant investments from Vinod Adani, brother of Gautam Adani. These entities were allegedly involved in a network used by Vinod Adani to siphon money, raising questions about SEBI's impartiality due to potential conflicts of interest. According to the Hindenburg report, on March 22, 2017, days before Madhabi Puri Buch’s appointment as SEBI chairperson, her husband contacted Mauritius fund administrator Trident Trust regarding their investment in the Global Dynamic Opportunities Fund (GDOF). “In the letter, Dhaval Buch requested to 'be the sole person authorised to operate the Accounts', seemingly moving the assets out of his wife's name ahead of the politically sensitive appointment,” alleged the report.

Manish Sisodia on Saturday met senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi at his residence here and thanked him for helping him secure bail from the Supreme Court in the excise policy cases. Sisodia was accompanied by senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Atishi during the meeting with Singhvi, who is also a Congress leader. Earlier in the day, he addressed party workers at the AAP headquarters here and thanked the Supreme Court and his team of lawyers for their hard work in secure his release after he spent 17 months in Tihar jail. For a person lodged in jail, lawyers are like god, said the former deputy chief minister of Delhi government.

Mamata Banerjee on Saturday vowed to seek death penalty for the accused in the brutal sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in a state-run hospital. Her announcement came shortly after the accused, who was reportedly an outsider frequenting the hospital premises, was arrested and later remanded to 14-day police custody. Banerjee also instructed officials to expedite the trial by moving it to a fast track court. She said her government would have no objections to a CBI probe if the students demand it, emphasising, «If they do not trust the West Bengal government, they can approach any investigating agency; we have no objection.»

It's an open secret that vendors are offering one of the world's most sought-after technologies: the microchips that create artificial intelligence, which the United States is battling to keep out of Chinese hands. One vendor said he could order the chips for delivery in two weeks. Another said companies came to the market ordering 200 or 300 chips from him at a time. A third business owner said he recently shipped a big batch of servers with more than 2,000 of the most advanced chips made by Nvidia, the U.S. tech company, from Hong Kong to mainland China. As evidence, he showed photos and a message with his supplier arranging the April delivery for $103 million.

terrorists and security forces in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to three others. The clash erupted during a cordon and search operation in Ahlan Gagarmandu, part of the Kokernag area. Following intelligence reports about the presence of terrorists in the area, security forces launched a coordinated operation. The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF were involved in the mission. During the operation, terrorists opened fire on the search party, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. According to PTI, an official reported, «Two soldiers were killed and three others were injured after an encounter erupted between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.» The wounded soldiers have been evacuated from the site.

Reetika Hooda today lost to top seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy, the Asian Games champion and World Championship silver medallist, in the women's 76kg quarterfinal bout. Reetika lost the match on points. Interestingly, the final score showed 1-1. So why Reetika Hooda lost the match? As per the rules of Olympics for wrestling, if the two wrestlers end with the same score, the one who scores the last point is declared winner.

Congress Committee (BPCC) on Saturday announced a statewide agitation from August 12 in protest against the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to the state. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, «The denial of special category status to Bihar is gross injustice. The party will not tolerate this stepmotherly treatment. The BPCC will launch a statewide agitation from August 12, including dharnas outside block and district magistrate offices on August 13 and 14.» Singh added that the party will outline its further agitation plans after August 14. He highlighted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been advocating for special category status since 2005. «Despite being an alliance partner in the NDA government, Kumar failed to secure this status for the state,» he added.

Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued an ultimatum following the shocking rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The IMA demands immediate action, including an impartial investigation, the arrest and punishment of the culprits, and measures to enhance the safety of doctors, especially women, in the workplace. The association has given authorities a 48-hour deadline to act, threatening nationwide protests if their demands are not met. Preliminary autopsy reports revealed that the woman doctor had been sexually abused before being killed. Her body was discovered inside a seminar hall on the third floor of the campus. The incident has sparked outrage within the medical community, with calls for urgent action to ensure the safety and security of doctors. In a press release, the IMA stated, «We demand that the authorities act with precision and in time of 48 hours failing which IMA will be constrained to initiate nation wide action. A fair, transparent and time sensitive criminal investigation is in order. An ultimatum of two days is given to arrest culprits otherwise IMA will take nation wide protests.»

India-Maldives ties for the benefit of the people in the two countries and the region. Jaishankar is on a three-day official visit to Maldives to reset the bilateral relationship, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president Muizzu assumed office last year. «Privileged to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. Conveyed greetings of PM @NarendraModi. Committed to deepening India-Maldives ties for the benefit of our people and the region,» Jaishankar posted on X along with a photograph of the meeting. Meanwhile, in a post on X, Muizzu said it was a pleasure to meet Jaishankar and join him in the official handover of water and sewerage projects in 28 islands of the Maldives.

Ayyappan, a survivor of the devastating landslides that swept through Mundakkai hamlet in Wayanad, is left with nothing-- no home, no family and no future. But a chance meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a relief camp on Saturday has rekindled a glimmer of hope for the elderly person, who lost nine relatives in the disaster and is now pinning his hopes on securing a new shelter. «Twelve of us from the camp met the PM. There were children too. There was a person who was translating everything. I just asked for a home. He assured all help,» Ayyappan told reporters. Modi, who visited the landslides-hit areas met with select inmates in the relief camps and doctors and enquired about the condition of the patients.

Philippine military chief condemned Saturday what he said was the provocative actions of two Chinese air force aircraft that executed a dangerous manoeuver and dropped flares in the path of a Philippine air force plane on routine patrol in the South China Sea. All those aboard the Philippine air force NC-212i light transport plane were unharmed and returned safely to Clark Air Base north of Manila after Thursday morning's incident over the Scarborough Shoal, Gen Romeo Brawner said, without providing other details. A top Philippine security official told The Associated Press that the Chinese jets flew at a «very close distance» to the Philippine air force turbo-prop plane and «put the lives of our pilots in real risk and danger». Another security officer said at least eight flares came from the Chinese fighter jets. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident.

Indian Ocean Region (IOR), connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, is emerging as a critical axis of global trade, skilled young population and geo-economic prosperity. However, this region has witnessed significant transformations in recent years. For instance, China's expanding influence from Bab-el-Mandeb to Strait of Malacca is posing new and unique challenges each passing day. This continues to pose challenges to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) group, whose sole aim is to create a cooperative bulwark against Chinese expansionism and aggressiveness. China’s economic and military might have increased, so has its interest in securing its maritime trade routes and expanding its influence across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Here, we are reminded of the quote by Admiral Alfred T Mahan, «whoever controls the seas controls the world». Furthermore, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has seen significant investments in port infrastructure and maritime logistics, exemplified by projects like the Djibouti Port in the Horn of Africa, Gwadar Port in Pakistan, and the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka among others.

Nitin Gadkari has issued a stern warning to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may have to cancel or terminate eight major highway projects in Punjab if the law and order situation does not improve. These projects, valued at Rs 14,288 crore, are under threat due to ongoing security concerns and delays. Gadkari's ultimatum comes in response to recent incidents affecting the construction of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. Reports indicate that engineers and workers have been attacked in Jalandhar and there have been threats of arson and violence against the project camp and staff in Ludhiana. Gadkari emphasised that the cancellation of even one segment of these greenfield corridors could render the entire project ineffective. In his letter to CM Mann, Gadkari outlined serious safety concerns for NHAI officers, contractors, and their employees. He also noted issues with pending land acquisition, and included photos documenting the assaults.

Ola Electric Mobility on Friday announced that it will be holding its first board meeting after the listing on the exchanges, scheduled for August 14, 2024. “Pursuant to Regulation 29 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (“Listing Regulations”), we wish to inform you that a meeting of the Board of Directors of Ola Electric Mobility Limited (“the Company”) is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, inter alia, to consider and approve the unaudited standalone and consolidated financial results of the Company for the quarter ended June 30, 2024,” the company said in a filing to the exchanges.

Paris Olympics nears its conclusion, India's presence has dwindled to just two events. On Saturday, wrestler Reetika Hooda will compete in the Freestyle 76kg category while Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar will contest in the final round of women's golf. Meanwhile, Reetika Hooda is India's last chance for a seventh medal in women's 76kg wrestling. With the golf events not yielding favorable results on Friday, the focus shifts to Hooda. Golfers Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar both finished Round 2 with a 1-under par score. However, they will need exceptional performances in the remaining rounds to challenge the top contenders.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Saturday at least 90 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced people in the besieged Palestinian territory. The agency said three Israeli rockets hit the school in Gaza City, describing the incident as a «horrific massacre», with some bodies catching fire. Israel's army said Saturday it had «precisely struck Hamas terrorists operating within a Hamas command and control center embedded in the Al-Taba'een school».

Olympics 2024: Reetika Hooda is India's last hope for another wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. On Saturday, she will face Bernadett Nagy of Hungary in her opening round match at 2:30 p.m. Nagy is a two-time bronze medallist at the European Championships.