Trade Deficit News Live Updates: Exports up 15.46% to $37.3-bn in May; trade deficit widens to $23.33-bn

Govt keeping close watch on Covid situation: Pawar

If COVID cases continue to rise in Maharashtra, the state govt will take a decision to make masks mandatory. Govt is keeping an eye. Discussions have been held with CM Uddhav Thackeray regarding the COVID cases in the state: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Assam govt suspends Civil Service officer

Assam govt suspends Assam Civil Service officer Barbie Hazarika following reports from Act East Policy Affairs Dept that “Singapore delegation raised complaint regarding her rude&inappropriate behaviour&ASEAN delegation also expressed displeasure over her behaviour:Official order

CAA won’t be implemented in Kerala: CM

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan asserts that his govt would not implement Citizenship (Amendment) Act

Terrorists fired at two non-local labourers in Magraypora, Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district

Puri questions Punjab’s law-and-order situation

People do not feel safe in Punjab as law-and-order situation is deteriorating there: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Carving of Telangana has been done in such a way that it has led to bitterness: Home Minister Amit Shah

Technical snag in 3rd unit of Tuticorin power plant

A technical snag, which developed in the third unit of the thermal power station here, has affected power generation to the tune of 210 MW since early morning today, an official said. Thangaraj, Chief Engineer of the plant, said the technical snag developed in the boiler of the third unit in the wee hours, adding, efforts were on to rectify it and the problem would be set right by tonight.

Calcutta HC allows TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira, who were interrogated by ED in connection with coal smuggling case, to travel to Dubai for medical treatment

Narendra Modi govt has never meted out stepmotherly treatment to any state; BJP has always supported formation of Telangana: Amit Shah

Buses full of Haryana Congress MLAs arrive at Mayfair resort amid heavy police deployment in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Huge explosion, followed by fire, occurs at Deepak Nitrite Company in Nandesari GIDC in Vadodara, Gujrat

Imports up 56.14% at $60.62 billion

Covid spike in Mumbai, in numbers

Exports in May up by 15.46 pc to USD 37.29 billion; trade deficit widens to USD 23.33 billion: Govt data.

Mumbai records 704 fresh Covid19 cases in last 24 hours, highest since February 3

OPEC+ oil producers alliance increases production to 648,00 barrels per day in July, August, reports AP

Headcount of castes in Bihar gets cabinet nod, says Chief Secretary Amir Subhani

Flood situation improves in Assam, 75,000 still hit

The flood situation in Assam improved significantly on Thursday though nearly 75,000 people are still hit by the deluge in four districts, an official bulletin said. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 74,800 persons are hit due to floods in Cachar, Dima Hasao, Morigaon and Nagaon districts.

Arvind Kejriwal to participate in party’s Tiranga Yatra in Mehsana, Gujarat on June 6

BJP threatens to go on agitation in Bengal

BJP threatens to go on agitation if West Bengal govt does not cut taxes on fuel in next 15 days.

French Open 2022

Indo-Dutch pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matwé Middelkoop lose 6-4 3-6 6-7 (8-10) against Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcelo Arévalo in men’s doubles semi-final.

Delhi Covid Update

Delhi reports 373 new COVID19 cases, 448 recoveries and 2 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Sonia Gandhi tests positive for Covid, PM wishes speedy recovery

Congress President Sonia Gandhi tested positive for COVID-19. She will, however, appear before ED on June 8. Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish the Congress President speedy recovery. “Wishing Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji a speedy recovery from COVID-19,” the PM wrote.

MEA on India-China border talks

“We look forward to the next (16th) round of Senior Commanders’ meeting at an early date,” says MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

MEA on oil imports from Russia

“Our approach to oil purchase will be guided by our energy security requirements: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on whether is India looking to increase oil imports from Russia,” says Arindham Bagchi.

Rajya Sabha Polls

Around 40 Rajasthan Cong MLAs, some Independents leave for Udaipur hotel in bus from CM residence

Pfizer seeks U.S. authorization of COVID vaccine for kids

Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech have completed the filing with the U.S. drugs regulator seeking authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine in children under 5 years of age. The filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), completed on Wednesday, included data showing three lower-dose shots of the vaccine generated a strong immune response in children as young as 6 months of age.

Assam cabinet reshuffle on June 9

Assam cabinet reshuffle will take place on June 9th. One MLA from Hills districts will be inducted into the cabinet: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

UltraTech Cement announces Rs 12,886 cr investment to expand capacity

The board of the Aditya Birla Group co at its Thursday meet approved capex of Rs. 12,886 crores towards increasing capacity by 22.6 mtpa with a mix of brown field and green field expansion. This would be achieved by setting-up integrated and grinding units as well as bulk terminals. The additional capacity will be created across the country.

Film ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ declared tax-free in MP

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declares film ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ tax-free in the state.

CBI files chargesheet against Anil Deshmukh

CBI files chargesheet against former Maharashtra home minister and others. Chargesheet filed for cheating, criminal conspiracy under the IPC and misuse of office and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Ukraine resumes inflation targeting with rate hike to 25%

Sidhu Moose Wala murder: Punjab says security to 424 VVIPs will be restored on June 7.

HC dismisses Lawrence Bishnoi’s plea on Punjab police custody

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Thursday dismissed a petition of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi who was seeking appropriate directions for not handing over his custody to the Punjab police in the singer Sidhu Moosewala murder case. Bishnoi, who is suspected to be involved in Moosewala’s killing, had moved this high court Wednesday after withdrawing his plea from the Delhi High Court in which he said he feared he would be killed in a “fake encounter” by the Punjab police, and sought necessary safeguards.

PM Modi to attend UP’s third ground breaking ceremony on Friday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the third “groundbreaking” ceremony in Uttar Pradesh on Friday that aims to draw investments of over Rs 80 thousand crore into the state. Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sajjan Jindal, and Anant Ambani are among the bigwigs from the corporate world who are slated to attend the event.

Odisha’s active COVID-19 cases at 81

Odisha reported 11 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the tally to 12,88,465, the health department said. The toll remained at 9,126 with no deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. The state now has 81 active cases, while 12,79,205 patients recovered from the disease, including nine on Thursday, the department said.

Sensex rallies 436.94 points to end at 55,818.11; Nifty climbs 105.25 points to 16,628

Rupee slips 10 paise to close at 77.60 (provisional) against US dollar

The rupee depreciated by 10 paise to close at 77.60 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, even as oil prices eased and domestic equities settled on a positive note. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee consolidated in a narrow range. It opened lower at 77.61 against the greenback and finally settled at 77.60, down 10 paise over its previous close. During the session, the rupee touched an intra-day low of 77.63 and a high of 77.54.

ED moves Delhi HC challenging order allowing Satyendar Jain to have counsel during interrogation

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the Delhi High court on Thursday challenging the order of a special court allowing Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain to have counsel during interrogation. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel on May 31 granted the custody of Jain to ED till June 9 in a money laundering case. Advocate Zoheb Hossain for ED mentioned the matter before the bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi. The Court agreed to hear the petition on Friday.

Punjab CM Mann meets Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met his party chief Arvind Kejriwal at his residence here on Thursday, as the state government faces opposition attack following the murder of singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala. An Aam Aadmi Party source said it was a “normal” meeting. Moosewala was shot dead on May 29 by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Mansa district, a day after the state government had curtailed his security cover.

NSE governance lapses case: SAT gives more time to Chitra Ramkrishna to deposit Rs 2 crore

The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has given more time to former NSE chief Chitra Ramkrishna for depositing an amount of Rs 2 crore in a case pertaining to governance lapses at the bourse. “The period to deposit the money by our order dated 11th April, 2022 is extended for a further period of four weeks,” the appellate tribunal said in an order passed on May 31. In its order on April 11, SAT admitted Ramkrishna’s plea in the case and had directed her to deposit an amount of Rs 2 crore within six weeks. It had said that if such an amount was deposited, the balance amount will not be recovered during the pendency of the appeal.

Policy tightening to pressure fiscal numbers, deficit seen at 6.7% in FY23: Report

As the country’s fiscal policy is moving in sync with the monetary policy amid the runaway inflation, the tightening measures along with rising subsidies imply that the consolidated fiscal deficit may remain elevated at 10.2 per cent of GDP in FY23, down 20 bps from FY22, according to a report. As per the report, the central deficit is expected to be at 6.7 per cent and states’ at 3.5 per cent in the current fiscal. The government has pegged the combined fiscal shortfall at 9.8 per cent of which the central deficit is seen at 6.4 per cent (down from 6.7 per cent in FY22) and states’ at 3.4 per cent for FY23.

There’re economies of other big countries facing steepest inflation & sharp declining of living standards since second world war. It’s a phenomenon. We’re in a situation where we can control the prices to the extent we can control them: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Finance Ministry is likely to issue a notification to exclude some transactions from the crypto tax: ET Now

ET Now claimed that the ministry is likely to issue the notification in June. It may exclude hospitals using blockchain technology from crypto tax. Also reward points on banks’ digital cards and flight miles may be excluded. However, govt may not change 30 per cent tax on crypto income.

Uttar Pradesh makes Samrat Prithvira movie tax free

UP CM Yogi Adityanath said in Lucknow that state is making the movie ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ tax-free so that a common man can also watch this movie.

Denmark votes to join EU defence pact

Denmark has voted to join the European Union’s (EU) defence pact and scrap its 30-year-old opt-out from the bloc’s common security and defence policies.In a referendum held on Wednesday, a vast majority, or 66.9 per cent, of Danish citizens, have voted for the move, according to the preliminary results from Statistics Denmark. This will give the Nordic country a seat at the EU table to discuss military cooperation.

Kia India forays into EV segment, launches EV6 at Rs 59.95 lakh

ia India on Thursday forayed into the electric vehicle segment in the country with the launch of EV6, priced at Rs 59.95 lakh (ex-showroom). Built on a dedicated EV platform — the electric-global modular platform (E-GMP), the EV6 marks the beginning of Kia’s EV journey in the country. The model would be available in two trims — priced at Rs 59.95 lakh and Rs 64.95 lakh respectively.

Vijay Babu bail plea case deferred to June 7

Kerala High Court has posted the anticipatory bail plea of Malayalam actor-producer Vijay Babu to June 7 in the alleged sexual assault case registered against him.

SC refuses to stop excavation work around Puri Jagannath temple

Supreme Court has reserved its order for tomorrow on a plea challenging the order of the Orissa High Court refusing to restrain the state government from carrying out excavation work around the Shree Jagannath temple at Puri.

No shortage of energy in India: Hardeep Singh Puri

“Today, there is no shortage of energy. Under the PM Ujjwala Yojna, 9 crore connections have been provided and an additional 60 lakh connections have been approved,” said Union Min Hardeep Singh Puri in a briefing discussing the Ministry’s achievements.

Mortal remains of singer KK are being taken to Mumbai’s Versova crematorium for last rites

Video of terrorist firing on Kulgam bank manager surfaces

Congress president Sonia Gandhi tests positive for COVID-19

“She has developed mild fever & some symptoms and has isolated herself and has been given requisite medical attention. As of today, her date of appearance before ED on June 8th stands as it is,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

Hardik Patel joins BJP

Delhi govt: Manish Sisodia gets health ministry portfolio

Portfolios allocated to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been handed over to Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Jain was arrested was by ED in an alleged money laundering case and is in the agency’s custody till 9th June

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot condemns Kulgam attack

“The terrorist killing of bank manager Vijay Kumar, a resident of Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, working in Kulgam, J&K is highly condemnable. NDA govt has failed to restore peace in Kashmir. Central govt should ensure the safety of citizens in Kashmir,” tweeted Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

SBI revises up FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7.5%

SBI Research has projected the Indian economy to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2022-23, an upward revision of 20 basis points from its earlier estimate. As per official data, the economy grew by 8.7 per cent in FY22, net adding Rs 11.8 lakh crore in the year to Rs 147 lakh crore, the report said, adding this was however only 1.5 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic year of FY20.

Amazon to shut Kindle bookstore in China next year

Amazon.com’s Kindle unit said on Thursday it will stop operating its Kindle e-bookstore in China from the end of June next year, after which customers in China will no longer be able to purchase new ebooks. It said it would also, with immediate effect, stop supplying resellers with its Kindle reader. It did not give a reason for the move, which it announced on its official WeChat account.

KK could have been saved if CPR was given on time: Doctor

Renowned Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, had several heart blockages and he could have been saved if CPR was administered on time, a doctor who conducted autopsy said on Thursday. KK died on Tuesday night due to a massive cardiac arrest after a live performance at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata.

Kulgam terror attack update

News wire agency IANS quoting police sources said that the terrorists shot and critically injured the manager, identified as Vijay Kumar of Rajasthan. Kumar was working as the manager of a regional rural bank (Ellaquai Dehati Bank) in Areah village branch of Kulgam district. He was attacked in the morning as he was entering the bank branch, said police sources.