Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up the attack against the Mamata Banerjee government, labelling it as being synonymous with "oppression, dynasty politics, and betrayal" and claimed that the TMC has achieved a "mastery" in turning schemes into scams. He rallied supporters to "ensure the proliferation of the lotus", the electoral symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in every Lok Sabha constituency in the state.
BJP Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir requested party president J P Nadda to relieve him of political duties so that he can focus on his upcoming cricket commitments. The move by Gambhir, a former team India cricketer, came amid buzz in the BJP circles about him being possibly replaced in the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming general elections.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that the investigation of the Rameshwaram cafe blast in which 10 people were injured has been handed over to Central Crime Branch and that no arrest has been made in connection with the incident. Dayananda said that the investigation into the incident, caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), is in full swing.
Taking a strong view of Google pulling off some apps from its Play Store, the government said delisting of Indian apps cannot be permitted and that the tech company and the startups concerned have been called for a meeting next week. The minister's comments assume significance as Google began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments, even as apps and well-known startup founders cried foul.
Delhi LG V K Saxena has granted sanction for a CBI probe against former minister Satyendar Jain in a complaint of extortion filed by money laundering accused Sukesh Chandrashekhar, officials said. A former director general of Tihar jail was also accused in the matter, the Raj Niwas officials said.
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) and asked the umbrella body to set up one urban cooperative bank in each town. NUCFDC has received the RBI approval to function as a non-banking finance company and a self-regulatory organisation for the urban cooperative banking sector.
Byju's founder Byju Raveendran on said the edtech company will not be able to pay salaries to employees as the recent funds raised through a rights issue are inaccessible due to a legal dispute with certain investors. Further, Raveendran said that last month, the company faced challenges due to a lack of capital, and "now we are experiencing a delay despite having funds".
Bangladesh police have arrested three persons, including two owners of a restaurant, in connection with the massive fire that broke out at a shopping mall in the capital Dhaka that killed at least 46 people. Two owners of an eatery called Chumuk and the manager of Kacchi Bhai restaurant were arrested on Friday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner Kh Mahid Uddin said.
A Karachi-bound ship from China was stopped by Indian security agencies at Mumbai's Nhava Sheva port on suspicion that it contained a dual-use consignment that could be used for Pakistan's nuclear and ballistic missile programme, officials said. CNC machines are basically controlled by a computer and produce a scale of efficiency, consistency and accuracy not possible manually.
An Iranian singer who won a Grammy presented by US first lady Jill Biden has been sentenced to more than three years in prison over his anthem supporting the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. It said Hajipour received a three-year, eight-month sentence on charges of “propaganda against the system” and “encouraging people to protest”.