Top news of the day: It’s Kharge vs Tharoor in Congress polls with rejection of third nomination; Indore retains cleanest city tag for sixth time, and more

The major news headlines of the day and more.

October 01, 2022 07:10 pm | Updated 07:10 pm IST

After K.N. Tripathi’s nomination was rejected, it will be a direct fight between Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

After K.N. Tripathi’s nomination was rejected, it will be a direct fight between Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

Congress president polls | It’s Mallikarjun Kharge vs Shashi Tharoor as Tripathi’s nomination is rejected

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, AICC Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said a total of 20 forms were received during the nomination process and four of them were rejected. While Mr. Kharge submitted 14 forms, Mr. Tharoor submitted five and Mr. Tripathi one.

Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022 | Indore deemed cleanest city 6th time in a row, Surat retains 2nd position

Indore was adjudged India’s cleanest city for the sixth time in a row, while Surat and Navi Mumbai followed it on the next two spots in the Central government’s annual cleanliness survey. In the category of best performing States in ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022’, Madhya Pradesh has secured the first position, followed by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Indore and Surat retained their top positions in the big cities category this year, while Vijaywada lost its third spot to Navi Mumbai. President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave away the awards to the winners at an event in New Delhi, also attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and others.

Launch of 5G services | This is not just India’s decade, it is the century of India, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1, 2022 launched the 5G telephony services in the country, ushering in an era of ultra high-speed internet on mobile phones. Mr. Modi launched the 5G services in select cities at the IMC 2022 conference. The services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. The new India will not only be a consumer of technology, rather India will play an active role in the development and implementation of the technology, Mr. Modi said.

Jio 5G across India by Dec 2023: Mukesh Ambani

Reliance Jio, the nation’s biggest telecom firm, will expand 5G telephony services offering ultra-high-speed internet connectivity to every part of the country by December 2023, its chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Saturday. Mr. Ambani at his flagship Reliance Industries Ltd’s annual shareholder meeting in August announced the rollout of 5G services from four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by Diwali. Most of Jio’s 5G is developed in India, and hence carries the stamp of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, he said, adding 5G and 5G-enabled digital solutions can bring affordable and high-quality education and skill development within the reach of common Indians.

More than 2.5 lakh people donated blood during Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav: Mansukh Mandaviya

The success of the Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav has strengthened the noble cause of humanity which will help immensely in saving many precious lives, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, while addressing a gathering on the occasion of National Blood Donation Day 2022 at AIIMS, Delhi. He also felicitated voluntary blood donors and States and Union Territories that have done exemplary work, rare blood group donors, regular single donor platelets donors, women blood donors and regular voluntary blood donors at the event.

Dozens dead from Hurricane Ian, fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history

The powerful storm terrorised millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, where it mustered enough strength for a final assault on South Carolina. Now weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, Ian was expected to move across central North Carolina on Saturday morning and reach south-central Virginia by the afternoon. At least 30 people were confirmed dead, including 27 people in Florida mostly from drowning but others from the storm’s tragic aftereffects. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines shut off when they lost power, authorities said.

World Bank announces $530 million in new funding for Ukraine

The support, in the form of a new loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is being guaranteed by Britain to the tune of $500 million, with Denmark backing the remaining $30 million, the World Bank said in a statement. “The toll of destruction, damage, and dislocation in Ukraine is staggering and continues to grow,” Anna Bjerde, the bank’s regional vice president for Europe and Central Asia, said in the statement.

20 killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv region

A regional official in Ukraine says Russian forces have shelled a civilian evacuation convoy in the country’s northeast, killing 20 people. Kharkiv region Governor Oleh Syniehubov called Saturday’s attack on people who were trying to flee the area to avoid being shelled “сruelty that can’t be justified.” He said the convoy was struck in the Kupiansky district.

Hong Kong leader John Lee promises revival on China’s National Day

Hong Kong’s leader promised on October 1 to revive its struggling economy following a campaign to crush a pro-democracy movement as China’s ruling Communist Party marked its 73rd anniversary in power under strict anti-virus controls. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee warned in a speech that COVID-19 “still overshadows” the city of more than seven million people. He promised to revive the struggling economy and “safeguard people’s livelihood” as travel and other anti-virus curbs are eased.

RBI’s monetrary policy has sent a positive message: Nirmala Sitharaman

India’s inflation is at a manageable level and the Reserve Bank of India’s latest monetary policy which included a 50 basis points hike in interest rates, have sent a “very positive message in the market”, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Over 70% of the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who had left the Indian stock markets in the months running up to July, have returned over the last two months, the Finance Minister said, asserting that India is now entering an era of robust economic activity. 

GST revenues rise 26% amid imports surge

India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections hit ₹1,47,686 crore in September, 26% higher than a year ago, with revenues from goods imports rising 39% and domestic transactions and services imports yielding 22% more revenues than September 2021. This is the seventh successive month that revenues from the indirect tax have remained above ₹1.4 lakh crore and marks the eighth such occasion since the GST regime was implemented in July 2017. 

ATF price cut 4.5%, commercial LPG rates down ₹25.5

Jet fuel (ATF) price on Saturday was slashed by 4.5% and that of commercial LPG used in hotels and restaurants by ₹25.5 per 19-kg cylinder. The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder was cut to ₹1,859.50 in the national capital from ₹1,885, according to a price notification from state-owned fuel retailers. This is the sixth reduction in the price of commercial LPG since June, in step with softening international energy prices. In all, rates have come down by ₹494.50 per 19-kg cylinder.

Ind vs SA, 2nd T20 | Team India grapple with Bumrah riddle as it chases rare series win vs South Africa

The Indian team may be unsettled after an unexpected injury to Jasprit Bumrah but it would aim to continue its winning run and complete a rare home-series win against South Africa when the two sides clash in the second T20 International in Guwahati on Sunday. The ongoing series was originally planned as the final tune-up for Rahul Dravid’s team but Bumrah’s absence from the remaining two T20Is has now thrown more questions than answers. Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj have been added to the squad as injury replacements but they do not figure in the World Cup-bound squad, as of now.

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