Free Press Bulletin |
Here are the top 5 news updates of November 1, 2021:
Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik today sought to link the BJP with an alleged narcotics dealer by tweeting the latter's photograph with former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife Amruta Fadnavis. Fadnavis, however, said Malik's tweet reflected his mentality and claimed that he will "burst a bomb" after Diwali by making revelations about the minister's "underworld links", which he will also share with NCP president Sharad Pawar. In a series of tweets, Malik, who has been targeting the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after it raided a cruise ship last month and claimed to have seized drugs onboard, posted a photograph of Amruta Fadnavis with an alleged drug peddler. He also posted a similar photograph of Devendra Fadnavis with alleged the drug dealer.
Australia's medicines and medical devices regulator today formally recognised India's Covaxin, a vaccine against the coronavirus as the country's border was reopened for the first time in nearly 20 months. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India. Australia has already recognised Covishield. "Today, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) determined that Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech, India) and BBIBP-CorV (manufactured by Sinopharm, China) vaccines would be 'recognised' for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status," Australia's medicines and medical devices regulator TGA said.
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, who skipped five Enforcement Directorate summons in the past, finally appeared before the agency today for questioning in a money laundering case registered against him and others. He arrived at the agency office in the Ballard Estate area of south Mumbai around 11:40 AM accompanied by his lawyer and his associates. Deshmukh, 71, appeared before the agency but after the Bombay High Court last week refused to quash these summons. Officials said the federal probe agency will record the statement of the NCP leader under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the criminal investigation being carried out by it in the alleged Rs 100 crore bribery-cum-extortion racket in the Maharashtra Police establishment that led to Deshmukh's resignation in April.
Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav today said he will not contest the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections himself even as he announced that an alliance between his party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal is now final. Yadav also said his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who broke away from the SP to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi party Lohia (PSPL) will get the "due honour" from his party. "Our alliance with the RLD is final. Seat-sharing is to be finalised," he told news agency PTI. The RLD enjoys support among farmers of western Uttar Pradesh and is on the same page with the SP on the issue of opposing the Centre's three farm laws. The SP has already announced an alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SPSP).
Reclaiming the 60,000 level, equity benchmark Sensex rallied 832 points today, led by gains in index majors Infosys, HDFC twins and TCS amid a largely positive trend in global markets. The 30-share BSE index ended 831.53 points or 1.40 per cent higher at 60,138.46. Similarly, the NSE Nifty rose 258 points or 1.46 per cent to 17,929.65. IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, soaring over 7 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra and Dr Reddy's. On the other hand, M&M, Bajaj Finserv, Nestle India and Reliance Industries were the laggards.
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