Covid-19 death toll nearly three times higher than official count: WHO

22.1 million excess deaths recorded globally between 2020 and 2023NEW DELHI: The Covid-19 pandemic caused an estimated 22.1 million excess deaths globally between 2020 and 2023, nearly three times higher than the seven million Covid deaths officially reported worldwide, according to the World Health Statistics 2026 report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).WHO said…

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From semiconductors to water – what’s on PM Modi’s Netherlands agenda

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday landed in the Netherlands as part of the second leg of his five-nation tour.Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Netherlands’ rear admiral Ludger Brummelaar, adjutant-general and chief of the military household of His Majesty the King, Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen and Indian ambassador…

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Stay clear of Aravalis till we decide its definition, says SC

NEW DELHI: Five months after staying its judgment accepting the controversial 100 metre-elevation definition for Aravali hills, Supreme Court on Friday said not an inch of Aravali would be allowed to be used for mining till an expert committee, to be constituted by the apex court, redefined what constitutes Aravali hills and ranges.As lawyers appearing…

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BJP stages protest outside Omar’s residence for liquor prohibition in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: BJP Friday staged a protest outside J&K CM Omar Abdullah’s residence, demanding prohibition of liquor in Kashmir Valley.The party said it would launch protests from Qazigund town in south Kashmir to Karnah area on Line of Control in north Kashmir in the second phase of protests in near future if the National Conference govt…

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Monsoon likely to hit Kerala on May 26: IMD

NEW DELHI: Monsoon is likely to arrive in Kerala on May 26, IMD said Friday, forecasting an early start to the rainy season in India. Monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, give or take seven days.“This year, the southwest (summer) monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on May 26 with…

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Online NEET-UG safer but highly complex, say officials

NEW DELHI: With govt moving to NEET-UG online from next year, a decision triggered by the medical entrance exam’s cancellation following allegations of a paper leak, health and education officials cautioned that this transition of India’s biggest entrance test in terms of candidates may be far more complicated than it appears, but accepted that it…

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Bhojshala verdict validates Muslims’ fears: Jamiat

NEW DELHI: Noting that the Madhya Pradesh HC order declaring the disputed Bhojshala complex a temple only validated the fears and concerns they had raised since the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) on Friday released a report arguing that Supreme Court’s interpretation of Places of Worship Act revealed how “deeply majoritarian politics has…

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Rahul Gandhi on fuel hike

NEW DELHI: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi led the opposition in slamming the fuel price hike by saying that people are paying for the mistakes of Modi govt, as he warned about more such shocks in the coming future. Also, Congress accused Modi govt of pushing the country’s jewellery sector towards “lockdown” through PM’s appeal that people…

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Smallest fuel hike among major economies since Iran war

NEW DELHI: BJP on Friday pushed back at criticism over rise in fuel prices, saying India had effected the smallest increase among major economies and managed to shield consumers from global volatility since the West Asia conflict broke out before rolling out a calibrated hike.“This matters because fuel prices do not remain confined to petrol…

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Don’t pass final order against Apple till July 15: HC to CCI

NEW DELHI: Delhi HC Friday asked the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to not pass any final order till July 15 in its proceedings against tech giant Apple over allegations of abusing its dominant position on its app store.The bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, however, clarified that the anti-trust regulator…

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