High tension prevailed at the LG Polymers at RR Venkatapuram village near here as irate villagers staged a protest on Saturday demanding immediate closure of the plant. The protesters placed two bodies of the dead in front of the factory main gate as part of the agitation while some youths barged into the plant even as state Director General of Police D G Sawang was inspecting the vapour leak spot and talking to the management on the measures taken to restore normalcy. The bodies were brought to the village for cremation on Saturday from the KGH mortuary after post-mortem. The angry villagers, however, stopped the ambulances in front of the plant gate and laid the bodies on the road. Emotions ran high as the villagers demanded that the plant be shut down immediately as it completely ruined our lives. A styrene vapour leak from the plastics manufacturing plant caused the death of 12 persons on Thursday. Hundreds of villagers, who were provided shelter in Visakhapatnam ...

The AAP government has told the Delhi High Court that adequate ration was being provided to Rohingya families at three camps in south and north east parts of the city during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The submission was made by the Delhi government before a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sanjeev Narula, which was hearing a plea seeking immediate relief for the Rohingya families at settlements in Khajuri Khas in north east Delhi and Shram Vihar and Madanpur Khadar in south Delhi. Delhi government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose and advocate Urvi Mohan also told the court that four hunger centres were being run near the settlements mentioned in the plea. The petitioner, Fazal Abdali, claimed that the Rohingyas at these three camps were being denied relief under the various schemes announced by the Delhi government to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The bench, however, noted that the petitioner had not given any specific particulars of the neglect faced by these families

Just a day before he was killed in the train accident in Aurangabad, 28-year-old Brajesh Singh had informed his father that he would be reaching their village by a special train soon. For Gajraj Singh, a resident of Antoli village in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, that phone call was the last conversation he had with his sons Brajesh and Shivdayal (25). Bodies of the two brothers, along with those of 14 other labourers, would be reaching their village on Saturday. At least 16 labourers, who were travelling to their home state Madhya Pradesh on foot, were mowed down by a goods train while they were sleeping on tracks near Karmad station in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district early morning on Friday. "Only a day before the mishap, my sons informed me that they had left on foot to board a train from Maharashtra and will reach Shahdol soon. They told me that they would sit in the train on Friday. But instead of my sons, the news of their death has reached me," said an ...

A day after the Andhra Pradesh government constituted a five-member team to probe the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident, TDP chief N Chandrababu Nadu on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a scientific experts' committee to investigate the matter. In a letter to Modi, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief also commended the "quick response" of the central government in controlling the styrene vapour leak from the plastics manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam that left 12 people dead and hundreds hospitalised on Thursday. Naidu suggested that the prime minister set up a scientific experts' committee to inquire into the gas leakage and the circumstances that led to the release of toxic vapours. A thorough investigation needs to be done to understand the health impact as the company claims that only styrene gas was leaked but there are conflicting reports of other toxic gases being leaked, he said. "The long-lasting impact on the health of those undergoing ..

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two men here who made a video of the act and then blackmailed her for about an year, police said on Saturday. A case was registered against the two men, Circle Officer Aalok Mishra said. "On a complaint lodged by the girl that she has been raped by two youths, who also made a video clip and blackmailed her for almost an year. Police on Friday registered a case," he said. The girl has been sent for medical examination at a government hospital, he said. The CO also said that the two accused are absconding and efforts are on to nab them.

Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday alleged that the 16 migrant workers, who were crushed to death by a train in Maharashtra on Friday, had applied to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan govenment for passes to travel back home about a fortnight ago, but the administration failed to act on it. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted a video in which a survivor of the train tragedy claimed that they had applied for their return to their respective districts in Madhya Pradesh. Alleging that the MP government's "negligence and inaction" led to the death of the workers, Singh also called for a probe to know what arrangements the BJP-led government had done to bring back these workers after they applied for return. "The workers killed in the train accident had asked for passes from the Shivraj government about fifteen days back. These 16 lives could have been saved, if passes were issued. Shivraj ji, these deaths are the result of jungle raj," Madhya Pradesh ...

The northeastern region, which has traditionally been disciplined, has emerged as the model of coronavirus management and the rest of the country should emulate it, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. He said people in the eight northeastern states - Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam - have been following the lockdown-related guidelines in letter and spirit. "By tradition and by lifestyle, people of northeastern region are civilised and disciplined. That is why they could very easily follow the lockdown guidelines. There has been no problem in ensuring implementation of the lockdown-related guidelines there," Singh told PTI. He said within six years of the Modi government, the northeastern region has emerged as the model for development for the entire country. "Similarly, during the lockdown due to COVID-19, entire northeast has become model for the whole country to emulate it," he said, adding that the way people are ...

The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday said the situation was "normal" in RR Venkatapuram village, where a styrene vapour leak from the LG Polymers plant claimed 12 lives and left over 300 people hospitalized with various ailments. Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang and Special Chief Secretary (Industries) Karikal Valaven inspected the plant and spoke to the LG management and later told reporters that "everything is normal and there is no need to panic." Temperature at the styrene storage tank, where the vapour leak occurred, has come down, as also the PPM (ambient air quality) level. "Definitely the air is also fresh and there is nothing to worry about. In the coming days, life will come back to normalcy," the DGP said. "Just to be on the safe side, as per protocol, people are being asked to stay away for 48 hours. That period will end tomorrow. Scientists and experts from different parts of the country, including New Delhi, are coming here. They will review .

The Uttar Pradesh Congress has launched a chat portal that will let people list the problems being faced by them amid the ongoing COVID-19-induced lockdown, the party said on Saturday. The complaints received from users of the UP Mitr' chat portal will be forwarded to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath so that the state government can help the people, state Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said in a statement. "The portal has been made to help the common public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through it, problems of the common public will be listed and the UP Congress will help the complainants. The list of complaints will be sent to the chief minister, Lallu said. The Congress leader said that his party was committed to help every needy person in the state. "The party is running community kitchens at various places in the state including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lakhimpur Khiri and Lucknow, he said in the statement. The party's district committee is making dry ration available ..

Meritorious students hailing from poor sections of the society in Odisha have been provided smartphones to help them attend online classes during coronavirus-induced lockdown to sustain their focus on the NEET exam scheduled on July 26 for admission in medical colleges. These wards of humble vegetable sellers, fishermen and marginal farmers are students of "Zindagi foundation" run by a non-governmental organisation for talented students of Odisha, to help them give wings to their dreams. The man behind the initiative is academician Ajay Bahadur Singh, who was forced to quit medical studies due to his father's kidney ailment in 1990 and had to sell tea and sherbet to help his family survive. There are 19 medical aspirants, both boys and girls, at present under the project from remote corners of Odisha who will be undertaking the national level undergraduate medical entrance exam on July 26 next to qualify for admission in medical colleges. The lockdown caused by the ...

In the wake of the death of 16 workers from Madhya Pradesh in a train accident in Maharashtra on Friday, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday urged the stranded migrants to be patient as his government was making arrangement for their safe return to the state. He also asked them not to risk their lives by undertaking return journey on foot. Sixteen migrant workers- part of a group of 20 headed towards villages in Madhya Pradesh and who were resting on the tracks, were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad district in the early hours of Friday. According to police, they had left Jalna around 7 on Thursday evening and decided to rest on the tracks after walking for about 36 km. In a video statement, Chouhan said, "The migrant labourers should be patient and avoid return journey on foot as the state government has made arrangements to bring them back." "Eleven trains carrying people from other states have already reached Madhya Pradesh and 10 more ...

A truck carrying fodder was damaged in a fire on Jammu-Pathankot highway in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. The truck reached Pla-Morh from Punjab and was being unloaded when it suddenly caught fire as the driver tried to move it forward, a police official said. He said fire and emergency services personnel rushed to the scene and put out the blaze. The truck was completely damaged but its driver escaped unhurt, the official said.

A portion of a nine-storey building in Mumbai's tony Bandra area, valued Rs16.38 crore, has been attached by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money-laundering probe against the Congress-party promoted Associated Journals Limited (AJL). The federal probe agency said it has issued a provisional order, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, to freeze "part" of the asset and has issued notices to AJL and its CMD and veteran Congress leader Moti Lal Vora. The AJL is controlled by senior Congress leaders, including members of the Gandhi family. The group runs the National Herald newspaper. The nine-floor building has two basements and a total built-up area of 15,000 sq metres, it said, adding its total value is Rs120 crore. The building is located at plot no 2, survey no 341, near Kala Nagar, EPF office, Bandra (East). The agency alleged that the accused in this case, that includes former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vora, ...

Fearing a surge in cases of domestic violence, wives of two Punjab Congress leaders, including a cabinet minister, have urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to reconsider his government's decision of allowing home delivery of liquor. The state government had allowed the home delivery of liquor during the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown from Thursday. Though there is no provision for it in the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 and the excise rules, the decision was taken to ensure social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh too on Thursday had said that the opening of liquor shops will lead to an increase in domestic violence. Expressive reservations about the decision, Mamta Ashu, a Ludhaina councillor and wife of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, on Saturday said the fight against drugs was an election promise of the Congress due to which the decision needed a rethink. It might lead to increase in cases of

The upcoming Rs 1 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project offers huge investment opportunities for investors, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said urging players to invest in proposed townships, smart villages and wayside amenities. The minister also exhorted industry players to look into the possibilities of setting up clusters of leather, plastic, chemical and other products along the greenfield highway that is expected to cut down the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to just 12 hours. "The new alignment of the highway passes through most backward and tribal areas of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh...There are no industries there. It is time to decongest already developed areas. It offers industry players huge investment opportunities like setting up leather, plastic, chemical, etc clusters," the road transport and highways minister said. These clusters will help in all-round development of the backward areas of these states, the senior minister said ..

A survivor of the Aurangagabad train tragedy says that the disturbing images of the death of his companions in front of his eyes were haunting him and left him with the mental trauma that he will never be able to overcome in his life. Shivmaan Singh, who is now travelling back to his native place in Madhya Pradesh in a train along with three other survivors and bodies of 16 victims, said that he has not been able to come to terms with the loss of his colleagues. Sixteen migrant workers- part of a group of 20 headed towards villages in Madhya Pradesh and who were resting on the tracks, were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra in the early hours of Friday. "After the tragedy stuck on Friday morning, so many things happened. Although I was completely exhausted, I could hardly sleep on Friday night as the gory images of the accident kept coming to my mind. I think I will never be able to overcome the impact of the tragedy that unfolded ...

Realtors' apex body Credai on Saturday said cement and steel rates have increased by 40-50 per cent in last few weeks despite the lockdown and alleged price cartelisation and unfair trade practices by the manufacturers. The association has written a letter to Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri seeking his intervention in the matter. "We would like to bring your attention to the cartelization by the cement and the steel manufacturers by imposing a sudden increase in their selling price," Credai said in the letter. Across various states, there has been an increase of Rs 100-250 per bag cement and about Rs 2,000-2,500 per tonne of steel, it added. During the past few weeks, there has been a sudden, steep increase in prices of essential raw materials such as cement and steel by 40-50 per cent despite the nationwide lockdown. The Centre has allowed construction work on sites where labourers are already available. Given the current crisis faced by the real estate ...

The "government" was responsible for the death of 16 migrant labourers who were mown down by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said in its editorial on Saturday. The newspaper, however, did not make it clear whether it blamed the BJP-led Centre or the Sena-led Maharashtra government for the tragedy. "The government did not think of allowing them to go back to their native place, nor did it make arrangements for their food," the editorial said, adding that the authorities should have taken into consideration the problems of the poor before enforcing lockdown on account of coronavirus. The sight of 'rotis' strewn on the railway track where the migrants -- who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion while on their way to Madhya Pradesh -- were crushed to death showed a heart-wrenching and harsh reality, Samanaa said. "The labourers were in fine health and had no symptoms of coronavirus and still they died. The responsibility of ...

A youth was arrested in connection with the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Muzaffarnagar's Kidwai Nagar on Saturday, police said. He was arrested after almost four months of the incident. Police said the girl was raped by the accused, identified as Nadeem, on January 16. He has been on the run since then, they said.

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday set up a high-level committee headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor C Rangarajan to examine fiscal challenges facing the state owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest the way forward to improve its fiscal position. The committee, which will also consist of Finance Secretary S Krishnan as coordinator, will submit its report to the government within three months, according to a Government Order. The committee, with 21 members, would assess the overall immediate and medium term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different sectors of the state's economy including the impact of lockdown, additional costs and implications due to social distancing and their precautionary measures. Also, it would assess the opportunities and threats in the short and medium term, suggest measures required to help the important sectors of the economy to overcome the impact of the virus pandemic. Apart from identifying specific reform measures to ..

Five people were discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Saturday after recovering from the novel coronavirus infection, health officials said. Those discharged include two women and a five-year-old boy, an official informed. So far 43 people have been discharged while the number of active cases in the state is 16, he added. "Two women and a boy from Kabirdham, two men from Durg and Surajpur were discharged after two consecutive tests were negative for the infection. They will be kept in a quarantine centre as a precaution before they are allowed to go home," a public relations officer of AIIMS Raipur told PTI. Chhattisgarh COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 59; New cases nil; Deaths nil; Discharged 43; Active cases 16; People tested so far 23,629.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was discharged from a Lucknow hospital where he was admitted after he complained of stomach and urine-related issues. The Samajwadi Party founder, admitted to Medanta Hospital on Wednesday, was discharged on Saturday afternoon and he is fine now, party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said. He had gone to the hospital for a routine check-up but the doctors admitted him for observation, Chaudhary said. Chaudhary said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met him on Friday and enquired about his health.

IIT Kharagpur Director V K Tewari has said central institutes like the IITs and NITs have a major role to help the micro, medium and small enterprises (MSME) by guiding them to manufacture personal protective equipment, parts of diagnostic kits and other products required in the Covid-19 era. Tewari advocated creating mobile apps for the MSMEs, hit hard by the novel coronavirus triggered lockdown, to provide them with training by the institutes. "For instance, if we provide them (MSME units) with designs of gloves, masks meeting certain guidelines, they can come up with products in 3-4 months. Similarly, these enterprises can be roped in for making parts of diagnostic kits and PCR machines... after required training," he said. Delivering an address on Facebook Live on the page of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishads (ABVP) West Bengal unit on Friday, the IIT-KGP director suggested that such units may also be asked to produce PPE. "We have to know what the MSMEs want, what .

An 81-year-old man was among 85 people discharged from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday after recovery, with health officials saying the octogenarian might be the oldest in the state to have overcome the coronavirus infection. All 85 were discharged from Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS). "The 81-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus on April 27. After 12-day treatment, he was discharged along with 84 others in the evening from SAIMS after two consecutive negative tests," an official said. The 81-year-old is the oldest person in the state to have been discharged after recovery, he said. Indore is among the worst hit in the country by the virus outbreak and currently has 1,780 COVID-19 patients. A total of 87 people have so far died due to the infection.

In this special feature "My Budget" we aim to walk together with our readers on planning their 'budget'.

What is the best thing about the Budget?I am glad the government is coming down hard on black money and the illegal accumulation of money. It will be good to see if they can really track all this money and use it for the benefit of the country.And ...

The model terms the Budget as pro-growth

Says it would have been great if the Budget had provided tax holidays to international sporting events

The noted ad film maker says investment in infrastructure - power, roads and more - is commendable

What is the best thing about the Budget?The allocations made for the new AIIMS facilities will provide better access to health care. I am also intrigued to see how the government will provide basic sanitation, as I know that access to hygienic ...

What is the best thing about the Budget?One of the most positive things is the encouraging reforms for start-ups and the fall in the corporate tax. Start-ups in India are largely dependent on private investments. These reforms will give a boost to ...

The fashion designer says the new 'Benami' transaction bill sounds good on paper. It will work if it's like the voluntary disclosure scheme introduced earlier

The artist says the Budget is comprehensive and futuristic

What is the best thing about the Budget?One, the finance minister seems really serious about bringing black money back. The second is the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana scheme that offers coverage of Rs 2 lakh for a premium of Rs 12.And the worst?The ...

It's disappointing to see that there is no allocation or subsidy for sports as we are working towards the Olympics to be held next year

Expectations were built up that the minister will increase the minimum tax deductible slab from Rs 2.50 lakh, but no such thing was done.

Gig workers are playing a bigger role in the American economy during the global pandemic. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib explores whether their eligibility for unemployment insurance will continue after the virus passes. Photo: Justin Heiman/Getty Images

Covid-19 is commonly compared to the regular seasonal flu, but one has proven to be more dangerous than the other. WSJ’s Gerald F. Seib explains why the coronavirus is treated more seriously than the flu. Photo: Zuma Press

Potomac Watch: New documents shock the conscience and demonstrate the need for accountability. Images: AFP via Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly

Understanding how the body clears the new coronavirus is becoming more important as the U.S. begins to reopen. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains how the body fights infection and why feeling better doesn’t equal being virus-free. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann

Ratings agency Crisil today said the upcoming payment banks (PBs) will largely focus on the underbanked areas like the East, Northeast and Central regions, and the existing lenders should not worry about them. "We do not expect them to ...

Such banks can collect deposits (initially up to Rs 1 lakh per individual), do internet banking, facilitate money transfers, and sell insurance and mutual funds

On the heels of a huge tumble in gold and silver prices, the stock market's slide is steepening in the final trading hour.

Investors in gold exchange-traded funds have been rushing to the exits as gold prices plunge.

The transcript of President Trump's call with Ukraine shed light on a method for classifying documents that's even more top secret than top secret. WSJ spoke to a former National Security Council official to understand the intricacies of the White House server security system.

Research shows that getting ahead requires constructive criticism. But many women don’t get those frank assessments.

Carnival's Grand Princess cruise ship docked in Oakland, Calif., on Monday. The ship had spent days off shore after several passengers and crew tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Photo: Noah Berger/Associated Press

The poor have filled up marshland, resurfaced uneven land, all with their own labour, and built their homes. "People should get the right to shelter," says Kadvi Wagri, another one of the growing stream of homeless. These voices should not be silenced, says Kalpana Sharma.

Janjgir has a poor base to raise finances and is heavily dependent on fund transfers from the state government. There is little here that would qualify this as a town, writes Kalpana Sharma.

Ravi Agrawal and Kishore Wankade say that the state of mercury pollution in India is alarming and needs the concern of all. They provide a factsheet with alternatives.