India

Thane, Dec 8 (PTI) At least 40 BMW cars were destroyed in a massive fire that broke out in a showroom cum godown in the Turbhe MIDC area of Navi Mumbai, a Fire Brigade official said on Wednesday, adding that no casualty was reported.

Chief Fire Officer, MIDC fire services, RB Patil said the blaze erupted in the showroom of BMW cars around 5.30 AM on Tuesday which destroyed the cars parked there.

At least 40-45 BMW cars were totally charred in the fire which was brought under control at around 1 PM on Tuesday by ten fire engines, he added.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 8 (PTI) Absconding school manager, accused of attempting to rape two girls after taking them to another school on the pretext of a practical exam, was arrested late Tuesday night from Purkazi area of the district, police said.

Arjun Singh was nabbed while another accused manager Yogesh Chouhan was already arrested and sent to judicial custody till December 21.

Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday evening also produced the two girls before a women magistrate and recorded their statements under section 364 of the CRPC.

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Nagaland People's Front leader K G Kenye on Wednesday raised a demand in the Rajya Sabha for the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

The demand comes days after 14 civilians died in incidents of firing in Nagaland's Mon district on December 5.

NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 34,648,383 today, as 6,822 new cases were registered, during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry’s latest data.

The number of daily cases is the lowest in 558 days.

Besides, as many as 220 deaths, due to the pandemic since yesterday morning, took the total death toll to 473,757.

There are still 95,014 active COVID-19 cases in the country, a fall of 3,402 during the past 24 hours. The number of active cases in the country is the lowest in 554 days.

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation's largest oil firm, has renewed a deal to buy up to 2 million tonnes of crude oil in 2022 from Russia's Rosneft, the Russian oil producer said.

IOC had in February 2020 signed a deal with Rosneft Oil Company to import up to 2 million tonnes of oil via the port of Novorossiysk. In 2021, the deal envisaged supply of up to 1.7 million tonnes of crude oil but IOC bought just on parcel or shipload as the cost of transporting the oil made it uneconomical, when compared to alternatives.

Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) The RBI on Monday imposed several restrictions on Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, including a cap of Rs 10,000 on withdrawals for customers in the wake of deterioration of its financial position.

The restrictions, imposed through directions under the Banking Regulation Act (as applicable to co-operative societies), 1949, shall remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business on December 6, 2021 and are subject to review, the Reserve Bank said in a statement.

New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Monday sought a ban on cryptocurrencies, asserting that they are based on dark net technology and would be used for drugs, prostitution and terrorism.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, he likened the situation prevailing in the country with respect to cryptocurrencies with 'Tulip mania' in Holland in 1600s.

Ghaziabad, Dec 6 (PTI) Former UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi on Monday converted to Hinduism at a ceremony in a temple here.

The ceremony took place at the Dasna Devi temple.

Now, he will be known as Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, temple priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati said declaring his new name.

New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) India and Russia on Monday vowed to deepen collaboration in the space sector, including in the human spaceflight programme, and signed an agreement for cooperation in the building as well as operation of launch vehicles.

The pact was signed during the India-Russia summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Lucknow, Dec 6 (PTI) The BSP on Monday expelled its Chillupar MLA Vinay Shankar Tiwari, his elder brother and former MP Kushal Tiwari from the party with immediate effect.

The party also expelled their relative and former chairman of the UP Legislative Council, Ganesh Shankar Pandey, a release issued by party's Gorakhpur mandal incharge Sudhir Kumar Bharti said.

These leaders have been expelled for creating indiscipline in the party and improper behaviour with senior leaders, Bharti said in the release.