Latest News: Cyclone Tauktae weakens; Narada Case update; Merkel dials Netanyahu over Gaza

Narada Case: HC Takes Umbrage At Mamata-led Mob While Staying Bail; Key Observations Here

Staying the bail granted to 4 West Bengal leaders in the Narada case, the Calcutta HC came down heavily on the conduct of the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. After an unprecedented late-night hearing on Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee remanded Ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and ex-legislator Sovan Chatterjee to judicial custody till May 19. Referring to the 6-hour dharna staged by the WB CM outside the CBI office and the presence of Law Minister Moloy Ghatak in the trial court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that there was an attempt to put pressure.

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Cyclone Tauktae Live Updates: Cyclone Tauktae Weakens After Landfall In Gujarat

The IMD has stated that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours and that it will cross the western coast of Gujarat on early morning of May 18.The landfall process of the eye of extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which had hit Gujarat coast in Saurashtra between Diu and Una around 9 pm, ended around 12 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said. There is no report of any casualty so far, officials said. The state government had shifted over two lakh people to safer locations before the cyclone. In a relief to the people, the IMD, in its tweet after midnight, also announced that Cyclone Tauktae has weakened into a "very severe cyclonic storm" from the "extremely severe cyclonic storm".

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Merkel Speaks To Netanyahu About Mideast Conflict, Voices 'solidarity' With Israel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on May 17, spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the current escalation in the Mideast conflict. She also expressed solidarity with Israel and the country's right to self-defence. Merkel's office said she also stressed that the government will “continue to act decisively against protests in Germany at which hatred and antisemitism is spread”. She reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against the attacks. She also condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel as she voiced her hope for a swift end to the violence.

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Former IMA Chief Dr K K Aggarwal Passes Away Due To COVID-19, Family Issues Statement

Senior Physician & Cardiologist Dr K K Aggarwal who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 succumbed to the disease on Monday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The 62-year-old Padma Shri awardee had been admitted to the hospital after his diagnosis and had been on ventilator support for the last week.  Taking to his Twitter, his family posted an official statement sharing that he had passed away on May 17, 11.30 PM. They also urged people to remember him for his work and pray for peace for his departed soul.

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Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Directs Officials To Procure DRDO'S 2DG From Centre

The Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) had released the first batch of anti-COVID-19 drug '2-DG' on Monday. Following this, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed state officials to procure the 2DG drug. According to reports, Adityanath has asked the officials to write to the Centre in order to ensure the emergency use of the drug in the state. The UP government is therefore seeking the drug as soon as the Centre starts distributing it to the states. 

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