India

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court Thursday gave clean chit to the Modi government on the purchase of 36 fully loaded Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation, rejecting the plea for registration of an FIR by the CBI for alleged commission of cognisable offence in the deal.

The apex court dismissed the pleas seeking review of the December 14, 2018 verdict in which it had said that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.

Mumbai, Nov 14 (PTI) Headline inflation is bound to rise further to 5 per cent for November, but despite the pinch in price rise, the Reserve Bank will go for two consecutive rate cuts on growth concerns, a report said on Thursday.

The consumer price inflation fastened to 4.62 per cent for October in official data released on Wednesday, resulting in concerns over RBI's rate stance, given that the central bank is mandated to keep the number at 4 per cent.

Raipur, Nov 13 (PTI) A Naxal, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, police said.

The skirmish took place at around 3 pm in the forest of Gachanpalli village under Bhejji police station area when a joint team of security forces was on a counter-insurgency operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) Retail inflation surged to 4.62 per cent in October, mainly on account of higher food prices, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 3.99 per cent in September and 3.38 per cent in October 2018.

The inflation in the food basket spiked to 7.89 per cent in October 2019 as against 5.11 per cent the preceding month.

Mumbai, Nov 13 (PTI) The rupee nosedived 62 paise to hit an over two-month low of 72.09 to the US dollar on Wednesday as poor macro data and lingering worries over US-China trade war weighed on sentiment.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a weak note at 71.75 against the US dollar. As the day progressed, it crashed below the 72-level and touched the day's low of 72.10. The Indian unit finally settled at 72.09 -- registering a fall of 62 paise over its previous close.

Patna, Nov 13 (PTI) The five-member Grand Alliance along with the Left parties on Wednesday took out protest march here against "anti-people" policies of both Central and the state governments, though RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav gave a miss to the stir.

RJD, the major constituent of the opposition grouping in Bihar, however, said Yadav could not participate in the "Aakrosh march" because of his engagements in the ensuing Jharkhand polls and also legal matters.

New Delhi, Nov 13; GANASHAKTI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority and falls within the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi upheld the 2010 Delhi High Court verdict and dismissed three appeals filed by Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Central Public Information officer of the apex court.

Mumbai, Nov 13 (PTI) In a vitriolic attack on the BJP, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said it was deriving "sadistic pleasure" out of the struggle of other political parties to form government in Maharashtra.

Without taking any names, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said those who talk of ethics in politics are currently the "most disruptive".

Basirhat (WB), Nov 13 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after conducting an aerial survey of cyclone 'Bulbul'-hit areas in North 24 Parganas, said on Wednesday that the loss incurred by the state due to the natural calamity might go up to Rs 50,000 crore.

Banerjee handed over a cheque of Rs 2.4 lakh each to the family members of five people from the district who lost their lives in the calamity.

Bareilly (UP) Nov 12 (PTI) The newborn girl, who was rescued from an earthen pot buried almost three feet below the ground, is fast on the path of recovery, doctors said on Tuesday.

The doctors attending to her in a city medical centre said her weight has doubled in one month and other medical parametres are also under control.

Last month, a trader had found the newborn girl in the earthen pot while he had gone to bury his daughter, who died minutes after being born prematurely.