India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday predicted heavy rain in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and the northeastern states over the next four days owing to a cyclonic circulation over southern Bangladesh and adjoining northern Bay of Bengal.

Conditions have become favourable for the advance of southwest monsoon in the region by Friday, it said.

The rising Covid cases in neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra have raised concerns in the Karnataka health department.

Maharashtra recorded 1,081 Covid cases on Wednesday and the state health department has called it the highest spike after February 24.

Kerala has recorded 1,370 new Covid cases. Though 630 people have recovered, the death of six people succumbed to the infection.

A day after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi were asked to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper, sources have now learned that Rahul Gandhi is currently on a foreign tour and is likely to arrive in the country on June 5.

Congress party sources, said, on the condition of anonymity, "Rahul Gandhi left the country on May 19 to participate in various public programs in London that were held from May 20 to May 23. Since then, he has not returned to India."

The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the rising cases of monkeypox virus in many countries including Europe. Although the WHO said that at present this virus is under the radar, it has appealed to the affected countries to increase surveillance.

World Health Organisation Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, "The investigation is ongoing, but the sudden appearance of monkeypox in several countries at the same time suggests that there may be unscheduled transmission of the virus for some time."

Sahil Barua, chief executive officer of logistics startup Delhivery Ltd., minces no words about the process of going public in what’s shaping up to be an historic meltdown in the technology industry.

“It was nerve-wracking,” said the 37-year-old, who is also a co-founder.

The US and Germany have pledged to equip Ukraine with some of the advanced weapons it has long desired for shooting down aircraft and knocking out artillery, as Russian forces closed in on capturing a key city in the east.

Germany on Wednesday said it will supply Ukraine with up-to-date anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems, while the US announced it will provide four sophisticated, medium-range rocket systems and ammunition.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that 200,000 children are among the Ukrainians who have been forcefully taken to Russia and dispersed across the vast country.

They include children from orphanages, children taken with their parents and those separated from their families.

Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who recently quit Congress, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday and said he will work as a "small soldier" to serve the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"With the feelings of national interest, state interest, public interest and social interest, I am going to start a new chapter from today. I will work as a small soldier in the noble work of service to the nation under the leadership of the successful Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi," Patel tweeted.

Fuelled by demand for coal and cement, the railways ferried 131.7 million tonnes (mt) of raw materials and goods in May, earning a revenue of Rs 14,113 crore. The revenue earned is 22 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year.

This is the 21st consecutive month of the national transporter topping its own freight loading record. In 2021-22, it earned over Rs 1.43 trillion from freight operations.

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant on Wednesday said that Aadhaar has become the "bedrock" for the government's welfare schemes and has saved over Rs 2 lakh crore to the government by "eliminating fake and duplicate identities".

Taking part in a workshop on 'Recent Initiatives for Simplifying Aadhaar usage' in the national capital, Kant said, "Aadhaar has become the bedrock for government welfare schemes, ensured faster benefit transfers without any intervention or intermediaries and saved a vast amount of money."

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