129

#SCO: After Jaishankar's ‘Vacate PoK' Salvo, China Rushes To Pak's Defence, Rakes Up Kashmir

A day after attending the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Goa, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang flew to Pakistan on Friday for a two-day visit, only to join Islamabad in seeking the settlement of the row over Kashmir. China and Pakistan raked up the long-standing dispute in a joint statement reiterating their position that the Kashmir issue should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with "the UN charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements."

This comes after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rebuked Pakistan, saying that the neighbouring country should answer when they will 'vacate the illegally occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir'. India has always made it stand clear that terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. 

128

#Cyclone Mocha: IMD Issues High Rain Alert in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha till May 9

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning that rains will persist in Andhra Pradesh for the next three days due to Cyclone Mocha. Mocha is expected to hit the eastern coast between May 7 and May 9, according to the IMD.

As a result, the isolated portions of the eastern coast may suffer moderate to severe rain over the next three days.

Andhra Pradesh on high alert

IMD stated in its bulletin, “Thunderstorm accompanied by lighting is expected at isolated places over North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, and South Coastal Andhra Prades and Thunderstorm coupled with lighting and gusty winds with 30-4kmph speed is expected at isolated places over Rayalaseema.”

110

#NCP: Sharad Pawar Decides Not To Quit; Move To Quell NCP Revolt, Say Party Leaders

Four days after he resigned as NCP chief, Sharad Pawar altered his decision and decided to stay on at the helm of the party, declaring that he was responding to the sentiment of party workers and appeals made to him by several national leaders.

However, senior party leaders said Pawar had carried out the entire episode to quell rebellion within the party and to put a stop to rumour­mongering about whether Ajit Pawar and other NCP netas would leave and join the BJP.

109

#Delhi HC Rejects Jailed Minister Satyendar Jain's Bail Plea In Money Laundering Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), noting the witnesses' claim that he was the conceptualiser, initiator and fund provider in the alleged crime. The high court said the senior AAP leader was an influential person having the potential to tamper with evidence. It 'out-rightly' rejected Jain's submission that he was not found in physical possession of any property, saying for the offence of money laundering physical possession of the proceeds of crime is not necessary. Satyendar Jain, who was arrested on May 30 last year by the ED, is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

108

#Honour Killing Case: Plea in SC To Decide If Voice Notes Can Be Dying Declaration

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of determine whether video and voice notes can be treated as dying declarations. The plea challenged the Rajasthan High Court, which refused a plea seeking a court-monitored investigation or CBI probe in an alleged honour killing case.

The petitioner, Uma Paliwal, has raised various questions about whether the video recorded by a victim after an assault can be considered a dying declaration.

The case relates to a worker of Vishakha, an NGO working on issues relating to violence against women, who was brutally assaulted by her family members in May 2022. She made a video of a dying declaration that she would be killed that day, but was found dead the next morning. The family members cremated her body without informing the police or conducting a post-mortem.