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Retail inflation eased marginally in May due to a statistical base effect from the near eight-year high in April and moderation in food and some non-food prices. But it still remained above RBI’s upper tolerance level of 6% for the fifth consecutive month. Data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Monday showed retail inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) rose an annual 7%, slightly slower than the 7. 8% in April but above the 6. 3% recorded in May 2021. The food price index cooled a bit in May to near 8% from 8. 3% in April. Urban inflation was higher at 7. 1%, while rural recorded a 7% rise. Core inflation (minus food and fuel) moderated but hovered near 6% level, highlighting the entrenched price pressures.

Economists said several measures undertaken by the government — such as cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel, ban on export of wheat and Indonesia’s move to lift export curbs on palm oil — have also calmed prices in May and more impact would be visible in the June numbers. The data showed vegetables prices rose an annual 18. 3% in May, oils & fats by 13. 3%, and both fuel & light as well as transport & communication by 9. 5%.

China emerged as the top buyer of Indian rice during the pandemic, with the neighbouring country importing 16.34 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) — or 7.7 per cent — of India’s total rice export of 212.10 LMT in financial year 2021-22, according to an analysis of trade data.

The analysis shows that out of China’s total rice import from India of 16.34 LMT, nearly 97 per cent, or 15.76 LMT, was broken rice, which has seen a spike in demand from that country.

In fact, China is now the top buyer of Indian broken rice, which was earlier exported mostly to African countries.

In 2021-22, India’s total rice exports — both basmati and non-basmati — was 212.10 LMT, which is 19.30 per cent higher than 177.79 LMT exported in 2020-21. In the same period, rice export to China jumped by 392.20 per cent: from 3.31 LMT to 16.34 LMT.

Over 450 verdicts of the Supreme Court have been translated into 12 regional languages using an artificial intelligence software, with Hindi topping the list of translations followed by Tamil.

While 469 verdicts have been translated since the launch of the ambitious project in August 2018, it came to a halt during the pandemic and is yet to be revived.

“The focus on vernacular languages is more than ever but like many other functions of the Court, Covid impacted the priority given to the project,” a Supreme Court official said on the condition of anonymity.

An analysis by a national daily showed that 86 per cent of the 469 verdicts were translated before March 2020 before the pandemic began, and the last verdict to be translated was in October last year.

A group of people attacked and damaged a local train at Bethuadahari railway station in West Bengal's Nadia district on Sunday evening, a police officer said.

The group was protesting against controversial remarks of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad.

It was not immediately known whether there was any casualty.

The officer said a large number of protestors put up a road blockade and when they were chased by the police, some of them entered the station and threw stones at the train which was on a platform.

Train services on the Lalgola line have been affected due to the attack, he said.

With many high court hearings now being webcast or viewed via hybrid online access, moments of clips from court hearings are now making their way to social media. One such clip from the Patna High court went viral on Twitter on Saturday.

Anand Kishore, principal secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department in Bihar, was rapped by a judge of the Patna High Court for appearing before it in a white shirt with an open collar.

"Don't you know what dress code you have to wear in court? Did you not go for IAS training school in Mussoorie?" asked the judge of the IAS officer in a two-minute clip shared on social media.

"What is this? What is wrong with IAS officers in the state of Bihar? They don't know how to appear in the court? Formal dress means at least a coat. And collar should not be open," the judge further said.