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[00:00:00] Hello, this is your Daily News from Onmanorama. I am your host Vishnu and these are the
[00:00:16] major news stories of Saturday, March 16th, 2024.
[00:00:23] The Election Commission declared the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday. Chief Election
[00:00:28] Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the elections would be held in seven phases, beginning from
[00:00:32] April 19th and the results would be announced on June 4th.
[00:00:39] The Congress called for a Supreme Court Monitor independent probe to uncover the full depth
[00:00:43] of the electoral bonds scam.
[00:00:48] The United States has widened its investigation of India's Adhani Group to focus on the
[00:00:52] conduct of its founder, Gautam Adhani and whether the company may have engaged in bribery.
[00:00:59] The Wall Street Journal reported that US prosecutors were probing whether Facebook parent,
[00:01:04] Metas, social media platforms, facilitated and profited from the illegal sale of drugs.
[00:01:12] The Kerala government hiked the support price of rubber by Rs 10 a day after the centre
[00:01:16] announced an incentive of Rs 5 per kilo for rubber sheet exports.
[00:01:20] Let's get into the details.
[00:01:25] The Lok Sabha elections would be held in seven phases, beginning from April 19th and results
[00:01:29] will be announced on June 4th, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday.
[00:01:34] The other phases will be on April 26th, May 7th, May 13th, May 20th, May 25th and June 1st.
[00:01:42] Assembly elections in our national predation sickim will be held on April 19th and in our
[00:01:46] predation May 13th.
[00:01:49] Bypoles will also be held for 26 Assembly Constituencies, Kumar said at the press conference, flanked
[00:01:52] by two new election commissioners Gyanish Kumar and Sukh Bitsin Sandhu.
[00:01:55] The election commission said it is working towards combating the four M's, muscle, money,
[00:02:00] misinformation and MCC violations that hinder the path to free and fair elections.
[00:02:05] Around 97 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming polls.
[00:02:10] The election commission said it is working towards combating the four M's, muscle, money, misinformation
[00:02:16] people are eligible to vote in the upcoming polls.
[00:02:19] Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that voters older than 85 years of age will
[00:02:23] be allowed to vote from home.
[00:02:25] He also said that minimum basic facilities like drinking water and toilets will be made
[00:02:29] available at all polling votes.
[00:02:31] The tenure of the present looks about ends on June 16th and a new house will have to be
[00:02:35] constituted before that.
[00:02:38] In the last parliamentary polls, the BJP seeking a third consecutive down this time, one
[00:02:42] 303 seats while the Congress got 52 seats.
[00:02:48] Stepping up its attack on the BJP led center over the issue of electoral bonds, the Congress
[00:02:53] alleged on Saturday that the scheme is the biggest scam in India's history and that a
[00:02:57] Supreme Court monitor independent probe is essential to uncover its full debt.
[00:03:02] Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramish also hit out at Home Minister Amin Shah for his
[00:03:05] remarks on the issue, accusing him of lying and misleading the people.
[00:03:10] Mr. Kumar Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi described the electoral bonds scheme as an extortion
[00:03:13] racket used for toppling gunments and breaking political parties.
[00:03:17] Noting that he fully respects the Supreme Court order on electoral bonds, Amin Shah on
[00:03:21] Friday said the scheme was introduced to do away with black money in politics and that
[00:03:25] it should have been improved rather than scrapped.
[00:03:31] The United States has widened its investigation of India's Adhani group to focus on the
[00:03:34] conduct of its founder, Gautam Adhani and whether the company may have engaged in
[00:03:38] the library, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
[00:03:41] Prosecutors are digging into whether an Adhani entity or people linked to the company including
[00:03:45] Gautam Adhani were involved in paying officials in India for favourable treatment on an energy
[00:03:50] project.
[00:03:51] The report said, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter.
[00:03:55] The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department
[00:03:59] fraud unit in Washington and handing the investigation and also looking at Indian renewable
[00:04:03] energy company Azure Power Global, the report added.
[00:04:07] Meanwhile Adhani group told Bloomberg News they were not aware of any investigation against
[00:04:11] their chairman.
[00:04:12] Adhani group Stalks and Bonds saw a massive sell-off early last year after US short seller
[00:04:17] Hindenburg Research issued a report that alleged improper governance practices stock manipulation
[00:04:23] and the use of tax havens by the group, the Indian company has denied these allegations.
[00:04:31] US prosecutors in Virginia are probing whether Facebook parent met our social media platforms
[00:04:36] facilitated and profited from illegal sale of drugs.
[00:04:39] The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday citing documents and people familiar with the
[00:04:43] matter.
[00:04:44] The prosecutor sends up penas last year and have been asking questions as part of a criminal
[00:04:48] grand jury probe.
[00:04:50] The report said adding that they have also been requesting records related to drug content
[00:04:54] or illicit sale of drugs via metas platforms.
[00:04:57] The paper quoted a spokesman for a matter saying in a statement that the sale of illicit drugs
[00:05:01] against their policies and that they work to find and remove this content from their
[00:05:05] services.
[00:05:06] Metas president of Global Affairs Nick Klegg said on social media platform X on Friday
[00:05:12] that matter had joined up with the US State Department, the United Nations Office on
[00:05:15] drugs and crime and snapped out to help disrupt the sale of synthetic drugs online and educate
[00:05:20] users about the associated risks.
[00:05:26] The Kerala government has hiked the support price of rubber by Rupis 10 a day after the
[00:05:29] center announced an incentive of Rupis 5 per kilo for rubber sheet exports.
[00:05:34] In the annual budget, the Finance Minister had announced plans to hike the support price
[00:05:37] from Rupis 170 to Rupis 180.
[00:05:41] Fulfilling this promise, the government has issued an official order regarding the same.
[00:05:45] In a bid to pacify the agitated rubber farmers, the LDF government also allowed Rupis 14.4
[00:05:50] it crored as a subsidy.
[00:05:54] That brings us to the end of this episode.
[00:05:56] Thanks for listening to Daily News Tools hosted and produced by Mee Vishnu Merleatherin
[00:06:00] with technical support from my Rupis studios.
[00:06:02] Follow www.onmonautomar.com for detailed updates on the latest news and be sure to come back
[00:06:07] tomorrow.