Mustard acreage up by 5 per cent, says trade body SEA

The acreage under mustard, the biggest oilseed crop of the rabi season has increased by 5% over the previous year, said trade body Solvent Extractors' Association (SEA). Industry and trade are expecting the cooking oil prices to soften after the harvest begins starting March. "All India mustard crop acreage was reported at 100.39 lakh hectare which is 5% more than the last year’s remote sensing-based estimate of 95.76 lakh hectare. In the current year mustard crop acreage has reduced in many states and districts due to socio-economic reasons. The farmers in many districts in Gujarat and Rajasthan have opted for other crops instead of mustard due to the price offered which is even lower than MSP," said SEA in a release. Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest year-on-year increase of 27% in area under mustard, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, which have reported an increase of 5% and 3% respectively. Rajasthan, which is the largest mustard growing state, has reported an increase of 1% in area sown under mustard that stood at 37.43 lakh hectare area under the oilseed crop. States like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and West Bengal have reported a decline of 8% each in the mustard acreage. "We carried out an analysis in the mustard-growing districts using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Normal Crop health condition is when the NDVI value is beyond 0.45. Better moisture content in the crop canopy represents healthier vegetation and its optimal growth. Crop health was found to be optimal in states like Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan indicating good crop condition till date whereas crop condition was found to be moderate in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," said SEA.  

Delhi Crime Branch team at Arvind Kejriwals residence to serve notice

Earlier, Police officials on Friday also came to serve notice in connection with the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation against the BJP "of trying to buy AAP MLAs" and asked him to provide evidence.A team of Delhi Police Crime Branch officials had arrived at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. Delhi Police Crime Branch officials on Saturday issued notice to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with Aam Aadmi Party's allegation against Bharatiya Janata Party "of trying to buy AAP MLAs" and has sought a reply from the AAP supremo within three days, sources said.Earlier on Friday, apart from Kejriwal, the police officials, seeking evidence, also knocked on the doors of AAP minister Atishi's residence.However, as per sources, both the AAP leaders were not present at their respective residences.The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the BJP of trying to topple the elected Delhi government through a campaign dubbed "Operation Lotus 2.0". Atishi claimed that the BJP has approached several AAP MLAs with bribes and threats in a bid to induce defection."BJP has started 'Operation Lotus 2.0', and is trying to topple the democratically elected AAP government in Delhi. 7 MLAs of the AAP have been contacted by the BJP, and have been told, that Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested soon, after which AAP MLAs will be rifted apart. They are in touch with 21 of our MLAs, using whom they aim to topple the Delhi government. Those 7 MLAs have been offered Rs 25 crores each.Atishi also revealed that the AAP possesses a recording of one such "Operation Lotus 2.0" conversation, hinting at its potential release if necessary."Currently, 7 MLAs have been offered by BJP; we have the recording of one of them and will release it when required," said Atishi." Arvind Kejriwal is again lying as he has done since the last seven times. Not once has been able to tell which phone number was used to contact them, who contacted them, and where was the meeting held. he just gives out statements and goes into hiding.His partners are in jail, and he is repeatedly avoiding ED summons because he knows he does not have answers to the ED questions," said BJP leader Kapil Mishra.    

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga achieves fastest 10 lakh sales milestone in India

Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the fastest MPV to reach 10 lakh sales in India, reported PTI. The three-row MPV, a strong contender against rivals like Renault Triber and Kia Carens, currently holds the title of the best-selling model in its category, boasting more than one-third of the market share among all multi-purpose vehicles sold in the country. Launched in 2012 and receiving its latest facelift in 2022, the Ertiga has played a pivotal role in driving Maruti Suzuki's sales in the utility vehicle segment. With an average monthly sale of over 10,000 units, the Ertiga, along with the XL6 and Invicto, completes Maruti's offering in the three-row MPV segment. The inclusion of a CNG version has contributed to the Ertiga's higher volume sales as the more entry-level MPV from Maruti. Reaching the 10-lakh sales milestone in just 12 years since its debut, the Ertiga has garnered praise for its modern appeal and technological advancements. Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer of Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, noted the Ertiga's ability to attract first-time customers, particularly younger urban buyers, with 41 percent of customers falling into this category. Furthermore, 66 percent of Ertiga buyers consider it a pre-determined choice, solidifying its reputation as a lifestyle family vehicle. As per HT Auto, Maruti Suzuki highlights the Ertiga's equal popularity in both urban and rural markets, holding an impressive 37.5 percent market share in the segment. The MPV is offered in four trims and 11 variants, featuring three automatic options (VXi, Zxi, and ZXi+) and two CNG variants, including the top-of-the-line ZXi variant. With a starting price of ₹8.69 lakh and reaching up to ₹13.03 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant, the Ertiga is powered by a K-series 1.5-litre Dual VVT engine, enhancing fuel efficiency. The engine is paired with a five-speed gearbox, and a six-speed automatic unit replaces the previous four-speed automatic, with the added convenience of paddle shifters on certain models. Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga continues to make waves in the MPV segment, setting new benchmarks for sales and customer satisfaction.      

Car and SUV users in Bengaluru and Pune took over 27 minutes to travel 10km in CY2023

Traffic remains a challenge worldwide as life returns to pre-pandemic levels. Four Indian cities are among the 80 cities in the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index study, which found that drivers took more than 20 minutes to complete a 10-kilometre trip. The findings of the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index are out and four Indian cities – Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi and Mumbai – are among the 387 cities in 55 countries on six continents surveyed for their traffic trends. The latest and 13th edition of the global study covers metrics such as congestion, average travel time, the impact of rush-hour traffic on vehicle users and the environmental impact. What’s more, it also tracks the cost of driving which, in a world impacted by inflation, is eating into motorists’ income. Bengaluru and Pune, ranked No. 6 and No. 7 respectively have the dubious distinction to be among the Top 10 cities with the slowest traffic globally. The average travel time for a typical 10km-long-journey in Bengaluru in CY2023 was 28 minutes and 10 seconds, one minute less than it did in CY2022 – if that is of any solace to motorists in that city. As per the TomTom Traffic Index for 2023, London continues to be the world’s slowest city – average travel time for a 10km drive there was 37 minutes and 20 seconds. That’s a minute more than in 2022 and nearly two minutes more than in 2021, which indicates a gradual return to the pre-Covid-19 trend of consistently increasing traffic. It’s the same in the four Indian cities named in this survey.Dublin (Ireland), Toronto (Canada), Milan (Italy) and Lima (Peru) are ranked second, third, fourth and fifth respectively, just above Bengaluru and Pune. Meanwhile, motorists in New Delhi (ranked No. 44) took 21 minutes and 40 seconds to cover the same distance, clocking 24kph average speed in rush-hour and losing a cumulative 81 hours last year. Compared to 2022, Delhi car users saved 30 seconds on each trip. Compared to 2022, Delhi car users saved 30 seconds on each trip, owing to the rapid improvement in the national capital’s road infrastructure that is now brimming with flyovers, roundabouts, and now tunnels that aim to eliminate long snarls. New Delhi is also benefiting from other traffic-smoothening initiatives. As part of the Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) initiative in New Delhi, the SaveLIFE Foundation tests temporary urban design interventions through Tactical Urbanism Trials. An essential component of these trials is road space redistribution to ensure modal equity, road geometrics modification, traffic channelisation, vehicular speed reduction, and addition of pedestrian and cyclist safety infrastructure. India’s financial capital Mumbai, which has an estimated vehicle population of 4.5 million units and over 1.3 million privately owned passenger vehicles, remains traffic gridlocked. The slow-traffic scenario is also exacerbated by the major road construction work underway across different parts of the city which is seeing multiple projects being implemented to reduce traffic intensity in the near future.  

Michelle ONeill, 47, Becomes Northern Irelands First Nationalist Leader

The 47-year-old Sinn Fein politician has waited patiently to take up the role of first minister since her party became the British territory's biggest after elections in May 2022.Belfast, United Kingdom: Michelle O'Neill, who on Saturday made history by becoming the first nationalist head of Northern Ireland's provincial government, embodies a new generation of progressive Irish republicans. The 47-year-old Sinn Fein politician has waited patiently to take up the role of first minister since her party became the British territory's biggest after elections in May 2022.O'Neill hailed her appointment as "historic" shortly after it was confirmed."That such a day would come was unimaginable to my parents' and grandparents' generation," she told Northern Irish lawmakers. O'Neill, whose immediate c oncerns will be tackling a budget crisis and crumbling public services, comes from a family well acquainted with the dark days of sectarian strife that began in the 1960s.Her father was jailed for being a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and a cousin was killed by members of Britain's elite Special Air Service (SAS) regiment. But O'Neill is from a generation that came of political age after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, also called the Belfast Agreement, brought about peace, and promises to be "first minister for all".She paid tribute to British head of state Queen Elizabeth II after her death in 2022, and attended King Charles III's coronation.Both would have been unheard of when Sinn Fein was the political wing of the IRA. O'Neill's left-wing liberalism, glamorous appearance and slick politicking have found favour with younger voters angry at the lack of secure jobs and housing since the 2008 financial crash.It is also in sharp contrast to the male-dominated and dogmatic political atmosphere during the era of violence -- and to the current unionist leadership in Northern Ireland.Instead of a singular focus on bringing about the republican dream of a united Ireland, O'Neill's party emphasised at the assembly elections policies to tackle surging inflation and encourage stability following the shock of Brexit.O'Neill was born in County Cork, in the south of the Irish republic, on January 10, 1977.    

US Economy Today: Federal Reserve Officials Beat the Confidence Drum

Welcome to Investopedia's economics live blog, where we'll explain what the day's news says about the state of the U.S. economy and how that's likely to affect your finances. Here we will compile data releases, economic reports, quotes from expert sources and anything else that helps explain economic issues and why they matter to you. Today, another batch of Federal Reserve officials will offer their opinions on the Open Market Committee's path forward.Boston Fed President Susan Collins was another in the line of Federal Reserve officials who broadly said they needed more “confidence” that inflation is sustainably declining before cutting interest rates. She did, however, lay out a few fundamental indicators she is watching.  In remarks to the Boston Economic Club, Collins said housing inflation was taking longer to come down than other categories and she wants to see more progress there. Consumers’ inflation expectations needed to remain “well anchored." Recent consumer confidence surveys have jumped as people start to feel better about inflation and the economy. Collins also said she is closely monitoring wages, pointing to data from Boston Fed economists. The data suggests “there is room for wages to catch up and continue increasing at a healthy pace for some time without necessarily spurring inflationary pressures” due to gains in productivity. However, she was looking to see declines in labor demand to help bring better balance. Employers continued to add more jobs than anticipated in January, while wages also surged.Inflation should continue to decline, so long as consumers begin to put away their wallets, Fed Governor Adriana Kugler told the Brookings Institute Wednesday.  

Veracyte Completes Acquisition of C2i Genomics

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT), a leading cancer diagnostics company, today announced it has completed its acquisition of C2i Genomics, Inc., adding whole-genome minimal residual disease (MRD) capabilities to its novel diagnostics platform and expanding the company’s ability to serve patients across the cancer care continuum. Bringing C2i Genomics’ technology and team into Veracyte will allow us to make significant advances in our vision to transform cancer care for patients all over the world,” said Marc Stapley, Veracyte’s chief executive officer. “C2i’s novel artificial intelligence-driven, whole-genome MRD platform will enable us to expand the value we deliver to clinicians and their patients, beginning with early cancer diagnosis and risk assessment, and now moving further along the patient journey into treatment monitoring and disease recurrence testing. C2i’s approach to MRD will expand the set of data and insights that can follow each patient throughout their care, and will also fuel new innovation.” Veracyte’s first application of C2i Genomics’ technology will be a muscle-invasive bladder cancer MRD test, where the company plans to leverage its strong urology commercial channel and a clear pathway to expected reimbursement. The company plans to develop further MRD tests in several of its focused indications. Veracyte (Nasdaq: VCYT) is a global diagnostics company whose vision is to transform cancer care for patients all over the world. We empower clinicians with the high-value insights they need to guide and assure patients at pivotal moments in the race to diagnose and treat cancer. Our Veracyte Diagnostics Platform delivers high-performing cancer tests that are fueled by broad genomic and clinical data, deep bioinformatic and AI capabilities, and a powerful evidence-generation engine, which ultimately drives durable reimbursement and guideline inclusion for our tests, along with new insights to support continued innovation and pipeline development. For more information, please visit www.veracyte.com and follow the company on Twitter (@veracyte).  

Royal ruckus as swan on track delays trains near London

An ‘unmarked’ swan created chaos along London’s railway system by taking residence on the tracks, bringing the entire train line to a standstill and pushing the boundaries of an age-old statute.Commuters attempting to depart from the London suburb of Bishop’s Stortford found themselves stranded as the swan confidently strutted about the tracks as if it were under royal ownership. As it turned out, it was. Instagram post breaks down the surprising ownership laws surrounding swans. In a nutshell: unmarked cygnet swans are Crown property, only the monarch can eat them (yes, seriously!) and nobles can mark them for ownership. Headed straight for Cambridge! Looks like the swan knew a thing or two about legal loopholes.After approximately 15 minutes, the swan grew tired and took flight, bringing relief to the disrupted railway operations. The video has gone viral now with over 53.8k views within a few hours.  

‘Bandh Karo’ slogan raised as IndiGo cancels Delhi to Deoghar flight. Watch

After IndiGo canceled a Delhi-Deoghar flight owing to bad weather, a number of enraged customers rallied inside the Delhi airport and chanted anti-airline slogans. The event took place on January 30. Travellers protested the airline’s decision to cancel a flight by congregating in front of the boarding gates in front of security guards.“Indigo flight 6E 2198 from Delhi to Deogarh was cancelled on Jan 30 and Jan 31, 2024 due to sudden drop in weather conditions around the airport in Deogarh. Passengers were served with refreshments and options to avail a full refund, alternate sectors or rescheduling,” stated the airline. “We regret the inconvenience caused due to factors beyond the airline’s control,” further mentioned the statement. “Why only Indigo has weather issues? As expected,” furiously commented users on the viral post. This is not the first instance; the airline has been under fire lately for poor customer service. On January 13, due to severe weather in Guwahati, IndiGo flight 5319 from Mumbai to Guwahati was rerouted to Dhaka, Bangladesh and an alternative crew was scheduled to handle the Dhaka – Guwahati flight due to operational considerations.Meanwhile, because of the heavy fog and poor visibility at the Delhi airport on January 30, Indigo airline had to cancel and postpone a number of flights. Indigo advised a notice on X (previously Twitter) that sated, “Due to forecasted bad weather, flight operations in Delhi, Srinagar and Chandigarh are likely to be impacted. Please keep a check on your flight status before leaving for the airport.”    

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Paytm Payments Bank Can Offer Services, Including Wallet, After Feb 29: RBI

Customers can, however, continue to utilise balances from their accounts, including savings and current "without restriction (and) up to their available" limit, the Reserve Bank order said.New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday barred Paytm Payments Bank Ltd from accepting deposits or allowing credit transactions, or top-ups, in customer accounts or prepaid instruments - such as wallets and FASTags - linked to those accounts, after February 29.In addition, the nodal accounts of Paytm's parent company, One97 Communications Ltd., and Paytm Payments Bank Ltd., or PBBL, have been terminated by the central bank. The RBI's order cited "persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank" that were flagged after a comprehensive audit of its systems by external parties.However, sources have told NDTV the Paytm app will continue to operate as normal, except for those linked to the Paytm Bank. These will only operate till February 29, or till the available balance is exhausted. Neither the company nor its founder/CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, have responded so far. All of this follows a March 2022 order in which PBBL was directed to stop taking onboard new customers "with immediate effect".Essentially the RBI action is against the banking operations of Paytm, meaning customers can continue to use Paytm as a digital payment option so long as their account is linked to an external bank.In December, One97 Communication laid off hundreds of employees across verticals after it began using AI, or Artificial Intelligence, to automate certain processes in a bid to up cost-cutting.    

Mani Shankar Aiyar, Daughter Told After Ram Temple Post

"We do not appreciate a resident rant which may disturb the peace in the colony or hurt religious sentiments of the residents," the notice read. New Delhi: Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and his daughter Suranya Aiyar have received a notice to vacate their home in Delhi's Jangpura over a social media post condemning the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22. The notice, sent by the Resident's Welfare Association (RWA) urges them to not indulge in rants which may disturb peace of hurt the religious sentiments of other residents."In case you think what you have done in protesting against the consecration of Ram mandir at Ayodhya, we would suggest you to kindly move out to another colony where people can turn blind eye to such hatred," it added.  Suranya Aiyar, in a Facebook post on January 20, had claimed that she is fasting in protest against the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Mandir. She said that the fast was an expression of love and sorrow to fellow Muslim citizens.In their response, RWA said, "What Ms Aiyar said through social media was unbecoming of an educated person, who should have understood that the Ram Mandir was being built after 500 years and that too after 5-0 Supreme Court verdict.""You might take the cover of freedom of speech but please remember as per Supreme Court of India freedom of speech cannot be absolute," it added.Mr Aiyar has been urged to condemn his daughter's post or leave the house.The association urged the Aiyars to not provoke people and create hatred and mistrust among citizens.    

Four killed by bomb explosion near Pakistan political rally

At least four people were killed Tuesday in a bombing near a Pakistan political rally, officials said, as the nation prepares to go to the polls next week.Police in the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta said a bomb planted on a motorbike detonated as supporters rallied for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan."The PTI rally was passing by there but it is not clear whether the rally was a target or not," senior police official Farhan Zahid told AFP.The 71-year-old former cricket star was ousted from office in 2022 and launched a campaign of defiance against Pakistan's military kingmakers, who he said conspired to end his premiership.Last year saw casualties hit a six-year high, with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.Islamabad has blamed the rise in attacks on the Taliban, saying they are not doing enough to root out militancy in Afghanistan. Waseem Baig, a provincial health department spokesman, said six people were wounded in addition to the four killed.In a statement, PTI said three of its activists were among the dead at the rally -- a convoy of motorbikes and cars parading through the city to curry support for a candidate ahead of national elections scheduled for February 8.A party spokesman told AFP it was too soon to say whether they had been deliberately targeted.The attack came just hours after PTI founder Khan was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of having leaked classified state documents.Khan and PTI say they are suffering under an unprecedented crackdown designed to prevent their return to power through the February 8 poll.Since then he has been buried under an avalanche of legal cases and barred from standing for office, whilst PTI has been largely squeezed out of the public sphere.Pakistan has also been suffering from a security crisis, with a dramatic uptick in militant attacks since the Taliban returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan.    

How to Ease Rising External Debt-Service Pressures in Low-Income Countries

WASHINGTON DC, Jan 29 (IPS) - As 2024 starts, the good news is that there haven’t been any notable requests by a low-income country for comprehensive debt relief since Ghana’s, more than a year ago. Despite this, vulnerabilities remain, with high debt servicing costs a growing challenge for low-income countries. Financing pressures due to relatively high interest payments and the pace at which low-income countries need to repay debt are straining budgets. That prevents these countries from spending more on essential services or the critical investment needed to attract business, create jobs, improve prosperity, and build climate resilience.One important metric is the share of revenues the government collects from its population through taxes and other fees that goes to pay its foreign creditors. While the scale of the burden differs greatly across countries, it’s generally about two and a half times higher than a decade earlier.In addition, central banks have significantly raised borrowing costs to tame inflation. That makes it costlier for governments to raise new debt or refinance existing debt. While central banks may be done raising rates, it is not clear when they will start to cut, and this uncertainty may be reflected in volatile financial market conditions. This means for a typical low-income borrower the share has risen to about 14 percent, from about 6 percent, and as much as 25 percent, from about 9 percent in some economies. This is one of the key indicators used in the framework for assessing debt sustainability that signals a country might be at risk of needing financial support from the IMF or of missing a debt payment.Low-income countries also have significant debt repayments falling due in the next two years. They need to refinance about $60 billion of external debt each year, about three times the average in the decade through 2020.But with many competing demands for financing, including from advanced and emerging market economies that are also trying to adapt to climate change, there’s a significant risk of a liquidity crunch—failure to raise sufficient financing at an affordable cost. That could in turn lead to a destabilizing debt crisis.One factor was higher government borrowing and deficits to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and other external economic shocks. This has increased the level of debt and consequently the cost of servicing it. It’s encouraging that this trend is reversing as countries bring primary deficits back in line with pre-pandemic levels.    

Snow Tales: Too Little, Too Late, Say Climate Experts

KARACHI, Jan 29 (IPS) - Whether the late snow in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region is an anomaly or an indication of the impacts of climate change, which brings erratic and at times devastating weather patterns, experts in the region believe not enough is being invested in the development of capacities, systems, and infrastructure to improve resilience. Alpine skier, 28-year-old Muhammad Karim, has spent the winter with his eyes skyward, wishing and hoping for deep and abundant snow.“My bread and butter depend on the snow,” said the Olympian, who is also a ski trainer, at Naltar Ski Resort, in the valley by the same name nestled in the Gilgit-Baltistan’s Karakoram mountain range.Without prolonged cold winter days to follow the snowfall, the snow will melt away, said Sarfaraz, continuing: “Nor will it compensate for the almost 80–90 percent less precipitation the country faced in December and January.”“Winter has been milder,” he said, due to the El Niño effect. The temperatures recorded by the seven weather stations, however, show “an increase by 0.5 degree Centigrade in the region, on average, since 1983, and a decrease of precipitation (rain and snow) by 8.4 mm,” said Shigri. Heading the ice-hockey and alpine skiing section run by the Ski Federation of Pakistan and with the national skiing competition looming just weeks away (held between February 14 and 20 in Naltar), Karim had been getting sleepless nights as it had not snowed after a slight sprinkling of “half an inch” in November, and there were chances the sporting event would be called off.But as predicted by the Meteorological Department, the snowfall began on January 28 and “will continue for a few days,” said Karachi-based Dr. Sardar Sarfaraz, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department. “It’s too light,” said Karim, talking to IPS over the phone from Naltar. “We are still uncertain about the event,” he added.This year has been quite unusual. It has been an almost snowless winter in the northern region of the Himalayan-Hindukush-Karakoram ranges.“We usually experience the first snowfall by the end of October in some parts of G-B, and this continues well into March,” said Shehzad Shigri, director of the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency, speaking to IPS from Gilgit city.    

Justice Department finds Cuomo sexually harassed employees and settles with New York state

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department concluded former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed more than a dozen state employees, according to a settlement announced Friday that confirmed allegations from the damaging misconduct probe that led to the Democrat’s resignation. The settlement between New York and the Justice Department resolves the federal agency’s sexual harassment investigation of Cuomo and outlines additional steps the state will take to change how it handles misconduct complaints.  Cuomo, once a rising star in the Democratic party, left office in 2021 after a report by Attorney General Letitia James concluded he sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has denied wrongdoing and argued James’ report was driven by politics, intended to force him from office so she could run for governor. The Justice Department investigation found a similar pattern of sexual misconduct by Cuomo and said he subjected at least 13 state employees to a sexually hostile work environment. It said Cuomo’s staffers failed to adequately report allegations and retaliated against four women who raised complaints. The agency did not release a full report detailing its investigation but instead published a list of its findings.An attorney for Cuomo said in a statement that the former governor did not sexually harass anyone.  “The DOJ ‘investigation’ was based entirely on the NYS Attorney General’s deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and misleading report. At no point did DOJ even contact Governor Cuomo concerning these matters. This is nothing more than a political settlement with no investigation,” said Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin.The settlement undercut Cuomo’s long-standing criticism of James’ probe at a sensitive time, with the former governor rumored to be considering a political comeback.  “Today, the U.S. Department of Justice found that Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and created a hostile work environment, confirming what the New York attorney general’s independent report found over two years ago,” a spokesperson for James said. “Andrew Cuomo can continue to deny the truth and attack these women, but the facts do not lie.”    

Prominent celebrity lawyer pleads guilty to leaking documents to reporters in Fugees rapper’s case

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent defense attorney whose star clients have included Snoop Dogg pleaded guilty Friday to leaking grand jury information to reporters about a political conspiracy case against a rapper from the Fugees. David Kenner, a California-based attorney known for his representation of celebrities like Suge Knight and Tory Lanez, was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor contempt of court charge. He also agreed to pay a $5,000 fine.  Federal prosecutors say Kenner was representing Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a founding member of the Fugees, when he gave grand jury information and photos to two reporters for Bloomberg News for “defense-oriented” stories that ran in March 2023, shortly before the start of the Washington, D.C. trial. Michel’s trial included testimony from such figures as actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. As is typical in criminal cases, Kenner had gotten access to evidence in order to prepare Michel’s defense, but had been ordered by the court not to share the information, prosecutors said. Kenner’s attorney said in court documents that the reporters originally agreed to sign a protective order, but later changed their minds. A Bloomberg News spokesperson declined to comment.Kenner, 82, told the judge who sentenced him that he was reckless for not taking steps to terminate the reporters’ access to grand jury information. He described it as a “low point” in his 56-year legal career.  

The largest cruise ship in the world sets sail, raising concerns about methane emissions

New York: The largest cruise ship in the world is scheduled to set sail for the first time on Saturday, but environmental organizations fear that the ship, which will be powered by liquefied natural gas, as well as future enormous cruise ships, will leak toxic methane into the atmosphere.Taking advantage of the rising popularity of cruises, Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas, with a capacity of 8,000 passengers across 20 decks, sets sail from Miami.   Although LNG burns more cleanly than conventional marine fuel and carries a higher risk of methane emissions, the ship is designed to run on LNG. Because of its short-term negative effects, environmental groups claim that methane leakage from ship engines poses an intolerable risk to the climate.   "It's a step in the wrong direction," declared Bryan Comer, the head of the Marine Program at the environmental policy think tank, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)."We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil," he stated. Methane has warming effects that are 80 times worse over 20 years than those of carbon dioxide, so reducing emissions is essential to slowing the rise in global temperatures.   Industry experts claim that low-pressure, dual-fuel engines found in cruise ships such as Icon of the Seas cause "methane slip," or the release of methane into the atmosphere during combustion. Although they are too tall to fit in a cruise ship, two additional engines that are used on bulk carriers or container ships produce less methane.   According to Royal Caribbean, the new ship is 24% more carbon-efficient than what the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global regulator of shipping, requires.   The majority of the world's shipping fleet runs on very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), which produces more greenhouse emissions than LNG, according to Steve Esau, chief operating officer of Sea-LNG, an industry advocacy group.   It is "important to make sure that all the natural gas is converted to energy," according to Juha Kytola, director of R&D and Engineering at Wartsila, the company that created the engines on cruise ships. Cruise engines use natural gas to generate power in a cylinder.   He added that Wartsila's natural gas engine technology emits 90% less methane than it did twenty to thirty years ago. What is not converted can escape during the combustion process and into the atmosphere, he said. According to research conducted in 2024 and supported by the ICCT and other partners, the average methane slip in cruise ship engines is estimated to be 6.4%. Methane slip is assumed by the IMO to be 3.5%.   "Methane is coming under more scrutiny," stated Anna Barford, a nonprofit organization's Canada shipping campaigner, pointing out that the IMO stated last summer that addressing methane emissions is part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   Sixty-three percent of the 54 ships scheduled for delivery between January 2024 and December 2028 are anticipated to run on LNG, as reported by the Cruise Line International Association. Approximately six percent of the 300 cruise ships in operation today run on LNG.   Modern cruise ships are being built to run on LNG, conventional marine gas oil, or bio-LNG, which is an alternative that makes up very little of the fuel used in the United States.   According to Nick Rose, vice president of environmental, social, and governance at Royal Caribbean, the company will switch up its fuel mix as the market changes.          

Share Market Highlights 24 January 2024:

Sensex, Nifty updates on 24 January 2024: India’s equity markets are volatile on Wednesday. The ​BSE Sensex​ rose 689.75 pts or 0.98% to close at 71,060.31. The ​NSE Nifty​ jumped 215.15 pts or 1.01% to close at 21,453.95. Analysts anticipated sustained selling pressure from foreign portfolio investors, emphasizing the significance of upcoming results and heightened volatility during the monthly F&O settlement. Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Retail Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, highlighted caution in global sentiments due to Fitch Group’s warning about the impact on South Asian economies and increased hostilities in the Red Sea. Technical analyst Pravesh Gour noted Nifty’s breakdown, signalling potential testing at 50-DMA at 21000, while Bank Nifty faces hurdles and support challenges.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Market Update: Sensex surges 690 points to reclaim 71k leve Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by one per cent on Wednesday after sliding for the past two sessions, propelled by bargain hunting in metal, commodity, and telecom stocks. Currency Market Live Updates: Rupee ends slightly higher, aided by yuan’s uptick, dollar’s slip. The rupee ended marginally higher on Wednesday, aided by a slight uptick in the offshore Chinese yuan and a pullback in the dollar index.The rupee ended at 83.1225 against the US dollar, compared with its close at 83.15 in the previous session.Bharat Dynamics reported its standalone net profit for the quarter ended December 2023 at ₹135.03 crore as against ₹83.74 crore in December 2022. The stock closed at ₹1,696.50 on the NSE, up by 1.61%.“The market rebounded from yesterday’s sell-off taking cues from global peers. The sentiment was reinforced by the PBOC’s 0.5% cut in reserve ratio to boost growth and financial liquidity. However, overall sentiment is muted as concerns persist on FIIs selling due to premium valuations in India and below expectation Q3 earnings so far.”