
Telangana CM mourns Achuthanandan's demise, hails his legacy
In a post on 'X', the Telangana CMO said Reddy recalled that Achuthanandan, who rose through the ranks from labour movements to become a prominent public figure, had rendered invaluable service to Kerala's progress during his tenure as chief minister.
Offering prayers for the departed soul, Reddy extended his condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family.
Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected Communist leaders and a towering figure in Kerala's political history, passed away, at the age of 101.
He died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram while undergoing treatment following a cardiac arrest. PTI VVK GDK SSK VVK SSK KH
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra: US Fed chair doing good job, central bank independence important
AMID THE ongoing feud between US President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday appreciated the Fed chair for doing a 'good job'. 'I don't think he needs advice. I think he is doing a very good job. Maintaining the independence of the central bank is very important. I think he has done a commendable job,' Malhotra said on Friday, when asked what advice he would give Powell to deal with Trump. He was responding to a question asked by Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, at the Financial Express Modern BFSI Summit in Mumbai. 'I may mention that we were there in the IFMC about a couple of months ago in Washington, where the finance ministers and central bankers of the top 30-40 countries were present. And every governor and finance minister gets a chance to speak on the economy and what's required to be done. There were some 40-50 speakers. Jerome Powell was also there and he spoke about what he was doing about central bank independence, and out of everyone, he was the only one who got a roaring applause. No one else,' Malhotra recalled. Since taking over as the US President in January this year, Trump has targeted Powell repeatedly. He has criticised Powell for not cutting interest rates, and called him a 'numbskull'. Last month, Trump said he was considering the possibility of replacing Powell and had three-four potential candidates. On Thursday, Trump and Powell sparred over the renovation costs of the Federal Reserve's headquarters in Washington. Earlier in the day, at a fireside chat with Shyamal Majumdar, Editor, Financial Express, the RBI Governor said the war against inflation is an ongoing process and the central bank would continue to keep an eye on it. He said the RBI was soon going to come out with a discussion paper on flexible inflation targeting (FIT) framework, which is due for a review. Headline inflation, as measured by y-o-y changes in the all-India consumer price index (CPI), declined to 2.1 per cent in June 2025, the lowest since January 2019, compared to 2.8 per cent in May. Retail inflation remained below the 4 per cent target for the fifth consecutive month in June. 'It's (inflation below 4 per cent) not a permanent victory. It is a victory, it's a battle won, but the war against inflation continues. We never let our eyes off inflation. Our primary objective is to maintain price stability,' Malhotra said when asked about his major worry now that the RBI seems to have won the war against inflation. Malhotra said the RBI's other objective was growth, which is also a prerequisite for a stable economy. 'History tells us (that in) various economies, wherever there has been very high volatility and inflation, growth has suffered,' he said. To a question on what the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) philosophy would be when it is certain that inflation is going to be below 3.7 per cent in FY2026, he said the rate-setting panel would look at the data that comes in and take a final call. 'Even though 3.7 per cent is the average (inflation) for this year (FY26), the Q4 (estimate of 4.4 per cent) may be revised downwards, given the fact that the numbers that are coming in are lower than what we had projected even for Q1. We will see how it (Q4 inflation print) gets revised. So, monetary policy, being data-driven, will be guided by the revised numbers, if any,' he said. He reiterated that the change in monetary policy stance to 'neutral' in the June policy gives the MPC the flexibility to move interest rates in either direction, or even to go for a pause. His statement comes a few days ahead of the next monetary policy meeting, scheduled on August 4-6. Asked if a rate cut in the near future was not ruled out, Malhotra said it was for the monetary policy committee to decide. He, however, highlighted that a neutral stance does not mean a reversal of the easing policy, a rate cut can still be there. 'We have the flexibility to move up, down, or pause. Yes, it does mean that the bar for further easing is higher than it would have been if it was accommodative, which was a clear signal for further easing,' he said. Malhotra described the flexible inflation targeting (FIT) framework as a success, because it has resulted in a moderation in inflation to an average of 4.9 per cent since the regime's introduction in 2016. Under this framework, the RBI has been mandated by the government to maintain CPI at 4 per cent with a band of +/-2 per cent. He said the framework is due for a review, and the RBI will soon be coming out with a discussion paper on it. The government, in consultation with the RBI, revisits the inflation target under the FIT regime every five years. 'We will invite suggestions from all the stakeholders, and will give our comments to the government. The final call has to be taken by the government as to what the particular target or the benchmark should be for the flexible inflation targeting,' he said. On tepid growth in bank credit and private investments, Malhotra said the monetary transmission is happening and this will support growth in the near term. The MPC has cut the repo rate — the key policy rate — by 100 bps between February-June 2025. The repo rate was reduced by 25 bps each in February and April monetary policy meetings, and by 50 bps in the June policy. 'Within two months of our 50 basis point cut (25 bps each in February and April policy), the whole of the monetary policy transmission has happened. So all these things will actually help further in improving credit and improving growth,' he said. Like for corporates, Malhotra also expressed reservations about allowing non-banking financial companies into the banking space. He said the eligibility criteria for a company or for an NBFC is not very different. 'If a large industrial house is doing financial activities and real economy activities within the same group, there is an inherent conflict of interest, with the group actually dealing with the money of the depositors. So those concerns are valid, and they continue to remain,' he said, when asked if the RBI was open to allowing NBFCs to enter the banking space. He noted that there was no proposal at present to allow corporates, whether through NBFCs or as an individual company, to get a banking licence. Malhotra welcomed the India-United Kingdom (UK) bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), saying the deal would give a boost to the domestic manufacturing and services sectors. 'Hopefully it (India-UK free trade agreement) should help us. I think that is the way going forward now, because unfortunately multilateralism seems to have taken a back seat. So I think in that sense, it's good that we already have one FTA in place,' Malhotra said. He also emphasised the need for more such deals and said the agreement with the US is in advanced stages.


News18
21 minutes ago
- News18
A look at status of US executions in 2025
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Washington, Jul 26 (AP) Twenty-six men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 10 other people are scheduled to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025. The next scheduled execution is in Florida, when a man who killed his wife and two children is set to be put to death July 31. Florida also was the last state to execute someone, when Michael Bernard Bell died by lethal injection on July 15. Meanwhile, Florida recently set its 10th execution of the year when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for a man who abducted a woman from an insurance office and killed her 42 years ago. Kayle Bates is scheduled to be executed in August. Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Utah also have scheduled executions for later this year. Executions have been carried out this year in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The number of executions this year exceeds the 25 executions carried out last year and in 2018. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death. The uptick in executions can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done, said John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. A sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office aimed at urging prosecutors to seek the death penalty and preserving capital punishment in the states also may have fueled the increase, Blume said. All but one execution this year has occurred in states run by Republican governors, with Arizona the exception. Here's a look at recent executions and those scheduled for the rest of the year, by state: Florida Edward J. Zakrzewski is scheduled to be put to death in Florida on July 31 for killing his wife and two young children in 1994 after she sought a divorce. He eventually turned himself into law enforcement after the case was profiled on the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries." Bates, 67, who is scheduled to be executed Aug. 19, was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White. Tennessee Byron Black, 69, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Aug. 5. Black was convicted in 1989 of three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two daughters in Nashville. Black's lawyer asked a judge to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to deactivate an implanted defibrillation device similar to a pacemaker in the moments before his execution. A Tennessee judge ruled Tuesday that the state can deactivate the heart-regulating device at a hospital on the morning of his execution, rather than bringing a doctor or technician into the execution chamber. Black's motion related to his heart device came within a general challenge he and other death row inmates filed against the state's new execution protocol, which took effect this year. The trial isn't until 2026. Harold Nichols, 64, is also scheduled to die by lethal injection on Dec. 11. Nichols was convicted of rape and first-degree felony murder in the 1988 death of Karen Pulley in Hamilton County. Alabama An Alabama judge has postponed the execution of David Lee Roberts, who had been scheduled to be put to death by nitrogen gas Aug. 21. Roberts was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992 while he was a houseguest at Jones' boyfriend's home in Marion County. Prosecutors said Roberts packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head while she slept on the couch. Roberts set fire to the home to hide evidence. A Marion County judge issued a stay so Roberts can have a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is too mentally ill to be put to death. The execution will be on hold at least until a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health is finished. Geoffrey T. West, 49, is scheduled to die by nitrogen gas on Sept. 25 for the killing of convenience store clerk Margaret Parrish Berry during a 1997 robbery in Attalla. If carried out, it would be the nation's sixth execution by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year as an alternative to lethal injection. The method involves supplying nitrogen gas via a respirator mask to an inmate, causing the person to lose consciousness and die from a lack of oxygen. Utah Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, is scheduled to die by firing squad on Sept. 5. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977. Menzies, who has dementia, has been on death row for 37 years for abducting and killing mother of three Maurine Hunsaker, 26, in 1986. Judge Matthew Bates signed the death warrant a month after he ruled Menzies 'consistently and rationally" understands why he is facing execution despite recent cognitive decline. Attorneys for Menzies have petitioned the court for a reassessment. Texas Blaine Milam, 35, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Sept. 25. Milam was convicted of killing his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter during what the couple had said was part of an 'exorcism" in Rusk County in East Texas in 2008. Milam's girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, was also convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Robert Roberson is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16. Roberson, 58, could become the first person in the U.S. to be put to death for a murder conviction tied to shaken baby syndrome. He was convicted of the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. Prosecutors argued he violently shook his daughter back and forth, causing severe head trauma. His lawyers and some medical experts say his daughter died not from abuse but from complications related to pneumonia. Indiana Indiana set a tentative execution date of Oct. 10 for Roy Lee Ward, who was convicted of raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in 2001. But that date could change. Missouri Lance C. Shockley is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 14, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Shockley was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dewayne Graham outside his home in Carter County in 2005. Testimony at the trial indicated Graham was killed because he was investigating Shockley for involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. Ohio Earlier this year, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine postponed five executions scheduled for 2025. All five have been delayed until 2028. top videos View all In postponing the executions, DeWine has cited the state's inability to secure the drugs used in lethal injections due to pharmaceutical suppliers' unwillingness. DeWine has said that he does not anticipate any further executions will happen during his term, which runs through 2026. (AP) AS AS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 04:15 IST News agency-feeds A look at status of US executions in 2025 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
Ceasefire With Pakistan Was Bilateral Decision, MEA Tells Parliament, Rejects Trump's Claims
Last Updated: Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh categorically denied any US role in facilitating the ceasefire Amid claims by US President Donald Trump that he was solely responsible for brokering peace between India and Pakistan, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has clarified in Parliament that the ceasefire agreement of May 10 was entirely a bilateral decision reached after direct military-level talks initiated by Pakistan. Responding to a series of pointed questions from Congress MP Mohammed Javed, TMC MP Mala Roy, and others, the MEA laid out a detailed timeline of events. It stated that by May 8, India had successfully achieved its primary military objectives, including dismantling terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. From April 22 to May 10, Indian diplomats engaged in consultations with several global partners, including the United States. However, India consistently communicated that its actions were strategic, deliberate, and aimed at avoiding unnecessary escalation. Crucially, on May 9, Indian officials informed US Vice President JD Vance that any large-scale retaliation from Pakistan would be met with a firm and decisive Indian response. In Parliament, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh categorically denied any US role in facilitating the ceasefire. He dismissed Trump's repeated assertions as baseless, including the claim that India's restraint was influenced by prospective trade deals with the US. Singh underlined that India's position on Kashmir remains unchanged—that it is a bilateral issue not open to third-party mediation, a message also conveyed to the United States President. The clarification comes after Trump, in numerous public appearances and campaign events in the US, claimed credit for 'bringing peace" to South Asia. He suggested his intervention helped prevent war and hinted that trade negotiations may have influenced India's decision to de-escalate. These claims ignited a political debate within India. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, questioned whether India's strategic autonomy had been compromised. In response, external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar firmly rejected the allegations and reiterated that India's military and diplomatic decisions were entirely self-driven. The ceasefire came after Operation Sindoor, India's swift military response targeting terror infrastructure across the LoC and deep inside PoJK, following the Pahalgam terror attack. The government has emphasised that the ceasefire was declared only after its objectives were met, and not due to any external pressures. view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 04:04 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.