Will continue playing Hanuman Chalisa at mosques, not 1-day event: Raj Thackeray

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Will continue playing Hanuman Chalisa at mosques, not 1-day event: Raj Thackeray, LIC IPO booked over 30% so far, bids to stay open Saturday for retail investors, India wants Russia to sell its oil at less than $70 per barrel: report, and other top news in this bulletin.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday said that playing Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques is not a one-day affair, it will go on until the government addresses the situation according to what the Supreme Court has said about loudspeakers. This is not a religious issue at all and a social issue, which has to be understood first, the MNS chief said adding that when repeated appeals do not work, protest is the only way. “As far as I know, there are over 1,500 mosques in Mumbai. Out of these, 135 mosques played azaan at 5am violating the guidelines. I want to ask the police what action you will be taking against these mosques. Or, actions are only to be taken against our workers,” Raj Thackeray said addressing a press meeting at his residence in Mumbai. ‘In Mumbai itself, over 140 MNS workers have been detained by Mumbai police for doing what administration was supposed to do,” the MNS chief said adding that he and his party is not against legal loudspeakers. On the other hand, his protest is against illegal loudspeakers at temples as well. “My point is that all illegal loudspeakers should be removed from mosques. Until they are removed, we will continue our agitations. According to Supreme Court ruile, the loudspeaker should not exceed 45-55 decibel which is the sound mixer-grinder in our kitchen makes,” Raj Thackeray said. India’s largest initial public offering, which is expected to fetch 210 billion rupees ($2.7 billion), started taking orders from individuals and other categories after attracting anchor investors including sovereign funds from Norway and Singapore. Retail investors can place their orders for shares of state-controlled Life Insurance Corporation of India until May 9. The milestone deal, slashed by more than half in size amid the war in Ukraine and rising interest rates worldwide, is key for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve his fiscal deficit target. Loyal policyholders and retail investors with an emotional attachment to India’s oldest insurer are likely to prop up demand for shares in the company, which could be valued at around 6 trillion rupees, putting it among the top five on the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex index.As of 12:21 p.m. local time on Wednesday, about 30% of the portion reserved to retail investors had been sold, according to data provided to local exchanges. And all of the issue kept for policyholders was sold. The LIC IPO will also take subscriptions even on Saturday, an unusual move aimed at attracting investors including retail buyers for the nation’s biggest share sale. European Union countries will stop importing Russian oil and refined products, the head of the bloc’s executive European Commission said on Wednesday in proposing a sixth round of sanctions against Moscow for waging a war on Ukraine. “We will phase out Russian supply of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year,” Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament, prompting applause from lawmakers. “This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined.” “It will not be easy. Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil. But we simply have to work on it,” von der Leyen said of the proposal, which requires approval from all 27 EU countires to take effect. The European Commission has proposed sanctions against Credit Bank of Moscow and the Russian Agricultural Bank.If the proposal is approved, the three banks would be excluded from the SWIFT banking system, the source said, complicating their transactions with other lenders. India is trying to convince Russia to offer deeper discounts on crude oil – Delhi is looking to pay less than $70 per barrel – to offset risks in dealing with the OPEC+ producer in light of increasingly harsh financial sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Sources told Bloomberg discounts are being sought to compensate for hurdles like securing financing for purchases. Bloomberg said the Indian government did not immediately comment. At the time of writing, global benchmark Brent is trading near $108 a barrel, down from a high of nearly $130 a barrel in the war’s initial days. Indian refiners – state and private – have bought over 40 million barrels of discounted Russia crude since Vladimir Putin launched his ‘special military op’ against Ukraine February 24, Bloomberg said. Last month too Russia offered India discounts on a fixed one-time purchase of 15 million barrels. Total purchases are significant in volume – 20 per cent more than Russia-India flows in 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations from trade ministry data. The purchases have also invited pointed remarks from the West, including the United States and the European Union, but those were countered by the government pointing out the EU too had bought more from Russia and that India welcomed competitive offers to meet domestic demand. On Wednesday, filmmaker Karan Johar announced that there will be no new season of his talk show Koffee With Karan. The final season of the show was premiered in 2019. Karan’s announcement comes a few days after people on internet started speculating about the guests of the next season. Sharing a note, Karan wrote, “Hello, Koffee With Karan has been a part of my life and yours, for 6 seasons now. I’d like to think we made an impact and even found our place in pop culture history. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Koffee With Karan will not be returning. -Karan Johar.” One person commented, “End of an era.” Another one said, “Karan rulaoge kya (Karan do you wanna make us cry)?” While one requested, “Oh please! Come for the seventh season,” along with crying emojis, another one wrote, “Is there a twist? Is it true? What is happening?” One said, “That’s really sad! KWK was and will always be an iconic guilty pleasure for man,” another one asked, “But why?? It was an excellent show.” The first season of the talk show premiered in 2004, with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as guests. Over the span of 15 years, celebrities such as, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Twinkle Khanna, Rani Mukerji, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Ekta Kapoor, John Abraham, Lara Dutta and many more came on the show as guests.