Elon Musk called for the impeachment of US President Donald Trump and announced the decommissioning of the vital SpaceX programme after accusing that Trump’s name is in the Epstein files, according to media reports.

“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,” Musk said in a post on X.

According to a report from US media outlet, the Dragon spacecraft is important as it earlier enabled the return of the two NASA astronauts who got stuck on the International Space Station for nine months. Additionally, it is also crucial for transporting cargo and people to the International Space Station.

Space X said that the Dragon spacecraft is “the only spacecraft currently flying that is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth”.

Statins, typically used to lower blood pressure may also help lower the risk of death among patients suffering from deadly sepsis by 39 per cent, according to a study on Friday.

Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection, causing such a strong inflammatory response that vital organs begin to shut down. It is life-threatening, as in about 15 per cent of cases, sepsis worsens into septic shock, characterised by dangerously low blood pressure and reduced blood flow to tissues.

The risk of death from septic shock is even higher, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent.

The finance ministry here vowed on Friday to enhance communications with the United States to strengthen mutual understanding and trust regarding foreign exchange rate policies.

The pledge came after the U.S. Treasury Department kept South Korea on its monitoring list for currency practices. Seoul was reinstated on the list in November 2024 after being removed in November 2023 for the first time since April 2016.

"We will continue to expand mutual understanding and trust regarding exchange rate policies through regular communication with the U.S. Treasury Department," the ministry said in a press release, reports news agency.

"Ongoing discussions between the Korean and U.S. financial authorities on exchange rate issues will also be conducted thoroughly," it added.

The domestic benchmark indices opened flat on Friday ahead of the key RBI monetary policy committee (MPC) decision on the repo rate, as buying was seen in the IT and PSU bank sectors in the early trade.

In today’s monetary policy, the RBI is likely to cut policy rates by 25 bps, which has already been factored in by the stock market.

At around 9.23 am, Sensex was trading 82.43 points or 0.10 per cent down at 81,359.61 while the Nifty declined 7.70 point or 0.03 per cent at 24,743.20

Nifty Bank was up 4.85 points or 0.01 per cent at 55,765.70. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 58,449.25 after rising 146.25 points or 0.25 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,498.10 after climbing 65.50 points or 0.36 per cent.

According to analysts, more important will be the RBI commentary on growth and inflation projections for FY26.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday released the list of 40 star campaigners for the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, including Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann.

Besides Kejriwal and Mann, the list includes AAP Punjab In-charge Manish Sisodia, former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Sunita Kejriwal, former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain, Rakhi Birla, AAP Punjab President Aman Arora, and Working President Amansher Singh Shery Kalsi.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today actively campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate Sanjeev Arora in the Haibowal and Gopal Nagar areas of Ludhiana West assembly constituency. The campaign was supported by prominent leaders including Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, MLAs Gurpreet Singh Banawali and Chaudhary Madan Lal Bagga, Ludhiana Mayor, councilors, and other AAP MLAs.

Addressing massive gatherings, CM Bhagwant Mann emphasized the need for clean politics and people-centric governance. He appealed to voters to elect AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora in the Ludhiana West by-election to ensure the continuation of development initiatives. CM Mann’s speech focused on empowering youth, women, and common families while strongly criticizing political opponents for their failures.

CM Mann lauded the large turnout of women, calling it a source of inspiration. He urged women to actively participate in politics, stating, “If a home cannot run without women, how can a country?” He highlighted the need for their involvement in addressing social and political issues.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday said that the Sikhiya Kranti initiative, launched by his government to revitalize the education sector, is once again enabling the state to produce achievers on a daily basis.

Addressing a gathering while felicitating 44 students from government schools who cleared the prestigious JEE Advanced examination, the Chief Minister said that the students of Punjab possess an indomitable spirit to succeed. He added that the Sikhiya Kranti has provided them with the necessary support to excel in various fields. “These students are now scripting new success stories every day and bringing laurels to the state,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the primary aim of Sikhiya Kranti is to make Punjab a frontrunner in the field of education. He expressed immense pride and satisfaction that the initiative is yielding outstanding results, with students proving their mettle across domains. Bhagwant Singh Mann assured that Punjab will continue to introduce educational reforms to further empower the youth.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday exhorted the newly selected candidates of Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) to lead by example and become the brand ambassadors of the rich culture and heritage of the state across the country.

Interacting with 26 newly selected candidates here at his official residence today, the Chief Minister congratulated the candidates for their resounding success, which he attributed to their hard work, commitment and perseverance. He said that now when these candidates have been selected they will be allotted cadres and postings as per their merit. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that wherever these candidates should go and get postings they must spread the fragrance of their native state at their workplace.

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir are embarking on their first tour of England on Thursday night -- Gill on his maiden tour as Test captain, while Gambhir will be going there for the first time as head coach. And to make matters worse for both of them, Team India is taking up the big challenge of a five-Test tour without players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have announced their retirement from Test cricket just before the tour.

So, the first question thrown at the new India captain was whether he is facing any extra pressure because it is his first tour as captain, and that too without stalwarts like Rohit and Virat.

But Gill met it with a straight bat. He said he is not under any extra pressure and expressed confidence that his team will do well on the tour, which starts with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on June 20.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, while expressing profound grief over the death of seven persons in Rewa, has announced a financial support of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the deceased.

He has also announced financial support of Rs 50,000 to each of the injured persons in the accident.

He announced the support through his X handle, “Tragedy struck near Sohagi village in Rewa district when a truck carrying cement pillars overturned onto an auto carrying devotees from Nai Garhi, Mauganj district. The group had been returning from Prayagraj after performing a sacred Ganga bath. The devastating accident claimed seven lives and left three others injured. In response to this heart-breaking accident, the Madhya Pradesh government has extended its support to the affected families. Authorities have directed that financial aid be provided—Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained serious injuries.”