Retail inflation eases
rural areas at 7.91 per cent compared to 9.02 per cent in the urban centres of the country.
The latest data showed that inflation in ‘oils and fats’, ‘pulses and products’, spices, fruits, and vegetables segments was lower in January 2024 compared to December 2023.
However, inflation was marginally higher in the ‘fuel and light’, ‘clothing and footwear’, ‘cereals and products’, ‘meat and fish’, and eggs segments on a month-on-month basis.
As per the data, inflation was more than the national average of 5.1 per cent in Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The lowest reltail inflation in January this year was in Delhi at 2.56 per cent.
The government has mandated the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure CPI remains at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on the either side.
Last week, RBI projected a lower inflation of 4.5 per cent in the next financial year, compared to 5.4 per cent in 2023-24, provided there is normal monsoon.
NSO collects price data from selected 1,114 urban markets and 1,181 villages covering all States/UTs on a weekly basis.
In January 2024, NSO collected prices from 99.8 per cent villages and 98.5 per cent urban markets.
killed, according to Israeli authorities. In addition to the thousands killed, Israeli’s retaliatory air and ground offensive has displaced over 80 per cent of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis.
Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about
100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, and Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on October 7 or died in captivity.
Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army after escaping their captors in December.
“Only the continuation of the military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our captives,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a secondfloor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 am Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said the hostages were being guarded by armed Hamas militants and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with Hamas gunmen.
The hostages were taken to a nearby “safe area,” given a quick medical check and airlifted to Sheba Medical Center in central Israel. Their medical condition was reported to be good.
They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely; a female soldier was rescued in November.
The airstrikes that backed up the Israeli forces hit the jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, said at least 67 people were killed in the strikes.
Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble; an Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
Footage circulating on social media from Rafah’s Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting.
The wounded were seen lying on the hospital floor as medics tried to treat them. One wounded man was on the ground with two bloodied children lying beside him. “Rescue the girl,” he screamed.
A young man was also seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war.