SENATE ACQUITS TRUMP OF ALL CHARGES OF IMPEACHMENT

WASHINGTON: The Republican-led USSenateonWednesday acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, handing him a major political victory monthsaheadoftheNovember3 presidential election.

The Senate voted 52-48 to clear him of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress, the two charges he was facing.

Even as the outcome was largely a foregone conclusion, Republican senator Mitt Romney unexpectedly voted against Trumponthefirstimpeachment charge, abuse of power. Romney was the only Republican to vote against Trump.

In his first public remarks since being acquitted by the Senate, the US President said on Thursday he suffered a “terrible ordeal”.

NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India(RBI)onThursdaykeptpolicy rates unchanged for the second time in a row as it saw inflation“elevatedandonarisingtrajectory” until March — a move that came amid concerns of a sluggisheconomyandincreased risks owing to global fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

All six members of the MonetaryPolicyCommittee(MPC),led by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das, unanimously decided to maintaintherepurchaseorrepo rate at 5.15%, while striking a noteof caution on the state of the economy.

The MPC, however, retained itsaccommodativestance,which means that interest rates can be

THE MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE DECIDED TO MAINTAIN THE REPO RATE AT 5.15%, WHILE STRIKING A NOTE OF CAUTION ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY

loweredinthe future. Itsaid that “the economy continues to be weak”, even as it has projected a 6% GDP growth rate for 2020-21. TheRBI’sConsumerConfidence Survey(CCS)showsacontinued deteriorationinconsumersentiment, despite other high-frequency economic indicators showing an improvement in December and January.