China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days, while announcing sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her visit to the self-governing island earlier this week.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a sit-in protest outside the AICC headquarters here on Friday as part of the party's nationwide stir against price rise, the GST hike on essential items and unemployment.

Wearing black clothes, Congress MPs, led by party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex on Friday as they marched towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan as part of their nationwide stir against price rise, the GST hike on essential items and unemployment.

The price of cooking gas piped to household kitchens in the national capital and adjoining cities was hiked by Rs 2.63 per unit on Friday, the second increase in rates in less than two weeks.

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday retained its growth projection at 7.2 per cent for the current fiscal as it sees improvement in urban demand and gradual recovery in rural India aided by normal monsoon.

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that India is witnessing the "death of democracy" and anybody who stands against the onset of dictatorship is "viciously attacked".

The federal government declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak that has infected more than 7,100 Americans.

 The Delhi Police has denied permission to the Congress for holding a protest in the national capital on Friday, citing that prohibitory orders are in place in New Delhi district, officials said.