Anti-Adani protesters invade ground during India-Australia match, posters read ‘No $1BN Adani Loan’
The first ODI between India and Australia was briefly stopped on Friday after a couple of anti-Adani protesters entered the Sydney Cricket Ground carrying placard that read, “No $1 bn Adani Loan.” The protesters in question wore T-shirts that carried the “Stop Adani” logo.
It took quite a while before the security personnel managed to escort the anti-Adani protesters out of the stadium. ‘Stop Adani’ campaigners in Australia have been calling on the State Bank of India not to fund Adani‘s Australian coal mine project believed to be to the tune of $1 billion.
This came hours after the Twitter handle of ‘Stop Adani’ called on its volunteers residing in the vicinity of the SCG to come together ‘THIS FRIDAY for a day of action on @TheOfficialSBI at the opening game of the Aus V India Cricket Tour! “With Indian and Australian media focused on the cricket, this is our chance to put the Adani loan on the agenda,” it tweeted.
Adani Group’s owner, Gautam Adani, is believed to be a close friend of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His coal mine project in Australia has faced massive protests from Australians for several years now.
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Karnataka new excise policy: Local liquor to get costlier, premium may get cheaper
Bengaluru: The state government on Monday rolled out a new excise policy that shifts from the decades-old bulk litre-based system to a model based on alcohol content in beverages, Deccan Herald reported.
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to adopt this model. The change is expected to make lower-priced liquor costlier, while some premium brands may see a reduction in prices.
A senior Excise Department official said: “The policy is being implemented from today (May 11). The Karnataka Excise (Excise Duty and Charges) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified after a public consultation on a draft released on April 18, slashes the number of excise slabs from 16 to 8.”
Local liquor manufacturers have alleged that the policy favours multinational companies producing beer and spirits over domestic distilleries.
According to the Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association (KBDA), the first five slabs, which cater to the common man, house the maximum number of state-owned distilleries and contribute nearly 70-75% of the state’s excise revenue, have seen their Additional Excise Duty (AED) rise by 20-30%.
In contrast, slabs 6 to 8, which include products from multinational companies such as United Spirits, Bacardi, Heineken, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch, have seen AED reduced by 10-15%. The association said that while larger companies can absorb pricing shifts across their diverse portfolios, smaller regional distilleries limited to budget liquor may face volume contraction and potential closure.
A senior KBDA member said the price of a 180 ml bottle in the lowest slab, which was around Rs 63 last year, has already risen to Rs 80, and the new policy is set to push that price further to Rs 105 a jump driven by a 42.8% tax bracket.
