Latest news LIVE: Goa Speaker says he has accepted merger of CLP into BJP

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3:01 PM

PM Modi to release cheetahs brought from Namibia in MP's Kuno National Park

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release cheetahs brought from Namibia in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Saturday as part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify the country's wildlife and habitat, his office said.

 

Cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. The cheetahs that would be released are from Namibia and have been brought under an MoU signed earlier this year.

 

On September 17, which is also Modi's birthday, the prime minister will also participate in Self Help Group (SHG) Sammelan later that day with women SHG members/community resource persons at Karahal, Sheopur.

3:00 PM

Foxconn row: Who was responsible for nixing Nanar refinery, Fadnavis asks Oppn

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused the opposition of making false claims over the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor plant going to Gujarat, and also questioned it over the Nanar refinery project.

 

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have sought to corner the state government following the announcement two days ago that the Rs 1.54 lakh crore semiconductor plant would be set up in Gujarat and not in Maharashtra as proposed earlier.

2:50 PM

Climate change, sustainable development issues of prime importance: President Droupadi Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said climate change and sustainable development are issues of prime importance today and countries across the board should come together to work out solutions for them.

 

Addressing the faculty and course members of 62nd National Defence College course who had called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, Murmu said we need to prepare ourselves to face not just the traditional threats but even the unseen ones which also include the vagaries of nature.

2:25 PM

Shell names insider Wael Sawan as new CEO

Shell on Thursday named Wael Sawan, its head of integrated gas and renewables division, as the group's chief executive officer to replace Ben van Beurden, who will be stepping down at the end of this year.

 

Wael's appointment is effective Jan. 1, Shell said, while Ben van Beurden will continue to work as an adviser to the board until June-end after which he will leave the group.

 

Reuters had reported earlier this month that Shell had shortlisted four candidates, including Sawan, to succeed Ben van Beurden who is stepping down after nearly a decade at the helm of the giant energy firm.

2:25 PM

Shehbaz Sharif to meet Putin on SCO sidelines

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, during which he is scheduled to meet other world leaders in attendance, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Thursday, Sharif will separately meet Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Imomali Rehmon, Dawn news reported.

Besides Putin, the Pakistani leader is also scheduled to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

1:53 PM

Pope urged to avoid ''supermarket of religions'' in Kazakhstan

Pope Francis warned Kazakhstan's bishops on Thursday against fuelling nostalgia for the past, as one of his traditionalist critics here did just that by suggesting that Francis' participation in an interfaith conference could imply papal endorsement of a supermarket of religions".

The warning from Bishop Athenasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, was perhaps to be expected, given he is one of Francis' most vocal critics, regularly calling out what he considers to be Francis' doctrinal ambiguities and overly progressive bent on issues such as homosexuality and interfaith outreach.

Francis began his third and final day in Kazakhstan by meeting with bishops, priests and nuns in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in the capital Nur-Sultan.

1:39 PM

Cabinet reshuffle likely in Goa after 8 Congress MLAs join ruling BJP

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Thursday morning amid talk of a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of eight Congress MLAs joining the ruling BJP.

The chief minister, however, told reporters here that the meeting, which followed Wednesday's dramatic developments, had nothing to do with politics. He met the governor at Raj Bhavan to discuss programs for the celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (September 17), Sawant said. But a senior BJP leader said a reshuffle was likely in the next few days as the party would need to accommodate at least a couple of Congress MLAs who have crossed over, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat. The BJP now has 28 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly after eight Congress MLAs switched sides on Wednesday. In 2019, when 10 out of 15 Congress MLAs had defected to the BJP en-masse, the ruling party had dropped three ministers to accommodate three new entrants, and the same pattern may be followed now, the leader said.

1:22 PM

HC notice to Kejriwal govt on PIL regarding Delhi schools

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Aam Aadmi Party-led city government on a plea seeking full-time education for students, alleging the government schools in the national capital's North-East district were conducting classes only for two hours or on alternate days.

Issuing notice in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma allowed three weeks' time for the city government's response.

In the plea, petitioner Social Jurist, a Civil Rights Group pointed out the schools-- SKV Khajuri, SBV Khajuri, GGSSS Sonia Vihar, GBSSS Sonia Vihar, GGSSS Khajuri, GBSSS Karawal Nagar, and GGSSS Sabhapur, and other schools at Karawal Nagar -- are facing the issue.

1:20 PM

India aims to be among top two global producers in all auto segments: SIAM

The Indian automobile industry aims to be among the top two producers globally in every segment of vehicles over next 25 years, SIAM President Kenichi Ayukawa said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 62nd annual session of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Ayukawa said India also plans to be nearly 100 per cent self-reliant in the entire manufacturing value chain of automobiles during the period as per the Vision 2047.

"Industry has prepared a vision statement for India at 100. According to that, the Indian automobile industry will be one of the two largest producers in every segment of automobiles in the world," he said.
 

1:19 PM

New momentum of auto industry's innovation for greener alternatives need of the hour: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed on the need for automobile industry's innovation for green alternatives to ensure protection and conservation of environment as well as help in making India self-reliant.

 

In a written address to the annual session of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Modi said, "Amrit Kaal is an opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency in every sector and the automobile sector is no exception." The automobile sector has contributed to all-round development and growth of the economy through new avenues for employment generation, the Prime Minister said in his message read out by SIAM President Kenichi Ayukawa.

12:26 PM

Goa Speaker says he has accepted merger of CLP into BJP

Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Thursday said he had accepted the merger of the state Congress Legislature Party (CLP) into the ruling BJP.

He went through a letter submitted by Congress MLAs and found that they have required numbers, he told reporters. Eight out of 11 Congress MLAs on Wednesday passed a resolution to merge the legislature party into the BJP.

12:25 PM

Bar bodies favour amendment in Constitution to enhance retirement age of SC, HC judges

Bar bodies led by the Bar Council of India (BCI) have unanimously favoured amending the Constitution to enhance the retirement age of judges of the high court and the Supreme Court to 65 and 67 years respectively.

 

At present trial court judicial officers, HC and SC judges superannuate at the age of 60, 62 and 65 years respectively and especially the bar leaders have been demanding enhancement of retirement age of judges of the higher judiciary.

12:20 PM

Govt working to enhance infrastructure for studying engineering: PM Modi on Engineer's Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on Engineer's Day and said India is blessed to have a skilled and talented pool of engineers contributing to nation building.

 

Engineer's Day is observed to mark the birth anniversary of engineer statesman M Visvesvaraya, a diwan of erstwhile Mysore kingdom, who is credited with pioneering engineering works.

 

12:19 PM

Darjeeling zoo recognised as best in India

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in West Bengal's Darjeeling has been adjudged the best zoo in the country, while Kolkata's Alipore Zoological Garden has secured the fourth position.

 

A zoo directors' conference was held in Bhubaneswar on September 10 and the Central Zoo Authority released the ranking list in the Odisha capital.

 

There are around 150 zoos across the country.

11:56 AM

US will be key partner in India's growth journey: PM Modi to Indian-Americans

The US will be a key partner in India's growth journey over the coming 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, as he expressed hope that the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence at the US Capitol would become an important milestone in friendship between the two nations.

 

"The word India represents many things simultaneously - a modern democratic republic, a diverse nation, an ancient civilisation and a cultural consciousness not limited by geography or time," Modi said in a message to the Indian-American community as they gathered here to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava.

 

 

11:53 AM

US Senate confirms Indian American Shefali Razdan Duggal as Ambassador to the Netherlands

Shefali Razdan Duggal, an Indian-American political activist, has been confirmed by US Senate as the country's next envoy to the Netherlands.

 

Razdan Duggal, 50, was confirmed by the US Senate by a voice vote along with two other confirmations to senior administrative positions.

 

A Kashmiri Pandit, Razdan Duggal was born in Haridwar and moved with her family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the age of two. Thereafter she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of five, where she grew up. She graduated from Miami University and earned her master's from New York University.

 

11:53 AM

Tata Consumer appoints David Atkinson to head its UK, Ireland business

Tata Consumer Products (TCP), the FMCG arm of Tata Group, on Thursday announced the appointment of David Atkinson as Senior Vice President and Head of its UK and Ireland business.

 

In his new role as Country Head, Atkinson will be responsible for leading the business and teams in the UK and Ireland, TCP said in a statement.

 

He will be based in London and report to the President of International Business, Gharry Eccles, TCP said, adding that the announcement is in line with its commitment to strengthening business in key international markets.

11:39 AM

Acharya appointed coordinator for Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'

Krishnamurthy Acharya, Congress leader in Udupi, has been appointed KPCC coordinator for the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi.

 

He has been selected on the recommendation of KPCC president D K Shivakumar and chosen by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, a party release here said.

11:35 AM

Discussions at SCO to cover topical, regional & international issues: Vinay Kwatra

"We expect the discussions of the SCO Summit to cover topical, regional and international issues, reform and expansion of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the security situation in the region, our cooperation in the region, including strengthening connectivity and boosting trade in the region," says Foreign Secy Vinay Kwatra

 

11:31 AM

PM Modi to hold bilateral meets with Uzbekistan Prez, others

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with the President of Uzbekistan and some other leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. PM's participation in the Summit is a reflection of the importance that India attaches to the SCO and its cause," says Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra

"Prime Minister will have other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. We would keep you apprised as the schedule unfolds," says Kwatra, on being asked about bilateral meetings with the leaders of China, Pakistan and Russia

 

10:57 AM

US will be key partner in India's growth journey: PM Modi to Indian-Americans

The US will be a key partner in India's growth journey over the coming 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, as he expressed hope that the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence at the US Capitol would become an important milestone in friendship between the two nations.

 

"The word India represents many things simultaneously - a modern democratic republic, a diverse nation, an ancient civilisation and a cultural consciousness not limited by geography or time," Modi said in a message to the Indian-American community as they gathered here to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava.

10:44 AM

Assam: India-Bhutan border gates to reopen on Sep 23 post pandemic

India-Bhutan border gates at Samdrup Jhongkhar and Gelephu along the Assam frontier will reopen for tourists on September 23 for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

A Bhutanese delegation, led by Tashi Penjore, the Himalayan kingdom's Director (law and order) of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, held a meeting with Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) officials here on Wednesday and announced that the gates will be reopened after a two-and-half-year hiatus.

 

10:43 AM

PM Modi to address rally in Himachal's Mandi on Sep 24

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a youth rally in the Mandi district on September 24.

 

The Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh are likely to be held later this year.

 

PM Modi will address the youth at Paddal Maidan in Mandi on September 24, said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing a public meeting in Mandi on Wednesday.

10:07 AM

MP BJP MLA intensifies demand for 'Vindhya Pradesh'

With less than one-and-a-half years left for the next Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, the demand for the formation of a separate Vindhya Pradesh, which comprises 30 Assembly seats, is likely to gain momentum once again.

 

Sitting BJP MLA from Maihar (Satna district) Narayan Tripathi, who has been raising voice for the formation of Vindhya Pradesh for more than a decade now, said that he would form a political party in the name of Vindhya, and will contest the elections on 30 seats under its jurisdiction.

 

Tripathi, who is set to begin a foot-march followed by a 'Dharma Sabha' (religious gathering) from religious 'Siddha Pahad' in Chitrakoot (Assembly constituency under Satna district) on September 27, spoke to IANS exclusively on his demand of Vindhya Pradesh's formation and some other issues.

10:01 AM

Australia’s jobless rate climbs for first time in 10 months

Australian unemployment unexpectedly rose in August, the first increase in 10 months, a result that supports the Reserve Bank’s signal of a potential shift to smaller interest-rate increases.

 

The jobless rate’s rise to 3.5% came even as employment advanced by 33,500, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. That was slightly below economists’ estimates for a 35,000 increase. 

10:00 AM

Thousands queue up to pay respects to Queen Lying-in-State

One of the biggest logistical events ever witnessed in London is underway on Thursday as the first few thousand members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament complex in the heart of the UK capital.

 

A week since the 96-year-old monarch died peacefully at her Scottish summer residence of Balmoral Castle, her coffin has been part of a historic journey by road and air until it was conveyed in a grand procession from Buckingham Palace to lie in state in the historic hall within the Palace of Westminster.

9:53 AM

Go First says still working to restore its Twitter account

Budget carrier Go First is still working to restore its official Twitter account which has been hacked, an airline official said on Thursday.

 

The hacking of the official Twitter account was flagged on Wednesday early morning.

 

This is the second time this year that the handle has been compromised. The official said work is in progress to restore the account and that there are no issues with its IT systems.

9:40 AM

India logs 6,422 new coronavirus cases, 34 fatalities

India added 6,422 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 44,516,479, while the active cases increased to 46,389, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

 

The death toll climbed to 28,250 with 34 fatalities which includes 20 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

 

The active cases comprise 2.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.71 per cent, the ministry said.

 

An increase of 640 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

9:35 AM

Fitch slashes India's FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7%

Fitch Ratings on Thursday slashed its India's economic growth forecast for current fiscal year to 7 per cent from previous estimate of 7.8 per cent.

 

Fitch said compared to its June forecast of 7.8 per cent growth, it now expects the economy to grow 7 per cent in 2022-23, with next fiscal year also slowing to 6.7 per cent from earlier estimate of 7.4 per cent. 

9:30 AM

'3 capitals' issue could come up in AP Legislature again

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to make a PowerPoint presentation, on the need for three capitals for the state, in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on the opening day of the monsoon session beginning Thursday.

 

There is no clarity from the government side yet on whether or not a new Bill will be introduced in the Legislature on the three capitals plan.

 

In a face-saving exercise to pre-empt a legal fallout, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government abruptly passed a Bill in the Assembly on November 22 last year, repealing the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, which was intended to establish three capitals for the state.