LIVE: Floods continue to ravage Assam; 87 dead, 2,323 villages under water

CBI questions OSD to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in alleged suicide case of Rajasthan Police officer Vishnudutt Vishnoi amid Rajasthan political crisis. Stay tuned for the latest news of the day

12:50 AM

Ex-Trump lawyer sues William Barr for 'gag order'

President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has sued the US attorney general for a so-called 'gag order'.
 

Cohen said he was sent back to prison as retaliation for writing a tell-all book that reportedly details alleged racist comments made by the president, the BBC reported.
 

Cohen had been released in May from a three-year sentence for charges including Trump campaign finance violations, due to coronavirus.
 

The suit claims Cohen's re-arrest violates his right to free speech.

12:05 AM

WHO warns new Ebola outbreak in Congo faces funding gap

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it is facing a serious funding gap to battle the new outbreak of Ebola in remote corners of northern Congo amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The $1.75 million raised so far will only last for a few more weeks, the WHO warned, adding that the response effort is particularly expensive because of how difficult it is to get health teams and supplies into the densely forested area.

 

Already there have been 20 confirmed deaths since the outbreak was declared on June 1. The emergence of Ebola in Congo's northern Equateur province came just as the world's second deadliest Ebola outbreak was nearing its end.

12:04 AM

Pompeo praises UK on Huawei, urges coalition against China

The United States and Britain put on a show of unity against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on Tuesday, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered stinging criticism of Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and urged like-minded nations to push back together against China's threatening behaviour.
 

Pompeo, who is visiting Britain, praised the UK's response to challenges raised by China as tensions grow between Western powers and Beijing. Britain has in recent weeks decided to ban


Huawei from the UK's 5G network, suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offered refuge for millions of eligible Hong Kongers who feel threatened by Beijing's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
 

We support those sovereign choices, we think 'well done', Pompeo said.

11:37 PM

Trump excluding those in US illegally from reapportionment

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Tuesday that seeks to bar people in the US illegally from being counted in congressional reapportionment, a move that drew immediate criticism from Democratic officials.
 

The Supreme Court blocked the administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census form, with a majority saying the administration's rationale for the citizenship question to help enforce voting rights appeared to be contrived.
 

Trump said in the memorandum that he had determined that respect for the law and protection of the integrity of the democratic process warrants the exclusion of illegal aliens from the apportionment base, to the extent feasible and to the maximum extent of the President's discretion under the law."

11:33 PM

Govt to soon come out with strategic sectors list: DEA Secretary

In line with the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' package, Economic Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj on Tuesday said the government will soon come out with a list of strategic sectors, and public sector companies in non-strategic sectors will be privatised.

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in May announced that there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised.

 

"One important thing that I would like to mention is that the government should soon come out (with guidelines on) privatisation of the public sector companies," Bajaj said at India Idea Summit here.

11:33 PM

Odisha to give free rice and pulses to poor people under state food security scheme

11:20 PM

India, US negotiating UAV co-development programme, says Pentagon official

The US and India are negotiating a co-development programme for the air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a top Pentagon official said Tuesday.
 

I would like to highlight a very exciting project we are currently negotiating -- air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV will be a co-development programme between the US Air Force Research Labs, the Indian Air Force, India's Defense Research and Development Organisation, and an Indian startup company, said Ellen M Lord, Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment.
 

Addressing the India Idea's Summit organised by the US-India Business Council, the top Pentagon official said that the US Air Force research labs have signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Indian startup to support the development of the air-launched UAV.

11:14 PM

India, US need to sit down on negotiating table for FTA: Goyal

After concluding a "quick" trade deal, India and the US need to sit down on the negotiating table for working towards a more sustainable, robust and enduring partnership in the form of a free trade agreement (FTA), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said.

 

For the FTA, the minister said, India is willing to work with an open mind, with a willingness to open markets with a corresponding opportunity for Indian businesses in the US.

 

"I believe we have a quick trade deal which has some of the pending matters built up over the last couple of years which we need to get out of the way quickly. We are almost there. I think another couple of calls and we should be able to solve that out.

11:14 PM

Sachin Pilot sends legal notice to Congress MLA Malinga over horse-trading charge

11:09 PM

Boeing 737 MAX not expected to fly before October, FAA preparing directive

10:13 PM

Pompeo offers unsparing criticism of Chinese Communist Party

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered unsparing criticism of the Chinese Communist Party while visiting London on Tuesday, describing the leadership's behaviour in regard to the pandemic as unforgivable and slamming the crushing of freedoms'' in Hong Kong.

 

Pompeo said he held candid discussions with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, amid growing tensions between the West and China.

 

In a sweeping broadside, he challenged every nation which understands freedom and democracy and values that'' to understand the threat being posed by China's dominant party.

 

We hope we can build out a coalition that understands this,'' he said.

10:13 PM

DRDO-developed drone likely to be deployed in Ladakh: Report

A drone, indigenously developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), is likely to be deployed by the Army in eastern Ladakh to enhance surveillance in the area that has seen a face-off between the forces of India and China, sources said.

 

A DRDO official said the drone will be dispatched soon for the Army.

 

The drone christened 'Bharat' has been developed by DRDO's Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh. It has been made to operate in high-altitude areas and can also adapt to extreme climates. It is also known to be agile.

10:09 PM

Floods continue to ravage Assam: 87 dead now, 2.4 millon affected, 2323 villages under water

10:08 PM

Bajaj Finserv Q1 net profit jumps 44 per cent to Rs 1,215 cr on robust performance by insurance arms

9:54 PM

5 killed in Meghalaya flood, over 150,000 people affected

Five persons have died in floods in western Garo Hills region of Meghalaya and 152,000 people have been affected, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday.

 

He also announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

 

The deceased include a woman and four children.

 

"Saddened to see 5 lives lost because of the floods in #GaroHills. Government has released an ex gratia amount of Rs 4 Lakhs each to the next of kin of the deceased. We are doing everything to ensure the safety of our citizens during this time. Our condolences to the bereaved families, Sangma said in his social media posts.

9:52 PM

19 NDRF teams being deployed in Bihar

9:51 PM

Death toll in Assam deluge climbs to 87; flood hits north Bihar

The death toll in the Assam deluge rose to 87, while heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Gandak river in Nepal led to flooding in parts of north Bihar on Tuesday.
 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned 122 teams in 20 states to tackle the flood and heavy rain situation during the ongoing monsoon season. A maximum of 19 teams have been deployed in Bihar, followed by 12 in Assam, a spokesperson of the force said.
 

The death toll in the Assam floods rose to 87 as the situation due to the calamity remained unchanged with 2.4 million people affected in 24 districts, a government report said.
 

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died at Raha in Nagaon district and another at Morigaon town. Twenty-six others have died due to landslides triggered by the rains and floods, it said.

9:47 PM

Govt removes export ban on surgical drapes, wraps

The government on Tuesday removed export ban on surgical drapes, isolation aprons, surgical wraps and X-Ray gowns.

All other items including other types of medical coveralls of all classes and categories continue to remain prohibited for export, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

9:28 PM

India will start GIS-based land buying system for foreign companies: Piyush Goyal

One of medicine's costliest treatment areas could become even more pricey as Biogen seeks to layer its $750,000 spinal muscular atrophy drug on top of $2.1 million-per-patient Novartis gene therapy Zolgensma.

 

Biogen's Spinraza, the list price of which drops to $375,000 a year after the first year, was the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of infant death, and was dominant until Zolgensma's entry last year.

 

Zolgensma is the world's most expensive one-off treatment, bringing in $205 million for Swiss drugmaker Novartis in the second quarter.

 

A proposed global clinical study by US-based Biogen would test if Spinraza improves outcomes in patients who do not respond sufficiently to Zolgensma, it said.

9:25 PM

Netflix now available on Google's Nest Hub

Video streaming platform Netflix will be available to stream on Google's Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max from Tuesday.

 

The users, who have both Netflix and a Google Nest Hub, can link their Netflix subscription through Google Home or Assistant app to stream the services on their Google Nest-branded smart display.

 

According to The Verge, users can call out to the Google Assistant to play a particular show, or just say "Hey Google, open Netflix."

9:25 PM

IPL 2020 to be played in the UAE

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played in the UAE, the IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed on Tuesday.
 

The IPL 2020 edition was slated to commence from March 29 this year but the tournament was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 

"IPL 2020 which was postponed due to coronavirus will now be held in UAE," Patel told ANI.

9:11 PM

Amid border row with China, Navy's P-8Is deployed in Ladakh; MiG-29K jets likely to move to air bases in North

9:10 PM

Irdai allows insurers to offer 'Corona Kavach' as group insurance policy

Amid a spurt in coronavirus cases in the country, regulator Irdai on Tuesday allowed health insurers to offer 'Corona Kavach' as a standard group insurance policy to help public, private sector companies and other business entities to provide insurance cover to their employees.

 

As per insurance companies, the individual short-term Corona Kavach health indemnity policy has evoked good response after its launch on July 10. All 30 insurers have started offering the policy.

 

The standard group policy is expected to be useful to various private and public establishments for covering the Covid-19 related medical needs of their employees, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) said in a circular.

9:10 PM

Hillary Clinton blames Trump admin for Chinese aggression against its neighbours

Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Tuesday blamed the Trump administration's "inconsistent" foreign policy for the current Chinese territorial aggression against its own people and neighbours, including India.

 

Clinton, who lost to President Donald Trump in the 2016 elections, claimed that both Russia and China are benefitting from his weak foreign policy.

 

However, the Trump administration has asserted that no administration in the past has been tougher on China than President Trump.

8:54 PM

Indicators show green shoots in economy: FM Sitharaman at 2020 India Ideas Summit by US-India Business Council

8:46 PM

Latest News LIVE: Amazon to hold Prime Day sale in India next month

E-commerce giant Amazon will hold its Prime Day sale in India on August 6-7 as it looks to revive sales and help sellers, many of whom have seen a significant impact on business on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a PTI report.

 

"Now in its fourth year in India, Prime Day starts at midnight on Thursday, August 6 and will run for 48 hours, offering members two full days of the best in shopping, savings and blockbuster entertainment from the comfort and safety of their homes," Amazon India said in a statement.

 

The sale is expected to help sellers on the e-commerce marketplace make up for sales lost during the coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown, which began on March 25 and went on for over two months.

 

In the initial phases of the lockdown, e-commerce companies were allowed to ship only essential items like grocery and healthcare products. These restrictions were later eased and players were allowed to ship all items.

8:20 PM

Rajasthan HC to pass order on Sachin Pilot camp's writ plea on Friday

7:51 PM

Rajasthan cabinet meeting held at CM's residence, Covid-19 situation discussed

Amid the political crisis in Rajasthan, a meeting of the state cabinet was held at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence here on Tuesday, during which multiple issues, including the COVID-19 situation, were discussed.

 

After the meeting, Medical and Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the cabinet has decided to give some concessions to the tourism industry.

 

The coronavirus pandemic situation in the state was reviewed in detail. Discussions were held on ways to improve recovery rate and decrease mortality rate, Sharma told reporters. He said additional teams of the state medical department were being sent to the districts where relatively more cases were being reported. At the meeting, the ministers also discussed the measures taken to mitigate in locust-affected districts.

7:25 PM

India and US closing in on trade deal: Piyush Goyal

India and the United States are closing in on a trade deal, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, after two years of negotiations. India is seeking concessions for generic drugs it exports to the United States in return for opening its dairy markets and slashing tariffs on farm goods as the two sides seek to clinch a new trade accord, three sources told Reuters.

 

They have been negotiating a limited trade pact aimed also at restoring zero tariffs on a range of Indian exports to the United States under its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), from which the Trump administration withdrew last year, citing lack of reciprocal access to Indian markets.

 

"In the long term, I believe we have a quick trade deal which has some of the pending matters built up over the last couple of years, which we need to get out of the way quickly. We are almost there," Goyal said at the U.S.-India Business Council's India Ideas Summit, being conducted virtually.

 

7:18 PM

Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan violated ceasefire in Sunderbani sector