LIVE: India expects China to 'sincerely work' on disengagement, says MEA

The floodwaters have destroyed crops and fishes from ponds have been swept away in districts of Assam. Stay tuned for the latest news of the day

2:30 AM

Govt imposes restrictions on public procurement from China, neighbours

The Centre, late on Thursday, amended its General Financial Rules to restrict public procurement from countries which share a land border with India on grounds of national security, a move squarely aimed at China.
 

However, it provided relaxation in case of medical supplies in light of Covid-19. And keeping in mind some other neighbouring countries, nations with which India has a line of credit or provides development assistance were also exempted. Read more

2:29 AM

China harbouring military-linked fugitive scientist at consulate: FBI

US prosecutors allege Tang Juan, a researcher, lied about being connected to the Chinese military so she could enter the US. According to them, she is now avoiding arrest by taking refuge in the West Coast diplomatic mission.

 

According to court filings, investigators “discovered photographs of her in the uniform of the Civilian Cadre of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)”. According to reports, Tang was interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she denied having any connections with the Chinese Army. However, following the interview, US authorities claim that she fled to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.

1:12 AM

US deports man after push for indefinite detention stalls

A man convicted of terrorism-related crimes, who served his sentence and was then detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been deported after a legal battle to hold him indefinitely stalled.

 

Federal authorities held Adham Amin Hassoun at a federal detention facility in Batavia, New York, since his release from prison in 2018 in order to deport him.

 

But until Tuesday, they could not find a destination, and argued in court that they had the authority to detain him indefinitely under the Patriot Act until they could.

1:07 AM

US accuses Russia of testing anti-satellite weapon in space

The United States accused Russia on Thursday of conducting a test of an anti-satellite weapon in space, asserting that it exposed Moscow's intent to deploy weapons that threaten US and allied satellites.

 

In Moscow, the Defense Ministry said the July 15 event involved a small space vehicle that "inspected one of the national satellites from a close distance using special equipment.

 

It added that the inspection provided valuable information about the object that was inspected, which was transmitted to the ground-based control facilities.

12:38 AM

EU negotiator cites 'objective risk' of no post-Brexit deal

British and European Union negotiators failed to agree on underlying principles in the latest round of talks on post-Brexit trade between the bloc and its one-time member, again raising concerns about far-reaching economic damage if no deal is reached by the end of the year.

 

In comments delivered after the talks ended Thursday, chief U.K. negotiator David Frost said it was clear the two sides wouldn't meet their goal of reaching an understanding on ''the principles underlying any agreement" this month.

 

While progress has been made in the negotiations, Frost said there is still substantial disagreement, particularly on questions of fair and open competition, and fishing.

12:37 AM

Putin and Trump discuss arms control in phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed arms control and cooperation in fighting the coronavirus during a phone call between the two leaders Thursday, the Kremlin and White House said.

 

The presidents thoroughly considered various arms control issues given the special responsibility of Russia and the U.S. for maintaining international peace and security, the Kremlin said.

 

According to the White House, Trump reiterated his hope of avoiding an expensive three-way arms race between China, Russia, and the United States and looked forward to progress on upcoming arms control negotiations in Vienna.

12:01 AM

Mike Tyson all set to make boxing comeback on September 12

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson is all set to return to the ring as he will fight against Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout on September 12.

 

Tyson, who turned 54 last month, announced his comeback on his official Twitter handle.

 

"I. AM. BACK. #legendsonlyleague. September 12th vs @RealRoyJonesJr on #Triller and PPV #frontlinebattle @TysonLeague," Tyson tweeted.

 

The bout will take place at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles and will be broadcasted on pay-per-view as well as multimedia platform Triller.

11:33 PM

WTO reform process should be inclusive, consensus-based: Piyush Goyal

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that trade can be an engine of reviving growth in the current scenario and this is premised on the strengthening of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) based on its principles of openness, fairness, transparency, inclusivity, and non-discrimination.
 

The Minister called for removing multiple hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices created by the WTO rules for protecting intellectual property. He mentioned that the TRIPS Agreement did not envisage a pandemic where demand for vaccines and medicines would come from several countries simultaneously, with the requirement changing at a rapid pace. He said that IPRs should not block access to critical medicines and other devices required for the treatment of the disease.

11:32 PM

Govt imposes restriction on public procurement from China, other neighbours

Amid the border row with China, the government on Thursday imposed restrictions on public procurement from China and other countries with common border.

 

The Government of India amended the General Financial Rules 2017 to enable imposition of restrictions on bidders from countries which share a land border with India on grounds of defence of India, or matters directly or indirectly related thereto including national security, an official statement said.

 

The Department of Expenditure has, under the said Rules, issued a detailed order on public procurement to strengthen the defence of India and national security, it said.

11:31 PM

India needs further economic reforms to attract more investment: IMF

Concerted efforts by India to strengthen the business climate and encourage investment in the trade have helped to attract investment, but the country needs further economic reforms to ensure sustainable and more inclusive growth, the IMF said on Thursday.

 

The remarks by the International Monetary Fund's Chief Spokesperson Gerry Rice came in response to a question on the recent FDI announcements made by companies like Facebook and Google in India.

 

In recent weeks, several international companies have pledged $20 billion FDI in India, and a whopping $40 billion this year so far.

11:13 PM

Kamal Nath writes to PM, says there is

With three Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh resigning in the last two weeks, former chief minister Kamal Nath on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, exhorting him to protect "democratic values".
 

There was an "undemocratic pandemic" prevailing in the country in which the BJP was luring away MLAs to topple elected governments in states ruled by opposition parties, the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief alleged.
 

"I am sure...you will come forward to save the declining credibility of Indian democracy by not giving any place in your government and the party to such opportunist leaders who are facing charges of trading democratic values, so that India's established identity as a nation having democratic neutrality, transparency and maturity will remain intact," the letter said.

11:12 PM

PM Modi meets Gujarat BJP chief, praises him as 'outstanding' worker who rose through ranks

11:05 PM

China carrying out construction along border in Ladakh despite talks, claims Congress

10:47 PM

IAF to integrate Rafale with new generation air-to-ground missiles

As it inducts a first batch of five Rafale jets in the midst of the border row with China in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Air Force is looking at integrating the fleet with new generation air-to-ground missile systems having a strike range of up to 60 KM, people familiar with the development said.

 

The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.

 

The people cited above said the IAF is zeroing in on procuring new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system Hammer to integrate with the Rafale jets, using the emergency financial powers provided by the government to the armed forces for faster acquisition of key weapons and platforms.

10:41 PM

Waterlogging: Delhi PWD to barricade roads leading to Minto Bridge if water level rises above 45 cms

10:28 PM

Flood situation worsens in Bihar with over 765,000 people being affected across 10 districts: Officials

9:55 PM

ABB India June-quarter net down 76 per cent

Engineering firm ABB India on Thursday reported an around 76 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 16.75 crore for the June quarter, mainly due to lower revenues.

The company's net profit stood at Rs 69.74 crore in the quarter ended June 30, 2019, it said in a regulatory filing.

Total income declined to Rs 1,021.40 crore in the quarter under review from Rs 1,746.12 crore earlier.

9:53 PM

Goyal calls for removing hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices

Calling for removal of "multiple" hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said intellectual property rights (IPRs) should not become a hindrance in their availability.

He said the TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property rights) agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) did not envisage a pandemic where demand for vaccines and medicines would come from several countries simultaneously, with the requirement changing at a rapid pace.

"The minister called for removing multiple hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices created by the lopsided WTO rules for protecting intellectual property," a ministry statement said.

9:38 PM

PM Modi's ratings on handling Covid 19 going strong at 77.3%

The Narendra Modi government still enjoys high approval ratings for its handling of the Covid-19 situation in India with more than three-fourths of respondents endorsing how the government is dealing with the crisis, as per the IANS-CVoter Covid-19 Tracker.

 

As per the latest poll with a sample size of 1,723, 77.3 per cent respondents agree that the government is handling the crisis well, endorsing the Modi-led government's actions on tackling Covid-19 while 19.1 per cent disagree.

 

However, the approval ratings are not as high as in the previous months and the long economic lull seems to be testing people's patience. In the April-June period, the approval ratings were in the 90s and 80s, but have been coming down lately.

9:37 PM

Vacuum cleaner company Dyson to cut 900 jobs globally due to coronavirus impact

9:35 PM

Sebi bars Five Core Electronics, promoters from securities market till further orders

9:34 PM

World Health Organization chief upbraids US Secretary of State Pompeo for "untrue and unacceptable" allegations

9:31 PM

North Delhi civic body planning to disburse salary to doctors, nurses roster-wise: Mayor

9:08 PM

President rejected states' ordinances to suspend majority of labour laws, says trade union BMS

9:08 PM

Railways to have contactless ticketing; tickets to be QR code-enabled, scanned on handheld devices

8:58 PM

US blacklists a Pakistani, two Indian-origin men for anti-India activities

A Pakistani and two Indian-origin persons based in the US have been "blacklisted" by the government for their alleged anti-India activities.

 

The move came after Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah apprising them about the alleged anti-India activities of Rehan Siddiqui, a US-based Pakistani, and Rakesh Kaushal and Darshan Mehta. The trio will not be able to travel to India following the blacklisting.

 

In a letter to Shewale, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the issue was examined by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) following his complaint. READ MORE...

8:43 PM

Par panel to call chief secy officials from Centre to brief on issue of waterlogging in Delhi

The Delhi chief secretary, top officials of MCD, PWD and the Urban Development Ministry will be called by a parliamentary panel here to brief them on the issue of waterlogging due to heavy rains in the city, sources according to a PTI report said on Thursday.

 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development, chaired by Jagdambika Pal, met here to discuss the issue of waterlogging, days after a 56-year-old man drowned when he was stuck under the waterlogged Minto Bridge in central Delhi.

 

The members felt for a comprehensive discussion on the issue and therefore it was decided to call the Delhi chief secretary, officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Urban Development Ministry, the sources said.

 

Some members also raised the need for a proper masterplan for drainage of the national capital and suggested that it could be a long-term solution for this perennial problem, they said.

8:33 PM

Unlike other carriers, no employee of ours will be laid off: Air India

8:22 PM

2.4 million children affected by recent floods in India: UNICEF

An estimated 2.4 million children have been affected by the recent floods in India, the UNICEF said on Thursday, calling for immediate support, more resources and innovative programmes to address the challenges faced. In a statement, UNICEF said though flooding at this period of the year is common, this widespread scale of floods during mid-July is unusual.

 

"In India, over 6 million people across Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have been affected by the floods, including an estimated 2.4 million children," it said.

 

UNICEF said it is working with the government and partners to respond quickly and effectively.

 

It said it is also supporting the Assam government to implement the COVID-19 adapted relief camp management guidelines and child friendly spaces in select districts, in addition to its focused support for maternal and child health service continuity and COVID-19 response in many states, the statement said.

8:10 PM

FM holds review meeting for stressed residential projects to boost investment in real estate