LIVE: Rajasthan Guv asks why trust vote is needed if govt enjoys majority

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said that he has learnt the Congress MLAs, lodged in a Haryana hotel, want to "break free of their captivity" and go along with the govt. Catch the latest news of the day

2:14 AM

Covid-19: Boris Johnson accepts he could have done things differently

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been criticised for acting too slowly in the Covid-19 pandemic, said on Friday there may have been things he could have done differently.

 

He has pledged to hold an inquiry into his handling of the coronavirus crisis but not yet.

 

"Maybe there were things we could have done differently and of course there will be time to understand what exactly we could have done, or done differently," he told the BBC.

2:14 AM

Google getting serious about competing with Amazon in online shopping

Google is getting serious about competing with Amazon in online shopping — just as it did in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2019.

 

But in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic continues, the push to create an online shopping marketplace to compete with Amazon has taken on new urgency as consumers are avoiding stores and turning to the internet to fill more of their shopping needs.

 

On Thursday, Google announced that it would take steps to bring more sellers and products onto its shopping site by waiving sales commissions and allowing retailers to use popular third-party payment and order management services like Shopify instead of the company’s own systems. Currently, commissions on Google Shopping range from a 5 percent to 15 percent cut depending on the products.

2:13 AM

China orders closure of US consulate in Chengdu, retaliating for Houston

China ordered the US to close its consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu, following through on retaliation threats after the Trump administration’s unprecedented decision to shut down the Chinese mission in Houston.

 

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that the consulate’s closure was a “legitimate and necessary response to the unjustified act by the US”. The widely anticipated retaliation came hours ahead of the US’ deadline for Chinese diplomats to vacate the Houston facility, which the state department said had served as a hub for spying and influence operations.

2:13 AM

Ashok Gehlot, MLAs squat at Raj Bhavan for early session

The political theatre in Rajasthan moved from Jaipur’s Fairmont Hotel, where Congress legislators who support Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are currently put up, to the lawns of Raj Bhavan on Friday.

 

Gehlot and 100 legislators drove to the Raj Bhavan and squatted on its lawns in the afternoon, demanding that Governor Kalraj Mishra call an Assembly session on Monday to allow the government to prove its majority on the floor of the House. He late in the evening handed over a letter of support of 102 MLAs (one was in the hospital) to Mishra and ended his protest. Read more

1:14 AM

US military chief visits Israel amid tensions with Iran

The top US general made an unannounced visit to Israel on Friday to discuss regional security challenges at a time of heightened tensions with Iran and its allies across the Middle East.

 

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs chairman, met with senior Israeli military and intelligence leaders at an air base in southern Israel and held a video conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

The visit came days after an air raid on the Syrian capital, Damascus, suspected to have been carried out by Israel, killed five foreign fighters, including a member of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

 

The Lebanese militant group has vowed to retaliate for the killing of its fighters in Syria, and in recent days Israel has sent infantry reinforcements to its northern border with Lebanon.

1:14 AM

China's consulate in Houston cleared out ahead of eviction

Workers at China's consulate in Houston loaded up moving trucks Friday ahead of an afternoon deadline to shut down the facility, as ordered by the Trump administration.

 

On Tuesday, the US ordered the Houston consulate closed within 72 hours, alleging that Chinese agents had tried to steal data from facilities in Texas, including the Texas A&M medical system and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

 

China called the allegations malicious slander and responded by ordering the U.S. to close its consulate in the western Chinese city of Chengdu.

1:13 AM

Rajasthan cabinet discusses governor's six points on assembly session

A cabinet meeting chaired by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday night discussed the six points raised by Governor Kalraj Mishra for calling an assembly session, sources said.

 

The meeting was held at the chief minister's residence which lasted for nearly two and a half hours.

 

"Discussions over the points given by the governor with regards to calling the assembly sessions were held in the meeting," the sources said.

 

The governor had earlier sought a reply on the six points from the state government, including about the reason to call a session of the Assembly for a floor test.

1:10 AM

India extends medical support to North Korea

India has extended medical assistance worth about $1 million to North Korea in response to a request received from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

 

India is sensitive to the shortage of medical supply situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and decided to grant a humanitarian assistance of $1 million in the form of anti-tuberculosis medicines, the MEA said.

 

12:29 AM

FAA orders emergency engine checks of parked Boeing 737s

Safety regulators issued an emergency order directing airlines to inspect and if necessary replace a critical engine part on popular Boeing 737 jets after four reports of engines shutting down during flights.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration said its order affected about 2,000 twin-engine passenger jets in the United States.

 

The FAA said operators must inspect any 737 that has been parked for at least seven days or been flown fewer than 11 times since being returned to service because of reports that certain engine valves can become stuck in the open position.

12:25 AM

Govindan Rangarajan named new Director of IISc

Govindan Rangarajan would be the next Director of the renowned Indian Institute of Science (IISc) from August 1, after incumbent Anurag Kumar retires on July 31, an official said on Friday.

 

"The institute's Governing Council has appointed Rangarajan as the next Director from August 1 after the consent of President Ram Nath Kovind as the Visitor," said the official.

 

Rangarajan, 56, is the chair of inter-disciplinary research comprising 10 departments and centres located across the institute's sprawling campus in the city's northwest suburb. He also served as chair, Department of Mathematics and the international relations cell.

12:24 AM

India extends medical assistance worth about $1 million to North Korea

12:24 AM

US military: Russia ships more military supplies to Libya

The US military accused Russia on Friday of supplying more weapons, air defense systems and mercenaries to Libya's front lines to shape the outcome of the escalating proxy war in the North African country.

 

The accusation comes as rival Libyan factions backed by different foreign powers pouring weapons and fighters into the country prepare to face off over the strategic coastal city of Sirte, which sits next to Libya's oil-expert terminals and fields.

 

The US Africa Command, or AFRICOM, said verified photographic evidence reveals Russia's increased military support to boost commander Khalifa Hifter, based in eastern Libya, against the U.N.-supported government based in the capital, Tripoli, in the west.

12:23 AM

Floods claim 10 lives in Bihar

The floods in Bihar claimed at least 10 lives till Friday and hit as many districts in the northern parts of the state, leaving nearly one million affected by the deluge, the state's disaster management department said.

 

Heavy rainfalls caused the rivers to swell, leading to breach in embankments at more than one place. The state government said repair work would resume only after two-three days, during which the downpour is expected to become less intense.

 

In the meantime, help will be sought from the Indian Air Force so that relief material could be dropped for people marooned in places, which have become inaccessible.

 

According to the bulletin issued by the state's disaster management department, West Champaran district, situated along the border with Nepal and through which flows the Gandak river, originating in the neighbouring country and currently in full spate, has borne the brunt accounting for seven of the deaths.

12:21 AM

Pakistan court suspends temporary ban on PUBG; asks telecom regulator to restore game

11:45 PM

Three more die in Assam floods; president takes stock of situation

The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Friday with three more persons losing their lives in the deluge and nearly 28 lakh people in 26 of the state's 33 districts affected by the floods, a bulletin said.

 

President Ram Nath Kovind spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over the flood situation and expressed solidarity with the affected people of the state.

 

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi visited Chirang district to oversee the relief and rehabilitation measures, and also spent some time with the affected people in two relief camps.

11:42 PM

In VP search, Biden has a known quantity in Susan Rice

As then-Vice President Joe Biden left the West Wing each evening to head home, he often popped his head into national security adviser Susan Rice's nearby suite of offices to check in sometimes on pressing foreign policy matters, sometimes just to shoot the breeze.

 

My favorite unannounced visitor was Vice President Joe Biden, Rice wrote in her book Tough Love.

 

In those casual visits, as well as in daily national security briefings, Biden and Rice forged an easy working relationship, according to people who worked alongside them during their eight years in the Obama administration. It's that personal relationship, and Biden's firsthand knowledge of how Rice would operate in close proximity to a president, that are now seen as among her strongest attributes as Biden considers her to be his running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.

11:35 PM

Why vote of confidence in assembly needed if govt enjoys majority: Raj guv asks govt

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Friday asked the Ashok Gehlot government why it wanted to call an assembly session to secure a vote of confidence if it already has the majority.
 

The governor posed the query in a six-point questionnaire entailing a note sent by the Raj Bhawan on Friday evening to the state government's Parliament Affairs Department, the Raj Bhawan said in a statement.

11:22 PM

No justification in Rajasthan cabinet paper for convening assembly session at short notice: Governor's Secretariat

Rajasthan Governor's Secretariat said on Friday that the date on which the Assembly session is to be convened is not mentioned in the cabinet note and no approval has been given by Rajasthan cabinet.

 

A press release by the secretariat said that the state government presented a paper to convene the session of the Assembly at very short notice on the night of July 23. The paper was analysed and legal experts were consulted over it, it said.

 

The secretariat said that there is no justification provided for holding of the session at short notice nor any agenda has been proposed for the same.

11:21 PM

Operational creditors trigger half of bankruptcy cases: RBI

Half of the over 3,770 bankruptcy cases since the insolvency law came into force from December 1, 2016, were triggered by operational creditors and not banks, according to RBI's Financial Stability Report.

 

Since December 2016, as many as 3,774 companies were sent to various bankruptcy tribunals, of which only 312 have been settled, 157 have been withdrawn and 2,170 are pending for resolution as of end-June, the Reserve Bank said in the report released on Friday.

 

"Operational creditors triggered as much as 49.65 per cent of the bankruptcy petitions, followed by 43.61 per cent by financial creditors and the remaining by corporate debtors," the report said.

11:21 PM

Innovations can help India's biotechnology economy to hit $100 billion by 2025, says Kant

10:54 PM

MoS Finance takes to Twitter to resolve grievances of common man, businesses

At a time when social distancing has become the new normal, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Friday took to Twitter to address the grievances of businesses as well as common man.

 

The minister's directive to the authorities concerned to quickly resolve the grievances drew accolades from Twitter users.

 

One of the Twitter users shared his pending GST registration case at the minister's official handle which was redressed by giving direction to the concerned GST zone to look into the matter.

10:23 PM

Home minister distributes electric potter wheels to artisans

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday distributed 100 electric potter wheels to as many trained artisans under the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, in a bid to strengthen the potters community.

 

Shah distributed the electric chaaks in Balva village of the Kalol taluka in his parliamentary constituency of Gandhinagar via video-conferencing.

 

"Lauding the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana, the home minister said the initiative would go a long way in strengthening the marginalised potters' community while also reviving the traditional art of pottery," an official statement said.

10:22 PM

Premier League to start September 12, finish 19 days before Euros

The new English Premier League will begin on Sept. 12 and finish on May 23, only 19 days before the start of the rescheduled European Championship in 2021.

 

The agreement on next season's calendar came during a conference call by league clubs on Friday but it remains unclear how the domestic cup competitions can be squeezed into the compressed season.

 

The final round of this season's league is on Sunday, more than two months later than scheduled after a 100-day shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

10:19 PM

PM Modi to inaugurate three new high-throughput labs of ICMR

10:12 PM

Rajasthan Governor writes to CM Ashok Gehlot

10:07 PM

3 Congress MLAs of Sachin Pilot camp deny they are in captivity

Three dissident MLAs of Rajasthan's former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot's camp on Friday dismissed the allegations that they are being held hostage in Haryana.

 

The MLAs junked the accusation in a video, saying they are accompanying Pilot on their own.

 

The video of the MLAs was issued on Friday.

9:51 PM

Russia denies US, UK accusations of weapon test in space

Russia dismissed US and British claims that it tested an anti-satellite weapon in space and declared Friday that the accusations served to justify Washington's own plans to deploy weapons in orbit.

 

US and British officials claimed Thursday that the July 15 test of an anti-satellite weapon signalled a continuing Russian effort to develop technologies that could threaten space assets of the United States and its allies.

 

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, saying in a statement that the July 15 experiment didn't threaten any other space objects and complied with the international law.

9:49 PM

FHRAI joins hands with Eureka Forbes to provide temporary jobs to hospitality professionals

9:49 PM

IIMC defends appointment of its DG in Delhi HC

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on Friday defended in the Delhi High Court the appointment of its new Director General (DG) saying he has the requisite work experience for the post.

 

IIMC made the submission before Justice Jyoti Singh who was hearing a plea challenging the appointment of the DG -- Sanjay Dwivedi -- on the ground that he did not have the minimum required experience of 25 years when he was selected for the post.

 

Dwivedi''s appointment to the post was announced on July 1 and he took charge of the office on Monday, July 13.

 

The counsel for the petitioner, Ashutosh Mishra, told the court that Dwivedi got a bachelors degree only in 1995 and his years of work experience has to be counted from then.

9:35 PM

BJP trying to topple Rajasthan govt: Rahul Gandhi