LIVE: India, China going through unprecedented situation, says Jaishankar

Several farmers in parts of Punjab on Thursday started a three-day 'rail roko' agitation against the Centre's farm Bills. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

1:58 AM

ECB plots Amazon-style market to prevent Wall Street Covid debt swoop

Europe is working on an Amazon-style website to sell hundreds of billions of euros of bank loans which have been soured by the coronavirus crisis, in a bid to shore up the economy and challenge the dominance of big Wall Street debt investors.

 

The blueprint, devised by top European Central Bank (ECB) officials, is part of efforts by the 19-state euro zone to tackle a growing pile of unpaid loans and aims to prevent “distressed debt” funds from buying them at rock bottom prices.

 

“The idea is to open up the market to buyers of smaller portfolios, with an Amazon or eBay-style marketplace, where you can browse ... That can get the market moving," Edward O'Brien, a senior ECB official involved in the plan, told Reuters.

1:57 AM

Onion shipments handed over to customs before export ban could be released: MEA

1:45 AM

Kerala wins UN award on prevention, control of non-communicable diseases

12:01 AM

Steady rise in heavy rainfall events during 3 last years: Harsh Vardhan

11:38 PM

Amazon launches cloud-based video game service

11:35 PM

China says 'package solution' needed for UNSC expansion due to vast differences

11:34 PM

Modi, Rajapaksa to review broad framework of Indo-Lanka ties on Saturday: MEA

11:34 PM

Rashtriya Kisan Manch says farm Bills will benefit farmers, opposes bandh call

11:34 PM

Onion shipments handed over to customs before export ban could be released: MEA

10:51 PM

Farmers will be able to sell produce at any price they want: Narendra Singh Tomar

10:49 PM

Tech stocks lift Wall Street as economic rebound slows

Wall Street climbed in choppy trading on Thursday, with investors returning to the perceived safety of technology-related stocks as a surprise rise in weekly jobless claims signaled a slowdown in economic growth.

 

Nine of the 11 major S&P indexes were trading higher, with information technology leading gains.

 

Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc, Nvidia Corp and Facebook Inc, which have outperformed at a time of increased economic uncertainty, rose between 0.5 per cent and 2.7 per cent.

 

"Investors are going to be needing stocks that can weather a lower growth path because if we don't get another round of fiscal stimulus, there's not going to be a lot more we can do to continue boosting the economic recovery," said Max Gokhman, capital markets strategist at Pacific Life Fund Advisors.

10:49 PM

Govt will not abandon any development project over fear of allegations: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the state government will not abandon any development project benefitting people, for the fear of allegations.

 

"Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan today said that the government will not abandon any development project that benefits people for fear of allegations," as per the state government.

10:48 PM

Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent only capable of small-scale regional attacks: US official

10:41 PM

Death toll in building collapse in Punjab's Mohali rises to 4: Officials

10:41 PM

Goa reports 673 new Covid-19 cases, 7 more fatalities. Infection tally goes up to 30,552

10:40 PM

India and China going through 'unprecedented' situation: Jaishankar

India and China are going through an "unprecedented" situation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday, referring to the prolonged border standoff between the two countries in eastern Ladakh.

 

Speaking at a virtual conference of the World Economic Forum, the external affairs minister, at the same time, said the border row happens to be one part of the larger issue of how India and China adjust to each other when both are rising.

 

The remarks by Jaishankar on the four-and-a-half-month long border standoff are his first after he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reached a five-point agreement to resolve the issue at their meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave in Moscow on September 10.

10:37 PM

Google, US government prepare for battle over market power

The US Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit against Alphabet's Google as soon as next week, kicking off a long legal slog over whether the online search and advertising company uses its outsized market power unfairly.

 

One set of allegations has to do with Google's search engine. Google is accused of looking to disadvantage rivals such as Microsoft's Bing, depriving them of the scale, and thus the data about user preferences and users themselves, that they need to improve and to advertise to users.

 

Google is also accused of using its popular search function to favor its products, like YouTube, as well as big advertisers, like eBay. For example, a recent search for a "Saturday Night Live" video resulted in several choices from Google's YouTube before NBC, which makes the show. Companies such as Yelp have argued they are better than Google at helping consumers find certain services but that they often appear below a box of Google recommendations, resulting in fewer clicks.

10:36 PM

New CAG report admits 'technology transfer' was shelved in Rafale offsets: Congress

10:35 PM

Indo-US trade deal unlikely in next 4 years: US Expert

Despite India being an important partner for the US geopolitically, a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) is unlikely in the next four years regardless of who wins the upcoming presidential elections, a former White House economic adviser said on Thursday.

 

Both US President Donald Trump and his opponent Joe Biden look at India amenably but have their own compulsions not to proceed with such a far-reaching deal, said Todd Buchholz, who served as the director of economic policy at the White House under president George H W Bush.

 

Earlier this month, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said that India has given a "very good and balanced offer" to the US for such a pact.

10:34 PM

Pak announces November 15 as poll date for Gilgit-Baltistan assembly; India reacts sharply

10:06 PM

Global economic outlook 'somewhat less dire' than expected: IMF

The global economic outlook is not quite as dark as expected even just three months ago, a top International Monetary Fund official said on Thursday, citing better-than-anticipated economic data from China and other advanced economies.

 

However, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters the overall global outlook remained challenging as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on many economic sectors.

 

The situation remained "precarious" in many developing countries and emerging markets other than China, he said, noting that the IMF was also concerned about rising debt levels.

 

The IMF is due to release its latest World Economic Outlook on Oct. 13. In June, it slashed its 2020 global output forecasts further, forecasting the global economy would shrink by 4.9  per cent, compared with a 3.0 per cent contraction predicted in April.

9:58 PM

AYUSH Ministry to organise e-marathon as part of its immunity campaign

9:57 PM

Punjab government to continue fight against agriculture bills till last breath, says Manpreet Singh Badal

9:57 PM

India has asked Pakistan to ensure minority communities' security: MEA on Sikh girl's abduction

9:54 PM

Misinformation is being spread about farm bills. They are in interests of farmers: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

9:35 PM

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is being shifted to Max Hospital, Saket from LNJP Hospital: Office of Delhi Deputy CM

9:34 PM

Supreme Court will take up on Sep 28 a plea seeking postponement of civil services 2020 exams in view of floods and alarming rise in Covid-19 cases.

9:01 PM

SC to hear plea on postponing UPSC exams on Sept 28

8:49 PM

Haryana Home Minister directs officials to handle Bandh called by farmers with due sensitivity

8:38 PM

Farm Bills: Amarinder Singh appeals farmers to adhere to Covid norms amid tomorrow's Bandh