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6:17 PM

'Relationship is excellent': Trump confirms trade deal with China finalised

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that a trade deal with China has been finalised, pending final approval from both him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Our deal with China has been finalised, pending final approval from President Xi and myself. As part of the agreement, China will supply, upfront, full magnets and any necessary rare earth materials.”

 

He added: “We will be imposing a total of 55 per cent in tariffs, while China will impose 10 per cent. The relationship between our countries is excellent. Thank you for your attention to this matter. In return, the United States will provide what was agreed upon, including allowing Chinese students to study in our colleges and universities—something I’ve always supported.”

5:37 PM

Vivek Oberoi-backed Rutland Square targets 100,000 cases annually in India

Vivek Oberoi-backed Rutland Square Spirits Limited, a premium Scottish spirits company, plans to debut in India with a target of 100,000 cases per year. The spirits brand has earmarked 5-7 million pounds for nationwide expansion and operations over the next twelve months, about 30 per cent of which will be used to scale the business, Oberoi told Business Standard in an exclusive interaction. 

 

4:55 PM

Maharashtra govt sets stage for polls to 29 civic bodies with ward delimitation order

 The Maharashtra government has issued a notification to finalise ward boundaries, taking a major step towards conducting long-pending elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra.  According to the notification, the number of corporators to be elected to the BMC has been capped at 227, with each ward in Mumbai electing one corporator. 

4:34 PM

No entry for KCR family in Congress, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy amid BRS infighting

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday categorically ruled out the Congress admitting any member of BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao's family into the party, calling them "enemies of the state", as internal rifts in the KCR family play out in public. "No entry for KCR family members into Congress. Till Revanth Reddy is there, they will not be allowed. They have no place in the party," the chief minister said. Reddy's statement comes against the backdrop of a deepening strife in the KCR family that has spilled over into the political arena, triggering unrest in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) which was ousted from power in the state in December 2023 after a 10-year rule.

4:27 PM

Rights group says global brands at risk of links to forced labour in China's minerals industry

Several global brands are among dozens of companies at risk of using forced labour through their Chinese supply chains because they use critical minerals or buy minerals-based products sourced from the far-western Xinjiang region of China, an international rights group said Wednesday. The report by the Netherlands-based Global Rights Compliance says companies including Avon, Walmart, Nescafe, Coca-Cola and paint supplier Sherwin-Williams may be linked to titanium sourced from Xinjiang.

 

4:24 PM

Complaints not in prescribed format will not be accepted, says Lokpal

India's anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal recently said corruption complaints not in the prescribed format will not be entertained. In a circular dated June 5, it said the Lokpal did not have power to review its orders while noting "increasing instances of complainants desirous of a reconsideration of the verdict given by it".

4:22 PM

AI key enabler for future networks, working on indigenous AI-powered telecom technologies: DoT official

Artificial intelligence will serve as a foundational technology for future networks, with AI-native systems enabling new services like immersive experiences, autonomous operations and integrated sensing, a DoT official has said. Sanjeev K Bidwai, Member (Technology), Department of Telecommunications, on Wednesday said institutions like C-DoT, IITs and other leading R&D centres are working on indigenous AI-powered telecom technologies, actively contributing to international standards through platforms like ITU-T, ITU-R and 3GPP.

3:28 PM

No funds diverted from other departments for Ladki Bahin scheme: Maharashtra minister

Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday rubbished claims that the state government diverted funds from other departments for the Ladki Bahin scheme, asserting that the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation was committed to safeguarding the vulnerable sections of society. In the recent past, state Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat accused the Ajit Pawar-led Finance Department of high-handedness in what he termed as illegal diversion of funds from his department without his knowledge.

3:04 PM

Bride among five people killed in road crash in Jaipur

A bride was among five people killed, while the groom was seriously injured when a multi-utility vehicle carrying a wedding party collided head-on with a truck in Jaipur district early Wednesday, police said. The accident occurred on the Dausa-Manoharpur highway near Bhatkabas village in Raisar area. The bride identified as 18-year-old Bharati, a resident of Mandoli village in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol, died on the spot along with four others identified as Jeetu (33), Subhash (28), Ravi Kumar (17).

2:48 PM

Constitution recalibrates power to restore dignity: CJI Gavai at Oxford Union

The Constitution of India is a social document that does not pretend that all are equal but dares to intervene to recalibrate power and restore dignity, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said in an address at the Oxford Union. Addressing the historic institution at the University of Oxford on the topic of ‘From Representation to Realisation: Embodying the Constitution's Promise' on Tuesday, CJI Gavai reflected upon his own journey from a municipal school to the highest judicial office of the country to highlight the impact of the “legal charter” now in its 75th year.

2:38 PM

India raises with US incident of 'ill-treatment' of Indian man at Newark airport

India has raised with the US an incident of an Indian man being handcuffed and allegedly treated like a criminal at the Newark Airport. The Indian Consulate in New York has ascertained that the man hailing from Haryana had entered the US illegally without a valid visa and was being deported back to India as per a court order, they said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) raised the matter with the US embassy in New Delhi.

2:19 PM

Only Aadhar authenticated users can book Tatkal tickets from July 1: Railway Ministry

Only Aadhar authenticated users will be able to book tickets under the Tatkal scheme from July 1, 2025, onwards, the Railway Ministry stated.

1:52 PM

Uttarakhand: Chief Medical Superintendent found dead in Rudraprayag

Chief Medical Superintendent in-charge of Rudraprayag District Hospital Manoj Badoni was found dead at his residence in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, hospital sources said on Wednesday. Hospital staff found him lying unconscious at his residence in the district hospital premises on Tuesday evening.

1:24 PM

Airtel blocks 180,000 malicious links in Karnataka

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday claimed that it has blocked more than 180,000 malicious links and safeguarded more than 2.3 million users across Karnataka within just 25 days of launching its advanced fraud-detection system in the wake of rising online frauds.

12:52 PM

Proposed national e-commerce, retail trade policies under discussions: Piyush Goyal

The proposed national e-commerce and retail trade policies are under discussions as both are linked to each other, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said. Since the e-commerce sector is an evolving and fast-changing subject, "we did come out with certain ideas, but I think we will have to revise the policy to make it more contemporary, and it is under discussion," he said.

12:03 PM

Pakistani man extradited to US from Canada over plot to attack Jewish centre

A Pakistani citizen living in Canada has been extradited to the US to face charges for plotting an ISIS-inspired mass shooting at a Jewish centre in New York City around the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, US officials said. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the US on Tuesday in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice said

11:22 AM

8 IPS officers in Chhattisgarh get new postings for anti-Naxal operations

The Chhattisgarh government has issued fresh postings to eight Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and deployed them on the anti-Naxal operations duty in the state, officials said on Wednesday. The development comes after Akash Girepunje, the additional superintendent of police (ASP-Konta division) in Sukma district, lost his life in a Naxal-planted IED blast on Monday.

11:09 AM

Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, flags delay in scholarships for students from marginalised communities

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging the "deplorable" conditions in residential hostels for Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority students and the delay in post-matric scholarships for those from marginalised communities.

10:58 AM

California governor says 'democracy under assault' by Trump as feds intervene in LA protests

Calling President Donald Trump a threat to the American way of life, Governor Gavin Newsom depicted the federal military intervention in Los Angeles as the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation's democracy. In a speech Tuesday evening, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate said the arrival of National Guard and Marine troops in the city at Trump's direction was not simply about quelling protests that followed a series of immigration raids by federal authorities.

10:32 AM

Manipur protests: Meitei outfit member held for firing at security personnel, 19 others detained

A member of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol was apprehended for allegedly firing at security personnel during the recent protests in Manipur over the arrests of a leader of the organisation and four others, police said on Wednesday. Nineteen others were also detained for their alleged involvement in violence during demonstrations in Imphal, a senior officer said.

10:30 AM

Axiom-4 mission put off as SpaceX detects leak in Falcon-9 rocket

The Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled to carry Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others to the International Space Station on Tuesday, was put off again to fix a leak in the SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket. SpaceX announced that it was "standing down" from the Falcon-9 launch to allow time for repairs after a post-static inspection of the rocket's boosters identified a liquid oxygen leak.

10:05 AM

Demolition drive launched in Delhi's Bhoomiheen camp

Authorities launched a demolition drive in the Bhoomiheen camp in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri on Wednesday morning, amid heavy police deployment. Over 300 jhuggis built on government land in Govindpuri will be demolished, an official said.