News Highlights: G20 calls for UN reforms, overhaul of Security Council

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10:56 PM

Remarkable decline in out-of-pocket expenditure for healthcare in past decade, says Nadda

Union Health Minister J P Nadda Friday said out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by people for healthcare in India has declined to 39.4 per cent from 64.2 per cent a decade earlier.

Addressing the 12th edition of the International Health Dialogue 2025 organised by Apollo Hospitals, he said India is on the cusp of leading a global healthcare transformation.

10:25 PM

Vedanta emerges as preferred bidder for diamond block in MP

Vedanta Ltd on Friday said it has been declared as preferred bidder for a diamond mine in Madhya Pradesh.

The company said it is the highest bidder with a final price offer of 1.10 per cent. "The company has been declared as 'Preferred Bidder' for the Kauhari Diamond Block," Vedanta said in a regulatory filing.

8:27 PM

G20 calls for UN reforms, overhaul of Security Council

The G20 representatives, attending the first Foreign Ministers' meeting under by South Africa's presidency, on Friday reaffirmed the urgent need to reform the UN, including changes to the Security Council. Among the key attendees were External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

7:58 PM

ED levies FEMA penalty of Rs 3.44 cr on BBC World Service India: Officials

The Enforcement Directorate has levied a penalty of more than Rs 3.44 crore on BBC World Service India for alleged contravention of foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations, agency officials said on Friday.

The federal probe agency also fined three of its directors with more than Rs 1.14 crore each as it issued an adjudication order against the British broadcaster under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

7:49 PM

Granules India to acquire 100% equity stake in Senn Chemicals AG

Granules India To Acquire 100% Equity Stake In Senn Chemicals AG

7:43 PM

Aster DM Healthcare to invest Rs 850 cr in Kerala

Aster DM Healthcare on Friday said it will invest Rs 850 crore in the next three years in infrastructure, medical services, and employment generation in Kerala. The investment builds on Rs 500 crore the healthcare provider has already put in the state in the last three years.

7:32 PM

China expresses concerns over US tariffs in Bessent call, vice premier says

China's Vice Premier He Lifeng expressed concerns over U.S. tariffs and trade restrictions on China during a video call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. The two sides had an "in-depth" exchange of views on important issues in China-U.S. economic relations, and both sides agree to keep communicating on issues of mutual concern, according to a readout released by Chinese state media.

7:01 PM

Swiggy to invest up to $115 mn in supply chain subsidiary

Indian food and grocery delivery firm Swiggy said on Friday it will invest up to 10 billion rupees ($115.47 million) in Scootsy, a subsidiary engaged in supply chain services and distribution.

6:45 PM

New Delhi BJP govt plans to introduce key reforms in healthcare sector

With the formation of the BJP government in Delhi, an action plan has been prepared to introduce key reforms in the healthcare sector, which includes digitisation of health services, setting up of 'Aarogya Mandirs', filling up various vacancies of medial superintendents and completion of under-construction hospitals, officials said on Friday. They said that many state-run hospitals have been facing an acute shortage of medical superintendents (MS) and medical directors (MD), with some officials managing two hospitals simultaneously, which affects the functioning of health facilities.

6:41 PM

BJP govt in Delhi plans key healthcare reforms, Aarogya Mandirs' and digitisation in focus

With the formation of the BJP government in Delhi, an action plan has been prepared to introduce key reforms in the healthcare sector, which includes digitisation of health services, setting up of 'Aarogya Mandirs', filling up various vacancies of medial superintendents and completion of under-construction hospitals, officials said on Friday. They said that many state-run hospitals have been facing an acute shortage of medical superintendents (MS) and medical directors (MD), with some officials managing two hospitals simultaneously, which affects the functioning of health facilities.

6:29 PM

NIA chargesheets two key aides of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arsh Dala

The National Investigation Agency has chargesheeted two key aides of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala in a terror-gangster syndicate case, the probe agency said on Friday. The chargesheet filed on Thursday before the NIA special court at Patiala House Court here named absconder Neeraj Pandit alias Neeraj Faridpuria and Anil Singh in the case, it said. NIA investigations have revealed that Arsh Dala, a member of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was funding a terror gangster syndicate in India of which the two men were a part, said a statement issued by the probe agency.

6:18 PM

Efforts on to balance India-Japan trade by boosting exports: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said efforts are underway to balance bilateral trade between India and Japan by increasing exports. India's exports to Japan during April-January this fiscal rose by 21.12 per cent to $5.1 billion, while imports grew by 9.1 per cent to $15.92 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $10.82 billion in favour of Japan.

6:03 PM

Federal judge allows Trump's mass firings of federal workers to move forward

A federal judge in Washington has allowed President Donald Trump's mass firings of federal workers to move forward. US District Judge Christopher Cooper decided Thursday he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block the layoffs. He found that their complaint amounted to an employment dispute and must follow a different process outlined in federal employment law.

5:47 PM

PM Modi likely to inaugurate redeveloped Tripureswari temple on Apr 7: Tripura minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the redeveloped Tripureswari temple in Tripura's Gomati district on April 7, a state minister said on Friday. The temple, one of the 51 'Shakti Peeths', has been redeveloped under the 'PRASAD' scheme, a flagship programme of the Centre, with a cost of Rs 54 crore.

5:34 PM

India's forex reserves drop USD 2.54 billion to USD 635.721 billion

Snapping the three-week rising streak, India's forex reserves dropped by USD 2.54 billion to USD 635.721 billion in the week ended February 14, the RBI said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had increased by USD 7.654 billion to USD 638.261 billion. The forex reserves had increased to an all-time high of USD 704.885 billion in September 2024. The forex kitty however declined thereafter due to forex market interventions by RBI to reduce volatility in the rupee. For the week ended February 14, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, decreased by USD 4.515 billion to USD 539.591 billion, the data released on Friday showed.

5:03 PM

India, Bangladesh agree to launch new 'hotline' between border forces

India and Bangladesh have decided to establish a new communication link between the deputy commanders of their respective border-guarding forces and identified about 99 fresh patches for erecting a fence along their shared border. The decisions were finalised during the biannual director general-level talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that concluded here on Thursday, sources in the security establishment told PTI.

4:53 PM

Niva Bupa Health Insurance says it is probing claims of data leak

The company stated it is investigating claims of customer data leaks.

4:48 PM

S Jaishankar, Wang Yi discuss bilateral ties on sidelines of G20 foreign ministers' meeting: MEA

Management of peace, tranquillity along border, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, SCO also discussed by S Jaishankar, Wang Yi in Johannesburg, says MEA.

4:46 PM

Three men from Gujarat held in Goa for accepting bets on India-Bangladesh CT match

Cops have taken into custody three persons hailing from Gujarat for accepting bets on the Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Bangladesh after raiding a bungalow in a Goa village, an official said on Friday. Acting on reliable information, cops raided the rented bungalow in Pilerne village near Panaji on Thursday, a police spokesperson said.

4:24 PM

SC directs Yasin Malik to virtually appear in Jammu court from Tihar on Mar 7

The Supreme Court on Friday asked jailed JKLF chief Yasin Malik to appear in a Jammu court from Tihar Jail through video-conferencing on March 27. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the Jammu sessions court was "well-equipped" with the video-conferencing system enabling the virtual examination. The CBI sought the transfer of the trials in the 1989 case of the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case, from Jammu to New Delhi.

4:21 PM

SC asks Maharashtra, Assam to reply on YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani plea

The top court has sought responses from the Maharashtra and Assam governments on YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani's plea seeking to quash or transfer to Mumbai an FIR filed over the alleged obscene utterances made during an episode of India's Got Latent show aired recently. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued the notices and tagged Chanchlani's plea with podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's pending petition. Chanchlani is named in the FIR in Assam, in which Allahbadia is reportedly shown to be the prime accused

4:03 PM

Information on USAID funding led to concerns on foreign interference in internal affairs: MEA spokesperson

Revelations about USAID deeply troubling, relevant departments, authorities looking into this matter, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said today.

3:49 PM

EAM Jaishankar meets Chinese FM Wang on sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting here. Jaishankar is in Johannesburg on a two-day visit to South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The meeting comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts between India and China to address bilateral issues.

3:37 PM

News update: 5 killed, 23 injured in accident involving private bus and truck in Gujarat's Kutch district

3:28 PM

5,600 workers sent to Israel for jobs, more on the way: UP labour minister

Uttar Pradesh has successfully sent 5,600 workers to Israel for employment opportunities,  the state's Minister of Labour and Employment Anil Rajbhar on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly. An additional 5,000 workers are in the process of being sent. Responding to a written question from Samajwadi Party MLA Prabhu Narayan Yadav in the House, Rajbhar said, "Our workers in Israel are contributing significantly to the state's economy, sending foreign currency worth Rs 1,000 crore annually."

3:24 PM

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court reserves order after complainant, state seek death for Sajjan Kumar

A Delhi court on Friday reserved for February 25 the order on the quantum of sentence against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a murder case relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Appearing before special judge Kaveri Baweja, the complainant, whose husband and son were killed by a mob allegedly instigated by Kumar, sought the maximum punishment of death penalty for Kumar.

2:59 PM

Wikipedia editors booked for not taking down 'objectionable' content on Sambhaji Maharaj

Maharashtra Cyber has registered a case against at least four editors of Wikipedia for not taking down objectionable content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open source encyclopedia, officials said on Friday. The nodal agency had sent a notice to the California-based Wikimedia Foundation, requesting the removal of the content from Wikipedia. The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization that hosts Wikipedia.

 

2:35 PM

Narco terror case: SC calls charges 'serious', denies bail plea of accused

The top court refused to hear the bail plea of an accused in an alleged narco terrorism case, relating to the seizure of 532 kilogram of heroin and 52 kilogram of mixed narcotics worth Rs 2,700 crore at Attari. The bench refused to agree with the submissions of senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for one Tariq Ahmed Lone, that he should be granted bail as the contraband was not recovered from him.

2:23 PM

Unmatched opportunities for growth in the country, says Piyush Goyal

The Centre is working in tandem with all states to make India a $30-35 trillion economy by 2047and there are "unmatched opportunities for growth, development and economic opportunities" in the country, Union minister Piyush Goyal said. Goyal speaking at the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) here, sought to woo investors and will soon start talks with Bahrain for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

1:53 PM

CAG reports to be tabled in first session of newly constituted Delhi Assembly

The first session of the newly constituted Delhi Assembly will begin this Monday, officials said on Friday. The session will be held on February 24, 25, 27 and 14 pending CAG reports on the performance of previous AAP government will be tabled in the House, they said. The newly elected MLAs with be administered oath of office on February 24-25. After a holiday for Shiv Ratri on February 26, the CAG reports will be tabled by the BJP government.