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3:00 PM

Passenger vehicle dispatches rise 19% in Jun as chip supply improves

Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose by 19 per cent year-on-year in June on the back of improvement in semiconductor supplies, according to industry body SIAM.

 

As per the latest data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches to dealers stood at 2,75,788 units last month against 2,31,633 units in June 2021.

 

Similarly, total two-wheeler wholesales increased to 13,08,764 units last month compared to 10,60,565 units in the year-ago period.

2:59 PM

Free Covid precaution doses for 18-59 age group from July 15 at govt centres: Officials

People in the 18-59 age group will get free precaution doses of the Covid vaccine at government vaccination centres under a 75-day special drive likely to begin from July 15, official sources said on Wednesday.

 

The drive, aimed at boosting the uptake of Covid precaution doses, will be held as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence, they said.

2:56 PM

Singapore an "attractive target" for terror attack; people urged to be on high alert

The Singapore government on Wednesday urged its citizens to remain on high alert as the city-state is viewed as an "attractive target" for attack by both foreign terrorist groups and self-radicalised lone actors.

 

Releasing its annual terrorism threat assessment report, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said foreign terrorist fighters may make their way to new conflict zones and hotspots after the pandemic.

 

2:52 PM

Presidential election: Ballot box, other poll material reach Delhi Assembly

The ballot box and other important poll material for the upcoming presidential election was on Wednesday brought to the premises of the Delhi Assembly and stored in a strong room, officials said.

 

The election for the next President of India will be held on July 18 in which 4,809 electors comprising MPs and MLAs will vote to elect incumbent Ram Nath Kovind's successor, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had said in June.

2:43 PM

Bumrah back to No 1 in ICC ODI Player Rankings

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has regained the top spot in the ICC men's ODI Player Rankings after fashioning India's 10-wicket win over England with a career-best haul of six for 19 in the first game at The Oval.

 

Bumrah had lost the top spot to New Zealand's Trent Boult in February 2020 after being No. 1 for most of the preceding two years. He has been at the top for a total of 730 days, more than any other Indian and the ninth-most in history.

2:40 PM

PM Modi calls on President Ram Nath Kovind

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

 

The details of the meeting were not immediately known.

 

"Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the President's secretariat tweeted.

 

2:30 PM

'Don't fall ill': Sri Lanka doctors warn of drug shortage

Don't fall ill or get into accidents: That's the advice doctors in Sri Lanka are giving patients as the country's economic crisis leaves its health care system short of drugs and other vital supplies.

The South Asian island nation lacks the money to pay for basic imports like fuel and food, and medicine is also running out. Such troubles threaten to undo its huge gains in public health in recent decades.

Some doctors have turned to social media to try to get donations of supplies or the funds to buy them. They're also urging Sri Lankans living overseas to help. So far there's no sign of an end to the crisis that has thrust the country into an economic and political meltdown.

2:11 PM

DRI detects Rs 4,389 cr customs duty evasion by Oppo India

Revenue intelligence officers have detected Rs 4,389 crore duty evasion by Chinese smartphone maker Oppo by misdeclaration of imports, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Chinese company deals in mobile brands -- Oppo, OnePlus and Realme.

During an investigation of Oppo Mobiles India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Ltd - China (Oppo China), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has detected Customs duty evasion of around Rs 4,389 crore.

2:02 PM

Sri Lankan PM appointed Acting President: Speaker

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President in accordance with the Article 37.1 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane said on Wednesday.

He added in a special statement that the President has informed him that the Prime Minister was appointed as the Acting President as he was away from the country, the Daily Mirror reported.

President Rajapaksa has arrived in the Maldives earlier on Wednesday morning after having fled Sri Lanka and will be making his way to a final destination. Where that is however, is still unclear.

1:52 PM

India accuses China's Oppo of $551 million tax evasion

An investigation by India's Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has found that Chinese smartphone maker Oppo evaded customs duty worth 43.9 billion Indian rupees ($551 million), a government statement said on Wednesday.

Reuters could not immediately reach Oppo for a comment.