LIVE news: FM Sitharaman assures exporters of govt backing to counter impact of tariffs, says FIEO
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FM Sitharaman emphasised the government’s commitment to safeguarding exporters’ interests (File image)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday assured a delegation of exporters that the government fully supports them in the face of rising US tariffs. According to a statement from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), she emphasised the government’s commitment to safeguarding exporters’ interests and pledged to explore all possible measures to address their concerns.
Around 20 colleges in Delhi, including Jesus and Mary College in Chanakyapuri, received bomb threat emails on Wednesday, Delhi Police said. The threats were declared a hoax after investigation, with officials suspecting that the sender may have used a VPN.
The incident comes amid a series of similar hoax threats reported in schools across the national capital in recent months.
A large-scale Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday killed at least three people and injured 24, according to local authorities.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city administration, said preliminary information indicated that a 14-year-old girl was among the dead. He noted that the toll was expected to rise.
A five-storey residential building in the Darnytskyi district was directly hit, with “everything destroyed,” Tkachenko stated. Another strike in central Kyiv left a major road covered with shattered glass.
Authorities reported that more than 20 locations across the capital were affected. Rescue teams were deployed to free people trapped beneath the rubble.
Thursday’s assault marked the first major combined Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv since US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss an end to the three-year war in Ukraine.
Although diplomatic efforts appeared to gather momentum after the meeting, few details have emerged on the next steps.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing for tougher US sanctions to cripple Russia’s economy if Putin fails to show genuine commitment to ending the conflict.
7:31 PM
Kejriwal questions why no 'big leader' of Congress arrested in National Herald case
On Thursday, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged a collusion between the BJP and the Congress, raising questions over why no "senior leader" of the Congress had been arrested in the National Herald case. Kejriwal, who met AAP MLAs and councillors at the Constitution Club, also referred to the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at the residence of the party’s Delhi unit chief, Saurabh Bharadwaj.
6:35 PM
Pahalgam attack: NIA says terrorists targeted Baisaran due to high tourist footfall
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said terrorists targeted the scenic Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam because of its heavy tourist footfall and relative seclusion. According to NIA officials, three terrorists were directly involved in the April 22 attack, in which 26 people were mercilessly killed.
5:58 PM
Bihar SIR: Over 195,000 demands for inclusion, exclusion in voter list
The Election Commission announced that it has received over 195,000 applications from individuals seeking inclusion or removal of names from Bihar’s draft voter list, with nearly 25,000 already resolved. Among political parties, the CPI (ML)-Liberation has submitted 79 pleas, while the RJD has filed three. Both are recognised state parties in Bihar.
5:44 PM
Number of school teachers crossed 10 mn for first time in 2024-25: Education ministry
For the first time in any academic year, total number of school teachers across country crossed one crore mark during 202425, Ministry of Education's UDISE data showed. Unified District Information System for Education Plus is a data aggregation platform maintained by the education ministry to collate school education data from across the country.
4:45 PM
Government committed to protect interests of Marathas and OBCs: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
Facing a fresh agitation for Maratha reservation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said his government was committed to protect the interests of both the Marathas and OBCs. The BJP-led government did not intend to pit the two communities against each other, he told reporters, as Maratha leader Manoj Jarange is set to launch an indefinite hunger strike for quota in Mumbai from Friday.
4:25 PM
Diamond polishers stare at up to 30 pc loss in FY26 revenue due to US tariff: Crisil Ratings
India's natural diamond polishing industry faces a 28-30 per cent fall in revenues to $12.50 billion in this financial year as the steep 50 per cent tariff imposed on Indian exports by the US kicks in, a report said on Thursday. During 2024-25, the revenue of the natural diamond polishing industry in India stood at around $16 billion, Crisil Ratings said in a report.
4:19 PM
NCAP target of 40 pc cut in pollution can add 2 yrs to people's lives in 130 cities: Study
Residents of 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) could see their life expectancy increase by two years compared to 2017 if India achieves its revised target of a 40 per cent reduction in particulate pollution by 2026, a new report said on Thursday. Launched in 2019, NCAP aimed to cut 2017 particulate pollution levels in 130 highly polluted cities by 20-30 per cent by 2024. In 2022, the government revised the target to a 40 per cent reduction by 2026.
3:55 PM
SIT probe in Dharmasthala case should be time-bound, demands BJP
Karnataka BJP on Thursday demanded that the SIT probe into allegations of multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala over a period of the past two decades should be "time-bound". The party's state President B Y Vijayendra, rejecting allegations that the BJP was trying to politicise the case, questioned the Congress government's inaction against the conspirators and those behind the smear campaign against Dharmasthala.
3:28 PM
Trying to expedite rollout of export promotion mission to help exporters, says govt official
Diversification of exports will help exporters sustain trade trajectory in long run, a government official said today.
3:17 PM
Union minister Pradhan attacks Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav over alleged abuses hurled at PM Modi's mother
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav over abuses allegedly hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother during the Gandhi-led "Voter Adhikar Yatra" in Bihar. The BJP on Thursday alleged that the yatra has crossed all "limits of insult, hate and tastelessness", as it said abuses were directed at Prime Minister Modi's mother during the campaign.
1:35 PM
Arunachal launches first outbound air cargo service
Arunachal Pradesh Civil Aviation minister Balo Raja on Thursday flagged off the first-ever outbound air cargo service from Donyi Polo Airport here, in a step aimed at boosting the state's agri-horticultural economy and linking local farmers to wider markets. Raja said the initiative, themed 'Empowering Farmers, Connecting Markets', will create new opportunities for cultivators by ensuring their produce reaches national markets faster.
1:14 PM
India must impose higher tariffs on US imports: Arvind Kejriwal
Aam Aadmi Party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that India impose higher tariffs on US imports, asserting that the whole country will support this decision. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP-led Central government has decided to waive off 11 per cent duty on cotton imported from the US, which could impact the business of local farmers here. There was no immediate reaction from the Central government.
12:20 PM
Revamped ‘U’ Specials make a comeback in Delhi; CM flags off 100 new buses
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday flagged off 100 new buses, including 50 revamped ‘U’ Special buses returning after 30 years, now equipped with advanced features such as DTC Radio. She said,“We are working to offer concessions to students for their Metro tickets. We are introducing 100 new buses, including the upgraded ‘U’ Specials with DTC Radio.”
11:54 AM
Zelenskyy says deadly attack on Kyiv shows Russian answer to diplomacy
A Russian overnight attack on Kyiv killed at least eight people, including a child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. "Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table," Zelenskyy said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. "It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war."
11:22 AM
Delhi colleges, including DU’s JMC, receive hoax bomb threat emails
The threats were declared a hoax after investigation. Police suspect that the sender may have used a VPN.
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First Published: Aug 28 2025 | 10:33 AM IST
