Page 107 - India

India and Pakistan take veiled swipe at each other at SCO meeting

India and Pakistan on Friday took a veiled swipe at each other at a SCO meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar demanding tough action against cross-border terrorism and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari calling for not getting caught up in "weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring". In his address at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here, Jaishankar said the channel of finances for terror activities must be blocked without any distinction even as Bhutto Zardari raised the issue of "violation of international law" which was seen as an apparent reference to Kashmir. The SCO norms do not allow raking up bilateral issues and the two foreign ministers did not name any country and made the comments indirectly. Chairing the conclave, Jaishankar said taking the "eyes off terrorism" would be detrimental to the security interests of the grouping and that when the world was engaged in facing the Covid-19 .

28% excess rainfall in India in pre-monsoon season so far, says IMD

India has received 28 per cent excess rainfall in the pre-monsoon season so far, with the central region gauging precipitation 268 per cent above normal, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. East and northeast India recorded 29 per cent rain deficit -- 141.5 mm against the normal of 199.9 mm -- from March 1 to May 3. Northwest India, i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand, recorded 18 per cent more rainfall (98.3 mm against the normal of 83.4 mm), while the peninsular region received 88 per cent excess rain (102 mm against the normal of 54.2 mm) during this period. Central India, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, recorded 268 per cent surplus rainfall -- 67 mm against the normal of 18.2 mm. Starting April 21-22, large parts of the country, barring the eastern and northeastern parts, experienced a prolonged wet spell owing to several back-to-back weather ...

PM Modi to attend Paris's Bastille Day Parade as guest of honour on July 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this year's Bastille Day Parade in Paris as the guest of honour on July 14, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday. An Indian armed forces' contingent will also participate in the parade along with their French counterparts, the MEA said in a statement. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend this year's Bastille Day Parade as the guest of honour, it said. Prime Minister Modi's visit is expected to herald the next phase of the India-France strategic partnership by setting new and ambitious goals for strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries, the MEA said. India and France have a shared vision on peace and security, especially in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and uphold the objectives and the principles of the Charter of the United ...

Amit Shah keeping close eye on Manipur situation, taking regular inputs

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is closely monitoring the situation in Manipur and is in constant touch with top functionaries of the state and central governments, sources said on Friday. Shah, who is staying put in the national capital, is also taking regular inputs from security and intelligence agencies about the Manipur situation, which remained peaceful but tense on Friday. The home minister is closely monitoring the Manipur situation and taking updates regularly from top functionaries of the state and central governments, sources said. On Thursday, Shah held two video conferences attended by the Manipur chief minister, the state's chief secretary, the police chief, the Union home secretary and other top officials of the central government. He also held telephonic conversations with chief ministers Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland, Zoramthanga of Mizoram and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam in view of the situation in Manipur on Thursday. Meanwhile, at least five Deputy Inspector General (

India logs 3,611 new Covid-19 case, active infections down to 33, 232

India has recorded 3,611 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have dipped to 33,232 from 36,244, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,642 with 36 deaths, which includes nine reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,64,289). The active cases now comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.74 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,43,99,415 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Explained: How do India's different states choose their state animals?

How did the Nilgai get selected as Delhi's state animal? How do states choose their state animals? Read here

Apple posts record quarter in India; Cook says 'incredibly exciting market'

The quarterly record growth in India comes at a time Apple has seen its second quarter of declining numbers. The company saw emerging markets doing well

Operation Kaveri: Nearly 3,800 Indians evacuated from crisis-hit Sudan

Nine days have passed since the Government of India launched its ambitious rescue mission, "Operation Kaveri" to evacuate stranded Indians in conflict-ridden Sudan

India amends power policy draft to halt new coal-fired capacity: Reports

The draft, if approved by the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would make China the only major economy open to fresh requests to add significant new coal-fired capacity

India to become 50% non-cash economy in consumption in 3 years: Report

Market borrowings by India's state governments are likely to be lower than the amounts indicated in their budgets, as off-balance sheet liabilities will continue to be adjusted in this fiscal year

LIVE: Indian-origin Ajay Banga confirmed as next World Bank president

Catch live updates from across the globe here

India will get its own index to quantify heat impact next year: IMD chief

India will launch its own composite index next year to quantify the impact of heat on its population and generate impact-based heat wave alerts for specific locations, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. The IMD began issuing an experimental heat index for different parts of the country last week, taking into account air temperature and relative humidity to determine how hot it really feels. "The heat index is an experimental product. It is not validated and we have mentioned that (on the IMD's website) too. We are coming up with our own system now, a multi-parameter product called 'heat hazard score'. We hope that it will be better than the others," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, told PTI. Along with temperature and humidity, it will integrate other parameters such as wind and duration. It will be an effective indicator of heat stress for people, he said. The IMD chief said the hazard score will be ready in around two months and "it wil

G20 health agenda: An opportunity for India to shape action in health care

India's assumption of the presidency of the G20 in 2023, forming the G20 troika with Indonesia and Brazil, marks the first time that the troika has been constituted solely by members from LMICs

India reports 3,720 new Covid-19 cases, active infections at 40,177

India has recorded 3,720 new COVID-19 infections and the count of active cases of the disease in the country stands at 40,177, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll due to the viral disease has increased to 5,31,584 with 20 more fatalities, including five reconciled by Kerala, being recorded, the data updated at 8 am showed. The tally of Covid cases in the country now stands at 4.49 crore (4,49,56,716), according to the data. Active cases now comprise 0.09 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.73 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,43,84,955 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of vaccines have so far been administered in the country under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

India among 14 nations who don't adhere to IPCA protocols, says US report

India is among the 14 countries that do not adhere to any protocols concerning international parental child abduction (IPCA), according to a United States report. The Department of State's 2023 annual report on IPCA that was submitted to the US Congress on Tuesday was referring to a pattern of noncompliance. "India does not adhere to any protocols with respect to international parental child abduction. In 2022, India continued to demonstrate a pattern of noncompliance. Specifically, the competent authorities in India persistently failed to work with the Department of State to resolve abduction cases," it said. "As a result of this failure, 65 per cent of requests for the return of abducted children remained unresolved for more than 12 months," the report added. The Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980), signed by 96 countries, provides for a mechanism to return a child internationally abducted by a parent from one member country to another. On .

Rana Ayyub criticised India at Unesco-sponsored press freedom event

"When we talk about attacks in the press, we normally never look at India as much because India is seen as this place of democracy, you know, syncretic values and cultural pluralism," she said

India, Saudi Arabia discuss aspects of enhancing bilateral coordination

"During the call, they reviewed the historical and strong relations between the two countries and the two friendly peoples and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields"

India trashes USCIRF report, calls it biased and misrepresentation of facts

India on Tuesday categorically trashed as "biased" and "motivated" a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that alleged "severe violations" of religious freedom in the country. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Commission continues to regurgitate such comments and India rejects the "misrepresentation of facts" which only serves to "discredit USCIRF itself". He also asked USCIRF to develop a better understanding of India, its plurality and its democratic ethos. "The US Commission on International Religious Freedom continues to regurgitate biased and motivated comments about India, this time in its 2023 annual report," he said. "We reject such misrepresentation of facts which only serves to discredit USCIRF itself," Bagchi added. "We would urge USCIRF to desist from such efforts and develop a better understanding of India, its plurality, its democratic ethos and its constitutional mechanisms," he said. In its annual rep

Rafale jets of India, France carry out multinational air exercise

Rafale jets of India and France have been jointly carrying out aerial drills as part of a multinational air exercise at the French airbase of Mont-de-Marsan, officials said on Tuesday. Shivangi Singh, the Indian Air Force's first woman Rafale pilot, is part of the Indian team that is participating in the Exercise Orion, they said. In January, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi scripted history by becoming the first IAF woman fighter pilot to take part in an aerial wargame abroad. Chaturvedi, a Su-30MKI pilot, was part of the IAF's contingent that participated in the 16-day mega air combat exercise with Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) at the Japanese airbase of Hyakuri from January 12 to 26. India deployed four Rafale jets, two C-17 aircraft and two IL-78 mid-air refuellers for the three-week multinational exercise in France that began on April 17. It was the first overseas exercise for the Indian Air Force's Rafale jets. Besides the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (FASF

Computational analysis shows how dengue virus evolved in India: IISc study

A multi-institutional study on dengue led by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) shows how the virus causing the disease has evolved dramatically over the last few decades in the Indian subcontinent. Cases of dengue a mosquito-borne viral disease have steadily increased in the last 50 years, predominantly in the South-East Asian countries, Bengaluru-based IISc said in a statement. And yet, there are no approved vaccines against dengue in India, although some vaccines have been developed in other countries. We were trying to understand how different the Indian variants are, and we found that they are very different from the original strains used to develop the vaccines, says Rahul Roy, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, IISc, and corresponding author of the study published in medical journal 'PLoS Pathogens'. He and collaborators examined all available (408) genetic sequences of Indian dengue strains from infected patients collected ...