LIVE
Wed, 22 July 2020
Babri case: Joshi may depose tomorrow
Timeline Refresh
23:47 Babri case: Joshi may depose tomorrow
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court holding the 1992 Babri mosque demolition trial is likely to record the statement of 86-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi through video conference on Thursday.
Special Judge S K Yadav earlier on Monday, while slating July 24 for recording the statement of former deputy prime minister L K Advani, 92, had also decided to record Joshi's statement on July 23.
The Babri mosque demolition trial is presently at the stage of the recording of statements of 32 accused in the case under Section 313 of Code of Criminal Procedure during which they also get an opportunity to refute the prosecution evidence against them.
The court is conducting a day-to-day hearing in the case to complete its trial by August 31 as directed by the Supreme Court.
BJP leader Uma Bharti had appeared in person earlier this month before the court to make her depositions in the case.
In her testimony, she had accused the then Congress-led central government of implicating her in the case due to political vendetta.
The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992 by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple had stood on the same site.
Advani and Joshi were leading the Ram temple movement at that time.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Satish Pradhan, who was slated to depose in the case on Wednesday, failed to appear before the court because he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was advised to take complete rest in isolation.
Considering Pradhan's ailment, the court fixed July 28 as the next date for his deposition.
The court also issued an order for the attachment of accused Om Prakash Pandey's property.
He was declared a proclaimed offender earlier by the court after repeated non-bailable warrants issued to arrest him could not be executed.
Pandey is said to have become a seer 15-16 years ago and his whereabouts are not known, the CBI had told the court earlier. -- PTI
22:46 2021 Haridwar Kumbh on schedule: Rawat
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday said the 2021 Haridwar Kumbh mela will be held on schedule, according to an official statement.
The chief minister met a delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad and assured them that the mela will be held as scheduled in April 2021, the statement said.
However, the manner in which it has been traditionally organised may see some changes depending on the coronavirus situation at that time, Rawat told the ABAP seer delegation, led by its president Mahant Narendra Giri.
He said suggestions made by the Parishad will be taken into account while preparing for the event.
All the Akharas will be provided with funds in the form of grants for making necessary arrangements for the Kumbh, he said. -- PTI
22:40 Be effective in Parliament and also in the field: Modi to BJP MPs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha members to be 'effective' in Parliament as well as in the field, connect with people using latest technology and dedicate themselves to development of the state they represent.
Modi met the 18 new MPs, 17 of whom took oath on Wednesday.
One had taken oath earlier.
'Had an excellent interaction with the newly elected BJP Rajya Sabha MPs. It was wonderful to hear their views and passion towards public service,' Modi tweeted after the meeting.
This is a group of MPs, the prime minister said, who are diverse and will certainly make effective contributions to parliamentary proceedings.
'Urged MPs to keep themselves updated with latest policy issues. Also emphasised on being effective on the floor of the House as well as in the field, among people. Reiterated the need for constant people connect and embracing latest technology as well as social media,' he tweeted.
He also shared pictures of the interaction.
BJP MP Dushyant Kumar Gautam, who was one of the MPs in the meeting, said the prime minister asked them to ensure their presence in Parliament and dedicate themselves to development of the state they represent in the House.
Modi noted that while Lok Sabha members represent a constituency, Rajya Sabha members represent an entire state.
He also asked them to give adequate time to the party's organisation.
BJP president J P Nadda and other senior party leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, were also present in the meeting. -- PTI
21:54 Maha reports record spike of 10,576 Covid cases
Maharashtra reported its highest single-day spike of 10,576 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, which pushed its overall tally to 3,37,607, the state health department said.
The state's death toll due to the virus went up by 280 and reached 12,556, it said.
A total of 5,552 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the number of such people in the state to 1,87,769, the department said in its statement.
There are 1,37,282 active cases in the state at present.
So far, 16,87,213people have been tested for COVID-19across Maharashtra, it said. -- PTI
21:43 Pak shells forward areas along LoC in Poonch
Pakistan army continued its ceasefire violation on Wednesday by resorting to heavy firing and mortar shelling on forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate befittingly, officials said.
"At about 1915 hours today, Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch district," a defence spokesman said.
Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he added.
Pakistani troops on Tuesday had shelled forward areas along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.
On July 18, three civilians were killed when Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked mortar shelling on forward posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch district.
On July 10, an Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Rajouri district. -- PTI
L K Advani
21:10 Shah meets Advani ahead of Ayodhya deposition
Union Home Minister Amit Shah met veteran BJP leader L K Advani on Wednesday, two days before the latter is scheduled to appear via video conference before a special CBI court hearing the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.
Sources said that Shah was accompanied by a battery of government lawyers as he met Advani at the 92-year-old leader's residence in connection with the case.
One of the accused in the case, Advani has to depose before the special CBI court on Friday.
The Supreme Court has asked the special court to finish the trial in the case by August 31.
Conducting regular hearings, the court is recording statements of 32 accused under Section 313 of CrPC to enable them to plead their innocence, if they so want.
21:05 India, US have ability to shape larger global agenda: Jaishankar
India and the United States need to resolve the pending problems in trade relations and move into something bigger, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
In an online interactive session at the India Ideas Summit, he said the two countries have the ability to shape a larger global agenda.
"I understand the centrality of the economic relations....These are bread and butter issues. These are really what make countries deal with each other. But I think, between India and the US, while we work through trade issues, we need to think bigger," he said.
He said beyond trade, there is a much bigger connect between India and the US which he called knowledge innovation.
"It is vital that we have a strong convergence on the big picture," he said.
Delving into geopolitics, Jaishankar said the US really has to learn to work with a more multi-polar world with more plurilateral arrangements. -- PTI
20:31 Gehlot writes to PM over bid to topple his govt
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging attempts to topple his government and naming Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
In the letter written on Sunday, the chief minister accused Shekhawat, other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and some over ambitious leaders of his own party for being involved in the conspiracy.
Gehlot said the alleged attempt to bring down the Congress government in the state insulted the people's mandate and was an open violation of constitutional values.
He cited the examples of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the two states lost by the Congress over the past year. -- PTI
19:33 SC to hear Raj speaker's plea tomorrow
The Supreme Court would on Thursday hear a plea of Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi against the high court order restraining him till July 24 from conducting disqualification proceedings against 19 dissident Congress MLAs, including sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.
As per the list of business uploaded on the Supreme Court website for July 23, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari would hear the plea.
Earlier, in the day Speaker C P Joshi moved the top court against the Rajasthan high court order saying the 'judiciary was never expected' to intervene in such matters resulting in 'constitutional impasse'.
Seeking an interim stay on the high court's July 21 order, the plea has said that it was the duty of the top court to ensure that all constitutional authorities exercise their jurisdiction within the boundaries and respect their respective lakshman rekha' as envisaged by the Constitution itself. -- PTI
18:44 Galwan martyr Col's wife appointed deputy collector
Santoshi, wife of Colonel Santosh Babu who was among the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley clash has been appointed as Deputy Collector.
According to Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao handed over the appointment letter to Santoshi at Pragathi Bhavan on Wednesday.
He instructed the officials concerned to give posting to Santoshi in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas.
The chief minister asked his secretary Smita Sabharwal to be with Santoshi till she gets proper training and settles down with her job.
Rao also had lunch with 20 family members of Santoshi who accompanied her to Pragathi Bhavan and enquired about their well-being.
He assured that the government will always stand with Colonel Santosh Babu's family.
Ministers Jagdeesh Reddy, Prashanth Reddy, Niranjan Reddy, MP from united Nalgonda District Badugula Lingaiah, MLAs Gyaderi Kishore, Bollam Mallaiah Yadav, Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Saidireddy, Zilla Parishad chairperson Deepika Yugandhar Rao, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP M Mahender Reddy, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma were also present at Pragathi Bhavan. -- ANI
18:29 US shuts Chinese Consulate in Houston
China and the United States were headed for a major diplomatic confrontation as Washington, DC on Wednesday ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, a move it said was aimed 'to protect American intellectual property and private information', hinting at cyber espionage.
Reacting strongly to the US move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin termed it as an 'unprecedented escalation and warned retaliatory measures'.
China demands the US revoke the wrong decision. If the US went ahead, China would take necessary countermeasures, he warned.
Wang also said the Chinese embassy and consulates in the US had received both explosives and death threats recently.
Earlier, the US State Department in a brief statement said 'we have directed the closure of PRC [People's Republic of China] Consulate General Houston, in order to protect American intellectual property and American's private information'.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the US 'will not tolerate the PRC's violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC's unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behaviour'.
Ortagus also pointed to the Vienna Convention, under which states 'have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs' of a host country.
The consulate in Houston, Texas, is one of five in the US, not counting the embassy in Washington, DC.
It is unclear why this one was singled out.
The US move followed the American Justice Department's claim that hackers working with the Chinese government targeted firms developing vaccines for the coronavirus and stole hundreds of millions of dollars worth of intellectual property and trade secrets from companies across the world.
Both the US and China were locked in a political and strategic conflict in recent months on a host of issues including the origin of the coronavirus, China's decision to implement its national security law in Hong Kong and deepening trade frictions.
Beijing apparently is looking at options to order the closure of the US Consulate in Wuhan or in Hong Kong, where the Chinese officials had accused the US of backing the anti-China protests.
Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that on July 21, the US abruptly demanded that China's Consulate General in Houston cease all operations and events. -- PTI
17:39 China won't de-escalate, puts 40,000 troops at LAC
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is not in a mood to de-escalate the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as it has continued deployment of around 40,000 troops in its front and depth areas for the Eastern Ladakh sector.
The Chinese are also not honouring their commitment for disengagement at the friction points in Eastern Ladakh and not moving back as per the agreed terms during the multiple rounds of talks at the government and Army level and intervention at the senior level like the one done by the National Security Advisor couple of weeks ago would be required for further progress, the sources said.
"The Chinese have not shown any signs of de-escalation as they continue to maintain their heavy troop deployment of almost 40,000 troops supported by heavy weaponry like air defence systems, armoured personnel carriers and long-range artillery in front and depth areas," sources said.
The disengagement process has also not made any progress since the last round of talks between the two Corps Commanders held last week and ground positions have also not changed, the sources said.
The Chinese are also showing reluctance in moving out of the Finger 5 area and retreat back to their permanent location in Sirijap as they want to create an observation post in the Finger area, sources said.
Similarly, they have done a heavy amount of construction of structures in the Hot Springs and Gogra post area which are the two major friction points in the Eastern Ladakh sector.
17:22 Scindia, Pilot drama won't impact Cong: Baghel
Congress will not be impacted by Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit and Sachin Pilot's rebellion, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said, as he attacked the BJP alleging it is no more a party of ethics and character and "can do anything, anywhere".
Baghel said Pilot became an MP at 26 years of age, then a Union Minister and state Congress Committee chief. "What more can a party give? he asked. He was referring to the political turmoil in Rajasthan after Pilot and 18 other MLAs revolted against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who alleged that the rebels had along with the BJP conspired to topple his government. The BJP has dismissed the allegations and claimed that the trouble in the Congress was due to the Gehlot-Pilot power struggle.
"The BJP is power hungry to such an extent that it can do anything, anywhere. Where they had one or two MLAs they have made government. They can go to any level. The era of Atal and Advani (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani) has gone and there are no ethics and character in the party," Baghel alleged.
Without taking any names, the chief minister said there were attempts at blackmailing by some opportunists in the party. "These opportunists or those indulging in the politics of blackmailing should remember that it is not good for the country's democracy. Scindia ke saath bhi kuch to majboori rahi hogi, yun hi koi bewafa nahin hota' (there must have been some compulsion with Scindia else nobody turns disloyal), the Congress leader told PTI.
Abdul Sattar
17:09 Maharashtra minister tests Covid +ve
Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar on Wednesday said he has tested positive for coronavirus. In a Facebook post, Sattar, who is an MLA from Sillod constituency in Aurangabad and is a minister of state in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said he his home quarantined in Mumbai and appealed to those who came in contact with him to get themselves tested.
Earlier, state cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad, Ashok Chavan and Dhananjay Munde had tested positive for the disease and later recovered. Another Maharashtra minister Aslam Shaikh on Monday said he has tested positive for coronavirus. PTI
Dr Arup Basu, sitting, second from left.
16:44 'I operated upon 300 soldiers, and lost one'
Take a break from reading reports on the pandemic with this story.
Dr Arup Basu was a young surgeon at the small military hospital in Kargil when the war broke out.
He spent two months as the only surgeon in the small medical team that battled night and day to save lives during the war.
He had just completed his MS degree from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune when fate brought him to the frontlines.
"My exposure to surgery came amid fire, guns and bullets," he says over the phone from Jamshedpur, the hometown he returned to after taking premature retirement from the Indian Army.
"Unless you capture territory, plant your flag, the war is never won -- and that was done by the infantry men. I would give them most credit for winning us the war."
The doctor received the Yudh Seva Medal for his duties during the war. His son is now pursuing medicine at the Armed Forces Medical College.The gastro-surgeon shares his memories of those two months during the Kargil War with Rediff.com's Archana Masih.
Read the interview here
16:35 Covid vaccine by Oct/Nov 2020: Adar Poonawalla
The Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, is hopeful of developing a COVID-19 vaccine by October/November this year, its CEO Adar Poonawala said on Wednesday. It has partnered with bio-pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to manufacture the experimental COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford. It has also got the DCGI's go-ahead to manufacture its own indigenously developed pneumococcal vaccine.
Poonawalla, during an interaction with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through a video conference, expressed optimism that the COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by October-November this year and the next phase of the trial can start in mid-August in India.
According to a press note released by the Chief Minister's Office here, Poonawalla has informed that the Oxford University vaccine has shown promising results in the first phase trial. "In India, the next phase trial will start in mid-August and the vaccine will be ready by October-November this year," he was seen saying in a video clip released by the CMO.
Poonawala further said that the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the state government can be in touch with each other and carry forward the collaboration once the vaccines are cleared and ready. Patnaik expressed happiness that the SII has partnered with Oxford University to develop the COVID vaccine. -- PTI
Image: Adar Poonawalla. Pic courtesy: adarpoonawalla.com
16:21 Re 1 damages, apology: Pilot's notice to Cong MLA
Sachin Pilot, through his counsel, serves a legal notice to Congress MLA Girraj Singh Malinga who alleged that Pilot offered him Rs 35 cr to cross vote in the Rajya Sabha polls. Notice demands a sum of Re 1 and a written apology before the press for issuing "false & frivolous allegation" within 7 days.
Malinga told reporters Monday that the talks were held at Pilot's residence and he (Malinga) alerted Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about the conspiracy to topple the state government."I had a talk with Sachinji. He had offered money to join the BJP but I refused that I will not join the BJP," Malinga said.
Malinga is in the Gehlot camp and staying at a hotel on Delhi highway along with other MLAs.
16:14 Antibodies in mild Covid patients decline rapidly
Bad news alert: In people with mild cases of COVID-19, antibodies against the novel coronavirus may drop sharply over the first three months after infection, according to a research which says the levels may decrease by roughly half every 73 days.
Scientists, including Javier Ibarrondo from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), noted that if the declining antibody levels sustained at that rate, they might disappear within about a year. Previous studies had suggested that antibodies which block the novel coronavirus are short-lived, but the rate at which they decrease has not been carefully defined.
According to the scientists, the current research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first to carefully estimate the disappearance rate of antibody proteins which are part of the body's humoral immunity.
"Our findings raise concern that humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 may not be long lasting in persons with mild illness, who compose the majority of persons with Covid-19," the scientists wrote in the research.
In the study, the researchers assessed 20 women and 14 men who recovered from mild cases of COVID-19. They conducted antibody tests of the patients' blood samples drawn at an average of 36 days and 82 days after the initial symptoms of infection. The scientists said the findings raise concerns about the validity of antibody-based "immunity passports," which are documents that certify a person is immune to COVID-19.
They said the findings also raise questions about the potential for herd immunity, and also the reliability of antibody tests for estimating past infections. "The protective role of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is unknown, but these antibodies are usually a reasonable correlate of antiviral immunity," the researchers wrote. -- PTI
Image: Jammu and Kashmir police personnel donate blood plasma to treat COVID patients. Pic: ANI
The fire has been raging in the oil well since June 9
16:02 Assam: 3 foreign experts involved in dousing operation injured
Update: A massive blast occurred near the Oil India Limited's Baghjan well in Assam's Tinsukia district on Wednesday, injuring three foreign experts involved in the dousing of the well fire raging for over a month. The experts have been rushed to a hospital at Dibrugarh, Oil India Limited's senior manager, public affairs, Jayanata Bormudoi, said.
The experts have been identified as Anthony Steven Reynolds, Doug Dallas and Craig Neil Duncan, he said. The blast occurred when the experts were on their way to open the spool of the well before putting up the blow out preventer (BOP) that finally douses the fire, Bormudoi said.
The well has been spewing gas since May 28 and a fire has been raging in the area since June 9 in which two firefighters lost their lives. The dousing operation has been called off at Baghjan after the blast. The cause of the blast, its scale and nature are being ascertained, the official said. PTI
15:42 82% decline in instant talaq cases: Naqvi
There has been about 82 per cent decline in instant triple talaq cases since the law against the "social evil" was put in place, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Wednesday, terming August 1, when the legislation came into being as, "Muslim women's rights day".
He also asserted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, has taken its course whenever such a matter has been reported. In an article 'Triple Talaq -- Big Reform, Better Result' which was posted by Press Information Bureau, Naqvi said triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat was neither Islamic nor legal, but the social evil was still given "political patronage" by "merchants of votes".
"August 1, 2019, is a historic day in Indian parliamentary history when the bill against triple talaq was made a law despite the obstacle by so-called 'champions of secularism', including the Congress, Communist Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Trinamool Congress," Naqvi said. August 1 became the day which ensured gender equality and strengthened constitutional, fundamental and democratic rights of the Muslim women, he said, terming it the 'Muslim women's rights day'. That day will remain a "golden moment" in Indian democracy and parliamentary history," the minister said in the article.
"One year has passed since the law against triple talaq was passed and there is a decline of about 82 per cent in triple talaq cases thereafter," Naqvi said, without elaborating on the figures of such cases. A law against the "social evil" of triple talaq could have been passed in 1986 when the Supreme Court had given the historic judgement in the Shah Bano case, he said.
15:25 Keep Odisha in mind for vaccine: CM tells Poonawalla
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday spoke to Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute over a video call to discuss on the progress of coronavirus vaccine.
CM Patnaik sought his cooperation to keep Odisha as a priority for vaccination once necessary clearances are obtained. He also stated that the state government will be in touch with Serum Institute for this purpose. The Chief Minister expressed happiness that Serum Institute has partnered with Oxford University to develop COVID-19 vaccine. He also congratulated Poonawalla for the recent promising results published in Lancet on the vaccine.
The Chief Minister also applauded the philanthropic activities carried out by Poonawalla and the foresight in tying up with various research institutions across the globe to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
15:17 3 injured in oil well explosion in Assam
Huge blast near OIL's Baghjan well in Assam where fire is raging since June 9 after gas blowout.
"The explosion occurred near well no 5 of Oil India Ltd in Baghjan, Tinsukia district. Three foreign experts who were at the site have been injured and have been rushed to hospital", says Tridip Hazarika, Oil India Limited's spokesperson. The incident occurred when operations to douse the fire at Baghjan oil field was going on. The operation has been halted now.
14:55 SC rules out possibility of conducting physical hearings at present
The Supreme Court Wednesday ruled out the possibility of conducting physical hearings at present in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said that a seven-judge committee of the apex court would consider after four weeks the aspect of re-starting physical hearing in the top court.
The CJI's observation came when a lawyer sought resumption of physical court hearing to deal with a batch of petitions relating to grant of quota in promotions to SC/ST employees in various states.
The apex court has been conducting hearings through video-conferencing, days before the nationwide lockdown had started on March 25 to contain the spread of the deadly virus. PTI
14:47 India records highest ever Covid recoveries!
India has registered the highest-ever recoveries in a single day standing at 28,472. This is also the highest number of COVID-19 patients cured or discharged in 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
According to a press release by the Ministry, with this, the number of patients that have recovered stands at 7,53,049. This has strongly boosted the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients to 63.13 per cent, the Ministry added.
The constantly increasing number of recovered patients has further widened the difference between active cases that stand at 4,11,133 today. The difference now stands at 3,41,916. This difference is showing a progressively growing upward trend.
While the national recovery rate has improved, 19 States and Union Territories are posting a recovery rate higher than the national average, the ministry stated. -- ANI
14:22 Websites to show 'country of origin' on products
E-commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal have to ensure that the country of origin is displayed on imported products sold on their platforms, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
The submission was made in an affidavit placed before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan by the central government which said that according to the Legal Metrology Act and Rules e-commerce sites have to ensure country of origin is displayed on the "digital and electronic network used for e-commerce transactions".
The affidavit, filed through central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul, also stated that enforcement of the rules was the responsibility of the states and union territories. Digpaul said that whenever any violation is observed, action is taken by the legal metrology officials of the concerned state or union territory in accordance with law.
"The necessary advisory/ direction to all e-commerce entities with a copy to the Controller of Legal Melrology of all States/UTs have been issued to ensure the compliance of the provisions of the Act and Rules," the affidavit said.
The affidavit has been filed in response to a PIL seeking directions to the Centre to ensure that the name of the manufacturing country is displayed on products being sold on e-commerce sites. PTI
14:03 6-day lockdown in Kashmir to stem COVID-19 spread
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has imposed a six-day lockdown across Kashmir Valley, except for Bandipore district, to stem the spread of COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday.
The lockdown, which comes into effect on Wednesday evening, will be reviewed after six days, they said.
There were 502 fresh cases in the Valley on Wednesday.
The number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 15,258, according to Union health ministry figures. -- PTI
13:32 Scindia sworn in as RS MP, meets Azad, Digvijaya
BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia greets Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge (not in picture), before taking oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar was also sworn in as an RS MP. Pawar tweeted, "I was sworn in as a Member of the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra today. I will do my utmost to uphold the dignity of this august house and discharge my duties as representative of the people."
13:09 Cong won't be scared by raid raj: Surjewala
The Centre has created a 'raid raj' but the Congress won't be scared, the party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Wednesday after the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the home of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's brother. The Congress leader also reacted to the killing of a journalist in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and said there was ''gunda raj'' and ''jungle raj'' in the state.
"It is clear there is no law and order in Uttar Pradesh. Becoming a journalist in Uttar Pradesh has become a sin," he said. Responding to the raids against Agrasen Gehlot in Jodhpur, Surjewala told reporters, "Prime Minister Modi has created 'raid raj' in the country but we are not going be scared."
When the Centre's gimmicks failed to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan, ED raids started at the premises of Gehlot's elder brother, the spokesperson said. He added that a CBI team was sent to conduct a raid at a location linked to legislator Krishna Poonia after the Centre's tactics failed to topple an elected government. An Olympian who brought laurels for the nation is being threatened, Surjewala said.
"The CBI also interrogated CM''s OSD and now ED raids are being conducted at CM''s elder brother residence," he said. The ED raids against the chief minister's brother are part of countrywide raids in connection with a money laundering case linked to a fertiliser scam, officials said. Agrasen Gehlot faces a Rs 7 crore customs penalty in this alleged fertiliser case, they said. -- PTI
12:53 Retail investors buying stocks amid Covid crisis
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown led to a surge of retail investors in equity markets and opening of new demat accounts, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Ajay Tyagi said on Wednesday.
During June, 10 lakh new demat accounts were opened compared to 5 lakh a month in the pre-COVID era, he said while addressing the FICCI's 17th Annual Capital Market Conference 'CAPAM 2020.'
Tyagi said the stock market has now recovered from the COVID-19 crisis. "The overall situation is not bad and there is no cause for despair," he said.
The SEBI Chairman said he has asked stock exchanges to introduce blockchain technology on a trial basis initially with real-time settlements.
Responding to another question, Tyagi said 95 per cent of capital invested is in top-rated bonds. In the United States, only 5 per cent of capital is invested in top-rated bonds and 75 per cent in lower-rated bonds.
"So there is a need to move to down-rating curve in the corporate bond market." He also said that alternative investment funds will soon be allowed to buy out stressed assets of non-banking finance companies. -- PTI
12:34 Pakistan reports 1,332 new COVID-19 cases
Pakistan has recorded 1,332 new coronavirus cases, taking the nation-wide tally of infections to 267,428, the health ministry said on Wednesday, a day after the country registered its lowest daily Covid-19 count in more than two and a half months.
The Ministry of National Health Services said that 38 patients also died in the last 24 hour, pushing the number of Covid-19 deaths in the country to 5,677. It said a total of 210,468 people had recovered from the disease, making it a significant count, while another 1,436 patients were in critical condition. -- PTI
12:24 ED raids Rajasthan CM's brother's company
Update: The Enforcement Directorate raided the premises of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's brother on Wednesday as part of countrywide raids in connection with a money laundering case linked to a fertiliser scam, officials said. They said searches are being conducted by the central probe agency in at least 13 places in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat and Delhi.
The searches are also being conducted at the premises of Agrasen Gehlot in Jodhpur, who is facing a Rs 7 crore Customs penalty in this alleged fertiliser case, officials said.
The ED has filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a Customs department complaint and chargesheet in the alleged fertiliser scam case. Six places in Rajasthan, four in Gujarat, 2 in West Bengal and one location in Delhi are being raided by the agency under the PMLA, they said. -- PTI
12:17 ED raids on Raj CM's brother's company
And so it begins: The Enforcement Directorate is conducting a raid at a company named Anupam Krishi in Jodhpur owned by Agrasen Gehlot, brother of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Customs Department has prosecuted and levied a penalty of Rs 7 crore on the company.
12:04 Is this BJP's Ram Rajya: Rahul on scribe killing
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government as 'goonda raj' (rule by hooligans), hours after Ghaziabad-based journalist Vikram Joshi succumbed to bullet injury he received from a group of men, who had allegedly harassed the scribe's niece.
"Journalist Vikram Jashi was killed after he protested against the harassment against his niece. My condolence to the family. They promised Ram Raj, but gave Goondaraj," Gandhi tweeted.
"Is it the same Ram Rajya that BJP promised after it came to power? This is complete 'Goondaraj'. Neither journalist, nor those who protect the law are safe in UP, so how can the common man expect justice," tweeted his party colleague Randeep Surjewala.
Expressing his shock over the incident, party leader and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi said, "Shocking jungle raj in #Ghaziabad area with journalist #Joshi, already known as the complainant in #FIR, being shot on a scooter while with his daughters, struggling in a coma with a bullet in the skull! Thank God daughters not hit. Shocking, scary, disgusting lack of fear of law & order! #UP."
11:51 'Crime virus' more active than coronavirus in UP: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday said "crime virus" spread by criminals is more active than coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh.
"The way heinous crimes like murder and those against women are continuing unabated, it is clear that instead of law and order, jungle raj is prevailing in UP. Crime virus of criminals is more active than coronavirus in UP. People are fed up and the government must address this issue," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister did not mention any specific incident in her post.
However, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief's tweet came hours after a Ghaziabad-based journalist, who was shot in the head by some assailants, succumbed to injuries early Wednesday.
Vikram Joshi had lodged a complaint with the police alleging harassment of his niece on July 16 and was shot at around 10.30 pm on Monday near his home in Vijay Nagar area. -- PTI
11:49 Has rule of law become law of he who rules, asks Sibal
Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre for "attempting to topple" the governments, fake encounters and 'highly questionable judicial verdicts'/
He allege that the rule of law has become the law of he who rules in the country.
"In my country, has the "Rule of Law" become the law of "He who Rules". Custodial deaths, Fake encounters, Toppling elected governments (money +), Intemperate language by the powerful, Persecuting the innocent, Highly questionable judicial verdicts. Save my country!" Sibal tweeted.
11:44 PM lauds scientists as Kakrapar atomic plant achieves criticality
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated nuclear scientists as the Kakrapar atomic power plant-3 achieved criticality, saying the indigenous reactor is a shining example of the 'Make in India' campaign.
The 700 MW power plant in Gujarat achieved criticality, meaning it reached the normal operating condition of a reactor. It indicates that the plant is now set to generate power.
"Congratulations to our nuclear scientists for achieving criticality of Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3. This indigenously designed 700 MWe KAPP-3 reactor is a shining example of Make in India," the prime minister tweeted.
He said it is a "trailblazer for many such future achievements." -- PTI
10:54 China can't bully countries in the Himalayas: US
Attacking China for its aggressive moves against its neighbours, including "instigating" a deadly confrontation with India in eastern Ladakh, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Beijing cannot threaten countries and bully them in the Himalayas.
Speaking at a news conference in London on Tuesday, Pompeo said China was one of the important parts of his discussions with his British counterpart Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
"You can't go make claims for maritime regions that you have no lawful claim to. You can't threaten countries and bully them in the Himalayas. You can't engage in cover-ups and co-opt international institutions like the World Health Organisation," Pompeo said.
Pompeo's comment on Chinese bullying of its Himalayan neighbours came in response to a question if the US would like the UK to do more to confront China.
"I don't think about it that way; we don't think about it that way. We think that the entire world needs to work together to ensure that every country, including China, behaves in the international system in ways that are appropriate and consistent with the international order," he said.
"We talked about how we've seen Hong Kong's freedoms crushed. We've watched the CCP bully its neighbours, militarise features in the South China Sea, and instigate a deadly confrontation with India, Pompeo said.
The troops of India and China are locked in a standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The situation deteriorated last month following the Galwan Valley clashes that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead. --PTI
10:36 Sensex drops over 100 points in early trade
Equity benchmark Sensex dropped over 100 points in early trade on Wednesday dragged by losses in index majors HUL, HDFC twins and Infosys amid mixed cues from global markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 108.36 points, or 0.29 per cent, lower at 37,821.97. Similarly, the NSE Nifty slipped 29.50 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 11,132.75. Bajaj Finance was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 2 per cent, followed by HUL, Maruti, IndusInd Bank, SBI, Tech Mahindra, L&T, Infosys and HDFC duo. On the other hand, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC and ITC were among the gainers.
10:26 Priyanka Gandhi all set to vacate her govt bungalow
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to vacate the government bungalow in Lodhi Estate in New Delhi before the end of this month and shift to a house in DLF Aralia, Sector 42, Gurugram, Haryana. Sources close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have stated that she will stay in Gurugram for the next few months. She is currently scouting two or three places in the national capital for rented accommodation and is expected to finalise it soon, sources added.
One of these houses, likely to be finalised, is located near Sujan Singh Park in New Delhi where repair work is underway. Sources added that the repair work will take about one or two months, till then the Congress leader will stay at the Gurugram house. She will shift to New Delhi once the repair work at the house is through. -- ANI
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
10:10 Raj Speaker to move SC on disqualification notices
Rajasthan Speaker to file petition in Supreme Court over HC direction to defer action on disqualification notices. Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi, who served disqualification notices to 19 rebel MLAs including Sachin Pilot for "anti-party activities", was first asked to defer action by three days last week. Yesterday, he was asked by the Rajasthan High Court not to take any action until Friday, when it will announce its decision on the rebels' petition challenging the notices.
10:07 Pilot sues Cong MLA who claimed he was offered 'bribe'
Congress leader Sachin Pilot has served a legal notice to party MLA Giriraj Malinga, for claiming that the former had offered him money to join the BJP."Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has served a legal notice to Congress MLA Giriraj Malinga for his Rs 35 crore bribery allegation," a source close to Pilot said.
Earlier, addressing a press conference, Malinga said, "Those MLAs who are stuck either in Haryana or Jaipur, are running after money. To say, they are not, are false claims. Even I was offered the same by Pilot, which I had refused. Came to this party knowing BJP and Congress do not accept money to give tickets.
"When asked by the reporters whether he was offered Rs 35 crore, he claimed by saying, "Yes, 35."
The MLA claimed he was himself the prove when the reporters asked for the same.The political situation in Rajasthan is in turmoil after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sacked his then-deputy Sachin Pilot and the latter's confidants from his council of ministers. The Congress has also claimed that BJP was trying to buy its party MLAs.
On Monday, the Rajasthan High Court had said that it would hear the petition filed by Pilot and 18 of his loyalist MLAs on July 24, against the disqualification notices issued against them, a lawyer said. -- ANI
10:03 Mumbai COVID-19 situation 'in control': BMC
The COVID-19 situation "is in control" in Mumbai with the number of positive cases daily being reported below 1,500, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has said.
Everyday, 6,000 to 7,000 tests are being done and most of the citizens are following the safety protocols, additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani told PTI.
The city has been daily reporting less than 1,500 COVID-19 cases since the last many days.
"The situation is in control," Kakani said.
After the outbreak of COVID-19 in the city, the BMC focussed on slum pockets by tracing high risk contacts and sending them to quarantine centres, and if they tested positive, they were kept at isolation facilities, he said.
In the slum areas, the BMC took steps like house-to-house surveys for finding out symptomatic patients, setting up fever clinics and X-ray vans, taking help of local doctors and providing them all medical equipment and frequent sanitisation of common toilets, he said.
Kakani said the civic body will now focus on residential buildings and housing societies for raising awareness about hygiene, cleanliness, social distancing, need to wear masks and sanitisation of common areas like lifts,
staircases, lobbies and toilets.
Guidelines will soon be issued for housing societies to ensure they do not allow outsiders without masks, he said.
There should be arrangements for thermal screening and hand sanitisers at the entrance of housing societies and people should be alert even at home, he said, adding that the BMC also has the task of focusing on monsoon-related ailments.
Kakani also said that Ganesh mandals in the city have been asked to keep the Ganpati festival celebrations simple and low-key this year and focus on social service.
The civic body has come up with a concept of 'one ward-one Ganpati' and left it to the local authorities to take a call on it, he said.
Vishwas Mote, the assistant municipal commissioner of K-West ward, which covers Andheri-West, Juhu, Versova and other prominent areas, last week appealed to the Ganpati mandals in his ward to follow the 'one ward-one Ganpati' concept.
The 10-day festival begins on 'Ganesh Chaturthi', which falls on August 22 this year.
On Tuesday, Mumbai's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,03,262 with the addition of 995 new cases, while the death toll increased to 5,814 after 62 more patients succumbed to the infection, according to the BMC. -- PTI
09:54 Ghaziabad shot for objecting to neice's harassment, dies
Ghaziabad-based journalist Vikram Joshi, who was shot in the head by some assailants, succumbed to injuries early Wednesday, his family said. Joshi had lodged a complaint with the police alleging harassment of his niece on July 16 and was shot at around 10.30 pm on Monday near his home in Vijay Nagar area, according to officials.
"Yes, he (Vikram Joshi) is no more. He passed away at around 4 am during treatment at the hospital," a family member told PTI. Joshi, who worked with a local daily, was admitted to a private hospital. So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the case, according to the police.
09:46 India's Covid tally nears 12 lakh
India's Covid tally just shy of 12 lakh. There has been a spike of 37,724 cases and 648 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours. The total numberof COVID-19 positive cases stand at 11,92,915 including 4,11,133 active cases, 7,53,050 cured/discharged/migrated and 28,732 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The ICMR says the total number of samples tested up to 21st July is 1,47,24, 546 including 3,43,243 samples tested yesterday.
09:16 12 injured in shooting at funeral in Chicago
About 12 people were shot near a Chicago funeral home on Tuesday.
The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Authorities have not yet been able to determine the exact number of victims.
In addition to those rushed to area hospitals, many people fled from the scene after the firing broke out. It happened shortly before 8 pm, reported the New York Post.
First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter said mourners outside a funeral home were fired upon from a passing SUV.
The SUV later crashed and the occupants fled in several directions.
08:42 US leading in COVID-19 testing, India 2nd: Trump
The United States is leading the world in terms of COVID-19 testing and India is at second position, President Donald Trump said while giving an update on his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
So far more than 140,000 Americans have died due to coronavirus and 3.8 million have tested positive. While the US economy is slowly coming back to normal, the pandemic is now spreading in the Sun Belt of the country.
"As one family, we mourn every precious life that's been lost. I pledge in their honour that we will develop a vaccine and we will defeat the virus. We're doing very well with vaccine development and therapeutic development," Trump said at a White House news conference on Tuesday, his first on coronavirus after several weeks.
Trump also said his administration will stop at nothing to save lives and shield the vulnerable.
"We've learned so much about this disease. And we know who the vulnerable are, and we are going to indeed shield them," he said.
Trump assured that the vaccines against the novel coronavirus will be coming a lot sooner than expected.
Replying to a question, Trump said the US is "leading the world" in terms of COVID-19 testing.
"We're going to be over 50 million tests," he said, adding that "second country is India with 12 million (tests). Then you have seven million, six million, and four million. I think that we are doing a tremendous amount of testing."
The "China virus", Trump said, is a vicious and dangerous illness.
"It's a nasty, horrible disease that should've never been allowed to escape China, but it did. It infected the world, and the world is suffering. But we're going to get it taken care of, and we're helping lots of other countries," the US president said. -- PTI
08:30 Journalist shot in UP's Ghaziabad passes away
Journalist Vikram Joshi, who was shot at by unknown miscreants near his residence in Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad on June 20, breathed his last at a hospital, doctors said on Wednesday.
The doctor monitoring Joshi said that the veins in the journalists' head had got badly damaged due to the bullet injury.
Meanwhile, the station in-charge has been suspended and departmental inquiry initiated after the family of the journalist alleged inaction by the police.
A total of nine accused have been arrested in the matter and efforts to nab another accused are underway.
The incident occurred on Monday, days after Vikram Joshi had filed a complaint with Vijay Nagar police sation stating that some men were harassing his niece. -- ANI
08:06 Govt extends WFH norms for IT sector till Dec 31
The government on Tuesday said it has extended connectivity norms for work from home for IT and BPO companies till December 31.
The time period for work from home was expiring on July 31.
"DoT has further extended the relaxations in the terms and conditions for other service providers up to 31st December 2020 to facilitate work from home in view of the ongoing concern due to COVID-19," the Department of Telecommunications said in a late night tweet.
Currently, around 85 per cent of the IT workforce is working from home and only those performing critical functions are going to offices.
In March, the DoT relaxed certain norms for OSPs till April 30 to facilitate work from home amid the coronavirus pandemic which was further extended till July 31.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus in India has crossed 11.55 lakh with 28,084 people losing their lives till Tuesday. -- PTI
01:31 Film critic questioned in Sushant suicide case
Mumbai Police on Tuesday recorded a statement of film critic Rajeev Masand in the actor Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, an official said.
Masand was questioned for more than eight hours at Bandra police station about various issues including the ratings he had had given to Sushant's films and some 'blind articles', the official said.
Blind articles or items are typically gossip reports where identities of the people involved are not revealed.
He was also asked about possible reasons behind the actor's depression, the police official added.
Sushant Singh, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in Mumbai on June 14.
No suicide note was found.
Among other things, the police are investigating if professional rivalry had anything to do with Sushant Singh's death, the official said.
Masand left the police station around 8 pm.
The police has so far recorded the statements of around 40 persons including Sushant Singh's family members, close friends like actor Rhea Chakraborty, casting director Mukesh Chhabra, Yash Raj Films (YRF) Chairman Aditya Chopra, YRF's casting director Shanoo Sharma and actor Sanjana Sanghi.
On Monday the police had also recorded the statements of three psychiatrists and a psychotherapist who had treated him. -- PTI
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances