Synopsis  

National

Delhi civic bodies lift ban on sale, storage of poultry or processed chicken meat

New Delhi: All three municipal corporations in Delhi lifted the ban imposed on sale, storage of poultry or processed chicken meat after samples taken from markets tested negative for bird flu, officials said.

2 hospitals prepare for PM interaction with vaccinated staff

Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and Government Headquarters Hospital, Pollachi, are getting ready for the proposed interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with healthcare workers during the rollout of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination scheduled on January 16.

Modi to address Startup India International Summit on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday interact with startups and address a global summit being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, according to the Prime Minister''s Office (PMO).

New agri laws will leave farmers at mercy of big corporates: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that the new agriculture laws will leave small and marginal farmers at the mercy of big corporates and demanded that the legislation should be immediately repealed.

Emergency Response Support System comes up in J-K

Police on Thursday informed people to use the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) to address emergencies of citizens. The ERSS is designed to address all emergency signals received from citizens through voice calls, SMS, email, panic SOS signal, ERSS web portal, a police spokesperson said.

International

Pakistan sees biggest jump in COVID-19 cases in nearly a month

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday reported 3,097 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number in about a month, pushing the total number of infections in the country to 511,921.

Pelosi wants fines for bypassing House security

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is proposing fines of up to USD 10,000 will be imposed on members who fail to abide by the security protocols of the House.

Nepal Foreign Minister embarks on three-day India visit

Nepal''s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Thursday embarked on a three-day visit to India during which he will attend the 6th meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission and discuss the entire gamut of relations, including COVID-19 cooperation and border disputes, with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

German economy shrank 5% in pandemic year 2020

The German economy, Europe''s largest, shrank by 5 pper cent in the pandemic year 2020, ending a decade of growth as lockdowns wiped out much business and consumer activity. As dreary as they were, the numbers suggest consumers could be ready to unleash a strong recovery when the lid finally comes off.

Indian missions in UAE warn against fake employment agents

Indian missions in the UAE have warned job aspirants to be wary of fake employment agents, who have again started to target unsuspecting persons after a brief break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a media report on Thursday.

Business

Rupee logs 3rd straight gains, up 11 paise against US dollar

Mumbai: The rupee gained for the third straight day and closed 11 paise higher at 73.04 against the US dollar on Thursday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weak American currency.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms India entry

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed the company''s plans to enter the Indian market, within days of the electric vehicle maker registering its arm in the country.

Coal India's supply to power sector drops 5% to 318 MT in Apr-Dec

Coal supply by state-run CIL to the power sector declined by 5.3 per cent to 318.04 million tonnes (MT) in the April-December period of the ongoing fiscal.

SPMCIL pays Rs 215.48 cr dividend to government

State-owned Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) on Thursday paid a final dividend of Rs 215.48 crore to the Government of India for 2019-20.

Truecaller appoints Odd Bolin as CFO

Caller identification app Truecaller on Thursday said it has appointed Odd Bolin as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Bolin will join the management team in Stockholm and oversee the financial management and operations to support the company''s growth, and to prepare the firm for an initial public offering (IPO), a statement said.

Legal

#MeToo: Ramani had no right to accuse me of sexual harassment as she had no proof, Akbar tells court

New Delhi: Former Union minister M J Akbar told a Delhi court that journalist Priya Ramani had no right to accuse him of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place decades ago as she could not prove it.

SCBA president Dushyant Dave resigns with immediate effect

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Dushyant Dave resigned from his post with immediate effect on Thursday saying he has forfeited his right to continue.

Plastic pens covered under Plastic Waste Management Rules: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has held that plastic pens are covered under Plastic Waste Management Rules and directed the environment ministry to finalise the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) regime for management of waste.

Drugs probe: NCB searches home of Maha minister's son-in-law

The Narcotics Control Bureau on Thursday conducted searches at the city-based residence of Maharashtra NCP minister Nawab Malik''s son-in-law Sameer Khan, who has been arrested in a drugs case, an NCB official said.

Entertainment

Variety of characters is 'Tandav's strength: Gauahar Khan

New Delhi: There is no main lead in "Tandav", says actor Gauahar Khan who believes that the highlight of the upcoming political drama is the diversity of its massive ensemble cast.

Documentary series on Demi Lovato to debut in March

"Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil", a new documentary on the life and career of the pop singer is scheduled to air on YouTube in March.

Rebel Wilson to host dog grooming competition 'Pooch Perfect'

Actor Rebel Wilson is set to host "Pooch Perfect", a dog grooming competition series set up at the ABC television network.

SAG Awards rescheduled to April 4

The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) will now be held on April 4 to avoid a clash with the Grammy Awards.

I'll never do a film to buy a house, or a car: Amit Sadh

Actor Amit Sadh says he''s never driven by materialistic goals while signing a film, which is why he is clear about not being a part of projects that will embarrass him.

Sports

Didn't hear any complaints from India: Paine

Brisbane: Aus skipper Tim Paine admitted that life inside a bio-bubble could be challenging for the Indian team in an alien land without family but his own players, including Steve Smith, have also endured similar difficulties since the IPL in the UAE.

England's Bess, Broad dismiss Sri Lanka for 135 in 1st Test

England off-spinner Dom Bess took a career-best 5-30 as injury-hit Sri Lanka was bowled out for 135 inside the first two sessions of the first Test.

Bumrah being monitored, playing eleven that will be fielded deserve to represent India: Rathour

India''s batting coach Vikram Rathour said that Jasprit Bumrah''s abdominal strain is being monitored but dropped a hint that major changes are on the cards for the final Test against Australia after increase in the touring squad''s injured tally. Even a half fit Bumrah is unlikely to be risked by the Indian team management as it wants its pace spearhead in the World Test Championship deciding series against England, scheduled at home from February 5.

Mushtaq: Baroda beat Chhattisgarh by nine wickets

Left-arm pacer Lukman Meriwala''s fifer was the cornerstone of Baroda''s thumping nine-wicket win over Chhattisgarh in an Elite Group C match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament here on Thursday.

Andy Murray tests positive for virus before Australian Open

Andy Murray has tested positive for the coronavirus days just before he was due to leave Britain for the Australian Open, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Indian Army signs $20 million pact to procure high-altitude drones

The Indian armed forces are on a roll, after the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the deal to manufacture 83 LCA Mk1A jets for the Indian Air Force yesterday, the Indian Army has signed a contract to buy undisclosed quantities of high-altitude drones from ideaForge for $20 million.

The 'SWITCH UAV' is an indigenous system built to cater for the most demanding surveillance operations of the Indian Forces.

Brahma Chellaney wants India to reclaim lost Tibet leverage on China

The US has played its Tibet card against China by bringing into law the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) which highlights Tibet’s geostrategic importance.

Will America’s new law serve as a wake-up call for India to start reclaiming its leverage on Tibet? India already received a wake-up call in April-May 2020 when China stealthily grabbed key vantage points in Ladakh and then claimed, as in the Galwan valley case, that they were historically part of Tibet.

Simply put, China’s territorial claims in Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are based on its claim over Tibet.

A new trilateral format takes shape in the Indo-Pacific region

A new trilateral format is taking shape in the Indo-Pacific region, with India, Japan and Russia planning to hold a joint meeting in the near future as part of their emerging partnership.

The trilateral dialogue will be launched at a Track-2 level involving top three state-run think tanks, said people close to the matter.

India is also planning to revive the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime shipping link, which would be a stepping stone towards India-Russia partnership in the Indo-Pacific region.

Amethi factory to manufacture AK 203 for the Army soon

The plan to manufacture 6,71,427 of the AK 203 rifles at the factory has been under discussion for almost two years, with the contract stipulating 100% transfer of technology and possible exports in the future from the Indian plant.

Sources said that as per current discussions, the rifles – to be made by a joint venture between Kalashnikov and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) – are expected to cost under Rs 70,000 a piece, significantly cheaper that US made rifles imported by the Army under an emergency order that cost the exchequer Rs 89,000 a piece.

Besides, India will get complete know how to manufacture modern assault rifles, given that the contract specifies that all of these need to be made completely in India from the first day.

India deplores 'false assertions' in UK Parliament Kashmir debate

India has expressed its dismay at some of the parliamentarians who participated in a debate on Kashmir in the Houses of Parliament complex in London relying on "false assertions" and unsubstantiated allegations propagated by a "third country" - an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Responding to the debate on behalf of the UK government, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) minister Nigel Adams had reiterated the official stance that it is not for Britain to play any mediatory role in a bilateral India-Pakistan matter, even as he accepted there were human rights concerns on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).

Cross-Party British MPs raised concerns of alleged human rights violations and called on the UK government to seek access to the region for direct reports from Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to be presented in the UK Parliament in future.