Synopsis

National

Pakistan 'epicenter of terrorism'; persecutes Hindus, Sikhs, Christians: India at Geneva

Geneva: Describing Pak as an "epicenter of terrorism", India has said that no one deserves an unsolicited lecture on human rights from Islamabad that has consistently persecuted its ethnic and religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.

COVID-19 tally in India crosses 50-lakh mark

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) India''''s COVID-19 tally of cases galloped past 50 lakh, just 11 days after it crossed 40 lakh with 90,123 infections being reported in a day, while recoveries surged to 39,42,360 on Wednesday pushing the recovery rate to 78.53 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

No infiltration along Sino-Indian border in last 6 months: Govt tells RS

New Delhi: The govt on Wednesday said there has been no infiltration along the Sino-Indian border in the last six months, while 47 infiltration bids have been reported along the Indo-Pak border during the period.

Maha: Naxals block road in Gadchiroli ahead of foundation week

Naxals have blocked a road in Maharashtra''s Gadchiroli district and put up banners there asking people to observe the foundation week of the outlawed movement, police said on Wednesday.

Enactment of farm bills will lead to 'unrest' in Punjab: Amarinder

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the enactment of farm sector bills now before Parliament would lead to "resentment and unrest" in the border state, which is already at the receiving end of Pakistan''s concerted efforts to foment trouble.

Kerala CM condoles death of army personnel in Pak firing

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday condoled the death of army jawan Aneesh Thomas, who was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops using heavy fire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Upcoming 'Mughal museum' in Agra will house artefacts from Braj region as well: Official

An upcoming "Mughal museum" in Agra which has been renamed after Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji will house artefacts from Braj region of Uttar Pradesh as well, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Walls used to teach maths to poor students in Maha villages

Amid the COVID-19 crisis when poor students are unable to take up online classes, the zilla parishad here in Maharashtra has started an innovative way of imparting education to them by painting walls on streets and public places with mathematical concepts.

Maha: Archaeology dept takes up restoration of Dharashiv cave

The Maharashtra archaeology department has taken up restoration of one of the seven Dharashiv caves in Osmanabad district after rains caused damage to the sixth century structure, an official said.

International

Trump making dent in Indian-American vote bank; majority still support Biden: Survey

US President Donald Trump has made inroads into the Indian-American vote bank, the biggest ever by a Republican president, according to a survey which has sent worrying signals to the Democrats that the support of this influential ethnic community can no longer be taken for granted.

Vietnam to resume international flights

Vietnam will resume international commercial flights connecting the country to several Asian destinations starting Friday, after a months long shutdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak.

Trump denies downplaying virus, casts doubt on mask usage

Fielding compelling questions about voters'' real-world problems, President Donald Trump denied during a televised town hall that he had played down the threat of the coronavirus earlier this year, although there is an audio recording of him stating he did just that.

Israel strikes Gaza after rocket fire during US ceremony

The Israeli military struck Hamas militant sites in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday in response to rocket fire toward Israel the previous night that coincided with the signing of normalization agreements between Israel and two Arab countries at the White House.

China: War games a signal to Taiwan leader, foreign backers

Recent Chinese war games near Taiwan were a deliberate signal to the leaders of the island and its foreign backers that Beijing intends to make good on its vow to defend what it considers Chinese sovereignty, a government spokesperson said Wednesday.

Japan's new PM Yoshihide Suga, self-made and strong-willed

Before he got Japan''s top government job officially, Yoshihide Suga was known as a shadow" prime minister and the right-hand man for his long-serving predecessor.

Business

Sensex, Nifty start on cautious note amid tepid global cues

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty opened on a cautious note on Wednesday tracking mixed cues from global markets ahead of the US Federal Reserve''s policy outcome.

Rupee settles 12 paise higher at 73.52 against US dollar

The rupee strengthened by 12 paise and settled at 73.52 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday supported by positive domestic equities and weak American currency.

OIL loses Rs 148 cr revenue coz of well closure around Baghjan fire

State-owned Oil India Ltd lost Rs 148 crore in revenue in 100 days from the closure of oil and gas wells in the vicinity of the Baghjan fire in Assam, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday.

Total tax collection falls 22.5% till Sep 15: Source

Total tax collection of the Centre, including advance tax collection for the second quarter, fell 22.5 per cent to Rs 2,53,532.3 crore till September 15 of the current fiscal as compared to the year-ago period, according to an income tax department source.

Rupee sees high volatility against USD ahead of US Fed policy decision

The rupee witnessed high volatility against the US dollar in opening trade on Wednesday ahead of the US Federal Reserve''s policy decision.

Rajesh Exports Q1 net falls 50 pc to Rs 152.13 crore

Gold refiner Rajesh Exports has reported 49.61 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 152.13 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.

HUL's Boost expands its footprint in India

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Legal

Centre approved anti-viral medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said there was an approval by the Central government on use of Remdesivir and Fabiparivir as medicines to treat COVID-19.

CBI court to give judgment in Babri mosque demolition case on Sept 30

A special CBI court hearing the Babri mosque demolition case will pronounce its judgment on September 30.

Centre in SC favours time bound trial of pending cases against lawmakers

The Centre favoured expeditious disposal of pending cases against former and sitting lawmakers on Wednesday before the Supreme Court and said these matters "must reach their logical conclusion" within a time frame.

Charges framed against actor Vikram in Sonika death case

Kolkata: A court in Kolkata framed various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash driving, against actor Vikram Chatterjee on Tuesday in the death case of Sonika Chauhan.

Entertainment

Mira Nair wins TIFF Tribute award, says important to tell our own stories

New Delhi: Mira Nair, two episodes of whose six-part television series "A Suitable Boy" will close the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, received the Jeff Skoll Award for Impact Media at a remotely conducted TIFF Tribute Awards ceremony.

Sarah Snook to headline 'Persuasion' adaptation

Sarah Snook, the breakout star of HBO''s "Succession", will lead the upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen''s "Persuasion" for Searchlight Pictures.

Sumeet Vyas to star in series on Indo-China war

Actor Sumeet Vyas says his next project is a series on Indo-China war.

Mahesh Manjrekar to star in thriller 'Taxi no 24'

Actor Mahesh Manjrekar is set to star in director Saumitra Singh''s film "Taxi No 24".

Sports

Watching Dhoni back would be a delight: Sehwag on IPL

Mumbai: Virender Sehwag expects this year's IPL to be "extra special" and a major reason for that is Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting back on the pitch after announcing his international retirement following a year-long sabbatical from the game.

Raina's absence a major concern for CSK: Jones

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones reckons Suresh Raina''s absence from the IPL would be a major concern for three-time champions Chennai Super Kings, who open their campaign against holders Mumbai Indians on September 19.

McIlroy shaped by perspective of fatherhood at U.S. Open

Washington: First-time fatherhood has suited Rory McIlroy. He has doted on daughter Poppy in the two weeks since she was born, and he felt the pang of having to leave her and wife Erica to prepare for this week''s U.S. Open.

Women's soccer in England shows resilience with new sponsor

After a slew of high-profile signings in its top league, women''s soccer in England further underscored its growing resilience during the pandemic by securing a new three-year sponsor for the FA Cup.

Australian PGA tournament postponed to February

The Australian PGA tournament has been postponed to February because of uncertainties over coronavirus-enforced restrictions.

GK Snapshot on 16 September 2020

1. National Engineers Day 2020 – September 15

2.  International Day of Democracy – September 15, 2020

3. Sachin Tendulkar Becomes Brand Ambassador of Paytm First Games

4.  Astronomers Discovered Possible Signs of Microbial Life on Venus Clouds

5. China Successfully launches 9 satellites into Orbit by Sea Launch

6. Aditya Puri MD of HDFC Bank Honoured with Euromoney’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2020

7. Rajesh Khullar Appointed as Executive Director of World Bank & Sameer Kumar Khare as Executive Director of ADB

8. Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli Becomes Brand Ambassador of Great Learning

9. Central govt Working Towards Digitization of Health Sector & Skill Development; eSanjeevani Implemented by 23 States

10. PM Modi Inaugurates & Lays Foundation Stone for seven projects in Bihar

11. India, Afghanistan become Members of UN’s Commission on Status of Women

12. Global Spending Needs 500 years to Match COVID-19 Rout: GPMB report

13.India’s GDP to Contract by 9% & Developing Asia by 0.7% in FY2020 amid COVID-19 : ADB
14.Government of India increases Scholarship amount under “Pragati and Saksham” Scheme for J&K Students

15. J&K Horticulture Department Launches “Backyard Horticulture” Programme in Jammu district

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