Synopsis

National

As RS clears bills amid Oppn boycott, Naidu defends action; expresses anguish at 'unpleasant turn of events'

New Delhi: RS Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said it is "extremely unpalatable" when bills are passed amid a boycott of proceedings by some sections of the House, but not taking up legislative work in such a situation may legitimise their action as an "instrument of blocking legislation".

Parliament passes 3 key labour reform bills

New Delhi: Parliament on Wednesday approved three key labour reform bills that will remove impediments for winding up of companies and allow firing of staff without government permission in firms with up to 300 workers. Amid boycott by opposition parties including Congress and Left over suspension of eight MPs, Rajya Sabha passed by voice vote the three remaining labour codes on industrial relations, social security and occupational safety.

Parliament passes bill to amend Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act

Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to make it mandatory for office bearers of NGOs to provide their Aadhaar numbers at the time of registration and also bring various other changes. Amid Opposition boycott of proceedings over suspension of eight MPs, Rajya Sabha unanimously passed The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020.

COVID-19 tally in India crosses 56-lakh mark

New Delhi: India''''s COVID-19 caseload went past 56 lakh with 83,347 infections being reported in a day, while over 45 lakh people have recovered from the disease, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

Covid-19: Daily recoveries exceed daily cases for 5th day

New Delhi: Daily Covid-19 recoveries have exceeded the new cases for the fifth consecutive day, the Union Health Ministry said Wednesday, as the total recoveries surged to 45,87,613 pushing the national recovery rate to 81.25 per cent.

International

Kamala Harris 'grossly incompetent'; surprised after she was chosen vice president nominee: Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump has termed Senator Kamala Harris as "grossly incompetent," saying he was surprised when his Democratic rival Joe Biden picked her as his running mate in the November 3 presidential election.

Thousands expected to honour Ginsburg at Supreme Court

Washington: Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects at the SC to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the women's rights champion, leader of the court's liberal bloc and feminist icon who died last week.

Pakistani-American arrested for illegally exporting computer equipment to Pak's atomic body

A 65-year-old Pakistani-American has been arrested for allegedly exporting high-performance computer equipment and software application solutions from the US to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission without necessary government approval, according to federal prosecutors.

Almost 500 pilot whales stranded on Australian island state

More pilot whales were found stranded on an Australian coast Wednesday, raising the estimated total to almost 500 in the largest mass stranding ever recorded in the country.

China trails US in development of sixth-generation aircraft: Report

China, which in recent years tried to catch up with the US in the design and production of new generation warplanes, is trailing the American air force in the development of the sixth-generation fighter jets by several years, according to a media report.

Business

Rupee gains 6 paise against US dollar in early trade

Mumbai: The rupee appreciated 6 paise to 73.52 against the US dollar in opening trade on Wednesday, as gains in domestic equity market boosted investor confidence.

KKR picks up 1.28 pc stake in Reliance Retail for Rs 5,550 cr

US private equity firm KKR & Co will invest Rs 5,550 crore to buy a 1.28 per cent stake in Reliance Industries Ltd''s retail arm as the Mukesh Ambani-run conglomerate extends fundraising spree that has already netted more than USD 20 billion.

Sensex rallies over 300 pts in early trade; Reliance Ind up 2 pc

Equity benchmark Sensex surged over 300 points in early trade on Wednesday, tracking gains in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC twins amid positive domestic and global cues.

Legal

Decide in 2 weeks complaint against media house on Palghar lynching show: HC to Centre

New Delhi: The Delhi HC asked the Centre to take a decision within 2 weeks on the complaint against a media house for broadcasting shows related to the ''Palghar mob lynching'' in Maha on April 16.

5 awarded life term in gangster Sushil Srivastava murder case

Hazaribag (Jharkhand): A Hazaribagh court on Tuesday sentenced five persons to life imprisonment for the killing of gangster Sushil Srivastava and his two aides here in 2015.

Guj govt opposes Hardik's plea for relief in bail condition

The Gujarat government has opposed Congress leader Hardik Patel''s application filed in a sessions court here seeking temporary suspension of his bail condition that restricts him from leaving the state.

Calcutta HC division bench to hear Lodha plea in MP Birla case on Thursday

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday admitted for hearing a set of appeals filed by Harsh Vardhan Lodha and others, challenging a single bench judgement that restrained him from holding any office in any of the MP Birla Group entities during the pendency of a suit over the succession of the Priyamvada Devi Birla estate.

Bombay High Court suspends hearings due to heavy rains

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday suspended its hearings scheduled for the day, including all virtual hearings, in view of the heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs.

Entertainment

Have contributed towards bringing a positive change in society through cinema: Ayushmann Khurrana

Mumbai: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who has been voted as one of the most influential people in the world by TIME magazine, on Wednesday said he has always aimed to bring a positive change in society through cinema.

FIR against director Anurag Kashyap after actress alleges rape

Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap after actress Payal Ghosh accused him of raping her in 2013, an official said on Wednesday.

Drugs probe: Film producer Madhu Mantena reaches NCB office

Film producer Madhu Mantena reached the NCB guest house here on Wednesday to record his statement in connection with the agency''s probe into the alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus, an official said.

Carey Mulligan joins Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic

British actor Carey Mulligan will be starring opposite Bradley Cooper in his next directorial "Maestro".

Liv Tyler exits '9-1-1: Lone Star'

Actor Liv Tyler will not return for the second season of popular series "9-1-1: Lone Star".

Udit Narayan dedicates popular 'Lagaan' song to UP CM

Bollywood singer Udit Narayan dedicated a song to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday during a meeting with some celebrities over a proposed film city in Uttar Pradesh.

Sports

Batting at number 7 is not leading from front: Gambhir lashes out at Dhoni

New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not lead from the front by dropping himself down the batting order during a mammoth chase, opined former India batsman Gautam Gambhir, tearing into CSK captain's decision to bat at number seven against RR.

Thomas delivers again with Tiger in course exhibition

Justin Thomas won his six-hole singles match and was closest to the pin on the decisive final hole as he and Tiger Woods won an exhibition match that served as the grand opening of the Woods-designed Payne''s Valley Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge.

Morris recovering from side strain, unlikely for game against KXIP

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris is unlikely to be available for Royal Challengers Bangalore''s match against Kings XI Punjab on Thursday after suffering a side strain, the team''s Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said.

14-day quarantine didn't help, says Dhoni on lack of batting time

The extended two-week quarantine of Chennai Super Kings hampered his preparations as he did not get enough time for batting practice, said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after his side lost to Rajasthan Royals by 16 runs in their second IPL game. Dhoni came in to bat at No. 7, sending the likes of Sam Curran and Kedar Jadhav ahead of him in a mammoth 217-run chase on Tuesday.

WTA not bothered by tiny difference in Rome prize money

Do not count the WTA among those who were either surprised or upset that Simona Halep earned 10 euros (about 12) less than Novak Djokovic did for winning the Italian Open.

I worked on fitness and power-hitting skills during break: Samson

Sharjah: Convinced that possessing an array of shots is a must to go with power-hitting, wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson says he worked on these aspects during the coronavirus enforced break.
 

GK Snapshot on 23 September 2020

1. World Rhino Day – September 22 2020

2. World Car Free Day observed on September 22, 2020

3. World Rose Day 2020 – September 22

4. World Water Monitoring Day 2020 – September 18

5. Cabinet Approved hike in MSP for RMS 2021-22; Sets Foodgrain Output Target at Record 301MT for 2020-21

6. J-K inked MoU with Army to Operationalise Kishtwar Airstrip

7. Greenhouse Emissions to add 15 inches to global sea level rise by 2100: NASA-led study

8. Retd Col Dr Girija Shanker Mungali Appointed as a Member of AFC Task Force

9. Former Defence Minister Bah Ndaw named as Interim President of Mali

10. SEBI constitutes Technical Group on Social Stock Exchange under Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

11.Legal & Liberal Icon, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at 87

12. “Voices of Dissent” authored by Historian Romila Thapar

13. Tamil Nadu becomes 1st state with Policies on Ethical AI, Blockchain and Cybersecurity

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