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Sitharaman refuses to identify which ones are freebies
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday asked the states doling out freebies to check the fiscal strength of the state government and make budgetary provision accordingly. Days after the ‘rewaris’ jibe by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, apparently referring to the freebies given by some state governments, especially the...
Rushdie off ventilator, attacker pleads ‘not guilty’
Author Salman Rushdie was taken off the ventilator last night as he remained hospitalised with serious injuries after being stabbed at a literary event in New York, multiple reports said. Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed that the author was taken off the ventilator and could be able to talk,...
Chinese spy ship cleared to dock at Lanka port
Sri Lanka’s government has granted permission for a controversial Chinese research vessel to visit the island despite India’s concerns that it could spy on New Delhi’s military installations, officials said on Saturday. The Yuan Wang 5 is described as a research and survey vessel by international shipping and analytics...
Deutsche Bank ex-CEO Anshu Jain dies of cancer at 59
Anshu Jain, former Deutsche Bank CEO, died on Saturday after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 59. In a statement, the bank said Jain played a crucial role in the development of Deutsche Bank and was instrumental in building the company’s global capital markets business. He was appointed...
RSS changes social media profile pix to national flag
Ahead of Independence Day, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday changed profile pictures of its social media accounts to the national flag from its traditional saffron flag. As the country is celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to mark 75 years of India’s independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
Gopinath Munde’s daughter upset with Shinde cabinet miss
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pankaja Munde on Thursday said she may not have been “qualified enough” to get a berth in the newly expanded Maharashtra cabinet. Nine ministers each from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and his ally BJP took oath during the first expansion of the...
Nitish denies BJP claim he wanted to be vice-president
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has rejected claims by BJP MP and his former deputy Sushil Kumar Modi that some people in Kumar’s party sent feelers to nominate the Chief Minister for the Vice President’s post. “We supported the NDA candidates in the presidential and vice presidential elections. It’s...
Move for change of Karnataka CM denied
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will stay in the top post at least till the next assembly election, which is less than a year away, sources in the Delhi BJP have confirmed amid much speculation on the matter in the state. There has been a buzz about a change...
Cong predicts end of ‘puppet CM’ Bommai’s innings soon
Referring to the current political developments in Karnataka and the BJP, the Congress in a series of tweets took jibes at the state government and said that the state appears set to see a third Chief Minister after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bengaluru last week. The...
China seeks urgent meeting after Lanka bows to Indian pressure
China’s embassy in Colombo has sought an urgent meeting with senior Sri Lankan authorities after Colombo sought a deferment of the planned docking of a high-tech Chinese research vessel at the strategic Hambantota port over which India raised concerns, sources said. The Chinese space and satellite tracking research vessel...
Speculation over Nitish Kumar walking out of BJP alliance
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of all Janata Dal (United) MLAs and MPs on Tuesday, leading to speculation his growing friction with the BJP may come to a head. Chief among the many reasons why Kumar is upset with the BJP, which is an alliance...
Maiden launch of new ISRO rocket runs into trouble
The Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, said it is “analysing the data” on the launch of its smallest rocket, SSLV-D1, which lifted off from the spaceport in Sriharikota this morning, carrying an earth observation satellite and a student satellite. “SSLV-D1 performed as expected at all stages. In the...
Amit Shah says Cong protest has anti-Ram temple message
Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday accused the Congress of appeasement politics, declaring their black-clothes protest was actually against the foundation ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Pointing out that today is the anniversary of the foundation ceremony, he said the Congress, by holding the protest in...
Cong ‘gherao PM’s home’ protest today
Ahead of Congress’ protest against rising prices, MP Rahul Gandhi said that India is witnessing the ‘death of democracy’. Congress will today hold protests over rising prices, unemployment and GST hike. Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and senior leaders will take part in “PM House gherao” while Lok Sabha...
India concerned at China ship heading for Lankan port
A Chinese research and survey ship is due to dock in the Chinese-run Hambantota Port in southern Sri Lanka on August 11, leading India to closely monitor the situation. Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry media spokesman Colonel Nalin Herath said Sri Lanka understands India’s concern as the ship is capable...
Cong sees Herald House sealing as attempt to intimidate
Heightened police activity outside the Congress party’s headquarters and chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence following the sealing of the offices of a company linked to the party’s leadership was an attempt to intimidate the opposition, Congress leaders said on Wednesday. “@INCIndia is under siege. Delhi police has surrounded our HQs,...
Personal data protection bill withdrawn after criticism
The Personal Data Protection Bill, which sought to regulate how an individual’s data can be used by companies and the government, has been withdrawn after a joint parliamentary committee suggested 81 changes to it. According to government sources, considering the report of the joint parliamentary committee, a comprehensive legal...
Chinese fighter jets cross Taiwan Strait as tensions flare
Chinese fighter jets have crossed the Taiwan Strait, local media reported today, as tensions flare over an visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi is the highest-ranked American politican to visit the island in 25 years. “China’s Su-35 fighter jets are crossing the Taiwan Straits,” state...
