Nancy Pelosi re-elected as Speaker of US House of Representatives
By Lalit K Jha WASHINGTON: Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has been narrowly re-elected as the Speaker of the US House of Representatives for a fourth time, as a new Congress took office amidst raging coronavirus crisis and political uncertainty. Pelosi, 80, secured 216 votes in a tight contest against Republican Kevin McCarthy, who got […]
GST compensation shortfall: Modi government releases 10th instalment of Rs 6,000 crore to states
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Finance has released the 10th weekly instalment of Rs.6,000 crore to the States to meet the GST compensation shortfall. Out of this, an amount of Rs.5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 States and an amount of Rs.483.40 crore has been released to the 3 Union Territories (UT) with Legislative […]
Narendra Modi dedicates National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya to Nation
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered inaugural address at the National Metrology Conclave 2021. He dedicated National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali to the Nation and laid the Foundation Stone of National Environmental Standards Laboratory today through a video conference. The Conclave was organised by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National […]
Covaxin works against UK strain, will release study by January 10: Bharat Biotech CMD
NEW DELHI: Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech said on Monday that its vaccine is efficient against the mutant strain of novel coronavirus found in the UK while announcing that its data would be made public within a week. CMD Dr Krishna Ella, addressing a virtual press conference, said: “We have taken 3-4 strains and studied it. It […]
ADB, India sign $100 million loan to upgrade power distribution system in Bengaluru
NEW DELHI: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on 31st December 2020 signed a $100 million loan to modernise and upgrade the power distribution system to enhance the quality and reliability of electricity supply in Bengaluru city in the state of Karnataka. The signatories to the Bengaluru Smart Energy Efficient Power Distribution […]
UPSC recommends 89 more candidates for civil services
NEW DELHI: The UPSC has recommended 89 candidates for different civil services from its reserve list drawn on the basis of the 2019 civil services examination, according to an official statement issued on Monday. The result of the 2019 civil services examination was declared on August 4 in 2020, recommending 829 candidates in order of […]
IT dept quizzes Robert Vadra for 9 hrs in Benami properties case
NEW DELHI: Income Tax (I-T) department officials on Monday questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra for over nine hours in connection with the probe into the ‘benami’ properties case. However, Vadra described his questioning as “vendetta politics” and said that the government is trying to divert attention from the ongoing farmers’ protest. A […]
Northeast India to get 3rd international airport by March 2021
By Sujit Chakraborty AGARTALA: After Guwahati and Imphal, Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport is set to become the third international airport in the north-eastern region, after a Rs 438 crore project under construction is completed in March 2021, Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials said on Monday. Construction work on the new integrated terminal […]
FTSE Russell cuts further three China firms from indexes after U.S. blacklist
LONDON: FTSE Russell will delete a further three firms from its global equity indexes after guidance on an executive order by outgoing President Donald Trump barring U.S. investments in some Chinese companies, a hardening of his stance against Beijing. China United Network Communications, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Nanjing Panda Electronics will be deleted […]
China says opposes U.S. politicizing trade issues on U.S. delisting of Chinese telcos
BEIJING: China said on Monday it firmly opposes the United States government’s behaviour of politicizing trade issues after the New York Stock Exchange began delisting three Chinese telecom firms that Washington says have military ties. Beijing will adopt the necessary measures to safeguard the legal rights of Chinese companies, foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told […]
EasyJet suspends some voting rights to meet post-Brexit rules
LONDON: EasyJet has begun moves to suspend the voting rights of some non-EU shareholders to comply with post-Brexit airline ownership rules, the UK airline said on Monday. European Union rules state that EU airlines must be owned and controlled by EU nationals or else lose their licences. EasyJet has held an Austrian operating licence since […]
Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha deposes before ED in PMC bank fraud
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member and spokesperson Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut on Monday deposed before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its money laundering probe into the PMC bank fraud case. According to ED sources, she arrived at the financial probe agency office here in the afternoon. The source said that she […]
Pee Safe brings female condoms to the Indian market
NEW DELHI: Pee Safe, India’s leading hygiene and wellness brand is eyeing a transformation in the way India perceives contraceptives. The brand announced its foray into the female condoms category, thereby challenging stereotypes around contraceptive use among women and addressing a market that has so far been non-existent. Studies suggest that the female condom is […]
I-T records Robert Vadra’s statement in Benami properties case
NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department officers on Monday started recording the statement of Robert Vadra in connection with a benami properties case. An IT department source related to probe told IANS, “An I-T team is at Vadra’s residence to record his statement in the Benami properties matter.” Vadra is Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law […]
Chinese firm gets contract for construction of underground stretch of Delhi-Meerut RRTS project
NEW DELHI : The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has awarded a contract to a Chinese company, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company Limited, for the construction of a 5.6-kilometre underground stretch, from New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad, of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS project. The NCRTC, which is executing the country’s first Regional Rapid Rail Transit System […]
Republicans condemn ‘scheme’ to undo election for Donald Trump
By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK WASHINGTON:The unprecedented Republican effort to overturn the presidential election has been condemned by an outpouring of current and former GOP officials warning the effort to sow doubt in Joe Biden’s win and keep President Donald Trump in office is undermining Americans’ faith in democracy. Trump has enlisted support […]