LIVE: Union Cabinet approves policy on long-term leasing of Railways' land

300 cargo terminals will be developed in 5 years, says Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Union Cabinet decisions

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will launch the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Kanyakumari on Wednesday. Before launching the mega rally, the former Congress chief will take part in a prayer meeting at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's memorial in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur. Gandhi will launch the Yatra in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot among others.

The Supreme Court today will hear the cases related to the rift between Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde factions. This comes as Shinde attacked Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and attacked him for criticising the rebel Sena leaders. Shinde, whose rebellion with 39 MLAs of Shiv Sena led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in June, had always evaded making pointed comments against Uddhav and his son Aaditya who have been calling the rebels "traitors and backstabbers".

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Tuesday approved the country’s first intra-nasal Covid-19 vaccine — Bharat Biotech’s iNCOVACC — for restricted emergency use in those aged above 18 years. It’s only the second such vaccine in the world, after CanSino Biologics’ vaccine in China, to get regulatory approval. Around 100 mucosal (nose and mouth) Covid-19 vaccines are under development across the world. 

4:01 PM

Rahul Gandhi visits Vivekananda Memorial in Kanyakumari ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra

3:42 PM

Union Cabinet has approved the launch of a new scheme for setting up PM-SHRI schools: Pradhan

3:41 PM

Union Cabinet approves policy on long-term leasing of Railways' Land

3:01 PM

Former RBI governor suggests 10-year road map for privatisation of all public sector banks

Former RBI governor D Subbarao has suggested that the government should come up with a 10-year road map for privatisation of all Public Sector Banks (PSBs) as it would provide much needed predictability to stakeholders.

Subbarao further said that the big bang approach to privatisation of state-owned banks is not desirable but at the same time the issue should not be put on the back burner.

"Ideally, we should have a road map, maybe over a 10 year timeframe, to privatise all PSBs.

"That will give much needed predictability to all stakeholders," he told PTI.

2:58 PM

UAE healthcare provider appoints Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador

Burjeel Holdings, a leading private healthcare services provider in the MENA region and one of the largest in the UAE, has partnered with superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador.

The partnership between the actor and Burjeel Holdings, owned by UAE-based Indian entrepreneur Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, was confirmed during a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.

Khan, 56, will appear in a region-wide, multi-platform advertising campaign for the healthcare group that will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The partnership with Burjeel Holdings marks the first healthcare ambassador role for the actor, who is set to return to the big screen with the 2023 release "Pathaan". Burjeel Holdings operates 39 hospitals and medical centres across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.

2:46 PM

AAP releases third list of 10 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday released its third list of 10 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections due later this year.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had earlier announced 19 candidates for polls to the 182-member Assembly in BJP-ruled Gujarat.

No other party has so far declared its candidates for the state elections due in December.

2:45 PM

Putin blames Germany and West for Nord Stream 1 shutdown

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would resume gas supplies to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as soon as a key turbine was returned, and rejected Western claims that Moscow used gas as a weapon.

 

At an economic forum in the eastern city of Vladivostok, Putin said Germany and Western sanctions were to blame for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline not being operational and that Ukraine and Poland decided on their own to switch off other gas routes into Europe.

 

Europe is facing a winter fuel crisis and surging energy bills after Gazprom fully suspended gas supplied through Nord Stream 1, after it said it found an engine oil leak during maintenance work.

 

2:44 PM

India in much better position to deal with growth, inflation challenges: CII President Sanjiv Bajaj

India is in a much better position to deal with the challenges related to growth and inflation, said Sanjiv Bajaj, President of industry body CII.

According to official figures, India's retail inflation continues to remain above the Reserve Bank's tolerance level of 6 per cent since January, while the economic growth in the first quarter of the fiscal was 13.5 per cent, lower than the central bank's estimate of 16.2 per cent.

"I don't want to say we don't have our own challenges with growth, with inflation but we are in a much better position and credit must go to everybody including the central and state governments. I don't see economic growth as an issue," Bajaj, who is also the CMD of Bajaj Finserv, told PTI.

2:42 PM

Delhi LG asks Kejriwal govt to release Rs 383 crore to MCDs, says 'pending' for 2 years

Delhi LG V K Saxena has asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to release Rs 383.74 crore due to the city's municipal corporations under education and health heads, the LG office said on Wednesday.

Sharing on Twitter a letter he wrote to the CM, Saxena's office said he has asked for the release of the fund pending for two years.

Holding the fund "without any reason" was adversely impacting primary education and health in Delhi, he said in the letter.

2:41 PM

UK PM Liz Truss appoints diverse Cabinet in shake-up of old guard

Prime Minister Liz Truss held her first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday after announcing one of the UK's most diverse Cabinets, with key frontline posts going to ethnic minority members of Parliament, including Indian-origin Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary.

Another Indian-origin minister in the Cabinet, Agra-born Alok Sharma, retains his climate action job as the COP26 President, as does Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in a new top team that is otherwise a complete shake-up of the old guard.

London-born junior minister Ranil Jayawardena, of mixed Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been promoted as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

2:40 PM

Until we get a good deal, no trade pact with Israel: Goyal

The proposed India-Israel trade pact should be beneficial to both nations and until New Delhi gets a good deal, it would not do an agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said.

 

India and Israel are negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since May 2010.

 

"With Israel, until we get a good deal, we will not do an FTA. It has to be reciprocally beneficial," the minister said here on Tuesday while interacting with the Indian community.

1:56 PM

Delhi LG writes to CM Kejriwal to release MCD's amount of Rs 383 cr

Delhi Lieutenant Governor writes to Chief Ministeer Arvind Kejriwal and asks him to release MCD's amount of Rs 383.74 crores, relating to education and health, pending for two years.

 

1:39 PM

I-T dept conducts pan-India raids against unrecognised political parties, linked funding

The income tax department on Wednesday conducted raids in multiple states as part of a pan-India tax evasion probe against certain registered unrecognised political parties (RUPP) and their alleged dubious financial transactions, official sources said.

 

At least 110 locations in Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and some other states are being searched, they said.

 

The tax teams are being assisted by police.

1:23 PM

Oppn thanked me when I left BJP: Nitish Kumar

"All of us - seven parties - are united in Bihar and they (BJP) are alone in Opposition. So, we are working together, to develop our section of society. I am meeting everyone. When I left them (BJP) and joined this side, people thanked me and told me I did well," Bihar CM Nitish Kumar 

1:11 PM

Putin says developing world being 'cheated' by Ukraine grain deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Russia and the developing world had been "cheated" by a landmark grain deal designed to alleviate a looming food crisis.

 

Speaking at an economic forum in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, Putin took aim at the deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, saying Ukrainian grain exports were not going to the world's poorest countries.