Another lockdown will hit automakers hard, affect capex plans: CARE Ratings
In the eventuality of another spell of a pan-India lockdown, the automobile sector will continue its downwards trajectory, which will seriously affect workforce and OEMs may have to further delay product launches and capex plans, CARE Ratings said in a report.
Several state governments have been announcing lockdown again in select areas for different time periods to check the Covid-19 pandemic amid rising numbers of infection cases in the country. Read more
3:11 AM
Google to invest Rs 33,737 crore for 7.73% stake in Jio Platforms
Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with Google and development of in-house 5G solutions, in a bid to win over new customers and create a platform for future growth.
Google will invest Rs 33,737 crore for 7.73 per cent stake in Jio Platforms. The two companies will collaborate for the development of entry-level affordable 4G and 5G smartphones as well as Android-based operating systems, Ambani announced during the virtual annual general meeting (AGM). Read more
12:58 AM
'I'm not a bad guy': Police video captures distraught Floyd
Body-camera footage made public Wednesday from two Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's arrest captured a panicked and fearful Floyd pleading with the officers in the minutes before his death, saying I'm not a bad guy!" as they tried to wrestle him into a squad car.
I'm not that kind of guy, Floyd says as he struggles against the officers. I just had Covid, man, I don't want to go back to that."
An onlooker pleads with Floyd to stop struggling, saying, You can't win! Floyd replies, I don't want to win!
A few minutes later, with Floyd now face-down on the street, the cameras record his fading voice, still occasionally saying, I can't breathe before he goes still.
12:49 AM
Fed survey says economy has picked up but outlook cloudy
The Federal Reserve says economic activity has picked up in most regions of the country but still remains well below pre-pandemic levels with the country facing high levels of uncertainty.
The Fed reported Wednesday that its latest survey of economic conditions around the country found improvements in consumer spending and other areas but said the gains were from very low levels seen when widespread lockdowns push the country into a deep recession.
And the report said that business contacts in the Fed's 12 regions remained wary about the future.
12:48 AM
Delhi University to hold final year exams in August
The Delhi University will conduct the online open book examinations for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students from August 10 to August 31, it said on Wednesday.
However, DU said, students unable to appear in the exams in August will get another chance.
The varsity had informed the Delhi High Court last week that it has decided to postpone the Open Book Examinations (OBE), scheduled from July 10, for final year undergraduate courses to next month.
12:33 AM
Haryana CM Khattar says his govt is working with a vision to ensure no youth in the state remains unemployed
12:28 AM
Trump may claim harassment in tax return quest: Lawyers
A week after losing a Supreme Court ruling, President Donald Trump's lawyers said Wednesday they're considering challenging subpoenas for his tax records by criminal prosecutors on grounds that the subpoenas are a fishing expedition or a form of harassment or retaliation against him.
The plans were outlined in a letter to a Manhattan federal judge overseeing legal squabbles related to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s request for eight years of Trump's personal and corporate tax records in a criminal probe.
Vance is seeking the records from Trump's accountant in part for a probe of payments that Trump's then-personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged during the 2016 presidential race to keep two women from airing their claims of extramarital affairs with Trump. Trump has denied the affairs.
12:26 AM
JC Penney to close another 152 stores, cuts 1,000 jobs
JC Penney says it will close an additional 152 stores and cut 1,000 jobs as it tries to fight its way out from under bankruptcy protection.
The company last month said it had identified 154 stores for closure in the first phase of a restructuring in which it will become a smaller operator.
The retailer said Wednesday that the jobs to be eliminated will include corporate, field management and international positions.
12:08 AM
Two Rajasthan MLAs hit out at Gehlot, ask how much money was given to them when they joined Congress from BSP
11:05 PM
BJP questions speaker's notice to Pilot, rebel Cong MLAs
Absence from a legislature party meeting can't be a ground for disqualification from the state assembly, said Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia raising a question over notices sent to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and his supporter MLAs in this regard.
Rajasthan Speaker C P Joshi has issued notices to Sachin Pilot and other rebel Congress MLAs after the party sought their disqualification from the state assembly.
Sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and the other MLAs were asked to respond to the notices by Friday, sources said. The notices were issued on Tuesday.
10:51 PM
CBSE class 10 results: Delhi govt schools improve pass percentage
Delhi government schools have improved their pass percentage to 82.61 per cent this year as against 71.58 per cent last year in the class 10 CBSE exams, a statement said on Wednesday.
At the all-India level, Delhi schools altogether improved their pass percentage from 80.97 per cent in 2019 to 85.86 per cent this year, it said.
Government schools improved their pass percentage at the national level from 71.91 per cent last year to 80.91 per cent this year.
As many as 147 schools under Delhi's Directorate of Education, the nodal body for government schools, achieved 100 per cent result as opposed to 60 per cent last year, the statement issued by the Delhi government said.
As many as 474 schools achieved 90 per cent and above pass percentage as against 226 schools last year. The total number of government schools in Delhi is 1,005 in 2020 while in 2019 it was 995.
10:44 PM
India's services exports dip 10.24 per cent in May
India's service sector exports dipped by 10.14 per cent to $16.77 billion in May, RBI data showed on Wednesday.
Services payments or imports in May stood at $9.94 billion, down 20.45 per cent, according to the central bank data.
The Reserve Bank releases monthly data on India's international trade in services with a lag of around 45 days.
10:42 PM
Congress in Telangana to launch Narasimha Rao centenary celebrations on July 24
9:57 PM
Pompeo confident democracies will unite to face China's challenge
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that he is confident that the world's free nations will join together to face the challenges from China to India and other countries in Asia.
"I think that the whole world is coalescing around the challenge that we face (from China)... I am confident that democracies, the free nations of the world, will push back on these," he said while replying to a question about the Chinese confrontation with India in the Ladakh region.
He said that India was "an important partner" of the US and "I have a great relationship with my Foreign Minister counterpart (S Jaishankar). We talk frequently about a broad range of issues. We talked about the conflict that they had along the border with China, we talked about the threat that emanates from the Chinese telecommunication infrastructure".
9:56 PM
12 killed in rain, flood related incidents in India; red alert issued for Gujarat, coastal Maharashtra
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday accused rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot of involvement in horse trading with the BJP. Pilot was removed from the posts of the Rajasthan deputy chief minister and the state Congress president on Tuesday amid a power tussle with Gehlot.
'Skill, re-skill, upskill is the mantra to stay relevant in times of coronavirus, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 5th anniversary of Skill India Mission. Addressing a digital conclave today, PM Modi said,"In a rapidly changing world, millions of skilled people are needed and there is a huge potential, especially in health services".
On the business front, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will hold its first online annual general meeting (AGM) today. It has promised that the event will be a much bigger affair, with a brand-new virtual platform that could log more than 100,000 shareholders simultaneously.
Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared its Class 10 results.