LIVE: Floods continue to ravage Assam; 87 dead, 2,323 villages under water

CBI questions OSD to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in alleged suicide case of Rajasthan Police officer Vishnudutt Vishnoi amid Rajasthan political crisis. Stay tuned for the latest news of the day

The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday requested the Legislative Assembly speaker to defer action on disqualification notices to dissident Congress MLAs till July 24, the speaker's counsel said. The court also reserved its judgment on the writ petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 dissident legislators for July 24.

The high court had on Friday given a four-day reprieve to Sachin Pilot and other Congress dissidents from any action by Rajasthan Speaker on the disqualification notices served on them by extending the hearing into their petition.

Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the president of the state unit of the party after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day
 

12:50 AM

Ex-Trump lawyer sues William Barr for 'gag order'

President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has sued the US attorney general for a so-called 'gag order'.
 

Cohen said he was sent back to prison as retaliation for writing a tell-all book that reportedly details alleged racist comments made by the president, the BBC reported.
 

Cohen had been released in May from a three-year sentence for charges including Trump campaign finance violations, due to coronavirus.
 

The suit claims Cohen's re-arrest violates his right to free speech.

12:05 AM

WHO warns new Ebola outbreak in Congo faces funding gap

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it is facing a serious funding gap to battle the new outbreak of Ebola in remote corners of northern Congo amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The $1.75 million raised so far will only last for a few more weeks, the WHO warned, adding that the response effort is particularly expensive because of how difficult it is to get health teams and supplies into the densely forested area.

 

Already there have been 20 confirmed deaths since the outbreak was declared on June 1. The emergence of Ebola in Congo's northern Equateur province came just as the world's second deadliest Ebola outbreak was nearing its end.

12:04 AM

Pompeo praises UK on Huawei, urges coalition against China

The United States and Britain put on a show of unity against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on Tuesday, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered stinging criticism of Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and urged like-minded nations to push back together against China's threatening behaviour.
 

Pompeo, who is visiting Britain, praised the UK's response to challenges raised by China as tensions grow between Western powers and Beijing. Britain has in recent weeks decided to ban


Huawei from the UK's 5G network, suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offered refuge for millions of eligible Hong Kongers who feel threatened by Beijing's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
 

We support those sovereign choices, we think 'well done', Pompeo said.

11:37 PM

Trump excluding those in US illegally from reapportionment

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Tuesday that seeks to bar people in the US illegally from being counted in congressional reapportionment, a move that drew immediate criticism from Democratic officials.
 

The Supreme Court blocked the administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census form, with a majority saying the administration's rationale for the citizenship question to help enforce voting rights appeared to be contrived.
 

Trump said in the memorandum that he had determined that respect for the law and protection of the integrity of the democratic process warrants the exclusion of illegal aliens from the apportionment base, to the extent feasible and to the maximum extent of the President's discretion under the law."

11:33 PM

Govt to soon come out with strategic sectors list: DEA Secretary

In line with the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' package, Economic Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj on Tuesday said the government will soon come out with a list of strategic sectors, and public sector companies in non-strategic sectors will be privatised.

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in May announced that there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised.

 

"One important thing that I would like to mention is that the government should soon come out (with guidelines on) privatisation of the public sector companies," Bajaj said at India Idea Summit here.

11:33 PM

Odisha to give free rice and pulses to poor people under state food security scheme

11:20 PM

India, US negotiating UAV co-development programme, says Pentagon official

The US and India are negotiating a co-development programme for the air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a top Pentagon official said Tuesday.
 

I would like to highlight a very exciting project we are currently negotiating -- air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV will be a co-development programme between the US Air Force Research Labs, the Indian Air Force, India's Defense Research and Development Organisation, and an Indian startup company, said Ellen M Lord, Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment.
 

Addressing the India Idea's Summit organised by the US-India Business Council, the top Pentagon official said that the US Air Force research labs have signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Indian startup to support the development of the air-launched UAV.

11:14 PM

India, US need to sit down on negotiating table for FTA: Goyal

After concluding a "quick" trade deal, India and the US need to sit down on the negotiating table for working towards a more sustainable, robust and enduring partnership in the form of a free trade agreement (FTA), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said.

 

For the FTA, the minister said, India is willing to work with an open mind, with a willingness to open markets with a corresponding opportunity for Indian businesses in the US.

 

"I believe we have a quick trade deal which has some of the pending matters built up over the last couple of years which we need to get out of the way quickly. We are almost there. I think another couple of calls and we should be able to solve that out.

11:14 PM

Sachin Pilot sends legal notice to Congress MLA Malinga over horse-trading charge

11:09 PM

Boeing 737 MAX not expected to fly before October, FAA preparing directive

10:13 PM

Pompeo offers unsparing criticism of Chinese Communist Party

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered unsparing criticism of the Chinese Communist Party while visiting London on Tuesday, describing the leadership's behaviour in regard to the pandemic as unforgivable and slamming the crushing of freedoms'' in Hong Kong.

 

Pompeo said he held candid discussions with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, amid growing tensions between the West and China.

 

In a sweeping broadside, he challenged every nation which understands freedom and democracy and values that'' to understand the threat being posed by China's dominant party.

 

We hope we can build out a coalition that understands this,'' he said.

10:13 PM

DRDO-developed drone likely to be deployed in Ladakh: Report

A drone, indigenously developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), is likely to be deployed by the Army in eastern Ladakh to enhance surveillance in the area that has seen a face-off between the forces of India and China, sources said.

 

A DRDO official said the drone will be dispatched soon for the Army.

 

The drone christened 'Bharat' has been developed by DRDO's Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh. It has been made to operate in high-altitude areas and can also adapt to extreme climates. It is also known to be agile.

10:09 PM

Floods continue to ravage Assam: 87 dead now, 2.4 millon affected, 2323 villages under water

10:08 PM

Bajaj Finserv Q1 net profit jumps 44 per cent to Rs 1,215 cr on robust performance by insurance arms

9:54 PM

5 killed in Meghalaya flood, over 150,000 people affected

Five persons have died in floods in western Garo Hills region of Meghalaya and 152,000 people have been affected, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday.

 

He also announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

 

The deceased include a woman and four children.

 

"Saddened to see 5 lives lost because of the floods in #GaroHills. Government has released an ex gratia amount of Rs 4 Lakhs each to the next of kin of the deceased. We are doing everything to ensure the safety of our citizens during this time. Our condolences to the bereaved families, Sangma said in his social media posts.