Google can ward off EU antitrust probe into Fitbit deal with data pledge
Google may be able to stave off a full-scale EU antitrust investigation into its planned $2.1 billion bid for Fitbit by pledging not to use Fitbit's health data to help it target ads, people familiar with the matter said.
The deal announced in November last year allows Google, a unit of Alphabet, to take on Apple andSamsung in the fitness tracking and smart watch market, alongside others including Huawei and Xiaomi.
3:15 AM
24,000 pollution-related deaths in Delhi in first half of 2020: Report
Air pollution in Delhi is linked to the loss of around 24,000 lives and 5.8 percent of its GDP in the first half of 2020, despite a strict Covid-19 lockdown since March 25, a report said.
According to a new online tool by IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Delhi lost Rs 26,230 crore, equivalent to 5.8 percent of its annual GDP, over the last six months due to air pollution.
It is also the highest economic cost of air pollution in terms of GDP across 28 major cities in the world.
3:15 AM
DCGI asks manufacturers to prevent black-marketing of Covid-19 drugs
In order to prevent black-marketing and overpricing of Covid-19 drugs such as Remdesivir, India's drugs regulator DCGI has asked manufacturers to set up a helpline for patients and also put on their websites details of distributors and supply chain.
Rajesh Bhushan, the Officer on Special Duty, Union Health Ministry, told an online media briefing Thursday that it has been noticed that certain drugs are not available freely in the market.
3:15 AM
At 16.5 million, TikTok removed most number of videos from India: Report
India made the highest number of requests to TikTok for content removal and user information between July and December last year, according to the Chinese short-video apps’ latest transparency report.
TikTok owned by Beijing-based tech firm ByteDance is among the 59 Chinese apps along with Alibaba's UC Browser and Tencent's WeChat which were recently banned by the government citing security concerns. This move came after Indo-Sino tensions escalated.
12:31 AM
One Nation, One Ration Card to start working across India by January
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has reiterated that 'One Nation, One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme would likely start working across India by January next year, ahead of its March 31 deadline.
Paswan on Thursday said the ministry is trying to include all remaining States/UTs onboard of ONORC by January 2021. He said that earlier many States/UTs highlighted the challenges related to slow network connectivity.
In this regard, he informed that he has taken up the issue with the department of telecommunications (DoT) and there is a proposal to provide a free net connection to every gram panchayat for one year duration.
While interacting with reporters through video conferencing, the Minister said the balanced quantity of foodgrains and whole chana under under the 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' scheme will now be distributed till August 31, 2020.
12:01 AM
Air pollution caused around 24,000 deaths in Delhi in first half of 2020: Greenpeace
Air pollution in Delhi is linked to the loss of around 24,000 lives and 5.8 percent of its GDP in the first half of 2020, despite a strict Covid-19 lockdown since March 25, a report said.
According to a new online tool by IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Delhi lost Rs 26,230 crore, equivalent to 5.8 percent of its annual GDP, over the last six months due to air pollution.
It is also the highest economic cost of air pollution in terms of GDP across 28 major cities in the world.
11:42 PM
India in talks with Sri Lanka over its request for debt relief
India on Thursday said it was holding talks with Sri Lanka over its request for postponement of repayment of debt.
"The matter has progressed and technical level discussions are presently underway," Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said.
He was responding to a question on the issue at an online media briefing.
Sri Lanka is reeling under a major economic crisis and has requested several countries and international donors, including India to provide debt relief.
11:42 PM
Google selects Mississippi site for 1st US operations centre
Google's first US operations centre is coming to northwest Mississippi.
The company announced Thursday it will lease a new 60,000-square-foot (5,574 square-meter) facility in Southaven, Mississippi, near Memphis, Tennessee.
Google expects the site, which will provide customer and operations support to customers worldwide, to be operational by summer 2021.
This Google Operations Center represents a critical investment for the company and we look forward to being an active member of the local community for years to come, said Troy Dickerson, vice president of Google Operations Center.
11:27 PM
Senior IAS officer G Narendra Kumar appointed Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi: Official order
11:25 PM
US in talks with India on market access, trade concessions
The United States is in talks with India on market access for its goods in exchange for reinstating New Delhi's trade concessions under the Generalised System Of Preferences (GSP), U.S. ambassador to India Kenneth Juster said on Thursday.
"The GSP by law requires that there be some market opening measures in recipience of that preferential system, and that's what we have been trying to reach an agreement on with the government of India," Juster said at India Global Week 2020, an online business summit.
11:02 PM
US imposes sanctions on 3 Chinese officials for human rights violations in Xinjiang
11:02 PM
Data of one country should not become surreptitious property of another country: Ravi Shankar Prasad
11:01 PM
CDC: No rewriting of guidelines for reopening schools
Despite President Donald Trump's sharp criticism, federal guidelines for reopening schools are not being revised, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
Dr Robert Redfield said the agency would be issuing additional reference documents for parents and schools to facilitate the reopening and deal with safety concerns in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. But he said there would be no changing of the overall guidance.
Redfield commented a day after Trump complained the reopening guidelines were very tough and expensive and the CDC was asking schools to do very impractical things.
Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, I will be meeting with them.!!!" Redfield said, It's really important, it's not a revision of the guidelines, it's just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward."
He made his comments on ABC's Good Morning America. Trump is pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep their learning remote.
10:59 PM
Assam govt changes MSME ordinance norms after protests; allows no conversion of agriculture land
10:33 PM
India-UAE special repatriation flights to begin July 12
The civil aviation authorities of India and the UAE have agreed to operate special repatriation flights between the two countries during July 12-26.
As per the arrangement, chartered flights operated by UAE carriers to bring flying out Indians from the UAE will be allowed to carry ICA (Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship) approved UAE residents to their native country on their return leg.
Further, Indian carriers operating repatriation flights to bring back Indians from the UAE will be allowed to carry the ICA approved UAE residents on their onward journey from India to the Gulf country.
The first phase of disengagement between armies of India and China at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh has been completed and the talks for the second phase is expected to begin in next few days.
Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the Kanpur encounter case, was arrested in Ujjain on Thursday. The arrest comes days after an inter-state operation was launched following a raid in which eight policemen were killed when they reached Dubey's house to arrest him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at India Global Week 2020 today. The India Global Week 2020 is a three-day virtual conference being held from July 9 to July 11. PM Modi also interacted with select individuals from Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.
Meanwhile, with the number of coronavirus cases zooming past the 700,000 mark in India.
 "LIVE: Delhi pollution caused 24,000 deaths in 1st half of 2020, says report")
