9:34 PMUK condemns China's 'deeply troubling' new Hong Kong law
The UK on Tuesday condemned the Chinese move to pass a controversial national security law in Hong Kong as a "deeply troubling" step, which it needs to see in detail to determine if it breaches the Joint Declaration under which the former British colony had been handed over to China in 1997.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said he would consider extra rights to an estimated 2.6 million Hong Kong-based people eligible for the British National (Overseas) passport, which would allow them visa-free travel to the UK for 12 months and a route to eventual British citizenship.
Earlier on Tuesday, when asked about China's move, he said: We are obviously deeply concerned about the decision to pass the national security law in Beijing as it affects Hong Kong.
9:26 PMDelhi riots: Police files charge sheet against nine in three cases
Delhi police has filed three charge sheets against nine persons for allegedly bludgeoning three people to death in three separate cases during riots in north-east Delhi in February.
The charge sheets were filed on Monday before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Kumar Gautam for the alleged murder of Hamza, Aamin and Bhure Ali.
Though police said that nine Muslim persons had died in Ganga Vihar/ Bhagirathi Vihar area on February 25 and 26, the charge sheets have been filed in relation to only three deaths as the investigation in the matter is on.
9:12 PMDirect investment rises in FY20, portfolio investment declines: RBI
Direct investment into the country rose by $19 billion while portfolio investment declined by $13.7 billion during 2019-20, according to the data on the International Investment Position (IIP) released by the Reserve Bank on Tuesday.
International financial assets of Indian residents increased by $73.9 billion due to the rise in reserve assets and overseas direct investment by $64.9 billion and $13.0 billion, respectively, though other investments declined marginally during the year, the RBI said in a release.
"Overall, net claims of non-residents on India declined by $57.6 billion during the year," it said.
8:56 PMNCLT reserves order on SBI plea to recover Rs 1,200 crore from Anil Ambani
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday reserved its order on the State Bank of India plea against Anil Ambani to recover over Rs 1,200 crore under the personal guarantee clause of the bankruptcy law.
The public sector lender had approached the tribunal under Section 97(3) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), seeking its intervention to direct the insolvency board to nominate a resolution professional (RP) to assess and submit a report on the assets owned by Ambani.
Anil Ambani had given personal guarantee to the loans given to Reliance Communications and Reliance Infratel. After hearing both the sides, a division bench of a judicial member Mohammed Ajmal and a technical member Ravikumar Duraisamy reserved the order.
READ MORE... 8:45 PMLatest News LIVE update: CISF nabs US-bound man with bullet at Delhi's IGI Airport
CISF has apprehended a US-bound passenger at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying a bullet in his baggage, PTI reported on Tuesday.
Bhagwant Singh, travelling to Washington on an Air India flight, was intercepted with a 7.65 mm calibre bulletin his bag at the Indira Gandhi International Airport Monday night, according to PTI report.
The Central Industrial Security Force personnel immediately segregated him and questioned him. As Singh had no documents for carrying the bullet, a prohibited item on an aircraft, he was handed over to Delhi police, they said. Limited domestic and international (only under the Vande Bharat Mission) flights are operational in the country in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
8:24 PMChinese President Jinping signs new security law restricting Hong Kong freedom amid global outrage
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday signed a controversial security law that gave Beijing new powers over Hong Kong that are tailor-made to crackdown against dissent, criminalising sedition and effectively curtailing protests, amidst global anger and outrage in the former British colony, Press Trust of India reported.
Xi signed the legislation soon after Chinese lawmakers voted unanimously to adopt the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), according to PTI report.
The law -- facilitating the presence of Chinese security offices in Hong Kong, besides prohibiting acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security -- was passed by the 162-member Standing Committee of China's legislature the National People's Congress (NPC). As soon as the draft legislation was adopted by the NPC, regarded as the rubber-stamp Parliament for its routine approval of whatever the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) proposes, Xi signed it immediately, making it into law ready for implementation.
8:16 PMLatest News LIVE: Cloudy sky, light rain keep mercury below 40.7 degrees Celsius in Delhi
A partly cloudy sky and light rain in isolated areas kept the mercury in check in the national capital on Tuesday. However, humidity levels shot up to 91 per cent, causing inconvenience to the residents.
A fresh bout of rain is expected over the weekend, according to the India Meteorological Department's forecast. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 37.5 degrees Celsius, as against 40.7 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Most places recorded their maximum temperatures between 36 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius. The Met department said the city has recorded 3.2 mm rainfall since 8.30 pm on Monday. On Monday evening, a squall with winds gusting up to 68 kilometers per hour hit the city, uprooting a number of trees across the national capital.
8:01 PMLatest News LIVE update: India planning to buy more Spice-2000 bombs
Seeking to further strengthen its capability to hit ground targets, India is planning to acquire a lethal and more capable version of the Spice-2000 bombs.
The bombs, which were used effectively to destroy the Pakistani terrorist camp in Balakot town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last year, are planned to be acquired by the Air Force as part of the emergency financial powers granted to the services in the middle of a row with China.
"The Indian Air Force already has the Spice-2000 bombs. It is now planning to acquire more stand-off weapons like the Spice-2000 bombs under the emergency procurement powers granted to the services," government sources told ANI.
The Spice-2000 bombs can hit targets upto 70 kms and the new variant inducted in the force can also destroy bunkers and hardened shelters, they said. The version used in the Balakot airstrikes could penetrate into hardened shelters and buildings and cause destruction inside. Under the emergency powers, the Narendra Modi government has granted financial power to the defence forces under which they can buy any weapon system under Rs 500 crore.
This emergency power was given close on the heels of recent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. The armed forces were granted similar financial power after the Uri terror attack and the Balakot airstrike against Pakistan.
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