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Latest news LIVE: Rs 110 crore scam in PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme busted in TN

Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting, chaired by party interim president Sonia Gandhi, underway through video conferencing. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

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Farmers use a combined harvester in a wheat field. Photo: PTI

Rs 110 crore scam in PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme busted in Tamil Nadu

India, while is committed to de-escalating the situation on the LAC, China continues to undertake provocative activities to escalate, said the Indian Army in a statement.

Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Congress strategy group is scheduled to meet today under the chairmanship of party interim chief Sonia Gandhi after the stormy Congress Working Committee meet weeks ago. Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma will be participating in the meeting. Both leaders were signatories to the letter which had demanded a visible and effective leadership in the party.
 
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court to hear plea today seeking direction to the Central government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to extend the moratorium period for repayment of term loans and credit cards for another 12 months and waive the interest for advocates during the period.
 
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to have a stopover in Iran on Tuesday on his way to a four-day visit to Russia, where he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Jaishankar is visiting Moscow to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which both India and China are members.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.
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9:51 PM

American Airlines OKs Black Lives Matter pins for employees

American Airlines will let employees wear Black Lives Matter pins on their uniforms, calling it a matter of equality and not politics.
 
With the move, American joins Starbucks, Delta Air Lines and other major companies that let employees wear items supporting the movement that protests police violence against Blacks.
 
An American Airlines spokeswoman said Tuesday that Black employees saw workers at other airlines wearing a Black Lives Matter pin and asked if they could too.
 
"Fundamentally, we believe Black Lives Matter is an expression of equality, not a political statement," said the spokeswoman, Sarah Jantz.

"It doesn't mean other lives don't matter, rather that in our society Black lives should matter and be valued the same as others." American is working with Black employees to design the pin. The airline allows other pins including ones supporting Christians, veterans and LGBTQ people.
 
Starbucks reportedly banned employees from wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, then created one for workers to wear in June.
 
American's decision drew mixed reviews on Twitter.
 
Some people praised the airline, while others called Black Lives Matter a domestic terrorist group, a label used by Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer.
 
4:13 PM

Rift in Cong-led UDF wide open: Ramesh Chennithala slams KC-M Jose K Mani faction

The rift in the Congress-led United Democratic Front became more evident on Tuesday when the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala lashed out at the Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) alleging that it betrayedand backstabbed the Front.
 
However, Jose K Mani saidthose who wish to destroy the KC(M) have expressed their interestopenly.
 
"We have kept them (Jose K Mani faction) away from the UDF meeting because they failed to honour a seat-sharing agreement.But the faction betrayed and took an independent decision against the Front during the Assembly session.
 
However, we didn't take any action.Even during the no-confidence motion in the Assembly, their MLAs, who won as part of the UDF, left the Assembly betraying the Front.
 
We feel that If K M Mani was alive, he would not have allowed such moves which amount to backstabbing the Front," Chennithala said.
 
Responding to the UDF meeting and the allegations, Jose K Mani told reporters at Kottayam thaty the KC(M) was part of the UDF for over four decades and not once it had betrayed theFront.
 
"That's not part of our culture.However, the UDF has politically betrayed the party of Mani sir. We didn't leave the Front, we were ousted.
 
However, the UDF is not talking about the betrayal of the Joseph faction (of KC-M) which acted detrimental to the Front during the Pala bypoll," he alleged.
 
Two members of the UDF ally, Kerala Congress Jose K Mani faction, abstained from the voting process onthe no-confidence motion moved by the UDF against the left government on August 24.
4:10 PM

Crunch Brexit talks begin amid row over divorce agreement

Crunch Brexit talks to thrash out a trade agreement between the UK and European Union (EU) got underway on Tuesday amid a brewing row over the so-called divorce deal struck earlier this year, ahead of Britain's formal exit from the economic bloc on January 31. The current transition period after that exit ends at the end of December before which both sides must agree the terms of their future relationship or end up with a no-deal Brexit.
 
The EU's Chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, arrived here to kick-start what is expected to be a crucial round of talks to strike an agreement with Britain's negotiator, David Frost.
 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set an October 15 timeframe to reach a mutually agreed plan for the future of UK-EU relations. However, the talks have been overshadowed by a brewing row over Johnson's plan to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement, or divorce bill, signed on January 24.
 
The government plans to table proposals in Parliament on Wednesday to give UK ministers unilateral legal powers to oversee elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the UK territory which shares a border with the EU member-state of Ireland.
 
Amid anger from Brussels and Dublin, Downing Street insists that the measures are “limited and reasonable” and would remain compliant with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
3:54 PM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lands in Moscow

3:42 PM

States' borrowings soar 51% to Rs 2.97 trn so far this fiscal

The coronavirus pandemic-stricken states have borrowed a whopping Rs 2.97 trillion so far this financial year, which is as much as 51 per cent more than the corresponding period a year ago.
 
But, the massive spike is led by just three states -- Karnataka, which borrowed Rs 23,000 crore, a 475 per cent more than last year's Rs 4,000 crore; Maharashtra borrowed 200 per cent more at Rs 37,500 crore as against Rs 12,500 crore last year; and Tamil Nadu borrowed Rs 46,000 crore or 117 per cent over Rs 21,190 crore of last year.
 
This means that these three states contributed as much as 38 per cent of the total incremental borrowing by the states so far this fiscal, according to domestic rating agency CARE.
3:32 PM

Northern India's energy systems can be totally moved to clean power by 2050: Report

Northern India's energy systems can be entirely switched to clean power by 2050, which in turn can create as many as 5 million new jobs, according to a report.
 
As per the study by Finland's Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) and Delhi-based Climate Trends released on Tuesday, northern India's energy systems can be switched to 100 per cent clean energy by 2050.
 
The study found that north India's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be reduced from 825 MtCO2eq (Metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2020 to zero by 2050 across all energy sectors and create 5 million new jobs.
 
Presented at the World Solar Technology Summit organised by International Solar Alliance, the study is a first of its kind that uses geospatial and hourly demand analysis to design a cost-optimal energy system of the future.
3:23 PM

Fire at Vadodara's Sir Sayajirao General Hospital under control

3:18 PM

Rs 110 crore scam in PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme busted in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Agriculture Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Tuesday said that some 500,000 fake beneficiaries have got Rs 110 crore from the PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme. The Department has recovered around Rs 32 crore so far and the rest will be recovered soon.
 
Speaking to reporters he said, 34 government officials have been suspended and 80 computer operators and other private staff dismissed. As per the probe conducted by the department ineligible persons in 13 districts have availed the cash assistance providing false information. Read more
3:11 PM

Rating firms rework their India FY21 GDP forecasts with sharper contraction

Global and domestic rating agencies have sharply cut their forecast for India’s economic growth this fiscal, after official data suggested a sharper-than-expected contraction in gross domestic product in the quarter ending June (Q1), and a sluggish recovery in economic indicators thereafter.
 
New York-headquartered ratings agency Fitch expects the country’s GDP to contract 10.5 per cent in FY21 versus its earlier estimate of 5 per cent. India Ratings, the Indian subsidiary of Fitch, predicts a sharper fall of 11.8 per cent in India’s real GDP. Read more
3:03 PM

Happiest Minds Technologies IPO subscribed 8.4 times on 2nd day

The initial public offer of IT services firm Happiest Minds Technologies was subscribed 8.40 times on the second day of bidding on Tuesday. The Rs 702-crore IPO, received bids for 19,53,36,630 shares against a total issue size of 2,32,59,550 shares, according to data available with the NSE.
 
The category meant for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 47 per cent, while non-institutional investors portion received 3.96 times subscription and retail individual investors 38.85 times.
 
The price band for the offer, that will close on Wednesday, has been fixed at Rs 165 to Rs 166 per equity share.
2:51 PM

Kangana Ranaut to face 'drug link' probe; Mumbai home under BMC lens

Already under fire over her remarks on Mumbai, trouble mounted for actress Kangana Ranaut as the Maharashtra government on Tuesday said the police will probe allegations that she took drugs, while alterations made at her bungalow here came under the civic scanner. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. Read on
2:44 PM

Kisan Rail ferrying 350 tn of goods, up from 94 tn during inaugural run: Piyush Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the Kisan Rail service was ferrying 350 tonnes of goods from the 94 tonnes it carried on its inaugural run last month. The rail service, which was announced in the 2020 Union budget, aims at transporting agricultural produce, especially perishable commodities, at cheaper rates, and aid farmers in getting right price for their crops.
 
The first such service was started on August 7 from Deolali in Maharashtra's Nashik to Danapur in Bihar.
 
Barely a month after we started Kisan Rail, the same train which was carrying 94 tonnes goods is now carrying more than 350 tonnes. This means that if the facility is provided, people are going to use the service, the minister said at an event - RailConnect-- organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
2:35 PM

Chinese troops carried rods, spears, clubs in towards Indian post: Govt sources

Chinese troops carried rods, spears, clubs and sharp weapons in trying to close in on an Indian position in Mukhpari area of Rezang-La ridgeline in eastern Ladakh on Monday evening, government sources said on Tuesday.
 
As tension escalated at the Line of Actual Control(LAC), the sources said around 50-60 soldiers of Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) approached the Indian post in the southern bank of Pangon lake area at around 6 PM but the Indian Army personnel posted there strongly confronted them, forcing their retreat.
 
It may be recalled that the Chinese troops had mounted a savage attack on Indian soldiers with stones, nail-studded sticks, iron rods and clubs during the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. On Monday evening too, the Chinese troops were carrying rods, spears, clubs and sharp weapons, the sources said.
2:25 PM

India to have 220 GW renewable energy capacity by 2022: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday exuded confidence that India will increase its existing clean energy capacity of 134 GW to 220 GW by 2022 and stressed on reducing tariffs further through technological advancements.
 
The Prime Minister was earlier expected to deliver the inaugural address at the World Solar Technology Summit organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA), but could not do so due to some other engagements.
 
New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh read out Modi's message at the virtual summit.
 
"We have scaled up our non-fossil fuel based generation to 134 GW, which is about 35 per cent of our total power generation. We are confident of increasing it to 220 GW by 2022," Singh said, reading out the Prime Minister's message.
2:16 PM

EPFO settles 9.4 million claims worth Rs 35,445 cr during April-August

Retirement fund body EPFO has settled 9.44 million claims totalling Rs 35,445 crore during April-August despite Covid-19 related restrictions, an official statement said on Tuesday.
 
During this period, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has settled around 32 per cent more claims as compared to the corresponding period of last year (April-August 2019), while the amount disbursed increased by around 13 per cent.
 
"Despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, EPFO has been able to settle a staggering 9.44 million claims thereby disbursing about Rs 35,445 crore to its members during the period of April-August, 2020," the labour ministry statement said. Read on

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First Published: Sep 08 2020 | 6:33 AM IST