News updates: Earthquake of 3.7 magnitude strikes Kamjong, Manipur

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4:21 PM

Tension mounts afresh in Bangladesh as student movement leaders refuse PM Hasina's call for dialogue

Tension gripped Bangladesh afresh on Saturday after leaders of the student movement refused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's invitation for talks while protesters laid siege on major streets in the capital, days after more than 200 people died in anti-quota protests. Bangladesh recently witnessed violent clashes between the police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to a controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971.

3:54 PM

India needs comprehensive policy solution to mushrooming of coaching institutes: Congress

India needs a comprehensive policy solution to mushrooming of coaching institutes, the Congress said on Saturday and called for a revision of syllabi, more resources for all exam-takers and investments in the quality of education. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said data provided by the Department of Higher Education to the Rajya Sabha shows that GST collections from coaching institutes have risen rapidly between 2019 and 2024, from Rs 2,241 crore to Rs 5,517 crore.

3:45 PM

NHRC notice to Delhi, Haryana, UP over deaths by drowning, electrocution

The NHRC on Saturday said it has issued notices to the Delhi government, vice chairman of the DDA and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh authorities in connection with reported incidents of drowning and electrocution in Delhi and neighbouring cities in which several lives have been lost. The reported incidents, as in the recent past, are indicative of the "negligence by the civic authorities, which is a matter of concern", it said in a statement.

3:36 PM

People get so fed with judicial process that they just want settlement: CJI

People get "so fed up" with the matters of courts that they just want a settlement, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Saturday while highlighting the role of Lok Adalats as alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. Lok Adalats are forums where disputes and cases pending in courts or at pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably. No appeal against the mutually accepted settlement can be filed.

3:17 PM

FTA talks with Japan, Korea, Asean moving slow, India still pursuing: Piyush Goyal

The negotiations to review the free trade agreements (FTAs) implemented with Japan, Korea, and Asean are moving slow but India is pursuing those talks, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. He said these agreements were signed and implemented during the UPA regime. These pacts are hurting the domestic industry and almost all firms stated that they are "unfair" agreements, Goyal said.

2:57 PM

Next round of India-Asean trade agreement review talks in November

The next round of talks for the ongoing review meeting of the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods will be held in November, an official statement said on Saturday. The third round of the negotiations was concluded on August 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

2:43 PM

NHRC notice to Delhi govt over death of inmates at shelter home

The NHRC on Saturday said it has issued notices to the Delhi government and the city's police chief over reports alleging that 12 inmates died within a month at a shelter home in Rohini. The death of inmates, in such a large number within a short period, indicates "negligence on the part of the authorities", the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

 

2:33 PM

Broadcast Bill threatens independence of press, curbs free speech: Congress

The Congress has said the proposed Broadcasting Bill is a “threat” to freedom of speech and independent media. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera took to ‘X’ on Friday to assert that the proposed Bill, titled Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, aims for an increased government control over content creators, ranging from social media influencers to independent news outlets and will “pave the way for excessive surveillance in the online world.”

2:13 PM

SBI's net profit almost flat at Rs 17,035 crore in Apr-Jun quarter

State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday reported an almost flat standalone net profit at Rs 17,035 crore for the first quarter of the current financial year. The country's biggest lender had posted a net profit of Rs 16,884 crore in the April-June quarter of 2023-24.

2:06 PM

Vietnam's president is confirmed as the new Communist Party chief the country's most powerful role

Vietnamese President To Lam was confirmed Saturday as the new chief of the Communist Party after his predecessor died July 19. Lam will be the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country's most powerful political role, state media said. It was unclear if Lam will stay in his role as president.

1:34 PM

Search and rescue operations in Wayanad in final stage, 206 people still missing: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday that search and rescue operations in disaster-hit Wayanad are in their final stages, but 206 people remain missing. Addressing the media here, Vijayan said there is difficulty in identifying the dead bodies and parts recovered from the Chaliyar river.

1:16 PM

Agriculture a key focus area of development strategy in India: Niti member Ramesh Chand

Agriculture has been a key focus area of development strategy in India, and the country has achieved the highest growth rate of 5 per cent in the farm sector during the seven years from 2016-17 to 2022-23, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said on Saturday. Addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), Chand said that according to the World Bank data, India achieved the highest growth rate in GDP agriculture in the world in the last 10 years. "Agriculture has been a key focus area of development strategy in India, and the country has achieved historically the highest growth rate of 5 per cent during the seven-year period from 2016-17 to 2022-23," he noted.

1:03 PM

World's richest lose $134 billion in stock slump, led by Amazon's Bezos

Jeff Bezos’s net worth shrank by $15.2 billion Friday, leading a wide-ranging slump that erased $134 billion from the fortunes of the 500 richest people in the world. Shares of Amazon.com Inc. slid 8.8 per cent amid a broader selloff in the market, dropping Bezos’ net worth to $191.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The one-day wipeout is his third-worst, trailing only April 4, 2019, when the Amazon co-founder’s wealth tumbled $36 billion following his divorce settlement, and April 29, 2022, when Amazon shares plunged 14 per cent.

12:43 PM

Delhi University new batch of UG to commence from August 29

The Delhi University on Saturday released the much awaited academic calendar for first year undergraduate students seeking admission in the 2024-2025 session. The classes for the new batch of undergraduate students will start from August 29, according to the schedule.

12:42 PM

Wayanad landslides: Cong leader Chennithala's salary donation to CMDRF draws flak from party chief

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has announced that he will donate one month's salary, which he draws as an MLA, to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for the victims of the Wayanad landslide disaster, drawing a sharp reaction from the state party chief K Sudhakaran. On Friday evening, Chennithala, a Congress Working Committee member and former Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, announced his decision to donate his salary through a statement released on the party's official social media handle. Expressing his displeasure over the senior party leader's decision, Sudhakaran said on Saturday that there was no need to give money to the funds managed by the CPI(M)-led Left government.