Posts

Showing posts from September, 2020

Kazhakuttam highway service road work starts

It will be completed in a month: Kadakampally from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2GqhNiE

Morning Digest: Plea in Supreme Court for CBI or SIT probe into Hathras rape case; Cinema halls, entertainment parks and swimming pools to open, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2Sglr1g

Twitter removes 130 accounts disrupting public conversation during Trump-Biden debate

Social media companies have long been under pressure to combat misinformation after U.S. intelligence agencies determined Russia used their platforms to meddle in the 2016 vote, allegations that Moscow has denied from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/34aYO3W

Keeping villages at forefront of development in J&K

By Manoj SinhaMahatma Gandhi was trained as a barrister, but appearing before the court in his Great Trial in 1922, he identified himself as a farmer and weaver. This was his way of identifying himself with the masses, a great majority of whom depended on farming and lived in villages. He stressed on rejuvenation of village life in his Constructive Programme, which was his manifesto of Poorna Swaraj. For the Jammu and Kashmir administration, there can be no more befitting tribute to Gandhiji than taking governance to people in rural areas of the union territory. Thus, under the ‘Back to Village 3’ (B2V-3) scheme, we are launching a campaign on October 2 to take the government machinery to the citizen’s doorstep with a dedicated mission – ‘Samagra Gram Seva and Vikas’ – serving the villages to achieve equity, growth and inclusion.Such a mission cannot succeed without people’s participation. So, our emphasis is on community participation for execution of crucial growth drivers at the gra

Startup founders bat for an Indian app store

NEW DELHI: A number of leading technology entrepreneurs are joining hands to petition the government seeking support to create an overarching Indian digital app ecosystem to counter what they view as the dominance of US technology giants Google and Apple. At a meeting on Tuesday, the group discussed ways to establish a large-scale platform that will host local apps and break the duopoly of Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store, as well as a national-level lobby group to represent their interests, people privy to discussions told ET.The founders, including Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Yashish Dahiya of Policybazaar and Murugavel Janakiraman of Matrimony.com, also plan to approach the country's banking regulator as well as the finance ministry seeking redressal for Google's recent move to increase commission on purchases made on its app store.'App Neutrality'Sources said such a move by Google would sound the death knell for the Indian startup ecosystem. &

Google notice to Swiggy, Zomato for violation of rules

MUMBAI | BENGALURU: Food delivery apps Swiggy and Zomato have received notices from Google stating that the in-app gamification feature used by both platforms violate its Play Store guidelines, multiple sources told ET.Zomato confirmed the development to ET and termed the notice “unfair”.“We are a small company and have already realigned our business strategy to comply with Google’s guidelines. We will be replacing Zomato Premier League with a more exciting programme by this weekend,” a company spokesperson said.A spokesperson for Swiggy declined to comment but said the restaurant discovery platform had temporarily paused its in-app gamification product. “Earlier, the notice was to comply with the guidelines by Thursday, but Google has given an extension. Swiggy has also asked for more clarity on Google’s policies,” a person directly aware of the matter said.For both the food delivery companies, major cricketing event IPL has been touted as the best time to garner a larger share of con

India, China to hold 7th meet of commanders

New Delhi: India on Wednesday raised with China its refusal to recognise the status the Union Territory of Ladakh. ET has learnt that the matter was raised at Wednesday’s meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. India stated it has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control.The two nations also agreed that senior commanders should meet soon to work out early troops withdrawal from eastern Ladakh in accordance with bilateral pacts and protocols.The two sides reviewed the situation on the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and had detailed discussions on developments since the August 20 WMCC meeting, an MEA statement said in New Delhi. The meeting discussed how to implement the ‘five-point consensus’ foreign ministers recently.“They emphasised the need to implement steps outlined in the joint press release issued after the last meeting of the senior commanders to avoid misunderstandings and

Odisha shows way in Covid care

New Delhi: Even before the Covid-19 lockdown was announced, Odisha’s Ganjam district imposed Section 144 on March 15 to prevent crowding in public places.It was also the first district in the state to impose Rs 200 fine for not using a mask. The move had its desired effect. There wasn’t a single Covid-19 case in the district until May 1.However, things changed dramatically in early May as over 4.3 lakh migrant workers returned home by trains, buses and on foot. Many of them came from Covid-19 hotspots. The first e case was reported on May 1 and the numbers rose to over 700 by July end.A second wave hit Ganjam when migrants ended their quarantine period to join families, thereby bringing in milder viral loads to villages. By August, the district’s positivity rate stood at 59% --one of the highest in the country during that period.However, in September, Ganjam scripted a turnaround.It reported over 200 active cases and a positivity rate down to 1.27% from the worrying 60% mark.Ganjam’s d

Glitch halts all trade on Tokyo SE

A technical problem forced a halt to all trading on Tokyo's stock exchanges on Thursday, with no information on when activity would resume, the bourse's operator said. "Trading in all shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange is suspended due to glitches linked to the delivery of market information," Japan Exchange Group said in a statement. An official told AFP that trade was suspended from 8:35 am (2335 GMT Wednesday). Orders were also not being received. The precise nature of the glitch was not explained further, but it meant the country's top indexes -- the Nikkei 225 and the Topix -- were unable to open at the start of the trading day. The issue was also affecting trade on several other exchanges, including in Nagoya and Sapporo. The Osaka exchange was functioning normally though, Japan Exchange Group said. The trading halt closed one of the few major markets open in Asia on Thursday, with bourses in Hong Kong, Shanghai, South Korea and Taipei all closed for holiday

Meet to discuss widening of Gap Road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway

Resumption of works will figure at meeting from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2Sgh7iM

Top U.S. airlines starting 32,000 furloughs as bailout hopes fade

American Airlines will furlough 19,000 employees, including some 1,600 pilots. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2SaWiFg

Tensions mount as Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces fight for fourth day

Azerbaijan said 14 Azeri civilians had been killed since fighting began on Sunday, and released footage showing grey smoke rising from inside Nagorno-Karabakh as it was pounded by Azeri artillery. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/30nC3bR

6 rockets land near Erbil airport hours after Iraqi PM pledges to protect diplomats

The Iraqi military blamed a “terrorist group” for the attack and said there were no casualties. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3cPtgo7

Bihar Election 2020: सीटों के पेच में उलझ गए हैं दोनों गठबंधन, बिखराव रोकने की कवायद तेज

बिहार चुनाव में राजग गठबंधन को बिखरने से रोकने की कवायद तेज हो गई है। अभी लोजपा अलग राग अलाप रही है। राजग गठबंधन के लिए सीट बंटवारा आसान नहीं है। गठबंधन के बाद अब सीटों का पेंच भी पेचीदा है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/34bxQt8

गरीबों नहीं, खुशहालों को मिल रहा बिजली सब्सिडी का लाभ, शोध में मिले चौंकाने वाले आंकड़े

झारखंड में गरीब परिवारों को मिलने वाली बिजली सब्सिडी का दोगुने से ज्यादा फायदा संपन्न परिवारों को मिल रहा है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/36lniu8

Panel to vet all Chinese FDI proposals

New Delhi: India has set up a screening panel to vet all Chinese foreign investment proposals and those considered “non-controversial” could be approved, a senior government official told ET. More than 100 proposals involving foreign direct investment (FDI) from China are pending. Prior government clearance was made mandatory for FDI from countries sharing a land border in April. This was widely seen to be directed at curbing Chinese takeovers of companies amid stock market volatility in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. This scrutiny intensified following tension on the border.The screening panel is headed by the home secretary and has the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary as a member.“An inter-ministerial committee has been set up to look at the proposals that various ministries had received that were forwarded to the home ministry for security clearance,” said the official cited above. The proposals that are “non-controversial” could be appro

Russia reports 'non-standard' air leak on International Space Station

NASA said that the leak had appeared to grow in size overnight Monday to Tuesday and the crew were awakened by flight controllers to carry out a search. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3n5DYM6

IPL 2020: पिछली हार के गम को भुलाकर नए जोश के साथ मैदान पर उतरेंगे मुंबई और KXIP

आईपीएल के 13वें सीजन का 13वां मुकाबला गुरुवार को मुंबई इंडियंस और किंग्स इलेवन पंजाब के बीच खेला जाएगा। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3n0jTH7

शोध में खुलासा: कोरोना वायरस को रोकना है तो स्वच्छता के साथ खुली हवा जरूरी

कोरोना वायरस के हवा में  संचरण और बंद जगह में इसके प्रसार को लेकर जॉर्जिया विश्वविद्यालय ने शोध किया है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3jw2aFn

IPL 2020: KKR की जीत में चमके गिल और मावी, राजस्थान को 37 रन से हराकर रोका विजय रथ

दुबई में खेले गए आईपीएल 2020 के 12वें मुकाबले में कोलकाता ने दिल्ली को 37 रनों से हराकर सीजन की दूसरी जीत दर्ज की।  from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/36le3Kn

Australia’s participation in Malabar Exercise still under discussion, says U.S. official

October meeting of Quad countries to cover a host of issues including defence, economic areas and COVID-19. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/30o0TIF

Treasure-hunters’ gang nabbed in Chittoor

They had allegedly damaged a Nandi idol two days ago. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/36mfyYE

Coronavirus | In big jump, Kerala adds 8,800 cases in a day

A.P. does better over August; spike in Bengaluru raises Karnataka tally. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2SdQFGl

Zac Efron to star in Stephen King's Firestarter reboot 

Image
Actor Zac Efron is set for his next project. Joining the Jason Blum and Universal's next production, the actor will star in Stephen King's Firestarter reboot. According to Deadline, "Keith Thomas (The Vigil) is directing the latest iteration that is being adapted by writer Scott Teems (Halloween Kills, Rectify), who will also executive produce. Jason Blum and Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman are producing. Martha De Laurentiis, who was an associate producer on the 1984 adaptation will executive produce" Firestarter, the 1984 movie based on Stephen King's 1980 novel, followed the story of a young girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as the Shop which seeks to control her. Zac Efron can currently be seen in docu-series Down to Earth on Netflix. He has also produced the series. The actor has also signed the remake of Three Men and a Baby for Disney+. ALSO READ: Zac Efron to star in the remake of Three Men and a Baby for Disney+ http

Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmmi Bomb to release in Australia, New Zealand and UAE on November 9, 2020

Image
It is known that Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmmi Bomb is set to hit the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar on November 9, 2020. The fans are excited to see the actor in a new avatar as he essays the role of a transgender. While India gets to watch the film on OTT, Akshay Kumar fans living in Australia, New Zealand, and UAE will get to experience the film. Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmmi Bomb to release in Australia, New Zealand, and UAE on 9th November. It is the same day the film is hitting the streaming service Disney+ Hostar. With theaters closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the makers have opted to release the movie, this Diwali directly on the OTT platform. Directed by Raghava Lawrence, who had directed and starred in the original movie, will also see Akshay and Kiara Advani collaborate again post Good Newwz. Disney+ Hotstar VIP presents, Laxmmi Bomb, produced by A Cape of Good Films, Tusshar Entertainment House and Shabinaa Entertainment. ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar and Twinkle K

Anil: SSR case was used to defame Maha

Image
Referring to reports claiming that doctors did not find poison in Sushant Singh Rajput's viscera, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday said "some parties" defamed the state for gains in Bihar. http://dlvr.it/RhfFPk

Devise way to allow citizens to use local trains, HC tells Maharashtra govt

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government needed to come up with a way to allow common people to use public transport system in from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2S7OnbO

Three traders injured as shed collapses

Vegetable traders at a temporary market at Uzhavar Sandhai had a narrow escape as a makeshift shed collapsed on Tuesday.The incident occured around 10 from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2HBe7LC

Over 300 B.Tech students offered internships: IIT-D

IIT-Delhi on Tuesday said over 300 B. Tech students were offered internships in the first phase of internship placements that began on September 6 for from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/30jLtp4

U.S. presidential debate | Trump, Biden spar over Supreme Court, health care, coronavirus

Both the leaders frequently interrupted each other with angry interjections from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3jiXWk0

‘Village secretariats should replicate Gram Swaraj’

Be more people-friendly, Collector tells volunteers from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3kZhevn

US Presidential Debate 2020 Live: ओबामाकेयर को ट्रंप ने बताया आपदा, कहा- कितना भी बेहतर करें नहीं होता फायदा

अमेरिका में तीन नवंबर को होने वाले राष्ट्रपति पद के चुनाव को लेकर पहली प्रेसिडेंशियल डिबेट शुरू हो चुकी है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3kQXmdQ

Startups accuse 'gatekeeper' Google of not playing fair

BENGALURU | MUMBAI: Indian startups are up in arms against the Google Play Store for forcing apps with in-app purchases to use its "expensive and unaffordable" billing system. Google levies a 30% commission against 1.5-2% levied by external gateways. While the policy has always been in place, it's only now being enforced in India. This will affect dating, education, video and music-on-demand, and other apps that rely on in-app purchases but not those for physical deliveries such as ecommerce.'30% is Tax, Not Commission'The startups say it's unfair exploitation of the Play Store's monopoly that stems from the dominance of Google's Android operating system. "It will badly affect us - 30% is tax, cannot be called commission!" said Snehil Khanor, CEO of TrulyMadly, a dating app. "They say we provide an ecosystem but we get the downloads through ads. For many small companies, it can be an existential threat."Google said developers can us

Missing woman found murdered

A woman who was reported missing was found murdered on Tuesday on a plot of land under the Ibrahimpatnam police station limits. Her limbs were dismemb from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/33ejE3f

Azerbaijan and Armenia brush off suggestion of peace talks

In a a major escalation of the violence, Armenia said one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/33b2wvc

Mahindra unveils electric three-wheeler

Mahindra Electric Mobility has launched its electric three-wheeler Mahindra Treo in Telangana at ₹2.7 lakh (ex-showroom) post FAME scheme subsidies.Th from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3jaGhuV

Farm laws: Punjab BJP sets up 8-member panel to talk to farmers

They would talk to the agitating farmers and make them aware of the benefits of the new laws for the peasant community, says state party chief Ashwani Sharma from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3l1Fblw

कोरोना की मार.. डिज्नी का बड़ा फैसला, थीम पार्क के 28 हजार कर्मचारियों की होगी छंटनी

कोरोना महामारी के कारण दुनियाभर में बेरोजगारी बढ़ने का सिलसिला बढ़ता ही जा रहा है। अब मनोरंजन क्षेत्र की दिग्गज कंपनी डिज्नी ने अपने थीम पार्कों से 28 हजार कर्मचारियों की छंटनी करने की घोषणा की है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3cIX9GE

महामारी से मौतें सिर्फ संख्या नहीं... हमने अजीजों को खोया, जिनसे हम प्यार करते थे

कोरोना महामारी से दुनियाभर में दस लाख से अधिक लोगों की मौत हो चुकी है। दुनियाभर के लाखों घरों में मातम पसरा है। भारत में दुनियाभर की तुलना में संक्रमण की दर सबसे तेज है। अब तक 96,318 जानें जा चुकी हैं। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/2G1SC6t

IPL 2020: बल्ले से भी विकेटकीपर कर रहे बल्ले-बल्ले, टीम की जीत में निभा रहे अहम भूमिका

विकेट के पीछे जिम्मेदारी निभाने वाले विकेटकीपर आईपीएल 2020 में बल्ले से भी बल्ले-बल्ले कर रहे हैं। आठ टीमों में से पांच के विकेटकीपर खूब धूम मचा रहे हैं। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/2EJOpDE

Need a holistic approach to handling economy: FM

New Delhi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there is a need to have a “holistic” approach to handling the economy instead of a “silo-based and myopic approach with blinkers”, responding to a query if it’s time to rethink inflation-targeting and focus more on growth and employment.The government is looking at various ways to provide support to the economy and a fiscal stimulus is possible, she said, while declining to specify any timeframe. “We are definitely looking at different ways in which we can again give some support. I have said that I have kept my mind open about it,” Sitharaman said.Economic activities are reviving though it is too early to tell if the uptick will sustain. “As opposed to what happened in the first quarter, this quarter we are seeing actual revival. It will be too early for me, based on this, to conclude as to how the year will end. We'll have to wait and watch,” the FM said, adding that the government was not waiting for the Covid situation to impr

How the IndiaMART stock managed to soar despite the slowdown

IndiaMART, the second listings business after Just Dial and the second e-commerce business after Infibeam to list on the bourses, is seeing its stock value skyrocket even during the pandemic. The past six months have been the toughest for small businesses. Despite the excellent stock-market response and over 70% segment share, even IndiaMART was not immune to it. “Many industries such as hospitality and fashion have seen severe demand deterioration. We have seen a decline of 10% in the paying-customer base. Having said that, it was surprising that one-third of our categories on the buyer’s side has given us a very good demand and that led to traffic being higher by 6% on a quarter-to-quarter basis,” Dinesh Agarwal, CEO of IndiaMART, said in a recent earnings call. “On one side, buyer traffic is at an all-time high on a weekly basis. Whereas, on the supplier side, one-third of the category is facing a severe crunch and may churn out.” Over the past few months, confined to their homes, p

Chinese heft in VPN and India’s vulnerability in a quantum-computing era

“The hunger of a dragon is slow to wake, but hard to sate.” ― Ursula K Le Guin.Kevin Kane and his team of five at Ambit Inc., a US-based post-quantum network-security startup founded in 2019, have been working to create a quantum-resistant virtual private network (VPN) application. The reason: China’s near-monopoly in the world’s free VPN market and the vulnerability of traditional security infrastructure in the dawning era of quantum computing. With traditional transport layer security (TLS) infrastructure becoming increasingly vulnerable with the rise of quantum computing, the startup aims to “serve as a defensive maneuvering force” for its customers. Indeed, securing networks in view of the next big computational race may be a big challenge. But at the same time, it also throws open a plethora of opportunities. So, where does India stand in this rapidly changing dynamics of cyberspace and computing?The country is a booming hub of user data and is among the most exposed in the world

Viral impact: why the worst may be over for India despite rising cases

After a pandemic-induced pause, life is crawling back to normal. With the staggered Unlocks giving a breather to businesses, and people beginning to step out, September saw a rise in activity, albeit with precautionary norms in place. As the much-awaited IPL kicked off, entrance tests for NEET and the IITs were held, and the Election Commission announced dates for the Bihar assembly polls, it seemed the nation was gradually inching back to business as usual, much like the stock-market indices that are around 10% away from their all-time highs. Surely, India wants to forget all about the pandemic and move ahead, but is the worst behind us? This article will crunch the country’s Covid-19 numbers and try to evaluate if the outbreak has peaked. It will also look at the trends expected in the next few months based on the author’s Covid-19 model. 78393320Covid-19 trends in IndiaAs of September 26, India had the second-highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world, at 5.99 million.

NDRF personnel plug acid leak on highway

Hydrochloric acid began leaking from a tanker at a toll plaza from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3ifGVpR

Coronavirus | Galloping COVID-19 infections cross 10,000 in Karnataka

Kerala test positivity remains high at 13.9%; A.P. reports 6,190 new infections; Telangana cases remain in 2,000 band. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3cHVqRT

Lufthansa cancels all October flights from India

No extension to bilateral deal on flights between India, Germany. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/33bWpqm

Fresh CBI case against Rotomac Group firm and others for ₹806.75-cr. bank fraud

This is the third case registered against the group entities. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/347TNsR

At Perali, neglected well gets a makeover

It was desilted and painted with slogans on water conservation from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3jiCR9m

Sanjay Leela Bhansali resumes shooting of Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi at Film City

Image
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, his first crime drama featuring Alia Bhatt in the title role, is back on the track. The shooting, that was disrupted when COVID-19 hit the globe, has finally resumed at Film City under the strictest of precautionary measures. A source from the unit reports, “We restarted shooting with only 50 people in the crew. For a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, that’s almost nothing. But then something is better than nothing.We’re just happy to be back shooting.” Everyone is masked on the set except when facing the camera. Alia Bhatt and her co-star Shantanu Maheshwari maintain a cordial distance when not facing the camera. Says the source, “Normally, there’s so much chatter and movement on a Sanjay Leela Bhansali set. This time everyone is subdued. Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he feels like a mosquito every time he’s sprayed by a sanitizer.” Also Read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali to shoot a grand item song with Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi http://dlvr.

Sushant Singh Rajput Case: AIIMS Panel says no poisoning involved in the death of the actor

Image
Earlier today, the AIIMS team who was preparing a forensic report of Sushant Singh Rajput, submitted a conclusive report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Reportedly, the AIIMS panel in its reports said that there was "no poisoning" involved in the late actor's death. Fans and family members of the late actor had raised the theory of death by poisoning. According to news reports, the AIIMS report is conclusive and is being corroborated with the CBI investigation. The CBI has been investigating the matter from mid-August after taking over the case from the Mumbai Police. Based on the autopsy report, the Mumbai Police had called it a suicide. Reportedly, the CBI is likely to continue probe into ‘abetment to suicide’. Reports also state that AIIMS panel has raised some lapses on the part of the Mumbai hospital that carried out the autopsy. A few days back, lawyer Vikas Singh representing Sushant Singh Rajput's family expressed his anger at the CBI delay

AIIMS team submit report to the CBI

Image
According to reports, the AIIMS team has submitted its report based on analysing the Mumbai police's post-mortem report and autopsy along with photographic evidence. http://dlvr.it/RhZNhW

BigBasket in talks for $400m round

MUMBAI| BENGALURU: Online grocery retailer BigBasket is in discussions to rope in a bunch of new investors like Singapore government’s Temasek, US-based Generation Partners, Fidelity and Tybourne Capital, for a $350-400 million financing round, two people in the know said.The ongoing talks also include at least $100-150 million in secondary sale of shares by early investors, said people close to the matter, who did not want to be identified as the talks are private.BigBasket, which has gained traction on the back of the pandemic as consumers purchase grocery and everyday essential online, is likely to see its valuation gain about 33% to around $2 billion, post the investment, another person privy to the details said.“The non-binding term sheets are in and the round is likely to close in a month’s time. Alibaba’s not participating, which means the company is looking to diversify its list of investors by getting new backers in,” said one of the people cited earlier. Alibaba, which is a s

Triggers for construction stocks may bear watching

ET Intelligence Group: The S&P BSE Infrastructure Index has underperformed the S&P BSE Sensex index in the past three and six months. Despite this, analysts have started re-rating select construction stocks. So, could there be triggers which can generate investors’ interest in construction stocks?Analysts point out two fundamental triggers. One, in the third quarter of this financial year, state governments will start awarding incremental projects. Second, analysts foresee increased interest of mutual funds in select construction stocks after Sebi’s directive on multi-cap schemes changing their allocation to mid- and small-caps to at least 25 per cent each in their portfolios.Besides, in recent months, construction companies have shown resilience. According to various analyst estimates, execution has improved to 70-90 per cent in the past three months from below 30 per cent. Also, labour availability has improved to 60-90 per cent. This is quite advantageous for well-placed con

U.S. to distribute 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests: Trump

On August 27, the Trump administration had awarded a contract for USD 760 million to Abbott for the delivery of 150 million of these Abbott BinaxNOW rapid tests. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2GiJ2ff

Cyberattack hobbles major U.S., U.K. hospital chain

Ransomware attacks have crippled everything from major cities to school districts, and federal officials are concerned they could be used to disrupt the current presidential election from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2HFkbCZ

Morning Digest: COVID vaccine likely in early 2021, says Harsh Vardhan; States told to strengthen security ahead of Babri verdict, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3n1OcNh

Bids for coal mining blocks to open tmrw

NEW DELHI: The government will open bids received for commercial coal mining blocks on Wednesday as the Supreme Court refused to stay the auctions. Vedanta Group, Adani Group, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd and JSW Steel are among the companies believed to be eyeing the coal blocks with which India will open up the coal sector for commercial mining to private players.People aware of the matter said the apex court refused the plea made by the Jharkhand government to stay the auction process. Tuesday is the last day for submission of bids while the bid opening is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.The coal ministry said on Monday that 278 tender documents were purchased by prospective bidders for the 38 coal blocks on auction. “In the present tranche of coal block auctions, 278 tender documents have been purchased by the prospective bidders in respect of 38 coal mines. The nominated authority will receive the bids till 2 pm on September 29 and bid opening will be taken up at 10 am on Sep

States to physically verify PM-Kisan beneficiaries

New Delhi: The Centre has asked states to physically verify 5% of PM-Kisan scheme beneficiaries randomly to ascertain that money has gone to bona fide farmers. There have been complaints that some money has been transferred to ineligible farmers.The minimum income support scheme, under which farmers get Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments, has excluded income tax payees, retired and serving government employees other than in Group D, professionals such as doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, public representatives like serving and former parliamentarians, and other people from higher economic status.“The scheme is being audited by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General). We have asked states to provide us the payment details and conduct physical verification of 5% beneficiaries to assess whether money is going in the right hands. They will randomly select beneficiaries and track them at their homes,” an agriculture ministry official, who deals with the scheme, said on co

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in full election mode

New Delhi: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is also Janata Dal (U)’s national president, has fully moved into election mode, and is attending to party workers daily in the party office in Patna for the last one week.Party insiders said he had been discussing the campaign in each assembly constituency with other leaders and making localised plans. Apart from the party workers, CM Kumar has been regularly holding meetings with ‘Kshetriya Prabharies’ (regional coordinators) who handle party affairs in three-four districts.“He underlines the need for door-to-door campaigning for reaching out to voters in order to make them aware about the pro-people schemes launched by his government, particularly the ‘Seven Resolves’ programme,” a person at the JDU office told this reporter.Kumar also reminds the party leaders about the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.“Unlike the past, there is no chance of holding big rallies or pu

Sept power demand up 3% over last year

NEW DELHI: India’s electricity demand in September increased about 3% year-on-year, signalling improved economic activity albeit on a low base. Demand in August was 2% lower than that a year ago.Power demand on several days of September was higher than that a year ago, data available with grid operator Power System Operation Corporation (Posoco) showed.Demand in industrial states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra improved over last year’s but was lower than in September 2018. India had registered a slump in power consumption for five months from August 2019 till January this year.In Gujarat, power demand improved 4% year-on-year while in Maharashtra it was down 1%. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, electricity demand was about 9% lower than in August 2019. In July this year, Maharashtra had reported a 12% slump in its power demand year-on-year while demand in Gujarat was down 17%.Electricity demand from northern states such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir continued to be high.

Room for rate cuts, inflation to be lower in 2021: BoA

India still has room for further interest rate cuts as inflation is likely to be lower in the first two quarters of the next calendar year, said Jayesh Mehta, country treasurer at Bank of America. Higher inflation is a temporary phenomenon, reflecting the pandemic-induced supply shock, Mehta tells Saikat Das and MC Govardhan Rangan. Edited excerpts:Where are the interest rates headed?We believe there is still some room for rate cuts despite the fact that there might be some temporary disruptions due to higher food and fuel inflation. We see at least 50 basis points drop in benchmark yields and 25 basis points fall in the repo rate. The main reason being, inflation is going to be lower in the first and second quarters of 2021.What should be the message from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the market after the benchmark bond devolved four times?The market expects RBI to come out with some sort of rationale for its policy decisions to comfort market participants who are otherwise makin

Chittoor police draw plan to provide security to temples

Digital surveillance will be mounted at all vulnerable points: SP from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/2SblXgU

BJP’s twofold agenda: drum up support for farm Acts, attack AAP

Party to hold meetings across 360 villages over new laws from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3jbxZ69

Man sentenced to RI for sexual harassment

Sixth Additional District and Sessions Judge Sayeedunnisa here has sentenced Nagesh, a 30-year-old resident of K.R. Nagar, to seven years rigorous imp from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3cExizw

हिमाचल में 23000 विद्यार्थियों ने छोड़ा सरकारी स्कूल, रिपोर्ट में खुलासा

हिमाचल में सरकारी स्कूलों को मजबूत करने में जुटी प्रदेश सरकार को यू डाइस रिपोर्ट ने बड़ा झटका दिया है। साल 2019-20 में प्रदेश भर में 23,000 विद्यार्थियों ने सरकारी स्कूल छोड़ दिया है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/2S5jp3V

सुप्रीम कोर्ट आज करेगा पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री महबूबा मुफ्ती की बेटी इल्तिजा की याचिका पर सुनवाई

जम्मू-कश्मीर की पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री महबूबा मुफ्ती की रिहाई पर आज (मंगलवार) को सुप्रीम कोर्ट में सुनवाई होगी। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/30iu2oD

Petrol Diesel Price: आज फिर घटे डीजल के दाम, जानें कितने रुपये चुकाने होंगे

सरकारी तेल कंपनियों की ओर से आज डीजल के दामों में बदलाव किया है आज डीजल के दाम 8 पैसे तक घटे हैं। जबकि पेट्रोल की कीमत में कोई बदलाव नहीं किया गया है। इसकी कीमतों में पिछले सात दिनों से कोई फेरबदल नहीं हुआ है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/30exDUG

गुजरात: वडोदरा में देर रात निर्माणाधीन इमारत गिरी, मलबे में दबकर तीन लोगों की मौत

गुजरात के वडोदरा में सोमवार देर रात एक निर्माणाधीन इमारत के गिरने से तीन लोगों की मौत हो गई। जानकारी के अनुसार, यह हादसा वडोदरा के बावामनपुरा इलाके में हुआ। स्थानीय प्रशासन की ओर से मलबा हटाने के लिए अभियान चलाया जा रहा है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3ifph5k

उत्तराखंड: पीएम मोदी आज करेंगे नमामि गंगे की योजनाओं का ऑनलाइन लोकार्पण

प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी मंगलवार को उत्तराखंड में नमामि गंगे कार्यक्रम के तहत तैयार परियोजनाओं का ऑनलाइन लोकार्पण करेंगे। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/36gnAm6

झीरम घाटी नक्सली हमला: छत्तीसगढ़ सरकार की याचिका पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट में सुनवाई आज

25 मई 2013 में छत्तीसगढ़ के बस्तर जिले की झीरम घाटी में हुए नक्सली हमले को लेकर सुप्रीम कोर्ट आज सुनवाई करेगा। इस हमले में कांग्रेस के कई नेताओं समेत 29 लोग मारे गए थे। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/2HIBK5f

Sushant Singh Rajput case: रिया कैसे चुका रही हैं सतीश मानेशिंदे की फीस, खुद बोले अभिनेत्री के वकील

सुशांत सिंह राजपूत की मौत का मामला अब तक कई मोड़ ले चुका है। इन दिनों इस मामले के ड्रग्स एंगल की जांच एनसीबी कर रही है। from Latest And Breaking Hindi News Headlines, News In Hindi | अमर उजाला हिंदी न्यूज़ | - Amar Ujala https://ift.tt/3kNLkls

Morning Digest: WHO to provide 120 million rapid COVID-19 tests to poorer countries, States told to strengthen security ahead of Babri verdict, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3kWO93O

BJD to form a panel to study farm laws

“I would like to assure farmers that their welfare will be paramount in any of our interventions,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3cG7O50

Will act if the Constitution is not protected, says West Bengal Governor

Police state and democracy don’t go hand in hand, says Jagdeep Dhankhar. from The Hindu - News https://ift.tt/3jd3eO8

Pakistan’s provincial KP Government to buy Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar’s ancestral house in Peshawar

Image
The provincial government in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has decided to purchase the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. The Department of Archaeology in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to allocate sufficient funds for purchasing the two buildings. The two buildings which have been declared as the national heritage and lie in the heart of Peshawar city are in a dilapidated condition and are facing demolition threat. The officials plan to conserve the historic buildings. According to reports, an official letter has been sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar to determine the cost of both the buildings. Raj Kapoor's ancestral home known as Kapoor Haveli is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar and was built between 1918 and 1922. Raj Kapoor was born in the building. Meanwhile, veteran actor Dilip Kumar's over 100-year-old ancestral house is also located in the same locality. The house was declared as national her

Case filed against Kangana Ranaut in Karnataka for calling farm bills protesters “terrorist” 

Image
Kangana Ranaut has once again landed in legal trouble as a criminal case has been lodged against her in Karnataka. The case was lodged against her tweet on farmers who are opposing the three controversial farm bills. In the tweet she called the protesters "terrorists".  Reacting to a tweet by Prime Minister Modi on the farm bills, Ranaut wrote, "Prime Minister, if anyone’s sleeping, they can be woken up, if someone doesn’t understand, they can be explained, but what can be done when someone is acting to be asleep or doesn’t want to understand? These are the same terrorists. Not one citizenship was lost due CAA, but they ended up spilling so much blood.” Later, Kangana reshared her tweet and said there was no fault with her tweet. She said: “Just as Shri Krishna had a Narayani army, Pappu also has a champu army that only knows how to fight through rumors. This is my original tweet, if anyone can prove that I’m calling farmers terrorists, I will apologize and leave Twi

Karan Johar arrives in Mumbai; view pics

Image
Karan Johar is back from Goa with Yash and Roohi, mom Hiroo Johar. The filmmaker was papped at a private airport in Mumbai with his family. He jetted off to Goa for a brief getaway from the city. http://dlvr.it/RhVcqS

Mazagon Dock a solid play on growing defence focus

ET Intelligence Group: Long-term investors may consider investing in the initial public offering (IPO) of public sector undertaking (PSU) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders. A healthy order backlog and reasonable valuations are two key investment arguments.BusinessThe Mumbai-based PSU, which is a part of the defence ministry, will be raising Rs 444 crore from the primary market. The IPO is an offer for sale by the Government of India, which will bring down its holding to 85 per cent. The company builds warships and submarines for the Indian Navy. It recently started ship repair activity.Since 1960, Mazagon Dock has built a total of 795 vessels which include advanced destroyers to missile boats and three submarines and 25 warships. Besides, it has delivered cargo ships, passenger ships, supply vessels, multipurpose support vessels, water tankers, tugs, dredgers, fishing trawlers, barges and border outposts for customers in domestic and overseas markets. In 2017 and 2019, the company delivered tw