Nirmala Sitharaman announces relief from enhanced surchage on long and short-term capital gains

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is addressing a press conference in New Delhi. She is talking about the government’s reform agenda and the state of the economy. The finance minister said the tax scrutiny process would be simplified along with the GST system.

Pakistan says ready to open Kartarpur corridor despite tensions over Kashmir

Pakistan on Friday said it was ready to open the Kartarpur corridor and welcome Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, PTI reported. This came amid rising hostilities between the two countries after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month.

Siddaramaiah blames Deve Gowda, Revanna, Kumaraswamy for fall of coalition government in Karnataka

Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday blamed Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda, his son HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna for the collapse of the coalition government, The Hindu reported.

No provision for something temporary, says PM Modi in France in reference to Kashmir’s Article 370

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the Indian community in France during the first phase of his three-nation tour, which will be followed by visits to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In a veiled reference to the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, Modi said that there was no “provision for temporary” in his administration.

ED searches Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s properties in Delhi and Mumbai: Reports

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s properties in Mumbai and Delhi in connection with a case of alleged contravention of foreign exchange law, PTI reported.

‘Investor confidence at historic high,’ claims Infosys co-founder even as PM’s advisers sound alarm

Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy on Thursday claimed that the Indian economy was growing at 6%-7% this year and “investor confidence is at a historic high”, ANI reported. He added that India had become the world’s software development centre and its foreign exchange reserve had crossed $400 billion (Rs 29 lakh crore).

Priyanka Chopra retains right to speak about matters in personal capacity, says UN spokesperson

The United Nations on Thursday said that actor and United Nations Children’s Fund Goodwill Ambassador for Peace Priyanka Chopra retained the right to speak about matters in her personal capacity. This came three days after Pakistan wrote to the UNICEF, opposing its decision to name Chopra its goodwill ambassador for peace.

The international body’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric also clarified that the “personal views or actions of the representatives do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF”.

Jammu and Kashmir: Shah Faesal’s plea against his detention to be heard by Delhi HC on September 3

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear Jammu and Kashmir politician and former bureaucrat Shah Faesal’s plea against his detention at the Delhi Airport last week. The court asked both sides to file their submissions and listed the matter for hearing on September 3, PTI reported.

Rupee recovers after falling below 72 mark in early trade – a first in nearly nine months

The Indian rupee on Friday hit its lowest in more than eight months and breached the 72-mark against the dollar in opening trade because of heavy losses in stock markets, PTI reported.

West Bengal: At least four killed, several injured after stampede near temple in North 24 Parganas

At least four devotees were killed and over 20 injured in a stampede-like situation near Loknath Temple in Kachua area of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Friday, ANI reported. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that makeshift structures at the temple collapsed due to heavy rain, which led to confusion and the mishap.

INX Media inquiry: P Chidambaram granted anticipatory bail in ED case, SC defers CBI case to Monday

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate to former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case. The court will take up Chidambaram’s appeal against arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the case only on August 26, when the CBI’s custody will end.

Supreme Court agrees to examine validity of triple talaq law, issues notice to Centre

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine the validity of the law that makes the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq in the Muslim community a punishable offence. It prescribes imprisonment of up to three years for the offence, and has a provision for subsistence allowance to the offender’s wife and children.

‘India is facing a structural slowdown,’ says adviser to PM, calls for national growth strategy

A member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council on Thursday warned that the country was facing a structural slowdown. Shamika Ravi, who is also the research director of the Brookings India think tank, tweeted in response to a question on the economic slowdown, that many ministries need to follow “a national growth strategy with time-bound goals”.

‘Demonising Modi is wrong’: Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi backs Jairam Ramesh’s comments

Senior Congress leader and national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday backed party colleague Jairam Ramesh’s comments that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be demonised. “Always said demonising Modi was wrong. Not only is he PM of nation, a one-way opposition actually helps him,” Singhvi tweeted.

Tamil Nadu: Security tightened after reports claim six terrorists have entered the state via sea

Tamil Nadu was put on high alert on Friday following reports that six Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists had entered the state. Security was tightened across the state, at airports, railway stations, bus stops and places of worship. Officials have also tightened security checks along coastal areas, reports said. One of the six infiltrators is allegedly from Pakistan.

Gujarat’s Statue of Unity, Soho House in Mumbai feature in Time’s list of world’s greatest places

The Statue of Unity in Gujarat and Soho House in Mumbai were featured in Time magazine’s second annual list of the world’s greatest places this year. The Statue of Unity, a tribute to the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is the tallest statue in the world. Mumbai’s upscale Soho House is situated in an 11-storey building that comprises a library, a movie theatre with 34 seats and a rooftop bar and swimming pool, overlooking the Arabian Sea.

Ghaziabad: Five workers die of suffocation inside manhole at drainage project site

Five workers died of suffocation while working on a drainage project in Ghaziabad’s Nandgram area on Thursday afternoon. The men were working on a project to connect domestic sewer lines with the city’s main drainage system. Four officials of the water supply department were suspended. The police also filed an FIR against the private contractor.

SC lawyers protest against denial of urgent hearing of P Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea

Nearly 140 Supreme Court lawyers on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court Bar Association to pass a resolution against the top court’s refusal to urgently hear former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s petition in the INX Media case the previous day. The plea will be heard on Friday.

India’s dope testing lab suspended by WADA for six months

The World Anti-Doping Agency has suspended the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory in New Delhi, barring the facility from conducting any anti-doping tests for up to six months.

India, Pakistan must resolve dispute bilaterally, says French President Macron after meeting Modi

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said India and Pakistan must resolve the Kashmir dispute bilaterally, without any interferences from third parties. Macron said he had told this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting near Paris earlier in the day, and would tell the same to Imran Khan of Pakistan.

Kerala to have women drivers in government, public sector offices

The Kerala government on Wednesday cleared the appointment of women drivers in government and other public sector offices. A state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement, said that the decision had been taken to “ensure gender equality in all walks of society.”

PNB scam: Nirav Modi’s judicial custody extended till September 19

The Westminster Magistrates’ Court in United Kingdom on Thursday extended the judicial custody of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi till September 19. Modi has been in jail since March 19, when he was arrested in London for allegedly duping India’s Punjab National Bank of more than Rs 13,000 crore.

NITI Aayog vice chairperson says ‘extraordinary steps’ needed to deal with financial sector crisis

NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Rajiv Kumar on Thursday said extraordinary steps were needed to deal with the unprecedented crisis in the financial sector. He said the government needed to encourage the private sector to invest, and eliminate apprehensions about policies in the minds of private players.

ISRO releases first image of moon captured by Chandrayaan-2

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday released the first image of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-2. The space agency said the image was taken at a height of about 2,650 km from the lunar surface. The agency identified two significant moon landmarks on the image – Apollo crater and Mare Orientale basin.

INX Media case: P Chidambaram remanded in CBI custody till August 26, plea to come up in SC today

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Thursday remanded former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to the agency’s custody till August 26. The Congress leader was arrested late Wednesday night in New Delhi for his suspected role in two cases of alleged corruption and money laundering in the INX Media case.

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