News Digest (24th July 2021, Saturday)

                                                                                                                                                                     by Annadatha Venkata Murali Manohar

Headlines

Tokyo 2020: Japan's Emperor Naruhito declares Tokyo 2020 Olympics open; Naomi Osaka lights Olympic cauldron to conclude subdued Opening Ceremony; Indians led by Mary, Manpreet; Tonga flag-bearer Taufatofua appears shirtless for his 3rd straight Olympics opening ceremony

DRDO successfully flight-tested the latest surface-to-air Akash (Akash-NG) Missile for 2nd time in 2 days

Sri Lanka beat India by 3 wickets in 3rd ODI to lose series 1-2; reached 227 for 7 in 39 overs

2003 terror attack martyr Vivek Saxena's family awaits Govt compensation for 18 years in UP's Lucknow

US secretary of state Antony Blinken to visit India on July 27-28, will meet PM Modi

Tibet-China, Afghanistan-Pakistan, and climate change jostle for attention in US-India meet under pandemic cover

Discussing indemnity, other issues with foreign Covid vaccine manufactures: Government

Pegasus spyware: French President Macron switches phone

Morocco files French libel suit over Pegasus spyware claim

Madhya Pradesh: Goons in Bhopal surround 2 Cops, stab them; 3rd attack on Policemen in recent past

Relief for Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari, Karnataka High Court quashes UP Police notice; says Provisions can't be harassment tools

A new "weird-looking" species of catshark, Apristurus manocheriani, has recently been discovered in southwest Indian Ocean

Put ATF under GST: Aviation Ministry asks MoF, Parliament Committee wants GST Council to resolve issue

IED-laden Drone shot down by J&K Police was Hexacopter with 2 GPS installed: Forensic Analysis

Navy declares 'No-fly Zone' for Drones, UAVs around installations in West Bengal

Editors Guild of India: Concerned about IT raids at newspaper Dainik Bhaskar and news channel Bharat Samachar

With the requirement of blood for medical procedures being high & Facing shortage, Bengaluru blood banks urge people to donate blood before vaccination

Mumbai rains: Toll crosses 136; Military, NDRF Teams on Rescue Ops; Rain in Maharashtra breaks 40 year record | Floods across Ratnagiri & Raigad; Water level rises by over 57% in 7 reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai; Red Alert in Karnataka as floods hit several districts, more rain predicted

With salt-water crocodiles stealthily sneaking into farmlands, farming activities has been hit in several river-side villages in Odisha's Kendrapara district

TMC MPs unanimously choose Mamata Banerjee as its parliamentary party’s chairperson

Graded reopening of schools is advisable: AIIMS director Randeep Guleria

Financial & Business News

Road ahead is more daunting than during the 1991 crisis: Manmohan Singh on eve of 30 years of economic reforms

Exports rise 45% during July 1-21: Commerce ministry data

After Amazon, Microsoft planning $2 billion data centre in Telangana

AGR case: Telcos’ plea rejection does not bode well for sector recovery, says ICRA

SC dismisses telecom companies plea for correction of ‘errors’ in AGR calculation

Reliance Industries profit slips over 7% to Rs. 12,273 crore in Q1

Forex Reserves rise by $835MN to record high of $612.73BN; Rupee gains for 3rd session, settle higher to 74.40 against Dollar

Realty projects around Navi Mumbai Airport with valid height NOC to get CIDCO’s development nod

Indian Bank declares Lanco Infra, Basundhara Green Power as fraud a/cs with Rs 589 crore exposure

Dismissal of plea on re-computation of AGR dues body blow for debt-laden VIL, say analysts; Vi gets approval to raise up to ₹15,000 cr FDI

Loot or priests? Skeletons from Mughal Era recovered during excavation Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain

RBI allows loans up to Rs 5 crore to other banks' directors without board approval

Maruti Suzuki Nexa sells 14 lakh cars in 6 years

MG One SUV teased, global reveal on July 30

Tesla lobbies India for sharply lower import taxes on electric vehicles: Report

As Zomato made a stellar debut on Dalal Street, its Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said this was a big day for the company; A new day Zero

‘Malafide, arm-twisting’: Karnataka HC quashes UP cops’ notice to Twitter India MD for personal appearance

IPOs will drive startup revolution in India: Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

Investors’ wealth grows by over Rs. 4 lakh crore in two days; BSE-listed companies’ m-cap at record Rs. 235.11 lakh crore

Indian Bank MD & CEO Padmaja Chunduru reveals two crises in her life and success mantra

Merc powers up e-car race with Tesla

Amazon hid info in 2019, says CCI

High court quashes Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart bid to stall antitrust probe

India to see higher salaries as firms look beyond Covid hit

Biocon Q1 profit slips 44% to Rs. 84 crore

Star Health and Allied Insurance, files prospectus for IPO

Delhi court grants bail to Chinese national in Rs. 1,000 crore money laundering case

Covid Updates

Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in country surpasses 41 crore

Union Health Minister: No fixed timeline can be indicated for completion of Covid-19 vaccination drive but all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by Dec 2021

No delay in entering into purchase pacts with domestic Covid vaccine manufacturers: Govt

3rd Covid wave may occur either due to mutations in virus or pool of susceptible population: Govt

Premature to conclude health complications due to Covid-19 rising: Government

Covid vaccination drive speeds up; Tamil Nadu, Bengal & Gujarat top performers; Bihar sees max wastage

Bharat Biotech scraps MoU for supply of 20MN vaccine doses with Brazilian partners Precisa Medicamentos, Envixia Pharma, after graft allegations

Indian government’s expert group in talks with Pfizer over Covid vaccine: Health minister

Jharkhand urges Centre to allot 95 per cent of Covid-19 vaccines through government route

Govt citing CSIR study says Coronavirus could be detected up to 10ft in air around infected person

UK warns of increased risk of Covid reinfection with Delta variant; EU watchdog approves Moderna's vaccine against Covid for teenagers

Australian Clothing chain Lorna Jane fined ₹27Cr for claiming its clothes could stop Covid-19 spread

Study: Chinese vaccine offers poor protection from Covid-19 among the elderly

EU to donate more than 200 million vaccines by end of the year

Italy to require Covid-19 ‘pass’ for many activities

World: 193,888,134; Active 13,677,716 (7.05%); Recovery 176,096,585 (90.80%); Vaccinated 3.80BN

India: 31,331,145; Active 415,755 (1.33%); Recovery 30,495,352 (97.33%); Vaccinated 423.42MN

State News

CM must honour promise, says Delhi HC as cop’s wife seeks Rs. One crore ex-gratia on husband’s death

Delhi govt has released Rs. 293 crore for North Delhi Municipal Corporation: Satyendar Jain

May need Covid vaccine booster shots for emerging variants: AIIMS chief

Delhi reports 58 new Covid-19 cases, one death

CM Captain Amarinder Singh meets Navjot Singh Sidhu at Punjab Bhawan; with a ‘big hit’ gesture, Sidhu starts his new innings as Punjab Congress chief

Uttar Pradesh: Woman shoots self in Hardoi while clicking selfie with gun; father suspects foul play

Uttar Pradesh: Gang involved in online money fraud busted; 11 arrested

Uttar Pradesh: Couple killed in road accident, man electrocuted

At least three dead as building collapses in Mumbai's Govandi

Maharashtra floods: Over 84,000 shifted to safer places in Pune

Locals in Hyderabad catch fishes in the Gandipet outflow

Delhi-Haryana water war: SC dismisses Delhi govt’s contempt plea over water supply issue

Delhi’s AIIMS hospital patient recites Hanuman Chalisa while undergoing brain surgery

Delhi: Markets in Tilak Nagar closed till July 27 for Covid norm violations

No interference, acted in public interest, says Delhi LG Anil Baijal

Unable to repay loan, man kills relative, his friend in Delhi

Man, his accomplice arrested in case related to attempt to murder of Delhi police constable

‘Kisan sansad’ near Parliament enters second day

Maximum temperature in Delhi likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius

Maharashtra: Water released from Koyna dam worsens flood situation

Shilpa Shetty will not be served summons in Raj Kundra case, says 'I will survive challenges' in her latest Instagram post

Raj Kundra pornography case live updates: Shilpa Shetty questioned during investigation; statement recorded

Raj Kundra's lawyer moves High Court, says 'arrest is illegal'

Kuwait News

Lara Dashti become Kuwait’s first woman Olympic flag-bearer

Kuwait lists 926 new Covid cases, nine deaths

Kuwait Embassy distributes sacrificial meat in several Indian states

Kuwait oil prices rises to USD 72.73 pb

International News

Chinese Prez Xi Jinping makes rare visit to Tibetan town bordering Arunachal Pradesh

China’s Xi Jinping visits Tibet amid rising controls over religion

Russia, China fail at UN in bid to shut down Bosnia peace envoy

Indian-American entrepreneur Shrina Kurani announces 2022 Bid for Congress from California

Death toll in Central China Floods rises to 51, losses mount to $10BN; villagers flee fresh floods in Central China as Typhoon threatens to bring more misery

Mystery illness Havana Syndrome affects 100 CIA officers, family members; likely caused by directed microwave radiation

Taliban: To reach a peace deal, Afghan president must go

Afghanistan President Ghani lashes out at Taliban, says they have ‘no will’ for peace

Sohail Pardis, an Afghan interpreter for US Army beheaded by Taliban

20 terrorists killed in airstrikes on Taliban hideouts: Afghan Army

US launches air strikes in aid of embattled Afghan forces, confirms Pentagon

Afghan President calls Danish Siddiqui’s father to extend condolences

Bangkok closes public spaces as virus surges in Thailand

Myanmar prisoners protest military with chants, songs

Covid-19: New Zealand suspends quarantine-free travel with Australia

Russia disconnected from global internet in tests: RBC daily

Netherland’s Arnhe city breaks ties with Wuhan over China’s handling of Uyghurs

BTS' 'Permission to Dance' makes it to the political discussion between the US and South Korea

Sports News

Tokyo Olympics: PM Modi catches glimpses of Opening Ceremony, urges all to ‘Cheer4India’

Pandemic-hit Tokyo Olympics open in low-key ceremony without fans

Guinea reverses decision to withdraw from Olympics

Some countries opt not to have male and female flagbearers despite IOC plea

Need joint effort from centre and state to make India a sporting powerhouse: Anurag Thakur

Olympics addict Kazunori Takishima, who spent $40,000 on tickets left on the sidelines

Tokyo Olympics: Israelis killed at 1972 Munich Games remembered in opening ceremony

Tokyo Olympics: Algerian Judoka Nourine withdraws to avoid facing Israeli opponent

Doodle Champion Island Games: Google launches series of games to celebrate Tokyo Olympics 2020

Tokyo Olympics: Czech cyclist tests positive for Covid-19

Tokyo Olympics: German cyclist Geschke tests positive for Covid-19, out of road race

Tokyo Olympics: Portuguese surfer frederico Morais tests positive for Covid

Tokyo Olympics: Pravin Jadhav to compete with Deepika Kumari at Archery Mixed Team event

Table Tennis: Can India do the unthinkable at Tokyo Olympics?

Tokyo Olympics: Not silver or bronze, my target is gold, says wrestler Ravi Dahiya

Mary Kom and Manish Kaushik will win boxing medals at the Tokyo Olympics for India: Vijender Singh

After struggles, sacrifices and success, Indian shooters eye Olympic glory

Youngest Tokyo Olympian Zaza from war-ravaged Syria living her Olympic dream

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Himanshi Khurana, Karanvir Bohra cheer for all the athletes representing India

Tokyo Olympics: On eve of Indian shooters’ events, coaches remain confident

India suffered a three-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the third and final one-day international in Colombo but still won the three-match series 2-1. After winning the toss, India opted to bat first, but were bowled out for 225 in the rain-truncated contest. Sri Lanka chased down the revised target of 227 in 47 overs, in just 39 overs with three wickets in hand.

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 23 runs to level T20 series

Top pick 22-year-old Rashid Khan ready to make his mark in the Hundred, as he makes his debut in English cricket’s new 100 balls per side competition

Shane Warne believes England’s Matt Parkinson ‘perfectly suited’ for Ashes trip

Youngest Tokyo Olympian Zaza from war-ravaged Syria living her Olympic dream