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16 June, 2020, 06:24 PM IST

News live updates: Covid-19 testing capacity reaches 3 lakhs samples a day

India has tested 59,21,069 COVID-19 samples and the country now has the capacity to test 3 lakh samples per day, said Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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05:49 PM

Wrap up: Top news picks of the day

INDIA NEWS

Three Indian soldiers, including Commanding Officer killed at Galwan by Chinese soldiers
Covid-19 recovery rate rises to 52.47%
India's employment rate improved by 3.3% for week ended June 14
Delhi's Health Minister Satyendar Jain tests negative for COVID-19
Class 10, 12 students can skip pending board exams, to be marked as per pre-boards results: CICSE
Pakistan briefly detains 2 Indian Embassy employees
Maharashtra Police: 3626 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths
Jammu & Kashmir: Three terrorists neutralised in an encounter with security forces at Turkwangam area of Shopian
India case count rises to 343,091

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Gross tax collection falls 31 per cent so far in June quarter
Sensex rallies 376.42 points to end at 33,605.22
Petrol price hiked by 47 paise/litre, diesel by record 93 paise
India 9th largest recipient of FDI in 2019, will continue to attract investments: UN
Tata Motors shares decline 5% on March quarter loss
Bridge To India lowers India's solar, wind power capacity addition outlook over 2020-2024
Mahindra & Mahindra launches BSVI-compliant ambulance Supro
Rupee pares initial gains, settles 17 paise down at 76.20 (provisional) against US dollar
India plans to nearly double oil refining capacity by 2030: Oil Minister
Creta bookings cross 30 k mark: Hyundai
Mutual funds folio count surges by over 6 lakh in May
155 Indian firms account for over $22 bn in investments, nearly 1.25 lakh jobs in US: CII

WORLD NEWS

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 8.06 million, death toll at 436,293
UK COVID-19 death toll hits 53,077 including suspected cases
Beijing accuses India of crossing border, 'attacking Chinese personnel'
North Korea blows up liaison office with South: Seoul
UK job-related benefit claims spike by nearly 25% in May
New Zealand reports first new virus cases in 25 days
Renault to cut 1,500 engineering jobs in France
Alibaba Cloud to invest USD 283 mn to accelerate global partner ecosystem
Tesla to buy cobalt from Glencore for new car plants
Trump team eyes $1 tn infrastructure plan to spur economy

05:45 PM

McDonald's worldwide sales improve as stores reopen globally

The Chicago-based fast food giant said Tuesday that its global same-store sales _ or sales at locations open at least a year _ were down 21% in May from the same month last year. That was an improvement from a 39% decline in April.

05:38 PM

Army Chief General MM Naravane arrives at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's residence

Delhi: Army Chief General MM Naravane arrives at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's residence https://t.co/31Rz7IqylT
— ANI (@ANI) 1592309171000

05:28 PM

Berlin says US troops in Germany important for US, EU security

05:27 PM

Rural Fintech startup Jai Kisan raises Rs 30 cr from NABARD-back fund, others

Jai Kisan, a Mumbai-based fintech platform, on Tuesday said it has raised Rs 30 crore funding from Arkam Ventures with participation of a fund backed by NABARD.
Founded by Arjun Ahluwalia and Adriel Maniego â€“ graduates of Texas A&M University - who quit their jobs in private equity and restructuring firm, respectively, to move to India, Jai Kisan is a fintech platform for rural emerging markets that facilitates a suite of financial products to rural customers.

05:26 PM

Sensex, Nifty advance on global rally; India-China tensions cap gains

Indian equities on Tuesday followed upbeat global markets to capture the day's peak before losing momentum due to Indo-China border tensions that capped gains on benchmark indices.
The BSE gauge Sensex settled 376.42 points or 1.13 per cent higher at 33,605.22. Intra-day, the index swung about 1,069 points, and briefly ventured into the negative territory in the later part of the session reacting to India-China standoff news.
Likewise, the NSE barometer too fought a high volatility before ending 100.30 points or 1.02 per cent up at 9,914.

05:22 PM

Germany has no detailed information about U.S. troop withdrawals -Maas

Germany has not received any detailed information from the United States about troop withdrawals, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday during a visit to Warsaw. Maas also said U.S soldiers presence on German soil is key for German and U.S. defence. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to cut the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, a senior U.S. official said earlier in June.

05:05 PM

COVID-19 testing capacity reaches 3 lakhs samples a day: Health Ministry

India has tested 59,21,069 COVID-19 samples and the country now has the capacity to test 3 lakh samples per day, said Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday.

05:03 PM

India may impose anti-dumping duty on Chinese antibacterial drug Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride

India may impose anti-dumping duty on Chinese antibacterial drug Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride with a view to guard domestic industry from cheap imports from the neighbouring country.
Aarti Drugs Ltd had filed the application for imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of the medicine from China.

04:59 PM

We are confident that in the coming month we will start taking decisions on the resumption of international flights

- Hardeep Singh Puri

04:43 PM

An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck 85 km east of Katra, Jammu & Kashmir at 2:10 pm today: National Center for Seismology

04:35 PM

Recent reforms in agriculture sector will benefit farmers and will provide new options to them to sell their produce

- PM Modi

04:29 PM

Because of the efforts made in the last few weeks, green shoots have begun to be visible in our economy

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi

04:28 PM

Timely decisions helped in containing coronavirus in India

- PM Narendra Modi

04:28 PM

380 new cases reported in Nepal in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the country to 6591: Nepal Health Ministry

04:15 PM

For us the death of even 1 Indian is unsettling but it is also true that India is one of the countries where there have been least deaths due to covid-19

- PM Narendra Modi

04:11 PM

Mutual funds folio count surges by over 6 lakh in May amid volatile market conditions

The mutual fund industry added 6.12 lakh investor accounts in May, taking the total tally to 9.1 crore, amid volatile market conditions and concerns over the impact of coronavirus pandemic.
In comparison, the industry had added 6.82 lakh new folios in April.
Folios are numbers designated to individual investor accounts. An investor can have multiple folios

04:08 PM

In last few weeks, thousands of Indians returned to India from abroad & hundreds of migrant workers reached their home towns. Almost all modes of transport have resumed operations, still covid impact has not been that huge in India as in other parts of world

- PM Modi

04:07 PM

PM in meeting with CMs of 21 states & UTs via VC

2 weeks have passed since #Unlock1, our experience during this time could be beneficial for us in future. Today I w… https://t.co/34k1T3oiHf
— ANI (@ANI) 1592303731000

03:57 PM

Dharmendra Pradhan stressed on enhancing domestic steel usage in the country & reducing import dependence for meeting oil & gas sectors' steel requirements: Government of India

03:53 PM

PM discusses coronavirus situation with CMs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding discussions with chief ministers and Lt governors of 21 states and union territories on Tuesday on ways to check the spread of novel coronavirus as thousands of fresh cases are being reported daily.
This is Modi's sixth interaction with the chief ministers since the outbreak of the deadly virus.
The two-day virtual meet comes as the country witnesses an unabated spike in coronavirus cases.

03:51 PM

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 8.06 million, death toll at 436,293

03:51 PM

Nearly half MSMEs witness 20-50 pc impact on earnings due to COVID-19 pandemic: Survey

Nearly 50 per cent of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have witnessed a 20-50 per cent impact on their earnings due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey.
Even within the MSME sector, smaller-sized firms' earnings were more affected by the pandemic, according to a joint survey conducted by non-banking financial company Magma Fincorp, and business school Bhavan's SPJIMR.

03:50 PM

Sensex rallies 376.42 points to end at 33,605.22; Nifty surges 100.30 points to 9,914

03:49 PM

Maruti Suzuki partners IndusInd Bank for vehicle financing

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) on Tuesday said it has partnered IndusInd Bank for vehicle financing to help spur sales after resumption of operations following lockdown relaxations.

03:38 PM

Gross tax collection falls 31 per cent so far in June quarter

Gross tax collection fell 31 per cent till June 15 of the current fiscal, with advance corporate tax mop-up declining 79 per cent, an official said on Tuesday.
Earlier, erroneously reported that there was a 31 per cent decline in gross advance tax collection in the June quarter.
"Gross direct tax collection fell a full 31 per cent to Rs 1,37,825 crore in the first quarter of FY21, down from Rs 1,99,755 crore in the June 2019 quarter," an income tax official told.

03:36 PM

67 new cases & 5 patients discharged/cured reported in Uttarakhand today

Tally : 1912
Toll : 25

03:35 PM

Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson:

China has lodged solemn representations & protests to India. Here, we are sternly demanding India to earnestly abid… https://t.co/h0QwDE6lpP
— ANI (@ANI) 1592301315000

03:33 PM

COVID-19: 80 people working in UP CM helpline centre test positive

03:31 PM

155 Indian firms account for over $22 bn in investments, nearly 1.25 lakh jobs in US: CII

As many as 155 companies with origins in India are responsible for generating over USD 22 billion in investments and nearly 1.25 lakh jobs across the US, according to a report by CII.
The report, 'Indian Roots, American Soil 2020,' is a state-by-state breakdown of tangible investments made and jobs created by 155 surveyed Indian companies engaged in business in all 50 states, as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

03:30 PM

India's fuel demand reaches 80-85% of pre-COVID levels

India's fuel demand has reached 80-85 per cent of pre-Covid levels in the first half of June but return to 5 per cent growth trajectory may take up to two years, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and industry leaders said on Tuesday.

03:07 PM

Creta bookings cross 30 k mark: Hyundai

03:06 PM

Mobile app-based payments rise 163 pc to USD 287 bn in 2019: Report

Mobile payments initiated by apps, comprising account-to-account transfers and payments made from stored-value accounts, rose 163 per cent to USD 287 billion in 2019, a report by S&P Global Market Intelligence said on Tuesday.

02:59 PM

Chinese military suffers casualties in clash with India - Global Times editor

Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash. I want to tell the… https://t.co/UlYaVTH9a3
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) 1592298439000

02:54 PM

Covid-19 recovery rate rises to 52.47%

During the last 24 hrs, 10215 COVID-19 patients were cured. Total 180012 patients, so far, have been cured. The recovery rate rises to 52.47%, which is indicative of the fact that more than half of positive cases have recovered from the disease: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

02:53 PM

Delhi Government directs Taj Man Singh hotel to isolate all their rooms & place them at disposal of Sir Gangaram Hospital with immediate effect for accomodating COVID-19 patients

02:52 PM

India plans to nearly double oil refining capacity by 2030

- Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

02:41 PM

Andhra Pradesh cases reach 5280

193 more cases, 2 deaths & 81 discharged in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours.

02:36 PM

Assam reports 10 new COVID-19 cases

Tally - 4319
Toll- 8

02:36 PM

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane’s planned visit to Pathankot military station has been cancelled: Army Sources

02:35 PM

Odisha receives 23 pc surplus rainfall in June: MeT

Odisha has received 23 per cent surplus rainfall during the first 15 days of June by recording 97.4 mm of rain during the period, a senior MeT official said on Tuesday.

02:24 PM

Rupee pares initial gains, settles 17 paise down at 76.20 (provisional) against US dollar

02:23 PM

Indore records 21 fresh covid cases; tally reaches 4,090

02:23 PM

UK COVID-19 death toll hits 53,077 including suspected cases: Reuters tally

02:22 PM

Indian Army says that casualties suffered on both sides during the faceoff between India and China in Galwan Valley

02:16 PM

Honda Cars partially resumes operations at Tapukara, Greater Noida facilities

Honda Cars India on Tuesday said it has partially resumed operations at Tapukara and Greater Noida manufacturing facilities after having production suspended due to coronavirus-led lockdown.

02:15 PM

2 more elephants die in Chhattisgarh; toll reaches five in one week

Two wild elephants were found dead in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh and Dhamtari districts on Tuesday, officials said.
A male elephant got electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire at a farm in Raigarh, while a calf died after getting stuck in a marshland in Dhamtari, they said.

02:13 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to also participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chief Ministers via video conference today at 3 pm

02:08 PM

India's employment rate improved by 3.3% for week ended June 14

India’s employment rate improved significantly by 3.3% for the week ended June 14 at 35.7% compared to 32.4% for the week before that, the highest weekly jump so far, as business starts opening up and people join back the workforce, shows the weekly survey by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.
However, this continues to be lower than the employment rate of 39.5% in the pre-Covid levels during three months ending February 2020.

02:01 PM

Major Generals of India and China are talking to defuse the situation in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh and other areas after the violent face-off last night in which casualties have been suffered by both sides: Army Sources

01:53 PM

Beijing accuses India of crossing border, 'attacking Chinese personnel'

Reports AFP

01:49 PM

UP govt announces Rs 5 lakh aid to bordering districts to tackle locust menace

In a bid to tackle the menace of locust attacks, the Uttar Pradesh government has formed monitoring committees and announced
Rs 5 lakh assistance to each bordering district of the state for spraying chemicals to kill the insects.

01:22 PM

No new positive cases reported in Himachal Pradesh today

Tally - 556
Toll- 6

01:21 PM

China Foreign Ministry, asked about Indian Army reporting casualties in clash with China, says calls on India to not take unilateral actions or stir up trouble: Reuters

01:18 PM

Senior military officials of India and China currently meeting to defuse situation in Ladakh: Army

01:14 PM

Delhi's Health Minister Satyendar Jain tests negative for COVID-19

His condition is stable though he still has fever.
He was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital after he complained of high fever and difficulty in breathing.

01:02 PM

Indian Army officer and two soldiers killed in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on Monday night during "violent face off" with Chinese: Army

01:01 PM

Mahindra & Mahindra launches BSVI-compliant ambulance Supro

Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday said it has launched BSVI-compliant ambulance 'Supro' in two variants in the wake of coronavirus pandemic which has led to a rise in demand for such vehicles.
Developed in-house on the company's popular Supro van platform, the vehicle is priced at Rs 6.94 lakh, the company said in a release.

12:59 PM

Bridge To India lowers India's solar, wind power capacity addition outlook over 2020-2024

Clean energy consultancy Bridge To India has lowered India's solar and wind power capacity addition estimate over 2020-2024 citing weak economic outlook and further slowdown in power demand.
It said the domestic energy sector has been hit by multiple demand and supply shocks, sharp reduction in power demand, delays in construction activity, and deferred payments across the value chain.

12:49 PM

North Korea blows up liaison office with South: Seoul

North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border on Tuesday, the South's Unification ministry said, after days of increasingly virulent rhetoric from Pyongyang.
"North Korea blows up Kaesong Liaison Office at 14:49," the ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said in a one-line alert sent to reporters.