Union Budget 2020: Govt may expand spending on infra, offer expense motivators

In yearly monetary report, the administration anticipated that financial development would get to 6.0% to 6.5% in the monetary year starting April 1

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is probably going to expand state spending on foundation and offer some assessment impetuses in its Budget 2020 on Saturday, planning to get development back up from its most minimal in 10 years. In its yearly monetary report, discharged on Friday, the administration anticipated that financial development would get to 6.0% to 6.5% in the monetary year starting April 1, however cautioned that it might have surpass its shortfall focus to resuscitate development.”

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India is confronting its most noticeably terrible monetary log jam in 10 years. The administration gauges monetary development this year, which finishes on March 31, will slip to 5%, the most vulnerable pace since the worldwide budgetary emergency of 2008-09. Fund Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will exhibit her second entire year yearly spending plan to parliament, could concede the prior objective of slicing the deficiency to 3% of total national output in 2020/21 by at any rate two years, government sources told Reuters.

This will be over generally $28 billion of spending from off-spending borrowings, as the administration looks to hold the shortage under tight restraints. Financial experts in a Reuters survey anticipated the administration would set a shortage focus of 3.6% of GDP for 2020/21, up from 3.3% focused for the present year…

Shares purchased on January 31 can’t be sold on the Budget day. Here’s the reason

NSE, BSE to direct a unique exchanging session on February 1; settlement of exchanges on February 4

Account Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to exhibit the Union Budget for FY21 on February 1 in the midst of desires for unwinding in Long Term Capital Gains assessment and Dividend Distribution Tax. Market controller, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has permitted the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE to direct normal exchanging on Saturday, February 1.

As indicated by the notification gave by the trades, exchanging will start from 9:15 am, and will last till 3:30 pm. Pre-opening requests will be put somewhere in the range of 9:00 and 9:08 am, and will be coordinated from 9:08 am and 9:15 am. Prior in 2015, markets were open for exchange on Saturday, February 28, when at that point Finance Minister Arun Jaitley displayed the Budget 2020 Live. In what capacity will the recommendations sway your portfolio? Catch all the activity in Business Standard’s MARKET BLOG

Speculators, be that as it may, hoping to execute on Budget day must remember a couple of things while submitting their requests. As per Tradebulls Securities – a main residential financier, orders set on Friday, January 31 and on February 1, 2020 will be chosen February 4. Additionally, shares purchased on Friday, January 31 can’t be sold on Saturday (Budget day). This is on the grounds that exchanges executed on Friday, January 31 and on February 01 will be chosen February 4…

PSU bank employees to go on two-day strike from Friday over wage revision

Earlier this week, a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, AIBOC President Sunil Kumar said

Bank unions have decided to go on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday as talks with management of public sector lenders on wage revision have failed to reach a consensus. Many banks, including SBI, have informed customers that operations may be impacted to some extent due to the strike.

The strike will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of union Budget 2020-21. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW).

Earlier this week, a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, AIBOC President Sunil Kumar said. The wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. “Today’s talks with Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) failed on demand from unions, so strike call stands,” AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said.

IBA’s rigid approach has left unions with no option than to go on strike, Vekatachalam said, adding, “We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA.” In a circular, UFBU accused the IBA of a rigid approach towards demands for a fair wage revision settlement…Read More

India’s first coronavirus case: Kerala student in Wuhan tested positive

Around 806 people are under observation now, of which almost 796 are in-home quarantine

India has reported its first case of novel coronavirus in Kerala, where a woman studying in China’s Wuhan University has tested positive for the deadly virus. The patient has been kept in an isolation ward at the general hospital in Thrissur and her condition is stable, according to an official release.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government was closely monitoring the situation. “While we need to be cautious, it is no cause for panic. Our health network is capable of handling any emergencies. People should avoid spreading the news that is intimidating,” he said.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan. The death toll from the virus has risen to 170, and the majority of the victims are from China. According to Kerala officials, the state government has asked people arriving from China to “voluntarily report” to the health department for screening for the virus, and it was during such screening that the patient was detected with coronavirus symptoms. Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has called a meeting with the health secretary and other officials from the Directorate of Health Services to take stock of the situation.

New IBM CEO Arvind Krishna described as ‘brilliant, right person to lead’

Krishna said IBM has such talented people and technology that we can bring together to help our clients solve their toughest problems

Indian-origin technology executive Arvind Krishna has been elected Chief Executive Officer of American IT giant IBM after a “world-class succession process”, succeeding Virginia Rometty, who described him as the right CEO for the next era at IBM and well-positioned” to lead the company into the cloud and cognitive era.

The IBM Board of Directors elected Krishna as company CEO and member of the Board of Directors effective April 6. Krishna is currently IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software and will succeed Rometty, 62 who will retire after almost 40 years with the company at the end of the year. Arvind Krishna, 57, had joined IBM in 1990 and has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I am thrilled and humbled to be elected as the next Chief Executive Officer of IBM, and appreciate the confidence that Ginni and the Board have placed in me,” Krishna said in a press statement released by IBM. Krishna said IBM has such talented people and technology that we can bring together to help our clients solve their toughest problems…

WHO declares international emergency over novel coronavirus outbreak

Top airlines including Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa have suspended or cut back services to China

The UN health agency on Thursday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China — a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he declared a “public health emergency of international concern”.

“This is not a vote of no confidence in China,” he said, emphasising repeatedly that the measure was intended to help other countries less able to cope and praising the Chinese government for taking swift action to tackle the outbreak. “We must all act together now to limit further spread…. We can only stop it together,” said Tedros, who travelled to China this week and met with President Xi Jinping.

Tedros also said there was “no reason” for any of the international travel or trade restrictions announced in recent days, such as flight suspensions, border closures and quarantine for apparently healthy travellers. Top airlines including Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa have suspended or cut back services to China…Keep Reading

UP hostage crisis: All 20 children rescued, accused killed in Farukhabad

Accused Subhash Batham fired from inside the house on those who tried to speak to him, police said, adding that a man suffered a bullet injury

Over 20 children, aged between six months and 15 years, were rescued after an armed man, a murder accused who took them hostage after inviting them for a birthday party at his house in a village here, was killed on Thursday night, police said.

The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon. Hours later, the accused released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony, they said. Accused Subhash Batham fired from inside the house on those who tried to speak to him, police said, adding that a man suffered a bullet injury.

The man who had held the children UP hostage Crisis  was killed, Additional Chief Secretary Avanish Awasthi told PTI. Earlier, a team of NSG (National Security Guard) commandos has taken a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Police said Batham handed over the girl to his neighbour from a balcony. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. Television channels have appealed to Batham to contact them in case he wanted to share his demands with the government or authorities.

Jamia firing: Protesters detained; Oppn likely to protest in parliament

The attacker who may be a minor, was immediately detained after the incident

A man opened fire at a group of protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia injuring Shadab Farooq, a mass communication student, on Thursday afternoon and shouted “Yeh lo azaadi”, triggering panic in the city’s Jamia area. The injured student who was seen bleeding from his left hand, was taken to AIIMS.

The man, who may be a minor, was immediately detained after the incident. There was heavy police and media presence when the incident took place. The Delhi Police said that the Jamia firing incident happened in a matter of seconds and by the time police could react, the man, who has been arrested, had fired his country-made pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters.

The statement came after Delhi Police faced flak from Jamia Millia Islamia students and the AAP alleged that the force’s personnel were “mute spectators”. “The investigation is on. The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch. We are also probing whether he is a juvenile or not,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Praveer Ranjan
Joint Commissioner of Police (southern range) Devesh Srivastava said based on the statement of the victim, a case of attempt to murder has been registered.

Before the attack, the man also put out messages on Facebook stating “Shaheen Bhag Khel Khatam” (Run Shaheen, the game is over). Another message stated, “Please wrap me in saffron in my last journey with slogans of Jai Shri Ram”. His Facebook profile was deleted after screenshots of his posts were circulated widely on social media platforms.

UP cops arrest Dr Kafeel Khan from Mumbai airport for ‘inflammatory’ speech

The official also alleged that the Gorakhpur doctor had made objectionable comments against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested Dr Kafeel Khan from Mumbai airport for allegedly making inflammatory statements at AMU during protests against the Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) last month, officials said. Khan was arrested on Wednesday night with assistance from Mumbai Police at the airport when he arrived in the city to attend anti-CAA protests, an official said.

“Officials of the UP STF arrested Dr Kafeel Khan in a case which was registered at Civil Lines Police Station under section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) of IPC. Our police team helped our UP counterparts on their request,” said an official from Mumbai Police. He claimed that Khan had made inflammatory statements on December 12 last year during the protest near Bab e Syed Gate outside the Aligarh Muslim University in front of more than 600 students.

The official also alleged that the Gorakhpur doctor had made objectionable comments against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The FIR against Khan mentions that Swaraj India’s president Yogendra Yadav was also present during the speech at AMU. Following the arrest in the case, Khan was taken to the Sahar Police Station and after completing formalities he will be taken to UP on transit remand, the official said…

30 mn debit, credit card details of WaWa customers up for sale online

WaWa has offered free credit monitoring and identify theft protection to customers.

Credit and debit card information from customers of the food and gasoline chain WaWa Inc is being sold online, according to the fraud intelligence company Gemini Advisory. The breach “ranks among the largest payment card breaches of 2019, and of all time” because it potentially affected 850 stores and 30 million payment records, Gemini Advisory said in a report on Tuesday. The news follows WaWa’s announcement in December that payment processors in its stores had been compromised.

Gemini discovered that data from cards used at WaWa — many of which belong to US financial institutions — is available for sale on Joker’s Stash, a notorious online marketplace where credit and debit card information is bought and sold.

Data on almost 100,000 cards became available on Monday, but Joker’s Stash claimed it had data from 30 million cards of WaWa customers, according to Gemini Advisory. It’s likely that Joker’s Stash will release additional card data in batches over the next 12 to 18 months, Gemini Advisory co-founder Andrei Barysevich said. WaWa said it was “aware of reports of criminal attempts to sell come customer payment card information.” The company said it had alerted its payment card processor, payment card brands and card issuers to heighten fraud monitoring to protect

AAP wants 48-hour ban on Amit Shah in Delhi campaign for ‘fake video’

AAP also seeks action against three BJP MPs for ‘fabricated’ videos about Delhi govt schools.

The Election Commission must put a 48-hour on ban home minister Amit Shah from campaigning in Delhi for tweeting a “fake” video on government schools, said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday.

Singh and APP leader Pankaj Gupta complained to the commission against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Gautam Gambhir, Parvesh Verma and Hans Raj Hans were circulating “false and fabricated” videos about Delhi government schools “Today we met Election Commission and demanded that Amit Shah be banned for 48 hours from campaigning. FIR should also be lodged against all their leaders who made and circulated such fake videos and all such tweets be deleted,” Singh told reporters.

Eight BJP MPs visited the schools and on Tuesday shared videos of their findings. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday said the videos of alleged deficiencies in Delhi government schools shared by Home Minister Amit Shah were false. Singh said the BJP has been completely baffled by the Delhi’s education model, and Shah is running a campaign to insult the 16 lakh children of Delhi, the 32 lakh parents of Delhi and thousands of teachers…

US hits Russia railroad co with sanctions over passenger services to Crimea

The Treasury Department handed down the new sanctions on Wednesday two days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due in Kyiv to meet with the Ukrainian president and other officials

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a Moscow-based private railway company that last month opened passenger service between Russia and Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. The sanctions target Grand Service Express, its CEO and seven people who were slapped with European Union sanctions earlier in the week for their role in organizing Russian local elections on Crimea in September. The EU and the US imposed economic sanctions on Russia after the annexation and refuse to recognise Moscow’s authority over the region.

The Treasury Department handed down the new sanctions on Wednesday two days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due in Kyiv to meet with the Ukrainian president and other officials. They may be intended to send a message of support from the Trump administration during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump over his dealings with Ukraine. “Treasury’s action, taken in close coordination with our international allies and partners, reiterates our unwavering support for restoring free and fair democratic processes in Crimea,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The sanctions may also serve to reduce the sting of Pompeo’s recent disparaging comment about Ukraine. Following an interview last week with NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly, she said he shouted obscenities at her for asking about Ukraine and asked whether she thought Americans really cared about the country…

Coronavirus: Air India, IndiGo join global peers to suspend China flights

The airlines saw a large number of cancellations impacting loads.

Air India and IndiGo joined their global peers British Airways, Lion Air and Lufthansa in announcing temporary suspension of their China flights, as India clamped down on travel to stop the outbreak of coronavirus.

Air India said Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight has been cancelled from January 31 to February 14, while IndiGo is suspending its Delhi-Chengdu and Bengaluru-Hong Kong flight from February 1-20. IndiGo, however, will continue to operate its Kolkata-Guangzhou flight. Air India has also decided to cut the frequency of its daily Delhi-Hong Kong flights to thrice per week from January 31 to February 14. Bookings on the routes slumped in the last few days as businesspeople postponed their tours. The airlines saw a large number of cancellations impacting loads.

Read: What is Coronavirus

In a statement, IndiGo said it has taken the decision after a careful assessment of the situation. “These are purely temporary and precautionary measures. We understand that the measures will cause inconvenience to our customers and we be refunding the full amount to impacted passengers.”

“For now we will continue to operate our Kolkata-Guangzhou flight which we are monitoring on a daily basis. As for our operating crew we are ensuring they return to India on inbound flights without any layover in China.”

JD(U) expels Prashant Kishor and Pavan Varma over disciplinary issues

Both leaders have been critical of the party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR)

JD(U) on Wednesday removed its VP Prashant Kishor and general secretary Pavan Varma from the gathering, saying their direct in later past has clarified that they would prefer not to submit to the gathering’s order. The two heads host been condemning of the get-together president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his help to the Citizenship

(Revision) Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR). A JD (U) proclamation, gave by gathering’s main general secretary K C Tyagi, said that these two were “acting against gathering’s choices just as its working” which added up to break of order.

The gathering additionally blamed Prashant Kishor for utilizing “offending words” against the Bihar boss pastor. Kumar had on Tuesday pummeled Kishor over his basic comments, and said he hosted accepted him in the gathering at the pushing of Union Home Minister and previous BJP president Amit Shah. Kishor had responded angrily and blamed Kumar for lying. The JD(U) stated, “it is basic that Kishor be expelled from the gathering, with the goal that he doesn’t fall any lower.”

SC rejects Delhi rape case convict’s appeal against rejection of mercy plea

A three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi said that expeditious disposal of mercy plea by the President doesn’t mean non-application of mind by him

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the plea of death row convict Mukesh Singh against rejection of mercy petition by President Ram Nath Kovind. A three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi said that expeditious disposal of mercy plea by the President doesn’t mean non-application of mind by him.

“All relevant material including judgements pronounced by trial court, high court and Supreme Court were placed before the President when he was considering the mercy plea of the convict,” the bench added. The bench also noted that alleged sufferings in jail can’t be grounds to challenge rejection of mercy plea by President.

The President had on January 17 rejected the mercy petition of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder case convict. Mukesh Singh, 32, had submitted the plea challenging the rejection of the mercy petition last week. The Supreme Court had earlier questioned Singh as to how he can allege ‘non application of mind’ by the President in rejecting his mercy petition…

Pompeo tries to salvage a post-Brexit Britain alliance amid growing rift

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been touting the prospects of a big new trade deal with the United States that can fill the void of Britain’s departure from the European Union on Friday

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits London on Wednesday to salvage a post-Brexit alliance with an old friend whose defiance on China and Iran underscores Washington’s diplomatic isolation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been touting the prospects of a big new trade deal with the United States that can fill the void of Britain’s departure from the European Union on Friday. But Pompeo’s meetings with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Johnson on Wednesday and Thursday threatens to become a damage limitation exercise for the “special relationship”.

Mike Pompeo had been doing his best to convince Johnson that allowing China’s Huawei tech giant to help build Britain’s next-generation 5G network introduced a long-term security threat. Britain approved a limited but still important role for Huawei on Tuesday. “The United States is disappointed by the UK’s decision,” a senior administration official said in a terse statement. And Johnson had been pushing Washington to send back the wife of a US diplomat who is using the cover of diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution over the death of a teenager in a road accident in England last August.

The United States rejected Anne Sacoolas’s extradition to Britain last week. “We feel this amounts to a denial of justice,” Raab said in response. “The UK would have acted differently if this had been a UK diplomat serving in the US.” Disagreements about Iran and a US prosecutor’s complaint that Prince Andrew was stonewalling an FBI investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein only add to the layers of tensions.

Boris Johnson defies Trump, grants Huawei limited role in UK’s 5G network

US congressional leaders widely criticized Britain’s decision, with powerful Senator Lindsey Graham saying it could “greatly complicate” drawing up a new agreement after Britain exits the EU on Jan 31

Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain’s 5G mobile network on Tuesday, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West’s next-generation communications.

Defying Britain’s closest ally in favour of China on the eve of Brexit, Johnson ruled that “high-risk vendors” such as Huawei would be allowed into the non-sensitive parts of the 5G network. Whilst such high-risk companies’ involvement will be capped at 35%, they will be excluded from the sensitive core, where data is processed, and they will be banned from all critical networks and locations such as nuclear sites and military bases.

Such an explicit rejection of US concerns that Huawei could be used to steal Western secrets was welcomed by the Chinese firm, founded in 1987 by a former People’s Liberation Army engineer, but dismayed the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Johnson and Trump spoke by phone shortly after the decision was made public. “The Prime Minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies,” the British government said in a statement. Speaking before the call, a Trump administration official said: “There is no safe option for untrusted vendors to control any part of a 5G network…

Delhi elections between 2 million people, 200 BJP MPs: Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal referred to the BJP bringing in 200 party MPs, 70 ministers and 11 Chief Ministers to Delhi for campaigning

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that the February Assembly elections are a fight between 20 millionpeople of Delhi and 200 BJP MPs, as he urged people to vote for AAP.

“This fight is between two crore people of Delhi and 200 BJP MPs. When they come, count the number of works done in five years and send them back to their states. Do not let them insult Delhi,” he said while addressing the public during his roadshow here. Kejriwal referred to the BJP bringing in 200 party MPs, 70 ministers and 11 Chief Ministers to Delhi for campaigning.

“They are coming here to defeat you, your son Kejriwal, to defeat and insult the work that we have done in five years. Now they will come and insult and find faults in our schools, Mohalla Clinics, electricity, water, etc. I want to ask the people, will you remain quiet and bear the insult?” he asked. Soon after, several AAP leaders tweeted that the entire BJP was pitted against Kejriwal…

Indian armed forces can make Pakistan bite dust in 10 days: PM Modi

He also said the Citizenship Act was brought to correct “historical” injustices

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Pakistan and said it lost three wars but continues to wage proxy wars against India. Modi also said his government brought in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to correct “historical” injustices and recalled the Nehru-Liaquat pact to assert that the law fulfils India’s “old promise” to religious minorities from neighbouring countries.

“The Indian armed forces won’t take more than a week-10 days to make Pakistan bite dust,” Modi told the gathering. Attacking Opposition parties over their stand on the CAA, the prime minister said India had assured minorities in Pakistan and Afghanistan when it got Independence that they could come to the country if needed.

“This was Gandhi’s wish and also the intention behind the Nehru-Liaquat pact,” Modi said. “It is our responsibility to give refuge to people who have been oppressed due to their faith. They have faced historical injustice… and to stop this and fulfil our old promise, we have brought the CAA,” Modi said…

Coronavirus: China okays India request to airlift 250 nationals from Wuhan

Will have to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival

After 24 hours of hectic parleys, India gained Beijing’s permission to airlift Indians from Wuhan. A Boeing 747 VT-ESO will leave Mumbai at midnight to airlift 250 Indians. “Once they are brought back, they will be kept in quarantine for two weeks,” said Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday.

Sources said Beijing buckled under pressure from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “Our crew was ready to go. The permission took time,” said an Air India executive. Meanwhile, IndiGo, too, has advised its pilots and cabin crew to wear masks and avoid public places during layovers in Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Stepping up its preparation to fight the threat of a potential novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak, the Indian government on Tuesday said that screening of passengers would be expanded to 20 airports along with adding new laboratories to test the virus. So far 35,000 passengers have been screened in India. Vardhan held a review meeting on Tuesday to take stock of the situation. He said that in the next one or two days, passenger screening would be expanded to 20 airports, from the current seven. At present, thermal screening of passengers coming from China is being done at the seven big airports — Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi.

Vardhan said the government plans to test the virus at 10 laboratories across the country. At present, only the National Institute of Virology in Pune is conducting the tests; so far, 20 samples have been sent to the Pune lab…

Facebook, LG, others restrict business travel to China on coronavirus fear

Facebook became the first major US company to announce a travel suspension after the US government’s warning

Facebook Inc and other global companies including LG Electronics Inc and Standard Chartered Plc are restricting travel to China, as the death toll from a flu-like virus rose above 100 on Tuesday. Airlines are also cancelling flights and adjusting schedules as a growing number of countries raise travel warnings to not just Hubei province where the new coronavirus broke out, but also to the rest of mainland China.

The United States warned on Monday that Americans should “reconsider” visiting all of China, while South Korea elevated its travel warning on Tuesday, advising its citizens to refrain from visiting China. Facebook became the first major US company to announce a travel suspension after the US government’s warning. The US social media company asked employees to halt non-essential travel to mainland China and told employees who had travelled there to work from home, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken steps to protect the health and safety of our employees,” the spokesman told Reuters. South Korean home appliances maker LG has put a complete ban on travel to China and has advised employees on business trips in the country to return home as quickly as possible, a company spokeswoman said. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc said it was urging employees to avoid all non-essential travel to China, while banking group Standard Chartered restricted travel to both mainland China and Hong Kong.

In Germany, auto supplier Webasto, which has 11 sites in China, including in Wuhan, has halted all corporate travel to and from China following the virus and the infection of an employee. Japan’s Honda Motor Co Ltd said it recommended employees avoid travel to China, while Nissan Motor Co said it plans to evacuate its Japanese staff and their families in Wuhan via a government-chartered flight. As companies reassessed the risk of travel to China, some airlines said demand for flights was falling and they were adjusting schedules…Read More

Gay couple moves Kerala HC to strike down Special Marriage Act provisions

Special Marriage Act, 1954 only permits heterosexual (opposite sex) couples to get married

A gay couple has moved the Kerala High Court, seeking to strike down certain provisions under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which do not permit to get their marriage registered. Considering the writ petition by the petitioners on Monday, the court has sought the views of Central and state governments on the matter. The petitioners, a business man and an IT professional had met each other in May 2018 and fallen in love. After being in a relationship for two months, they decided to get hitched. In September last year, they got married in a private ceremony.

However, the religious authorities declined to solemnise the wedding and hence the couple decided to get their marriage registered under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which does not recognise homosexual marriages. In their plea, the gay couple stated thatit was aggrieved by the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954 whereby the law provided therein only permits a heterosexual (opposite sex) couple to get married and a homosexual couple like them is denied equal access to the institution of marriage.

They claim that the impugned provisions of the Act violate their fundamental rights and are thus “illegal and unconstitutional” to that extent. Seeking declarations in this connection and to obtain the relief for getting married under the Act, the writ petition was being moved jointly by the petitioners, who submitted that they have suffered public humiliation after they disclosed their love for each other…

Beating Retreat 2020: Tickets, timings, other details of the R-Day ceremony

Beating Retreat 2020: Tickets for the Beating Retreat 2020 are sold at various spots spread across Delhi. Here’s all you need to know

The Beating Retreat ceremony, organised at the Vijay Chowk on January 29 every year, marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations. The ceremony includes performance by the bands of three wings of the military – Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force at Raisina Hills. The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. What you must know about the ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony

The Beating Retreat ceremony marks a centuries-old military tradition when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat. The ceremony begins with the arrival of the President accompanied his bodyguards in their ceremonial dress. After the event, Prime Minister of India walks around the Vijay Chowk and greets the crowd.

This year, the Inter-services guard will be commanded by Wing Commander Vipul Goyal. The Air Force march will be led by Flight Lieutenant Shrikant Sharma and three other officers. The Air Force band is to have 72 musicians and 3 drum majors…Read More

China records first coronavirus death in Beijing as toll climbs to 106

Though cases of the virus have been confirmed in other countries, no fatalities have been reported outside China

The new strain of coronavirus spreading across China claimed its first victim in Beijing, officials said on Tuesday, as the death toll climbed to 106, the United States warned citizens against trips to the country and financial markets recoiled again at the potential impact on the world’s second-biggest economy.

Amid mounting concern about the virus on Chinese social media, the National Health Commission said in a statement that all but six of those killed by the previously unknown flu-like virus were in Wuhan, Hubei province. Though cases of the virus have been confirmed in other countries, no fatalities have been reported outside China. The city of 11 million, where the Coronavirus emerged late last year, is now under effective lockdown. Footage shared on China’s Twitter-like Weibo social media platform showed residents of apartment compounds in the city chanting “Wuhan, you can do it!” and singing the national anthem out of their windows.

Tuesday’s death toll was up from 81 as of the day before, while the number of total confirmed cases in China surged to 4,515 as of Jan. 27, from 2,835 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said. Global stocks fell, oil prices hit three-month lows, and China’s yuan dipped to its weakest level in 2020 as investors worried about damage to the economy from travel bans over the Lunar New Year holiday period, which China extended in a bid to keep people at home.

Budget 2020 Wishlist: Here are the key challenges for automobile sector

Like the last quarter, firms will focus across its value chain to ensure smooth transition to BS-VI

Sector snapshot

The FY20 year-to-date (April to December) domestic sales volumes in all vehicular segments witnessed a sharp decline with passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles reporting 16% and 21% drop, respectively. The key reason is subdued customer demand due to liquidity crunch and higher cost of finance and insurance. Like the last quarter, firms will focus across its value chain to ensure smooth transition to BS-VI.

Key challenges

Higher upfront cost: Customers are required to pay a higher upfront insurance premium for two – wheelers and four – wheelers and hence, sales volumes have dipped in these segments

Shift to BS-VI: The shift to BS-VI by April 2020 will be challenging for automakers as it will result in price increase which is likely to adversely impact demand

Liquidity crunch: The demand was impacted due to squeeze in the NBFC financing

Industry expectations

Reduction in GST rate applicable to automobiles to 18% from the current 28% to absorb the extra price impact of shift to BS-VI A cut in personal income tax rate will provide more disposable income in the hands of consumers, which could lead to automotive demand recovery…Keep Reading

Japan minister warns coronavirus outbreak may rattle profits, production

China is Japan’s second largest export destination and a huge market for its retailers

Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Tuesday warned that corporate profits and factory production might take a hit from the coronavirus outbreak in China that has rattled global markets and chilled confidence.

Asian stocks extended a global selloff as the outbreak in China, which has killed 106 people and spread to many countries, fuelled concern over the damage to the world’s second largest economy – an engine of global growth. “There are concerns over the impact to the global economy from the spread of infection in China, transportation disruptions, cancellation of group tours from China and an extention in the Lunar Holiday,” Nishimura told a news conference after a regular cabinet meeting.

“If the situation takes longer to subside, we’re concerned it could hurt Japanese exports, output and corporate profits via the impact on Chinese consumption and production,” he said. China is Japan’s second largest export destination and a huge market for its retailers. The Chinese make up 30% of all tourists visiting Japan and spent nearly 40% of the total sum foreign tourists used last year, an industry survey showed.

The outbreak could hit Japanese department stores, retailers and hotels, which count on a boost to sales from an inflow of Chinese tourists visiting during the Lunar Holiday. Automaker Honda Motor, which has three plants in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and the epicentre of the outbreak, plans to evacuate some staff..Keep Reading

Kejriwal supporting those who are breaking India: BJP prez J P Nadda

He also sought to know from those AAP national convener “whether acting against anti-nationals would hurt his vote bank”

BJP president J P Nadda on Monday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of “supporting those who want to break India”, as he raised the issue of AAP government not giving police the permission to prosecute ex-JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case.

He also sought to know from the AAP national convener “whether acting against anti-nationals would hurt his vote bank”. “Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and other anti-India forces raised seditious slogans like ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ in JNU. They were threatening to violate India’s sovereignty. Law enforcement agencies moved in, investigated the matter and in Jan 2019 were ready to file chargesheet,” Nadda tweeted.

“They (police) sought Kejriwal’s permission to prosecute this ‘tukde tukde’ gang but one year later, till yesterday, no permission was granted. Kejriwal must tell Delhi why is he supporting those who want to break India? Is it because acting against these anti-nationals will hurt his vote bank,” he wrote on the microblogging site.

In its campaign for the February 8 assembly polls in the national capital, the BJP has often raised the issue of the AAP government so far not grating the Delhi Police its nod to prosecute the accused in the case of raising seditious slogans in the Jawaharlal Nehru University….Read More