Breaking: Rishi Sunak retains role as finance minister in UK cabinet reshuffle

UK finance minister Rishi Sunak will remain in his job, Boris Johnson’s office said on Wednesday, as the PM  reshuffled his cabinet of senior ministers.

President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Himachal Pradesh from September 16 to 19 during which he will address the special session of the state assembly, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. 

United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday invited CEOs and business leaders to discuss Covid-19 vaccine mandates. The meeting comes after Biden announced last week that the Labor Department is working to require that business with 100 or more employees order their workers to be fully vaccinated or submit a negative Covid-19 test report at least weekly. 

After seeing a little over 15,000 cases for the past two days, Kerala’s daily tally of Covid-19 went up again on Wednesday as 17,681 cases were recorded, taking the cumulative figures to 4,424,046. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla jointly launched the Sansad TV on Wednesday. 

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has submitted cash found at the residence of Amrullah Saleh, the first vice-president of the previous government and a number of previous high ranking government officials, to the Da Afghanistan Bank, an official statement said on Wednesday. 

A Tata Sons spokesperson told Hindustan Times on Wednesday that the company has submitted a financial bid for Air India. 

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), informed on Wednesday that Air India’s disinvestment process is in the concluding stage after transaction adviser received bids.  The deadline for the submission of the bids was today. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will carry out a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, a government source told news agency AFP, after questions over the performance of some of his ministers.

The changes would “put in place a strong a united team to build back better from the pandemic”, the source said

Iran has resumed regular flights to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan’s Kabul, news agency AFP reported on Wednesday citing state media. 

The swearing-in of Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel’s new cabinet will take place on Thursday at 1.30pm, according to the chief minister’s office (CMO). 

The Aam Aadmi Party announced on Tuesday that its leader SS Kaler will contest the upcoming assembly elections in Uttarakhand against state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Kaler, who was serving as AAP’s Uttarakhand chief till now, resigned from the post in order to fight the elections. 

Union minister Anurag Thakur announced on Wednesday that the Centre has approved production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for auto industry, auto-component industry, drone industry to enhance the country’s manufacturing capabilities. 

Between April 2020 — when Covid-19 first broke out in Dharavi — and June 2021, this Mumbai slum reported 717 deaths due to the infection, over 80% of which were among people above the age of 50. Read more

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday that the national capital earned 41 per cent less revenue last year due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. While, 23 per cent less revenue was earned in the current financial year, Sisodia added. 

West Bengal recorded the sharpest spike in crime against children in the last three years, says the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The state government in West Bengal extended restrictions and relaxations till September 30. All outdoor activities, including movement of people and vehicles shall be strictly prohibited between 11 pm-5 am except for health services, law & order, essential commodities and other emergency services.

India’s drugs regulator has granted permission to Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to conduct phase 3 clinical trials for Sputnik Light, the single dose and first component of the Russian made Sputnik V vaccine against Coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

South Korea says it has carried out its first underwater-launched missile test.

“Just like last year, there will be a complete ban on storage, sale, and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers this year too, in wake of the situation of pollution in Delhi during Diwali in the last three years,” tweets Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Lieutenant General (retd) Gurmit Singh, sworn-in as the new Governor of Uttarakhand. The oath of office was administered to Singh by the chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court Justice RS Chauhan at Raj Bhawan.

India has inoculated the highest number of beneficiaries with their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the world, the Union health ministry said, adding that with about 60.7% of the adult population in the country have received at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Read More

While rains in Odisha over the last 3 days have broken most records amid excess rainfall in 11 districts following a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, experts are concerned over climate change-induced weather-pattern shifts adversely affecting the state’s agriculture. Read More

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced that they have concluded post-marketing surveillance (PMS) study on Favipiravir (FabiFlu) in over 1000 Covid-19 patients, findings reinforce the drug’s safety and efficacy in real-world settings.

China has assured the Taliban government in Afghanistan that Beijing respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not interfere in its internal affairs.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Joe Biden at White House later this month, both the countries will have shed the monkey called Pakistan off their backs as American direct engagement with Af-Pak region has ended since erstwhile Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in the winter of 1979.

One more accused has been arrested from Thane in connection with a case of gang rape of a minor girl. The arrested accused has been sent to police custody for 7 days, informes Pune City Police in Maharashtra.  A total of 17 persons has been arrested so far in this case.

India’s Covid-19 was increased by 27,176 on Wednesda. The number of daily deaths was at 284 and the death toll now stands at 443,497. The tally has reached 33,316,755.

Sensex rises 64.24 points to 58,311.33 in opening session; Nifty advances 22.05 points to 17,402.05.