Daily News Summaries

INDIA India reported nearly 91 thousand fresh Covid cases yesterday as its case tally crossed 42 lakh. With the record jump, the country took the number two position on the global map by overtaking Brazil and now only behind the US. At its current pace though it shouldn't be long before it claims number one. Nearly a fourth of India’s cases are in Maharashtra. However, India can find a silver lining in its lower casualty numbers. The country's biggest Covid care facility with over ten thousand beds in Bengaluru is being shut down next week. Not because cases have dropped but because the government moved to allow home isolation of most Covid patients thereby cutting the admission demand. Covid restrictions continued to ease with metro services reopened across the country after over five months. Bengaluru police said that they seized 250 kilos of marijuana and other drugs in one the biggest hauls in the city, as the country turns up the heat on the pot, after it failed to curb the pandemic. Collections are up in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam which received over one crore in daily revenue on Saturday, crossing the threshold for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Vodafone Idea launched a new integrated brand – VI – to unify the merger of Vodafone and Idea from two years ago. Former ICICI Bank MD-CEO Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate yesterday for money laundering in connection with the Videocon loan case. Kangana Ranaut has been given Y-plus category security by the central Home Ministry. 10 armed commandos will now guard her. Because she’s apparently in grave danger. Because she speaks the truth, allegedly. On a completely unrelated note, she is an outspoken ‘fan of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’. UNITED STATES The Trump hit a roadblock as Saudi king said he will not normalize ties with Israel unless Palestine is given a fair and permanent solution. As the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia along with several Arab countries does not recognize Israel. However, the Trump administration has been pushing for normalizing ties in historic deals, that was kicked off with the UAE deal this year. Osama bin Laden's niece Noor bin Laden pledged her support for President Trump for the Presidential elections. “I admire this man's resolve”, she told the New York Post. “ISIS proliferated under the Obama/Biden administration, leading to them coming to Europe. Trump has shown he protects America and us by extension from foreign threats by obliterating terrorists at the root and before they get a chance to strike,” the 33-year-old said. Noor was born in Switzerland, where she currently lives. Amazon banned the sale of foreign plants in the US after the thousands of suspicious packages of ‘Chinese’ seeds were received by Americans around the country. Agricultural authorities are investigating the deliveries. Reported WSJ. In Las Vegas, a woman Xin Liu allegedly killed her 3-month-old baby by throwing him from the top of the stairs. She was reportedly depressed and was acting erratically, even trying to stab her own self around the time of the incident. AROUND THE WORLD For the first time ever, China showcased its Coronavirus vaccines. The vials were kept on display at a Beijing trade fair. A viral video showed Hong Kong police tackling a 12-year-old girl to the ground and arresting her amid protests against the city's delayed parliamentary elections. The video sparked outrage attracting sharp criticism for police brutality. Reported The Telegraph. Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open after he accidentally hit a lineswoman with a ball, which is an open default under the rules. Djokovic said he was ‘extremely sorry’. Pierre Gasly won the Italian Grand Prix for Alpha Tauri, becoming the first French F1 winner since 1996. The vice president of the International Olympic Committee said that the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead

INDIA India recorded over 86 thousand fresh Covid infections yesterday, its highest yet. The case tally crossed 40 lakh including 31 lakh recoveries and 69 thousand casualties. Maharashtra recorded its highest daily jump of over 19 thousand COvid infections. The country took 110 days to go from 0 to 10 lakh cases, 21 days to go from 10 to 20 lakh cases, 16 days to go from 20 to 30 lakh cases, and 13 days to go from 30 to 40 lakh cases. It’s worthy to note that the country’s effective lockdown was imposed in the first stint, and eased as infections rose at record numbers. The Union Health Ministry approved an on-demand test for Coronavirus that people can get without a prescription by a registered medical practitioner. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in Moscow on Friday. Singh reportedly told Fenghe to strictly respect the Line of Actual Control and not attempt to change its status quo unilaterally. On Saturday, Singh met his counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to promote bilateral defence cooperation with the Central Asian countries. Singh is on a 3-day visit to Moscow to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. BJP president Nadda insisted that India imposed a 'bold' and 'timely' lockdown. Further, the PM Modi led government turned the economic tragedy into an opportunity. The brilliant and absolutely accurate remarks came in light of India’s record GDP numbers (a record low). The finance ministry said India is witnessing a 'sharp V-shaped recovery'. “Ours is a listening Government”, said Union Minister Piyush Goyal insisting that his government is doing wonders for the country's industries. Union minister Nitin Gadkari requested the country's auto industry to discourage imports and go local. Because India's local talent is high. “We can make the Indian automobile industry, within five years, as a number one automobile manufacturing hub in the world.” Shortly after India banned China's PUBG because China is bad, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar launched an atmanirbhar alternative – FAU G – playing on the narrative of standing up for the country's military. (It's a mobile game.) Indian conglomerate ITC's chairman Sanjiv Puri said that the 'near term outlook remains uncertain' and that local lockdowns were adversely impacting the bounce-back of the economic recovery. West Bengal announced a financial aid of ₹2 lakh to single-screen cinema halls which suffered property damage due to the recent cyclone, Amphan. A group of real estate developers in Maharashtra (Naredco) announced that they have waived off stamp duty registration charges for over 1000 housing projects by fronting it themselves in a bid to ramp up the subdued demand in light of the pandemic. 'There is a limit' to raising taxes on liquor, petrol and diesel, said Delhi DyCM Manish Sisodia. The route is a very commonly used easy route for many state governments looking to find cash while their revenues remain dry much like most businesses. Reported Mint. In a bid to digitize India, the government moved to ban government departments from printing calendars, diaries, greeting cards, coffee table books “as the world is increasingly moving towards adopting digital force”. UNITED STATES 52% of young American adults were living with their parents in July, the highest ever on record. Experts believe the only time the proportion might have been higher is the Great Depression of the 1930s. Young adults aged 18 to 29 years old have been adversely impacted by the pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn. Reported CNN. For the first time, US officials approved a design for a small commercial nuclear reactor, and a Utah energy cooperative wants to build 12 of them in Idaho. Reported AP. Seattle man Michael Flor recovered from Coronavirus after shedding 40 pounds and spending 62 days at a hospital. What makes his story noteworthy is his medical bill – a 181-page bill totalling $1.1 million. Over 7,000 col

INDIA India recorded over 83 fresh daily Covid infections yesterday, as the case tally rose to 39.3 lakhs including 68 thousand casualties. Maharashtra alone reported 18 thousand fresh cases, its highest ever. Delhi reported 2.7 thousand fresh cases, its highest in over two months. China's media outlet Global Times' editor-in-chief claimed that there's been significant progress toward a meeting between the defence ministers of India and China, as they look to ease the rising tensions at their disputed border in Ladakh. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that 75% of the JEE candidates in the state could not write the exam on September 1, a date that the Central government pushed despite strong opposition. The Supreme Court dismissed pleas of six states seeking to postpone NEET & JEE. India is cracking down on drugs. Because of Sushant Singh Rajput. And because drugs are evil. On Friday, Bengaluru police arrested actress Ragini Dwivedi for allegedly using marijuana. As part of the Reliance deal, Future Group founder Kishore Biyani has agreed to stay away from foraying into the retail business for the next 15 years. He will, however, continue to retain control of HomeTown, a furniture retail store as Reliance is yet to grab that pie. Oyo’s Ritesh Agarwal said that in light of the pandemic, consumers will shy away from large hotels and go small: “Small hotels are going to be in vogue. In my view, small is going to be the new big, wherein people will rethink a lot about going back to that 1,000-room hotel versus going to a 40-room niche hotel.” Amid a muted demand for hotel bookings, luxury hotel operators are pinning their hopes on weddings. With covid restrictions allowing only a maximum of 100 attendees for weddings, many families are preferring luxury hotels over large convention centres. Bloomberg reported that Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is considering a possible acquisition of TikTok's India operations. A woman has been accused of marrying 8 senior citizens over the last 10 years and scamming them of their valuables, money and jewellery. In Chennai, an 18-year-old girl is accused of running over and killing a 68-year-old security guard in her Audi and then going home to sleep on Wednesday night. After police confronted her with her gruesome CCTV footage, she said she did not notice that he was there. UNITED STATES President Trump disparaged members of the US military members who were captured or killed in actions as “losers” and “suckers”, reported The Atlantic. He allegedly called late military leader John McCain a 'loser' and added 'we're not going to support that loser's funeral'. Trump quickly dismissed the report as “totally false”. In Kenosha Wisconsin, Blue Lives Matter supporters were arrested with weapons including an AR-15, a shotgun, dagger, saw and handguns, after police received information about a possible shooting, according to the Department of Justice. 52 Black former franchise owners are suing McDonald’s for alleged racial discrimination by steering them to depressed, crime-ridden neighbourhoods and setting them up for failure. Reported Reuters. Russia is actively trying to undermine voters' faith in the US electoral system and especially in voting by mail ahead of the November 3 election, according to a Department of Homeland Security analysis Thursday. Reported AFP. A Rochester police officer arrested a Black Lives Matter for 'being an idiot'. In the US, more cops have died from Coronavirus this year than all other causes combined. Former wrestler turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson said that he and his entire family contracted and recovered from Coronavirus. Tyler Perry, a ‘dirt poor’ highschool dropout, became America's latest billionaire. “Ownership changes everything... Because I own everything, my returns are higher”, Perry said to Forbes. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who banned indoor dining in the city, was spotted dining at an indoor restaurant in Maryland. Foll

INDIA India recorded nearly 84 thousand fresh daily Covid infections, its highest yet. The world's highest, too. Case tally rose to 38.5 lakh while recoveries rose by over 68 thousand to 29.7 lakh. Deaths crossed 67 thousand. Prime Minister Shri Shri Narendra Modijhi's personal website’s Twitter account was hacked. The hacker appealed to the followers of the great leader to donate money with crypto currency. While the Indian government unleashed perhaps the world's strictest Covid lockdown and provided a stimulus among the lowest globally, industrialist Anand Mahindra weighed in saying the country needs a ‘whatever it takes’ approach in order to rejuvenate businesses. India's services PMI measured by IHS Markit contracted in August, for the sixth consecutive month as demand continues to be subdued and the government continues to be reluctant to stimulate. 'Be atma-nirbhar', they say. India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman instructed banks to roll out their debt resolution plans by September 15 for reviving industries adversely affected by the pandemic. Amid the ongoing interest waiver hearing, the Supreme Court passed an interim order to lenders stating that they cannot declare accounts as NPAs until further notice. Petitioners have requested the interest accumulated amid the RBI's 6 month moratorium period to be waived off. While the government and the RBI have been reluctant as it would make the world go upside down. Following the Supreme Court's order on AGR dues, Mint reported that US cos Amazon and Verizon are going to resume talks to invest over $4 billion in the ailing Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd. UNITED STATES Trump is winning the vaccine debate with public health experts, reported Bloomberg. A US appeals court ruled that the mass surveillance program exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden was unlawful. Snowden is facing espionage charges in the US after he blew the whistle on mass surveillance programs in 2013, and is currently living in Russia. The oil industry has asked the United States to pressure Kenya to change its world-leading stance against the plastic waste that litters Africa, according to environmentalists who fear the continent will be used as a dumping ground. Reported AP. Facebook said that its investigations found that Russian influencers took the pretense of a news outlet to target left wing voters in the US and UK. Facebook said the operation was linked to individuals who are believed to have also influenced the 2016 presidential election and are trying to do so this time around too. Further, Twitter suspended accounts linked to the same group. New Jersey passed a new legislation making it a crime to call 911 on the basis of someone's race, religion, gender in order to frame them using false charges. They could even face time in prison. The bill came in light of raising concerns where some people would harass innocent black people by calling 911 and making false claims. AROUND THE WORLD For 100 days in a row, Thailand reported zero locally transmitted Covid infections, joining the elite group of nations which have virtually eliminated the virus. After a Japanese ship ran ashore and caused a massive oil spill in Mauritius, the Mauritius government has requested Japan to pay $34 million to support the local fishermen suffering from the leak. Fishing is banned in waters polluted by oil spills. The Pentagon told Congress that China is steadily stockpiling nuclear weapons and is on its way to double its arsenal in the next decade. The US and Russia have around 3-4 thousand warheads each in their stockpile while Beijing's current estimate is in the 200s. In Iran, the Supreme Court awarded two death sentences for Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari and 74 lashes for participating in protests against the regime in 2018. His brothers have been given prison sentences and 74 lashes each. Animals Lebanon, an animal rescue organization reunited over 100 pets with their owne

INDIA India recorded 78 thousand fresh cases yesterday as the case tally rose to 37.69 lakh including 29 lakh recoveries and 66 thousand deaths. Silver lining – India’s testing has scaled up to record numbers with over a million tests being conducted every day. Further, the positivity rate – the proportion of people found positive among total tests – has declined. A serosurvey across the Greater Chennai area suggests that one in every five people have been exposed to Coronavirus. Noida MLA and BJP Uttar Pradesh vice president Pankaj Singh tested positive for Coronavirus on Tuesday and was subsequently admitted into a hospital. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tested positive for Covid. The tourist state also reported its highest single-day jump in Covid infections, with 588 new positive tests taking its case tally to 18 thousand. An Indian special forces soldier was killed amid clashes between India and China at the disputed Ladakh border. Reported AFP. India banned 118 more Chinese apps including the widely popular game app PUBG. Australia appointed former Australian opener Matthew Hayden as its trade envoy to India. Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina, after abruptly quitting IPL last week, broke his silence on the violent incident that his family faced back home: “What happened to my family is Punjab was beyond horrible. My uncle was slaughtered to death, my bua & both my cousins had severe injuries. Unfortunately, my cousin also passed away last night after battling for life for days.” A local court in Bihar issued a stay order against Netflix's new web series Bad Boy Billionaires. The video streaming platform describes it as an “investigative documentary series that explores the greed, fraud and corruption that built up – and ultimately brought down – India’s most infamous tycoons”. Down South, a Hyderabad court restrained the release of the series after a plea by Ramalinga Raju. Raju is the former chairman of Satyam Computer Services, accused of defrauding thousands of crores and is part of the Netflix series. In order to minimise physical contact amid the pandemic, AirAsia announced to start charging customers an extra fee to check-in at the airport counters. Separately, the budget airline is on razor-thin financials and struggling to survive. Car sales jumped in double digits in August, amid rising demand from rural India and inventory build-up for the upcoming festive season. UNITED STATES The US said that it will not join global efforts to find a vaccine for Coronavirus as the coalition is led by the World Health Organization. “We will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China,” said a White House spokesman. If you can't make your rent, Trump's got you covered. The Trump administration extended the renter evictions stoppage till the end of 2020, as millions of Americans were facing a looming eviction amid the pandemic. Tens of thousands of loans worth billions of dollars may have been subject to fraud, waste and abuse in the $659 billion taxpayer-funded programs aimed at helping small U.S. businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released by Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday. Reported Reuters. In Dallas, a man shot dead his wife and two children as they were being too loud. The 57-year-old man confessed to the murder by calling 911 an hour after he shot them. Ride-hailing platform Uber said that it will make mask slackers upload selfies wearing a mask if a Uber driver reports that the rider wasn't wearing a mask. The move will be effected in the US and Canada. For the third straight month, US factory orders rose. Michael Jordan joined fantasy sports/ betting platform DraftKings as an investor and advisor. SIZING UP US tech giant Apple’s shares rallied over the last couple of days as the company’s market cap soared past $2.3 trillion, officially topping the market cap of the entire FTSE 100, an index comprising Lond

INDIAFor the first time in five months, India’s manufacturing output expanded in August, led by domestic demand as lockdowns continued to ease around the country. The IHS Markit Manufacturing PMI jumped to 52 in August from July’s 46. Central government declared a seven-day state mourning from August 31 to September 6 on the demise of former president Pranab Mukherjee. The Supreme Court ruled on AGR dues for telecom operators ordering them to pay 10% of the dues upfront and giving them 10 years to pay the rest of the amount. However, any default will attract interest, penalty and contempt of court. Following the ruling, Reliance and Airtel shares jumped while Vodafone Idea shares slumped. Some analysts fear the Vodafone Idea will have to shut shop without a bailout. Bars and pubs reopened in Karnataka yesterday, after over five minutes with practically no sales. While the hospitality industry suffered from revenue loss, the government suffered too as excise collections make up a large chunk of its revenue – leaving them no option at last. Japan will extend an emergency loan of up to 50 billion Yen to aid India's fight against the pandemic, particularly in healthcare, a senior official said on Monday. Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking for “country-specific Community Guidelines” that will “respect the social, religious, cultural and linguistic diversity of India”. Because Zuckerberg is the one who publishes the guidelines. Facebook's got no other employees. It's all Zuckerberg. Prasad's letter came after news reports saying certain Facebook employees were strongly opposed to the ideologies of Prime Minister Shri Shri Modijhi and his Cabinet ministers. Maybe you can see why? Separately, on a completely unrelated note, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad is a law graduate from Patna University and is the minister in charge of India's Electronics and Information Technology among other portfolios in the Modijhi cabinet. ALL PAIN NO GAIN India paid the price of coronavirus lockdown for little reward, reported Bloomberg. The country touted to become a world economic superpower has set back by years, as its strict Covid induced lockdown plummeted its GDP by a record 23.9% last quarter. However, the economy was already in trouble before the pandemic hit, with a massive liquidity crunch hitting the financial industry last year. The lockdown, intended to keep the pandemic at bay, didn’t work either. With cases setting world records as the country is now vying with Brazil to claim the second spot behind the US. It’s imminent to note that the National Statistical Office which publishes GDP data, said that lockdown restrictions had an impact “on the data collection mechanisms” – meaning the actual fall in GDP may be worse than the 23.9% reported. It’s officially the first time the country’s economy has contracted, let alone by 23.9%. Among major economies too, India led the way of falling the steepest: China was the only country to buck the trend with a 3.2% growth. THE US The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it granted Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones – an “important step” Amazon says to bring home your next package from the sky. Elon Musk passed Mark Zuckerberg yesterday to become the world's third-richest man with a net worth of $115.4 billion as Tesla's stock split fueled its never-ending rally. On Monday, Apple and Tesla share splits came into effect making their shares more affordable for retail investors. The split led to such a massive surge in trading that some brokerages reported service outages. A Black man who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 80 years in prison was released last week after a federal court ruled that he was a victim of “extreme and continuous police misconduct”. The North Carolina man, Ronnie Long, who had spent 44 years in prison couldn’t believe the news when he first heard it – “You serious?”, he exclaimed. THE DONALD Investo

INDIA India recorded over 61 thousand fresh Covid infections yesterday as the case tally topped 31 lakh. Deaths rose to 75,542 while recoveries rose to 32,38,035. After a seven hour long Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, party chief Sonia Gandhi concluded to continue as the chief of India's grand old party. The meeting kicked off with Gandhi offering to resign from her post as senior party leaders demanded a resignation. In fact, many leaders urged her son Rahul Gandhi to reclaim the top post. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar tested positive for coronavirus. Karnataka removed its mandatory 14 day quarantine rule for interstate travellers as well as its medical check ups. All Chinese FDI proposals (about 175) have been put on hold in India, pending security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Reported Economic Times. India is vetting their proposals considering whether their money is worth it. The Supreme Court reserved its order on recovering the AGR dues of insolvent telcos, stating that bankrupt telecom firms have to pay their AGR dues to the government while they are unable to clear their bank liabilities even. Gujarat based Adani Group is in talks with GVK to acquire its stake in the Mumbai International Airport, a week after the CBI charged the GVK Group with money laundering. UNITED STATES Trump announced an emergency authorization of plasma therapy treatment for Coronavirus patients. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before the House Oversight Committee Monday and grew increasingly defensive as Democrats asked pointed questions about delayed US Postal Service mail delivery. DeJoy denied that policies he implemented had a major effect on mail delivery times, stating that all he had done was reshuffle the organization and attempt to have the Postal Service trucks run on schedule. Reported NBC. Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway is resigning from her position while her husband George Conway will step away from the Lincoln Project. In the state of Iowa, a child died from Coronavirus – becoming the state's first victim of a minor amid the Covid pandemic as schools reopen. Protests broke out in Wisconsin after a video showed police officers shooting a Black man multiple times in his back. The 29 year old Jacob Blake is in serious condition at a hospital in Milwaukee. In Detroit, a 20 year old 'dead woman' was found breathing at a funeral home leaving everyone perplexed. TikTok said they “simply have no choice” but to sue the Trump administration over Donald Trump's executive order banning its transaction in the United States citing that it has “taken extraordinary measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok’s US user data.” Apple – the world's most valuable public company – worth over $2 trillion – split its shares 4:1, as the firm hopes to make its skyrocketing stocks (trading over $500 a piece now) more affordable for the ordinary folk. Popular video conferencing platform Zoom's service is reportedly having a widespread outage in the US. AROUND THE WORLD A former aide to South Korea's president alleged that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has fallen into a coma and that his sister has control over the administration while the country is parading fake pictures of the leader to deceive the world. South Korea, a country held up as a model for its response to Covid-19, is on the brink of a new nationwide outbreak, according to officials. The latest outbreak of coronavirus cases centred around a right-wing Presbyterian church has spread to all 17 provinces throughout the country for the first time. Reported BBC. In Belarus, over 100,000 protesters gathered to demand the resignation of Europe’s last dictator Alexander Lukashenko – their President – as dissent continued to rise against his allegedly rigged Presidential election. Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is reportedly in a critical but stable condition at a hospital in Germany where he was airlifte

INDIA Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan patted his government's efforts on the pandemic – “our fatality rate... is really low and we have probably the best recovery rate in the world”, he said. “Great achievement”, he added. Really great doc. Following reports that Serum Institute will launch its Covid vaccine in 73 days, the firm clarified that the reports are false and that the vaccine will be released only after successful completion of trials. State Bank of India has launched a doorstep ATM service where customers can send SBI a Whatsapp message to get cash delivered home. Amid a dead market, India's multiplex operators such as PVR, INOX and Carnival are looking to put up drive-in cinemas to blow some life into their business. The government released standard operating procedures for shooting of films and TV programs so they can resume work in the wake of the pandemic. Amid a lakh of advertising regulations, liquor makers are running ads on over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platforms amid the pandemic. Unlike traditional outlets like films or television, the OTT platforms do not have specific restrictions yet. An under construction flyover crashed in Gurugram, injuring two people. In BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh, a man was arrested for allegedly posting morphed images and comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modijhi. Because you can’t do that to Modijhi. In Bengaluru, the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested a man for allegedly ordering 750 ecstasy pills online from Germany. He allegedly peddled the psychoactive drug to college kids. Sushant Singh Rajput’s housekeeper claimed that he rolled up marijuana joints for Sushant on the day he died, and was a habitual user. After his death, the box was empty, he added. Reported India Today. In Hyderabad, police filed a 42 page FIR after a 25 year old woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted 5,000 times by 139 people over the last ten years. AROUND THE WORLD The world’s Covid death tally topped 800 thousand. Nearly 5,900 people are dying every 24 hours – one death every fifteen seconds. The World Health Organization hopes the coronavirus pandemic will be shorter than the 1918 Spanish flu and last less than two years, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, if the world unites and succeeds in finding a vaccine. Reported Reuters. Italy reported over a thousand fresh Covid infections on Saturday, its highest jump since easing lockdown restrictions in May. However, the country's Health Minister said that the government is not considering a new lockdown to slow infections. President Trump's sister Maryanne Trump Barry slammed her brother as 'cruel' and a 'liar' on secretly made recordings that were obtained by the Washington Post. “He has no principles. None”, she added. Coronavirus infections from at least three different states have been linked to South Dakota's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The rally drew hundreds of thousands of attendees in early August, despite warnings from local authorities that it might spurt a rise in infections. US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden extended Ganesha Chaturthi wishes – “To everyone celebrating the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in the U.S., India, and around the world, may you overcome all obstacles, be blessed with wisdom, and find a path toward new beginnings,” he tweeted. Several police officers have quit the force in Belarus, as protests continue against the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko, who allegedly rigged the recent elections. Several protestors have disappeared too. Some disappeared protestors have been found dead with voices alleging foul play by Lukashenko’s administration. Recently, a director of a history museum was found dead, after he refused to sign a falsified electoral protocol favoring Lukashenko. Taiwan broadcasted a video of its troops using missiles to fend off attacks from Chinese mainland on the Taiwan Strait. Its defence ministry warned that any Chinese invasion attempt will

INDIA India reported its highest daily jump in Covid infections after nearly 70 thousand people tested positive in 24 hours yesterday. Case tally rose to 29.75 lakh while deaths rose to 55,794. India conducted over 10 lakh tests in a single day on Friday, its highest yet, said the Union Health Ministry. Daily recoveries hit a record high of over 62 thousand. Bharat Biotech got a nod from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to test the administration of its Covid vaccine ‘Covaxin’ through skin, as opposed to its current intramuscular route. India has stepped up scrutiny on visas issued to Chinese nationals amid rising tensions between the two Asian countries. Chinese businessmen, academics, special interest groups, consultants, industry experts will require a pre approved security clearance, reported Bloomberg. Partnerships between Indian universities and Chinese institutions are likely to be discontinued too. The government appointed Ashwani Bhatia as the new Managing Director in State Bank of India. As Indian equity markets continue to rally, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das warned that the buoyant stock market needs to correct itself as it is “definitely disconnected with the real economy”. Remember Tablighi Jamaat? The Muslim congregation in Delhi that many blamed for Coronavirus infections in India. The event was conveniently politicized with multiple actions being initiated against the attendees. On Friday however, the Bombay High Court provided relief by dismissing FIRs registered against 29 foreigners for attending the event. “A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic”, it noted. CCTV footage captured a rat causing a fire at a Hyderabad office in February, leading to a loss of one crore rupees. ASIA In Japan, a heatwave raging across the country has taken at least 79 lives in the capital Tokyo this month, with thousands seeking emergency treatment at hospital for heat strokes. The city’s health agency requested people to turn on their air conditioners – it’s not worth keeping them off when your life’s at stake. Saudi Arabia’s state oil company has suspended a deal to build a $10 billion refining and petrochemicals complex in China, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company slashes spending to cope with low oil prices. Reported Bloomberg. Bloomberg reported that Japan, Australia and India are working on a trilateral supply chain pact to reduce their dependence on China, amid growing differences. Pakistan's Railway Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that Pakistan's got nuclear weapons that are so perfect that when they attack India, will not kill any Indian Muslims Pakistan admitted that a wanted underworld don – Dawood Ibrahim – is living in Karachi, its largest city. The government said it imposed financial sanctions on him and several other terrorist leaders living in the country, as it looks to avoid getting blacklisted by the FATF. UNITED STATES President Trump said that he will send in law enforcement to polling booths in the upcoming Presidential election in order to avoid fraud. “We're going to have sheriffs, and we're going to have law enforcement, and we're going to have, hopefully, U.S. attorneys, and we're going to have everybody, and attorney generals”, said Trump on Fox News. Critics lashed out saying the President has no legal grounds to make it happen. Huge wildfires are blazing through California, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Over 12 thousand firefighters are battling the fires which have claimed at least six lives. Several states have sent help while the Governor also requested assistance from Australia and Canada. A former US military captain Peter Debbins has been arrested for allegedly sharing classified information with the Russian military intelligence agency for over 10 years in the 2000s. In Arizona, a 28 year old man Ramon Timothy Lopez died after police restrained him on hot tarmac for six minutes in 100

INDIA Across the country, nearly 69 thousand fresh Covid infections were recorded yesterday as the case tally crossed 29 lakh. Deaths rose to nearly 55 thousand with 21.58 lakh recoveries. A record 62 thousand plus Covid patients recovered from the illness yesterday. Amid rising bankruptcies, the Supreme Court said that they're worried that AGR dues owed by Reliance Communications, Aircel and Videocon may get completely wiped out and the government will be left with practically nothing. Mall, amusement and theme park owners have now written to Amit Shah to allow them to reopen their businesses which have been shut since March. The businesses have had practically zero revenue while recurring costs such as salaries, maintenance, interest, electricity charges continue to pile on and PM Modi continues to speech. It's a bit hard to be atma nirbhaar (self-reliant) when you’re not even allowed to open shop. Separately, the government's atma nirbhaar initiative in the form of a credit guarantee scheme to aid MSMEs has only disbursed one third of its ₹3 trillion target. Banks have only disbursed ₹1 trillion from the scheme that was launched three months ago to help small businesses in India. In comparison, a Covid small business loan scheme (Paycheck Protection Program) in the US was depleted within days, leading to a subsequent round of additional funding. Maharashtra reported its highest single-day jump of 14,492 Covid infections on Thursday. Joining the likes of Punjab and Assam, Delhi lifted restrictions allowing restaurants and hotels to finally serve alcohol. However, bars will continue to remain closed. Restaurants in the national capital have been open since June, but were kept dry. In a bid to stop the spread of Covid infections, Kerala banned the sale of fishes on the roadside. The practice is very commonplace in the coastal state due to low prices. Gurugram's state Haryana moved to shut all offices and shops on Saturdays and Sundays to control the surge in Covid infections. Yes, because cases rise on weekends! UNITED STATES 77 year old Joe Biden accepted the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. “Too much anger, too much fear, too much division. Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I'll be an ally of the light, not the darkness. It's time for us — for we the people — to come together,” he said. American pharma giant Pfizer announced that it’s Covid Vaccine is likely to seek regulatory approval in October, following which it can ramp up supply of a hundred million doses by the end of the year. The United States halted the approval of blood plasma therapy in treating Covid patients – a treatment that is one of India’s favorites against the pandemic. Sufficient research and publications is yet to be released to support the controversial treatment, while India claims it has shown positive results. US existing home sales jumped by almost 25% last month, reported the National Association of Realtors. In the month before too, sales rose, as the housing market emerges victorious contrary to earlier predictions. Just as Lyft and Uber were planning to suspend their services in California, a state appeals court on Thursday ruled that they can continue to operate normally. The state's labor law enacted in January mandated the raid hiling companies to treat their workers as employees, which the firms said would make it impossible for them to continue their operations. Facebook founder CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned by the FTC as part of its antitrust probe. Home sharing platform Airbnb banned all house parties globally on its properties as it looks to limit large gatherings amid the pandemic. The closure of bars and nightclubs have led to a surge in house parties, said the company. If you were experiencing problems with sending or receiving emails on Thursday, Google might have the answer. Gmail was down globally, confirmed Google. Te