India News Live Updates: Minimum temperature settles above normal in Delhi – The Economic Times

China’s luxury shoppers free to travel, but many buy locally

China’s scrapping of travel curbs this month is expected to revive demand in the global luxury retail market, but many consumers see more reasons to do their high-end shopping locally on the tax-free island of Hainan. On Wednesday, thousands of travelers in Hainan’s Sanya city packed the CDF Mall, a shopping centre dedicated to duty free stores, where they stocked up on cosmetics and handbags while on break for the Lunar New Year Holiday.

Boeing to be arraigned in court over two Max jet crashes

Boeing representatives and relatives of some of the passengers killed in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets will meet face-to-face in a Texas courtroom Thursday, where the aerospace giant will be arraigned on a criminal charge that it thought it had settled two years ago. In a brief filed Wednesday, lawyers for the families accused Boeing of committing “the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.”

Union Minister Gadkari meets Japanese delegation over sustainable infrastructure development

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari held a meeting with the Japanese delegation led by Masafumi Mori, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, and discussed plans on road transport and logistics service-related road infrastructure. The meeting was also attended by the co-chairman of the Joint Committee Meeting for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Rail Project, in the presence of Hiroshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, in New Delhi on Wednesday evening, a statement from the ministry of road transport and highways said.

India reports 132 new Covid cases, active cases decline to 1,906

India saw a single-day rise of 132 new coronavirus infections, while active cases declined to 1,906, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4,46,82,338. The death toll stood at 5,30,738 with one previous death reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.08 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 0.08 per cent.

IBM to cut 3,900 jobs as it reorganizes business

IBM will slash some 3,900 jobs, slightly more than one percent of its workforce, related to businesses it has divested, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday. The computing company based in New York state did not talk of job cuts in its quarterly earnings report published Wednesday, however, nor in a call with analysts to discuss the financial results. IBM said it would take a one-time $300 million charge in its first quarter this year, which the source said was related to the layoffs.

Goa: Indian Coast Guard rescues three fishermen from distressed boat

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ‘Apoorva’ successfully rescued three fishermen who had wandered due to flooding off Goa on Thursday, it said in a release. The three Indian fishermen were rescued from the fishing boat Sea Queen in distress due to flooding off Goa, it added. According to the statement, the fishermen were provided first aid and handed over to the fisheries department. Further details are awaited.

Businessman shot at by miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur

A businessman was injured after being shot at by unidentified miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur district, the police said on Thursday. The firing incident took place in the Dhekiajuli Mitham area on Wednesday night. The injured person has been identified as Nirbhas Karmakar. He was rushed to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, officials said. According to police, the injured person is the owner of a jewellery shop.

Myanmar opium cultivation surges 33% amid violence

The production of opium in Myanmar has flourished since the military’s seizure of power, with the cultivation of poppies up by a third in the past year as eradication efforts have dropped off and the faltering economy has led more people toward the drug trade, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday. In 2022, in the first full growing season since the military wrested control of the country from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, Myanmar saw a 33% increase in cultivation area to 40,100 hectares (99,090 acres), according to the report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Japan’s top finance diplomat calls Ukraine responses G7 top priority

Japan, as this year’s G7 chair, expects Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate talks this year among the world’s major advanced economies, its top finance diplomat, Masato Kanda, told Reuters. “Sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine will be a top priority at G7 finance track under Japan’s chair,” Kanda, who will oversee deputy-level negotiations on economic policy among the Group of Seven (G7) nations this year, said in an interview.

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban

Facebook parent Meta said Wednesday it will restore former President Donald Trump ‘s personal account in the coming weeks, ending a two-year suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The company said in a blog post it is adding “new guardrails” to ensure there are no “repeat offenders” who violate its rules, even if they are political candidates or world leaders. “The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box,” wrote Nick Clegg, Meta’s vice president of global affairs.

Tata Motors back in black after 7 quarters, posts Rs 3,043 in profit

Tata Motors has posted Rs 3,043 as net profit for the quarter ended December 2022. The automobile firm had been incurring loss for seven consecutive quarters, it has been learnt. Its revenue went up 22.5 per cent to Rs 88,500 crore, the company said, adding that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) was 11.1 per cent whereas its Ebit was 4.4 per cent. The company in a statement shared with exchanges said Tata Motors’ consumer vehicle business’ revenue grew 22.5 per cent to Rs 16,900 crore whereas its Ebitda was at 8.4 per cent. It also said its passenger vehicle business’ revenue jumped 37.4 per cent to Rs 11,700 crore whereas its Ebitda was 6.9 per cent.

US, Germany announce tanks for Ukraine as battle intensifies

The United States and Germany on Wednesday announced deliveries of top-of-the-line tanks to Ukraine, sweeping aside their longstanding misgivings and signaling a new surge of Western support for an expected counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. In a televised address, President Joe Biden promised 31 Abrams tanks, one of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons in the US army. Shortly before, Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave the green light to Germany sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks, a decision that opens the floodgates to several other European countries armed with Leopards to send their own contributions.

Minimum temperature settles above normal in city

Delhiites woke up to a foggy morning on Thursday, even as the minimum temperature settled at 12.8 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season’s average. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius, an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said. According to the data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 278 (poor category).