Morning Digest: Centre denies former MP’s claim of Chinese transgression, new wage code bars bonus for those facing sex abuse charges, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

The Pangong Tso lake is seen near the India-China border in Ladakh. File

Centre denies former MP’s claim of Chinese transgression

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has denied claims made by Ladakh’s former MP Thupstan Chhewang that the Chinese troops have further transgressed into Indian territory and occupied positions in Finger 2 and 3 of north bank of Pangong Tso (lake).

The importance of being Indian in America

Indian Americans, of whom there are 4.16 million (and just over 2.6 million U.S. citizens), comprise less than 1% of registered voters, but the group has gained prominence in the list of priorities of both the Donald Trump and Joe Biden campaigns as well as in “down ballot” contests.

Wages Code bars bonus for sexual harassment

The new Code, expected to become operational once the government notifies the rules, includes ‘conviction for sexual harassment’ as a ground for denying bonus payouts to employees.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa best governed States: report

In the small State category, Goa ranked first with 1.745 points, followed by Meghalaya (0.797) and Himachal Pradesh (0.725). The worst performers with negative points were Manipur (-0.363), Delhi (-0.289) and Uttarakhand (-0.277), says the report.

Coronavirus | We are at a critical juncture in fight against COVID-19; it’s time to be more alert, says WHO official

Now is the time to be even more alert. The pandemic is still not behind us. Our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 transmission needs to be more vigorous now, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia said.

Supreme Court issues ‘mirror order’ in child custody case

When a competent court in India passes a series of the conditions for the transfer of custody of a child to a parent living abroad, an identical or mirror order is passed by an equally competent court to ensure that the conditions of custody are met.

Crimes against journalists on the rise: International Press Institute

The IPI, which is an international network of editors, journalists and media executives, said its analysis of the cases had found the governments’ response “alarmingly insufficient”. Out of the 52 cases, arrests had been made in only 10 cases, five each in the Americas and Asia, it said.

Protesters clash with police over COVID-19 restrictions in Barcelona

Earlier, about 700 people staged a peaceful demonstration through one of the city's main streets. It follows similar disturbances sparked by those who deny the existence of the pandemic in Bilbao, in Spain, on Thursday and in cities across Italy on Monday.

Polish activists gather for new mass protest on abortion ban

Thousands of people were converging late on Friday on a downtown Warsaw roundabout, for what women’s rights activists vowed would be the largest in nine days of mass protests against a near-total ban on abortions in Poland. They chanted obscenities against the government.

Indian Premier League 2020 | Royals’ batting collective eclipses ‘Gaylestorm’, snaps Kings’ streak

The race for the playoffs remains wide open in IPL 2020. A magnificent chase by Rajasthan Royals against Kings XI Punjab at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday ensured as much.