GST Council cuts tax rate on COVID-19 essentials
The Goods and Services Tax has been waived for two critical drugs against COVID-19 and black fungus, Tocilizumab and Amphotericin B, while tax rates have been reduced to 5% on 14 major pandemic relief goods, including testing kits and hand sanitisers, from prevailing rates in the range of 12% and 18%.
Akali Dal, BSP to jointly contest Punjab Assembly elections
“As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the SAD will contest 97 seats and the BSP 20,” SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal told a press conference in Chandigarh.
2 civilians, 2 policemen killed in Sopore militants attack
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the attack.
New policy for declassification of war histories approved
It would give people accurate account of the events and counter unfounded rumours.
Bhima Koregaon case | Sudha Bharadwaj files for default bail
The matter is expected to be heard on June 14.
NCPEDP announces fellowship on disability issues
The launch of the NCPEDP-Javed Abidi Fellowship on Disability in collaboration with Azim Premji Foundation marked the silver jubilee of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, India’s leading cross-disability advocacy organisation.
Mehul Choksi denied bail by Dominica High Court
The High Court gave the ruling by concluding that Choksi was a “flight risk”, did not have any ties with Dominica and the court could not impose any conditions which will stop him from leaving the country, news outlet AntiguaNewsroom said.
Onus is on Pakistan to create conducive atmosphere: India at U.N.
The remarks by Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the U.N., R Madhu Sudan, came at the U.N. General Assembly meeting on ‘Report of the Security Council for 2020’.
At least seven killed as bombs hit 2 minivans in Kabul, says Afghan official
The attacks targeted minivans on the same road about 2 km apart in a neighbourhood in western Kabul, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Ahmad Zia Zia said.
U.K. considers up to 4-week delay to end of lockdown due to Delta variant
It comes as the country reported 8,125 new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period, another record daily high since the end of February, and Public Health England (PHE) found that infections from the Delta variant – the B1.617.2 variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India – rose by nearly 30,000 in a week to hit 42,323.
Saudi Arabia says Hajj to be limited to 60,000 in kingdom
A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted the kingdom’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry making the announcement. It said this year’s hajj, which will begin in mid-July, will be limited to those ages 18 to 65. Those taking part must be vaccinated as well, the Ministry said.
Indian-origin journalist wins Pulitzer Prize for exposing China’s vast infrastructure for detaining Muslims
Ms. Rajagopalan from BuzzFeed News is among two Indian-origin journalists who won the U.S.’ top journalism award. Tampa Bay Times ’ Neil Bedi won for local reporting. Ms. Bedi along with Kathleen McGrory has been awarded the prize for the series exposing a Sheriff’s Office initiative that used computer modelling to identify people believed to be future crime suspects.
India’s white-ball squad to have 14-day quarantine in Mumbai, match simulation ahead of Sri Lanka series
Players will undergo six RT-PCR tests on alternate days before flying off to Colombo.
