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Washington: The US has designated four more top state-run Chinese media houses as "foreign missions", terming them as "propaganda" outlets "controlled" by the ruling Communist Party of China, a move that could further escalate tensions between the two countries. The four Chinese media outlets designated as foreign missions on Monday are China Central Television, China News Service, the People's Daily and the Global Times, taking the total number to nine. This could add up to the increasing tensions between the US and China as President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Beijing for the coronavirus pandemic that has had a serious impact…

Kolkata: A 42-year-old man who lived in Bengaluru with his wife and son flew into Kolkata today and shot dead his mother-in-law at her home in an upscale apartment building. His father-in-law ran out of the flat, locking it behind him as he shouted for help. Police arrived to find both the mother-in-law and the man lying dead inside. They also found a suicide note in which he confessed he had killed his wife in their Bengaluru home before travelling to Kolkata to commit the second murder. Police in Bengaluru rushed to the man's home in the city's Whitefield neighbourhood and…

The northeastern states are likely to receive widespread and extremely heavy rain during June 24-26 due to an intense monsoon spell, according to the India Meteorological Department. There is an orange category warning for Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura along with some parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Bihar for these three days for very heavy to extremely heavy rains. An orange warning implies that authorities will have to be prepared for rain-related emergencies. A trough of low pressure currently runs from north Punjab to northwest Bay of Bengal. Its eastern end is very likely to…

The Central Board of Secondary Education will inform the Supreme Court of its position on pending board examinations on Tuesday, and let the Court take a final call on cancellation, according to senior officials at the Human Resource Development Ministry. The SC is hearing a plea by a group of parents of CBSE students who wish the exams to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the CBSE counsel said that the Board is in the process of taking a decision on the issue and would apprise the court at the next hearing on June 23. They have…

Supreme Court allowed annual Puri Rath Yatra festival in a very "restricted manner" in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier the apex court had stayed this year's Rath Yatra due to Coronavirus pandemic. Centre told the apex court that Rath Yatra in Puri can be allowed without public participation as the 'tradition of centuries may not be stopped'. The Odisha government also supported the Centre's stand in the apex court and will coordinate with the Centre to hold the Rath Yatra. The order was passed in a plea seeking modification of the apex court's 18 June order staying this…

Bengal on Sunday reported the seventh drop in eight days in active Covid-19 cases that brought the number down to 5,093 now, a drop of 600 active cases since June 13. The eight-day period also saw 3,755 recoveries or over 45 per cent of the total number of recoveries in the state since the onset of the pandemic. The total number of recoveries has crossed 8,000. In these eight days, recovery rate also rose by over 17 per cent to 59.49. A month ago, the recovery rate was 36.64 per cent. However, Bengal reported 15 more Covid-19 casualties, which has…

New Delhi: The Intelligence agencies have alarmed a high-alert for the National Capital, with inputs suggesting that four to five terrorists from Jammu and Kashmir have sneaked in to Delhi with an intention to carry out a major terrorist attack. Delhi Police has started to search for these terrorists in all the possible places where terrorists could be hiding. The reports have suggested that while some terrorists have already entered the National capital, some are still trying to enter. All hotels, lodges and guest houses have been put on look out by Delhi Police, with vehicles with Jammu Kashmir registration numbers…

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Rath Yatra to be conducted at Puri in Odisha with certain restrictions, saying that it will be held in coordination with the Temple committee, state government and the Centre "without compromising the health issues". Asking the Centre and the state government to "work in tandem", a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said that a detailed order will be released by evening. The apex court, however, said that the Odisha government can even stop the yatra or festivities "if they feel it is going out of hand". The Puri Rath Yatra is a seven day…