Delhi

New Delhi, June 15 (PTI) Flagging India's concerns over security challenges in the maritime sphere, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday called for a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific and underlined the need for ensuring freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded commerce in the international waterways including the South China Sea.

New Delhi, June 15 (PTI) In its anxiety to suppress dissent the State has blurred the line between right to protest and terrorist activity and if such a mindset gains traction, it would be a "sad day for democracy", the Delhi High Court said on Tuesday while granting bail to three students from JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in a north-east Delhi riots case.

New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) Retail sales in India slipped 79 per cent in May compared to pre-COVID sales in the same month of 2019, as businesses across states were closed due to the second wave of the pandemic, as per a survey by Retailers Association of India (RAI).

The decline in sales was the steepest in West and North India, which witnessed an 83 per cent dip last month as compared to May 2019, RAI said in a statement.

Eastern region saw a decline of 75 per cent, while South was relatively better with degrowth of 73 per cent as compared to the same month in 2019.

New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) Serving alcohol at bars in hotels, clubs and restaurants in the city is not yet allowed, the Excise Department has clarified, stretching the wait for those counting the days till they can enjoy a drink at their favourite watering hole.

With a significant improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, liquor shops and restaurants that were closed after the imposition of lockdown in April have reopened now.

New Delhi, June 14 (PTI) Billionaire Gautam Adani's group on Monday said accounts of three Mauritius-based funds that own the port-to-energy conglomerate's stocks were not frozen and any reports suggesting the contrary were "blatantly erroneous and misleading".

Shares of Adani group companies plunged on Monday after reports that the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) froze the accounts of the three foreign funds that are among the top stakeholders in the firms.

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) The government should practise in India what it preaches to the world, Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on democracy and freedom of thought at a G7 meet.

Prime Minister Modi on Sunday said India is a natural ally for the G7 and its partners in defending democracy, freedom of thought and liberty from a host of threats stemming from authoritarianism, terrorism, violent extremism and economic coercion.

New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) The Congress must bring widespread reforms across all levels of the organisation to show it is no longer in a state of inertia and to present itself as a viable political alternative to the BJP, party veteran Kapil Sibal said on Sunday.

India needs a resurgent Congress. But for that, the party needs to show that it is active, present, aware and is in the mood to engage meaningfully," the former union minister said in an exclusive interview to PTI.

New Delhi, Jun 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday said it would pass orders on June 15 on closure of proceedings in India against two Italian marines, accused of killing two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012, and the disbursal of Rs 10 crore compensation to the heirs of the victims.

New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday cautioned that the chances of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were quite real, while he asserted that his government was preparing on a "war-footing" to combat it.

Indications are coming from the UK on the fear of the third wave. Cases are rising there, despite 45 per cent of vaccination. So, we cannot afford to sit idle, he said.

New Delhi, Jun 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held deliberations with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda amid speculation about a reshuffle in the Union cabinet, an exercise Modi has not undertaken since forming the government for a second time in May 2019.

There is also a growing buzz about the Cabinet expansion in Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the BJP top brass during his two-day visit to the national capital.