Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion curated for you at 9AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.
Finance Ministry may raise divestment goal to ₹1.5 lakh cr for FY21
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to set an even more ambitious disinvestment target of ₹1.5 lakh crore for the year starting April 1, mostly because many of the strategic sales planned for the current year, including that of Air India, have been delayed. The stiffer target for 2020-21 comes after government officials acknowledged, as Mint reported on December 26, that the disinvestment target of ₹1.05 lakh crore for 2019-20 will fall short by around ₹50,000 crore due to delays.
China warns coronavirus may spread as death toll jumps to 9, number of cases top 400
China warned Wednesday that a SARS-like virus could mutate and spread as the death toll rose to nine and the number of cases reached 440 across the country. The coronavirus is transmitted via the respiratory tract and there “is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease”, National Health Commission vice minister Li Bin said at a news conference.
In budget 2020-21, big push for transformation of rural India likely
Union Budget 2020-21 is expected to focus on the transformation of rural India with a nearly 15% jump in fund allocation to boost the village economy and raise incomes, particularly of small and marginal farmers, three people aware of the development said on Tuesday. It is expected that rural India will see an additional fund allocation of about ₹40,000 crore in 2020-21 compared to the total budget estimates for 2019-20, the first person said.
Discussing Kashmir, says Trump as he meets Pakistan PM
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was “talking about the situation in Kashmir” with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and “will certainly be helping”, a remark that came ahead of a meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump made the remarks at a media briefing before talks with Khan, who the US President described as his “very good friend.”
2 Indian, 5 foreign yards cleared for ₹50K-cr submarine project
The defence ministry on Tuesday cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders to take part in a ₹50,000-crore project to build high-tech submarines in the country, one of the biggest Make in India programmes in the military sector, two senior officials said on condition of anonymity.
Sanju Samson replaces injured Shikhar Dhawan in T20I squad for NZ, Prithvi Shaw gets maiden ODI call-up
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has been announced as replacement for injured India opener Shikhar Dhawan fro the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw has received an ODI call-up, in place of Dhawan.
Rishi Kapoor shares rare photo of Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini on sets of Mughal-e-Azam
Actor Rishi Kapoor has shared a golden tweet for Bollywood lovers. On Tuesday, he shared a rare picture of the director and cast of epic film Mughal-e-Azam when they hosted legendary Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini on the sets.