From the Newsroom: ‘Economy’s return to health critically linked to how Covid-19 curve evolves across states’

In today’s episode, The government admitted the economy’s return to health will be critically linked to how Covid-19 infection curve evolves across the states; Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has tested positive for Covid-19; Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi formally declared her intention to seek a second term in an election in November and China accuses the United States of "bullying" over popular video app TikTok.

Here are the top news of today, Tuesday: August 4, 2020:

After propagating a V-shaped economic recovery in the next two to three quarters, the government Tuesday admitted the economy’s return to health will be critically linked to how Covid-19 infection curve evolves across the states.

India’s top 12 growth-driving states account for 85% of the Covid-19 caseload, with 40% of confirmed cases concentrated in the top two growth-drivers -- Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

“The increase in the Covid-19 cases and subsequent intermittent lockdowns make the recovery prospects fragile and call for constant and dynamic monitoring. The future economic recovery of India is crucially linked to how the Covid-19 infection curve evolves across states of India,” the finance ministry said in a report.

The highest growth in active Covid-19 cases in July was seen in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Though signs of recovery were witnessed in manufacturing, industrial production, fertilizer sales and diesel consumption in the months of May and June, they have started moderating in July.

With India unlocking, the worst seems to be over for the economy as high-frequency indicators recovered in June 2020 from an unprecedented trough in April. However, risks on account of rising Covid-19 cases and intermittent state lockdowns remain, the ministry said.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has tested positive for Covid-19. Siddaramaiah, in a tweet, said that he has been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution.

The 71-year-old leader of opposition in the state assembly has requested all those who have come into contact with him to quarantine themselves.

Siddaramaiah has also been admitted to Manipal Hospital where Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment for coronavirus.

The total number of Covid-19 cases at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has risen to 53, the administration has said.

According to the information given to DH, this number includes 15 students who have tested positive for novel coronavirus so far, two employees living on campus, two family members of employees living on campus, 21 permanent and temporary employees living off-campus, two family members of IISc employees living off-campus, seven pensioners and four family members of pensioners.

These figures are acknowledged to be up-to-date as of July 31.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday formally declared her intention to seek a second term in an election in November that is seen as a test of the Southeast Asian nation's tentative democratic reforms.

After decades of military rule, Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy, took the reins in 2016 after an electoral landslide, but has been forced to share power with the generals.

Her international reputation slumped over Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims but she remains popular at home, where her image is undented by accusations of complicity in atrocities against the minority.

On Tuesday, Suu Kyi, 75, waved to a crowd of around 50 supporters on the outskirts of the former capital Yangon to submit an application to run as a candidate.

Bofors-fame advocate Ajay Agrawal on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court for a CBI probe into death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in Mumbai on June 14.

In a petition, he contended a uniformed probe by the CBI was necessary to unravel the truth. Even though the Bihar ordered for an enquiry by the central agency, the Maharashtra government may not agree for it.

Agrawal pointed out the blatant act of the Bombay Municipal Corporation to put Patna SP, Vinay Tiwari, who went for probe in an FIR lodged by Rajput's father, in quarantine under the instruction from the Maharashtra government made it loud, clear and apparent that there was something fishy in the investigation of Mumbai Police.

Agrawal, who filed the PIL in Bofors scam, is a member of the BJP. He has also unsuccessfully contested 2014 Lok Sabha polls against Sonia Gandhi from Rai Bareli constituency.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider on Wednesday, August 5 a plea by actress Rhea Chakraborty for transfer of the July 25 FIR filed by father of deceased actor with Patna Police to Mumbai.

China accused the United States on Tuesday of "bullying" over popular video app TikTok, after President Donald Trump ramped up pressure for its US operations to be sold to an American company.

In the latest of a series of diplomatic spats between the world's two biggest economies, Beijing hit back after Trump gave TikTok six weeks to arrange a sale of its US operations -- and said that his government wanted a financial benefit from the deal.

"This goes against the principles of the market economy and the (World Trade Organization's) principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination," said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

"It's outright bullying."

The app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds, because it collects large amounts of personal data on users and is legally bound to share it with authorities in Beijing if they demand it.

Trump said that Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok, and has given ByteDance until mid-September to strike a deal, a tactic that is almost unheard of.