Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) - At least 24 COVID-19 patients in western India died on Wednesday when the oxygen supply to their ventilators ran out, amid a nationwide shortage of the gas and a surge in infections.Maharashtra State Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed the deaths at a hospital in Nashik city and said the hospital's oxygen supply ran out because a tanker refilling it suffered a leak. Oxygen was running scarce throughout the country."The leakage was spotted at the tank supplying oxygen for these patients. The interrupted...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) - At least 24 COVID-19 patients in western India died on Wednesday when the oxygen supply to their ventilators ran out, amid a nationwide shortage of the gas and a surge in infections.Maharashtra State Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed the deaths at a hospital in Nashik city and said the hospital's oxygen supply ran out because a tanker refilling it suffered a leak. Oxygen was running scarce throughout the country."The leakage was spotted at the tank supplying oxygen for these patients. The interrupted...WW…

Patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Danish SiddiquiRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 18 (Reuters) - India’s capital New Delhi recorded 25,500 coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, with about one in three people tested returning a positive result, its chief minister said, urging the federal government to provide more hospital beds to tackle the crisis.Less than 100 critical care...…Patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) get treatment at the casualty ward in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital, amidst the spread of the disease in New Delhi, India April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Danish SiddiquiRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 18 (Reuters) - India’s capital New Delhi recorded 25,500 coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, with about one in three people tested returning a positive result, its chief minister said, urging the federal government to provide more hospital beds to tackle the crisis.Less than 100 critical care...WW…

By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tesla Inc is scouting for locations to open showrooms in three Indian cities and has hired an executive to lead its lobbying and business efforts ahead of its planned entry into the country, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.The electric-car maker in January registered a local company in India, where it is expected to import and sell the Model 3 sedan by as early as mid-2021, seeking to target rich customers in a niche market.The world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalisation is looking for commercial properties as large as 20,000-30,000...…By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tesla Inc is scouting for locations to open showrooms in three Indian cities and has hired an executive to lead its lobbying and business efforts ahead of its planned entry into the country, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.The electric-car maker in January registered a local company in India, where it is expected to import and sell the Model 3 sedan by as early as mid-2021, seeking to target rich customers in a niche market.The world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalisation is looking for commercial properties as large as 20,000-30,000...WW…

By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian authorities have blocked at least two of ByteDance’s bank accounts for alleged tax evasion, prompting it to ask a court to quash the directive that it fears will hit its operations, two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters.ByteDance in January cut its Indian workforce after New Delhi decided to retain a ban on its popular video app TikTok, first prohibited last year following a border clash between India and China.China has repeatedly criticised India’s move and said it suspected it was against WTO rules.ByteDance, which issued a statement contesting...…By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Indian authorities have blocked at least two of ByteDance’s bank accounts for alleged tax evasion, prompting it to ask a court to quash the directive that it fears will hit its operations, two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters.ByteDance in January cut its Indian workforce after New Delhi decided to retain a ban on its popular video app TikTok, first prohibited last year following a border clash between India and China.China has repeatedly criticised India’s move and said it suspected it was against WTO rules.ByteDance, which issued a statement contesting...WW…

By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India announced new rules on Thursday to regulate content on social media, making Facebook, WhatsApp and others more accountable to legal requests for swift removal of posts and sharing details on the originators of messages.The rules -- part of an effort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government to tighten the leash on Big Tech -- come after Twitter recently ignored government orders to drop content related to farmers’ protests.India is the largest market by users for both Facebook and its messenger service WhatsApp.The new rules issued by the...…By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India announced new rules on Thursday to regulate content on social media, making Facebook, WhatsApp and others more accountable to legal requests for swift removal of posts and sharing details on the originators of messages.The rules -- part of an effort by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government to tighten the leash on Big Tech -- come after Twitter recently ignored government orders to drop content related to farmers’ protests.India is the largest market by users for both Facebook and its messenger service WhatsApp.The new rules issued by the...WW…

By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India rebuked Twitter on Wednesday for not complying with its orders to take down certain content and warned the social media giant that it needs to obey local laws, even as Indian lawmakers urged their followers to switch to home-grown rival Koo.India has ordered Twitter to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts that it alleges are spreading misinformation about the widespread protests by Indian farmers against new agricultural laws.Twitter Inc riled Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government earlier on Wednesday, after it said in a public blog post that...…By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India rebuked Twitter on Wednesday for not complying with its orders to take down certain content and warned the social media giant that it needs to obey local laws, even as Indian lawmakers urged their followers to switch to home-grown rival Koo.India has ordered Twitter to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts that it alleges are spreading misinformation about the widespread protests by Indian farmers against new agricultural laws.Twitter Inc riled Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government earlier on Wednesday, after it said in a public blog post that...WW…

By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Twitter Inc’s refusal to comply with an Indian government directive to block more than 250 accounts and posts has put the social media giant at the centre of a political firestorm in one of its key markets.Government officials, business people and ordinary netizens are split over free speech and the U.S. company’s compliance practices, in a controversy that comes soon after Twitter’s top lobbyist in India resigned.The showdown, after the firm this week “declined to abide (by) and obey” the order to remove posts and accounts that the government said risked inciting...…By , NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Twitter Inc’s refusal to comply with an Indian government directive to block more than 250 accounts and posts has put the social media giant at the centre of a political firestorm in one of its key markets.Government officials, business people and ordinary netizens are split over free speech and the U.S. company’s compliance practices, in a controversy that comes soon after Twitter’s top lobbyist in India resigned.The showdown, after the firm this week “declined to abide (by) and obey” the order to remove posts and accounts that the government said risked inciting...WW…

By , NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc’s Google has extended its deadline for Indian app developers to comply with a new billing system for commission fees by six months, it said on Monday, days after local startups voiced anger about the charges.Google will now enforce its global policy more strictly and charge a 30% commission fee for in-app purchases from Indian developers from March 31, 2022, the company said, saying it was “being mindful of local needs and concerns”.The move comes after many startups in India banded together to consider ways to challenge the company by...…By , NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc’s Google has extended its deadline for Indian app developers to comply with a new billing system for commission fees by six months, it said on Monday, days after local startups voiced anger about the charges.Google will now enforce its global policy more strictly and charge a 30% commission fee for in-app purchases from Indian developers from March 31, 2022, the company said, saying it was “being mindful of local needs and concerns”.The move comes after many startups in India banded together to consider ways to challenge the company by...WW…

By , Ankhi Das, Facebook’s top public-policy executive in India, in her complaint to Delhi police, as reported by Indian media, said the threats followed a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that said she opposed applying Facebook’s hate-speech rules to a politician from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups.Das said that after the WSJ report last week some individuals online had “intentionally vilified” her due to their political affiliations and were engaging in abuse.“I am extremely disturbed by the relentless harassment meted out to...…By , Ankhi Das, Facebook’s top public-policy executive in India, in her complaint to Delhi police, as reported by Indian media, said the threats followed a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that said she opposed applying Facebook’s hate-speech rules to a politician from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups.Das said that after the WSJ report last week some individuals online had “intentionally vilified” her due to their political affiliations and were engaging in abuse.“I am extremely disturbed by the relentless harassment meted out to...WW…

×ViewNEW DELHI: India's plan to regulate "non-personal" data has jolted US tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google, and a group representing them is preparing to push back against the proposals, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters. A government-appointed panel in July recommended setting up a regulator for information that is anonymised or devoid of personal details but critical for companies to build their businesses. The panel proposed a mechanism for firms to share data with other entities – even competitors – saying this would spur the digital ecosystem. The report, if...…×ViewNEW DELHI: India's plan to regulate "non-personal" data has jolted US tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google, and a group representing them is preparing to push back against the proposals, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters. A government-appointed panel in July recommended setting up a regulator for information that is anonymised or devoid of personal details but critical for companies to build their businesses. The panel proposed a mechanism for firms to share data with other entities – even competitors – saying this would spur the digital ecosystem. The report, if...WW…