Breaking News, July 19 | HIGHLIGHTS

Four judges were on Wednesday elevated as chief justices of Telangana, Orissa, Gujarat and Kerala high courts. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tweeted that Justice Alok Aradhe of the Karnataka High Court has been elevated as chief justice of the Telangana High Court. Similarly, Justice Subhasis Talapatra of the Orissa High Court has been made the chief justice in the same high court consequent upon the retirement of incumbent chief justice on August 7. Justice Sunita Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court has been appointed as chief justice of the Gujarat High Court. Justice Ashish J Desai of the Gujarat High Court has been elevated as chief justice of the Kerala High Court.

Heavy rain over the last three days has caused a flood-like situation in southern Odisha's Malkangiri district, as large parts have been cut off due to water logging and submersion of roads, an official said on Thursday. Road communication from the district headquarters town of Malkangiri to Balimela, Kalimela and Motu towns has been cut off, he said.

A 46-year-old advocate and his assistant died on Wednesday following an accident in Delhi's Alipur area, police said. On Wednesday at 12.11 am, information was received about an accident at Main GT road near Shani Mandir towards Sonipat. The caller stated that two persons, who were hit by a vehicle, were lying unconscious on the main highway, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said.

A seven-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl, who started volunteering for a United Nations' sustainability initiative against microplastic pollution when she was just three, has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award. Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate. Moksha has been recognised for volunteering for several sustainability campaigns, including raising funds to help children in need.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday announced several sops for state government employees, including a hike in salary and Dearness Allowance (DA), a move that comes ahead of the assembly polls due this year-end. With this, the government has increased the DA for the second time this month - making it a collective hike of nine per cent. Baghel also announced that a housing scheme for rural areas of the state would be rolled out. The chief minister made these announcements in the state legislative assembly while replying to a debate on the demand proposals for the first Supplementary Budget of the ongoing financial year 2023-24.

New presidents were appointed in all 17 organisational districts of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.
These appointments were made by BJP state president Rajiv Bindal, who was reappointed as the state party chief on April 23. The new appointments were made after consultation with high command and all the outgoing district presidents would be members of the state executive, a statement issued here said, adding that these appointments would be implemented with immediate effect.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed chaotic and unruly scenes as angry BJP legislators tore copies of bills and the agenda, and threw them at the Deputy Speaker, who was presiding, following which Speaker U T Khader suspended 10 of them for the remainder of the session. In turn, MLAS of the opposition BJP and JD(S) gave notice of no confidence against Speaker Khader to the Assembly Secretary.

Police in Kenya opened fire on protesters in clashes that left at least 11 people wounded Wednesday as the opposition organised demonstrations calling for the government of President William Ruto to lower the cost of living. The opposition called for three days of countrywide protests aimed at forcing the president to repeal a finance law imposing new taxes. Ruto had vowed that no protests would take place, saying he would take opposition leader Raila Odinga “head-on”.

Illegal portions of properties of three persons nabbed by the police for allegedly 'spitting' water on a religious procession in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain were demolished on Wednesday by civic officials, police said. Local authorities demolished the illegal parts of the properties of three accused located at Daba Road, Tanki Chowk and near Gold Bakery, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akash Bhuria. He said the list of the accused was given to the Ujjain Municipal Corporation after a case was registered against them by the police.

In a big relief to activist Teesta Setalvad, the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted her regular bail in a case of alleged fabrication of documents to frame innocent people in the 2002 post-Godhra riot cases while terming as "perverse" and "contradictory" the Gujarat High Court order denying her bail. Quashing the July 1 order of the high court, a three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta held her custodial interrogation was not necessary since the charge sheet in the matter has been filed and most of the evidence are documentary in nature.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took a dig at the BJP-led NDA and said the ruling coalition's recent meeting in Delhi was its "farewell ceremony", a day after 26 opposition parties formed the grouping 'INDIA'. "The BJP has become afraid of 'INDIA'. This name (of opposition bloc) is good. 'INDIA' is a message of development and inclusiveness," Yadav said in a statement. "When it comes to development and inclusiveness, it includes our socialist and secular commitment. May our country progress and move forward on the path of happiness," he added.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday apologised on behalf of the UK government for the treatment of LGBT veterans, saying a previous ban on their deployment in the armed forces was an "appalling failure" of the British state. Sunak’s apology in the House of Commons came as an independent review concluded that pre-2000 investigations into an individual’s sexuality were intrusive and invasive, and for some caused long-lasting and severe impacts on the lives of veterans and their families.

The police have registered a case of obscenity against eight Congress leaders after they allegedly burnt an effigy filled with condoms to protest graft in a local body in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district, an official said on Wednesday. The Congress leaders on Tuesday held a protest rally alleging corruption at the office of the Municipal Council in Sarni town, some 50 km from the district headquarters.

Four members of a family were allegedly killed on Wednesday by a relative who hacked his victims with an axe and then set the bodies on fire in this district of Rajasthan, police said. Among them, a six-month child was hurled alive into the fire. The incident took place early in the morning at Cheria village in the Osian area of the district, they said. The assailant, identified as Pappuram (19), a nephew of the head of the victim family, has been arrested, Superintendent of Police (Jodhpur Rural) Dharemndra Singh Yadav said.

A 20-year-old man clung to a tree branch for about an hour in swirling waters of Waldhuni river in Kalyan city in Thane district of Maharashtra before he was rescued on Wednesday, an official said. The man fell into the river while walking on a flooded road amid heavy rains at around 3 pm, a Fire Brigade official said.

Amid a social media uproar over a pilot and her husband being beaten up for allegedly abusing a minor domestic help, IndiGo on Wednesday said it has derostered an employee from duties and the matter is being investigated. Without specifically mentioning about the case, an IndiGo spokesperson said it is aware of a video circulating on social media that allegedly involves an individual employed by the airline.

An army officer was killed while three soldiers were injured in a fire incident in the Siachen glacier in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said. The army officials said the injured soldiers have been safely evacuated to a hospital. The incident took place around 3.30 am, they said.

A 11-year-old boy drowned in Hindon river in Chutmalpur area here, police said on Wednesday. Superintendent of Police (rural) Sagar Jain said,"Three children of the area went for a swim in the nearby Hindon river and were swept by a strong current.” People present at the banks managed to recover the trio from the river and rushed them to hospital. The two minors were saved while Kanhiya died of drowning, he said.

Asserting that it takes two hands to clap, the Congress on Wednesday said if the government wants Parliament to function, it should give space to opposition's issues, and demanded a discussion on Manipur during Parliament's Monsoon Session. Congress's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made the remarks after participating in the all-party meeting ahead of the session starting Thursday.

The full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) reached here on Wednesday to hold a series of public hearings on draft delimitation proposals for Assembly and Parliament constituencies of Assam. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel along with senior officials of the ECI reached Guwahati this morning and started the three-day hearing at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra complex here.

The three-day meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group which began in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday is going to be a `zero waste' event, with plastic bottles not allowed and writing pads of reusable paper being used. Indore, notably, has been ranked as India's cleanest city in the national cleanliness surveys conducted by the Union government for the last six years. The G20 meeting is aimed at finding solutions to the current global challenges in the areas of labour, employment and social security to workers.

Meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) underway in Parliament.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray meets Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Mumbai.

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare eases COVID-19 guidelines for international travellers to India. 

Kerala Legislative Assembly session to begin from August 7 onwards, informed CMO.

A woman pilot and her husband, also an airline staff, were thrashed by a mob in Delhi's Dwarka for allegedly employing a 10-year-old girl as a domestic help and torturing her.

Uttarakhand: 10 people died and several injured after a transformer exploded on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the Chamoli district. Injured have been admitted to the district hospital, said SP Chamoli Parmendra Doval.

Heavy rainfall triggers flood-like situation in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to chair an all-party meeting and a meeting of NDA floor leaders today.

Delhi: The four-member BJP committee constituted to probe the incident of lathi charge by police and death of party leader Vijay Kumar Singh in Bihar's Patna, submit their report to party president JP Nadda.

BSP chief Mayawati, said, "We will fight the elections alone. We will contest the election on our own in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and in Haryana, Punjab and other states we can contest elections with the regional parties of the state."

Maharashtra: Badlapur-Ambernath railway tracks closed due to severe waterlogging after heavy rainfall in parts of the city, said Central Railway CPRO.

Bihar: ATS Patna in joint operation arrest wanted PFI member Usman Sultan Khan alias Yakub from Motihar, said East Champaran SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra.

Karnataka: Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested 5 suspected terrorists. They have been identified as Syed Suhel, Umar, Janid, Mudasir and Zahid. It is suspected that the team had planned to carry out a blast in Bengaluru. All five were accused in a 2017 murder case and were in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail where they came in contact with the terrorists. CCB has also seized explosive materials, said CCB.

IPS officer Manoj Yadava appointed as the DG of the Railway Protection Force.

Maharashtra: Savitri River, Amba River and Patalganga River in Raigad district crossed the danger mark. Kundalika River is also on the verge of crossing the danger mark, said Raigad District Administration.

In a Joint Operation launched by Indian Army, BSF & Jammu and Kashmir Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today morning by alert troops along LOC in Macchal Sector, Kupwara. 2 terrorists eliminated & 4 AK Rifles, 6 hand Grenades & other war-like stores have been recovered. Operation in progress, said Chinar Corps, Indian Army.

Maharashtra: Heavy rain lashes parts of Mumbai. 

J-K: NH-44 is blocked at certain places due to mud slush and shooting stones. People are advised to avoid travelling, till road clearance works are executed, said Deputy Commissioner, Ramban.

Delhi: Yamuna's water level  recorded at 205.50 meters at 9 am today.

Gujarat: One NDRF team each has been deployed in Gir Somnath, Kutch, Navsari, Valsad, Amreli and Rajkot districts of Gujarat in view of heavy rainfall today, informed NDRF.

Jammu and Kashmir : The new track to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine has been closed due to inclement weather conditions while chopper service to the shrine is also suspended in Reasi district today, said SSP Reasi Amit Gupta.

Maharashtra: Raigad's Rasayani police station witnessed severe waterlogging due to heavy rainfall. 

 Kerala: Mortal remains of former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy being taken to his native place in Kottayam from Thiruvananthapuram.

Pune Police nabbed two accused namely Imran Khan and Md Yunus Saki who were wanted by NIA in a case of Rajasthan and have a reward of Rs 5 lakhs each, said Pune CP Ritesh Kumar.

Kerala: Supporters gathered at the party office in Thiruvananthapuram to pay tribute to former Kerala CM and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy.

The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police apprehended two persons involved in cattle smuggling from Jorabat area, outskirts of Guwahati along the Assam-Meghalaya border yesterday, and recovered Rs 26.65 lakhs and a four-wheeler from their possession. Further investigation is underway, said Partha Sarathi Mahanta, DIG (STF), Assam Police.