Breaking News, August 8

The Haryana government on Monday withdrew the Haryana Control of Organised Crime Bill, 2020, after "certain discrepancies" were pointed out by the Centre. The Bill had made special provisions for prevention and control of and for coping with criminal activity by organised crime syndicates or gangs.

A 25-year-old man shot himself dead using a country-made pistol in Hadapsar area on Pune, police said on Monday. Vishal Todkar shot himself in the head as he was depressed over some domestic issues at his house on Sunday, an official said, adding that no suicide note was found.

A man was beaten to death allegedly during a liquor party at an aviation union office in Santacruz in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday. Abdul Sheikh (50) and some others were drinking in the union office of the Airports Authority of India on Sunday night when the incident took place, he said.

The white man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the 25-year-old Black man in a Georgia neighborhood was sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime. Travis McMichael was sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge in the port city of Brunswick. His punishment is largely symbolic, as McMichael was sentenced earlier this year to life without parole in a Georgia state court for Arbery's murder.

Newly appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has directed the force to not put up his photographs on the walls of police stations or offices of other units, officials said on Monday. Generally, it has been a tradition to display pictures of the Commissioner of Police at various police stations and units besides the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, President of India among others.

A district court here on Monday sentenced Uttar Pradesh minister Rakesh Sachan to one year of imprisonment in an over three-decade-old Arms Act case. The minister, however, got bail immediately in the case, officials said.

A traffic sub-inspector allegedly died allegedly by suicide inside a police station in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Monday, police said. The sub-inspector, Dina Kant Sonowal, shot himself with his service revolver in Tinsukia Police Station around 3.30 pm, they said.

Three persons were killed and eight injured in a head-on collision between a jeep and a car in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district, police said on Monday. The accident occurred at Agraal village near Meghnagar town, about 22 km from the district headquarters, on Sunday night, said T S Dabar, the in-charge of Meghnagar police station.

A couple was found dead at their home in Jamshedpur on Monday morning with their 15-year-old daughter missing, police said. The bodies of Bhupendra Mandal (39) and Sabita Devi (35) were found lying in a pool of blood at their home in Manifit in Telco police station area, they said.

A fragile cease-fire deal to end nearly three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza held into Monday morning - a sign the latest round of violence may have abated.

Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed a covered wooden bridge with 900 years of history in southeastern China over the weekend. The entire length of the Wan'an Bridge appeared to be in flames in video and photos of the Saturday night fire in Fujian province's Pingnan county. No one was reported injured in the blaze.

A 32-year-old food delivery executive died after he fell off his motorcycle on a road here and was crushed under the wheels of an unidentified heavy vehicle, police said on Monday. The accident took place near the Tughlakabad metro station in southeast Delhi on Sunday, they said. The police said a Chinese kite string (Manjha) was found entangled around a footrest of the vehicle.

The government will decide on re-initiating the process of BPCL strategic sale based on a review of the situation in due course, Parliament was informed on Monday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad said the COVID pandemic, energy transition issues and geo-political conditions affected several industries globally, particularly the oil and gas industry.

Amid a brewing political storm in Bihar, the opposition RJD on Monday said it was ready to “embrace” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD(U) if he broke ranks with the BJP. RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said that convening meetings of legislators by both parties on Tuesday were a clear indication that the situation was extraordinary. “Personally, I am not aware of the goings on. But we cannot ignore the fact that both parties, which together had sufficient numbers to muster a majority, have convened such meetings when an assembly session is not round the corner,” Tiwary told reporters here. “If Nitish chooses to dump NDA, what choice do we have except to embrace him (‘gale lagaenge’). RJD is committed to fighting the BJP. If the chief minister decides to join this fight, we will have to take him along,” said Tiwary.

As many as 1,999 cases of corporate insolvency resolution process were going on under the insolvency law as of June this year, according to the government. The resolution for corporate debtors is done under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code which provides for resolution through a market-driven process. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh said the time taken for Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) depends on several factors, including the nature of business, business cycles, market sentiments and marketing effort. "As on 30th June 2022, total 1,999 CIRPs are ongoing out of which only 436 are in real estate sector. During COVID-19 pandemic period, there has been a general slowdown in the distressed asset market," the minister said.

The owner of a music pub in eastern Thailand where a fire last week killed 15 people and injured more than three dozen others was released on bail when he was brought to court Monday to hear criminal charges against him. Pongsiri Panprasong, owner of the Mountain B pub in Sattahip district of Chonburi province, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Bangkok, turned himself in late Saturday. Police charged the 27-year-old with causing death by negligence and operating an entertainment venue without permission. He could face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 baht ($5,580).

A special court here on Monday remanded Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'. The court allowed Raut's plea for home food and medicines, but refused to pass an order on his prayer for bedding. The judge said as per the prison manual, jail authorities make adequate bed arrangements. Raut, 60, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon. He was produced before special PMLA judge MG Deshpande at the end of his ED custody on Monday. The federal probe agency did not seek further extension of his custody. The judge then sent Raut in judicial custody. The ED probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra 'chawl' and related financial transactions involving Raut's wife and associates.

The Electricity Amendment Bill has been introduced in Lok Sabha (during monsoon session of parliament) today. 

Amid a brewing political storm in Bihar, the opposition RJD on Monday said it was ready to “embrace” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD(U) if he broke ranks with the BJP. RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said that convening meetings of legislators by both parties on Tuesday were a clear indication that the situation was extraordinary. “Personally, I am not aware of the goings on. But we cannot ignore the fact that both parties, which together had sufficient numbers to muster a majority, have convened such meetings when an assembly session is not round the corner,” Tiwary told reporters here. “If Nitish chooses to dump NDA, what choice do we have except to embrace him (‘gale lagaenge’). RJD is committed to fighting the BJP. If the chief minister decides to join this fight, we will have to take him along,” said Tiwary. 

The India Meteorological Department predicted rainfall over Delhi in June and July with more than 80 per cent accuracy and reports of multiple false warnings are not correct, its chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said. The IMD director general said the impact-based forecast is a recent phenomenon and it will improve with time to become "more granular, specific and accurate" by 2025. Impact-based forecasts provide information needed to act before severe weather events to minimise the socio-economic costs. It includes colour-coded alerts with risk levels and suggested actions. These are: green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action). Dismissing reports of 'multiple false rainfall warnings' for Delhi in June and July, the MeT office chief said, "It is not a fact. In June and July, the IMD predicted rainfall over Delhi with more than 80 per cent accuracy."

Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal has informed the CBI that he would be unable to appear before it on Monday in connection with its investigation into a cattle smuggling case, an agency source said. Mondal, the party’s Birbhum district president, is understood to have sent an email expressing his inability to appear before the central probe agency, due to a medical check-up. CBI officials have admitted to receiving Mondal's email, the source said. The TMC leader is on his way to state-run SSKM Hospital in the metropolis for a health check-up, a party source said.

Lok Sabha on Monday paid tributes to martyrs and freedom fighters of the Independence movement on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Quit India movement. As soon the House met for the day after the weekend break, Speaker Om Birla said on this day 80 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi had launched the Quit India movement that led to India attaining Independence on August 15, 1947. “This was the turning point in India getting Independence,” he said. Paying glowing tributes to the martyrs and freedom fighters, he said their sacrifices give inspiration to everyone to serve the nation with dedication. Started by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, the Quit India movement precipitated the exit of the British.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday hailed M Venkaiah Naidu's wit and one-liners as he praised his five-year term as vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman during which the "productivity of the House increased 70 per cent". In his farewell speech for Naidu in Rajya Sabha, Modi said the outgoing chairman encouraged dialogue and has set standards and legacy that will continue to guide his successors. Naidu completes his five-year term on August 10. Modi said Naidu was of the opinion that disruptions of proceedings beyond a point were contempt of the House.

A Delhi court on Monday awarded three-year jail term to former Coal Secretary H C Gupta in a coal scam case related to irregularities in allocation of a coal block in Maharashtra, a lawyer associated with the case said. Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj also awarded two year imprisonment to former joint-Secretary in the Ministry of Coal (MoC), K S Kropha in the case and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, while Gupta was asked to pay a fine of Rs one lakh.
The court had convicted both for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and corruption in the case related to allocation of Lohara East coal block. The court, meanwhile, awarded four year jail term to Mukesh Gupta, the director of convicted company, Grace Industries Ltd. (GIL), for criminal conspiracy and cheating and imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on him, while the company was also directed to pay a fine of Rs two lakh separately.

• Today we are all present here to thank Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu at the conclusion of his tenure. This is a very emotional moment for this House. Several historic moments of the House are associated with your graceful presence
• You have said several times, "I am retired from politics but not tired from public life." So, your responsibility to lead this House might be ending now but the nation as well as workers of public life - like me - will continue to receive benefits of your experiences
• We are celebrating such an Independence Day this time, when the country's President, Vice President, Speaker, and PM are all those people who were born in independent India, & all of them hail from very ordinary backgrounds. I think it has symbolic importance
• As vice president, you devoted a lot of time to youth welfare
• Vice President Naidu's one-liners are famous, they are wit-liners; his command over languages has been great

Equity benchmark Sensex advanced over 110 points in opening trade on Monday, tracking gains in index majors M&M, Reliance Industries and HDFC twins amid a mixed trend in global markets. After opening on a weak note, the 30-share BSE benchmark rose 111.88 points or 0.19 per cent to 58,499.81 in morning deals. The broader NSE Nifty gained 25.70 points or 0.15 per cent to 17,423.20. Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest gainer from the Sensex pack, rising more than 2 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, NTPC, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and Maruti.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani for the second year in a row drew no salary from his flagship firm Reliance Industries in the last fiscal as he voluntarily gave up remuneration in light of the pandemic hitting the business and economy. In its latest annual report, Reliance said Ambani's remuneration for the financial year 2020-21 was "nil". In June 2020, Mukesh D Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, voluntarily decided to forego his salary for the year 2020-21, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, which exacted a huge toll on the societal, economic and industrial health of the nation.

A container truck driver has been arrested for allegedly hitting a woman on her head with an iron rod and throwing her out of the vehicle on the Delhi-Agra national highway after she resisted his sexual advances, police said. Superintendent of Police (rural) Shrish Chandra said the incident took place on Saturday when the 27-year-old woman was waiting for a transport and the truck driver offered her a lift. However, after a few minutes, the driver allegedly began molesting her and when she resisted and shouted for help, some people started following the truck. Seeing this, the driver hit her with on the head with an iron rod and threw her out of the moving truck, the SP said on Sunday.

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Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal are likely to receive heavy rainfall over the next two to three days, due to a depression that is set to take shape over the Bay of Bengal, the Met office said. A low pressure area, which formed on Saturday, concentrated into a well-marked system over the northwest Bay of Bengal, off the coasts of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. It is expected to intensify into a depression during the next 48 hours and move northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.

The School Education department of Andhra Pradesh government has launched a unique initiative to make schools a safer place for students by keeping a tab on bullying and sexual harassment. A set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has been designed to ensure safety and security of students, particularly girls, while teachers and staff members in each school are being sensitised on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will produce Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, arrested in a money laundering case, before a special court in Mumbai on Monday. The court last Thursday extended Raut's ED custody till August 8, while noting the agency had made “remarkable progress” in the probe into the money laundering case involving the Shiv Sena leader. The ED had then sought his further custody for eight days, saying it has unearthed a new trail of money. Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, was found to be beneficiary of Rs 1.17 crore of proceeds of crime in addition of Rs 1.06 crore that had come to light earlier, it claimed.

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Colombia's first leftist president was sworn into office Sunday, promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups. Sen. Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group, won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy, but failed to connect with voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence against human rights leaders and environmental groups in rural areas. Petro is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out and hurt incumbents who struggled with its economic aftershocks.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday congratulated pugilist Sagar, badminton players Treesa Jolly, Gayatri and Kidambi Srikanth, table tennis players Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula, and Indian women cricket team for winning medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. "Congratulations to young pugilist Sagar for winning silver in boxing at #CommonwealthGames. Your grit, determination and courage have won you widespread appreciation. You have made India proud. I am sure you have an illustrious future ahead," the president tweeted. Sagar won the silver medal in men's over 92kg category.

Bangladesh on Monday sought cooperation from China to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar during a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who promised better trade ties, investment and support for infrastructure development in the South Asian nation. China had used its influence in Myanmar to broker a November 2017 agreement to repatriate about 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar in August that year. Despite attempts to send them back, the refugees refused, fearing danger in Myanmar, which was exacerbated by the military takeover last year. Wang arrived in Dhaka on Saturday and met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the medal-winning efforts of several athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after a string of podium finishes for Indians. He congratulated Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan for their silver medal win in the Men’s Doubles event.
"More power to teamwork! Glad that the dynamic team of @sharathkamal1 and @sathiyantt have won the Silver medal in the Men’s Doubles event. Best wishes to these brilliant athletes," Modi said. The prime minister congratulated Indian mixed doubles pair Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal who won the bronze medal in the squash event of the Commonwealth Games.

The indomitable Nikhat Zareen added a Commonwealth Games light flyweight (50kg) title to her bulging trophy cabinet while Amit Panghal (51kg) began his redemption journey with a much-needed gold winning show, here on Sunday. Nikhat, who is on a winning spree since the Nationals last year, asserted her dominance over Northern Ireland's Carly Mc Naul as she punched her way to a comprehensive 5-0 win in her maiden CWG appearance. Panghal, on the other hand, avenged his 2018 Commonwealth Games final loss against Kiaran MacDonald by clinching the title with a comprehensive 5-0 win over the favourite.

Over five decades in Washington, Joe Biden knew that the way to influence was to be in the room where it happens. But in the second year of his presidency, some of Biden's most striking, legacy-defining legislative victories came about by staying out of it. A summer lawmaking blitz has sent bipartisan bills addressing gun violence and boosting the nation's high-tech manufacturing sector to Biden's desk, and the president is now on the cusp of securing what he called the “final piece” of his economic agenda with Senate passage of a Democrats-only climate and prescription drug deal once thought dead. And in a counterintuitive turn for the president who has long promoted his decades of Capitol Hill experience, Biden's aides chalk up his victories to the fact that he's been publicly playing the role of cheerleader rather than legislative quarterback.

A businessman was allegedly abducted and manhandled here after he allegedly failed to repay a loan of Rs 20 lakh taken from a money lending firm, police said on Sunday. The accused Rohit Ahlawat (29) and Mohit Ahlawat (33) have been arrested, they said. According to police, Shobhit Agarwal (45) was assaulted by the accused at his office at KG Marg Saturday night. The victim claimed that the accused barged into his office, threatened him and assaulted him. He said he repaid the loan amount that day. "Shobhit also alleged that the accused duo abducted him and later dropped him outside his office," Amrutha Guguloth, Deputy Comissioner of Police (New Delhi) said. The matter is being investigated, she said.

NITI Aayog’s “knee-jerk reaction” to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s questions was more of political in nature, said State Minister of Finance T Harish Rao while slamming the NDA government’s think-tank on Sunday. Speaking to reporters, the Minister said NITI Aayog’s response to the Chief Minister's boycotting its 7th Governing Council meeting held today was half-truth. Chandrashekar Rao, also known as KCR, on Saturday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would be skipping the NITI Aayog meet as a mark of protest against the present \"discriminating\" attitude of the Centre towards States.

A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants took effect late Sunday in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis. The flare-up was the worst fighting between Israel and Gaza militant groups since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war last year, and adds to the destruction and misery that have plagued blockaded Gaza for years. The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire took effect at 11:30 pm (2030 GMT; 4:30 pm EDT). Israeli strikes and militant rockets continued in the minutes leading up to the beginning of the truce, and Israel said it would “respond strongly” if the cease-fire was violated.