Breaking News, August 17

West Bengal on Wednesday reported 393 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, the health department said. There are 4,624 active cases at present in the state, it said. The new cases were detected after testing 9,723 samples, recording a positivity rate of 4.04 per cent.

The flood situation in Odisha’s Mahanadi river system remained grim on Wednesday as over 4.67 lakh people in 12 districts were affected by the calamity, an official said. Amid this situation, the administration braces up for the next spell of heavy rain from Thursday as forecast by the meteorological department, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday held talks with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow, focusing on bilateral, regional and global issues. Both sides discussed issues relating to bilateral cooperation in the areas of security as well as topical issues on the regional and international agenda, according to a Russian readout.

Nearly 100 roads falling under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's jurisdiction have been identified under a revamp campaign and about 50 of those have already been beautified, the civic body said on Wednesday. The MCD had identified a total of 96 roads across its 12 zones under its 'One Road per Zone per Week', it said in a statement. The MCD has started work in this direction from July 11 by preparing a detailed action plan at the zonal level. The corporation has revamped about 50 roads so far, it said.

Debt-ridden Future Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday said an operational creditor of the company has filed a plea before the National Company Law Tribunal to initiate insolvency proceedings against it. "Foresight Innovations Private Limited...Operational Creditors of the Company had filed an application under Section 9 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 for an alleged default amount of Rs.1.58 crore -with National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (NCLT)," Future Enterprises said in a regulatory filing.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has sought suggestions of sector regulator Trai on the auction of E and V bands, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Speaking at a Broadband India Forum event, DoT member (Technology) A K Tiwari said that in future the government is going to auction millimeter wave falling in the frequency range of 37-42.5 megahertz spectrum band, E and V bands.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday sought to downplay the entry of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) into the Gujarat poll arena and claimed the real battle will be fought between his party Congress and the ruling BJP. Expressing confidence about the Congress winning the Assembly polls due by the year-end, he attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying people have now understood the "hollowness" of the famed 'Gujarat Model' of development.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday visited the site of the new Parliament building along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh. The vice president is also the chairperson of Rajya Sabha. Leader of the House, Rajya Sabha member Piyush Goyal was also present, the Vice President Secretariat said in a tweet.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 418 fresh Covid cases on Wednesday that took the infection tally to 4,74,690, officials said. Of the new cases, 90 were reported from Jammu division and 328 from the Kashmir valley, they said.

The Delhi High Court Wednesday restrained the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from proceeding further concerning the provisional attachment of funds of journalist Rana Ayyub in connection with an alleged money laundering probe against her. Justice Yashwant Varma issued notice to the investigating agency on Ayyub's petition against the provisional attachment and sought a response from it within six weeks.

A three-day pre-counselling fair for online admission in engineering and technical colleges was inaugurated by West Bengal Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim here on Wednesday. The fair, organised by Association of Professional Academic Institutions, is being held in hybrid mode this year, thus enabling students to attend sessions physically as well as over a virtual mode, an official said.

The Delhi government has fast-tracked its project to beautify Tikri Kalan border entry point and construct a huge gate there with the tourism department setting a deadline of 10 months from now to complete the work. According to officials of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the aim of the project is to showcase Delhi’s heritage and beauty in a way that people can witness the glory of the city whenever they enter the national capital.

Mizoram's apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Wednesday staged a demonstration in Aizawl demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The protest was made in response to a call given by the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), the umbrella body of major student bodies in the eight North-eastern states.

The National Skill Development Corporation on Wednesday said it has partnered with Varthana Finance Private Limited to provide financial assistance to students. The partnership will enable the achievement of the main objective of skill loans initiative. It aims to bridge the education financing gap for low-income population so the youth in India can avail financial assistance from financial institutions to undertake the desired courses.

Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 13,23,587 on Wednesday as 280 more people, including 40 children, tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. The toll rose to 9,159 as two more patients succumbed to the infection in Bhubaneswar. Fifty-three other patients have died due to comorbidities so far, it said.

Air conditioning systems manufacturer Daikin India on Wednesday said it will invest Rs 500 crore in the next three year on setting up its third R&D centre in the country at Neemrama in Rajasthan. The centre will be spread over 24,000 square metres and employ more than 250 engineers dedicated to research and development of India specific products, the company said in a statement.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Wednesday said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 on e-commerce player Flipkart for allowing the sale of substandard domestic pressure cookers on its platform. Speaking to PTI, CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare said a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 has been imposed on Flipkart for allowing the sale of substandard pressure cookers on its e-commerce platform and violating the rights of consumers. Flipkart has also been directed to notify consumers of all 598 pressure cookers sold on its platform, recall the pressure cookers and reimburse money to the consumers, she said. The company has also been asked to submit a compliance report of the same within 45 days, she added. 

A 39-year-old man has been arrested from Thane city of Maharashtra for allegedly abetting the suicide of his wife, who was posted as a police naik, an official said on Wednesday. The arrest was made late Tuesday evening, hours after the alleged suicide, he said. The accused, identified as Vijay Dagdu Zine, was arrested on the charge of harassing his wife mentally and physically, which allegedly forced her to end her own life. He suspected her character and they used to frequently quarrel over the issue, the official of Srinagar police station said.

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The Delhi High Court has granted five more months to a judicial inquiry commission to complete its probe in relation to the clash between lawyers and police at the Tis Hazari court complex here in 2019. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that it has received a request from Justice (retd) S P Garg, who heads the commission set up by the court, for extension of time to complete the inquiry. "The request made by letter dated 25.07.2022 reveals that some more time is required, and, therefore, in the interest of justice further five months are granted from today to complete the inquiry," said the court in its order dated August 8.

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In light of investigations into usage of vehicles for transport by terrorists, all owners are requested to install HSNP on both front and rear of vehicles(in two-wheelers also)as mandated by MV act. Non-compliance will lead to legal action incl seizure of vehicle: Srinagar Police. 

Nearly two weeks after resigning from the Congress, former Gujarat minister Naresh Raval and former Rajya Sabha member Raju Parmar joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Wednesday, months ahead of the state Assembly polls. Both the leaders were associated with the Congress for decades. State BJP chief CR Paatil welcomed them into the party by offering them saffron scarves and caps. A large number of their supporters also joined the ruling party. Parmar was Congress's Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat for three terms - between 1988 and 2006. A prominent leader from the Dalit community, he had also served as a member of the National Committee for SC/ST.

Puducherry Assembly will resume its sitting on August 22 and Chief Minister N Rangasamy, holding Finance portfolio would present the budget for the fiscal 2022-23 on the floor of the House that day. Speaker of the Assembly R Selvam announced on Wednesday (August 17) that the House would resume its sitting at 9:30 am on August 22 when the Chief Minister would present the budget. The budget session of the Assembly was formally kickstarted on August 10 by the Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan who presented that day her customary address. However, the Speaker had adjourned the House after the Lt Governor`s address sine die, which was virtually an unprecedented development and kept everyone guessing.

The famous Lord Ayyappa Temple here witnessed heavy rush of devotees on Wednesday as it was opened for special pujas and rituals to mark the beginning of the auspicious Malayalam month of Chingam. The officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body which manages the temple, here said thousands of people thronged the hill shrine since early morning to have a glimpse of the deity on the auspicious day. The 'sannidhanam', the temple premises, reverberated with the holy Ayyappa chants as soon as Melsanthi (chief priest) N Parameshwaran Namboothiri opened the portals of the sanctum sanctorum and lit the lamp under the guidance of tantri (head priest) Kandari Rajeevaru, they said.

Eighty-six per cent of Noida residents have said there is encroachment of common areas in their colonies or societies, according to a survey. The survey conducted by LocalCircles comes in the wake of a major controversy involving politician Shrikant Tyagi who assaulted and abused a woman resident of his society here after she objected to encroachment of common space by him. Illegal extensions and additions to houses and apartments or encroachment of public spaces are not just restricted to slums, lower-income colonies or semi-urban areas but are a reality even in upper-middle class and affluent neighbourhoods and societies, the survey stated. It received over 2,000 responses from city residents, with 61 per cent of them being men and 39 per cent women.

A dispute between neighbours over parking of a motorcycle here took a violent turn with both sides attacking each other with bricks and sticks, leaving one person dead and 11 others injured, police said on Wednesday. Circle Officer (CO), Aurai, Ram Lakhan Mishra said the clash broke out on Tuesday evening when one faction parked motorcycle in front of the door of another.
 

Just before the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature began on Wednesday, the opposition parties raised slogans against the Eknath Shinde-led state government on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan here. Led by Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, the leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and other allies shouted slogans against the government over farmers' issues. Some members of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, including MLA Aaditya Thackeray, also took part in the sloganeering. Some opposition members were seen holding placards that questioned the legitimacy of the Shinde-Fadnavis government.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the release of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case and said the entire country is seeing the difference between his words and deeds. He asked what message is being sent out to the women of the country through such decisions. The BJP government in Gujarat released all the 11 people convicted for the rape of a pregnant Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots, under its remission policy. "Those who raped a five-month pregnant woman and killed her three-year-old daughter were released during 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. What message is being given to the women of the country by those who peddle lies about 'Nari Shakti'?

The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 10,520 on Wednesday as three more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. The Union territory now has 16 active cases, while 10,375 people have recovered from the disease so far, including three in the last 24 hours. A total of 129 patients have succumbed to the infection to date. The administration has thus far tested over 7.67 lakh samples for COVID-19, and fully vaccinated 3.49 lakh people. 

Assam has registered an over eight-fold jump in fresh COVID-19 cases with 202 more people testing positive for the virus, raising the tally to 7,43,048, the National Health Mission (NHM) said in a bulletin. The death toll remained unchanged at 8,026, it said. The northeastern state now has 2,987 active cases, while 7,32,033 patients have so far recovered form the disease, the bulletin said. Assam tested 5,502 samples for COVID-19 on Tuesday at a positivity rate of 3.67 per cent. It had registered 25 fresh infections out of 690 samples that were examined on Monday. The NHM said a total of 4,93,17,906 doses of vaccines have been administered in the state thus far. 

The national flag hoisted on the premises of 150 ASI monuments on the 75th anniversary of India's independence will flutter permanently, except at sites where flagpoles are unlit after dark, senior officials said on Tuesday. At such sites, where there is no provision to illuminate flagpoles, 'Tiranga' will be lowered in the evening and hoisted again in the morning, they said. "Our national flag was hoisted at 150 ASI sites across the country, from Sher Shah Suri's Tomb in Bihar to Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan, and Tissaru Stupa in Leh to Vellore Fort in south India. And it has been decided that all these flagpoles will remain on site permanently. Thus, the flag will flutter permanently, except at sites where flagpoles are unlit after dark," a senior official told news agency PTI.

A low pressure system is likely to form over north Bay of Bengal on Friday, causing widespread rainfall in Gangetic West Bengal during the weekend, the Met Department said. The coastal and western districts of the state received isolated heavy rain last week owing to a depression in northwest Bay of Bengal, bringing relief to farmers in the rice-growing districts, which have seen deficient rainfall this monsoon. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy downpour is likely over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal from Friday to Sunday due to the likely formation of a low pressure system in north Bay of Bengal on Friday, the Met office said. The weatherman has also forecast thunderstorms with lightning at one or two places in West Bengal on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot is scheduled to begin his two-day Gujarat visit from Wednesday to review the Congress's preparedness for the state Assembly polls due later this year, a party office-bearer has said. Gehlot was supposed to start his three-day Gujarat visit from Tuesday, but he could not arrive in Surat city due to bad weather conditions, he said. So instead of three days, Gehlot, the Congress' senior observer for the Gujarat Assembly elections, will be in the state for two days and land at Vadodara on Wednesday to hold meetings with leaders of the party's central zone to review their preparedness for the polls due by the year-end, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi has said.

When a couple lives under one roof, the conduct of one party towards the other is always vital in defining the respect and recognition the family would get from others. If the domestic peace is disturbed due to an unruly act of one party, namely the husband, there need not be any hesitation in giving the practical enforcement for the protection order by removing the husband from the house, the Madras High Court has observed. Justice RN Manjula, who made the observation recently, directed the husband, an industrialist, to leave his wife, an advocate and two children and seek accommodation elsewhere.

Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday as regional markets looked to strong economic signs out of the U.S. and China as drivers of growth. Benchmarks rose in morning trading in Japan, China and Australia, although shares dipped slightly in South Korea. Analysts warned major risks remain, such as surging cases of COVID-19 in some countries in Asia, worries about global inflation and China's policies to curb infections. “Expectations of economic growth in China and the U.S. will likely remain key to gauging recession fears. China's zero-COVID' policy is still an important headwind for global growth,” said Anderson Alves at ActivTrades.

The rupee appreciated 44 paise to 79.30 against the US dollar in the opening trade on Wednesday, mainly on account of foreign fund inflows. Besides, a positive opening in the domestic equities amid moderating inflationary pressures boosted investor sentiments, according to forex dealers. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened sharply up at 79.32 against the dollar, then gained further ground to 79.30, registering a rise of 44 paise over the last close. In the previous session on Friday, the rupee depreciated 12 paise to close at 79.74 against the US dollar.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday in Delhi. Stalin would visit Murmu and Dhankar in the morning, government sources here said. In the evening, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is scheduled to call on PM Modi and take up several key issues that have a bearing on the state. He is expected to take up matters on additional funding, fresh initiatives, anti-NEET Bill status, among several others. Stalin is expected to return to Chennai tonight.

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Iranian authorities announced Tuesday the first case of monkeypox in the country, the official IRNA news agency reported. The report said health authorities quarantined a 34-year-old woman living in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. Pedram Pakaeen, health ministry spokesperson, said the patient and her family members informed doctors after she developed symptoms on the skin of her hands. Monkeypox spreads when people have close, physical contact with an infected person's lesions, their clothing or bedsheets. Sexual contact may amplify transmission.

There are a total of 17,256 vacancies on posts for direct recruitment by various departments of the Delhi government, out of which requisition has been sent to hiring agencies UPSC and DSSSB for filling up 10,980 posts, officials said on Tuesday. The departments are yet to send the requisition to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Delhi Subordinates Services Selection Board (DSSSB) to fill up the remaining 6,276 vacancies in A, B and C group services, they said. The vacancies in different categories of services at various departments include 1,518(A), 8,902(B) and 6,836(C).

A group of German air force fighter jets landed in Singapore on Tuesday as part of a marathon bid to fly them some 12,800 kilometers (8,000 miles) from their home base to Southeast Asia in just 24 hours. The exercise comes at a time of heightened tensions between China and the U.S. and its allies over Taiwan and demonstrates the ability for a European nation to move air power quickly to the region. The European Union unveiled a new strategy in September for boosting economic, political and defense ties in the Indo-Pacific. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told reporters that despite the war in Ukraine being a priority at the moment, the Eurofighter mission underscores that Asia has not been forgotten.

J&K: Security forces launched a cordon & search op in Kutpora, Shopian. During search, terrorists lobbed grenades at search party. Search party also retaliated. Terrorists escaped due to darkness. Police&security forces busted a hideout inside a house and recovered arms and ammunition.

Jamia Millia Islamia's teachers' body has passed resolutions opposing the university's new leave rules and show cause notices issued to some Hindi department faculty members for refusing to translate its annual report, among other things. The Jamia Teachers' Association (JTA) passed the resolutions at a meeting of its general body on August 3, putting forth a series of demands, including setting up an inquiry committee to examine the cases of show cause notices. A university official, however, told PTI on Tuesday that the JTA does not have any legal right to call a general body meeting (GBM) as its tenure ended in May this year.

An independent journalist has been found dead in northern Mexico, prosecutors said, amid a spate of 13 killings of reporters and media workers so far this year, the deadliest in recent memory for the profession. Prosecutors in the northern border state of Sonora said on Tuesday tattoos on a body found in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado matched those of journalist Juan Arjón López. But they did not immediately say whether there were signs he had been slain. San Luis is across the border from Yuma, Arizona, and has long been known for medical and dentistry offices catering to Americans. But the area has been hit by drug cartel violence in recent years. In March, volunteer searchers found 11 bodies in clandestine burial pits in a stretch of desert near a garbage dump in San Luis.

Health officials are warning people who are infected with monkeypox to stay away from household pets, since the animals could be at risk of catching the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for months has had the advice in place as monkeypox spreads in the U.S. But it gained new attention after a report from France, published last week in the medical journal Lancet, about an Italian greyhound that caught the virus. The dog belongs to a couple who said they sleep alongside the animal. The two men were infected with monkeypox after having sex with other partners and wound up with lesions and other symptoms. The greyhound later developed lesions and was diagnosed with the virus.

Jaipur rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Tuesday asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to apologise for "insulting" paramilitary forces on Independence Day. He said it is the nature of Congress to accuse the Army and that Gehlot is carrying forward this tradition. The statement reflects his perverted mindset, he said. Rathore's remarks come after Gehlot alleged that the BJP misuses paramilitary and police forces to transport money in boxes to its offices through their vehicles. "The chief minister should apologise for insulting paramilitary forces on Independence Day. It is the nature of the Congress to accuse the Army and Gehlot is carrying forward this tradition. The statement reflects his perverted mindset," the BJP MP told reporters at a press conference.

President Joe Biden signed Democrats' landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party's standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some USD 375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at USD 2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.