Breaking news: August 24, 2020 | As it happened

1,879 COVID-19 cases detected in Assam today out of 28,670 tests done in the last 24 hours. Total cases now at 92,619 including 70,900 recoveries, 21,464 active cases, and 252 deaths. The positivity rate is at 6.55%. 

1,074 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Haryana today, taking the total number of cases to 55,460. 

1,516 new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab today. The total number of cases rises to 43,284 including 13,798 active cases, 28,357 recovered cases and 1,129 deaths so far. 

743 new COVID-19 cases, 1,025 recoveries, and 20 deaths reported in Mumbai today. The total number of positive cases increases to 1,37,091 in Mumbai, including 18,263 active cases, 1,11,084 recovered cases, and 7,439 deaths. 

1,242 new COVID-19 cases, 1,238 recoveries and 11 deaths reported in Kerala today, taking active cases to 20,323, recoveries to 38,887 and death toll to 234. 

1,346 new COVID-19 positive cases and 12 reported in Rajasthan till 8.30 pm today. Total number of cases now at 71,955 including 14388 active cases, 55981 discharges and 967 deaths. 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar tested positive for COVID-19.

Uttarakhand reported 412 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of cases to 15,529.

Delhi reported 1,061 new COVID-19 cases, 1,200 discharges/recoveries/migrated and 13 deaths today. The total number of cases now at 1,62,527 including 1,46,588 recovered cases, 11,626 active cases and 4,313 deaths. 

With 117 new COVID-19 positive cases today, total tally rises to 3035 in Chandigarh. The death toll is at 37. 

1,292 new COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths reported in Madhya Pradesh today. The total number of cases now at 54,421 including 11,944 active cases, 41,231 recoveries, and 1,246 deaths. 

Tamil Nadu reported 5,967 new COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths today, taking total cases to 3,85,352 including 3,25,456 discharges and 6,614 deaths. The number of active cases stands at 53,282. 

2 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in the Dharavi area of Mumbai today, taking the total number of cases to 2,713. The number of active cases now at 83. 

28 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported out of 587 samples tested. Also, the state reports 102 recoveries of COVID-19 patients. 

The Pakistan Army on Monday opened fire and lobbed mortars at forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, the spokesman said.

The firing and shelling from across the border in Sunderbani sector started at 1.30 pm and was going on when last reports came.

"Pakistan initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars," he said.

The spokesman said there was no immediate report of any casualty on the Indian side.

Fitch Ratings on Monday said state-owned oil refiners IOC, BPCL and HPCL may see longer than previously expected time to recover refining margins, increasing downside risks to their credit profiles. Also, the push for capital spending and demand for dividends from the government will put pressure on their financial profits, it said.

"Fitch Ratings believes that Indian oil marketing companies' gross refining margins (GRMs) will take longer than previously expected to recover, which increases the downside risks to the standalone credit profiles (SCPs) of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), while headroom for Indian Oil Corporation Ltd's (IOC) SCP remains limited," the rating agency said in a statement.

Contractual health workers, working under Siliguri Municipal Corporation, who conduct door to door COVID-19 survey, protest outside civic body office in Siliguri, demanding the immediate release of their delayed salaries & the honorarium announced by the state govt

Kapil Sibal tweets, "Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him. I withdraw my tweet", on "collusion with BJP" remark.

The condition of former President Pranab Mukherjee remained unchanged on Monday and he continues to be in deep coma, the Army's Research and Referral hospital said.

Rahul Gandhi says “we are colluding with BJP“...Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet “we are colluding with the BJP“: Congress leader Kapil Sibal in a tweet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal virtually launches a mobile app and online OPD appointment system of Shri Dada Dev Matri Avum Shishu Chikitsalaya. He says, "Around 10,000 deliveries happen at this hospital in a year. Its capacity will be increased from 106 beds to 281 beds."

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam has tested negative for coronavirus. The news about SP Balasubrahmanyam's health came from his son SP Charan. In a statement, the noted singer's son said his father continued to be stable in the Intensive Care Unit at MGM Hospital in Chennai. SP Balasubrahmanyam was admitted to the hospital on August 5 and since then he continues to be in the hospital. He has been on life support since August 13. 

Doctors had to put SP Balasubrahmanyam on ventilator support after his condition worsened during treatment. Doctors at MGM Healthcare Hospital in Chennai were also in touch with experts from outside for his treatment. 

SP has recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 Indian languages. SP Balasubrahmanyam has won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his works in four different languages; Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi.

Interim party president Sonia Gandhi attends Congress Working Committee's virtual meeting

2,949 new COVID-19 positive cases, 2,129 new recoveries were reported on 23rd August in Odisha, taking the total number of COVID cases in the state to 81,479, including 26,602 active cases and 54,405 recovered cases

With the Education Ministry's directive to conduct NEET, JEE 2020 in Sept, I would again appeal to Centre to assess risk & postpone these exams until the situation is conducive again. It's our duty to ensure a safe environment for all our students: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM

In our last video conference with PM Modi, I had been vocal against the UGC guidelines mandating completion of terminal examinations in Universities/Colleges by the end of September 2020, which had a huge potential to put student lives at risk: Mamata Banerjee, CM, West Bengal

Triveni Thanga dam in Surendranagar overflows following heavy rainfall in the region

India reported 61,408 new COVID-19 cases, 57,468 recoveries and 836 deaths in the last 24 hours. With this, the total COVID-19 tally rises to 31,06,349 including 23,38,036 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 57,542 deaths

14 gates of Motisar Dam in Rajkot District opened to release water, following heavy rainfall in the area

Gujarat's Surendranagar continues to receive heavy rainfall

A doctor jumped off from the Prakasam barrage in Vijaywada into river Krishna on Sunday 23rd August. Body of the doctor not yet found, search operation underway

Yog guru Swami Ramdev reveals Yoga asanas for patients with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease | WATCH NOW

A landslide occurred near ITBP camp in Gauchar of Chamoli district last night, blocking Badrinath Highway. The operations to clear the highway is underway.

Light rain/drizzle would occur over isolated places of South-Delhi, Dadri and Kosali during the next two hours (update issued at 7:05 am): India Meteorological Department (IMD)

Hello and welcome to today's live coverage of coronavirus news in India and across the world, with me, Sushmita Panda and my colleagues  Himanshu Shekhar, Shashwat  Bhandari, Vani Mehrotra, Priya Jaiswal, and Rashi Hardaha. You can get in touch with us directly on Twitter @sushmitapanda, @himaanshus, @ShashBhandari​ @vani_mehrotra​ @priyajais, and  @rashihardaha for news, tips, photos, questions and comments. Stay tuned to Indiatvnews.com (@indiatvnews) for all the latest updates on what's happening around the world. 

Here's a quick overview: 

The total number of global cases has surpassed 23.5 million, including more than 812,000 fatalities. More than 16,000,000 patients are reported to have recovered.

Total positive cases country-wise: