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India on Tuesday recorded 8,586 new Covid cases, taking the nation's tally of coronavirus infections to 44,357,546. With 48 new deaths, including six reconciled by Kerala, India's toll of Covid has now reached 527,416. India recorded 9,680 recoveries from the Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of cured cases to 43,733,624.
 

2:29 PM

AAP govt ignored violations of excise policy, recommendations of expert committee: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday stepped up attack on the AAP, claiming its government in Delhi ignored infractions in the implementation of the excise policy and recommendations of an expert committee set up to reform liquor trade in the capital.

 

The saffron party said the AAP leaders had been patting each other on the back and digressing from the questions raised on the alleged malpractices.

 

According to the Delhi excise policy, producers, retailers and distributors of liquor cannot be the same. Also, there cannot be common directors or shareholders in different companies bidding for licenses, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said at a press conference here.

 

2:22 PM

Sri Lanka's president directed to ensure Gotabaya Rajapaksa's return

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) ruled on Tuesday that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July amid the unrest triggered by the ongoing economic crisis, should be allowed to return to the country.

Writing to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the HRCSL stated that Rajapaksa is entitled to certain privileges and benefits under law and the government should take necessary steps to ensure his security to return.

The Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge recommended the government to take all necessary steps to assess the threat situation and provide Rajapaksa and his family access to return whenever he wants.

 

2:02 PM

Daily exercise may lower Covid infection, severity risk

If you exercise regularly, then there are chances you may have a lower risk of Covid-19 infection and severity, including hospital admission and death, finds a new study.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that a weekly tally of 150 minutes of moderate intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity, physical activity seems to afford the best protection.

"Our findings highlight the protective effects of engaging in sufficient physical activity as a public health strategy, with potential benefits to reduce the risk of severe Covid-19," said researchers, including Yasmin Ezzatvar from the Universitat de Valencia in Spain.

1:40 PM

Why was Delhi's new liquor excise policy reversed, asks BJP

The BJP on Tuesday sought an explanation from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on reversing the new liquor excise policy immediately after a probe was ordered.

It also asked how much bribe was received and total loss of revenue to Delhi government.

National in-charge of BJP information technology department Amit Malviya shared a video in which a person claimed that he and others were asked to call AAP MLAs on behalf of senior BJP leaders to defect from the party in lieu of money.

1:36 PM

Moscow seeks a 'sense of normal' amid Ukraine conflict

At Moscow's sprawling Izmailovsky outdoor souvenir market, shoppers can find cups and T-shirts commemorating Russia's deployment of troops into Ukraine but from the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. There's nothing about the special military operation that began six months ago.

Throughout the capital, there are few overt sign that Russia is engaged in the worst fighting in Europe since World War II. Displays of the letter Z which initially spread as an icon of the fight, replicating the insignia painted on Russian military vehicles are hardly seen.

There are only some scattered posters on bus shelters, showing the impassive face of one soldier or another and the words, Glory to the heroes of Russia. The posters give no clue as to what the man did, or where he did it.

12:26 PM

Taiwan's Tsai says resolve in self-defence cannot be shaken

Taiwan's president invoked an armed conflict from 1958 as an example of the island's resolve to defend itself while she met Tuesday with more foreign visitors amid the highest tensions with China in decades.

U.S. policy researchers and Japanese lawmakers are the latest visiting delegations, just weeks after China reacted to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan by holding large-scale military exercises that included firing missiles over the island and sending ships across the midline of the Taiwan Strait.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary, and sees high-level foreign visits to the island as interference in its affairs and de facto recognition of Taiwanese sovereignty.

12:00 PM

Audi to hike prices by up to 2.4 pc next month

German luxury carmaker Audi on Tuesday said it will increase prices of its entire model range by up to 2.4 per cent next month.

The price hike is a result of rising input and supply chain costs and will come into effect from September 20, 2022, the automaker said in a statement.

At Audi India, we are committed to operating a sustainable business model. With rising input and supply chain costs, we are required to take a price hike of up to 2.4 per cent across our model range," Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said.

11:41 AM

BJP leader Sonali Phogat dies of heart attack in Goa

BJP leader from Haryana's Hisar and actor Sonali Phogat died of a heart attack in Goa, party leaders said on Tuesday.

"She has passed away. I have been given information that she was in Goa," Haryana BJP chief O P Dhankar told PTI.

It was not immediately clear as to when she died.

A former TikTok star, Phogat had joined the BJP in 2019.

11:27 AM

EAM Jaishankar inaugurates Indian Embassy in Paraguay

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar jointly inaugurated the new Indian Embassy here in Paraguay with his counterpart Julio Cesar Arriola, expressing confidence that this new resident mission will take the bilateral relations to greater heights.

Jaishankar, who is on his first-ever official visit to South America aimed at boosting overall bilateral ties with the region, is also the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Paraguay, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Jointly inaugurated the new Indian Embassy in Paraguay with FM Julio Cesar Arriola. Thank Minister of Interior @FedericoA_GF for his presence. A reiteration of our strong bilateral relationship and our long-standing multilateral cooperation," Jaishankar tweeted on Tuesday.

11:25 AM

4 earthquakes jolt J&K in less than 6 hours

Four earthquakes jolted Jammu and Kashmir in less than eight hours on Tuesday. No loss of life or damage to property was reported, officials said.

The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 2.20 am, was 61 km east of Katra area in Jammu region, they said.

The officials said the quake hit at latitude 33.07 degrees north and longitude 75.58 degrees east at a depth of 10 km.

11:24 AM

UNSC meeting: India asks countries to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international agreements

In an apparent jibe at China, India has cautioned against any "double standards" on the issue of combating terrorism and emphasised that any "coercive or unilateral" action that seeks to change the status quo by force is an affront to the principle of common security.

 

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, addressing a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the topic ‘Promote Common Security Through Dialogue and Cooperation' on Monday said that all countries should respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and respect international agreements.

11:11 AM

Remission order to release Bilkis Bano gangrape case convicts challenged in SC

The remission order of releasing convicts by the state government in Bilkis Bano case challenged before the Supreme Court, reports ANI

11:01 AM

Sitharaman to attend bankers' conclave in Nagaland on Tuesday

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to attend a bankers' conclave here on Tuesday, and visit a state-run higher secondary school to interact with students, officials said.

 

Sitharaman, who is on a three-day tour of the northeastern state, is also slated to visit the remote Mon district on Tuesday morning to inaugurate the branch of a private bank.

 

10:50 AM

India coach Rahul Dravid tests positive for Covid-19: Report

Days before India's opening campaign in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE, the team has suffered a big blow with a report saying that head coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for Covid-19.

Dravid did not travel to Zimbabwe for the recently-concluded three-match One-day International series, which the KL Rahul-led side won 3-0. Due to the busy international schedule, the coaching staff, including Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, was rested by the senior selection committee.

India are scheduled to open their campaign in the Asia Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28 and would like to avenge the 10-wicket loss against Babar Azam's side in the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE last year.

10:49 AM

India logs 8,586 new coronavirus cases, 48 deaths

India logged 8,586 new coronavirus infections taking total tally of cases to 44,357,546 while the active cases have declined to 96,506, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday.

 

The death toll climbed to 527,416 with 48 fatalities which includes six deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed.

 

The active cases comprises 0.22 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.59 per cent, the health ministry said.

 

A decline of 1,142 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

 

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.19 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.31 per cent, according to the health ministry.