LIVE: Raised issues of principles before Cong leadership, says Sachin Pilot

The south-west monsoon is expected to become active again over Mumbai and other parts of coastal Maharashtra from today. Follow the latest news of the day here

Latest News LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual meeting with chief ministers of six states to review flood situation in which he emphasised extensive use of innovative technologies for improving forecast and warning system.

The states that attended the meeting to review their preparedness to deal with the south-west monsoon and current flood situation in the country are Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.

A red alert has been sounded in seven districts of rain-ravaged Karnataka, where one more death was reported on Sunday, taking the toll to 13. The red alert has been issued in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga districts, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall. 

The water level of the Mullaperiyar reservoir in Idukki district of Kerala reached 136 feet late Sunday night. The Idukki district collector held discussions with the collector of Theni in neighbouring Tamil Nadu over the release of water through the tunnel to the Vaigai dam. According to the IMD, the south-west monsoon is expected to become active again in Mumbai and other parts of coastal Maharashtra from today. 

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day

2:16 AM

Import curbs on 101 defence items open big avenue for L&T, Bharat Forge

The government’s policy announcement on the defence sector putting curbs on imports, providing clarity on timelines, and strengthening its “Make in India” initiative bode well for all domestic defence sector suppliers. Government-owned defence undertakings, such as Bharat Electronics (BEL), Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Bharat Dynamics, and Cochin Shipyards have already been in the spotlight against the India-China stand-off. The defence sector getting priority has boosted order flow prospects.

 

The latest announcement with a detailed list of 101 types of equipment the import of which will be restricted in a phased manner should not only benefit PSUs, but also private players like Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Bharat Forge, M&M Astra Microwave, Walchandnagar Industries, and Taneja Aerospace. Read more

2:15 AM

Licence scandal: Pakistan aviation regulator issues notices to 193 pilots

Pakistan's aviation regulator has issued show-cause notices to 193 pilots suspected of having "dubious" flying licence after completing the scrutiny process of 262 pilots in the wake of a major scandal, according to a media report on Monday.

 

The scandal over pilot licences in Pakistan emerged from an investigation into the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines plane on May 22 in Karachi that killed 97 people. The inquiry determined that nearly one-third of Pakistan's pilots cheated on exams but still received licences from the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

2:15 AM

'Atmanirbhar' airlines: Indian carriers focus on int'l passenger, cargo biz

At a recent aviation webinar, SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh ruffled the feathers of the UAE ambassador when he said that India could no longer rely on “middlemen” to ferry its passengers and goods across to various countries and that its own airlines were now in a position to do so.

 

The ambassador took great exception to the use of the term “middlemen” though the import of the message settled in. In today’s environment when protectionism is rearing its head again — more so in the precarious aviation industry — Singh’s words should not be taken lightly. Airline authorities around the world are seeking to protect their turf, and in what promises to be a bloody future, one cannot rule out battles over ferrying of passengers and goods. Read more

1:19 AM

French expert: Dangerous chemicals remain in Beirut port

Chemical experts and firefighters are working to secure at least 20 potentially dangerous chemical containers at the explosion-shattered port of Beirut, after finding one that was leaking, according to a member of a French cleanup team.

 

Some of the containers were punctured when last week's deadly blast ripped through the port and the Lebanese capital, said Lt. Anthony, a French chemical expert at the site who was not authorized to be identified by his full name according to government policy.

 

French and Italian chemical experts working amid the remains of the port have so far identified more than 20 containers carrying dangerous chemicals, Anthony said.

 

We noted the presence of containers with the chemical danger symbol. And then noted that one of the containers was leaking, he told The Associated Press in a TV interview on Monday.

1:18 AM

UK to lay off 6,000 contact tracers in local shift

The British government is laying off 6,000 coronavirus contact tracers and deploying the rest to work in local teams, in an acknowledgment that the centralised track-and-trace system is not working well enough.

 

The UK has been criticised for failing to keep track of infected people's contacts early in the pandemic, a factor that contributed to the country's high death toll of more than 46,500, the most in Europe.

 

Since May the country has rapidly set up a test-and-trace system to try to contain the outbreak, recruiting thousands of staff in a matter of weeks. But the system, which relies on telephone call centers, has failed to reach more than a quarter of contacts of people who have tested positive for the virus.

12:27 AM

UN food chief: Beirut could run out of bread in two and a half weeks

12:26 AM

BJP govt wins easy trust vote in Manipur, Congress cries foul

The BJP-led N Biren Singh government won a facile vote of confidence in Manipur on Monday, an exercise oppsition leader O Ibobi Singh called "murder of democracy", after his demand for a division was turned down by Speaker Y Khamchand.

 

With some astute political manoeuvering by the chief minister, which resulted in eight opposition Congress MLAs skipping the one-day session defying a party whip, the government's victory was a foregone conclusion.

 

The 60-member House has an effective strength of 53, including Speaker Y Khemchand, who had the casting vote he could have used in the event of a tie.

12:25 AM

DU students flag several issues on first day of online open book exam

Delhi University's online open book examination for final-year undergraduate and postgraduate courses began on Monday with students complaining that they received question papers of two subjects and faced difficulty in uploading answer sheets.

 

The exams were held in three shifts - 7.30 am to 11.30 am, 11.30 am to 3.30 pm, and 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

 

Zubair Khan, a student of School of Open Learning (SOL), said, "I had my Hindi exam today according to the date-sheet. When I opened the portal for downloading my question paper, I found that two question papers were uploaded -- one of Hindi and another of the paper scheduled for August 13. I sent mails to the SOL but there was no response. I consulted a professor who advised me to attempt the paper scheduled for today."

 

12:04 AM

In a first, Indian tricolour to be hoisted at iconic Times Square in New York

12:02 AM

Welcome back: Congress leaders hail Rajasthan crisis 'resolution' after Pilot-Rahul meet

Several Congress leaders "welcomed back" Sachin Pilot on Tuesday after the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister's meeting with Rahul Gandhi, signalling an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long political crisis in the state.

 

Soon after his patch-up talks with senior Congress leaders, Pilot on Monday night said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles.

 

"Welcome back Sachin. A constructive and enjoyable phase of Rajasthan building awaits," senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi tweeted after the party issued a statement saying Sonia Gandhi has decided that the AICC will constitute a three-member committee to "address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs and arrive at an appropriate resolution thereof".

11:39 PM

IMD corrects forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall

The meteorological department on Monday corrected its forecast of "heavy to very heavy rainfall" to only "heavy rainfall at isolated places".

 

In its earlier forecast, the department had predicted that south west monsoon would become active again from Monday and that Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra will receive heavy rainfall at isolated places.

11:36 PM

My fight is of principles, never hankered after any post: Sachin Pilot

Soon after his patch-up talks with senior Congress leaders, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Monday night said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles.

 

Pilot, who made his first public appearance since he revolted against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a month ago, told reporters that he and the other MLAs raised organisational issues, the case of sedition filed by the SOG and the style of governance in the state, and expressed the hope that the grievances will be addressed soon.

11:07 PM

Ashok Gehlot urges Centre to contribute 100 per cent funds under Jal Jeevan Mission in desert areas

11:07 PM

President Kovind speaks to Sharmistha, inquires about her father Pranab Mukherjee's health

11:06 PM

Lebanon government resigns amid outrage over Beirut blast