LIVE news: Ammonium nitrate near Chennai being shifted after e-auction

Storage of ammonium nitrate has been e-auctioned and is being shipped to Hyderabad. Stay tuned for latest news live updates

1:53 PM

Kozhikode plane crash: Air India Express says mortal remains of deceased passengers handed over to the families

1:44 PM

Restrictions announced on import of 101 defence items, boost to domestic manufacturing

In a major push to promote the domestic defence industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday announced restrictions on import of 101 weapons and military platforms including light combat helicopters, transport aircraft, conventional submarines and cruise missiles by 2024.

 

Making the announcement on Twitter, the defence minister estimated that the domestic defence industry would receive contracts worth almost Rs four lakh crore within the next five to seven years as a result of the decision to prune the import list.

 

Singh said the defence ministry is now ready for a "big push" to boost indigenous defence manufacturing in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India).

 

According to officials, the list of 101 items includes towed artillery guns, short range surface to air missiles, cruise missiles, offshore patrol vessels, electronic warfare systems, next generation missile vessels, floating dock, anti-submarine rocket launchers and short range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

1:30 PM

Govt plans to enact new law to protect land rights of J-K natives

A new law to protect the land rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is on the anvil to allay the apprehensions of the natives after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, officials said. The new law is expected to be enacted in Parliament. "Land rights for the locals in Jammu and Kashmir are coming up. Work is on for enacting a new law that will allay all fears of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," an official privy to the development said. Once the legislation is passed by Parliament, the fear of losing rights over land will be over in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.

1:23 PM

11 Pakistani migrants found dead in Rajasthan

Eleven members of a family of Pakistan Hindu migrants were found dead at a farm in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district on Sunday morning, police said. A person of the family, however, was found alive outside the hut they lived at Lodta village of Dechu area, an officer said. "But he claimed to have no idea about the incident, which believed to have happened in the night," said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rahul Barhat. "We are yet to ascertain the cause and means of death. But apparently, all the members appeared to have committed suicide by consuming some chemical in the night," Barhat said.

1:12 PM

Andhra Home Minister, Health Minister visit Vijayawada fire mishap site

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita, Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas and other ministers visited the site where a broke out at a hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility in Vijayawada on Sunday morning. Ministers Velampalli Srinivas, Rajya Sabha MP Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, Transport Minister Perni Venkatramaiah also visited the accident spot. Health Minister, Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas said, "This is a very unfortunate incident. The Chief Minister has ordered to take appropriate measures, he has ordered the ministers to visit the spot."

1:06 PM

Red alert for heavy rains issued in Bantwal, a taluk in Dakshina Kannada district

1:00 PM

OMCs hold fuel prices, diesel price same for 9th day

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) continued to keep automobile fuel prices unchanged on Sunday, with diesel prices across the four metros remaining untouched for the ninth day in a row. Petrol prices have not changed for over 40 days now in the country. In the national capital, diesel was priced at Rs 73.56 per litre on Sunday. Similarly, prices of the transport fuel remained unchanged in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata as well at Rs 80.11, Rs 78.86, and Rs 77.06 per litre respectively. Petrol prices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata were Rs 80.43, Rs 87.19, Rs 83.63 and Rs 82.05 per litre respectively, the same since June 29.

12:50 PM

World leaders to hold aid summit for Beirut

International leaders will hold talks on Sunday to raise aid for Beirut, five days after the massive explosion which devastated the Lebanese capital. The virtual conference - set up by France and the United Nations - starts at 14.00 Lebanon time (11.00 GMT). US President Donald Trump has said he plans to join the call. Officials estimate the blast at the warehouse, which stored 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, caused up to $15 billion (£11.5bn) in damage. The explosion left at least 158 people dead, 5,000 injured and 300,000 homeless.

12:35 PM

Defence Minister promised a bang', ended with a whimper': Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit out at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the "import embargo" on defence equipment announced by him was "high sounding jargon" as their only importer was the Defence Ministry. The defence minister promised a "bang" on a Sunday morning and ended with a "whimper", Chidambaram said in a series of tweets. "The only importer of defence equipment is the Defence Ministry. Any import embargo is really an embargo on oneself," the former home minister said. What the defence minister said in his "historic Sunday announcement" deserved only an office order from the minister to his secretaries, Chidambaram said.

12:29 PM

Death toll in Kerala landslide rises to 28

Death toll in Rajamala landslide rises to 28, following the recovery of another body: Idukki District Information Office

12:05 PM

Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn-in as Sri Lanka PM for fourth time

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the fourth time, days after his party secured a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections. He took oath at the sacred Rajamaha Viharaya, a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, a north Colombo suburb. His brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also present, The Daily Mirror reported.

12:01 PM

Death toll in Idukki landslide rises to 27

The death toll in the landslide at Idukki's Rajamala rose to 27, the district administration said on Sunday. ''One body was recovered today morning. The deceased has been identified as Arun Maheswar (34). The last rites of the bodies recovered in the past two days were conducted yesterday," the administration said.

11:46 AM

Death toll in Vijayawada fire incident rises to 10

The number of those killed in the fire at a hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility in Vijayawada rose to 10 on Sunday, said Vikrant Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government announced Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia each to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident. According to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also ordered an in-depth probe into the accident and directed authorities to take steps to ensure better medical services to the victims of the accident.

11:17 AM

India's coal import drops 43% in July owing to high stockpile at pitheads, plants

India's coal import fell 43.2 per cent to 11.13 million tonnes (MT) in July this year on account of high stockpile of the dry fuel at pitheads, plants and ports. The country had imported 19.61 MT of coal in July 2019, according to a provisional compilation, by mjunction services limited, based on monitoring of vessels' positions and data received from shipping companies. mjunction -- a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL -- is a B2B e-commerce company that also publishes research reports on coal and steel verticals. "Imports in July 2020 stood at 11.13 million tonnes (provisional)... Earlier, coal and coke imports in July 2019 stood at 19.61 MT," it said.

11:13 AM

PM Modi launches Agriculture Infrastructure Fund