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 AM

Saudi Arabia turns off oil tap for Pakistan over deferred payments

Pakistan has not received oil on deferred payments from Saudi Arabia since May as a deal signed between the two close allies for provision of $3.2 billion worth of the fuel under the arrangement expired two months ago.

 

The $3.2-billion Saudi oil facility was part of the $6.2-billion Saudi Arabian package announced in November 2018 to ease Pakistan’s external sector woes, the Express Tribune reported.

 

The agreement expired in May and efforts are being made by the finance division to renew the facility, the petroleum division spokesperson Sajid Qazi was quoted as saying by the paper.

1:52 AM

US Covid cases top 5 million; Brazil hits grim milestone of 100,000 deaths

According to a Reuters tally, the United States has hit a record 5 million cases of Covid-19.
 

Last week, the country’s top infectious diseases official had offered hope to citizens citing that an effective vaccine might be available by the year end. 

 

Meanwhile, Brazil surpassed a grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from Covid-19, five months after the first reported case. The country has not shown signs of crushing the disease.
 

The nation of 210 million people has been reporting an average of more than 1,000 daily deaths from the pandemic since late May and reported 905 for the latest 24-hour period. In a tribute to victims, the non-governmental group Rio de Paz placed crosses on the sand on the famed Copacabana beach.

1:51 AM

Covid-19 crisis: Russia to register world's first vaccine on Wednesday

Russia’s all set to register world’s first Covid-19 vaccine on August 12, according to reports. The vaccine is being jointly developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry.

 

Russia’s Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev on Saturday confirmed the development. “The vaccine developed by the Gamaleya centre will be registered on August 12. At the moment, the last, third, stage is underway.

 

Medical professionals and senior citizens will be the first to get vacci­nated,” Gridnev had said. The country plans to begin mass production of the vaccine from October 2020.

1:51 AM

Covid-19: Record 700,000 tests conducted in a day, says health ministry

Over 700,000 samples have been examined for Covid-19 in a day, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far to 2,41,06,535, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

 

With a record single-day increase of 64,399 cases, India's Covid tally mounted to 2.15 million, while the death toll climbed to 43,379 with 861 new fatalities being reported in a day, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

 

 

The number of recoveries too has surged to 14,80,884 with 53,879 Covid patients having discharged in 24 hours, the highest in a day so far, pushing the recovery rate to 68.78 per cent. Recoveries are over twice the number of active cases (628,747) of Covid infection at present. The fatality rate has dropped to 2.01 per cent, it said.

1:50 AM

Britain records more than 1,000 new infections, highest since June

Britain has recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections in a day for the first time since late June.

 

Government statistics say 1,062 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the 24 hours until 9 a,m. Sunday. The last time the number was over 1,000 was on June 26.

 

 

Britain has seen a gradual rise in coronavirus infections since it began lifting lockdown restrictions in mid-June. The government has put the next stage of reopening, which had been due to take effect August 1, on hold for at least two weeks.

 

The number of patients hospitalised with the virus continues to decline, as does the daily number of deaths. Eight new Covid-19 fatalities were reported Sunday.

1:18 AM

We have to accomplish the mission of making India a $5 trillion economy & we have that potential: Nitin Gadkari

1:16 AM

Yemen's rebels say floods, heavy rains left over 130 dead

Yemen's Houthi rebels said Sunday that floods have swept through rebel-held parts of the country since mid-July amid heavy seasonal rains, leaving more than 130 dead and damaging more than 260 homes.

 

The Houthi-run Health Ministry said at least 124 others were injured by the flooding in parts of northern Yemen controlled by the rebels, including the capital Sanaa and its historic Old City, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

 

More than 160,000 people were forced to leave their homes amid heavy flooding and rainfall in the provinces of Hajjah and Hodeida, according to security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

 

At least 33,000 displaced people who were sheltering in camps in southern Yemen lost their tents and belongings in the floods, the International Committee of the Red Cross said last month.

1:02 AM

Pelosi says election threats from Russia, China aren't equal

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the threats of interference in the US presidential election from Russia and China are not equal, pointing to a more serious risk with Moscow's efforts to boost President Donald Trump's reelection bid.

 

They're not equivalent, said Pelosi, D-Calif. Russia is actively 24/7 interfering in our election. They did so in 2016, and they are doing so now. She urged intelligence agencies to put more information out there on the specific nature of the threats.

 

An intelligence report last week said Russia was already using a range of measures to undercut Trump's Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, and promote Trump with misinformation on social media.

1:01 AM

Show your unity on the floor of the House: Ashok Gehlot says at CLP meet

12:42 AM

Idukki landslide: Body of 6-month-old baby recovered, death toll rises to 43

12:42 AM

Fire breaks out at coastal shipping boat in Visakhapatnam Port Trust, no injuries reported

12:39 AM

800 villages in UP affected by flood

Over 800 villages in 20 districts of UP have been hit by flooding and several rivers are flowing above the danger level, the relief commissioner's office said Sunday.

 

As 802 villages in Ambedkar Nagar, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Ballia, Balrampur, Barabanki, Basti, Deoria, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Khiri, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Mau, Pilibhit, Pratapgarh, Santkabir Nagar, Siddharthanagar and Sitapur districts have been affected.

 

Of these, 428 villages have been disconnected with other areas, the office said.

12:19 AM

Donors pledge nearly $300 million at Lebanon aid conference

French organisers say international donors have pledged a total of 252.7 million euro (USD 298 million) in emergency aid during conference for Lebanon.

 

The French presidency said this amount is including 30 million euros from France. Donors promised to provide emergency aid focusing on medicine and hospitals, schools, food and housing.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was the first foreign leader to visit Lebanon after Beirut devastating explosion, co-organised the conference with the United Nations on Sunday.

11:47 PM

Saudi Aramco says it still plans to pay $75 billion in dividends for 2020

11:47 PM

Heavy rains kill 58 in Pakistan

Heavy rains in the last three days have killed at least 58 people in Pakistan, officials said on Sunday.

 

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-hit where 19 people were killed.

 

Another 12 died in the southern province of Sindh, while 10 died in Gilgit-Baltistan, eight in Punjab, eight in Balochistan and one in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to the NDMA, adding that another 15 people were injured.