LIVE news updates: Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM for the 8th time

Live news updates: According to broader contours of the power sharing formula, the RJD will have the largest number of ministers

12:07 PM

Mullaperiyar, Banasursagar dams still releasing water, isolated heavy rains predicted in Kerala

Major dams like Mullaperiyar and Banasursagar are still open and discharging water downstream with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday predicting widespread and isolated heavy rainfall in Kerala during the day and on August 11.

Banasursagar dam in Wayanad was at red alert water level status and three of its gates were opened 10 centimeters (cm) each this morning spilling around 24 cumecs of water, district officials said.

In Mullaperiyar dam, which is managed by the Tamil Nadu government, 13 shutters were opened by 90 cm each to discharge around 8,980 cusecs of water, Idukki district officials said.

11:59 AM

Zawahiri's killing stokes debate over Pakistan's complicity in combatting terrorism

Islamist militant outfit Haqqani network which is long known to be a terrorist proxy of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, was involved in Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's movements and his stay in Kabul is a clear indication of Pakistani complicity, a think tank report said.

Notably, key 9/11 plotter, Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan by a US drone on the morning of 31 July.

The prospect of Pakistani involvement in Zawahiri's targeting, meanwhile, has emerged as a contentious issue, even if neither the US nor Pakistan has so far publicly acknowledged such a role.

11:41 AM

Four months on, anti-govt protests over crisis in Sri Lanka fizzle out

Demonstrations planned by Sri Lankan opposition parties and trade unions have fizzled out, with smaller crowds turning up to mark the fourth month of an anti-government protest campaign launched in the wake of the ongoing economic crisis.

In contrast to the tens of thousands who turned up for previous protests, less than 2,000 were at one of the main rally sites in Colombo on Tuesday, police said.

At a demonstration near the President's office, where people have been camped for the past four months, only about 150 people arrived, reports dpa news agency.

11:32 AM

Corbevax approved as booster for adults vaccinated with Covaxin, Covishield

The government has approved Biological E's Corbevax as a precaution dose for those above 18 years fully vaccinated with either Covishield or Covaxin, official sources said on Wednesday.

This is for the first time that a booster dose that is different from the one used for primary vaccination against Covid has been allowed in the country.

The sources told PTI that the Union Health Ministry's approval is based on the recommendations made recently by the COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

11:32 AM

River Godavari crosses first danger level in AP, 5 districts face flood threat

For the second month in a row, river Godavari is in spate again and crossed the first danger level at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram near Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

Alluri Sitarama Raju district, which is yet to fully recover from last month's deluge, is once again in the grip of a massive flood threat as discharge in the river crossed 10 lakh cusecs (cubic foot of water flow per second) mark.

State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director B R Ambedkar said in a release that the current inflow in Godavari stood at 10.37 lakh cusecs. "We have issued the first warning signal at Dowaleswaram. We have accordingly alerted the officials of the districts along the river course to take required precautionary measures," Ambedkar said. 

11:08 AM

China blames Taiwanese leadership for increasing risk of war

China accused Taiwan’s ruling party of damaging the chances of peaceful unification, as authorities in Beijing attempted to keep the pressure on Taipei a week after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit. 

 

The Democratic Progressive Party helmed by President Tsai Ing-wen must change course to reduce tensions, the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing said, in its first white paper published since President Xi Jinping took power. The report said DPP leaders deepened the dispute by refusing to accept that both sides belong to “one China.”

 

China won’t rule out the use force to unify the two sides, the paper said, reaffirming the Communist Party’s long-stated position that it would reserve all necessary options. 

 

9:09 AM

Priyanka Gandhi tests positive for Covid

8:14 AM

3 LeT terrorists trapped in J&K's Budgam encounter

Three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists have been trapped during an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces at Waterhail area in central Kashmir's Budgam district, police said on Wednesday.

 

"Three terrorists of terror outfit LeT (TRF), including terrorist Lateef Rather, trapped in ongoing encounter. Terrorist Lateef is involved in several civilian killings, including Rahul Bhat and Amreen Bhat," Jammu and Kashmir Police quoting Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir zone), Vijay Kumar tweeted.

 

The gunfight started after a joint team of Police and security forces received an input about the presence of terrorists in that area.

8:05 AM

Workers at Kudumbashree Apparel Unit in Kottayam prepare the Tricolour for Har Ghar Tiranga campaign

7:42 AM

No one above law: AG Garland on FBI's search of Trump's Florida estate

The FBI's unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump's Florida residence ricocheted around government, politics and a polarized country Tuesday along with questions as to why the Justice Department notably cautious under Attorney General Merrick Garland decided to take such a drastic step.

 

7:22 AM

Haryana Assembly passes Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill 2022

Haryana Assembly on Tuesday passed the Code of Criminal Procedure (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2022.

 

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, "The condition of mandatory detention of the approver in custody till conclusion of trail in section 306 (4) (b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is discriminatory and creates artificial classification between two types of persons willing to be approver--those who are already on bail and those who are not on bail".

7:18 AM

Explosions hit Russian military airbase in annexed Crimea

One person has been killed and several others wounded in an explosion at a military airbase in the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula.

The explosions were caused by the detonation of several aviation ammunition stores and Russia's Ministry of Defence clarified that there has been no attack.

And no aviation equipment had been damaged, Al Jazeera reported.

7:15 AM

Facebook user’s messages bring abortion charges in Nebraska

A Nebraska woman was charged with two felonies related to an illegal abortion after authorities discovered information about the pregnancy through private messages on Facebook Messenger, according to court documents. The case renewed debate about how law enforcement may use social media accounts in cases involving reproductive choices. 

 

The messages were collected from Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc. using a search warrant after investigators in June requested the woman’s personal information to determine whether she had committed other crimes, including concealing the death of another person.

 

7:11 AM

Nitish Kumar to take oath as Bihar CM for 8th time today

Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar is likely to take oath as Bihar's chief minister again on Wednesday afternoon after having announced a new "Grand Alliance" which includes Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other Opposition parties.

 

Tejashwi Yadav is also likely to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister.

 

Seven parties including 164 MLAs along with independent MLA in our Mahagathbandhan, says Nitish Kumar at a joint presser with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav after meeting Bihar Governor.

 

Kumar ended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance and rejoined hands with RJD on a day of rapidly changing political developments in Bihar.

7:10 AM

Biden formalises US support for Finland, Sweden joining NATO

President Joe Biden formally welcomed Finland and Sweden joining the NATO alliance Tuesday as he signed the instruments of ratification that delivered the U.S.'s formal backing of the Nordic nations entering the mutual defense pact, part of a reshaping of the European security posture after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are making a sacred commitment that an attack against one is an attack against all," Biden said at the signing as he called the partnership the indispensable alliance.

The U.S. became the 23rd ally to approve NATO membership for the two countries. Biden said he spoke with the heads of both nations before signing the ratification and urged the remaining NATO members to finish their own ratification process as quickly as possible.