LIVE news: Sisodia says 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be Modi vs Kejriwal fight
Live news updates: Sisodia termed the Excise Policy 2021-22 as the "best policy", and said there was "no wrongdoing" in its implementation
 "Manish Sisodia")
Delhi excise policy was implemented with complete transparency and there was no scam, Sisodia said. (PTI Photo/Vijay Verma)
Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 hits Lucknow, neighbouring districts
An earthquake of 5.2 magnitude hit Lucknow and several adjoining districts in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
There were no reports of loss of life, they said.
According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake struck at 1.12 am. Its epicentre was in Nepal's Bahraich district at a depth of 82 km.
Mumbai traffic police get WhatsApp messages threatening '26/11-type' attack, probe launched
Mumbai Traffic Police's control room has received several text messages on the WhatsApp number of its helpline, threatening a "26/11-type" attack, an official said on Saturday.
Prima facie, the number from which the messages have been sent is from outside the country, he said.
"Text messages were received on the WhatsApp number of the Mumbai police's traffic helpline operated from the control room located at Worli in central Mumbai around 11 pm on Friday," the official said.
"In the series of messages, the sender has threatened about a 26/11-type attack," he said, adding that the city crime branch has initiated an investigation into it.
Mark Zuckerberg releases his new digital avatar after facing memes
After facing memes on his poorly-designed metaverse avatar, Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has posted new screenshots on Facebook and Instagram, showing off a more life-like version of himself.
Earlier this week, Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of his digital avatar standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, as the company expanded its Horizon World's metaverse experience to more countries in Europe.
However, the social media world did not like his pretty basic image, and bombarded him with memes.
Russia issues fresh nuclear plant warning
Russia has issued a fresh warning that a disaster is still possible at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine.
While Russia, which has resumed shelling the eastern city of Kharkiv this week, alleges the Ukrainian side are continuing to endanger Europe's largest nuclear plant in the south of the country, reports dpa news agency.
Both sides have blamed each other for the shelling at Zaporizhzhya.
The Ukrainian military is threatening the nuclear plant with weapons supplied by the US, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of the Russian National Security Council, said in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.
India logs 13,272 fresh coronavirus cases, 36 deaths
Rajiv's single term as PM will be remembered for far-reaching achievements: Cong on his birth anniversary
The Congress on Saturday paid rich tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, saying his single term as PM will be remembered for far-reaching achievements, including deepening the foundations of IT revolution that has transformed India.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited their father's memorial, Veer Bhumi, and paid homage on his 78th birth anniversary in the morning.
"Papa, you are always with me, in my heart. I will always try to fulfil the dream that you saw for the country," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
He also shared a video and picture montage on Rajiv Gandhi.
Thane logs 447 new COVID-19 cases; active tally at 1,687
With the addition of 447 coronavirus positive cases, the overall infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra has risen to 738,175, a health official said on Saturday.
These cases were reported on Friday, and there are now 1,687 active cases in the district, he said.
Since nobody died due to the infection during the day, the toll stood at 11,938, while the recovery count has reached 724,856, he added.
Finnish PM Sanna Marin takes drug test amid criticism of her partying
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she had undergone a drugs test, amid mounting criticism after a video emerged of her dancing and celebrating at a party.
"Never in my life have I taken drugs," Marin told journalists here on Friday.
"I really wish people would not claim these things without evidence."
The result of the drugs test is expected in about a week, reports dpa news agency.
On Thursday, a video emerged that showed Marin, 36, dancing with some celebrity friends at a private residence before visiting two bars.
Russia's Gazprom to shut gas pipeline to Europe for 3 days 'maintenance'
Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom said on Friday a key pipeline conveying natural gas to Europe will shut down for three days at the end of this month to undergo routine maintenance."
In a statement posted online, Gazprom said that the only operational turbine at a key compressor station along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which links Western Russia and Germany, will shut down for routine maintenance from August 31 to September 2.
A set of routine maintenance in accordance with the current maintenance contract will be carried out jointly with Siemens specialists, the company said, in a reference to its German partner, Siemens Energy.
Death toll rises to 21 after Russia's attack on Kharkiv
At least 21 people died after a Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to Kiev officials.
A further nine people were pulled from the rubble of a residential building, dpa news agency quoted Ukraine's Civil Defence Service as saying in a Telegram post on Friday.
Kharkiv was rocked by massive attacks on Wednesday night, which destroyed two dormitories.
Rahul, Priyanka pay tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on 78th birth anniversary
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday paid tributes to their late father Rajiv Gandhi on his 78th birth anniversary at the Veer Bhumi here.
In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said: "Papa you are with me every time in my heart, I will always try to fullfill the dreams for the nation you have cherished."
Meanwhile, the Congress party on its Twitter handle, posted: "We fondly remember former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, on his birth anniversary. Hailed as the 'architect of 21st century India', it was through his farsighted vision that ushered in the IT & telecom revolution in India. Today, we celebrate his legacy."
21 warplanes, 5 naval ships from China tracked around Taiwan
Taiwan has tracked 21 warplanes and five naval ships from China around the country with eight jets that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said it had tracked 17 aircraft and five ships from China's military around the country by 5 pm on Friday, reported Taiwan News.
Of the 17 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) warplanes, eight crossed the median line over the Taiwan Strait, the military said. The planes were four Xi'an JH-7 fighter-bombers, two Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, and two Shenyang J-11 jets.
Assam: Professors in govt medical colleges to now retire at 70
The Assam Cabinet on Friday decided to raise the retirement age of faculty members of government medical colleges in the state from 65 to 70 years.
The move is aimed at augmenting availability of experienced doctors for educational and medical services, government spokesperson and Minister for Water Resources Pijush Hazarika told reporters here.
The cabinet also decided to sanction Rs 136.8 crore for implementation of the Free Drugs and Consumables scheme for 2022-23, which will ensure uninterrupted availability of free essential drugs, surgicals, disinfectants, chemicals and consumables in government health facilities, he said.
China's BRI isn't quite as lucrative as often advertised: Report
Easy Chinese investment poured into BRI projects abroad isn't quite as lucrative as often publicized and sparsely generates sufficient revenue to justify the cost, according to Stockholm-based non-profit and non-partisan research and policy organization.
Writing for the International Security and Geopolitics Analyst and Strategic, Asanga Abeyagoonasekera contended that several of the would-be BRI beneficiaries have found themselves forced to transfer resources to service their debt.
Citing the example of Sri Lanka, Abeyagoonasekera said it's a timely warning for many other nations in BRI with largely unsustainable borrowing and China as their major creditor.
"Field research in Sri Lanka in 2021 made it clear that China has effectively laid two traps in the country, the classic debt trap and a strategic trap," he said.
Walmart expands abortion coverage for employees
Walmart, the nation's largest employer, is expanding its abortion coverage for employees after staying largely mum on the issue for months following the Supreme Court ruling that scrapped a nationwide right to abortion.
In a memo sent to employees on Friday, the company said its health care plans will now cover abortion for employees when there is a health risk to the mother, rape or incest, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or lack of fetal viability.
The new policy will also offer travel support for workers and dependents covered under their health care plans so they can access services that are not available within 100 miles of their locations, Donna Morris, the retailer's chief people officer, said in the memo.
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First Published: Aug 20 2022 | 7:51 AM IST
