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

8:46 AM

Working on strategy to become alternative to BJD, BJP in Odisha: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said it is preparing a strategy to strengthen itself as an alternative to the BJD and BJP in Odisha.

The party also said the state workers' conference would be held here on Sunday.

The event will be addressed by Delhi Cantonment legislator and Odisha in-charge Virender Singh Kadian. It will discuss the present flood situation in the state, among other issues.

8:45 AM

Youth Congress to highlight Rajiv Gandhi's works on his birth anniversary

Indian Youth Congress (IYC) will organise a programme on the occasion of 'Sadbhavna Diwas', the 78th birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, at the Talkatora Stadium in the national capital on Saturday.

IYC President Srinivas B.V. said, "Rajiv Gandhi was the architect of modern India, who worked towards making a strong and self-reliant India. The country is still reaping the benefits of his vision. It was his foresight that has put India in the ranks of strong, modern nations."

The Congress' youth wing, which will highlight the works of the late Prime Minister at the event, called him the "architect of Digital India" and the "father of information technology and telecommunication revolution".

8:44 AM

Britain's Covid cases fall to lowest level in 2 months

Covid-19 cases in Britain have fallen to their lowest level in two months, revealing a fresh evidence that the current wave of the virus is receding, figures show.

The number of patients in hospital with the virus is also continuing to drop, though health experts warned infections are likely to rise again in the autumn and winter, reports dpa news agency.

A new booster jab will be offered to everyone in the UK aged 50 and over from next month, as well as those with underlying health conditions, to increase protection ahead of the future waves of the virus.

8:41 AM

J-K: Vaishno Devi Yatra resumes after being suspended due to flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall

The movement of pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra town in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir resumed on Saturday, after a temporary suspension due to flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the region.

"In the wake of heavy rainfall, upward movement of pilgrims to Vaishno Devi temple has been stopped from Katra. Priority is given to pilgrims coming downwards. Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have already been deployed, The situation is being monitored. No untoward incident reported so far," the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said late on Friday.

However, the movement of devotees resumed on Saturday morning after the situation became normal.

8:39 AM

NASA identifies candidate regions for landing next Americans on moon

As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon under Artemis, the agency has identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole. Each region contains multiple potential landing sites for Artemis III which will be the first of the Artemis missions to bring the crew to the lunar surface, including the first woman to set foot on the Moon.

"Selecting these regions means we are one giant leap closer to returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo," said Mark Kirasich, deputy associate administrator for the Artemis Campaign Development Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "When we do, it will be unlike any mission that's come before as astronauts venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future long-term stays."

8:36 AM

Putin senses 'catastrophe' at Ukraine nuclear plant during telephonic talk with Macron

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation on Friday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.

During the phone call, Putin stressed that "the systematic shelling by the Ukrainian military" of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) creates the danger of a catastrophe that could lead to vast radiation contamination.

"The discussion focused on various aspects of the situation around Ukraine. Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that the regular strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian military creates the danger of a major nuclear disaster that could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories," the statement read.

8:33 AM

IAEA says consulting on sending mission to Zaporizhzhia plant soon

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it is actively consulting with all parties on sending a mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine as soon as possible.

The IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Friday reiterated in a statement his appeal for maximum military restraint in the area of the Zaporizhzhia plant following "new signs of rising tension".

Grossi warned that any further escalation could "lead to a severe nuclear accident with potentially grave consequences for human health and the environment in Ukraine and elsewhere".

8:32 AM

Misuse of probe agencies erodes their credibility, helps corrupt: Congress

After the CBI raided Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday, the Congress said the "relentless misuse" of investigation agencies against political rivals erodes their credibility and can help the corrupt to get away, even though its Delhi leaders claimed the raids exposed the AAP leader's "corrupt face". 

Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba said Sisodia should face the action by the probe agency instead of "running away" to the cool climes of Himachal Pradesh. She also claimed the "corrupt face" of the self-acclaimed "truly honest" minister of the Aam Aadmi Party today stands exposed.