Live updates: BCI slams Prashant Bhushan, says no one can't ridicule SC

Live news updates: Indian athletes produced a sensational show in Birmingham, claiming 61 medals, including 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze

12:22 PM

Mohan Bhagwat, RSS, Sangh leaders put Tricolour as DP on social media accounts

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Sangh leaders and RSS have removed the display picture of their official social media accounts and replaced it with Tricolour.

The RSS on Saturday shared a 48 second video on its official Twitter account in which Bhagwat and other Sangh officials can be seen hoisting Tricolour on different occasions.

The move comes in the wake of questions being posed by Congress and other opposition leaders to RSS in context of the Tricolour.

12:00 PM

Portfolios to be allocated to Maha ministers soon, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said portfolios would be allocated to the newly-appointed ministers in the state soon.

He also assured that the government would soon release the compensation for crop losses suffered by the state farmers due to heavy rains.

Talking to reporters at the airport here, Fadnavis congratulated Chandrashekhar Bawankule on his appointment as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Maharashtra unit president.

"Portfolios will be allocated to the new ministers soon," he said in response to a query.

11:50 AM

Operating licence of Pak's ARY News revoked, paves way for channel's permanent closure

In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan Elec­tronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) revoked the operating licence of ARY News after the security clearance of the channel was withdrawn by the Ministry of Interior, paving the way for its permanent closure.

In a notification, the Ministry said: "The NOC issued in favour of M/S ARY Communications Pvt Limited (ARY News) is cancelled with immediate effect and until further orders on the basis of adverse reports from agencies."

The decision by Pemra was taken during its 172nd meeting which was chaired by re-appointed chief Saleem Baig, reports Dawn news.

11:29 AM

J&K govt sacks 4 employees including son of Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin

The Jammu and Kashmir administration Saturday sacked its four employees including son of Syed Salahuddin, the chief of banned Hizbul Mujahideen, and the wife of terror-funding accused Bitta Karate, officials said.

All the four employees were dismissed from service under Article 311 of the Constitution which enables the government to sack its employees without an inquiry.

Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate is currently in judicial custody in terror-funding cases, officials said. His wife Assabah-ul-Arjamand Khan, a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services officer, was posted in the Directorate of Rural Development.

11:03 AM

India reports nearly 16,000 new Covid ases, 68 deaths

India reported nearly 16,000 new Covid cases and 68 fatalities, including 24 reconciled by Kerala, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

The 8-am data also showed active cases came down by 4,271 in a span of 24 hours to stand at 119,264, constituting 0.27 per cent of the total infections.

The new 15,815 coronavirus infections and 68 deaths pushed the overall figures to

44,239,372 cases and 526,996 deaths, according to the data.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.54 per cent, the health ministry said.

10:51 AM

Kejriwal urges people to hoist tricolour at home

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged Delhiites to hoist the national flag at their houses under the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign beginning Saturday, saying the tricolour was honour and glory of the country.

The Kejriwal government has planned to distribute 25 lakh tricolours among school children and people in every nook and corner of the capital and hold various other patriotic programmes to celebrate the 75 years of Independence.

"The tricolour is our pride, honour, glory and life. Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is beginning from today. Do hoist the tricolor at your houses with pride," Kejriwal tweeted.

10:30 AM

IMF money to arrive in Pakistan by August-end: Report

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) convened a meeting of its executive board on August 29 to approve a bailout package for cash-starved Pakistan, including disbursement of about USD 1.18 billion, before the close of the current month, a media report said on Saturday.

The move follows the completion of the USD 4 billion in bilateral financing from four friendly nations and would pave the way for immediate disbursement, expected to be in Pakistan's account before the end of working hours on August 31.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told Dawn that a letter of intent (LOI) was received early Friday from the lender for the revival of the programme under the staff level agreement (SLA) and memorandum of economic and fiscal policies (MEFP) signed last month.

10:29 AM

China sending fighter jets to Thailand for joint exercises

The Chinese air force is sending fighter jets and bombers to Thailand for a joint exercise with the Thai military on Sunday.

The training will include air support, strikes on ground targets and small and large-scale troop deployment, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

China's expanding military activities in the Asia-Pacific region have alarmed the United States and its allies and form part of a growing competition between the world's two largest economies.

9:30 AM

China's Xi Jinping plans to meet US President Biden in November

Chinese officials are planning for President Xi Jinping to visit Southeast Asian nations and meet face-to-face with US President Joe Biden in November, Wall Street Journal reported.

This visit comes after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan which has irked the Chinese government and in response, they launched a military drill around the self-ruled island.

This visit would mark the Chinese leader's first international trip in nearly three years and his first in-person meeting with Biden since the American leader's inauguration.

9:28 AM

To salvage Shiv Sena after Eknath Shinde's rebellion, Aaditya Thackeray steps out of Mumbai

Once criticised for favouring the company of Bollywood stars and celebrities instead of Shiv Sena leaders, Aaditya Thackeray has hit the road to connect with the party's base since the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra.

The Thackeray scion has been touring various parts of the state, especially the constituencies of rebel Sena MLAs, as the party faction led by his father Uddhav Thackeray faces an existential crisis.

Over the last one-and-half months, the tone and tenor of the usually calm 32-year-old Aaditya, who represents the Worli Assembly constituency in Mumbai, has taken on aggression.

8:37 AM

Over 21,000 people brought to UK from Afghanistan: Govt

More than 21,000 people, including British nationals and their families, have been safely brought to the UK from Afghanistan, the government has said.

The group of people also comprise Afghans who worked for Britain and people identified as high-risk, such as women's rights campaigners, journalists and members of the LGBT+ community, reports dpa news agency citing the UK government's latest update as saying.

The update was provided following repeated calls for information on arrivals ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021.

8:21 AM

China benefiting its private companies in Africa via developmental projects: Reports

China has been undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa to benefit Chinese Private-Sector Companies consequently exploiting the continent and its inhabitants thus pushing the local entrepreneurs to the margins.

The main intention behind undertaking such infrastructure projects is to benefit the Chinese Private-Sector Companies (PSCs). And PSC has already started its plan as it has transitioned from 'going to Africa', to 'settling in Africa', to 'setting down roots in Africa', according to Geopolitica.info citing a report titled 'Market Power and Role of the Private Sector' published by 'China-Africa Business Council'.

The evolution towards 'settling down roots in Africa', was witnessed with a whopping 70 per cent share of total Chinese investments in Africa in 2019, with 90 per cent of the Chinese companies operating in Africa were owned by private entrepreneurs. The investments have mostly concentrated in transport infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, construction and services.

8:09 AM

Congress in Kerala gears up for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'; to cover 453 km

The Congress party in Kerala is busy with its preparation for Rahul Gandhi's upcoming Bharat Jodo Yatra -- that would cover 453 km in 19 days in the southern state, to ensure its success.

 

On Friday, top party leaders including former union minister and senior leader A.K. Antony, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, state Congress president K. Sudhakaran, and others held a meeting at the state party headquarters to chalk out the plan.

 

The Yatra is scheduled to begin from Kanyakumari on September 7, and expected to reach the Kerala border on September 11. It is scheduled to cover 43 assembly segments and 12 Lok Sabha constituencies, and will cover 453 km in 19 days .

8:08 AM

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appalled to learn of attack on Salman Rushdie

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is "appalled" to learn about the attack on author Salman Rushdie, saying that in no case is violence a response to words spoken or written by others in their exercise of the freedoms of opinion and expression.

"The Secretary-General was appalled to learn of the attack on renowned novelist Salman Rushdie," a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson said.

"In no case is violence a response to words spoken or written by others in their exercise of the freedoms of opinion and expression," Guterres said, conveying his wishes for Rushdie's early recovery.

7:52 AM

Secunderabad-Pune Shatabdi Express becomes 1st train to get Vistadome coach

The Secunderabad-Pune-Secunderabad Shatabdi Express has been restored for operations with the addition of one Vistadome coach.

 

This is the first time that a Vistadome coach has been introduced on any train running under South Central Railways (SCR). During the first few days of its introduction, the train has witnessed overwhelming response with an average occupancy of 63 per cent, SCR said.

 

With its glass top and wide window panel view, passengers can now view the scenic surroundings along their journey as the train traverses through the Ananthagiri Hills along the Vikarabad-Wadi section. Along the journey, the passengers can also relish the Ujni backwaters and dam near Bhigwan, which is famous for many inland and migratory birds.