Chennai rains LIVE: Flight arrivals resume at airport, red alert withdrawn

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8:52 PM

Mumbai logs 283 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths; active tally at 2,863

Mumbai on Thursday reported 283 new coronavirus cases and two fresh fatalities, taking the infection tally to 7,58,819 and the death toll to 16,287, a civic official said, according to PTI.

 

The city had reported 347 COVID-19 cases and only one fatality on Wednesday. 

8:24 PM

Met department update on Tamil Nadu rains

8:22 PM

Flight arrivals resume at airport, red alert withdrawn

8:04 PM

EU nations oppose saying nuclear is climate plus

Five European Union countries on Thursday pushed back against efforts to define nuclear energy as a climate-friendly technology in the 27-nation bloc, AP reported.

 

The declaration made on the sidelines of the UN climate conference in Glasgow was backed by Austria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and Portugal.

 

Nuclear power cannot be a solution in the climate crisis, German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said.

 

8:03 PM

Covid-19: 286 new cases, 7 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka has reported 286 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 7 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 29,91,142 and toll to 38,138, the health department said on Thursday, PTI reported.

 

The day also saw 289 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,44,958.

 

Out of 286 cases reported on Thursday, 169 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 171 discharges and 3 deaths.

7:24 PM

We have taken note of US report on Chinese construction activities: MEA

Days after a Pentagon report said Beijing built a large village in a disputed territory in the Arunachal Pradesh sector, India on Thursday said it has neither accepted any illegal occupation of its territory by China nor has it accepted unjustified Chinese claims, PTI reported.

 

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on its security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 

He also said that India too stepped up infrastructure development including construction of roads and bridges in areas along the border with China.

7:24 PM

Inflation in Pakistan fourth highest in world, could lead to unrest

The rate of inflation in Pakistan is the fourth highest in the world which could lead to unrest and protests against the Imran Khan government, ANI reported.

 

Citing an incident in a family of Karachi, Shah Meer Baloch wrote in The Guardian that a shoe-seller set himself on fire as he could not meet his expenses or send money home due to the "skyrocketing prices".

 

Imran Khan had vowed to lift people out of poverty before gaining power as he promised the creation of 10 million jobs. Instead, he announced financial support of USD3 billion from Riyadh after his visit to Saudi Arabia last month.

6:29 PM

Kerala clocks 7,224 daily Covid cases, 419 deaths

Kerala recorded 7,224 fresh coronavirus infections and 419 deaths on Thursday, raising the caseload to 50,42,082 and the fatalities to 35,040, PTI reported.

 

With 7,638 more people recovering from the virus since Wednesday, the total recoveries touched 49,36,791 and the active cases reached 69,625, an official press release said.

 

Of the 419 deaths, 47 were reported over the last few days and 372 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, it said.

6:28 PM

Depression begins crossing coast near TN coast: IMD

The depression over Bay of Bengal has started crossing coast near here, the Meteorological Department said here on Thursday, PTI reported.

 

"The depression has started crossing coast. During the past six hours, it has moved with a speed of 16 kilometer per hour and the landfall process will continue for the next two hours," Deputy Director General of Meteorology, S Balachandran told reporters here.

 

The red alert for Chennai indicating extremely heavy rainfall, is withdrawn he said.

5:37 PM

Heavy waterlogging in several parts of Chennai

5:35 PM

IMD says heavy rains in Tamil Nadu to decrease from tomorrow

5:23 PM

UN chief says global warming goal on 'life support'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) is on life support with climate talks in Glasgow so far not reaching any of the UN's three goals, but he added that until the last moment, hope should be maintained, AP reported.

 

In an exclusive interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Guterres said the UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland are in a crucial moment and need to accomplish more than securing a weak deal that participating nations agree to support.

 

The worst thing would be to reach an agreement at all costs by a minimum common denominator that would not respond to the huge challenges we face, Guterres said.

5:22 PM

Evergrande dodges default again; property sector debt concerns linger

Cash-strapped developer China Evergrande Group once again averted a destabilising default with a last minute bond payment but the reprieve did little to alleviate strains in the country's wider property sector, Reuters reported.

 

Customers of international clearing firm Clearstream received overdue interest payments on three dollar bonds issued by Evergrande, a Clearstream spokesman said on Thursday.

 

Evergrande, the world's most indebted developer, has been stumbling from deadline to deadline in recent weeks as it grapples with more than $300 billion in liabilities, $19 billion of which are dollar bonds.

5:00 PM

Lahore most polluted city in the world, as per US Air Quality Index

Lahore is on top of the list of the most polluted cities in the world, according to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index, ANI reported.

 

The air quality in the city of Pakistan was recorded at over 600 on Wednesday.

 

Karachi stood at the fifth position on the list.

5:00 PM

Recent global warming unprecedented' in 24,000 years, study finds

The speed of human-caused global warming over the last 150 years is faster than anything seen since the last ice age, about 24,000 years ago, according to a study, PTI reported.

 

The team led by researchers at the University of Arizona, US, also verified that the main drivers of climate change since the last ice age are rising greenhouse gas concentrations and the retreat of the ice sheets.

 

The study, published recently in the journal Nature, suggests a general warming trend over the last 10,000 years, settling a decade-long debate about whether this period trended warmer or cooler in the paleoclimatology community.

 

4:22 PM

Fight against Covid-19 at final stage, should not let our guard down: Mandaviya

Stating that the fight against COVID-19 is at the final stage, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday cautioned against letting the guard down before it is completely over and requested states to enhance the vaccination coverage and motivate the over 12 crore beneficiaries who are due for their second dose to take it, PTI reported.

 

He also urged states and union territories to ensure the entire adult population is administered the first dose during the ongoing 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign.

 

During a virtual interaction with the health ministers of states and union territories, Mandaviya observed that the fight against COVID-19 is at the final stage, a health ministry statement said.

4:21 PM

Chennai airport partially closed, incoming flights diverted

The Airports Authority of India has suspended arrival of flights at Chennai airport till 6 p.m. but departures will function as usual, IANS reported.

 

Chennai airport Director Dr Sharad Kumar, in a statement, said that the decision was taken for the safety of the passengers.

 

A decision on whether the aircraft should be allowed to land will be taken after 5 p.m., he added.

3:56 PM

Amarinder Singh asks Punjab government not to politicize national security issues

Rejecting the Punjab government resolution moved in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today against the proposed move of the centre to extend the operational jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 km to 50 km, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh asked the state government not to politicise the issue of national security for petty partisan ends and motives, ANI reported.

 

"The operational jurisdiction of the BSF concerns national security and not law and order in the state, which the current powers that be in Punjab are apparently not able to understand," he remarked in a statement issued here today.

 

Singh said that it was sad that the government was trying to politicize an issue, which concerns national security and concerns all border states including Punjab.

3:56 PM

Chinese leaders preparing official history to elevate Xi

Chinese leaders are preparing to issue a political history that would give President Xi Jinping status beside the ruling Communist Party's most important figures, setting the stage for Xi to extend his rule next year, AP reported.

 

A meeting of some 200 Central Committee members that was ending Thursday was considering a resolution on the party's major achievements and historical experience."

 

That would be only the third statement of its kind in the party's 100-year history after one issued under Mao Zedong, who led the party to power in 1949, and Deng Xiaoping, who launched reforms that turned China into an economic powerhouse.

 

3:37 PM

Booster dose required if virus gets mutated, says Bharat Biotech MD

People will need booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine would be required if the COVID-19 virus gets mutated, said Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, Dr Krishna Ella.

 

Talking to ANI, Dr Ella said, "If there is a mutated COVID-19 virus and a booster is required. What type of booster would be needed and how do we deliver it on a fast track basis. On that, we are working on various strategies that can be contained. Even if something comes up; we know how to handle situations."

3:12 PM

India's plans for 20% ethanol-blending will cut sugar subsidy: Oil secretary

India's plans to blend 20% ethanol with petrol from April 2023 will help cut sugar export subsidies, Oil Secretary Tarun Kapoor told reporters on Thursday, according to Reuters.

 

India on Wednesday approved a proposal to achieve 20% ethanol-blending with gasoline by 2025, five years ahead of its previous target.

 

Higher ethanol output will cut India's sugar production, reducing the need to give incentives for the export of the sweetener.

3:10 PM

CAG hauls up Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala govt over disaster management

2:53 PM

11 NDRF teams deployed in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry

2:52 PM

Chennai faces waterlogging due to incessant rainfall

2:20 PM

Thunderstorm with moderate rain expected in several Tamil Nadu districts

2:09 PM

Tamil Nadu to provide free food through Amma Canteens till rain spell ends

2:08 PM

China, US pledge to increase cooperation at UN climate talks

The world's top carbon polluters, China and the United States, agreed Wednesday to increase their cooperation and speed up action to rein in climate-damaging emissions, signalling a mutual effort on global warming at a time of tension over their other disputes, AP reported.

 

In back-to-back news conferences at UN climate talks in Glasgow, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and U.S. counterpart John Kerry said the two countries would work together to accelerate the emissions reductions required to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

 

It's beneficial not only to our two countries but the world as a whole that two major powers in the world, China and the U.S., shoulder special international responsibilities and obligations, Xie told reporters.

1:41 PM

Scindia launches online platform to provide 298 services of DGCA

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday launched an online platform through which aviation regulator DGCA will provide its 298 services including pilot licensing and medical examination, PTI reported.

"Two hundred and ninety-eight services have been moved to the e-GCA platform -- 99 in the first two phases and 198 in the next two phases. The first 99 cover about 70-75 per cent of what DGCA does including pilot licensing, medical examinations, permission to flying training organisations and connecting regional offices to the headquarters," he stated.

The next two phases cover the remaining 30 per cent services of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), he said in his speech after launching the online platform 'e-GCA' here.

1:38 PM

Amid rains, arrivals at Chennai Airport to remain suspended till 6 pm

1:23 PM

Actor Srabanti Chatterjee quits BJP, returns to Trinamool

Bengali actor Srabanti Chatterjee quit the BJP and returned to the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The BJP had "lack of initiative and sincerity to further the cause of West Bengal," she said, according to the PTI.