Latest LIVE: Nadda asks Kejriwal to prove innocence in liquor scam case

From the developments around Congress president elections to latest Covid news, catch all the live updates here

2:56 PM

Former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif delivers first televised address in three years despite ban

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has held his first televised address in three years despite a ban on his speeches after being named as a proclaimed absconder, in a move that appears to be softening of the stand by the government run by his brother, a media report said on Tuesday.

 

Sharif, 72, who has been living in exile in the United Kingdom after going to the country under the pretext of medical treatment in 2019, is banned by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) over his status as a convict and absconder.

 

The three-time prime minister, the elder brother of Premier Shahbaz Sharif, on Sunday delivered a short speech to make an impassioned appeal for aid as floods wreak havoc across the country. In the speech, he urged the people to help those in need.

2:35 PM

EoI for IDBI Bank stake sale likely next month

The government is likely to invite preliminary bids for selling a stake in IDBI Bank next month and the discussions with the RBI are at the final stages, an official said.

"There are still some pending issues that need to be discussed with the Reserve Bank of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India. We are hopeful of issuing the EoI by September," the official told PTI.

The official, however, did not divulge details of regulatory issues on which the government is holding discussions with banking and equity market regulators RBI and Sebi, respectively.

2:24 PM

Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to cover 366 km in Telangana from Oct 24

AICC leader Rahul Gandhi's Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to enter Telangana on October 24 and the Gandhi scion will walk approximately 366 km in the state, Balram Naik, former union minister and Coordinator for Telangana for the Yatra said on Tuesday.

He said the foot march will enter the state from Makthal in Mahbubnagar District and will cover four Lok Sabha constituencies and nine Assembly segments.

He further said the exact route map will be submitted to the party high command shortly. However, there may be some changes here and there in the route map as the march is expected to continue for 15 days in the state.

2:13 PM

CBI has given me a clean chit, Sisodia says after search of his locker

The CBI has given him a "clean chit" following its search of his locker, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday after a team of the probe agency went through his locker for about two hours.

 

Sisodia and his wife were present as the four-member team conducted the search at a Punjab National Bank branch in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of the national capital.

 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the agency in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.

 

2:12 PM

Bhupendra Chaudhary quits as UP Minister

The newly appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary has resigned from his ministerial position in keeping with the party rule of 'one man-one post'.

Chaudhary was Minister for Panchayati Raj in the Yogi Adityanath government.

He had taken over as the state BJP president on Monday.

He submitted his resignation on Tuesday morning and informed about the same through a tweet.

2:04 PM

CBI has found nothing in my locker, says Sisodia

The CBI found nothing during its search of his locker, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.

A four-member team of the CBI conducted the search at a Punjab National Bank branch in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, for nearly two hours. Sisodia and his wife wre present at the time.

The CBI was acting under pressure, Sisodia told reporters after the search was over.

2:03 PM

Four new toy trains in Darjeeling for festive season

The NFR has decided to operate four new special joyrides under the toy train service of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) during the ensuing festive season, a senior official said.

The new toy trains will run between Darjeeling and Ghum in both directions on a daily basis from October 1 and will continue till December 31 in view of the upcoming festive season, Northeast Frontier Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said.

"All the joyride specials will run with a composition of three first-class chair car coaches," he said.

2:00 PM

Just 37% transplanted trees survived in Delhi: Forest Dept

Only 37 percent of the trees transplanted in the national capital in 2021-22 have survived despite the implementation of the Delhi tree transplantation policy, according to forest department data.

A senior forest department official said, "The policy has made the tree transplantation process more scientific but we are yet to study its impact as it was implemented just a year-and-a-half ago".

The forest department data showed that only one-third (33.33 percent) of the 16,461 trees transplanted in Delhi over the last three years survived.

1:01 PM

Nothing was found in my bank locker: Manish Sisodia

"Nothing was found in my bank locker today just like nothing was found at my residence during the CBI raid. I am happy that I have got a clean chit. The CBI officials treated us well, and we also cooperated with them. Truth has won," says Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia after CBI raids on bank locker.

1:00 PM

China claiming Arunachal as it own is outrageous: German Ambassador

"We  are very well aware of problems at the northern border. China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of China, which is outrageous. So, I think that the infringement at the border is extremely difficult and should not be accepted,"says Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador.
He adds, You should also differentiate that what happens at border with China has nothing to do with what happens in Ukraine. China doesn't hold 20% of Indian territory, it's not destroying systematically every village, every town in the area".

12:57 PM

Sri Lanka president to present first budget with hopes for IMF loan

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will on Tuesday slash defence and other expenditures in a bid to win International Monetary Fund (IMF) support as he presents his first budget since taking over as leader of his crisis-hit country.

 

Officials hope the interim budget for the rest of the year will be followed by a staff-level agreement on extending much-needed IMF help for Sri Lanka to tackle its worst economic turmoil since independence from Britain in 1948.

 

12:56 PM

PM Modi to commission India's first indigenous aircraft carrier on Sep 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commission the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, at the Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi on September 2.

The PMO said Modi will be in Karnataka and Kerala on September 1-2 to attend several programmes, including a visit to the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya at Kalady village near Cochin airport.

He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 3,800 crores in Mangaluru.

The PMO noted that Modi has been a strong proponent of self reliance, especially in strategic sectors, and the commissioning of INS Vikrant will mark a significant step towards this.

12:56 PM

'Sharab', 'shiksha' scams twin towers of corruption in Delhi govt: BJP

In a fresh attack on the AAP-led Delhi government, the BJP on Tuesday said 'sharab' (liquor) and 'shiksha' (education) scams had become the "twin towers of corruption" in the Delhi government and the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation was gradually building more floors.

The BJP leaders also alleged that the Delhi government escalated the cost of building classrooms multiple times and projected several schools toilets as classrooms to justify the "bloated" costs.

At a press conference, Shahzad Poonawalla claimed that the AAP government was following a 'reverse Robinhood' model wherein money meant for the poor was taken away to fill the coffers of the liquor mafia.

12:49 PM

Amit Shah likely to visit Jodhpur on Sept 10

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to address BJP OBC morcha meet in Jodhpur on September 10, party sources said here on Tuesday.

The national working committee of the party's OBC morcha will meet from September 8 to 10.

Party sources confirmed that this can be ascribed as an attempt to woo OBC voters for the forthcoming Assembly elections in 2023 and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

12:13 PM

After overnight protests by MLAs, Delhi Assembly Secretariat bans entry of MPs in premises

In view of the tense situation due to the overnight protest at the Assembly premises by MLAs of the ruling AAP and opposition BJP, the Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday issued an order banning the entry of MPs and political party leaders in its premises.

BJP leader and South MP Ramesh Bidhuri, however, arrived at the Assembly reception and also told reporters that all his party MPs will take part in the session, irrespective of the Secretariat order. He was stopped at the gate.

The deputy speaker has observed that as members from the ruling and opposition parties are staging protests inside the Assembly complex, security arrangements should be tightened in and around the Assembly complex to ensure no untoward incidents take place, the order read.

12:12 PM

Shashi Tharoor mum on contesting party president post, says "election good for Congress"

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that an election will be good for the party while refusing to comment on whether he will run for the post of the Congress president after his recent article in a Malayalam daily triggered speculation that the former Union minister could contest.

"No comment to make. I accept what I've written in my article which is that an election would be a good thing for the Congress party", Tharoor told reporters here when asked whether he will contest Party's presidential poll

The MP from Thiruvananthapuram also welcomed elections in the party and said that Rahul Gandhi's refusal to be appointed as the Congress President was disappointing. According to him, the grand old party should not be limited by the belief that only one family can lead it.

11:50 AM

SC closes all proceedings arising out of 2002 Gujarat riots

The Supreme Court has closed all proceedings arising out of 2002 riots in Gujarat. The SC said cases have now become infructuous with passage of time, trials in eight out of nine cases are over and final arguments are going on in one case in trial court, Naroda Gaon,Gujarat.

11:38 AM

SC closes contempt of court case against Prashant Bhushan

Supreme Court closes contempt of court case against Prashant Bhushan for his remarks against past CJIs

11:22 AM

Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to cover 366 km in Telangana from Oct 24

AICC leader Rahul Gandhi's Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to enter Telangana on October 24 and the Gandhi scion will walk approximately 366 km in the state, Balram Naik, former union minister and Coordinator for Telangana for the Yatra said on Tuesday.

He said the foot march will enter the state from Makthal in Mahbubnagar District and will cover four Lok Sabha constituencies and nine Assembly segments.

He further said the exact route map will be submitted to the party high command shortly. However, there may be some changes here and there in the route map as the march is expected to continue for 15 days in the state.

11:21 AM

India records 2,862 new Covid cases, active tally down by 19,199

India recorded 2,862 new Covid cases on Tuesday, taking the nation's tally to 44,418,585. With 30 new deaths, India's toll from the pandemic reached 527,829. Meanwhile, 22,031 people recovered from the Covid infection in the last 24 hours, taking India's tally of cured cases to 43,825,024. India's active tally saw a significant decline to 65,732 after a net decrease of 19,199.

11:07 AM

IMF revives Pakistan's EFF programme, approves $1.17 bn bailout fund

Pakistan has secured a much-needed bailout package from the IMF, which will help the cash-starved country avert an imminent default, amidst the persisting political uncertainty and the devastating floods that has displaced over 33 million people.

 

The international lender approved the 7th and 8th tranche of USD 1.17 billion for Pakistan at an executive meeting in Washington on Monday.

 

10:47 AM

US climate envoy John Kerry urges China to resume emission talks

US climate envoy John Kerry has urged Chinese president Xi Jinping to resume talks on climate change, emissions, the Financial Times reports

10:19 AM

India logs 5,439 new coronavirus cases

India added 5,439 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 44,421,162, while the active cases declined to 65,732, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

 

The active cases comprise 0.15 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.66 per cent, the ministry said.

 

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.70 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 2.64 per cent, according to the ministry.

 

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 43,825,024, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

 

10:19 AM

Germany, France reject EU visa ban on Russians

Germany and France have rejected a proposed blanket ban on Russian citizens entering the European Union (EU) in a joint position paper.

"We should think about smart ways to make use of the important lever of the issuing of visas," reads the paper sent to other EU member states ahead of a Foreign Ministers' meeting taking place in Prague on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While accepting that visa applications made by Russian citizens should be closely scrutinized for potential security risks, the paper also warns against underestimating "the transformative power of experiencing life in democratic systems at first-hand".

10:12 AM

One of key conspirators of Moosewala's killing held in Azerbaijan

One of the key conspirators of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's sensational killing, Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, who fled India before the crime on a fake passport, has been arrested in Azerbaijan, Punjab Police officials said on Tuesday.

The location of another plotter, Anmol Bishnoi, has also been traced to Kenya. The Bishnois had fled India before the daylight killing of Moosewala on May 29 in the Moosa village in Mansa district.

It is believed that Sachin, a nephew of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and Brar hatched the conspiracy to kill the famed Punjabi singer.

10:09 AM

Pakistan floods cost at least $10 bn, says planning minister

Early estimates put the damage from Pakistan's recent deadly floods at more than $10 billion, its planning minister said on Monday, adding the world has an obligation to help the South Asian nation cope with the effects of man-made climate change.

 

Unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains have washed away roads, crops, infrastructure and bridges, killing at least 1,000 people in recent weeks and affecting more than 33 million, over 15% of the country's 220 million population.

 

The climate change minister has called the situation a "climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions." "I think it is going to be huge. So far, (a) very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion," Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters in an interview.

 

9:51 AM

Delhi 'liquor scam': Nadda asks Kejriwal to prove innocence in court

BJP president JP Nadda has said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should answer the questions on the alleged liquor scam and go to court if no wrongdoing was committed.

Addressing a press conference in Agartala, Nadda claimed that Kejriwal was trying to divert the people's attention from the alleged scam.

"Whenever he is asked about the liquor scam and excise policy, he evades the questions. Sometimes Kejriwal claims that the Central government is trying to send his leaders to jail and sometimes he says AAP leaders are being harassed and sometimes he says something else," Nadda said on Monday.

9:44 AM

Sri Lankan officials lobby for Chinese company to get elevated highway project

Despite an official freeze on costly mega projects, Sri Lankan Highway Ministry officials are pressurising the country's Road Development Authority (RDA) to finalise a USD 550 million elevated highway, to a Chinese company local media reported.

The officials, who are now holding closed-door discussions with the China Harbour Engineering Corporation, are promoting the New Kelani Bridge (NKB) as a "means to attract dollars into the country" despite the fact that the terms of the financing agreement are "deeply unfavourable" to the RDA.

Due to the debt default, Sri Lanka cannot borrow from China Exim Bank or other sources immediately, so CHEC will secure a loan for the project, which will be repaid by the RDA, The Sunday Times, Sri Lankan-based newspaper, reported.

9:43 AM

Liquor store crunch at IGI airport, NDMC areas to continue for some more days

Liquor store crunch at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and NDMC areas will continue for some more days even as Delhi government agencies are slated to take over the retail liquor business in the city from September 1, officials said.

 

They said over 300 vends have been readied in various parts of the city and 360 liquor brands have registered so far in consonance with the city government's decision to go back to the old excise regime with its four agencies running 500 liquor in Delhi from September 1.

9:41 AM

Zelenskyy urges Russian troops to flee from Kherson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Russian troops to flee from an offensive launched by his forces near the southern city of Kherson saying Ukraine's military were taking back their territory, though Russia said the assault had failed