LIVE update: After Azad, senior leader RS Chib quits Congress party

Live news updates: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, delivering another blow to the embattled party

10:50 PM

AIFF suspension lifted with immediate effect: Fifa

Bureau of the Council decided on 25 August to lift the suspension of the AIFF with immediate effect, said Fifa. As a consequence, the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 scheduled to take place on October 11-30, 2022 can be held in India as planned.

10:44 PM

BJP chief J P Nadda to address public meeting in Telangana's Warangal tomorrow

BJP president J P Nadda will address a public meeting at Warangal in Telangana on Saturday to mark the conclusion of the ongoing third phase of 'padayatra' of state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

The meeting assumes significance as top BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had addressed a public meeting in Telangana less than a week ago in connection with the Munugode assembly bypoll which would be held soon.

10:15 PM

Allegations in Azad's letter far from truth: Sachin Pilot

Rajasthan's former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot Friday said senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the Congress when there was a need for the country and the party to stand against the BJP rule.

Azad Friday ended his decades-long association with the Congress, and blasted the party in an explosive resignation letter to its president Sonia Gandhi.

9:36 PM

All our assets lawfully acquired: Gurugram company raided by CBI in land-for-jobs scam case

Gurugram-based Whiteland Corporation, whose premises were raided by the CBI in connection with its land-for-jobs scam probe, Friday said all assets of the company have been lawfully acquired with only legitimate sources and these are regularly audited according to protocol.

"As a law-abiding company, we not only have full faith in the judiciary but also we would request the authorities to unearth the matter in complete detail. We are fully co-operating with investigative authorities in every manner and are available for any kind of investigation at any time. All relevant details of the company have been provided without any delay from our side," the company said in a statement.

9:08 PM

Over 5,100 trees to be felled in Delhi for Delhi-Saharanpur highway construction

More than 5,100 trees will be felled in Delhi for the construction of the six-lane Delhi-Saharanpur highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), according to official documents.

A total of 9.58 hectares of deemed forest land in Delhi having 5,104 trees has been diverted for the construction of the 14.75-kilometre stretch of the highway.

9:06 PM

CJI Ramana hails media for cooperative in disseminating information about judiciary

Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana Friday hailed the media for disseminating information about the judiciary and termed it as an active partner in the collaborative project of strengthening the judicial system.

Justice Ramana, who succeeded S A Bobde on April 24, 2021 as the CJI, was delivering his address at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the apex court's auditorium to bid him adieu on completion of his over 16-month-long tenure as head of the judiciary.

8:28 PM

Wilful defaulters decreased 56% in last 8 years: BJP

Hitting out at former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that wilful defaulters in the country have decreased by 56 per cent in the last eight years, and the banks have recovered over Rs 1,86,000 lakh crore from written-off loan accounts of wilful defaulters from 2014 to 2021.

In a series of tweets, former finance minister Chidambaram had said: "Earlier, banks would write off corporate loans with trepidation because they would be asked questions by RBI and MoF. Now, they do it with impunity through the IBC process. Banks get together in a Committee of Creditors & approve a Resolution Plan demanding a huge write-off."

7:52 PM

ICC Media Rights: No second round, winner's identity to be revealed tomorrow

The official identity of the winning broadcaster as well as the bid amount will likely be communicated on Saturday, Cricbuzz report said.

 

What can, however, be revealed is that the expected second round (e-auction) of bidding will not happen, effectively meaning that the ICC has found a winner in the first round itself. It was a closed round where sealed envelopes of financial bids had to be submitted. It was conducted on Friday evening.

7:50 PM

Sebi passes confirmatory order against former TV anchor Pradeep Pandya, others

Markets regulator Sebi on Friday passed a confirmatory order against former TV anchor Pradeep Pandya and other entities in a case relating to fraudulent trading based on stock recommendations.

In addition, Sebi allowed Pandya to liquidate his mutual fund holdings up to Rs 1 lakh per month to meet his day-to-day expenses.

6:59 PM

ICC media rights auction: Disney Star, Sony, Viacom18 officials submit financial bids in Dubai

Disney Star, Sony, and Viacom18 officials on Friday have submitted financial bids for ICC media rights in Dubai.

6:28 PM

OTT platforms may upend multiplexes' run soon, set to be a Rs 12,000-cr industry by 2023

The OTT market is set to do an encore of what multiplexes did to the VCR/VCP/VCD segment in the early 2000s and is set to become a Rs 12,000-crore industry by 2023, up from Rs 2,590 crore in 2018, says a report.

According to SBI Research, the over-the-top or OTT market is expected to reach Rs 11,944 crore by 2023, up from Rs 2,590 crore in 2018, logging in a compound annual growth of 36 per cent.

6:23 PM

Foreign exchange reserves decline to $564 billion

The country's foreign exchange reserves fell USD 6.687 billion to USD 564.053 billion in the week ended August 19, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.

In the previous week ended August 12, the reserves declined USD 2.238 billion to USD 570.74 billion.

The drop in the reserves during the week ended August 19 was due to a fall in the Foreign Currency Assets (FCA) and the gold reserves, as per the Weekly Statistical Supplement released by RBI on Friday.

6:06 PM

CJI-designate Lalit lists three areas to work during his tenure

U U Lalit, Chief Justice of India-designate, on Friday listed three areas to work during his next innings of 74 days, ANI reported.

 

These three areas are: 

 

1) Strive hard to make listing as simple, clear and transparent as possible.

 

2) Having a clear-cut regime where any urgent matters can freely be mentioned before respective courts.

 

3) Listing of matters before the Constitution Benches and matters which are specially referred to Benches of three judges...will strive hard to say that yes we will always have at least one Constitution Bench functioning all throughout the year.

5:47 PM

Karnataka mining: SC raises ceiling limit of iron ore mining for three districts

The Supreme Court on Friday raised the ceiling limit of iron ore mining for Ballari, Chitradurga, and Tumakuru districts in Karnataka, saying conservation of the ecology and environment must go hand in hand with the spirit of economic development.

The apex court raised the ceiling limit of iron ore mining from 28 MMT to 35 MMT for Ballari district, and from 7 MMT to 15 MMT for Chitradurga and Tumkur districts.

 

5:35 PM

DGCA suspends license of helicopter pilot for six months

DGCA on Friday has suspended the license of a helicopter pilot for a period of six months, the ANI reported.

 

The pilot was involved in an incident while landing on an offshore platform, the regulator said.

5:17 PM

I'm not for praise, will continue to work for people till my last breath: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said he did not long for encomiums but aspires to serve the people till his last breath, as people's well-being is uppermost in his mind.

He has already received loads of appreciation from several quarters, including acclaimed praises from tall leaders like former Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and C N Annadurai, and their words were sufficient and encouraged him to strive hard.

5:04 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal targets PM Modi in the assembly over recent raids

AAP national convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech in the assembly here Friday, and alleged the recent raids by probe agencies against Delhi ministers are linked to the polls in Gujarat.

Kejriwal also said he will bring a confidence motion in the Delhi assembly to prove no AAP MLA has defected. "The BJP's fortress in Gujarat is under threat and is crumbling now. ED, CBI raids on us are due to the upcoming polls in Gujarat," he alleged.

4:51 PM

Delhi CM Kejriwal takes a dig at BJP, slams 'Operation Lotus'

It is being said that they broke away a number of MLAs. I received phone calls, people asked me if everything is alright.

 

I'd like to bring a Confidence Motion in House to show people that not even one went away,that BJP's Operation Lotus became "Operation keechad" here: Delhi CM Kejriwal, ANI reported

4:41 PM

Terrorism rearing its head again in Punjab amid AAP's rule, alleges Cong's Raghu Sharma

Terrorism is rearing its head again in Punjab after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the northern state in March, Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma alleged on Friday.

Seeking to downplay the AAP's entry is Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, Sharma claimed the real fight will be between his party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit does not have any mass base in the western state.

4:27 PM

CBI couldn't find single penny from Sisodia's residence during 14-hour raid: Kejriwal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could not find any single penny from Manish Sisodia's residence during 14-hour raid, couldn't recover expenses of raid, said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, PTI reported. 

4:00 PM

Senior Congress leader RS Chib resigns from the party

3:56 PM

India, Bangladesh's 38th meeting of ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission held in New Delhi

The 38th meeting of ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was held in New Delhi on August 26, 2022. The meeting assumes significance as it was held after a gap of 12 years.

3:43 PM

BJP leader Sonali Phogat drugged by her 2 associates before death: Goa Police

BJP leader Sonali Phogat was drugged at a party by her two associates who have been now named as accused in the case related to her 'murder', Goa Police said on Friday.

Both the accused were seen mixing some obnoxious chemical substance in the liquid which was fed to her at the party at a restaurant in Anjuna, said Inspector General of Police Omvir Singh Bishnoi. Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Singh, the two accused who have been detained, had travelled to Goa along with Phogat on August 22. The incident of drugging happened at Curlies Restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa as per the accused's confession, the IGP said.

3:34 PM

Azad's resignation from party unfortunate, says Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said that veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation from all party positions, including its primary membership, was "unfortunate". He further added that when a senior leader takes such a step, it does make an impact on the party organisation.

Azad and Hooda are prominent leaders of the "Group of 23" (G-23) that has been critical of the Congress leadership's decisions.

 

The grouping, comprising many other prominent veterans including Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, has been insisting on genuine elections right from the block level up to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) level.

 

Hooda, who is the leader of the opposition in Haryana, said it was up to the party high-command to decide on the future course of action in the wake of recent developments.

 

"I had recently said that the party high-command should reach out to Azad and Sharma to address their grievances and concerns," he said.

 

Only a few days ago, with months to go for the Himachal Pradesh polls, Anand Sharma resigned from the chairmanship of the party's steering committee for the hill state, saying he was left with no choice after the "continuing exclusion and insults".

 

3:01 PM

Congress gave Azad everything, says party leader Raghu Sharma

Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma said on Friday that the party gave everything to Ghulam Nabi Azad and it did not behove him to make allegations while quitting.

Azad, a senior leader and former Union minister, resigned from all Congress positions earlier in the day and accused the leadership of committing "fraud" on the party in the name of "sham" internal polls. Asked if Azad's exit would be a setback for the Congress, Sharma repeated Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's recent statement that those who were joining the party were welcome, and those who were leaving were welcome to leave. "Starting from the time of Indira Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi's era today, I have seen Azad progressing without looking back. The party made him a chief minister, central minister, Rajya Sabha MP, Lok Sabha MP and also AICC general secretary," said Sharma. "It does not behove Azad to make allegations against the party while quitting, that too when you know very well that the party has given you so much," the Congress leader added.

He also maintained that the Congress was functioning in the same way it functioned during Indira Gandhi's time.

3:00 PM

Over 5,100 trees to be felled in Delhi for construction of Delhi-Saharanpur highway

More than 5,100 trees will be felled in Delhi during the construction of the six-lane Delhi-Saharanpur highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), according to official documents.

A total of 9.58 hectares of deemed forest land in Delhi having 5,104 trees has been diverted for the construction of the highway.

According to the Deputy Conservator of Forest (Central), all the 5,104 trees on the deemed forest land will be felled and compensatory afforestation will be raised at NTPC Eco Park, Badarpur at a cost of Rs 8.66 crore.

2:55 PM

Delhi HC defers hearing till Aug 30 on doctors' plea against Ramdev

The Delhi High Court Friday deferred hearing till August 30 on a lawsuit by several doctors' associations over the use of Coronil and said that judicial propriety and discipline demanded that proceedings be restrained until there is some clarity concerning the pendency of allegedly similar issues before the Supreme Court.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani asked that a copy of the petition by the Indian Medical Association pending before the apex court be placed before the high court to enable it to take a call on whether there is any commonality and if it should proceed any further.

Judicial discipline demands that I restrain further proceedings in the matter till they (defendants) get some clarity (from the Supreme Court). I will ask them to file a copy of the Supreme Court petition on the record here. I will defer the proceedings today, the judge said.

2:49 PM

Kosaraju withdraws nomination for AIFF treasurer post

Andhra Pradesh Football Association president Gopalkrishna Kosaraju on Friday withdrew his nomination for the treasurer's post in the All India Football Federation elections slated for September 2.

Kosaraju was in a two-way contest with Arunachal Pradesh's Kipa Ajay but after his withdrawal it's now an open field for the latter.

"I wish to inform you that I'm withdrawing the nomination filed for the post of treasurer," Kosaraju wrote in an e-mail to the AIFF returning officer Umesh Sinha on Friday.

2:49 PM

GNA's DNA has been 'Modi-fied': Cong's Jairam Ramesh on Ghulam Nabi Azad

Hitting back at Ghulam Nabi Azad over his criticism of the party leadership, the Congress on Friday linked his resignation to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure and alleged his betrayal reveals his true character and that his DNA has "Modi-fied".

"A man who has been treated with the greatest respect by the Congress leadership has betrayed it by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character. GNA's DNA has been Modi-fied," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

Speaking with reporters, the party's media department head Pawan Khera also lashed out at Azad and linked his resignation to end of his Rajya Sabha tenure.

2:48 PM

Mumbai police receive message about avoiding `Somalia-type' attack

The traffic helpline of Mumbai Police has received a WhatsApp message from an international number advising the force to take care to avoid a "Somalia-type attack" in India, an official said on Friday.

 

Last week the traffic helpline number had received several messages threatening of another "26/11-like" attack in the city.

 

The latest message did not issue any threat but police are investigating its source, the official said.