News LIVE: Heavy rains lash Mumbai leading to water logging, traffic snarls

Live news updates: Several parts of Mumbai have been affected by waterlogging, including the Andheri subway and Bhoiwada, leading to traffic snarls in the city.

5:14 PM

J&K: Amarnath yatra resumes from both Panchtarni and Baltal areas

4:31 PM

After Gujarat, now fake cricket league with Russian, Pakistan link busted in UP

4:15 PM

We inaugurate everything that we lay the foundation stone of: PM Modi

3:49 PM

PM Modi offers prayers at Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar

2:56 PM

Sri Lanka stops president's brother from flying out as anger surges

Sri Lankan immigration officials said on Tuesday they prevented the president's brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa from flying out of the country, as anger mounted against the powerful family for a debilitating economic crisis.

 

It was not immediately clear where Rajapaksa, who also holds U.S. citizenship, was trying to go. He resigned as finance minister in early April as street protests surged against shortages of fuel, food and other necessities, and quit his seat in parliament in June.

 

His elder brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign as president on Wednesday to make way for a unity government, after thousands of protesters stormed his and the prime minister's official residences on Saturday demanding their ouster.

2:49 PM

Banks gross NPA at 5.9 per cent, a 6-year low: CARE Ratings

Even though the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) of scheduled commercial banks in India has hit a six year low of 5.9 per cent in FY22, it can improve further, said CARE Ratings in a report.

According to the credit rating agency, the GNPA of Indian banks at the end of FY22 was at 5.9 per cent and the overall provision coverage ratio (PCR) went up to 70.9 per cent.

"As the Indian economy has navigated the pandemic-induced shocks, the bank credit growth by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) improved post-August 2021 to reach 13.1 per cent in early June 2022, a rate last recorded in March 2019," the report said.

2:39 PM

Harmanpreet, Mandhana rise in rankings after splendid show in Sri Lanka

Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur climbed one place to 13th while her deputy Smriti Mandhana was placed ninth in the ICC Women's ODI rankings released on Tuesday.

Harmanpreet scored 119 runs at an average of 59.50 and picked three wickets in India's 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka in the recently- concluded ODI series. She was also named the Player of the Series for her solid all-round performance.

Mandhana also had a decent show against the Lankans, having scored 104 runs in three matches at an average of 52.

2:38 PM

RBI approves appointment of Meena Hemchandra as part-time chairman of Karur Vysya Bank

Private sector lender Karur Vysya Bank on Tuesday said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of former RBI executive Meena Hemchandra as part-time chairman of the bank for three years.

In May, the bank had recommended Hemchandra's candidature for the position of non-executive independent (part-time) chairperson of the bank to the RBI for approval.

"We wish to inform...Reserve Bank of India vide their letter dated July 11, 2022, accorded their approval for the appointment of Meena Hemchandra as part-time chairman of the bank," Karur Vysya Bank said in a regulatory filing.

2:09 PM

PM Modi inaugurates Deoghar airport, flags off flight to Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the 657-acre Deoghar airport, constructed at a cost of Rs 401 crore.

He also flagged off the Deoghar-Kolkata IndiGo flight from the new airport.

The airport has a 2,500-metre-long runway, which can handle the landing and takeoff of Airbus A320 planes.

2:07 PM

Adityanath accuses previous govts of 'conspiring' to end key UP police force

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the previous state governments of trying to play with the security of the state by hatching a conspiracy to end the PAC.

Addressing the passing-out parade of the recruits of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Adityanath without taking any names, said "as a part of a conspiracy, there were efforts to end 54 companies. Today, when I see the splendid parade of the recruits, I myself am realising how a big conspiracy was hatched."

"A despicable effort was made to stop these talented youths from joining the police force of the state and become a part of it, so that they can be prevented from serving the state and the nation," Adityanath said.

2:00 PM

ICRA expects hotel industry revenues, margins to return to pre-COVID levels in FY23

The hotel industry's revenues and margins are expected to return to pre-COVID levels in 2022-23 despite potential impact on demand in case of further waves of the pandemic, according to ratings agency ICRA.

Domestic leisure and transient travel will be the main demand drivers, although there will be a gradual recovery in business travel and foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs), ICRA said in a statement.

Pan-India premium hotel occupancy is expected to be at 68-70 per cent for FY2023, it said adding the average room rate (ARR) is expected to hover around Rs 5,600-5,800.

1:59 PM

Oppn's presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha to visit Patna on July 15

Opposition's presidential pick Yashwant Sinha is scheduled to visit Patna on July 15 to garner support for the July 18 poll.

The opposition parties, including RJD and Left, have pledge their support to him. The preparation for the July 15 event has already begun with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav directing all 80 MLAs and Rajya Sabha MPs to stay put in the state capital.

Sinha is contesting against NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu. Though the former's position is said to be weak, the opposition parties are supporting him to convey a strong message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the coming days, especially the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, will not be a cakewalk for him.

1:35 PM

Govt appoints 29 members in Board of Trade

The government has nominated 29 non-official members from large and small enterprises and different sectors in the Board of Trade, chaired by the commerce and industry minister.

The board, which includes participants from states, union territories, senior officials from public and private sectors, provides a platform to discuss ways on boosting manufacturing and exports.

In 2019, the government had merged the Council of Trade Development and Promotion with the Board of Trade to bring greater coherence in the consultation process with all stakeholders for promoting exports and imports, according to a notification of the commerce ministry.

1:13 PM

Debasish Nanda takes over as CIL's Director, Business Development

Coal India Ltd on Tuesday said Debasish Nanda has taken over as its first Director, Business Development.

Before joining CIL, Nanda was working as Executive Director (Gas) in Indian Oil, the company said in a statement.

Nanda is a graduate in mechanical engineering from UCE Burla, Sambalpur University, a post-graduate in production engineering from REC Rourkela and a Masters in International Business from IIFT, New Delhi.

1:12 PM

Japanese say final goodbye to former leader Abe at funeral

Japanese bid their final goodbye to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday as a family funeral was held at a temple days after his assassination that shocked the nation.

Abe, the country's longest-serving prime minister who remained influential even after he stepped down two years ago, was gunned down Friday during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

Hundreds of people, some in formal dark suits, filled pedestrian walks outside of the Zojoji temple in downtown Tokyo to bid farewell to Abe, whose nationalistic views drove the governing party's ultraconservative policies.

1:01 PM

Heavy rains lash Mumbai, its suburbs amid orange alert leading to water logging, traffic snarls

Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its suburbs on Tuesday amid an 'orange' alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Several parts of Mumbai have been affected by waterlogging, including the Andheri subway and Bhoiwada, leading to traffic snarls in the city.

Hindamata junction in the city's Southbound has reported 0.5 feet of water being logged.

The administration has, however, requested the commuters to plan their travel accordingly, as the traffic from Milan Subway and Andheri Subway has been diverted to S.V. Road and D.N Nagar Chowki after the former experienced the logging of water to heights up to 2 feet.

12:50 PM

Most Indian businesses now investing in risk management capabilities: Report

In the current turbulent business environment, nearly eight in 10 business executives in India say that keeping up with the speed of digital and other transformations is a significant risk management challenge, a new report said on Tuesday.

Six in 10 executives also feel the need to actively seek external insights to assess and monitor risks in the increasingly disruptive business environment, according to the report by global consulting firm PwC.

While 88 per cent of business leaders are increasing their spending on technology and digital capabilities in the risk function workforce in the country, 64 per cent of business executives report that their risk function is actively seeking external insights to assess and monitor risks.

 

12:36 PM

Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair's interim bail extended by SC in UP case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till further orders the interim bail of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a case lodged against him in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly outraging religious sentiments.

 

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna was told by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the State government, that they wants to file a counter affidavit to Zubair's plea seeking quashing of the FIR lodged in the case.

 

11:41 AM

Alt News co-founder Zubair's bail plea to be heard by local court on July 14

A Delhi court on Tuesday posted for July 14 hearing on a bail plea filed by Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a case related to an "objectionable tweet" he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.

Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala adjourned the hearing for Thursday after the prosecution sought time for a detailed argument in the matter.

SPP Atul Srivastava, appearing through video conference, urged the court to adjourn the matter, saying that a separate case against Zubair was scheduled for hearing before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

11:34 AM

India becoming world's most populous country may strengthen claim for permanent UNSC membership: UN official

India's claim for permanent membership in the UN Security Council may get strengthened if it surpasses China and becomes the world's most populous nation in 2023, according to a top UN population official.

The World Population Prospects 2022 report released on Monday said that India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country next year. According to the report, India's population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared to China's 1.426 billion.

India, which will surpass China as the world's most populous nation by 2023, is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China's 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

11:28 AM

Gavaskar slams senior players seeking rest; says if they can play IPL, they can play for India

India's cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar wants the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to handle the senior players, who seek rest ahead of crucial series, firmly, and added that when they can play non-stop IPL cricket for more than two months, why are they shying away from playing for the country.

There have been reports of a couple of senior players, including former India skipper Virat Kohli, requesting the BCCI to exclude them from the five-match T20 away series against the West Indies beginning later this month.

While Kohli is not part of the three-match ODI leg of the tour, reports have suggested that he also wants to be rested for the T20 series beginning on July 29.

11:28 AM

SpiceJet director booked for allegedly duping businessman of lakhs, airline calls case 'frivolous'

A case of fraud has been registered against the chairman and managing director of an airline for allegedly cheating a businessman of crores of shares on the pretext of allotting him the company's shares.

The person named in the FIR is identified as Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet Limited.

As per the complainant, Amit Arora claimed that in lieu of services provided to him Ajay Singh had promised to transfer shares worth Rs 10 lakh.

11:18 AM

SC agrees to hear plea related to Delhi-Centre row over control of services

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi for an authoritative pronouncement.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was urged by senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, that the issue needed an urgent hearing.

11:16 AM

'James Bond' theme composer Monty Norman dies after short illness

Monty Norman, the man who designed the iconic James Bond theme, passed away at the age of 94. He is survived by his second wife, Rina Caesari, and a daughter, reports 'Variety'.

A statement posted on his official website, accessed by 'Variety', said, "It is with sadness we share the news that Monty Norman died on 11th July 2022 after a short illness."

Norman most famously composed the score for 'Dr. No', the 1962 James Bond film starring Sean Connery. His theme for James Bond, as arranged by fellow Englishman John Barry, would go on to become the theme for the entire franchise.

10:39 AM

India logs 13,615 new coronavirus cases, 20 deaths in a day

India added 13,615 new coronavirus infections in day while the active cases rose to 131,043, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

 

The country's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 43,652,944 and the death toll climbed to 525,474 with 20 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

 

The active cases comprise 0.30 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.50 per cent.

 

An increase of 330 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

 

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.23 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.24 per cent, according to the ministry.

 

10:32 AM

UK's new PM to be announced on Sept 5, says Tory lawmaker

The new UK Prime Minister replacing incumbent Boris Johnson will be announced on September 5, said Graham Brady, Chairman of the Conservative Party's backbench 1922 Committee.

Brady on Monday added that the 1922 Committee, which runs the Tory leadership contest, has decided that the candidates will have to get the backing of 20 members of Parliament (MPs) when nominations open and close on Tuesday. The threshold is markedly higher than the required backing of eight MPs seen in the party's usual rules.

The first round of voting among Tory MPs will be held on Wednesday, he said, adding that the contenders will need to receive 30 votes to enter the second ballot which is to be held on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

10:31 AM

Savita's heroics hand India first win in Women's Hockey WC

Skipper Savita starred in front of the goal as India defeated Canada 3-2 in the shootout after both teams were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time in their classification match of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup here on Tuesday.

Madeline Secco (11th) handed Canada the lead before Salima Tete (58th) left it late to equalise for India. But it was Savita's heroics in front of the goal that gave India their first win of the tournament.

The Indian captain led from the front and pulled off as many as six saves in the shootout, while Navneet Kaur, Sonika and Neha converted their chances in the ninth to 16th place classification match.

10:18 AM

'Incredibly proud of my older brother', says Elon Musk's sister

The younger sister, Tosca Musk, of tech billionaire Elon Musk, said that she is incredibly proud of her older brother, media reports say.

Tosca Musk is the CEO and founder of Passionflix, which is a premium streaming service focusing on romance. It focuses on bringing romance novels to life on the screen.

Tosca said she is proud of her older brother and that his goals to help humanity are beyond what anyone can imagine, citing her interview with The Sunday Times, Teslarati reported.

10:04 AM

First warning issued as Godavari flood rises in AP

The first warning signal has been issued at Dowaleswaram Barrage near Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh as flood level in river Godavari rose to 12.10 lakh cusecs on Tuesday morning.

State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director B R Ambedkar issued an alert asking people living in habitations along the Godavari course to be cautious and take precautionary measures in view of the surge in flood. Already, NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in vulnerable places to undertake rescue and relief operations where required. Ambedkar said a state control room has been opened with number 1070 for people to contact in case of emergency. The SDMA MD also spoke to the revenue officials concerned in the two Godavari districts, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Ambedkar Konaseema districts and directed them to be on high alert.

9:59 AM

Droupadi Murmu to campaign in AP today

The ruling NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu will visit Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati on Tuesday as part of her election campaign.

After landing in the Vijayawada International Airport at Gannavaram at 2.45 pm, she will reach a convention centre in Mangalagiri to meet the YSR Congress MPs and legislators. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will later host tea for Murmu at his residence. The YSRC with 31 MPs and 151 MLAs has pledged its support to Murmu in the presidential election slated for July 18. The opposition Telugu Desam with four MPs and 23 MLAs has also announced it will back the NDA nominee. The lone MLA of Jana Sena, who has virtually defected to the YSRC, will also vote along. In effect, all votes from Andhra Pradesh will go to Murmu.