LIVE news: Joe Biden taps Senator Kamala Harris as running mate

Sachin Pilot said there should not be any space for personal ill-feelings in politics. Stay tuned with Business Standard for all latest news of the day.

2:33 AM

Joe Biden names Kamala Harris as vice presidential pick

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday tapped Senator Kamala Harris of California as his choice for vice president, his campaign told supporters in a text message.

 

Harris, 55, becomes the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket in US history and providing him with a partner well suited to go on the attack against Republican President Donald Trump.

 

“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden said on Twitter.

1:03 AM

S&P 500 inches closer to record high; Nasdaq down

The S&P 500 was higher on Tuesday afternoon and within striking distance of its closing record from February, before the onset of the coronavirus crisis that caused one of Wall Street's most dramatic crashes in history.

 

The benchmark index was less than 1 per cent away from the all-time closing high it hit on Feb. 19, when investors started dumping shares in anticipation of what proved to be the biggest slump in the US economy since the Great Depression.

 

Ultra-low interest rates, trillions of dollars in stimulus and, more recently, a better-than-feared second-quarter earnings season have allowed all three of Wall Street's main indexes to recover.

1:01 AM

Central Vista project: Three firms qualify for submission of financial bid for new Parliament building

12:31 AM

EU refuses to monitor Venezuelan election, urges delay

The European Union said Tuesday it won't send observers to monitor Venezuela's upcoming congressional election, citing a lack of fair conditions for a vote that could erase the opposition's last major domestic stronghold of power.

 

The government had invited the EU to send an electoral mission, but I have to conclude that conditions are not met, at this stage, for a transparent, inclusive, free and fair electoral process, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

 

Still, he welcomed a report that President Nicols Maduro's government and an unspecified sector of the opposition are in talks over possibly delaying the vote, which is now set for Dec. 6.

 

The election will fill seats in the National Assembly now headed by opposition leader Juan Guaid, who the US and more than 50 other nations recognize as the country's legitimate leader. They said Maduro's reelection had been fraudulent.

12:01 AM

Moderate rain in Pune district in next 7 days: IMD

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted light to moderate rain in Pune district in the next seven days.

 

An IMD official said light to moderate rain is very likely in Pune city and its surroundings areas in the next one week.

 

However, isolated heavy rain is likely in the Ghat region of Pune district, he said.

11:43 PM

Watchdog report: Pompeo acted properly in Saudi arms sale

The State Department's internal watchdog has found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not act improperly last year when he approved billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without the consent of Congress.

 

The State Department Office of Inspector General concluded in a report released Tuesday that Pompeo had the legal authority to declare an emergency and bypass Congress under the Arms Export Control Act.

 

Republicans joined with Democrats in Congress to oppose the sales, but President Donald Trump, who has made close relations to Saudi Arabia a priority, vetoed resolutions in July 2019 to block the transfers and there were not enough votes to override him.

 

The inspector general report itself has become the focus of congressional scrutiny after former Inspector General Steve Linick, who was removed from his post in May by Trump, testified to Congress that senior State Department officials had sought to block his inquiry.

11:42 PM

UK seeks French muscle to stop migrants crossing Channel

Britain's immigration minister said after meeting with French officials Tuesday that the two countries are looking to put new muscle into their efforts to stop a record number of migrants successfully crossing the English Channel from France to Britain in small boats.

 

Chris Philp said the U.K. and France were working at completely cutting the Channel route with what he called a comprehensive action plan.

 

Philp, who spoke to Sky News, provided no details. There was no comment from the French about Philp's meeting with Interior Ministry officials in Paris. Philp was joined in the talks by Britain's newly appointed Channel threat commander, Dan O'Mahoney. O'Mahoney is to return to France next week to continue talks, Philp said.

11:17 PM

Jairam Ramesh writes to Javadekar, says Draft EIA Notification flawed

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has accused Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar of "misrepresenting" the implications of the Draft EIA Notification on the country's environmental regulatory framework and its impact on environment.

 

In a letter to Javadekar, Ramesh reiterated his strong objections and said the notification is "fundamentally flawed".

 

Ramesh, a former environment minister, said the Standing Committee met on August 7 and was apprised by officials on the Draft EIA Notification 2020.

 

"I am compelled to say that you are misrepresenting the implications of the Draft EIA Notification, 2020, on our country's environmental regulatory framework and its impact on the environment," Ramesh said, adding that he has read his reply in conjunction with the presentation made by the officials, along with the feedback received from various stakeholders.

11:05 PM

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai released on bail

11:04 PM

Rahat Indori: Personal was political for rockstar' poet

When I die, write me a different identity, take my blood and write Hindustan on my forehead. That was Rahat Indori, the man of letters whose fiery verse fused the personal and the political and made him a poet for the times.

 

A former professor of Urdu language, National Award-winning lyricist and the soul of poetry gatherings, Indori, who took his name from the city of Indore he lived and died in, breathed his last a day after testing positive for Covid-19.

 

His last Twitter post, just hours earlier, asked people to pray that he defeats the disease as soon as possible.

But that was not to be.

 

The 70-year-old, who appealed to the young and old with his simple, lucid verse that elevated him to almost cult status with a section of the people, has gone, leaving behind a rich legacy in Urdu, the language he loved and taught for many years.

 

He was the man who kept audiences spellbound at mushairas and also on Tik Tok videos with wit, humour and thoughts of inclusive nationalism.

11:03 PM

MLAs in Gehlot camp annoyed after Pilot's return: Mahesh Joshi

Congress legislators in the Ashok Gehlot camp on Tuesday expressed their "annoyance" on the return of Sachin Pilot and other dissident MLAs, a senior party leader said.
 

However, Chief Minister Gehlot said he has faith in the party's high command and their decision. He said the party leadership in Delhi will be apprised of the MLAs' sentiments.
 

"Several MLAs expressed annoyance towards them. The chief minister said he trusts the party high command and their decision. He said there will be no compromise with the interest of any MLA who has stayed with us," Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi said after a Congress Legislature Party meeting Tuesday night.

10:56 PM

India's fuel demand fell 10.8 percent in July

India's fuel demand fell 10.8 per cent in July compared with the same month last year.

 

Consumption of fuel, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 15.68 million tonnes, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed.

 

Sales of gasoline, or petrol, were 10.2 per cent lower from a year earlier at 2.26 million tonnes.

10:55 PM

Boeing: No orders, more cancellations for grounded 737 Max

Boeing sold no airline planes and customers canceled orders for 43 of its 737 Max jet last month as the aircraft maker continued to struggle with both the pandemic and the ongoing grounding of the Max after two deadly crashes.

 

Still, the cancellations reported Tuesday were down from 60 the month before. Boeing shares gained 3% in midday trading.

 

Between cancellations and orders that Boeing no longer considers certain often because of the buyer's fragile financial position Boeing has lost more than 800 net orders so far this year.

10:35 PM

With him, a bit of our past, present and future has died: Irshad Kamil on Rahat Indori

Writer-lyricist Irshad Kamil on Tuesday mourned legendary poet Rahat Indori's death, calling it a loss not only to the world of poetry but also to the country's past, present and future.

Indori passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday. The 70-year-old poet-lyricist was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday morning in Indore after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Kamil, lyricist of films like "Jab We Met", "Love Aaj Kal", "Rockstar" and "Tamasha", said a poet of calibre can reach where even sun can't shine, and Indori was one of them.

"When a shayar (poet) dies, a bit of past, a bit of present and a bit of future also dies. Why? Because a poet of calibre can go to past easily, can talk about present easily and can stroll to future easily. Where even sun can't shine, a poet can reach.

10:34 PM

Paswan pushes for fast-tracking setting up grain storage facilities on railways' surplus land

10:34 PM

Over 290,000 people from Delhi's unauthorised colonies registered under PM-UDAY scheme: Hardeep Singh Puri

10:16 PM

I-T dept conducts raids on some Chinese individuals, their Indian associates for running money laundering racket worth Rs 1,000 crore: CBDT

9:52 PM

ISRO is fast enlarging its role into development activities: Jitendra Singh

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is no longer confined to the launching of satellites under the Modi government and has been constantly expanding its role in development activities as well, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.

 

Singh, who is the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said over four years back, on the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an extensive brain-storming exercise was held in the national capital wherein representatives from different Ministries and Departments were engaged in an interaction with scientists from ISRO and the Department of Space.

9:51 PM

PM sees innovation as key to develop world-class tech products: NITI Aayog

Niti Aayog on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers innovation as the key to develop world-class technology products.

 

"If Nalanda and Takshila university were built today, they would be completely virtual. SamShiksha is conceptualized as a first of its kind online university of the future," Niti Aayog quoted Modi as saying at a virtual interaction with technology leaders on August 7.

 

The Aayog said Modi also emphasised on continuing the 'Guru-Shishya' tradition in virtual classes.

9:18 PM

Rajasthan: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting underway at Suryagarh hotel in Jaisalmer

9:00 PM

Latest News LIVE: Assam flood situation deteriorates slightly; 14,000 people affected

The flood situation in Assam slightly deteriorated on Tuesday with nearly 14,000 people still reeling under the deluge across three districts, an official bulletin said. On Monday, over 9,200 persons were suffering due to the deluge across four districts, news agency PTI reported.

 

According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), more than 13,800 persons are hit due to floods in Dhemaji, Baksa and Morigaon districts. Dhemaji is the worst-hit district with more than 12,000 people suffering, followed by Baksa (1,000 persons affected) and Morigaon (over 800 people).

 

The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslide in the northeastern state stands at 136 -- 110 persons were killed in flood-related incidents and 26 in landslides.

8:49 PM

Not made any demands, will do whatever party asks me: Sachin Pilot

8:36 PM

Rajasthan High Court to hear BSP-Cong merger case again on Thursday

The Rajasthan High Court will on Thursday resume hearing the petitions filed by a BJP MLA and the Bahujan Samaj Party challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress last year. The hearing on Tuesday remained inconclusive and the matter was posted for the next hearing on August 13, a counsel for the Speaker said.

 

BJP MLA Madan Dilawar and the BSP had demanded a stay on the implementation of an order passed by the Speaker, who recognised the merger last year. The counsel for the petitioners argued that the merger was against the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, the country's anti-defection law. The Speaker's counsel argued that the petitions were premature and not maintainable, according to a PTI report.

 

8:19 PM

Gust of wind, wrong decision by pilots, condition of air strip among possible reasons for AI Express crash: Experts

A gust of wind, wrong decision by the pilots, the condition of the air strip and even faulty indication by the instrument landing system could be possible reasons for the crash of the Air India Express on Friday in the south Indian city of Kozhikode, according to aviation experts.

 

The dominant reason cited by the experts was the decision by the pilots to not divert the plane to another airport after the first attempt to land at the designated strip failed amid rain.

 

The Boeing 737, bringing back 190 stranded Indians from Dubai, broke into pieces after it overshot the table-top runway 10 and fell into a valley 35 feet below, leaving 18 people including both the pilots dead.

 

"It is foolish to land with a tailwind on a wet runway...This is what I have been pointing out for years. I said in 2011 that landing with a tailwind in rain on runway 10 will result in an accident one day," leading expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan told PTI.

8:08 PM

SC reserves order on plea over judicial commission set up to probe Vikas Dubey encounter

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a petition over inclusion of Justice (retd) BS Chauhan in the judicial commission set up to probe the encounter of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, the key accused in the killing of eight cops in Kanpur, news agency PTI reported.

 

During the hearing today, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde asked the petitioner advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay why he was alleging that Justice BS Chouhan, who is heading the commission, has "relatives in the BJP and hence won't be fair".

 

"Why can't he be fair? There are judges whose father are MPs... There are judges who have relatives in the Parliament... Are they all not fair judges? Is belonging to party is an illegal act?" CJI Bobde asked.

7:40 PM

UP CM Yogi Adityanath distributes relief materials among people hit by floods in Gorakhpur

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday distributed relief materials among the people hit by floods in Gorakhpur district and said the Uttar Pradesh government was committed to help all those affected by flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic. Adityanath is on a two-day visit to Gorakhpur, his home district.

 

He distributed relief packets among the flood-hit people in Pali block's Degree College.

 

"I have come here to be with you in this time amid the coronavirus pandemic and the challenge of floods. Good and bad days are part of life," the chief minister said.

7:21 PM

Pranab Mukherjee's condition worsens, on ventilator support post surgery: Army hospital

The condition of former President Pranab Mukherjee has worsened and he remains on ventilator support, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said on Tuesday, a day after he underwent a brain surgery. The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday, and had also tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery, according to a PTI report.

 

"Shri Pranab Mukherjee's health condition continues to remain critical at Army Hospital (R&R) Delhi Cantonment. The former president, who underwent lifesaving emergency surgery for brain clot on 10 August 2020, has not shown any improvement and his health status has worsened. He remains on ventilatory support," the hospital said in its latest statement.

 

It earlier said the former President was admitted to the hospital at 1207 hours on August 10, 2020 in a critical condition.

7:20 PM

Sachin Pilot backs in Jaipur, says there shouldn't be any vendetta politics

Congress leader Sachin Pilot here on Tuesday said he has not demanded any post from the party and there should not be any vendetta politics as he returned to Jaipur nearly a month after his revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

 

On Monday, a meeting between Sachin Pilot and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long Rajasthan political crisis ahead of the crucial assembly session beginning August 14.

 

The Congress leader told reporters that he did not make any statement against the party and had gone to discuss issues with the Congress high command in Delhi. I have not demanded any post from the party, he added. Pilot, however, said he was shocked at statements made against him.

 

"I am sad, shocked and hurt due to the kind of words used against me," Pilot said.

6:53 PM

Rajasthan political crisis: A level of discourse should be maintained in politics, says Sachin Pilot

6:41 PM

Slight improvement in flood situation in Uttar Pradesh, say officials

The flood situation in Uttar Pradesh has improved further, with three districts being dropped from the list of affected places on Tuesday, according to a PTI report. On Monday, a total of 19 districts in the state were listed as affected by the flood, however, Mahrajganj, Pilibhit and Siddharth Nagar were removed from the list the next day, they said.

 

Sixteen districts in the state -- Ambedkar Nagar, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Ballia, Balrampur, Barabanki, Basti, Deoria, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Kheri, Kushinagar, Mau, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sitapur, are still in the official list of places affected by the flood.