Latest LIVE: Bihar struggles to help 8 million affected in floods

The Border Security Force shot dead five intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab early Saturday, a senior officer said. Stay tuned for LIVE updates

12:51 AM

400 families evacuated in Howrah district

Around 400 families of Aima and Alipore villages of Shyampur block in West Bengal's Howrah district have been evacuated due to floods trigerred by heavy rains during the past three days and high tide, a district official said on Saturday.
 

These families have been put up in a local primary school building, the official said.
 

The situation has been aggravated in the absence of a concrete guardwall on the embankment of the two villages which are located on the mouth of Hooghly and Damodar rivers, local panchayat official Lutfar Rahman Khan said.
 

Around 60 water bodies in the area have inundated the roads and the entire stretch remained flooded, he said.
 

Meanwhile, the ferry service between Gadiara in Howrah district and Nurpur in South 24 Parganas was suspended on Saturday and Sunday due to high tides and rain, a spokesman of Hooghly River Waterway Transport Samity said.

12:30 AM

Spiteful measures undertaken by Centre on Aug 5 last year have not fared well in J&K: NC

The National Conference (NC) on Saturday said the "spiteful measures" undertaken by the Centre on August 5 last year have "not fared well" in any region of Jammu and Kashmir and the party will fight for the restoration of the unique identity of the erstwhile state.   

"The spiteful measures undertaken by the Government of India on August 5th last year have not fared well in any region of Jammu and Kashmir," a spokesperson of the party said in a statement.
 

He added that the NC will fight for the restoration of the unique identity of Jammu and Kashmir.
 

The statement came after a meeting of the party functionaries of Srinagar district, presided over by NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, which was held at the party headquarters here -- Nawa-e-Subha. This was the first meeting addressed by Sagar in over a year as he was under detention.
 

12:29 AM

US WeChat users sue Trump over order banning messaging app

Some US-based users of WeChat are suing President Donald Trump in a bid to block an executive order that they say would effectively bar access in the US to the hugely popular Chinese messaging app.
 

The complaint, filed Friday in San Francisco, is being brought by the nonprofit US WeChat Users Alliance and several people who say they rely on the app for work, worship and staying in touch with relatives in China.
 

The plaintiffs said they are not affiliated with WeChat, nor its parent company, Tencent Holdings.

Photo: Shutterstock

12:27 AM

'Ignore' Trump, Pelosi says, as House debates postal funds

The House is meeting for a rare Saturday session over mail delivery disruptions, poised to approve legislation that would reverse recent changes in US Postal Service operations and send $25 billion in emergency funds to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.
 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled lawmakers to Washington for the debate over objections from Republicans.
 

President Donald Trump often rails against mail-in ballots, including in a Saturday tweet, and has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service.
 

“Don't pay any attention to what the president is saying, because it is all designed to suppress the vote,” Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol.
 

The daylong Saturday session comes as an uproar over mail interference puts the Postal Service at the center of the nation's tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation's oldest and more popular institutions.
 

12:26 AM

BSF seizes 600 kg Hilsa fish along Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal

BSF personnel seized 600 kg of Hilsa fish during river patrolling at Fazipada in West Bengal's Murshidabad district along the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday.
 

The silver-hued fish migrate to the upstream and rivers from the sea during the spawning season for having less salinity in water and are caught. The fish, especially those caught in Padma in Bangladesh, has high demand in West Bengal markets.
 

A Border Security Force (BSF) statement said the border guards on speed boat found the Hilsa hidden in plastic bags tied with bundles of jute bales floating in water.
 

The catch has an estimated worth of Rs 9.6 lakh in the Indian market.
 

Four-five people, who were seen pulling the jute bundles dipped in water from the Bangladesh side, managed to escape, according to the statement.

12:25 AM

14 cows run over by goods train in UP's Bareilly

Around 14 cows were run over by a goods train in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district on Saturday, an official said.
 

Sub-divisional magistrate, Aonla, KK Singh said around 14 cows were run over by a goods train near Bisharatganj station on the Bareilly-Chandausi rail line in the morning.
 

The SDM also said two seriously injured cows have been sent for medical treatment while the dead cows have been buried.

12:24 AM

2 hurt as concrete slab of under-construction flyover falls on Gurugram's Sohna road

11:08 PM

Rajnath reviews security scenario in eastern Ladakh at high-level meeting

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the overall security scenario in eastern Ladakh, two days after India and China held a fresh round of diplomatic talks to resolve the border row in the high-altitude region, people familiar with the developments said.
 

Separately, the Indian Army said a meeting of the Army commanders took place from August 20-21 to review the security situation and operational preparedness on both the northern and western fronts.
 

The meeting chaired by the defence minister was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.
 

All "important aspects" of the border row with China in eastern Ladakh were discussed in great detail, the people familiar with the developments said, adding the meeting also deliberated on the future course of approach in dealing with the situation.
 

10:53 PM

Canada's conservatives vote wholly by mail for a new leader

Canada's opposition Conservative Party is holding an entirely mail-in ballot election for a new leader to carry it into the next general election. Results are to be announced on Sunday.
 

Just over 269,000 party members are eligible to vote in the race to replace Andrew Sheer, who resigned resigned in December after the party lost to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's Liberals.
 

The frontrunners appeared to be Peter MacKay, 54, a Cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Erin O'Toole, 47, a longtime member of Parliament and Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who finished third in the 2017 leadership race.
 

Also in the race are Derek Sloan, 35, a rookie Ontario MP who made headlines for tweeting his belief that being gay is a choice, and Leslyn Lewis, 49, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica as a child and is now a lawyer with a master's degree in environmental studies.
 

10:46 PM

Belarus blocks over 50 news websites amid large protests

Authorities in Belarus have blocked more than 50 news media websites reporting on how the country has been shaken by two weeks of protests demanding that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko resign after 26 years in power.
 

The Belarusian Association of Journalists reported the shutdowns Saturday, which including sites for the US-funded Radio Liberty and Belsat, a Polish-funded satellite TV channel focusing on neighboring Belarus.
 

On Friday, the state publishing house stopped printing two top independent newspapers, the Narodnaya Volya and Komsomolskaya Pravda, citing an equipment malfunction.
 

Protests unprecedented in Belarus for their size and duration broke out after the Aug. 9 presidential election, which election officials say handed Lukashenko a sixth term in office in a landslide.
 

Protesters allege the official results are fradulent and are calling for Lukashenko to resign.

10:40 PM

AAP no longer a common man's party: Delhi BJP

Delhi BJP leaders on Saturday hit out at AAP, saying it was no longer a common man's party, a day after police arrested two persons for allegedly donating Rs 2 crore to it through shell companies.
 

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, in a press conference, alleged that AAP has fooled the people of the city in the name of clean politics.
 

No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party.
 

"The Aam Aadmi Party is no longer a party of the common people but has become a party of people with black money," he claimed.
 

"The Aam Aadmi Party has fooled the people of Delhi in the name of clean politics. The party, which made a place in the hearts of people by talking about Swaraj, Lokpal bill, the same Aam Aadmi Party is now stabbing people in the back and is no longer a common man's party," he alleged.

10:39 PM

CPI urges SC not to punish Prashant Bhushan for 'expressing his views'

The CPI urged the Supreme Court on Saturday not to punish senior advocate Prashant Bhushan for "expressing his views", while stating that the apex court should distinguish between "constructive criticism and malicious statements".
 

In a contempt of court case, the Supreme Court on Thursday gave Bhushan time till August 24 to "reconsider his defiant statement" refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets.
 

Bhushan has been held guilty of contempt for two of his tweets. "The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India is of the opinion that Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan has not committed anything to be termed as contempt. He is one known for his commitment and conviction in articulating the genuine concerns and grievances of people.

10:38 PM

Airport issue: Cong wants Kerala govt to clarify involvement of firm close to Adani group

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday asked the LDF government to clarify the alleged involvement of a firm close to the Adani Group in the state's bidding process for privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
 

The CPI(M)-led state government and the opposition Congress has opposed the Union Cabinet's approval to lease the Thiruvananthapuram airport to Adani Enterprises through PPP for a period of 50 years.
 

"Reports of the state government seeking legal advice on the bidding process from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, a firm owned by a close relative of Adani, raise concerns. If true, this shows a nexus between the state government and the Adani Group," Chennithala said in a statement.

10:32 PM

Cong, Govt in war of words after reports claimed CAG 'dropped' audit of Rafale offset deal

 A fresh controversy broke out on Saturday involving the Rafale deal after source-based media reports claimed that the CAG has submitted its performance audit on defence offset contracts to the Centre with no mention of any offset deals related to the purchase of the fighter aircraft.
 

Seizing on these report, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a fresh attack on the government over the fighter jet deal, prompting Union minister Piyush Goyal to hit back, saying he is welcome to fight the 2024 general elections on the issue.
 

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also asserted that the CAG report on Defence Offset Performance will be tabled in the forthcoming session of Parliament and the contents will be known only after that.
 

In a tweet, Gandhi tagged source-based news reports, which claimed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has dropped audit of Rafale offset deal.

10:31 PM

Ljungberg leaves Arsenal to advance coaching career

Former Sweden midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has quit as assistant coach of Arsenal, the English club said Saturday.
 

The 43-year-old Ljungberg took the decision because he wanted to “progress my management experience” after two years at the club where he also played from 1998-2007.
 

He returned to Arsenal in June 2018 in a coaching capacity, firstly with the under-23 team and then with the seniors. Ljungberg also had a month as caretaker manager between the firing of Unai Emery and the hiring of Mikel Arteta last December.
 

“We're really sad to see Freddie leave as we know how much he loves Arsenal," technical director Edu said.
 

"However, we know he has had various opportunities over the last 12 months and stuck to the job at Arsenal.
 

9:40 PM

Neymar gets his shot at glory in Champions League final

Neymar is finally getting his big chance to shine.
 

He is getting the opportunity to prove he doesn't need Lionel Messi to help him win soccer's biggest club tournament.
 

He is getting the chance to demonstrate that Paris Saint-Germain was right to pick him to lead its quest for a European title.
 

He is getting the center stage to show he can be the best in the world.
 

Neymar is getting his shot at glory in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich on Sunday.
 

The most expensive player in the world is a match away from breaking through with a major title at PSG.
 

It was with the Champions League in mind that the French club and its Qatari owner paid a record 222 million euros (more than $260 million at the time) to sign the Brazilian star from Barcelona three years ago.

9:40 PM

425 days later, Champions League 2020 ends with PSG-Bayern final

After an unprecedented suspension of the competition, pandemic-enforced changes to the format and a switch of location for the final, the Champions League will conclude on Sunday — 425 days after the first game was played.
 

Either Paris Saint-Germain will pick up the European Cup for the first time or Bayern Munich will become six-time winners of the continent's premier competition.
 

And just a few hundred people, including the coronavirus-checked players and officials, will be allowed into the final, which is being played in Lisbon in late August rather than Istanbul in May as originally scheduled.

 

9:34 PM

Amid leadership debate, Congress Working Committee to meet on Monday

Amid a debate over the leadership issue, top Congress leaders will meet here through video-conferencing on Monday and are likely to discuss the matter.
 

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, will meet at 11 am on Monday, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on Saturday.
 

"A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be held on Monday, the 24th August, 2020 at 11.00 AM via video conferencing," he said in a tweet.
 

All permanent and special invitees to the CWC have been invited to the meeting, where the leadership issue is also likely to be discussed, besides the current political situation in the country.
 

There has been a clamour within a section of Congressmen for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the president of the grand old party again.

9:32 PM

South Korea, China hold highest-level talks since Covid-19 outbreak

South Korea said on Saturday it held talks with China's top diplomat over trade, denuclearisation and the coronavirus response, in the first visit by a high-level Beijing official since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted late last year.
 

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Communist Party Politburo, met with South Korea's new national security adviser, Suh Hoon, in the southern port city of Busan, the South Korean government said.
 

The two sides discussed topics such as accelerating free-trade agreement negotiations, expanding cultural exchanges as well as the election of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General, South Korea's presidential Blue House spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a statement.
 

Kang added that Yang addressed China's position regarding the current US-China relations and Suh in return emphasized the importance of cooperative US-China relations for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia.
 

 

9:26 PM

Kremlin critic Navalny is evacuated to Germany for medical treatment

Gravely ill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was evacuated to Germany for medical treatment on Saturday, flown out of the Siberian city of Omsk in an ambulance aircraft and taken to a hospital in Berlin.
 

A long-time opponent of President Vladimir Putin and campaigner against corruption, Navalny collapsed on a plane on Thursday after drinking tea that his allies believe was laced with poison.
 

The air ambulance landed on Saturday morning at Berlin's Tegel airport and Navalny, 44, was rushed in a convoy of ambulance and police cars to the city's Charite hospital complex.
 

The hospital said in a statement it would provide an update about his condition and further treatment once tests have been completed and after consulting with his family, adding this could take some time.

9:18 PM

Sisodia holds meeting for formation of Delhi Education Board

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday held the second joint review meeting with committees preparing the scheme and framework for the formation of the Delhi Education Board and a new curriculum, officials said.
 

In the annual budget for 2020-21, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation had announced its plans for curriculum reform and creating a New Board of Education for Delhi.
 

"We need to strictly stick to the timelines, so that we can launch the new curriculum for children up to 14 years by the next academic year. We need to introduce a framework based on attitude-skill-readiness for the next learning stage," Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, said.
 

"However, if we focus only on the readiness part, leaving the attitude and skill behind, the purpose of education will be half-served," he was quoted as saying in an official statement.
 

Learning skills in schools becomes extremely important for preparing students to live their lives happily and responsibly, the deputy chief minister said.

9:14 PM

PM holds meeting to discuss ways to boost manufacturing of Indian toys: PMO

9:13 PM

Karnataka: Parts of Bengaluru receive rainfall

9:00 PM

Delhi Police brought ISIS operative Abu Yusuf to his native village Badhya Bhaisahi in Utraula area

8:52 PM

Postponing NEET will be drastic deviation from academic schedule, MCI tells SC

The Medical Council of India has submitted before the Supreme Court that the postponement of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate (UG) 2020 shall be a "drastic deviation" from the academic schedule which "may affect the subsequent academic years" of the students.
 

In an affidavit filed on Friday, the MCI said the matter of overseas examination centres for NEET doesn't deserve the indulgence of the top court in view of the fact that the Government of India has permitted travel to and from other countries, through Vande Bharat Mission.
 

The affidavit was filed on a plea seeking directions to hold NEET at centres in Gulf countries.

8:41 PM

Airport privatisation: Tharoor sticks to stand; says it will expand potential

Unfazed by criticism over his stand favouring Centre's decision to lease out the airport here to Adani Enterprises, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Saturday privatisation would help expand its potential and attract investors.
 

The congress MP had faced flak not only from the Left parties but even from his own party for his stand favouring privatisation of the Trivandrum airport.
 

"Dear @drthomasisaac, thanks4yr thoughtful criticism of my stand on TvmAirport. I think you miss the point, which is not about revenue.
 

It is about expanding the potential of the airport to its fullest, there by providing a better facility to businesses & locals & attracting investors," Tharoor tweeted on Saturday in reply to a tweet by state Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

8:30 PM

Good response to online scheme for disposal of EWS flats: DDA

The DDA has received a good response to its online scheme for disposal of 916 flats in the EWS category, with 627 of those already booked, officials said on Saturday.
 

The tentative cost of a flat is Rs 10.89-12.29 lakh after concession, the DDA said.
 

"The DDA had launched an online scheme for disposal of EWS flats at Pocket- 1A Sector A1-A4 Narela at concessional rates with 40 per cent concession on construction cost on a first come first serve basis on August 7," the housing authority said in a statement.

8:20 PM

Bihar flood situation grim, 8.36 million people affected

The flood situation in Bihar remained critical on Saturday as nearly 70,000 more people were affected by the calamity, raising the number of marooned people to 83,62,451 in 16 districts of the state, a Disaster Management Department bulletin said.
 

Flood water entered in 11 fresh panchayat areas since Friday and the number of affected panchayats is now 1,333 in 130 blocks.
 

Flood-related deaths remained unchanged at 27, the bulletin said.

8:10 PM

US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wishes everyone on Ganesh Chaturthi

8:00 PM

56 more people test Covid-19 positive in Muzaffarnagar

Fifty-six more people were found COVID-19 positive in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar on Saturday, taking the total number of active cases in the district to 393, officials said.
 

The new cases include 25 inmates of the district jail, three medical workers and a policeman, they said.
 

The total number of district jail inmates who have tested positive for the virus rose to 135 with the 25 new cases, the officials said.