News updates: UK foreign secy Lammy to begin 2-day visit to India on Wednesday

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10:52 PM

UK Foreign Secy Lammy to begin 2-day visit to India on Wednesday

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will visit India for two days starting Wednesday, marking the first high-level engagement between the two nations since Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government assumed power. The discussions between Lammy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday evening are expected to cover the long-pending India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) and New Delhi's concerns about pro-Khalistan activities in Britain, according to sources familiar with the visit.

10:26 PM

Karnataka to boycott NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Tuesday that his government would boycott the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. This decision is a protest against what he described as the "neglect" of the state's demands in the Union Budget. Siddaramaiah stated that there is no point in attending the meeting as the concerns of Kannadigas are not being addressed.

10:05 PM

IMD issues yellow alert for rainfall in Delhi over next 2 days

The IMD has issued a "yellow" alert for the city for the next two days. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 36.2 degrees Celsius, which is 1.3 degrees above normal, as reported by the weather department. At 5:30 pm, the relative humidity was 68 percent.

10:00 PM

NDRF rescues 58 people marooned on Madhya Pradesh's river island

The NDRF rescued 58 people stranded on a river island in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district. According to an official, the island is situated in the Dhasan River near Kutora village, approximately 90 km from the district headquarters.

9:49 PM

YSRCP chief Reddy to stage protest in Delhi against 'violence' in Andhra

YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy plans to stage a protest in the national capital on Wednesday, addressing the alleged worsening law and order situation and violence in Andhra Pradesh. Sources indicate that Reddy may also seek meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue. This will be Reddy's first visit to Delhi since his party's defeat in the recent assembly elections.

9:17 PM

If anybody found involved in exam irregularities, will not be spared: Pradhan

''If anybody is found involved in exam irregularities, they will not be spared,'' said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

9:00 PM

CDSCO mulls to waive testing requirement for cough syrups exported to certain nations

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is considering a proposal to waive the testing requirement for cough syrups exported to certain countries, following a request from stakeholders, as per media reports on Tuesday. In May of the previous year, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, mandated that cough syrup manufacturers must have their products tested at designated government laboratories starting June 1 before receiving approval for export.

8:47 PM

Cooperative Society Amendment Bill passed in K'taka Assembly

The ruling Congress in Karnataka passed Karnataka Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill in Assembly, despite protests and a walkout by the opposition BJP. The BJP opposed the bill's provision that allows the state government to nominate three representatives to the board of every assisted society. According to the bill, these nominees must include one person from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, one woman, and one individual from other categories.

8:17 PM

US Secret Service director Cheatle steps down after assassination attempt on ex-President Trump

Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service since August 2022, announced her resignation in an email to staff. This decision follows an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which sparked widespread criticism of the agency's failure to fulfill its primary duty of protecting current and former presidents. Cheatle had been under increasing pressure to step down and was subject to several investigations regarding how the attacker managed to approach the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania.

8:06 PM

NTA to announce final results for NEET-UG within two days, says Dharmendra Pradhan

NTA to announce final results for NEET-UG within two days, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

7:51 PM

Indiscriminate use of rule 267 on daily basis should be introspected: RS Chairman

Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday urged the parliamentarians and the floor leaders of the House to introspect the notices moved on "daily basis" by them under Rule 267, terming the habit an "indiscriminate resort of the provision". As the House convened, the Chairman announced the chair informing that he received five notices under Rule 267 but these have been rejected. Dhankhar said, "Such a liberal use of Rule 267 is not doing any good to us, and honorable members may also recall that Rule 267 last time was accepted in 2016".

7:46 PM

Several people feared trapped as house collapses due to heavy rainfall in Gujarat's Dwarka

7:42 PM

HC orders issue of notice to Karnataka govt on petition to transfer Valmiki scam case to CBI

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ordered the issue of notice to the state government and other respondents on a petition filed by Union Bank of India seeking a direction to the government to transfer to CBI the probe being carried out against it by the state-constituted SIT in connection with the alleged financial irregularities in a state-run corporation.

7:22 PM

Pakistan govt seals central office of Imran Khan's party over violation of safety standards

Pakistani authorities have sealed the central office of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party here over violation of safety standards, it emerged on Tuesday. Islamabad's Metropolitan Corporation took action on Monday amidst rising legal challenges faced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its founder Khan.

7:20 PM

BJP wins 70 pc panchayat seats in Tripura uncontested: SEC Agartala

The ruling BJP in Tripura won around 70 per cent of the seats in the state's three-tier panchayat system uncontested, an official said on Tuesday. There are a total of 6,889 seats in the panchayat system, which comprises gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads, and the BJP won 4,805 seats uncontested, he said.

7:14 PM

Bengali director debarred from making films for 3 months for violating norms

The Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) has debarred young director Rahool Mukherjee from making films for three months on the charge of violating its rules on visiting a foreign country for shooting. Following this, production house SVF replaced Mukherjee with another director. FCTWEI President Swarup Biswas said that neither the federation nor the Directors' Association of Eastern India was informed by Mukherjee about his visit to Bangladesh for shooting a film, which is against the rule.

6:53 PM

ED arrests Delhi man for 'cheating' US woman of Rs 3.3 crore

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested a Delhi-based man under the anti-money laundering law in connection with a cyber fraud with a US citizen, who was allegedly duped of more than Rs 3.3 crore, official sources said on Tuesday.

6:47 PM

British Pakistani radical preacher faces life term for directing terrorism

Anjem Choudary, a radical Islamist preacher with dual British and Pakistani nationality, was on Tuesday found guilty of directing a banned terrorist organisation and faces life imprisonment in the UK following a joint international investigation. Choudary, 57, was found to have taken on a "caretaker role" in the Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) and a trial at Woolwich Crown Court in London heard that he directed the terror group for a significant period after 2014 and encouraged support for it by addressing online meetings.

6:32 PM

CBI to probe death of man assaulted, forced to sing national anthem by cops: HC

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the case pertaining to the death of a 23-year-old man who was seen in a viral video being purportedly assaulted and forced to sing the national anthem during the communal riots here in 2020. In a video clip that had gone viral on social media, Faizan, along with four other Muslim men, was seen being beaten up by policemen while being forced to sing the national anthem and "Vande Mataram".

6:25 PM

Jharkhand CM inaugurates colony for leprosy-affected people in Ranchi

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday inaugurated the newly constructed ‘Nirmal Awas', a colony for leprosy-affected people in Ranchi's Mudma locality. As many as 256 beneficiaries are entitled to get flats in the colony. On the occasion, the CM handed over keys to 10 beneficiaries as a token gesture.

6:16 PM

Major blaze on merchant navy ship off Karnataka coast extinguished: Coast Guard

A major fire that broke out on July 19 on a merchant navy ship off the Karwar coast has been doused and efforts are underway to ensure the affected vessel remains in deep sea considering the grave threat posed to the coastline, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday. "The vessel is presently 13 nautical miles west of New Mangalore and heading towards open sea," the ICG stated in a release.

5:49 PM

Students with individual grievance open to pursue rights, remedies in accordance with law: SC

In his verdict on NEET case, the CJI said, "It will be important to clarify that if any student has an individual grievance not bearing on the issues resolved in this judgement, will be open to them to pursue their rights and remedies in accordance with law."

5:39 PM

Verdict on NEET re-exam delivered by CJI-led three judge SC bench

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard submissions from a battery of lawyers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), and senior advocates Narender Hooda, Sanjay Hegde and Mathews Nedumapra for around four days.

5:25 PM

NEET case updates: Counselling to begin from July 24

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday (July 23), said, "Ordering cancellation of entire NEET-UG exam is not justified on application of settled principles propounded by it."

5:21 PM

Fact that leak in NEET-UG 2024 took place at Hazaribagh and Patna is not in dispute: SC

Supreme Court says data on record does not indicate systemic leak of question paper of NEET-UG 2024.

5:15 PM

Re-NEET exam will impact 2.4 million students: Supreme Court

In its verdict, the CJI-led Supreme Court bench said, "CBI probe points to 155 benefitting; but doesn't indicate system breach." It added, "There is absence of material on record to lead to the conclusion that result of the exam is vitiated or there is any systematic breach... Data on record is not indicative of a systemic leak of the NEET-UG question paper which would indicate a disruption of the sanctity of the exam."

4:57 PM

BJP appoints journalist Pradeep Bhandari national spokesperson

The BJP on Tuesday appointed Pradeep Bhandari, a journalist who runs psephology firm 'Jan Ki Baat', as a national spokesperson of the party. Bhandari has worked as a journalist for different channels and has regularly done surveys during the assembly and general elections. In a statement, the BJP said its national president, JP Nadda, has appointed Bhandari as a national spokesperson with immediate effect.

4:39 PM

TN CM bats for voluntary steps by traders to put up nameboards in Tamil

Traders should voluntarily come forward to display on nameboards, the names of their shops in Tamil language, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday. Addressing a meeting of members of the Tamil Nadu Traders Welfare Board at the Secretariat, Stalin said the board, which was set up by late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in 1989, is functioning well.

4:31 PM

Hamas and Fatah sign declaration in Beijing on ending years long rift as war rages in Gaza

Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing on ending a years long rift, Chinese state media said Tuesday, taking a step toward potentially resolving the deep divide between the sides as the war in Gaza rages on. The declaration by the two heavyweights of Palestinian politics — and other smaller Palestinian groups — to form a unity government for the Palestinian territories is the result of the latest in a series of talks meant to unite the sides.

4:23 PM

Sri Lanka Navy arrests 9 Indian fishermen for alleged illegal fishing

The Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday arrested nine Indian fishermen and seized their trawlers for allegedly poaching in its territorial waters, officials here said, taking the number of Indian nationals apprehended this year by the island nation in such incidents to 261. The nine fishermen were arrested, and their two trawlers were seized off the coast of Delft islet in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the Navy said.