Key updates: Principal of RG Kar Hospital removed from her post on agitating students' demand

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10:58 PM

Principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital removed

New principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital removed from her post on agitating students' demand

8:47 PM

PM Modi thanks Indian Community in Poland for warm welcome

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Poland on Monday on a two-day visit and received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the members of the Indian community who also raised "Modi, Modi" slogans. The Prime Minister waved to the gathering and also shook hands with some of those present.

8:44 PM

Sharad Pawar: Centre grants Z-plus security to NCP chief

The Centre on Wednesday accorded the highest category of armed VIP security cover -- Z plus -- to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar, official sources said. The Union Home Ministry has asked the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to extend the cover to the 83-year-old former chief minister of Maharashtra. A team of 55 armed CRPF personnel has been earmarked for the task.

7:18 PM

Must brainstorm on steps to ensure safe environment for women: Rahul Gandhi on Badlapur sexual abuse case

In the wake of the Badlapur sexual assault incident, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said it "forces us to think where are we heading as a society". He also said all governments and parties need to brainstorm on what steps should be taken to provide a safe environment for women. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "After West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the shameful crimes against daughters in Maharashtra also force us to think where are we heading as a society? 

6:44 PM

Amul ranked world's strongest food brand, dairy brand by UK's Brand Finance

Amul has been ranked as the world's strongest food brand by consultancy firm Brand Finance, UK. It has also retained the strongest dairy brand of the world title for the fourth consecutive year. "Amul has been ranked as the world's strongest food brand and the strongest dairy brand as per Brand Finance, UK, world's leading brand consultancy, in its annual report titled 'Food & Drink 2024'," the company said in a statement.

5:48 PM

PM Modi arrives in Warsaw on first leg of two-nation visit to Poland, Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Poland on first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and share perspectives with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict. PM Modi's visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years. During his stay in Poland, Modi will meet President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

4:59 PM

Indian astronaut likely to fly to International Space Station by April next year: Jitendra Singh

An Indian astronaut is likely to fly to the International Space Station by April next year as part of the NASA-ISRO collaborative initiative, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

4:46 PM

Senior IAS officer Sarada Muraleedharan to be new Chief Secretary of Kerala

Sarada Muraleedharan will be appointed as the next Chief Secretary of Kerala, replacing incumbent V Venu. A 1990 batch IAS officer, Muraleedharan is currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary (Planning). She is the wife of outgoing Chief Secratary Venu.

 

4:38 PM

BJP and NCP candidates file nominations for two Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra

Nominees of BJP and NCP, Dhairyasheel Patil and Nitin Patil, respectively, on Wednesday filed their nominations for September 3 bypolls to two vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra on the last day of submitting the papers. The BJP nominated Dhairyasheel Patil for the seat vacated by Udayanraje Bhosale who won the Lok Sabha election from Satara constituency.

4:13 PM

18 injured in explosion at Andhra Pradesh Pharma Company after reactor explodes

A reactor exploded in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle district which caused injuries to over 18 people. The explosion took place at the Achutapuram Special Economic Zone. The injured have been shifted to the NTR Hospital for treatment.

4:11 PM

Another case filed against former PM of B'desh Hasina and her aides

A case was filed on Wednesday against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 86 others on charge of attacking a procession in Sylhet citywhich left several people shot and injured during the recent mass protests on August 4, taking the number of cases against her after her ouster to 33.

 

3:58 PM

Four boys aged 16-18 drown in a pond in Rajasthan's Tonk after getting stuck in mud

The victims, Hansraj, Dilkhush, Vikas and Vijay -- aged 17-18 -- had entered the pond to bring out a buffalo but they got stuck in mud and drowned, Station House Officer (SHO) Uniara Police Station Dharmesh Dayma said. The incident took place in Mohammadpura village, the police said.

3:39 PM

India remains net steel importer in April-July on rise in Chinese shipments

India imported 2.69 million metric tons of steel between April and July, and exported 1.57 million tons, the data showed

3:19 PM

Himachal's economy will stabilise in six months after which arrears, says CM of Shimla

Himachal Pradesh's economy will stabilise in six months after which additional arrears and dearness allowances would be disbursed, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said.

 

3:17 PM

45 year old man electrocuted; woman's body found in river in Amethi in UP

A 45-year-old man died of electrocution on Wednesday when he was working on the switchboard at his home, and in another incident, a woman's body was found in a river, police said. Ranjit Singh from Kolwa village was electrocuted while removing the connection of a fan, Sangrampur Police Station in-charge Ish Narayan Mishra said.

3:07 PM

Delhi liquor policy case: HC extends interim bail of Amit Arora till Aug 30

Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended interim bail of accused businessman Amit Arora in Delhi Excise Policy case till August 30, noting his precarious health condition. Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, along with Advocate Prabhav Ralli, argued for interim bail on the grounds of Arora's urgent need for hospitalisation and his prolonged detention of approximately 16 months. They also cited the recent judgment in the Manish Sisodia vs. Directorate of Enforcement case.

2:59 PM

Bharat Bandh news update: Vehicular traffic disrupted in some districts of Bihar

Vehicular traffic was briefly disrupted in parts of Bihar on Wednesday, as protestors put up blockades in support of the Bharat Bandh called by some groups over community-based reservation. While protesters disrupted train movement at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations, police resorted to mild lathi-charge of protestors, who blocked movements of traffic on roads, including some national highways at several locations in Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Begusarai districts.

2:57 PM

Man drowns, another missing after heavy rain floods rivers in Uttarakhand

A man died after being swept away in a swollen stream while another went missing in a separate incident in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening as heavy rain late flooded water bodies in different parts of the state, officials said. Manish Sati, a 29-year-old motorcyclist, was swept away in a swollen stream in Kotabagh area of Nainital district late on Tuesday evening, the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) here said.

 

2:32 PM

Commercial ship 'not under command' after repeated attacks target it in Red Sea

A commercial ship travelling through the Red Sea came under repeated attack Wednesday, leaving the vessel “not under command” in an assault suspected to have been carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, the British military said.

 

2:21 PM

Delhi HC extends interim protection from arrest to Puja Khedkar till Aug 29

Former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar is accused of falsifying and misrepresenting facts in her application to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The court had instructed the investigation agency not to arrest her while the matter is under consideration, noting that immediate arrest is not deemed necessary.

2:00 PM

Cong asks why have institutions like CCI 'remained passive' as Adani built monopolies

The Congress on Wednesday questioned the Competition Commission of India over its approval of all acquisitions by the Adani Group. The opposition asked why such institutions "remained passive" as the conglomerate built "monopolies" in critical infrastructure sectors, raising prices at consumers' expense.

1:53 PM

HC asks cops to respond to Mihir Shah's plea for release from 'illegal' arrest in BMW hit-and-run case

The Bombay HC on Wednesday sought the police's reply on the pleas filed by Mihir Shah who is the main accused in the BMW hit-and-run case alongside his driver Rajrishi Bidawat, seeking immediate release and claiming that their arrest was "illegal".

1:29 PM

Kerala police intensifies search to find missing Assamese girl

The Kerala police on Wednesday intensified search ops to find a girl from Assam, daughter of a migrant worker couple living near the state capital, who had gone missing from her rented home. The missing girl was identified as Thasmid Thamasum, the eldest daughter of a daily wage earner from Assam who lives in nearby Kazhakkoottam, police said.

1:15 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on a 4 day visit to US from August 23 to 26

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a four-day visit to the US beginning Friday to further boost the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two countries. 

1:09 PM

SC orders civil aviation ministry to submit tender files for Nagpur Airport

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to submit file notes related to the annulment of the tender process for the Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur. The order comes as part of the ongoing legal battle involving the Ministry, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the GMR Group, which has been vying to operate the airport.

1:05 PM

Looking forward to share perspectives with President Zelenskyy on resolution of Ukraine conflict, says Modi

Two days ahead of his crucial visit to Kyiv, PM on Wednesday said he was looking forward to sharing perspectives with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict. The prime minister's comments came shortly before he embarked on a two-nation trip to Poland and Ukraine. In the first leg of the visit, Modi is visiting Polish capital city Warsaw on August 21 and 22.

12:52 PM

Kerala HC permits gamete extraction from critically ill husband for ART procedure

The Kerala High Court comes to the aid of a childless couple where the husband is critically ill, by permitting extraction of his gametes and cryopreserving them for use by his wife to undergo Assisted Reproductive Technology(ART) procedure for conceiving a child. The interim relief was granted by Justice V G Arun on the wife's plea without the consent of her husband, a requirement under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Regulation Act, as his medical condition was critical and was worsening day-by-day.

12:33 PM

Supreme Court resumes hearing on issue of LMV driving licence on Wednesday

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to resume its hearing on the legal question of whether a person holding a driving licence for a light motor vehicle is also entitled to drive a transport vehicle with an unladen weight not exceeding 7,500 kg.

12:30 PM

Kiran Chaudhary files her nomination for Rajya Sabha bypoll in Haryana

"I would like to thank BJP senior leadership, PM Modi, Amit Shah, Manohar Lal Khattar, JP Nadda, Nayab Saini and other MLAs for supporting me... Influenced by schemes of PM Modi and former (Haryana) CM Manohar Lal, I have joined BJP," says BJP leader Kiran Choudhary

12:13 PM

J-K polls: Apni Party releases manifesto, promises work towards restoration of statehood

The Apni Party on Wednesday released its manifesto for the assembly elections, promising to press the Centre for constitutional guarantees to preserve culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, and to work for the restoration of statehood of the Union territory.