Breaking news highlights: Bengal records 2,455 new Covid cases, 6 more deaths

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• Jul 20, 2022 11:14 PM IST

  West Bengal records 2,455 new Covid cases, 6 more deaths

  West Bengal on Wednesday recorded 2,455 new Covid cases and 6 more deaths, which pushed the caseload and death toll to 20,77,005 and 21,294 respectively, according to the state health department’s bulletin. 

• Jul 20, 2022 10:37 PM IST

  Telangana logs 640 new Covid-19 cases

  Telangana on Wednesday reported 640 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally to 8,11,616. Hyderabad district reported the highest number of cases with 277 infections.

• Jul 20, 2022 09:40 PM IST

  Ukrainian first lady appeals to US Congress for more weapons against Russia’s ‘Hunger Games’

  Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska appealed to US lawmakers on Tuesday to provide more help to her country as it struggles against a five-month-long Russian invasion, saying weapons could help assure a “joint great victory.”

  “We remain completely broken when our world is destroyed by war. Tens of thousands of such worlds have been destroyed in Ukraine,” she said through a translator, in an emotional 15-minute speech to members of the US House of Representatives and Senate.

• Jul 20, 2022 09:11 PM IST

  Congress MPs to raise the issue of “political vendetta on opposition parties leaders” in both the Houses

  Congress MPs to raise the issue of “political vendetta on opposition parties leaders” in both the Houses of Parliament tomorrow, along with GST on essential commodities and other issues.

• Jul 20, 2022 08:55 PM IST

  Delhi records 686 new Covid cases in last 24 hours

  Delhi records 686 fresh COVID-19 cases, positivity rate stands at 4.74 per cent: PTI reports citing authorities

• Jul 20, 2022 08:12 PM IST

  Fact-checker Mohd Zubair walks free from Delhi’s Tihar Jail after SC order

  Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking platform Alt News, walked free from the Tihar Jail on Wednesday hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in all first information reports (FIRs) registered against him across the state for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

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• Jul 20, 2022 08:03 PM IST

  Haryana DSP murder: Main accused Mittar arrested

  Haryana DSP murder: Main accused Mittar arrested from Rajasthan’s Bhara.

• Jul 20, 2022 07:56 PM IST

  Traffic likely to be hit on Thursday due to Sonia Gandhi’s questioning, kanwar yatra: Delhi Police

  Anticipated protests over the questioning of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi by the ED and an increase in the number of kanwariyas passing through the city are likely to affect traffic movement in parts of Delhi on Thursday, the Delhi Police has said.

• Jul 20, 2022 07:32 PM IST

  Sanjay Raut summoned by ED for July 27

  Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case, asking him to appear before them on 27th July.

• Jul 20, 2022 07:11 PM IST

  5 get life term for killing farmers in UP’s Shamli

  A local court on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to five people for killing two farmers.

  District Judge C Prakash awarded life imprisonment to Dharmendra, Sanjeev, Asjad, Kaiser and Vikram for killing Ikram and Anwar and looting ₹60,000 when they were returning after selling their crops.

  The incident had taken place in Jhinghana area of Shamli district on April 21, 2009, government counsel Rajiv Sharma told PTI.

• Jul 20, 2022 07:04 PM IST

  KS Eshwarappa gets clean chit in contractor suicide case

  Former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa gets clean chit in contractor suicide case, cops cite lack of evidence.

• Jul 20, 2022 06:22 PM IST

  Chinese firm demands immediate payment of over ₹86 billion from Pakistan: Report

  A Chinese firm has demanded payment of over ₹86 billion from Pakistan on an immediate basis.

  China Huaneng has served notice of non-payment to Pakistan’s Central Power Purchasing Agency Guarantee (CPPA-G) pursuant to guarantee within 30 days, reported Business Recorder.

  The company, in a letter written on July 15, 2022, had made a demand for payment.

• Jul 20, 2022 05:58 PM IST

  ‘Hasta la vista, baby’ UK’s Boris Johnson bows out to lawmakers’ applause

  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received a round of applause from members of his Conservative Party after he finished addressing parliament at his last appearance during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

  “We’ve helped, I’ve helped, get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism. And frankly, that’s enough to be going on. Mission largely accomplished,” Johnson said.

  “I want to thank everybody here and hasta la vista, baby.”

• Jul 20, 2022 05:27 PM IST

  Madras HC orders handing over of AIADMK headquarters keys to team EPS

  In a major setback to former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, the Madras high court on Wednesday ordered the handing over of keys of the AIADMK’s office to interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, referred to as EPS.

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• Jul 20, 2022 05:13 PM IST

  Vomit of whale worth ₹2.6 crore seized in Mumbai, accused arrested

  The Crime Branch seized 2.8 kg of ambergris, the vomit of a whale valued at 2.6 crores from the accused namely Vaibhav Janardhan Kalekar. Case registered u/s 2, 39, 44, 48(a), 49(b), 57, and 51 of the Wild Animal Protection Act 1972: Mumbai Police

• Jul 20, 2022 05:00 PM IST

  UK approves major new nuclear plant, reports AP

  The UK government on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, eastern England, which it says will generate low-carbon electricity for six million homes.

  “Today, 20 July 2022, the Sizewell C Project application has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy,” the government said in a statement.

• Jul 20, 2022 04:30 PM IST

  Punjab encounter update | Police says both gangsters killed

  Punjab encounter: Operation successfully concluded after both gangsters killed, says senior police official.

• Jul 20, 2022 04:16 PM IST

  Wipro consolidated net profit falls 21{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} YoY

  Wipro consolidated net profit falls 21{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} year-on-year to ₹2,563.6 crore in Q1 FY23.

• Jul 20, 2022 03:56 PM IST

  Delhi-Guwahati Go First flight diverted to Jaipur after windshield cracks

  Delhi-Guwahati Go First flight diverted to Jaipur after windshield cracks mid-air, reports PTI citing DGCA.

• Jul 20, 2022 03:34 PM IST

  UK inflation surges to new 40-year high of 9.4{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9}

  Inflation in the United Kingdom has accelerated to a new 40-year high, driven by rising food and fuel prices that are contributing to a cost-of-living crisis.

  Consumer prices rose 9.4{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} this year through June, up from 9.1{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday. The new figure is the highest since 1982, when inflation peaked at 11{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9}.

• Jul 20, 2022 02:43 PM IST

  Supreme Court grants bail to fact-checker Mohd Zubair in all FIRs in Uttar Pradesh

  > “No justification to keep him in continued custody and subject him to endless rounds of custody,” said the Supreme Court as Mohammed Zubair was granted bail in all FIRs in Uttar Pradesh by the top court.
   

  > “Zubair must be released by 6 pm today,” ordered SC.

  > SC also rejected UP government’s plea to stop him from tweeting.

• Jul 20, 2022 02:34 PM IST

  Heavy rain lash parts of Delhi-NCR; IMD issues advisory

  Thundershower with moderate to heavy intensity rain with very heavy intensity rain over isolated places and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR, the weather department has said.

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• Jul 20, 2022 02:16 PM IST

  South Africa inflation hits 13-year high in June: data

  Inflation in South Africa surged to its highest level in 13 years in June, driven primarily by rising prices for food, transport and housing, official data showed on Wednesday.

  “Annual consumer price inflation was 7.4 percent in June 2022, up from 6.5 percent in May, and the highest rate since May 2009,” the statistics agency, StatsSA, said in a statement.

• Jul 20, 2022 01:30 PM IST

  Protests break out in Sri Lanka after Ranil Wickremesinghe win election to become president

• Jul 20, 2022 12:45 PM IST

  Six-time Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe wins presidential election

  Six-time Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe wins presidential elections, reports AFP. The country is in a very difficult situation, we have big challenges ahead, he says after winning the polls.

• Jul 20, 2022 12:24 PM IST

  SC directs Maharashtra Speaker to not deal with MLA disqualification pleas till further orders, next hearing on August 1

  SC to hear the matter next on August 1. Maharashtra Speaker not to deal with disqualification petitions till further orders. Legislative secretary asked to keep all records in safe custody.

• Jul 20, 2022 11:33 AM IST

  Delhi HC puts on hold consumer authority order, restaurants can continue levy of service charge; next hearing on Nov 25

  Delhi high court on Wednesday put on hold consumer authority order, which means that restaurants can continue charging service tax. The next hearing in the matter has been set for November 25.

• Jul 20, 2022 11:30 AM IST

  Delhi HC posts petition challenging ‘Agnipath’ to August 25, says hasn’t received similar pleas from the other courts

  Delhi high court on Wednesday posted petition challenging Centre’s new recruitment scheme ‘Agnipath’ to August 25, saying it hasn’t received similar pleas from the other courts.

• Jul 20, 2022 11:22 AM IST

  Maharashtra political crisis: ‘Mockery of democracy,’ says Sibal for Uddhav camp in SC

  Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav-camp, says there must be a merger if a rebel camp wants protection against disqualification.

  Until SC decides all the points of law, nothing should be done. Let this court also decide on the disqualification petitions. “What’s happening is a mockery of democratic institutions,” he asks, urging SC to decide the matter quickly.

• Jul 20, 2022 11:15 AM IST

  Voting for Sri Lankan Presidential election underway in Colombo

  Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is among the top three candidates for the Presidential election in which 225 members of the House are eligible to vote and participate in the secret ballot. The other two candidates are SLPP parliamentarian Dullas Alahaperuma and National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

  General Secretary of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNFP), MP Selvarasa Gajendran has abstained from voting, reports Sri Lanka’s NewsWire.

• Jul 20, 2022 10:57 AM IST

  Kerala decides not to impose GST on items sold by small stores, women SHGs

  Kerala will not impose GST on items sold by Kudumbashree (a women SHG by the state govt) & small stores in 1-2kg packets or loose quantities, even if it leads to any issues with the Centre, says Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal.

• Jul 20, 2022 10:30 AM IST

  India’s daily Covid tally rises again; 20,557 fresh cases, 40 deaths in 24 hours

  India’s daily Covid cases jump by over 32{a78e43caf781a4748142ac77894e52b42fd2247cba0219deedaee5032d61bfc9} with 20,557 fresh infections; 40 deaths recorded in a day.

• Jul 20, 2022 10:21 AM IST

  Sanjay Raut seeks ED exemption, says ‘will be in Delhi for parl session’

  “Parliament session is underway. I have sought exemption (from ED) from appearance. I will be in Delhi,” said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Sanjay Raut was summoned to appear before ED at 11am today, in a money laundering case.

  Follow live updates on Parliament session

• Jul 20, 2022 10:15 AM IST

  PM Modi sends appreciation letters to vaccinators as India achieves 2 bn landmark in Covid vaccinations

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds all vaccinators for achieving the 200 crore vaccine doses landmark on July 17. The PM has congratulated all vaccinators by sending appreciation letters to them personally; the same can be downloaded from their CoWIN login ID.

• Jul 20, 2022 09:50 AM IST

  ‘Want to have joy again…,’ say Lankans as lawmakers select new president

  “We want to have joy again… The new President shouldn’t take decisions just for his glory, and work for the nation’s betterment. Our concern is that those nominated are the same people, we don’t expect much change,” says a Sri Lankan protesting on the island nation, which is set to elect a new president today. 

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• Jul 20, 2022 09:08 AM IST

  Jharkhand: Female sub-inspector mowed down by vehicle during checking, accused held

  A female sub-inspector named Sandhya Topno mowed down to death during vehicle check, last night. She was posted as in-charge of Tupudana OP. Accused has been arrested and vehicle has been seized, SSP Ranchi told ANI.

• Jul 20, 2022 08:18 AM IST

  Delhi rains: Yellow alert in capital city, heavy rain and thunderstorm likely

• Jul 20, 2022 06:29 AM IST

  Indian high commission in Colombo  reaches out to Indians in Sri Lanka

  “Amid the current situation in Sri Lanka, Indian nationals in Sri Lanka are requested to remain aware of the latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. If required, Indian nationals can contact us,” says High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka

• Jul 20, 2022 05:54 AM IST

  Presidential election: Congress files complaint against Droupadi Murmu, BJP over alleged poll code violation

  The Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and others alleging violations of the provisions of the law during the July 18 presidential election.

  The Congress has alleged that the ruling BJP in Karnataka influenced MLAs who were voters on July 17 and 18 by offering bribes and other inducements. The Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, in their complaint to the EC, said that voting MLAs were provided with luxury accommodation in a five-star hotel.

  Complaints have been filed against NDA candidate (Murmu), Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, BJP chief whip in the assembly Satish Reddy, Ministers and others.