PM Modi LIVE Updates: PM Modi begins his virtual address at Zila Panchayat Members' Conference

11:18 (IST)

PM Modi LIVE updates

PM has changed the political culture within the party and also in the politics of India: JP Nadda

Prime Minister, you have changed the political culture within the party and also in the politics of India. Today, people are working with the feeling that how the person standing at the last rung in society can get strength and how we can serve them: JP Nadda, BJP chief addresses Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad in Daman & Diu. 

10:43 (IST)

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

NIA raids underway in Shopian area

The National Investigation Agency is conducting raids in eight different locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a criminal conspiracy to carry out terrorist and subversive activities hatched by cadres and workers of various proscribed organisations and their affiliates operating under various aliases at the behest of their Pakistani commanders and handlers.

10:37 (IST)

Karnataka LIVE Updates

In the last 9 years under PM Modi, India has developed new technologies, says Union Minsiter Ashwini Vaishnaw

#WATCH | Karnataka: Union Minsiter Ashwini Vaishnaw says, "In the last nine years under PM Modi's leadership the country has developed many new technologies...In that same spirit having a 3D-printed building constructed on-site is a great initiative..." pic.twitter.com/TUcQTIgXOH— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2023

10:18 (IST)

Markets LIVE Updates

Markets decline on weak global trends, foreign fund outflows

Early Friday, equity benchmark indexes sank on gloomy global signals and new foreign capital outflows.

Markets also fell as IT stocks fell.

The BSE Sensex dropped 297.62 points to 64,853.40. The Nifty fell 88.75 points to 19,276.50.

Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Bajaj Finance, and Bajaj Finserv were the Sensex pack's main laggards.

10:15 (IST)

Indian Rupee LIVE Updates

Rupee rises 7 paise to 83.02 against US dollar

The rupee rebounded from all-time lows and rose 7 paise to 83.02 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, as the US currency retreated from its high levels.

However, forex dealers claimed that a flat trend in local stocks, foreign money outflows, and rising crude oil prices impacted on the domestic currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit started at 83.03 and reached a high of 83.02 versus the US dollar, representing a 7-paise increase over its previous level.

In early trade, the rupee fell to a low of 83.09 versus the US dollar.

10:07 (IST)

Uttarakhand LIVE Updates

River Pranmati swells in Chamoli; waterlogging in Dehradun’s Kaluwala

The water level of the Pranmati River in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has risen significantly as a result of the state's heavy rains, which has caused severe floods and landslides.

Authorities in the vicinity have been notified to safeguard the safety and well-being of the people, authorities said on Friday.

10:04 (IST)

Karnataka LIVE Updates

‘Reconsider decision’: Karnataka Dy CM Shivakumar to Cauvery authority amid row over water sharing with TN

DK Shivakumar, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister, stated on Thursday that the state will ask the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to rethink its decision to share water with Tamil Nadu.

The CWMA, according to Shivakumar, has directed the Karnataka government to send 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu over the next 15 days, at a time when the state is suffering from a water crisis.

09:58 (IST)

Meghalaya LIVE Updates

3 more members of newly floated militant organisation arrested in Meghalaya

A senior police official revealed that three additional members of the newly formed militant outfit National Liberation Council of Nongkyndong were apprehended in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills area.

Meghalaya Police arrested six members of the newly formed militant outfit NLCN on Wednesday, a day before the group's first batch was to travel for Nagaland to acquire guns training, according to DIG Davis R Marak.

"Three more persons were arrested on Thursday in several operations conducted since last night. One self-styled area commander of East Khasi Hills district and another two were arrested from West Jaintia Hills district," Marak told PTI.

09:54 (IST)

Tahawwur Rana's Extradition LIVE Updates

US court denies Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana's plea against extradition to India

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, has had his writ of habeas corpus denied by a US court, paving the way for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to issue a certification for him to be extradited to India, where he is facing a trial for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

“The court has denied Tahawwur Rana's petition for writ of habeas corpus by a separate order,” Judge Dale S Fischer, United States District Judge, Central District of California, wrote in his order on August 2.

However, Rana has filed an appeal against the judgement, requesting a delay of extradition to India until his appeal is considered in the Ninth Circuit Court.

09:40 (IST)

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

NIA raid in J-K's Shopian

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a raid in the Jammu and Kashmir region of Shopian on Friday in connection with a terror-related investigation, according to authorities.

The raid is taking place at the home of Mohammad Yousuf Wani, a resident of the Chotigam region of the Shopian district in south Kashmir, according to authorities.

Wani is supposed to be a farmer by trade.

09:38 (IST)

Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates

74 dead, Rs 10000 crore damage across Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rainfall

The death toll from Himachal Pradesh's monsoon rains rose to 74 on Thursday, with rescue personnel recovering another body from the ruins of a Shiva temple in Shimla and two more dead in Chamba.

Three large landslides in Shimla killed 21, including one at the Shiva temple at Summer Hill.

In the 55 days since the monsoon began, the state has been affected by 113 landslides, incurring losses of 2,491 crore to the Public Works Department (PWD) and 1,000 crore to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

09:28 (IST)

Jharkhand LIVE Updates

BJP, AJSU Party do politics of "fear and intimidation": Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren claimed that the BJP and AJSU Party are only interested in power and have no regard for the people of the state.

Soren, speaking at an election rally for JMM candidate Bebi Devi in Dumri, Giridih district, on Thursday, said that the BJP and AJSU Party only knew "fear and intimidation" politics.

"Their only work is to divide and rule. They bake their political bread by making people fight with each other. They do not have any concern for the people of Jharkhand. They only love power," Soren said.

“BJP-AJSU ruled Jharkhand for 20 years. They also ran a double-engine government in the state. "They carried out the governance in such a way that Jharkhand was made the most backward state of the country. They systematically worked to hollow out this state," he alleged.

09:11 (IST)

Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates

NDRF continues search and rescue in Shimla's landslide-hit Summer Hill

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel continued search and rescue efforts in Shimla's landslide-affected Summer Hill region.

Earlier on Thursday, the NDRF said that 13 of the 21 persons who went missing after a catastrophic landslip had been found.

09:01 (IST)

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

First batch of pilgrims embarks on Budha Amarnath Yatra 

On Friday morning, the first group of pilgrims visiting the Budha Amarnath shrine in Poonch set out from Jammu.

The Budha Amarnath Yatra will last another 11 days.

Mukesh Singh, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu, wished pilgrims safe travels and stated that all security measures had been made for the Yatra.

"All security arrangements have been done for the Budha Amarnath Yatra which started today. The Yatra will continue for the next 11 days. Best wishes to all the yatris for their journey," ADGP Singh said while talking to the reporters.

08:52 (IST)

Indian Coast Guard LIVE Updates

Chinese embassy lauds Indian Coast Guard for carrying out mid-sea medical evacuation of its citizen

The Chinese embassy praised the Indian Coast Guard for successfully evacuating a Chinese person from a Panama-flagged research vessel, MV Dong Fang Kan Tan No 2, roughly 200 kilometres off Mumbai on the night of August 16 and 17.

The evacuation took place in difficult weather conditions and at night.

Our heartful appreciation to @IndiaCoastGuard for the timely and professional medical evacuation of a Chinese citizen in Arabian sea off Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/e5VLzy3yQD— Embassy of The People's Republic of China in India (@China_Amb_India) August 17, 2023

08:49 (IST)

Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates

Search and rescue operations underway in Shimla

A search and rescue effort is underway in Shimla's landslide-affected regions.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Search & rescue operation underway at the landslide-affected areas of Shimla.

(Visuals from Summer Hill Area) pic.twitter.com/aOjTfpHjmA— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2023

08:27 (IST)

Article 370 LIVE Updates

SC questions issuance of constitutional orders for J-K post 1957

On Thursday, the Supreme Court questioned the issue of multiple constitutional rulings allowing sections of the Indian Constitution to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after 1957.

The Supreme Court was referring to the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Orders promulgated between 1957 and August 6, 2019.

A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud expressed astonishment at senior counsel Dushyant Dave's assertion, on behalf of a petitioner, that Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, had lived its life and served its purpose.

Unlike other eminent attorneys, such as Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium, Dave contended that Article 370 has not taken on a permanent character and has served its purpose with the tenure of the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly expiring in 1957.

08:18 (IST)

Karnataka LIVE Updates

Gold weighing 267 grams seized at Bengaluru airport

According to authorities, the customs unit at Bengaluru airport recovered 267 grammes of gold after detaining a traveller arriving from Dubai on Friday.

According to police, the gold was hidden in his luggage as nuts and bolts and weighed almost 267 grammes.

08:05 (IST)

Yamuna River LIVE Updates

River Yamuna water level remains below alert level

The water level in Delhi's Yamuna River remains below the alert level. At 7 a.m. today, the water level was 203.92 metres.

07:44 (IST)

Amit Shah LIVE Updates

Amit Shah to visit Madhya Pradesh on August 20

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will return to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on August 20 to unveil the state government's report card, according to a party leader.

Shah will travel to Bhopal, the state capital, before heading to Gwalior for the State Working Committee meeting. The meeting will take place in Gwalior's Atal Auditorium.

07:28 (IST)

Congress LIVE Updates

Congress forms political affairs committee for poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Kumari Selja to head it

The Congress constituted a political affairs committee for poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Thursday, with General Secretary Kumari Selja as head.

Its members include Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo.

"The Congress president has approved the proposal for the constitution of the Political Affairs Committee of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," according to a party statement.

Chhattisgarh heads to the polls later this year, with the Congress hoping to keep control of the state.

07:21 (IST)

BJP LIVE Updates

In 1st list for MP assembly polls, BJP focuses on seats it lost in 2018, those reserved for SCs/STs

The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has centred its first list for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh on seats it lost in 2018 and some of them even in 2013, and has placed trust in 14 candidates, including three former ministers, who lost last time.

In what appears to be a strategy shift, the BJP released its first list of 39 candidates, including five women, in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, even before the election schedule was announced, stealing a march on its main rival Congress in terms of election preparation and nominee finalisation.

Madhya Pradesh, whose assembly elections are scheduled for the end of the year, has a 230-member House.