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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday after returning to Delhi from abroad, spoke to Lt Governor V K Saxena and took stock of the flood-like situation and about the progress made in dealing with it in the national capital, officials said. Water inundated several parts of Delhi following massive rains as Yamuna flowed above the danger mark. However, the river’s water level followed a downward trend on Saturday, allowing authorities to open roads and ease traffic movement as floodwaters receded from many areas. An official said, “Immediately on his arrival in Delhi, PM spoke to LG of Delhi about the status of the flood-like situation in Delhi due to Yamuna river and the progress achieved in mitigation.” Modi was on a three-day visit to France and the UAE. With inputs from PTI. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3ZK7tmc FP Staff

After days of creating ruckus in the national capital, water levels in Delhi have finally started receding while heavy rainfall is not expected in the city anytime soon, Divisional Commissioner said during a press conference. Ashwani Kumar, the divisional commissioner, said that the flood situation in some parts of Delhi is also improving. “There is a receding trend (in the water level in the Yamuna) and we do not anticipate major rainfall in Delhi and higher reaches soon. The situation in the affected areas is also improving,” Kumar said. Expressing disappointment over opposition parties targeting government officials who have been working “tirelessly” to bring the flood situation in the city under control. “Baseless allegations should not be levelled against the officers. “These distract the attention of the officers,” he said. The water level has come down to 207.43 metres by 10 am on Saturday from its peak of 208.66 metres for three days. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

The Indian National Congress held a closed-door meeting among top leaders to discuss the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code on Saturday. Party sources say that the meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders like P Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid, Vivek Tankha, KTS Tulsi, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari, L Hanumanthaiah and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. “Yes (the meeting) was on UCC (Uniform Civil Code). Nothing has been decided yet, we will decide when the government will give the draft,” Tulsi said as he left from the meeting. #WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader KTS Tulsi says, “Yes (the meeting) was on UCC (Uniform Civil Code). Nothing has been decided yet, we will decide when the government will give the draft.” pic.twitter.com/43mOL5Y8Wl — ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2023 The Congress has refrained from articulating its stand on the proposed legislation till the central government comes out with a draft of the same. The promulgation of UCC will mean one law that will be applicable to al

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged citizens not to play in floodwaters as videos of people enjoying the inundated roads of the national capital go viral. I urge everyone to avoid this. It cud be fatal. https://t.co/en3dRHMgW1 — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 15, 2023 The national capital has been witnessing excessive floods as water levels in Yamuna rose significantly over the week. However, water levels reportedly started receding on Saturday as low-lying areas still remain flooded. The floods in Delhi triggered traffic woes as roads remained blocked due to inundation. The ITO crossing, one of the city’s busiest intersections, was flooded after a drain regulator broke down. VIDEO | Children play in floodwaters in Delhi’s Shanti Van area as waterlogging continues in the area amid record rise in Yamuna levels. pic.twitter.com/SsbxPwlSFk — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 15, 2023 Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted

A woman, who claims to be “childhood friend” of Seema Haider, a Muslim and married mother of four from Pakistan, has alleged in a viral video that Haider told her that she is going out to watch a cricket match, but later they got to know that she has fled to India. According to a AajTak report, a video of the woman is going viral on social media. In an interview with YouTuber Syed Basit Ali, she claimed that she knew Haider since a long time and that she is not the right person for Ghulam Haider (Seema’s estranged husband). “She is doing drama. Today, she has become Hindu. Maybe tomorrow she will be a Christian,” the woman said. Haider, 27, lived in Pakistan’s Sindh province in Khairpur district. She connected with 22-year-old Sachin Meena, a Hindu and shopkeeping assistant, during the COVID-19 lockdown playing the online game PUBG. “We became friends and our friendship turned to love and our chats became longer – every morning and night – before we finally decided to meet,” said S

The three railway officials accused of the Balasore train accident have been sent to judicial custody by a special court in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and will be freed only after their CBI remand ends. Senior Section Engineer (Signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar, who have been placed under suspension by the Railways, were produced before the CBI Special Court on Friday after their remand period ended. The three officials were arrested on July 7 by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The special court had initially granted five-day remand of the accused to the CBI on July 7 following which the court extended the remand period for four more days at the request of the investigating agency. The next hearing date is set on July 27. The three accused have been booked under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and under Section 153 of the Railways Act. Although the investigative

Karnataka’s Large and Medium Industry Minister MB Patil said on Friday that the legal hurdles to establishing iPhone makers’ Foxconn factory in the state have been cleared and announced the allocation of 300 acres of land to the company. “A total of 300 acres will be given to the company in the ITIR spread over Devanahalli and Doddaballapura taluks. The company would invest around Rs 8,500 crore to set up a manufacturing plant. The company can commence construction work immediately after the handing over of the land,” Patil said. “The company has planned to start production at the plant by next April. The government is facilitating the commissioning of the project which would provide 50,000 jobs,” he added. Earlier this week, Foxconn terminated its joint venture with India’s Vedanta Group for chip production. Sources revealed that Foxconn has been in talks with TSMC and TMH for quite some time now. It is expected that the details of the partnership, encompassing the manufacturing of

With an aim to help the state government undertake relief measures for affected people during the monsoon, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday approved the advance release of Rs 180 crore as the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to flood-hit Himachal Pradesh. Shah approved the advance release of the second instalment of the central share of the SDRF, amounting to Rs 180.40 crore for 2023-24, as an interim relief to Himachal Pradesh, it said. To support those affected in Himachal Pradesh, the central government released the first instalment of the central share of Rs 180.40 crore to the state from the SDRF on July 10 for relief measures immediate in nature. To deal with the situation caused due to flash floods and floods, cloudbursts and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, the central government has provided all necessary logistics and financial assistance to the state government to meet the situation efficiently, the statement said. In total, 11 teams

We are just hours away from the launch of Chandrayaan-3. The moon mission is scheduled for take-off on 14 July, and preparations are in final gear to ensure it is safe and successful. India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that the launch will take place at 2:35 pm from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh and if all things go as planned, it will land on 23 August. In anticipation of the big moment, on 5 July, ISRO successfully integrated the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft with the launch vehicle, Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3), at the space centre – a significant moment, as the LVM3 is the biggest rocket ever built in India. Also read: Chandrayaan-3 integrates with launch vehicle: Why is this significant? Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. The mission aims to explore the Moon’s surface, particularly areas that have been deprived of sunlight for billions of

In UP’s Banda, a jailor named Virendra Kumar Verma was reportedly suspended for his closeness with jailed gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari. According to reports, Verma is currently serving as a jailor at Sultanpur Jail, where he was transferred after allegations were raised against him. Reports indicate that Verma had been assisting Mukhtar Ansari during his time at Banda Jail. Following an investigation by DIG Jail Prayagraj, the government decided to suspend Jailor Virendra Verma. Allegations suggest that Verma would meet Mukhtar Ansari and deliver items sent by his associates during his time as a jailor in Banda jail. This development may further complicate the situation for MLA and influential figure Mukhtar Ansari. Mukhtar Ansari and his accomplices were produced before the MP-MLA court in Barabanki on Wednesday over charges under the Gangster Act. During the proceedings, Mukhtar Ansari personally monitored the entire hearing via video conferencing. He worked clos

Elon Musk’s hopes to set up an EV factory in India took a major setback. Apparently, the Indian Finance Ministry is not considering to provide any tax or duty waivers to Tesla. According to Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra, the finance ministry of India has no plans to grant any duty or tax exemptions to the American automaker, reported Reuters. In recent weeks, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was encouraging the car company to make substantial investments in India, and an official announcement regarding this matter was expected soon. In previous discussions between the US carmaker and the Indian government, there were attempts to secure waivers for custom duties on imported electric vehicles (EVs), but the Indian authorities rejected these proposals. Malhotra stated, “The Department of Revenue is not actively considering any duty waivers for Tesla at this time.” Last time around, Tesla pulled back from India and went to China, because of

07:25 (IST) Delhi Floods LIVE Updates Delhi schools closed till July 16 as Yamuna inundates more areas Waters from the raging Yamuna river inundated several parts of Delhi on Thursday, throwing normal life out of gear and prompting authorities to close all schools and colleges till July 16 and ban the entry of heavy goods vehicles engaged in non-essential services. 07:23 (IST) Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission to be launched at 2.35 PM today Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission to be launched at 2.35 PM on Friday Edited video is available in video section on https://t.co/lFLnN4oaDV pic.twitter.com/kln54SdufS — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 14, 2023 07:21 (IST) Delhi Floods LIVE Updates It is not a natural disaster, it is a man-made crisis: Congress on Delhi floods  It is not a natural disaster, it is a man-made crisis: Congress on Delhi floods Edited video is available in video section on https://t.co/lFLnN4oaDV pic.twitter.com/9Xc2ynRUiM —

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the world is marching towards a new world order and India’s role and capabilities are also changing rapidly. Addressing the Indian Diaspora in Paris, PM Modi said that the People-to-people connection is the strongest foundation of the India-France partnership,”. “Today the French Prime Minister came to greet me. Tomorrow I’ll join my friend President Macron at the Bastille Day parade. This is a reflection of the bond between the two Nations,” said PM Modi. India and France have agreed to use UPI in France. In the coming days, it will begin from the Eiffel Tower which means Indian tourists will now be able to pay in rupees, he said. The PM also said that Indian students pursuing masters in France will be given 5-year long term post-study visa. #WATCH | It has been decided that Indian students pursuing Masters in France will be given 5-year long term post-study visa: PM Modi, in Paris pic.twitter.com/IQHBF4qbEk — ANI (@ANI) July

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s strongest asset is its youth and at a time when many countries in the world are ageing and their population are shrinking, young and skilled workforce of India will be “an asset for the world over the decades to come”. “What is unique is that this workforce is steeped in openness and democratic values, eager to embrace technology, and ready to adapt to the changing world,” PM Modi told in an interview to the oldest French financial newspaper Les Echos . India a bridge between Global South & western world The Indian Prime Minister insisted on India’s role as a “bridge” between the Global South and the western world. “The rights of the Global South have been long denied. As a result, there is a feeling of anguish among these countries,” he added. The Prime minister said India is now the most populous in the world and needs to regain its rightful place. “This is not just a credibility issue for the UN,” Modi emphasised. “How

Tragic events unfolded in Nayapalli, Bhubhneshwar, as a 40-year-old salon owner reportedly took his own life on Tuesday. The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, allegedly fell victim to an online sextortion scam, leading to extreme distress. Currently, he is fighting for his life in a private hospital. According to sources, the salon owner had recently befriended an unidentified woman on a popular chat platform. Over the course of a few days, this woman engaged in frequent video calls of a sexual nature, during which she obtained explicit footage of the victim. Subsequently, she resorted to blackmail, demanding a monetary sum in exchange for not exposing the compromising material on social media. Suresh Swain, an acquaintance of the victim, was quoted in a media report, stating, “I noticed he had been visibly upset for the past two days. When I inquired, he disclosed an unsettling video call he received from an unfamiliar woman. He explained that she had sent him expli

An already-swelled Yamuna reached a staggering 208.48 metres on Thursday, inundating nearby areas and causing chaos among residents of New Delhi. After the water from the Yamuna River was seen spilling over roads in the national capital, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on the restrictions and regulations of vehicular movement. #WATCH | The area near Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi gets flooded as river Yamuna overflows and floods low-lying nearby areas. pic.twitter.com/8briPb9rzq — ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2023 The water levels at the Old Railway Bridge surpassed the 208-metre mark on Wednesday night and touched 208.48 metres by 8 am on Thursday. According to reports by the Central Water Commission, water levels of the river are expected to rise further. The commission has termed the phenomenon an “extreme situation.” Traffic movement has been impaired on Mahatma Gandhi Marg between the IP flyover and Chandgi Ram Akhara, Mahatma Gandhi Marg between Kalighat Mandir and Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for his “special” visit to France. Ahead of his departure, the Indian PM said he looks forward to holding a wide-ranging discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron on taking forward a time-tested relationship (between the two countries) over the next 25 years. PM Modi expressed confidence that his visit will provide a new impetus to the bilateral strategic partnership. The Indian Prime Minister’s visit will focus on strengthening India-France ties in several domains including defence, space, civil nuclear, trade, investment, culture and people-to-people ties. This France visit is ‘special’ In his departure statement, PM Modi said this visit to France is particularly special as he would be joining Macron for the French National Day, or Bastille Day celebrations in Paris as the Guest of Honour. An Indian tri-services contingent will be part of the Bastille Day Parade, while Indian Air Force aircraft will perform a fly-past on the occas

07:28 (IST) PM Modi LIVE Updates PM Modi leaves for Paris to take part in the Bastille Day celebrations PM Modi will arrive in Paris at 4 p.m. IST and will be greeted ceremoniously at Orly Airport. PM Narendra Modi has been invited to the Bastille Day Parade in France as the Guest of Honour. 07:27 (IST) Piyush Goyal LIVE Updates PM Modi wants every Indian mindset to be that of developed nation's mind: Piyush Goyal Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants every Indian to have the attitude of a developed nation. He also mentioned how India was formerly thought to have a shaky economy and how it is now the world's fifth largest economy. Piyush Goyal stated on Wednesday (local time) during a discussion with members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) UK Chapter in London that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) are vital and that India is dedicated to them. He claimed that p

India on Wednesday said that it has been made clear to the EU parliamentarians that the situation in Manipur is a matter “absolutely” internal to the country. India’s statement came ahead of a planned debate in the European parliament on the situation in Manipur. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said EU parliamentarians concerned are being reached out and it has been made clear to them that it is a matter “absolutely” internal to India. A motion for a resolution on the Manipur situation was tabled in the Brussels-based EU parliament and it was scheduled to be taken up on Wednesday. Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes, especially between Kuki and Meitei communities for close to two months. The opposition parties have been accusing the government of failing to contain the violence. “This is a matter totally internal to India,” Kwatra said, replying to a question on the matter at a press conference. He said New Delhi is aware about what is happening at the EU parliament in Br

Dukaan, a startup based in Bengaluru, has made significant changes to its support team by implementing an AI chatbot, leading to a 90 per cent reduction in staff. Suumit Shah, the founder of Dukaan, explained the decision in his recent tweets, highlighting that the AI chatbot has not only improved response times but also reduced customer support costs by approximately 85 per cent. In one of his tweets, Shah shared the positive outcomes of the change, stating that the time to first response has been reduced from 1 minute and 44 seconds to instant, and the resolution time has decreased from 2 hours and 13 minutes to 3 minutes and 12 seconds. Justifying the layoffs He justified the layoffs by emphasizing that the intention was not to replace humans with AI, but rather to leverage AI technology to optimize operations, particularly in customer support. Shah believes that it is more efficient to utilize the expertise of employees in specialized areas while assigning routine tasks to the A

An murder similar to last year’s grisly Shraddha Walkar case has surfaced in the national capital. Delhi Police, on Wednesday, recovered the the chopped body parts of a woman from near Geeta Colony flyover. As per reports, police got information about the pieces of the woman’s body around 9:15 am. the body parts were strewn in many places near the flyover. The police was present at the spot. A probe has been launched into the matter. #WATCH | Delhi Police recovers the body of a woman, chopped into several pieces from near Geeta Colony flyover area. Police present at the spot. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/F68RdUaifx — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023 The gory crime in the capital comes after 27-year-old Mumbai woman, Shraddha Walkar, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend Aftab Poonawala last year. Poonawala later chopped Walkar's body into 35 pieces and had alleged to have preserved them in a refrigerator before dumping them in the forest areas of Chhatarpur in s

A sensational double murder has rocked Bengaluru. Two top executives of a tech company that provided internet services were stabbed to death by a former employee. The deceased, Subramanyam Phanindra, the managing director, and Vinu Kumar, the chief executive officer, of Aironics Media Private Limited, were reportedly attacked with multiple weapons including a machete, sword and small knife. The killings reportedly took place on the premises of the company. Three persons were involved in the murders and said to have forcefully entered the office at Pampa extension in Amruthahalli, north Bengaluru. The main accused has been identified as Shabarish; he called himself ‘Joker Felix’ and was inspired by the DC Comics villain. All three suspects have been arrested. The two others have been identified as Vinny Reddy and Santosh. The murder scene According to the police, the accused had a rivalry with the CEO and the MD. They used to work in their earlier firm. Shabarish then established h

“The Trinamool Congress (TMC) resides in hearts of people,” said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after her party established a commanding lead in the West Bengal panchayat elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now established as the main Opposition party in the state, was a distant second position, with the Left-Congress alliance behind it at third. These elections saw widespread violence, deaths, and instances of “loot of votes”. The BJP blamed the TMC for the violence with Suvendu Adhikari even saying that “It is not an actual reflection of people’s mandate.” At last count – voting is still continuing – data from the State Election Commission showed Mamata’s party leading in 29,665 gram panchayat seats, with the BJP ahead only in 8,021 seats. In terms of control of panchayats, the TMC was headed to win 2,302 of the total 3,317, the BJP 239, the Congress 57 and the Left Front 62. And in panchayat samitis, the TMC had won 2,155 of 9,740 seats by 10 pm. The BJP had won

08:28 (IST) Uttarakhand LIVE Updates Maha ruling coalition will win more than 200 Assembly, 45-plus LS seats: Minister Samant Uday Samant, Maharashtra Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader, stated Tuesday night that members of the ruling coalition will win more than 200 Assembly seats and up to 45 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the next elections. He emphasised that the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections in 2024 will be held under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. "With able leaders heading to the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance), we are sure of getting a good number of seats. The Mahayuti will win more than 200 Assembly seats (out of total 288) and over 45 Lok Sabha seats (out of total 48) next year, he told reporters here. 07:53 (IST) Uttarakhand LIVE Updates Uttarakhand: Kedarnath Dham Yatra stopped due to heavy rains The Kedarnath Yatra has been halted in Uttarakhand's Sonprayag and Gaurikund owing to severe rains, authoriti

A Managing Director and a Chief Executive Officer of a recently founded internet company in Bengaluru were allegedly killed inside their workplace on Tuesday afternoon in Amrutahalli, in the city’s northeast, by their ex-colleague and his friends. “The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vinu Kumar and Managing Director Phanindra Subramanya of Aeronics Internet Company were hacked to death by their former colleague and his two men inside their office in Pampanagar. The accused trio attacked them with sharp weapons. Both died on the way to the hospital,” Deputy commissioner of police-North East-Laxmi Prasad told the media. “We are looking for the accused who fled the scene,” he added. According to the authorities, Felix, who the victims had previously worked with, is the main suspect. It is still unknown who Felix’s travelling companions, the other two suspects, are. According to sources, Phanindra and Vinu Kumar founded the Aeronics company in November 2022. Prior to that, Felix served a

On 6 August 2019, the Narendra Modi-led government revoked the special status granted to the state of Jammu and Kashmir through the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. On that fateful day, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reconstituted into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. Now, four years later, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant will begin hearing a batch of petitions challenging the decision to abrogate Article 370 that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While the Centre has defended the move, saying in its affidavit that the decision has led to an “unprecedented era of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the petitioners say the move by the Government of India was “unilateral”, and did not have the “consent of the people of (J&K)”. As the matter comes up before the apex court, here’s a simple guide of the case – who are the petitioners, what

At least six people died after a speeding SUV collided head-on with a school bus coming from the wrong direction on busy Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. Two children are said to be injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment in a hospital. The condition of an eight-year-old child, injured in the accident, is said to be critical. The video of the accident was captured on CCTV. VIDEO | Five people were killed after a SUV collided with a bus on Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Ghaziabad. More details are awaited. (Warning: Disturbing visuals) (Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/USXK2kej3f — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 11, 2023 The bodies of those killed in Delhi-Meerut Expressway accident were sent for postmortem. Two children, women are among those dead in the Ghaziabad accident. Police said there were eight people in the SUV when the accident occurred. “The bus belongs to Bal Bharti School Bus which is in Noida”, ANI quoted ADCP Traffic Police