Highlights: 3 drowned today in J&K while extracting sand, says police

Breaking News Updates September 18, 2021: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.

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• Sep 18, 2021 11:55 PM IST

  France accuses Australia, US of 'lying' in 'serious crisis'

  France accuses Australia, US of 'lying' in 'serious crisis'.

• Sep 18, 2021 11:18 PM IST

  At least 3 drowned in J&K today while extracting sand: Police

  The additional SP of Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, Anwaar Ul Haq on Saturday told news agency ANI that at least three people drowned earlier in the day while extracting sand. “Rescue operation [is] underway by [the] SDRF,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

• Sep 18, 2021 10:47 PM IST

  Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Al Saud arrives in Delhi

  Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrives in Delhi.
  
  The Saudi Foreign Minister will meet the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on September 19. He will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 20: MEA pic.twitter.com/mYvNAjRAT3

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Al Saud is in India for a three-day visit to have talks on the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, which recently fell into the hands of Islamist militant group Taliban.

• Sep 18, 2021 10:01 PM IST

  ‘Babul Supriyo should’ve told BJP before leaving': Suvendu Adhikari

  Babul Supriyo should have told BJP before leaving the party. His exit is not a loss for BJP. He is not a mass leader & not a good political organizer. However, personally, he is my good friend: West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari on former BJP leader Babul Supriyo joining TMC pic.twitter.com/OSyZs7Oj8s

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Supriyo said that he is going to meet TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday. Read more here.

• Sep 18, 2021 09:59 PM IST

  Kerala schools to reopen from Nov 1; some classes to commence from Nov 15

  Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday decided to reopen schools on November 1, even as the state continues to report a high number of daily Covid-19 cases. The decision was taken at the core committee meeting on the pandemic chaired by the CM. Read more here.

• Sep 18, 2021 08:16 PM IST

  Odisha colleges to resume offline classes for UG 1st yr students from Sept 20 onwards

  Colleges in Odisha will resume physical classes for 2020-21 undergraduate first year students from September 20 onwards.

• Sep 18, 2021 07:49 PM IST

  ‘No talks with anyone’: Ex-Punjab CM on whether he's joining BJP

  No talks with anyone, just submitted my resignation to Governor today...: Congress leader and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on his future plans or whether he is in talks with BJP pic.twitter.com/OfiidPoO5s

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Singh also said that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said ‘I am sorry Amarinder’ after he spoke with her over his decision to resign from the top post.

• Sep 18, 2021 06:52 PM IST

  ‘Incompetent, disaster’: Capt Amarinder Singh on Sidhu as the next Punjab CM face

  ...Navjot Singh Sidhu is an incompetent man, he is going to be a disaster. I will oppose his name for the next CM face. He has a connection with Pakistan. It will be a threat to national security...: Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh in an exclusive interview to ANI pic.twitter.com/ZaVZxiwG63

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  In an exclusive interview with ANI, former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh said that Navjot Singh Sidhu, the party's state president, is an “incompetent man, [and] he is going to be a disaster.” “I will oppose his name for the next CM face. He has a connection with Pakistan. It will be a threat to national security,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency.

• Sep 18, 2021 06:06 PM IST

  ‘New LPG connections being given to 5 lakh women today': Amit Shah

  Union home minister Amit Shah launched the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana 2.0' Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Saturday. He said that as many as five lakh women are being given new LPG connections today, news agency ANI reported.

• Sep 18, 2021 06:03 PM IST

  ‘States, UTs should strengthen health infra’: Cabinet secy Rajiv Gauba

  Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday said that all states, and UTs should undertake in-depth analysis of their Covid-19 situation and strengthen health infrastructure, stock essential medicines and augment human resources, according to news agency PTI.

• Sep 18, 2021 05:27 PM IST

  Saudi foreign minister to meet Jaishankar tomorrow; will call on PM Modi on Sept 20: MEA

  Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will visit India on September 18 - 20. He will meet the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on September 19. He will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 20: MEA

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Al Saud visit is expected to have discussions on the situation in Afghanistan, which recently fell back into the hands of Islamist militant group Taliban.

• Sep 18, 2021 04:59 PM IST

  ‘Whoever party has faith in can become next CM’: Capt after resignation

  Whoever they (party high command) have faith in, can make them (Punjab CM)...: Amarinder Singh after resigning as Punjab CM pic.twitter.com/uoaoSu5ds6

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Captain Amarinder Singh also said that he will remain in Congress, and will consult his “supporters” before deciding the “next course of action.”

• Sep 18, 2021 04:55 PM IST

  ‘Felt humiliated’: Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh after resignation

  Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that he “felt humiliated” as he was unable to run the state government “smoothly.”

• Sep 18, 2021 04:43 PM IST

  Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh met Guv and submitted his and council of ministers' resignation: Raveen Thukral, Capt's media advisor

  CM Captain Amarinder Singh has met Punjab Governor and submitted his and his council of ministers’ resignation. He will address the media at the Raj Bhavan gate in a few minutes from now: Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to Punjab CM pic.twitter.com/VwxpGruX74

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Singh is set to address a press briefing at Raj Bhavan shortly. Read more here.

• Sep 18, 2021 04:11 PM IST

  India administered over 80 crore Covid vaccine shots: Mandaviya

  Standing tall against #COVID19
  
  India administers 80 crore vaccine doses.
  
  Congratulations to the nation on this momentous feat 👏#WorldsLargestVaccinationDrive pic.twitter.com/QSkb9yKoqh

  — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 18, 2021

  Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday took to Twitter to mention that India has administered 80 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses so far.

• Sep 18, 2021 03:42 PM IST

  ‘Process will go on’: TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on ex-BJP MP Babul Supriyo joining party

  TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Saturday said that many BJP leaders are in communication with the TMC leadership as they are not satisfied with the former party. “One (Babul Supriyo) joined today, another wants to join tomorrow. This process will go on. Wait and watch,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

• Sep 18, 2021 02:56 PM IST

  Former BJP MP Babul Supriyo joins Trinamool Congress

  Former Union Minister and ex-BJP MP Babul Supriyo formally joins Trinamool Congress (TMC). Supriyo had quit BJP following the recent Union Cabinet reshuffle. pic.twitter.com/Uc5uOU2Izx

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Former BJP MP Babul Supriyo, who had quit the party after the recent cabinet rejig, has joined Trinamool Congress (TMC).

• Sep 18, 2021 02:50 PM IST

  Seven girls drown in a Jharkhand pond

  As many as seven girls drowned in a pond in Jharkhand during 'Karma Puja' immersion, news agency PTI reported.

• Sep 18, 2021 02:22 PM IST

  Congress' Sidhu and Pargat Singh received Harish Rawat, Ajay Maken and Harish Choudhary at Chandigarh airport

  Punjab Congress' president Navjot Sidhu and party's state general secretary Pargat Singh has received party leaders Harish Rawat, Ajay Maken and Harish Choudhary at the Chandigarh airport. A CLP meeting for Punjab is scheduled today.

• Sep 18, 2021 02:04 PM IST

  Security heightened at all major railway stations in Mumbai

  Security was heightened at all major railway stations in Mumbai following an operation by the Delhi Police Special Cell, which led to the arrest of 6 terror suspects. Around 7,000 security cameras have been installed at the railway stations and certain entry and exit points have also been closed, reported news agency ANI on Saturday.

• Sep 18, 2021 01:39 PM IST

  Punjab ministers arrive at party office as Congress aims to solve leadership crisis

  Chandigarh: Punjab ministers Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Charanjit S Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh arrive at the party office.
  
  A CLP meeting of the party has been called today. pic.twitter.com/o82CqJWqT7

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

  Chandigarh: Punjab ministers Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Charanjit S Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh arrive at the party office.

  A CLP meeting of the party has been called today.

   

   

• Sep 18, 2021 01:36 PM IST

  Delhi CM, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurate the Dhansa Bus Stand-Najafgarh section of Delhi Metro

  Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurate the Dhansa Bus Stand-Najafgarh section on the Grey Line of Delhi Metro.
  
  "People won't have to cross Firni road now to reach Delhi. It will benefit people from about 50 villages," says Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/cvevav6bHh

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

• Sep 18, 2021 12:35 PM IST

  RN Ravi takes oath as governor of Tamil Nadu

  RN Ravi, former governor of Nagaland, took oath as the governor of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on Saturday, reported ANI. "I am looking forward to being at the service of the people of Tamil Nadu, to the best of my ability and the space that the Constitution gives me," Ravi told reporters at the oath taking ceremony. 

• Sep 18, 2021 12:04 PM IST

  2 injured in IED explosion at Kabul's police district 13

  Eyewitnesses said an IED explosion occurred in Kabul’s PD13 this morning and two people have been injured: Afghanistan's TOLOnews

  — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2021

• Sep 18, 2021 11:53 AM IST

   Actor Sonu Sood, associates evaded ₹20 crore in tax, says income tax dept

  Income tax department said on Saturday that Bollywood actor Sonu Sood and his associates evaded tax worth ₹20 crore. IT department searched multiple premises in Mumbai, Nagpur and Jaipur linked to the actor while investigating allegations of tax evasion against Sood.

• Sep 18, 2021 11:20 AM IST

  BJP names Sarbananda Sonowal, L Murugan for RS seats

  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal from Assam and minister of state L Murugan from Madhya Pradesh for Rajya Sabha seats. 

• Sep 18, 2021 10:13 AM IST

  India's Covid-19 cases climb for 4th day in a row; 35,662 new infections reported 

  India reported 35,662 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, marking a 3.5% rise from yesterday's Covid-19 tally of 34,403. A total of 33,798 recoveries have also been recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. 

• Sep 18, 2021 10:06 AM IST

  Over 78.02 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far: Govt 

  Government of India announced on Saturday that over 78.02 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through free of cost channel and direct state procurement, and more than 33 lakh doses are in the pipeline. 

• Sep 18, 2021 09:50 AM IST

   No deduction of tax on payments made by a Scheduled bank to a member of a Scheduled Tribe

  The Ministry of finance announced on Saturday that no deduction of tax on payment in the nature of interest, other than interest on securities, made to a member of any Scheduled Tribe residing in a specified area as referred to in s.10(26) of IT Act, by a Scheduled bank located in a specific area. 

• Sep 18, 2021 08:47 AM IST

  Schools, residential hostels in Leh to remain closed for next 15 days

  All schools, residential hostels in Leh to remain closed for next 15 days, starting from September 18 to October 2, subject to Covid-19 review, the Ladakh administration said on Saturday. Online classes will continue with Covid-appropriate SOPs.

• Sep 18, 2021 08:06 AM IST

  Dehradun district Magistrate warns officials of action if their phones are switched off

  Dehradun district Magistrate released an order on Saturday warning all district-level officials of action under the Disaster Management Act if their phones are switched off, unless in cases of personal emergency. This was done in the wake of landslides and the coronavirus pandemic, reported ANI.

• Sep 18, 2021 07:21 AM IST

  WHO approval for Covaxin likely to be delayed till Oct 5

  World Health Organisation's (WHO) approval for the emergency use authorisation (EUA) for India-manufactured Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin is likely to be delayed till October 5, reported ANI on Saturday.