Highlights: Delhi reports 2,146 new Covid cases and 8 deaths; positivity rate at 17.83%

In a major breakthrough, three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Lateef Ahmad Rather who was involved in several civilian killings including Rahul Bhat and TV actor Amreen Bhat in May, were killed by security forces in an encounter in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Read More

Delhi reports 2,146 new Covid cases and 8 deaths. The daily positivity rate at 17.83 per cent.

Mumbai on Wednesday reported a 79 per cent jump in its daily Covid cases in the last 24 hours as the city logged 852 fresh infections on Wednesday. Mumbai also reported one Covid-related death. The number of new cases is the highest since July 1, when Mumbai saw 978 cases and two deaths. Read More

 The government has decided to remove the cap on air fare for airlines from August 31, the civil aviation ministry said in an order on Wednesday. The caps were introduced for airlines more than two years ago in 2020 against the backdrop of limited flight operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read More

The Centre has approved Biological E's Corbevax as a precaution dose after completion of six months from the date of administration of the second dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for the population above 18 years, said Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan. Read More

The government has decided to remove the cap on air fare for airlines from August 31, the civil aviation ministry said in an order on Wednesday. The caps were introduced for airlines more than two years ago in 2020 against the backdrop of limited flight operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read More

The arrest of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi's close aide Shehbaz Gill for allegedly broadcasting “seditious” content against the country's army seems to be the beginning of a fresh tussle between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.  Read More

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit appointed 49th Chief Justice of India, to take charge Aug 27

Government to remove airfare bands on domestic flights from August 31.

The Supreme Court has clubbed and transferred all FIRs against Nupur Sharma over alleged hate statement on Prophet Mohammad, to Delhi police.

JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, who took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the eighth time on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the 2014 general elections, but he should now worry about the 2024 polls. Read More

Nitish Kumar took the oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the 8th time on Wednesday, a day after he resigned from the post of the CM of the NDA alliance government and staked claim to form a new government with the RJD, the Congress and other parties. Read More

Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Kirit Somaiya in the alleged misproportion of funds related to INS Vikrant.

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar has said that indigenously designed gun will be used for the ceremonial gun salute during the 75th Independence Day.

He also said that mortuary workers, street vendors, Anganwadi workers and Mudra Scheme loanees will be special guests for the 15th August Independence Day celebrations.

Speaking about the alleged SSC scam of money trail involved in illegal appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government sponsored and aided schools, state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said that there is a state of lawlessness in West Bengal.

He gave a letter to the President President Droupadi Murmu regarding law & order situation in the state.

Calling Nitish Kumar the 'main actor' and 'catalyst,' poll strategist Prashant Kishor said that formations are changed when one's political or administrative expectations are not fulfilled. He also hoped for the return of political stability in the state, reported news agency ANI quoting him. Read more.

P Varavara, the key accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case of 2018 for allegedly having links with banned terrorist outfit Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been granted regular bail by the Surpreme Court today. Read more.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that she was "deeply saddened" by the fatal accident in Birbhum which claimed 9 lives.

“GoWB (government of West Bengal) will provide Rs. 2 lakh to the families of the deceased. Under the Somyabothi scheme, Rs. 2000 will be provided to perform the last rites of each deceased. Special GR will also be provided to the families of the deceased,” she tweeted further paying condolences to the families.

The Uttar Pradesh government will felicitate all athletes who won medals and participated in the Commonwealth Games 2022.

The State Government will also provide additional honour and jobs to medal-winning athletes of the state, as per its own sports policy, tweeted UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at Karuvannur Service Co-Op Bank Ltd and a few other locations of four accused in connection with an alleged bank fraud case of worth ₹104 crore in Thrissur, as per reports by news agency ANI.

A Punjab and Haryana high court bench on Wednesday granted bail to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a 2021 drugs case.

The order was passed by the high court bench of justice MS Ramachandra Rao and justice Sureshwar Thakur, his lawyers confirmed. Read more.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad has expressed his disappointed with Nitish Kumar for breaking the alliance with NDA.

“Nitish Kumar has been a non-Congress leader. His politics is around non-Congressism. Is that finished? Compromise with corruption&non-Congressism! Nitish Kumar sided with corruption & Congressism. Congratulations. People will give a reply in LS & Assembly polls,” reported news agency ANI quoting BJP MP RS Prasad.

All-out efforts are being made to finish the remaining work on the new Parliament building so that the Winter Session is held there, officials have said.

Handwoven cushioned carpets of Mirzapur and stones from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are being used in the new building. Teakwood furniture from Maharashtra has arrived while work has begun on the interiors and flooring to welcome the MPs.

Aamir Khan speaks about the controversy around his upcoming film Laal Singh Chaddha which is facing the heat of boycott trend on social media these days. 

"If I have hurt anyone by any means, I regret it. I don't want to hurt anyone. If someone doesn't want to watch the film, I'd respect their sentiment," replied Aamir Khan when asked about the boycott trends.

Badminton player Lakshya Sen who scripted history by winning an elusive gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022 was given a grand welcome on his return at the Bengaluru airport today.

“There was a lot of pressure this time because of the past results as well. I knew that it was not going to be easy. But I had the belief that I could go all the way from the beginning. So, I made it,” reported ANI quoting the badminton player.