Latest News: 4 Policemen Killed in a Terror Attack in J&K
Catch all the latest news updates of the day here.
Catch all the latest news updates of the day here.
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2 Miltants Killed in J&K Encounter
Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, 29 August, police told PTI.
The two militants have been identified as Altaf Ahmad Dar (top HM commander) and Umar Rashid Wani.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Muniward village in Khanabal area of the district early in the morning, following specific information about the presence of militants there.
Arms and ammunition were recovered following the encounter. Mobile internet services were also suspended in the district.
Actor, TDP Leader Nandamuri Harikrishna Passes Away
Nandamuri Harikrishna, a Telegu actor and TDP leader passed away on Wednesday, 29 August, after he met with an accident on the Narketpally-Addanki highway in Nalgonda.
Karunanidhi's Wife Hospitalised
Dayalu Ammal, wife of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, has been admitted to the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, sources said.
They said she was hospitalised late last night, but declined to comment on her health condition, saying a statement is likely to be issued later in the day, PTI reported.
6-Yr-Old Sexually Assaulted by School Cab Driver
A six-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a cab driver of a private school in south-west Delhi's Palam village, police said on Tuesday, 28 August. The accused driver has been arrested by the police, PTI reported.
8 Die in Uttarakhand Landslide, 4 Bodies Recovered
At least eight people were buried in a landslide in Kot village, near Buda Kedar. Four bodies have been recovered so far. Search and rescue operations are currently underway, ANI reported.
SC Suggests Agra Be Designated as Heritage City to Protect Taj
The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, 28 August, suggested that Agra be designated as a heritage city in order to protect the Taj Mahal. The court urged experts to prepare a vision document on the historical monument by taking into account industries running in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and their impact on pollution.
“If Taj Mahal goes once, you will not get a second chance,” Justice M B Lokur told conservation expert Meenakshi Dhote of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Hindustan Times reported.
Encounter Between Govt Forces & Militants Breaks Out in Islamabad
An encounter broke out between the government forces and militants in Islamabad district of south Kashmir on Wednesday, 29 August, early morning, Kashmir Life reported.
Modi Interacts With Varanasi Morchas, Addresses Their Concerns
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with morchas, vibhag, supporters and volunteers, addressing their concerns via the Narendra Modi app, on Wednesday, 29 August.
Sensex Turns Choppy at 38,896.02
The Sensex turned choppy and was trading flat at 38,896.02 as of 9:45 am on Wednesday, 29 August.
This comes a day after the benchmark BSE Sensex hit a new life-time high of 38,989.65, extending its record-setting spree for a third session on buying by domestic investors amid short-covering ahead of August futures and options (F&O) expiry and mixed Asian cues, PTI reported.
Parrikar to Fly to US Again for Medical Treatment
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently admitted at a private hospital in Mumbai, will be flown to the US on Wednesday, 29 August, evening, for further medical treatment, his office told PTI.
Bhima Koregaon Clashes: Petitioners Seek Release of Arrested Activists
Personalities like Romila Thapar, Prabhat Patnaik, Satish Deshpande, Maya Darnall and others move the Supreme Court against the arrest of activists Sudha Bhardwaj and activist Gautam Navlakha, who were arrested for the alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon Clashes. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter at 3:45 pm, ANI reported.
Gautam Navlakha Case: HC Fixes Hearing for Wednesday
The Delhi High Court has fixed the hearing on the plea put forward by activist Gautam Navlakha, who had claimed his arrest by Maharashtra Police for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon clashes was illegal, for Wednesday, 29 August, at 2:15 pm.
The Maharashtra police, in turn, told the High Court that the translated copies of document were not yet ready and would be given to Navlakha's counsel by 12 pm, PTI reported.
Delhi Police Apprehends Commander of Manipur-Based Terror Outfit
The South western range of Special Cell Delhi Police, on Wednesday, 29 August, apprehended Oinam Ibochouba Singh, a top commander and chairman of a Manipur based banned terrorist outfit, Kangleipak Communist Party. He had earlier, reportedly, given a threat of the Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh. A case has been registered against Oinam, ANI reported.
Rupee Sinks to New Low at 70.52
The rupee, on Wednesday, 29 August, collapsed to a lifetime low of 70.52 by plunging 42 paise against the dollar on strong month-end demand for the American currency amid foreign fund outflows.
Consistent dollar demand from banks and importers, mainly oil refiners, following higher crude oil prices, kept the rupee under pressure, PTi reported.
US Extends Suspension of Premium Processing for H-1B Visas
The US has extended the temporary suspension of premium processing for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals to at least February, 2019, as part of its efforts to clear the backlog.
Premium processing is a feature that shortens the usual processing time of H-1B visa petitions from an average of six months to 15 calendar days for a fee of $1,225 (Rs 86,181). It allowed some companies to jump the queue, PTI reported.
Woman TV Journalist Hacked to Death in Bangladesh
A woman journalist of a television channel in Bangladesh was hacked to death with a sharp-edged weapon by some unidentified assailants at her home, media reports said on Wednesday, 29 August.
Subarna Nodi, 32, was a correspondent of private news channel Ananda TV and also worked for the Daily Jagroto Bangla newspaper. She is survivd by her nine-year-old daughter, PTI reported.
BSF Foils Exfiltrtation Bid Along IB in Jammu, 3 Bangladeshi Nationals Held
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops foiled an exfiltration bid and arrested three Bangladeshi nationals, including two teenagers, along International Border (IB) in Jammu district, police said on Wednesday, 29 August.
They were trying to exfiltrate to Pakistan side. BSF handed them over to the police, which registered a case and grilled the foreigners, the officials told PTI.
UK Gurdwara Burnt in Suspected Arson Attack
A Gurdwara in the British city of Leith has been severely damaged in a suspected arson attack with the police treating the "suspicious" act as a hate crime.
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sahib in Leith city, Scotland was set on fire in what was believed to be a "deliberate" act at around 5am on Tuesday, 28 August, BBC reported.
No-one was injured in the incident but the building was severely damaged. Police in Edinburgh are investigating the suspected arson attack as a hate crime.
Revised Farm Loan Waiver Norms in Maha to Cost Rs 500 Cr More
The Maharashtra government's revised farm loan waiver norms, which will increase the number of beneficiaries, will cost the state an additional Rs 500 crore, an official said on Wednesday, 29 August.
The state government has already spent Rs 15,882 crore for the implementation of its 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana', designed for crop loan waiver, which was announced in June last year. Around 58 lakh farmers are currently covered under the scheme, the state government had said in July, PTI reported.
Suicide Car Bomber Kills 11 in Iraq
A suicide bomber blew up a vehicle in the town of Al-Qaim in western Iraq on Wednesday, 29 August, killing at least 11 people, five of them security personnel, police said.
The 9 am bombing also wounded 16 people, 11 civilians and five security personnel.
Cabinet Approves Additional 2% Hike in Dearness Allowance
The Cabinet on Wednesday, 29 August, approved an additional 2 percent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR), a move that will benefit about 1.1 crore central government employees and pensioners, an official release said.
The hike will be effected from July 1, 2018, PTI, quoting the release, stated.
Dabolkar Case: Court Denies Remand of Sharad Kalaskar to CBI
The Mumbai Sessions Court denied the remand of Sharad Kalaskar, an accused in the Narendra Dabholkar case, to the CBI. The Court asked the CBI to apply for remand once Kalaskar's ATS remand got over on 3 September, ANI reported.
4 Policemen Killed in a Terror Attack in J&K
Four policemen were killed in Jammu & Kashmir’s Shopian district after being attacked by terrorists, ANI reported.
More details awaited.
Non-Bailable Warrant Issued Against Malegaon 2008 Blasts Accused
Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court issued non-bailable warrant against Malegaon 2008 blasts accused Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Dayanand Pandey. He was currently out on bail and had not been attending court hearings.
The scheduled date for the next hearing on 5 September, ANI reported.
Facebook Rolls out Video Service Worldwide
Facebook said it is rolling out globally its Watch video service, which has already been available in the United States for more than a year.
Facebook launched Watch amid a shift in video viewing habits away from traditional television to online platforms including Netflix and Hulu, and with more people watching both professional and user content on services like YouTube.
The announcement comes two weeks after Facebook revealed it would broadcast for free Spanish top flight division football matches in the Indian subcontinent, and Champions League matches in Latin America, AFP reported.
38 Minors Living in Unauthorised Shelter Home in Punjab Rescued
Police official on Wednesday, 29 August told ANI that 38 minors from Jharkhand and Bihar who were living in a shelter home in Phullanwal in Punjab have been rescued.
“Children haven't complained of any problem. It was an unregistered shelter home.Enquiry underway,”said Rashmi Saini, District Child Protection Officer.
“All are safe now,” Saini added.
Cabinet Okays 80% Spending Hike for India Post Payments Bank
The Union Cabinet approved an additional Rs 635 crore for setting up of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), slated for a nationwide launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 September, IANS reported.
The additional outlay raises the investment amount by 80 per cent to Rs 1,435 crore. The IPPB services will be available at 650 of its branches at district level and 3,250 access points from 1 September. By December, the access points will be available at all 1.55 lakh post offices .
The postal bank will offer savings and current accounts, money transfer, direct benefit transfers, bill and utility payments, and enterprise and merchant payments.
AAP Student Arm & AISA to Contest DUSU Polls Together
The Aam Aadmi Party's student wing and the left-wing All India Students Association (AISA) will contest the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections together this year, AAP leader Gopal Rai announced.
Rai said the AAP had decided to form a joint panel of its Chatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) with AISA because it wanted to "eliminate negative politics" from higher education.
CYSS and AISA will fight the elections with a focus on positive politics, better education and improved services," he added.
Kochi International Airport Resumes Operations After Floods
Kochi International Airport that was closed due to flooding of the airport resumed operations on Wednesday, 29 August.
After the reopening of the airport, passengers told ANI that they were very nervous, but they didn’t face any problem.
4 Sentenced to Death For Raping Minors in Rajasthan
Earlier on 29 August, in three separate cases, four were sentenced to death for raping minors in Rajasthan, ANI reported.
The verdict was a result of the bill passed by Rajasthan government on 9 March, which sought the death penalty for convicts involved in rape cases of girls below 12 years of age.
SCO Joint Military Exercise Concludes in Russia
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission Exercise focused on anti-terror operations culminated on 29 August after days of joint training amongst multinational forces of eight SCO nations.
In the joint multinational exercise which began on 24 August, the SCO nations conducted training focused on combating terrorism.
After intense military training, the joint exercise concluded with multinational forces exhibiting their combat power and dominance over the extremist groups in simulated realistic situation.
The closing ceremony was conducted at the drill ground of 255th Inter Services Firing Ranges, Chebarkul, Russia.
Three Dead in Rain Related Incidents in UP
Three persons lost their lives in Uttar Pradesh in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours, an official statement released said.
One person each died in Bijnore, Aligarh and Sonbhadra districts, said the statement issued by the office of the UP Relief Commissioner.