Oil prices surge over Middle East tensions

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The price of Brent, the global crude benchmark, rose 2.5 percent to trade at almost $81 per barrel.

The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, sources said.

The 10-member task force was constituted by the apex court last week after it took suo moto cognisance of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital which sparked widespread protests including by healthcare staff, impacting medical services.

The Supreme Court had said the cabinet secretary, home secretary, health secretary, National Medical Commission chairperson and the National Board of Examinations president shall be the ex-officio members of the task force.

PM Modi speaks to President Biden, appreciates his commitment to India-US partnership

Shopkeepers downed shutters Monday after communal tension erupted in Rajasthan's Bhilwara city, a day after a chopped portion of a cow's tail was found near a temple, police said.

The police used lathis to disperse a crowd that hurled stones at them. Additional forces were summoned to prevent violence from flaring up.

Eight suspects have been detained in connection with the incident that took place on Sunday, SP Bhilwara Rajan Dushyant said.

On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron denied the arrest of the Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app Pavel Durov, who was political, saying it was up to investigating judges to rule on the case.

"The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter," Macron wrote on X, saying that he had read "false information" concerning France's role in the case.

On seat sharing between Congress and National Conference for Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections, the state Congress chief, Tariq Hameed Karra says, "National Conference will contest on 51 seats, Congress on 32 and we have agreed to have a friendly but disciplined contest on 5 seats. Over and above these 88 seats, we have left 1 seat for CPI (M) and 1 seat for Panthers Party..."

Two persons died and a youngster was injured when a compound wall collapsed at Kalbadevi in south Mumbai on Monday evening, civic officials said.

The 30 feet long compound wall having 5 to 7 feet height collapsed in the passage between two structures at Gandhi building at around 5.20 pm, they said. Three persons were injured in the incident and rushed to nearby GT Hospital, where doctors declared two of them, both aged 30, as "brought dead", said the officials.

The third victim, aged 19, was undergoing treatment at the hospital and his condition was listed as stable, they said.

Egypt has said it will not accept the continued presence of Israeli forces along its border with the Gaza Strip, state-linked media reported on Monday.

Cairo, a key mediator in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, "reiterated to all parties that it will not accept any Israeli presence" along the strategic Philadelphi Corridor, state-linked Al-Qahera News said, citing a high-level source.

Ten Pakistan soldiers were killed in southwestern Pakistan on Monday while responding to "cowardly acts of terrorism", the military said, after dozens of civilians died in coordinated overnight attacks.

"During the conduct of operations, fourteen brave sons of soil including ten Security Forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies, having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice," a statement from the military said, referring to agencies deployed in the region that include paramilitary troops.

“The place of occurrence which is known to us is basically the seminar hall of RG Kar (Hospital) on the third floor. Social media and some news channels have shown a particular video where it is shown that there are a few people standing. It has been told that there has been tempering of the evidence. This is the allegation. Let me clarify, that seminar hall is a room which is 51 ft by 32 ft and when the body was found, the hospital curtains were used to cordon off the area,” says Kolkata Police DC CD Indira Mukherjee during a press conference

All primary schools in Gujarat to remain closed tomorrow, due to heavy rainfall: State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya

Sexual abuse case at Badlapur school: Thane court remands accused to 14-day judicial custody

Poland's army said on Monday the NATO country's airspace was violated, probably by a drone, after deadly Russian strikes battered Ukraine.

"We are probably dealing with the entry of an object on Polish territory. The object was confirmed by at least three radiolocation stations," Operational Commander of the Armed Forces General Maciej Klisz told reporters, adding that it was "probably an unmanned aerial vehicle".

BJP expresses disagreement with party MP Kangana Ranaut's controversial remarks on farmers protest

Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorised to make statements on party’s policy, says BJP

Gujarat Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said, "CM Bhupendra Patel has held a meeting today with all the district officials through videoconference and directed us regarding human life.He directed us that people shouldn't face electricity shortages, medicinal shortages and other needful things. In the coming 2-3 days, rain is expected as forecasted by the IMD, also Janmashtami is there and hence leaves of all the district collectors and concerned officials have been cancelled and they are expected to join the relief and rescue work."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged European warplanes to help down drones and missiles over Ukraine in the wake of deadly Russian aerial bombardments across his country.

"In our various regions of Ukraine, we could do much more to protect lives if the aviation of our European neighbours worked together with our F-16s and together with our air defence," he said in a post on social media.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Russia had carried out strikes on Ukraine using more than 100 missiles and around 100 drones.

"It was one of the largest strikes -- a combined one. More than a hundred missiles of various types and about a hundred 'shaheds'," Zelensky said in a video message posted on Telegram, referring to attack drones.

Russia's defence ministry said Monday that it had carried out a massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and hit all its targets.

"This morning Russian armed forces carried out a mass strike using long-range high-precision weaponry... on critically important energy infrastructure facilities," the ministry said on Telegram, adding: "All the set targets were hit."

Japan scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese military aircraft "violated" Japanese airspace, the defence ministry said Monday.

A Chinese aircraft was "confirmed to have violated the territorial airspace off the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture from around 11:29 am to 11:31 am," the ministry said in a statement, adding it had launched "fighter jets on an emergency basis".

Militants killed 39 people in several overnight attacks in southwestern Pakistan, a government official said on Monday.

"We have confirmed 39 people killed in several coordinated attacks carried out by the BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) terrorists," Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, told AFP.

BJP releases second list of 1 candidate for upcoming J&K Assembly elections.

Choudhary Roshan Hussain Gujjar to contest from Konkernag.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel holds a meeting with the officers at the State Emergency Operation Center regarding the situations arising due to the heavy rainfall in the state.

"We are with the BJP ever since we became the voters. Why are they ignoring those workers who have been with the BJP. Omi Khajuria is a known face in Jammu North, but ticket is being given to a leader who has come from Congress. Shyam Lal Sharma has been given ticket, nobody knows him there. We demand that ticket should be given to Omi Khajuriya, otherwise we will all resign. Those who have been working with honesty should get the ticket. We have come here to ask about it," says a BJP worker Paresh Kumar Sharma as anguished party workers gathered at BJP office in Jammu to demand party ticket for Omi Khajuria in place of Shyam Lal Sharma from Jammu North constituency.

Separatist militants carried out a series of coordinated attacks across Pakistan's Balochistan province, resulting in the deaths of at least 33 people. These attacks, which are among the most significant by ethnic insurgents in recent years, targeted police stations, railway lines, and vehicles on highways. The assaults highlight the ongoing and intense insurgency in Balochistan, where ethnic separatists have long sought independence from Pakistan. The province has been a hotspot for such conflicts, with militants frequently challenging the authority of the Pakistani state. More here.

Haryana Congress Screening Committee Meeting underway

Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar arrive at the meeting.

Russian drones and missiles on Monday targeted 15 regions across Ukraine in an overnight barrage aimed mainly at energy infrastructure, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.

"Russian terrorists have once again targeted energy infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is damage in a number of regions," Shmygal said in a post on social media that also called for support from Ukraine's allies to help thwart aerial attacks. (AFP)

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel arrives at the State Control Room in Gandhinagar, closely monitoring heavy rainfall impact. Joined by top officials, the CM is ensuring swift relief and rescue operations across Gujarat.

Ukraine reports power outages on its railway infrastructure in several regions. Authorities report repeated explosions in the Volyn region, air raid alert continues.

BJP releases amended list of 15 candidates for upcoming J&K Assembly elections.

Russia launched air attacks across Ukraine on Monday, killing at least three people as sirens rang nationwide, authorities said.

"Enemy terror did not go without consequences. There is one dead" in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, its governor Sergiy Lysak said, while the governor of Zaporizhzhia and the mayor of Lutsk each reported one dead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets, "Delighted to speak to my friend Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese. We took stock of progress in our bilateral relations and cooperation in the multilateral fora, including the Quad."

Russia unleashes massive missile and drone barrage on targets throughout Ukraine, reports AP.

Accused in Badlapur alleged sexual assault incident sent to judicial custody for 14 days by Kalyan Court.

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retracted its initial list of 44 candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
• Polling for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will take place in three phases. The first phase is scheduled for September 18, the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. These phased elections are a common approach in the region to ensure security and efficient management of the electoral process.

In a move to bolster governance, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to create five new districts in Ladakh. The new districts—Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang—are expected to bring administrative benefits closer to residents, enhancing local governance throughout the union territory.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed the Modi government's commitment to creating ample opportunities for the people of Ladakh, underscoring the initiative's role in advancing regional development.

BJP assigned national spokesperson RP Singh and Shazia Ilmi to coordinate media in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, Vineet Joshi, Punjab State Media Convenor, will also be part of the media coordination team for the J&K polls: BJP leader RP Singh

Former medical superintendent and vice-principal, Sanjay Vashisth arrives at CBI office, in connection with ongoing probe into woman doctor rape and murder case.

Three persons died after a truck allegedly ran over five people sleeping on a footpath in the Shastri Park area of northeast Delhi in the early hours of Monday.

Gunmen killed at least 22 people in southwest Pakistan on Monday, after forcing them out of vehicles and checking their ethnicity, government officials said.

"At least 22 people were killed and 5 injured when militants stopped several busses, trucks and vans on a highway connecting Punjab with Balochistan," Najibullah Kakar, a senior official in Musakhail district of Balochistan, told AFP. "Those killed include 19 Punjabis and 3 Baloch. They are mostly Punjabi labourers"

A scuffle broke out between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP workers in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) earlier today after the latter protested against Aaditya Thackeray's visit to the city.

Delhi Minister & AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj says, "I invite LG, the place is yours, the time is yours, come and debate on this issue, don't hide behind the walls of LG House. You misled Delhi and the court and you got caught. He got the trees cut knowingly. He thought that all the officers were under him and who would do anything. The Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner, PWD Secretary, Forest Secretary, and DDA officers, all were with LG. No one in Delhi's top bureaucracy dared to tell LG that cutting such trees is illegal...LG should resign now..."

BJP releases a list of 44 candidates for the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections

Arshid Bhat to contest from Rajpora, Javed Ahmad Qadri to contest from Shopian, Mohd. Rafiq Wani to contest from Anantnag West. Adv. Syed Wazahat to contest from Anantnag, Sushri Shagun Parihar to contest from Kishtwar, and Gajay Singh Rana to contest from Doda.

Digital public infrastructure and technology will play a pivotal role in shaping the future trajectory of nearly all economies. He indicated that the pace of technological transformation is likely to intensify in the coming years, said Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das at the Global Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies.

The Governor pointed out that India’s experience with digital public infrastructure offers a valuable model for other central banks. He also noted that digital public infrastructure (DPI) has accelerated financial inclusion in India, achieving results that would have otherwise taken decades to realize.

In a recent interview with former Navy Seal Shawn Ryan, former President Donald Trump suggested that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk might not be able to serve in his hypothetical White House cabinet due to his extensive business responsibilities.

"He wants to be involved... but I don’t know how he could do that with all the things he’s got going," Trump said. This statement provides Trump with a potential exit strategy from his alliance with Musk should he win the upcoming election against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

India News LIVE: PM Modi shared his interaction with Lakhpati Didis held at the 'Lakhpati Didi Sammelan'

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has extended his warm greetings and best wishes for Shri Krishna Janmashtami. In his message, Dhami expressed, "I wish that the blessings of Lord Shri Krishna, the saviour of the whole world, always remain on everyone."

Heavy rains caused severe waterlogging on streets in Kheda of Nadiad district in Gujarat. People were seen traversing through knee deep water on submerged roads. The district administration is in alert mode. The disaster management team has been kept on standby. More rains are expected in the next 48 hours.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath participates in the plantation drive at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go-Anusandhan Sansthan, in Mathura.

India’s First Civilian Astronaut Gopichand Thotakura receives a warm welcome on his arrival in Delhi.

He travelled to space as part of the crew for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin's New Shephard-25 (NS-25) mission.

• Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the 50-kg final match in the recent Paris games, was honoured with a gold medal by the Sarvkhap Panchayat here on Sunday.
• "My fight has not ended, it has rather just begun. The fight for our daughters' honour has just started. We said the same thing during our sit-in," Phogat said, addressing an event organised to felicitate her.
• She was part of the agitation by wrestlers, mostly from Haryana, against the then Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brijbhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment last year. (PTI)

• The head of the popular social network Rumble leaves Europe after the arrest of Pavel Durov and threats in France.
• Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said France has also "threatened" Rumble.
• "We are currently fighting in the courts of France, and we hope for Pavel Durov's immediate release," he added.

The Indian Coast Guard conducted an unprecedented swift night operation, rescuing 11 precious lives in a coordinated sea-air Search and Rescue (SAR) operation. MV ITT PUMA reportedly sank 90 nautical miles (nm) south of Sagar Island, while on passage from Kolkata to Port Blair. Indian Coast Guard ships Sarang and Amogh, along with a CG Dornier aircraft, undertook this operation in extremely inclement sea conditions: Indian Coast Guard

On the occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, ISKCON National Communications Director and Vice President of East of Kailash (ISKCON Temple Delhi), Vrajendra Nandan Das, extended his congratulations to devotees worldwide. He highlighted that ISKCON is celebrating the festival globally. At ISKCON Delhi, doors opened at 4:30 a.m. to a large gathering of devotees. The day's events include the 'Maha Abhishek' at 9:30 p.m., followed by 'Chhappan Bhog' at 11 p.m., and the 'Maha Arti' at midnight. Das expressed hope that over 500,000 devotees will participate in the celebrations today.

Congress MP from Nanded Vasant Chavan dies due to prolonged illness, in Hyderabad. His last rites will be performed in Nanded: Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC)

Search & rescue operation carried out for 17 people stranded after a tractor's attached trolley overturned near Morbi's Dhavana village.

Collector, Morbi KB Jhaveri says, "Due to heavy rains today, a lot of water was flowing from the causeway. A tractor was passing through that causeway and the attached trolley overturned due to the force of water. Around 17 people travelling are stranded...We called our State Disaster Relief Force...Till now, we have saved the lives of 10 people. We are trying our best to save the rest of the people..."

• On the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami, Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj emphasized the profound spiritual teachings associated with the festival.
• He remarked, "Krishna descended into this world on the day that we now know as Janmashtami to teach us how to receive the infinite love of God in our life. The greatest treasure is to understand that we are eternal souls and our nature is to love God and serve God." His words highlight the festival's deeper meaning, focusing on the eternal connection between the divine and humanity.

"Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all."

"It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving."

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Bengaluru on August 26 to congratulate ISRO scientists and officials on the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander and the deployment of its rover on the Moon’s surface. The visit will honor the achievements of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in its latest lunar mission.
• The Karnataka BJP is preparing a grand reception for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will visit Bengaluru today to celebrate the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

• The local court's police custody of the school sweeper accused of sexually assaulting two kindergarten girls in Badlapur, Maharashtra, concludes today.
• The case has sparked significant protests across the state, with demonstrators expressing outrage over the alleged abuse of the four-year-old girls in a school washroom. On August 20, thousands of protesters blocked train tracks at Badlapur railway station, leading to the suspension and diversion of several local and long-distance train services.

Today, devotees across India are celebrating Shri Krishna Janmashtami with vibrant festivities, marking the birthday of Lord Krishna. Temples nationwide resonated with the sounds of bells, mridangs, and conch shells, creating a festive atmosphere.

The Radha Krishna temples were adorned with colourful lights and flowers, drawing large crowds for Darshan. At Ahmedabad’s ISKCON Temple, devotees gathered in significant numbers to participate in the celebrations, reflecting the nationwide immersion in honouring Lord Krishna’s birth.