Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The water level of the Yamuna river was recorded at 204 metres at 10 am on Tuesday, precariously close to the warning level of 204.50 meters, according to officials.

Water was being released into the river at the rate of 7,418 cubic metres per second (cusec) at 10 am from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana's Yamunanagar district, an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said.

One cusec is equivalent to 28.317 litre per second.

The flow rate was the same at 8 am and 9 am, the official said.

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) The Congress Working Committee on Monday urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as the party's interim chief and to bring about necessary changes to strengthen the organisation, sources said.

The CWC also decided to convene the AICC (All India Congress Committee) session at the earliest possible time to start the process for selecting the new party president, sources added.

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The Supreme Court Tuesday granted 30 minutes to activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, convicted for contempt, to 'think over' his stand of not expressing regret over his tweets against the judiciary.

The top court granted another opportunity to Bhushan after Attorney General K K Venugopal sought forgiveness for the activist-lawyer.

"He (Bhushan) should withdraw all statements and express regret," said the top law officer when the bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra sought his views on the 'defiant' statement of Bhushan.

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has ordered the transfer of a batch of cases pending against 27 foreign nationals, who attended a Tablighi Jamaat event here, to the Saket district court so that they are swiftly decided.

The foreigners had allegedly indulged in missionary activities in violation of visa norms and flouted COVID-19 guidelines.

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) The Singapore government and Monetary Authority of Singapore have cut almost one per cent of their total holding in Zee Entertainment Enterprise (ZEEL) to 5.93 per cent by selling shares worth over Rs 186 crore in the open market.

According to a regulatory filing by the company, GIC Pvt Ltd on account of Government of Singapore (GOS) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) sold a total of 93.30 lakh shares, amounting to approximately 0.97 per cent stake in ZEEL on August 20.

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) The Congress is set for a stormy meeting of its working committee on Monday as it stands divided on the leadership issue with a section demanding collective leadership and another reposing faith in the Gandhi family.

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday offered to quit, asking the Congress Working Committee to initiate the process for selecting a new party chief, sources said

In her opening remarks at the meeting, called in the wake of a section of leaders seeking a "full time and visible" Congress president, Sonia Gandhi made the offer to quit saying she had given a detailed reply on the issue to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal

Beijing, Aug 23 (PTI) China successfully launched a new optical remote-sensing satellite from its Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on Sunday.

The satellite, Gaofen-9 05, was sent into orbit by a Long March-2D carrier rocket.

A multifunctional test satellite and another satellite named Tiantuo-5 were also launched via the rocket.

Sunday's launch was the 343rd mission of the Long March rocket series, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Bloomsbury India on Saturday announced it has withdrawn itself from publishing a book on the Delhi riots of February after there was outrage over a virtual pre-publication launch, which it said was being organised without its knowledge.

The publishing house faced massive backlash online on Friday after a purported advertisement of the book launch on Saturday with BJP leader Kapil Mishra as a guest of honour did the rounds on social media.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) The Centre has constituted the National Council for Transgender Persons to formulate policies, programmes, legislation and projects regarding members of the community for achieving equality and full participation by them.

The council was established by the Centre in exercise of the powers conferred by the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, according to a gazette notification issued late on Friday night.