Morning digest: India-NZ semifinal to resume today, monsoon heading for ‘a break’ after July 15, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

Rain takes over after New Zealand’s fightback

It was a Tuesday of slow runs, damp weather and the long wait. Under grim skies that made illuminated floodlights a mandatory accessory to the World Cup semifinal, India tightened the screws on New Zealand.

Old Trafford’s dry pitch was on the slower side and the niggardly Men in Blue restricted the Black Caps to 211 for five in 46.1 overs when a steady drizzle gained strength and forced umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough to stop play at 2 p.m. local time.

Earlier in the morning despite a cloud cover and a nip in the air, boisterous Indian fans jostled on the roads, yelled patriotic slogans and belted out a rhyme in Rohit Sharma’s honour while WhatsApp was flooded with one query: “will it rain?” A cacophony of noise erupted from the stands as Kane Williamson won the toss, opted to bat and Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls strode towards the crease.

Saravana Bhavan owner arrives to court in ambulance, surrenders

After nearly 18 years since Saravana Bhavan hotel staffer Prince Santhakumar was kidnapped and murdered, the owner of the chain of hotels P. Rajagopal, the main offender in the case, surrendered in a city court on Tuesday. He was brought in an ambulance as he was not keeping well.

P. Rajagopal is 73 now. He was cited as accused number 1 in the kidnap and murder of Santhakumar, who was his employee in 2001.

Monsoon heading for ‘a break’ after July 15

The southwest monsoon, which has seen a vigorous phase over parts of central India, the western coast and eastern India, will likely take a break after July 15, private weather agency Skymet Weather said.

“The country is now heading towards break-monsoon conditions…Monsoon goes weak over most parts of the country and heavy rains are only confined to the foothills of Himalayas, right from Uttarakhand to northeast India. This is exactly how conditions will be, July 15 onward,” Jatin Singh, Managing Director, Skymet, said in a company blog post on Tuesday.

CPCB pulls up 52 firms over handling of waste

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has pulled up 52 companies — including Amazon, Flipkart, Danone Foods and Beverages and Patanjali Ayurved Limited — for not specifying a timeline or a plan to collect the plastic waste that results from their business activities.

The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, (which was amended in 2018) prescribed by the Union Environment Ministry, says that companies that use plastic in their processes — packaging and production — have a responsibility to ensure that any resulting plastic waste is safely disposed of.

UN report backs India’s stand on Pakistan-based militant groups: activists

While India has rejected the ‘Update’ of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report on Jammu and Kashmir, human rights activists have pointed out that it includes several unprecedented references to rights violations and constitutional changes undertaken by Pakistani authorities and militant groups, that actually support India’s narrative.

Urging India not to rejected the ‘Update’ in its entirety, the activists have called on India to “engage” with the OHCHR’s findings released on Monday.

Honour Gandhi with village padayatras, Modi tells MPs

BJP MPs on Tuesday were asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to undertake a padayatra (walking tour) of their constituencies between October 2 and 31, the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel respectively.

Addressing a BJP parliamentary party meeting, Mr. Modi also asked Rajya Sabha members to visit constituencies where the party’s organisation was weak.

Protests over Karnataka crisis disrupt Parliament

The Rajya Sabha witnessed its first adjournment on Tuesday in the inaugural session of the second term of Narendra Modi government over the Karnataka political crisis.

The issue rocked the Lok Sabha also, with Congress MPs staging a walkout after accusing the BJP of indulging in a “politics of poaching”. Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi raised slogans against the ruling party. MPs of the DMK also walked out.

As president issue drags on, leaders question Rahul successor selection process

The continuing uncertainty over choosing the next Congress president prompted a couple of party veterans to speak out on Tuesday – former Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi questioned the credibility of the process of short-listing the possible contenders and asked Rahul Gandhi, who has quit as party chief, to set up a formal mechanism, and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said the process should involve the widest possible consultation without ‘intrigue and manipulation’

Only on Monday, party veteran Karan Singh said “he was aghast at the sense of disorientation that the Congress party has fallen into”.

Rising healthcare costs impoverish 75 lakh families annually: Minister

The Central government has admitted that 75 lakh families fall below the poverty line annually due to the rising cost of health care in India.

Replying to a question on the availability and price control on generic drugs Mansukh L. Mandaviya, MoS, Chemical and Fertilizers said: “Annually we are seeing families slipping below the poverty line because of the escalating costs of health care and medicines in India. Conditions are so poor that children have to stop their education in some extreme cases. It is vital that this fall is netted immediately.’’

Donald Trump calls British Ambassador ‘very stupid’ as diplomatic spat escalates

A diplomatic kerfuffle between the US and the UK over the weekend looked like it was turning into a full blown standoff by Tuesday after US President Donald Trump criticised British Prime Minister Theresa May, welcoming her imminent departure from Downing Street, and saying he would “no longer deal” with British Ambassador to the US, Kim Darroch.

Mr. Trump’s comments come after The Mail on Sunday published the contents of leaked diplomatic cables in which Mr. Darroch had been critical of the Trump administration and called Mr. Trump “inept” and “insecure”.

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