KOLKATA:
A bridge has collapsed in West Bengal capital Kolkata. Many are feared to have been trapped. A large crowd has gathered at the spot near to where the bridge collapsed. Commuters travelling on cars and bikes have been feared to be trapped. Rescue operations are said to be underway. A segment of the bridge suddenly collapsed, according to early reports. Reports also say around six are said to have been injured.

The central government has indicated that it could turn down Qatar Airways’ plan to launch an airline in India in its current investment format, with RN Choubey, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation saying that as per the current rules it was not possible to have an airline entirely owned by Qataris.

“Current policy of the government is that the substantial ownership and effective control should remain with Indian nationals and they will have to comply. You cannot have substantial ownership of more than 50 per cent because then you are violating the policy,” Choubey said, on the sidelines of the International Aviation Summit organised by International Air Transport Association (IATA) here on Tuesday. He also pointed out that so far no formal proposal had been made by Qatar Airways.

Also on the sidelines of the event, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker is learnt to have told reporters that the airlines that the rules of allowing a foreign entity to own 100 per cent domestic carrier were not clear. “What we are given to understand is that an airline cannot own 100 per cent. A foreigner can but not an airline. I don’t know what is the difference between a foreigner and an airline. If Qatar Investment Authority own 51 and I own 49 that is not allowed. Again, this is very ambiguous. The rule is not very clear,” Al Baker said.

NEW DELHI: Heavy rain hit several parts of Delhi this morning as the sky over the natinal capital remained engulfed in dark clouds with forecast of more rain throughout the day.
According to the weather department, the Safdarjung observatory -- the recording of which is considered official for the city -- registered 1.2 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 11.30 am while Lodhi Road received 0.5 mm rainfall during the same period.

The rain brought relief to the city amid a humid weather. Minimum temperature settled at 25.1 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average while humidity was recorded at 93 per cent.

However, the morning shower slowed traffic in major roads across the capital and caused waterlogging in several areas.

The city has received 41.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, an offficial said.

Delhi and its adjoining areas have received above normal rain in August and has been seeing widespread rainfall since the beginning of September.

NEW DELHI: India plans to construct 100 airports at an estimated cost of $60 billion (about Rs. 4.2 lakh crore) in the next 10 to 15 years, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said today.
The country's aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world and has recorded 50 months of double-digit traffic growth.

As many as 100 new airports would be built in the next 10 to 15 years for about $60 billion. These airports are to be constructed through public private partnership, Mr Prabhu said.

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The government is also working on a cargo policy, he added.

COMMENT
According to global airlines' group International Air Transport Association (IATA), India is expected to overtake Germany, Japan, Spain and the UK within the next 10 years to become the world's third largest air passenger market.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra Tuesday sent a letter to the Central government recommending Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor.

Justice Gogoi will be sworn in as the next CJI on October 3.

The CJI has written to the Ministry of Law and Justice endorsing and recommending the name of Justice Gogoi, senior-most judge, as the next CJI.

Nicosia: Underlining Cyprus' contribution to India's economic growth, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday invited the businesses in the Mediterranean nation to invest in the country in the areas of digitalisation, smart cities, infrastructure and tourism.

Cyprus is the eighth largest investor in India and bilateral trade stands at around $8.2 billion.

President Ram Nath Kovind addressing House of Representatives of Cyprus. Twitter @rashtrapatibhvnPresident Ram Nath Kovind addressing House of Representatives of Cyprus. Twitter @rashtrapatibhvn
During his address to the House of Representatives of Cyprus, the president said India is at an exciting juncture and offers appealing business opportunities.

He said massive outlays and attractive and viable projects are evident in the Digital India

Online pharmacies will have to register with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, according to the draft rules, and obtain a trade licence to exhibit, stock and sell drugs.

The trade licence will be applicable across India. Currently, the e-pharma industry is less than 0.5% of the retail pharmacy landscape, but it is growing at an annual rate of over 100%, PTI reported.

“The details of patient shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person other than the central government or the state government concerned, as the case may be,” the draft notification reads. “The supply of any drug shall be made against a cash or credit memo generated through the e-pharmacy portal and such memos shall be maintained by the e-pharmacy registration holder as record.”

Online pharmacies are banned from selling tranquillisers, narcotics and psychotropic drugs, as per the draft rules. “No e-pharmacy shall advertise any drug on radio or television or internet or print or any other media for any purpose,” the draft said.

he rupee Tuesday slumped 16 paise against the dollar to trade at a life-time low of 71.37 on strong demand for the US currency.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the local currency opened at a record low of 71.24 against a dollar, down from its previous close of 71.21, and weakened further to trade at a fresh low of 71.37, down 16 paise.

Forex dealers said besides strong demand for the American currency from importers, capital outflows too weighed on the domestic currency.

The dollar strengthened against some currencies overseas as investors bid up safe-haven assets amid tensions over global trade and strains in emerging market currencies.

A sharp rally in global crude prices further dampened the overall trading sentiment.

Benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at USD 78.05 a barrel.

On Monday, the rupee had lost 21 paise, to close at an all-time low of 71.21 against the US dollar.

Former England skipper Alastair Cook on Monday announced that he will retire from international cricket after the ongoing Test series against India.”After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India,” Cook said in a statement.

Cook will appear in his 161st, which is his final Test, for England at The Oval, starting from September 7. Cook has scored 12,254 runs which includes 32 centuries.

In a close contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Karnataka municipal polls, the Congress came out just ahead winning 982 of the total 2,662 seats that were up for grabs. The BJP came to a close second winning 929 seats. The Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's party Janata Dal (Secular) was a distant third with 375 seats, while independents won 329 seats.

Polling was held on August for over the 100 urban local bodies across 21 districts.

The Congress and JD(S) are likely to form post-poll alliances in several local bodies to keep the BJP out of power. In the event of either party not getting majority on its own in the ULB elections, we will have post-poll alliance to rule the local bodies as we did to form the coalition government in the state after the May 12 assembly election threw a hung House with a split verdict, a JD(S) official told IANS.