The Evening Wrap: AI plane overshoots runway in Kozhikode

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the biggest news stories of the day Friday 07, August 2020 [alt_text]( The Morning Filter [Here are the biggest news stories of the day]( [alt_text]( Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Air India plane overshoots runway in Kozhikode An Air India Express flight from Dubai skidded off the runway and broke up into two while landing at the Karipur airport in Kozhikode on Friday night. The flight — IX 1344 — landed at the airport at around 7.40 p.m. No fire ws reported at the time of landing, said an Air India statement. There are 174 passengers, 10 Infants , two Pilots and five cabin crew on board the aircraft, the statement added. As per the initial reports, rescue operations are on and passengers are being taken to hospital for medical care. Reports are still coming in at the time of the publication of this newsletter. You can follow the developments [here](. Kerala landslide claims 11 As many as 11 people were killed and several feared trapped in a [major landslip]( at the Nayamakkad estate in Pettimudi near Munnar, Idukki district, on Friday. The State Government has dispatched a 50-member team of the Fire and Rescue Services to the region for stepping up rescue operations. [A view of the landslip site at Pettimudi, Rajamala. ]A view of the landslip site at Pettimudi, Rajamala. In all, 12 people have been rescued so far. While the State Government has requested the Indian Air Force (IAF) for assistance, inclement weather in Idukki would create difficulties for helicopters to operate in the region at the moment, defence sources said. U.S. also bans TikTok U.S. President Donald Trump has signed executive orders banning popular Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, terming them a threat to national security and the country’s economy. The ban comes into effect in 45 days, Trump said, in his two separate executive orders signed on Thursday. India was the first country to ban Tik Tok WeChat over national security concerns. India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps, a move welcomed by both the Trump administration and U.S. lawmakers. In a communique to the Congress, Trump said the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by Chinese companies poses a threat to national security, foreign policy, and economy of the country. “At this time, the order takes action to address one mobile application in particular, TikTok,” he said. Rahul Gandhi targets Modi government in rhyme As Covid-19 cases crossed the 20-lakh mark, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday took to Twitter to once again, targeting the Narendra Modi government over its handling of the pandemic. He retweeted his July 17 tweet, in which he had predicted 2 million cases by August 10, with a fresh comment that rhymed in Hindi. “20 lakh ka aankra paar, Gayaab hain Modi Sarkar [20-lakh figure has been crossed and the Modi government has disappeared],” tweeted Gandhi. This is a riff on BJP’s 2014 election campaign slogan of Abi ki baar, Modi Sarkar [This time, Modi government] For several weeks now, the Congress leader has been targeting the Prime Minister regularly over his handling of the Chinese intrusions in Ladakh and the pandemic. After Beirut explosion, alarm bells in TN over big stock of ammonium nitrate Days after a massive explosion caused by stockpiled ammonium nitrate killed over 100 and left thousands injured in Beirut, alarm bells have started ringing over 740 tonnes of the same explosive chemical [stored at a container freight station at Manali near Chennai port](. The Beirut explosion had been caused by an estimated 2,750-tonne stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored for over six years in a port warehouse. While officials at the port said the substance was not stored on the premises, customs officials said the chemical was imported by a Karur-based firm in 2015 and since the company did not have a licence, the material was seized and stored in 37 containers at a facility in Manali. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) acted swiftly, directing the Commissioner of Customs to immediately clear the stash of ammonium nitrate. [Hazardous material: The Customs Department is planning to auction the stock kept in Manali in a few days.]Hazardous material: The Customs Department is planning to auction the stock kept in Manali in a few days. Concerns have also been raised over the import and storage of ammonium nitrate at Vishakapatnam port. Speaking to The Hindu, former Union Secretary E.A.S. Sarma said that the Visakhapatnam Port alone had witnessed an import of 2,60,505 tonnes of ammonium nitrate during 2018-19. The Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012, stipulate rigorous norms for storing the chemical, and requires local authorities to conduct periodical and surprise inspections to detect lapses that can lead to major accidents, or misuse of the chemical. Though ammonium nitrate that is imported is of fertiliser grade, it is a potent explosive substance. If you were curious about ammonium nitrate and how it caused the blast in Beirut, read this [explainer](. Sushant’s death case: Actor Rhea Chakraborty appears before ED After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) rejected her request to defer the recording of her statement, actor Rhea Chakraborty (28), accused of abetting the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, appeared before the agency at its office in Ballad Estate, Mumbai, on Friday in connection with money-laundering charges. “In view of the fact that the ED has informed the media that the request to postpone her attendance is rejected, Rhea has appeared before the ED office,” her advocate Satish Maneshinde said. [ File photo of Rhea Chakraborty leaving Bandra police station after recording her statement in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case on June 18, 2020. ] File photo of Rhea Chakraborty leaving Bandra police station after recording her statement in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case on June 18, 2020. The ED has also summoned for questioning Shruti Modi, who is Chakraborty’s business manager, and Rajput’s friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani in connection with the complaint filed by Rajput’s father with the Bihar Police. ED officials said the two are accused in their case and their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) once they appear on their scheduled dates for Friday and Saturday respectively. Chakraborty had stated in her petition to the court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput. The agency was expected to question her about her friendship with the actor, possible business dealings, investments, and the developments that took place over the last few years between them. A property located in the Khar area of the city, linked to Chakraborty, is also being probed by the ED for the source of funds for its purchase. Chakraborty has filed a petition in the apex court requesting that the case lodged by the Bihar police against her be transferred to the Mumbai police. The plea will be heard next week. Evening Wrap Vaccine Watch Much of the media spotlight has been on vaccine development efforts in the U.S. and Europe, with China thought to be the dark horse in the race. Now Russia has stepped in, claiming that it is about to become the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine. The Associated Press is reporting that mass vaccinations have been planned as early as October, using shots that are yet to complete clinical trials, raising safety concerns. The vaccine has reportedly been developed jointly by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry, and is set to be approved on August 12. AP also reports that Moscow is looking at a Sputnik-like propaganda victory, recalling the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first satellite in 1957. Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India (SII) today said that it has entered into a new partnership with international vaccine alliance Gavi and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of [up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines]( for India as well as other low and middle-income countries (LMICs). “The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine gains regulatory approval and WHO prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to India and LMICs as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021,” SII said in a statement. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported [coronavirus]( cases from India stood at 20,79,484 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 42,515. India on Friday recorded 62,538 new cases. The RBI on Friday set up an expert committee under veteran banker K V Kamath to suggest financial parameters for resolution of pandemic-related stressed assets. The committee will submit its recommendations to the RBI, which will notify them along with modifications, if any, in 30 days. In Brief: The National Education Policy (NEP) lays the foundation for the ‘New India’ of the 21st century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event today, emphasising the shift away from rote learning and towards a focus on creative and innovative thinking. Addressing a Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under the NEP, the Prime Minister said there had been no major changes in the education system for many years, resulting in the promotion of a “herd mentality” in Indian society. “So far, the focus has been on ‘what to think’. The NEP emphasises a shift in approach to focus on ‘how to think’ instead,” he said. The Supreme Court appreciated Italy’s efforts to prosecute its Marines accused of killing two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in 2012, but insisted that it will close their criminal trial in India only after the victims’ families are heard and paid a “hefty” and “adequate” compensation. “We appreciate the steps taken by Italy to prosecute the two Marines. But if you want the case closed here, you have to pay an adequate compensation to the families,” Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, heading a three-judge Bench, said, addressing advocate Suhail Dutt, who was appearing for Italy. Captain of India’s national hockey team Manpreet Singh and three other players have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the national camp in Bengaluru. Besides Manpreet, defender Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh and drag-flicker Varun Kumar have also tested positive for the deadly virus. The Railways is set to end a colonial-era practise of appointing khalasis or ‘bungalow peons’ who worked at the residences of senior officials, following an order from the Railway Board barring any new appointment to the post. In an order issued on August 6, the Railway Board has said the issue regarding telephone attendant-cum-dak khalasis (TADKs) is under review. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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