News18 Afternoon Digest: PM Modi Talks About Importance of Rivers, Swachh Bharat in Mann ki Baat; Canada Resumes Commercial Passenger Flights from India and Other Stories

Mann ki Baat LIVE Updates: In 81st Edition, PM Modi Talks About Importance of Rivers, Swachh Bharat

Narendra Modi will address the nation today through his monthly Mann ki Baat radio programme. This will be the 81st edition of the broadcast, which is aired on the last Sunday of every month. The Prime Minister, who concluded his official three-day visit to the United States – capping off his tour with a series of key meets with US president Joe Biden, vice-president Kamala Harris, and a speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) – is expected to bring up several key in his Sunday address to fellow Indians. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister invited inputs and suggestions from citizens for the 81st edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme. READ MORE

India Not Considering Any Decision to Lower Gap Between 2 Doses of Covishield

Quashing several media reports, NK Arora, chairman, Covid-19 working group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has said that India is not considering any decision to lower the gap between two doses of Covishield. There is a mandatory 12-week wait for second shots of Covishield, which the government put in place citing scientific studies that showed higher efficacy with a longer interval. “These reports about the Centre likely to reduce gap for Covishield administration in the private vaccination centres are not correct. There cannot be different rules for different categories of people; that would be discriminatory and science does not work like that. READ MORE

Post Office RD Account Maturity Settlement Rules Changed, Details Here

The Department of Post has amended its rules and regulation for the settlement of RD or recurring deposits on maturity. The changes were brought in to make the process easier after many account holders approached India Post highlighting the need for credit of outstanding RD loan/interest amount on the matured RD account in the software plan. After implementation of these new policies, post offices that are currently using Core Banking Solution or CBS-enabled software will deduct the outstanding RD loan or interest amount from the matured account. READ MORE

Canada Resumes Commercial Passenger Flights from India After Month-Long Ban

The Canadian government on Sunday lifted the month-long ban on passenger flights from India. The restrictions were put in place in light of the Covid-1 protocols. Canada had previously extended restrictions on all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until September 26. Now, with the ban coming to an end, passengers can fly to Canada with precautionary measures including a negative Covid-1 test report from an approved laboratory. Air Canada, the largest airline of the North American country Canada, is finally resuming operations after over a four-month pause. The country suspended flight services from India in April this year owing to surge in COVID-19 cases amid the ongoing pandemic. READ MORE

Cyclone Gulab: Odisha, Andhra Brace for Very Heavy Rainfall, Squally Wind Gusting to 95 kmph | 10 Points

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday evening said a Cyclonic storm ‘Gulab’ has formed over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal. The IMD has issued a cyclone warning for north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts. The IMD further said that it is likely to move initially west-northwestwards during the next 24 hours and west-southwestwards thereafter and cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur around Kalingapatnam by the evening of Sunday. Meanwhile, Indian Railways’ East Coast Railway (EcoR) zone has been decided to cancel/short terminate some trains for the safety of passengers and train operations. READ MORE

Bronze Nataraja, Terracota Vase Among 157 Antiquities PM Modi Will Bring Back from US. It?s a New Record

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bring home 157 artefacts and antiquities, which were handed over to India by the US during his visit. During the US visit, PM Modi and President Joe Biden expressed commitment to strengthening efforts to combat theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects. The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set of items ranging from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5 cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE. With this, the Modi government has brough 200 antiquities back to India from across the world. Government sources said that only 13 antiquities were retrieved by India from different countries between 1976 and 2013. READ MORE

China Welcomes Huawei Executive Home, Trudeau Hugs Canadians Freed by Beijing

Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived in China on Saturday, ending her near three-year US extradition fight, the same day two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than 1,000 days returned home, potentially paving the way for improved ties between China and the two western allies. Meng, the daughter of Huawei Technologies founder Ren Zhengfei, was allowed to go home after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors on Friday to end a bank fraud case against her. The extradition drama has been a central source of discord between Beijing and Washington, with Chinese officials signalling that the case had to be dropped to help end a diplomatic stalemate. READ MORE

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