Daily Bulletin: IMD predicts 'very heavy' rains for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh today; India to take on South Africa in first match of T20I series; day's top stories

IMD predicts ‘very heavy’ rain in parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh today The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted “heavy to very heavy” widespread rainfall in east Rajasthan and west Madhya Pradesh for Sunday . ANI reported that parts of the Pratapgarh district in Rajasthan were facing a flood-like situation on Sunday morning due to a rise in the water-level of Jakham and Mahi rivers following incessant heavy rainfall in the region. Additionally, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are likely to receive “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at isolated places on Monday. A statement by the IMD said, “Rainfall activity over west Madhya Pradesh and the adjoining region is likely to reduce significantly from Tuesday onwards.” On Saturday, several low-lying areas of Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district were submerged. Incessant rainfall in the district also resulted in water entering the Indira Gandhi District Hospital.

Rajasthan: Parts of Pratapgarh district are facing a flood-like situation due to rise in water level of Jakham and Mahi rivers following incessant heavy rainfall in the region. (14.09.2019) pic.twitter.com/Lcuege4FVb

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2019

According to Skymet, Mumbai is also likely to receive heavy rainfall over Sunday and Monday. The weather forecasting has predicted that the city is likely to receive more rainfall in the next two to three days with the temperature oscillating between 24°Celsius and 32°Celsius. “September started on a good note for the city with instances of record rainfall multiple times. On many occasions, three-digit rain was recorded in the city, which was more than double the normal figure. Between 10 and 11 September, the rainfall activity in the city subsided to a large extent. But thereafter the weather changed again in Mumbai and moderate rains lashed the city,” Skymet stated. Apart from Mumbai, the national capital and its nearby regions such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad are also likely to receive heavy downpour for the next two days. However, these rains are likely to be localised and will not last for long and also would not be widespread," stated the weather forecasting agency in its advisory. Nirmala Sitharaman unveils measures worth Rs 70,000 crore for exporters, real estate sector Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday unveiled over Rs 70,000 crore of measures for exporters and the real estate sector, including about Rs 30,000 crore new spending in plans such as setting up of a stressed asset fund, as part of efforts to boost economic growth from a six-year low. While measures to boost exports include remission of duties, higher insurance coverage and technology enablement to cut downtime at ports, for the real estate sector, a Rs 20,000 crore fund — with half of the money coming from the government — will be set up to provide last-mile funding for housing projects that are not in bankruptcy courts or already tagged as bad debt. The remission-based incentive scheme for export of goods would involve Rs 50,000 crore of outgo, higher than the Rs 40,000-45,000 crore budgeted in existing plans that it is replacing. At a press conference called to announce the third and final set of measures to address stress in specific sectors and bolster growth, Sitharaman said housing finance companies have been allowed to borrow funds from abroad at relaxed rules while interest rate on housing building advance has been lowered, benefiting government servants who make up for a major component of demand for houses. However, the main Opposition party, Congress, alleged that Sitharaman was "clueless" in dealing with the economic slowdown and termed the latest steps announced by her to boost the economy as “cosmetic” and “piecemeal”. “I can only say that the finance minister is clueless as to how to deal with the gravity of the crisis,” Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said at a press conference. After the earlier announcements of stimulus package, the situation deteriorated and the latest steps are not going to help, Sharma asserted. “The finance minister of India is lacking in macroeconomic understanding. A comprehensive package for economic revival was expected,” he said. India take on South Africa in first match of T20I series India’s home season will get underway on Sunday with the three-match T20I series against South Africa. The first match will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. It will be another opportunity for Virat Kohli and Co to continue their search for the perfect balance in the shortest format of the game as teams get ready for the 2020 T20 World Cup. India registered a 3-0 clean sweep against West Indies in their previous T20I series. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock-led South Africa are also undergoing transition after a dismal ODI World Cup. White House says Osama bin Laden’s son killed in counter-terrorism operation The White House announced on Saturday that Hamza bin Laden, the son of the late al-Qaida leader who had become an increasingly prominent figure in the terrorist organization, was killed in a US counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. A statement issued in President Donald Trump’s name gave no further details, such as when Hamza bin Laden was killed or how the United States had confirmed his death. Administration officials would provide no more information beyond the three-sentence statement from the White House. American officials have said there are indications that the CIA, not the US military, conducted the strike. The CIA declined comment on whether the agency was involved. The White House statement said Hamza bin Laden’s death “not only deprives al-Qaida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group.” It said Osama bin Laden’s son “was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups.”