India's nuclear energy ambitions have received a fresh impetus from its Indo-Pacific partner Australia. The two nations have reached a deal to export Australian uranium to India. DW has more.
What you need to know
Australia has agreed to export uranium for India's nuclear energy industry
Australia has agreed to export uranium for India's nuclear energy industry
India and Australia said the uranium sale is "for exclusively peaceful purposes"
India and Australia said the uranium sale is "for exclusively peaceful purposes"
Monsoon rains have led to landslides, building collapses and flash flooding in parts of India.
Monsoon rains have led to landslides, building collapses and flash flooding in parts of India.
Here are the latest updates from India on Thursday, July 9.
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Monsoons cause mayhem across India
The monsoon season in India has set rain clouds rumbling across the length and breadth of the country.
Several regions have been battered by an intense downpour, leading to landslides, waterlogging and flash floods in some areas.
Traffic disruptions have been reported in cities like New Delhi and Mumbai.
Here is a round up of how India is grappling with heavy rains:
Five dead in Wayanad landslide
Deaths from a landslide in the southern state of Kerala's Wayanad district have climbed to five, an updated toll showed on Thursday.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday at the construction site of the Anakkompoyil-Meppadi tunnel project, trapping workers under nearly 7 to 10 feet (2.1 to 3 meters) of mud and boulders, news agency ANI reported.
On Thursday, two more bodies were recovered from the site of the incident, news agency PTI cited Kerala Ministers A P Anil Kumar and T Siddique as telling reporters.
The region had witnessed heavy rain for 24 hours before the landslide.
An official probe has been launched to determine the cause of the incident.
Delhi building collapse kills 3
The death toll from the collapse of an under-construction building in New Delhi has risen to three, after two more bodies were pulled from the debris, Indian media reports said Thursday.
The four-story building caved in on Wednesday evening amid rainfall.
A rescue operation was launched to get to the laborers trapped inside and went on through the night.
According to reports, one person had earlier been retrieved from the rubble and taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.
Meanwhile, India's weather agency has issued "red" and "orange" alerts for the capital New Delhi and its surrounding suburbs, warning of heavy rains and thunderstorms throughout the day.
Daily commutes in several areas of the national capital region were disrupted due to waterlogging.
"Delhi Government is working on a war footing to tackle waterlogging. All necessary measures are being taken by the administration," ANI quoted Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's office as saying.
Rescue operation continues in Pune building collapse
In the western state of Maharashtra's Pune district, a three-story building collapsed at a waste plant after a massive garbage mound crashed on it.
The incident occurred at the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's waste-to-energy plant in Moshi on Wednesday afternoon.
At least 17 people were reported to be trapped inside.
Officials told the Indian media that nine people have been rescued so far, while three to five others managed to escape from the debris on their own before the operations began.
Seven of the victims were pulled out of the debris hours after the accident.
Efforts were being made to get to those still unaccounted for. Increased methane levels and depleting oxygen concentration are the challenges rescuers are facing as they search for people still trapped inside, ANI reported.
India, Australia seal key uranium export deal
India and Australia have finalized arrangements to unlock the sale of Australian uranium to India.
"We have signed an important agreement today on nuclear energy," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday. "This will pave the way for uranium supplies from Australia to India and give our clean energy objectives fresh momentum."
The announcement came as Modi met his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, in Melbourne for the third India-Australia Annual Summit. The dialogue is aimed at bolstering a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations, including in areas such as defense, maritime security, energy security and trade.
"Both Prime Ministers welcomed finalization and signature of the Administrative Arrangement, which will enable long-term Australian uranium exports to India for exclusively peaceful purposes," a joint statement said, adding that the exports would come under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
The statement added that Australia expressed "strong support" for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
Why is Australian uranium important for India?
Energy-hungry India has long eyed Australia's uranium reserves — which account for nearly 28% of global resources — to help meet its goal of 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by 2047.
In 2014, the two countries inked a nuclear cooperation pact which entered into force the following year. However, uranium exports had been limited over concerns about ensuring that nuclear fuel is only used for peaceful purposes, such as energy generation.
"The arrangement facilitates Australian uranium exports to India, to help increase the share of non-fossil fuel power capacity," Albanese told reporters on Thursday.
After meeting Modi, he described Australia and India as "close partners and even closer friends."
Welcome to our coverage
This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW's studio in New Delhi, bringing you our Thursday edition of all the biggest headlines creating a buzz in India.
Heavy monsoon rains are battering parts of the country, triggering landslides and flash floods. An under-construction building collapsed due to heavy rain in the nation's capital, leaving at least three people dead.
Meanwhile, in the western Indian district of Pune, a rescue operation is underway for a second consecutive day after a building collapsed at a waste plant.
In news from the world of international relations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Australia, where the two countries have agreed on deal for the long-term supply of Australian uranium to India. The pact is seen as key in fueling India's ongoing journey to expand its nuclear power program.
Stay with us as we unpack all this and more.