The Morning Standard - December 25, 2024

In this issue

December 25, 2024

Kejriwal promises 24x7 drinking water from taps

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday pledged 24-hour water supply to the residents of the city adding to his series of promises ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

1 min

Govt schools told to check admissions of illegal migrants

THREE days after the MCD issued directions to its schools mandating stricter admission procedures to prevent illegal Bangladeshi migrants from enrolling their children, the Delhi government also passed a similar order on Tuesday.

1 min

Centre puts tungsten mining in TN on hold

Biodiversity heritage site within block

1 min

T'GANA COPS GRILL ALLU ARJUN OVER STAMPEDE DEATH

ACTOR Allu Arjun, accused in the Sandhya Theatre stampede case, was on Tuesday grilled for more than three hours by police.

1 min

Lokpal calls Sebi chief for oral hearing

TAKING cognizance of complaints of impropriety and conflict of interest filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and two others, anti-corruption body Lokpal on Tuesday called Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch and the complainants for 'oral hearing' on January 28.

1 min

BJP X'mas outreach hits Kerala wall

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Christmas celebration hosted by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) in Delhi, a senior Orthodox Church Bishop in Kerala on Tuesday openly questioned the saffron party's outreach to the Christian community.

1 min

Arif transferred to Bihar, Bhalla goes to Manipur

Kerala governor shifted to NDA-ruled Bihar; former home secy gets to manage Manipur

1 min

8-year-old girl found dead in Shankar Vihar

AN eight-year-old girl was found strangled to death in a vacant house at Shankar Vihar Military Station in southwest Delhi on Tuesday morning, police said.

1 min

Farhad Suri to challenge Sisodia in Jangpura seat

The Congress has fielded veteran leader and former Delhi Mayor Farhad Suri against AAP stalwart and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Jangpura assembly constituency.

1 min

Cong may promise ₹3k for women

Party to focus on welfare-driven promises inspired by successes in other states & Delhi

1 min

Hosps can't refuse free aid to rape, acid attack survivors: HC

THE Delhi HC has directed ensuring free medical treatment for survivors of rape, acid attacks, and sexual assault, including cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

1 min

Former ministers, MPs contenders as BJP poll ticket race intensifies

WITH the wait for the BJP's candidate list for the Delhi assembly election likely to end this week, the buzz over ticket distribution has intensified within the party as former Union ministers, ex-MPs and top office bearers of Delhi unit are in the race.

1 min

2020 riots: HC seeks police response to Tahir Hussain's petition for bail

FORMER AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking bail in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

1 min

Voter name deletion: Woman cited by Kejriwal rejects claim

A day after AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged a voter deletion drive targeting Delhi residents ahead of the Assembly elections, one of the voters he named, Chandra from Kidwai Nagar constituency, refuted his claims.

1 min

GRAP IV revoked as AQI improves

STRINGENT anti-pollution measure GRAP IV has been revoked in Delhi and the neighbouring region amid a dip in pollution levels. The air quality index or AQI of Delhi has been \"continuously improving\" since morning, said the committee on GRAP curbs.

1 min

MCD orders inspection of halls, clubs to prevent festival overcrowding

THE MCD on Tuesday ordered random inspections of restaurants, banquet halls, clubs and other establishments in Delhi in a bid to prevent any untoward incident due to overcrowding during Christmas and new year celebrations.

1 min

Court defers decision on MP Rashid's bail plea

A Delhi court on Tuesday declined to rule on the regular bail plea of J&K MP Rashid Engineer in a terror-funding case.

1 min

Police to deploy force around churches, malls, markets on Christmas

DELHI Traffic Police on Tuesday said it has made \"adequate\" arrangements to deal with the rowdy elements during the Christmas celebrations in the national capital.

1 min

Gang involved in illegal entry of Bangla nationals busted

DELHI Police have arrested four Bangladeshi nationals and seven Indians for their involvement in a racket that facilitated the creation of fake Aadhaar cards, police said on Tuesday.

1 min

CAG reports submitted due to HC fear

LoP Vijender Gupta claims audit reports on key issues like pollution deliberately suppressed

2 mins

Teachers' associations urge CM Atishi to reinstate two Ambedkar varsity profs

THE All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO) and Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) on Tuesday issued a statement demanding the chief minister to intervene and reinstate Salil Mishra and Asmita, the professors who were sacked from service.

1 min

Candle march held in support of fasting Dallewal

AS the fast-unto-death of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal entered the 29th day, farmers took out a candle march in support of their leader at the Shambhu and Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana.

2 mins

Annual two-day fest at Shahpur Jat begins

DELHI Tourism Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj inaugurated the annual two-day Shahpur Jat festival on Tuesday in Greater Kailash.

1 min

Lankan govt seized about 558 Indian fishing boats from 2014 to Aug 2024

AMID the unending saga of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, about 365 TN fishing boats worth more than ₹150 crore have been nationalised by the island nation in the last 10 years.

1 min

B'luru villagers battle toxic smoke, garbage issues

THOUSANDS of villagers of Nagondanahalli in Hagadur ward, in Mahadevapura assembly segment, are severely impacted by toxic smoke emanating from garbage burnt by unknown persons over the past three months.

1 min

Been duped twice by chit fund companies: Majhi

MAKING a startling revelation, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday admitted that he too was taken in by the chit fund lure and cheated by the ponzi companies twice - in 1990 and again in 2002.

1 min

CID to probe Ravi-Laxmi episode in Belagavi House

Inappropriate to issue statement while case being probed: Minister

1 min

Kerala forest dept to discuss objections raised by church and farmers over bill

FACING scathing attack from the farmers, church and political parties over the provisions included in the Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the forest department has decided to discuss the objections with stakeholders before finalising the bill.

1 min

ACB files FIR against former Andhra CID chief

THE Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday registered an FIR against N Sanjay, former Additional Director General of AP CID (Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department) and former Director General of AP State Disaster Response and Fire Services, who was recently suspended on charges of misconduct, misuse of power and misutilisation of government funds to the tune of ₹1.36 crore.

1 min

23 deaths in 2024: String of suicides haunt Kerala tribals

FOUR suicides by tribal people in four days - two men and two women, all aged below 30!

2 mins

Relief to KCR as Telangana HC suspends notice

IN major relief to former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao, Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday stayed a decision of the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district court to allow the numbering of a private petition against them.

1 min

MYANMAR JUNTA DIGS ITSELF A DEEPER HOLE

NEARLY four years after the coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the world seems to have forgotten the tragic circumstances within the nation and the unresolved political crisis that has engulfed it. With bigger crises looming across the European theatre, Myanmar seems to have been pushed to the backburner and relegated to a matter of domestic politics.

3 mins

MAKING WHOLE WITH CHARGE OF HALF A STATE

The Delhi government has always had to contend with the limited power it's given. A new book gives details of its governance model in health and education

4 mins

Kamarajar Port cargo handling capacity doubled

THE cargo-handling capacity at Indian ports has risen from 871.52 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in 2014-15 to 1629.86 MTPA in 2023-24.

1 min

EC rules out foul play in Maha polls, invites Cong for meeting on Dec 3

IN its response to a complaint filed by the Congress, the Election Commission of India (EC) on Tuesday wrote to the party dispelling the misconceptions regarding the jump in voting percentage on the polling day of the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly election.

1 min

Crucial Belagavi CWC meet to make Congress battle-ready for 2025

THE Congress will prepare a blueprint to get battle ready for 2025 in the working committee meeting in Karnataka's Belagavi, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the Belagavi session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.

1 min

A tribute to Atal Ji, the statesman whose vision shaped India

TODAY, December 25, He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people.

4 mins

Cong challenges tweaks in election rules, moves SC seeking 'transparency'

THE Congress on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Central government's move to amend the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

1 min

Selection process of NHRC chief fundamentally flawed, says Rahul

A day after retired Supreme Court Justice V Ramasubramanian was appointed as chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stated that the selection process adopted by the committee was fundamentally flawed.

1 min

Key NDA meet at Nadda residence to chalk out Assembly polls strategy

TOP National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders are set to meet on Wednesday to address the controversy surrounding Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar, strategies for key state polls and 'one nation one election', among others, sources said.

1 min

9-member panel for biz rules in House formed

JAMMU and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Tuesday constituted a 9-member committee to finalise draft Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly.

1 min

Maoists kill 4 over 'links with cops' in Bastar

THE Maoists killed four villagers on suspicion of being a police informer in two separate cases in Chhattisgarh's Bastar.

1 min

Punjab police stations under security cover after 8 blasts, encounter deaths

IN the wake of eight blasts at various police stations, police posts and check posts last month, the Punjab Police is tightening security around its establishments in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts, sources said on Tuesday.

1 min

Fresh fissures in Gujarat BJP over unveiling plaque

IT took a name plaque to expose fissures in Gujarat BJP. Party workers fixed it to a wall at the newly inaugurated Vadodara city office of BJP after state party chief CR Patil unveiled it.

1 min

5 jawans killed in J-K as vehicle falls into gorge; no terror angle

AT least five soldiers were killed and five others injured after the vehicle in which they were travelling fell into a deep gorge at the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

1 min

Maha Yuti in Maha slugfest over guardian ministry

Allies in tussle for Pune, Thane districts !

1 min

Govt on car buying spree, acquires 8 for Omar

AFTER purchasing 90 new Mahindra Scorpio vehicles for the 90 newly-elected MLAs of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the Omar Abdullah government would purchase eight Toyota Fortuner vehicles for the Chief Minister's use.

1 min

UP teenager stripped, beaten, urinated upon, dies by suicide in Basti

A party turned into a tragedy for the family of a Class 10 student.

1 min

RJD, JD(U) in poster war ahead of assembly polls

BIHAR politics has already gone into an overdrive even as the assembly elections are still around 10 months away with the RJD and JD(U) sparring over issues like migration and employment.

1 min

HK police seek details, offer bounties on activists abroad

HONG Kong police announced bounties on Tuesday of HK$1 million (around $130,000) for information leading to the arrest of six democracy advocates based overseas and accused of national security crimes.

1 min

S Korea delays decision to impeach acting president

SOUTH Korea's opposition said Tuesday it would hold back a decision to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo until later in the week.

1 min

Biden signs defence bill into law to boost military spending to $895 bn

PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a defence bill that authorises significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion despite his objections to language stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families.

1 min

Expect Haniyeh rerun on Houthis, says Israel

ISRAEL's defence minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas' top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

1 min

UN in Syria ready to collect proof of Assad's crime

Spokesman says there is a small window of opening to secure documentary evidence

2 mins

Parts of Bosnia powerless after heavy snow storm

TENS of thousands of homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina were left without electricity on Monday, particularly in the northern part of the Balkan country, after it was hit by heavy snow and strong winds, the local electricity provider announced.

1 min

11 killed, 7 hurt in blast at Turkey explosives plant

A powerful blast ripped through an explosives plant in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring seven others, officials said.

1 min

Year-ender 2024: Telecom sector sees tariff hikes, user losses, Vi fundraising

INDIAN telecom sector had a mixed bag in 2024, marked by tariff hikes, subscriber losses, and fundraising by loss-making telecom service provider Vodafone Idea.

1 min

No GST on sale of used car at loss

As per sources, GST is payable only on the value representing the margin of the seller

2 mins

Dabur moves HC against Patanjali over Chyawanprash ad campaign

FMCG segment leader Dabur approached the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, alleging that Patanjali Ayurved has been running advertisements that disparage its Chyawanprash products.

1 min

Fresher hirings see rise: No. of job applications surge 27% to 2 cr in 2024

THE country's fresher job market has bounced back in 2024 as the year saw significant fresher hiring across sectors.

1 min

Dabur to launch toothpaste for kids' category

DABUR India on Tuesday announced its entry into the kids' toothpaste category with the launch of 'Dabur Herb'l Kids Toothpaste' curated for cavity protection for kids above three years of age.

1 min

PM Modi meets economists ahead of Budget

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with a group of economists and thought leaders in preparation for the Union Budget at NITI Aayog.

1 min

RBI sold $9.28 billion in forex market in Oct to support rupee

IN a bid to support a falling rupee, which lost as much as 125 paise between October 10 and December 24 when it closed at 85.207, the Reserve Bank on Tuesday said it has net sold $9.28 billion on the spot foreign exchange market in October. The net outstanding forward sale stood at $49.18 billion in October as compared to the net sale of $14.58 billion in September.

1 min

RBI bulletin says economy on recovery path

AFTER the slump in the second quarter, the economy has regained momentum and is recovering fast on the back of strong festival demand and there is a sustained upswing in rural demand, the in-house researchers and economists at the RBI said on Tuesday in its monthly bulletin, underlining the central bank's optimism in the strength of the economy.

1 min

Recharge plans for voice calls, messages to benefit customer, not telcos

THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recent directive to have recharge plans exclusively for voice calls and messages without any compulsion to buy internet data will benefit customers not much to telecom service providers, say industry experts.

1 min

HFCL defence equipment mfg unit in Hosur

HFCL Limited, a leading telecom equipment maker, on Tuesday inaugurated a state-of-the-art defence equipment manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

1 min

Shooting mental sport, award snub can affect Manu anytime: Coach Jaspal

DOUBLE Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker finally broke her silence on her exclusion from Khel Ratna list. Putting out a statement on her social media handle where she spoke about the lapses she said, \"Awards and recognition keep me motivated but are not my goal.\"

1 min

Cranbrook to MCG, the rise and rise of teenager Konstas

against South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney - Sam Konstas was sitting with his batting coach Tahmid Islam for dinner.

3 mins

India to play matches in Dubai, Pak tie on Feb 23

FINALLY, the International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced the much-awaited schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

1 min

BOXING DAY TEST: EYE ON REDEFINING MELBOURNE IDENTITY

Rohit and Co would hope to save series with dominant performance against hosts

3 mins

Excited with pack of pacers in SA20

WITH the third edition of the SA20 coming soon, the Ambassador of the franchise league and former South African fast bowler Allan Donald believes the new crop of pace bowlers coming from his home country are the ones to watch out for.

1 min

Timely lift for Haryana shuttler

DEVIKA SIHAG is stoked at the moment. She had a valid reason to be.

1 min

Beyond the stars

The Urban Nomad and Stellar Heritage collections are bold and timeless

2 mins

Merry Morsels of Christmas Cakes

...and why December is the most wonderful time of the year in Delhi

3 mins

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