The Morning Standard - December 26, 2024

In this issue

December 26, 2024

2 babus 'disown' Kejriwal sops, CM peeved

Chief Minister Atishi warned two officers on Wednesday of strict administrative action for releasing public notices disowning the registration process begun by her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal, for two welfare schemes.

1 min

Taliban vow to hit back after Pak air strikes kill 46 in Af

AFGHAN Taliban on Wednesday said 46 people were killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Barmal in eastern Afghanistan and vowed to retaliate.

1 min

Canadian colleges under ED scanner for trafficking

THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing the alleged role of some Canadian colleges as well as Indian entities in a money laundering case linked to the trafficking of Indians into the US through the Canada border, officials said.

1 min

MT Vasudevan Nair: Champion of social outcasts & humane characters

MT Vasudevan Nair, the renowned Malayalam writer known for his lyrical nostalgia, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91 in Kozhikode.

5 mins

38 Killed In Kazakh Jetliner Crash

29 Survive; 16 Russians Among 67 On Board

1 min

Cong Ignored Contributions Of Ambedkar

Amid the Congress’ protests against Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B R Ambedkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sought to turn the tables on the grand old party accusing it of denying Baba Saheb credit for his contribution to the development of water resources in the country.

1 min

Netas rush as farm leader's fast enters day 30

OVER 500 FARMERS HURT IN CLASHES WITH POLICE

1 min

Conspiracy by BJP to arrest Atishi in fake case: Kejriwal

'Primary objective to halt govt's free bus travel scheme for women'

1 min

Crackdown on 'illegal' migrants: Civil rights groups raise plight of homeless

MORE than 20 civil rights groups have raised objections to the ongoing crackdown by Delhi authorities on alleged illegal immigrants, citing its adverse impact on homeless individuals.

1 min

AAP Councillor Joins BJP Along With Supporters

AAM Aadmi Party's councillor from Ghadoli Priyanka Gautam joined the BJP on Wednesday along with her supporters, a statement said.

1 min

AAP says Parvesh Verma giving cash to voters, BJP leader refutes charge

A bitter political confrontation ensued in Delhi on Wednesday over BJP leader Parvesh Verma allegedly distributing ₹1,100 among women of the New Delhi constituency, with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal calling him a \"traitor\" and CM Atishi demanding his arrest.

1 min

Cong targets AAP, BJP in 'white paper'

THE Delhi Congress on Wednesday released a scathing 12-point 'white paper' accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP of failing to deliver on promises and mismanaging critical issues in the capital.

1 min

Three Arrested as Police Bust Honey Trap Racket, Accused Faked as Cops to Extort Money

DELHI Police's Crime Branch on Wednesday claimed to have busted a gang of fake policemen who would extort people after setting up honey traps in outer Delhi's Kanjhawala area, police said.

1 min

Promises are imaginary: BJP hits out at AAP chief

THE BJP on Wednesday accused AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of resorting to fictitious schemes in a desperate bid to secure re-election, following his release from jail.

1 min

Bid to acquire ill-gotten gains not money laundering: Court

A Delhi court has declined to take cognisance of a chargesheet against Adhunik Corporation Limited (ACL) and its two directors, Mahesh Kumar Agarwal and Nirmal Kumar Agarwal, in a coal scam case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

1 min

246 teams constituted for survey to identify 'out of school children'

THE Delhi Directorate of Education has formed 246 teams to identify Out-of-School Children (OoSC) during the winter vacation and facilitate their enrollment in schools.

1 min

Cold wave, dense fog hit capital

Weather dept records minimum temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius below season's average

1 min

Six-lane flyover opens in Anand Vihar

CHIEF minister Atishi on Wednesday inaugurated a six-lane flyover linking Apsara Border to Anand Vihar, benefiting an estimated 1.5 lakh commuters daily.

1 min

CRY Launches 'Girl Interrupted' Initiative to Champion Education

CHILD Rights and You (CRY) has launched the initiative 'Girl Interrupted' under its ongoing Poori Padhai Desh Ki Bhalai campaign.

1 min

NDMC to begin tulip plantation drive from today

THE New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will begin planting over 3 lakh tulip bulbs on Thursday as part of an initiative to enhance the beauty of Lutyens’ Delhi with vibrant colours, officials said.

1 min

Vehicle carrying medical team to Dallewal's fasting site meets with accident

FOUR doctors among six medical team members headed to Khanauri where farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal is sitting on fast-unto-death, were injured when their vehicle was hit by a car on Wednesday, officials said.

1 min

Man sets himself on fire near new Parliament

A 26-year-old man sustained critical injuries with 90% burns after allegedly setting himself on fire near the Rail Bhawan roundabout, close to the new Parliament building, on Wednesday, an officer said.

1 min

Govt records over 84K pollution complaints via Green Delhi App this yr

THE Delhi government has recorded 84,765 pollution-related grievances on its Green Delhi App so far this year.

1 min

Naidu begins exercise to choose new chief secy as suspense continues

WITH the tenure of Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad set to end on December 31, there is growing speculation in the Secretariat about who will succeed him.

1 min

Cyber scamster held in TN, 13 accounts linked to 135 scams

INVESTIGATION by the Avadi police into a cybercrime where ₹38 lakh was swindled from a retired college lecturer in a 'digital arrest' scam has led the cops to an accused whose 13 bank accounts were used in at least 135 similar scams.

1 min

Anna University student raped inside campus

AN undergraduate student of Anna University was allegedly sexually assaulted inside the university campus in Guindy on Monday night.

1 min

Tollywood to meet Revanth over Allu's stampede case

A delegation from the Telugu film industry, including actors, directors and producers, led by Telangana Film Development Corporation (TGFDC) Chairman Dil Raju will meet Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday at Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), at 10 am.

1 min

CWC meet begins in Belagavi today

DK Shivakumar, Siddu to unveil a memorial of freedom fighter Gangadhar Deshpande

2 mins

Paddy going to rice mills instead of mandis: Pradhan

AMID resentment among farmers in some western Odisha district over delay in procurement of paddy due to alleged non-cooperation of rice millers, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday admitted that paddy is directly going to rice mills instead of coming to the mandis.

1 min

2 DECADES ON: STRIDES IN WARNING SYSTEMS

In the realm of disaster management, India stands tall as a global leader, thanks to its state-of-the-art Tsunami Early Warning System (TEWS) established in the wake of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that crashed ashore two decades ago to this day.

3 mins

Biting Nails While Bidding Time on Biden

The last acts of the Biden administration aimed at Russian oil may affect India too. They can constrain the thriving India-Russia ties once Donald Trump takes office

4 mins

Shah Sets Target, Says 2L Cooperatives in 5 Years

UNION Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday inaugurated 10,000 new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), saying the government is working on a mission mode to achieve its target of establishing 2 lakh such societies in the next five years.

1 min

Arms purchase up, yet Army faces barrel crunch

AT the time when the Indian Army is modernising its offensive capabilities, specifically in the Artillery and the Armoured Regiments, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit exercise has reported \"shortfall of barrels and breech mechanisms ranging from 30-100 per cent of the production capacity\" during 2015-22. A delay in the supply of ammunition has also been noticed.

2 mins

Naidu Calls on PM to Take Stock of Andhra Projects

ANDHRA Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital to discuss issues related to the state.

1 min

Bright spot as zero malaria cases in 122 districts across country in '23, says Centre

INDIA is taking steady strides towards a malaria-free nation with as many as 122 districts reporting zero malaria cases in 2023, according to Union Health Ministry officials on Wednesday.

1 min

Governance reforms must begin at grassroots: Govt

UNION Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said governance reforms must begin at the grassroots level to bring about \"long-lasting and meaningful\" change.

1 min

Arunish Chawla revenue secy in bureaucratic rejig

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Centre on Wednesday appointed Vineet Joshi, chief secretary of ethnic violence-hit Manipur, as the higher education secretary and senior IAS officer Arunish Chawla as the revenue secretary, according to a statement from the government.

1 min

Deployment near home, couple getting same place posting part of CISF policy

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has rolled out a new liberal transfer policy for its personnel, allowing them to have choice-based postings including home district, same city postings for married couples in the force, and fixed scheduling of posting orders.

1 min

Committed to Viksit Bharat goal, says NDA

Allies back the two bills for holding simultaneous elections, which were recently tabled in Parliament by government

1 min

One more tigress found, big cat count reaches 5 in Palamu Tiger Reserve

IN a significant achievement, the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) has confirmed the presence of a tigress in the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR).

1 min

Chill grips high Himalayas, snowfall hits traffic

A severe cold wave has gripped Uttarakhand's high Himalayan regions, bringing an unexpected chill to the state this December with the average minimum temperature hovering around 3.5 degrees C, weather department officials said.

1 min

4 killed, 21 hurt as state transport bus plunges into gorge in U'khand

FOUR people, including a woman and a child, were killed and 21 others injured when a bus plunged into a gorge in Bhimtal, located in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, on Wednesday.

1 min

Cop in 'dry' Gujarat plays bartender to bootlegger buddy

IN dry Gujarat, where the police are supposed to uphold the liquor ban, a head constable from Petlad in Anand district decided to play bartender for his bootlegger buddy.

1 min

Underwater drones part of Mahakumbh security

THE Mahakumbh mela administration has put in place a three-level intelligence system in a move to bolster security for the pilgrims.

1 min

Pilgrims in peril as Katra goes for 72-hr shutdown

THE Katra town, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, is observing 72-hour shutdown from Wednesday against the proposed ropeway project.

1 min

SGPC Chief Punished Over 'Foul' Language

ON the direction of Panj Pyare (Five Beloveds), Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday underwent religious punishment for using inappropriate language against his predecessor, Bibi Jagir Kaur.

1 min

Lookout notice against ex-cop after gold haul

A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against ‘crorepati’ ex-Madhya Pradesh transport department constable, Saurabh Sharma in the unaccounted gold and cash from MUV case.

1 min

Sweeping new Vietnamese internet law comes into force

NEW Vietnamese internet rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities came into force on Wednesday, in what critics say is the latest attack on freedom of expression.

1 min

21 Dead in Mozambique Riots After Court Okays Win of Chapo in Polls

VIOLENCE that engulfed Mozambique after the country's highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct 9 elections killed at least 21 people, including two police officers, authorities said Tuesday.

1 min

Don Likely to Pursue Death Penalty After Biden's Pardon

PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to \"vigorously pursue\" capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions.

1 min

Hamas, Israel Point Fingers at Each Other for Delay in Talks

HAMAS and Israel traded accusations on Wednesday over delays in finalizing a ceasefire and hostage release agreement for Gaza, despite continued efforts by mediators to broker a deal in the latest round of negotiations.

1 min

Japan's minister Iwaya in Beijing as trading partners try to iron out friction

JAPANESE foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya raised \"serious concerns\" on Wednesday over China's military buildup as he met counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Tokyo said.

1 min

Russia Launches Missiles, Drones at Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure

State energy operator applies preemptive power outages across the country including Kyiv

2 mins

Srinivasan resigns from India Cements as UltraTech gets CCI nod to buy entire stake

N Srinivasan, erstwhile promoter, has resigned from the post of CEO and MD of India Cements after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) gave its approval to UltraTech Cement buying entire promoter stake in the Chennai-based company.

1 min

States Capex Down 43% Due To Welfare Schemes

An RBI report says welfare schemes announced by several state governments in their 2024-25 Budgets - including free electricity to agriculture and households, free transport, allowances to unemployed youth and monetary assistance to women - may divert resources away from critical social and economic infrastructure development.

1 min

2024 Landmark Year for Semiconductor Industry in India

THIS year has been a landmark one for the country's semiconductor industry as the government announced the first semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat.

1 min

BPCL to invest ₹6,100 cr for refinery in Andhra

To be one of the largest refineries on East Coast

1 min

Food delivery app Waayu expands to 25 cities

ZERO-commission food delivery app Waayu, which announced its expansion into 25 cities across the country, aims to onboard 10,000 restaurants in six months and targets 1 lakh restaurants in three years.

1 min

Ola Electric Opens 3,200 New Stores

Move comes as electric scooter maker faced criticism for its dismal after sales services

1 min

NFRA penalty on Deloitte, two auditors

The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has imposed a fine of ₹2 crore on Deloitte Haskins & Sells as well as penalties on two chartered accountants for lapses in auditing of Zee Entertainment Enterprises during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years.

1 min

Global Capability Centres to expand workforce in India by 20% in 2025

TOP executives from across various sectors believe Global Capability Centres (GCCs) landscape will expand further in 2025.

1 min

SA Eye WTC Final in 2-Test Series vs Pak

SOUTH AFRICA will be eyeing a place in the World Test Championship final with an all-seam attack against Pakistan in the first Test, starting Thursday.

1 min

PL leaders Liverpool host Leicester, Arsenal prepare for life without Saka

CHRISTMAS Premier League chart-toppers Liverpool are overwhelming favourites to see off struggling Leicester on Boxing Day (Thursday).

1 min

From Melbourne with season's greetings

TRAVIS HEAD was running back and forth on one corner of the outfield at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

2 mins

Coaching & playing: Twin role with purpose for badminton nat'l's finalists

SHUTTLERS Lokeshviswanathan and Naveen P's journey is a tale of perseverance, hard work and resourcefulness. In the just-concluded national championships in Bengaluru, the doubles specialists from Tamil Nadu were one of the standout performers as they reached the title match before going down with a fight.

2 mins

Where will India captain bat?

IT'S been a question that followed India captain Rohit Sharma from the moment he landed in Perth.

1 min

Booming Bumrah

PACER, WHO BURST ONTO THE SCENE SIX YEARS AGO, HAS GOTTEN BETTER WITH TIME TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOWLERS OF HIS ERA

5 mins

The Holiday Nutrition Dilemma

With non-starchy vegetables like greens, carrots, or broccoli. Reserve 25 percent for lean proteins like turkey or fish.

2 mins

Anupam Sud's canvas fabulises our times

THE Journey A Full Circle', a solo art exhibition by Anupam Sud, has opened recently at Palette Art Gallery.

2 mins

THE BIRDS ARE COMING

As winters attract varied bird species to Delhi-NCR, TMS heads to Okhla Bird Sanctuary for an insightful walk.

3 mins

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