CATEGORIES

Festive week: Dense fog in Capital, traffic choked on hill roads

The festive cheer that comes with the week between Christmas and New Year once again brought with it two familiar sights to Delhi and the picturesque hill states that surround it a dense fog enshrouded the Capital, reducing visibility and impairing flight operations even as pollution levels remained uncomfortably high; and hundreds of thousands of tourists thronged towns in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, causing serpentine traffic snarls on streets, highways and tunnels.

PM MODI HOSTS COMMUNITY LUMINARIES TO MARK CHRISTMAS

Christmas is an occasion to remember Jesus Christ's life message and values, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he hosted a special gathering at his residence in Delhi.

No issue with Kharge as PM face: Nitish

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he has no objection to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's projection as the prime ministerial candidate of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), rejecting speculation that he was unhappy with the proceedings of the Opposition bloc's latest meeting.

Army chief takes stock in restive J&K regions

Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande on Monday visited the Poonch sector and \"exhorted\" commanders on the ground to conduct operations \"in the most professional manner\", days after four soldiers were killed in an ambush on December 21, and the custodial death of three civilians in an army camp the following day, officials aware of the matter said.

CHRISTMAS DESSERTS GET A CUTE UPGRADE!

Pretty gateaux, creative charcuterie boards and themed cake pops are giving the fest a delicious makeover as chefs and bakers break the mould to create a feast that's Instagram gold!

Shrenu Parikh marries -Akshay Mhatre: It's all been like a dream

For Shrenu Parikh, getting married to her long-time beau, Akshay Mhatre, was \"only a matter of time\". Hours after they tied the knot on December 21, the actor-couple took to social media to share dreamy pictures from the ceremony, with the caption, \"Taken forever.\"

'I LOVE MY HINDI, IT'S A PART OF ME'

Orry seems to be loving the mystery nobody really knows what he does for a living or which school and college he attended. This is because he hasn't ever spoken about it in public. When we ask him about his profession, he reiterates what he's always said: \"I am a liver. I've studied everywhere in Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, New York, London. My education is from the school of life, and my experience is my education.\"

Khushi's Xmas plan? 'Baking cookies, being in pyjamas'

With her recent acting debut, Khushi Kapoor is the talk of the town. As we reach her Mumbai home for an exclusive Christmas shoot, the actor welcomes us warmly. Dressed immaculately, the 23-year-old manages to take time out in-between the shots to play with her pets, Panda and Mochi. Excerpts from the chat:

India are saddled with toughest conditions for Centurion Test

On 12 tours of SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) nations since 2011, only twice have India won the series opening Test. One of them culminated in a series win, during the 2018-19 tour of Australia. The other came in 2021, at Centurion where-much against an established narrative for visiting teams India trounced South Africa by 113 runs. It was hailed as a promising prologue to a tour that was till then considered beyond India's reach. That momentum however was frittered away as South Africa bounced back to win the next two Tests.

India's 'relentlessness' takes them to historic win vs Oz

Final day of the oneoff Test was poised to provide a thriller but hosts wrap things up in quick time to win by eight wickets

2023: A year of food-price and climate shock

Food price shocks turned India protectionist this year, as the country went from being the largest exporter of rice and a big overseas seller of sugar and fresh vegetables to banning or restricting overseas shipments and trade of most commodities.

Derivatives see a tug-of-war between FPI, retail investors

Individuals hold 85,251 net shorts; FPIs hold 84,690 net longs as of December 22

Carbon capture, storage emerge as a contentious issue after COP28 meet

After the UN climate summit earlier this month agreed to slowly phase out fossil fuels to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, a mitigation measure known as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) has emerged as a contentious issue among experts and analysts.

Gaza war rages on as US prez stresses need to save civilians

Israeli army said it had struck another 200 targets in the past 24 hours in the Palestinian territory

No cause for panic over the new Covid variant

The emergence of a new Covid variant JN.1 has sparked some concern, particularly in light of the year-end holidays and festivities. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) on December 19, distinct from the parent lineage BA.2.86.

India-Pakistan ties, as seen by Nawaz Sharif

More than any other political figure in Pakistan, the mantle of advocating a minimally stable relationship has fallen on the former PM

264 questions raised by suspended Oppn MPs removed from records

A total of 264 questions raised by suspended Opposition MPs were deleted from the list of queries in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in three days, during the recently concluded winter session of Parliament, according to information available on the websites of the two Houses.

Govt-governor tussle marks convocation of Jadavpur varsity

The standoff between West Bengal government and Raj Bhavan over the appointment of interim vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University took a fresh twist on Sunday, as the state administration overturned governor CV Ananda Bose's removal of Buddhadeb Sau from the institution a day ago.

Maran's remarks on Hindi speakers fan row

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday slammed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Dayanidhi Maran over his purported statement that people who study only Hindi in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh “build houses” and “clean toilets” in Tamil Nadu.

1-month-old who died alone at hospital among the buried

At the site of a mass burial site in Churachandpur's Sehken, among the many victims of the Manipur clashes, a headstone says Baby Isaac, 1 month. The infant from the Hmar tribe is the youngest victim of ethnic clashes in the northeastern state. At least 187 have died and around 50,000 displaced in the violence that started on May 3.

How ideology shapes Indian politics

Ideology is intrinsic to the Indian political landscape and the BJP and the issues it emphasises have an outsized role in determining the country's ideological structure

Across 3 states, kin of soldiers killed in Poonch ambush grapple with loss

Grief and shock echoed through the villages of the four soldiers who lost their lives in the December 21 terror ambush in Poonch district of Jammu & Kashmir, as the army on Sunday began the process of handing over their mortal remains to the families.

'For the first time, cities were at the centre of climate discussion'

From record-breaking heat to intense rain, from cyclones and floods to long dry spells, 2023 had its share of worst weather extremes. Their impact was magnified in cities due to population density, income inequalities, insufficient public services, and civic mismanagement. While the urgency for accelerated climate action in urban spaces is now understood, its roadmap, the issues of monetary and technical support, and the challenge to ensure an equitable and humane approach to implementing solutions demand more clarity and unanimity.

Police booths in city fail to live up to the hype

The Delhi Police’s all women pink booths and integrated facilitation centres, launched over the last two years for enhanced safety of women in public spaces and to provide doorstep services to citizens in the national capital are battling several issues such as irregular working hours and poor deployment of staff, a spot check by Hindustan Times of several such booths across the city has shown.

Worker alleges molestation in govt hospital; health min orders probe

A woman working as a housekeeping staff on a contract basis at a government hospital in Burari has accused her manager and three supervisors of molesting and harassing her and two other employees, police officers aware of the case said on Sunday.

17-yr-old dies 8 days after assault by group of teens

ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, THE 17-YEAR-OLD VICTIM HAD A VERBAL SPAT OVER A TRIVIAL ISSUE WITH ONE OF THE TEENAGERS THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ASSAULT ON HIM

Staying afloat: Lessons from flood-prone cities

Mitigation of and adaptation to weather extremes are a tall order for administrations at the local level because of unpredictability of climate variability, and their own constraints. Despite challenges, some cities are working to reduce vulnerability to these changes.

Terrorists gun down retired J&K cop during prayer call

A retired senior superintendent of police was shot dead inside a mosque on Sunday morning in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district while giving a call for prayers, a murder that shocked the region and came during a spree of terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir.

Air remains 'severe', slight improvement likely today

Delhi's air quality remained in the \"severe\" zone for the third straight day on Sunday as weak winds locked in local emissions and extended residents' exposure to a host of respiratory illnesses.

300 Indians quizzed in France over suspicion of trafficking

Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking, people familiar with the matter said.