CATEGORIES

Maratha quota activist to start indefinite strike from Mumbai on Jan 20

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday announced that he will continue to seek reservations for the community by undertaking another indefinite hunger strike from January 20 from Mumbai if the government does not meet their demand.

Navy scrambles jets after suspected drone hit on merchant ship

A merchant vessel bound for Mangalore was struck by a drone off India’s west coast, officials and maritime security agencies said on Saturday, an attack that comes at a time of heightened fears of maritime trade being targeted further west in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

'1 nation, 1 student ID' to be extended to schools

The government is likely to soon extend its one nation, one student ID initiative to schools to ensure seamless integration with higher education, as envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020, officials said.

SAMAJWADI PARTY SAYS IT WILL NOT ACCEPT BSP ENTRY IN INDIA GROUPING

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday reiterated that it was against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) joining the bloc of 28 Opposition parties, a day after Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai urged BSP president Mayawati to “seriously consider” joining the grouping.

U'KHAND MURDER: BULLDOZER DRIVER TESTIFIES ORDER CAME FROM MLA

The driver of a bulldozer that demolished part of a resort, which is owned by the son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya and where a 19-year-old receptionist was killed last year, has told a court that he did so on the instructions of BJP MLA Renu Bisht and the then sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pramod Kumar, prompting the Opposition to accuse the ruling party of trying to destroy evidence in the case.

Major rejig in Cong as it gears up for 2024 battle

In a wide-ranging organisational reshuffle ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed three new overseers for states, including former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. Kharge also brought back four veterans to look after key states and dropped five senior leaders.

BJP sets sights on 10% increase in vote share

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership has set the target of increasing the party’s vote share by at least 10% in the upcoming general elections in comparison to 2019 as it has set its sights on winning an “unprecedented majority”, people aware of the matter said on Saturday.

3 J&K civilians killed in custody, allege kin

Three men picked up for questioning in connection with the Thursday terror attack on an army convoy were found dead and their families alleged they were killed in custody, prompting the Indian Army to commit to an investigation into the matter.

Air worsens further, fog affects flight operations

Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) worsened further into deep red on Saturday, reaching 450 at 4pm, before it began improving, with officials saying some respite may be around the corner.

Prabhas is back! The actioner snatches Animal's 'most violent movie of the year' crown

NO RATING MOVIE REVIEW

Larger SC benches to hear money bill, other key cases

The Supreme Court on Friday scheduled the hearing of seven-judge and nine-judge Constitution bench matters between January and March next year, resolving to bring finality to issues ranging from passing of laws governing Aadhaar and amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as money bills, minority status of Aligarh Muslim University, and subclassification within SC/ST quota, which have remained pending for several years.

IAF takes self-reliance route to overhaul Russian-origin planes

STEPS TO BOOST SELF-RELIANCE, RISE IN EXPORTS, RECORD DEFENCE PRODUCTION WERE SOME POINTS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE END-OF-YEAR MINISTRY REVIEW

Row over TN floods heats up as Sitharaman targets Stalin

The Union and Tamil Nadu governments on Friday sparred over the flood situation in the state after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman countered chief minister MK Stalin's claim of a delay by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in issuing a weather warning, and state finance minister Thangam Thennarasu accused the Centre of refusing funds for rain-affected districts.

Bajrang turned down offer to join Congress to contest Raj elections

Days after India's top wrestlers halted their months-long sit-in protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in July, Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia was approached by the Congress to fight the assembly elections from Rajasthan.

PM to announce Ayodhya projects worth 23k-crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of 29 development projects worth over 23,284.60. crore during his visit to Ayodhya on December 30, people aware of the matter said on Friday.

Search ops stepped up in Poonch after ambush; NIA reaches spot

A team of officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday visited the site of an ambush in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district in which four soldiers were killed as security forces stepped up operations to trace the terrorists behind the attack, officers aware of the matter said.

Kejriwal asked to appear before ED on Jan 3 in excise case probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued summons to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, directing him to appear before the agency on January 3, officials aware of the matter said.

Court denies bail to AAP's Singh, says charges valid

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh's plea for bail in a money laundering case registered in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, with the judge observing that there was reasonable ground to believe Singh was connected with the \"proceeds of crime\".

Heavy traffic over festive weekend in parts of Delhi

Traffic snarls were reported on several arterial roads in central and south Delhi on Friday due to the evening office rush and a larger-than-usual number of commuters due to the approaching Christmas break, police officers familiar with the matter said.

Woman attacked during snatching dies of injuries

Five days after a 66-year-old woman from Arunachal Pradesh fell down from an e-rickshaw while resisting a snatching attempt in north Delhi's Civil Lines, she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday night at a hospital in Dehradun.

Curbs on construction and cars back as air turns foul

Stage 3 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) were invoked in the Capital on Friday - for the second time this winter season-effectively restricting BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers from plying in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, following directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

14 sewage plants to keep Najafgarh lake clean: Govt

The Wetland Authority of Delhi has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has identified six drains contributing to the pollution in Najafgarh Lake, and that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has now started to desilt these drains.

Delhi HC blasts Ridge body over nod to projects in forest

The Delhi high court on Friday severely reprimanded the forest department - the third time this week approving the construction of an office building, Van Bhawan, and a new road in the Ridge area, ordering the work on both to be halted.

How a missing complaint turned intoa sordid tale of murder and cannibalism

What started with a complaint missing person ended up as gory tale of lust, murder, and cannibalism with a twist that suggested that there could be more surprises in store.

Bajrang pens letter to PM, returns Padma Shri award

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia on Friday returned his Padma Shri award in protest over the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh as Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) president.

No end to bad air ordeal: AQI back in severe zone

Authorities brought back curbs on some older private cars and ordered private constructions works to halt as the air pollution shot up to the \"severe\" zone for the first time since November 24 on Friday, plunging the city into a painfully familiar haze.

FRANCE GROUNDS PLANE HEADED TO NICARAGUA WITH INDIANS ON BOARD

French authorities grounded a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua with 303 passengers, mostly of Indian origin, after receiving a tip that it could be carrying victims of human trafficking, French and Indian officials said on Friday.

Will lift hijab ban in K'taka, says CM Sidda

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah announced on Friday that he has asked the administration to revoke orders passed by the earlier government barring the use of hijabs in state-run educational institutions, signalling the end of a divisive rule that sparked protests across the country.

SEARCH ON FOR TERRORISTS AT POONCH ATTACK SITE; NIA STEPS IN

A team of officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday visited the site of an ambush in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district in which four soldiers were killed as security forces stepped up operations to trace the terrorists behind the attack, officers aware of the matter said.

French Prez to be chief guest for R-Day parade

India announced on Friday that French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, making him the fifth head of state from France to be accorded the honor, and the sixth time that a French leader will attend the celebrations as chief guest since 1976.