CATEGORIES

The math of leap years: Why Feb 29 does not come once every four years

We know 2024 is a leap year because 24 is divisible by 4, the same reason that 2020, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004 and 2000, too, were leap years.

US, UK militaries strike Houthi targets in Yemen

The US and UK on Thursday launched strikes on Houthi military capabilities and assets in Yemen in response to attacks and threats by the Iran-backed rebel group against shipping in the Red Sea corridor, a move that represents an escalation and a possible widening of the West Asian war and brings the US into greater conflict with Iran.

Terrorists attack army vehicles in Poonch; no casualties

A commanding officer of 39 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and his escort escaped unhurt after terrorists opened fire at two army vehicles in Poonch district of Jammu & Kashmir on Friday evening.

Illegal immigration racket: 14 Guj travel agents booked

The Gujarat Police lodged a first information report against 14 so-called immigration agents for allegedly luring people to pay hefty sums for illegally migrating to the US with the promise of jobs, and may have even zeroed in on the mastermind of the scam, said a senior police official involved in the investigation.

Inflation increases marginally in Dec on vegetable price hike

India's benchmark inflation rate increased marginally between November and December 2023 from 5.55% to 5.69% as per data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Friday-mainly on account of a seasonal spike in vegetable prices.

Previous govts indulged in dynastic politics: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the previous governments of being \"occupied with making money and safeguarding the interests of their own parivar (family)\", as he highlighted the various developmental projects undertaken by his regime. The Congress, however, dismissed the allegations and asked the PM to provide a break-up of the investments made by his government.

Wreckage of IAF AN-32 plane that went missing in 2016 traced in Bay of Bengal

The debris of an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft, which plunged into the Bay of Bengal almost eight years ago with 29 people on board, has possibly been located at a depth of 3,400 metres in the sea, the defence ministry announced on Friday.

Immoral thing': Row erupts after HC judge's homophobic remarks

History owes a debt to members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities for the delay in providing redressal for the ignominy and ostracism they suffered through centuries, the Supreme Court had held five years ago as it decriminalised homosexuality, affirmed the rights of the community, and asked the government to sensitise all stakeholders to stop discrimination.

Mann gives clean chit to state's former chief secy

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has absolved of any wrong doing, senior Indian Administrative Service officer and the state's former chief secretary Anirudh Tiwari, who was among the officials indicted by a Supreme Court appointed committee looking into the breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security during a visit to the state on January 5, 2022, according to official documents seen by HT.

HC: WATCHING CHILD PORN NO OFFENCE UNDER POCSO, IT ACT

The Madras High court has said that just watching child pornography is not an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the Information and Technology Act, 2000, as it quashed the case against a 28-year-old who was charged with downloading and watching pornographic content involving children.

Modi opens Mumbai's new marvel over the sea

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India's longest sea bridge that stretches across 21.8 kilometres and aims to transform the journey from the island metropolis of Mumbai to its hinterland cousin Navi Mumbai, marking a potential turning point for the country's financial capital that has struggled with crumbling infrastructure in recent years.

Tesla makes big plans for India: May set up factory, make new car for developing nations

As India moves closer to drafting a new electric vehicles (EV) policy, Tesla is in advanced talks to make an entry into the country and may be open to committing nearly $30 billion in investments, directly and indirectly, over the next five years in a manufacturing plant, and battery ecosystem and ancillary industries, people closely involved with the company's official business plans said.

SC refuses to stay bill on CEC appointment

WHILE THE BENCH AGREED TO EXAMINE THE ISSUE, IT REMAINED EMPHATIC THAT THE OPERATION OF A LAW CANNOT BE STAYED RIGHT NOW

Tanisha-Ashwini stun former world champs, in last 8

Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto pulled off one of the biggest wins of their career when they defeated two-time former world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan to advance to the women's doubles quarter-finals of the $1.3 million Malaysia Open - one of the four Super 1000 tournaments in the BWF calendar.

Swiatek gets tricky draw; Djokovic up against a qualifier

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek will face 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in the first round and potentially 2016 winner Angelique Kerber or Danielle Collins in the second in a tough start to her bid for a first Australian Open title.

India brave chill and fog on way to comfortable victory

\In a game where Virat Kohli was unavailable, captain Rohit Sharma got run out off the second ball of the innings and local favourite Shubman Gill went back to the dressing room inside four overs, Shivam Dube (40-ball 60₹) and Jitesh Sharma (31 off 20) came to the fore to help India chase down a target of 159 in 17.3 overs in the first T20I at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Thursday. India's six-wicket win in biting cold conditions helps them take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Railway budget to rise 25% to hit record levels

Budgetary allocation for Indian Railways is expected to hit record levels in 2024-25 as the government gears up to support a major makeover for the national transporter with additional modern and faster trains and improved safety features.

At BMW, first-time buyers take a second-hand route

Bavarian automobile maker BMW's India branch, which encompasses the premium two-wheeler brand Motorrad, British premium hatch brand Mini and BMW's passenger cars, clocked its highest sales in 2023, delivering just over 13,300 cars, a growth of 18% over sales in 2022, and 8,768 motorcycles, 20% more than 2022.

'Can't afford a crypto mania’

The US may have green-lighted exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in bitcoin, but for India's apex banking regulator, cryptocurrencies remain a strict no-no.

India advancing towards non-fossil capacity goal: IEA

There is a real chance that countries that signed off on tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030 at the COP28 climate conference last month will actually do so, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, specifically pointing out that India, for its part, is expected to meet its goal of installing 500 GW of nonfossil based capacity by 2030 through a set of actions that will bolster renewable energy generation further, India is forecast to add 205 GW over 2023-2028, doubling 2022's cumulative installed capacity, making it the world's third-largest market for renewables, IEA said in its report \"Renewables 2023.\"

Haley, DeSantis exchange insults in last GOP debate

Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley repeatedly accused each other of lying in an acrimonious debate that mixed policy with insults as the two candidates battled to emerge as the top alternative to Donald Trump days before the campaign's first votes are cast.

Navigating the fault line of Ram Mandir politics

The self-appointed guardians of secularism and those who claim to be protectors of Hindutva nationalism have fed off each other for decades

Aim to build diverse fintech lab: FM in GIFT city

The GIFT City should aim to build diverse fintech laboratory to achieve the target of India's economy becoming $30 trillion by 2047, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday, adding the institution conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2007 is poised to be the gateway for financial and investment hub.

Frame policy to phase out heavy diesel vehicles, says SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to frame a national policy to phase out heavy-duty diesel vehicles like trucks and trailers, and replace them with BS-VI vehicles that use cleaner fuel, underlining people living in all parts of the country and not only those living in the Delhi-NCR are entitled to breathe clean air and a pollution-free environment.

Police find note that may hold key to motive in Goa murder

A five-sentence handwritten note in English, ostensibly scribbled by 39-year-old startup founder Suchana Seth, who allegedly smothered her four-year-old son in a Goa hotel room, was found by the police and might hold the key to unlocking the motive behind the grisly crime that has shocked the country, investigators said on Thursday.

'AMU of national importance...brand key, not minority status'

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has remained an institution of national importance even without a minority tag, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday, adding the brand name is what really matters for the people.

India may raise 5 issues as US trade rep arrives today

India is expected to raise five key issues - marine exports, business visas, social security, access of Indian pharmaceutical products, and exports of table grapes and mangoes during US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai's visit to the country on Friday, two officials aware of the matter said.

'Sena ruling absolutely well-reasoned, justified'

A day after his verdict opened a new chapter in the Sena vs Sena tussle, Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, in an interview with Surendra P Gangan and Shailesh Gaikwad, explains the rationale behind his decision in a batch of petitions filed by the two camps of Shiv Sena, seeking disqualification of rival camp's legislators. Edited excerpts:

No tension between temple trust, seers: VIP

There is no discord between the Ram Temple trust and Hindu seers, particularly the four Shankaracharyas, over the consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said on Thursday, even as it rejected allegations of bias in sending out invitations of the mega event to political leaders.

Can't allow zoo in national park: SC on Corbett tiger safari plan

The Supreme Court on Thursday told the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) that its plan to have a tiger safari at the Jim Corbett national park, sort of like a zoo within a national park, cannot be permitted as the approach has to be \"animal-centric\" not \"tourism-centric\".