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Wed, 22 January 2025
Navy official from Odisha 'missing' on way to Kerala
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23:51 Navy official from Odisha 'missing' on way to Kerala
A 26-year-old junior-level Navy official went "missing" after he left his home town Berhampur in Odisha's Ganjam district to join duty at a Naval unit in Kerala's Kochi, his family said on Wednesday.
Sourav Kumar Patra, who joined the Indian Navy in 2019, had come home in December for a marriage ceremony, his brother Sameer said.
"He left early on January 19 and took a train to Visakhapatnam, where he was supposed to catch a flight to Kochi at 12:30 pm. However, his phone has been off since that morning," Sameer added.
His family members lodged a missing complaint with the Berhampur Town Police Station on Wednesday, based on which a case was registered and a probe initiated, a senior officer said.
Sameer requested the Odisha police and the Indian Navy to trace his brother at the earliest.
"During preliminary investigation, the police found that Sourav's last mobile location was at Ichchapuram, a nearby station from Berhampur. Further investigation is under progress," the police officer said. -- PTI
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23:51 Navi Mumbai civic body collects 82 tons waste after Coldplay event
A total of 82 tons of waste was collected by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation after the three-day Coldplay concert, the civic body said on Wednesday.
According to the civic body, the generation of waste didn't impact the cleanliness of Navi Mumbai despite lakhs of people attending the event over three days.
A total of 82 tons and 150 kg of waste was collected over four days from the stadium in Nerul, where the concert was held, and surrounding areas, a release stated.
In addition, over 20 tons of waste collected from within the stadium was transported to NMMC's scientific waste management facility.
The NMMC deployed a team of over 100 sanitation workers who worked from 10:30 PM to 3 AM to clean the event venue and nearby roads.
Local community members were also engaged in waste segregation within the stadium during the event.
The NMMC's waste segregation and disposal at designated scientific waste management facilities not only maintained the city's cleanliness but also promoted environmental awareness among citizens and visitors, the release stated. -- PTI
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23:12 Army hospital performs India's 'first-ever' LVAD implantation
A top Army hospital in Delhi has performed India's "first-ever" left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation using a cutting-edge device at a government institution, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The LVAD, often regarded as a 'mechanical heart', serves as a life-saving bridge for patients with end-stage heart failure, officials said.
The procedure was successfully performed at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) at Delhi Cantonment on a 49-year-old woman, wife of an armed forces' veteran who had been waiting for a heart transplant for over two years, the ministry said in a statement.
The Army Hospital (Research & Referral) has performed "India's first-ever Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation using the HeartMate 3 device in a government institution. This marks a historic first for the Armed Forces Medical Services too," it said.
The HeartMate 3 LVAD is a cutting-edge device that uses advanced technology to improve heart function.
"It offers hope to patients with severe cardiac conditions. Currently, the patient is recovering steadily under medical supervision, showcasing the success of high-quality team work," the statement said.
This achievement reflects the Army hospital's relentless pursuit of excellence in medical care. This milestone reaffirms the position of Army Hospital (R&R) as a leader in providing advanced medical care, it added. -- PTI
22:47 Unnao rape case: Delhi HC grants interim bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar
The Delhi high court on Wednesday granted interim bail to expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar on medical grounds in the 2017 Unnao rape case.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar said Sengar, who is serving life term in the case, would be released on January 23 to undergo a cataract surgery at AIIMS on the following day.
The bench directed the accused to surrender not later than January 27 once he was discharged from the hospital.
It also clarified if the surgery did not take place on January 24, Sengar should surrender the same evening.
"We suspend the sentence of the appellant. On being discharged, he shall surrender back to jail superintendent, latest by January 27, 12 noon," the court said. Sengar is also in custody in the case related to the custodial death of the survivor's father.
His plea seeking suspension of the ten year jail sentence in that case is pending before another bench.
He was granted a two-week interim bail in December 2024 on account of his health, which was subsequently extended by another month.
The high court however refused to extend the same on January 20, the day he was directed to surrender, after noting the application for extension was not supplied to the survivor. -- PTI
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22:22 Kolkata's under-construction apartment tilts
An under-construction multi-storey apartment tilted on its left side in Kolkata on Wednesday, days after another highrise collapsed during structural work to lift its foundation.
In the latest incident, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) halted construction of the five-storey building on Christopher Road in Tangra after it was found leaning dangerously towards an adjacent high-rise.
A KMC official confirmed that exterior work had been completed, but interior work was still ongoing. The building's entry has been sealed, and KMC engineers will conduct structural tests.
KMC councillor Sandipan Saha said, "Residents of the nearby building have been asked to vacate their floors. KMC engineers will take necessary steps to prevent any further accidents like the Jadavpur collapse last week or the Garden Reach building collapse last year."
He assured that the KMC building department is taking all precautions to protect lives and property in Tangra.
Last week, a five-story apartment in Jadavpur collapsed during foundation work after the 11-year-old building began leaning. The builder has been arrested, and demolition work has started.
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22:12 Carbide waste: Concern over black water in MP town
Amid apprehensions by locals over the proposed disposal of 337 tonnes of Union Carbide waste in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, a video purportedly showing a borewell discharging "black' water surfaced on social media.
To dispel any fear, the district administration visited the area near Pithampur town, about 30 km from Indore, where the waste has been brought for disposal, an official said on Wednesday.
Ajay Kumar Mishra, an official of the MP Pollution Control Board, said when they checked the borewell located in an agricultural field in Sagor, adjoining Pithampur, it discharged clean water.
However, water samples from the borewell and nearby nullah have been collected, he said.
Mishra said he would be able to comment on the other parameters of water quality only after receiving the laboratory test results.
Ankit Khotan, who owns the borewell, said officials have collected water samples.
The farmer said his borewell was discharging "black' water when he operated the motor after a gap of 2-3 days, claiming that the water was damaging his crop and was not consumable. -- PTI
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21:26 Accused in Maha sarpanch murder case declared as absconder
The Beed police in Maharashtra on Wednesday declared Krishna Andhale, an accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, as an absconder.
"Appropriate reward" will be given for any information leading to his arrest," said a police official.
Elsewhere, deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the culprits in the case -- which has led to a political row with the Opposition and even some ruling alliance leaders targeting NCP minister Dhananjay Munde -- deserve death sentence.
The police had announced a reward for information about three wanted accused in the case -- Sudarshan Ghule, Sudhir Sangle and Andhale -- earlier too.
Ghule and Sangle were subsequently nabbed.
Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9.
Preliminary investigation indicated that he had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company operating a windmill project in the area.
Earlier in the day, a court at Beed remanded Walmik Karad, Dhananjay Munde's close aide who has been arrested in a case related to Deshmukh's murder, in 14-day judicial custody.
Karad was produced, through video link, before the special court for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act cases after the end of his SIT custody.
The Special Investigation Team of the state police did not seek his further custody. -- PTI
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20:54 Annamalai hints at scrapping of TN's tungsten mining project
Amid the stiff opposition to the over 4000-acre tungsten mining project in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, "happy news" from the Centre was likely on Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party state chief K Annamalai said.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after leading a delegation of local village heads to Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, Annamalai pointed out at the opposition to the project from locals in and around Melur in Madurai after a private firm won the bid in November last.
The local BJP leaders had immediately apprised Reddy and the project was halted.
On Wednesday, the delegation met the union minister with two objectives--- to thank him for halting the work and tell him that the project was "totally not required," Annamalai said.
"The village heads said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been pro-farmer and protective of Tamil Nadu."
"A happy news to the people of Tamil Nadu, especially near Melur--the Nayakkarpatti-Vellalaptti tungesten block will be officially announced tomorrow," he said.
Reddy will meet the PM on the matter, Annamalai said, adding, "a very very happy news will come tomorrow."
The union minister has given "assurance" on the matter to the visiting villagers.
"We have kept our word that mining won't happen.. tomorrow, official announcement will be made," the BJP leader added.
People in and around Melur have been steadfastly opposing the tungsten mining project. -- PTI
20:36 Parvesh Verma sends Rs 100 cr defamation notices to Kejriwal, Mann
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Parvesh Verma on Wednesday said he will file Rs 100 crore defamation suits against Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for levelling 'false allegations' against him.
Verma issued legal notices to both AAP leaders later in the evening and demanded an unconditional apology within 48 hours.
The notice charged Kejriwal and Mann for allegedly defaming Verma with 'false misleading statements baseless tweets/re-tweets dated 21.1.2025 with distortion/misquoting to defame/blame and conspire'.
'...By serving you this legal notice, I hereby call upon you to pay the damages of Rupees one hundred crores (fifty crores each) to my client as well as tender an unconditional written apology, within Forty eight (48) hours from the receipt of this notice, failing which my client would be constrained to initiate legal proceedings against you the notices before the competent court of law and Police, at your risk, cost and consequences,' the notice read. -- PTI
Verma issued legal notices to both AAP leaders later in the evening and demanded an unconditional apology within 48 hours.
The notice charged Kejriwal and Mann for allegedly defaming Verma with 'false misleading statements baseless tweets/re-tweets dated 21.1.2025 with distortion/misquoting to defame/blame and conspire'.
'...By serving you this legal notice, I hereby call upon you to pay the damages of Rupees one hundred crores (fifty crores each) to my client as well as tender an unconditional written apology, within Forty eight (48) hours from the receipt of this notice, failing which my client would be constrained to initiate legal proceedings against you the notices before the competent court of law and Police, at your risk, cost and consequences,' the notice read. -- PTI
20:31 BSE Sensex: Top gainers today
Recovering its past losses, Infosys surged 3.16 per cent to emerge as the biggest gainer among Sensex scrips.
Tata Consultancy Services jumped 2.97 per cent and Tech Mahindra by 2.28 per cent. Sun Pharmaceutical, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Technologies, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the gainers.
Tata Motors was the biggest loser among Sensex shares, dropping by 2.24 per cent.
PowerGrid, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, NTPC, Tata Steel and Adani Ports were the major laggards. -- PTI
20:28 Sensex jumps 567 points
Benchmark Sensex rebounded nearly 567 points on Wednesday following value buying in IT and banking shares and firm global trends.
The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 566.63 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 76,404.99, driven by gains in Infosys, TCS and HDFC Bank.
During the day, the benchmark surged 624.77 points or 0.82 per cent to hit an intraday high of 76,463.13.
The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 566.63 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 76,404.99, driven by gains in Infosys, TCS and HDFC Bank.
During the day, the benchmark surged 624.77 points or 0.82 per cent to hit an intraday high of 76,463.13.
20:23 Rupee rises 23 paise to close at 86.35 against US dollar
The rupee appreciated 23 paise to close at 86.35 against the US dollar on Wednesday, supported by positive domestic equities and soft American currency index.
Forex traders said the rupee is likely to witness high volatility with a negative bias ahead of key events in the global and domestic economic landscape.
Moreover, the overall uncertainty about the global economy continued to weigh on both currencies and commodities, keeping investors on edge.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.56 against the greenback.
During the day, the local unit touched an intraday high of 86.30 and a low of 86.71. It finally closed at 86.35 against the US dollar, up 23 paise from its previous close. -- PTI
20:22 Mysterious illness in J-K: 4 more hospitalised
Four people, including three sisters, have been shifted to hospitals from Badhaal village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district where a mysterious illness has claimed 17 lives over the past one-and-a-half months.
A central team continued its investigation into the cause of the deaths, which took place in three families, on Wednesday.
A senior doctor part of the investigations said over 200 samples have been sent for testing to different institutes.
Three sisters, aged between 16 and 22, were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri from Badhaal after their health suddenly deteriorated on Wednesday.
Another critically ill patient, Javid Ahmad (24), was referred to PGI Chandigarh from GMC Rajouri on Tuesday evening, the officials said.
All four are close relatives of the three families that lost their members to the mysterious illness, they said.
Meanwhile, the inter-ministerial team from New Delhi visited Badhaal in Kotranka sub-division for the third straight day as part of its investigation, the officials said.
The team headed by a director-rank officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs reached Rajouri district headquarters on Sunday evening and was briefed by senior district, health and police officers.
It is camping in Rajouri town. Senior epidemiologist and head of Community Medicines Department, GMC Rajouri, Shuja Qadri said all the investigations so far make it clear that the deaths in the village were not the result of any communicable disease.
So, the probe has been narrowed down to the identification of the toxin in food items.
"Based on our epidemiological investigation, as of now, we have reached some probable conclusions, which will be confirmed by lab diagnosis... it is something which is connected with food," Qadri, who is part of the investigations, told PTI.
More than 200 food samples have been sent for screening to various institutes across the country to isolate the neurotoxin.
Hopefully, based on the panel of toxins, the laboratories will be in a position to isolate the toxin within a week or 10 days and 'we can easily take the control measures to prevent further deaths'.
"If you see the sequence of cases, they came over a period of time. That means it is something which is coming intermittently. They are consumed either accidentally or deliberately. That is again a question of investigation," he said.
The 17 deaths in Badhaal, about 55 km from Rajouri town, took place between December 7 and January 19. The patients complained of fever, pain, nausea, intense sweating and loss of consciousness before dying within days of admission to hospitals. -- PTI
19:35 Saif case: Multiple forensic depts to test evidence
Multiple departments under the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina in Mumbai will examine key pieces of evidence seized by the police investigating actor Saif Ali Khan knife attack case, officials said on Wednesday.
Police on Sunday arrested the attacker, identified as Bangladeshi national Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, for stabbing Khan at his Bandra apartment on January 16 during a burglary bid.
A variety of materials, including mobile phones, clothes of the accused, and CCTV footage seized following the arrest of Fakir (30) alias Vijay Das, have been sent to the FSL for examination.
FSL departments such as Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification (TASI), Biology, DNA, Footprints, Physics, Cyber, and others will be involved in analysing the evidence, a police official said.
An official said police didn't notice blood stains on the clothes of the accused seized from his bag when he was arrested from Thane.
The official said investigators are facing difficulty in interrogating Fakir due to the language barrier as he speaks Hindi with a heavy Bangladeshi accent.
The accused has been asked to speak slowly so that police could decipher his statements, the official added.
Police on Tuesday reconstructed the sequence of events of the crime unfolded at Khan's building in Bandra.
The accused was taken to a nearby building briefly during the recreation of the crime, the official added.
A day before, Khan was discharged from a private hospital in Mumbai after five days during which he underwent two surgeries. -- PTI
19:31 Punjab sarpanch to be special guest at R-Day parade
A woman sarpanch from a village in Punjab's Moga district has been invited to attend the Republic Day celebrations in the national capital on January 26 as a special guest for her exemplary work in managing the village's water supply scheme, officials said on Wednesday.
Narinder Kaur, sarpanch of Chuggawan village, has ensured clean water supply to villagers by successfully implementing the water supply scheme, they said.
Chuggawan village has 497 households, with a population of around 2,700 and three Anganwadi centers and two government schools.
As the sarpanch, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that residents face no issues regarding water supply, officials added.
She also took the initiative to beautify village waterworks by constructing a park, which has become a recreational spot for residents, they said.
"Nameplates with household heads' names and water connection numbers have been installed in front of every house. Monthly committee meetings are held to ensure the scheme's smooth operation," they added.
Moga Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal lauded Kaur's efforts and encouraged others to follow her example.
He said the district administration will continue to recognize and honour individuals and organisations that make significant contributions to the community.
Sarangal said, "Narinder Kaur's dedication and leadership made a significant impact on the lives of Chuggawan village residents. Her efforts to provide clean drinking water and improve the village's infrastructure are truly commendable."
Kaur expressed her gratitude to Sarangal and the water supply department for recognizing her work. She said she was honoured to represent her village at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi. -- PTI
Narinder Kaur, sarpanch of Chuggawan village, has ensured clean water supply to villagers by successfully implementing the water supply scheme, they said.
Chuggawan village has 497 households, with a population of around 2,700 and three Anganwadi centers and two government schools.
As the sarpanch, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that residents face no issues regarding water supply, officials added.
She also took the initiative to beautify village waterworks by constructing a park, which has become a recreational spot for residents, they said.
"Nameplates with household heads' names and water connection numbers have been installed in front of every house. Monthly committee meetings are held to ensure the scheme's smooth operation," they added.
Moga Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal lauded Kaur's efforts and encouraged others to follow her example.
He said the district administration will continue to recognize and honour individuals and organisations that make significant contributions to the community.
Sarangal said, "Narinder Kaur's dedication and leadership made a significant impact on the lives of Chuggawan village residents. Her efforts to provide clean drinking water and improve the village's infrastructure are truly commendable."
Kaur expressed her gratitude to Sarangal and the water supply department for recognizing her work. She said she was honoured to represent her village at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi. -- PTI
19:06 Why Vicky Kaushal stood up at 'Chhava' trailer launch
The trailer launch of Chhava, starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, on Wednesday evening at Plaza cinema in Dadar, Mumbai, had its moments of drama, with cameramen from the media threatening to pack up and go home as their view of the stars on stage was being blocked by, well, mobile phone wielding attendees hogging the space in the front.
Peace was restored with Kaushal and director Laxman Utekar standing up on the stage to answer queries from emcee Sohail.
Kaushal was given a Maharashtrian style welcome complete with tutari, dhol, tasha, and dancers performing the lezim. You can see the welcome, here.
Rashmika, who injured her leg in the gym recently, was seen limping as she entered the venue, and remained seated while answering questions.
-- Prasanna Zore/Rediff.com. Videos: Tushar Gavankar
Convict Sanjay Roy
18:28 CBI moves court for death sentence for Sanjay Roy
Just In: CBI files appeal in the Calcutta high court seeking the death penalty for convicted rapist and killer Sanjay Roy in the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, officials tell PTI.
Details soon.
While on the subject, you can read Swarupa Dutt's interview with the parents of the rape-murder victim, on Rediff.com, here.
18:09 Maha: Passengers checking fire hit by another train
JUST IN: Passengers of Pushpak Express were hit by Karnataka Express train in Jalgaon District.
The passengers had stepped on tracks after chain pulling suspecting some fire in the train.
Railway officials and other staff have reached the spot.
More details awaited. -- ANI/PTI
17:44 Supporting BJP, clarifies JD-U; sacks Manipur chief
The Janata Dal-United on Wednesday sacked its Manipur unit president, Ksh Biren Singh, in an effort to quell growing speculation about its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Party's national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Singh's removal was due to indiscipline and asserted that the party would continue to support the BJP-led government in the northeastern state.
Ranjan affirmed that the JD-U remains committed to supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, not just in Manipur but across the country.
"Our party has worked diligently to strengthen the NDA and will continue to do so," he added.
Ranjan's remark came shorty after Ksh Biren Singh claimed that the party had withdrawn support to the BJP-led Biren Singh government and informed its decision to governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The state unit chief had also claimed that the lone JDU MLA in the state, Md Abdul Nasir, will sit in the opposition benches.
In a letter to governor Bhalla, Ksh Biren Singh said, 'After the JD-U became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by the JD-U... as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD-U in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the assembly by the Speaker.' -- PTI
Party's national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Singh's removal was due to indiscipline and asserted that the party would continue to support the BJP-led government in the northeastern state.
Ranjan affirmed that the JD-U remains committed to supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, not just in Manipur but across the country.
"Our party has worked diligently to strengthen the NDA and will continue to do so," he added.
Ranjan's remark came shorty after Ksh Biren Singh claimed that the party had withdrawn support to the BJP-led Biren Singh government and informed its decision to governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The state unit chief had also claimed that the lone JDU MLA in the state, Md Abdul Nasir, will sit in the opposition benches.
In a letter to governor Bhalla, Ksh Biren Singh said, 'After the JD-U became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by the JD-U... as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD-U in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the assembly by the Speaker.' -- PTI
17:30 Excavation begins of ancient well found near Sambhal Jama Masjid
The Sambhal administration on Wednesday started excavating an ancient well found under illegal encroachments near Shahi Jama Masjid.
The well, located about 50 metres from the disputed Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple in the Kot Garvi locality area, is believed to be one of the 19 ancient wells in the region.
According to locals, the well holds historical and religious significance.
Speaking to reporters, local resident Sanjay Kumar said, "This well is situated near the Harihar temple. It used to be a place of worship where people came during auspicious occasions like childbirth or weddings."
"Over time, it was covered and its original form altered. The excavation will restore its historic appearance," he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shirish Chandra, while talking to reporters, confirmed that the excavation was initiated following complaints from locals about the well having been illegally covered up.
"Preliminary investigation suggests the well was encroached upon and covered. We are excavating to restore it. Appropriate legal action will follow after further investigation," he said.
Asked whether the well is of historical significance, the ASP said, "According to local accounts and elderly residents, this well has existed for centuries. Further verification will be done as the excavation progresses."
The administration's initiative is part of an ongoing effort to safeguard ancient structures and heritage sites across the district.
Sambhal has been tense since November 19 when a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.
Violence erupted on November 24 as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel, leading to stone pelting and arson.
Four people died and several others were injured in the violence. -- PTI
IMAGE: An inside view of the age-old stepwell excavated by a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in Sambhal. Photograph: ANI Photo
17:06 RG Kar case: SC defers suo motu hearing to Jan 29
The Supreme Court on Wednesday cited paucity of time and deferred to January 29 the hearing on the suo-motu case over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. On January 20, a Kolkata trial court awarded convict Sanjay Roy "life term imprisonment till death" in the case.
The suo-motu (on its own) plea was set to be heard by the top court for the first time after the sentencing in the doctor's rape and murder which took place on August 9 last year. The heinous crime triggered nationwide outrage and prolonged protests in West Bengal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan on Wednesday said there was paucity of time, and moreover, three fresh applications were filed in the case.
"We will take it up at 2 pm on next Wednesday," the CJI said. Senior advocate Karuna Nandy, representing the Association of Junior and Senior Doctors, mentioned the plea for hearing. On December 10 last year, the top court took note of the CBI's latest status report and expressed confidence that the trial in the case was likely to conclude within in a month.
The CBI had informed about the day-to-day -- Monday to Thursday -- trial at a special CBI Court in Sealdah. The bench had also directed the parties to share their recommendations and suggestions on preventing gender-based violence and developing safety protocols for doctors and medical staff at hospitals across the nation with the court-appointed national task force (NTF) -- PTI
16:51 Sensex, Nifty rebound on buying in Infosys, HDFC Bank
Benchmark Sensex rebounded nearly 567 points and Nifty regained 23,150 level on Wednesday following gains in blue-chip stocks Infosys, HDFC Bank and Tata Consultancy Services, and firm global trends.
The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 566.63 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 76,404.99. During the day, the benchmark surged 624.77 points or 0.82 per cent to hit an intraday high of 76,463.13 on the BSE.
On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty climbed 130.70 points or 0.57 per cent to settle at 23,155.35. In the intraday session, the Nifty rose 144.9 points or 0.63 per cent to 23,169.55 on the NSE.
Among Sensex shares, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharmaceutical, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Technologies, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the gainers. Tata Motors, PowerGrid, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, NTPC, Tata Steel and Adani Ports were the major laggards. -- PTI
16:43 Housing sales drop 9 pc across 9 major cities
Housing sales across nine major cities dropped 9 per cent to nearly 4.71 lakh units in 2024 on lower demand as well as fall in fresh supply, according to PropEquity.
Data analytics firm PropEquity, part of listed entity P E Analytics, on Wednesday released the housing data for nine major cities namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Thane.
As per the data, the sales of residential properties declined 9 per cent to 4,70,899 units during 2024 from 5,14,820 units in the preceding year. New supply fell 15 per cent to 4,11,022 units in 2024 on the back of two quarters of under-activity due to general elections and monsoon. -- PTI
16:17 Nitish Kumar withdraws support...
Breaking news: The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) has withdrawn support from the N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur and its lone MLA will sit in the Opposition benches.
This development will not unseat the government, but Nitish has sent a message to the BJP which it allies with at the Centre and in Bihar.
The development also comes months after the Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party, which is in power in Meghalaya, withdrew support to the Biren Singh government.
A cave-in in New Delhi
16:00 Take photos: PM asks BJP workers to expose AAP
Addressing BJP booth-level workers during the 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned them with a task to expose AAP by taking pictures of broken drains, garbage heaps and lacking basic amenities and to share them with location.
"The BJP booth worker has a big responsibility to expose them (AAP people). You should take pictures of every street of your booth, make videos where dirty water is flowing, drains are broken, there are heaps of garbage and share those pictures with people along with the location," said the PM.
"We have to remember that the biggest goal is to form a BJP government. We have to free Delhi from the troubles and problems that AAP-Da has put it in. Only when this happens, the resolution to make Delhi the developed capital of developed India will be fulfilled, "PM added while addressing the workers.
"I am sure that the strength of this organization in Delhi, with three to four generations of workers at every booth, will give BJP a massive victory in the assembly elections this time too. I am sure that due to the hard work you are doing at your booths, you are going to achieve a huge victory," said PM.
Further hitting out at AAP and Congress, the PM said that both the parties had betrayed the people of Delhi during their respective tenures.
"The people of Delhi are now fed up with AAP's AAP and their lies and deceit. First, the Congress and then AAP's AAP have betrayed the people of Delhi a lot," said the PM. -- ANI
15:48 White winter in Kashmir
Tourists enjoy fresh snowfall on the Gulmarg-Tangmarg road in north Kashmir. Pic: Umar Ganie.
15:35 Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara sequel? The signs are there...
Fans of 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' have been eagerly awaiting a sequel since the film's release in 2011. The beloved movie, which explored friendship, adventure, and self-discovery, captured hearts with its unforgettable performances by Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol.
Recently, the trio sparked hopes of a sequel when they posted a video that has left fans buzzing with excitement. The video uploaded on social media, shows the three actors during an off-screen reunion, casually reflecting on something they seem to admire.
Abhay Deol, holding his chin with a subtle smile, is the first to react, followed by Hrithik Roshan, who exclaims, "Unbelievable," while looking in the same direction. Farhan Akhtar then adds, "Outstanding."
The camera then turns revealing that the trio is gazing at a copy of 'The Three Musketeers', which is fitting given their on-screen personas as the "Three Musketeers" of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
Farhan Akhtar posted the video on social media with the caption, "@zoieakhtar do you see the signs??."
15:26 Amul salutes the Kumbh Mela
The Maha Kumbh revolves around the ritual of bathing in the Ganga, which is believed to cleanse sins and pave the path to liberation.
15:02 Saif hugs auto driver who took him to hospital after attack
Saif Ali Khan met auto driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who saved his life after being stabbed at home in the early hours of January 16. The actor met Rana at the Lilavati hospital before he got discharged on January 21. Read the report here.
14:59 Yogi, Cabinet take dip in the Ganga at Kumbh Mela
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath along with Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak and other cabinet ministers take a holy dip in Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj.
A special cabinet meeting of Uttar Pradesh government, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commenced on Wednesday at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. UP Deputy CM Keshav Prashad Maurya has informed that important decisions will be taken in the meeting.
14:29 WB govt's death plea for Sanjay Roy: HC says...
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said it would hear the CBI, the victim's family and the convict before deciding on the admission of an appeal filed by the West Bengal government claiming inadequacy of sentence given by a trial court in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The high court said it will hear the matter on January 27.
The CBI opposed the state's right to file an appeal in the case, claiming that as it was the prosecuting agency, it had the right to prefer the appeal on the grounds of inadequacy of the sentence.
The Sealdah court on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata on August 9, 2024.
A division bench, presided by Justice Debangshu Basak, said that it would hear the CBI, the family of the victim and the convict through their lawyers before deciding on the admission of the state government's appeal. Seeking capital punishment for Roy, the state's Advocate General Kishore Dutta stated before the court that the life sentence to the convict till the end of his natural life was inadequate.
Praying for admission of appeal by the court, he claimed that apart from the prosecuting agency, the victim's family and the convict, the state can also challenge the quantum of punishment.
Dutta further stated before the division bench, also comprising Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi, that the Kolkata Police initially investigated the rape-murder case before the Calcutta High Court ordered transfer of the probe to the CBI on August 13, 2024.
Appearing for the CBI, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar opposed the state's submission, maintaining that the West Bengal government does not have the right to appeal the trial court order on the ground of inadequacy. He submitted that the CBI had prayed for awarding capital punishment to Roy before the trial court. -- PTI
14:14 Exclusive! RG Kar victim's parents speak
"Sanjay Roy is not alone.
If he's kept alive, maybe we will know what happened.
Why was he in the chest medicine department that night when he never went there earlier?
Nobody will parade in front of a CCTV camera and then go and murder someone.
There are several people who are involved in this heinous crime. They have to be identified and punished."
The parents of the doctor raped and killed at the RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata, speak to Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com.
14:10 Guess how many phones are lost on Delhi metro?
Cash totalling over Rs 40 lakh, 89 laptops, 193 mobiles and nine 'mangalsutras' top the list of things left behind by commuters travelling in Delhi Metro in 2024.
The items were collected and later restored to the owners by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel after the claims were verified. The CISF provides a counter-terrorist security cover to the public transport network that spans more than 250 stations covering over 350 km of rail track in the national capital region (NCR).
Many items were forgotten by passengers near the X-ray baggage scanner in the station area. According to official data accessed by PTI, besides Rs 40.74 lakh in cash, 89 laptops, 40 watches and 193 mobiles, personnel also found silver ornaments, including 13 pairs of anklets, as well as other pieces of jewellery such as rings and bangles.
An assortment of foreign currency, including US dollars, Saudi riyal and Thai baht, totalling 24,550 were also found and restored by CISF personnel during 2024. The security agency recorded 59 suicide attempts in the Delhi Metro network last year; 23 persons lost their lives, three were saved while 33 suffered injuries.
A total of 75 rounds of live ammunition and seven firearms were also detected by the CISF while undertaking security checks of the passengers and their baggage, the data showed.
Playing the role of a good samaritan, the CISF found 262 children travelling alone on Delhi Metro and handed them over to their parents, local police or child helpline volunteers. Similarly, 671 women passengers found in "distress" were also extended help during the same time period by the force, the data said.
The CISF has deployed as many as 13,000 personnel, both men and women, to secure the Delhi Metro network. Lakhs of commuters use the metro every day to reach their destinations in Delhi and its adjoining cities of Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana. -- PTI
13:28 Air India offers AI-driven booking
Air India has rolled out an AI-driven eZ Booking whereby customers can complete their reservation on its website in fewer steps than currently available by just texting or talking to the AI agent.
''Currently available exclusively for members of the Maharaja Club, Air India's loyalty programme, the innovation helps customers book their ticket on the Air India Web site, airindia.com.
How eZ Booking works:
Simple and Minimal Steps: Customers can express their travel needs in simple natural language. For example, they can say 'Give me the first flight from Delhi to Mumbai tomorrow' or 'I need to go to Chennai from Mumbai next Thursday and return on Friday,' just like they would convey their travel needs to a human travel agent. The eZ Booking would promptly provide a complete itinerary which the user can accept or modify if required and simply make the payment to get the ticket.
Voice Input: Guests can also talk to eZ Booking instead of entering text. This further simplifies the effort needed to convey the travel intention and creates an almost human-like interaction.
Changes or Choices with Minimum Commands: In case guests are not satisfied with the itinerary provided, they can easily change it with additional input on what needs to be modified through text or voice commands. This combination of visual presentation and text or voice driven changes speeds up the entire reservation process sparing the customer the hassle to navigate back and forth several screens to change and re-enter the choices made earlier.
13:25 Why Passive Funds' Share In MFs Declined
Even as passive investing continues to grow in popularity, its share in the mutual fund (MF) assets under management (AUM) is on the decline.
After tripling from 5.8% in April 2019 to 17.7% in March 2023, passive funds' share slipped to 16.6% by the end of 2024.
This decline has occurred despite record net inflows, investment account additions, and new fund launches last year.Experts attribute the slowdown in passive growth to a combination of unfavourable market conditions and shifting retail investment trends in the equity space, exacerbated by outflows from passive debt offerings.In the last two years, smallcap and midcap stocks have outperformed largecaps by a wide margin.Given that around 90% of the passive equity AUM tracks largecap indices such as the Nifty 50 and the Sensex, the mark-to-market gains for passive funds was much lower compared to active equity schemes.
In the two-year period ended December 2024, the Nifty 50 gained 31% while Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 went up 93% and 82%, respectively.
Smallcap and midcap funds account for 24% of the active equity AUM. Additionally, schemes like flexicap and multicap also deploy a significant portion of their corpus in smallcap and midcap stocks.
Even active largecap funds invest up to 20% of their AUM in these stocks.
Secondly, the performance differential resulted in investors putting in record sums into active smallcap and midcap funds.
"While the outperformance of smallcap and midcap funds, and the subsequent surge in investor interest in these schemes has been a key factor, the strong inflows into thematic funds also aided the AUM share gain by active equity funds," said Vishal Dhawan, founder & CEO, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors.
The double advantage resulted in active equity funds' share in the industry AUM surging to 46% in December 2024 from 39% in March 2023, shows data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).The declining trend in the passive AUM share is also a result of the change in debt fund taxation in April 2023.
The removal of indexation advantage dried up inflows into the fast-growing passive debt space, which had amassed over Rs 1.5 trillion within a span of a few years. The passive debt AUM, which stood at Rs 1.7 trillion in March 2023, has gone up only by 19% since then to Rs 2 trillion."A major reason for drop in passive AUM share seems to be passive debt funds with target maturity funds showing flat growth. This can be a result of outflows and lack of fresh offerings," said Sriram BKR, senior investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services.
However, passive equity funds have continued to garner higher inflows. Passive funds together raked in a net of Rs 1.3 trillion in 2024 compared to Rs 71,404 crore in 2023 propelled by record number of fund launches. The inflows have largely gone into passive equity funds.
The passive equity AUM surged 38% in the first 11 months of 2024 to Rs 8 trillion. In comparison, the active equity AUM went up by 39%.
The inflows into passive funds was supported by a record 130 fund launches. The spree of new offerings more than doubled the index fund investment accounts to 12.5 million.
-- Abhishek Kumar/Business Standard
13:22 Kejriwal lists 7 demands to Centre: Truth is that...
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday expressed concerns over the situation of the middle class in Delhi, saying that they are nowhere to be seen between the "notebank" and "votebank" created by other parties.
Listing seven demands before the central government ahead of the budget session in Parliament, he argued that the middle class has become the victim of tax terrorism.
"(Some) parties have created their votebank in the name of religion and caste and they make promises for a few industrialists so that they donate money. Between this notebank (industrialists) and votebank (others), the middle class is nowhere to be seen. The middle class has been crushed between them. The middle class of India has become the ATM of the government. The truth remains that the Indian middle class is the victim of tax terrorism," Kejriwal said in a video message.
He said that many people are leaving the country because of this. "In 2023 itself (approximately) 2.16 lakh people have left the country," Kejriwal said, adding, "We have increased the education budget for the middle class, reduced electricity and water bills, after the elections we will implement Sanjeevani Yojana for free treatment of the elderly."
Promising that AAP will become the voice of the middle class, Kejriwal said that his party will raise the issues concerning the middle class in the upcoming budget session of Parliament, scheduled to be held after two weeks. Kejriwal raised seven demands from the central government ahead of the budget session, saying that the next budget session should be dedicated to the middle class.
"We demand that the next budget of the country be dedicated to the middle class. Today I make seven demands from the central government. They should increase the education budget from two per cent to 10 per cent. The fees in private schools must be regulated," the former Delhi CM said, adding that subsidies and scholarships must be provided for higher education.
Kejriwal focused on the need to increase the health budget, demanding that the same should be increased to 10 per cent and tax on health insurance must be removed.
"The income tax exemption limit should be increased from seven lakh rupees to at least 10 lakh rupees," he said, adding that Goods and Services Tax (GST) on essential commodities should be abolished. Furthermore, Kejriwal demanded that the central government start the 50 per cent concession in Railways that was provided to elderly persons. He also said that retirement plans and pension schemes should be introduced for senior citizens.
"Strong retirement plans and pension schemes should be made for senior citizens and senior citizens should be given free and good treatment in all government and private hospitals across the country," Kejriwal said. -- ANI
13:19 Why did Priyanka seek Balaji's blessings?
Did Priyanka Chopra offer prayers at Hyderabad's Chilkur Balaji Temple ahead of a film with Bahubali director SS Rajamouli? Take a look here.
13:03 Who called Modi 'Boss of the World'?
Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, has termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the real "Boss" of the world.
In a meeting with Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu and IMF Founder Prof. Himani Sood in Fiji, Rebuka said PM Modi is a top global leader.
Praising PM Modi's mantra of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' for ensuring everybody develops and prospers together, the Prime Minister of Fiji said, "I believe Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is a great governance model that PM Modi is practising, which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it for making it a better place to live".
"My friend (PM Modi) had been re-elected (as PM) after we met (in 2023), so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are still committed to our journey of peace, on which he has been on that journey for long. Oneness' in our development, oneness in our progress and all these are great ideals for all world leaders," Fiji PM added.
The Fijian PM said PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world. "Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him for that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world," he said. -- PTI
12:58 Mumbaikars, brace for mega traffic chaos this weekend
Cancellation of 270 railway services and a major traffic block on Mumbai-Pune Expressway to cause chaos this week; Work on the south abutment of Bridge No 20, located between Mahim and Bandra stations, will result in a block on the nights of January 24-25 (Friday-Saturday) and January 25-26 (Saturday-Sunday).
Read the report here.
Representational image
12:19 How selfie with wife led police to killing top Maoist
Chalapathi was careful in his movements and remained a mystery for decades until a selfie with his wife led security forces to him. One among the top seven in CPI(Maoist) ranks, he was killed along with 13 "comrades" in an operation at the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
Ramachandra Reddy, better known as Chalapathi, operated in the shadows and led the Maoist attack in Odisha's Nayagarh district in 2008 in which 13 security personnel were killed.
"Though Ramakrishna, a top Maoist leader who is now dead, masterminded the attack of February 15, 2008, Chalapathi was the person who executed it on the ground. He was also the person who ensured that the Maoists could successfully escape from Nayagarh town after robbing the police armoury," a senior officer involved in anti-Naxal operations said on Wednesday.
Chalapathi ensured that police reinforcements could not enter Nayagarh when the attack on the armoury was underway, he said, adding that the Maoists had blocked all roads leading to the town with massive tree trunks. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, where Maoist activities have ended now, Chalapathi was mainly active in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, officials said.
Over the last few years, he had been staying in Darabha in Chhattishgarh's Bastar district as he couldn't travel much due to problems with his knees. He was in his mid-60s, they said. Chalapati joined the banned People's War Group (PWG), which was wreaking havoc in some southern states, in his early years.
He did not go to school, but he was a voracious reader, fluent in Telugu, Hindi, English and Odia, they added He was considered an expert in military tactics and guerrilla warfare, officials said. After the CPI(Maoist) was formed in 2004 with the merger of multiple underground Communist groups, including PWG, he started rising through the ranks, and became a member of the outfit's central committee, they said.
It was Chalapathi who set up Maoist operations in Odisha's backward Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts, expanding the network. However, his attempt to loot another police armoury in Kandhamal district was foiled by the police in 2011, officials said.
During his life in the forests, Chalapathi got close to Aruna alias Chaitanya Venkat Ravi, a 'deputy commander' of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC). Subsequently, they got married. He was a mystery for the security agencies but a selfie with Aruna led to his identification and a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.
This selfie of the couple was found in an abandoned smartphone that was recovered in May 2016 following a gunfight between Maoists and security forces in Andhra Pradesh, officials said. This also restricted his movement, and forced him to travel with a dozen cadres guarding him. Fourteen Maoists, including Chalapathi, were killed in a gunfight with the security forces at the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border.
Two of them were gunned down on Monday morning, police said. Another round of gunfight began late Monday night and continued till the early hours of Tuesday, in which 12 more Maoists were killed, they said. -- PTI
11:59 How Zeenat Aman nearly suffocated on a pill!
Veteran Bollywood actress Zeenat Aman recently shared a nerve-wracking experience on her Instagram account, revealing that she nearly choked on her blood pressure medication in the middle of the night.
The candid post shared on her Instagram handle gave insight into the actress's life beyond the limelight. In her latest Instagram post, Zeenat recounted the ordeal that took place after a long day of work.
"At the risk of sounding like an old lady suffocating on her tablets, allow me to share with you what happened last night," she wrote, sharing details of the event that left her panicked.
According to the actress, after a busy day at a studio in Andheri East, she returned home to her ecstatic dog, Lily, and proceeded with her nightly routine.
"My very last task before I could surrender to sleep was to take my blood pressure medication," Zeenat wrote.
However, things took an unexpected turn when the pill got stuck in her throat. "I popped the pill into my mouth, took a sip of water, and then felt my breath catch. There it was, this little pill lodged in my throat. Too far down to regurgitate and too far up to swallow."
As panic began to set in, Zeenat was left alone at home with only her pets for company. Despite multiple attempts to drink more water, the pill remained stuck.
"There was nobody at home with me other than the dog and the five cats, and panic began to set in," she shared.
In a desperate attempt to get help, she made frantic calls to her son, Zahaan, who abandoned his plans to rush to her aid. Once Zahaan arrived, they managed to reach the doctor, who reassured them that the pill would eventually dissolve. "We finally got through to the doctor who said it would dissolve in time, and I spent the next few hours sipping warm water and waiting," Zeenat recalled.
The experience left her reflecting on the importance of patience in difficult situations. "I woke up this morning feeling a little sheepish about the ordeal. But having been through it, I feel the need to contrive a metaphor from the experience," she wrote.
The actress described how her panic over the pill mirrored life's challenges, emphasizing the value of patience, restraint, and equanimity. "The pill is a metaphor for that situation. It was all I could think about, its discomfort was intense, I sought solutions from others, but ultimately all I could do was practice patience and control over my own fears," she wrote.
Zeenat concluded her post by writing, "Sometimes it's important to tackle an issue head-on. To confront, challenge, and change. But sometimes a situation requires those other softer acts of patience, restraint, and equanimity." -- ANI
11:44 Raut flags 'national security' after Saif attack
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that 'illegal foreigners' living in India is a matter of national security and urged the government to deport them.
This comes after Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora wrote a letter to Maharashtra government to deport illegal Bangladeshis following the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan by a Bangladeshi national.
Speaking with ANI, Sanjay Raut said, "This is a matter of national security, not just Bangladeshis but every foreigner coming to India illegally must be deported. In the US, 17,000 Indians are being removed, they are not illegal but are still being removed."
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora urged the government to deport Bangladeshis living illegally in the state "as soon as possible" to make "Mumbai safe."
Speaking to ANI, Deora said on Tuesday, "I have written a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and urged that wherever any Bangladeshi is living illegally, should be deported as soon as possible. The incident that happened at Saif Ali Khan's house is very worrying."
"The audit of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living across the state is needed to "make Mumbai more safe," he added. He also demanded strict action against agencies which fail to verify documents before giving jobs to individuals.
Actor Saif Ali Khan suffered stab wounds to his thoracic spine when an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, entered his home with the alleged intent of theft last week.
The actor was immediately taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries. Khan on Tuesday returned home after being discharged from the hospital. -- ANI
11:40 Power shake
These hands belong to powerful men and also signify the end of an era in a country that was recently in the news for a big shake-up. Who are the men?
11:23 Andhra CM to meet Bill Gates in Davos
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to meet Microsoft founder Bill Gates and several other global executives in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, officials said.
On the third day of his visit to the Swiss resort town, the Chief Minister will also meet the officials from the World Economic Forum (WEF), they added.
"The chiefs of Unilever, DP World Group, Petronas, Google Cloud, Pepsi and AstraZeneca are going to meet the CM. The CM will also hold discussions with Bill Gates and WEF representatives," a press release said. Moreover, Andhra Pradesh is expected to ink an agreement with renewable energy player Greenko and the CM is scheduled to attend roundtable conferences on topics such as organic farming, human mission calibration and green hydrogen, and renewable power, the release added.
The CM will promote 'Brand Andhra' and showcase investment opportunities in the state, it said. Earlier, addressing a roundtable discussion on 'Building the Next Petrochemical Hub', Naidu underscored the immense potential Andhra Pradesh holds as a petrochemical hub.
"Our state is home to India's largest Petroleum, Chemicals, and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR), spanning an impressive 640 sq km," he said in a post on 'X'. -- PTI
11:14 UP govt to hold Cabinet meet at Kumbh Mela!
Uttar Pradesh government will hold a special cabinet meeting at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj today. UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar informed that the meeting will be held at noon, afterwards CM Yogi Adityanath along with other ministers will take a bath at Maha Kumb.
"The cabinet meeting will be held at noon, after that all the cabinet ministers along with the CM with take a bath here. We have inspected the preparations. We are trying to provide better facilities to everyone here," Prashant Kumar said. UP Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari reaffirmed that BJP government will take UP's development to a new level.
"There is a cabinet meeting in Prayagraj today. We will take Uttar Pradesh's development to a new level. Our Yogi government is working on development of UP, UP's Youth, empowering of UP's women and many other points. I believe that under the leadership of Chief Minister we will make Uttar Pradesh a 'Uttam Pradesh'," Ansari said. UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh said that this is a moment of pride and expressed enthusiasm about being at MahaKumbh. -- ANI
Reuters/Carlos Barria
10:49 What are the pictures on Trump's Oval Office desk?
US President Donald Trump's family photos are displayed on the day he signs documents as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants, in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington. On the desk are pictures of his parents, his son and his wife.
Trump returned to the White House on Monday (January 20) issuing a barrage of executive orders and repealing multiple directives by the previous administration.
He signed as many as 80 executive orders by 9 pm local time, declaring a national emergency at the US border with Mexico, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and ending birthright citizenship.
Pic: Reuters/Carlos Barria
10:33 Trump tossed TikTok a lifeline, but China's unhappy
For many of America's 170 million TikTok users, US President Donald Trump's move to delay a legal ban of the popular social media platform was cause for celebration.
But in China, where TikTok's parent company is based, the reception has been less positive, largely because Trump has suggested he could require the company to give up a 50% stake to avert a shutdown and suggested tariffs on Chinese goods could hinge on whether Beijing approves a potential future deal.
Read the report on CNN.com here.
10:12 President Trump has just signed order ending...
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 21, 2025, titled "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity," with the aim of eliminating race- and sex-based preferences that he argues violate longstanding federal civil-rights laws, in an official statement by the White House.
The order challenges current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies adopted by federal agencies, major corporations, financial institutions, educational institutions, and other key sectors of American society. Trump asserts that such policies undermine individual merit, civil rights protections, and the core values of hard work, excellence, and personal achievement.
In the executive order, Trump describes DEI policies as harmful, claiming they foster an "identity-based spoils system" that unfairly prioritises race, sex, and other protected characteristics over merit and qualifications. He argues that these policies not only violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 but also threaten the safety and prosperity of American citizens by diminishing the value of individual merit in critical sectors such as law enforcement, medicine, aviation, and government.
According to Trump, such preferences have led to "tragic" consequences where competence and ability were overshadowed by identity-based selection, jeopardising public safety and eroding trust in institutions. -- ANI
09:56 10 dead, 15 injured in truck accident in Karnataka
Ten people were killed and 15 injured after a truck carrying them met with an accident at Arebile area in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada on Wednesday morning, said the police.
The victims were travelling to Kumta market from Savanur to sell vegetables.
The injured were rushed to the nearest hospital, said the police.
More information is awaited. -- ANI
09:47 The immigrant story: Kash Patel
Dr. Parik Patel, shares this post on his son Kash Patel who is FBI director in the Trump government. He writes, "My son Kashu grew up cleaning pots and helping me run my motel Now he is director of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence."
The Indian-origin lawyer who has previously served in several key positions in the US government is all set to take over as the FBI Chief.
09:41 Trump 2.0: India to take back 18,000 illegal migrants from US
New Delhi is prepared to cooperate with Donald Trump's administration to identify and repatriate all Indian citizens residing illegally in the United States, a Bloomberg report said on Tuesday.
The US has identified some 18,000 illegal Indian migrants which are to be sent back, and for this India would verify and start the deportation process, the report said.
During his inauguration on Monday, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US southern border. He announced that all illegal entry into the country would be immediately halted and that his administration would begin returning millions of 'criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.'
* In 2023-2024, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported over 1,100 Indian nationals, with 160,000 individuals removed globally via 495 repatriation flights to 145 countries, including India.
* Illegal migration to the US has increased, via the northern border, though Indians accounted for only 3% of unlawful crossings in 2024.
* Since 2022, Indians have topped illegal immigrants from Asia at US checkpoints, surpassing the the Philippines.
* In 2023-2024, US authorities encountered 90,415 Indians attempting illegal entry.
* DHS estimates 220,000 unauthorised Indian immigrants in the US as of 2022, part of the 13.3 million undocumented population nationwide.
* Over two-thirds of undocumented immigrants have lived in the US for over a decade, contributing 5% to the workforce, particularly in agriculture, hospitality, construction (12%), and health care.
* Trump's immigration plan could require hiring 220,000 -- 409,000 ICE staff, up from 20,000, with estimated costs between $315 billion and $1 trillion, according to the American Immigration Council (AIC)
* Mass deportation of 13.3 million undocumented immigrants could reduce US GDP by 4.2% -- 6.8%, AIC data states.
* India seeks to protect legal immigration channels, with its citizens accounting for nearly 75% of the 386,000 H-1B visas granted in 2023.
-- Archis Mohan/Business Standard
09:36 Former US NSA: US should welcome additional immigrants
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton called for reforms in the US immigration system, particularly on the matter of the H-1B visa programme, expressing support for increasing legal immigration and recognising its value as a strength for the country.
Speaking to ANI, the former NSA addressed the complexity of US immigration policy, noting that while the issue of illegal immigration in the US was urgent, the legal immigration system remains "hopelessly gridlocked."
"There's no doubt when we consider the problem of illegal immigration that the problem is severe and needs to be fixed. And Trump's position on that is very popular. What people don't talk about enough is the legal immigration system, which is hopelessly gridlocked. It's very politically difficult to change," he said.
"My own view is that we should welcome additional immigrants. It's a source of strength for the United States. The visa program is a way to bring people in. They may decide to return to their home country. They may decide to apply for citizenship in the United States," Bolton added. -- ANI
09:32 Nirupam questions Saif's quick recovery after attack
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam shares this post on Twitter on the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan. He says: The doctors said that The knife had penetrated 2.5 inches inside Saif Ali Khan's back. Probably he was trapped inside. The operation continued for 6 hours continuously. All this happened on 16th January. Today is 21st January. So fit as soon as you got out of the hospital? In just 5 days? Wonderful ! #SaifAliKhan."
If you don't know what that's about, read this:
Actor Saif Ali Khan was discharged from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday, five days after he was repeatedly stabbed by an intruder at his house in upscale Bandra.
The 54-year-old actor, who suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack in the early hours of January 16 underwent emergency surgery at the hospital. Doctors had earlier said that Khan had three injuries, two on the hand and one on the right side of the neck, and the major part was at the back, which was in the spine.
Doctors removed the sharp object that was lodged in the spine and repaired the injury. Khan recovered well and was shifted from the intensive care unit (ICU) on January 17 to a special room.
The police on Sunday arrested Bangladeshi national Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30) from neighbouring Thane city for the stabbing incident.
09:27 US desires to advance economic ties with India: Rubio to Jaishankar
At his maiden meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, newly-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed Trump administration's desire to advance economic ties with India, and address concerns related to irregular migration, a spokesperson for the top US diplomat said Tuesday.
Rubio, 53, opted to have his first bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, underlining the importance the Trump administration attaches to strengthening ties with India. He met Jaishankar, 70, at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, soon after a Quad ministerial meeting. Rubio "emphasised the Trump administration's desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration", State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout after the meeting.
The two top diplomats affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the India-US partnership, she said. -- PTI
09:15 Saif attacker jumped bldg wall, guards were asleep
The Bangladeshi national arrested for attacking Saif Ali Khan gained entry into the actor's building in Mumbai by scaling its compound wall and went inside the main entrance after finding the security guards asleep, police said.
The Mumbai police on Tuesday recreated the crime scene with the accused at the Satguru Sharan building in Bandra, where the actor resides. Khan (54) was stabbed repeatedly by the intruder, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das (30), inside his 12-floor apartment in the wee hours of January 16.
The actor suffered multiple stab injuries in the attack and underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital. He returned home on Tuesday. The police arrested the accused from neighbouring Thane city on Sunday.
In order to recreate the crime scene, the police took the accused to the actor's building as well as at other places that he possibly visited to have food, change clothes and board a train, the official said on Tuesday.
"Both the security guards in the building, where actor Saif Ali Khan resides, were sleeping when his attacker entered it by crossing over the boundary wall," the official said.
"As the accused found both the security guards in deep slumber, he entered the building from the main entrance where no CCTV camera has been installed. The accused removed his shoes and kept them in his bag to avoid making any noise and also switched off his phone," he said. During the probe, the police found there are no CCTV cameras installed in the building's corridor, the official said.
"The investigation revealed that one of the two security guards was sleeping in the cabin and the other near the gate," he added.
The accused is kept in the lockup either at the Bandra or the Santacruz police stations (as per the probe requirement) and no one except the investigation officer has permission to meet him.
He is being provided food given to the other accused as well, the official said. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Lingnurkar has been appointed as the investigation officer in the case, he said. Fakir, a native of Jhalokathi district in Bangladesh, was residing in Mumbai for more than five months, did odd jobs and was associated with a housekeeping agency, according to police. A court in Mumbai on Sunday remanded the accused in five-day police custody. -- PTI
09:06 Trump says he is considering 10 pc tariff on China from...
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his team is discussing imposing a 10 per cent tariff on China starting February 1 based on the fact that the latter is sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada.
"We're talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump told reporters at a joint news conference at the White House along with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman.
In response to a question, Trump said he is looking at February 1 as the date for the tariffs.
"For Mexico and China, we're talking about approximately 25 per cent (tariff)," the president said.
Responding to another query, Trump said he did not "talk too much about tariffs" when he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.
When asked if he has asked Xi Jinping to intervene to stop the war in Ukraine, Trump said China has not done very much on that.
"He's got a lot of power. I said you ought to get it settled. I had that talk with President Xi the other day too. I said we don't want that crap in our country. We've got to stop it. I would have stopped it. I had to deal with him where he was going to give the maximum penalty, which in China is death penalty, for drug dealing and he was all set," Trump said.
"He was going to give the maximum penalty to fentanyl dealers if they send (the staff) to the United States. And of course, Biden didn't pick that up. I had that deal all done. It was all wrapped up," he added.
"We were going to get it done and then the election went -- let's put it nicely. It didn't go the proper way. I'm trying to be nice about it. It (election) was rigged and we had an incompetent president elected who never followed up on that deal," Trump said.
He added that if there was death penalty, "they wouldn't be sending fentanyl to Mexico, Canada and other places". -- PTI
08:48 A 1000 km cycle ride to Kumbh to campaign for plastic-free Ganga
A 10-member team of retired military officers on Tuesday left for the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on bicycles as part of an awareness campaign on plastic-free Ganga.
Under the Atulya Ganga Abhiyan, the Army veterans will cover 1,150 km in 11 days by bicycle via Devprayag, Rishikesh, Narora and Kanpur.
The team was flagged off from Ujeli in Uttarkashi by Col Anshuman Bhadauria, Principal of Nehru Mountaineering Institute.
Vishnu Semwal, coordinator of the campaign, said their campaign will run till January 31.
Lieutenant Colonel Hem Lohumi, founder-member of Atulya Ganga Abhiyan, said that retired military officers have been running this campaign for the last several years.
They have walked 5,525 km and covered 3,000 km by cycling to raise awareness on clean Ganga, he said. -- PTI
08:22 I don't want to stop, need...: Trump on H-1B visa
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he likes both sides of the argument on H-1B foreign guest workers' visa, noting that he likes "very competent people" coming into the country and that he has used the programme.
"I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop -- and I'm not just talking about engineers, I'm talking about people at all levels," Trump told reporters at the White House during a joint news conference with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman.
The president was responding to a question on the ongoing debate on H-1B visa within his support base.
While his close confidants like Elon Musk, the Tesla owner, supports H-1B visa as it brings in qualified tech professionals, many of his supporters oppose it arguing that it takes away jobs from Americans.
"We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Ma'tre d', wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters -- you've got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs... they need engineers like nobody's ever needed them," Trump said.
"So, we have to have quality people coming in. Now by doing that, we're expanding businesses and that takes care of everybody. So I'm sort of on both sides of the argument, but what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country. And we do that through the H-1B programme," Trump said. -- PTI
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00:31 FIR against two for 'misleading' online posts targeting Maha Kumbh
The Uttar Pradesh police filed an FIR against two social media users for allegedly posting misleading and objectionable content related to the ongoing Maha Kumbh, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused have made "misleading" posts about a girl visiting the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj without informing her family, the officials said.
According to the FIR lodged at the Maha Kumbh police station, the girl from Nazar Pur village in Bhadohi left her home on January 16 to visit the Maha Kumbh without informing her family.
"While wandering near the Kali Marg Akhada area, she encountered a sadhu named Sanjay Giri and engaged in a conversation with him. During this interaction, some individuals took photos and videos, later sharing them on social media platform X under the handles ADV Nazneen Akhtar and Er Suraj Kumar," said inspector Bhaskar Mishra, the complainant.
"These posts contained objectionable content, spreading negative and misleading information that targeted the Kumbh Mela, the Sanatan Dharma, and the girl's honour," Mishra added.
A senior police officer also confirmed that the FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
The officer added that the posts are being investigated, and appropriate action will be taken. -- PTI
00:28 Govt warns NGOs of action if...
The home ministry on Tuesday warned NGOs of penal action if they have been receiving and utilising foreign funds without FCRA registration or even after expiry of registration.
In a notification, the ministry said all NGOs receiving foreign funds have to be mandatorily registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 and they have to utilise such funds only for the purposes it has been received.
Besides, those who get the FCRA registration certificate must renew it within six months before the expiry of the period of the registration and if not done, their registration cease to exist and can't receive or utilise foreign contribution.
"However, instances have come to notice to this ministry where credit or debit of the FC (Foreign Contribution) has been noticed into the accounts of the NGOs/ associations who have not been granted registration/ prior permission/ renewal under the FCRA 2010 or such NGOs/ associations whose registration has ceased on expiry of validity period or whose registration has been cancelled," the notification said.
The home ministry said any receipt or utilisation of the FC without valid registration is violation of the provisions of the FCRA 2010. -- PTI