Latest LIVE: Govt's focus is on Tripura's all-round development, says PM

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9:16 PM

Andhra Pradesh Police arrests five youth with 70 gms of MDMA drugs

We've arrested 5 youths identified as Shankar Prashant, Sayed Azhar Ali, Vishnu Vardhan, Karna & Vinayaka with 70 grams of MDMA drugs worth approx Rs 4-5 Lakh. They procured it from Bengaluru & were trying to sell it here, said Anand Reddy, DCP Zone II, Visakhapatnam.

9:15 PM

"Gave red cards to hurdles like corruption, nepotism..." PM gives analogy from sports on World Cup final day

9:11 PM

Argentina-France Fifa World Cup: Deepika Padukone unveils the trophy

The actor flew down to Qatar, unveiled the FIFA World Cup trophy at the jam-packed Lusail Iconic Stadium. On Sunday morning, Deepika teased her fans with a sneak peek of the Trophy trunk book by Louis Vuitton - a brand that has custom-made the trophy trunk for the world cup. Deepika is the global ambassador of the brand.

 

6:03 PM

Pakistani clerics' delegation to visit Afghanistan for dialogue over cross border hostility

A delegation of Pakistani clerics will travel to Afghanistan this week to hold talks with Afghan officials to end the cross-border hostility in southwestern Chaman border region, authorities said on Sunday.

The four-member delegation will hold meetings with officials from the Afghan ministry of defence and key Taliban leaders in Kandahar and Kabul, the Chaman district administration was quoted as saying by The News International newspaper. They added the Pak-Afghan border security forces' flag meeting has been postponed upon the departure of the delegation.

Pakistan summoned the Afghan charge d'affaires here to condemn the recent incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Afghan troops near the Chaman border crossing that have escalated tensions between Islamabad and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers.

 

4:51 PM

Amid ED probe, Chhattisgarh CM says prepared for more such moves by Centre

Amid a probe by Enforcement Directorate in the alleged coal levy scam and the arrest of a few bureaucrats and businessmen, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday called the action "vendetta politics" and said he was prepared for more such moves by the Centre.

He also slammed the BJP-led Union government for not releasing funds to Chhattisgarh, adding he would not keep silent over such injustice to his state.

In an interview to PTI, Baghel, who completed four years in office on December 17, said the schemes of his government were aimed at strengthening the rural economy but admitted there were several poll promises which are yet to be fulfilled.

"We welcome action against corruption. But if the action is politically motivated then it is wrong. Whenever I campaigned in elections in other states, raids were conducted in Chhattisgarh by the central agencies," Baghel said.

 

4:46 PM

1971 India-Pakistan war: Hero of Longewala post battling health issues at AIIMS-Jodhpur

Bhairon Singh Rathore (81), the veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war whose bravery at Rajasthan's Longewala post was portrayed by actor Suniel Shetty in Bollywood movie 'Border', is battling health issues and has been admitted to the AIIMS in Jodhpur.

Rathore's son Sawai Singh told PTI that his father was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Jodhpur on December 14, two days before the 51st anniversary of the war, after his health deteriorated and his limbs got affected in what seemed like a paralysis.

"Doctors told us that my father has possibly suffered a brain stroke. He has been in and out of ICU over the last few days," Singh told PTI. The Singh family lives in Solankiatala village, about 120 kms from Jodhpur.

4:46 PM

1971 India-Pakistan war: Hero of Longewala post battling health issues at AIIMS-Jodhpur

Bhairon Singh Rathore (81), the veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war whose bravery at Rajasthan's Longewala post was portrayed by actor Suniel Shetty in Bollywood movie 'Border', is battling health issues and has been admitted to the AIIMS in Jodhpur.

Rathore's son Sawai Singh told PTI that his father was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Jodhpur on December 14, two days before the 51st anniversary of the war, after his health deteriorated and his limbs got affected in what seemed like a paralysis.

"Doctors told us that my father has possibly suffered a brain stroke. He has been in and out of ICU over the last few days," Singh told PTI. The Singh family lives in Solankiatala village, about 120 kms from Jodhpur.

4:37 PM

India and Sri Lanka to launch ferry service next month between Kankesanthurai port and Pondicherry

Sri Lanka and India will start a passenger ferry service next month between Kankesanthurai port in Jaffna district and Pondicherry, according to media reports.

Ports, Shipping, and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said arrangements were made to start the ferry service in mid-January next year, the Colombo Page reported.

The minister said the Indian government had extended consent for the service, Daily Mirror reported.

"A large number of Indian citizens are engaged in business activities in the Jaffna Peninsula. With such engagement, the new service is expected to generate a large portion of foreign revenue. It will also be of immense convenience for Buddhist pilgrims to India," the minister said.

 

4:11 PM

PM Modi arrives in Tripura, set to address rally, launch developmental projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to inaugurate projects and address a rally in Tripura among other engagements, has arrived in Agarta.

Governor SN Arya, CM Manik Saha, Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma and Union minister Pratima Bhoumik greeted the PM at the airport.

Shortly after his arrival, Modi left for Vivekananda Ground, where he is set to address a rally. He was given a rousing welcome by school and college students, who danced on two sides of the road leading to the venue of the rally from the airport.

The PM will be launching projects worth over Rs 4,350 crore in Tripura.

 

3:34 PM

Bihar govt appoints 1990-batch IPS officer R S Bhatti as DGP of state

The Bihar government on Sunday appointed senior Indian Police Service officer R S Bhatti as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of the state.

"Rajwinder Singh Bhatti, a 1990-batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, is appointed as DGP of Bihar till further orders", the notification issued by the state Home Department said.

He is currently on central deputation and posted as the Additional Director General (Eastern command), Border Security Force (BSF). Bhatti will replace S K Singhal who is retiring on December 19.

Prior to his central deputation, he was DG of the Bihar Military Police.

In Bihar, he worked in various capacities. During his first stint in central deputation, he worked in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as joint director.

2:59 PM

PM doesn't utter 'China', he and not Rajnath Singh must answer in parliament: Cong

Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "running away" from a debate in parliament on the situation along the border with China and said he and not the defence minister must speak on this issue.

The opposition party also alleged that the prime minister does not utter the word "China" and asked whether the government is "silent" due to its "close ties" with that country.

At a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi went to China in 1988 "when we were strong at the borders and after that visit bilateral ties became stronger".

But in April 2020 all this came to an end and a new chapter was opened, he said.

"The prime minister has given a clean chit to them (China) by saying 'no one has come and no one is inside our territory'. Due to this clean chit, our bargaining position has gone down," Ramesh claimed.

 

2:36 PM

4 policemen killed in terrorist attack in Pakistan's northwest

At least four Pakistani policemen were killed and several injured in a terrorist attack on a newly constructed police station in the country's volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday.

Terrorists carrying lethal weapons, including hand grenades and rocket launchers, attacked the police station in Laki Marwat area bordering south Waziristan tribal district. They fled the scene after an exchange of fire with the police, officials said.

Police officials are searching the area to track down the terrorists.

 

2:27 PM

Kejriwal calls for boycott of Chinese products, slams Centre for allowing imports from China

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal Sunday lashed out at the Modi government over the recent faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, asking it to show "courage and respect" for the country's soldiers.

Addressing his party's national council meeting, he said as Chinese aggression increases at the border, the BJP-led Centre says "everything is alright".

Instead of "punishing" China, the Modi government is "rewarding Beijing" by allowing high volumes of imports from the country even though many Indian soldiers have put their lives on the line to fight Chinese troops, he charged.

"Don't you have any respect for our soldiers? Show some courage. China will come to its senses if India stops imports," Kejriwal said.

He also appealed to the nation to boycott Chinese products. "They say Chinese products are cheap. We do not want Chinese products even if it is cheap. We are ready to buy made-in-India products even if it costs us double," he added.

2:22 PM

CPN-Maoist Centre chief Prachanda expresses desire to become Nepal's next PM

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, the chairman of the CPN-Maoist Centre, has met Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and reportedly expressed his desire to become the country's new premier, as the two leaders discussed how to take the ruling coalition forward and form the next government, according to a report in The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

 

The meeting happened on Saturday. 

 

President Bidya Devi Bhandari is considering calling the political parties to put forward their claims to form the next government.

 

No party in the 275-member House of Representatives has 138 seats required to form the new government.

 

The ruling alliance has numbers close to the majority mark but it is still undecided on who will lead the new cabinet.

 

1:59 PM

India will contribute 10 pc of incremental global petchem demand growth: Puri

India, whose per capita consumption is significantly lower than that of developed economies, will contribute 10 per cent of the incremental growth of global petrochemical demand, oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.

Petrochemicals, which turn oil and gas into daily products such as plastics, fertilisers, packaging, clothing, digital devices, medical equipment, detergents or tyres, are rapidly becoming the largest driver of global oil consumption. They are set to account for more than a third of the growth in oil demand by 2030, and nearly half by 2050, ahead of trucks, aviation and shipping, according to IEA.

"Petrochemical market size is currently in India about USD 190 billion, whereas the per capita consumption of petrochemical segments is significantly lower, compared to that in developed economies. And this gap offers substantial space for demand growth and investment opportunities," Puri said addressing the plenary session at the 7th Petrochemical Conclave.

 

1:46 PM

Showed 'red card' to obstacles that came in way of NE development: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his government has removed several obstacles that came in the way of development of the northeast region in the past eight years.

Addressing a public meeting on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the North East Council (NEC), he also said that improved air connectivity has helped boost export of agricultural produce from the region and benefited farmers.

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, Modi said the NDA government has "shown the red card to many obstacles" that came in the way of the development for the northeast.

"Obstacles such as corruption, discrimination, violence and vote bank politics were removed," the PM said. "Earlier, attempts were made to divide NE. Now, we are removing these divisions."

1:34 PM

Stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao commissioned into Indian Navy

The Indian Navy commissioned the stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao on Sunday.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, navy chief admiral R Hari Kumar and Goa CM Pramod Sawant were among those present at the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai.

Singh said the warship will boost India's maritime power. He termed INS Mormugao as the most technologically advanced warship.

The navy chief said the commissioning of the warship, on the eve of the Goa Liberation Day, is indicative of the large strides taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade.

 

1:23 PM

Day not far when Indians will cheer for the national flag at Fifa WC, says PM Modi

1:10 PM

Modi govt established peace in northeast region, says Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government has established peace in the northeast, which was once a militancy-affected region.

Addressing a public meeting on the golden jubilee of the North East Council (NEC) in presence of the prime minister, Shah said Modi visited the region over 50 times during the past eight years and laid out the roadmap for its progress.

Northeast was known for violence and separatism but during the last eight years, such incidents have come down by 70 per cent. Attacks on security personnel have also been reduced by 60 per cent while civil casualties have come down to 89 per cent, he said.

 

12:19 PM

AAP's national council meets on Sunday to discuss party's expansion plans

After the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and the civic body polls in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has called a meeting of its national council on Sunday to discuss the party's expansion plans.

All elected representatives of AAP and its key office-bearers from various states are expected to attend the meeting, which will be chaired by national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann too are likely to attend the meeting.

The party members are likely to discuss the strategy for the assembly polls due next year and also chalk out a roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

 

11:52 AM

Playing against BJP on Congress-prepared pitch due to yatra: Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Bharat Jodo Yatra has ensured that the Congress is now setting the political narrative in the country and the BJP has been made to play on a pitch prepared by his party.

 

In an interview with PTI on the yatra completing 100 days, Ramesh also said that Rahul Gandhi is trying to sharpen the ideological basis of the Congress and is working along with the party's elected president, Mallikarjun Kharge, as a 'jugalbandi' (together).

 

Asked whether the party could undertake another such yatra next year, Ramesh said, "I would certainly love to participate in a Porbandar (Gujarat) to Parshuram Kund (Arunachal Pradesh) Yatra but whether we can do it next year and how we can do it next year, it has to be discussed and debated in appropriate party forums."

 

11:34 AM

AIIMS server attack: Delhi police writes to CBI to seek Interpol help

11:14 AM

PM mediates in Russia-Ukraine war but ignores Maha-K'taka boundary dispute: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says the Prime Minister Narendra Modi mediates in the Russia-Ukraine war but turns a blind eye to the simmering Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, adding this is "not a sign of a good politician".

In his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in the party mouthpiece Saamana, Raut also claimed the boundary dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka is a struggle for humanity and not a fight between people and governments of the two states.

Maharashtra has been long claiming Belagavi and surrounding areas in north Karnataka as they have a sizable Marathi-speaking population. 

10:48 AM

Gehlot says no anti-incumbency in Raj, his biggest achievement after 4 years as CM

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot claims there's no anti-incumbency under his four-year rule and it is his biggest achievement.

"Even after four years, the people of Rajasthan are not against the state government. Usually, it happens everywhere and people start finding faults (with the government). In Rajasthan, the situation is different. There can be no bigger achievement than this for the state government," Gehlot said at an event to mark the fourth anniversary of his government.

He also reiterated a demand from the Centre, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure social security across the country.

Several government programmes were organised in Jaipur, including a development exhibition at the Jawahar Kala Kendra, on this occassion.

 

10:35 AM

At 6.2C, minimum temperature drops two notches below normal in Delhi

The minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 6.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning, which was two notches below the season's average.

 

The relative humidity was 87 per cent at 8.30 am, the meteorological department said.

 

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index (AQI) stood at 315 at 9 am.

 

An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered "very poor", above that is "severe".

 

The weatherman has forecast a largely clear sky during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle at around 24 degrees Celsius.

9:58 AM

India, China's concerns about use of nuclear weapons impacted Russia: CIA chief

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief William Burns has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's saber-rattling over using tactical nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine is only meant to intimidate the rivals. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's concerns over the use of nuclear weapons have had an impact on the Russians to tone down their rhetoric.

"I think it has also been very useful that Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in India have also raised their concerns about the use of nuclear weapons as well. I think that's also having an impact on the Russians," Burns said during an interview with PBS.

Burns during the interview said he doesn't see any clear evidence today of Russia's plans to use tactical nuclear weapons.

Putin previously acknowledged that the conflict in Ukraine will going to take a while to resolve. He also warned of the increasing threat of a nuclear war.

 

9:48 AM

Covid-19: India records 176 fresh cases; active cases decline to 3,552

With 176 fresh cases, India's Covid-19 tally has climbed to 4,46,75,952 while the number of active cases has declined to 3,552, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.

The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 5,30,672 with five more fatalities, including four reconciled by Kerala and one reported by Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The active cases account for 0.01 per cent of the total caseload, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has gone up to 98.8 per cent. A decrease of 56 cases was recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

 

9:29 AM

Fearless sense of independence of courts saved democracy during Emergency: CJI Chandrachud

The "fearless sense of independence of courts" saved democracy during the Emergency in 1975, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said.

CJI Chandrachud, who assumed the office of the Chief Justice of India in November, was felicitated by the Bombay High Court on Saturday. At the ceremony, he spoke at length about several judges of the past and his experience while working with them.

"It was judges like Rane who kept the torch of liberty burning which had become dim in those years of Emergency in 1975. It was the fearless sense of independence of our courts which saved Indian democracy in 1975," the CJI said.

 

9:18 AM

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Some participants raise slogans in support of Sachin Pilot on his home turf

9:10 AM

North Korea launches ballistic missile off east coast, says Seoul

North Korea launched a ballistic missile Sunday off its east coast, South Korea said.

South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff said the launch was made on Sunday morning but gave no further details.

The launch came three days after North Korea said it tested a high-thrust solid-fuel motor for a new strategic weapon, a development that could allow it to possess a more mobile, harder-to-detect arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland.