Latest news LIVE updates: PM Modi address 90th Interpol General Assembly

From Interpol Meet in New Delhi to coronavirus cases, catch all the latest developments from across the globe here

3:00 PM

Godrej & Boyce creating unnecessary hurdles in land acquisition for bullet train project: Maha govt to HC

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd had left no stone unturned to create unnecessary hurdles for acquisition of land, owned by the company, for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sharmila Deshmukh was hearing a petition filed by Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd challenging an order of September 15, 2022 passed by the state government awarding compensation to it for land acquisition for the project.

The company, in their petition, sought that the high court direct the state government to not start the process of awarding compensation and initiate possession proceedings.

2:59 PM

Tropical cyclone likely to form over west central Bay of Bengal: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that a tropical cyclone is likely to form over west central Bay of Bengal around October 23 or 24.

In a statement, the IMD's Bhubaneswar Centre said that cyclonic circulation formed over south Andaman Sea and the neighbourhood on Monday now lay over north Andaman Sea and neighbourhood.

Under its influence a low pressure area is likely to form over southeast and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal during next 48 hours, it said.

2:56 PM

Govt hikes wheat MSP by Rs 110 to Rs 2,125/qtl, mustard by Rs 400 to Rs 5,450/qtl for this yr

The government on Tuesday hiked the minimum support price for wheat by Rs 110 to Rs 2,125 per quintal and mustard by Rs 400 to Rs 5,450 per quintal for the current crop year to boost the production and income of the farmers.

 

The decision to increase the MSPs (minimum support prices) of six rabi crops was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

MSP is the rate at which the government buys grain from farmers. Currently, the government fixes MSPs for 23 crops grown in both the Kharif and rabi seasons.

2:41 PM

PM Modi address 90th Interpol General Assembly

2:36 PM

Jayalalithaa death case: Judicial commission seeks probe against Sasikala, ex-minister

The Justice Arumugasamy commission that probed the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has recommended an inquiry against V.K. Sasikala, former aide of Jayalalithaa, former health minister C. Vijayabhaskar and former health secretary Dr. J. Radhakrishnan and Dr. C. Sivakumar.

The commission tabled its report in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday.

The state government had formed the commission to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of former Chief Minister since her hospitalisation on September 22, 2016.

 

2:16 PM

AAP will build schools at every four km in eight Gujarat cities if it comes to power: Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said if the Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in Gujarat, it will build a government school at every four kilometres in eight cities within a year.

Sisodia, who was on Monday questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for more than nine hours with the Delhi Excise policy scam case, also said he is ready for everything, even to go to jail, but the construction of schools will not stop in Gujarat.

"The people of Gujarat are determined to get schools made for their children and will elect a party that builds schools. They do not put into jail those who build schools by misusing the ED and CBI," he said at a press conference.

2:15 PM

Two labourers from UP killed in grenade attack in J-K, 2 suspects arrested

Two migrant labourers hailing from Uttar Pradesh were killed after terrorists hurled a grenade at them in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

A local "hybrid terrorist" of proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was among two people arrested for the attack during a search and cordon operation, they said.

"Hybrid terrorists" are unlisted radicalised people who carry out terror strikes and slip back into their routine lives often without leaving any trace.

1:25 PM

Union cabinet approves MSPs for all Rabi Crops for marketing season 2023-24

Union cabinet approves Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all Rabi Crops for marketing season 2023-24; absolute highest increase in MSP approved for lentil (Masur) at Rs 500 per quintal: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

 

12:56 PM

PFI case: NIA raids underway in Phulwari Sharif, Patna

National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids are underway at two locations in Phulwari Sharif and Patna in Bihar on Tuesday in connection with the Popular Front of India (PFI) case.

 

Earlier this year, a PFI "terror module" was unearthed by Bihar Police in Phulwari Sharif district of the state with the arrest of three people, including a retired Jharkhand police officer, for their alleged links with the group and their plans to indulge in "anti-India" activities.

 

Reports earlier suggested that evidence collected during the investigation had revealed that an accused in the case received funds in the form of cryptocurrency from a foreign organization.

 

12:56 PM

Astronaut James McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, dies at 93

James A. McDivitt, who commanded the Apollo 9 mission testing the first complete set of equipment to go to the moon, has died. He was 93.

 

McDivitt was also the commander of 1965's Gemini 4 mission, where his best friend and colleague Ed White made the first U.S. spacewalk. His photographs of White during the spacewalk became iconic images.

 

He passed on a chance to land on the moon and instead became the space agency's program manager for five Apollo missions after the Apollo 11 moon landing.

12:55 PM

Govt mulls helipads along new highways

The government is looking at having helipads along new highways as that will help in immediate evacuations during emergencies.

 

The ministries of civil aviation and road transport have discussed the proposal, according to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

 

To enhance connectivity, especially in remote and hilly areas, the civil aviation ministry has been pushing for increasing the use of helicopters.

12:55 PM

NHAI to hold officials liable for any fatal accidents

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will hold officials liable for any fatal or serious accidents that occur as a result of poor road engineering works.

 

NHAI in a circular said the authority has taken a serious view towards the dereliction of duty by the representative of NHAI/IE/AE involved in the process of issuance of the provisional certificate, thereby jeopardising the safety of users in utter disregard of the policy guidelines and provisions of the contract agreement.

12:47 PM

Covid pandemic caused prolonged decline in global life expectancy: Study

COVID-19 has caused a prolonged decline in life expectancy levels, leading to global mortality changes unprecedented in the last 70 years, according to a study.

The researchers from the University of Oxford, UK, and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany used data from 29 countries in Europe, as well as Chile and the US.

The study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, found that life expectancy in 2021 remained lower than expected across all 29 countries, had pre-pandemic trends continued.

12:45 PM

Ready to buy fuel from Russia on India rate: Pak Finance Minister

Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is on an official visit to the US, has said that Islamabad is ready to buy fuel from Russia on the rate it was providing to India.

While replying to a question by the media, the Minister on Monday said he hoped that the West would also have no objection to importing the discounted fuel in the wake of Pakistan's financial hardship due to unprecedented recent floods, which devastated large parts of the country, The News reported.

Dar said the coalition government in Centre had enough time to return to the political front.

12:23 PM

A helicopter carrying Kedarnath pilgrims from Phata crashes, casualties feared

12:05 PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Gujarat on 19-20 October

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Gujarat on 19-20 Oct. He will dedicate and lay foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 15,670 crore in the state. In a significant step towards showcasing India’s defence manufacturing prowess, he'll inaugurate DefExpo22 on 19th Oct: PMO

 

11:21 AM

Australia drops recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Australia has reversed a previous government's recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the foreign minister said Tuesday.

The center-left Labor Party government Cabinet agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital and reaffirmed that Jerusalem's status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

Australia remained committed to a two-party solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and we will not support an approach that undermines this prospect, Wong said.

11:19 AM

UN chief Guterres says he fully supports PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark to Russian President Putin

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that he fully supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is "not an era of war", emphasising that all efforts towards creating conditions for a solution to the Ukraine conflict under the UN Charter and international law will be "very much welcomed."

Speaking to PTI here ahead of his visit to India, Guterres also said he is "very concerned with escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, especially when escalation causes a large number of civilian victims, obviously it only worsens what is already a very difficult situation."

Russian President Putin ordered a "special military operation" against Ukraine on February 24. The raging conflict has further heightened economic stresses, especially on food and energy.

11:18 AM

Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan planning protest after election win

Pakistan’s former Prime Minster Imran Khan said he will decide on a protest march to Islamabad this month if the government doesn’t announce a date for early elections within the next few days, building on momentum after winning majority seats in a by-election.

The preparations for the peaceful protest are almost complete, the ex-cricket-star-turned-politician said at a news conference.

He didn’t disclose the date of converging on the capital, Islamabad.

 

11:15 AM

US could sell oil from emergency reserve this week: Reports

The Biden administration plans to sell oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to dampen fuel prices before next month's congressional elections, three sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.

 

President Joe Biden's announcement is expected this week as part of the response to Russia's war on Ukraine, one of the sources said.

 

The sale would market the remaining 14 million barrels from Biden's previously announced, and largest ever, release from the reserve of 180 million barrels that started in May.

10:46 AM

Delhi High Court to pronounce order on bail plea of Umar Khalid at 2.15 PM today

The Delhi High Court to pronounce the order on the bail plea of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid at 2.15 PM. He is the accused in a larger conspiracy case related to the North East Delhi riots of February 2020.

 

10:45 AM

PM has given the target of achieving $5 bn in defence exports by 2025: BrahMos Aerospace Chairman

10:33 AM

Novel by Sri Lanka's Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize

Writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction for "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," a satirical "afterlife noir" set during Sri Lanka's brutal civil war.

 

Karunatilaka, one of Sri Lanka's leading authors, won the 50,000 pound ($57,000) award on Monday for his second novel. The 47-year-old, who has also written journalism, children's books, screenplays and rock songs, is the second Sri Lanka-born Booker Prize winner, after Michael Ondaatje, who took the trophy in 1992 for "The English Patient." Karunatilaka received the award from Camilla, Britain's queen consort, during a ceremony at London's Roundhouse concert hall.

10:30 AM

Govt on denial mode on Global Hunger Index ranking: Chidambaram

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has alleged that the government was in a denial mode on the poverty and hunger index rankings.

He said on Tuesday, "Sadly, the Modi government is in denial mode as was evident when it rejected India's 107 ranking in the Global Hunger Index."

"The UNDP and the Oxford HDI have confirmed what we have said several times: that the UPA government had the best record in lifting people out of poverty.The Report released on 17-10-2022 has confirmed that 27.39 crore were lifted out of poverty in the 10 years of the UPA government".

10:25 AM

India records 1,542 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, lowest in over 6 months: Govt

India saw a single-day rise of 1,542 coronavirus infections, the lowest in 182 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The case tally climbed to 44,632,430, while the active cases have declined to 26,449, it said. There has been a decrease of 385 cases in the active COVID-19 caseload in 24 hours.

The death toll increased to 528,913 with 8 fresh fatalities, which include 5 deaths reconciled by Kerala. The three new fatalities were reported from Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.76 per cent, the health ministry said. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.68 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 1.02 per cent, according to the health ministry.

10:23 AM

'Deepotsav' to begin in Ayodhya from Oct 21 with Ramlila

The 'Deepotsav' programme in Ayodhya will now begin from October 21 with Ramlila that will be staged by artists from Russia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Fiji.

The Ayodhya administration has planned mega cultural activities across the temple town for the Sixth Deepotsav celebrations.

The three-day cultural extravaganza will end on October 23 on the eve of Diwali with the Ayodhya administration setting a target of lighting 14 lakh diyas earthen lamps at the Ram Ki Paidi ghat on the banks of Saryu River.

10:22 AM

UN Secretary General Guterres on India visit; to pay tributes to 26/11 terror attacks victims in Mumbai

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will pay tributes to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday on the first day of his three-day visit to India.

It will be the first visit of Guterres to India since his second term in office commenced in January. He had earlier visited the country in October 2018 during his first term at the top office.

The UN secretary general will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event relating to the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) in Gujarat's Kevadiya on October 20.

10:21 AM

PM Modi to address 90th Interpol General Assembly today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 90th Interpol General Assembly today.

The Interpol General Assembly was last held in 1997.

PM Modi will address at around 1:45 pm in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the 90th General Assembly of Interpol will be held from October 18 to 21.

10:21 AM

PM Modi to review National Maritime Heritage Complex work in Gujarat's Lothal today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Gujarat's Lothal via video-conferencing on Tuesday, his office said.

Lothal was one of the prominent cities of Harappan civilisation and is known for the oldest man-made dockyard, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

A maritime heritage complex in Lothal is a fitting tribute to the city's historical legacy and heritage, the statement said.

10:20 AM

UK Parliament celebrates Diwali with prayers, candles

Prayers for peace recited by priests from the Hare Krishna Temple and the lighting of candles marked this year's Diwali celebrations in the Houses of Parliament complex in London.

The celebration was held in the State Rooms of the Speaker's House, described as the grandest residence within the Palace of Westminster, on Monday evening.

It marked the largest Diwali event of its kind in the Parliament complex, which brought together cross-party parliamentarians, diplomats, community leaders and International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) representatives.