LIVE: Modi says will discuss climate change, Covid-19 with G20 leaders

Bombay High Court will continue hearing on bail applications of Aryan Khan. Mumbai local trains to run at 100% capacity. Stay tuned for the latest news of the day

10:43 PM

Jio pays about Rs 10,700 cr to DoT towards outstanding dues of 2016 spectrum auction

Reliance Jio has paid about Rs 10,700 crore to the telecom department towards outstanding amount for spectrum acquired in 2016 auction, sources said.

 

The payment was made by Jio last week, sources added.

 

With this, the company has made full payment with regard to spectrum bought in 2016 auction, and the outstandings now pertain to 2014, 2015 and 2021 auction.

 

Sources said that last week Jio made payment of about Rs 10,700 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT), clearing its remaining dues for spectrum bought in 2016 auction.

10:10 PM

Delhi govt advises all depts, autonomous bodies to discourage single-use plastic

The Delhi government on Thursday advised all departments and autonomous bodies to discourage the use of single-use plastic items, such as plastic cutlery, thermocol and banners, and adopt alternatives like earthen bowls and bamboo items.

 

The environment department, in an order, said disposable earthen bowls, 'kulladh' and 'pattals' (made from tree leaves), bamboo cups and plates can be used in place of single-use plastic commodities such as cutlery, spoon, straws, stirrer and trays.

 

Biodegradable packaging paper can be used for wrapping purposes and refill ball pens or ink pens can be used in place of use-and-throw ones, it said.

 

Thermocol, plastic material and cellophane sheets should be avoided and natural flowers, paper and cloth can be used for decoration purposes, the order stated.

 

9:32 PM

Will join G20 leaders in discussing economic & health recovery from pandemic, climate change: Modi

Ahead of his visit to Italy and the UK to attend the G20 meet and COP-26 World Leaders' Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said in Rome he will hold discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, while in Glasgow he will highlight the need to comprehensively address climate change issues, including equitable distribution of carbon space.

 

In his departure statement, Modi said he will be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31 at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, following which he will travel to Glasgow, the UK from November 1-2 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

 

"In Rome, I will attend the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit, where I will join other G20 leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, sustainable development, and climate change," Modi said noting that this will be the first in-person summit of the G20 since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

9:00 PM

National Education Policy 2020 will not be implemented in Tamil Nadu, says CM Stalin

National Education Policy 2020 will not be implemented in Tamil Nadu, says CM MK Stalin in a statement after launch of 'Illam Thedi Kalvi' (Education at the doorstep) Scheme.

 

"An expert committee will be formed by the state govt to prepare a new State Education Policy," he says

8:58 PM

Tamil Nadu logs 1,061 new Covid-19 cases, 12 fatalities

Tamil Nadu added 1,061 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, pushing the overall tally to 26,99,554, while the death toll mounted to 36,072 with 12 more deaths.

Recoveries eclipsed new infections with 1,286 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 26,51,431, leaving 12,051 active infections, a medical bulletin said.

A total of 1,22,835 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 5,07,88,402 till date.

8:46 PM

Africa’s rise is essential for true multi-polarity in the global order: EAM S Jaishankar

India & Africa share a unique & historical relationship. Our approach to this partnership was enunciated by PM Narendra Modi in 2018 through Ten Guiding Principles. We have worked with Africa as per Africa’s priorities, Africa’s comfort & Africa’s aspirations, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

 

We believe that Africa’s rise is essential for true multi-polarity in the global order & are committed to supporting that happening. India’s support has always been without any conditionalities or any hidden agenda, he added at a UNSC open debate

8:34 PM

Gujarat govt decreases night curfew timing in the state

Gujarat government on Thursday has announced to decrease the timing of night curfew in the state from 12 midnight-6 am to 1 am-5 am for one month starting October 30.

 

It has also allowed cinema halls to operate at full capacity and hotels & restaurants at 75% capacity.

8:00 PM

China's Guangdong reports human infection of H5N6 bird flu

The health authority in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong said on Thursday that one case of a human being infected with the H5N6 strain of bird flu has been reported in the city of Dongguan.

 

The Health Commission of Guangdong Province said in a statement that experts considered the risk of transmission to be low at this stage.

 

A jump in the number of people in China infected with bird flu this year is raising concern among experts, who say a previously circulating strain appears to have changed and may be more infectious to people.

7:59 PM

PM Modi to visit Kedarnath on November 5

PM Narendra Modi will visit Kedarnath, Uttarakhand on November 5 and will offer prayers at Kedarnath Temple. He will inaugurate Shri Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi & unveil the statue of Shri Adi Shankaracharya. The Samadhi has been reconstructed after the destruction in the 2013 floods, the Prime Minister's Office said

7:38 PM

PM Modi to visit Italy, Vatican City, UK between Oct 29 and Nov 2

I will be visiting Rome, Italy & the Vatican City, from Oct 29-31 at the invitation of PM Mario Draghi, following which I will travel to Glasgow, UK from Nov 1-2 at the invitation of PM Boris Johnson: PM Narendra Modi

7:17 PM

Justice should be given as soon as possible: Arbaaz Merchant's father

Justice should be given as soon as possible. If, in case, you've to correct these people in such cases, it has to be in rehab centre not in jail... My son has lost 7 kgs of weight while Aryan (Khan) was surviving on biscuits, says Aslam Merchant, father of Arbaaz Merchant, ANI reported.

 

 

7:02 PM

14th India-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues held today: MEA

The Fourteenth Meeting of India-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (BCGSI) was held in Bengaluru on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

 

Discussions covered issues relating to mutual security concerns, training and capacity building requirements of defence forces of Nepal, cooperation in disaster management, requirements of Nepal Army for various defence stores, exchange of experts/instructors, exchange of high level and functional level visits, joint expeditions and adventure sports activities and information sharing, says ministry.

6:54 PM

Kerala reports 7,838 new Covid-19 cases today

Kerala on Thursday has reported 7,838 new Covid-19 cases, 5,460 recoveries, and 57 deaths. Total active cases at 78,122 and total recoveries 4,836,928.

6:40 PM

Download 'voterhelpline' app to get access to electoral services on mobile: Delhi CEO to citizens

Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Dr Ranbir Singh on Thursday urged people of the national capital to download the 'VoterHelpline' app to get access to all electoral services through mobile phones.

Singh met Himanshu Gupta, Director of Education along with senior officers of Education department to seek its cooperation in creating awareness among students, parents and teachers about the ensuing Special Summary Revision (SSR) - 2022 programme.

The Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral roll of Delhi will begin from November 1. During this SSR, any person who will be 18 years or more on or before January 1, 2022 will be eligible to enrol as a voter. The final roll will be published on January 5.

6:10 PM

Delhi records 42 new Covid-19 cases, zero death in a day; positivity rate at 0.07%: Authorities

Delhi on Thursday recorded 42 new coronavirus cases and zero deaths. Positivity rate at 0.07 per cent, the authorties informed.

6:05 PM

Sameer Wankhede's sister files police complaint against Maha minister Nawab Malik

Yasmeen Wankhede, the sister of Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, has filed a police complaint here seeking registration of an FIR against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik for allegedly defaming her, an official said on Thursday.

Sameer Wankhede is in the eye of a political storm following allegations of extortion in the high-profile cruise drugs case in which actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested. The officer is facing the departmental vigilance probe.

In her two-page complaint submitted to the Oshiwara police here, Yasmeen Wankhede claimed her family was being targeted on social media and that Malik had also called their family trip to Maldives as a "vasooli (extortion) trip", the official said.

6:04 PM

Delhi CM Kejriwal interacted with farmers in Mansa, Punjab

Delhi CM and AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal interacted with farmers in Mansa, Punjab on Thursday.

"It pains everyone when we hear about farmers dying by suicide. After 70 years of Independence, if our farmers are dying by suicide it is a shame for us," he says.

I can assure you that after April 1, we'll not let any farmer die by suicide. We'll do anything for it. I promise you that. We're planning on a large scale about the farming in Punjab. After one month when I visit again, I'll share that planning with you, said Arvind Kejriwal.

 

5:41 PM

These children have been traumatised: Father of Arbaaz Merchant

We've been waiting for this moment for 34,560 minutes. My wife was counting minutes not days. These children have been traumatised, said Aslam Merchant, father of Arbaaz Merchant, who got bail in drugs-on-cruise case by Bombay High Court, ANI reported.

5:14 PM

Drug case witness Kiran Gosavi arrested by Pune police

Kiran Gosavi, arrested by Pune City Police on charges of cheating, has been sent to police custody for 8 days by a city court

 

Gosavi is a witness in drugs-on-cruise case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan

4:55 PM

Cruise drugs case: HC grants bail to Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha

Bombay High Court has granted bail to two other co-accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha.

 

"All applications are allowed," the Court ordered.

 

The detailed order setting out conditions for bail will be pronounced tomorrow, the judge added.

 

4:50 PM

Bombay High Court grants bail to Aryan Khan, 2 others in cruise drugs case

Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to Aryan Khan and two others in cruise drugs case

4:40 PM

Drug case: Mukul Rohatgi counters ASG Singh

Rohatgi is now countering the judgements given by ASG under Section 67 of the NDPS Act.

 

Mukul Rohatgi says if there are people in a hotel in different rooms and they smoke are all people in hotel in conspiracy. There is no material for calling it a conspiracy in this case.

 

Speaking for Aryan Khan, Rohatgi says Khan knew only Arbaaz,,did not know anyone else. It is true it is difficult to prove that there is common meeting of mind, but facts cannot be ignored. There has to be meeting of minds. how can there be conscious possession for 6 gms. 

 

4:21 PM

BJP won't go anywhere for next many decades, says Prashant Kishor; takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi

Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who is currently lobbying for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections, has said that the BJP will remain at the centre of Indian politics and will not go anywhere for the "next many decades".

He also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for thinking that people will throw away the BJP immediately.

A video clip of Kishor addressing a private meeting in Goa has gone viral.

A senior leader of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a group led by Kishor, confirmed that the video was from a private meeting held on Wednesday in the state.

4:03 PM

Aryan Khan was aware that Arbaaz was in possession: ASG Anil Singh to HC

"If we relied upon WhatsApp chat, he (Aryan Khan) had made an attempt to deal in commercial quantity (of drugs)," said ASG Anil Singh.

 

He further says, "Ecstasy was of commercial quantity. It can't be said that drug was for personal consumption."

 

ASG Anil Singh tells Bombay HC, "Aryan Khan was aware that Arbaaz was in possession. Charas was for smoking and it was for the consumption of both though it was with Arbaaz physically."

3:35 PM

NCB lawyer opposes Aryan Khan bail plea

Anil Singh, the government lawyer arguing for the Narcotics Control Bureau, opposes Aryan Khan’s bail plea before Bombay High Court. "Applicant Aryan Khan is not a first-hand consumer. He is regular consumer since last 2 years as per records,” says Singh, according to multiple media reports.

3:30 PM

Home ministry extends Covid restrictions across country till Nov 30

Ministry of Home Affairs extends Covid-19 restrictions across the country till November 30 to prevent any further spread of the pandemic

3:29 PM

ASG Anil Singh representing NCB says Khan punishable under same section as Merchant

ASG Anil Singh representing NCB says Arbaaz is Aryan Khan's childhood friend.

 

Even if you are not in possession (of drugs) but you are part of the conspiracy, then you will be punishable under same section of the law, says Singh

3:05 PM

NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede approaches Bombay HC

Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede approaches Bombay High Court over "apprehensions that Mumbai Police may arrest him." 

 

The arguments on the matter is being heard by the Division Bench of Bombay HC

2:41 PM

Sero-prevalence at 97% in the sixth sero-survey conducted in Delhi: Health Minister

Sero-prevalence at 97% in the sixth sero-survey conducted in Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday.

2:21 PM

BJP's Manish Bhanushali summoned for questioning in cruise ship case

BJP's Manish Bhanushali, a witness in drugs on cruise ship case, has been summoned for questioning, said Mumbai police, ANI reported.