Latest LIVE: Punjab CM appeals to farmer groups to lift rail blockade

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to Kisan Unions to completely lift their rail blockade to allow passenger trains also to ply in the State

1:59 AM

Wall Street hits record highs as vaccine trial results raise hopes

Wall Street's three major indexes hit record highs on Monday as the first positive data from a late-stage Covid-19 vaccine trial prompted hopes that an economic recovery from the pandemic-driven crisis was finally in sight.

Oil prices surged more than 8 per cent and pushed up energy stocks while US Treasuries sold off after US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said a large-scale trial of their vaccine showed it was more than 90 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19.

Saturday's news that Joe Biden had won the US presidential election was also a reassuring confirmation of what investors had already been counting on by the end of last week, according to market strategists.

"Election uncertainty is fading into the rearview mirror. Now we have this boost of investor enthusiasm after the vaccine news," said to Michael Antonelli, market strategist at Baird in Milwaukee. "All the types of companies that would benefit from us returning to a pre-COVID world are the big winners today."

1:45 AM

US imposes sanctions on four Chinese officials over Hong Kong crackdown

12:46 AM

Trump fires Defence Secretary Esper after election defeat

President Donald Trump fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, a stunning move on the heels of Trump's failed reelection bid.

 

Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members, including the secretary of defence, but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security.

 

Trump announced the news in a tweet, saying that effective immediately Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve as acting secretary, sidestepping the department's No.2-ranking official, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist.

11:43 PM

41,000 households to be benefited from 61 jal jeevan projects in remote Shopian

11:25 PM

Pak Army to brief parliamentarians on prevailing security situation

Pakistan Army officers will brief the country's parliamentarians on the prevailing security situation this week, officials said on Monday.

 

It will be the first briefing since former premier Nawaz Sharif criticised Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed for interfering in politics.

 

The National Assembly, or the lower house, issued a statement that Speaker Asad Qaisar called a meeting of parliamentary leaders of various political parties on Wednesday for briefing.

 

Military officials will brief the meeting on security issues, according to the statement.

11:15 PM

Five earthquakes rock Palghar district; no casualty

Five earthquakes of low to mild intensity shook villages in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Monday, but there was no report of any casualty or damage to property, officials said.

 

Chief of the Palghar District Disaster Control Cell Vivekanand Kadam said the first earthquake, with 3.4 magnitude, was recorded at 5:31 am, while the last tremor of the day, of 3.1 magnitude, was registered at 21:19 hours.

 

The second earthquake was recorded at 16:17 and its magnitude was 3.4, he said.

 

The National Centre for Seismology recorded two more earthquakes of low intensity during the day. They were recorded at 14:40 (2.8 magnitude) and 13:43 (2.4 intensity), taking the number of earthquakes in the day to five.

11:15 PM

There is no ban on bursting of firecrackers in Madhya Pradesh during Diwali but those imported from China and crackers with pictures of deities on their packets cannot be sold in the state: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

11:15 PM

Trailblazers clinch Women's T20 Challenge title after beating Supernovas by 16 runs in final in Sharjah

10:10 PM

Equitas Small Finance Bank Q2 net profit jumps over 2-fold to Rs 103 cr

Equitas Small Finance Bank on Monday reported over two-fold jump in net profit at Rs 103 crore in the second quarter ended September of the current fiscal year on healthy core income and fall in bad assets.

 

It had posted a net profit of Rs 49 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago.

 

The small finance bank (SFB), which got listed on capital markets last week, witnessed a 32 per cent growth in net interest income at Rs 461 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 351 crore in Q2FY20.

10:04 PM

Delhi govt sanctions over Rs 19 crore for salaries of employees of four DU colleges

The Delhi government on Monday sanctioned over Rs 19 crore for payment of salaries to staff of four Delhi University colleges funded by it, according to an official order.

 

The funds were sanctioned to Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bhagini Nivedita College, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies and Dr BR Ambedkar College.

 

"I am directed to convey sanction for release of funds of Rs 19.40 crore and Rs 1.675 crore under salary and other than salary heads for payment of outstanding salaries to four Delhi University colleges funded by Delhi government," Deputy Director of Higher Education Narender Passi said in the official order.

9:24 PM

Congress general secretary Harish Rawat hits out at Centre for not resuming goods trains in Punjab despite farmers clearing all rail tracks and says it is "injustice" to the state

8:55 PM

Vijay Goel says politics being done over pollution, demands compensation to cracker traders

8:47 PM

Sales of liquid milk to grow 4-5 pc in FY21, value added dairy products to remain flat: Report

Even as institutional sales for dairy products have been impacted due to Covid-19 related disruptions, liquid milk sales are expected to grow by 4-5 per cent in 2020-21, while those of value added dairy products (VADP) will remain flat, according to a report.

8:32 PM

Violators of firecracker ban can face jail term up to 6 yrs: Delhi environment minister

8:21 PM

Andhra Pradesh govt announces relief for slain soldier's kin

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the kin of army havildar Ch Praveen Kumar Reddy who was killed while  trying to foil an infiltration bid by terrorists in Kashmir on Sunday

8:04 PM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to Kisan Unions to completely lift their rail blockade

7:37 PM

Visibility diminishes across parts of Delhi due to poor air quality

7:28 PM

Need to enforce existing laws, SOPs to reduce pollution on emergency basis: Panel on air quality

The newly-constituted Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas on Monday stressed on the need for enforcing existing laws, directions and standard operating procedures to minimize air pollution on an emergency basis

7:14 PM

Alibaug sessions court has kept petition of Raigad police for tomorrow

6:51 PM

Mamata Banerjee urges PM in letter to restore state governments' power to control production, supply and sale of agricultural commodities

6:41 PM

Encourage coal-using industries in National Capital Region to minimize use of coal in coming months: Commission for Air Quality Management

6:27 PM

Modi govt destroying countless homes due to deliberate' lockdown, demonetisation: Rahul Gandhi

6:17 PM

Delhi air quality: Visuals from around the Hanuman Road area in Central Delhi

6:05 PM

Commercial coal mining: 19 auctioned blocks to generate Rs 7,000 crore annual revenue, says Pralhad Joshi

The auction of coal mines for commercial mining witnessed "fierce competition" and the 19 blocks that went under the hammer can generate total revenues of around Rs 7,000 crore per annum and create more than 69,000 jobs once they are operationalised, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.

5:53 PM

Good governance should be touchstone of administrative processes at all levels: J&K LG

5:34 PM

Maharashtra transport employees to get pending salaries before Diwali

In a big relief for employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the state government on Monday decided to disburse their pending salaries for two months before Diwali festival, beginning later this week

5:19 PM

Delhi's air quality 'severe' for fifth day in a row, quick relief unlikely

The blanket of smog over Delhi thickened on Monday, reducing visibility in parts of the city to just 400 metres as the air quality remained "severe" for the fifth consecutive day

5:10 PM

Family, friends contribution crucial for most Indians in their overall wellness: Report

About 91 per cent of Indians have identified their family and friends contribution in their overall wellness, and 54 per cent of Indian adults have purchased a subscription to a digital fitness programme in the past six months, according to a report

4:59 PM

Uptick in hiring activities in October over previous month: Report

With economic activities gathering pace post easing of lockdowns across the country, hiring activities in most sectors have shown significant recovery in October over the previous month, says a report

4:48 PM

Cong asks its leaders to man strongrooms for EVMs protection

Apprehending that rivals might indulge in "foul play" following encouraging exit polls predictions in favour of the Grand Alliance, Congress has asked its senior leaders to be in their place in all the 38 districts and keep a close watch over the EVMs kept in the strongrooms for counting on Tuesday