LIVE: Delhi pvt schools to remain closed till January 15 due to cold wave

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5:53 PM

Cold wave grips north India

"We have issued a Red warning for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and UP and Orange alert for Rajasthan and Bihar. There will be very dense fog to dense fog. 10th January onward there will be no coldwave," says IMD Scientist Dr RK Jenamani.

 

5:49 PM

Several ex-Army officers joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana today

4:35 PM

Union Education Minister holds padayatra at Mahanga assembly constituency in Odisha's Cuttack district

3:32 PM

The airline's response should have been ‘much swifter’ in handling an unruly passenger: Tata Sons Chairperson

Tata Sons Chairperson N Chandrasekaran has said that the airline's response should have been ‘much swifter’ in handling an unruly passenger. Referring to the indecent and harrowing event that took place on an Air India Delhi-bound flight from New York, Chandrasekaran said that the crew should have handled the situation in a much more swift manner. 

3:28 PM

Private bus catches fire in Telangana's KPHB colony; no casualty reported

3:26 PM

BrahMos, Astra missiles give Indian Su-30s edge over Flankers operated by other countries: IAF fighter pilots

2:56 PM

BSF deploys drone-mounted radars to check under-ground tunnels along border with Pakistan

Drone-mounted ground penetration radars have been deployed for the first time by the Border Security Force (BSF) to check for the presence of under-ground tunnels used by terrorists to infiltrate the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu region, officials said.

The indigenously-made gadget was deployed recently as part of the below-the-earth tunnel detection exercise carried out by the force. These structures have also been used to smuggle narcotics, arms and ammunition.

The BSF has unearthed at least five under-ground tunnels in the about 192 km of the Jammu front (of the India-Pakistan IB) in the last three years.

 

1:50 PM

Still open' to ceasefire agreement with Pakistan government, says TTP chief

The chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has said his group is still open to a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistan government, according to media reports.

The TTP, which is believed to have close links to al-Qaeda, has threatened to target top leaders of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's PPP if the ruling coalition continued to implement strict measures against the militants. However, the dreaded outfit insisted that it has not scrapped the ceasefire agreement with the government.

"We held talks with Pakistan mediated by Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. We are still open to the ceasefire agreement," the Dawn newspaper quoted TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsood as saying in a video.

 

1:45 PM

'They can poison me': Akhilesh Yadav refuses tea offered by UP police

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday refused to drink tea offered by the police officers at the DGP headquarters.

He asked his party worker to get tea from outside for him. "You never know, they may mix poison in my tea. I will drink my own tea and you people (cops) can drink your tea," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav had reached the DGP headquarters unannounced to protest the arrest of media handler of the party's Twitter account, Manish Jagan Agarwal, from Hazratganj. Agarwal was arrested on Sunday morning after three cases were registered against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks on Twitter through the party's social media handle.

 

12:34 PM

PMO to discuss Joshimath crisis; Uttarakhand officials to join via video link

The Prime Minister's Office will hold a high-level meeting on the Joshimath crisis Sunday afternoon amid an alarm in the Uttarakhand region after deep cracks developed in several houses.

P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, will hold the review meeting with the cabinet secretary, other senior officials of the central government and members of the National Disaster Management Authority, an official statement said.

District officials of Joshimath besides senior officials of Uttarakhand will also attend the review meeting through video-conferencing.

 

12:24 PM

Identity of diaspora derived from how closely it is connected to its roots: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the identity of a diaspora is very much derived from how closely it is connected to its roots and India's efforts have been to encourage easier exposure to its culture and traditions.

Addressing the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) programme in Indore as part of the three-day PBD convention, Jaishankar said the youth living outside India have many more opportunities than before. "It is a matter of pride for us that centres of faith are growing abroad and serve the purpose of inculcating values, promoting culture and nurturing traditions. I think the one in Abu Dhabi has attracted particular attention of the people," he said.

"Our efforts have been to encourage easier exposure (for diaspora) to the Indian culture and traditions," he added.

 

12:21 PM

Railways says more than 335 trains delayed, 88 cancelled due to dense fog

The railways on Sunday said foggy weather has affected the movement of over 480 trains.

"Around 335 trains have been delayed, 88 cancelled, 31 diverted and 33 short terminated due to foggy weather," a railway official said.

A blinding layer of dense fog enveloped northwest India and the adjoining central and eastern parts of the country, affecting road, rail and air traffic movement.

Very dense fog lowered visibility to 50 metres at the Palam observatory near the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport at 5:30 am.

 

12:01 PM

Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline likely to be commissioned in February

The ambitious 130-km-long Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline, constructed at a cost of Rs 377.08 crore, is likely to be commissioned by next month, official sources tell PTI.

The international oil pipeline, IBFPL, will carry fuel from Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Ltd's (NRL) marketing terminal at Siliguri in West Bengal to the Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). The mechanical works of the bilateral project, being funded by India, was completed on December 12 last year, a senior official of NRL told the agency on condition of anonymity.

"We have set the commissioning target completion in February 2023," he added.

The ground breaking ceremony for the 130-km IBFPL was held in September 2018 in the presence of Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh through video conferencing.

11:38 AM

Trial run of vistadome coaches on Kalka-Shimla route likely to be conducted soon

People taking the train on the Kalka-Shimla heritage line may soon get to travel in advanced vistadome narrow gauge coaches which will have glass roofs and large windows and offer a panoramic view of the scenic route.

The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala has commenced production of these coaches, which are expected to be ready by next month. These coaches will have a trial run on the Kalka-Shimla route before they are put into service, officials said.

The production of the vistadome narrow gauge coaches commenced following successful oscillation trials of two prototype coaches on the Kalka-Shimla heritage track in December last year. The RCF is likely to roll out four of these coaches by the first week of February, its general manager Ashesh Agrawal told PTI.

 

11:03 AM

Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Union minister Thakur asks young diaspora to innovate, invest in India

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday appealed to the young Indian diaspora to innovate, invest and initiate their ideas in India.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) as part of commencement of the three-day PBD convention, Thakur said India became the fifth largest economy in the world in 2022 by overtaking those who ruled the country for 200 years.

Australia's Member of Parliament Zaneta Mascarenhas was the guest of honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were also present.

10:50 AM

Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes from Dodwa-Taraori crossing in Haryana on Day 114

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saw people walking with enthusiasm as the yatra resumed from the Dodwa-Taraori crossing Sunday morning. On the 114th day of the yatra, party leaders Selja Kumari and Deepender Singh Hooda joined Rahul Gandhi.

The yatra will stop for a night halt at Pratapgarh GT Road in Kurukshetra.

The supporters seemed excited despite the cold wave conditions and dense fog witnessed all over north India, including Haryana.

Supporters carrying posters for the yatra could also be spotted along with a drum procession.

 

10:33 AM

Himachal Pradesh Cabinet expansion: Seven ministers take oath

A total of 7 MLAs take oath as Cabinet ministers. MLA Vikramaditya Singh, son of former chief minister Virbhadhra Singh, takes oath as a cabinet minister.

Besides him, Dr Dhani Ram Shandil, Chander Kumar, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Jagat Singh Negi, Rohit Thakur and Anirudh Singh took oath.

The swearing-in ceremony was held in presence of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri. 

 

10:26 AM

TN CM bats for reviving Sethusamudram project to achieve economic prosperity

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has called for reviving the Sethusamudram Ship Canal project in the wake of the Centre's claim on the presence of the real form of Ram Setu in Rameswaram.

Chief Minister M K Stalin batted for reviving the project for economic prosperity of the nation and enhancing the freight handling capacity of Indian ports.

The project, which was started on July 2, 2005 at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore, came to a standstill after protests by environmentalists and Hindu activists against the demolition of the Ram Setu, a symbol of heritage.

The DMK had in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly election promised to complete the project when it comes to power for bringing economic benefits for southern Tamil Nadu.

 

10:07 AM

'Bade log hain': Prashant Kishor on Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on Saturday won grudging praise, couched in sarcasm, from political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor.

Kishor, who is on a padayatra in his home state Bihar, was asked by journalists in Motihari about parallels, if any, he saw between his own effort and the marathon march of Gandhi.

"Bade log hain (they are big people). Compared with them, I am a nobody," said Kishor whose 'Jan Suraaj' campaign in Bihar came after a lengthy round of failed negotiations with the top leadership of the Congress, which he had wanted to join and was confident of reviving using his professional skills.

"Rahul Gandhi is on a 3,500 km-long march. For me, kilometres do not matter. I have been walking non-stop since October. But I do not want to show it off as evidence of my physical fitness," Kishor remarked, with thinly veiled sarcasm.

 

9:56 AM

IMD's Safdarjung station in Delhi records a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius

9:47 AM

Presidents of Guyana, Suriname arrive in India for 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The presidents of Guyana and Suriname arrived in India to attend the 17th Pravasi Divas convention beginning in Indore on Sunday.

Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who is on a seven-day visit to the country, is the chief guest at India's biggest diaspora conclave and also a recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi was received by Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat and other officials upon his arrival in Indore.

Santokhi is the special guest of honour at the Diaspora convention.

Both the leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi where they will be discussing migration, mobily, food processing and energy.

 

9:45 AM

PM Modi to flag off Ganga Vilas Cruise from Varanasi on January 13

Excitement is high among the people of Varanasi for the Ganga Vilas Cruise, which is scheduled to be virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13.

 

The cruise, which will start from Varanasi (UP) and end its journey in Dibrugarh (Assam), will cover a distance of nearly 4,000 km in 50 days. It will pass through the rivers of India and Bangladesh and will have halts near important cities like Patna, Kolkata, and Dhaka, officials said.

 

"The Ganga Vilas cruise will have foreign nationals and it will send a message to the people of the world on India's tourism and this cruise will be very helpful in attracting tourists," said Sunil Upadhyay, a resident of Varanasi.

 

9:34 AM

Former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan honoured at AAPI summit

Former World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has been awarded the Prof P. Brahmayya Sastry Oration & Dr T. Ravi Raju Excellence Award for her contributions to the healthcare sector. She was presented the award during the 16th Annual Global Healthcare Summit organised by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

Swaminathan, 63, has been a known face at the international media briefings held by WHO to speak on Covid-19, and other global outbreaks like monkeypox and ebola.

"Of the lessons I have learned since the pandemic began, the most important one is the significance of investing in public health and primary healthcare. Countries that invested in primary healthcare over the past decade or two are reaping the benefits now," she said. "Another lesson is the positive role of science and scientists. The global collaboration between scientists to take forward advances in knowledge so that science is continuously informing our response to the pandemic has been encouraging."

9:23 AM

Ashram flyover closed for traffic: Delhi Police issues traffic advisory

Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory for commuters as the Ashram flyover has been closed for traffic for the construction of a connecting road.

The advisory has suggested alternative routes to commuters as follows:
 

• Those coming from C V Raman Marg should take a right turn at Taimur Nagar cut, Ring Road, to reach Sarai Kale Khan, NH-24, Ghaziabad and Noida.
• Those coming from New Friends Colony, Sukhdev Bihar, Shaheen Bagh, Sarai Julena, and Jamia Nagar have been advised to take Mathura Road, Modi Mill Flyover, Outer Ring Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Marg to reach Lajpat Nagar Market, AlIMS and Dhaula Kuan.
• Commuters from Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, Jangpura, Bhogal, and CGO Complex have been advised to follow Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, Outer Ring Road, Modi Mill Flyover, Mathura Road, Sarita Vihar, Badarpur and Faridabad.
• Motorists from Noida should follow Kalindi Kunj, Jasola and Sarita Vihar, to reach IGI Airport, Outer Ring Road, IIT, and Chirag Delhi.
• Those coming from IGI Airport, Outer Ring Road, IIT, Chirag Delhi are advised to follow Modi Mill Flyover, Mathura Road, Sarita Vihar, Jasola, Kalindi Kunj to reach Noida and Badarpur.

9:15 AM

Several flights delayed due to bad weather at Delhi's IGI airport

Several flights from the national capital's Indira Gandhi International airport were delayed early Sunday due to inclement weather and other operational issues, said an official at the Delhi airport.

Cold wave conditions and dense fog over north India disrupted flight operations at the airport. "There was no flight diversion reported till 6 AM," the official added.

On Saturday, the airport authorities had issued an advisory in view of the low-visibility conditions caused due to fog.