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5:32 PM

Originating from Pak, deadly shipment of uranium seized at Heathrow airport

Counter-terror cops and security services in the UK have launched a probe after a deadly shipment of uranium was seized at London's Heathrow airport, a media outlet reported.

The undeclared nuclear material can be used in a dirty bomb and it was destined for Iranian nationals in the UK, originated from Pakistan and arrived on a flight from Oman, The Sun reported.

5:19 PM

Naqvi hails Bhagwat's remarks on Muslims, says spirit of partnership leads to path of development

Former minority affairs minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hails RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on Muslims, saying the spirit of partnership and not the battle to dominate leads to the path of development.

Bhagwat has said that Muslims have nothing to fear in India, but they must abandon their "boisterous rhetoric of supremacy".

In an interview to Organiser and Panchjanya, Bhagwat said, "The simple truth is this, Hindusthan should remain Hindusthan. There is no harm to Muslims living today in Bharat... Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy."

"We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land, and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together; they (Muslims) must abandon this narrative. In fact, all those who live here whether a Hindu or a communist must give up this logic," the RSS chief said.
 

4:59 PM

Flights across US grounded due to glitch with FAA computer system

All flights across the US have been grounded due to a glitch with the Federal Aviation Administration's computer system, say US media reports.

Screenshot

 

4:37 PM

Update: 6 stabbed in Paris train station, attacker shot by police

An attacker wounded six people in an unprovoked blade attack in Paris' busy Gare du Nord train station before being shot and wounded by police, France's interior minister said, praising the swift intervention of police for helping prevent any fatalities.

The suspect attacked several people, including a police officer, with a bladed weapon during the morning rush hour, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene. He said the unnamed assailant was currently between life and death in hospital after being shot in the chest, according to French media. Darmanin thanked the police for their effective and courageous reaction.

"Without the extremely rapid intervention, there would surely be deaths, he said, detailing how the suspect was neutralized within one minute of attacking his first victim.

 

3:52 PM

New therapies, not tobacco ban, key to combating lung cancer: Nobel laureate

The key to combating lung cancer is the development of novel immunotherapies and diagnostic techniques and not a complete ban on tobacco that is impossible to enforce, says American Nobel laureate Harold Varmus.

"I don't think bans work very well. But I do think that not just in India and every country, including the US, where we still have 18 per cent of our population smoking, we have people using nicotine vapes instead of cigarettes. All these are risk factors for cancer," the scientist told PTI in an interview at Ashoka University in Sonepat, Haryana.

Varmus won the 1989 Nobel Prize in Medicine - along with American immunologist Michael Bishop -- for the discovery of gene mutations that can lead to the transformation of a normal cell into a tumour cell and result in cancer.

 

3:25 PM

Midair urination case: Delhi police challenges order denying Shankar Mishra's custody

The Delhi Police has challenged a magisterial court's order of January 7 denying the custody of Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on a woman co-passenger in an Air India flight.

A sessions court is likely to take up the matter later in the day.

Another magisterial court had sent Mishra to 14-day judicial remand on Saturday, denying police his custody.

2:52 PM

Judiciary expected to follow principle of separation of powers: LS Speaker Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla says judiciary is expected to follow the principle of separation of powers as defined in the Constitution. He says there is a need to improve the productivity of the legislature and its image in the eyes of people.

"Legislatures in our country have always respected the powers of the judiciary. The judiciary is also expected to follow the principle of separation and balance of powers conferred by the Constitution," Birla says at the 83rd All India Presiding Officers Conference in New Delhi.

2:27 PM

Uttarakhand govt announces Rs 1.5 lakh relief for those affected in Joshimath

The Uttarkhand government has announced Rs 1.5 lakh interim relief to affected families who have been shifted to safer locations after land subsidence in Joshimath.

"Each family will be given immediate interim assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh. Apart from the two hotel buildings which are marked 'unsafe', no other building is being demolished. Till now, cracks have been noticed in 723 buildings," the secretary to Uttarakhand chief minister, R Meenakshi Sundaram, said.

Cracks have appeared in more than 700 buildings in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand and over 130 families have been shifted to safer locations, according to the district administration.

 

2:13 PM

NIA arrests two more terror operatives in Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency says it has arrested two terror operatives in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case. The operatives, identified as Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed KA, were arrested on charges of pushing terror activities in India.

Four other accused persons had been arrested in the case earlier.

The case was registered on September 19 last year and was re-registered by the NIA on November 4 last year.

2:10 PM

Arunachal cabinet nod for action plan to unlock hydropower potential

The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet has finalised an action plan to unlock the state's hydropower potential to strengthen the country's energy sector, an official statement said.

During the first cabinet meeting of the year, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday, the council of ministers decided that some important stalled projects, which were being executed by independent power producers (IPPs), will now be handed over to central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) for development.

1:21 PM

HC permits Johnson & Johnson to manufacture and sell its baby powder; quashes Maha govt order revoking license

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed two orders passed by the Maharashtra government revoking the license of Johnson & Johnson company to manufacture, sell and distribute its baby powder products, terming them as “stringent, unreasonable and unfair”.

A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and S G Dige permitted the company to manufacture, sell and distribute the products. 

1:15 PM

Several hurt in Paris station attack, attacker 'neutralised', say French media reports

French media are reporting that people have been stabbed at a Paris train station and the interior minister says several people were injured before police rapidly neutralised the attacker.

Media reports, quoting unnamed police sources, say police opened fire early Wednesday morning on the attacker who was armed with a knife and injured several people.

Paris police say the incident at the Gare du Nord station is now over but are offering no other immediate details. (AP)

1:11 PM

Bengaluru metro pillar collapse: FIR filed against 8, including construction company director

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra says an FIR has been registered in connection with the collapse of an under-construction metro pillar in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Those named in the FIR include Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), its director Chaitanya, supervisor Lakshmipathi and JE Prabhakar.
"We'll take action for sure. It's utter negligence by the company," says the minister.

1:04 PM

ED conducts searches in Karnataka in connection with Mangaluru cooker blast

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at some locations in Karnataka's Mangaluru on Wednesday as part of a money-laundering probe linked to a cooker bomb blast in the city last year, official sources told PTI. The ED officials conducted searches at a building in Mangaluru, where a Congress party office is also located, apart from some other locations as part of gathering documents and evidence in the case filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

A bomb blast took place in an auto rickshaw on the outskirts of Mangaluru on November 19 and the man who was allegedly handling the explosives in the three-wheeler, Mohammed Shariq, is the main suspect in the case.

12:31 PM

Supreme Court agrees to give urgent hearing to plea challenging Caste Census in Bihar

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to give an urgent hearing to a petition challenging the Bihar government's notification for conducting the caste sensus in the state. A lawyer mentioned the plea before the SC and a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said it will hear the petition on Friday.

Meanwhile, another petition was moved in the Supreme Court recently by a social worker who said in his petition, "That the cause of action arose on/from the impugned Notification dated 06.06.2022 issued by Deputy Secretary, Government of Bihar, whereby the decision of the government to conduct caste census has been communicated to the media and public at large."

12:15 PM

At MP summit, PM Modi lauds India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals

Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi cites the praise showered by global financial institutions such as IMF, World Bank and Morgan Stanley on India. He says all of these bopdies are praising India's economy and say it is a bright spot and poised to grow rapidly. 

"World Bank says India is in a better position to deal with global headwinds than many other countries," says PM Modi at Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit.

"McKinsey CEO has said this is not only India's decade, but India's century," he adds

11:24 AM

PM Modi begins his address at MP Global Investors Summit

11:17 AM

Investors summit will be a milestone for MP's $550 billion economy: CM Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the Global Investors Summit being organised in Indore on January 11 and 12 will be a milestone for the state's $550 billion economy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate and address the seventh Global Investors Summit. The President of Suriname Chandrika Prasad Santokhi and the President of Guyana Dr Mohammed Irfan Ali will also attend the inaugural session and they will address the summit.

"I feel our efforts will bear fruit. I have to make the state a $550 billion economy by 2026 and this summit will be a milestone in this direction," Chouhan said.

11:14 AM

Police lathicharge in Chennai as fans of Vijay and Ajith turn violent

The Greater Chennai Police resorted to caning early Wednesday after the fans of actors Vijay and Ajith turned violent by tearing the posters of 'Varisu' of Vijay and 'Thunivu' of Ajith.

Both movies were released this morning and a heavy rush was witnessed in all the theatres across the state. In Chennai, police took into custody a few unruly people.

Notably, in 2014, Vijay and Ajith had releases on the same day with 'Veeram' of Ajith clashing with 'Jilla' of Vijay. The present release is after nine long years and hence the fans were exuberant on the release of the movies of their favourite stars.

10:28 AM

Single-day rise of 171 new Covid-19 cases; infection tally at 4.46 crore

India saw a single-day rise of 171 fresh Covid-19 cases, while the active cases have increased to 2,342, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday.
The country's infection tally has reached 4,46,80,386, while the death toll stands at 5,30,722, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.09 and the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 0.11.
The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the health ministry website.(PTI)

10:23 AM

Varanasi-Dibrugarh cruise opportunity to connect with our cultural roots: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the 51-day river cruise, to be flagged off by him on January 13, is a unique opportunity to connect with the country's cultural roots and discover beautiful aspects of its diversity. He was reacting to Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's tweet about what has been described as the world's largest river cruise.

Set to sail from Varanasi, Modi's parliamentary constituency, the cruise will cover 3,200 km over 51 days while navigating through several states before ending its journey at Dibrugarh in Assam.
 

 

10:19 AM

Empty liquor bottles found in collectorate premises in 'dry' Bihar's Samastipur

Empty liquor bottles were found in the collectorate premises in Samastipur.

Speaking to ANI, Excise Superintendent Shailendra Kumar Chaudhary said, "I have received information and also saw the pictures. The bottles seem to be very old. Nonetheless, we will conduct an investigation into the recovery of the liquor bottles and take necessary action."

The recovery came in the backdrop of a wave of deaths in the Chhapra district linked to spurious liquor.

9:55 AM

India is about brotherhood, unity, that's why Bharat Jodo Yatra is successful: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP of spreading fear and hatred in the country, even as he asserted that India stood for "brotherhood, unity and respect" and that is why his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was "successful".

An atmosphere of hatred has been spread in the country. The BJP and RSS people are dividing the country, putting one religion against the other, one caste against the other, one language against the other And they have spoiled the atmosphere of the country, he alleged.

9:49 AM

Proposed UP power hike will hit common man, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has slammed Uttar Pradesh government's proposal for a 23 per cent hike in power tariff.

"This is BJP's shocker to people who are already reeling under the price rise. The move will only add to people's woes," he said in a release.

9:38 AM

Fog cover in Delhi, minimum temperature settles at 5.8 degrees C

A dense cover of fog on Wednesday lowered visibility to just 50 metres in Delhi, disrupting movement of vehicles and trains.

A layer of dense to very dense fog extended from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, an IMD official said.

9:36 AM

PM Modi to inaugurate Global Investors Summit in MP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the 7th edition of 'Invest Madhya Pradesh-Global Investors Summit', a flagship event of the state government, in Indore on Wednesday.

The theme of the two-day summit is 'Madhya Pradesh-The Future Ready State'

9:02 AM

Golden Globes 2023: 'RRR' loses Best Motion Picture Non-English

While the SS Rajamouli directorial 'RRR' bagged the Golden Globe for Original song, it lost out the bigger share of the pie -- that of the Best Motion Picture Non-English award to the Argentine film 'Argentina, 1985'.

9:01 AM

Rahul Gandhi visits Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib as Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Punjab

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab on Wednesday morning, ahead of the start of the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in the state.

The yatra will cover several parts of Punjab over eight days before reaching Jammu and Kashmir, its final stop, on January 19.

8:49 AM

World Bank says fragile economic conditions might usher in recession

Global growth is slowing sharply in the face of elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment, and disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report.

8:41 AM

26 trains running late due to fog, says Northern Railway

Almost 26 trains were running late on Wednesday as severe fog engulfed many states of North India, affecting visibility.

According to officials of Northern Railway, Gorakhpur-Bathinda Gorakhdham Express, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus- Amritsar Express, Pratapgarh-Delhi Padmavat Express, and Dr Ambedkar Nagar- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Malwa Superfast Express were running late by up to 2 hours among others.