LIVE: Court acquits Umar Khalid in Delhi riots case, to stay in custody

Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey confirmed that Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi were discharged in the matter by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala

10:54 PM

Ready for war with India if attacked: Pak's new Army chief Munir

Pakistan's newly-appointed Army chief General Asim Munir on Saturday said that if his country is attacked, the Pakistani armed forces will "not only defend every inch of our motherland, but to take the fight back to the enemy."

 

Munir made the remarks during his first-ever visit to troops in the frontline areas in Rakhchikri Sector of the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday.

10:37 PM

NGT dismisses Karnataka's plea to modify earlier levied fine of Rs 500 cr

The National Green Tribunal has dismissed an application filed by Karnataka seeking modification of the tribunal's earlier order to pay Rs 500 crore for its failure to prevent and remedy the environmental damage to Chandapura lake.

 

The lake in Anekal taluk is located around 25 km from Bengaluru. A bench comprising Chairperson Justice A K Goel said the state is taking liberty in fixing its own timelines in violation of those fixed by the Supreme Court and "violating law with impunity".

10:29 PM

Odisha business summit receives Rs 10.5 trn investment intents: CM

Odisha has received an impressive Rs 10.50 trn investment intents at the third edition of the Make In Odisha (MIO), Conclave, 2022, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Saturday.

 

It's a win-win situation for the investors and the state, he said. "I am happy to announce that the conclave has generated investment intents of Rs 10.50 trn with potential for 10.50 lakh direct and indirect employment. It's heartening to see the huge response we have got especially in the post covid scenario," an elated chief minister said at the concluding session of the MIO, Conclave

10:19 PM

J-K LG Sinha chairs Amarnath shrine board meeting, reviews projects

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired the 43rd meeting of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) in Delhi and said his administration is committed to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage.

 

During the meeting, the members discussed various ongoing and upcoming projects, an official release said. This year, 365,000 pilgrims visited the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from June 30 to August 11

10:13 PM

World views India as voice of nations left behind in changing global order: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said the world views India as the voice of nations that have been left behind in the changing global order.

 

Delivering the Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture on All India Radio, Birla said India has achieved this honour by reaching out to more than 150 nations during the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccines and other assistance.

9:58 PM

Mumbai records 15 new measles cases, zero fatality: BMC

Mumbai on Saturday recorded 15 new measles cases, which took the infection tally here to 386, while the death toll remained unchanged at eight, a civic official said.

 

A statement from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said its special 'outbreak response immunisation' drive saw 55 children between six to nine months of age and 3.064 children in the nine months to five years segment being given measles vaccines during the day.

9:48 PM

New Pak Army chief warns India of 'any misadventure' during LoC visit

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Asim Munir, has warned India of strict action in case of any 'misadventure', the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, according to a media report.

 

The military's media wing said that the newly-appointed Army chief visited frontline troops in the Rakhchikri Sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday, where he was briefed on the latest situation and operational preparedness of the formation, The News reported.

9:34 PM

TRS leader Kavitha seeks details of complaint in Delhi excise policy scam case

TRS MLC K Kavitha, who has been issued a notice by CBI for questioning in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, on Saturday asked the central agency to provide details, including copies of the complaint in the case, to acquaint herself and answer appropriately "within a reasonable period of time".

 

In a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official who sent the notice to her on Friday, she said the date of her meeting with the agency can be fixed at Hyderabad after the receipt of the documents.

9:23 PM

Kerala HC holds special sitting to hear pleas on Sabarimala

The Kerala High Court on Saturday held a special sitting to hear pleas on the appointment of the chief priests and transport facilities for pilgrims to the famous Sabarimala temple at Pathanamthitta district.

 

A Bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and P G Ajith Kumar held the special sitting to hear a petition challenging a Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) notification that 'melshanti' (chief priest) of Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples must be Kerala-born Brahmins.

9:03 PM

Natural farming to be included in agri curriculum, says minister Tomar

The government will include natural farming in the curriculum of agri education, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Saturday.

 

Tomar was speaking at the National Workshop on Natural Farming in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, according to an official statement. Tomar noted that natural farming is the need of the hour, in which the cost is less and the produce fetches more price.

8:50 PM

Russia rejects $60-a-barrel price cap on its oil, warns of cutoffs

Russian authorities rejected a price cap on the country's oil set by Ukraine's Western supporters and threatened Saturday to stop supplying the nations that endorsed it.

 

Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, the United States and the 27-nation European Union agreed Friday to cap what they would pay for Russian oil at $60-per-barrel. The limit is set to take effect Monday, along with an EU embargo on Russian oil shipped by sea.

8:39 PM

MCD poll: Wholesale, retail markets to remained closed on Sunday, says CTI

All wholesale and retail markets in the national capital will remain closed on December 4 in view of the civic body polls here, a traders' body said on Saturday.

 

The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said popular markets, including Lajpat Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Kamala Nagar, Karol Bagh, Laxmi Nagar among others will remain closed.

8:30 PM

Poll authorities find 'MCC violation' in Delhi yoga event by AAP, direct action

A day ahead of the high-stakes municipal elections in Delhi, poll authorities on Saturday directed police to take necessary action and "lodge an FIR" for alleged violation of the model code of conduct during an event organised by the AAP here.

 

The alleged model code of conduct (MCC) violation took place at the event -- 'Dilli ki Yogshala: Yog Prashikon ko Samman Rashi Ka Vitran' -- held on Friday at the Constitution Club, which was attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia.

8:19 PM

Mumbai sees 8 new Covid-19 cases, zero fatality; active tally at 51

With the addition of eight new cases of coronavirus, the tally of infections in Mumbai reached 11,54,924 on Saturday, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) said.

 

As per a bulletin issued by the civic body, the toll remained unchanged at 19,744 and the count of recoveries reached 11,35,129 after 15 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

8:09 PM

Cong to seek discussion on issues of reservation, border and economic situations in Parliament winter session

The Congress on Saturday decided to seek discussions on issues of EWS reservation, state of the economy and situation at the border during Parliament's winter session, even as many of its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, are unlikely to be present due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

 

Besides these, the party during its parliamentary strategy group's meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence also decided to raise the issue of "weakening" of constitutional institutions in the country.

7:57 PM

President Droupadi Murmu on two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh from Sunday

President Droupadi Murmu will visit Andhra Pradesh from December 4 to 5, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement on Saturday.

 

The President will attend a civic reception hosted in her honour by the Andhra Pradesh government at Vijayawada on Sunday, it said.

7:40 PM

JNU has adopted nationalism, leftist agenda on campus won't succeed anymore: VHP

The VHP on Saturday described as "coward leftist" those who wrote anti-Brahmin slogans in the JNU and asserted that such activities will never succeed in disrupting "peace and amity" on the campus.

 

It said that the university has adopted the idea of "nationalism and social harmony" which cannot be undermined by such slogans. In a video statement, VHP working president Alok Kumar also said he was confident that the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration and Delhi police will conduct a probe into the incident and take legal action against them.

7:28 PM

TMC's Abhishek Banerjee dares BJP's Adhikary on home grounds, points out

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday mocked BJP's Suvendu Adhikary calling him as 'Reservation Against Cancellation' (RAC) Leader of the Opposition, pointing out that the BJP leader's victory was under a legal challenge in courts of law.

 

Alleging that Adhikary had won the assembly election against Mamata Banerjee in 2021 by resorting to unfair means, Banerjee claimed fresh elections would see the locals defeating the former TMC leader-turned BJP strongman befittingly.

 

7:19 PM

Be ready for 'big battle': Suvendu to BJP workers ahead of rural polls

Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday asked BJP workers to be prepared for a "big battle" with an eye on the panchayat polls, due to be held early next year.

 

Addressing a rally in South 24 Parganas's Diamond Harbour -- the constituency of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Adhikari alleged that BJP candidates were not allowed to file their nominations in the 2018 panchayat polls in the district.

6:56 PM

Delhi's max temp settles at 26.4 deg C, AQI 'very poor'

Air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the "very poor" category on Saturday, while the maximum temperature settled a notch above the season's average at 26.4 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.

 

Delhi residents woke up to a cold morning on Saturday as the minimum temperature settled at 8.4 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season's average, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD).

6:31 PM

Gold worth Rs 4 cr seized at Mangaluru Airport in November: Officials

Customs officials at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) have in different cases seized 7,692 gm of gold worth over Rs 4 crore between November 1 and 30.

 

A total of 10 people were taken into custody in connection with the cases, a Customs release here said Saturday.

 

6:16 PM

4 killed, 3 injured as car falls into gorge in Uttarakhand's Almora

Four people including two women were killed when a car carrying members of a marriage party fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Almora district on Saturday, police said.

 

The accident occurred on Sheraghad road killing Jayant Singh (65), Seema (36), Anita (32) and her 10-year-old son Samar on the spot, SDRF sub-inspector Rajesh Joshi said.

5:55 PM

Navy aims to become self-reliant by 2047: Navy Chief Admiral Kumar

The Indian Navy is contemplating whether to go for indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) II or prefer a repeat order for the IAC I, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Saturday while setting a timeline of 2047 for making his force 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant).

 

Addressing a press conference ahead of Navy Day, Admiral Kumar said the proposed procurement of a fleet of Predator drones from the US is under process and that the Navy is on course for a major capability enhancement to deal with myriad security challenges.

5:33 PM

Umar Khalid acquitted in 2020 Delhi riots case along with Khalid Saifi

A court discharged former JNU student Umar Khalid and United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi in a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

 

The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of the statement of Constable Sangram Singh who said a riotous mob had pelted stones on Main Karawal Nagar Road, besides setting ablaze several vehicles in a nearby parking lot on February 24, 2020.

5:16 PM

Britain nears bottom of the heap for economic growth potential: Economist

Britain’s growth potential has fallen behind every large economy except Mexico due to collapsing productivity and severe labor market shortages, according to former Bank of England rate-setter Michael Saunders.

Saunders, who finished his term at the UK central bank in August and is now senior economic adviser at Oxford Economics, said his analysis of 43 country forecasts by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed the UK’s economic “speed limit” will be the second lowest in the group for the period from 2020 to 2024.

4:40 PM

FIR lodged against Azam Khan for commenting against police, EC

Senior SP leader Azam Khan has landed in fresh trouble with the Rampur administration lodging a case accusing him of using provocative words against police and the Election Commission during an election meeting two days ago.

 

The FIR was lodged Friday evening at Kotwali Police Station on the complaint of one Sujesh Kumar Sagar, the in-charge of the video surveillance team set up by a poll panel for the Rampur by-election.

4:27 PM

Tight security arrangements put in place for MCD elections on Sunday

Around 40,000 police personnel, 20,000 home guards as well as 108 companies of paramilitary and state armed police forces will be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi election on Sunday, officials said.

 

Sixty drones will also be used to ensure law and order in sensitive areas, police said. Increasing visibility, preventing the chances of communal flare-ups and checking candidates from luring voters by illegal means will be the focus of the police for the civic elections in 250 wards.

4:10 PM

Govt allows sale of electoral bonds through 29 SBI branches from Dec 5-12

The Government on Saturday authorised sale and encashment of electoral bonds through 29 branches of State Bank of India (SBI) across the country between December 5 and December 12, 2022.

As per provisions of the electoral bonds scheme, these can be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India.

3:57 PM

Bank of Baroda approves Rs 134 crore agri-loans to farmers in Tamil Nadu

Public sector Bank of Baroda has sanctioned over Rs 100 crore worth of agricultural loans in Tamil Nadu during its 15-day farmer outreach programme held here recently.

 

At the fifth edition of 'Baroda Kisan Pakhwada' held between November 15 and 30, as many as 161 semi-urban and rural branches of the bank took part. More than 20,000 farmers across Tamil Nadu received farm loans of Rs 134 crore, the bank said in a statement on Saturday.

3:47 PM

Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray demands fixing criteria for appointment of governors

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said some criteria must be fixed for selection of persons for the post of state governors.

 

Thackeray said Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been insulting revered figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.