LIVE updates: Delhi's Ashram flyover to reopen on March 6 after two months

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7:05 PM

Banned 2.9 mn accounts in January 'to combat abuse on our platform': WhatsApp

6:52 PM

PM Modi wants to stop the good work being done in Delhi, excise policy case just an excuse, says CM Kejriwal

"Not only AAP, whole country proud of Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain. PM Modi put such people behind bars," says CM Arvind Kejriwal.

4:33 PM

G20 will deliberate on crypto as one constituent of countering terrorism: Kwatra

4:29 PM

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on India's G20 presidency

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says India's G20 presidency is quite exciting, it has fantastic opportunities. This is a great opportunity to talk about sustainable economic agenda and green agend.

 

3:01 PM

Hyundai sales up 9% in Feb at 57,851 units

Hyundai Motor India on Wednesday said its wholesales increased by 9 per cent year-on-year to 57,851 units in February.

The company had dispatched a total of 53,159 units to its dealers in the year-ago period.

Last month, domestic sales stood at 47,001 units, up 7 per cent as against 44,050 units sold in February 2022, the automaker said in a statement.

2:56 PM

Kejriwal calls meeting of AAP MLAs, MCD councillors

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of AAP MLAs and MCD councillors on Wednesday to discuss the party's strategies in the light of recent developments, sources said.

The meeting will be held at the chief minister's residence, a day after ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both arrested on corruption charges, resigned from the Cabinet.

"During the meeting, there is likely going to be a discussion on what the party will do following the events that have unfolded in the last few days," a source said.

2:51 PM

Ravichandran Ashwin moves to number one spot in the ICC Men's Test bowling rankings

India's ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has moved to the top spot in the latest ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, ending veteran England pacer James Anderson's stay at the number one spot.

Ashwin claimed the top spot after taking six wickets in his most recent performance, in India's emphatic victory over Australia in the second Test at New Delhi. Anderson, on the other hand, drops to second place after England's stunning one-run loss to New Zealand in the Wellington Test.

Ashwin, 36, first became the No.1-ranked Test bowler in 2015, and has returned to the top spot on several occasions since then. He bagged big wickets in India's win in New Delhi, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over of the first innings before returning to pick up Alex Carey for a duck in the first innings.

2:46 PM

Head-on train crash in Greece kills 36, injures at least 85

A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring some 85, officials said Wednesday.

Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass.

Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors.

2:45 PM

Even frying ‘pakodas' will now be difficult: Goa opposition leader on LPG price hike

Goa's Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led Centre for the hike in the prices of LPG and said that even frying “pakodas” will now be difficult for the youth.

 

Cooking gas LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) price on Wednesday was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder – the first increase in rates in almost eight months – that came within days of the end of polling in three northeastern states. Parallely, oil firms also hiked the price of commercial LPG, used in hotels and restaurants, by Rs 350.5 per cylinder.

 

2:37 PM

FBI Director Wray says Covid-19 likely came from Chinese lab

FBI Director Christopher Wray said his department previously concluded that the Covid-19 virus most likely originated from a “potential lab incident” in Wuhan, China, contradicting scientific claims that it emerged naturally like other previous outbreaks.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation tweeted an excerpt from Wray’s interview with Fox News on Tuesday night. His remarks follow reports that an Energy Department classified assessment determined that the virus was the result of a lab leak, although that conclusion was given a “low confidence” rating.

 

“The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray said. The Chinese government “has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we’re doing,” he added. 

 

2:20 PM

Govt employees in Karnataka withdraw strike after 17 per cent interim relief announcement

Government employees in Karnataka on Wednesday withdrew their indefinite strike after the state government announced a 17 per cent hike in basic salary as interim relief and constituted a committee on the pension scheme.

The employees had demanded interim relief of 40 per cent increase in basic salary and revision of salaries as per the 7th Pay Commission.

2:09 PM

Akasa Air to place order for fleet of aircraft in three digits by year-end

Akasa Air is going to place an order for a fleet of aircraft which will be in three digits by the year-end, the company said on Wednesday.

 

The company's founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vinay Dube said it plans to go international by the year-end and intends to set up a learning academy in Bengaluru.

1:46 PM

Drone shot along Punjab border last year had 'footprints' in China, Pakistan: BSF

A drone that was shot down by the Border Security Force along the India-Pakistan international border in Punjab last year had 'footprints' and was flown in China and Pakistan, a BSF spokesperson said on Wednesday quoting a forensic analysis report.

The quadcopter was downed on December 25, 2022 near the Rajatal border post in Punjab's Amritsar district.

1:28 PM

Excise policy: BJP holds protests in various parts of Delhi, demands Kejriwal's resignation

The Delhi BJP on Wednesday held protests at various parts in the city demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the now-scrapped excise policy of the AAP government.

The saffron party had on Tuesday termed the resignation of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain from the Delhi Cabinet amid corruption allegations a "victory of truth and that of the party workers" while claiming that the chief minister will have to resign too.

1:14 PM

Twitter officially launches 'Violent Speech' policy, updates rules

Micro-blogging platform Twitter on Wednesday announced that it has updated its rules on "violent content and similar language", and has now "officially launched" its "Violent Speech" policy.

 

The new policy prohibits violent threats, wishes of harm, glorification of violence and incitement of violence, the company tweeted from its @TwitterSafety account.

12:59 PM

Deal ragging cases with iron hand in medical colleges: AP Minister

In light of a medical student dying by suicide in Telangana recently, unable to bear alleged harassment at the hands of seniors, the Andhra Pradesh government has directed officials to tackle ragging incidents in medical colleges with an iron hand.

 

Aimed at eliminating harassment, state Health Minister Vidadala Rajini said all medical colleges in the state should be alert to this menace, in a review meeting attended by all the principals of government and private medical colleges.

12:44 PM

Indian telcos surpass 3-year 5G rollout target in six months: Govt official

Indian telecom operators have surpassed the three- year 5G network rollout target given to them within six months and now the government is making efforts to enhance adoption of 5G applications across various key segments, a senior government official said here.

Department of Telecom Additional Secretary VL Kantha Rao told PTI at "India Evening" event on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress 2023 that the government has hosted over 50 companies at the India pavilion and the delegation is here to showcase indigenously-developed 4G and 5G technology stack.

12:26 PM

Amazon joins Vishal's Better.com to let employees use stock to buy homes

Amazon has signed a deal with embattled online mortgage lender Better.com run by controversial Indian-origin CEO Vishal Garg to allow employees to use their shares in the company toward a mortgage down payment.

Better.com launched 'Equity Unlocker' that allows Amazon employees to use their vested equity as collateral for a down payment for buying homes.

12:16 PM

MP govt presents Rs 3.14 trillion budget; Cong stages walkout from Assembly over LPG price hike

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday presented a Rs 3.14 lakh crore state budget for 2023-24, even as the Opposition Congress staged a walkout from the Assembly on the issue of hike in the LPG cylinder price.

Congress members including former ministers Tarun Bhanot, Vijay Laxmi Sadho and Jitu Patwari created ruckus in the House over the LPG price hike issue the moment state Finance Minister Jagdish Devda started reading out the budget proposals.

11:59 AM

Well-planned cities will determine fate of country: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that well-panned Indian cities will determine the fate of the country.

Addressing a post-Budget webinar on 'Urban Planning, Development and Sanitation', he said with India urbanising rapidly, it is important to build infrastructure that is futuristic.

11:42 AM

Remunerative cash crops to be introduced as per land use, crop pattern: Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar

In a bid to increase farmers' income, exclusive organic models for off-season crops will be set up in villages and remunerative cash crops will be introduced as per land use and crop pattern suitability in rainfed areas of the state, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar said.

"Farmers have benefited from off-season cash crops like tomato, cucumber, karela (bitter gourd) which are in great demand in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during monsoons, while off-season crops like cauliflower, potato and beans fetch good prices during the months of May-June, he told PTI

11:30 AM

Delhi L-G forwards resignation letters of Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia to President

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has received the resignation letters of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, and has forwarded them to President Droupadi Murmu, officials said on Wednesday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's trusted lieutenants -- Sisodia and Jain -- both arrested on corruption charges, resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday.

11:18 AM

Artificial sweetener linked with increased heart attack, stroke risk: Study

Consumption of popular artificial sweetener, erythritol, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study which calls for further safety research to examine the long-term effects of such products.

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic studied over 4,000 people in the US and Europe and found those with higher blood erythritol levels were at elevated risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event such as heart attack, stroke or death.

11:05 AM

PMAY scam in Bengal: Centre asks CS to file FIRs against those involved

The Centre has directed the West Bengal government to file FIRs against those involved in irregularities in implementation of Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the state.

The Union rural development ministry had recently communicated to the state chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi that the central field inspection teams from the Centre have substantial evidence to prove the irregularities.

 

10:50 AM

Pakistan has no food for its poor but purchases weapons, shows report

While Pakistan's citizens are queuing up for wheat flour, pulses and medicines, the Generals have usurped a major part of the Budget for new weapons, reported Afghan Diaspora Network (ADN).

 

The army, responsible for much of what is horribly wrong in Pakistan, cannot deny that it has fattened up on what has been snatched from the people.

 

10:36 AM

About 15.5 mn children in US infected with Covid since onset of pandemic

Almost 15.5 million children in the US are reported to have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association.

 

Over 121,000 of these cases have been added in the past four weeks, and almost 28,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported in the latest week ending February 23, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the report.

10:17 AM

India logs 240 new Covid-19 cases, active infections in country rise to 2,335

India logged 240 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases climbed to 2,335, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

 

The death toll stands at 5,30,772 with one fatality reported by Rajasthan, the data updated at 8 am stated.

10:07 AM

People asking how to make Holi dishes: Kharge on gas price hike

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday slammed the Centre for raising prices of domestic and commercial LPG ahead of Holi.

 

Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi, "Price of domestic gas has increased by Rs 50 and commercial by Rs 350, the people are now asking how to make Holi dishes, how long will these orders of loot continue?"

9:47 AM

India's jobless rate rises to 7.45% in February - CMIE

The urban unemployment rate declined to 7.93% in February from 8.55% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate rose to 7.23% from 6.48%, the data showed.

 

9:33 AM

Congress' Salman Khurshid slams Centre over BBC documentary on PM Modi

Responding to the recent BBC docuseries on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said that restricting the documentary from being shown to the public reflects cowardness.

 

Salman Khurshid in an interview with ANI said the UK-based broadcaster is a respected organization in the world.