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11:03 PM

Rajnath congratulates Maumoon on appointment as Maldives Defence Minister

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday congratulated his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon on his appointment to the post and said he was looking forward to working closely to enhance India-Maldives security ties.

Mohamed Muizzu took oath as the eighth President of the Maldives on Friday at a ceremony attended by a multitude of foreign dignitaries, including India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Maumoon was appointed as the Minister of Defence in the new Maldives cabinet.

11:01 PM

Passengers asked to refrain from carrying inflammable materials on trains

In the wake of fire accidents occurring on trains across the country, an appeal has been made by two divisions of the Railways to passengers asking them not to carry inflammable materials on trains.

South Central Railway Zone's Vijayawada Division and East Coast Railway's Waltair Division on Friday urged passengers not to carry inflammable materials such as gas cylinders, petrol, diesel, kerosene, stoves, matchboxes, cigarette lighters and any detonating substances, including firecrackers.

"Carrying inflammable and explosive articles on railways is a punishable offence and stern action would be taken under Sections 67, 164 and 165 of the Railway Act, 1989 with penalties of up to Rs 1,000 or imprisonment for up to three years or both," Narendra A Patil, divisional railways manager (DRM), Vijayawada Division, said in a press release.

10:42 PM

Cong govt corrupt, exploiting poor by selling petrol and diesel at high prices: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday attacked the Congress government in poll-bound Rajasthan, accusing it of being corrupt and exploiting the poor by selling petrol and diesel at higher prices compared to other states.

Polls to the 200-member Rajasthan assembly will be held on November 25 and results will be declared on December 3.

10:41 PM

Air India's A350 plane operates its first ferry flight from Singapore to Toulouse

Air India on Friday said its A350-900 aircraft operated its first ferry flight from Singapore to Toulouse and the plane is expected to soon join the airline's fleet.

The Tata Group-owned airline has ordered six A350-900 planes and five of them are scheduled for delivery through March 2024.

On September 29, Air India said it has completed the acquisition of its first A350-900 aircraft by way of a finance lease transaction with HSBC through the GIFT City.

10:21 PM

Coastal security exercise Sagar Kavach concludes

A two-day Coastal security exercise, Sagar Kavach for Kerala and the Union Territory of Mahe was conducted on November 16 and 17 by the Indian Coast Guard District Headquarters here.

The exercise was aimed at evaluating the threat emanating from sea and to validate the effectiveness of coastal security measures along the coast of Kerala and Union Territory of Mahe, the Coast Guard said on Friday.

10:21 PM

People from Poorvanchal will have to celebrate Chhath Puja in 'dirty' Yamuna: Arvinder Singh Lovely

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Arvinder Singh Lovely on Friday alleged that people from Poorvanchal would be forced to celebrate Chhath Puja in the "dirty" Yamuna river and in a highly polluted air.

Lovely blamed the city government's "inaction" for this.

Lovely thanked Lt Governor V K Saxena for accepting the Congress' demand to declare Chhath Puja as a dry day, but said the Delhi government did not make any arrangement to ensure clean water in Yamuna by writing to the Haryana government to release fresh water into the river in advance, a statement said.

10:20 PM

More than 73% turnout recorded in assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh

A voter turnout of 73.72 per cent was recorded in assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, officials said.

It was a provisional figure and the final voting percentage was likely to be higher, the election officials said.

Polling was held for all 230 constituencies in a single phase on Friday.

10:14 PM

Mamata claims BJP's party colours being used for cricket team jerseys, metro stations

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to saffronise various institutions across the country, including the Indian cricket team, whose practice jerseys are now saffron-coloured.

Speaking at the inauguration of Jagadhatri Puja at Posta Bazar in central Kolkata, Banerjee alleged that the BJP has introduced saffron colour not only in the practice jerseys of the cricket team but also in the painting of Metro stations.

9:44 PM

Day after stone-pelting at women in Haryana's Nuh, FIR lodged against unidentified people

A case was registered on Friday against unidentified persons in connection with a stone-pelting incident in which three women suffered injuries when they were on their way for 'kuan (well) poojan' ceremony on Thursday night, police said on Friday. Police are questioning three teenagers in the presence of their parents, who were present at the spot during the incident, they said. At least three women suffered injuries after some unidentified persons hurled stones at them allegedly from a mosque in Nuh on Thursday night, police had said. The FIR has been registered under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurt), 341 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the city police station here.

8:31 PM

We will strengthen our cooperation to fight against terrorism: PM Modi

7:58 PM

India proud to put Voice of Global South on G20 agenda, says PM Modi

The message from the second Voice of Global South summit is that the Global South wants its autonomy and is ready to take big responsibilities in world affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. He made the remarks at the concluding session of the second virtual summit of the developing countries that was hosted by India.

7:44 PM

Isuzu Motors strategically expanding network pan India, says official

Utility vehicle maker Isuzu Motors India has inaugurated its new dealership in Tamil Nadu under its plan to strategically expand its network across the country, a top official said. The company, a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Ltd, Japan has set up its 3S - sales, service, and spares - dealership named Kaveri ISUZU in Tiruchirappalli.

7:28 PM

UN stops delivery of food, supplies to Gaza as communications blackout hinders aid coordination

The United Nations was forced to stop deliveries of food and other necessities to Gaza on Friday and warned of the growing possibility of widespread starvation after internet and telephone services collapsed in the besieged enclave because of a lack of fuel. The communications blackout, now in its second day, largely cuts off Gaza's 2.3 million people from one another and the outside world and paralyses the coordination of aid, which humanitarian groups were already struggling to deliver because of the fuel shortage.

6:55 PM

Delhi Police opposes bail plea of NewsClick HR head Amit Chakravarty before court

The Delhi Police on Friday opposed NewsClick human resources department head Amit Chakravarty's bail application before a court here in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda. In a brief hearing, police questioned the maintainability of the application before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur and sought the dismissal of the plea. The counsel appearing for Chakravarty claimed that he was not named as an accused in the FIR.

6:08 PM

71.11% of voting was held in Madhya Pradesh till 5:00 pm

5:31 PM

Pick-up vehicle falls into gorge near Nainital, nine killed

Nine people were killed after their pick-up vehicle fell into a gorge on the Chedakhan-Midar Road in Uttarakhand's Nainital district early on Friday, police said. The accident occurred around 8 am when the vehicle was going from Patlot to Amjad village, Senior Superintendent of Police (Nainital) Prahlad Narayan Meena said. The vehicle fell into the gorge while trying to save a motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction, he said. While six people died on the spot, three succumbed in hospital. A couple and their son were among those who died, Meena said

5:06 PM

Airtel extends 5G coverage to all districts in Tamil Nadu

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has rolled out its 5G Plus services in all 38 districts in Tamil Nadu, the company said. Bharti Airtel currently serves over 4.2 million 5G customers in the state. Airtel has extensively rolled out its network making its services available across all districts in Tamil Nadu.

4:35 PM

COVID-19, climate change, and geopolitical tensions have disrupted global supply chains: Goyal

4:22 PM

Varanasi court to hear on Saturday ASI's plea seeking 15 more days to submit survey report on Gyanvapi mosque

A court here will hear on Saturday an application filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), seeking 15 more days to submit its report of a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The Varanasi district court, which was scheduled to hear the matter on Friday afternoon, will now take it up on Saturday, Centre's counsel Amit Srivastava said. The ASI carried out the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

4:09 PM

Union Minister Rijiju calls on Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe

Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju on Friday called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed their multidimensional bilateral relationship which is a priority for the Indian government under its Neighbourhood First Policy. The focus of our Neighbourhood First policy is to enhance connectivity, augment trade and investment, and build a secure and stable neighbourhood.

3:59 PM

Delhi HC stays proceedings in money laundering case against Hero Motocorp's Pawan Munjal

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the proceedings against Hero Motocorp chairman Pawan Kant Munjal in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued notice to the investigating agency on Munjal's petition against the ED case and granted it time to file its reply. While granting the interim relief, the judge observed that a similar stay order was recently passed on the predicate offence under the Customs Act and the petitioner has been exonerated by the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) in that matter.

3:27 PM

States are starting 'Mehangai Rahat' camps as Centre is not controlling inflation: Priyanka Gandhi

3:24 PM

J-K encounter: Five Lashkar terrorists killed in Kulgam district

Five Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were killed on Friday following an overnight encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. "The bodies of the slain terrorists have been retrieved and the area is being sanitised, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi told PTI after the 18-hour gunfight in Kulgam district ended.

3:11 PM

Idols vandalised in five temples in Ranchi, irate residents block key roads

Irate residents on Friday blocked NH-75 and other roads after idols in five temples of a village were vandalised in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, police said. Police said unidentified men vandalised the temples at Mudma village, around 30km from Ranchi, on Thursday night. According to the villagers, idols of Shiva, Hanuman and a goddess were completely damaged in the temples.

2:58 PM

Pakistan military appeals SC order that declared civilians' trial illegal

The Pakistan government has approached the Supreme Court with an appeal against the order of a five-member bench that declared the trial of civilians in military courts illegal, according to a media report on Friday.
 

The Supreme Court had on October 23 declared the trial of civilians in military courts as “null and void” and ordered authorities to conduct the hearing of the cases of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan's supporters arrested for their involvement in the May 9 violent protests in ordinary criminal courts

2:51 PM

Kiren Rijiju inspects India-funded key connectivity project in Maldives

Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju on Friday inspected the progress of work of an India-funded major connectivity project in the Maldives that is expected to usher economic development and prosperity in the country.

Rijiju is here at the invitation of Maldives President-elect Mohamed Muizzu to represent India at the inaugural ceremony of the presidency. Under the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with the adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

2:42 PM

Isro and Nasa discuss potential opportunities in space exploration

The US space agency NASA and its Indian counterpart ISRO have held discussions on potential opportunities for future cooperation in space exploration.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Laurie Leshin visited the ISRO headquarters here and had a meeting with the Chairman of the Indian space agency and Secretary of the Department of Space, S Somanath.

2:33 PM

Cyclone 'Midhili' to make landfall in Bangladesh coast, fishermen warned

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal on Friday intensified into cyclonic storm and will graze past the Sunderbans before making landfall on Bangladesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin.

The cyclonic storm 'Midhili' will cross the Bangladesh coast on November 17 night or early hours of November 18, it said.

2:22 PM

MP assembly polls: Not in race for chief minister's post, says Scindia

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said he was not in the race for the chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Gwalior. "I have told you (media) earlier, I am not in the chief ministerial race. I was neither in this race earlier nor today. You have asked me repeatedly in 2013, 2018 and now and I told you the same," he said after casting his vote. The civil aviation minister also said that the people of the state would make Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win this election with full majority in order to secure their future, and for development and progress.

2:14 PM

Chhattisgarh polls: Fight one sided, CM Baghel confident of retaining power

Ahead of casting his vote, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Durg assembly constituency Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said, "We are more than 75 seats...The fight here is one-sided; there is no competition."

Polling for the 70 seats of the 90-member assembly began today at 8 am on Friday. voting for the first phase in Chhattisgarh for 20 seats was held on November 7.