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10:39 PM

Plane with over 300 Indians on board grounded in France

A Nicaragua-bound plane carrying more than 300 Indian passengers has been grounded in France over suspected "human trafficking", authorities said Friday. The aircraft carrying passengers "likely to be victims of human trafficking" was detained on Thursday after an anonymous tipoff, the Paris public prosecutor's office told AFP. The plane had taken off from the United Arab Emirates. The national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation, prosecutors said. The prefecture in the northeastern department of Marne said the A340, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, "remained grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport following its landing". The plane had been due to refuel and was carrying 303 Indian nationals, it said. According to a source familiar with the case, the Indian passengers might have planned to travel to Central America in order to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.

9:41 PM

Ban on Hijab will be lifted in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced that there will be no ban on hijab in the educational institutions of the state. He said that a direction has been given to the officials and the government order will come soon.

9:17 PM

Plane with over 300 Indians on board grounded in France

Nicaragua-bound plane carrying over 300 Indians grounded in France over suspected "human trafficking": News agency AFP

9:07 PM

Enforcement Directorate sends third summon to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Enforcement Directorate sends third summon to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He has been asked to appear before ED on 3rd January.

9:06 PM

IAF Chief visits maintenance command and EEL facilities in Nagpur

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari visited the headquarters Maintenance Command and Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), facilities in Nagpur today. He was briefed about the facility by Solar Group chairman Satyanarayan Nuwal on the latest products being developed by the company. ACM Chaudhari also visited production facilities of Ammunition and explosives such as the Chaff facility, Rocket Assembly bay and was also shown the mixing and casting of Pinaka Rockets: IAF officials

8:19 PM

Gujarat Government allows consuming liquor in hotels/restaurants/clubs offering 'Wine and Dine' in GIFT

Gujarat Government allows consuming liquor in hotels/restaurants/clubs offering “Wine and Dine” in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT). Liquor Access Permit will be given to all the employees/owners working in the entire GIFT City. Apart from this, a provision has been made to allow authorized visitors of each company to consume liquor in such hotels/restaurants/clubs having temporary permits in the presence of permanent employees of that company.

 

Hotels/Restaurants/Clubs located or coming to GIFT City will be able to obtain wine and dine facility i.e. FL3 license there. Officially serving employees of GIFT City and officially visiting visitors can consume liquor in hotels/clubs/restaurants. However, hotels/clubs/restaurants cannot sell liquor bottles: Gujarat Govt

7:04 PM

We announced to provide Rs 6,000 to the people affected by floods: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin participates in a Christmas celebration event in Chennai's Perambur Don Bosco School. Stalin said, "During the floods in the state, several relief works were done and our ministers and DMK leaders were on the ground to serve people. We announced to provide Rs 6,000 to the people affected by floods and finished our promise within 2 weeks. 98% work of the distribution of money to the people of Chennai, Chengalpet, Thiruvallore and Kanchipuram have been completed..."

7:03 PM

Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return Padma Shri; WFI polls were held fair, says Sports Min sources

Wrestler Bajrang Punia was stopped at Delhi's Kartavya Path by Delhi Police officials. Earlier today, Punia announced on X that he is returning his Padma Shri award to the PM. "I will give the Padma Shri award to anyone who will take it to PM Modi," says wrestler Bajrang Punia, who was stopped at Kartavya Path by Delhi Police officials. "When I reflect on this day, these medals and awards hurt me, and I wonder why we were even given these when we fought for our daughters and sisters, and we failed. I feel that I am not suitable for this award. The federation was formed to support the players, not to demean and push them to the limits of retirement," says wrestler on his announcement of returning the Padma Shri award to the PM.

5:21 PM

NewsClick Case: Delhi Court grants Delhi Police further two months to complete the investigation

The Patiala House Court of Delhi grants Delhi Police a further two months to complete the investigation in the case registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that News Portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda.

5:21 PM

RBI MPC brief

In the minutes of the December meeting, MPC member Jayanth Varma says a stance is not needed at all at this stage. "If at all there is a stance, it should be neutral"

5:20 PM

Forex reserves jump by $9.11 bn to $615.97 bn for week ending Dec 15

India's forex reserves jump by $9.11 bn to $615.97 bn for the week ending December 15.

 

5:02 PM

Bajrang Punia returns Padma Shri award in protest over WFI chief election

A day after wrestler Sakshi Malik hung her boots protesting the election of Brij Bhushan's close aide Sanjay Singh as the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Bajrang Punia wrote a letter to PM Modi returning his Padma Shri award. "I am returning my Padmashree award to the Prime Minister. This is just my letter to announce that. This is my statement," Bajrang Punia tweeted.

4:52 PM

Govt school students in Karnataka forced to clean toilets

On the alleged incident of cleaning of toilets by school children in Andrahalli Government Primary School of Yeshwanthapura Assembly Constituency, LoP Karnataka R Ashok said, "...This is a govt school and cleaning of toilets is happening...For the last five to six months they (children) have been cleaning toilets...CM Siddaramaiah's govt is the worst. Nobody is following the rules and regulations...Immediate suspension should happen..."

4:31 PM

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan granted bail but remains jailed

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was granted bail Friday in a case alleging he leaked state secrets, lawyers said, but remained jailed on other charges with an election due in February.

 

Khan -- detained since August -- alleges the powerful military is colluding with dynastic parties which have long dominated Pakistan to crush his populist movement and prevent him standing for office.

 

The 71-year-old has been pummelled by a barrage of legal cases since being ousted in April 2022 after falling out with the top brass, and has twice been jailed.

4:25 PM

China will implement proactive fiscal policy in 2024: finance ministry

China will implement proactive fiscal policy next year and step up efforts to resolve existing hidden debt, according to a Friday statement of the national fiscal work conference for 2024, held in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.
 

China will strengthen the use and management of special local government bonds and use the funds from the new sovereign bonds well, said the statement.

4:19 PM

Cottonseed oil cake futures rise on fresh bets

Cottonseed oil cake prices on Friday rose Rs 44 to Rs 2,705 per quintal in futures trade as speculators created fresh positions amid a higher demand.
 

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, cottonseed oil cake for January delivery traded higher by Rs 44 or 1.63 per cent at Rs 2,705 per quintal with an open interest of 47,140 lots.
 

Marketmen said the raising of positions by participants amid increasing demand for cattle feed mainly influenced cottonseed oil cake prices.

4:18 PM

Coriander futures rise on higher demand

Coriander prices on Friday rose Rs 86 to Rs 7,328 per quintal in futures trade as speculators increased their holdings, tracking a firm trend in the spot market.
 

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, coriander contracts for January delivery traded higher by Rs 86 or 1.17 per cent at Rs 7,328 per quintal with an open interest of 18,755 lots.
 

A firm trend in the spot market and restricted supplies from producing regions pushed up coriander prices, market analysts said. 

4:16 PM

Gaza health authorities say 20,057 Palestinians killed 53,320 wounded since Oct 7

Israeli forces signalled they were widening their ground offensive with a new push into central Gaza on Friday, as the U.N. Security Council was expected to vote on a resolution to increase humanitarian aid to stave off the threat of famine.

As hopes faded for an imminent breakthrough in talks this week in Egypt aimed at getting warring Israel and Hamas

to agree a new truce, air strikes, artillery bombardments and fighting were reported across the Palestinian enclave.

Israel's military on Friday ordered residents of Al-Bureij, in central Gaza, to move south immediately, indicating a new focus of the ground assault that has already devastated the north of the Strip and made a series of incursions in the south.

Israel's government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eradicate Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, after its fighters launched a cross-border raid on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

4:14 PM

India's new envoy takes charge, presents credentials to Sri Lankan president

India's new High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha has assumed charge and presented his credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe here on Friday.

Jha replaces Gopal Baglay, who has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia.

Jha, a senior diplomat, was India's Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium & Luxembourg before taking up his assignment in Colombo.

4:05 PM

Congress MP Manish Tewari speaks on three criminal laws passed in the Parliament

On three criminal laws passed in the Parliament, Congress MP Manish Tewari says, "The soul of these three laws is unconstitutional. These laws are draconian, they are authoritarian. They will lay the foundation of a police state in India. These laws will be challenged in the appropriate courts of law and I am confident they will not pass the test of constitutionality."

4:05 PM

Macron to be R-Day guest at Modi's invite

French President Emmanuel Macron accepted an invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations as a chief guest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to people familiar with the matter. Macron will be in India for the event on Jan. 26, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details aren’t public.

4:05 PM

"The more hatred BJP spreads, the more love and brotherhood INDIA parties will spread," says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that INDIA parties will spread more love and brotherhood as against the BJP's agenda of spreading hatred. He had joined the other senior leaders to protest at Jantar Mantar. Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc hold a protest against the suspension of 146 opposition MPs here in the national capital on Friday.

2:54 PM

Niraj Shah, Indian-American CEO of Wayfair urges employees to embrace longer work hours

Wayfair's CEO, Niraj Shah, delivered an end-of-year message encouraging employees to embrace longer work hours and blend work with life for continued success, as per media reports. Shah remarked that the correlation between hard work and achieving tangible results, asserting that ambition is fulfilled through dedicated efforts.

2:52 PM

There is nothing to worry about. We have found a slight increase in the number of COVID cases: Kerala minister

2:13 PM

Pakistan's election commission extends deadline for filing nomination papers by 2 days

Election Commission of Pakistan today extended the deadline for filing nomination papers for the February 8 general elections by 2 days till Sunday after major political parties sought more time to complete the time-consuming exercise. As per the schedule issued by ECP, potential candidates are required to file nomination papers from December 20 to 22. The top election body began accepting nomination papers from prospective candidates on 20 December. The deadline for the filing of papers was set to expire at 4:30 pm today.

 

2:05 PM

BJP reacts on viral video of Karnataka CM in luxury jet

1:29 PM

WATCH | Leaders of INDIA alliance parties come together on one stage to protest against MPs suspension

1:28 PM

The more you try to crush us, the more we will rise: Mallikarjun Kharge at INDIA alliance protest

1:07 PM

Media did not talk about unemployment in the country: Rahul Gandhi

1:06 PM

Security arrangements tightened near Parliament in view of protests against suspension of MPs

Adequate security arrangements have been made near the Parliament and Jantar Mantar area today in view of the ongoing protest by INDIA bloc against suspension of MPs, an official told media. Several security personnel have been deployed and barricades put in place.security personnel have been deployed for the smooth movement of traffic in the area. A total of 146 members were suspended from the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha since December 14.