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9:49 PM

Chhattisgarh cabinet to be expanded tomorrow, 9 ministers to be inducted: CM

The Chhattisgarh cabinet will be expanded on Friday with the induction of nine ministers, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said here.

 

Nine MLAs will be sworn in as ministers at the Raj Bhavan at 11:45am, he told reporters on Thursday.

 

Brijmohan Agrawal, Ramvichar Netam, Dayaldas Baghel, Kedar Kashyap, Lakhanlal Dewangan, Shyambihari Jaiswal, OP Chaudhary, Tank Ram Verma and Laxmi Rajwade will take oath as ministers, he added.

 

"Very soon portfolios will be allotted. One more cabinet berth will be filled later," CM Sai told reporters. Chhattisgarh can have a maximum of 13 ministers, including the CM.

 

Currently, the cabinet has three members -- chief minister Sai and two deputy CMs Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma. They were sworn in on December 13.

 

The BJP came back to power in the state by ousting the Congress in the Assembly polls held on November 7 and 17. Results were declared on December 3.

 

The BJP won 54 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the Congress emerged victorious on 35 seats, down from the 68 it won in the 2018 edition.

9:13 PM

PM to address public meeting in Ayodhya on Dec 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting here on December 30, officials said on Thursday.
 

Before the meeting, Modi will inaugurate the Ayodhya Airport and the Ayodhya railway station, they said. The meeting will be held at a ground next to the airport.

On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the venue of the public meeting, the official here said.

8:43 PM

Several dead, injured in Prague University shooting, suspect killed: Police

Czech police said Thursday a shooting in a university building in central Prague has left "dead and wounded people", without providing further details.

"Based on the initial information we have, we can confirm dead and wounded people on the scene," police said on X, formerly Twitter.

5:14 PM

Sakshi Malik quits wrestling after Sanjay Singh becomes WFI president

Sakshi Malik announces retirement from wrestling, says she won't compete under presidency of Brij Bhushan loyalist. "We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh's business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling," Wrestler Sakshi Malik.

5:09 PM

Sakshi Malik announces retirement, says she won't compete under presidency of Brij Bhushan loyalist

Sakshi Malik announces retirement from wrestling, says she won't compete under presidency of Brij Bhushan loyalist.

5:04 PM

Hope Canada will take action against anti-India elements, says MEA

India on Thursday said its "core" issue with Canada remained that of the space given to anti-India elements operating from that country. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that India also hoped that Canada will take action against the separatists and anti-India elements. The core issue remains the space being given to the separatists and anti-India elements, Bagchi said. The ties between India and Canada have been under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. India strongly rejected the charges.

3:59 PM

Delhi HC asks EC to act against Rahul Gandhi over pickpockets remark

The Delhi High Court has directed the Election Commission of India to act against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi "in accordance with the law" for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and businessman Gautam Adani 'pickpockets'. Observing that the statements were not in good taste, the court gave the constitutional body eight weeks to take the action.

2:39 PM

Exports could drop about $4 bn in 2023 due to curbs on wheat, rice, sugar: Report

Exports could drop by about $4-5 bn in 2023 due to trade restrictions on wheat, rice and sugar, a Reuters report states. Basmati rice exports from India may be impacted if challenges due to attacks in the Red Sea by the Houthi group persists, an official told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter.

2:34 PM

Fire breaks out at commercial building in Gopaldas Bhawan building at Barakhamba road

2:11 PM

12 people killed, 13 others injured in coal mine accident in China's Heilongjiang province

At least 12 people were killed and 13 others injured in a coal mine accident in China's Heilongjiang province, according to media reports. The accident occurred in the Jixi city's Hengshan district on Wednesday afternoon, the state-run China Central Television reported. Those injured were shifted to a hospital.

2:09 PM

TN CM M K Stalin visits flood ravaged southern districts, distributes relief

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin paid a visit to the southern districts today to personally take stock of the damage caused due to massive inundation and to console the affected people. The chief minister also interacted with the residents at Anthoniyarpuram and later distributed relief to them.

2:07 PM

Lok Sabha passes Bill concerning appointment of CEC & other ECs

The Lok Sabha today passed the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. The Bill repeals the 1991 Act and provides for the appointment process and conditions of services for the CEC and ECs.

1:18 PM

Income Tax dept recovers Rs 70 lakh in cash from TMC MLA's residence

A senior Income tax official on Thursday said that the department has recovered nearly Rs 70 lakh in cash from the residence of Trinamool Congress MLA Bayron Biswas during a search there in connection with alleged evasion of taxes.

 

 

The official also stated that the search began at the legislator's residence on Wednesday morning, at Samserganj in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, and got over late in the night nearly after 19 hours. 

12:52 PM

LS discusses CEC & other Election Commissioners (Appointment, CoS & Term of Office) Bill, 2023

The Lok Sabha today commenced discussions on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. The Bill repeals the 1991 Act and provides for the appointment process and conditions of services for the CEC and ECs.

12:29 PM

India sends humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Papua New Guinea in the wake of volcanic eruption

10:52 AM

Parliament security breach: CIU brings all six accused together to match sequence of events

The Counter Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Special Cell of Delhi Police has brought all the six accused in the Parliament security breach case to check if the sequence of events as claimed by each of them earlier matches. As per the Delhi Police, all 6 were kept at five different units of the Special Cell where they were subjected to sustained grilling. On 20 December, the accused were handed over to the CIU (Counter Intelligence Unit) where they faced joint interrogation. The seven-day custody of four of the accused -- Manoranjan, Amol, Sagar and Neelam - is set to expire today.

10:31 AM

Delhi Police questions 2 more people in relation to Parliament security breach

As per media reports, the Delhi Police has questioned two more people in connection with the Parliament security breach case. While one of them is said to be a close friend of accused Manoranjan D and belongs to Karnataka, the other hails from Uttar Pradesh, police sources told media. A team of the Special Cell questioned the duo on Wednesday, they added.

10:12 AM

CM Arvind Kejriwal replies to ED, says summons politically motivated, illegal

In a reply to ED, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called its summons illegal and politically motivated. Kejriwal was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday. However, the Delhi CM left for an undisclosed location for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course on 20 December. "Kejriwal called the fresh summons politically motivated and illegal. In his reply, he said that he has lived his life through transparency and honesty and has nothing to hide. He said he is ready to accept any legal summons," sources told media.

10:06 AM

Three deaths, 300 fresh Covid-19 infections reported in Kerala

Kerala has reported 300 fresh Covid-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the data on the Union Health Ministry website on 21 December. Of the 358 Covid cases reported nationwide till 8 am today, 300 were from Kerala, taking the number of active cases in the state to 2,341, according to the Ministry website

9:37 AM

NDRF personnel distribute relief material in the flood-affected area of Tamil Nadu

8:37 AM

Viksit Bharat Yatra signifies PM's resolve for all-round development, says J-K LG Manoj Sinha

"Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is a resolve and guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the dreams of common man. It has a pivotal role in bringing transformation in the lives of people by ensuring that all the benefits reach citizens and to bring holistic, inclusive development in rural and urban areas," the Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor joined the yatra, which aims to spread the word about the central government's flagship schemes ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, in Udhampur district on 20 December, 2023.

8:31 AM

Donald Trump urges Supreme Court to put off hearing case on immunity claim

Media reports suggest that former US President Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to reject federal prosecutors' request to immediately review his claim that he cannot be prosecuted for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Trump's brief said the question should be "resolved in a cautious, deliberative manner, not at breakneck speed." 

8:31 AM

UNSC again delays vote on Gaza aid resolution amid talks to avoid US veto

After days of intense negotiations, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) today delayed the vote on a resolution calling for more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, as per media reports. The resolution, which also called for a suspension in fighting, has been delayed for the third time this week, as US President Joe Biden said the US' support for the resolution remains to be unresolved. 

8:28 AM

'This action is inappropriate' says Sachin Pilot on suspension of MPs

Congress leader Sachin Pilot lashed out at the BJP and asked them if the opposition did not have the right to put forward its view. His remarks come on the backdrop of 143 MPs getting suspended from Parliament on the grounds of disruption.