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11:48 PM

Train services on Blue Line to be briefly regulated on Sunday morning for maintenance work

To undertake the scheduled maintenance work between Karol Bagh and Rajiv Chowk section of Blue Line (Dwarka Sec-21 to Noida Electronic City/Vaishali) on the intervening night of 4 and 5 November 2023, train services on the line will be be briefly regulated on early Sunday morning," it said. The Blue Line connects Dwarka Sector 21 and Electronic City in Noida.

11:44 PM

Strong earthquake tremors felt across Delhi-NCR

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 jolted Nepal on Friday night with tremors reverberating through parts of north India, including Delhi NCR, the National Centre for Seismology said. The epicentre of the quake was in Nepal at a depth of 10 km, the NCS said. People in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) felt strong tremors and rushed out of their homes. This is the third time in a month that strong quakes have struck Nepal.

11:02 PM

SpiceJet adds 44 flights in winter schedule that will serve new and existing routes

SpiceJet on Friday said it is adding 44 flights in the winter schedule that will serve new and existing routes. The struggline carrier has inducted eight Boeing 737s, including four 737 MAX. "Shillong will be connected with Kolkata for the first time on SpiceJet's network with daily flights," it said in a release. Among others, the carrier is enhancing connectivity between Chennai and Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata, and Jaipur and Delhi. The winter schedule 2023 is effective from October 29 to March 30 next year.

10:48 PM

Airtel Digital head Adarsh Nair has resigned from the company after a five-year stint

Airtel Digital head Adarsh Nair has resigned from the company after a five-year stint, according to a regulatory filing. Nair joined Airtel five years ago and was elevated to the position of Director of Airtel Digital about four months back. "We wish to inform you that Mr Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer of the company has resigned and accordingly, ceases to be a Senior Management Personnel. His resignation has been accepted on November 3, 2023 and will be relieved from his duties upon closure of business hours on February 15," the filing said on Friday.

10:06 PM

Imran Khan moves SC for post-arrest bail in cypher case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan moved to the Supreme Court seeking post-arrest bail in the cypher case, as reported by The News International on Friday. Imran Khan filed the plea through his counsel Salman Safdar. In his 18-page bail plea, the PTI chief challenged the Islamabad High Court's verdict against halting the proceedings of the cypher case against him, dismissing his petitions and allowing interrogation, The News International reported.

10:01 PM

Air quality turns 'severe' in some places in Haryana, 'poor' in parts of Punjab

Many parts in Haryana on Friday reported air quality indices in the "severe" category while it was "poor" in parts of neighbouring Punjab. According to the Central Pollution Control Board data on Friday evening, Faridabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 460, followed by Hisar at 456, Sonipat at 455, Jind at 447, Fatehabad at 432, Rohtak at 424, Bahadurgarh at 404, Ballabhgarh at 398, Gurugram at 367, Palwal at 339, Bhiwani at 313, Kurukshetra at 321, Karnal at 312 and Ambala at 218.

9:00 PM

Hezbollah leader threatens escalation as Netanyahu rules out cease-fire in Gaza

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Friday that his powerful militia is engaged in unprecedented cross-border fighting with Israel and threatened escalation. In a widely anticipated speech, Hassan Nasrallah stopped short of announcing that Hezbollah is fully engaging in the Israel-Hamas war. Nasrallah said in a televised speech that the fighting on the Lebanon-Israel border would not be limited to the scale seen until now.

8:40 PM

Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir to visit India next week

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that Kadir's visit will provide an opportunity to comprehensively review bilateral relations and to explore ways to further strengthen them. "At the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir will pay an official visit to India from November 6 to 7 to co-chair the sixth India-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on November 7 in New Delhi," it said.

7:52 PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to press ahead in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a temporary cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying he will press ahead with a devastating military offensive until hostages held by the Hamas militant group are released. Netanyahu spoke Friday shortly after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who pressed Israel for a temporary pause in its offensive in order to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Blinken also urged Israel to do more to protect civilians from its attacks.

7:43 PM

UP CM seeks explanations from 12 DMs on negligence in revenue matters

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has sought explanations from 12 district magistrates of the state on negligence in revenue-related matters, said an official statement from the government of UP on Friday. During a high-level review of the Revenue Board held on October 31, District Magistrates of districts that performed badly in settling total revenue matters, land measurement (paimaish), and Kurra-Bantwara were asked for explanation. Also, the Sub-District Magistrates (SDMs) were issued warnings, and adverse entries were given to Tehsildars, added the statement.

6:36 PM

Delhi air pollution: Centre defers stricter curbs, says AQI declining

The central government on Friday deferred implementation of stricter measures under the final stage of the air pollution control plan, saying curbs under Stage III were implemented only a day ago and the air quality index in Delhi-NCR is already showing a declining trend. Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 468 on Friday which falls in the "severe plus" category, a stage at which all emergency measures, including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction, are mandated to be initiated and enforced in the National Capital Region.

6:26 PM

UNGA votes against US' economic, trade embargo against Cuba

The UN General Assembly on Thursday voted by a large margin against the US' economic and trade embargo against Cuba, first imposed in 1960, as per a report on the UN's official website. A total of 187 states voted for the resolution put forward each year against the embargo with only the US and Israel voting against and Ukraine abstaining. The resolution is titled the "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba".

5:03 PM

Delhi LG V K Saxena says air pollution situation extremely worrying

Delhi LG V K Saxena says air pollution situation extremely worrying, calls meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at 6 pm.

4:53 PM

GRAP III invoked, anti-smog guns deployed as Delhi govt step up fight against pollution

Invoking stage III of pollution control plan, deploying anti-smog guns and re-launching the 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign are among the measures taken by the Delhi government and other agencies with the city's air quality entering the 'severe' category, officials said. According to a Delhi government official, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage 3 has been implemented in the national capital with a complete ban on construction or demolition activities.

4:17 PM

IndiGo posts Q2 profit of Rs 188 cr on steady demand for air travel

Indian airline IndiGo's operator Interglobe Aviation on Friday reported a second-quarter profit on steady demand for air travel, which outpaced a sharp rise in expenses. India's largest carrier reported a profit of Rs 188 crore ($22.58 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, compared to a loss of Rs 1,585 crore a year before.

4:10 PM

Article on Adani-Hindenburg row: SC grants interim protection to 2 journalists

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to two journalists in connection with an article written by them on the Adani-Hindenburg row. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and PK Mishra issued notice to the Gujarat government on the pleas filed by journalists Ravi Nair and Anand Mangnale. The top court was hearing pleas filed by Nair and Mangnale challenging the summonses issued by the Ahmedabad crime branch asking them to appear for questioning with respect to the police's preliminary enquiry into their article published on the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) website.

 

4:00 PM

Israeli troops tighten encirclement of Gaza City as top US diplomat arrives in Israel

Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City on Friday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to press for a humanitarian pause in the fighting with Hamas and for more aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza. Tensions continued to escalate along the northern border with Lebanon ahead of a speech planned later Friday by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. It is his first public speech since Hamas attacked Israel last month, stoking fears the conflict could become a regional one.

3:11 PM

Zomato posts surprise profit of Rs 36 cr on surge in food ordering

Zomato on Friday reported a surprise profit for the second quarter as consumers ordered more from restaurants and its online grocery stores.The company's net profit came in at Rs 36 crore ($4.32 million) for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a net loss of Rs 251 crore year earlier.

2:54 PM

Gopal Rai urges union environment minister to address pollution problem

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called upon his Union counterpart on Friday to become more active in addressing the air pollution problem, saying it's not just the national capital, but the entire north India that is breathing polluted air.

Rai pointed out that the air pollution issue is not confined to Delhi alone, and the situation is the same across north India.

2:42 PM

Five killed, over 20 injured in Dera Ismail Khan blast in Pakistan

At least five people have been killed and over 20 are wounded in a blast that took place in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Pakistan on Friday, Samaa TV reported.

Following the explosion that occurred in Tank Adda in Ponda Bazar of DI Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, emergency measures have been put in hospitals nearby.

Samaa TV is a Pakistani Urdu language news channel, the fourth largest in the country.

As per initial media reports, the explosive device was planted on a motorbike.

2:11 PM

Sunrise food processing sector got Rs 50,000 cr worth FDI in last 9 years: PM Modi

India's sunrise food processing sector has attracted Rs 50,000 crore FDI in the last nine years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, as he stressed on reducing post-harvest losses and food wastage.

He also said India's food processing capacity has witnessed significant growth in the last nine years leading to 150 per cent growth in exports of processed food. The capacity of the food processing sector too has increased from a meagre 12 lakh tonne to over 200 lakh tonne.

2:10 PM

Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi calls for strict action against accused in Snake Venom supply case

Even as YouTuber Elvish Yadav has denied allegations of being involved in the supply of Snake venom at a rave party in Noida, former Union Minister and Chairperson of People for Animals has demanded strict action against the alleged accused in the case.

People for Animals is the complainant in the case under which an FIR was filed against Elvish Yadav and five others for allegedly supplying snake venom to a rave party at a banquet hall in Noida. Five accused have since been arrested by the UP Police.

1:40 PM

Huge costs, but great benefit in hosting Brics Summit: South African government

While South Africa spent nearly USD 5.6 million hosting the 15th BRICS Summit, the cost was fully justified as it brought great economic benefits to the country, the government has said amid criticism from the Opposition.

The BRICS Summit was held in South Africa in July in Johannesburg.

1:12 PM

SC asks Raghav Chadha to tender unconditional apology to RS Chairperson Dhankhar

The Supreme Court on Friday asked suspended AAP lawmaker Raghav Chadha to tender an unconditional apology to Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on the select committee issue, and hoped that he would take a sympathetic view of the matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to apprise it of the developments in the matter after the Diwali vacation.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to apprise it of the developments in the matter after the Diwali vacation.

 

1:03 PM

Forest dept, WCCB seize illegally traded wildlife body parts in Assam's Dhubri

The Assam Forest department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in a joint operation have seized illegally traded wildlife body parts in Dhubri district, an official said on Friday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the WCCB and forest department raided a makeshift roadside shop here and seized wildlife body parts of various animals on Thursday, WCCB member Mehtab Uddin Ahmed told PTI.

12:54 PM

Here's what Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had to say on worsening air pollution crisis

On the issue of air pollution, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, "The day before yesterday Supreme Court issued notices to 5-6 states including Punjab, Haryana, UP  and Delhi on pollution. On my way to Delhi, I landed at Ghaziabad, as soon as I stepped out of the aircraft my eyes started burning and I realised it was due to smog. When I checked NASA satellite images to see areas affected by stubble burning and industrial pollution, it was found that the whole of Punjab and northern parts of Haryana were indicated in 'red' (indicating stubble burning). When air from these states travelled, Delhi was covered in darkness."

 

12:44 PM

Ahead of MP polls, BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad says Kamal Nath in trouble in constituency

12:31 PM

Shiv Sena (UBT) questions Centre's intent on reservation for Marathas

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that a constitutional amendment is required for Maratha reservation and asked if the Modi government would bring any proposal related to this in the winter session.

Sanjay Raut said, "For Maratha reservation, BJP leaders will have to take the initiative because PM Modi is the Prime Minister. Why do the BJP leader and Maharashtra CM not say anything on this to PM Modi? Will the Modi government bring any proposal related to this in the winter session in December? "

12:10 PM

SC dismisses plea against transfer of Gyanvapi case from one court to another in HC

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee's plea challenging the Allahabad High Court chief justice's administrative decision withdraw the Gyanvapi case from a single-judge bench hearing it since 2021.

The single-judge bench was hearing the plea challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque exists in Varanasi.

12:07 PM

Don't want Supreme Court to become 'tarikh-pe-tarikh' court: Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday urged lawyers not to seek adjournments in fresh matters, saying he does not want the Supreme Court to become a 'tarikh-pe-tarikh' court.

At the outset of the day's proceedings, the CJI flagged the issue of lawyers seeking adjournments in fresh matters and said in the last two months adjournment slips were moved in 3,688 matters by advocates.