News Highlights: Jio Financial Q3 net profit remains flat at Rs 295 crore, revenue rises 6%

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

11:25 PM

Presidential inauguration moved indoors due to severe windchill: Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday that his inauguration ceremony has been moved indoors because of the forecast of severe windchill.

It will now be held at the Capitol Rotunda, and not outside the US Capitol facing the National Mall.

9:01 PM

Ensure nominations in all accounts, lockers: RBI to banks

The Reserve Bank on Friday asked banks to ensure nominations in new and all existing customers' deposit accounts and safety lockers, highlighting that a large number of accounts do not have nominations.

The nomination facility is intended to minimise the hardship and facilitate expeditious settlement of claims of the family members on the death of depositor/s.

8:27 PM

International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor meets with Syrian leader in Damascus

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan made an unannounced visit to Damascus on Friday, meeting with the leader of Syria's de facto government.

Khan's office says he visited on the invitation of Syria's transitional government to offer support in ensuring accountability for alleged crimes committed in the country.

7:48 PM

Xi, Trump hold telephone talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, official media here reported.

The phone conversation between the two leaders comes just three days before Trump's inauguration ceremony on Jan 20.

7:31 PM

Private bodies providing essential public services have to be under RTI Act, says CIC

Advising the Delhi government to stop ex post facto renewal of licences od private hospitals, the CIC has said private entities providing essential public services have to be brought under RTI Act in a state-specific amendment of the transparency law.

Information Commissioner Vinod Kumar Tiwari made these observations while hearing the case of an RTI applicant who was allegedly given "exorbitant bills" by a private hospital for the treatment of his wife in 2023.

7:23 PM

South Sudan imposes nationwide overnight curfew to curb violence targeting Sudanese traders

South Sudanese authorities have imposed a countrywide dusk-to-dawn curfew after a night of violence during which businesses run by Sudanese traders in the capital were looted.

Police chief Gen. Abraham Manyuat said Friday that the curfew will commence from 6 pm local time to dawn to curb looting incidents reported in Juba and other major towns.

7:20 PM

Hooda denounces power rate hike by Haryana govt, says BJP did nothing good in 100 days

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday denounced the state government's decision to increase electricity prices and said the BJP did not generate even a single new unit of electricity since coming to power in the state.

He said the Congress, while in power, set up five power plants, one of them nuclear.

7:10 PM

Jio Financial Q3 results: Net profit remains flat at Rs 295 cr

Jio Financial Q3 net profit remains flat at Rs 295 crore, while revenue rises 6%.

6:58 PM

Israel's security Cabinet recommends approval of ceasefire in Gaza

Israel's security Cabinet on Friday recommended approval of a ceasefire that would pause the fighting in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants. The deal will now go to the full Cabinet. The prime minister's office said Friday that if the deal is passed, ceasefire could start as soon as Sunday with the first hostages released then.

6:45 PM

UN chief Guterres says Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territories

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territories and stop conducting military operations inside Lebanon that violate the UN Security Council resolution halting the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. Guterres made the comments Friday during a visit to the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon near the border with Israel.

6:08 PM

In national security cases, trial in absentia should be initiated against fugitives: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that in cases related to national security, trial in absentia should be initiated against fugitives who have been running away from the country for a long time.

Reviweing the implementation of the three new criminal laws with a delegation of Madhya Pradesh government, Shah also emphasised the need for a robust legal aid system to ensure justice for the underprivileged and stressed the importance of providing necessary training for this purpose.

5:32 PM

Budget session's first part likely between January 31 and February 13

The first part of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to be held between January 31 and February 13, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to table her eighth straight budget on February 1.

 

In line with the convention, the session will start with President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, followed by the tabling of the economic survey.

4:55 PM

Maharashtra Govt forms panel for Artificial Intelligence policy

Maharashtra Government has formed a committee to submit recommendations for rolling out the state's Artificial Intelligence policy, Minister for Information Technology Ashish Shelar said on Friday. The 16-member AI Policy Taskforce will help Maharashtra to develop the AI Policy 2025 to capitalise on the rapid growth of AI-based industry, the minister said. Maharashtra will become India's first state to have a dedicated AI policy, Shelar said.

4:52 PM

India in touch with US to clarify impact of its latest sanctions

New Delhi is in touch with Washington to clarify issues linked to the impact the latest U.S. sanctions have on Indian companies, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

4:32 PM

Attack on Saif Ali Khan: New video shows suspect going upstairs in building with his face covered

A new video surfaced on Friday showing the suspect in the actor Saif Ali Khan attack case going upstairs in his building in Mumbai's Bandra area with his face covered and carrying a bag. Khan (54) suffered grievous injuries after an intruder stabbed him with a knife repeatedly at his 12th-floor flat in Bandra in the early hours of Thursday. The actor, who received multiple stab injuries, including in his neck, underwent an emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital.

4:30 PM

News update: BJP promised several 'revris', PM should now say he was wrong, says Kejriwal on BJP manifesto

4:07 PM

Wipro Q3 Results: PAT rises 24% YoY to Rs 3,354 crore

The company's board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 6 per share.

3:51 PM

Delhi HC junks Janta Party plea against ECI symbol order

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the Janta Party's petition challenging the election commission's order for reserving an election symbol only for recognised registered political parties. A bench of acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the issue raised by the petitioner was conclusively decided by the Supreme Court and the high court in other cases. The bench said according to the decisions, political parties could not consider symbols their "exclusive" property and it was clear the symbol could be lost by a party on account of their "dismal performance".

3:12 PM

Fire breaks out in rooftop room in south Kolkata building

A fire broke out on Friday in a rooftop room of a five-storey building in south Kolkata's Hungerford Street, an official said. Five fire tenders were pressed into service to bring the blaze under control, she said. The blaze in a standalone room on the roof of the five-storey building was reported at 1.20 pm and was brought under control by 2 pm, the Fire Brigade official said.

2:54 PM

BJP launches manifesto for Delhi Assembly polls

"Our 'Sankalp Patra' is foundation for developed Delhi," says BJP President JP Nadda at launch of party's manifesto for Feb 5 Assembly polls.

2:25 PM

Need for political and ideological battle against anti-secular forces: Prakash Karat

CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat on Friday emphasised the need for a political and ideological battle against forces attempting to "subvert the secular democratic fabric of India." Inaugurating the first phase of the Jyoti Basu Centre for Social Studies and Research here, the CPI(M) politburo coordinator accused these forces of trying to "make Hindutva the state's official ideology." "The fight against such forces is not purely and merely in the electoral sphere, it is a political and ideological fight against the forces of irrationality," he said.

2:02 PM

'Extremely objectionable': Akhilesh slams BJP spokesperson's TV debate remark Samajwadi Party president

Akhilesh Yadav on Friday slammed BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla over his "extremely objectionable language" for an AAP lawmaker during a TV debate. His comment, seen by many rival politicians as a new low in TV debates, came after Jha took a dig at Poonawalla's surname. "This statement reflects the BJP's narrow-minded attitude towards people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Purvanchal, which has always been negative. This is not a matter that can be resolved with an apology. Those from Purvanchal who were insulted by this 'verbal arrow' will never forget it. UP-Bihar say today, we don't need BJP!" he added.

1:56 PM

CM Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, seeks discount for students in Delhi Metro trains

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has demanded a 50 per cent rebate for students in Delhi Metro fares, the party said on Friday, hours ahead of the BJP releasing its manifesto for the Assembly polls in the city. Later, addressing a press conference, Kejriwal announced free bus rides for male students if his party is re-elected in the February 5 polls. The AAP government already provides free bus travel to women in the city.

 

12:50 PM

Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan gets 14 years in jail in al-Qadir Trust case

A Pakistan court on Friday found former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi guilty of corruption in the 190 million pounds al-Qadir Trust case and sentenced them to 14 and seven years in prison respectively.

12:24 PM

SC pauses order asking Delhi to sign MoU with Centre to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme

The Supreme Court has paused a Delhi High Court order that directed the Delhi government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in the national capital. Read here for more details.

12:08 PM

Rising middle class, rapid urbanisation, and affordable vehicles going to push auto sector in India: PM Modi

25 crore people have moved out of poverty and this neo-middle class are prospective buyers of vehicles, Prime Minister Modi said today. 

12:04 PM

News update: India's automotive industry is both fantastic, future-ready, says PM Modi

12:00 PM

SC reconstitutes committee on gender sensitisation

The Supreme Court has reconstituted its Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee. The 11-member committee is headed by top court judge Justice B V Nagarathna, who is the chairperson. The panel comprises Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh and Sujata Singh, who is OSD (Registrar), and senior advocates Menaka Guruswamy, Liz Mathew and Bansuri Swaraj.

11:03 AM

Two BSF jawans injured in IED blast triggered by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district

Two personnel of the Border Security Force were injured when Naxalites set off an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday, police said. The incident took place in the morning when a BSF road-opening party from its camp near Garpa village was out on patrolling, a police official said. The road-opening party was between the camp and Garpa village when Naxalites detonated the IED causing injuries to two jawans, he said.

10:52 AM

Four dead, 15 injured as truck rams into bus in Andhra Pradesh

 Four passengers were dead and 15 others were injured in an accident involving a bus and a dumper truck in this district, a police official said on Friday. The accident occurred around 11:15 pm on Thursday at Gajulapalli village in Chittoor district, he added. "Four passengers died on the spot and 15 others sustained injuries. Of them, four are seriously injured and 11 persons sustained simple injuries," Chittoor sub-divisional police officer T Sainath told PTI.