News updates: US President-elect Donald Trump picks Jared Isaacman to head Nasa

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10:49 PM

US President-elect Donald Trump picks Jared Isaacman to head Nasa

10:49 PM

One language cannot override another language..." says DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on FM Sitharaman's remark on Hindi

"First of all, the DMK's policy on language has to be understood by everyone. We want to protect Tamil, and we have never stopped anyone from learning any other language. We are against the imposition of Hindi, like how the govt nowadays names everything in Hindi, even the Parliament's entrance is named in Hindi, we cannot read that. There are lakhs and crores of people who don't know Hindi. So, one language cannot override another language..." said DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on FM Sitharaman's remark on Hindi.

10:35 PM

EAM Jaishankar meets Kuwait Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya in New Delhi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya here on Wedesday.

 

"Welcome FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya of Kuwait to New Delhi. Look forward to productive discussions today," the External Affairs Minister said in a post on X.

10:33 PM

India to debut in FIFAe World Cup 2024 ft. eFootball

India are all set to make their debut in the FIFAe World Cup 2024 featuring eFootball, which will be held between December 9 and December 12 at the SEF Arena, Boulevard Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

 

The World Cup, which will be held as part of the FIFAe Finals 2024 in Riyadh, will feature competitions on both console and mobile platforms. Chinmay Sahoo, Ibrahim Gulrez, and Saksham Rattan will represent India in FIFAe World Cup (Console), while Danial Shakeel Patel will be the eTigers' sole representative in FIFAe World Cup (Mobile).

 

The domestic qualifiers for the FIFAe World Cup were held in October, with participants from across the country fighting it out across three rounds of in-game events. The top eligible athletes from the FIFAe Ranking list based on the online qualifier results were invited for online trials, based on which the squad was selected.

 

India have been drawn in Group A in both the Console and Mobile events.

10:25 PM

Delhi govt allocates additional funds for metro, roads, DJB ahead of Assembly polls

The Delhi Assembly on the last day of its winter session on Wednesday passed several supplementary demands for grants for the current financial year (2024-25) including the Delhi Metro Phase IV project, road repair, installation of CCTV cameras, among others.

 

The supplementary demands as per the revised budget estimates of 2024-25 were presented in the Assembly by the Chief Minister Atishi and were passed by the members with voice votes.

 

The Delhi government has made an additional allocation of more than Rs 2,500 crore under capital heads in the revised estimates of 2024-25 for various civic and welfare schemes and programmes ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls due in February next year.

 

An additional amount of Rs 1,648.72 crore is allocated in the revised estimates for 2024-25 for ongoing works of Delhi Metro's Phase-IV. Also, a provision of Rs 951 crore was kept in the revised estimates for repayment of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan, the documents showed.

 

The budget estimates for 2024-25 at Rs 76,000 crore were enhanced to Rs 77,700 crore in revised estimates for 2024-25.

10:16 PM

India committed to advancing deep-rooted ties with Kuwait: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India is committed to advancing its deep-rooted and historical ties with Kuwait for the benefit of people and the region.

 

He posted the comment on X after receiving Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya.

 

Modi said, "Glad to receive Foreign Minister of Kuwait H.E. Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. I thank the Kuwaiti leadership for the welfare of the Indian nationals. India is committed to advance our deep-rooted and historical ties for the benefit of our people and the region.

10:15 PM

Axis Securities settles front-running case with Sebi; pays Rs 14.62 lakh

Axis Securities on Wednesday settled a case, involving front-running trades by its former employee Vikrant Bhimrao Kadam and his friend, with markets regulator Sebi after paying Rs 14.62 lakh towards settlement amount.

 

It was alleged that as a stock broker, Axis Securities failed to exercise appropriate due diligence in the matter in its dealer and branch manager compliance policy.

 

The order came after Axis Securities filed an application with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) proposing to settle the violation of broker regulations "without admitting or denying the findings of fact and conclusions of law".

 

In its settlement order, Sebi said the broker remitted the settlement amount of Rs 14.62 lakh and consequently the instant "proceeding initiated against the applicant (Axis Securities) vide show cause notice dated June 4, 2024 is disposed of".

 

In a statement, Sebi clarified that the alleged frontrunner Mandar Ulhas Bhatkar has not been an employee of or associated with Axis Securities in any manner, and Vikrant Bhimrao Kadam is no longer an employee of Axis Securities.

8:29 PM

UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot: Report

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot in the chest on Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown, NY Post reported, citing police sources.

 

UnitedHealthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth (UNH.N), opens new tab, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company was hosting its investor day on Wednesday.

 

Thompson was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead, NY Post reported.

7:01 PM

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "Assam cabinet expansion will take place on 7th December at 12 noon."

6:50 PM

RBI increases UPI Lite transaction limits with immediate effect

RBI increases UPI Lite transaction limits with immediate effect. For UPI Lite1, the enhanced limits shall be Rs 1,000 per transaction with Rs 5,000 being the total limit.

6:41 PM

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to be Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, according to media reports

6:23 PM

Encounter breaks out between security personnel and Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur

An encounter broke out between security personnel and Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Wednesday, a senior police official said.
 

The gunfight erupted around 1 pm in the forest of Abujhmad area when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, he said.
 

Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts, and the Border Security Force (BSF) are involved in the operation that began on Tuesday, he said.
 

The intermittent exchange of fire was still underway, he said, adding that further details are awaited.

4:41 PM

CBI conducts searches at 10 locations in Delhi in connection with Rs 117-crore cyber crime fraud

The searches were conducted during an ongoing investigation into a case registered on a complaint from the Union Home Ministry's Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It was alleged in the FIR that unidentified organised cybercriminals and suspected foreign actors were engaged in systematic financial fraud across India. "They lure individuals through part-time job scams, task-based frauds, and promises of high returns on initial investments. Funds deposited by the victims are quickly transferred through a network of 'mule accounts' layered to obscure their origins,” the CBI Spokesperson said in a statement.

4:36 PM

Conspiracy by big powers to defame Punjab and Punjabis, says AAP chief Kejriwal in Delhi Assembly

BJP keeps raising law and order issue in Punjab, but is mum over murders, rapes, shooting happening in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal stated in the Delhi Assembly today.

4:30 PM

Confident of Eknath Shinde’s support, says Maharashtra CM-elect Fadnavis

"Tomorrow, in the presence of Narendra Modi ji, the swearing-in ceremony will take place. We will inform you about the number of people who will be sworn in. The decision regarding Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister is a technical arrangement among us; we are united for the state's progress. I met Eknath Shinde ji yesterday and invited him to be a part of the government, as Shiv Sena MLAs want his participation. I am confident we will receive a positive response from him," Devendra Fadnavis said today.

4:25 PM

Bhutan King to pay 2-day visit to India

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will pay a two-day visit to India beginning Thursday with an aim to further expand the already close ties between the two countries. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the King will be accompanied by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck and senior officials of the Bhutan government. "During the visit, His Majesty, the King of Bhutan, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar," the MEA said.

4:16 PM

BJP, RSS tearing Constitution to shreds: Kharge on Rahul stopped from visiting Sambhal

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday accused the BJP and RSS of "tearing the Constitution to shreds" by not allowing Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to meet the victims of violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. A delegation of Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police at the Ghazipur border on his way to Sambhal where prohibitory orders are in place.

4:11 PM

Delhi police seeks arrest of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan in fresh case, moves court

Delhi Police on Wednesday moved a court seeking to arrest AAP MLA Naresh Balyan in a fresh case over alleged organised crimes. The police urged Addition Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Paras Dalal to send the accused to judicial custody, while seeking his fresh arrest in another case lodged under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

3:46 PM

Isro reschedules Proba-3 launch to December 5

Space agency Isro has rescheduled the launch of PSLV-C59 to Thursday because of an anomaly detected in PROBA-3 spacecraft.

3:33 PM

Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar meet Maharashtra governor, stake claim for government formation

Mahayuti leaders meet Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, who invited Devendra Fadnavis to form next government in the state.

3:17 PM

Reserve Bank's MPC starts deliberations on bi-monthly monetary policy

Reserve Bank's high level panel on Wednesday started deliberations on the bi-monthly monetary policy amid expectations of status quo on interest rate as the retail inflation is above the upper tolerance level of the central bank.

2:27 PM

Challenge ahead is to meet people's expectations: BJP leader Fadnavis

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, all set to become Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time, on Wednesday underlined the challenges before the new government and said the real struggle lies in fulfilling the people's expectations.

2:24 PM

Maharashtra news update: Ashish Shelar to be the chief whip of Maharashtra BJP

2:20 PM

Only CM, two deputy CMs to take oath on Dec 5, says Sena leader Uday Samant

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Wednesday said only the chief minister and two deputy chief ministers will take oath during the swearing-in ceremony to be held on December 5 at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The decision on the modalities of the cabinet and portfolios will be taken later, he said.

2:03 PM

Keep interest of economy before revenue in high-pitched tax notices: Revenue secy

Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra on Wednesday askedI officers to nab the masterminds behind smuggling rackets, but keep the interest of the economy in mind before issuing high-pitched notices in commercial fraud cases. Addressing the 67th foundation day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Malhotra also said it is vital for the department to upgrade skills and manpower to adapt to the technology changes. He urged the officers to focus energy on big fish and masterminds and bust syndicates in smuggling operations.

1:36 PM

Two cars catch fire after collision on Dwarka Expressway, one dead

A person was charred to death in a car after it caught fire following a collision with an SUV on a flyover in Dwarka Sector 21 in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. The SUV also caught fire, but its occupants managed to escape in time, they added. A call regarding the fire was received at 12:20 am, and two fire tenders were dispatched to the scene, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.

12:58 PM

Delhi High Court asks Arvind Kejriwal, K Kavitha to respond to ED's plea in excise policy case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the responses of several AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, and BRS leader K Kavitha on the ED's plea challenging a trial court's order directing it to supply "unrelied documents" to those accused in the alleged money laundering case related to the excise policy.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notices to all the 40 accused on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) petition as well as its application for stay in the case.

12:36 PM

News update: Ready to go alone to Sambhal with police, but not being allowed, says Rahul Gandhi

12:25 PM

Devendra Fadnavis unanimously elected Maharashtra BJP legislature party leader

Maharashtra BJP legislature party was holding deliberations in Mumbai's Vidhan Bhawan to elect its new leader. 

12:20 PM

Massive traffic jam at Ghazipur border as Rahul stopped at Ghazipur border on way to Sambhal

A massive traffic congestion was seen at the Ghazipur border on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Wednesday morning as Congress workers gathered there defying heavy barricading ahead of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Police has put up barricades and started checking vehicles to prevent any untoward incident.