Updates: Proud to honour extraordinary achievements of Padma awardees, says PM Modi

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10:34 PM

Osamu Suzuki awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously

Late Japanese industrialist Osamu Suzuki, the former chief of Suzuki Motor Corporation, has been honoured with India's second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Suzuki, who took a risk and bet on India when no one else believed in having a viable automobile company in India, has been awarded the 'Padma Vibhushan' for the year 2025 "for exceptional and distinguished service" in the field of trade and industry.

10:05 PM

Govt announces names of Padma Awardees for 2025

The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees.

9:46 PM

Former Chief Justice of India (retd) Jagdish Singh Khehar awarded Padma Vibhushan

Government has decided to award former Chief Justice of India (retd) Jagdish Singh Khehar, the Padma Vibhushan Award, the second-highest civilian honour of India.

9:26 PM

TN varsities in dire financial crisis, autonomy eroded, says Governor Ravi

Many state-run universities in Tamil Nadu are starved of funds and are in a dire financial crisis and unable to pay salaries to teachers, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said on Saturday. Their autonomy has been "severely eroded to such an extent that it was not the university syndicates but the state Secretariat that runs the varsities," the Governor alleged.

6:54 PM

Arvind Kejriwal playing politics of deceit and lies, BJP will end this: Amit Shah

Hitting the campaign trail in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of playing "politics of deceit and lies", and exhorted people to vote for the BJP for the development of the city.

 

Addressing his public meeting in the city for the February 5 assembly polls, Shah also slammed the AAP for allegedly misleading people by claiming the BJP will discontinue all existing welfare schemes in Delhi if voted to power.

 

"PM Modi has himself assured that no existing welfare scheme for the poor in Delhi will be discontinued but Arvind Kejriwal is spreading lies... They are misleading people. I am saying it again again the BJP will not stop any scheme meant for the welfare of the poor," he told the rally in Rajouri Garden.

6:36 PM

SpiceJet to expand flight connectivity between Chennai and Prayagraj from Feb 1

SpiceJet to expand flight connectivity between Chennai and Prayagraj from February 1 

6:36 PM

Maha Kumbh: Diplomats from 73 countries, including Russia and Ukraine, to take dip in Sangam

Maha Kumbh: Diplomats from 73 countries, including Russia and Ukraine, to take dip in Sangam 

5:48 PM

BJP Delhi polls manifesto: Clean Yamuna, welfare schemes for gig workers

With less than two weeks left for the Delhi Assembly polls, senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Saturday promised to clean Yamuna in three years, provide complete ownership rights in 1,700 unauthorised colonies, and welfare measures for gig workers and labourers.

 

Shah slammed AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of "lying" and not fulfilling his promises and asserted that "getting rid of liars and betrayers" is the biggest poll issue in the national capital.

5:21 PM

Congress alleges Maharashtra govt elected illegitimately, cites voter list data

Opposition Congress on Saturday alleged that the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra was "not legitimately elected" and claimed there was a suspicious addition of a large number of voters and manipulation of votes during the November 2024 assembly polls.

 

Congress' data analytics department chairperson Praveen Chakravarty and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithiviraj Chavan made the allegations in a press conference.

 

"The government in Maharashtra is not legitimately elected through a fair electoral process. We say this with full responsibility as India's oldest political party and as the only political party that fought for India's freedom and helped establish India as a constitutional republic," Chakaravarty said. There has been significant manipulation of the voter results in the recently-held state assembly elections in Maharashtra, he said.

4:55 PM

Egyptian state-run TV says Israel has released 70 Palestinian prisoners into Egypt in Gaza ceasefire deal

Egyptian state-run TV says Israel has released 70 Palestinian prisoners into Egypt in Gaza ceasefire deal, reports AP

4:34 PM

NHRC admits petition on mysterious deaths in J-K's Rajouri

The NHRC has admitted a petition filed by a Jammu-based RTI activist over the mysterious deaths of 17 people from three Scheduled Tribe families in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district during the past one-and-a-half months.

4:19 PM

Israel says won't allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until another hostage freed

Israel says it will not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until Arbel Yehoud, one of the dozens of hostages held by Hamas, is released. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Yehoud was supposed to have been released Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

3:57 PM

Home minister Amit Shah releases third part of BJP's manifesto for Delhi Assembly polls

Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday released BJP's third part of manifesto for Delhi Assembly polls. He said that these are not hollow promises. Shah accused Kejriwal of not fulfilling promises of cleaning Yamuna, providing clean drinking water and making Delhi pollution-free.

3:43 PM

BSF seizes huge consignment of Phensedyl worth 1.4 crore near India-Bangladesh border

A huge consignment of 62,200 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup valued at Rs 1.4 crore was recovered from underground storage tanks by Border Security Force personnel during a raid near the India-Bangladesh Border in West Bengal's Nadia district, the paramilitary force said in a statement on Saturday.

3:34 PM

Hamas frees 4 female Israeli soldiers as part of Gaza ceasefire

Hamas militants released four captive female Israeli soldiers on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd. Israel was set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees later in the day as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Israel confirmed that the hostages were with its forces after the militants had earlier handed them over to the Red Cross at a gathering of thousands in Gaza City.

2:29 PM

We agreed to work jointly on defence manufacturing, supply chain: PM Modi after talks with Indonesian Prez

1:46 PM

Over 7,500 delegates from 20 countries to attend Odisha business conclave: CM

More than 7,500 delegates, including many from 20 foreign countries, will attend a business conclave in Odisha's Bhubaneswar scheduled to be held from January 28-29, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the event on January 28 at Janata Maidan, the conclave venue, he said. The state is in all readiness to host the "biggest" business summit 'Utkarsh Odisha - Make In Odisha Conclave 2025', Majhi said on Friday after taking stock of the preparations at the venue.

1:33 PM

J&K Chief Minister gets official X handle

he Jammu and Kashmir chief minister has now got an official handle on popular microblogging website X, his office said. "Official announcement. We are delighted to share that the office of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir is now officially on X!" Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's office, using the handle "@CM_JnK", said in its first post on X. Abdullah, a tech-savvy person himself, remains active on various social media platforms and has more than 30 lakh followers on his personal account on X.

1:13 PM

Yes Bank Q3 results: PAT jumps 164.5% at Rs 612.27 cr: interest income up 12%

1:07 PM

Explosives recovered in Assam amid preparations for Republic Day celebrations

A cache of explosives buried in a jungle was recovered in Assam's Sonitpur district on Saturday, even as security was tightened across the state for 76th Republic Day celebrations, police said. The explosives, including 36 grenades and three detonators, were found wrapped in a polythene bag during a search operation, they said.

12:58 PM

4 killed, 2 injured as car collides with truck in UP's Shahjahanpur

Four people were killed and two injured when a car collided with a truck in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Saturday. Superintendent of Police Rajesh S told PTI that the victims, residents of Gora and Dahena villages located within the Allahganj police station limits, were travelling in a car when the accident occurred around 11 pm on Friday near Kateli village. The car collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

12:34 PM

Tigress killed in Chhattisgarh's Achanakmar Reserve

A five-year-old tigress was killed by another big cat at Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh's Mungeli district, a forest official said. The carcass of the tigress was found in the forest under beat number 339 of the reserve when a forest guard was patrolling the area on Thursday evening, the official said. He said senior forest officials were informed, and a team of veterinarians conducted a post-mortem on Friday.

11:53 AM

Two children killed as hut catches fire in MP's Panna district

Two children were killed after their hut caught fire on a farm in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, police said. The incident occurred in Itwan Khas village, about 30 km from the district headquarters, on Friday morning, an official said. The victims, Ankit (3) and Sandeep (2), were asleep, and their parents had stepped out to collect wood when the blaze broke out around 9 am, inspector Bhanu Pratap Singh of Brijpur police station said.

11:39 AM

Delhi govt committed to fulfilling freedom fighters' dreams: CM Atishi

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi extended her heartfelt greetings to fellow citizens on the eve of the 76th Republic Day, reminding them of the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters and her government's dedication to realising their vision for the country. Speaking at a Republic Day event at the Chhatrasal Stadium here, Atishi urged people to remember the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence.

11:37 AM

Thane woman loses Rs 1.85 cr in share trading fraud

A 47-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Thane city was allegedly duped of Rs 1.85 crore by cyber fraudsters who lured her into share trading for good returns, police said. Based on a complaint, a case was registered on Thursday at Kasarwadavali police station under relevant provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

11:26 AM

Kharge expresses concerns about 'eroding institutional integrity' of ECI

On the occasion of National Voter's Day, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed concerns over the "institutional integrity" of the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying that it was a matter of grave national worry. "Even as we celebrate National Voter's Day, the ceaseless erosion of the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India, in the last ten years, is a matter of grave national concern," Kharge posted on X.

10:52 AM

Army troops exchange fire with terrorists in J&K's Kathua; search operation underway

Army troops exchanged fire with terrorists in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district in the early hours today, officials said, as a massive search operation is underway to trace out the ultras who fled after the initial fire-fight. The alert sentry post of a temporary Army camp in Batod panchayat detected the movement of suspected terrorists at around 1:20 am and opened fire, the officials said.

10:50 AM

BSP leader shot dead in Haryana's Naraingarh

A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from Haryana's Ambala was shot dead by armed assailants here in Naraingarh, police said. Police said that BSP leader Harbilas Singh Rajjumajra was accompanied by two friends, Puneet and Gugal, when the attack occurred while they were in their car on Friday evening. Puneet also sustained bullet injuries. After the attack, they were rushed to PGIMER, Chandigarh where Harbilas succumbed to his injuries late at night while Puneet was stated to be out of danger.

10:35 AM

EC's independence 'severely compromised' by PM Modi-Amit Shah duo: Congress

The Congress hit out at the Election Commission on Saturday, saying the "self-congratulation" on National Voters' Day would not obscure the fact that the poll panel as it has been functioning makes a "mockery" of the Constitution and is an insult to the voters themselves. The opposition party also alleged that over the past decade, the professionalism and independence of the Election Commission has been "severely compromised" by the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

10:10 AM

Prime suspect in murder of five in Meerut killed in police encounter

A man who is the prime suspect in the murder of five of his family members and carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head was killed in a police encounter early morning on Saturday, officials said. In a statement, police said that a team tracked down Jameel Hussain alias Naeem on Saturday morning and an encounter ensued. "Naeem sustained gunshot injuries and was declared dead at a nearby hospital," reads the statement.