Highlights: North Korean troops in Russian uniforms heading toward Ukraine, says US

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11:19 PM

North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, says US

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving to the Kursk region near Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing move. Austin was speaking at a press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as concerns grow about Pyongyang's deployment of as many as 11,000 troops to Russia.

10:56 PM

Star Health communications focus on leak distribution instead of potential vulnerabilities: Telegram

Instant messaging app Telegram on Wednesday accused Star Health of resorting to diversionary tactics in a massive data leak case of more than 3.1 crore insurance customers instead of addressing potential vulnerabilities. The messaging platform has also questioned the lack of transparency shown in the entire episode to find out the vulnerability that led to the data breach.

5:18 PM

Motorists penalised Rs 47 cr for pollution certificate violations in Delhi from Oct 1 to 24

Amid a rise in air pollution levels in the national capital, the traffic police have imposed penalties to the tune of Rs 47 crore on motorists between October 1 and 24 for pollution certificate violations, an official said on Wednesday. The traffic police have issued over 47,000 challans to motorists. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on motorists for not having a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. These challans get released from courts.

4:52 PM

Maharashtra govt reshuffles 260 police officials ahead of Assembly elections

Ahead of the November 20 assembly elections in the state, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday reshuffled more than 260 policemen, including 150 from Mumbai. An official attributed the transfers to a directive of the Election Commission about the relocation of officials who had served in their home districts or current posting for over three years.

4:46 PM

Indian youth among the best in innovation and technology: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Wednesday that the Indian youth is among the best in innovation and technology after GitHub's CEO Thomas Dohmke said India's rise as a global tech titan is inexorable. Dohmke said on X, "Of course, I have to show some love to India. Now the fastest growing developer population on the planet, India's rise as a global tech titan is inexorable." He said India's developers have gone a leap further as they are increasingly using AI (artificial intelligence) to build AI.

4:43 PM

Courts can't say furnish bonds after six months of bail order, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has said courts cannot impose a condition on the accused to furnish bail bonds after six months of the passing of the bail order. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma said if the court was satisfied on merits, it should either grant bail or reject it. On October 24, the apex court dealt with a petition filed by a man who had challenged an order of the Patna High Court, directing him to furnish bail bonds after six months in a case against him under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act.

4:37 PM

Wayanad landslides: Make system to disburse compensation via bank account, says Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday noted that there were reports that victims of the Wayanad landslides are yet to receive compensation and directed the government to set up a mechanism to disburse financial aid via the treasury or bank accounts. The direction by a bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Syam Kumar V M came during the hearing of a case initiated by the High Court on its own after the landslides that occurred in Wayanad on July 30.

4:26 PM

'Studio-like' set-up for gangster: Punjab HC reprimands Police in Bishnoi case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed concern over a possible collusion between police officials and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in a case involving the latter’s televised 2023 interview from Bathinda jail. The court passed the observation after reviewing a cancellation report filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and ordered a renewed investigation. Read here for a more detailed story.

4:22 PM

Tejasvi Surya asks JPC Chairman to invite Karnataka farmers to discuss land dispute with Waqf Board

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has requested Chairperson of Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 Jagdambika Pal to invite farmers from Karnataka's Vijayapura district as witnesses to discuss their land disputes with Waqf Board. The Lok Sabha member from Bengaluru South, who is a member of the Committee, recalled his recent meeting with a delegation of farmers from the district and other areas in the vicinity.

4:16 PM

Delhi govt to build infrastructure facilities to boost independent food outlets

Delhi government will establish affordable and modern infrastructure facilities to boost independent food outlets, streamline licensing, and expand employment opportunities, a statement said on Wednesday. Spearheaded by former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's vision, the initiative will ease regulations and offer affordable, modern infrastructure through the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), fuelling growth for local food outlets, cloud kitchens, and delivery-only services, it stated.

3:57 PM

Keshav Chandra appointed new NDMC Chairman

Senior IAS officer Keshav Chandra has been appointed as the Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), according to an order from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Chandra, a 1995-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre, was serving as the Chief Secretary for the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

3:47 PM

Odisha Crime Branch arrests 24 cyber fraudsters from three states

The crime branch of Odisha Police has held 24 interstate cyber fraudsters in connection with the cheating of a corporate employee who lost Rs 6.28 crore. The police teams arrested nine accused from Tamil Nadu, eight from Gujarat and seven from Rajasthan, Mishra said. The Additional Director General (ADG) of crime branch, Vinaytosh Mishra, said police froze Rs 16.85 lakh from the suspects' bank accounts and returned Rs 6.8 lakh to the victim.

3:30 PM

Path-breaking decision: Congress MP Manish Tewari on Chandigarh MC's decision for open voting in 2025 polls

Saying that there was a complete subversion of democracy in the previous Chandigarh mayoral elections, Congress MP Manish Tiwari stated, "Last year, there was absolutely a complete subversion of democracy in the elections for the Mayor of Chandigarh. The results were gerrymandered with. It necessitated the intervention of SC." "For the first time in the history of democratic India, the counting of votes took place in the presence of SC presided over by CJI and in a path-breaking judgment he struck down the results of the mayor elections and declared the Congress AAP candidate as the mayor," Tewari said today.

3:14 PM

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming tops China's rich list

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has claimed the top spot as China’s richest person with a fortune of $49.3 billion, according to the latest Hurun China Rich List. However, China’s billionaire population has significantly decreased, with total wealth dropping to $3 trillion, a 10 per cent decrease year-on-year. Read here for a detailed story.

2:56 PM

Delhi govt gives nod to 'Anywhere Registration' policy

Delhi residents will now be able to register their property at any sub-registrar office of their choice, at their convenience. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has approved the 'Anywhere Registration' policy, which removes the requirement for citizens to visit a specific sub-registrar office. Now, residents can make an online appointment at any of the 22 sub-registrar offices across Delhi for their property registration, the Delhi government has stated today.

 

2:53 PM

Police summon CEO of Aviva India in religion-based discrimination case

Police officials have asked Asit Rath, the chief executive of British insurer Aviva in the country, to join an investigation into a former employee's accusations of religious discrimination at workplace. Aviva denied the discrimination accusations as being "factually incorrect". The matter stems from a complaint to police on Sept 14 by the former employee, Gurbir Singh, a Sikh who accused company executives of subjecting him to discrimination and derogatory comments because of his religion, police records show.

2:38 PM

Non-invitation to govt events: Kerala lawmaker Chandy Oommen lodges breach of privilege complaint

"Being a local MLA, not inviting me to the programme and not giving me a place in the dias is an insult to my position as a legislative member. So, I raise a breach of privilege in this matter," Chandy Oommen said in the letter. He is the son of the late Oommen Chandy, the former chief minister of Kerala.

2:26 PM

Will secure decisive victory: NCP leader Nawab Malik on Maharashtra Assembly elections

BJP and Shiv Sena Shinde faction are opposing the nomination of Nawab Malik due to his alleged links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar has announced that the party would not be campaigning in support of Nationalist Congress Party's (Ajit Pawar) Nawab Malik.

2:22 PM

K'taka Home minister denies claims of actor Darshan's VIP treatment in jail

Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara today denied reports of VIP treatment to actor Darshan, who was lodged in Bellary Jail for Renuka Swamy murder case.

G Parmeshwara said that if somebody is not well in the prison, then the medical team of the prison takes care or they outsource the medical team from a government hospital, denying this a VIP treatment.

1:56 PM

Delhi BJP MPs file writ petition against AAP for not implementing Ayushman Bharat scheme

In a press conference, state president Virendra Sachdeva lashed at the AAP and its convener Arvind Kejriwal for depriving lakhs of eligible people in Delhi of the Centre's health insurance scheme.

1:41 PM

Kerala government to cover medical costs for temple fire accident victims

The Kerala government has announced that it has decided to bear the medical expenses of those injured in the fire accident at a temple near Neeleswaram in Kasargod district. The decision to bear the medical expenses of those injured in the incident was taken in a Cabinet meeting, the chief minister's office (CMO) said in a statement.

1:22 PM

Second high court rules that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional

A second Japanese high court ruled Wednesday that the government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs' demands for marriage equality. The Tokyo High Court called the ongoing ban a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation, saying it violates the constitutional guarantee of right to equality, as well as individuals' dignity and equality between sexes. It was a clearer statement than the 2022 lower court decision that described the situation as an unconstitutional state.

1:20 PM

ADM suicide case: Kerala govt, police action correct, says CPI(M)

Kerala's ruling CPI(M) on Wednesday threw its support behind the government's handling of the Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu suicide case, just a day after the arrest and judicial remand of its leader, P P Divya. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that the steps taken by the state government and the police in the case were "correct" and not a drama as claimed by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan.

12:59 PM

King Charles III, Queen Camilla make secret wellness visit to Bengaluru

Upon arrival in Bengaluru on October 26, King Charles III and Queen Consort headed directly to Soukya Health and Wellness Centre in Whitefield.  Soukya is run by Issac Mathai Nooranal, a holistic health consultant with long-standing ties to the British royal family. Read here for more details. 

12:53 PM

Election Commission has exposed Congress's lies: Haryana CM Nayab Saini on rigging allegations

The Congress' lies have been exposed and its attempts to undermine the election process thwarted, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said here on Wednesday, a day after the Election Commission rejected allegations of rigging in the Haryana Assembly polls. "The Hon'ble Election Commission has exposed that lie of Congress," Saini told reporters on the sidelines of the 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' oath-taking ceremony at the Haryana Civil Secretariat.

12:33 PM

Digital question papers, limited attempts: Panel proposes reforms for NEET

A panel led by former Isro chief K Radhakrishnan has suggested reforms for NEET exams, placing importance on online testing, multi-stage assessments, and enhanced security measures. Read here for a detailed story.

12:28 PM

Kofi Annan appreciated us: AAP hits out at PM Modi over Ayushman Bharat

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday kept up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that the Delhi and West Bengal governments have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of "political interests". "Health is an important issue for the Aam Aadmi Party. We have presented such a model of health that Kofi Annan (former United Nations Secretary-General) appreciated us, and PM Modi has presented a scam under Ayushman Bharat... the CAG has to speak about this fraud," AAP Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said.

12:12 PM

Three Chinese astronauts enter Tiangong space station after successful launch

Three Chinese astronauts, including a woman, of Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission have entered the Tiangong space station and met with another astronaut trio starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced. The Shenzhou-19 spaceship was successfully launched by a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. China built its space station after it was reportedly excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) over concerns that China's space programme is manned by its military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

12:03 PM

VBA candidate Anees Ahmed misses filing nomination by few minutes

High drama was witnessed at the collectorate here as former Maharashtra minister Anees Ahmed, given ticket by the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi to contest Nagpur Central seat, missed the deadline for filing nomination by just a few minutes. Ahmed, a Gandhi family loyalist who won the Nagpur Central seat three times in the past on Congress ticket, stayed put at the collectorate till 8 pm on Tuesday, the last day of filing nominations for the state assembly polls, but in vain as his form was not accepted.  Ahmed claimed he had to face various obstacles like road closure, vehicular restrictions and security protocols at the office of the Returning Officer (RO) on Tuesday.

 

 

11:47 AM

'Our stand is clear': BJP refuses to campaign for NCP candidate Nawab Malik

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar that the party has made its stand "very clear" and that even though their Mahayuti alliance partners have the right to declare whatever candidate, they have opposed Nawab Malik's candidature before, saying he is accused of having links with Dawood Ibrahim.