News updates: No liquor for Delhiites from Feb 3-5, Feb 8 due to Assembly polls

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The Delhi government has ordered the closure of liquor shops and other establishments serving alcohol in the city from February 3 to 5, the voting day, and on February 8 when the results would be declared. A gazette notification issued recently by the Delhi excise commissioner declared "dry days" under Excise Rules-2010 for various excise licenses on the day of voting to the 70-member Delhi Assembly and the counting day. "It is ordered that dry days shall be observed (during 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of the poll) from 6 pm of February 3 to 6 pm of February 5, and again on February 8 being the counting day on account of Assembly polls. "During the dry days, no liquor shops, hotels, restaurants, clubs and establishments selling or serving liquor, will be permitted to sell or serve liquor to anyone whosoever," said the notification. It added that non-proprietary clubs, star hotels, restaurants among others, and hotels run by anyone, even if they are issued different categories of licenses for possession and supply of liquor, should also not be permitted to serve liquor.

  Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has been discharged today. Papers for discharge were filed last night. Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital confirmed the same in the morning. The actor was stabbed nearly six times by an intruder during a burglary attempt at his Bandra home on Thursday.  The actor is expected to be discharged by 10 am-12 pm today.  Gaza has received a major influx of aid and goods, with 915 trucks crossing into the territory on the second day of the ceasefire, the United Nations said. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said colleagues in Gaza informed the UN that 915 trucks -- significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the ceasefire -- entered Gaza on Monday, based on information from Israeli authorities and the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said Sunday the needs in Gaza are staggering and his office said Monday that aid workers are ramping up the delivery of food, clean water, shelter materials and other essential supplies. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the more than 2 million people in Gaza, about half of them children, depend on this aid, Haq said.  Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has dedicated developmental projects worth Rs 206.08 crore to people of Kullu district during the National Level Sharad Utsav in Manali. "Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday dedicated the developmental projects worth Rs 206.08 crore to Kullu district during the National Level Sharad Utsav in Manali," as per an official release. He inaugurated eight projects amounting to Rs 59.21 crore and laid the foundation stone for 13 projects valued at Rs 147.59 crore. These initiatives include restoration and reconstruction work following the damage caused by severe floods in the Beas River last year.

 

10:32 PM

Delhi govt declares 'dry days' from Feb 3-5, Feb 8 due to Assembly polls

The Delhi government has ordered the closure of liquor shops and other establishments serving alcohol in the city from February 3 to 5, the voting day, and on February 8 when the results would be declared. A gazette notification issued recently by the Delhi excise commissioner declared "dry days" under Excise Rules-2010 for various excise licenses on the day of voting to the 70-member Delhi Assembly and the counting day. "It is ordered that dry days shall be observed (during 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of the poll) from 6 pm of February 3 to 6 pm of February 5, and again on February 8 being the counting day on account of Assembly polls. "During the dry days, no liquor shops, hotels, restaurants, clubs and establishments selling or serving liquor, will be permitted to sell or serve liquor to anyone whosoever," said the notification. It added that non-proprietary clubs, star hotels, restaurants among others, and hotels run by anyone, even if they are issued different categories of licenses for possession and supply of liquor, should also not be permitted to serve liquor.

7:37 PM

Sunny day in Delhi, rain likely in coming days: IMD

It was a sunny day in Delhi on Tuesday, with the weather department forecasting rain in the coming days.

 

The maximum temperature in the capital settled at 24 degrees Celsius, 3.7 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 10.6 degrees Celsius, 3.1 notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

The humidity levels fluctuated between 83 per cent and 69 per cent.

 

For Wednesday, the IMD has forecast a cloudy sky with the possibility of one or two spells of very light to light rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, during the evening and night.

 

The predominant surface wind is likely to blow from the north at a speed of less than 6 kmph in the morning. Smog or moderate fog is expected to develop in most areas during the early morning hours, with dense fog likely at isolated places.

 

In the afternoon, the wind speed is expected to increase to 8 kmph from the northeast, before gradually decreasing to less than 6 kmph from the northwest by the evening and night. Smog or shallow fog is also expected in the evening and night, the IMD said.

7:36 PM

Bangladesh vows to pursue Hasina's return from India, may seek global support

7:28 PM

WHO regrets US decision to withdraw, urges reconsideration, says Director General

6:02 PM

At least 66 dead, 51 injured in hotel fire at ski resort in northwestern Turkey

Turkey's interior minister says a fire that broke out at a hotel at a popular ski resort has killed at least 66 people. Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster early Tuesday. “We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition.

4:57 PM

DBT schemes for women a result of struggles: Brinda Karat

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat welcomed cash transfer to women while stressing that it was not a "freebie" as women contribute almost seven per cent of the GDP through unpaid labour. It shows that political parties have realised that women cannot be taken for granted, said Karat.

4:49 PM

SC asks HCs to set up panel over judges pay commission recommendations

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all high courts to expedite setting up a two-judge panel to address grievances of district judicial officers on the implementation of the Second National Judges Pay Commission recommendations. A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, Augustine George Masih and K Vinod Chandran passed the order after senior advocate K Paremeshwar, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, said many high courts were yet to form the Committees for Service Conditions of the District Judiciary (CSCDJ) as directed by it earlier.

4:46 PM

NMC relaxes some norms of teachers' eligibility for medical colleges

Non-teaching consultants, specialists and medical officers possessing postgraduate medical degree and who have worked for at least four years in a minimum 220-bedded teaching or nonteaching government hospital can become assistant and associate professors, the NMC has proposed. In the recent draft "Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) in Medical Institutions Regulations", the National Medical Commission (NMC) has relaxed some of the norms of teachers' eligibility for medical colleges.

4:37 PM

First trial run on Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of East-West Kolkata Metro successful

The first trial run on the 2.63 km Sealdah–Esplanade stretch of East-West Metro in Kolkata was conducted successfully on Tuesday. A Metro Railway Kolkata statement said that through the west-bound tunnel of the Green Line, the first trial run was conducted successfully in the presence of Metro Railway General Manager and Chairman of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) P Uday Kumar Reddy and other senior officers. The general manager was in the motorman's cabin during the trial run which began at 11.20 am from Sealdah Metro station, reached Esplanade Metro station at 11.31 am.

4:28 PM

CM Abdullah visits village hit by mysterious deaths in J-K's Rajouri; assures all possible help

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday visited the Badhaal village in Rajouri district to express solidarity with the bereaved families whose 17 members, including 13 children, died under mysterious circumstances in the past one-and-a-half month. Accompanied by Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana and National Conference MLA Javaid Iqbal Choudhary, Abdullah assured all possible help to the victim families and said “we stand with you in this difficult phase”.

4:04 PM

SC asks Delhi police to reply on Tahir Hussain's plea for interim bail

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi police to respond to a plea filed by former councillor and Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain who has sought interim bail to campaign for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked the Delhi police counsel to come prepared and argue the matter on the next hearing. "Suppose, tentatively, we feel persuaded that he makes out a case for regular bail, then why not we should give at least interim?" said the bench.

4:01 PM

Exam paper leak weapon to take away youth's rights, will raise 'BPSC exam scam' in Parliament: Rahul

Asserting that exam paper leak is a weapon to take away the rights of youth, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that such incidents are happening everyday in BJP-ruled states and vowed to raise the issue of protesting BPSC aspirants in Parliament. Days after visiting the site of the nearly month-old agitation in Patna against alleged irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam and spending time with aggrieved students, Gandhi shared on his YouTube channel a video of his interaction with the protesting students.

 

3:37 PM

Demand for NRI representation in Parliament at parliamentary panel meeting

A suggestion to give Non-Resident Indians representation in Parliament was made on Tuesday at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on External Affairs due to their growing numbers and unique issues concerning the diaspora interest.

 

3:21 PM

Sebi mulls steps to curb ‘Black Market’ in IPO shares

The securities market regulator is considering steps to formalize trading in initial public offerings where bidding has closed, but the shares are yet to be listed. Sebi may allow investors who get allotment, to trade the entitlement of those shares prior to the listing, according to Madhabi Puri Buch, chairperson.Through this mechanism, SEBI wants to curb the “black market”, where such shares are traded unofficially.

2:46 PM

Strong earthquake in Taiwan injures 27, causes scattered damage

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan early Tuesday, leaving 27 people with minor injuries and some reported damage. The quake hit at 12:17 am and was centred 38 km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10 km, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said. The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at a less powerful magnitude 6.