LIVE: Jitu Patwari replaces Kamal Nath as MP Congress Committee chief

Catch all the latest news updates from across the the world

8:46 PM

Punjab: Kejriwal, Mann to attend AAP's 'Vikas Kranti Rally' in Bathinda on Dec 17

The AAP will hold a 'Vikas Kranti Rally' in Punjab's Bathinda on Sunday, during which development projects worth Rs 1,125 crore will be launched, party leader Malvinder Singh Kang said on Saturday.

The rally will be attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener, Kang said.

8:36 PM

Charan Das Mahant named as Congress legislative party leader in Chhattisgarh

Senior Congress MLA Charan Das Mahant has been appointed as the leader of the legislative party in Chhattisgarh. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Mahant as the CLP leader of Chhattisgarh, with immediate effect, as per a release shared by the state Congress unit on Saturday. Mahant had served as a Speaker of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly.

8:32 PM

Jitu Patwari replaces Kamal Nath as MP Congress Committee chief

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Jitu Patwari as Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief with immediate effect. Patwari was inducted into the office, replacing outgoing PCC president Kamal Nath. "The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC President Shri Kamal Nath," Congress stated in a press note.

8:21 PM

Preparations underway in Varanasi ahead of PM Modi's visit tomorrow

6:05 PM

Rahul Gandhi summoned to appear in UP court on January 6 in Amit Shah case

The MP-MLA Court here on Saturday summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on January 6 in a case in which has been accused of making certain remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a counsel said.

The court had earlier directed Gandhi to appear on Saturday but he did not appear.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed on August 4, 2018 by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Mishra in which he accused Rahul Gandhi of making objectionable remarks against Amit Shah.

5:43 PM

Times have changed, lies do not get votes, work does: BJP chief J P Nadda

Times have changed and the report card speaks. Lies do not get votes but work does, BJP president J P Nadda said on Saturday.

He said this while addressing a gathering at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, where a felicitation function was organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only delivered what he had promised, but also what was not promised and people have faith in his guarantees, the BJP chief said, adding that the Congress resorts to lies in order to get votes while the BJP works for the welfare of the country's people and thus, gets elected.

5:29 PM

8 old mortar shells detected in Jammu border belt

Eight old mortar shells were found during excavation in a field in the border areas of Jammu district on Saturday, officials said.

The rusted 83 mm shells were dug out carefully after locals brought the matter to the police in Pallanwala border area of Akhnoor sector, they said.

The bomb disposal squads were called and they defused the shells, averting a major tragedy, they said.

5:13 PM

PM Modi flags off Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in 5 states

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, the five states where assembly elections were held recently.

The yatra started in other states earlier, and its launch in the five states got delayed due to the model code of conduct in place due to the elections.

Modi also interacted with beneficiaries from various states who have availed various government schemes.

5:12 PM

Parliament security breach case: Sixth accused Mahesh Kumawat arrested

The Delhi Police has arrested one more person in connection with Parliament Security Breach case, an officer said on Saturday.

Mahesh Kumawat had come on his own to a police station along with Lalit Jha Thursday night and both were handed over to the Special Cell, the officer said. He was being interrogated since then.

He was a member of the now deleted Bhagat Singh Fan Club page created by the accused, the person said.

4:31 PM

India, Oman sign vision document for bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on Saturday firmed up a vision document to significantly expand bilateral cooperation in around 10 key areas and pushed for concluding a trade pact as early as possible during their "productive" talks here.

 

Modi and Tarik also discussed the situation arising out of the Hamas-Israel conflict and the challenge of terrorism as well as the larger need to try and achieve a two-state solution to the Palestine issue as a way forward.

4:07 PM

AAP appoints Raghav Chadha as leader of party in Rajya Sabha

The Aam Aadmi Party has appointed its MP Raghav Chadha as the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha in place of Sanjay Singh, according to news agency PTI.

 

In a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the AAP party leadership has said that in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who has "health issues", Raghav Chadha will henceforth be the party's leader in the upper house.

 

AAP MP Sanjay Singh is currently behind bars in the Delhi liquor policy case.

3:45 PM

Kuwait's ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, passes away

Kuwait's ruling emir, the 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died, state television reported on Saturday.

 

In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness. In the time since, the tiny, oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health. State-run news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.

3:33 PM

PM Modi to launch development projects in Surat, Varanasi on Dec 17, 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Surat and Varanasi on December 17 and 18 to launch several development initiatives. His office said Modi will inaugurate the new integrated terminal building at Surat airport and the Surat Diamond Bourse on Sunday before travelling to Varanasi to attend the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra. On Sunday evening, he will inaugurate the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 at the Namo ghat, the statement said.

3:00 PM

13 states, UTs among 'achievers' in logistics performance index: DPIIT

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, and Gujarat are among the 13 states and Union Territories that have again been categorised as "achievers" in the logistics index chart 2023, according to a report released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Saturday.

The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth.

As against 15 states and UTs, this year the number has reduced to 13 as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have slipped into "aspirers" and "fast movers" categories, respectively, this year.

2:48 PM

Around 250 militants present at launchpads across border, J-K on alert: BSF

About 250 to 300 militants are present at launchpads across the border "waiting to infiltrate" Jammu and Kashmir, a top BSF officer said on Saturday. The officer, however, added that security forces were alert and would foil any cross-border infiltration attempts.

"There are intelligence inputs that 250-300 militants are waiting at launchpads, but we and the Army have dominated all the vulnerable patches and are alert," Inspector General, BSF, Ashok Yadav told reporters in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

2:24 PM

Election process for urban local bodies to be completed by April 30: Nagaland to SC

The Nagaland government has told the Supreme Court that the election process for urban local bodies in the state will be completed by April 30.

In November, the Nagaland Assembly passed a bill reserving 33 per cent seats in urban local bodies for women. Urban local body elections in the state were last held in 2004.

1:46 PM

339 fresh Covid cases recorded in the country, active cases rises to 1,492

India recorded a single-day rise of 339 new COVID-19 infections while the active caseload rose to 1,492, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,311 (5.33 lakh), the data updated at 8 am showed. The country's Covid case tally currently stands at 4,50,04,481 (4.50 crore).

1:33 PM

Sri Lanka's economy records positive growth for first time since crisis

Sri Lanka's bankrupt economy has recorded a positive growth for the first time since the economic crisis hit the island nation, according to official data.

The year-on-year GDP growth rate for the third quarter has been reported as 1.6 per cent of positive growth rate, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said in a press release on Friday.

1:01 PM

Police nor criminal court can seize passport, says K'taka HC

The High Court of Karnataka has reiterated that "neither the police nor the criminal court invoking powers under Sections 102 or 104 of the Criminal Procedure Code can seize or impound a passport."

The court, therefore, recently quashed the order of the Debt Recovery Tribunal-1, Bengaluru, which had impounded the passport of Nitin Shambhukumar Kasliwal, a businessman from Mumbai.

12:45 PM

PM Modi holds talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik with a focus on expanding bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and investment. The Sultan of Oman arrived in Delhi on a state visit on Friday, in his first trip to India as the top leader of the Gulf nation.

 

12:32 PM

Women's reservation bill to come into force after 2024 census: Sitharaman

The Centre will initiate steps to enforce the women's reservation bill after the 2024 census, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. Speaking after releasing a commemorative postal stamp in the name of Rani Abbakka at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district on Friday, Sitharaman said the women's bill became a reality as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always believed in the role of women in nation building.

 

12:29 PM

UGC warns edtech cos offering degree courses online in association with foreign universities

The UGC has warned edtech companies and colleges offering degrees in collaborative arrangements with foreign universities not recognised by it, according to officials. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also reiterated that none of these degrees will be valid and cautioned students against taking admission in such courses.

11:49 AM

Govt issues revised order to allow use of sugarcane juice for making ethanol in 2023-24

The food ministry has issued a fresh order reversing ban on the use of sugarcane juice for making ethanol and allowed utilisation of the juice as well as B-heavy molasses to produce the green fuel in the 2023-24 supply year.

The revised order comes days after the Centre on December 7 banned use of sugarcane juice and sugar syrup for the 2023-24 supply year (November-October) in an order to ensure adequate sugar supply in the domestic market and check prices.

11:36 AM

Woman assault in Karnataka: BJP fact-finding team arrives at Belagavi

The five-member fact-finding team of BJP on Saturday reached here to collect firsthand information into the matter where a tribal woman was assaulted and paraded naked.

A delegation of MPs comprising Aparajita Sarangi, Sunita Duggal, Ranjeeta Koli, Locket Chatterjee and BJP national secretary Asha Lakra arrived at the Belagavi airport in the morning.

11:26 AM

Adani acquires majority stake in news agency IANS

Billionaire Gautam Adani's group has acquired a majority stake in news agency IANS India Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed sum as the group expands its presence in the media space.

In a regulatory filing, Adani Enterprises -- the firm that holds the group's media interest -- said its subsidiary "AMG Media Networks Ltd has acquired a 50.50 per cent stake constituting equity shares of IANS India Pvt Ltd." The company did not disclose the acquisition price.

11:07 AM

Raghvendra Singh appointed as principal secretary to Madhya Pradesh CM

Raghvendra Kumar Singh, a 1997 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the principal secretary to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

The order to this effect was issued on Friday night. As per the government order, Singh will replace Manish Rastogi, a 1994 batch IAS officer.

10:50 AM

Security increased in Ayodhya ahead of 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Mandir

Security measures have been heightened in Ayodhya ahead of the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024.

IG Ayodhya Zone, Praveen Kumar, while speaking to ANI about the security arrangements, said, "We have made all the arrangements. We are alert and we are not just relying on our manpower but also taking the help of technology, which we keep on continuously upgrading."

10:36 AM

Nothing changed in past decade, says DCW chief Maliwal on 11th anniversary of Nirbhaya rape

Nothing has changed in the past decade and crimes against women in Delhi have only gone up, DCW chief Swati Maliwal said on Saturday on the 11th anniversary of the Nirbhaya incident -- a brutal gang-rape and assault case that stirred an outpouring of anger and grief, followed by the passage of several new sexual assault laws in the country.

A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as "Nirbhaya (the fearless one)", was raped and assaulted by six men inside a bus in south Delhi on December 16, 2012, before being thrown out of the moving vehicle. She died from her injuries on December 29 in Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where she was flown by air-ambulance.

10:22 AM

President welcomes Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman at Rashtrapati Bhavan

10:14 AM

Delhi records minimum temperature of 5.5 deg C, AQI 'very poor'

Delhi on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The IMD has predicted clear skies during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 25 degrees Celsius, it said.

The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 100 per cent. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 346 which comes under the very poor' category.