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1:51 AM

Quad officials meet to advance a inclusive Indo Pacific region

Senior officials from the United States, Australia, India, and Japan met virtually Friday as part of regular Quad consultations to advance a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

 

Quad is the informal grouping of four major democracies in the region: US, Australia, Japan and India.

 

The meeting followed the productive discussions held in Tokyo during the second Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting on October 6, the State Department said in a readout.

12:32 AM

China emerging as major challenge for India: Retired military official

China is emerging as a major challenge for India, therefore the country needs to look at the future and frame its diplomatic, political and military strategies accordingly, Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda said on Friday.

 

Participating in a discussion on "Sabre Rattling in Ladakh" on the inaugural day of the three-day Military Literature Festival, the former Northern Army commander talked about the India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

 

He said a series of talks at political, diplomatic and military levels were held but there seems to be very little progress happening on the ground.

 

"...is this the situation we are continuing to see over the next months and years with thousands of soldiers standing on both sides or is there some potential for negotiations, settlement," he said.

12:10 AM

Ahead of crucial Congress meet, Bihar socialist has one advise for Sonia

Senior RJD leader and veteran Bihar socialist Shivanand Tiwary on Friday called Rahul Gandhi a "reluctant and uninspiring" leader and urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to overcome "putra moh" (weakness for her son) in deciding her political successor.

 

Tiwary, who is currently a national vice president of the RJD founded and headed by Lalu Prasad, made the explosive statement with the remark that he was aware that he could "irk the leadership of the very party of which I am at present a member".

 

"But, I have reached a stage where I do not always care about party diktats and choose to speak my mind.....Sonia Gandhi is going to hold an important meeting tomorrow. I wonder if it is going to yield any result," the former Bihar minister and ex-Rajya Sabha member said in his statement.

12:09 AM

It's good that rotten elements are leaving: Mamata to TMC leaders

Amid the ongoing spree of desertions, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday night termed the deserters as "baggage" for the party and said it is good that rotten elements are leaving on their own.

 

Banerjee held an internal meeting with a select group of leaders at her residence to take stock of the situation.

 

According to party sources, Banerjee told TMC leaders not to be "worried about the desertions" as the people of the state are with them.

 

"Our party supremo during the meeting told us not to be worried about the desertions as it is good that the rotten elements are leaving the party on their own. She said deserters were baggage for the party," a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity after the closed-door meet.

11:51 PM

Modi to hold virtual summit with Vietnamese counterpart Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual summit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday with a focus on future development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made an announcement about the summit.

 

"The two leaders will exchange views on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and global issues and provide guidance for the future development of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the MEA said in a statement.

11:50 PM

TMC rocked by a fresh desertions

The ruling TMC was rocked by a fresh bout of desertions on Friday with at least ten of its leaders exiting it and deepening the crisis in the party hours before the arrival of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the state.

 

A new twist was added to the unfolding political drama when Speaker Biman Banerjee rejected the resignation of senior leader Suvendu Adhikari as a member of the House on technical grounds.

 

A day after four senior TMC leaders including two MLAs

 

Suvendu Adhikari and Jitendra Tiwari quit the party, nine disgruntled leaders including Barrackpore MLA Silbhadra Dutta and Uttar Kanthi representative Banasree Maity sent their resignations to the TMC top brass.

 

Opposition CPI(M) too felt the tremors of desertion as one of its MLAs quit the party.

10:59 PM

Sebi bans 16 entities for front-running activities

Regulator Sebi on Friday barred 16 entities from the capital markets for up to seven years for indulging in front-running activities.

 

The entities have been prohibited from the capital markets for a period ranging from five to seven years. Of the 16 entities, six have been asked to disgorge illegal gains of nearly Rs 20 crore.

 

Front-running refers to an illegal practice in stock market where an entity trades on the basis of advance information from a broker or analyst before the information has been made available to their clients.

10:37 PM

ADB, India sign $300 million loan agreement

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the union government have signed a $300 million loan to upgrade rural power distribution networks and provide reliable electricity supply to consumers in Uttar Pradesh, the Finance Ministry said

9:51 PM

Exam paper leak scam: Assam Police files charge sheet

Assam Police files charge sheet before special court in Guwahati against 36 people for their alleged involvement in state police exam paper leak scam

9:05 PM

Pakistan army shells forward posts in two sectors along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir

The Pakistan army on Friday opened heavy fire and shelled forward posts in two sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. Indian troops retaliated befittingly, they said.

 

"At 1740 hours today, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along the LoC in Mendhar and Balakote sectors in district Poonch," defence spokesman said.

 

The LoC has witnessed heavy firing and shelling during the last few weeks, resulting in an increased number of casualties and triggering a fear psychosis among the residents of border areas. On December 1, the Pakistan army violated the ceasefire by shelling forwards posts in Rajouri sector along the LoC. A BSF sub-inspector was killed in the shelling.

On November 27, two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed when Pakistani troops opened heavy fire and shelled forward posts in Sunderbani sector in Rajouri district.

 

9:04 PM

Winter chill to continue for a week, slight relief expected later: IMD

As winter chill grips the plains, the India Meteorological Department on Friday said night temperatures would continue to be below normal in north India over the next week and a slight relief can be expected only a week later.

 

In its forecast from December 17-24 and from December 24-30, the IMD said the minimum temperatures would be below normal by 2-6 degrees Celsius over most parts of northwest, central and east India.

 

Near normal or slightly above normal temperatures are likely over remaining parts of the country during the first week. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions would occur in some pockets over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, west Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan during the first half of the first week and decrease thereafter, the IMD said.

9:01 PM

CBI books Hyderabad-based Transstroy (India) Ltd for Rs 7,926-crore bank fraud

8:52 PM

ICMR DG (Prof) Balram Bhargava tests positive for Covid-19, admitted to AIIMS Delhi

ICMR DG (Prof) Balram Bhargava tests positive for Covid-19, admitted to AIIMS Delhi

8:44 PM

J&K: Final phase of DDC polls on Saturday; voting to be held in 28 constituencies

The staggered voting for the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir will conclude on Saturday as 28 constituencies are set to go for polling in the eighth and final phase.
 

Voting will also be held for 369 vacant panch and sarpanch seats on Saturday across Jammu and Kashmir, state election commissioner K K Sharma told reporters here on Friday.
 

"A total of 28 DDC constituencies will go to polls including 13 seats from Kashmir division and 15 from Jammu division, with 168 candidates contesting the last leg of the elections," Sharma said.
 

Giving details, he said against the 13 DDC constituencies of the Kashmir division going to the polls on Saturday, there are 83 candidates in fray, including 31 women.
 

In the Jammu division, there are 85 candidates, including 15 women, in fray for the 15 DDC constituencies in this phase, he added.
 

"Over 6.30 lakh electors including 3,03,275 female voters are going to elect their representatives in the 28 DDC constituencies," Sharma said.
 

There are 1,703 polling stations – 1,028 in Kashmir division and 6,75 in Jammu division -- where voting will take place on Saturday.

 

8:41 PM

Air quality 'very poor' in Ghaziabad, 'poor' in Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad

The air quality was in the "very poor" category in Ghaziabad, while it remained in the "poor" zone in Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad in the national capital region, according to data issued by a government agency on Friday.  Presence of pollutant PM 2.5 and PM 10 also remained high in the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
 

According to the index, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
 

The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Friday was 304 in Ghaziabad, 297 in Greater Noida, 288 in Noida, 214 in Faridabad and 224 in Gurgaon, according to CPCB's Sameer app.
 

The CPCB states that an AQI in the "very poor" category may cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure while air quality in the "poor" zone may lead to breathing discomfort to people.
 

The average AQI on Thursday was 277 in Ghaziabad, 283 in Greater Noida, 267 in Noida, 213 in Faridabad and 241 in Gurgaon.