LIVE: Forex jumps $4.47 bn to $620.44 bn during week ending Dec 22

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10:52 PM

Rajasthan cabinet expansion likely on December 30: Report

The expansion of the Cabinet in BJP-ruled Rajasthan is likely to take place on Saturday, official sources told news agency PTI.
 

The newly-inducted ministers will take oath at a ceremony in the Raj Bhavan at 3.30 pm. Governor Kalraj Mishra will administer the oath, they said on Friday.

Preparations for the oath ceremony are already underway at the Raj Bhavan.
 

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, meanwhile, has travelled to Delhi to meet the BJP high-command ahead of the Cabinet expansion.

10:39 PM

Britain to send around 200 air defence missiles to Ukraine to help protect civilians, infra from Russia

Britain is sending around 200 air defence missiles to Ukraine to help protect civilians and infrastructure from Russian drones and bombing, the British ministry of defence said on Friday.
 

The shipment comes as Russia unleashed one of its biggest missile attacks on Ukraine of the war, according to Kyiv, killing 18 civilians and wounding dozens others.
 

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is testing Ukraine's defences and the West's resolve, hoping that he can clutch victory from the jaws of defeat. But he is wrong," British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said.

9:33 PM

Elon Musk leads world's richest to $1.5 trillion wealth gain in 2023

The combined net worth of the 500 richest people surged by $1.5 trillion in 2023, fully rebounding from the $1.4 trillion lost the year prior, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
 

Once again, their fortunes were closely correlated to the performance of tech stocks, which rose to fresh records this year despite recession fears, lingering inflation, lofty interest rates and geopolitical turmoil. Tech billionaires saw their wealth grow by 48% or $658 billion, propelled by intense hype around artificial intelligence.

9:13 PM

Three injured in gas cylinder explosion in Odisha's hospital Bhubaneswar

At least three persons were injured after a cylinder used for filling refrigerant gas in air-conditioners exploded at a private hospital here on Friday, police said.

The incident took place at the Hi-Tech Hospital at Pandara this evening. There was no patient and outsiders on the floor when the cylinder exploded, a hospital official said.
 

"The injured people are in the ICU," hospital CEO Jotirmay Panda told reporters.
 

"A cylinder burst when refrigerant gas was being pumped into the outdoor AC unit. Three employees of the hospital were injured and they are being treated," fire officer Abani Kumar Swain said.

8:56 PM

NATO monitoring situation in Poland, says Stoltenberg after 'Russian missile' enters its airspace

NATO is monitoring the situation in Poland, after a Russian missile appears likely to have entered the airspace of the country, member of the alliance, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on social network X.
 

"I spoke with (the Polish) President Andrzej Duda about the missile incident in Poland. NATO stands in solidarity with our valued ally, is monitoring the situation and we will remain in contact as the facts are established. NATO remains vigilant," Stoltenberg said.

8:28 PM

Chhattisgarh CM Sai allocates portfolios, Vijay Sharma gets home, O P Choudhary finance

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday assigned portfolios, keeping Mineral Resources, Excise and General Administration Department with himself while giving home to deputy CM Vijay Sharma and finance ministry to IAS-officer-turned MLA O P Choudhary.

8:05 PM

Dense fog warning issued for 30 districts in Uttar Pradesh

Dense fog is likely to engulf 30 districts of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend, the state meteorological department said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Met department on Friday, 30 districts, including Lucknow, will be affected by dense fog especially at night and morning on Saturday and Sunday.

7:47 PM

1,400 artistes to welcome PM Modi in Ayodhya on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be welcomed by various groups of artistes from across the country as he arrives in Ayodhya Saturday to inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and a new airport before the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22.

In a statement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office said more than 1,400 performers will present folk art and cultural programmes in a total of 40 stages set up along the route from the airport to the railway station, Ram Path.

7:30 PM

Forex jumps $4.47 bn to $620.44 bn during week ending Dec 22

India's forex reserves jump $4.47 billion to $620.44 billion during the week ended December 22, says RBI.

7:10 PM

ED attaches properties of Uttarakhand trust in scholarship scam

ED today said that it has provisionally attached two immovable properties worth Rs 1.97 Crore (approx) in the form of land and building situated in Dehradun and Haridwar, Uttarakhand belonging to the Deen Dayal Sharma Educational Trust which runs the Institute of Professional Studies, Roorkee, in the case of SC/ST Scholarship Scam.

6:55 PM

Canadian police launches probe into firing at residence of Indian-origin in Surrey Ottawa

Canadian police have launched an investigation into reports of shots fired at the residence of an Indian-origin businessman in Surrey in the British Columbia province, causing damage to the property.

According to several media reports, gunshots were fired at the residence of the son of Satish Kumar, the president of Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, in Surrey on Wednesday.

6:41 PM

Over 80 million ITRs filed for the AY 2023-24 till date, a record: Income Tax dept

Over 80 million ITRs filed for the AY 2023-24 till date, which is a record, the Income Tax department said Friday. According to the tax department, this milestone has been reached for the first time. The total filing for AY 2022-23 was 7,51,60,817.

6:23 PM

Pakistan inflation projected to ease to 20-22% for FY24

Pakistan's inflation rate will ease to around 20-22% in the 2024 financial year, the central bank governor said on Friday in a report issued weeks ahead of a national election which could help restore political and economic stability to the country.
 

The bank will continue to take decisions to prevent high inflation from becoming entrenched, it said, adding that Pakistan's economy missed by a large margin its fiscal and primary surplus targets in FY23, with real GDP contracting to 0.2%.

5:58 PM

IMD issues warning for very dense fog in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi

"Dense to very dense fog (visibility 50 metres) is likely over most parts over Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi from night of 29th December to morning of 31st December and will continue for next 3 days at some places," IMD said in a tweet.

5:50 PM

Cement, crude oil production decreased in November

As per latest govt data, the cement production decreased by 3.6 per cent in November, 2023 over November, 2022. Crude oil production (weight: 8.98 per cent) also decreased by 0.4 per cent in November, 2023 over November, 2022.