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11:19 PM

EAM Jaishankar holds talks with Surinamese counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held "productive" talks with his Surinamese counterpart Albert Ramdin, focusing on ways to boost bilateral engagement in areas of defence, trade and capacity building.

Ramdin is currently on a visit to India.

"Concluded productive discussions with FM Albert Ramdin at the 8th India-Suriname Joint Commission Meeting," Jaishankar said on 'X'.

10:50 PM

12 people arrested for sending Nepalese nationals to join Russian army

A gang of 12 people, allegedly involved in illegally sending Nepalese nationals to Russia for recruitment in the Russian Army, has been arrested, police said here on Wednesday.

The gang used to charge Rs 700,000 to Rs 1,100,000 per person for arranging visit visas and other documents to get them recruited in the Russian Army, the District Police Circle, Kathmandu said.

After six Nepalese lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war, Nepal Police have taken precautionary measures against possible incidents of human trafficking, sources said.

10:37 PM

PoK is our own: Amit Shah in Lok Sabha

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is part of India and hence 24 seats have been kept reserved for the region in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

Shah said this while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill.

The home minister said after the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir to redraw assembly and parliamentary constituencies, there will be 43 assembly seats in Jammu region -- up from present 37 -- and 47 in Kashmir Valley, up from 46.

10:14 PM

Delhi govt mulls stipend for construction workers affected by GRAP curbs

The Delhi government is planning to award stipends to nearly a lakh construction workers whose livelihoods were affected when restrictions under GRAP Stage-IV were in force in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday.

A file on the proposal has been prepared and a meeting on it will be held next week.

There are around a lakh workers registered with the Delhi government who are beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, the officials said.

10:11 PM

Vasundhara Raje heads to Delhi amid Rajasthan CM suspense

Amid a suspense over the BJP's chief ministerial pick for Rajasthan, senior party leader and former CM Vasundhara Raje was headed to New Delhi Wednesday night.

She was scheduled take a flight to Delhi.

Sources in the Raje camp said she would be meeting the party high command on Thursday.

10:11 PM

Vasundhara Raje heads to Delhi amid Rajasthan CM suspense

Amid a suspense over the BJP's chief ministerial pick for Rajasthan, senior party leader and former CM Vasundhara Raje was headed to New Delhi Wednesday night.

She was scheduled take a flight to Delhi.

Sources in the Raje camp said she would be meeting the party high command on Thursday.

10:03 PM

Leaders of 17 INDIA bloc parties meet, senior leadership to gather soon to plan strategy for LS polls

Floor leaders of 17 parties of the INDIA opposition bloc on Wednesday met at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and discussed steps to improve coordination in Parliament to take on the BJP.

It was decided at the meeting that the senior leadership would meet soon and the date will be announced in a day or two.

Kharge said in a post on X that a parliamentary strategy meeting of like-minded parties of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha floor leaders was held at 10, Rajaji Marg.

9:42 PM

COP28 secures $83 bn in climate pledges, India skips energy and health pledges

The first week of the COP28 global climate talks concluded with a significant milestone with the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, pledges of over USD 83 billion and the draft text for Global Stocktake mentioning phasing out of all fossil fuels for the first time in years.

However, even as over USD 83 billion was mobilised in pledges questions persist about the voluntary nature of these commitments and the actual fulfilment by the participating nations.

8:54 PM

India warns global fertilisers suppliers against price cartelisation

India on Wednesday warned global fertilisers suppliers against price cartelisation saying a steep rise in crop nutrients in recent times is unacceptable and consuming nation will look at the alternative if this is not checked.

Addressing the annual seminar of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI), Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has already innovated alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) as part of its efforts to become self-sufficient.

8:44 PM

Garba celebration of life, unity, our deep-rooted traditions: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described Garba as a celebration of life, unity and deep-rooted traditions, as UNESCO approved the inclusion of Gujarat's traditional dance in its 'Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'.

"Its inscription on the Intangible Heritage List showcases to the world the beauty of Indian culture. This honour inspires us to preserve and promote our heritage for future generations. Congrats for this global acknowledgment," Modi said on X.

India had nominated Garba, performed across Gujarat and in many other parts of the country during the Navratri festival, for inclusion in the list.

8:43 PM

BJP is launching 'Mission-29' aimed at winning all Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh: Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the BJP was launching "Mission-29" with the aim of winning all the Lok Sabha seats from the state in the next year's elections.

He was speaking at a gathering during a day-long visit to Chhindwara, the home turf of state Congress chief Kamal Nath.

Chhindwara was the only constituency in Madhya Pradesh which the BJP failed to win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

8:39 PM

Protests in MP against killing of Karni outfit leader; groups call for state bandh on Dec 7

Members of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday staged protests in several cities of Madhya Pradesh, including state capital Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, to denounce the killing of the outfit' chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur.

Gogamedi was shot dead on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen at his house in the Rajasthan capital.

Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena activists in Bhopal staged a road blockade at Jyoti Talkies Square in MP Nagar demanding that the assailants involved in Gogamedi's killing be "eliminated in an encounter".

8:33 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits UAE, Saudi Arabia seeking to boost Moscow's Mideast clout

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday before departing for Saudi Arabia in an one-day lightning tour intended to raise Moscow's profile as a Middle East power broker even as his war Ukraine grinds on.

Putin landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, that is hosting the United Nations' COP28 climate talks. It was his first trip to the region since before the coronavirus pandemic and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

8:18 PM

BJP Parliamentary Party to meet tomorrow, likely to felicitate PM Modi

The BJP Parliamentary Party will hold its first meeting during Parliament's Winter Session on Thursday and is likely to felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading the party to massive wins in three assembly polls.

The BJP Parliamentary Party, which includes all its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, generally meets every week during the session. In the meetings, its leaders, including Modi, speak on different issues germane to the agenda in Parliament and also to its organisational and political campaigns.

8:14 PM

Internet connectivity in govt schools at 24.2% in 2021-22

Internet connectivity in government schools in India improved from 5.5 per cent in 2017-18 to 24.2 per cent in 2021-22, with Bihar, Mizoram, Odisha and Telangana being the only states with fewer than 10 per cent government schools having Internet connectivity.

The information was shared was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi in a written reply to a question asked by the BJP's Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik in the Rajya Sabha.

According to the Union Ministry of Education, apart from the Union Territories -- Puducherry and Chandigarh, which recorded 100 per cent Internet connectivity in government schools -- Delhi is the only state in the list.