LIVE news: Govt preparing incentives to encourage production of rare earth magnets, says minister

LIVE updates today: Catch all the latest developments here

6:19 PM

Delhi govt plans to approach NGT to allow dredging work in Yamuna

In an effort to increase the carrying capacity of the Yamuna river, the Delhi government is planning to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to allow dredging of the river in the national capital, official sources said on Friday. Dredging is an exercise usually carried out in water bodies to excavate underwater silt and waste accumulated over the years which enhances the storage of water in the river.

 

4:59 PM

Maratha reservation GR issued under pressure, says Bhujbal

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday said the state government issued the Government Resolution (GR) on the Maratha reservation "under pressure", and warned against any "encroachment" into the OBC quota. Even the court has said the Maratha community was not backward, he said as he vowed to wage a fight for protecting the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation.

4:41 PM

'Too little, too late': Arunachal Pradesh Congress hits out at PM Modi's Manipur visit

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress unit on Friday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Manipur on September 13 as a "belated and politically motivated" move after two years of turmoil in the violence-hit state. Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bosiram Siram, in a statement, said the prime minister's visit was "too little, too late", coming more than two years after ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023. "When Manipur was burning, when mothers and children were forced into relief camps, when people cried out for justice and peace, the prime minister chose silence. Today, he comes only after two years and under President's Rule. This is politics, not compassion," Siram alleged.

4:22 PM

AI will bring revolution in agriculture, make farmers' conditions better: Nitin Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday he believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will usher in a revolution in the agriculture sector and help improve the conditions of farmers. “Do visit Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Baramati and see the innovative methods being adopted there. AI will definitely help farmers. I believe AI will revolutionise the agriculture sector,” Gadkari said.

4:10 PM

SC flags hostile discrimination against persons with disabilities

Flagging the hostile discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre whether measures were taken to provide "upward movement" of such meritorious candidates if they secured more than the cut-off for the unreserved category. The apex court also directed a nationwide monitoring of all state-run care institutions housing persons with cognitive disabilities to be undertaken under the name and style of "Project Ability Empowerment" by eight National Law Universities (NLU).

2:34 PM

Nepal eases visa, exit rules for stranded foreign nationals

 Nepalese authorities have announced temporary measures to facilitate foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the ongoing curfew in the Kathmandu Valley. According to Immigration officials, international travellers whose visas were valid through September 8 can now obtain exit permits and regularise their visas without paying additional fees, The Himalayan Times reported on Friday.

2:33 PM

Coal India to enhance workers' ex gratia in mine accident to Rs 25 lakh: Minister G Kishan Reddy

"The Centre is committed to lower coal import dependence; we have saved Rs 60,000 crore by reducing such dry-fuel shipments last year," says minister G Kishan Reddy.

2:26 PM

Bombay HC gets bomb threat email; hearings suspended, building evacuated

The Bombay High Court administration received a bomb threat email on Friday afternoon, which created panic and led to suspension of hearings, police said.

Following the email, the high court complex was evacuated and a search operation was launched, officials said. "The threat email was received on the official email address of the Bombay High Court, which warned of a bomb blast in the building," an official said. After being informed, police personnel rushed to the high court and all the judges, lawyers, staff and visitors were asked to vacate the premises as a precautionary measure, he said.

2:05 PM

Delhi HC protects Abhishek Bachchan's personality rights, bars websites from illegally using name

The Delhi High Court has protected the personality rights of Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan by restraining several websites and online platforms from illegally using his name or images for commercial gain without his consent. The high court said it was clear that the attributes of Bachchan's persona, including his name, images and signature, are being misused by the defendant websites and platforms without authorisation from him, by employing technological tools such as artificial intelligence.

1:20 PM

Nepal crisis: Crucial meeting to appoint caretaker PM in Nepal likely at 2 pm

A crucial meeting is expected at 2 pm on Friday to appoint a caretaker prime minister and resolve the constitutional deadlock in Nepal. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki is likely to be finalised as head of the interim government, according to news agency PTI. The meeting will be held at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas and include various stakeholders, notably representatives of the youth-led Gen Z movement that led recent anti-government protests. If confirmed, Karki will become Nepal’s first female prime minister.

1:16 PM

Centre preparing incentives to encourage domestic production of rare earth magnets: Kumaraswamy

The government is preparing fiscal incentives to encourage domestic production of rare earth magnets in the face of recent disruptions caused in their supply, currently dominated by China, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Friday. The Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel also said a scheme is in the works to provide "targeted support" to the industry for its capital as well as operational expenditure.

1:08 PM

Nepal protests: Indian woman dies trying to escape Kathmandu Hotel set on fire by protesters

A 57-year-old woman from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly killed while attempting to escape a hotel fire in Kathmandu, Nepal, ignited by protestors. Rajesh Gola had travelled to Nepal with her husband, Ramvir Singh Gola, on September 7 amid widespread anti-government protests that have gripped the country this week. The couple was staying at the Hyatt Regency when the unrest turned violent.

12:52 PM

PM Modi to embark on 2-day Assam visit from Saturday to attend event on Bhupen Hazarika

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Guwahati on a two-day visit to Assam on Saturday to pay tribute to Bharat Ratna awardee Bhupen Hazarika and unveil projects worth over Rs 19,000 crore in the state. During his visit, the PM will also release a commemorative coin of Rs 100 to honour the legendary singer and a biography of the maestro titled 'Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika'.

12:46 PM

Racket using camels to smuggle liquor busted in Delhi

Delhi Police has busted a racket that used camels to transport illicit liquor through jungle routes in south Delhi and have arrested five people, an official said on Friday. Forty-two cartons of liquor and three camels have been seized from them, he said.

12:06 PM

Congress alleges FRA violations in Adani coal mine project in Madhya Pradesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday alleged that the Adani Group has begun cutting trees on government and forest land for its coal mine project in Madhya Pradesh's Dhirauli in "blatant violation" of the Forest Rights Act. The former environment minister also claimed that the Modi government imposed this allotment from above in 2019, and is now rushing ahead with it in 2025 without the essential legal clearances. "This is simply because Modani is a (f)law unto itself," he said on X.