LIVE: PM Modi leaves for Delhi in another aircraft after his IAF plane developed snag, says official

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11:30 PM

4.2 magnitude earthquake recorded in north Gujarat's Patan district; no damage reported

An earthquake of 4.2 magnitude was recorded in Patan district of north Gujarat on Friday night, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said.

While people came out of their houses after feeling the seismic movement, no casualty or loss of property was reported in the region, officials of the state control room in Gandhinagar said. The quake was recorded at 10:15 pm with its epicentre located 13 km south south-west of Patan, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said. Reports from northern districts of Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha and Mehsana claimed that tremors were felt for two to three seconds.

11:17 PM

UAE launches 'Global Energy Efficiency Alliance' at COP29

The UAE has announced the launch of an initiative to establish the "Global Energy Efficiency Alliance" at COP29, aiming to double annual global energy efficiency rates by 2030 and reduce emissions.

This initiative aligns with the UAE's historic 'UAE Consensus' from COP28, where countries, organisations, and companies committed to reducing carbon emissions and minimising natural resource consumption.

10:46 PM

Lebanon's prime minister asks Iran to help secure cease-fire in Israel-Hezbollah war

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister on Friday asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and appeared to urge it to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.

The prime minister made the comments in talks with Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Larijani's visit to Lebanon comes as the United States continued pushing both sides to agree to a deal to end 13 months of exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

10:29 PM

COP29: NGT chairperson addresses judicial event

National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava on Friday addressed a judicial event at the ongoing annual UN climate conference, COP29, in Azerbaijan's Baku, a release said. Justice Shrivastava was part of a panel on the 'Role of the Judiciary in the Implementation of Forest Laws'.

9:55 PM

Govt so far has identified Rs 9.74 trn borrowing by YSRCP regime: Andhra CM

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said Andhra Pradesh has incurred a debt of Rs 9.74 lakh crore during the YSRCP rule, and it is not clear if the previous regime had borrowed even more or not. Listing the components of the debt, the chief minister said it includes Rs 4.3 lakh crore state debt, Rs 80,914 crore Public Account Liabilities (PAL), Rs 2.47 lakh crore corporations debt, civil supplies debt of Rs 36,000 crore, power sector debt of Rs 34,267 crore, outstanding dues to vendors Rs 1.13 lakh crore, dues to employees Rs 21,980 crore, and non-contribution of syncing fund Rs 1,191 crore.

8:14 PM

J'khand election battle of two ideologies — love and hatred: Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday termed the Jharkhand election as a contest between two ideologies — one rooted in hatred and division, and the other focused on love, development, and constitutional protection. Addressing an election rally in Deoghar, Yadav accused the BJP of conspiring to topple the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, alleging that the party had failed in its efforts to form a government in 2019 and had used central probe agencies to destabilise the state administration.

8:10 PM

Public procurement through GeM portal crosses Rs 3 trn so far this fiscal

The government's procurement through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal has crossed Rs 3 lakh crore so far this financial year, an official said.

Higher buying activities by various ministries and departments have helped in reaching the figure, the official said.
 

In 2023-24, the portal handled procurement of Rs 4 lakh crore by government departments of centres and states and public sector enterprises.

The Government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all central government ministries and departments.

In October, the GeM signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sikkim to facilitate procurement by the state on the platform.

"That covers all the states under the GeM," the official said.

7:09 PM

Sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan: Court to record on Nov 26 wrestler's statement

A Delhi court will resume on November 26 recording statement of one of six female wrestlers who have accused former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.

6:40 PM

Delhi to have 106 additional buses, 60 extra trips by metro trains to combat air pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said an additional 106 cluster buses would ply in the city while metro trains would make 60 extra trips in view of GRAP-3 measures imposed due to worsening air quality.
 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has imposed GRAP 3 measures as the national capital recorded the worst pollution levels in the country, with the air quality remaining in the "severe" category for two consecutive days.

5:54 PM

Technical snag in aircraft could not be rectified; Modi flew to Delhi after delay of over 2 hrs: DC Deoghar

Technical snag in PM's aircraft could not be rectified; Modi flew to Delhi in another plane after delay of over 2 hours: DC Deoghar.

5:12 PM

PM Modi works for billionaires, waived Rs 16 trn of capitalists, did nothing for poor: Rahul Gandhi in J'khand

PM Modi works for billionaires, waived Rs 16 lakh crore of capitalists, did nothing for poor, Rahul Gandhi alleges in Jharkhand rally

4:51 PM

ED recovers Rs 8.8 crore from office of 'lottery king' Santiago Martin

The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 8.8 crore from corporate office of Chennai-based 'lottery king' Santiago Martin, officials said today.

4:39 PM

PM Modi will amend Waqf Act despite opposition from Uddhav and Pawar: Amit Shah

Union minister Amit Shah on Friday said PM Narendra Modi will amend the Waqf Act despite opposition from leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. “Modi ji wants to change the Waqf Board law, but Uddhav ji, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule are opposing it,” Shah said, addressing a rally at Umarkhed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

4:20 PM

Sarai Kale Khan ISBT chowk renamed after tribal icon Birsa Munda

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday announced that the chowk outside Sarai Kale Khan ISBT here has been renamed after tribal icon and freedom fighter Birsa Munda. The announcement, coming ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, was made by Khattar on the occasion of the unveiling of a statue of Birsa Munda by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Baansera Bamboo Park near Sarai Kale Khan inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) in south-east Delhi.

4:19 PM

BJP believes in free, fair elections: Amit Shah after poll officials check his chopper, bags

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that election officials at Maharashtra's Hingoli checked the helicopter ferrying him and his bags. Shah is in the state to campaign for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance ahead of the November 20 assembly polls.