News updates: Stricter pollution curbs under Grap-4 reimposed in Delhi and surrounding areas

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

2:17 PM

Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP-RSS, says 'we are fighting Indian state itself'

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of capturing all institutions in the country, and asserted that the Congress was fighting the "Indian State itself."

 

Speaking at the inauguration of the party’s new headquarters, ‘Indira Bhawan,’ the Congress MP said, "Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old. We have been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Don’t think we are having a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP or RSS, you have not understood what is going on. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS, and the Indian State itself."

1:48 PM

Parliamentary panel should question Meta on fact-check, guidelines on hate speech: Trinamool MP

If Meta executives are summoned by the Parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology, they should be questioned about the company's decision to stop fact-checking and changes in its content guidelines on hate speech and disinformation, panel member and TMC MP Saket Gokhale said on Wednesday. Gokhale's remarks come a day after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the panel, said the committee will summon executives from social media giant Meta for "tarnishing" India's image amid a controversy over its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's statement during a podcast that after the COVID-19 pandemic, most incumbent governments, including the one in India, lost elections in 2024.

 

1:46 PM

Rahul Gandhi has now declared 'open war' against Indian state itself: BJP

Addressing party leaders after the inauguration of the Congress' new headquarters at 9A, Kotla Road, Rahul Gandhi said, "Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP, that we are fighting a political organisation called the RSS, you have not understood what is going on." Sharing a video clip of Gandhi's remarks, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said, "Rahul Gandhi has now declared an open war against the Indian State itself. This is straight out of George Soros's playbook." 

1:29 PM

News update: Punjab govt tells SC deliberations with protesting farmers underway

1:07 PM

Row over election rules: Supreme Court seeks response of Centre, EC on plea of Jairam Ramesh

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the poll panel on a plea by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh challenging recent amendments to the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules which restricts public access to CCTV and other election-related documents.

12:47 PM

Bollywood trade association writes letter to PM Modi, highlights grievances of daily workers

The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), a trade union body, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a meeting to highlight the grievances of "workers, technicians, junior artists, and artists" of the Hindi film industry. In the letter, sent on January 11, AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta highlighted the major concerns of the workers, including poor pay, long working hours and lack of safety on film sets.

12:34 PM

SC issues notice to Centre, poll panel on Congress' plea against amendments to Conduct of Election Rules

12:27 PM

SC may transfer pleas on CLAT 2025 to one high court

The top court on Wednesday said it may consider transferring to one of the high courts the various pleas filed against the results of the common law admission test 2025. Several petitions are pending in several high courts, including Delhi and Karnataka, on the allegations that several questions in the CLAT, 2025 were wrong.

11:51 AM

Army fully ready, capable to deal with any situation: Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday said the situation along the northern border is sensitive but stable, while asserting that his force is fully ready and capable to deal with any situation. In his address at the 77th Army Day celebrations here, he also said ceasefire is maintained along the Line of Control (LoC) but "attempts to infiltrate continue".

 

11:43 AM

News update: Karnataka HC adjourns hearing in case seeking CBI probe into MUDA scam, till Jan 27

11:31 AM

Mohan Bhagwat's remark that India got independence after Ram temple was built amounts to treason: Rahul Gandhi

To say that India did not get independence in 1947 is an insult to every Indian, says Rahul Gandhi. 

11:27 AM

News update: PM Modi to dedicate frontline naval combatants to the nation on commissioning at naval dockyard

10:14 AM

Dense fog shrouds Delhi; flights, trains delayed

Dense fog blanketed parts of the national capital on Wednesday morning, reducing visibility and disrupting over 100 flights and 26 trains. The minimum temperature dropped to 6 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches below normal, as the city experienced another chilly morning.

10:02 AM

Meta to fire 3,600 employees

Meta has said that CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision will affect five percent of its workforce.

10:00 AM

News update: TikTok prepares for immediate shut-off in the US on Sunday