News updates: Nepal ends solo expeditions on Mt Everest, other 8000-metre peaks

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9:43 PM

PM on two-day visit to Assam from Feb 24: Himanta

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive here on a two-day visit to Assam from February 24, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

The PM will arrive at 5 pm to witness the record creating Jhumur dance performance by 8,000 artistes. He will also attend the inaugural session of the Advantage Assam Summit the next day, the CM said. Sarma said he was recently in the national capital to finalise the PM's visit to the state along with meeting other Union ministers to invite them for the investment summit.

9:32 PM

Argentina says it will withdraw from World Health Organisation

President Javier Milei has ordered Argentina's withdrawal from the World Health Organisation due to profound differences with the UN agency, a presidential spokesperson said Wednesday.

 

Milei's action echoes that of his ally, US President Donald Trump, who began the process of pulling the United States out of WHO with an executive order on his first day back in office on January 21.

 

Argentina's decision is based on profound differences in health management, especially during the (COVID19) pandemic, spokesperson Manuel Adorni said at a news conference in Buenos Aires.

6:48 PM

Nepal ends solo expeditions on Mt Everest, other 8000-metre peaks

The Nepal government has formally ended solo expeditions on Mt Everest and other mountain peaks above 8,000 metres by making one mountain guide mandatory for two climbers, according to revised mountaineering regulations.

 

The sixth amendment to the Mountaineering Regulation came into force on Tuesday after it was published in the Nepal Gazette, the government's official publication.

 

The revised regulations require a high-altitude support staff or mountain guide to be assigned for every two climbers for peaks above 8,000 metres, including the 8,849 metres tall Mt Everest.

 

For other mountains, the rule requires at least one guide per group, according to a notice published in the Nepal Gazette.

 

Under the previous rule, one mountain guide was sufficient for a group of climbers scaling mountains above 8,000 metres.

 

The government has made guides mandatory to ensure the climbers' safety on the mountain, said Arati Neupane, Director at the Department of Tourism. The amendment was made to minimize the risk associated with mountain climbing, she added.

6:47 PM

Sikkim govt committed to providing essential services to people: Governor

Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur on Wednesday asserted that the state government is committed to providing essential services such as roads, electricity and water to the people.

 

He was giving the inaugural address during the day-long session of the Sikkim Assembly.

 

"The government is working full-time to provide essential services such as roads, electricity and water on a priority basis to the people of the state," he said.

 

The state government has the best interest of the people in mind and various development and welfare measures are being implemented to improve the quality of life of the residents, Mathur said.

 

The governor also took the opportunity to wish Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who turned 57 on Wednesday.

 

Mathur prayed for a long and healthy life of the chief minister and offered him sweets on the occasion.

6:47 PM

Milkipur bypoll: Over 65 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm

More than 65 per cent of the total 3.70 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm in the bypoll to the Milkipur Assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

 

The voting began at 7 am and continued till 5 pm, officials said, adding those who queued up outside poll booths before that will be allowed to vote.

 

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged "fake voting" and rigging by officials, but senior police officers rejected the charge and said voting is going on peacefully at all polling stations.

 

According to the Election Commission (EC), 65.25 per cent votes were cast till 5 pm, and the final poll percentage can go up with people still queued up outside booths after 5 pm.

 

The Milkipur bypoll has turned into a prestige battle between the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party as the seat is part of the politically significant Ayodhya district.

 

SP chief Yadav alleged that presiding officers are "fulfilling the target of fake voting" in the constituency asked the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the "enemies of democracy".

6:46 PM

UK PM says Palestinians 'must be allowed home' in Gaza

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that Palestinians "must be allowed home" in Gaza after President Donald Trump suggested the United States should take over the war-ravaged territory.

5:00 PM

Terror funding from proceeds of narcotics trade has to be curbed with rigour, says Home Minister Amit Shah

Ecosystem of terror in J-K has been weakened due to Modi government's sustained and coordinated efforts, says Amit Shah

4:38 PM

Karnataka HC issues notice to banks on Vijay Mallya's plea seeking loan recovery details

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to banks in response to a petition filed by fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya. The petition seeks a statement of accounts detailing the amounts recovered from him, United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL, now in liquidation), and other certificate debtors.

4:29 PM

Finance Ministry directs officers not to use ChatGPT, DeepSeek, other AI models flagging data risk concerns

The finance ministry has directed its officers not to download or use AI tools and apps such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek in office computers and devices, saying they pose confidentiality risks to data and documents. In a communication last month to all its departments, the ministry said AI tools/AI apps in office devices may be strictly avoided.

3:35 PM

Three workers die as wall at under-construction building collapses in Hyderabad

Three construction workers died and another was injured after a wall collapsed on them at an under-construction site here on Wednesday, police said. The accident occurred when the labourers were digging in the cellar of an under-construction commercial building. 

3:25 PM

US has frozen funding for UN-backed mission to quell gangs in Haiti, UN says

The US has notified the United Nations that it is freezing funding to a UN-backed mission in Haiti tasked with fighting gangs trying to seize full control of the country's capital, the UN said Tuesday. The US has been the biggest contributor to the mission led by Kenyan police, which was launched last year and is struggling with a lack of funding and personnel. The halt will have an “immediate impact” on the mission, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

3:02 PM

Majhi launches 'Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha' scheme

 Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched the 'Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha' (BGBO) scheme for rural infrastructure developmental projects in the state. He said the implementation of the scheme will end the divide between villages and towns and people in rural areas will get all facilities that are available in the urban areas.The chief minister launched the scheme at Jankia village, about 30 km from the state capital.

2:33 PM

Congress slams govt over 'thoughtless clearance for Teesta dam rebuild'

The Congress has opposed the Centre's reported nod to building a dam for the Teesta III hydel project in place of the dam washed away in 2023's glacial lake flood, claiming it was a "thoughtless clearance" as the threat of disaster continued to persist at the dam site. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report that claimed the BJP's Sikkim unit chief would meet Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav later this month to raise its pitch over safety concerns surrounding the clearance to build a dam for the Teesta III hydel project.

2:22 PM

Want to see Dalits, weaker sections assume leadership position in every institution: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during an address at the birth anniversary function of freedom fighter and Dalit icon Jaglal Choudhary here, also alleged that the BJP and RSS were against the Constitution as it guarantees the rights of Dalits and the downtrodden. “There is no participation of Dalits and the downtrodden in the present power structure and institutions of the country... There is a need for a caste census across India to identify the exact number of Dalits, minorities and weaker sections of society,” he said.

1:53 PM

News update: US plane bringing back undocumented Indians lands in Amritsar