LIVE! SC collegium recommends new CJs for 5 HCs

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Thu, 28 December 2023

SC collegium recommends new CJs for 5 HCs

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23:57 Youth tries to set college student on fire in Ayodhya, held after encounter

A jilted lover in Ayodhya poured petrol on a college student and tried to set her on fire but she saved her life by jumping into a water-filled pit on the roadside, police said on Thursday.

The police arrested 19-year-old Ashu following an encounter in which a policeman and the accused received bullet injuries.

The locals rushed to her rescue after hearing her screams and took her to the local government hospital from where she was taken to the district hospital and then referred to the Lucknow trauma centre, the police said.

The incident took place near a culvert located on the Lalganj-Jaisinghmau Road in Taarun police station area on Wednesday when she had left her home for college in the morning. -- PTI

23:43 SC collegium recommends new CJs for 5 HCs

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the appointment of new Chief Justices for the high courts of Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan, Allahabad, Gauhati, and Jharkhand.

The Collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjeev Khanna and BR Gavai, passed the resolutions on December 27, which were uploaded on the official website on Thursday evening.

Justice Sheel Nagu, judge of the Madhya Pradesh high court, has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The collegium further recommended Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, judge of the Rajasthan high court, for appointment as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan high court.

Justice Arun Bhansali, judge of the Rajasthan high court, has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court.

Another collegium resolution recommended Justice Vijay Bishnoi, judge of the Rajasthan high court, for appointment as Chief Justice of the Gauhati high court.

It also recommended Justice BR Sarangi, judge of the Orissa high court, for appointment as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand high court. -- ANI

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23:14 Bengal records death of Covid patient after nine months

West Bengal on Thursday registered the death of a COVID-positive patient after over nine months, a health official said.

The patient, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, had multiple comorbidities, he said.

"This person was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata. He died after suffering a cardiac arrest," the official told PTI.

The state had recorded the last COVID death on March 26.

As per directions of the Union health ministry, representatives of the state health department collected the deceased person's swab samples and sent those for genome sequencing, he said.

The total number of active cases in the state stood at 11, while three people were discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the disease. -- PTI

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22:53 Additional local trains to be run in Mumbai region to cater to New Year rush

Eight special suburban train services will be run between Churchgate and Virar in the early hours of January 1 to cater to the extra rush on account of New Year revellery, the Western Railway said in Mumbai on Thursday.

Four special services will run from Churchgate in south Mumbai to the northern satellite town of Virar and another four in the reverse direction, it said in a release.

The special services from Churchgate will depart at 1.15am, 2.00 am, 2.30am and 3.25am on January 1 while the ones from Virar will start at 00.15am, 00.45am 01.40am and 03.05am.

The Central Railway also announced four special suburban services -- two each between the CSMT in south Mumbai and Kalyan on Main Line and CSMT and Panvel on Harbour Line. -- PTI

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22:42 5 held at Delhi airport for suspected 'human trafficking'

The Central Industrial Security Force deployed at Indira Gandhi International Airport nabbed four airline staff and one passenger suspected of being involved in "human trafficking," the public relations officer, CISF, said in an official statement on Thursday.

As per the PRO, the airline staff and the passenger were handed over to Delhi police for further legal action in the matter.

"Vigilant CISF personnel nabbed 4 AISATS staff suspected to be involved in human trafficking along with a passenger @ IGI Airport Delhi. The 4 AISATS staff & the passenger were handed over to Delhi Police," the CISF posted on X.

On December 27, at about 1: 15 pm, CISF surveillance and intelligence staff at IGI Airport noticed suspicious activities of a passenger who was sitting in the check-in area near departure gate No. 5.

The passenger was later identified as Diljot Singh (Indian), who was supposed to travel from Delhi to Birmingham by Air India Airlines flight, the PRO stated.

"Despite a thorough examination of his baggage yielding no suspicious items, Singh's failure to board the flight raised concerns. On the query as to why he did not board the flight, he did not reply satisfactorily," the PRO said.

"On the basis of strong suspicion, his earlier movements were tracked through CCTV footage. On the basis of electronic surveillance and a query from the passenger, it came to light that he approached the F-11 check-in counter for his checking formalities and after check-in, he proceeded towards immigration, where he was stopped by immigration officials for possessing doubtful travel documents and instructed to bring the concerned airline staff along with him to clear the doubts," the PRO said. -- ANI

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22:22 RGV's expulsion from Andhra urged over film shoot

After a row erupted over Ram Gopal Varma's latest film Vyooham based on the politics of Andhra Pradesh, several leaders have demanded the expulsion of the filmmaker from the state.

Ravipati Sai Krishna, Telugu Desham Party, Youth president of Guntur district took out a foot march against Varma and garlanded his poster with slippers.

He also questioned DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy for giving an appointment to Varma.

Notably, on Wednesday Varma met DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy and lodged a written complaint against AP Parirakshana Samithi president Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao for his alleged comment offering Rs 1 crore bounty on Varma's head.

The TDP has also filed a petition in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh high courts against the movie, which is scheduled to be released on December 29.

The call for prohibition stems from concerns that his latest movie may serve as a tool for strategy and contribute to the propagation of animosity within society, leading to conflicts between political parties.

The film is about the circumstances surrounding the death of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy. -- ANI

New CRPF chief Anish Dayal Singh

22:03 Anish Dayal Singh appointed CRPF chief, Nina Singh new CISF chief

Indo-Tibetan Border Police chief Anish Dayal Singh was appointed as the Director General of Central Reserve Police Force on Thursday, a personnel ministry order said.

Singh, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer of Manipur cadre, was holding the additional charge of the CRPF following the retirement of incumbent SL Thaosen on November 30.

The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved Singh's appointment as DG, CRPF up to December 31, 2024, ie, the date of his superannuation, it said.

Rahul Rasgotra, at present a special director in the Intelligence Bureau, will be the new ITBP chief in place of Singh.

Rasgotra, a 1989-batch IPS officer of Manipur cadre, has been appointed to the post till September 30, 2025, ie, the date of his superannuation, the order said.

Nina Singh has been appointed as the DG, Central Industrial Security Force.

Nina Singh, a 1989-batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, is currently working as Special DG, CISF.

She has been appointed to the post till her superannuation on July 31, 2024, the order said.

Vivek Srivastava, a 1989-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, will be director general, Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards.

He has been appointed to the post till June 30, 2025, ie, the date of his superannuation, the order said.

Srivastava is at present a special director in IB. -- PTI

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21:35 India hands over second tranche of $2.5 mn for Palestinian refugees

India released the second tranche of $2.5 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East on Thursday.

With this, India also fulfilled its annual contribution of $5 million for 2023-24, the Indian Embassy in Palestine said in a statement.

The contribution was handed over by Chargee d'Affaires Mrs. Elizabeth Rodrigues.

This is aimed to support the Agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief and social services provided to Palestinian refugees.

"The government of India, today, released the second tranche' a $2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, fulfilling its annual contribution of $5 million for the year 2023-24, to support the Agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief and social services provided to Palestinian refugees," the Indian Embassy statement read. -- ANI

BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani/File image

21:22 Bring Advani to Ayodhya: Ex-BJP MP to Adityanath

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Ram temple movement seer Ram Vilas Vedanti on Thursday urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to make arrangements to bring BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony slated for January 22.

The development comes days after the Ram Temple Trust on December 18 "advised" Advani and another BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi not to attend the consecration ceremony because of their age.

"Advani should see with his own eyes Ram Lalla sitting on his throne...this is not only the desire of the country, but of the Hindus across the world, because Advani's contribution to the Ram temple movement is huge," Vedanti said.

Atal (Bihari Vajpayee), Advani and Joshi have contributed a lot for the BJP to reach where it is now, he said.

"Advani has made a huge contribution to the Ram temple movement through his 'Rath Yatra' from Somnath to Ayodhya. I want that when Ram Lalla is being consecrated, the UP government, especially Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, should make arrangements to bring Advani to the sanctum sanctorum," Vedanti told reporters in Ayodhya. -- PTI

The rupee rebounded after two straight days of fall to settle 14 paise higher at 83.20 against the US dollar on Thursday, amid a weak American currency overseas and a rally in domestic equity markets.

The inflow of foreign funds and a downward trend in crude oil prices also supported the Indian currency, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic currency opened at 83.33 and traded in a range of 83.16-83.34 against the greenback.

The local unit finally settled at 83.20, registering a gain of 14 paise over its previous close.

The rupee had lost 18 paise in the previous two sessions.

On Wednesday, the domestic currency settled 15 paise lower at 83.34 against the dollar, a day after closing at a loss of 3 paise. -- PTI

Two Maoists, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, surrendered before the police and security forces in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a senior official said.

Pojja Vanjam, alias Shankar (38), and Dashru Kunjam (26) turned themselves in, citing disappointment with the hollow and inhuman ideology of the outlawed outfit, he said.

Vanjam, who carried the bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was the Burgum Panchayat Militia commander, while Kunjam was a medical team member in the Dumripalnar panchayat of the banned group.

The two were involved in several incidents of Maoist violence, he said.

With this surrender, 654 Maoists, 167 of them carrying cash rewards, have so far quit the path of violence in Dantewada under the Lon Varratu (return to your home/village) campaign, launched by district police in June 2020, the official added. -- PTI

A 27-year-old undertrial lodged in Pune's Yerawada Central Prison died after he was allegedly attacked by four inmates over past enmity on Thursday, an official said.

Mahesh Chandanshive, who had been arrested under the Arms Act, was targeted in barack number 1 of the prison around 3 pm, the official said.

According to jail authorities, Chandanshive was attacked by inmates Aniket Samudar, Mahesh Mane, Aditya Mure, and Ganesh More with a scissor and door hinges that had been improvised as weapons.

The attack on Chandanshive was due to past enmity.

Chandanshive was seriously injured and was rushed to Sassoon General Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds, said a prison official.

A case has been registered against the four accused and further investigations are on, he added. -- PTI

India is aiming to launch 50 satellites in the next five years for geo-intelligence gathering which will include the creation of a layer of satellites in different orbits with a capacity to track the movement of troops and image thousands of kilometers of area, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath said in Mumbai on Thursday.

Speaking at 'Techfest', an annual science and technology event organised by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, he said it is important to improve the ability of satellites to detect changes, to bring in more of AI-related and data-driven approach to analyse data, reduce data downloads and get only the necessary information.

Spacecrafts are capable of observing a country's borders and neighbouring regions, he noted.

"All of it can be seen from satellites. This capability gives us enormous potential. We have been launching satellites to handle this, but there is a different way of thinking now and we need to look at it in a much more critical manner because the power of (any) nation is the ability to understand what is happening around it," Somanath said.

"We have already configured 50 satellites to be realised in the next five years and this is going to be launched for India for supporting this particular geo-intelligence over the next five years plus (period)," the ISRO chief added.

If India can launch satellites at this scale, threats to the country can be better mitigated, Somanath said.

"We have found out a way by which a layer of satellites can be launched starting from GEO (geostationary equatorial orbit) to LEO (lower earth orbit) and also very low earth orbit where we need very critical assessment of some situation," he said.

This is a new domain which is coming up not only in optical, but also in SAR (synthetic aperture radar), thermal and various other technologies, Somanath pointed out.

"We will have communication between satellites, so that if some satellite detects something, which is at GEO at 36,000 kms, it can have a large view. If you find some activity happening, you can task another satellite in the lower orbit (to check) much more carefully and then give more information," he said.

"We are also looking at imaging, not a very small area (but) thousands of kilometers of area and we would like to cover entire borders in everyday cycles. This is a tremendous capability that we are building if we are able to launch these satellites in the next five years," he said. -- PTI

The crash of a Yeti Airlines' aircraft in January this year that killed all 72 people on board, including five Indians, in Nepal's resort city of Pokhara was caused by human error, according to an inquiry report submitted to the government on Thursday.

Yeti Airlines' 9N-ANC ATR-72 aircraft crashed on the bank of the Seti River between the old airport and the new airport minutes before landing on January 15.

A five-member Investigation Commission formed after the crash said in its report that the aircraft crash on January 15, 2023, was due to human error, Nepal's official news agency RSS reported.

The five Indians -- Abhisekh Kushwaha (25), Bishal Sharma (22), Anil Kumar Rajbhar (27), Sonu Jaiswal (35) and Sanjaya Jaiswal (26) -- were among 72 people on board when the plane crashed.

The Commission formed under the coordination of former Secretary Nagendra Prasad Ghimire submitted the report to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati.

It took eight months and three days for the Commission to carry out the investigation and prepare the report.

The government had formed the five-member probe commission on the day of the plane crash.

Retired captain of the Nepali Army, Deepak Prakash Bastola, retired Captain Sunil Thapa, aeronautical engineer Ekraj Jung Thapa and Joint-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane were the members of the probe commission.

Minister Kirati directed the subordinate bodies to strictly implement the Probe Commission's suggestions. The Yeti Airlines tragedy in Pokhara was the 104th crash in Nepali skies and the third biggest in terms of casualties. -- PTI

A man accused of mowing down a woman with his SUV was remanded in police custody till January 2 by a court in Jaipur on Thursday.

Mangesh Arora was arrested on Wednesday, a day after he hit a woman and her friend with his vehicle after a row in front of a restaurant in a posh Jaipur locality.

The woman died subsequently and the man was injured.

Arora was produced before the magistrate on Thursday and remanded in police custody till January 2, Jawahar Circle police station SHO Dalbir Singh said.

According to police, Uma Suthar and Rajkumar had gone to a resto-bar on S L Marg on Monday night.

While they were having dinner, Mangesh Arora and his girlfriend were sitting on a table next to them having drinks. They had a tiff at the bar.

Uma and Rajkumar left the restaurant at around 5 am and Uma booked a cab.

Meanwhile, Mangesh and his girlfriend also came there and a quarrel ensued. As the fight escalated, Mangesh left but soon returned in his SUV and drove over Rajkumar and Uma, who were waiting for the cab, police said.

The restaurant staff rushed them to a nearby hospital where Uma succumbed to injuries.

Police said that the accused hails from Haryana and runs a clothing showroom in the Mansarovar area. -- PTI

A Mumbai court on Thursday issued notice to the complainant seeking its response to the plea filed by police to withdraw the fake TRP case in which senior television journalist Arnab Goswami has been named as an accused.

The case was registered after the Broadcast Audience Research Council lodged a complaint alleging certain TV channels were rigging TRPs (television rating points connected to viewership) through illegal means.

Metropolitan magistrate (Esplanade Court) L S Padhen will hear the complainant before passing an order.

The case will be heard next on January 18.

Last month, the Mumbai Crime Branch moved a plea in court seeking to withdraw the fake TRP case.

The case came to light in October 2020 when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers.

Mumbai police, in its supplementary chargesheet, had named Goswami as an accused in the case. It alleged that he, in connivance with co-accused and former CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta, illegally tampered with TRPs.

The chargesheet cited Goswami's acceptance of his WhatsApp chat with Dasgupta as crucial evidence to indict him in the case.

On Tuesday, the prosecution filed an application before a magistrate court to withdraw the case.

The plea was moved under section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which enables the public prosecutor or assistant public prosecutor to withdraw from the prosecution of any person either generally or in respect of any one or more of the offences for which he is tried.

The Crime Branch had arrested 12 persons, including Republic TV's distribution head and owners of two other channels, in connection with the case. The accused are currently out on bail.

Based on the Mumbai police's FIR, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also filed a money laundering complaint in the alleged TRP rigging scam.

However, ED, in its chargesheet filed in September last year, claimed no evidence was found against Republic TV in the alleged scam.

The Mumbai police's probe in this respect was 'at variance' with its probe, the central agency had said in the charge sheet. -- PTI

18:31 157 cases of JN.1 found in India so far

A total of 157 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country, with Kerala reporting the highest number of 78, followed by Gujarat at 34, according to the INSACOG's data updated on Thursday.

Several states have been reporting an uptick in the number of Covid cases over the last few weeks and nine states and Union territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus.

These states are -- Kerala (78), Gujarat (34), Goa (18), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (seven), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two) and Delhi (one), according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

The INSACOG's data showed 141 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 16 such cases were detected in November.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate 'variant of interest' given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a 'low' global public health risk.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.

However, in recent weeks, JN.1 cases continued to be reported from multiple countries and its prevalence has rapidly increased globally.

The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country. -- PTI

A day after Karnataka BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal alleged that Rs 40,000 crore was embezzled by former CM BS Yediyurappa during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the party was "profiting over the dead."

Congress MP and General Secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh on Thursday called this incident horrific and utterly shameful, committed by a very senior BJP leader.

"A former Union Minister and current BJP MLA in Karnataka, Basanagouda Yatnal has alleged that he holds documents related to a COVID-19 scam worth Rs 40,000 crores(!!!) committed by then CM and current BJP Parliamentary Board Member, BS Yediyurappa. He emphasised the fact that the previous BJP state government in Karnataka profited over the dead," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

Alleging 40,000 crores of rupees were embezzled under the Yediyurappa government in the state during the first wave of corona, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal warned that he would expose the "irregularities," if expelled from the party.

"The horrific and utterly shameful nature of this crime committed by a very senior BJP leader is the tip of the iceberg of the scale of scams undertaken by BJP governments across the country over the past decade," said Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh rebuked PM Modi, alleging he was 'controlling' the mainstream media of the country.

17:29 'It will be Rahul vs Modi in 2024 polls'

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and BJP leader CN Ashwath Narayan said on Thursday that the contest in 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Narayan, after attending the Karnataka BJP leaders meeting held on Thursday to chalk out strategy for the Lok Sabha elections, said while speaking to ANI, "The people of Karnataka want Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister once again with no second thoughts..."

"It will be a comparison between Narendra Modi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji. Imagine when they (voters) look up to Narendra Modi and think of voting for Rahul Gandhi ji. No chance. So its Narendra Modi ji vs Rahul Gandhi," the BJP leader added. "Ninety percent of people will prefer Narendra Modi. They will reject Rahul. We are very sure we are going to win these elections," he said. -- ANI

KBK Infographics

17:24 Markets hit fresh lifetime highs

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty advanced further to settle at record highs for the second straight session on Thursday, buoyed by lower crude prices in international markets and fresh foreign fund inflows amid largely positive global cues.

Hectic buying in energy, metal and FMCG counters also added to the momentum, traders said.

Rising for the fifth consecutive day, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 371.95 points or 0.52 per cent to settle at an all-time closing high of 72,410.38. During the day, it rallied 445.91 points or 0.61 per cent to reach its lifetime peak of 72,484.34.

The Nifty climbed 123.95 points or 0.57 per cent to settle at a fresh record of 21,778.70. During the day, it zoomed 146.7 points or 0.67 per cent to hit its lifetime high of 21,801.45. In the last five sessions, the BSE benchmark rallied 1,904.07 points or 2.70 per cent, and the Nifty climbed 628.55 points or 2.97 per cent. -- PTI

17:18 'It's insane the kind of love I got'

"Any flight I take, the crew write personal notes to me, saying how good I was as Soudamini or Seema or Bulbul," Mona Singh tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com. Read the interview here.

"There is a battle of two ideologies in the country," says Rahul Gandhi at the Congress rally in Nagpur.

"Unemployment is at its highest now in the last 40 years," says Rahul at the rally on the occasion of the 139th foundation day of the Congress party.

He said that vice chancellors should be appointed on the basis of merit but not because they belong to a particular organisation. He added that unlike in BJP, even a junior Congress worker can question and disagree with top party leaders.

The Congress is kickstarting its campaign for the next year's Lok Sabha elections with its mega rally 'Hain Tayyar Hum' at Nagpur city today.

Rahul added that the Congress will undertake a caste census after coming to power at the Centre.

16:40 Pakistan's economic model failed: World Bank

In the wake of the economic crisis in Pakistan, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Najy Benhassine said that Pakistan's economic development is limited to the elite which resulted in the country lagging behind its fellow countries, Pak Vernacular media reported.

He noted that Pakistan's economic model has become ineffective and said that poverty reduction is starting to increase again, the significant reduction in poverty in the past is resurfacing, the thought is growing that the policy must be changed, economic development in Pakistan is not sustainable. Najy Benhassine stated that the economic development in Pakistan is limited and benefits limited people, Pakistan is under the influence of environmental changes, and the deficiencies in the agricultural and energy sectors should be removed.

The country director of the World Bank said that the focus of energy reform should be financial stability, better distribution, private sector and focus on generating alternative electricity instead of expensive ones. -- PTI

Suspended WFI president Sanjay Singh

16:22 Suspended WFI president to move court

Newly-elected WFI president Sanjay Singh on Thursday said that the sports ministry did not follow "proper procedure" while suspending the wrestling national body and will challenge the government's decision in a court.

The sports ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI, three days after its elections were held, for flouting its own constitution while taking certain decisions, including the announcement of U-15 and U-20 National Championships. Sanjay, however, said that his "autonomous" and "democratically elected" body could not have been suspended by the government without hearing the WFI's side of the story.

"We have won the elections (of WFI) democratically. The returning officer was the retired chief justice of J&K High Court, there were observers from the IOA and UWW (United World Wrestling). There were 22 state units (three absent out of 25 state associations) taking part in the elections, 47 votes were polled out of which I got 40," Sanjay told PTI.

"After all these, if you say we are suspended, we are not going to accept it. A democratically-elected body was not given a chance to explain its position which is against the principle of natural justice which everybody is entitled to under the Constitution of India."

Asked what is the way forward for his body, he said, "WFI is an autonomous body and the government has not followed proper procedure. We are going to talk to the government and if it (government) does not take back the suspension, we are taking legal opinion and going to court."

He said since the WFI is contesting the suspension, he does not accept the three-member ad-hoc committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday to run the day-to-day affairs of the national sports body. -- PTI

16:19 Markets hit fresh lifetime highs

16:17 Yogi's visit to Ayodhya cancelled due to fog

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Ayodhya on Thursday to take stock of preparations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the temple town on December 30 was cancelled due to bad weather, a senior official said.

Earlier, officials had told PTI that Adityanath, after reaching, was scheduled to first visit the Hanumangarhi temple, and then go for a "darshan" of Ram Lalla and inspect the ongoing construction work of the Ram temple.

"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was to visit Ayodhya today but he could not go there due to poor visibility owing to fog," the senior official said.

ICICI Bank on Thursday said tax authorities have slapped a demand notice of Rs 26.8 crore on it for alleged short payment of GST.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand of Rs 24.37 crore with a penalty of Rs 2.43 crore was served on December 27, ICICI Bank said in a regulatory filing. Assessment of tax payment under Section 73 of Tamil Nadu Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, it said.

Kotak Mahindra Bank in a separate regulatory filing said it received a Rs 62.3 lakh GST demand notice on December 27.

EAM S Jaishankar

15:56 Qatar court commutes death sentence to eight Indian nationals: MEA

Update: A Qatar Court has commuted the death sentence given to eight former Indian Navy personnel in an alleged case of espionage, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.

"We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced," the ministry said in a statement.

The eight former personnel of the Indian Navy, arrested in an alleged case of espionage, were given the death sentence by Qatar's Court of First Instance in October.

The Indian nationals, all employees of Doha-based Dahra Global, were taken into custody in August 2022.

The charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities. India had moved the Court of Appeal in Qatar against the death sentence last month.

"Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities," the statement said. Noting that a detailed judgement was awaited, the ministry said it was in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps.

"Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture," the MEA said. PTI

Qatar court commutes death sentence eight Indian ex-Navy personnel, says MEA. The government will continue to take up the matter with Qatari authorities, the ministry adds.

15:17 Bihar will get new CM from RJD soon: Giriraj

Putting to rest speculations of Nitish Kumar's possible return to the saffron fold, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday said all doors to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are closed for the Bihar chief minister.

The Union Minister claimed that the Janata Dal (United), which is the principal partner in the ruling coalition of Bihar, will soon cease to exist as Nitish has lost social support.

Invoking the major controversy around the Bihar CM's much-derided remarks on birth control on the floor of the Assembly during the Winter Session, Singh said a leader in his mental state should resign forthwith from the post of chief minister.

"All doors for Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA are closed. The person who makes such derogatory remarks about women in the Assembly should step down from the post of chief minister immediately. Given his current mental condition, he is not fit to hold the post," Singh told ANI on Thursday.

Nitish walked out of the 'Mahagathbandhan' coalition in 2017 to partner with the NDA. However, in August, last year, he broke ties with the BJP a second time, resigning as Bihar CM just.

He formed a new government after joining hands with the RJD and returned as chief minister. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took oath as his deputy.

Weighing in the national executive meeting of JD(U), which is currently underway in the national capital, the Union Minister claimed Bihar would soon get a new CM from the JD(U)'s ally, RJD.

"Nitish Kumar-ji's days as the CM of Bihar are numbered. He would only remain in the post for a few more days. Lalu Yadav has created a 'chakravyu' (trap) for him. The first step in this 'chakravyu' was making Awadh Bihar the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly. Nitish Kumar will become the former CM very soon. It is decided that Nitish Kumar will not remain the CM anymore. In the next few days, Bihar is going to get a CM from the RJD," Singh said.

While on Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand BJP today released a 20-page Arop Patra' (charge sheet) highlighting the alleged failures of the Hemant Soren government in the state during the four years of its reign.

Releasing the 'charge sheet' in Ranchi a day ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Soren government, BJP Jharkhand chief Babulal Marandi said the tenure of the JMM-led government is marked by corruption, deteriorating law and order and unfulfilled promises.

The document, he said, highlights the failure of the Soren government to fulfill promises made by the chief minister when it assumed power four years ago like providing five lakh jobs and unemployment allowance, besides various assurances given to women and tribals in the state.

The JMM-Congress-RJD government helmed by Soren will complete four years in power on Friday. The government has decided to celebrate the occasion in a grand way and distribute thousands of appointment letters at a function to be held at the Morabadi ground in Ranchi. -- PTI

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren says he will attend Ram Mandir inauguration if invited.

A row has gained ground over who has been invited and who has nodded to attend Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January 2024.

It has become a political issue ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar expressed his disappointment after not being invited to the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony that will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, other ministers and dignitaries.

Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor also stated that he has not been invited to the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration event on January 22.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor said, "Was interrogated by the waiting press, wanting to know if I would be going to Ayodhya. I told them I hadn't been invited but I saw religion as a personal attribute and not one for political (mis)use."

"Temples are not the government's business; unemployment, inflation, public welfare, and national security are. But the media allows the temple to turn the focus away from those issues!" the Congress MP added.

CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat also underlined her part's decision to skip the January 22 event, calling it the "politicization of a religious program".

"No, we will not go. We respect the religious beliefs... but they are connecting a religious program with politics. Using religion as a political weapon or to advance a political agenda is not right," Karat told ANI.

Kapil Sibal also said he didn't feel the need to attend the ceremony because he had "Lord Ram in my heart".

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent invitations to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, said sources. However, they added that senior Congress leaders are unlikely to attend the ceremony.

Apart from them, Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda have also received the invitation. The invitations, as per the sources, were delivered by a delegation of those associated with the Trust.

Representational image

14:39 Suicide drone from Syria crashes into Golan Heights

An Iran-backed militia in Syria launched a suicide drone at Israel's southern Golan Heights.The explosives-laded unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed near Moshav Eliad, east of the Sea of Galilee.

There were no reports of injuries in the incident, which did not trigger red alert warnings. Some material damage to a building was reported during the incident which took place on Wednesday night, however.

Haim Rokah, head of the Golan Regional Council, reportedly said that it was "a lot of luck" that the attack had not caused casualties.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that it was "in support of Gaza."

It represents the first case of a kamikaze drone falling in the Golan Heights since October 7, when Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 people in southern Israel.

Sam Pitroda. File pic

14:29 Pitroda: BJP will win 400+ seats in 2024 unless...

Raising concerns over electronic voting machines, Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Thursday said the BJP can win more than 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections if issues associated with EVMs are not "fixed".

The elections will be about deciding the destiny of India, he told PTI-Video in an interview. While the Election Commission has always dismissed apprehensions over EVMs and also held hackathons to clear any doubts, some opposition leaders, including from the Congress, have been repeatedly raising the issue of EVMs allegedly being open to manipulation.

Many in the Congress have also asserted, including after the recent assembly polls in which the party lost some key heartland states, that they trust these machines.

However, the Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding 100 per cent Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and that the slips should be given to voters rather than falling into boxes.

Congress leader Pitroda also said that his recent comments on the Ram temple in Ayodhya were "twisted" and asserted that religion is a personal matter and should not be mixed with politics.

He was quoted in reports as saying it bothers him that the entire nation is hung up on the Ram temple.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's upcoming Manipur-to-Mumbai Bharat Nyay Yatra ahead of the polls, Pitroda said, "The next election is about the future of India. What kind of nation we want to build."

"Do you want to build a nation articulated in our Constitution which respects all religions, autonomy of our institutions, which allows our civil society to function, or you want to build the nation based on one religion dominating?" he asked.

Expressing concern over electronic voting machines (EVMs), Pitroda cited a report by NGO 'The Citizens' Commission on Elections', chaired by former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur, and said that the main recommendations of the report were to modify the current design of the VVPAT system to make it truly "voter-verified".

"I waited for the Election Commission to respond but when it didn't happen I decided to speak. It has nothing to do with the fact that elections in five states are over and the 2024 election is coming," Pitroda said.

"I feel there is a trust deficit based on this report. And, the Election Commission must respond to rebuild the trust," he said. The Congress leader said he believes that democracy is derailed and "we are becoming too authoritarian".

"It's all about one-man show," he said. Asked about the BJP's claim that it would win more than 400 seats in the general elections, he said, "More power to them if they think they can do it. Great. That is for the country to decide. EVM needs to be fixed before the next election. If EVM is not fixed, 400 may be true. If EVM is fixed 400 may not be true."

On his comments about the Ram temple, Pitroda said, "My comments on the Ram mandir got twisted. I am basically protecting the Constitution. I am saying that religion is a very personal matter, leave it to the people. Of course you celebrate, people should celebrate what they want to. But don't complicate with politics."

Asked about opposition INDIA bloc, of which the Congress is also a part, not picking Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial face, Pitroda said, "The INDIA alliance is not projecting anybody for the PM post."

The alliance has collectively decided that "we get to that after the election because right now the priority is to mobilise 60 per cent of the people who don't vote for the BJP", he said and added that the members of the bloc will decide as a group who should be the prime ministerial candidate.

"Collectively, the group decided that it will not project anybody as its PM candidate. Those are two out of how many who pitched (Congress president Mallikarjun) Kharge's name. In a coalition like that there are bound to be some differences. That's the beauty of a coalition," Pitroda said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is the TMC supremo, and her Delhi counterpart and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had pitched Kharge's name as the bloc's prime ministerial face at its meeting in Delhi on December 19. On the opposition face against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pitroda said, "I don't think that's the right question to be asked. It is not a presidential election, it is a parliamentary election." PTI

EAM S Jaishankar with Russian president Putin

14:28 What Putin told Jaishankar about 'our friend' Modi

Russia's relations with India and its people are making "steady headway" despite the "current turbulences" in the world, President Vladimir Putin has said and expressed confidence that the two countries will maintain their traditionally friendly ties in "any alignment of political forces" after elections in India.

Putin's remarks came on Wednesday when visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on him at the Kremlin.

"We are very pleased to note that despite the current turbulences in the world, relations with our traditional friends in Asia, with India and the Indian people are making steady headway," Putin said.

The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

"We know Prime Minister Modi's position and we have repeatedly spoken about this the position concerning his attitude to complex processes, including hotspots, to the situation in Ukraine," Putin said.

"I have repeatedly informed him about the situation around this conflict. I know about his desire to do everything to resolve this problem peacefully, but we will now talk more about it. We will provide you with additional information about this situation," Putin said.

Putin said he would be happy to see "our friend", Prime Minister Modi in Russia. "We will have an opportunity to discuss the current issues and talk about the prospects for developing Russian-Indian relations. We have to cover a lot of ground," Putin said.

"So I would like to ask you to convey to him my best wishes and please, give him our invitation we are looking forward to seeing him in Russia," Putin said. He acknowledged that India's domestic political calendar is not simple.

"It is complicated considering that India will hold general elections to parliament. We wish success to our friends in India. We believe we will maintain our traditional friendly ties in any alignment of political forces," Putin, who is seeking a fifth term in office in March next year, said.

13:42 Change of guard in JD-U? Party prez says...

The Janata Dal (United) has quashed all reports that suggested a likely change of guard in the party leadership ahead of its national executive on Friday.

Party President Rajeev Ranjan (Lalan Singh) said, "The National Executive is a regular meeting of the JDU. There are meetings of the national executive often. Nitish Kumar is our supreme leader and the JD-U is one and will always remain one."

The Janata Dal (United) will hold its national executive meeting and national council meeting in Delhi on Friday. The meetings has been convened by party president Lalan Singh amidst speculation that he could step down to make way for Nitish Kumar the Bihar Chief Minister to once again take over the reigns of the party.

Responding to the reports, JD-U leader KC Tyagi said, "I reject all rumours. The party has convened two-day meetings. There is a meeting of party office bearers in the office today at 4 pm. There will be a national executive meeting at Vithal Bhai Patel House tomorrow at 11 am, and in the second half national council meeting is scheduled. Nitish Kumar is reaching Delhi to participate in this meeting."

He said that the decisions to be taken in the matter will be divulged later.

On questions, if any changes within the party are in the cards keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind, Tyagi said, "All these things are internal matters of the party, they are neither commented on nor statements are made publicly."

Earlier in the day, before leaving for the Capital, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the Friday meeting is part of the party's tradition and takes place once a year.

"This is a normal meeting; it takes place once a year. There's nothing special in it," the Bihar CM said.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, too, rubbished the rumours about the resignation of JD(U) president Lalan Singh.

"These are all useless talks...Every party holds its national executive meeting. We also held our party's national executive meeting in Delhi," he said.

13:32 Being GG Parikh

Dr GG Parikh -- freedom fighter and Gandhian -- turns 100 on December 30. There will be a programme tomorrow at the Bombay University convocation hall, Fort, from 4:30 pm to 7 pm. The keynote lecture will be by author and historian Rajmohan Gandhi, while NCP chief Sharad Pawar will be the chief guest. The programme commemorates Parikh's remarkable life and legacy.

Read GG Parikh's interview to Rediff.com here: 'Unity in diversity has helped us survive' and part I of the interview here: 'Those days, 'jail-returned' was like 'foreign-returned', something to aspire for'

Sharmila Tagore with her granddaughter Inaaya in 2018

13:15 Sharmila Tagore reveals she's a cancer survivor

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore has revealed that she was battling with cancer when filmmaker Karan Johar approached her to play a key role in his movie "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani".

The cinema icon and her son, actor Saif Ali Khan, appeared in the latest episode of Johar's celebrity chat show "Koffee with Karan".

In the episode, which dropped on Disney+ Hotstar on Thursday, Johar said he wanted Tagore to play the role of Alia Bhatt's grandmother in the movie, which was released in August.

"I had offered Sharmila ji the part played by Shabana (Azmi) ji in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. She was my very first choice. Due to health reasons at that time, she couldn't say yes. but it is a regret I have, the filmmaker said.

Tagore, 79, said she didn't want to take a risk during the pandemic as she was not vaccinated.

"This is at the height of Covid. They hadn't really grappled with Covid at that time. They didn't know about the vaccine, we were not vaccinated. You know, (it was) after my cancer. So, they didn't want me to take that risk," she said. Tagore, however, did not reveal the details of her battle with cancer.

The veteran, known for her roles in Satyajit Ray's The World of Apu, Devi and Hindi movie such as Kashmir Ki Kali, Aradhana, Amar Prem and Chupke Chupke, said not doing Johar's movie is a regret and she hopes to collaborate with the filmmaker in future. "It will be a regret, and it is something I hope that we can make up for and work together," Tagore said.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said he has reiterated directions for carrying out genome sequencing of positive cases so that cases of JN.1 variant can be confirmed.

Talking to PTI, he said the government has ramped up Covid testing, with 636 tests conducted on Wednesday. Bharadwaj had on Wednesday confirmed Delhi's first case of JN. 1 variant.

"I have reiterated the directions for genome sequencing of all the positive cases, so that the number of cases of new variants can be confirmed. Yesterday, three variants were confirmed, of which two were of the old Omicron variant and the new one is JN.1 variant. The good thing is that the patient diagnosed with the new variant, who was hospitalised, has been discharged," he said.

He said the patient was a 52-year-old woman who got admitted to the hospital since she got a little worried. "She did not have any severe issues," he added.

The minister said that four patients are currently in hospital. He also urged people who have been unwell for a long time to avoid crowded places. Bharadwaj said directions have been issued to run awareness campaigns on bus stops and other areas. PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is slated to visit Ayodhya on Thursday to take stock of preparations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the temple town on December 30, officials said.

There has been a delay due to dense fog the city since early morning but he is expected to arrive soon, they said.

After arriving, he will first visit the Hanumangarhi temple and pay obeisance to Lord Hanuman. Following this, he will have a "darshan" of Ram Lalla and then inspect the ongoing construction work of the Ram temple, a senior official told PTI.

Ramesh Das, a 'pujari' at the ancient Hanumangarhi temple said, "We have received information that he will be coming to our temple to pay obeisance to Hanumanji".

Any dignitary, customarily, after arriving in the city first visits the Hanumangarhi temple, abode of the residing deity of Ayodhya, he said. Sources said that the chief minister may also inspect the newly built airport of Ayodhya. However, there is no official word on it yet.

Prime Minister Modi will visit the temple town on December 30 to inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and the airport. He will also address a rally, officials had said earlier.

12:25 Ayodhya expects lakhs of devotees on Jan 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address attendees at the grand consecration event of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya from the front of the 'Singh Dwar', the main entrance to the temple, sources said on Thursday.

PM Modi will throw the gates of the grand temple open for visitors at the consecration event on January 22, next year.

According to sources, lakhs of devotees are likely to pour into the temple town for the January 22 consecration.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust entrusted with the construction and management of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, is scheduled to hold a meeting today.

According to sources, the discussions will centre on the idol of Lord Ram, which will be installed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple at the grand opening or consecration of the shrine on January 2.

India recorded 692 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total active caseload increased by four, reaching 4,097, according to Union Health Ministry data.

As per official data, six deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours -- two in Maharashtra, and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal.

With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since its outbreak in January 2020 has reached 4,50,10,944, with an increase of 702 cases in the last 24 hours. The total death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 5,33,346, reflecting an increase of six deaths in the last 24 hours.

On Wednesday, Delhi reported its first case of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1.

"Delhi reports the first case of JN.1, a Sub-Variant of Omicron. Out of the three samples sent for Genome Sequencing, one is JN.1, and two are Omicron," Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

Notably, the JN.1 sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola. The first case of the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 was reported in Kerala.

A total of 109 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant have been detected in India until Wednesday, as per Health Ministry sources. However, the World Health Organisation emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence. -- ANI

Update: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in its chargesheet mentioning her role of purchasing an agricultural land measuring 40 kanal (five acres) in Haryana's Faridabad from a Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2006 and sold the same land to him in February, 2010.

According to the ED, the land was purchased in Amipur village in Faridabad from Pahwa-- the agent with whom Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra also purchased three pieces of land measuring 334 kanals (40.08 acres) in Amipur village from 2005-2006 and sold the same land to him in December, 2010.The agent is the same person who also sold land to NRI businessman CC Thampi.

The larger case involves fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, who is under investigation by multiple agencies for money-laundering, violation of foreign exchange and black money laws, and the Official Secrets Act.

He fled India for the UK in 2016.

Thampi has been accused of facilitating Bhandari to hide proceeds of crime, along with Sumit Chadha, a British national.

ED has named Robert Vadra in its earlier chargesheet related to the case as an alleged close aide of Thampi.

In the fresh chargesheet, it is mentioned that Pahwa was receiving cash out of the books for the purpose of acquisition of land. "It was also noticed that Robert Vadra did not pay the entire sale consideration to Pahwa."

The ED investigation in this regard is still ongoing. However, the copy of "the ledger accounts in the books of Pahwa reflecting the above mentioned transactions were taken on record vide letter dated November 17, 2023."

"It is submitted that Robert Vadra incorporated entities with the names of Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd and Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd in India on November 1, 2007 and November 16, 2007 respectively. The same have been downloaded from the website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Whereas, an entity named Sky Lite Investment FZE in UAE was incorporated on April 1, 2009 with CC Thampi as its sole shareholder," mentions the chargesheet. -- ANI

Enforcement Directorate has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the first time in its chargesheet mentioning her role in purchasing agricultural land measuring 40 kanal (five acres) in Haryana's Faridabad from a Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2006 and selling the same land to him in February 2010.

In its statement, ED said, "Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra bought land in Haryana through a Delhi-based real estate agent who also sold land to NRI businessman CC Thampi."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday announced full state honours for DMDK founder-leader Vijayakanth's funeral. In his condolence message, Stalin expressed shock and grief over Vijayakanth's death and hailed him as an achiever; both as an actor and as a leader in public life.

As a mark of homage, the government will accord full state honours for Vijayakanth's funeral, Stalin announced. The DMDK founder's death is a huge loss for Tamil Nadu and the world of cinema, the Chief Minister said and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members and party workers. PTI

Canadian police are close to arresting two men believed to be responsible for the fatal shooting of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the British Columbia province in June and are still in the country, according to a media report.

According to The Globe and Mail newspaper, the suspects are currently under police surveillance and are expected to be apprehended "in a matter of weeks."

According to three anonymous sources quoted by the newspaper, the two suspected killers did not leave Canada following Nijjar's assassination and have been under police surveillance for months.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey city on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated".

The report on Wednesday said that police will unveil details regarding the alleged involvement of the assassins and their connection to the Indian government when formal charges are filed.

"Within the community, there's a sense of closure that might come with the two people being arrested like it's being said," the Global News quoted Moninder Singh, spokesperson of BC Gurdwaras Council, as saying. According to the report, the integrated homicide investigation team said it was aware of the reports of imminent arrests in Nijjar's murder but won't comment because it's an active investigation. -- PTI

The PM shared this picture with Vijayakanth

10:36 Modi condoles Vijayakanth's death

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the passing away of DMDK founder-leader Vijayakanth and said his death has left a void that will be hard to fill.

In a post on X, Modi said: "Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions."

As a political leader, the Prime Minister said Vijayakanth was deeply committed to public service, and has left a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu's political landscape.

"His passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. He was a close friend and I fondly recall my interactions with him over the years. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family, fans and numerous followers. Om Shanti." Vijayakanth died at a hospital in Chennai on Thursday following illness. PT

After the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member committee to handle the day-to-day affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the newly-elected president of the sport's governing body Sanjay Singh accused Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers part of the protest of doing politics and said that they were past their prime as players.

The Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the sport's premier governing body in the country along with all its office-bearers.

At the same time, following its decision, the ministry instructed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form an ad-hoc committee to manage and control the affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

"These players are past their prime. Like you must have seen with Bajrang Punia, he lost his last match by 10-0. Now they have left wrestling for politics. Rahul Gandhi went to meet them and wrestled with them on the mat. This is not something players do," Sanjay Singh told ANI.

On Wednesday morning, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had reached Virender Arya Akhara in Chhara village of Jhajjar district and interacted with wrestlers, including Olympian Bajrang Punia.

On wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang returning their awards, he said that it is a personal matter.

"But they should not do so because the money and emotions of our citizens made them the stars they are today," he added. On further course of action, Sanjay Singh said that the federation will talk to the government. -- ANI

The latest episode of 'Koffee with Karan 8' saw veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and her son Saif Ali Khan gracing the famous couch. From Saif's childhood stories to Sharmila's evergreen films, the mother-son duo talked about several things while conversing with the host Karan Johar. They also addressed Saif's first marriage with actor Amrita Singh.

Saif and Amrita got married in October 1991. However, they parted ways in 2004. The two share daughter Sara and son Ibrahim. Saif was 21 and Amrita was 33 when they tied the knot. On being asked why Saif decided to get married at such a young age, Saif replied, "It was kind of like running away from home in a sense. I don't remember so many things going on and I found a kind of security and an idea that it feels great. I thought I could make a home out of that." Sharmila Tagore added that both Saif and Amrita Singh were very similar in a lot of ways.

"Both of them were very similar. Both of them were very funny. Whenever they would talk, it would be a lot of laughter, mimicking other people, tearing somebody to bits in a funny way. He is good at mimicry and she is a great storyteller. They looked really happy together," she added.

However, their marriage only lasted for 13 years.

Recalling his split from Amrita, Saif revealed that the first one to know about his decision to separate from the 'Aina' star was his mother Sharmila Tagore.

"With the separation, I just like to say, that the first person I spoke to before the separation was my mother. She took a deep breath, there was a pause on the phone, and said, 'I am with you if that's what you want' and that helped a lot," he said.

Sharmila then addressed the 'not so harmonious time' that followed after the split. "When you are together for such a long time and you have such lovely children, then no break up is easy. Then it is not harmonious... I know it is difficult to have harmony at that stage, everybody is hurt... so that stage was not nice but I tried. But that's water under the bridge, she needed time to cool down."

Sharmila added that it was not a happy time for the family as they lost not just Amrita but also her and Saif's kids.

"It's not just staying away, there are so many other things that are involved. It wasn't a happy time for us because Ibrahim was just three and we were very fond of the children. Especially, Tiger was really fond of Ibrahim and he would say, 'That's a good lad.' He didn't get that time with him. So we felt doubly deprived to lose Amrita and lose the two kids. So it's just not him but we also had to adjust to all that," she added.

10:13 Vijayakanth was battling Covid

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder-leader and actor Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai aged 71 after testing positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the party informed through a post on its official X handle that Vijayakanth was admitted to a hospital and put on ventilator support after he complained of breathing problems.

His mortal remains were brought to his residence and will be taken to the DMDK office shortly.

Earlier, in November, Vijayakanth was admitted to MIOT Hospital in Chennai as his health deteriorated.

Suffering from cough and throat pain, he was under the observation of doctors for 14 days.

Widely known as 'Captain', Vijayakanth's life is marked by a successful career in the Tamil film industry. He featured in 154 movies before venturing into politics. -- ANI

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hit new all-time high levels in early trade on Thursday amid optimism over the country's macroeconomic fundamentals, firm global market trends, and fresh foreign fund inflows.

Rallying for the fifth day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 322.08 points to reach its new lifetime peak of 72,360.51 in early trade. The Nifty climbed 90.85 points to reach its all-time high of 21,745.60.

Among the Sensex firms, JSW Steel, NTPC, Power Grid, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, ITC, Nestle and Tata Steel were the major gainers. UltraTech Cement, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, and Axis Bank were among the laggards. -- PTI

A sniffer dog at the Israeli embassy

09:50 Paramilitary forces deployed at Israel Embassy

Paramilitary forces have been deployed outside the Israeli Embassy in Delhi, two days after the police received a call about a 'blast' being heard near the area.

Visuals from the area showed heavy deployment of paramilitary forces, with restricted movement around the premises on Thursday morning.

Earlier, Delhi Police on Tuesday received a call that a 'blast' was heard near the Israeli Embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave, but officials said that nothing as such was found at the spot of the incident.

The call was received by the Delhi Fire Services at around 6 pm.

Later on Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was roped in to investigate the incident.

Delhi police have zeroed in on two 'suspects' after examining the CCTV footage of the area. Officials have however not confirmed the duo's involvement in the same.

According to sources, two persons roaming near the Israel embassy on Tuesday evening have emerged as suspects in the alleged 'blast' incident. -- ANI

09:27 DMDK chief Vijayakanth passes away

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder-leader and popular yesteryear Tamil actor Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai on Thursday following illness.

MIOT International said in a press release: "Captain Vijayakanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff he passed away in the morning on 28th December 2023."

He was unwell for quite some time and his wife Premalatha took over the reins of the party days ago.

A complaint was filed at a police station in Mumbai on Wednesday against Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and his family members for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over a viral video showing them celebrating Christmas.

No First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the case yet.

Sanjay Tiwari, who filed the complaint at Ghatkopar police station through his lawyers Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra, claimed that in the video the actor is seen pouring liquor on cake and setting it on fire while saying "Jai Mata Di".

In Hinduism, fire god is invoked before invoking other deities, but Kapoor and his family members deliberately used intoxicants while celebrating the festival of another religion and chanted "Jai Mata Di", the complaint said.

This hurt the complainant's religious sentiments, it alleged. -- PTI

Various journalist associations in Kerala on Wednesday protested the police action against mediapersons who covered a protest by the Mahila Morcha at the state police chief's official residence here last week.

The Kerala Union Working Journalists and Thiruvananthapuram Press Club alleged that Museum police in the state capital issued notices to three mediapersons seeking their appearance before the team investigating a case of alleged trespass at the residence of the DGP by Mahila Morcha activists.

It said that the mediapersons of the right-leaning Janam TV and Janmabhumi daily were charged with offences under serious sections of the IPC, including for conspiracy and rioting.

"This is an encroachment on the freedom of the press and a flagrant abuse of power," KUWJ state president MV Vineetha and general secretary Kiran Babu said in a statement.

They also urged the Kerala police to withdraw the case and rectify the mistake. -- PTI

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01:28 Delhi airport sees 9 flight diversions due to bad weather

At least nine flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Wednesday due to bad weather.

An official said three flights of SpiceJet and one flight of Air India were diverted to Jaipur between 0900 and 1200 hrs.

Late in the evening, Vistara said five of its flights that were to land at the Delhi airport were diverted.

At least five flights of Vistara were diverted due to bad weather in the national capital.

In a series of posts on X late in the evening, the airline said the flight from Patna, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Guwahati and Chennai to the national capital have been diverted.

Three flights were diverted to Indore and one flight each to Mumbai and Jaipur. Delhi airport issued a fog update at 2225 hours.

"While landing and takeoff continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected," it said in a post on X.

CAT III pertains to operating flights when the visibility is quite low. Several areas in the national capital were engulfed in dense fog on Wednesday.

On Tuesday also, flight operations were impacted at the Delhi airport due to dense fog. -- PTI

A complaint was filed at a police station here on Wednesday against Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and his family members for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over a viral video showing them celebrating Christmas.

No First Information Report has been registered in the case yet.

This hurt the complainant's religious sentiments, it alleged. -- PTI

In order to check rice inflation, the government is considering a proposal to sell FCI rice under the 'Bharat' brand but the discounted rate has not yet been decided, a food ministry official said on Wednesday.

The ministry's efforts to check retail rice prices by boosting domestic availability through sale of FCI rice via e-auction under the Open Market Sale Scheme has received a lukewarm response.

"There is a proposal to retail 'Bharat rice' but the price has not yet been decided," the official told PTI.

Under the OMSS, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is offering quality rice at a reserve price of Rs 29 per kg.

"Whether to sell Bharat rice at the same rate or reduced rate, the decision has to be taken by the Group of Ministers," the official added.

The government is already selling wheat flour (atta) and pulses under the Bharat brand through outlets managed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, National Cooperative Consumers' Federation and Kendriya Bhandar. -- PTI

Russian President Vladimir Putin and PM Narendra Modi

00:39 President Putin invites Modi to visit Russia

President Vladimir Putin Wednesday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia next year, saying it will give them an opportunity to discuss all current issues and talk about the outlook for the development of bilateral relations.

"We will be glad to see our friend, Mr. Prime Minister Modi in Russia," Putin told External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who called on the Russian leader at the Kremlin.

"We will be able to discuss all current issues, talk about the outlook for the development of Russian-Indian relations. We have a very large amount of work to do," the Russian leader was quoted as saying by the state-run Tass news agency.

He asked the Indian minister to pass on to Modi his best wishes and an invitation to come to Russia.

Putin said that he realised India will be busy with internal affairs next year as the country is poised to hold a parliamentary election.

Jaishankar, who is here on a five-day official visit to Russia, earlier met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

During a joint media appearance along with Lavrov after their talks,

Jaishankar said he was confident that Prime Minister Modi and President Putin will meet for an annual summit next year.

In his opening remarks earlier, Jaishankar said that the two leaders have been in frequent contact.

The summit between the prime minister of India and the Russian president is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two sides. -- PTI

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