LIVE: 4 soldiers, 3 civilians die in Pak shelling along LoC; many injured

Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in the Uri sector, earlier today. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two Ayurveda institutions -- the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur -- today on the occasion of the 5th Ayurveda Day today.

Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal has been summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau today. The NCB, which is probing alleged drug use in Bollywood, had questioned his partner Gabriella Demetriades for almost six hours on Wednesday. She was again questioned at the NCB's zonal office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai on Thursday.

Attorney General K K Venugopal on Thursday gave his consent for initiating criminal contempt of court proceedings against stand up comedy artist Kumal Kamra for tweets about the Supreme Court — made apparently in connection with its order granting interim bail to Republic TV Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami — saying the tweets “are not only in bad taste but clearly cross the line between humour and contempt of the court”. The case is likely to be taken up today.

Thirty farmers' unions have unanimously decided to attend a meeting called by the Union government in the national capital today to amicably end the more than 40-day deadlock over the Central farm laws. However, the farmers are categorically clear that they would not comprise with the new farm laws and would stick to their demand to revoke them to save their livelihoods.

NDA to decide on date of swearing-in after an informal meeting with partners today, said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

2:04 AM

ByteDance gets 15-day extension on US order to divest TikTok: Trump admin

1:34 AM

McDonald's franchisees face company inspections amid 'Covid fatigue'

McDonald's Corp franchisees will be inspected by the company to ensure compliance with safety standards as coronavirus cases surge again and "Covid fatigue" sets in, according to an internal note seen by Reuters on Friday.

 

"It is apparent we are entering what many predicted would be the most difficult period of the pandemic," said the note, from McDonald's Chief Field Officer Charlie Strong and two US franchisees who lead internal relations with the corporation.

 

The so-called "safety reaffirmation visits" were developed jointly with franchisees, the note said, will also be applicable at company-owned stores and should be concluded by December 31.

1:14 AM

JoeBiden wins 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232 in final result tally: US media

1:14 AM

US appeals court rejects effort to block late ballots in Pennsylvania

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day.

 

The three-judge panel, led by Chief US Circuit Judge Brooks Smith, noted the unprecedented challenges facing the nation this year, especially the vast disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Smith said the panel sought to uphold "a proposition indisputable in our democratic process: that the lawfully cast vote of every citizen must count.

12:58 AM

Oil falls on rising Libya output, coronavirus surge

Oil prices fell about 2 per cent on Friday, pressured by swelling output from Libya and fears that rising coronavirus infections may slow the recovery in the global economy and fuel demand.

 

Hopes for a vaccine kept crude futures on track for a second straight weekly gain.

 

Brent crude was down 59 cents, or 1.4 per cent, at $42.94 a barrel as of 1:27 p.m. ET (1827 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 81 cents, or 2 per cent, to $40.31 a barrel.

 

For the week, both were headed for a rise of more than 8 per cent.

12:14 AM

GM recalling nearly 69,000 Bolt electric cars due to fire risk

General Motors is recalling nearly 69,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric cars worldwide because the batteries have caught fire in five of them.

 

The company says it doesn't know yet what's causing the fires, but engineers are working around the clock to figure it out. Two people have suffered smoke inhalation due to the blazes.

 

Bolt Executive Chief Engineer Jesse Ortega says dealers will install software that limits charging to 90 per cent of the battery's capacity until a permanent fix is developed.

10:55 PM

Karnataka govt aims to set up medical colleges with hospitals in all districts: Health Minister K Sudhakar

10:42 PM

Meeting between farmer unions and Centre to resolve ongoing rail traffic disruption, blockade in Punjab ends inconclusively; talks again next week

10:29 PM

Google CEO apologises for document, EU's Breton warns internet is not Wild West

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has apologised to Europe's industry chief Thierry Breton over a leaked internal document proposing tactics to counter the EU's tough new rules on internet companies and lobby against the EU commissioner.

 

Pichai and Breton exchanged views in a video-conference call late on Thursday, the third this year, according to a statement from the European Commission.

 

The call came after a Google internal document outlined a 60-day strategy to attack the European Union's push for the new rules by getting U.S. allies to push back against Breton.

 

The call was initiated by Google before the document was leaked. Breton brought up the leaked document and showed it to Pichai during the call.

10:29 PM

BJP announces new team of state in-charges; Radha Mohan Singh appointed in-charge of Uttar Pradesh

10:05 PM

Turkey fines Google for abusing market dominance

Turkish regulators have fined Google 196.7 million Turkish liras ($25.5 million) for allegedly abusing its market dominance in online searches.
 

In a statement released Friday, the Competition Authority said Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc had made it difficult for companies to show up in searches if they did not generate advertisement revenue for Google.

9:53 PM

Delhi govt to undertake construction of 89,400 flats for Economically Weaker Sections, slum dwellers by 2025

9:40 PM

Light a diya as salute to soldiers: PM Modi

On Diwali eve, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appealed to the people to light a 'diya' as a "salute to soldiers", saying words cannot do justice to the sense of gratitude for their exemplary courage.

 

"This Diwali, let us also light a Diya as a #Salute2Soldiers who fearlessly protect our nation. Words can't do justice to the sense of gratitude we have for our soldiers for their exemplary courage. We are also grateful to the families of those on the borders," he tweeted.

 

The prime minister also posted an audio clip of his recent 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast in which he had first given a call to citizens to light a 'diya' for soldiers in Diwali.

9:14 PM

Appeals court rules Harvard did not discriminate against Asian American applicants

An appeals court has upheld a District Court ruling that Harvard University's admissions process did not violate civil rights law or discriminated against Asian American applicants.

 

A report in The Harvard Crimson said judges for the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the University's admissions processes did not violate civil rights law.

 

The ruling affirmed a holding by District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, who had also favoured Harvard's defence after a three-week-long trial in October 2018.

9:05 PM

India successfully test-fires Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles

India successfully test-fired on Friday the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) system at an integrated test range in Chandipur off the Odisha coast, officials said.

 

The successful test-firing of the QRSAM, having a range of around 30 km, paves the way for its commercial production, they said.

 

"The QRSAM system has achieved a major milestone by a direct hit on a Banshee pilotless target aircraft at medium range and medium altitudes," the defence ministry said in a statement.

 

The test firing took place at 3:50 pm off the Odisha coast.