Latest LIVE: Death toll due to earthquake more than 20,000 in Turkey, Syria

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The death toll due to devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria rises to more than 20,000. The current death toll has surpassed Japan's Fukushima disaster toll, according to the Associated Press.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned again amid ruckus caused by constant sloganeering. The chairman also called a meeting of House leaders of ruling and opposition parties.

Rescuers pulled more survivors from beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings Thursday, but hopes were starting to fade of finding many more people alive more than three days after a catastrophic earthquake and series of aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 16,000.

Emergency crews working through the night in the city of Antakya were able to pull a young girl, Hazal Guner, from the ruins of a building and also rescued her father, Soner Guner, two hours later, news agency IHA reported.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to constitute a committee monitored by a retired apex court judge to inquire and investigate into the Hindenburg Research report which has made a slew of allegations against the business conglomerate led by industrialist Gautam Adani.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has filed the petition, mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to Chitra Ramkrishna in the money laundering case related to alleged illegal phone tapping and snooping of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) employees.

"The application is allowed. The applicant is granted bail," said Justice Jasmeet Singh.

The former NSE managing director, who was earlier arrested by the CBI in the alleged NSE co-location scam, was arrested in the present case by the Enforcement Directorate on July 14 last year.


Bhartiya Janta Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday will release the manifesto for the Tripura assembly elections slated to be held on February 16.

"Nadda will release the manifesto for the Tripura assembly elections on February 9. He will visit Tripura on the same date," party source said.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address at 2 pm in Rajya Sabha on Thursday during the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament.

"Reply by the Prime Minister will be at 2 pm tomorrow," said Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar after the last speaker spoke on the motion on Wednesday.
 

The sixth plane from India carrying rescue personnel, essentials and medical equipment for earthquake relief efforts have reached Turkey, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

The sixth flight carries more rescue teams, dog squads, and essential medicines for the quake- hit country.

9:11 PM

Tejasvi Surya's 'accidently' opened emergency exit door in flight: Center tells Lok Sabha

According to a reply by the Civil Aviation Ministry in Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament (MP) Tejasvi Surya has been identified as the passenger who accidentally opened the emergency door of a flight in Chennai on December 10.

8:18 PM

NDRF team rescues 6-year-old girl from debris in earthquake-hit Turkey

A team of India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) engaged in relief and rescue operations in the quake-hit Turkey has successfully rescued a six-year-old girl from under the rubble in Gaziantep.

 

The NDRF has dispatched three teams to Turkey for rescue operations.
 

7:45 PM

Lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir, says Mines secretary

The government on Thursday said lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries. "For the first time, lithium reserves have been discovered and that too in Jammu and Kashmir," Mines Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said, according to PTI.

7:10 PM

Particulate pollution at Delhi hotspot down by 20% due to site-specific measures

Particulate pollution at Anand Vihar, one of the 13 air pollution hotspots in Delhi, declined by around 20 per cent after the city government's Environment department inventorised and mapped point sources and took site-specific measures, officials said. It is a first-of-its-kind project in Delhi. The pilot phase has been successful. It will now be replicated in all the 13 hotspots this year, an Environment department official added, the PTI reported.

5:15 PM

Shallow earthquake of 5.1 magnitude hits Indonesia's Jayapura, kills 4

A shallow earthquake shook Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Thursday, killing four people who were unable to escape when a floating restaurant collapsed into the sea. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit residential areas in Jayapura, near Papua's northern coast and was centered at a depth of 22 kilometres (13 miles). Shallow quakes often cause more damage on the Earth's surface, the PTI reported. 

5:07 PM

Negotiations with IMF on bailout package in final stage: Sri Lanka prez Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said that Sri Lanka was in the final stages of negotiations with the IMF on the much-awaited $2.9 billion bailout package that could help the debt-trapped island nation recover from the unprecedented economic crisis. Wickremesinghe also added that his government was having "direct discussions" with Beijing to restructure the country's debts with China. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September last year approved the $2.9 billion bailout package to Sri Lanka, the PTI reported.

4:52 PM

UP CM Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveil lord Laxman's idol in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled an idol of lord Laxman, in Lucknow today. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak also present on the occasion.

 

 

4:09 PM

"There are shortcomings": Turkish President as quake deaths top 17,000

Freezing temperatures deepened the misery Thursday for survivors of a massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed more than 17,000 people, as rescuers raced to save countless people still trapped under rubble. The death count from Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake is expected to rise sharply as rescue efforts pass the 72-hour mark that disaster experts consider the most likely period to save lives. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded "shortcomings" after criticism of his government's response to the earthquake, one of the deadliest this century. Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter -- and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris.

3:58 PM

BJP govt has given examples of wildlife protection & sustainability: Scindia

3:50 PM

Merely expressing intent won't work, what matters is speed, direction, result of developments ushered in: PM

3:33 PM

Our country is doing exports worth almost Rs 1 trillion in defence country: PM Modi

Today, more than 350 private companies have come into the defence sector. Our country is doing exports worth almost Rs 1 trillion in this sector. From retail to tourism, every sector has grown: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha

3:32 PM

Take lessons from our neighbouring countries, refrain from taking loans: PM to state governments

"Do not play with the economic health of country. I urge you to think about your children and future generations. The country doesn't work like this. You have to choose discipline and teh Centre will also be able to do its job well," PM Modi to state governments.

3:28 PM

'Why do Gandhi's fear Nehru surname?' asks PM Modi in his speech

3:27 PM

Congress has misused Article 356: PM

"Who was there in power who misused the Article 356. Smt Indira Gandhi misused the Article for 50 times," PM Modi in the House.

3:26 PM

"I know the meaning of fedralism. I have been the head of a state for a long time"

"We have always focussed on national progress and regional aspiration in our asitration. because we have the target of making India a fully developed by 2047," said PM Modi in Rajya Sabha