LIVE news: BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra removed from his post

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BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra removed from his post.

Delhi Police received a call reporting a blast near the Israel Embassy. Further details are awaited as authorities conduct a search. Delhi Police have reported that no explosive has been found thus far. However, search operations are still ongoing.

Vinesh Phogat will return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award amid the ongoing row over Wrestling Federation of India, news agency PTI reported. The wrestler has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

The central government issued advisory to all social media platforms on Tuesday to comply with IT rules amid growing concerns around deepfakes, news agency PTI reported.

Maharashtra | RBI received a threatening email, in the email, it was said that bombs would be planted in RBI office, HDFC bank and ICICI bank and demanded the resignation of RBI governor Shaktikanta Das and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, reported ANI citing Mumbai Police. A total of 11 bomb threats were made at 11 places in Mumbai, Police went to all these places and investigated but did not find anything. A case has been registered and the probe is underway, said Mumbai Police.

President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China must resolutely prevent anyone from splitting Taiwan from China in any way, Reuters reported citing the Xinhua news agency. At a symposium commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Xi said the motherland "must be reunified and will inevitably be reunified". Xi's statement comes a day after Taiwan said it tracked four Chinese Naval vessels and two military aircraft around it. According to Taiwan News, the naval ships and aircraft were tracked around the nation between 6 a.m. on Sunday (Dec. 24) and 6 a.m. on Monday (Dec. 25). Taiwan responded by sending planes and navy ships, as well as deploying air defence missile systems, to track the People's Liberation Army (PLA) actions, as per MND. Taiwan affirms itself as independent and sovereign while China claims that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China".

The reported cases of the new COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 in the country have increased to 69, with six more cases, according to official sources on Tuesday. The majority of these patients are currently undergoing home isolation, and there has been no notable rise in hospitalization rates. Dr. V K Paul, NITI Aayog member (Health), emphasized the close investigation of the new variant last week, urging states to enhance testing efforts and bolster surveillance systems.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to visit the flood-affected southern district of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. During her visit, she will assess the situation and hold a review meeting with the district collector. The coastal district is gradually returning to normalcy, with state authorities and civic agencies actively engaged in relief and restoration efforts. Residents who had sought refuge in relief camps are now returning to their homes to address the aftermath of the floods, which occurred due to unprecedented rainfall on December 17 and 18 in the district.

11:07 PM

BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra removed from his post

10:08 PM

No explosives found near Israel Embassy, search continues after blast report

Delhi Police received a call reporting a blast near the Israel Embassy. Further details are awaited as authorities conduct a search. Delhi Police have reported that no explosive has been found thus far. However, search operations are still ongoing.

9:58 PM

Merchant Vessel attack: Navy analysis says strong possibility of drone attack

Based on MV Chem Pluto crew inputs and on-scene examination, the analysis by the Indian Navy team points to a strong possibility of a drone attack, news agency ANI reported. It has been ascertained that the explosive charge on the drone detonated completely causing extensive damage above the waterline. Remnants of projectiles have been collected by the Indian Navy for further forensic analysis in coordination with other agencies. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar was briefed on the initial analysis undertaken by the IN EOD Team and the follow-up actions being progressed.

9:48 PM

Those behind attack on India cargo vessel will be found and dealt with: Rajnath at commissioning of INS Imphal

The government has taken the recent drone attack on a ship in the Arabian Sea very seriously, and, whoever carried out the strike will be tracked down and dealt with, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"Nowadays turbulence in the sea has increased a lot. India's growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred. The Government of India has taken the recent drone attack on 'MV Chem Pluto' in the Arabian Sea and the earlier attack on 'MV Sai Baba' in the Red Sea very seriously. The Indian Navy has increased surveillance on the sea. Whoever has carried out this attack, we will find them even if it is from the seabed. Those behind these attacks would be brought to justice," the Defence Minister said.

India plays the role of being the net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region, Rajnath said adding that the Indian government will ensure that the maritime trade in this region rises from the sea to the heights of the sky.

9:01 PM

Atomic watchdog report: Iran increasing production of highly enriched uranium

Iran has increased the rate at which it is producing near weapons grade uranium in recent weeks, reversing a previous slowdown that started in the middle of this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states, news agency AP reported. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in the report that Iran in recent weeks had increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023," according to an IAEA spokesperson Sunday. Iran had previously slowed down the rate at which it was enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity. Uranium enriched at 60 per cent purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

8:40 PM

MHA notifies to enforce provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday notified to enforce the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023--significant legislation that aimed at providing "rights to those who faced injustice" and were deprived of their rights in the Union Territory, news agency ANI reported.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued the notification that declared December 26, 2023 (Tuesday) as the date on which the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, shall come into force. The move comes days after the Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the recently concluded Winter Session.

The MHA took the decision to exercise the powers conferred by subsection 2 of section 1 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Amendment Act.

8:25 PM

Delhi records maximum temperature of 23.8 deg C, dense fog delays flights, trains

Delhi's maximum temperature on Tuesday settled at 23.8 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average. Dense fog affected visibility in several areas and the air quality was in the 'very poor' category. About 30 flights, including international ones, were delayed at the Delhi airport due to the fog and low visibility, according to airport authorities. The arrival of 14 trains was also delayed due to foggy conditions, officials said. The visibility recorded at Delhi's main weather station in Safdarjung at 5.30 am was 200 metres while it was 100 metres at the Palam station.

8:10 PM

Karnataka logs 74 fresh Covid-19 cases, two deaths

Karnataka on Tuesday reported 74 fresh cases of Covid-19 and two coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, news agency PTI reported. This takes the total number of active cases in the state to 464, a Health bulletin said. With this, the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in the state after the recent spike in cases stands at 9.

 

According to the bulletin issued by the Health department, in the last 24 hours, as many as 44 patients have been discharged and a total of 6,403 tests have been conducted including 4,680 RT-PCR and 1,723 Rapid Antigen tests. Positivity rate stands at 1.15 per cent while case fatality rate stands at 2.70 per cent.

7:42 PM

Delhi Police gets call about blast near Israel embassy, search on

7:27 PM

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna, Arjuna award amid WFI row

I am returning my Khel Ratna and Arjuna award, says Vinesh Phogat in her letter to Prime minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing wrestling body row involving its former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

7:12 PM

Biden orders strikes on Iran-backed group after drone attack on its troops in Iraq

President Joe Biden ordered the United States military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three US service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq, news agency AP said. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said one of the US troops suffered critical injuries in the attack that occurred earlier Monday. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, under an umbrella of Iranian-backed militants, claimed credit for the attack that utilized a one-way attack drone.

6:45 PM

Govt issues advisory to social media platforms amid concerns over deepfakes cases

The government has issued an advisory to all platforms to comply with IT rules amid growing concerns around deepfakes and misinformation powered by AI, according to an official release. The advisory mandates that intermediaries (digital and social media platforms) communicate prohibited content specified under IT Rules clearly and precisely to users. "The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has issued an advisory to all intermediaries, ensuring compliance with the existing IT rules," it said. The directive specifically targets growing concerns around misinformation powered by AI-Deepfakes. This advisory is the culmination of discussions held by Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar with intermediaries.

6:19 PM

India coming out of slavery mindset, world respecting it: PM Modi at 'Veer Bal Diwas'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Sikh gurus have taught Indians to live for the glory of their land and served as an inspiration to make the country better and developed. Speaking at a 'Veer Bal Diwas' event to commemorate the martyrdom of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Modi said India is now coming out of the "mindset of slavery" and has full faith in its people, their abilities and heritage. "When we did not respect our heritage, the world also did not value it," he said, adding that the global perspective has now changed. When the country moves forward with pride in its heritage, the world also respects it, Modi said. In his address, the prime minister said the sacrifices of Guru Gobind Singh's sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, who were executed by the Mughals, are not only being remembered in India but also globally through programmes in countries like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Greece.

5:59 PM

Drone downed near Egypt's resort city of Dahab, second incident this month: Report

A drone was downed near the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Dahab on Tuesday, in the second such incident in a month, two security sources told Reuters. The security sources could not confirm the drone's origin. Israel said in late October that Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi movement sent drones to strike its territory, after drones caused explosions that rocked two Egyptian towns on the Red Sea, Taba and Nuweiba. Egypt's military spokesman Colonel Gharib Abdel-Hafez said then that the two drones were fired from the southern Red Sea aiming north. Yemen is at the south end of the sea and Israel at the north.The Houthis in Yemen have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's war in Gaza.

5:41 PM

RBI, HDFC, other banks receive bomb threat

Maharashtra | RBI received a threatening email, in the email, it was said that bombs would be planted in RBI office, HDFC bank and ICICI bank and demanded the resignation of RBI governor Shaktikanta Das and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, reported ANI citing Mumbai Police. A total of 11 bomb threats were made at 11 places in Mumbai, Police went to all these places and investigated but did not find anything. A case has been registered and the probe is underway, said Mumbai Police.