LIVE news: Congress to hold press conference in 150 cities demanding Amit Shah's resignation

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Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday informed that the Congress MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the CWC members will do press conferences in 150 different cities across the nation demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Congress has been seeking Amit Shah's resignation over his remarks pertaining to Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha, which the minister made while attacking the opposition party. "On 22 and 23 (December) in more than 150 cities our MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the CWC members will do press conference demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah and will condemn the way he disrespected Babasaheb Ambedkar," Pawan Khera said.

 

Sixteen soldiers were killed in an attack on a security forces check post in Makeen, South Waziristan, on Saturday, according to a statement by the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Dawn reported. The attack was carried out by terrorists in the region, which has been a hotspot for violent incidents since the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire agreement between the Pakistani government and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2022.

 

India has condemned the car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which claimed five lives and injured dozens, with numbers showing more than 200 injured. In an official press release, the MEA expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating, "We condemn the horrific and senseless attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. Several precious lives have been lost, and many have been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims." The statement confirmed that the Indian Mission in Germany is in contact with the injured Indian nationals and their families, providing all possible assistance. "Our Mission is in contact with Indians who are injured, as well as their families, and rendering all possible assistance," the statement read.

2:21 PM

Bihar receives record Rs 1.81 trillion investment proposals, says minister

"Ab humara samay hai" - The time for Bihar has come, said state's Industries and Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra after it received a record Rs 1.81 lakh crore worth of investment proposals in its only second investor meet. Mishra said the focus will now shift to providing all the promised support to the investors so that the units could start quickly.

2:16 PM

Leather exports likely to grow by over 12% to $5.3 bn this fiscal: CLE

CLE Chairman Rajendra Kumar Jalan said several global companies, including from the US, are showing keen interest in setting up manufacturing bases in India.

2:15 PM

Nita Ambani to lead India's global influence at Harvard India Conference

The India Conference at Harvard is one of the largest and most influential student-led India-focused conferences in the US. An annual event hosted jointly at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kenned

2:14 PM

SC asks HC, Maharashtra govt to ensure accused appear before trial courts

In its order passed on December 18, the apex court noted that material placed on record revealed that in the last six years, out of 102 dates, the accused was not produced before the court.

2:14 PM

Delhi Police verification drive identifies 175 illegal B'deshi immigrants

The city police launched a drive for the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Delhi on December 11, a day after the LG Secretariat ordered a crackdown on such persons

1:18 PM

Sharad Pawar urges Maharashtra CM to address Beed, Parbhani cases

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday had a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the murder of a sarpanch in Beed and the death of a man following violence in Parbhani.

1:03 PM

EAM Jaishankar honoured with Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award for public leadership

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was awarded the Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award for Public Leadership by the South Indian Education Society (SIES). His remarks were streamed on X. In his comments, he thanked the SIES for the exceptional honour by one of the oldest educational societies of the country.

12:43 PM

Who is the Saudi-born suspect behind Germany Christmas market attack?

German police arrested a 50-year-old Saudi immigrant doctor for the deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg on December 20. The man claims himself to be an ex-Muslim and his social media activity shows his leaning towards far-right in Germany.

 

On December 20, a speeding car rammed into crowds at a Christmas market in Saxony-Anhalt state's Magdeburg, leaving at least five people dead and nearly 200 injured. The same evening, state premier Reiner Haseloff said the suspect was a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who had been living in Germany since 2006 and had likely acted alone.

 

While Haseloff did not name the suspect, the German media identified the man as Taleb A and and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. According to a report in DW, Taleb was practicing in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers south of Magdeburg, where the attack happened.

12:22 PM

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurates advanced facility for Pashmina Certification

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday, inaugurated the Advanced Facility for Pashmina Certification and Next Generation DNA Sequencing Facility at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, an official release said. Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh was also present at the occasion. As per a release, these new facilities are built on the foundation laid last year, when the Minister inaugurated the Pashmina Certification Centre (PCC) and issued its first unique ID barcode and certificate.

12:20 PM

West Bengal, Bihar most impacted by arsenic contamination: Centre tells NGT

West Bengal and Bihar are impacted the most by arsenic contamination of groundwater, the Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal is hearing the issue of rice being susceptible to arsenic contamination because it absorbs more of the toxic semi-metallic element from water and soil. Earlier, it sought a reply from the Centre on it.

12:14 PM

Zakir Hussain's family shares first Instagram post after his death

Days after Zakir Hussain was laid to rest at a San Francisco cemetery, the family of the tabla maestro shared a moving post on his official Instagram account on Sunday. It marks the first post on the social media page of Hussain since his death at a San Francisco hospital early last week due to complications arising from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. He was 73.

11:49 AM

IPO boom: Record Rs 1.6 trillion raised in 2024; bigger gains expected in 2025

Fundraising via IPOs in India hit another landmark as economic growth, favourable market conditions and improvements in the regulatory framework helped companies raise a record Rs 1.6 trillion in 2024, while the pipeline for the next year holds out bigger promise.

This exceptional year not only reflected the confidence of issuers but also highlighted investors' eagerness to seize listing-day gains or back companies with strong long-term growth potential.

11:27 AM

PM Modi govt's 'calibrated erosion' of EC's integrity: Kharge on election rule

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the government for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, alleging it is part of the Modi government's "systematic conspiracy" to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission. Kharge also said the Modi government's "calibrated erosion" of the ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy.

11:13 AM

India, Sweden can forge stronger partnership in climate solutions: Swedish officials

India and Sweden can deepen their collaboration in innovation and green technology with a focus on addressing global climate challenges through sustainable industrial practices and renewable energy solutions, Swedish officials said. Officials of the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, during an interaction with PTI, emphasised the shared potential for innovation and large-scale implementation of sustainable practices.

10:54 AM

FPIs pull out Rs 976 crore from Indian equities amid rising dollar

After two weeks of buying, FPIs turned net sellers in Indian equities this week, with a net withdrawal of Rs 976 crore amid a strengthening US dollar and steady rise in US 10-year bond yields, impacting investor sentiment.

Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) began the week on a positive note, investing Rs 3,126 crore in equities during the first two trading sessions (December 16-20).