Updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

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The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm.

  India said it has lodged a "solemn protest" with China over establishment of two new counties in Hotan prefecture as parts of these regions fall in Indian union territory of Ladakh. In a strong reaction, New Delhi said creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India's long-standing and consistent position regarding its sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China's "illegal and forcible" occupation of the same.  The top court has sought responses from Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others on an appeal of the CBI against their acquittal in a 2002 murder case. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar issued notices, seeking the responses of those acquitted in the case.

  Dense fog covered several parts of North India, impacting visibility and daily activities. The reduced visibility caused disruptions at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, where runway visibility was reported between 200 to 500 metres early Friday morning.   According to past 24 hours data of the IMD, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are forecasted to be 17 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.      

  Two people were killed and 18 injured when a small plane crashed through the rooftop of a commercial building in Southern California on Thursday, police said. Police got a report at 2.09 pm on Thursday about the crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson. Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled a blaze that broke out, and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said.  On Friday, north Indian states continued to face harsh winter conditions. Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow, the temperature is recorded at 8 degrees Celsius at 3.30 am. The local administrations have set up temporary shelter homes for the homeless people. UP's Aligarh people were seen taking refuge in one of these shelters. In Jammu and Kashmir's capital Srinagar, the temperature was recorded at -1.3 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am.

10:24 PM

Indian music teaches harmony, synergy and discipline, says RSS chief Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said Indian music teaches synergy, harmony and discipline.

Bhagwat was speaking at the 'Swar Shatak Malwa' programme in Indore city where 870 Sangh volunteers played traditional musical instruments in a group performance. "Some of the participants in this programme would be expert players. But they do not perform as per their own whim. They match their tune and rhythm with that of others," he said.

9:52 PM

Nippon Steel plans to sue US government over Biden halting US steel deal

Nippon Steel plans to sue the US government over Biden halting US Steel deal. It's legal action will be focussed on committee on foreign investment in US review that formed basis for Biden's decision.

9:17 PM

German airports hit by IT outage: Report

Airports across Germany have been hit by a IT outage affecting federal police systems used to check incoming passengers, Bild newspaper reported on Friday, citing the police. "Our colleagues have to do a lot of things manually that the system used to do. We're still managing to get it done at the moment," said a police spokesperson responsible for Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest. Federal police were not immediately available for comment.

9:16 PM

PM Modi meets Koneru Humpy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met noted chess player Koneru Humpy, who recently won the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship, and hailed her as a sporting icon. The chess grandmaster earlier described her meeting with Modi as "an incredible honor and a once-in-a-lifetime privilege".

9:15 PM

Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for visit to Shadani Darba

Pakistan has issued 94 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims to visit the neighbouring country for the birth anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib at a shrine in Sindh, the High Commission here said on Friday. The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.

8:27 PM

It's everyone's responsibility to keep workplaces women-friendly: NCW chief

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Friday said every place of work, whether government or private, must ensure a safe and secure environment for women and this is the responsibility of everyone. She was speaking at a review meeting held at the Latur collector's office with members and heads of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) formed under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

8:01 PM

NIA seizes land in J&K's Anantnag in terror case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday attached a property in Anantnag district under the UAPA in a terror-related case, officials said. The NIA attached a 19-marla land parcel in Halpora area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district, they said. The property belongs to Halpora resident Mohammad Akbar Dar.

7:44 PM

BJP demands legal action over Delhi mayor's wife's 'dual registration' as voter

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requesting legal action against Delhi Mayor Mahesh Khichi over the alleged discovery of dual registration as a voter of his wife. Kapoor, in a letter on Friday, alleged that Khichi's wife had been registered as a voter under two different names at the same address and with the same photo.

7:41 PM

Prez Murmu to confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, MEA announces names

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during the valedictory session of the upcoming PBD Convention, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday as it announced the names of the awardees for this year.

7:13 PM

Biden blocks sale of US Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel

US President Joe Biden officially blocked Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9-billion purchase of U.S. Steel on Friday, dealing a probably fatal blow to the contentious merger plan after a year of review. "A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains," Biden said in a statement.

6:54 PM

'Closely following developments': MEA on Nimisha Priya case

India on Friday said it is closely following the developments in the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, facing a death sentence in Yemen. Priya, who hails from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017.

6:35 PM

Delhi Assembly polls: Congress fields Alka Lamba from Kalkaji against CM Atishi

The Congress on Friday announced the candidature of Alka Lamba from the Kalkaji constituency where she will take on AAP leader and Chief Minister Atishi in the upcoming assembly polls. The Congress on Friday released its third list of candidates -- which has just one name -- for the Assembly polls due in February.

6:08 PM

GRAP 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm.

5:38 PM

BJP to launch campaign to celebrate Constitution ahead of Republic Day

The BJP will launch a fortnight-long campaign to celebrate the Constitution and spread awareness about its values and the role of its architect, B R Ambedkar, in the run-up to the Republic Day on January 26, official sources said on Friday. The drive marks the stepping up of the ruling party's counter-campaign to project itself as a champion of the Constitution, following opposition parties' relentless attacks on it for its alleged attempts to weaken the values of the country's guiding document.

5:19 PM

Forex reserves decrease by $4.112 bn to $640.279 bn in the week ended Dec 27: RBI.

India's forex reserves dropped by $4.112 billion to $640.279 billion in the week ended December 27, according to the latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).