Metro trains parked at a yard as Metro services are suspended following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in New Delhi.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur participates in a special prayer, conducted to eradicate Covid-19, in Shimla.

Deserted view of a major road during the complete lockdown amid rising Covid-19 cases in Siliguri on Thursday.&amp;nbsp;

Driver and conductor wearing PPE kits operate bus after &amp;nbsp;Bhopal City Link Limited resumed its passenger city bus service with some ease in restrictions amid Covid-19 lockdown, in Bhopal.

A health worker collects a swab sample for Covid-19, RT-PCR test at Gandhi Nagar Containment Zone area, in Gurugram.

Swaminarayan saint and devotees wearing PPE kit, performing last rites of Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, head priest of Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, who died due to Covid-19 at Smruti Temple premises.

Flight services resume at Bhuntar Airport after four months during the Covid-19 pandemic in Kullu.

Covid-19 patients are seen inside a quarantine centre at CWG Village, in New Delhi.

A jeweller designed a face mask cum necklace made up of gold amid the rising Covid-19 cases, in Pune.

A family wearing face masks upon returning from Kerala waiting for their Covid-19 testing, in Srinagar.

The Covid-19 cases in India achieved a grim milestone after crossing the 1 million mark

A jeweller designed a face mask cum necklace made up of gold amid the rising Covid-19 cases, in Pune on Tuesday. Photo: ANI

Face mask, coronavirus

Coronavirus leaving empty spaces everywhere. Check these 10 pictures

Business Standard

Coronavirus leaving empty spaces everywhere. Check these 10 pictures | Coronavirus Latest News - Business Standard

The refinery was a commitment made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014

This is not the airline's first run-in with the regulator. In October, the DGCA imposed a Rs 30 lakh fine on Akasa Air for lapses in pilot training

Born in Chennai, Krishnan's life took a pivotal turn when he persuaded his father to buy him a computer. He later became a well-known figure in the technology world of Silicon Valley and beyond

The regulator had sought "expressions of interest" (EoI) in July to build home-grown satellite constellations as part of a broader strategy to monetize the sector and ensure data sovereignty

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday greeted citizens on the eve of Christmas and hoped that the "forces of trust and forgiveness" will be strengthened around the world, bringing people closer to each other.
"As we celebrate this sacred day, let us imbibe Jesus Christ's message of love and harmony in our lives. His teachings of brotherhood and welfare of all continue to light the path to a better world. This festival inspires us to foster unity and peace," she said.
In this season of peace, "I hope the forces of trust and forgiveness will be strengthened around the world, bringing people closer to each other," Murmu said.
The President extended her heartiest greetings and best wishes to all Indians, especially Christians, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President extended her heartiest greetings and best wishes to all Indians, especially Christians, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan

IRCTC has informed that it discontinued the scheme of giving compensation to passengers on delay in private trains five years ago.
This information was received in response to an application filed by news agency PTI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was established by the Ministry of Railways with the basic objective of operating the entire catering and tourism activities of the Railways and currently also handles ticket booking and private trains.
According to the IRCTC, under this scheme, Rs 26 lakh was given as compensation to the passengers from October 4, 2019 to February 16, 2024.
According to the information, in the year 2023-24 alone, compensation of Rs 15.65 lakh was given to the passengers.
IRCTC, in response to the RTI, said, The scheme providing compensation in case of delay or running of private trains has been discontinued with effect from February 15, 2024.
The Corporation has refused to divulge the re

A compensation of Rs 1.78 lakh was given in 2019-20, zero in 2020-21, Rs 96,000 in 2021-22, Rs 7.74 lakh in 2022-23 and Rs 15.65 lakh in 2023-24 has been given to the passengers, the Corporation said

Seek relief from state levies, Customs duties, pitch for single window clearance system

Targets fiscal deficit 'lower than 4.5% of GDP'

Russia-Ukraine War

The year 2022 is coming to an end and a lot has happened that shaped the world in the year. Let's have a look at some of these significant events

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine&amp;#39;s capital, Kyiv, from the north in an attempt to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky&amp;#39;s government. In the months following, artillery bombardment and street fighting continued, with Russia seizing multiple cities.

After a slew of scandals in his term spanning three years, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office in July. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, who took over the office in September.
						
						But after 45 days in the office, she resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history. Her budgetary plans, at the centre of which were tax cut plans, had crashed the markets, making her lose the confidence of almost all her own MPs.
						
						In the days that followed, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain&amp;#39;s 57th prime minister and vowed to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor, Liz Truss.

Russia Invades Ukraine

In April, protests began in the nation following a sharp rise in food and fuel costs. Thousands demanded the resignation of now-ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The people faced long power cuts daily and shortages of basics, including fuel and food. Sri Lanka&amp;#39;s doctors said they were nearly out of life-saving medicines.
						
						Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s government was being blamed for the chronic mismanagement of the country&amp;#39;s finances. In July, protestors stormed Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s home, pushing him to flee the nation before resigning from office.

UK&amp;#39;s political crisis

In September, 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran&amp;#39;s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Authorities said she died of illness, but her family claimed she fell into a coma after being mistreated by the police. Sources said the police beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Protests sparked by her demise have since roped in ethnic minorities and even school children. Thousands of women since then have been showing solidarity by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in public.
						
						Now, the unrest has spread beyond a women&amp;#39;s right to a movement that is calling for an end to theocratic rule. The protests are now the most broadly supported movement in Iran in over four decades.

Sri Lanka economic crisis

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term in office. He became the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get a third term in power.
						
						This came as China&amp;#39;s economy was running out of steam after decades of high growth. Many expect Xi&amp;#39;s third term may see China revert to more old-school economic management, focusing on shoring up the heavy industry and continuing a crackdown on big tech.

Uprising mounts again in Iran

In a historic first, rich countries agreed to pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. For 30 years, developing nations have been calling for developed countries to compensate for the costs of climate disasters caused by climate change. And rich nations that caused the pollution resisted the demand. But this changed in 2022.

Chinese President Xi Jinping starts record third term in power

In 2022, inflation was rising worldwide, with food and energy prices hitting record highs. The hike was mainly driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and Russia&amp;#39;s invasion of Ukraine. As the pandemic waned, people wanted to return to normalcy and spend more. This led to companies demanding higher prices. Companies also hired more to serve the pent-up demand. They had to increase wages to attract workers and raise prices to compensate for that.

A landmark deal UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

In September, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain&amp;#39;s longest-serving monarch, died at 96 after reigning for 70 years. Many said her death would mark a turning point for commonwealth nations as many may disassociate themselves.

The global economy at crossroads

In October, Brazil&amp;#39;s former president, Luiz In&amp;aacute;cio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the country&amp;#39;s closest presidential race in history. Silva&amp;#39;s win marked Latin America&amp;#39;s shift to the left and pointed to an extraordinary comeback for a man in jail for corruption three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II dies

In October, billionaire Elon Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter after months of dilly-dallying, drama and a lawsuit. The Tesla owner&amp;#39;s Twitter takeover is also one of the biggest tech acquisitions of all time. May fear that Musk&amp;#39;s takeover may turn the social media giant into a hotbed of hate speech.
					
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Brazil elections

Google Messages

In January, Google rolled out end-to-end encryption in group chats for messages app users enrolled in the beta programme

Blend launches Blend Studio: AI tool for ecommerce photography

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI/PNN): Blend, an AI-powered design and photography application for DTC brands and ecommerce sellers, recently launched Blend Studio - the Chat GPT for product photos.

Celebrity and Travel Photographer Rahul Lokare from Flamingo Productions creates waves of change in the world of photography.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Priced at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a novel imaging experience on top of a premium package

Coronavirus leaving empty spaces everywhere. Check these 10 pictures

The Covid-19 cases in India achieved a grim milestone after crossing the 1 million mark

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