LIVE: ED chief gets one-year tenure extension till November 18, 2022

This, days after the Centre brought ordinances to allow ED and CBI directors to occupy the office up to five years

6:05 PM

Encounter between militants, security forces underway in 2 places of J-K's Kulgam district

Gunfight broke out between militants and security forces at Pombay and Goplapora in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said, according to PTI.

 

Security forces had launched cordon and search operations in the two areas of Kulgam after receiving information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

 

The search operations turned into encounters after militants fired upon the security forces and they who retaliated, he said.

5:32 PM

Sourav Ganguly appointed as chairman of ICC Cricket Committee

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Congratulations #SouravGanguly on being appointed as the Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee. Keep making us proud! ✨

5:22 PM

CIL efforts to curb environmental pollution result in significant reduction of CO2

State-owned CIL on Wednesday said its efforts to curb environmental pollution through the implementation of mechanised coal transportation and loading through coal-handling plants resulted in a significant reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other air pollutants, PTI reported.

 

This was revealed in a first-of-its-kind pilot study sponsored by Coal India Ltd (CIL) in two of its opencast mines.

 

At a time when the country under COP 26 commitment has pledged the reduction of CO2 emissions towards net-zero march, CIL's efforts in this regard will help the national cause.

5:22 PM

Vir Das' 'two Indias' monologue sparks sharp debate, police complaints against him

Police complaints were filed against stand-up comic Vir Das in Mumbai and Delhi as the sharp debate on his video I come from two Indias on Wednesday mirrored the polarity of the monologue itself with celebs, politicians and a host of others speaking out, PTI reported.

 

The well-known satirist, who has issued a statement saying his comments weren't intended to insult the country, found backing from TMC member Mahua Moitra as well as Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor. However, their fellow politician Abhishek Manu Singhvi criticised him for "vilifying the nation" and actor Kangana Ranaut stepped in too to demand strict action against the comedian.

5:03 PM

Six-laning of National Highway-66 to be expedited in Kerala: CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the six-laning work of National Highway-66 is gathering pace in the state as the National Highway Authority confirmed agreement in 16 out of 20 reaches, PTI reported.

 

Around 600 kms of road, from Talapady in Kasaragod district to Karode in Thiruvananthapuram, would be six-laned as part of the project, he said in a Facebook post. "The National Highway Authority has confirmed agreement in 16 out of 20 reaches to speed up the work of the six-laning of the Panavel- Kanyakumari National Highway-66 in Kerala," Vijayan said. Noting that the state government would bear 25 per cent of the land acquisition expense, he said the land owners are given the best compensation as per the Land Acquisition Act 2013.

4:45 PM

With Covid on the wane, MP CM announces series of relaxations

4:28 PM

India to pitch for permanent solution for food security in WTO meet: Official

India will pitch for finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding for food security purposes in the forthcoming meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Geneva, starting from November 30, an official said, PTI reported.

 

The official expressed hope that "something may come" up on public stockholding and domestic support, which are part of negotiations on the agriculture sector, in the 12th ministerial conference, which is the highest decision making body of the 164-member WTO.

 

The four-day ministerial conference will begin from November 30.

4:27 PM

PM to hand over indigenously built defence equipment to armed forces on Nov 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally hand over indigenously designed and developed defence equipment to the three chiefs of armed forces in Jhansi on November 19 in a major push to "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" programme in the defence sector, PTI reported.

 

At the ceremony, the prime minister will formally give light combat aircraft designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to the Air Force chief, drones and UAVs built by Indian startups to the Army chief, and the DRDO-designed and Bharat Electronics Limited-manufactured advanced electronic warfare suite for naval ships to the Navy chief.

 

The LCH incorporates advanced technologies and stealth features for effective combat roles, the statement said, adding the deployment of Indian UAVs by armed forces is also a proof of the growing maturity of the Indian drone industry ecosystem.

4:04 PM

Chandrayaan performs evasive manoeuvre to avoid collision with NASA's orbiter

India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft performed an evasive manoeuvre to avoid collision with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), according to ISRO, PTI reported.

 

A very close conjunction between Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter (CH2O) and LRO of NASA was expected to occur on October 20 this year at 05:45 UTC (11:15 am IST) near the Lunar North pole, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said in a statement. Over a span of one week prior to the conjunction, analyses by both ISRO and JPL/NASA consistently showed that the radial separation between the two spacecraft would be less than 100 metres and the closest approach distance would be only about three km at the time of closest approach.

 

Both the agencies deemed that the situation warranted a collision avoidance manoeuvre (CAM) to mitigate the close approach risk, and it was mutually agreed that CH2O would undergo the CAM.

3:47 PM

Chennai expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall on Thursday

3:25 PM

Rahul drops to 6th, Kohli static at 8th in latest ICC T20I rankings

3:15 PM

Cabinet approves Rs 6,466 cr for 4G mobile services in 44 districts

3:02 PM

Financial bids for half a dozen CPSEs to be invited in Dec-Jan: DIPAM

The government will invite financial bids for privatising as many as many as six CPSEs, including BPCL, BEML and Shipping Corp, by January, a top government official said on Wednesday, PTI reported.

 

Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), also invited private players to bid for the CPSEs, which are up for privatisation, along with transfer of management control.

 

After 19 years, we will see 5-6 privatisation this year. BPCL is in the due diligence stage. BEML, Shipping Corp, Pawan Hans, Central Electronics, NINL financial bids can take place in December-January so that we can close it by this year itself, Pandey said.

2:53 PM

Uttar Pradesh: PM launch development projects worth over Rs 6250 cr on 19th Nov

2:10 PM

ICC appoints working group to review cricketing activity in Afghanistan