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

2:09 PM

Chaos in Bengal assembly over reduction in liquor prices, BJP MLAs walk out

BJP MLAs staged a walkout in the West Bengal assembly on Wednesday after Speaker Biman Banerjee refused to admit a series of adjournment motions moved by the opposition parties over a host of issues, including the reduction in duty on liquor while ignoring taxes on fuel, PTI reported.

 

Reading out one of the adjournment motions, BJP's Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul said duty on liquor has been reduced in the state, but the government did not decrease the VAT on petrol and diesel.

 

BJP's Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh moved an adjournment motion over post-poll violence in the state. Another motion was moved over the unemployment situation in the state.

1:43 PM

Construction and demolition work banned till Nov 21

1:23 PM

Air pollution didn't ease in India lockdown: Study

A new study contradicts observational data that India's lockdown from March 24 to April 24 last year cut down polluting emissions. More here

1:07 PM

Everything court has to do: CJI pulls up govt on air pollution

"What I’m observing is, as a judge, bureaucracy has developed sort of inertia. They don’t want to take a decision, they want only how to stop a vehicle etc this court has to do! Everything we have to do. This is an attitude developed by Executive," Chief Justice N V Ramana says about measures to curb air pollution, says Indian Express website.

12:45 PM

Democracy is India's nature, natural tendency: PM Modi

Underlining the fundamental role of States in the federal system of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Democracy is not just a system but a natural tendency of India.

Prime Minister attended the inaugural session of the 82nd All India Presiding Officers' Conference via video conferencing on Wednesday.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said, "Democracy is not just a system in India. Democracy is India's nature and natural tendency. We have to take the country to new heights in the coming years. These resolutions will be fulfilled only by 'Sabka Prayas' (everyone's effort). And in democracy and the federal system of India, when we talk about 'Sabka Prayas' then the states play a key role."

12:09 PM

Delhi says has banned construction, is monitoring sites

Lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi is appearing before Supreme Court on behalf of Delhi government. "Construction sites are being vigorously looked at. Anti-smog guns have been installed," he says about anti-pollution measures.

 

11:42 AM

Everyone has their own agenda: SC on air pollution

The central government is speaking before the Supreme Court, listing measures it is taking to curb air pollution in Delhi and places nearby. Debates on TV are creating more pollution than everybody. They don’t understand, statements are taken out of context. Everyone has their own agenda, says the Supreme Court, according to Times of India.

10:42 AM

Air pollution in Delhi-NCR: No relief likely till Sunday

Delhi-NCR recorded its air quality in the very poor category on Wednesday morning and no major improvement is likely until Sunday, authorities said.

 

The minimum temperature in the capital dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal and the lowest this season so far. The maximum is likely to settle around 27 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said.

 

The city recorded its air quality index at 389 at 9 am. It had slipped into the severe zone on Tuesday and was recorded at 403 at 4 pm.

 

Faridabad (350), Ghaziabad (368), Greater Noida (358), Gurugram (354) and Noida (369) also recorded their air quality in very poor category.

10:30 AM

Market update: Stocks to focus on in today's trade

10:25 AM

As COVID-19 cases dip, Maha allows 10,000 more devotees to visit Shirdi shrine per day with offline passes

With the number of COVID-19 cases on the decline, the Ahmednagar district administration has decided to allow 10,000 devotees per day to take darshan of Saibaba at the famous Shirdi shrine who possess offline passes, as per an official order.

 

The district administration had on October 6 issued an order allowing 15,000 devotees who possessed online passes to take darshan per day, but in view of the fall in the cases, a proposal to allow more devotees possessing offline passes was received by authorities.

 

As the online booking for 15,000 devotees will continue, it means a total of 25,000 devotees can now take darshan of Saibaba every day.

10:18 AM

Global Covid caseload tops 254.3 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 254.3 million while the deaths have surged to more than 5.10 million and vaccinations to over 7.54 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

 

In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload stands at 254,317,843. The death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 5,114,140 and 7,542,655,690, respectively.

 

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 47,308,698 and 765,762, according to the CSSE.

10:02 AM

Red alert in Chennai, adjoining districts for heavy rainfall

The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvalllur, and Chengalpattu districts on heavy rainfall following a low pressure on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

The weather department predicted that low pressure was reaching the coast and this could lead to heavy rains in Chennai and adjoining districts till Thursday night.

 

Weathermen said that rains could lash isolated areas in Chennai and adjoining districts and 20mm rainfall is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.

10:00 AM

India records 10,197 new Covid infections; active cases decline to 128,555

India's Covid tally rose to 34,466,598 on Wednesday with 10,197 fresh cases, while the active cases have declined to 128,555, the lowest in 527 days, according to the Union Health Ministry's data.

 

The death toll climbed to 464,153 after 301 more fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data updated at 8 am.

 

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 40 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 143 consecutive days now.

9:48 AM

SpiceJet, Boeing settle 737 MAX-related claims

Indian budget airline SpiceJet said on Wednesday U.S. planemaker Boeing had agreed to settle the outstanding claims related to the grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft. The announcement from the country's second-largest airline comes a day after billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX jets valued at nearly $9 billion at list prices.

9:42 AM

Yogi govt intensifies door-to door checking for Zika virus

Scaling up the preventive measures to eliminate the spread of Zika virus, the Uttar Pradesh government has intensified comprehensive surveillance and has initiated doorstep surveys throughout the state to bring down transmission levels.

 

Under the stringent containment mechanism implemented by the state government to check Zika spread, the health workers are carrying out the extensive exercise of mass-scale sanitisation, state-wide surveillance drives, spraying of anti-larva chemicals, fogging and cleanliness drives.