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11:25 AM

CUET 2023 will be held from May 21 to 31, NEET-UG on May 7: NTA

The National Testing Agency on Friday said medical entrance examination NEET-UG will be conducted on May 7, 2023.

The second edition of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) will be conducted from May 21 to 31, 2023, it announced.

"The schedule for all crucial exams has been announced this year in advance," a senior NTA official added.

On Thursday, the agency said engineering entrance exam JEE-Main would be conducted from January 24 to 31, except on Republic Day. The second session of the exam will be held in April and applications for the exam will be accepted from December 15 to January 12, it added.

11:16 AM

2 civilians killed, 1 injured as Army sentry opens fire in J&K's Rajouri

Two civilians were killed and one person was injured when an Army sentry allegedly opened fire on them in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday morning, officials said.

The victims, who were reportedly working as porters with the Army, were approaching the alpha gate of an Army camp in the district around 6.15 am when they were fired upon, they said.

The officials said Shalinder Kumar and Kamal Kishore, both residents of Rajouri, died in the firing, while another person was injured.

The cause of the firing is not yet known, they said, adding that the situation in the area is tense and some agitated people pelted stones at the camp.

Reinforcements have been rushed in and further details are awaited, the officials said.

11:07 AM

Tariff walls on exports likely by nations undergoing green transition: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked the Indian industry to be prepared against "tariff walls" which are likely to be imposed by nations undertaking green transitions, on Indian exports, especially steel products.

"Many nations want to fund their green transition and are imposing tariff walls on products from other nations. If we export steel to such places, it is likely to face this tariff wall or tax for green transition. Indian industry needs to reset itself accordingly," she said while addressing the industry body FICCI's annual general meeting (AGM).

Sitharaman further noted that with many European nations looking to relocate to other countries for setting up manufacturing facilities, out of China, India should look to make use of this opportunity and present itself as a viable manufacturing hub for Europe.

10:32 AM

2 more deaths reported in Bihar hooch tragedy; toll in Saran rises to 28

The Bihar hooch tragedy toll climbed to 28 with two more deaths reported, a top Saran district official said.

Saran District Magistrate Rajesh Meena told PTI, "The suspected hooch death has increased to 28 (till Thursday night) in the district".

The DM said that action has also been initiated against officials concerned.

"We have also conducted intensive raids across the district in the last 48 hours and nabbed 126 hooch traders. More than 4,000 litres of illicit liquor have also been seized," he told reporters on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar, had declined to divulge whether the arrested persons included those directly involved in the latest hooch case, saying that "the matter is still under investigation and disclosing much at this stage could hamper the probe".

10:08 AM

Rupee slips 4 paise 82.80 against US dollar in line with domestic equities

The rupee depreciated 4 paise to 82.80 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday due to losses in domestic equities and risk aversion in global markets.

However, a weak greenback overseas supported the domestic currency and restricted the decline, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened weak at 82.84 against the dollar, then gained some ground to quote at 82.80, registering a fall of 4 paise over its previous close.

In the previous session on Thursday, the rupee settled 27 paise lower at 82.76 against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.28 per cent to 104.27.

9:52 AM

India records 162 new Covid cases, tally of active infections now 3,691

India has recorded a single-day rise of 162 new coronavirus infections and the count of active cases has declined to 3,691, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The country now has 4.46 crore COVID-19 cases and the death toll due to the disease stands at 5,30,663, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Active cases now comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the ministry.

A decrease 76 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.

9:50 AM

Randeep Singh Surjewala gives Suspension of Business Notice to discuss Tawang clashes

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala gives Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the border situation with China. The Congress leader also asks the Chairman to ask the Prime Minister and the Government to make a statement on the issue.

 

9:38 AM

First Framework Working Group meeting underway in Bengaluru

9:31 AM

World sees Pakistan as 'epicentre' of terrorism, says EAM Jaishankar

The world sees Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism" and it should clean up its act and try to be a good neighbour, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, asserting that the world has not forgotten where the menace stems from.

He also recalled former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's blunt message to Islamabad that snakes in one's backyard will eventually bite those who keep them.

Jaishankar was addressing reporters on Thursday at the UN headquarters after chairing a signature event held under India's presidency of the Security Council on Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward.'

Responding to a question by PTI on Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar's recent statements about a "dossier" and allegations against India, he said, I saw, I read the reports on what minister Khar said. And I was reminded, more than a decade ago, my memory serves me right. Hillary Clinton was visiting Pakistan. And Hina Rabbani Khar was a minister at that time.

 

9:15 AM

India in danger of becoming Hindu nationalist State: US Congressman

India is facing the danger of becoming a Hindu nationalist State, an outgoing Democratic Congressman known for his anti-India tirade said on Thursday.

Describing himself as a lifelong human rights advocate Congressman Andy Levin (62) in his last speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives said the US has had more success in human rights, although the situation was dire in many parts of the world.

I have been a vocal advocate for human rights in places like India, which is in the danger of becoming a Hindu nationalist State rather than a secular democracy, the world's largest democracy, alleged Levin, who represented the ninth Congressional District from Michigan. In the next Congress, it will be represented by Lisa McClain of the Republican Party.

I am a lover of Hinduism, a lover of Jainism, Buddhism and other religions that were born in India, but we need to protect the rights of all people there. Whether they're Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, Jains, Levin, said.

8:46 AM

Twitter suspends accounts of several journalists; Musk cites doxxing rules

Twitter Inc on Thursday suspended the accounts of several journalists, including ones from the New York Times and the Washington Post, with the site showing "account suspended" notices for them.

Reuters could not immediately ascertain why those accounts were suspended. All the suspended reporters have in recent months written about Twitter's owner, billionaire Elon Musk, and changes at the platform since he bought it.

Responding to a Tweet on the account suspensions, Musk tweeted: "Same doxxing rules apply to "journalists" as to everyone else," a reference to Twitter rules banning sharing of personal information, called doxxing.

8:21 AM

Centre cuts windfall tax on crude to Rs 1,700 a tonne, diesel to Rs 5/litre

The Union government on Friday slashed the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil and diesel effective December 16, 2022.

The Ministry of Finance slashed the tax on crude oil produced by firms such as state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to Rs 1,700 per tonne from the existing Rs 4,900 per tonne, a government notification said. The ministry also cut the rate on diesel exports to Rs 5 per litre from Rs 8 per litre in the fortnightly revision of the windfall profit tax.

7:42 AM

US to expand combat training for Ukrainian troops against Russian forces

The Pentagon will expand military combat training for Ukrainian forces, using the slower winter months to instruct larger units in more complex battle skills, the Defense Department and U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. has already trained about 3,100 Ukrainian troops on how to use and maintain certain weapons and other equipment, including howitzers, armored vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. But senior military leaders for months have discussed expanding that training, stressing the need to improve the ability of Ukraine's company- and battalion-sized units to move and coordinate attacks across the battlefield.

7:30 AM

Nirav Modi loses extradition appeal in UK court

Fugitive Indian businessman Nirav Modi suffered a setback in his legal battle against his extradition to India as the London High Court denied him permission to appeal against the move in the UK Supreme Court. In a judgment order pronounced at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Lord Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith and Justice Robert Jay ruled that “the Appellant's (Nirav Modi) application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court is refused".

7:17 AM

Exports record flat growth at $32 billion in November vs $31.8 bn YoY

India's exports recorded a flat growth at $31.99 billion in November as against $31.8 billion in the same month last year. Imports rose marginally to $55.88 billion in November as compared to $53.93 billion in the corresponding month a year ago, according to the data released by the government. The country's exports contracted by 16.65 per cent to $29.78 billion in October 2022.