LIVE: Wells Fargo sacks man who urinated on woman on Air India flight

Latest LIVE: The next date will be announced later, BJP councillor Satya Sharma, the presiding officer overseeing the process, said

6:15 PM

Man who urinated on woman on Air India flight sacked by company

Wells Fargo has sacked the man who urinated on the woman in Air India flighty.

4:49 PM

ICICI bank-Videocon loan fraud case

Bombay High Court reserves order for 9th January on pleas of Chanda Kochhar and Deepak Kochhar challenging their arrest and seeking interim relief
 

4:47 PM

Have asked college admin provide facilities for students to watch movies inside campus on weekends: Bihar CM

I have recommended college administration provide facilities for students to watch movies inside the campus every Saturday & Sunday: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar after the inauguration of Engineering College in Sheohar
 

4:27 PM

India to host Voice of Global South Summit next week

India to host Voice of Global South Summit next week, over 120 nations invited
 

Vinay Kwatra

2:59 PM

Chinese firm signs deal with Taliban to produce oil in Afghanistan

The Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan signed its first international contract Thursday to extract oil from the northern Amu Darya basin as the beleaguered group seeks to increase revenue.

 

The agreement with a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, was inked in Kabul in the presence of Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, and the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

 

The pact will “strengthen Afghanistan’s economy and increase its level of oil independence,” Baradar said at the signing. Wang, whose country does not recognize the Taliban government, said the 25-year contract will support Afghanistan’s push for self-sufficiency.

2:50 PM

PM Modi chairs chief secretaries' conference heralding new era of cooperative federalism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the national conference of Chief Secretaries focused on achieving rapid and sustained economic growth in partnership with the states, in the national capital on Friday.

The three-day conference began yesterday.

The idea behind this conference is that cooperative federalism, through Central Ministries and departments working together with States in seamless coordination, is an essential pillar for the development and progress of New India.

With this vision in mind, PM Modi conceptualised this conference, which was held for the first time in June 2022 in Dharamshala.

This year, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries is being held from January 5 and will conclude on January 7. More than 200 bureaucrats comprising representatives of the central government, chief secretaries and other senior officials of all States/Union Territories and domain experts, are participating in the conference, said the statement from Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

2:47 PM

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif holds talks with IMF chief to break deadlock over next tranche of assistance

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a telephonic call to International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva to break the deadlock over the release of the next tranche of assistance for cash-strapped Pakistan, according to a media report on Friday.

 

The contact was made four days before an expected face-to-face meeting between the prime minister and the IMF head on the sidelines of the Geneva Conference for flood victims.

 

2:35 PM

Shinde appoints six-member team for organisational work ahead of Mumbai polls

The Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has appointed a six-member team that will be responsible for organisational work in Mumbai, ahead of the crucial civic body polls.

 

The team comprises MPs Rahul Shewale and Gajanan Kirtikar, Mumbai city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar, deputy leaders Sheetal Mhatre and Asha Mamidi and Shewale's wife and former corporator Kamini Shewale.

 

2:17 PM

Maiden meeting of MCD House adjourned without mayor election

The maiden meeting of the newly elected MCD House was adjourned without electing the mayor and the deputy mayor amid loud protests by AAP councillors over first administering oath to the 10 aldermen The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) House meeting has been adjourned for the day. The next date will be announced later, BJP councillor Satya Sharma, the presiding officer overseeing the process, said.

 

Chaos ensued during the first meeting as AAP councillors and MLAs raised slogans and entered the Well when Sharma began the process of administering oaths to the 10 aldermen. 

 

1:49 PM

Senior J&K leaders return to Congress fold

Seventeen former leaders of the Democratic Azad Party (DAP), including ex-deputy chief minister Tara Chand and ex-PCC chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, on Friday returned to the Congress fold and were welcomed back by the party which said they were on a "leave of two months".

 

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal welcomed the leaders, saying it was a happy day for the party as they were returning back to their home ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter Jammu and Kashmir after two weeks.

 

"The Bharat Jodo Yatra has become a big movement in the country and that is why all these leaders have decided to come back to the Congress fold," he told reporters.

1:47 PM

First meeting of newly elected MCD House adjourned without electing mayor, deputy mayor

First meeting of newly elected MCD House adjourned without electing mayor and deputy mayor amid protest by AAP councilors: Presiding officer. 

 

1:37 PM

China seeks to minimize Covid-19 risk during travel rush

China is seeking to minimize the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month's Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of most pandemic containment measures.

 

The Transportation Ministry on Friday called on travelers to reduce trips and gatherings, particularly if they involve elderly 

people, pregnant women, small children and those with underlying conditions.

 

People using public transport should wear masks and pay special attention to their health and personal hygiene, Vice Minister Xu Chengguang told reporters at a briefing.

1:03 PM

Govt, RBI discussing rupee trade with S Asian nations: Shaktikanta Das

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said the government and the central bank are in discussion with South Asian countries to have cross-border trade in rupee.

He also said the central bank digital currency (CBDC) is in trial phase and the RBI is moving very carefully and cautiously on digital rupee launch.

After the successful launch of the wholesale pilot, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 1, last year, began its retail CBDC pilot project.

 

12:49 PM

China seeks to minimize Covid-19 risk during travel rush

China is seeking to minimize the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month's Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of most pandemic containment measures.

 

The Transportation Ministry on Friday called on travelers to reduce trips and gatherings, particularly if they involve elderly 

people, pregnant women, small children and those with underlying conditions.

 

People using public transport should wear masks and pay special attention to their health and personal hygiene, Vice Minister Xu Chengguang told reporters at a briefing.

12:34 PM

Subramanian Swamy withdraws from SC his 2013 plea against Jet-Etihad Airways deal

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court his 2013 plea seeking quashing of an alliance between Jet Airways and the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. "I wish to withdraw this, it is the Jet-Etihad matter. Now there is no Jet, no Etihad," Swamy told a bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar.

 

The bench then remarked in a lighter vein, "We do not know who is responsible for that." Taking note of his submissions, the top court allowed Swamy to withdraw his plea.