Live news: Series of lapses led to Gujarat bridge tragedy, say cops

Live news updates: Yadav overtook Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan to become just the second Indian player to hold the top T20I batter ranking

4:25 PM

On rising demand, Akasa Air to start Bengaluru-Pune flights from Nov 23

Akasa Air will commence double daily flights on the Bengaluru-Pune route starting with its first frequency on November 23, 2022, and the second frequency will be added from November 26, 2022, onwards. Akasa Air aims to overall operate 58 daily and 400 weekly flights by end of November 2022.

4:21 PM

Byju's revokes decision to shut its operations in Thiruvananthapuram

After meeting Kerala Chief Minister, Byju's says 140 layoffs at Kerala are revoked, centre in Thiruvananthapuram won't close.

4:13 PM

Govt hikes ethanol price to Rs 65.60 per litre

The central government has hiked the price of ethanol used for blending in petrol. This was done as it is attempting to double the blending to 20 per cent, according to sources.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the price of ethanol extracted from sugarcane juice to Rs 65.60 per litre from Rs 63.45 per litre for the supply year beginning in December 2022.

2:19 PM

India's Suryakumar Yadav becomes world's No1 T20 Internationals batter

The swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday became the world's number one batter in T20 Internationals, rising to the top on the back of his incredible form in recent times.

Yadav overtook Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan to become just the second Indian player to hold the top T20I batter ranking.

Since beginning his T20I journey for India in March last year, Yadav has quickly established himself as one of the best batters in the shortest format of the game, scoring one century and 11 fifties from 37 appearances for his country.

1:28 PM

World has huge expectations from India at this time of global crisis, says PM Modi in Global Investors' Meet

In the times of a "global crisis," India was being called a "bright spot" by economic experts and analysts across the globe and the world has huge expectations from the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

He also said that by ending the policy level crisis, his government has created an atmosphere of "red carpet" for investments, instead of pushing investors into the "web of red tape".

Delivering inaugural address at the three-day Global Investors' Meet, 'Invest Karnataka 2022', via video conferencing, while pitching the state as the destination for investors, he said Karnataka also has the power of "double engine", with the same party in the government at both the State and Centre.

12:59 PM

Rahul does not like backseat driving, best suited to be Cong's ideological compass': Jairam Ramesh

Rahul Gandhi does not like backseat driving or asserting his authority and his greatest value going forward will be to play the role of an ideological compass for the Congress, senior leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday.

A week after Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi president in over 24 years, took charge of the party, Ramesh said some people are calling Gandhi the elephant in the room but his response is that the former party chief is actually a tiger on the road.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh told PTI, has been a real booster dose for the public relationship of the party and its "two Cs"- connectivity for Gandhi and collectivity for the organisation.

12:25 PM

SC to hear plea against CJI-designate Justice D Y Chandrachud

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hear during the day a plea seeking to restrain the senior most judge, Justice D Y Chandrachud, from taking oath as the Chief Justice of India on November 9.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said instead of Thursday, it will hear the petition at 12.45 pm when a lawyer mentioned the case for hearing on Thursday.

 

12:10 PM

BJP targeting Punjab farmers for stubble burning because of their protests: Delhi minister Gopal Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai accused the BJP on Wednesday of targeting farmers in Punjab for stubble burning because of their earlier protests against three contentious farm laws of the Centre.

 

Rai also advised the people of Delhi to work from home and use shared transport to reduce vehicular emissions, a major contributor to air pollution in the capital.

12:09 PM

Zojila Day commemorated at Zojila War Memorial near Drass

Zojila Day was commemorated at Zojila War Memorial near Drass on 1st November 2022 to celebrate the gallant action by Indian troops in 'Operation Bison' in 1948 which was launched on the icy heights of Zojila pass, the gateway to Ladakh.

The commemoration of the day was marked with a solemn wreath-laying by Commander Dras Warriors of the Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps, to pay homage to the gallant Bravehearts, who have etched their names in history by liberating the Zojila pass from Pakistani Intruders.

Zojila day epitomizes the indomitable spirit of bravery and the 'Never Say Die attitude of the Indian Army. This battle was also historic for the reason that tanks were used for the first time at such heights.

11:55 AM

Gola Gokarannath Assembly bypoll tomorrow; BJP and SP up for big fight

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the November 3 bypoll in Gola Gokarannath constituency in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP and the SP will fight it out.

The BSP and the Congress are keeping away from the poll this time.

"Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the polls. The polling will start from 7 am and will end at 6 pm on Thursday," an official of the Election Commission (EC) said here.

The bypoll was necessitated after BJP MLA Arvind Giri died on September 6.

11:51 AM

Mass protest march in Colombo despite police warning

Over 150 Sri Lankan organisations, including opposition political parties, trade unions, university students and civil rights groups, will stage a mass anti-government protest march on Wednesday in Colombo despite a warning by the police.

Trade unions representing teachers, lawyers and other professional groups; student movements joined by the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and main northern based Tamil political party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by former president Maithripala Sirisena, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) representing mostly Indian origin Tamils living in central tea plantations, Colombo and other parts of the country; will march demanding state suppression of protests, using draconian law, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to arrest and detain student movement leaders and urge the government to step down and hold early elections.

Six leading business chambers, including the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, have urged the protesters to call off the march claiming it "could undermine the efforts being taken to resolve the current economic crisis with the support of the international community".

11:48 AM

Replicate Morbi hospital 'makeover plan' in all govt hospitals in India: NCP tells Centre

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday took a swipe at the Centre and said it must replicate the Morbi Civil Hospital's "overnight makeover plan" across all government hospitals in the country and call it the 'Gujarat Hospital Model'.

The comments came after the hospital in Gujarat's Morbi city was spruced up ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit there on Tuesday to meet those injured in the suspension bridge collapse which claimed 135 lives.

Workers were seen cleaning and painting a portion of the hospital ahead of the PM's visit.

11:14 AM

Russia calls vote on unfounded Ukraine bio weapons claims

The UN Security Council scheduled a vote on Wednesday on a resolution that would establish a commission to investigate unfounded Russian claims that Ukraine and the United States are carrying out “military biologcal" activities that violate the convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons.

 

Russia circulated a 310-page document to council members last week alleging that this biological activity is taking place in Ukraine with support from the US Defense Department.

 

11:10 AM

ED summons J'khand CM Hemant Soren in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning on November 3 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, officials said on Wednesday.

 

Soren, 47, has been asked to appear before the federal probe agency at its regional office in state capital Ranchi at 11 am on Thursday.

 

The agency wants to question and record the statement of the chief minister under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

10:55 AM

Flags at half-mast as Gujarat mourns Morbi bridge collapse

Gujarat on Wednesday mourned the death of 135 people from a bridge collapse on the weekend, with the national flag at half-mast in government buildings and public functions, receptions and entertainment programmes cancelled.

 

Rescue workers would continue their search for any unaccounted persons for a fourth day, a government control room said, though local officials said on Tuesday that only one person was believed to be missing still.

 

The colonial-era suspension footbridge in Morbi town, over the Machchhu river, was packed with sightseers around the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals when it gave way on Sunday evening, sending people plunging about 10 metres (33 feet) into the water.