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2:49 PM

How can settlement be reopened, Rs 50 cr undisbursed: SC on Bhopal tradgedy

The Supreme Court on Tuesday grilled the Centre on how the settlement can be reopened, when Union Carbide has already paid over $ 470 million to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims, and also expressed concern over Rs 50 crore undisbursed funds.

 

A five-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked the Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre, that the settlement was arrived at a particular stage of time, and can the court say that 10 years hence, 20 years hence or 30 years hence, open the settlement on the basis of fresh documents?

2:35 PM

HC pulls up Maha govt for uncertainty over policy for permitting bike taxis

The Bombay High Court raps Maharashtra government for its uncertainty on framing a policy permitting bike taxis in the state, and said it has to clarify its stand one way or the other. A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and S G Dige said the state government cannot keep the issue hanging over the fire and has to take a decision immediately.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, operator of Rapido bike taxi services in Pune and Mumbai, against a communication issued to it by the state government on December 29, 2022, refusing to allow them a bike taxi aggregator licence.

 

2:03 PM

Passenger held at Mumbai airport with Rs 28 cr cocaine concealed in duffle bag

The Mumbai Airport Customs has seized cocaine worth Rs 28.1 crore concealed by an Indian passenger in a cavity made in a duffle bag, officials say.

The passenger, who carried 2.81 kg of the contraband from Addis Ababa, was arrested following the seizure on Friday.

The cocaine was "ingeniously concealed in layers in a false cavity specially designed in the duffle bag," the Customs said in a statement, adding the accused was carrying the contraband to Delhi. He hailed from Nainital in Uttarakhand.

 

1:26 PM

Maharashtra political crisis: SC to commence hearing pleas on Feb 14

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will commence hearing on February 14 on pleas related to the Maharashtra political crisis triggered by the Shiv Sena's division.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena, that he will will seek reference of the cases to a seven-judge bench to have a re-look of a 2016 judgment on powers of assembly speakers to deal with disqualification pleas.

We have filed the submissions on reference of matters to a seven-judge bench constitution bench. They (Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena) have filed the response, Sibal told the bench which also comprised justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

1:24 PM

Nepal's PM 'Prachanda' to take vote of confidence in parliament today

Nepal's newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' would seek a vote of confidence in the parliament on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over the support from his allies.

The 68-year-old CPN-Maoist Centre leader was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli.

Nepal's first Parliament session after the appointment of Prime Minister Prachanda began here on Monday.
 

1:23 PM

BJP president Nadda chairs meeting of party general secretaries

BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the party's national general secretaries to deliberate on the agenda for its two-day national executive here on January 16-17.

 

Party sources said the leaders took stock of the ongoing organisational and election-related exercises across the country, especially in poll-bound states.

 

1:05 PM

Under-construction metro pillar collapses in Bengaluru; 2 reportedly killed

An under-construction metro pillar has collapsed in Bengaluru's Nagavara area.

The pillar was being constructed on the road from Kalyan Nagar to HRBR Layout. Initial reports say three people travelling on a bike were injured.
However, an India Today report said a woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old child died in the accident.

 

12:50 PM

Don't let days of bloodshed return to Tripura: Himanta to voters

Noting that peace is prevailing in Tripura under the BJP-led government, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to the voters not to let the "days of bloodshed" return to the northeastern state.

Addressing the Jan Vishwas Rally in Killa area of Gomati district on Monday, he said Tripura's "development speed" is at 100 kmph under the ruling BJP-led dispensation.

12:32 PM

MoS Ajay Bhatt reaches Joshimath, holds discussions with officials

Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Ajay Bhatt on Tuesday reached Uttarakhand's Joshimath town, where cracks have developed in buildings, roads among others in the wake of land subsidence and planned demolition is scheduled later in the day.

 

Bhatt held discussions with the administrative officials at the army base and took overview of the situation unfolding in the holy town that is seen as a gateway to Char Dham's Kedarnath and Badrinath.

 

Authorities were scheduled to demolish hotels and houses in Joshimath on Tuesday, which developed cracks.

12:23 PM

India exports 16.92 lac tons of sugar till Jan 4 of 2022-23; over 59K tons to China

India has exported 16.92 lakh tonnes of sugar till January 4 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, including 59,596 tonnes of the sweetener to neighbouring China, trade body AISTA said on Tuesday.

 

Among other neighbouring nations, India has exported 1.47 lakh tonnes of sugar to Bangladesh, and 82,462 tonnes to Sri Lanka during October-January 4 of the current marketing year, All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) said in a statement.

12:13 PM

Delhi L-G grants prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid for tweets against Indian Army

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted prosecution sanction against Shehla Rashid Shora, former vice president of the JNU Students' Union and member of AISA, for her two tweets against the Indian Army.

 

The tweets were aimed at promoting enmity between different groups and indulging in acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, said the L-G office on Tuesday.
 

The L-G has granted the prosecution sanction under the relevant section 196 of CrPC 1973.

11:59 AM

Loan fraud case: Bombay HC seeks affidavit from CBI on Venugopal Dhoot's plea against arrest

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to file by Friday its affidavit in response to a petition of Videocon Group founder Venugopal Dhoot, seeking to quash an FIR registered in a bank loan fraud case, to declare his arrest as "arbitrary and illegal" and to be released on bail.

 

When the plea came up for hearing, advocate Kuldeep Patil asked for one-week time to seek instructions on the same.

 

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and P K Chavan said the agency shall file its affidavit by Friday and posted the petition for hearing the same day (January 13).

11:57 AM

Google-owned YouTube to share ad money with Shorts creators from Feb 1

Google has announced that it has restructured the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) terms to include new modules such as 'Shorts Monetisation Module', which allows creators to start making ad revenue on Shorts starting February 1 on the video-sharing platform.

 

The new modules provide creators more flexibility in the ways they can earn from their content, the tech giant said in a support page.

11:45 AM

BRS to unveil national agenda at its first public meeting on Jan 18

The first public meeting of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), will be held in Khammam on January 18, where Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to unveil the party's national agenda.

11:37 AM

US govt questions Tesla over Musk's full self-driving tweet

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked Tesla about a tweet by its CEO Elon Musk that the electric car-maker will remove the driver monitoring warning from its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.

 

An NHTSA spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that it has reached out to Tesla to gather information about the Musk tweet. The driver monitoring function warned users to keep their hands on the steering wheel while using the FSD mode.