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8:52 AM

US Senate panel approves Biden's pick Garcetti for India ambassador

A key senatorial committee on Wednesday voted 13-8 to advance the nomination of Eric Garcetti as US Ambassador to India.

Garcetti, 52, is the former mayor of Los Angeles and his nomination has been pending before the US Congress since July 2021, when he was nominated for this prestigious diplomatic posting by President Joe Biden.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee at its business meeting on Wednesday voted 13-8 in favor of the nomination of Garcetti. Now the nomination heads to the Senate floor for a fill vote.

8:32 AM

Delhi excise policy case: BRS leader Kavitha to appear before ED on Mar 11

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's politician daughter K Kavitha on Wednesday said she will appear before the Enforcement Directorate on March 11 in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy.

Kavitha Kalvakuntla (44), a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC, declared this in a late-night post on her official Twitter handle.

"I will be appearing before the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi on March 11, 2023," she said.

7:58 AM

Honda shuts plant in Pakistan amid crisis, cites supply chain disruptions

Amid the ongoing financial crunch in Pakistan, another car maker company Honda on Wednesday announced to close its plant citing severe disruption in supply chain as major reason, reported Geo News.

Honda Atlas Cars --the assembler of Honda automobiles in the country blamed current economic situation for its decision and said that the plant will remain closed from March 9 to 31.

The car maker company said that it would not be able to continue with its production and will be shutting down its plant for the remainder of the month.

7:41 AM

BJP will not get more than 65 seats: D K Shivakumar on Karnataka elections

Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar on Wednesday exuded confidence that the Basavaraj-led BJP government in Karnataka will not be able to secure more than 65 seats in the elections slated in the state later this year.

"We're confident of our numbers. We know BJP will not get more than 65 seats. According to my information, they will come down to 40 seats," Shivakumar told reporters.

He recalled that they (BJP) had got (40 seats) earlier also when BS Yediyurappa was Chief Minister.

7:40 AM

Major fire breaks out at Puri shopping complex, over 100 people rescued

A major fire broke out at a shopping complex in Odisha's Puri on Wednesday night, police said.

The blaze was first spotted at a garments shop on the first floor of Laxmi Market Complex in Marichikot Chhak on Grand Road around 9 pm, they said.

Some of the 40 shops at the shopping complex were gutted in the inferno, they said, adding that five fire tenders were working to douse the blaze.

7:40 AM

ISRO receives satellite NISAR, jointly developed by India and US

The US Air Force C-17 aircraft landed in Bengaluru on Wednesday and handed over NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) NISAR to the Indian space agency which marks a milestone in the US-India ties in space collaboration.

"Touchdown in Bengaluru! @ISRO receives NISAR (@NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) on a @USAirforce C-17 from@NASAJPL in California, setting the stage for final integration of the Earth observation satellite, a true symbol of #USIndia civil space collaboration," tweeted US Consulate General Chennai.

NISAR, an Earth-observation satellite, is being jointly developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).