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6:17 PM

Courts have not been set up to validate govt's illegal decisions, says Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Wednesday said the courts have not been set up to validate "illegal decisions" of the government, and to declare demonetisation as valid was tantamount to defending "economic massacre".

 

While four judges of the Supreme Court bench held the 2016 demonetisation carried out by the Narendra Modi government to be valid, "the country is proud of Justice (B V) Nagarathna who recorded it bluntly that it was a high-handed move", the editorial in the party's Marathi newspaper 'Saamana' said.

6:02 PM

Kerala govt to implement third 100-day-action plan from February 10

The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to implement its third 100-day-action plan from February 10 to ensure that all the projects announced in the 2022-23 budget are executed.

 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired the evaluation meeting today asked all the departments to ensure that maximum projects are included in the 100-day-action plan.

6:00 PM

Din in Chhattisgarh Assembly as BJP seeks probe into 'irregularities' in free rice distribution

The Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed uproar on Wednesday when the opposition BJP alleged irregularities in the distribution of free rice allocated by the Centre to the state under a welfare scheme and demanded a probe by a House committee.

 

Opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House while shouting slogans on the issue. Some of them tore papers and threw them towards the dais of Speaker Charandas Mahant.

5:51 PM

Myanmar junta to free more than 7,000 prisoners under amnesty

Myanmar junta to free more than 7,000 prisoners under amnesty, Reuters reported.

5:42 PM

Only 41% transplanted trees survived in 1st half of 2022: Delhi govt's outcome budget

Only 41 per cent of the over 8,500 trees transplanted in Delhi using modern technology in the April-September period last year have survived, according to the Delhi government's outcome budget for first two quarters of the current financial year.

 

According to the government data, 64 per cent of the 3,457 trees transplanted in 2021-22 have survived.

 

Between April and September last year, 8,508 trees were transplanted using modern technology and only 41 per cent are alive. A total of 23 projects requiring translocation of trees were approved during the period.

5:36 PM

Twitter says it will relax ban on political advertising

Twitter says it will ease up on its 3-year-old ban on political advertising, the latest change by Elon Musk as he tries to pump up revenue after purchasing the social media platform last year.

 

The company tweeted late Tuesday that we're relaxing our ads policy for cause-based ads in the US."

 

We also plan to expand the political advertising we permit in the coming weeks," the company said from its Twitter Safety account.

 

Twitter banned all political advertising in 2019, reacting to growing concern about misinformation spreading on social media.

5:30 PM

Centre sticks to demand for increased share in Vedanta oil block

Central government will stick to its demand for a 10% increase in its share of the revenues from conglomerate Vedanta's Barmer oil and gas block, a top government lawyer said on Wednesday.

 

The Supreme Court has been hearing a dispute between Vedanta and the federal government related to an extension of the production-sharing contract for the Barmer asset in the western state of Rajasthan.

 

5:21 PM

CRPF to send additional 1800 troops to Jammu and Kashmir

Central Reserve Police Force will send additional 18 companies (1800 troops) to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of killings of civilians in recent terror attacks in Rajouri district. Personnel will be deployed in Poonch and Rajouri districts, ANI said citing sources

5:15 PM

Citigroup cuts India's current account deficit forecast to below 3% of GDP

Citigroup lowered its projection for India's current account deficit (CAD) to 2.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the current fiscal year, citing the growth in the country's service exports and a lower oil price forecast.

 

The brokerage had, in August last year, said it expected India's CAD to be as high as 3.9% of GDP for the fiscal year ending March 2023.

5:09 PM

Walmart gets $1 billion tax bill for shifting PhonePe HQ to India

Walmart and other shareholders of digital payments app PhonePe will have to pay tax worth around $1 billion after the fintech firm shifted its headquarters to India from Singapore last year, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter

5:07 PM

BJP's 'politics of deceit' has even dragged down home ministry: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday hit out at the BJP saying its "politics of deceit" has dragged down even the home ministry.

 

She was reacting to a ministry report on Jammu and Kashmir.

 

"Shocked that BJPs politics of deceit has dragged down even the Home Ministry. Not only does this report reek of lies but it also discredits a crucial portfolio once headed by Sardar Vallabhai Patel," Mehbooba said in a series of tweets.

4:42 PM

Harish Rawat holds silent protest over anti-encroachment drive in Haldwani

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat held a silent protest on Wednesday in support of residents of Banbhoolpura area in Haldwani agitating against the removal of encroachments from railway land in compliance with a high court order.

The protesters said the removal of encroachments will render them homeless and jeopardise the future of their school-going children.

The High Court had on December 20 ordered the removal of encroachments from railway land in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani by issuing a one-week advance notice.

4:32 PM

Sonia Gandhi admitted to Delhi hospital for treatment of respiratory infection

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to our hospital today. She has been admitted, to the Department of Chest Medicine, for observation and treatment of a viral respiratory infection: Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman (Board of Management), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

4:19 PM

SC stays Allahabad HC order directing Uttar Pradesh to hold urban local body polls without reservation for OBCs

Supreme Court has put stay Allahabad HC order directing Uttar Pradesh to hold urban local body polls without reservation for OBCs

4:09 PM

Jharkhand shuts primary schools till Jan 8 amid cold

All primary schools in Jharkhand will remain closed till January 8 amid the cold wave that gripped the state, according to a government notification.

The minimum temperature in Ranchi will be hovering between 7 and 10 degrees Celsius till January 8 with fog and cloudy sky. The mercury will rise from January 9, the weather office said.