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9:39 PM

Delhi Assembly approves grant of Rs 1,028 for DJB, cleaning of Yamuna

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for the Delhi Jal Board and to speed up work for cleaning the Yamuna.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia placed Supplementary Demand For Grants before the Delhi Assembly.

9:35 PM

Cashew processing industry to witness 15% revenue growth in FY23, FY24: Report

The cashew processing industry is expected to witness 15 per cent revenue growth in this and the next financial year due to higher realisation and rising domestic demand, according to a report.

Higher realisation and rising domestic demand will lift the revenue of the Indian cashew processing industry beyond Rs 30,000 crore next fiscal, the highest-ever, driven by 15 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue this fiscal and the next, Crisil Ratings report said on Thursday.

9:09 PM

IOA President P T Usha stands in support of protesting wrestlers

We request athletes to come forward & voice their concerns with us. We'll ensure a complete investigation to ensure justice. We also have decided to form a special committee to deal with such situations that may arise in future, for swifter action," tweets IOA President PT Usha.

8:53 PM

Govt to host country's first global tourism investors summit in Delhi in Apr under G20 Presidency

The central government will organise the country's first global tourism investors summit in Delhi from April 10-12 under the aegis of India's G20 Presidency, officials said on Thursday.

All G20 member countries will be invited to participate, they said.

8:42 PM

UK PM Rishi Sunak defends PM Modi over controversial BBC series

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come out in defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a controversial BBC documentary claimed that the British government was aware about the Indian leader having an alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Sunak said he does not agree with the characterisation of Prime Minister Modi by Pakistani-origin Imran Hussain, an Opposition Labour Party MP, when he asked if the British premier agreed with claims in the BBC programme that some UK Foreign Office diplomats believed that "Modi was directly responsible".

8:20 PM

Govt can't repeatedly send back proposals, says SC Collegium, reiterates 2 names for second time

The Supreme Court collegium has for the second time reiterated the names of two advocates -- Amitesh Banerjee and Sakya Sen -- for appointment as judges of the Calcutta High Court "expeditiously", saying it was not open for the government to repeatedly send back the same proposal.

Advocate Banerjee is the son of former apex court judge Justice U C Banerjee, who headed a commission which in 2006 ruled out conspiracy angle in the 2002 Sabaramati Express fire tragedy at Godhra that killed 58 'kar sevaks'. The Godhra incident had triggered widespread communal riots in Gujarat.

8:07 PM

UAE approves $2 billion funding to cash-strapped Pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday announced that the UAE has rolled over its deposits of USD 2 billion, providing critical support to the cash-strapped country's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

The confirmation came days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the oil-rich Gulf country seeking help to improve the balance of payments.

7:41 PM

Hong Kong to scrap isolation rule for new Covid-19 cases: Reports

Hong Kong will scrap its mandatory isolation rule for people infected with COVID-19 starting January 30 as part of its strategy to return the semi-autonomous Chinese city to normalcy, the city's leader said on Thursday. For most of the pandemic over the last three years, Hong Kong has aligned itself with mainland China's "zero COVID" strategy, requiring those who test positive to undergo quarantine. Many residents had to be sent to hospitals or government-run quarantine facilities even when their symptoms were mild. Currently, infected persons are allowed to isolate at home for a minimum of five days and can go out once they test negative for two consecutive days.
 

7:25 PM

Greta Thunberg visit spotlights lack of climate action at Davos

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg on Thursday slammed corporate bigwigs meeting in Davos, Switzerland, for fuelling the destruction of the planet by investing in fossil fuels and prioritizing short-term profits over people affected by the climate crisis.

Thunberg was joined by prominent young activists Vanessa Nakate, Helena Gualinga, and Luisa Neubauer in a roundtable with International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering.

7:17 PM

Meta's WhatsApp fined 5.5 mn euro by lead EU privacy regulator

Meta's WhatsApp subsidiary was fined 5.5 million euros ($5.95 million) on Thursday by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) for an additional breach of the EU's privacy laws.

 

6:58 PM

WHO says it backs global health agenda of Indian presidency set at G20 meet

The WHO on Thursday said it was a strong supporter of the Global Health Agenda being set by the Indian presidency at the G20 Health Working Group meeting here as it was focused, well-articulated and takes into account priorities of the day.

Stephanie Seydoux, WHO envoy for Multilateral Affairs at the G20 India Health Working Group Meet here, further said on the sidelines that the agenda being set by the Indian presidency was ambitious and well supported by G20 members and participants.

6:38 PM

Modi says govt committed to giving amenities to poor, launches two new Metro lines

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex and inaugurated two new Mumbai Metro lines and various projects, including road concretisation, sewage treatment plants and PM Svanidhi scheme, among others. Modi said that while the world is reeling under economic crisis, India is providing subsidies. “Double Engine government is committed to giving better amenities to poorest of the poor. Therefore, even railway stations are being developed on the lines of airport. CSMT, which is one the oldest railway stations, is being redeveloped. We are pushing for multi model connectivity," according to the reports

6:24 PM

Adani now plans to enter water segment; FPO opens next Friday

Adani Enterprises, which is launching India Inc's second-largest follow-on public offer worth Rs 20,000 crore next week, on Thursday said it is planning to enter the water segment as this is a key element of its core business of infrastructure.

The group is into the entire gamut of infrastructure -- being its ports, airports, roads, expressways power generation & distribution, among others. In ports and airports, the group is the largest player in the private sector.

6:16 PM

IIT Guwahati signs MoU with industry partners to set up drone-flying school

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with industry partners to establish a commercial drone-flying school on the campus.

IITG signed the MoU with Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited (AMTRON) and R C Hobbytech Solutions (RCH) to work together on strengthening and expanding drone-based training, research and development, manufacturing for varied sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care, according to a release issued by the institute on Thursday.

6:02 PM

Earthquake of 3.2 magnitude hits Jammu and Kashmir; no damage reported

An earthquake of 3.2 magnitude hit Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday but there was no loss of life or damage to property, officials said. The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 12.4 pm, was the Doda area in the Jammu region, they said.The quake hit at a latitude of 33.21 degrees north and a longitude of 75.72 degrees east at a depth of 10 kilometres, the officials said.