LIVE: No foreign head as chief guest for Republic Day this year, says govt

It will be for the first time in over five decades that India will not have a chief guest at the Republic Day parade. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

11:22 PM

Sikkim Governor donates over Rs 1 lakh to Ram Janmbhoomi trust

Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad on Thursday donated Rs 1,01,000 to Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust constituted to look after the construction and management of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra has announced a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya. The drive will begin from January 15 and will go on till February 27.

"A state-level representative committee of the trust officially met Governor Ganga Prasad at Raj Bhavan on Thursday in regard to Ram temple construction in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The Committee members told about the donation drive in Sikkim," Dr Manoj Sandhwar, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Governor Ganga Prasad said in a statement. "On a personal level, Governor Ganga Prasad donated Rs 101000 to Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya," he added.

10:33 PM

Donald Trump's impeachment trial likely to begin on Inauguration Day

President Donald Trump's impeachment trial could begin at 1 pm (local time) on Inauguration Day next Wednesday as President-elect Joe Biden is being sworn into office. That's according to a a timeline of Senate procedure obtained by The Associated Press. It's the possible schedule if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sends the articles of impeachment to the Senate soon.

 

Trump was impeached by the House on Wednesday on a single charge of incitement to insurrection after the deadly Capitol siege last week by a pro-Trump mob. Trump is the only president ever to be impeached twice. Pelosi, D-Calif., hasn't said when she'll send the impeachment charge to the Senate. Some Democrats have suggested holding back to allow Biden time to be inaugurated and to start working on his priorities first.

10:25 PM

Bird flu: 382 more birds dead, samples sent for testing, says Maharashtra govt

A total of 382 birds have died today. The samples are being sent for testing. A total of 3,378 deaths of various birds have been recorded till the date since 8th Jan. So far, 9 districts have been exposed to bird flu in the state: Maharashtra Government

10:03 PM

Google closes deal to buy Fitbit as Justice Dept probe continues

Search and advertising giant Google has closed its deal to buy Fitbit, the companies said on Thursday, even as the Justice Department said it was continuing its probe of the $2.1 billion transaction. The Justice Department, which sued Alphabet Inc's Google in October for allegedly violating antitrust law in its search and search advertising businesses, said it "has not reached a final decision about whether to pursue an enforcement action" regarding the Fitbit deal.

Google had said it was buying Fitbit, which makes a watch-like device to measure physical activity, as a way to enter the devices market and was hoping to address privacy concerns. "We worked with global regulators on an approach which safeguards consumers' privacy expectations," Google said in a blog post, which said Fitbit had 29 million active users.

"(That includes) a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users' health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads and this data will be separated from other Google ads data."

9:20 PM

Delhi's air quality turns 'severe'

Delhi's air quality turns "severe" due to prevailing "extremely unfavourable" conditions for dispersion of pollutants: Govt agencies

9:19 PM

Kerala suffered revenue loss of Rs 1.56 trn due to Covid lockdown: Thomas Isaac

Kerala suffered revenue loss of Rs 1.56 trillion due to Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown: State Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac

8:54 PM

Indian aircraft Tejas far better and advanced than Chinese and Pakistan joint venture JF-17 fighter: IAF Chief

8:27 PM

Parliament session from Jan 29, FM to present Budget on Feb 1

The Budget session of Parliament will commence from January 29, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present the Union Budget on February 1. The session will be held in two parts -- from January 29 to February 15 and March 8 to April 8. The 5th session of the 17th Lok Sabha will have 35 sittings -- 11 in the first part and 24 in the second part.

 

President Ram Nath Kovind will address both Houses of Parliament -- the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha -- at 11 am on January 29.

 

Sitharaman will present the Union Budget at 11 am on February 1. Parliament will adjourn on February 15 to enable various Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries/Departments and prepare their reports, and reconvene on March 8.

7:50 PM

Centre, states team up with RBI, Big Tech to fight Chinese lending apps

The Centre and State governments, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Big-Techs and even regulated digital lenders, are moving together to tighten the noose around unscrupulous Chinese lending apps operating with near impunity in the country and wreaking havoc in the lives of borrowers.

 

On Thursday, Google announced in a blog post that while working on complaints by users and government agencies, it reviewed “hundreds of personal loan apps in India”, and those that were found to violate its user safety policies “were immediately removed from the Store (Google Play Store).” READ ON...

7:13 PM

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms India entry

6:54 PM

No foreign head of state or government as the chief guest for Republic Day this year: MEA

6:30 PM

East and North Delhi civic bodies 'bankrupt', can't pay salaries to employees: Manish Sisodia

5:32 PM

Bird flu: Teachers not be deployed on inspection duty, says Manish Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said teachers will not be deployed on inspection duty in view of the bird flu situation in the national capital. The move comes following complaints that teachers were asked undertake random inspections at markets and other places to see whether guidelines are being followed amid the bird flu scare.

 

"Received complaints from few districts about teachers being deployed on inspection duty in view of bird flu. Following instructions from the chief minister, teachers have been relieved from this duty. DM's have been instructed to not put teachers on such duty without prior permission," Sisodia tweeted.

 

Bird flu has not spread among chickens in Delhi, an official said on Thursday after all the 100 samples taken from Asia's largest poultry market in Ghazipur tested negative.

5:15 PM

India does not want conflict with anyone; it wants peace and friendly ties: Rajnath Singh

4:34 PM

Bird Flu: Delhi CM issues directions to open Ghazipur poultry market after samples test negative

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday issued directions to open the Ghazipur poultry market after all 100 samples collected from there tested negative for bird flu.

 

"Samples taken from poultry markets have tested negative with respect to Bird Flu. Have directed to open the poultry market & withdraw the orders to restrict trade & import of chicken stocks," the chief minister tweeted.

 

Earlier in the day, a senior official of the Delhi animal husbandry unit said there is no spread of bird flu among chickens in Delhi as all the 100 samples taken from Asia's largest poultry market in Ghazipur have tested negative. The results come a day after civic authorities imposed a temporary ban on sale and storage of poultry or processed chicken meat in view of the bird flu situation here.

 

Earlier, samples taken from crows and ducks at parks and lakes in the national capital tested positive for avian influenza.

 

This had led to banning of sale of processed and packaged chicken brought from outside the city and shutting the wholesale poultry market in east Delhi for 10 days as a precautionary measure by the Delhi government on Monday. The Ghazipur market located on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border is a key supplier of poultry products in the region. Chickens, geese, ducks and turkey are among the poultry birds bred by farmers for their eggs and meat.