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12:38 PM

Jammu court frames charges in SIA case against scribe, university scholar

In a first, a designated court here has framed charges against a journalist and a university scholar for writing and publishing a "seditious" article on a news portal.

The case against arrested journalist Peerzada Fahad Shah and Kashmir University scholar Abdul Ala Fazili was probed by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), which successfully brought it up to the stage of framing charges, an official said.

12:20 PM

WB teachers' scam: ED raids two properties of expelled Trinamool leader

Two teams of Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi- crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal are conducting raids and search operations at two properties owned by the expelled Trinamool Congress leader, Santanu Bandopadhyay since Saturday morning.

The first ED team reached a residence owned by Bandopadhyay's wife Priyanka Bandopadhyay at Nivedita Park area in Bandel of Hooghly district. Since the house was locked from outside, the central agency sleuths had to break open the lock to enter the residence.

12:15 PM

Palaniswami to file nomination for AIADMK General Secretary, workers gather at HQ

The interim general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Edappadi K Palaniswami arrived at the party headquarters to file his nomination for the post of General Secretary of the party on Saturday.

The AIADMK headquarters in Chennai was surrounded by a massive crowd of party workers ahead of former Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami's arrival.

Earlier Friday, AIADMK announced that the polls to elect the General Secretary will be held on March 26.

12:14 PM

CM Ashok Gehlot announces formation of 19 new districts, 3 new divisions in Rajasthan

In a significant announcement in the election year, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced the formation of 19 new districts and three new divisions in the state, earmarking Rs 2,000 crore for infrastructure development for them.

This is the first time since 2008 that new districts have been carved out in Rajasthan, taking the number of districts in the state to 50.

Gehlot made the announcement on Friday in the Assembly, which also passed the 2023-24 budget through a voice vote.

11:57 AM

Toddler among 3 killed as truck hits scooter in UP, drags it for 500 metres

Three people, including a toddler, were killed here when a truck hit the scooter on which they were travelling and dragged the two-wheeler for almost 500 metres, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place near the Katra overbridge here late on Friday night, they said.

11:47 AM

Punjab Pollution control board fines beverage factory Rs 99.71 lakh for illegal groundwater extraction

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed a fine of Rs 99.71 lakh on a beverage factory here for extracting groundwater without necessary permission, officials said on Saturday.

The penalty was imposed following a raid conducted by a team of the PPCB and other departments at the factory premises in the Timber market in Rajpura.

11:38 AM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives in Gujarat's Gandhinagar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is scheduled to attend the 49th dairy industry convention organised by the Indian Dairy Association in Gandhinagar arrived in the city on Saturday.

 

Shah is on a two-day visit to Gujarat from Saturday and will attend various public events. The Home Minister will later attend the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) at Circuit House, Gandhinagar.

11:29 AM

SIA conducts raids at multiple locations in J-K in terror-funding case

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) conducted raids at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday in connection with a terror-funding case, officials said.

 

They said searches were conducted at multiple locations in south Kashmir's Anantnag and Kulgam districts.

11:17 AM

5.0 magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand's Kermadec Islands region

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale hit the Kermadec Islands region of New Zealand on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

11:07 AM

India logs over 800 Covid-19 cases in a single day; active tally at 5,389

India's single-day tally of Covid-19 cases crossed 800 after 126 days on Saturday, while the number of active cases climbed to 5,389, according to Union health ministry data.

With 843 fresh infections, the country's caseload increased to 4.46 crore (44,694,349). The death toll rose to 530,799 with four fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

10:52 AM

Recruit 500 more professors to implement NEP: Teachers' association in HP

There is a dire need to recruit 500 more professors in colleges to implement the National Education policy (NEP) 2020 in Himachal Pradesh, according to the delegates from the hill state participating in an academic conference in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

 

In a release issued here on Saturday, the office-bearers of the Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers' Association (HGCTA), who are participating in the ongoing 32nd academic conference organised by the All India federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO), said around 100 colleges of the 133 in the state are without regular principals, 50 colleges are functioning from private premises and around 30 have only two or three professors.

10:37 AM

Former Pak PM Imran leaves for Islamabad for Toshkhana case hearing

A local court in Islamabad is set to resume on Saturday the hearing of Toshakhana case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who avoided arrest despite a protracted effort by law enforcement personnel to apprehend him for skipping multiple previous hearings.

 

The PTI leader is scheduled to appear before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal to attend proceedings on the complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his assets declarations.

10:26 AM

Four killed, 28 injured as bus overturns in J-K's Pulwama

Four people were killed and 28 injured on Saturday when the bus in which they were travelling turned turtle as the driver lost control of the vehicle in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The incident took place on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Barsoo area of the south Kashmir district, they said.

10:13 AM

Parliament logjam can be resolved if Oppn comes forward for talks: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the current logjam in Parliament can be resolved if the Opposition comes forward for talks and that the government will go "two steps ahead" if it takes "two steps forward".

 

Participating in the India Today Conclave here on Friday, Shah also said there are certain issues which are above politics and even former prime minister Indira Gandhi had refused to discuss domestic politics in a foreign land.

9:58 AM

Gehlot announces formation of 19 districts; BJP terms it political stunt

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the formation of 19 new districts in the state and also declared three new divisions namely Sikar, Pali and Banswara.