LIVE: Kerala logs 4,557 new cases; 10 mn Covid doses administered today

52 more deaths took the state's Covid-induced toll to 41,439

9:18 AM

Sec 144 CrPC implemented, Schools closed ahead of PM Modi's visit to Dehradun

Educational institutions will remain closed in Dehradun and Section 144 of CrPC will be effective on Saturday and on Saturday in view of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit today, District Magistrate informed.

"In view of the proposed tour program of PM Modi in the district on December 4 and public meeting at Parade Ground, instructions have been given to keep all government and private educational institutions completely closed near 500 m of Parade Ground," said the district magistrate, Dr R Rajesh Kumar.

"Section 144 CrPC will be effective from 2 pm on December 3 to 4 pm on December 4, within a radius of 1 Km of the Parade Ground. Instructions have also been given to hotels/lodges/Dharamshala to share information of persons, tenants, servants staying in their premises," he added.

9:02 AM

Cyclone Jawad: MBA Entrance exam of IIFT postponed in these cities of Andhra, Odisha, WB

In view of cyclonic storm 'JAWAD', the National Testing Agency has postponed the entrance exam for MBA (IB) 2022-24 of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, scheduled for December 5 in states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

 

The exam has been postponed in the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, and Cuttack (Odisha) and Kolkata and Durgapur (West Bengal).

 

The notification from the NTA read: "In view of the cyclone which is expected to hit the coastal areas of Odisha on December 4 and the consequent disruption of normal life in the coastal areas of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, it has been decided to postpone the exam scheduled to be held on December 5, 2021, at the exam centres in the following cities, to a later date."

8:34 AM

Omicron variant now confirmed in ten US states

Cases of the coronavirus Omicron variant have been reported by health officials in five additional US states today, bringing the total number of states with confirmed infections to ten.

 

New Omicron variant cases were reported in the states of Maryland, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Utah on Friday, according to health officials. Cases were also reported earlier this week in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York.

8:34 AM

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to celebrate 64th Founding Day today

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is celebrating its 64th Founding Day on Saturday.

 

The two days event being held on December 4-5, 2021 is scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

8:05 AM

Protesting farmers likely to decide on further action in SKM meeting fixed for today

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is likely to take action on the ongoing farmers' agitation on Saturday, days after the Parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill.

 

The SKM said that they have decided to wait for the union government to respond formally and fully to all the demands raised by it in its letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

An official communication by the SKM on November 28 read, "Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided to wait for the Government of India to respond formally and fully to all the demands raised by it in its letter to the Prime Minister of India on November 21. SKM decided to give more time to the Central Government by suspending the planned Tractor March to Sansad from November 29. Protesting farmers will take a decision on further action, in the next meeting fixed on December 4 of Samyukt Kisan Morcha."

8:03 AM

US Senator urges India to remove tariffs, barriers to trade on pulse crops

A senior US Senator in a meeting this week urged Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to remove tariffs and barriers to trade on pulse crops.

 

Republican Senator Steve Daines represents the state of Montana in the US Senate. Montana is a leading pulse-growing state of the United States and certain tariffs imposed by India, Daines says has been hurting farmers from his state.

 

"With Montana being the number one producer of pulse crops in the nation, and India being the largest consumer of pulse crops in the world, it's a critical market to open for Montana," he said.

8:00 AM

37th anniversary of Bhopal gas tragedy: "People will question those who helped Anderson flee India"

On the day of the 37th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Narottam Mishra said that this was an unfortunate incident and whenever it is discussed people will question those who helped Warren Anderson to flee this country.

 

Speaking to ANI, Mishra said, "This was an unfortunate incident. But whenever the gas tragedy will be discussed, people of the country will question those who helped Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation Warren Anderson flee from India".

7:59 AM

Cyclone Jawad: UGC-NET exam scheduled for Dec 5 postponed in Odisha, Andhra

In view of cyclonic storm 'JAWAD' which is likely to hit Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Saturday, the National Testing Agency has postponed its University Grants Commission- National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) scheduled for December 5 in the states.

 

The NTA, in its notification, said, "Due to red alert issued in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for cyclone Jawad for December 4, 2021, UGC-NET December 2020 and June 2021 examination to be held on December 5, 2021, has been rescheduled."

 

However, the exam scheduled would be unaffected for other states.

7:58 AM

Omicron likely to reinforce IMF downgrade of global growth forecasts: Managing Director

The coronavirus Omicron variant is likely to reinforce a downgrade of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) outlook on the global economy, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

 

"Let's be very frank: A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth," Georgieva said at a live-streamed discussion on the global economy.

 

Georgieva said that even before the emergence of the Omicron variant, the IMF had already been concerned about a loss in the momentum of global growth due to the negative impacts of the Delta variant.

7:57 AM

Cyclone Jawad: Indian Navy ramps up for rescue, relief ops; carries out preparatory activities

With Cyclonic Storm, 'Jawad', likely to hit North Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning, the Indian Navy on Friday said that it has ramped up rescue and relief operations to minimise damages.

 

As depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal likely to intensify as Cyclonic Storm, 'Jawad' and moving North Westerly direction and is likely to cross the coasts of north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Saturday, Indian Navy is closely monitoring the movement of the Cyclonic Storm.

 

7:57 AM

A woman is not property: Taliban leader issues decree

A special decree is issued by the leader of the Taliban Haibatullah Akhundzada stating that a woman is not a property but a free human being.

 

The Taliban leader, under United Nations' sanctions for terrorism, acknowledged women's right to marriage where they cannot be used for exchange in a deal or enmity on Friday, reported Sputnik.

 

"A woman is not property, but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for a peace deal and/or to end animosity," the Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid informed in a tweet on Friday.

7:39 AM

Cyclone Jawad: Over 54 thousand people evacuated from 3 districts in Andhra

As Cyclone Jawad is likely hit to north Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, the state government has evacuated over 54,008 people from three districts.

The rescue team has evacuated 15,755 people from Srikakulam district, 1,700 from Vizianagaram and 36,553 from Visakhapatnam.

The government has set up 197 relief camps in schools and community halls. Eleven teams of NDRF have deployed whereas 5 teams of SDRF and six teams of Coast Guard are in place.

7:38 AM

Schools shut in 19 districts of Odisha for today in view of Cyclone Jawad

In view of the impending cyclonic storm 'JAWAD', the Odisha government has ordered to keep the schools closed in 19 districts of the state.

 

As per the order from the School and Mass Education Department, all government, aided, and private schools affiliated with the department in 19 districts of Odisha will be closed for December 4 in view of cyclone 'Jawad'.

 

The 19 districts wherein the schools would be closed are Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Rayagada, Cuttack, Khordha, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Malkangiri, and Mayurbhanj.

7:37 AM

Cyclone Jawad likely to hit Andhra Pradesh, Odisha today morning: IMD

The Cyclone Jawad is likely to reach north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Saturday morning and Puri is likely to witness heavy rains on Sunday, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

According to the Met department, Cyclone Jawad lay centered at 5:30 pm of Friday over westcentral Bay of Bengal, about 300 km south-SE of Vishakhapatnam, 420 km nearly south of Gopalpur, 480 km south-SW of Puri & 560 km south-southwest of Paradip

 

"It is likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach west-central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh - south Odisha coasts by tomorrow, December 4 morning," said the IMD.

7:34 AM

Uttarakhand Assembly elections: PM Modi to address rally in Dehradun on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to kickstart the poll campaign for the upcoming Uttarakhand assembly elections by addressing a rally here on Saturday.

 

The Prime Minister will reach Dehradun’s Parade Ground, the rally venue at 12.30 pm, Pradesh BJP general secretary Kuldip Kumar said.

 

Soon after his arrival, he will inaugurate seven developmental projects and lay foundation stones of 11 others, all totalling worth over Rs 18,000 crore after which he will start his address around 1 pm.

 

Major projects to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi include the 120-MW Vyasi hydroelectricity project and a 38-km long stretch of all-weather Chardham road project between Devprayag and Shrikot on NH-58.