LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi replaced as UP in-charge in Congress reshuffle

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3:43 PM

Ram Mandir opening to be discussed at BJP office bearers' meeting today

The closing day of the meeting of the BJP's office-bearers is ongoing, with the state in-charges, state presidents, general secretaries and other key office-bearers in attendance.

CR Patil, G Kishan Reddy, Arun Singh, Tarun Chugh, BD Sharma, Dinesh Sharma, Vasundhara Raje and Tejasvi Surya are among the leaders attending the meeting.

A top party source, privy to the minutes of the meeting, told ANI, "The BJP presidents of 5 states, which polled for their assemblies last month, will give presentations on the party's performances."

3:43 PM

President in Jaisalmer, to witness firepower demonstration at Pokaran firing range

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday reached Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to witness an integrated firepower demonstration at the Pokaran field firing range.

She was received at the air force station in Jaisalmer by Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

The president is scheduled to witness an integrated firepower demonstration at the Pokaran field firing range during her one-day visit, according to an official.

3:42 PM

Liquor in GIFT City: Congress, AAP slam Gujarat's BJP govt over decision

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress on Saturday clashed over the Gujarat government's decision a day earlier to allow liquor in GIFT City, which partially overturned the state's strict prohibition policy.

The state government, on Friday, lifted the ban on liquor in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City with the aim of providing a "global ecosystem".

3:21 PM

Forces scornful towards India's culture should be retaliated against: Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said a small section of people in the country had no respect for its 5,000-year-old cultural legacy and asked those who take pride in it to retaliate against such forces.

"It is a matter of concern that a section of people in the country who are not many, have no respect for India's 5,000-year-old culture or its glorious past. They have a scornful attitude towards it and keep tarnishing the country's image. They are either misled or misguided. They deserve to be retaliated against by people who take pride in our own culture and roots," Dhankhar said at a programme held at the Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar.

3:21 PM

Farmers respected in new UP of new India: CM Adityanath

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that farmers are respected in the new Uttar Pradesh of new India.

"This is the new Uttar Pradesh of new India, where farmers are respected. The government bows down and respects their hard work and efforts," he said.

3:17 PM

Newly elected Chhattisgarh CM Deo Sai meets PM Modi in Delhi

Newly elected Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and apprised him of the steps being taken by his government to fulfil the party's poll promises, official sources said.

Deputy chief ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma accompanied Sai in the meeting with Modi at his residence.

During the meeting, the chief minister apprised Modi of the steps being taken by the Chhattisgarh government to fulfil the promises made by him during the state assembly elections. They also discussed the formation of the state cabinet, the sources said.

3:01 PM

Income Tax dept notifies ITR forms 1, 4 for assessment year 2024-25

The Income Tax Department has notified ITR forms 1 and 4, which are filed by individuals and entities with annual total income of up to Rs 50 lakh, for assessment year (AY) 2024-25.

Individuals, besides Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), firms having income up to Rs 50 lakh and those having earnings from business and profession in the current fiscal (April 2023-March 2024) can start filing returns for the income earned this financial year. Usually, ITR forms for a particular financial year are notified by the end of March or early April. But last year, the forms were notified in February.

2:50 PM

Volkswagen India extends service support to flood-hit customers in TN

European automaker Volkswagen India has extended its enhanced service support to affected customers in Tamil Nadu following the impact of heavy rains and flooding in the state, the company said on Saturday.

The initiative, with effect from December 22, would offer service support to flood affected car owners including Roadside Assistance, special benefits on parts, labour costs and car care treatment among others.

2:25 PM

Extremists should not be given space: EAM after Hindu temple defaced in US

Amid the outrage over the defacement of the Swami Narayan temple in Newark, US, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said he is aware of the incident, adding that such 'extremists' should not be given space.

He underlined that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has already taken up the matter with the US authorities and an investigation is underway.

"I have seen it. Extremists, separatists and such forces should not be given space. Our consulate there complained to the government and the police and an inquiry is underway," the EAM told reporters.

2:11 PM

Congress workers in Kerala clash with police during protest

2:07 PM

Entrepreneurship devpt centres to come up in over 100 govt institutes in NE

Entrepreneurship development centres (EDCs) will be established in over 100 government-run skill training institutes in the Northeast to provide the youth with mentoring and handholding support, and assist them in developing financial linkages, a release said on Saturday.

The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) has been assigned the responsibility of establishing these centres in all 104 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and three National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in the eight states of the region.

1:47 PM

Coal-based power generation rises 8.38% to 779.1 billion units in Apr-Nov

The domestic coal-based power generation increased 8.38 per cent to 779.1 Billion Units (BU) in April-November FY24 , an official statement said on Saturday. In the year-ago period, the domestic coal-based power generation stood at 718.83 BU.

India's power generation increased 7.71 per cent in the period under review, the coal ministry said in a statement.

 

1:21 PM

136 of our colleagues in Gaza killed in 75 days, says UN Chief Guterres

As many as 136 UN workers have lost their lives in the last 75 days in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas while several employees of the world body have been forced out of their homes, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterrres said.

Guterres said that no one has ever seen such number of casualties of the UN staff in the history of the world organisation.

"136 of our colleagues in Gaza have been killed in 75 days--something we have never seen in @UN history. Most of our staff have been forced from their homes," the UN Chief wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

1:05 PM

Congress march to DGP office in Kerala turns violent, cops use water cannons

A protest march by the opposition Congress towards the Kerala DGP office here on Saturday turned violent with agitators hurling stones and sticks at the police following which water cannons were used to disperse the crowd.

The march was organised by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to protest against the alleged police atrocities against its workers during their agitation against the ongoing 'Nava Kerala Sadas' outreach programme of the Left government.

12:54 PM

Assam: Police recover large amount of ammunition in Karbi Anglong, two nabbed

Assam Police and CRPF personnel in a joint operation arrested two people and recovered a large amount of ammunition from the Bokajan area in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on Saturday.

150 live ammunition of AK series rifle and Insas rifle, six magazines, and some other items were recovered from the possession of two people.

Based on a tip-off, a joint team of police and CRPF conducted naka checking at Khatkhati area under Bokajan Sub-Division on Friday evening and intercepted a passenger bus that was coming from Dimapur, Nagaland.