LIVE: Fantastic batting, good bowling, says PM as India enters WC finals

Catch the latest news updates from around the globe

11:30 PM

Fantastic batting, good bowling sealed match for our team: PM Modi after India enters Cricket World Cup final

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded India's "superlative performance" as it defeated New Zealand to enter the World Cup final.

"India puts up a superlative performance and enters the Finals in remarkable style. Fantastic batting and good bowling sealed the match for our team. Best wishes for the Finals," Modi posted on X, congratulating the team.

He also lauded Mohammed Shami's bowling performance, saying it will be cherished by cricket lovers for generations to come.

"Today's Semi Final has been even more special thanks to stellar individual performances too. The bowling by @MdShami11 in this game and also through the World Cup will be cherished by cricket lovers for generations to come. Well played Shami!" the PM said.

11:23 PM

Rahul Gandhi should explain meaning of caste-based census: Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the latter's "X-ray" remark over the caste census demand and asked the Wayanad MP to explain the meaning of the survey he is demanding.

"I would like to say that first Rahul Gandhi should explain the meaning of caste-based census, then I will give an answer to this question," said Devendra Fadnavis while speaking to ANI.

At a rally on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his call for a caste census and termed the exercise an "X-ray" that would give details of various communities in the country.

11:22 PM

Haryana Roadways buses remain off the road as employees go on strike; passengers face inconvenience

Haryana Roadways buses remained off the road on Wednesday due to a strike by employees to protest the killing of a bus driver in Ambala earlier this week. The strike caused major inconvenience to passengers on Bhai Dooj.

The employees called off their strike Wednesday night after a meeting with Haryana Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma in Chandigarh. After the meeting, the minister said normal services would resume from Wednesday night itself.

The employees began their strike Tuesday midnight demanding the arrest of the assailants and compensation to the family of the victim.

11:20 PM

President Murmu to visit Odisha twice in Nov

President Droupadi Murmu will visit her home state Odisha twice this month, officials said.

Her first visit this month will be from November 20-22 and the second from November 26-27.

During her first visit, she will embark on a 32-km train journey from Badampahar railway station to Rairangpur, her native place in Mayurbhanj district.

10:19 PM

CM Vijayan holds MPs meeting ahead of Parliament session to raise Kerala's problems before Centre

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday held an online meeting with MPs from Kerala urging them to highlight various issues, particularly the financial crisis, affecting the state during the upcoming Parliament session.

In the meeting, a unanimous decision emerged to raise issues in the Parliament related to the removal of revenue subsidy due to the state, cancellation of GST compensation and non-payment of arrears of compensation.

10:08 PM

EU moves closer to imposing new set of sanctions on Russia for Ukraine war

The European Union's executive said on Wednesday it proposed to the member states a new package of sanctions targeting the Kremlin and its associates, seeking to tighten previous measures approved since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as well as adding dozens of economic operators.

The proposal sets in motion final talks between the 27 member states to reach the necessary unanimity on the issue and officials have said they hope to have the 12th package operational by the end of the year.

10:03 PM

Farm fires: Punjab sounds red alert, violators to face legal action

A red alert has been sounded in all the districts of Punjab and legal action will be initiated if anyone found burning stubble, said a senior police official on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at ensuring compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court to put a full stop to crop residue burning.

Amid a spike in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the apex court on November 7 directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ensure crop residue burning was stopped "forthwith", saying it cannot let "people die" due to pollution.

10:00 PM

Bharadwaj visits GTB Hospital, says health secretary instructed to take appropriate action

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday visited a city government-run hospital in east Delhi, hours after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed him to take corrective action following a social media post that alleged insanitary conditions in its toilets.

After visiting GTB Hospital, Bharadwaj said in a post on X that "instructions were issued to the health secretary" to take appropriate action against culprits.

7:16 PM

No deadline for conclusion of India-UK trade pact talks: Commerce Secretary

India and the UK are not working under any deadline for the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement as both sides are discussing issues that are "slightly" complex in nature, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said that the two countries are working to finalise the issues as early as possible.

"We are not working (under) any deadlines...because there are issues which are of slightly complex in nature and which have economic significance for both the countries," he told reporters here.

7:08 PM

Arrested to silence my voice: AAP's Sanjay Singh in letter from jail

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh has written a letter from jail addressed to the countryman, saying he was arrested to silence his voice.

He was arrested on October 5 in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam in the city. He has been lodged in Tihar Jail.

Singh, a vocal critic of the BJP and the government led by it, said he was arrested to silence his voice.

7:05 PM

Poisonous haze blanketing Delhi thickens, air quality turns 'severe' again

The poisonous haze blanketing Delhi thickened on Wednesday with the air quality turning severe again amid stable atmospheric conditions.

The national capital's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 401. It was 397 on Tuesday. It was 358 on Monday and 218 on Sunday, 220 on Saturday, 279 on Friday and 437 on Thursday.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad (378), Gurugram (297), Greater Noida (338), Noida (360) and Faridabad (390) also recorded very poor air quality.

7:00 PM

Viral video of Union Minister Tomar's son: Youth Congress protests near ED office, seeks probe

India Youth Congress activists on Wednesday held a protest near the ED office in Delhi to demand action from the probe agency after a video purporting to show Union Minister Narendra Tomar's son and a "middleman" talking about several crore rupees went viral.

Tomar's son has termed the video fake.

A video purporting to show Devendra Pratap Singh Tomar and a "middleman" talking about several crore rupees recently became widely circulated on social media, giving the Congress fresh ammunition to target the BJP.

6:58 PM

Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra launched for tribal districts of Nagaland

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY) for tribal districts of Nagaland was launched on Wednesday.

State Prabhari and Secretary cum COE, National Recruitment Agency, Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra formally launched it from Indisen village in Dimapur district.

Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Dr Tinojongshi Chang, DDG Shipping Dr Raut Pandurang, who is also the district Prabhari and a host of officials from both Central and state government departments, beneficiaries of Central welfare schemes, local leaders, villagers and students attended the programme.

6:57 PM

Two terrorists neutralized in J-K's Uri, arms, ammunition seized

Two infiltrating terrorists were neutralized by security forces on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector along the Line of Control (LoC), the Kashmir police said in a statement.

As per the Kashmir Zone police, incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were also recovered during the operation.

Extensive search operations are underway in the area, the police added.

6:46 PM

Removing Congress from Rajasthan necessary to restore law and order: PM Modi at Barmer rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday alleged that the morale of terrorists and rioters soars wherever the Congress rules due to its "appeasement policy".

Addressing an election rally in Barmer, he said that the upcoming assembly election is not just for electing MLAs, but it is for the return of law and order in Rajasthan and to protect the culture and traditions of the state by removing the Congress and bringing the BJP back to power.

The prime minister said that in the last five years, people in the state have not been able to celebrate any festival peacefully.