LIVE: Qatar says Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for two days

Catch all the latest LIVE updates from across the globe here

2:29 PM

Parliament repealing archaic laws, enacting new statutes: Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said denial of legal aid creates an existential challenge to the vulnerable, and said affirmative initiatives and policies can help overcome such problems faced by the weaker sections. He also said that the Global South should shed the shackles of its colonial past and strive together to reverse the historical wrongs that have perpetuated injustice and inequality. "Time has come to follow India's example and emulate the same ... Our country is in the process and legislations are under consideration of Parliament that will bring about sea change in our outlook and totally curb and contain those exploitative provisions in procedure and penology," he said.

2:10 PM

Will rename Hyderabad as Bhagyangar if BJP wins, says Kishan Reddy

Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy on Monday said Hyderabad would be renamed as 'Bhagyanagar' if his party comes to power in the state. Reddy, who spoke to reporters here, said the names of cities like Madras, Bombay and Calcutta have been changed. "Yes. Definitely, if the BJP government comes to power, (we) will change the name of Hyderabad. I am asking who is Hyder? Do we need the name of Hyder? Where has Hyder come from? I am asking who needs Hyder. If BJP comes to power, definitely, (we) will remove Hyder and change the name as Bhagyanagar," he said.

 

1:54 PM

E-buses expected to account for 11-13 pc of new bus sales by FY25: Icra

Electric buses are expected to account for up to 13 per cent of new bus sales by FY2025, rating agency ICRA said on Monday. Many state Electric Vehicle (EV) policies have announced specific targets and timelines for e-bus adoption, thereby creating a road map for electrification, it noted. With significant operational savings vis--vis conventional diesel buses, ICRA said it expects the demand for e-buses to continue to rise.

1:31 PM

Pandian will continue to work for state as member of party: CM Patnaik on V K Pandian joining BJD

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik welcomed former Bureaucrat V K Pandian to the Biju Janata Dal on Monday and said that he will continue his work as a member of the party. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "I welcome V K Pandian to the BJD. As all of you know he had worked very hard since several years for the people of our state and he will continue to do so as a member of the party with dedication. I wish him all the best."

1:06 PM

Leaders of attacks on Sierra Leone's military arrested as curfew eases

Sierra Leone's president said most leaders of attacks on the nation's main military barracks and prisons had been arrested and normalcy had returned across the country after a 24-hour curfew was relaxed to a dusk-to-dawn lockdown. The attacks early Sunday morning surprised residents and security forces in the West African nation and raised fears of a possible coup in a troubled region.

12:54 PM

Cong's dirty politics' surfaced, BRS MLC Kavitha on EC's directive on 'Rythu Bandhu' scheme

Slamming the Congress for lodging a complaint with the Election Commission requesting it to stop the state government's proposal to make payment to the beneficiaries under the "Rythu Bandhu" scheme, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Monday said dirty politics of the grand old party has once again surfaced. Reacting to the EC's withdrawal of the permission given to the Telangana government for disbursements of financial aid to farmers, she said the scheme is not an election promise and an ongoing one.

12:33 PM

Man raises slogans near Bhujbal's car to not oppose Maratha quota agitation

A Maratha outfit member on Monday sneaked into a government guest house in Pune where Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal was staying and raised slogans near the minister's car saying he should not oppose the community's agitation for reservation. The police later whisked away the man, identified as Dhananjay Jadhav, who told reporters that if Bhujbal does not stop opposing the agitation by Marathas for the quota demand, "we will make his movement difficult in the state". State cabinet minister Bhujbal has said the existing reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) should not be curtailed while giving reservation to Marathas.

12:18 PM

Indian envoy in Canada pays tribute to 26/11 Mumbai terror attack victims

Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma led a solemn ceremony to pay tributes to victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Canada's Foreign Policy Executive Director Patrice Cousineau, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Indian diaspora and officials participated at the event. Taking to X, the High Commission of India in Canada stated, "High Commissioner Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma led a solemn ceremony in paying tributes to victims of 26/11 #MumbaiTerrorAttacks. Mr. Patrice Cousineau, Executive Director, @CanadaFP, members of Diplomatic Corps, Indian Diaspora and officials participated at the event. Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji's message on the occasion set the tone for the event."

12:03 PM

Malaysia joins Thailand and Sri Lanka in granting visa-free entry for Indians

Malaysia will grant a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese citizens from December 1, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced, joining Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent weeks to offer such a facility to foreigners to promote tourism. Ibrahim said the waiver was an additional facility to the existing visa exemptions currently enjoyed by Gulf nations and other West Asian countries, including Turkiye and Jordan. However, Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister of the country, said the visa exemption was subject to top security screening, the official Bernama news agency reported.

11:40 AM

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Former Army Engineer-in-Chief vouches for manual method to reach trapped labourers

As the vertical drilling makes swift progress, former Engineer-in-Chief and Director General of Border Roads Organisation, Lieutenant General Harpal Singh (Retd) said that there is no other way left except manual method to reach the trapped workers in the Silkyara tunnel.

"There is no other way left except the manual method and this is also the safe one through which we can reach the labourers. In the current situation, the Auger machine that was stuck has been removed. Efforts are underway to remove the 1.5 meters of the damaged pipe. After its removal, strengthening and muck clearance, skilled labourers will go in with the help of the army. We hope this will be done soon," Lt. Gen Harpal Singh (retd) said.

11:33 AM

Former bureaucrat V K Pandian joins BJD in presence of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

Former Bureaucrat V K Pandian today officially joined the Biju Janata Dal at the Naveen Nivas in the presence of party supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

" Today our party supremo and Odisha CM Naven Patnaik officially inducted VK Pandian into the BJD. Pandian took Naveen Patnaik's blessing after this. Speaking to the senior leaders Naveen Patnaik said that just like Pandian had served the people of Odisha as a bureaucrat he would continue to do the same while in the BJD. He will work towards taking forward Naveen Patnaik's vision for the development of Odisha forward" Debi Mishra senior leader of the BJD told ANI.

11:13 AM

Centre to convene all-party meeting on Dec 2 ahead of Parliament Winter session

The government has convened an all-party meeting on December 2 ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament that is scheduled to begin on December 4.

The Winter session of Parliament 2023 will conclude on December 22.

10:58 AM

Australia commits another $168 mn to monitor migrants freed from detention

The Australian government on Monday committed an additional 255 million Australian dollars (USD 168 million) in funding for police and other law enforcement officials to monitor 141 migrants freed when a court ruled their indefinite detention was unconstitutional.

The new funding over two years reflects an increase in the workload of law enforcement officials due to government concerns of a heightened community risk posed by those released following a landmark High Court decision on November 8.

10:46 AM

Naxalites torch 14 vehicles, machines engaged in construction works in Dantwewada

Suspected Naxalites set afire at least 14 vehicles and machines engaged in construction works in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Monday, police said.

No person was reported to be injured in the incident, which took place at around 1.30 am at Bangali camp under Bhansi police station limits, a senior police official said.

10:45 AM

Andhra Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati and offered his prayers on Monday.

Taking to 'X', PM Modi said in a post, "At the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, prayed for the good health, well-being and prosperity of 140 crore Indians."