Updates: Kuwait confers its highest honour 'The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer' to PM Modi

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12:22 PM

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurates advanced facility for Pashmina Certification

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday, inaugurated the Advanced Facility for Pashmina Certification and Next Generation DNA Sequencing Facility at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, an official release said. Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh was also present at the occasion. As per a release, these new facilities are built on the foundation laid last year, when the Minister inaugurated the Pashmina Certification Centre (PCC) and issued its first unique ID barcode and certificate.

12:20 PM

West Bengal, Bihar most impacted by arsenic contamination: Centre tells NGT

West Bengal and Bihar are impacted the most by arsenic contamination of groundwater, the Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal is hearing the issue of rice being susceptible to arsenic contamination because it absorbs more of the toxic semi-metallic element from water and soil. Earlier, it sought a reply from the Centre on it.

12:14 PM

Zakir Hussain's family shares first Instagram post after his death

Days after Zakir Hussain was laid to rest at a San Francisco cemetery, the family of the tabla maestro shared a moving post on his official Instagram account on Sunday. It marks the first post on the social media page of Hussain since his death at a San Francisco hospital early last week due to complications arising from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. He was 73.

11:49 AM

IPO boom: Record Rs 1.6 trillion raised in 2024; bigger gains expected in 2025

Fundraising via IPOs in India hit another landmark as economic growth, favourable market conditions and improvements in the regulatory framework helped companies raise a record Rs 1.6 trillion in 2024, while the pipeline for the next year holds out bigger promise.

This exceptional year not only reflected the confidence of issuers but also highlighted investors' eagerness to seize listing-day gains or back companies with strong long-term growth potential.

11:27 AM

PM Modi govt's 'calibrated erosion' of EC's integrity: Kharge on election rule

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the government for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, alleging it is part of the Modi government's "systematic conspiracy" to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission. Kharge also said the Modi government's "calibrated erosion" of the ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy.

11:13 AM

India, Sweden can forge stronger partnership in climate solutions: Swedish officials

India and Sweden can deepen their collaboration in innovation and green technology with a focus on addressing global climate challenges through sustainable industrial practices and renewable energy solutions, Swedish officials said. Officials of the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, during an interaction with PTI, emphasised the shared potential for innovation and large-scale implementation of sustainable practices.

10:54 AM

FPIs pull out Rs 976 crore from Indian equities amid rising dollar

After two weeks of buying, FPIs turned net sellers in Indian equities this week, with a net withdrawal of Rs 976 crore amid a strengthening US dollar and steady rise in US 10-year bond yields, impacting investor sentiment.

Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) began the week on a positive note, investing Rs 3,126 crore in equities during the first two trading sessions (December 16-20).

10:37 AM

Bareilly court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi over caste census remark

The Bareilly District Court has issued a notice to Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi regarding his comments on the caste census during campaigning for parliamentary elections. The court issued a notice to Gandhi, directing him to appear on January 7.

The notice comes in response to a petition filed by Pankaj Pathak, who alleged that the remarks were like an "attempt to start a civil war in the country."

10:28 AM

Digvijaya Singh slams PM Modi for spreading hatred, criticises speech

While speaking at the "Hala Modi" community event at Kuwait's Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex, PM Modi highlighted India's rapid transformation in various fields, including technology

9:57 AM

Mohali building collapse: Rescue operations enter second day, FIR registered against owners

Rescue operations by the personnel of the Indian Army and NDRF continued on Sunday a day after a multi-storey under-construction building collapsed in Punjab's Mohali. Speaking to ANI, DSP Harsimran Singh Bal said, "The clearance operations are ongoing. We have registered the FIR against the owners of the building."

9:55 AM

Taiwan detects 11 Chinese military aircraft, 6 vessels near island

According to Radio Free Asia, this shipment is part of a larger order of 122 tanks expected over the next two years. While the M1A2T is regarded as one of the most advanced main battle tanks globally.

9:54 AM

Albania to shut down TikTok for a year over violence among children

There has been increasing concern from Albanian parents after reports of children taking knives and other objects to school to use in quarrels or cases of bullying promoted by stories they see on TikTok

9:35 AM

Maharashtra portfolios: CM Fadnavis retains Home, Ajit Finance, Shinde gets Urban Development

More than two weeks after he took the oath of office, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, retaining the crucial Home department with him. Fadnavis will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity departments, an official statement said here on Saturday.

 

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was allocated Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Department (public enterprises). Ajit Pawar, another deputy CM, got Finance and Planning, State Excise. Notably, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar had handled the Home and Finance, respectively, in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government.

9:23 AM

India can never permit others to have veto on its choices: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India can never permit others to have a veto on its choices and will do whatever is right in the national interest and for the global good without being intimidated to conform. In a video message for a function in Mumbai, he said when India is etched more deeply in global consciousness, its repercussions are truly profound.

9:14 AM

India exports 14% PVs, 16% 2-wheelers made domestically in 2024: SIAM data

As India targets to export 50 per cent of its automobile production, passenger vehicle (PV) exports during the first 11 months of calendar 2024 have grown by 7.79 per cent, while two-wheeler shipments to overseas countries have grown by almost 22 per cent.