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		24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm. | Photo: Bloomberg</div></div>

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Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

Pollution, Air pollution

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		The Centre&#39;s panel on Delhi-NCR&#39;s air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi&#39;s air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm.</div>
	<small class="brtag">&nbsp;</small> India said it has lodged a &quot;solemn protest&quot; with China over establishment of two new counties in Hotan prefecture as parts of these regions fall in Indian union territory of Ladakh. In a strong reaction, New Delhi said creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India&#39;s long-standing and consistent position regarding its sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China&#39;s &quot;illegal and forcible&quot; occupation of the same.<small class="brtagPara">&nbsp;</small> The top court has sought responses from Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others on an appeal of the CBI against their acquittal in a 2002 murder case. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar issued notices, seeking the responses of those acquitted in the case.</div>
<small class="brtag">&nbsp;</small> Dense fog covered several parts of North India, impacting visibility and daily activities.&nbsp;The reduced visibility caused disruptions at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, where runway visibility was reported between 200 to 500 metres early Friday morning.&nbsp;<small class="brtag">&nbsp;</small> According to past 24 hours data of the IMD, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are forecasted to be 17 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.&nbsp; &nbsp;<small class="brtagPara">&nbsp;</small> <small class="brtag">&nbsp;</small>
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	<small class="brtag">&nbsp;</small> Two people were killed and 18 injured when a small plane crashed through the rooftop of a commercial building in Southern California on Thursday, police said. Police got a report at 2.09 pm on Thursday about the crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson. Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled a blaze that broke out, and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said.<small class="brtagPara">&nbsp;</small> On Friday, north Indian states continued to face harsh winter conditions. Uttar Pradesh&#39;s capital Lucknow, the temperature is recorded at 8 degrees Celsius at 3.30 am. The local administrations have set up temporary shelter homes for the homeless people. UP&#39;s Aligarh people were seen taking refuge in one of these shelters. In Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s capital Srinagar, the temperature was recorded at -1.3 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am.</div>

Updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

Business Standard

Updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels | India News - Business Standard

New Orleans attacker had remote Improvised Explosives Detonator in truck: Biden

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	US President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the New Orleans attacker had a remote detonator in his vehicle to set off Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that he planted in the ice coolers in the French Quarter before ramming his car into the crown on Bourbon street.</div>

Indian music teaches harmony, synergy and discipline, says RSS chief Bhagwat

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	Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said Indian music teaches synergy, harmony and discipline.</div>
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	Bhagwat was speaking at the &#39;Swar Shatak Malwa&#39; programme in Indore city where 870 Sangh volunteers played traditional musical instruments in a group performance. &quot;Some of the participants in this programme would be expert players. But they do not perform as per their own whim. They match their tune and rhythm with that of others,&quot; he said.</div>

Nippon Steel plans to sue US government over Biden halting US steel deal

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	Nippon Steel plans to sue the US government over Biden halting US Steel deal. It&#39;s legal action will be focussed on committee on foreign investment in US review that formed basis for Biden&#39;s decision.</div>

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	Airports across Germany have been hit by a IT outage affecting federal police systems used to check incoming passengers, Bild newspaper reported on Friday, citing the police. &quot;Our colleagues have to do a lot of things manually that the system used to do. We&#39;re still managing to get it done at the moment,&quot; said a police spokesperson responsible for Frankfurt airport, Germany&#39;s busiest. Federal police were not immediately available for comment.</div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met noted chess player Koneru Humpy, who recently won the Women&#39;s World Rapid Chess Championship, and hailed her as a sporting icon.&nbsp;The chess grandmaster earlier described her meeting with Modi as &quot;an incredible honor and a once-in-a-lifetime privilege&quot;.

Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for visit to Shadani Darba

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	Pakistan has issued 94 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims to visit the neighbouring country for the birth anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib at a shrine in Sindh, the High Commission here said on Friday. The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.</div>

It's everyone's responsibility to keep workplaces women-friendly: NCW chief

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	National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Friday said every place of work, whether government or private, must ensure a safe and secure environment for women and this is the responsibility of everyone. She was speaking at a review meeting held at the Latur collector&#39;s office with members and heads of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) formed under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.</div>

NIA seizes land in J&K's Anantnag in terror case

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	The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday attached a property in Anantnag district under the UAPA in a terror-related case, officials said. The NIA attached a 19-marla land parcel in Halpora area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district, they said. The property belongs to Halpora resident Mohammad Akbar Dar.</div>

BJP demands legal action over Delhi mayor's wife's 'dual registration' as voter

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	Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requesting legal action against Delhi Mayor Mahesh Khichi over the alleged discovery of dual registration as a voter of his wife. Kapoor, in a letter on Friday, alleged that Khichi&#39;s wife had been registered as a voter under two different names at the same address and with the same photo.</div>

Prez Murmu to confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards, MEA announces names

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during the valedictory session of the upcoming PBD Convention, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday as it announced the names of the awardees for this year.

Biden blocks sale of US Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel

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	US President Joe Biden officially blocked Nippon Steel&#39;s proposed $14.9-billion purchase of U.S. Steel on Friday, dealing a probably fatal blow to the contentious merger plan after a year of review. &quot;A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains,&quot; Biden said in a statement.</div>

'Closely following developments': MEA on Nimisha Priya case

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	India on Friday said it is closely following the developments in the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, facing a death sentence in Yemen. Priya, who hails from Kollengode in Kerala&#39;s Palakkad district, has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017.</div>

Delhi Assembly polls: Congress fields Alka Lamba from Kalkaji against CM Atishi

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	The Congress on Friday announced the candidature of Alka Lamba from the Kalkaji constituency where she will take on AAP leader and Chief Minister Atishi in the upcoming assembly polls. The Congress on Friday released its third list of candidates -- which has just one name -- for the Assembly polls due in February.</div>

GRAP 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

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	The Centre&#39;s panel on Delhi-NCR&#39;s air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi&#39;s air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm.</div>

BJP to launch campaign to celebrate Constitution ahead of Republic Day

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	The BJP will launch a fortnight-long campaign to celebrate the Constitution and spread awareness about its values and the role of its architect, B R Ambedkar, in the run-up to the Republic Day on January 26, official sources said on Friday. The drive marks the stepping up of the ruling party&#39;s counter-campaign to project itself as a champion of the Constitution, following opposition parties&#39; relentless attacks on it for its alleged attempts to weaken the values of the country&#39;s guiding document.</div>

Forex reserves decrease by $4.112 bn to $640.279 bn in the week ended Dec 27: RBI.

India&#39;s forex reserves dropped by $4.112 billion to $640.279 billion in the week ended December 27, according to the latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Trump's strength and unpredictability can help end war with Russia, says Zelenskyy

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	US President-elect Donald Trump is strong and unpredictable, and those qualities can be a decisive factor in his policy approach to Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Zelenskyy said it won&#39;t be possible to end the almost three years of war in one day, as Trump claimed during his election campaign he could do.</div>

Boeing still needs culture change to put safety above profits, according to head of FA

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	A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation&#39;s top aviation regulator says the company needs &quot;a fundamental cultural shift&rdquo; to put safety and quality above profits. Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing.</div>

News update: Will take measures to protect interests, says MEA on China's mega dam plans

India has lodged protest with China over two new counties in Hotan prefecture, says MEA

We never accepted illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area, says MEA on China establishing two new counties in Hotan prefecture.&nbsp;

For 39 minutes in his 43-minute speech, PM Modi abused Delhi people and govt: Arvind Kejriwal

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	PM said there is &#39;AAPDA&#39; in Delhi. BJP faced with &#39;aapda&#39; (disaster) as it has no CM face, narrative, issue for Delhi polls, Kejriwal stated today.&nbsp;</div>

India aims to strengthen economic ties with US, engage with Trump administration

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	India is looking forward to strengthening its economic relationship with the United States by engaging with the incoming Trump administration, India&#39;s trade minister Piyush Goyal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.</div>

Court acquits 6 men booked under MCOCA for extortion, assault; cites lack of evidence, lapses

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	A court&nbsp; has acquitted six persons, including a former corporator, booked under the&nbsp; Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for allegedly extorting and assaulting a mobile shop owner, citing &quot;lack of evidence&quot; and &quot;procedural lapses&quot; by the prosecution. The special court hearing MCOCA cases in Thane district delivered the judgement on January 1, giving the accused a &quot;benefit of doubt&quot; for the above reasons as well as for &quot;unreliable testimonies&quot; of witnesses.</div>

Normalcy not fully restored in Jammu-Kashmir yet: CM Omar Abdullah

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	Normalcy has not been fully restored in Jammu and Kashmir yet as terror attacks continue to take place but the process for establishing peace is underway, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday. Abdullah&#39;s remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Article 370 had sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of Kashmir&#39;s youth and that the Narendra Modi government not only ended terrorism in the valley but also the terror ecosystem.</div>

Shiv Sena (UBT) praises Fadnavis over development plans for Gadchiroli

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	The Shiv Sena (UBT), in a rare instance since the undivided Shiv Sena&#39;s fall out with the BJP in 2019, praised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday for his efforts to turn Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district into a steel city. In an editorial in its mouthpiece &#39;Saamana&#39;, the party referred to Fadnavis as &#39;Deva bhau&#39; and said he visited Gadchiroli, the farthest district of Maharashtra in Vidarbha, on New Year&#39;s Eve and started a chapter on development.</div>

Supreme Court slams ED's 'high-handedness', upholds arrest of ex-Haryana Congress MLA illegal

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	The Supreme Court has observed ED&#39;s &quot;high-handedness&quot; and &quot;inhuman conduct&quot; during an almost 15-hour long interrogation of former Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar and upheld an order saying his arrest was illegal. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said it was an &quot;inhuman conduct&quot; on part of ED officers as the case was not related to some terror activity but of an alleged illegal sand mining.</div>

I never built house for myself; I could also have built 'Sheesh Mahal': PM Modi

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	Pucca houses, instead of slums, symbolise self-respect, new hope, says PM&nbsp; Modi after inaugurating flats under Delhi slum rehabilitation project.</div>

PM Modi inaugurates 1,675 newly constructed flats at Swabhiman Apartments, Ashok Vihar

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	&quot;When I am here today, it&#39;s obvious to remember many old memories. When the country was fighting against Indira Gandhi&#39;s dictatorship, for many people like me who were part of the underground movement, Ashok Vihar used to be a place for me to live,&quot; PM Narendra Modi stated today.</div>

PM Narendra Modi unveils Swabhiman Flats in Delhi

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	Prime Minister Narendra Modi hands over the keys to the beneficiaries of newly constructed flats for the dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters at Swabhiman Apartments, Ashok Vihar, Delhi</div>

News update: Delhi BJP chief won't contest polls, says will work for party

Maharashtra received Rs 1.13 trillion FDI in just six months in 2024-25:  Maharashtra CM Fadnavis

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	Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the state received Rs 1.13 lakh crore FDI in just six months in 2024-25, which is almost what it has received annually over the last four years. In a post on X, the chief minister said the state received Rs 1,13,236 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first two quarters of the financial year ending in September 2024.</div>

News update: SC issues notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim on CBI plea challenging acquittal in murder case

The Supreme Court has issued a notice on the plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging Punjab and Haryana High Court&#39;s order acquitting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder of manager Ranjit Singh.

CBI holds senior Trai officer in custody for bribery

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	A senior TRAI officer has been arrested by the CBI for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a cable operator in Himachal Pradesh to favour him in compliance matters, officials said on Friday. Narender Singh Rawat, a senior research officer of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), was booked on allegations that he demanded the bribe from a licence holder of the Union information and broadcasting ministry for running cable services in Himachal Pradesh&#39;s Sirmaur.</div>

Car driven by minor rams into religious procession in Jaipur, 4 injured

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	An SUV rammed into a religious procession, injuring four people here in Jaipur, and people angered by the incident vandalised the vehicle, police said on Friday.</div>
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	The driver, a minor, was detained by police after the incident near Panchvati Circle at the Rajapark area where a Nagar Kirtan was being held by members of the Sikh community on Thursday night, they said. According to police, the car had a MLA sticker pasted on the windshield, which is being verified.</div>

Savitribai Phule a beacon of women empowerment: PM Modi

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	Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Savitribai Phule, who is considered an iconic woman social reformer, on her birth anniversary on Friday, lauding her as a pioneer in education and social reform. PM Modi said in a post on X, &quot;She is a beacon of women&#39;s empowerment and a pioneer in the field of education and social reform. Her efforts continue to inspire us as we work to ensure a better quality of life for the people.&quot;&nbsp;</div>

Punjab govt dismisses DSP Sandhu for facilitating Lawrence Bishnoi interview

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	Deputy Superintendent of Police Gursher Singh Sandhu has been sacked by the Punjab government for allegedly facilitating the recording of an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi by a TV channel.&nbsp; The government invoked Article 311 of the Constitution to dismiss the DSP who has been under suspension since October 25, 2024.</div>

Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister, leaves Meta

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	Britain&rsquo;s former deputy prime minister and Meta&rsquo;s current president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, announced his exit from the company after six years.</div>
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One killed, 15 injured in bus-truck collision in Jharkhand

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	One person was killed and 15 others were injured after a collision took place between a bus and a truck in Jharkhand&#39;s Palamu district on Friday morning, police said. The accident occurred on the Kasiadih-Bakoria road in Satbarwa area, 30 km from Medininagar, the district headquarters, when the goods vehicle collided with the bus due to dense fog and low visibility, a senior officer said.</div>

Adani bribery case: US court orders joint criminal, civil trial against tycoon

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	The civil and criminal cases against the Adani Group, pursued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Eastern District of New York,, they have been assigned to a single judge in a US court to streamline proceedings, according to media reports.</div>

Israeli strikes kill 50 in Gaza as Netanyahu OKs delegation to talks in Qatar

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	Israeli airstrikes killed at least 50 people, including several children, across the Gaza Strip, hitting Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s office said he had authorised a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal.</div>

News update: South Korea's anti-corruption agency says it failed to detain impeached president Yoon

After an hours long standoff at his residence, South Korea&#39;s anti-corruption agency has stated that it failed to detain impeached president Yoon.

Prayer meet for late former PM Manmohan Singh to be held on Friday

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	The &#39;Shabadv Kirtan and Antim Ardas&#39; of&nbsp; former prime minister Manmohan Singh would be held at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at 3 pm. Leaders from across the political spectrum will pay their tributes to Singh today.</div>

PM Modi to inaugurate several projects in Delhi

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	Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to unveil 1,675 newly constructed flats for the dwellers of JJ clusters and also hand over keys to eligible beneficiaries at Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar.</div>

Officials from one community dominate administration in Beed: BJP MLA

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	BJP MLA Suresh Dhas has claimed that officials from &ldquo;only one community&rdquo; have held most of the government posts in Maharashtra&#39;s Beed district for an extended period which makes other communities feel they are being overlooked. The legislator, however, did not name any community.&ldquo;Officials from only one community have occupied most of the key government posts in Beed district....the government has to follow a structure, but overcrowding of officials from only one community indicates this structure is not being adhered to here at all,&quot; the legislator told reporters on Thursday.</div>

Member of banned outfit arrested in Manipur

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	A 42-year-old member of the proscribed outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (People&#39;s War Group) was arrested from Manipur&#39;s Kakching district, police said on Friday. The arrested person has been identified as Mayengbam Momocha Meitei and was apprehended on Thursday from Bijoypur Mathak Leikai area, a senior officer said. The militant outfit has been found involved in extortion and placing of grenades at the residences of several individuals, the officer said.</div>

Maharashtra govt to scrutinise ‘Ladki Bahin' beneficiaries based on complaints

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	Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare stated that the state government has decided to act on complaints about bogus beneficiaries of the &lsquo;Ladki Bahin Yojana&#39;, and sought information from the Income Tax Department and Transport Department for their verification.</div>

Updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

New Orleans attacker had remote Improvised Explosives Detonator in truck: Biden

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