LIVE: PM Modi leaves for Delhi in another aircraft after his IAF plane developed snag, says official

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12:11 PM

Air quality very poor in Chandigarh

The Union Territory of Chandigarh and several places in Haryana on Friday recorded very poor air quality while in neighbouring Punjab the situation was comparatively better. Chandigarh recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 327 at 10 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer app, which provides hourly updates. On Thursday, Chandigarh, which is the common capital of Haryana and Punjab, had witnessed its AQI plunging to the 'severe' category for the first time in the season.

11:45 AM

Give priority to 'absolutely blind' candidates over 'low vision' ones in jobs, says Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court has emphasised that individuals with "absolute blindness" should be given preference over those with "low vision" in employment opportunities, provided their disability does not hinder their ability to perform duties.

 

11:34 AM

CM Omar Abdullah says Indus Treaty unfair to the people of J&K

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, criticised the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan, calling it unfair to the Kashmiri people as it is the main reason for the electricity problem in the region. The National Conference party stated that Abdullah did not call for the revocation of treaty but seeking compensation for the losses suffered by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Read here for more details.

11:20 AM

News update: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s ruling coalition bags landslide victory

Dissanayake's hunch to immediately call polls and secure  backing for his agenda was vindicated on Friday, with his National People's Power (NPP) coalition bagging at least 123 seats in the 225-member assembly. The outgoing parliament was dominated by the followers of Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, two brothers who have both served as president.

10:59 AM

Rajasthan: Four members of a family killed as car falls into ditch

Four members of a family from Maharashtra's Kolhapur were killed and two others injured when their car fell into a ditch on the roadside near Kenpura village, police said on Friday. Sanderao SHO Laxman Singh said that the accident took place near Kenpura village on Thursday night when six passengers were travelling from Jodhpur to Sheoganj in Sirohi district after meeting their relatives.

10:37 AM

BJP using money garnered from paper leaks to fund Jharkhand poll campaign, alleges CM Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday claimed that they were busy probing incidents like "chicken theft" while cases like the examination paper leaks in UP remain untouched at the behest of the BJP. "The pomp and show that you are seeing from BJP in Jharkhand elections is all due to the money from paper leaks... ED, CBI, NIA which have started investigating even chicken theft cases these days did not probe paper leaks because it is the BJP that leaks these and with that money, it buys MLAs and MPs post elections," Soren alleged in a post on X.

10:28 AM

Plea filed in Punjab and Haryana HC for prompt PU Senate elections

A plea has been filed in the  Punjab and Haryana High Court asking Panjab University, Chandigarh, to conduct immediate Senate elections. The plea states that the university’s failure to begin the election process, despite the Senate’s tenure expiring on October 31, 2024, violates the Panjab University Act.

10:23 AM

PM Modi pays tributes to Birsa Munda on birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed tribal icon Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary and said he sacrificed everything to protect the honour and glory of the motherland. "Bhagwan Birsa Munda ji sacrificed everything to protect the honor and glory of the motherland. My deepest respects to him on the auspicious occasion of his birth anniversary 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas'," Modi said in a post in Hindi on X.

10:21 AM

PETA India gifts life-size mechanical elephant to Kerala temple

The non profit organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India along with actor Vedhika has gifted a life-size mechanical elephant to the Edayar Sree Vadakkumbad Shiva Vishnu Temple here. PETA, in a statement, said that the mechanical elephant, named 'Vadakkumbad Sankaranarayanan', was donated to the temple in recognition of its decision never to own or hire live elephants.

9:47 AM

Delhi AQI in 'severe' category; poor air quality leads to Grap-III curbs

Thick smog covered the city, reducing visibility and causing disruptions in traffic and flights. Out of Delhi's 39 monitoring stations, 21 registered AQI levels in the "severe" range, with four classified as "severe plus." Read here for more details. 

9:43 AM

Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre for refusing to declare Wayanad landslides a national disaster

"Despite the landslides that devastated Wayanad, the BJP govt refuses to declare it a national disaster, denying essential relief to those in dire need. This isn't just negligence; it's a shocking injustice to those who have suffered unimaginable loss," Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said. Drawing parallels with the alleged negligence towards Himachal Pradesh, Priyanka dubbed the "singling out and lack of support" unprecedented and unacceptable.

9:08 AM

Maharashtra Assembly elections: 6,382 complaints of poll code violations reported to EC

Seizures were made to stop any inducement of voters in Maharashtra, where polling will take place on November 20. The MCC is a set of guidelines drafted by the EC that outlines how political parties and candidates must conduct themselves during election campaigning and polling.