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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held talks with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik with a focus on expanding bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and investment. The Sultan of Oman arrived in Delhi on a state visit on Friday, in his first trip to India as the top leader of the Gulf nation. “Giving a boost to India-Oman Strategic Partnership! PM @narendramodi warmly received His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman at Hyderabad House, setting the stage for bilateral discussions,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a post on X ahead of the talks. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman hold delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in Delhi pic.twitter.com/uPvlP6xxnC — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2023 “Agenda includes taking stock of bilateral ties and charting pathways for the future collaboration between the two countries,” he said. In the morning, Sultan bin Tarik was accorded a ceremonia

A case of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 was detected in Kerala on December 8, official sources said on Saturday. The sample from a 79-year-old woman had returned a positive result in an RT-PCR test on November 18, they said, adding that she had mild symptoms of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and had recovered from COVID-19. More than 90 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in India at present are mild and they are in home isolation, the sources said. Earlier, an Indian traveller was also detected with JN.1 sub-variant in Singapore. The person was a native of Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli district and had travelled to Singapore on October 25. No increase in cases was observed in Tiruchirapalli district or other places in Tamil Nadu following the strain being detected in them. “No other case of JN.1 variant has been detected in India,” the source said. The JN.1 sub-variant — first identified in Luxembourg and since spreading to several countries — is a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86).

The alleged mastermind behind the Parliament security breach– Lalit Jha — and his co-accused wanted to create “anarchy” in the country to force the government to meet their demands, the Delhi Police told a court on Friday. According to sources, the police will seek Parliamentary approval to recreate the incident that took place on the anniversary of the 2001 attack. Five people have been arrested so far for the major security breach in Parliament involving smoke bombs and protests. Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D were arrested from inside the Lok Sabha chamber, while Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde were detained outside the Parliament building. The Delhi Police told the Patiala House Court that Jha admitted that he met with the other accused in the case several times to plan the Parliament security breach. Jha, who is from Bihar, used to work as a teacher in Kolkata and was sent to seven-day police custody on Friday. Jha will also be interrogated to determine if the accused had any links

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra’s challenge to her expulsion from parliament will be heard by the Supreme Court on Friday. A Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SV Bhatti will hear Moitra’s request to restore her Lok Sabha membership. She has accused the parliamentary ethics committee that looked into cash-for-query allegations against her and recommended her expulsion of “breaking every rule”. The ethics committee submitted the report in parliament on December 8 after weeks of cross-examining all the people involved in the matter, including the complainants lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP leader Nishikant Dubey. She accused the parliamentary ethics committee that looked into cash-for-query allegations against her of “breaking every rule”. “The committee broke every rule… Tomorrow, the CBI will be sent to my home to harass me,” Moitra told reporters outside parliament. The Trinamool Congress leader has called Dehadrai, who filed the complaint with the Central

The alleged mastermind of the security breach in parliament that shocked the nation, Lalit Jha, has surrendered to the Delhi Police. According to people aware of the development, he went to the police station on Kartavya Path and surrendered. He has been formally arrested and the New Delhi District Police has handed him over to the Special Cell. The Kolkata-based teacher was arrested from Delhi after being on the run for nearly two days. The man claimed that he had gone by bus to Rajasthan’s Nagaur via Neemrana — where he was seen last — and stayed at a hotel with two friends. Later, when he realised that the police were looking for him, he came back. At the police station today, he was accompanied by one Mahesh. Four people were arrested for Wednesday afternoon’s security breach in which two men — Sagar and Manoranjan — smuggled in smoke bombs and let them off during the Lok Sabha proceedings. Two others, Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde, who were unable to get passes, held a protest

In a historic decision, Uma Sekhar, India’s first woman candidate, was elected on Thursday in the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). It is noteworthy that all 25 positions on the Governing Council are occupied by distinguished legal experts. Reports indicate that candidates from Russia, USA, and China were unsuccessful in their bids for positions on the council. The election featured a total of 32 contestants, hailing from countries such as the USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, among others. Uma Sekhar clinched her seat on the Governing Council with an impressive 45 out of 59 votes in the first round of the elections held in Italy’s Rome. According to ANI report, in order to be elected to the Governing Council, 21 votes were required. India will be a member of the Governing Council for the period 2024-28, it added. Following the election of India to the governing council of UNIDROIT, the Embassy of India in Rom

The Lok Sabha Secretariat Thursday suspended a total of eight personnel for security lapses on 13 December, 2023 when two people jumped into the chamber of the Lower House from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs. Sources told News18 , the eight personnel have been suspended for dereliction of duty on Wednesday. Those suspended have been identified as Rampal, Arvind, Vir Das, Ganesh, Anil, Pradeep, Vimitt and Narendra. The major security breach occurred on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. The duo was identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D. Around the same time, two other accused — Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi — also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside Parliament premises. Sagar, Manoranjan, Amol and Neelam were detained and are now in police custody. Their accomplice Vishal, in whose house the accused stayed before re

The four men arrested in connection with the security breach in Parliament on Wednesday have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), besides various sections of the Indian Penal Code. They will be produced in Delhi’s Patiala House Court later today. The Delhi Police Special Cell will also investigate various aspects including the educational background of the four accused, their involvement in past activities including any protests or rallies and whether they visited Parliament before yesterday’s incident. A man called Vicky and his wife, believed to be a part of the plan are currently being interrogated by a Delhi Police team. The probe will also focus on investigating their social media activities and history, according to officials familiar with the matter. The men are being charged under UAPA sections since the case is being seen as an ‘Urban Naxal’ conspiracy. According to the UAPA law invoked, the police can seek a maximum of 30 days of police reman

MPs, staff and visitors were in for a rude shock on Wednesday (13 December) when two individuals jumped into the Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery with colour canisters while proceedings for the Winter Session was on. Investigating the Parliament breach, authorities have found six people involved of which five have been nabbed. Additionally, the Delhi Police has registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused. Notably, Wednesday’s breach coincided with the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. The incident has put the focus on the security at the Parliament premises, with many questioning how such a breach could take place at India’s temple of democracy, which is one of the most secure places. In fact, the Trinamool Congress wrote on X, “New India. New Parliament. New Legislations. Same old security breaches. Today, on the 22nd anniversary of the terror attack on the old Parliament building, two men, both carrying smoke c

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that CJI DY Chandrachud will take a call on the listing of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra’s plea challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Moitra was expelled from the Parliament last week over the cash-for-query case. Her plea challenging the expulsion was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia. “The CJI will take the call,” Justice Kaul told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who mentioned the plea. On December 8, after a heated debate in the Lok Sabha over the panel report during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC MP from the House for “unethical conduct” which was adopted by a voice vote. Reacting sharply to her expulsion, Moitra had equated the action with hanging by a “kangaroo court” and alleged that a parliamentary panel was being weaponised by the government to force the opposition into

Amidst the ongoing Philippines-China naval standoff, an Indian warship has been docked in Manila for a “goodwill visit”. As a part of its regional deployment in the Indo-Pacific, INS Kadmatt, Indian Navy’s Kamorta class anti-submarine warfare corvette, Tuesday commenced its two-day visit. This is INS Kadmatt’s second visit to the Philippines. Its first port was in October 2017. On 13 December, there will also be a “maritime partnership exercise” between INS Kadmatt and Philippine Navy’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz in the West Philippine Sea. The docking of the Indian warship in Manila comes amid heightened tensions between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. China, Philippines trade blame after boat-ship collision in South China Sea Over the weekend, Chinese and Philippine vessels were embroiled in multiple clashes in the South China Sea amid a continued escalation of tension between both countries over maritime territory. On Sunday, the Philippines said the latest inci

09:55 (IST) Parliament Winter Session 2023 LIVE Nation will forever be indebted to security personnel: Prez Murmu on 2001 Parliament attack President Droupadi Murmu said Wednesday that the nation would be forever grateful to the courageous security officials who gave their lives in the 2001 terror assault on Parliament, and he urged everyone to renew their commitment to eradicating terrorism. On December 13, 2001, terrorists from Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed groups attacked the Parliament complex, killing nine people. Security personnel shot and killed all five terrorists. On this day, 22 years ago, the nefarious plan of terrorists to eliminate the top line of political leadership of the country and damage our Temple of Democracy was foiled by the brave security personnel, including the nine who laid down their lives for the motherland. The nation… — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 13, 2023 09:53 (IST) Parliament Winter Session 2023 LI

Mahua Moitra has been sent notice to vacate her official residence. The former MP and Trinamool Congress leader has challenged her suspension from Lok Sabha in a plea filed before the Supreme Court. Mahua, who was ousted from the Parliament last week over the cash-for-query allegations against her, has been asked to vacate her official residence within the next 30 days. The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, on 8 December, had tabled its report in the Lower House in which it was stated that the panel had found her guilty of jeopardising national security by sharing her parliamentary portal’s login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The TMC MP’s expulsion was recommended by the panel on the basis of Hiranandani’s affidavit saying she accepted bribes to ask his questions targeting the Adani Group. “Consequent on the adoption of a Motion by the Lok Sabha on the 8th December 2023 expelling Smt. Mahua Moitra, an elected member from the Krishnanagar Parliamentary Constituency

The Bharatiya Janata Party has released a video slamming the Congress after Rs 353 crore was seized by the income tax department during raids at the premises of one of the MPs of the grand old party last week. The BJP shared the video, calling it Congress’ “Money Heist”. The income tax department carried out extensive searches, for five days, and seized Rs 353 crores in cash from an Odisha-based distillery firm run by members of Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Dhiraj Sahu. In a minute-long video, shared by the BJP on X, Sahu is seen meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi. The clip also showed cupboards and lockers, stashed with bundles of currency notes and some bags too filled with seized cash. Congress presents the ! pic.twitter.com/vp3BTheosh — BJP (@BJP4India) December 12, 2023 It also showed Gandhi dressed as one of the characters in the Netflix series Money Heist, getting excited seeing the unaccounted money and expressing j

10:12 (IST) Parliament Winter Session 2023 LIVE  Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi gives Adjournment motion notice in LS to discuss recent train accidents Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi tabled an Adjournment resolution in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to debate the recent rail accidents and their impact on the transport sector. He stated that the Ministry of Railways should produce a report describing the causes of the Balasore train tragedy, the Falaknuma Express fire, and the Bihar North East Express derailment.  Winter Session of Parliament | Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi gives Adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the recent train accidents and their effects on the transportation system. pic.twitter.com/jT6r7UFXTk — ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2023 10:10 (IST) Parliament Winter Session 2023 LIVE  Arjun Ram Meghwal to move Chief Election Commissioner Bill today Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment

Security has been amped up in Srinagar and most parts of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Supreme Court’s verdict on abrogation of Article 370 in the Union Territory. The apex court is scheduled to pronounce Monday its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud will decide whether the decision taken by the Centre on 5 August, 2019, to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution which conferred special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was constitutionally valid. The verdict in the matter was reserved by the top court on 5 September this year after it held 16 days of marathon hearing in August after hiatus of over three years with its last listing dating back to March 2020 when another five-judge bench had declined to refer the matter to a larger bench. Vehicles were checked, more security personnel were deployed, se

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied reports that the Indian government issued a secret memo against Hardeep Singh Nijjar a couple of months before the Khalistan supporter was killed by unknown gunmen in Canada. “We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo. This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India. The outlet in question is known for propagating fake narratives peddled by Pakistani intelligence. The posts of the authors confirm this linkage,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. “Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility.” Several media reports had claimed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a secret memo in April 2023 directing Indian consulates in North America to initiate a crackdown against Khalistan supporters in Western nations. The document allegedly named a number of Khalistan supporters including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a c

Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman is set to embark on his inaugural visit to India on December 16, aiming to explore opportunities for future collaborations that contribute to regional stability and prosperity. Notably, this visit holds significance as the first official trip by a prominent leader from the Gulf region since the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has raised global concerns. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Sunday that the visit underscores a noteworthy milestone in the diplomatic ties between India and the Sultanate of Oman. President Droupadi Murmu extended the invitation to Sultan Haitham, who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior ministers and officials. “The visit will be an opportunity to explore avenues for future collaboration between India and Oman for regional stability, progress and prosperity,” it said. The MEA said Sultan Haitham bin Tarik will be received by Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapat

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday selected Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal leader and former Union Minister, to be the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. On becoming the new CM of Chhattisgarh, Vishnu Deo Sai said, “Today, I have been unanimously chosen as the leader of the legislative assembly. I am thankful to PM Modi, Union HM Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda for showing trust in me.” #WATCH | Raipur: BJP leader Vishnu Deo Sai to become the next Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. pic.twitter.com/8CT57rw9EO — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2023 Expressing her joy, BJP leader and Union Minister Renuka Singh Saruta highlighted the significance of Sai’s selection, noting that this marks the first time a party worker from the tribal community, belonging to a farmer’s family, has been chosen as the Chief Minister. #WATCH | BJP leader and Union Minister Renuka Singh Saruta says, “I am very happy that Vishnu Deo Sai will be the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. This is the first

Bengaluru saw the highest number of acid attacks against women in the nation in 2022, according to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, with the city police registering six cases. Bengaluru topped the overall list of the 19 metropolitan cities included in the NCRB data, with eight women reporting acid attacks in the previous year. According to the data, Ahmedabad registered five cases of acid attacks in 2022, placing it in third place, and Delhi saw seven women fall victim to these attacks in 2022. The national capital of Delhi reported seven cases of attempted attacks last year, followed by Bengaluru with three cases, according to an analysis of NCRB data. Meanwhile, meteropolitan cities like Hyderabad and Ahmedabad registered two such cases of attempted attacks in 2022. One of the prominent cases of acid attack which shook Bengaluru last year was that of a 24-year-old M.Com graduate who was attacked on April 28 when she was on her way to work. According to

According to APEDA, exports of agri-commodities, including basmati rice, fell to 17.93 lakh tonnes in September this year from 27.94 lakh tonnes the previous month. Agri-commodity exports in April and May totaled over 33 lakh tonnes apiece. However, due to multiple restrictions on the export of several varieties of rice, including broken rice and non-basmati white rice, shipments of farm commodities plummeted to roughly 18 lakh tonnes. According to data collected by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), agricultural exports totaled 27.94 lakh tonnes in August of the 2023-24 fiscal year. In value terms, the export of farm items declined to Rs 14,153 crore during September from Rs 18,128 crore in August of this fiscal. Much of the exports in September were non-basmati exports which stood at 4.25 lakh tonne, basmati rice at 1.21 lakh tonne, fresh onions at 1.51 lakh tonne, and buffalo meat at 1,21,427 tonne, the data showed. Total export o