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Congress politician and former Union minister Milind Deora resigned from the party’s main membership on Sunday. In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the former South Mumbai Lok Sabha MP said, “Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family’s 55 year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years.” Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of @INCIndia , ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues & karyakartas for their… — Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा ☮️ (@milinddeora) January 14, 2024 In recent days, there has been much conjecture in political circles over his possible joining of the Shiv Sena, which is run

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s son, Anant Ambani, and Encore Healthcare CEO Viren Merchant’s daughter, Radhika Merchant, are set to tie the knot. The couple’s pre-wedding functions are scheduled to commence and the invitation cards have become viral online. The invitation invites guests to Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding festivities at Reliance Greens in Jamnagar from March 1-3, 2024. The invite reads, “We are thrilled to invite you to Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding festivities at the Reliance Greens in Jamnagar, from 1-3 March, 2024. In 1997, Reliance built the world’s largest grassroot refining complex near Jamnagar. Over the years, planted more than 10 million trees in this arid region, Transforming it into a bustling green community. flourishing with flowers and fruits, and housing Asia’s largest mango orchard! Taking the spirit of this initiative further, Anant has lovingly nurtured this complex into a haven of care and compassion for over thousands of rescued anim

At least 12 people, including two Indians, were killed and 23 others injured after a passenger bus plunged into the Rapti River in Nepal’s Lumbini province, according to a media report on Saturday. The incident occurred late at night on Friday when the bus, en route from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu, deviated off the Rapti bridge in Bhgalubang and plunged into the river along the East-West Highway, according to The Kathmandu Post. “Twelve people were killed in the accident after a passenger bus fell into the Rapti River. Two Indians were among the dead,” said the report. A total of 23 people were also injured in the accident. “All the injured were rushed to the Nepalgunj Medical Teaching Hospital in Kohalpur for treatment,” said the Deputy Inspector of Police Sundar Tiwari. Police said that the reason behind the accident is not yet clear. Bus driver Lal Bahadur Nepali, 28, has been taken into custody for investigation. With inputs from PTI. from Firstpost India Latest News https://if

India has recorded 441 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases has come down to 3,238, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. Also , no deaths were reported within 24 hours, according to the ministry’s information. The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1.After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021. Of the 3,238 active cases, a large majority (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation.” The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality,” an official source said. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths reported during the De

Indians spent a lot of time discussing (and probably even daydreaming) about clear blue waters and pristine beaches this week. Yes, both Lakshadweep and the Maldives were at the top of many minds. Some were planning trips to the Indian island and others were cancelling their holidays to the foreign shore. It’s all because of the diplomatic row between Male and New Delhi. We tell you how it started and where it is heading. Another story that grabbed headlines was that of a murder. A shocker from Goa, a mother killing her four-year-old son. Suchana Seth , the 39-year-old CEO of a Bengaluru start-up, allegedly smothered her child to death in a hotel in Candolim and then tried to flee with his body in a suitcase. The story of the killing continues to unravel. In other news, the opening of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is nearing, India got its longest sea bridge, and the Supreme Court ordered the rapists of Bilkis Bano to return to jail. All this and more in our weekly roundup of exp

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the fourth time in the Delhi liquor policy case. He has been asked to appear before the investigative agency on January 18. The fourth summons come after Arvind Kejriwal skipped the January 3 questioning, saying that the summons issued by the ED were illegal and its only aim was to arrest him. Kejriwal, also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, had earlier refused to appear before the probe agency on two occasions for November 2 and December 21. The AAP chief had been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the case in April, but had not been made an accused by the agency. Ever since the first summons was issued by the Enforcement Directorate, there has been intense speculation that the Delhi chief minister would be arrested by the agency after his questioning. With three of AAP’s leaders — Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendra Jain — behind

Parliament’s Interim Budget Session 2024 will be held from 31 January to 9 February. The session will be last of the 17th Lok Sabha and will begin with the address of President Droupadi Murmu. The Interim Union Budget 2024 will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February. With Lok Sabha elections 2024 scheduled to be held later this year, Sitharaman would be presenting an interim budget and not a full budget. #InterimBudgetSession2024 , last session of Seventeenth Lok Sabha to be held from 31st January to 9th February, with address of Hon’ble President to the Parliament. On 1st February, Hon’ble FM @nsitharaman ji will present the Interim Union Budget. pic.twitter.com/fF0yzblsgU — Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 12, 2024 India's economic survey will be presented on 31 January. Union Budget Also known as the annual financial statement (AFS) for a particular year, Union Budget is presented by the government to highlight its expenditure and rec

Foreigners cannot claim right to reside and settle in India, observed the Delhi High Court, saying their fundamental rights are limited to protection of life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. “We may also note that foreign national cannot claim that he has the right to reside and settle in India in terms of Article 19 (1) (e) of the Constitution of India,” said a division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain. “Fundamental right of any such foreigner or suspected foreigner is limited to the one declared under Article 21 of Constitution of India, that is, fundamental right of life and liberty and there is nothing which may suggest that his liberty has been curtailed in an illegal or unlawful manner,” the court said. With this observation, the Delhi High Court dismissed a habeas corpus plea claiming that a Bangladeshi national, named Azal Chakma, was illegal and without authority in India. The petition was moved by the man’s uncle. In the

We are days away from the historic Ram Mandir launch in Ayodhya, which is scheduled for 22 January. On this day, the idol of Lord Ram Lalla will be installed at the temple after the consecration ceremony. And ahead of D-Day, which will see several VVIPs and celebrities from across the world in attendance, preparations are in full swing. On Tuesday (9 January), Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the temple site. However, what exactly is a pran pratishtha ceremony? Why is such a ritual performed? We get you these answers and more. What is pran pratishtha? Pran pratishtha is a sacred Hindu ritual, which is performed to invoke a deity into an idol, making it sacred or divine. The term ‘pran’ translates to life whereas pratishtha means ‘establishment. Hence pran pratishtha means ‘establishing of the life force’ or bringing the ‘deity to life’. Once the pran pratishtha is completed, the idol turns into a deity, which, in turn, can accept prayers and grant boons to wo

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met in London, during which the British leader expressed hope that the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations could be brought to a “successful conclusion soon”. Sunak also underlined his and his government’s keenness to strengthen the defence and security pillar of the bilateral relationship, including through Government backing for stronger business and technology partnerships with Indian counterpart entities. “The meeting was warm and cordial,” said the Ministry of Defence. Had a very warm meeting with the UK Prime Minister, Shri @rishisunak in London. I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him. We discussed issues pertaining to defence, economic cooperation and how 🇮🇳 and 🇬🇧 could work together for strengthening a peaceful… pic.twitter.com/1yk2RWJpbn — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 11, 2024 During the meeting, the Defence Minister highlighted that both Ind

On Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray received a body blow when Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar held that the Eknath Shinde-led faction was the real Shiv Sena in the battle of Sena vs Sena. The ruling has cemented Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s position and also added heft to the ruling coalition in the state, which consists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. While the Shinde faction celebrated the order , analysts maintained that the Speaker’s order was on expected lines. Even Sharad Pawar, NCP chief and ally of the Thackeray-led Sena, said the verdict was not at all surprising. But for those who thought this was the end of the matter, think again. Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t seem to be in the mood to relent. We take a closer look at what the verdict said, what it means for Uddhav Thackeray and what steps can he take next. Speaker’s verdict

At the star-studded CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023 on Wednesday, the Heroes of Uttarkashi received special recognition and thunderous ovation. Rat miners Munna and Wakil, foreman Gabbar Singh Negi and his colleague Saba Ahmed, and Director General (DG) of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Atul Karwal were among the heroes who accepted the medal from MoS Jitendra Singh. “The brief was rescue them at any cost. The whole nation was behind us. It was a huge thing. We were given what seemed like a blank cheque. Nature kept throwing challenges, but eventually the mountain relented and let us go,” Karwal told the media. In addition to saying that the endeavor demonstrated “the spirit and eternity of Bharat,” Singh noted that they are receiving recognition on behalf of all Indians. “It was a tough time, we had lost touch with everybody. The workers on the outside knew of the support. Our spirits were going low as we didn’t know all this. Every worker wanted to know when he wo

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, “When foreigners think of a new India, they think of a new Gujarat”. He went on to say that this transformation happened because of PM Modi, the most successful leader in India’s history. “I have come from the city of the Gateway of India to the gateway of modern India’s growth – Gujarat. I am a proud Gujarati… When foreigners think of a new India, they think of a new Gujarat. How did this transformation happen? Because of one leader, who has emerged as the greatest global leader of our times – PM Modi, the most successful Prime Minister in India’s history,” Mukesh Ambani said in his address at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. #WATCH | Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 | Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani says, “I have come from the city of the Gateway of India to the gateway of modern India’s growth – Gujarat. I am a proud G

It’s been almost 10 years since Xiaomi launched their first smartphone in India. Doesn’t seem that long, does it? During the course of the journey, their Note series has garnered immense popularity. From highly competent budget phones that offered great value for money, the Note series has moved on to a more premium category over the past few years. Of course, the feature list and performance has been par for the course to justify the higher price tags. The Redmi Note 13 series is ready for launch, or rather ready for purchase starting 10th of January this year. The series has three phones at the moment – the Note 13, Note 13 Pro and Note 13 Pro+. While their reviews are in progress, we thought why not tell you how they compare to their predecessors in terms of features and specifications, and what new stuff they bring to the table this time. Here are some noteworthy points. Redmi Note 13 vs Redmi Note 12 Before we talk about these phones specifically, the Note 13 series has undergo

The murder of a four-year-old boy from Bengaluru has sent shockwaves across the country. The killer is his mother. Suchana Seth is a 39-year-old CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup, The Mindful AI Lab. The accused allegedly killed her son on the intervening night of 7 and 8 January in a service apartment hotel in North Goa’s Candolim. She then stuffed the body in a bag and loaded it into a taxi, which she had hailed for Bengaluru. The Goa Police arrested her in neighbouring Karnataka after the hotel staff informed it that they found blood stains on towels in the room where she was staying. But how and why did Suchana Seth kill her son ? And what has been revealed about the shocking murder since she has been arrested? Also read: Who is Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly killed 4-year-old son? The murder and the intent The 39-year-old Bengaluru-based data scientist and startup founder reportedly smothered her son to death. The four-year-old was smothered with a pillow and

The Indian economy is projected to expand by 6.2 per cent in the upcoming fiscal year, driven primarily by a favourable combination of neutral policy settings, positive credit momentum, and manageable macros despite 15-year high household debt levels, according to a report from a foreign brokerage on Tuesday. Despite the rising external headwinds, India is likely to grow 6.2 per cent next fiscal against a consensus of 6.3 per cent to USD 3.9 trillion from USD 3.57 trillion in FY24 on a likely 7 per cent growth, as consumption growth is likely to stabilise at 4.7 per cent from 4.5 per cent in FY24, Tanvee Gupta-Jain, the UBS India chief economist, said in a note. A pick-up in capex is expected to become more broad-based in FY25, led by marginally moderate public capex but higher private corporate capex after elections, Jain said. Another growth driver will be the residential housing sector along with exports, which may marginally improve, depending on global growth. “We expect India

While India aims to boost tourism in the Lakshadweep islands, there are plans to construct a new airfield on the Minicoy Islands which will support both military aircraft, including fighter jets, and commercial planes. “The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft,” ANI quoted government sources as saying. Despite previous submissions to the government for the development of a new airfield in the Minicoy Islands, the recent revitalization of plans for a joint-use defense airfield is currently underway and actively progressing, according to the sources. From a military standpoint, the proposed airfield would enhance India’s strategic capabilities, serving as a base for monitoring the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean region. The initial suggestion for an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands came from the Indian Coast Guard, under the Defence Ministry. As outlined in the current proposal, the Indian

Maldives politician Zahid Rameez, who faced criticism and backlash over his derogatory comments against India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, Tuesday wished India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Rameez is a member of Progressive Party of Maldives that is part of the government led by President Mohamed Muizzu. “Happy Birthday to the esteemed Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishanker! Wishing you a year filled with success and positive diplomatic endeavors,” said Rameez in a post on X. Happy Birthday to the esteemed Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar! 🎉 Wishing you a year filled with success and positive diplomatic endeavors. 🇲🇻🇮🇳 @DrSJaishankar https://t.co/As6U21vbLr — Zahid Rameez (@xahidcreator) January 9, 2024 He was responding to a post where EAM Jaishankar thanked PM Modi for his birthday wishes. Late last week, Rameez reacted to pictures and video shared by PM Modi from his recent visit to Lakshadweep,

It is spread across 32 square kilometres – it is India’s smallest Union Territory – but it has become the talk of the town. We are talking about Lakshadweep, which is at the centre of the India-Maldives row. The island state has gone viral all over India as well as internationally, courtesy Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last week and the ensuing row with the Maldives after ministers from the neighbouring country posted derogatory tweets about India. We take a closer look at how Lakshadweep’s popularity has surged and its possible impact. Lakshadweep turns internet sensation In the first week of January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his way to Lakshadweep – an archipelago of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km – as part of his outreach programme ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. During his visit, the PM chaired a review meeting on various aspects relating to the islands, and also laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 1,150 crore. PM Modi also shared pict

The Supreme Court of India Monday strike down the decision of Gujarat government to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case of gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 riots in the state. The apex court said the Gujarat government had no competence to grant remission and has directed all 11 convicts in the case to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks. “The exercise of power by the State of Gujarat is an instance of usurpation of power and abuse of power. This is a classic case where the order of this court was used to violate the rule of law by granting remission,” Justice BV Nagarathna said. The court further said, instead, the state of Maharashtra is the court that has the power to pass orders of remission. The SC held that the state of trial and sentencing is the “appropriate” government with powers to pass orders of remission. On the apex court order, the trial and sentencing the Bilkis Bano case had been transferred fro

India, on Monday, summoned Maldives envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb after three ministers of the island nation made derogatory, offensive, racist and xenophobic comments against Indians as well as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the early hours of Monday, the Maldivian envoy was seen at the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi’s South Block. #WATCH | Ibrahim Shaheeb, Maldives Envoy exits the MEA in Delhi’s South Block. He had reached the Ministry amid row over Maldives MP’s post on PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. pic.twitter.com/Dxsj3nkNvw — ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024 Three Maldivian ministers were suspended for derogatory remarks against PM Modi and India, which former Deputy Speaker of the island nation Eva Abdulla labelled as "shameful and racist". Over this weekend, PM Modi shared a series of posts on X from his visit to Lakshadweep islands. Soon after, some ministers of Maldives and social media users responded to it with derogatory comments targeting Indians