News Highlights: Bengaluru man detained by Mumbai Police in connection with 'Bulli Bai' app

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Over 40 lakh children get Covid-19 vaccine on first day; parents say it is a big relief

As India launched a Covid-19 vaccination drive for the 15-18 age group on Monday, over 40 lakh children received their first dose with many of the beneficiaries and their parents saying they feel a sense of relief, especially in the backdrop of the fresh rise in cases.

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China building bridge over Pangong Tso to counter India's attempts to gain strategic edge

China is building a new bridge linking the northern and the southern banks of Pangong Tso closer to its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) or the de facto boundary with India in eastern Ladakh.

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Bengaluru man detained by Mumbai Police in connection with 'Bulli Bai' app

(ANI)

Census unlikely anytime soon as fear of 3rd wave of Covid-19 looms large

The decennial census, supposed to be held in 2020-21 but postponed due to the Covid pandemic, will not be held anytime soon.

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ONGC Director (HR) Dr Alka Mittal has been given additional charge of chairman and managing director, making her the first woman to head the energy major

(ANI)

President appoints 5 Judges, additional Judges in Calcutta, Bombay HCs

India bowled out for 202 against South Africa in 2nd Test

India missing top batsman and skipper Virat Kohli were bowled out for 202 on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday.

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Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on PM Modi today

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and seeks early approval of revised cost estimate of Rs 55,000 crore for Polavaram project on Godavari river

Lockdown will badly affect MSMEs and turnaround in Indian economy: KASSIA

Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) has cautioned that the rising number of daily Covid-19 cases should not lead to any knee-jerk reaction in the form of a lockdown or other harsh measures from the state government.

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Narendra Modi government is "trying to save the accused" in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, alleges Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and demands sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra after SIT filed charge sheet in the case

We are on track to achieve an export target of $400 billion. The top 10 major commodity groups constituting 80% of exports have grown by 41% over last December: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal

India has achieved the highest ever exports of $37 billion in December 2021, a 37% jump over December 2020: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal

Why should men decide rights of women? asks Kanimozhi

DMK MP Kanimozhi on Monday took objection to only one woman MP being made part of a parliamentary panel that will examine the bill that seeks to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21.

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No roadshows, bike rallies allowed during campaigning of municipal polls. Only 5 people allowed for door-to-door campaigning. Political meetings at indoor locations allowed with 50% capacity. 500 people allowed for political rallies in open space: West Bengal State Election Commission

(ANI)

Only woman panel member TMC MP Sushmita Dev writes to Committee Chairperson requesting him to allow all women MPs to testify on legal marriage age bill

(ANI)

1 terrorist killed in encounter in Srinagar; search ops under way

One terrorist neutralised in the encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists at Gasu near the Shalimar area of Srinagar. Incriminating materials including arms andammunition recovered: J&K Police

(ANI)

A fire broke out in a scrap shop at Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal honours late CDS General Bipin Rawat, during his 'Navaparivartan Sabha' ahead of the upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly elections, at Parade Ground in Dehradun, Monday, January 3, 2022.

AAP's chief ministerial candidate Col. (Retd.) Ajay Kothiyal is also seen.

(PTI Photo)

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel holds high-level emergency meeting to review Covid-19 situation in the State, urges all the districts to be on alert and make all possible efforts to control the spread of the disease: CMO

(ANI)

India taps into big data to crack down on tax evaders

Indian tax authorities have intensified a crackdown on alleged tax evaders, benefiting from big data analyses that makes it easier to spot compliance gaps and as revenue pressure looms before the end of the financial year in March.

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Kejriwal promises to pay Rs 1 crore to families of soldiers killed in line of duty in Uttarakhand

An encounter breaks out between security forces and terrorists at Gasu near the Shalimar area of Srinagar. Details are awaited, says Police

(ANI)

India's unemployment rate hit four-month high in December 2021, says think tank

India's unemployment rate hit a four-month high in December, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed on Monday.

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There was zero governance and corruption during SP govt. Today, there is good governance and honest govt under Yogi Adityanath: BJP President J P Nadda

(ANI)

Satya Pal Malik has bitten the hand that fed him: Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik has “bitten the hand that fed him” and asserted that people of Jammu and Kashmir can “certify” his “untrustworthiness”.

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Delhi Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution that a committee would be formed to solve the problem of stray cattle in Delhi. In a month, this committee will lay the report on the table of the House.

(ANI)

Delhi Police seeks details from GitHub platform about the developer of controversial 'Bulli Bai' mobile application and has written to Twitter for information about the account handler who first posted about the app: Officials

Uttarakhand has seen 3 CMs in the last 5 yrs under BJP rule. The administration system has collapsed. Unemployment is on rise. We need to change this system: Congress leader Harish Rawat

(ANI)

NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede's tenure ended on December 31 & had not requested an extension of service. Wankhede will report to the Director of DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) in Delhi from today: NCB

(ANI)

Centre dismisses allegations that expired vaccines are being administered in India

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Children have mid-day meal at a government school in Bengaluru, Monday, January 3, 2022.

(PTI)

PM Modi to visit Ferozepur, Punjab on January 5 to lay foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore

These projects include Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur: PMO

President of India, in consultation with CJI, appointed the Additional Judge of Calcutta High Court, Aniruddha Roy as Judge of the Calcutta HC. Additional Judges of Bombay HC, Madhav Jayajirao Jamdar, Amit Bhalchandra Borkar and Shrikant Kulkarni appointed as Judges of Bombay HC.

(ANI)

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurred 124 km south-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan at around 15:16 hours today: National Center for Seismology

The weather bureau said the quake measured 6.0 in magnitude and hit at the relatively shallow depth of 19 kilometres (12 miles). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude higher at 6.2.

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Congress targets PM Modi after Meghalaya Governor's 'arrogant' remark about him

After Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "arrogant", senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked on Monday whether Malik's remarks were true.

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Most-wanted LeT militant killed in Srinagar encounter

One of the longest surviving and most wanted militants of Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit was killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Harwan area on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Monday.

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Karnataka minister Ashwath Narayan, Congress MP D K Suresh fight at public event in Ramanagara

Karnataka IT/BT Minister C N Ashwath Narayan and Congress’s Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh almost came to blows in full public view at a stage event in Ramanagara on Monday.

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Sidhu vows cash prize for girl students on passing Class 5, 10 and 12

Congress will give Rs 5,000 & Rs 15,000 each to girl students on passing Class 5 & Class 10, respectively. We'll give Rs 20,000 to each girl student when she passes Class 12. To help girl students pursue higher studies, we'll give them computer tablets: Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress

(ANI)

BJP always had a link with alcohol mafia: Manish Sisodia on BJP's protest in Delhi

Markets get 2022 off to largely positive start in thinned trade

The new year got off to a broadly upbeat start Monday in holiday-thinned trade as most markets rose, with some cheer provided by data suggesting regional economies improved last month.

However, investors remain shackled by concerns about a range of issues including the fast-spreading Omicron variant, inflation, the removal of central bank stimulus and geopolitical tensions.

While the last few months of 2021 were marked by uncertainty on trading floors, global stocks enjoyed blockbuster rallies across the year as economies reopened and lives in most countries returned to some semblance of normal, fuelling optimism that the recovery would stay on track.

Delhi Assembly revokes BJP MLA Mahajan's suspension

Fire at scrap shop in Thiruvananthapuram

A massive fire engulfed a scrap shop at Killipalam in the capital city on Monday.

Ten units of fire force have reached the place and are trying to contain the fire from spreading to nearby buildings including shops and houses. The blaze also spread to a few trees in the vicinity.

"We received the information about the fire at 12.03 PM. As of now, ten units from seven fire stations have reached the place and efforts are on to contain the blaze," an official at the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services Headquarters told PTI.

No casualties have been reported yet, the official said.

Internal rift widens in Punjab Congress ahead of polls

Ahead of the Assembly polls, the internal rift in Punjab Congress has widened with state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu attacking his own government and ministers, including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

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BSF seizes consignment of arms and heroin along IB in J&K's Samba

The Border Security Force (BSF) seized a consignment of arms and heroin along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, officials said.

The consignment was found packed in a white-coloured sack hidden in "sarkanda" (wild grass) near the Chamliyal border outpost, they added.

The officials said the seizure included three AK rifles along with five magazines, four pistols along with seven magazines, five packets of heroin and some assorted ammunition.

The sack was noticed during patrolling, the officials said, adding that it had the markings of "Karachi Fertilizers Company Limited".

Punjab polls: AAP announces 5 more candidates

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced five more candidates for the Punjab assembly polls.

According to the party's seventh list of candidates, Lalli Majithia has been given a ticket from the Majitha assembly seat.

Majithia had quit the Congress party and joined the AAP on January 1.

Delhi Assembly condoles deaths of Gen. Rawat in chopper crash, Vaishno Devi stampede victims

The Delhi Assembly on Monday condoled the deaths of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and others in a helicopter crash last month.

The House also condoled the deaths of those killed in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra and prayed for a speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.
A two-day session of the Assembly commenced from Monday for taking up legislative work.

The members of the House observed a two-minute silence for the departed souls.

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez set to retire from international cricket

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who captained his national team in every format of the game, is reportedly set to retire from international cricket.

The 41-year-old top-order batter has signed up with Lahore Qalandars for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League and will continue to be available for franchise cricket around the world, a report on 'Geo News' stated even though there is no word from the player as yet.

Hafeez, who had announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2018, and would be ending a career spanning nearly two decades.

He represented Pakistan in 392 international matches in which he scored 12,789 runs and took 253 wickets.

Fire breaks out in a godown in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai

8 fire engines have rushed to the spot, according to ANI.

Person spotting crossing DMZ likely previous defector from North Korea

The person observed crossing the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea last week is presumed to be a North Korean who had previously defected to the South, Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, citing Seoul's defence ministry.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it carried out a search operation after detecting the person on Saturday on the eastern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.

"The authorities presume the person is a North Korean defector and are in the process of verifying related facts," the ministry said, according to Yonhap.

Modi pays tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar on birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar, the Sivaganga queen in Tamil Nadu who waged war against the British, on her birth anniversary.

Her strong commitment to fight colonialism was remarkable, and she personifies the spirit of our "Nari Shakti" (women power), the prime minister tweeted.

Born in 1730, she is hailed for her campaign against the East India Company.

"Remembering the brave Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary. Her indomitable courage shall keep motivating the coming generations. Her strong commitment to fight colonialism was remarkable. She personifies the spirit of our Nari Shakti," Modi tweeted.

South Korea's Moon promises final push for North Korea peace

South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed on Monday to use his last months in office to press for a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea, despite public silence from Pyongyang over his attempts for a declaration of peace between the two sides.

"The government will pursue normalisation of inter-Korean relations and an irreversible path to peace until the end," Moon said in his final New Year's address before his five-year term ends in May. "I hope efforts for dialogue will continue in the next administration too."

In his own address on New Year's Eve, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made no mention of Moon's calls for a declaration officially ending the 1950-1953 Korean War, or of stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States.

Sakkari battles past Zidansek to open WTA season in Adelaide

World number six Maria Sakkari battled past Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek in three sets to reach the second round of the Adelaide International on Monday and kick off the new WTA season.

The 26-year-old Greek was kept on court for just over two hours before seeing off Zidansek 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.

Third seed Sakkari, who broke into the top 10 in November, admitted she had been well below her best as she warms up for the Australian Open later this month.

BSF troops have shot down an intruder near the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu: BSF

Sudan's PM resigns as deadly crackdown on protesters goes on

Sudan's civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned Sunday, more than two months after a coup and following another deadly crackdown on protesters, with the military now firmly in control.

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Biden vows US to act decisively if Russia invades Ukraine

President Joe Biden conferred on Sunday with Ukraine's leader over the Russian troop buildup near its border with Ukraine, promising that the US and allies will act “decisively” if Russia further invades Ukraine.

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