News Highlights: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacks govt over 'privatisation' of some institutions, says it is a way to end reservation

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Two more unidentified terrorists neutralized in the encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Mirhama area of Kulgam district. Operation going on: Jammu and Kashmir Police

News mixed with views is a dangerous cocktail, says CJI NV Ramana

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacks govt over 'privatisation' of some institutions, says it is a way to end reservation

South Africa score 94/4 in their second innings at the end of Day 4; require 211 runs to win

Punjab Congress chief, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ajay Maken, Sunil Jakhar leave after attending the Punjab Congress Screening Committee meeting in Delhi

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has upgraded the security cover of BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa from 'Y' category to 'Z' category. CRPF has been deployed in his security

Cannabis cultivation spread over about 15 bighas has been destroyed by Assam Police in Latibari char, Bamunialga char and Patakata char in Goalpara district: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

No metro services between Green Park and Qutab Minar on the Yellow Line tomorrow: DMRC

Five youth activists of Samajwadi Party arrested for allegedly trying to instigate violence and disrupt PM Narendra Modi's rally in Kanpur yesterday: Police

National Commission for Minority has taken cognisance of alleged hate speeches delivered at religious conclaves in Haridwar and Raipur recently and sought reports from Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh governments: NCM chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura

AAP leader Raghav Chadha says his party will ensure that Punjab Police functions independently and that political interference is stopped, if voted to power

In J&K, encounter breaks out between security forces and terrorists at Nowgam Shahabad, Dooru area of Anantnag district

Indian Army assisted 300 tourists stranded in heavy snowfall in Lachung, North Sikkim by opening roads and providing them with medical aid and hotel meal

ED has attached assets worth Rs 33.84 Crore of Popular Finance group, Kerala and its promoters under PMLA, 2002 in a cheating case. With present attachment, total attachment in the case has reached to Rs. 65 Crore

Uttarakhand High Court issued notice to the Election Commission of India on a plea seeking postponement of upcoming assembly elections in the State

Uttarakhand High Court issued notice to the Election Commission of India on a plea seeking postponement of upcoming assembly elections in the State in view of the threat posed by Covid’s Omicron variant The next hearing of the case will be on January 3.

India welcomes Egypt as the fourth new member of the BRICS New Development Bank: MEA

Madras High Court orders ban on liquor sales for three hours on New Year night in Puducherry

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath attacks Congress over claims of a witness in 2008 #Malegaon blast case, accuses the party of 'nurturing' terrorists and foisting false cases against Hindu organisations when in power

RBI says stronger recovery hinges on revival of private investment and private consumption; both are below pre-pandemic levels

Congress accuses Modi govt of 'compromising' country's strategic interests by selling 'profitable' PSU Central Electronics Limited (CEL) to private firm with no domain experience

NIA files third supplementary charge sheet in special court in Mohali against two narcotics traffickers, including a Pakistani national, for their alleged involvement in narco-terror case of Hizbul Mujahideen terror group: Official

CBI takes over investigation in a case earlier registered at Uluberia Women police station in Howrah, West Bengal in connection with post-poll violence

Maharashtra Minister Jitendra Awhad files a complaint at Naupada police station in Thane against Kalicharan Maharaj for abusing Mahatma Gandhi, supporting Nathuram Godse and delivering hate speeches in the past

Samajwadi Party suspends 5 of its members for alleged involved in yesterday's incident in Kanpur

1994-batch IFS officer Anupam Ray, presently Joint Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been appointed as the next Ambassador/PR of India to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva: MEA

1991-batch IFS officer Pankaj Sharma, Permanent Representative of India to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Mexico: MEA

The Court of Inquiry constituted by Indian Army to investigate the Mon incident visited the site at Oting village today

The inquiry team, headed by a senior rank officer, inspected the site to understand circumstances in which the incident could have happened

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 10th installment of financial benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on 1st Jan at 12:30 pm via video conferencing

Four employees of engineering college die due to electric shock in Maharashtra's Amravati district: Police

ITBP Director General Sanjay Arora has been given additional charge of SSB Director-General till the appointment and joining of the regular incumbent or until further orders: MHA

Bajaj Auto to set up Rs 300 crore EV manufacturing facility in Pune

Bajaj Auto Ltd on Wednesday said it will set up an electric vehicle manufacturing facility at Akurdi in Pune with an investment of Rs 300 crore.

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Moscow court orders dissolution of Memorial's rights centre

Novak Djokovic withdraws from ATP Cup in Sydney

Earthquake strikes Greek island of Crete

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday, the Athens Observatory said, with no damage reported.

The quake struck at 0408 GMT with an epicentre in the sea 48 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Arvi, on the south coast of the island, the Observatory said.

No damage was reported but Greek firefighters were dispatched to the scene as a precautionary measure. - AFP.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee holds an administrative review meeting at Ganga Sagar, South 24 Paraganas. "A decision needs to be taken on the international flights coming to Kolkata. As of now, we are not reducing the number of trains due to Ganga Sagar Mela," said CM Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeks a detailed report from the Central Government on the steps taken to bring back the 68 fishermen arrested by the Srilankan Navy. (ANI)

BJP forms committee to discuss seat-sharing formula in Punjab polls

"BJP's stand is very clear, we'll contest Punjab Assembly Polls on all seats with an alliance with Capt Amarinder Singh (Punjab Lok Congress chief), Sukhdev S Dhindsa (SAD-Sanyukt Chief). 6-member committee formed to discuss seat-sharing formula,"Union Minister and BJP leader Som Parkash.

ED names Anil Deshmukh as main accused in money laundering case

Enforcement Directorate names former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh as the main accused in the 7000-page supplementary chargesheet filed in the money laundering case in PMLA Court, Mumbai. The two sons of Anil Deshmukh have also been named in the chargesheet.

BJP Karnataka state executive meeting is underway at Hubballi

Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka state executive meeting is underway at Hubballi. "Under the leadership of Bommai Ji here, we will win around 150 seats in the next Assembly elections and form a BJP government in the State again,"Arun Singh, BJP Karnataka incharge

Hong Kong police raid pro-democracy Stand News outlet, arrest six

Hundreds of Hong Kong national security police raided the office of online pro-democracy media outlet Stand News on Wednesday and arrested six people, including senior staff, for "conspiracy to publish seditious publications".

Stand News, set up in 2014 as a non-profit, is the most prominent remaining pro-democracy publication in Hong Kong after a national security probe earlier this year led to the closure of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai's iconic Apple Daily tabloid.

The raid further raises concerns about the freedom of speech and that of the media in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise a wide range of individual rights would be protected. (Reuters)

Odisha government has decided to reopen schools for classes 1 to 5 from January 3. A total of 27,000 schools will reopen with timings from 9 amto 12 noon. "Students above 15 years of age will get vaccinated under govt guidelines,"Odisha School & Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash.

Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 near Crete felt in some Egyptian cities

Anearthquakeof5.9magnitudethat hit the Greek island ofCretewasfeltinsomeEgyptiancities, the country's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics said on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Shallow fog in Delhi, minimum temp recorded at 8.4 deg C

The national capital witnessed shallow fog on Wednesday morning and recorded a minimum temperature of 8.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal, with the weather office predicting a cloudy day.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the city received 4 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours between 8.30 am on Tuesday to 8.30 am on Wednesday.

"There will be generally cloudy sky with shallow to moderate fog on Wednesday," IMD officials said.

The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 97 per cent in Delhi, IMD said. (PTI)

Restructuring local mgmt team to ensure high standards: Foxconn on mass food-poisoning at its factory's offsite dormitory facility in Tamil Nadu. (PTI)

Resident doctors of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital continue to strike

Resident doctors of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital continue their strike against the delay in NEET-PG counselling.

"We're facing problems in getting medical treatment here, but the doctors are raising valid demands after working through the Covid-19 pandemic, says a patient's relative. (ANI)

Delhi Metro operates at 50 per centseating capacity, no standing passengers allowed, in view of fresh restrictions imposed due to the rising Covid case. (ANI)

Andhra Pradesh BJP prez Somu Veerraju promises liquor for Rs 50 for 1 crore votes to party

"Cast one crore votes to Bharatiya Janata Party...we will provide liquor for just Rs 70. If we have more revenue left, then, will provide liquor for just Rs 50," saidAndhra Pradesh BJP president Somu Veerraju in Vijayawada yesterday. (ANI)