Breaking News December 24 | Highlights

Schools in Maharashtra's Pune will reopen for the students of classes 9 to 12 from January first week, the Pune Municipal Corporation said on Thursday. READ MORE

The first batch of 300,000 doses of SputnikV vaccine delivered to Argentina. This is one of the largest one-time deliveries of a COVID-19 vaccine to a Latin American country: Statement

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday announced winter vacations for government colleges in the Kashmir Valley and winter zones in Jammu division from December 28. As per an order issued here, the colleges will be closed from December 28 to February 13, 2021.

Colleges falling in the summer zone of Jammu division will close on December 26 and open on January 4, 2021, it added.

The winter vacation for all government educational institutions and recognised private schools up to higher secondary-level in the Kashmir division and winter zone areas of Jammu division is from December 21 to February 28.

Karnataka has withdrawn the night curfew order just a day after it had imposed it amid concerns over the new more aggressive variant of the novel coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom. 

Chief Secretary, Govt of Maharashtra issues SOP to be implemented by concerned authorities with immediate effect for the passengers arriving from Europe, South Africa & Middle-East countries and flights coming through the airports of these countries

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will undertake a two-day visit to Assam and Manipur from December 26 during which he will lay the foundation stone of a new medical college in Guwahati and distribute financial grants to 8,000 'namghars' or Vaishnavite monasteries under the Assam Darshan programme, officials said on Thursday.

A 12-year-old Indian boy in the UAE has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records by identifying the most aeroplane tails in a minute, media reports said on Thursday.

Siddhant Gumber, an Abu Dhabi-based homeschooled boy who identified 39 aeroplane tails in 60 seconds, is also the youngest Indian to identify top 100 tallest buildings, Gulf News reported.

Brother of DMK chief MK Stalin, MK Alagiri said, "I will meet my followers and supporters on January 3 and will take a decision accordingly... There is no chance of working with DMK in the forthcoming election."

Kerala Cabinet decided to recommend to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan for convening a session of state Assembly on December 31. Earlier, the Governor denied assent to the Cabinet's recommendation for a special Assembly session.

A court in Dehradun permits BJP MLA Mahesh Negi to give his DNA sample on January 11 in connection with an alleged sexual harassment case. Negi's lawyer tells the court that he is unwell.

A Uttarakhand court had ordered Negi, who is accused in an alleged sexual harassment case, to appear before it on December 24 and give his DNA sample. 

Around 50-60 Congress workers were detained today who joined party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Gulam Nabi Azad at 24 Akbar Road to march towards Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet the President for submission of their memorandum. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference on the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Delhi Health Department asks Lok Nayak Hospital to set up a separate isolation unit for people testing COVID positive after returning from the UK. A new strain of coronavirus has been detected in the UK.

Two persons have been arrested with 100 grams of brown sugar from the Virar area of Palghar district in Maharastra. A case has been registered against them under provisions of the NDPS Act. 

Sensex up by 309 points, currently trading at 46,753 points. Nifty up by 80 points, currently trading at 13,681 points.

India records 24,712 new COVID-19 cases, 29,791 recoveries, and 312 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry

• Total cases: 1,01,23,778
• Active cases: 2,83,849
• Total recoveries: 96,93,173 
• Death toll: 1,46,756

Mizoram reported 15 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, as per the state government.  

• Total cases: 4,156
• Active cases: 140
• Discharges: 4,008
• Deaths: 8

Buses of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, autorickshaws and cabs will operate during night curfew (11 pm-5 am) which starts tonight, said Karnataka Transport Minister Laxman Savadi. 

Police register cases against farmers for allegedly blocking CM Manohar Lal Khattar's convoy in Ambala.

We've lodged cases under sections 307 (murder attempt), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting with weapon), 322 (voluntarily causing hurt), 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) & section 353 of IPC, said DSP Ambala Madan Lal.

A local court here on Wednesday sentenced a man to 12-year jail and imposed a fine of Rs 21,000 in connection with the rape of a minor. District Government Counsel Rudra Pratap Singh said the court of Judge Neeraj Kumar convicted Binu Singh (22) of the rape of a 12-year-old girl, which took place on November 5, 2017.

The government counsel said the girl was raped when she was going to a grocery shop. The girl was dragged by the accused to a cattle shed where she was raped, he said.