Breaking News, December 7 | HIGHLIGHTS

The Mumbai Police's cyber crime wing has registered a total of 3,668 cases till September this year, of which cases related to online fraud or credit cards accounted for as many as 1,073 cases, an official said here. Of the 3,668 cases, 214 were cracked with the arrest of 334 people, he said. A total of 299 cases were related to obscene emails or MMS posts in which 94 people were arrested, the official said. ''For fake social media profiles or morphing e-mails 108 cases were reported and 25 people were arrested. As many as 1,073 cases relating to credit card or online fraud were registered, in which 16 people were arrested and 1,141 cases of cheating were registered in which 41 people were arrested," he said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday took feedback from BJD leaders who managed the electioneering in the Padampur bypoll, the results of which will be out on Thursday. Patnaik taking feedback from party leaders a day before vote counting is the first-of-its-kind exercise in the BJD which has been in power in the state since 2000. Party insiders said Patnaik was anxious about the outcome of the high-stakes by-election, which took place on December 5, especially after the BJP trounced the ruling party in the state in the Dhamnagar assembly bypoll in November.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to people on Monday to vote for the BJP in the upcoming civic polls, saying the "triple-engine government" will accelerate the pace of development in the state. Addressing two meetings of intellectuals in Shahjahanpur and Bareilly, Adityanath said though the "double-engine government" of the BJP -- a reference to the party being in power in the state and at the Centre -- is committed to development, a responsive local body is a must to implement the government's development projects on the ground. "Now, it's time to elect BJP candidates on municipal seats to accelerate the pace of development across municipal corporations and municipalities,” he said.The dates for the election to urban bodies in the state are expected to be announced soon.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be inaugurating the 14th edition of Aero India that would be held here from February 13-17, 2023.

The biennial airshow would be held at the Air Force Station at Yelahankae.

The Chief Minister said this at the inauguration of Collins Aerospace's global engineering and technology centre here. He said since it would be an international-level event, the airshow must showcase aerospace research centres, air-travelling opportunities and possibilities in aircraft industry in the State and in Bengaluru.

Hosts Rajasthan United were held to a 1-1 draw by Mumbai Kenkre in a sixth-round match of the I-League here on Wednesday. In a game which livened up only in the second half, it was Mumbai Kenkre's Aman Gaikwad who put his team ahead before it was cancelled out by Rajasthan United's Kyrgyz midfielder Bektur Amangeldiev. The match began at a slow pace with both teams trying hard to find the rhythm. Rajasthan United controlled the proceedings as they tried to build the attack from the back, while Kenkre relied on a long ball strategy. The hosts received a few set-pieces in the opening minutes. However, they couldn't create any chances. Midway through the half, the game started to open up and it was Rajasthan United, who saw more of the attacks.

Police here have registered a case after two minor sisters alleged that a 14-year-old boy sexually abused them. The victim girls and the boy used to go for tuition at the same place, police said. “Two days ago, my daughter told her aunt that while going for tuitions, Bhaiya (boy) touched her inappropriately. When I got to know about it, I asked both of my daughters and they repeated the same. My second daughter also told me that Bhaiya had done the same with her during Raksha Bandhan,” the mother of the girls said in her complaint to the police.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Wednesday accused the Congress of spending four years to save itself instead of the state's people. Taking a jibe at the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is currently passing through Rajasthan, Raje said the state had seen development only for special guests after four years of its rule. She also accused the state government of neglecting Jhalawar, which the yatra passed earlier this week.
Raje was addressing virtually the BJP's Jan Aakrosh rally in Kanwadi village in the Jhalrapatan Assembly constituency. The Congress-led state government only cares about itself, not the public. They ha

Three people, including a four-year-old girl was killed after a sand-laden truck overturned and fell on a motorcycle here on Wednesday, police said. The driver lost control of the truck while trying to save another vehicle. The truck overturned on a passing motorcycle, killing its three passengers, they said. The deceased have been identified as Mahipal (35), Geeta (40) and her daughter Surbhi, residents of Prakashpur under the Dibai police station area limits, police said. They were on their way to Narora when the accident took place, they said. A JCB machine was used to pull out the deceased, police said, adding that the truck driver escaped from the spot. 
 

The counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls along with six assembly and one Lok Sabha by-elections will commence at 8 am on Thursday with prohibitory orders in place around counting halls to ensure peace and tranquility. According to the Election Commission, the counting of votes will take place at a total of 116 counting centres in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh where six assembly and one Lok Sabha bypolls were held. In a statement, the EC said counting of votes will be taken up for postal ballots at 8 am and will continue till it is completed.

A day after fisherfolk called off their over 130-day long protest outside the under-construction Vizhinjam sea port, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday closed the Adani Group's pleas seeking contempt action against the protestors. 

A 51-year-old woman and her seven-year-old grandson were found dead in Mizoram's Mamit district on Wednesday with severe cut wounds on their heads, police said. The bodies of Rokimi and Mark Lalawmpuia were found inside their house in Luangpawl area on Wednesday morning, Mamit Superintendent of Police Lalthangpui Pulamte said. The woman was found lying on the floor with severe cut wounds on the head and neck, while the boy's body was found on a bed with cut injuries on the head, she said. The officer said that a blood-stained axe was also found at the spot.

A 33-year-old man allegedly killed the wife of his brother-in-law and later shot himself dead in a village in Bawal area of district Rewari in Haryana, police said on Wednesday. Jagdish, a resident of Jhimrawat village of Nuh district, shot dead 26-year-old Sheetal Tuesday night at her husband’s house in Dulhera village, police said. The two according to the complaint filed by the woman’s husband had had an affair. According to a complaint filed by Mahesh, Sheetal’s husband, he was sleeping with his wife and his two children in a room in his house and had just been out to urinate when the shots rang out. "At around 10.45 pm, I went outside to urinate. 

Kerala is very vulnerable to climate induced disasters owing to its geographical location and therefore, the government has come out with a revised action plan on dealing with climate change, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Wednesday. Vijayan, speaking at the India Climate and Development Partners' Meet held here, said climate change was fast becoming one of the biggest threats to mankind and environment, and it has become imperative that all stakeholders come together to tackle the issue. As a step in that direction, the southern state has come out with a revised action plan on climate change, he said.

Eight journalists working in Kashmir have received threat from terrorists online and four of them have reportedly resigned from their jobs, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Rai said a case has been registered at the Shergari police station in Srinagar in this regard. "As reported, eight journalists working for Srinagar-based local newspapers received threat through terror blog "Kashmir Fight". Four media persons have reportedly resigned. The media persons who resigned belong to the media house 'Rising Kashmir'," he said replying to a written question. The minister said the government has a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the government has taken several steps to protect the lives of people, including media persons, from terrorist threat and attacks that include proactive security arrangements wherein security grid that includes the police, army, paramilitary and intelligence agencies remain deployed across Jammu and Kashmir to thwart any threat and attempt at the hands of terrorists or their handlers. 

More than 10,000 security personnel, returning officers, and other support staff will oversee the counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls on Thursday. The counting will start at 8 am in 68 counting halls spread across 59 locations throughout the state, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Maneesh Garg said on Wednesday. The counting will start with the postal ballot at 8 am followed by EVM counting at 8.30 am. Garg said that subject to availability of space, a maximum of 14 counting tables and a minimum of eight counting tables will be placed in the counting halls, with a separate table to accommodate nearly 500 postal ballots.

The Aam Aadmi Party looks on course to end the BJP's 15-year rule at the Delhi municipal corporation with the latest trends and results showing the party has crossed the magic figure of 126, leading the BJP by over 25 seats. According to figures available at 11.30 am, the AAP has won 56 seats and was ahead in 77, totalling up to 133. The BJP on the other hand has won 46 and was leading in 58, adding up to 104. The Congress on the other hand was lagging far behind, winning just four seats and leading in six.The MCD has 250 wards, and the simple majority mark is 126.

Thousands of police carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state in an armed coup. Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement. Some members of the grouping reject Germany's postwar constitution and have called for the overthrow of the government. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann described the raids as an “anti-terrorism operation,” adding that the suspects may have planned an armed attack on institutions of the state.

Import of coal by the power sector has increased in ongoing financial year and the sector imported 38.84 million tonne (MT) of the dry fuel in April-October period, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. "...import of coal by the power sector increased during current financial year of 2022-23. As against the total import of 27 MT by power sector in entire year of 2021-22, the import of coal by power sector in first 7 months increased to 38.84 MT," Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. However, much of the rise in import has gone to feed domestic coal-based plants, and the restoration of power generation by imported coal-based plants to its potential level has remained slow.

A day after the months-long protest against the under-construction Vizhinjam sea port was called off here, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said rehabilitation of local people and protection of their livelihood are top priorities of his government while implementing development projects. The Left government has assured this in all development projects and the approach is the same in the case of Vizhinjam port as well, he said in a statement made in the Assembly under Rule 300.

Afghan girls will be allowed to take their high school graduation exams this week, an official and documents from the Taliban government indicated on Tuesday — even though they have been banned from classrooms since the former insurgents took over the country last year. According to two documents from the Taliban ministry of education, obtained by The Associated Press, the decision applies to 31 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces where the winter school break starts in late December. Ehsanullah Kitab, head of the Kabul education department, said the exams would take place on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on his first day in the Rajya Sabha as the ex-officio charman. Speaking at the Upper House, PM Modi lauded VP Dhankhar saying "You have reached this stage while going ahead in life amid struggles, it's an inspiration for several people in the country. You are gracing this august post in the House." 

Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 pm after the reading of the obituaries, on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

The rupee depreciated 25 paise to 82.75 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, tracking muted domestic equities ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy decision. Forex traders said dollar demand in the overseas market and foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.74 against the dollar, then edged lower to 82.75, registering a loss of 25 paise over its previous close.

Equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty opened on a choppy note on Wednesday, tracking weakness in index heavyweights Wipro, TCS and Maruti ahead of the RBI monetary policy announcement. The 30-share index was trading 34.28 points or 0.05 per cent lower at 62,592.08 in early deals. Similarly, the Nifty slipped 14.55 points or 0.08 per cent to 18,628.20, mirroring sluggish investor sentiment in global markets. NTPC was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 1 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, Wipro, TCS, HCL Tech, Maruti and Tech Mahindra. On the other hand, L&T, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, HUL and SBI were among the gainers.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recommenced his Bharat Jodo Yatra on its 91st day on Wednesday as he and fellow yatris marched towards the coaching capital of Kota from Darra Station Ganesh Mandir at 6 am. The yatra, which has so far covered over 2,400 kilometres since its start on September 7 from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari, will travel at least 13 km in its first leg of its day three in Rajasthan to reach Mandana in Kota's Laadpura.

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday warned that it could stop working with Afghanistan ahead of the next Olympics in 2024 if women are not allowed to play sports under Taliban rule. The IOC said its support for Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee will depend on conditions including women being allowed to play sports with “safe and inclusive access” and to take part in sports administration. Afghanistan's teams for international events must include female athletes who live in the country and not only those based abroad.

The Union Home Ministry has cleared the issuance of visa to 34 players and officials of the Pakistan blind cricket team for the World Cup in India, officials said.
After the nod, the External Affairs Ministry will issue the visas to the Pakistani players and officials so that they can travel to India for the ongoing tournament.
India, Bangladesh, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Pakistan are scheduled to play in tournament from December 5-17.

India, the world's largest democracy, is home to a great diversity of faiths, the United States said Tuesday noting that it will continue to encourage New Delhi to uphold its commitments to protect religious freedom for all. The United States has designated 12 countries, including China, Pakistan and Myanmar, as "countries of particular concern" for the current status of religious freedom in these nations. Announcing this on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs.