Breaking News, January 8 | HIGHLIGHTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief at the death of veteran soldier Havaldar (retd) Baldev Singh, who fought four wars against Pakistan, and lauded him as a true epitome of courage and grit. Singh, a reverse war hero, passed away at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Monday. He was 93.

Israeli forces have recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza, the military said Wednesday, adding that it was identifying additional remains that could belong to another captive held in the war-torn enclave. The military said it recovered the body of Yosef AlZayadni, 53, from an underground tunnel during an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is advising the world “not to waste a lot of time” on what President-elect Donald Trump has been saying about Greenland. Trump made clear again this week that he'd like the semiautonomous territory of Denmark to come under US control and said he would not rule out the use of military force to make that happen.

Four devotees, including three women died and several more were injured in a stampede here on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills, a police official said. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10.

The seventh edition of the Mangaluru Literature Fest, organised by Bharat Foundation, will be held on January 11 and 12 at the Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre in Mangaluru. The festival will be inaugurated by renowned Kannada writer S L Bhyrappa.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday thanked the Trinamool Congress for its support to the party for the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi. Kejriwal took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank the Mamata Banerjee-led party for extending support to them for the upcoming polls, which will see AAP in a triangular contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as INDIA bloc partner Congress.

Delhi Metro has been instructed by the Centre to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the extension of the Yellow Line to Narela, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said on Wednesday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation refused to comment on the issue.

The administration on Wednesday launched a major crackdown on individuals possessing significant assets with no verified source of income and issued notices to the land grabbers occupying over 46 acres of prime state land in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, directing them to disclose their income sources.

A peon of a private school in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district allegedly tried to sexually assault a Class V girl student, following which the police arrested the accused, police said on Wednesday.

Bengaluru-based mobility App 'Namma Yatri' was officially launched in Mysuru by Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy on Wednesday, after successful rollouts in Tumakuru, Gulbarga and Mangaluru. "Namma Yatri’s entry into Mysuru not only empowers local drivers but also enhances daily commuting experiences for citizens. It’s a step forward in creating meaningful livelihoods and redefining mobility in the region," said Reddy while launching the app.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on Wednesday rolled out a series of healthcare projects, including a new library and informatics centre at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), in Assam. Nadda laid the foundation stone of a critical care block at Mangaldai Civil Hospital in Darrang district and reviewed ongoing developmental work at AIIMS Guwahati and other places.

Delhi witnessed a sunny afternoon on Wednesday after several breezy cold days as the maximum temperature settled at 21. 5 degrees Celsius, 2. 5 notches warmer than the season's normal. Mainly clear skies were observed during the day even as the city was enveloped with dense fog in the morning with the visibility dropping to zero.

Six people, stranded on an island in the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh, were rescued on Wednesday, police said. They had gone to collect stink bugs from the island in East Siang district using a country boat and due to inclement weather, they could not return, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ayup Boko told PTI. The Mebo police station received information about them around 8. 30 pm, he said.

A man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife, daughter, and a cousin at Jalahalli Cross in the city on Wednesday, police said. According to the police, Gangaraju bludgeoned his wife and the other victims. After the crime, he fled, leaving the house in a pool of blood, they added.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has successfully commissioned two units of the 6x170 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (PHEP-II) in Bhutan. Executed as part of a bilateral agreement between the Indian and Bhutanese governments, PHEP-II is a greenfield hydro project located in the Wangdue district of Western Bhutan, a BHEL press release said.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with Afghanistan's acting foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday. In the meeting, the Afghan side underlined its sensitivities to India's security concerns, according to an Indian readout.

A 19-year-old student, who was preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), was found hanging from a noose in his hostel room in Rajasthan's Kota district, police said on Wednesday.

Shares of ONGC climbed 3 per cent on Wednesday, on a day when UK's BP Plc won a bid for ONGC's giant Mumbai High oil and gas field, offering to raise crude oil production by 44 per cent and natural gas by a staggering 89 per cent over a 10-year period. The stock went up by 2. 94 per cent to settle at Rs 271. 25 on the BSE. During the day, it rallied 3. 77 per cent to Rs 273. 45.

The Shimla meteorological station on Wednesday issued a yellow warning for a cold wave, ground frost and dense fog at isolated places in five of the 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi.

A government school in a village in Khammam district of Telangana is functioning with just one student and a teacher this academic year due to lack of enrolment. The lone student, a girl studying in class four, attends the upper primary school in Wyra mandal in the district to ensure that her education continues without disruption, a district education official told PTI on Wednesday. While the school had a healthy number of students, enrolment has steadily declined over the years.

Janajati Morcha, the tribal wing of the BJP in Tripura on Wednesday strongly opposed the proposed 'Raj Bhavan Abhijan' called by the CPI(M)'s tribal arm, Tripura Rajya Ganamukti Parisad (GMP). The GMP has called 'Raj Bhavan Abhijan' on January 11 on various issues pertaining to the tribal interest.

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Tuesday conducted comprehensive review meetings of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) for Karnataka and Haryana, charting the way forward for rural sanitation and waste management. The review meetings assessed the progress made by the two states in the 2024-25 financial year.

Prayagraj: Vaishnav Akhada Peshwai arrives at Mahakumbh 2025.

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar distributes certificates to children of childcare institutions.

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, along with other party leaders, launches 'Jivan Raksha Yojana' promising Rs 25 lakh health insurance cover if the party forms government in Delhi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds a delegation-level talk with Maldivian Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon, in Delhi.

Karnataka: Lokayukta conducts a raid on Belagavi District Khanapur Tahsildar Prakash Gaikwad's house and office. Documents are being examined under the leadership of Belagavi Lokayukta SP Hanumant Ray. Detail awaited. 

Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reaches the Finance Ministry at North Block to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and submit budget suggestions.

BSF trains its canine warriors to be deployed to guard our borders along with BSF personnel.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and AAP MP Sanjay Singh sit on a 'dharna' outside the CM's residence after being denied entry by the Police. 

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnvais inaugurates the renovated Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla, Mumbai.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnvais arrives at the renovated Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla, Mumbai to inaugurate it.

 Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and AAP MP Sanjay Singh arrive at the CM's residence where a Police barricading has been put up and heavy security has been deployed. 

Fire breaks out in a residential building near Sion Hospital in Mumbai. Fire brigade at the spot. More details are awaited.

Heavy deployment of Police personnel outside the CM residence in Delhi, amid the row over the residence.

Renowned Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik makes sand art as Odisha's Bhubaneswar hosts the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Delhi: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leaves from her residence. She is one of the members of the JPC on One Nation One Election whose first meeting will be held today.

1984 Anti-Sikh riots case: Rouse Avenue court listed the matter for Judgment on January 21, 2025, in a case against former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.

Dima Hasao, Assam: One body recovered from the coal mine at 3 Kilo, Umrangso area where 9 people were trapped on January 6. Search and rescue operation is still underway.

Fire breaks out at car showroom in Kusumba area of Maharashtra's Jalgaon. Fire tenders are at the spot. Details awaited.

The first meeting of the JPC on One Nation One Election will be held today in Delhi.

 Delhi: A layer of fog engulfs the national capital as winter's chill intensifies in Northern India.

Uttar Pradesh: People take refuge in night shelter homes as temperature dips in Ayodhya.

Delhi: A cold wave grips the national capital as the temperature continues to dip in the city.

Delhi: Flight operations are normal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport amid the fog situation in the city.

Delhi: Parade rehearsal of defence personnel for the 76th Republic Day is underway at Kartavya Path.

Prayagraj: Preparations in full swing ahead of Maha Kumbh 2025, scheduled to be held from 13 January to 26 February 2025.