Breaking News, January 18

Light/moderate rainfall/snowfall over the Western Himalayan region and scattered to widespread light/moderate rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh is likely between January 21 to 23, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted.

Around the same time, minimum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-4 degrees Celsius over northwest India during the next 3-4 days.

A fresh active Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 21 onwards while an induced cyclonic circulation is very likely to form over southwest Rajasthan on January 22, IMD said.

Hinting at easing curbs imposed due to surge in Covid-19 cases, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Tuesday said that the expert committee is of the opinion that Covid-19 restrictions would suffice for another week.

"The opinion was given by the experts in the high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday. Until then, the restrictions would continue. About 23,000 Covid cases are coming to light in Bengaluru. The numbers are very high in the city," he said.

Delhi Police have strengthened the security arrangements in the national capital after they received intelligence inputs of a possible terror attack in the city ahead of the Republic Day. Top Delhi Police sources told IANS that strict security arrangements have been put in place across the national capital.

"On such occasions [Republic Day], Delhi Police always raise the alert. We increase our visibility, presence and checking to counter any threat," a senior police officer said.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said in an order that as per reports, certain criminal or anti-social elements or terrorists inimical to India may pose a threat to the safety of the general public, dignitaries and vital installations.

In view of this, Asthana also put a ban on the use of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), micro-light aircraft, remotely-piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small-size powered aircraft, quadcopters or even para-jumping from aircraft etc.

"Shocked & sad over rejection of tableaux from Tamil Nadu for Republic Day parade without any reason. State tableaux rejected for Republic day parade in Delhi by Central committee will be part of Republic Day parade in Chennai; will be taken across Tamil Nadu", said CM MK Stalin

Companies of para-military forces have started arriving Uttar Pradesh ahead of the first phase of the Assembly election on February 10, security sources said on Tuesday.

According to the Union Home Ministry order issued on January 6, a total of 150 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has been allocated to the UP administration for 'area domination' in the state for conducting safe and peaceful Assembly polls.

A total of 50 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 30 each from the Border Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal, and 20 each from the Central Industrial Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, have been allocated to UP as of now, the officials in the Ministry said, adding that rest will be dispatched soon. More companies of para-military forces will be sent to UP as the election process is spread across seven phases.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy attends wreath-laying ceremony at National War Memorial in Delhi.

There will be no chief guest at the Republic Day parade this year also as the plan to host state heads of five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- seems to have been cancelled due to the Covid situation in India as well as in the respective nations. Though the Ministry of External Affairs is yet to confirm this officially.

If the guests arrive, then this would be the second time when India hosts a group of state heads as the chief guests on the Republic Day. In 2018, state heads of ASEAN countries graced the occasion with their presence. Apart from Kazakhstan, none of these countries' state heads had been invited as the chief guests on the Republic Day. In 2009, Kazakhstan's then president Nursultan Nazarbayev was the Chief Guest.

Two police constables deputed as security officers at the residence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly running a drug racket, and selling 'ganja' in Bengaluru.

The policemen -- identified as Shivakumar and Santhosh, attached to Koramangala police station, were deputed as security officers at the R.T. Nagar residence of CM Bommai, in Bengaluru.

According to police, the accused have obtained drugs from drug peddlers and sold them to customers.

EAM S Jaishankar: "UAE FM AB Zayed expressed condolences for the Indian lives lost in the terror attack in UAE yesterday".

Assam-Meghalaya border row | A roadmap for amicable settlement has been prepared based on recommendations of 3 Regional Committees with representatives from both states.

"6 of the 12 areas of difference have been identified for resolution in the first phase; areas of differences taken up for final settlement are - Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillingkata & Ratacherra," said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

'BulliBai' App case | Mumbai's Bandra Court reserves order on the bail applications of Vishal Kumar Jha, Mayank Rawat and Shweta Singh till January 20. Mumbai Cyber ​​Cell has strongly opposed the bail of all three: Advocate Sandeep Sherkhane, accused Rawat's lawyer

Srinagar, J&K | Amid fresh snowfall and two avalanches, the Indian Army and General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) rescued 30 civilians stuck on Chowkibal-Tangdhar road (NH-701) on the intervening night of January 17-18: Indian Army

At least five Naxals, including two woman, were killed in two separate encounters with security personnel in Sukma district and the forests along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border on Tuesday morning, police said.

In the Suka district, a dreaded woman ultra, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head, was gunned down during the gunfight between Naxals and the personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from the Sukma, Dantewada and Bastar, an official said.

Another skirmish broke out between Naxals and security personnel in the forests along the border of Chhattisgarh and Telangana in the morning hours.

Tata Motors said on Tuesday it will increase prices of passenger vehicles by an average 0.9 per cent effective from January 19, 2022 due to a steep rise in input costs.

"Effective January 19, 2022, an average increase of 0.9 per cent will be implemented, depending on the variant and model," Tata Motors said in a statement.

At the same time, the Company has also taken a reduction of upto Rs 10,000 on specific variants, in response to feedback from customers, it said.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel offers prayers at Bankey Bihari temple in Mathura

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India on Tuesday said it has appointed Piyush Arora as Managing Director with effect from March 1, 2022.

Arora succeeds Gurpratap Boparai who resigned last month. In this role, Arora will be responsible for expanding the Volkswagen Group's business in India, including the recent INDIA 2.0 project.

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) oversees the India operations of five Volkswagen Group brands – Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini.

Arora joins SAVWIPL from Mercedes-Benz India where he worked as Executive Director and Head of Operations.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to hold a press conference on an 'important economic issue' in the national capital at 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

In a significant step towards achieving self-reliance in the defence sector, the Indian Army on Tuesday signed its first contract worth Rs 96 crore with Anadron Systems Pvt Ltd under Make-II for Maneuverable Expendable Aerial Target.

"A significant step towards AtmanirbharDefence The first success story of Make-II Projects Indian Army has signed the first contract today under Make-II for Maneuverable Expendable Aerial Target with M/s Anadron Systems Pvt Ltd worth Rs96 Cr, for Army Air Defence and Indian Air Force," Defence Production India tweeted from its official account.

Cartoonist and Padma Shri awardee, Narayan Debnath passes away at the age of 97 after prolonged illness. He was the creator of several Bengali comic characters and was undergoing treatment at Bellevue Hospital in Kolkata.

Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia's interim bail in the drugs case extended till January 24

Government of India approves the proposal for the appointment of Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Manoj Pande as the next Vice Chief of Army Staff: Sources

Union Cabinet and Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to hold meetings tomorrow, 19th Jan in Delhi.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel playing volleyball at 14,000 feet at a Border Out Post in Sikkim amid snow conditions

Enforcement Directorate conducting raids in Punjab in illegal sand mining case. ED searches premises linked to sand mafia Bhupinder Singh Honey, Officials said

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Tuesday settled at 8.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal, according to official data.
On Monday morning too, the Safdarjung Observatory had recorded almost a similar reading with 8.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above the average. The relative humidity at 8.30 am stood at 90 per cent, according to the data shared by the India Meteorological Department.

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a fifth-generation iPad Air with an A15 Bionic chip, 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support and 5G for cellular models.

According to MacRumors, the new iPad Air could be announced alongside the third-generation iPhone SE in spring 2022.

The new iPad Air will have the same overall design as the current model, including a single-lens rear camera, the report adds.

MK Prasad, one of the leading figures of the Silent Valley Hydro-electric project that marked the beginning of the environmental movement in Kerala, passed away on Monday at Kochi.

He was 89 and is survived by his wife, daughter and son.

"MKP, as he was known to those close to him, leaves behind a very rich legacy of 45 years of environmental activism based on solid science and a deep connect with nature and the people. He has been a good example of a researcher-activist," said K.J. Joy of Water Conflict Forum.

A woman officer in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has lodged a case against her husband, accusing him of divorcing her through a WhatsApp message.

She also alleged that her husband issued threats to her when she opposed his move.

According to station house officer (SHO), Kareli police station, Anurag Sharma, a case has been registered under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, on the basis of the complaint.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has sought a comprehensive investigation report in the case related to the death of three children in the limits of the Salahalli Primary Health Centre in Ramdurg taluk of Belagavi district.

The Chief Minister sought the report from the Deputy Commissioner as it is being said that the children died after they were administered the Rubella injection usually given for Diarrhea. Bommai spoke to the Belagavi DC over the phone on Monday night.

Auction house Sotheby's Dubai has unveiled a diamond that's literally from out of this world. Sotheby's calls the 555.55-carat black diamond — believed to have come from outer space — “The Enigma.”

The rare gem was shown off on Monday to journalists as part of a tour in Dubai and Los Angeles before it is due to be auctioned off in February in London.

Sotheby's expects the diamond to be sold for at least 5 million British pounds (USD 6.8 million). The auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a possible payment as well.

Crews made railroad repairs in Los Angeles Monday after a train derailed near the location where thieves have been raiding cargo containers, leaving the tracks littered with emptied boxes of packaged good sent by retailers. It wasn't immediately clear if the derailment that happened Saturday was caused by the debris left behind by thieves in the Lincoln Heights area near downtown Los Angeles. Union Pacific said the cause of the derailment was under investigation.

The derailment caused 17 train cars to go off the tracks, Union Pacific said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Over 12,000 detainees are held officially in 27 prisons and detention facilities across Libya and thousands more are held illegally and often in “inhumane conditions in facilities controlled by armed groups or `secret' facilities,” the United Nations chief said in a new report.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report obtained Monday by The Associated Press that the U.N. political mission in Libya known as UNSMIL continues to document cases of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and other violations of international law in facilities operated by the government and other groups.

Reports in England suggest that Christian Eriksen has been offered a route back into top flight football - with English Premier League side Brentford offering the Dane a six month contract.

Eriksen collapsed during the European Championship with cardiac issues and due to a pacemaker, and Serie A rules, left his club at the time Inter Milan.

However he has stated he wants to play in the upcoming World Cup - and a starring role for Brentford to prove his fitness may be an attractive proposition for a player who already played in the English capital during his time at Tottenham.

People in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh witnessed dense fog on Tuesday morning leading to poor visibility in the areas, as per India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The data recorded by the national weather forecasting agency stated that the visibility in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, Bahraich, Sultanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad was at 50 metres at 5.30 am today while in Agra, Lucknow and Gorakhpur, it was 200 metres.

Three Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, marking the 14th such incursion this month, local media reported.

A People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic intelligence plane, a Y-8 electronic warfare plane, and a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of the ADIZ, Taiwan News reported citing the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

Aslam Farooqi, the former chief of the Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K), was killed during a shootout in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, a media report said on Monday.

Farooqi, who hailed from Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was reportedly killed during an investigation against organized kidnappers and criminal mafia, Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune reported.

The investigation resulted in a clash, during which Farooqi was killed along with his aides.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended the ongoing National U-13 and U-16 One-Day Tournaments after the board became aware that some over-aged cricketers had been participating in the events taking place in Karachi and Multan, respectively. PCB has decided to conduct a third round of bone age verification tests, following which the teams may be revised before both tournaments commence next week from scratch.

According to PCB, bone age tests in Multan, where each Cricket Association has fielded two teams each, will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, while tests on 150 cricketers (including playing members, traveling reserves and reserve pool of players per side) participating in the U13 event in Karachi will be held on Tuesday.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, media and journalists have lost their independence in the crisis-torn country, local media reported.

On Monday, the Home of Freedom of Speech, in a statement, expressed concern about the situation of media, Afghan journalists, freedom of speech, and freedom of media after the Taliban takeover, Khaama Press reported.

The statement said that media and journalists in Afghanistan have lost their independence and they have systematically been censored by de facto authorities in Kabul.

Censorship has different roots and that most of the roots belong to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the statement said.

Sensex trading at 61,440 up around +131 points; Nifty  trading at 18,342 up around +34 points

The Cyber Cell of Mumbai Police on Monday opposed the bail pleas of the three arrested in the 'Bulli Bai' app case, stating that the investigation suggested that the accused were also involved in 'Sulli Deals' app case.

Opposing the bail pleas of Vishal Kumar Jha, Shweta Singh and Mayank Rawat in Bulli Bai app case, the Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch filed a reply before a city court in Mumbai stating that as per preliminary investigation revealed the accused committed the crime with the help of Niraj Bishnoi, Bulli Bai app creator who was arrested by the Delhi police.

Delhi's air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' from the 'poor' category, with overall AQI at 312, as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has approved a revised proposal to spend Rs 98.55 crore in various schemes from a fund of Rs 100 crore set up for the inclusive development of the minority community in the state, reads an official statement

A total of Rs 5 crore will be spent for the construction of boundary walls in waqf land or graveyards, madrasas and schools on public land, the statement further reads.

Rehearsals of Republic Day Parade underway at Rajpath

Himachal Pradesh: Fog envelops Dharamshala and surrounding areas, as cold weather conditions prevail in the city

An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 occurred around 7:52 am at Churachandpur, Manipur, 46km East-Northeast of Ngopa, Mizoram: National Center for Seismology

Delhi police on Monday said that they have found the claims of terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamist militant group, regarding the Ghazipur Mandi bomb scare, as bogus.

Senior officials from the special cell, the Delhi Police's Anti-Terror Squad, said they are still probing whether the group is responsible for the terror attack attempt.

It was on Friday, that a bag full of explosives was recovered from Ghazipur flower market around 10.30 am, after which the entire market was vacated and the IED defused by the National Security Guard (NSG).

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) headed by Justice Arun Mishra, on Monday issued a detailed advisory to the Centre, States and Union Territories calling for timely identification, treatment and elimination of discrimination against the persons affected by leprosy.

The Advisory has listed discriminating legal provisions against leprosy-affected persons in 97 laws of the country and called for their removal.

The Advisory has provided for ensuring that no person suffering from leprosy or any of his family members is discriminated against and denied all or any of the right to healthcare, employment, education and land rights.

Post-Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August, four cable and wire producing factories have ceased operating in the country in the last three months. Factory owners said that their factories are closed down because of an increase in raw materials price and a decrease in demands.

According to officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines (ACIM), the factories have stopped operations due to a spike in the prices of raw materials, the decrease of demand in the market, and other general financial problems.

"Four factories have closed down because of the high price of raw materials. Also, banks are not working properly and the people (business people) cannot withdraw their money," said Yar Mohammad, an official from ACIM, reported Tolo News.

After the improvised explosive device (IED) was found at Ghazipur Flower Market ahead of the Republic Day and later diffused, the Delhi Police have fortified areas in and around Rajpath with multi-layer security cover, installed facial recognition systems (FRS) and over 300 CCTVs.

Deepak Yadav, DCP, New Delhi, said that apart from the terror threat, the rise in cases of COVID-19 is also a major challenge for the force.

He has briefed the police personnel about the necessary precautions that need to be followed and has tightened the security arrangements in New Delhi.

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Telangana Cabinet has instructed Education Department to make an action plan for introducing English as a medium of instruction in government schools and to develop infrastructure accordingly: State Govt

A 10-month-old boy and a 9-year-old girl drowned in a drain in Sector 85 of Noida on Monday: Gautam Buddh Nagar Police

Assam Police has filed a charge sheet against 14 accused (one dead) in the Jorhat mob lynching of Animesh Bhuyan.

One arrested accused is excluded from the charge sheet as no evidence was found against him. The investigation has been completed within 50 days: Police

Saudi-led coalition has launched strikes against Yemen rebels

Robert Lewandowski named FIFA's best player of 2021 and Alexia Putellas named FIFA's female player of the year

Magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred at 148 north-northwest of Basar, Arunachal Pradesh at 4:30 am today: National Center for Seismology

Gujarat: Forest Department, in collaboration with several NGOs, has rescued 856 birds injured after being hit by kite manja during Uttarayan festival in Vadodara