Breaking News, December 15 | HIGHLIGHTS

A man was arrested for allegedly supplying information about important government buildings in Punjab to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, police said. Tapinder Singh, who lived in Sector 40 here, was arrested by the Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on Wednesday, they said. Singh was produced before a Mohali court, which remanded him to four-day police custody, a police official said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stopped at a farmer's house in Dausa on Thursday evening during the Rajasthan leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and cut fodder using a hand-operated machine. The party's official Twitter handle shared photos of Rahul Gandhi operating a fodder-cutting machine. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also tried his hands on the machine.

The Maharashtra Government on Thursday said the Hinduja group will be investing Rs 35,000 crore in the state. The Chief Minister's Office tweeted that an MoU was signed between the state government and Hinduja group in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. G P Hinduja and Ashok Hinduja of the Hinduja group were present on the occasion.

The National Commission for Women today issued summons to e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart over the alleged sale of acid on their platforms, a day after a teenage girl was attacked with acid in west Delhi. The commission has scheduled a hearing with the Country Head of Amazon India and CEO of Flipkart India Pvt Ltd on December 23 at 2 PM during which they are required to appear in person, the NCW said in a tweet. The Supreme Court had in 2013 banned over-the-counter sale of acid at retail outlets.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that the state always fights for humanity, unity and integrity and does not bow down to anyone on these issues. Speaking at the inauguration of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here, Banerjee said Bengal has a long history of struggle. “Bengal has been fighting for unity, humanity, diversity and integrity. This struggle will go on,” she said.

The first meeting of the newly-elected MCD councillors will take place on January 6, next year, sources said on Thursday. On December 7, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the MCD polls with 134 seats, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP in the municipal corporation and reducing the Congress to just nine seats in a house of 250. "Delhi LG, VK Saxena, in the exercise of powers vested in him vide Section 73 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, has approved the proposal to convene the first meeting of the MCD on Friday, January 6, 2023," a source said. The proposal to convene the first meeting of the civic body was moved by the Commissioner (MCD) on December 12, to the Urban Development Department, requesting LG's approval.

The issue of crowding at airports, particularly Delhi and Mumbai, was discussed threadbare at a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla here on Thursday, officials said. Bhalla convened the meeting to discuss with stakeholders continuous complaints from passengers the rush at the entry gates, luggage dropping, and security check areas. The meeting discussed the issue of crowding and how to fix the problems faced by the passengers, an official said. Representatives of key stakeholders such as the Civil Aviation Ministry, CISF, and Bureau of Immigration attended the meeting, an official said. 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat on Thursday declared Shankar Chaudhary and Jethabhai Bharwad as its candidates for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, of the newly-formed 15th state legislative Assembly. An official notification issued by the Assembly secretariat said the new Assembly will meet for the first time for a day on December 20, and election for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be held in the first half, while other businesses will be taken up in the second half. Another notification said that all the newly-elected MLAs will be administered the oath of office in the Assembly on December 19 by Protem Speaker Yogesh Patel.

In the wake of an acid attack on a teenager, the Delhi Commission for Women on Thursday issued notices to two e-commerce firms for allegedly allowing sale of acid on their platform. Police have arrested three accused in the case and found that the main accused had procured the acid through an e-commerce portal. Calling the easy availability of acid online a matter of grave concern, the DCW sought a detailed action taken report from the two firms by December 20. A 17-year-old girl on her way to school was attacked with acid on Wednesday by two bike-borne youths in West Delhi’s Mohan Garden area. The girl is currently in Burns ICU of Safdarjung Hospital. 

The 17-year-old acid attack survivor continues to remain in the burns ICU of Safdarjung Hospital and is conscious, a doctor said. Two masked men on a bike threw acid on the girl minutes after she left her west Delhi home for school on Wednesday, leaving her with serious injuries. Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident, leading to an outrage with many raising questions over the availability of acid in markets despite a ban. "The patient is conscious, well oriented and afebrile. She has suffered 8 per cent chemical burns on the face. Eyes have also been affected. Treatment is on. Ophthalmologists are also providing conservative and supportive treatment. She continues to be in the Burn ICU," a senior doctor said. Three people -- prime accused Sachin Arora and his two friends Harshit Aggarwal (19) and Virender Singh (22) -- have been arrested, police said. Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Sagar Preet Hooda told a press conference that the acid used in the attack was procured through an e-commerce portal and payment was made by Arora through an e-wallet.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday inaugurated Air India's direct flight between Mumbai and San Francisco. The flight will be operated thrice a week. After the Tata group took over the loss-making Air India in January this year, the airline has been working on expanding its services and fleet. After inaugurating the flight, Scindia said the country's civil aviation sector is on the cusp of transformation and boom. "We need to push further, stronger, faster...," the minister said.  Last month, Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said the airline will increase its market share to 30 per cent in both domestic and international routes.

The last of total 36 Rafale jets has landed in India flying from France. 

The Gauhati High Court granted the Assam government time till March for the effective functioning of mental health review boards and committees to monitor the mental health conditions of inmates lodged in the jails of the state. Hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench of Chief Justice RM Chhaya and Justice Soumitra Saikia directed the state government to make all arrangements for the boards to start functioning from April 1. "...the respondent authorities are granted time till 31.03.2023 to complete the process and also to allot necessary budgetary provisions for the same so that the Mental Health Review Boards and Committees start functioning effectively from 01.04.2023," said the order dated December 13. The bench said the Mental Health Act, 1987 and the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 were neither implemented nor followed in the prisons of the state, particularly the Morigaon district jail.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi at 10 Rajaji Marg at 1:00 pm today. CM Sukhu will meet Gandhi alongwith all MLas of the state.

A 20-year-old man was bludgeoned to death with a rock in northern West Bengal's Siliguri allegedly by his friend over Rs 10, police said on Thursday.
The body of Ramprasad Saha was found in the Baikunthapur forest, they said. During the investigation, it was found that Saha was an addict and used to visit the forest regularly to fulfil his need for substance abuse, police said. He went to the forest on Monday with his friends Subrata Das, 22, and Ajay Roy, 24 -- all of whom are addicts, they said. After getting high, Saha found he was out of money and then asked Subrata for Rs 10 to buy more drugs, they added. Soon, a fight broke out and Subrata allegedly bludgeoned him to death with a stone, police said. Officers of Ashighar outpost of Siliguri Metro Police arrested Subrata and Ajay on Wednesday night, following which the case was cracked, they said. Police said they are examining the role of Ajay during the entire episode. 
 

A unique robotics competition to nurture excellence in the field among Delhi school students will begin Friday, as the state government has been emphasising educational opportunities for students to learn Artificial Intelligence, a circular from the Directorate of Education (DoE) has said. An event will be organised at B R Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence at Surajmal Vihar on December 16 and the competition will be open to all schools of Delhi between December 2022 to June 2023.
 

“Robotics has emerged as a promising field in Education and NEP 2020 has given special emphasis on educational opportunities to learn Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. A program is to be organised to launch Delhi Robotics League at Dr. B R Ambedkar SOSE, Surajmal Vihar on December 16,” the DoE circular said. As per the DoE, the idea of this competition is to nurture excellence in robotics among school students. Live streaming of the launch of the league will be broadcast in all government schools and government-aided schools through the website of the Directorate of Education. Private schools will also have the access to live streaming.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake originating in the waters off Taiwan's eastern coast shook the island on Wednesday, but no injuries or major damage were immediately reported. The earthquake struck 29 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Hualien, a city on Taiwan's east coast, the island's Central Weather Bureau said. The depth was 5.7 kilometers (3.5 miles).
Buildings in the capital, Taipei, shook for about a minute and the subway briefly paused operations to ensure passenger safety. Taiwan sits directly on a fault line as part of the Ring of Fire, a region in the Pacific Ocean that is seismologically active. In September, a magnitude 6.8 quake hit the island's southeastern coast, toppling a building and killing one person.

UP’s Minister of State for Transport Dayashankar Singh has said that the state government will provide jobs and employment to newly married couples according to their merit. Dayashankar Singh on Wednesday addressed a mass marriage ceremony organised by the Social Welfare department under Chief Minister's Mass Marriage Scheme at Bansdih PG College in the district. "The marriage of young men and women from poor families is being done under the Chief Minister's Mass Marriage Scheme. After the mass marriage, the government will give jobs and employment to these newly married couples according to their merit," Singh said.
 

He said that the people are set on a path to progress benefitting from various schemes under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In the ceremony, 506 couples from different blocks of the district got married under Hindu rituals. Singh congratulated the newly married couples by giving them gifts. 

Photos of sleeping bags belonging to the Chinese PLA being recovered from Tawang in Arunachal  Pradesh are being circulated over social media. However, all such reports are incorrect.

Indian Railways has won nine National Energy Conservation Awards for the year 2022, with the South Central Railways bagging the first and second prize in railway stations category. These awards were given for the best energy management practices and presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a function held by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the aegis of Ministry of Power on Wednesday. The first prize was awarded for Kacheguda station (Telangana) and the second to Guntakal railway station (Andhra Pradesh) for energy conservation measures in railway stations category, a statement from the Ministry said on Thursday. Certificate of merit was awarded to the Kanpur Central Railway Station (NCR), Rajahmudry Railway Station (SCR) and Tenali Railway station (SCR) under this category.

Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais sought a report from the state government on the ropeway mishap in Deoghar and the violence in Ranchi, expressing displeasure over the delay in the investigations by the two committees formed to probe these cases. In a statement, the Raj Bhavan said that the governor expressed surprise that no inquiry report has been submitted to the state government by the committees despite a timeline of two months. Three persons were killed in the ropeway accident in Deoghar on April 10 and it took the Air Force, Army and NDRF 46 hours to rescue all the 60 passengers stranded in cable cars at Trikut Hills. In June, two people were killed and two dozen critically injured as violent protests rocked Ranchi over now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. Bais has written to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, drawing his attention to the two incidents, the statement issued on Wednesday night said. "He has mentioned that on April 10 there was a rope-way accident at Trikut hill in Deoghar district. A committee was constituted by the State Government on April 19 to investigate the said accident. The committee was to submit the inquiry report in two months," it said.

In the wake of a schoolgirl being attacked with acid in Delhi, chemical traders have called on the authorities for an effective way to monitor those buying it, claiming that all necessary measures are in place to check the sale of acid. Over-the-counter sale of acid no longer takes place in Delhi. Chemicals like sulphuric acid and nitric acid are available for industrial purposes but licenses are required for their sale and purchase, the traders claimed. On Wednesday, two masked men on a motorcycle threw acid on a Class 12 student minutes after she left her west Delhi home for school on Wednesday morning, leaving her seriously injured. The accused probably threw nitric acid on the victim which was ordered through an e-commerce portal. However, the type of acid used in the crime will be confirmed after a forensic examination, police said.

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Wednesday slammed China for its latest aggression against India and highlighted the need for the United States to continue to work with India. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in a statement to Parliament recently said Chinese troops tried to "unilaterally" change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector on December 9, but the Indian Army compelled them to retreat with its "firm and resolute" response. “I’m disturbed to learn of the latest show of aggression by the Chinese Communist Party through its violation of Indian territory with its armed forces,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “While I’m grateful that this clash led to no serious casualties to Indian forces, it serves as another reminder of the growing belligerence of the Chinese Communist Party and the need for the United States to continue to work with India and all our security partners in the region to counter Beijing’s aggression,” he added.

President Joe Biden told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington that the United States is “all in on Africa's future," laying out billions in promised government funding and private investment Wednesday to help the growing continent in health, infrastructure, business and technology. “The U.S. is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa's growth," Biden told the leaders and others in a big conference hall, presenting his vision at the three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit of how the U.S. can be a critical catalyst. Biden, who is pitching the U.S. as a reliable partner to promote democratic elections and push critical health and energy growth, told the crowd the $55 billion in committed investments over the next three years- announced on Monday- was “just the beginning”. He announced more than $15 billion in private trade and investment commitments and partnerships. “There's so much more we can do together and that we will do together,” he said.

China's government has removed a Chinese consul general and five of his staff following the assault on a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, Britain's foreign secretary said Thursday. James Cleverly said British police wanted to question the six officials over the assault on protester Bob Chen, who said masked men came out from the consulate building during a peaceful protest in October, dragged him into the consulate grounds and beat him up. Police said officers at the scene had to intervene and remove Chen, who suffered injuries to his face and back.

A key U.N. committee has again blocked Myanmar's military junta from taking the country's seat at the United Nations, two well-informed U.N. diplomats said Wednesday. The General Assembly's credentials committee met Monday and deferred action on the junta's request, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity before a formal announcement likely later this week. The decision means that Kyaw Moe Tun, who was Myanmar's ambassador at the United Nations when the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, will remain on the job. Last December, Myanmar's military rulers also failed in their effort to replace Tun, who remains a supporter of the previous government and the opposition National Unity Government, which opposes the junta. Chris Gunness, director of the London-based Myanmar Accountability Project, welcomed the credentials committee's move, saying it has “great diplomatic and symbolic significance, at a time when the illegal coup leaders are attempting to gain international recognition.”

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday wrote back to Bhagwant Mann, saying that the chief minister raised the issue of repatriation of Punjab-cadre IPS officer Kuldeep Singh Chahal "without ascertaining facts" and that the Chandigarh SSP was removed from the post for his alleged misconduct. The governor also expressed displeasure over Mann raising “unnecessary issue of Punjab vs Haryana” in this connection. Purohit wrote a letter to the CM a day after he questioned the charge of senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh, being given to a Haryana cadre IPS officer following the premature repatriation of Chahal from this post. Chahal was repatriated to Punjab, his parent cadre, on Monday even though 10 months were left in the completion of his three-year tenure in the Union territory of which Purohit is also the administrator. The administration handed over the charge to Chandigarh SSP (Traffic) Manisha Chaudhary, a Haryana cadre IPS officer.

Six inmates of a juvenile home in Transport Nagar police station area of Jaipur escaped on Tuesday night, an official said. Station House Officer of Transport Nagar police station Abdul Wahid on Wednesday that two of the inmates were adults while four were minors. Four of them escaped by breaking the wall while two got away due to the alleged involvement of contractual guards, he said. A search operation has been launched to nab them, Wahid said. 

The U.N. Economic and Social Council voted Wednesday to immediately oust Iran from the U.N.'s premiere global body fighting for gender equality because of its systematic violation of the rights of women and girls, a decision the United States hailed as “historic” and Iran claimed was based on “fabricated allegations.” The U.S-sponsored resolution was sparked by Iran's ongoing brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters who took to the streets in September after the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality police. At least 488 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that's been monitoring the protests, while another 18,200 people have been detained by authorities.