US Senate okays Indian-origin Kash Patel as FBI chief

 Thu, 20 February 2025
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23:42

Delhi court acquits Maha ex-guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari in defamation case

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A Delhi court on Thursday dismissed a defamation complaint against former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a criminal defamation case filed by a businessman, noting that the complainant had expired while his heir failed to establish that he was aggrieved by the alleged...
23:28

US Senate okays Indian-origin Kash Patel as FBI chief

Indian-origin Kash Patel/Reuters/ANI Photo
Indian-origin Kash Patel/Reuters/ANI Photo
The US Senate has approved Indian-origin Kash Patel's nomination as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation), as per C-Span. Patel secured the confirmation with a 51/47 vote, as per C-Span. This came despite opposition from the Democrats, who warned that Patel, a staunch...
23:04

Snowfall in higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh

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File image
Snowfall was witnessed in isolated and higher areas in many districts of Himachal Pradesh while mid and lower hills received light rains, leading to the closure of some roads on Thursday. Since Wednesday night, Shilaroo received 5 cm of snow followed by Gondla 3 cm, Kalpa 1.3 cm and Sangla...
22:45

Ex-Hizbul terrorist held in J-K's Reasi after 18-yr hunt

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A former Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was arrested after a long hunt of 18 years from Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Thursday, the police said. Anwari Ali Chouhan alias Jamsheer, originally a resident of Gujjar-Kothian Talwara, had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in 2001. He remained...
22:13

27 CPM activists booked for 'assaulting' cops during Kerala temple festival

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A case was registered against 27 Communist Party of India-Marxist workers on Thursday for allegedly assaulting four police officers and preventing them from discharging their duties during a temple festival near Thalassery. According to the FIR, the incident occurred around 12.10 am on...
22:11

Sonia Gandhi admitted in hospital

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Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, sources said on Thursday. She is doing fine and is likely to be discharged on Friday, they said. Gandhi had turned 78 in December 2024. While the exact time of admission is not immediately known,...
21:39

Skoda ropes in actor Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador

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Skoda Auto India on Thursday said it has roped in Bollywood star Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador. The association is marked with signature Skoda-styled, people-driven campaigns, fuelled by Singh to engage the company's fans and customers. Being a powerhouse of talent and energy,...
21:26

Delhi cabinet nod for Ayushman Bharat scheme

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ministers of her cabinet/ANI Photo
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ministers of her cabinet/ANI Photo
Just In: The new Bharatiya Janata Party-led Delhi Cabinet has approved the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in its first meeting, said minister Pankaj Singh on Thursday. The portfolios of the Delhi government have also allotted during the cabinet meeting. Accordingly, Chief...
21:12

Army soldier injured in landmine blast along LoC in J-K's Poonch

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Representational image
An army soldier was injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Thursday, officials said. Rifleman Mohd Asif Rather, who was part of a patrolling party, accidentally stepped over a landmine in a forward area in the Balakote sector of...
20:53

Fire breaks out in huts near Film City gate; no report of injuries

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File image
A major fire broke out in the huts near the gate of the iconic Film City in Mumbai's Goregaon area on Thursday, though there was no report as yet of anyone getting injured, civic officials said. The blaze broke out at 7:30pm in Santosh Nagar, and 14 fire tenders and other equipment have been...
20:39

Rupee rises 34 paise to close at 86.64 against US dollar

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The rupee appreciated 34 paise to close at 86.64 against the US dollar on Thursday, supported by the weakening of the American currency in the overseas market. Forex traders said there is a negative bias for the USD/INR pair amid a muted trend in domestic equities and the unabated foreign...
20:13

Mayawati rejects Rahul's alliance offer

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Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Congress of 'dual character and casteist mindset' after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned her party's present political approach.'Wherever the Congress is strong or in power, it harbours hostility and casteist attitudes towards BSP...
19:47

Delhi cabinet meeting begins, big ticket announcements likely

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The first Cabinet meeting of the new BJP government in Delhi headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta started on Thursday evening, amid expectations of major announcements. BJP leaders during the recently concluded assembly polls promised to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme...
19:17

ED attaches director S Shankar's assets of Rs 10 cr

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Assets worth more than Rs 10 crore of the celebrated Tamil film director S Shankar, whose 2010 movie Enthiran faced charges of plagiarism and copyright violations, have been attached under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate said on Thursday. This is possibly the first...
18:57

Pak national 'linked' to Gaurav Gogoi's wife visited India 18 times: Himanta

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the preliminary investigation has found that Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is allegedly linked to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's British wife, has visited India 18 times to date.During a discussion on Motion of Thanks on the...
18:35

Annamalai accepts Udhayanidhi's 'showdown' challenge

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The political war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party state chief K Annamalai and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin over 'Get out Modi' rhetoric took a new high on Thursday with Annamalai daring the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader to specify the date and time for the...
17:56

Surrender looted weapons within 7 days: Manipur Guv

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Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has urged the people of the strife-torn state to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held weapons within seven days, assuring no punitive action would be initiated against those giving up arms during this period.However, Bhalla asserted that 'strict...
17:49

Helicopter, ropeway service suspended at Vaishno Devi

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The helicopter and ropeway service at the Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended on Thursday as high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced snowfall while the plains, including Jammu city, were lashed by rains, ending a prolonged dry spell, officials said.Jammu division had recorded an...
17:29

Maharashtra minister gets 2-year jail term in cheating case

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Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and Naitonalist Congress Party leader Manikrao Kokate was on Thursday sentenced to two years' imprisonment by a court in Nashik in a 1995 case where he was charged with submitting fake documents to get flats under a government quota.The minister told reporters...
17:09

Dhananjay Munde reveals he is suffering from..

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Embattled Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde on Thursday said he has been diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, a condition that causes sudden weakness in face muscles, which had severely affected his ability to speak.Munde made the announcement on...
16:54

Son locks ailing mother at home, goes to Maha Kumbh

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A man allegedly locked his ailing mother at home in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district and went to Prayagraj for a holy dip in Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws, police said on Thursday.The police rescued the 65-year-old mother from a quarter of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in...
16:26

Mohanlal to shoot 'Drishyam 3' with director Jeethu Joseph

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Malayalam superstar Mohanlal on Thursday confirmed that he is set to reunite with filmmaker Jeethu Joseph for the third installment of the crime thriller franchise Drishyam.The actor, who will next be seen in L2: Empuraan, made the announcement on his official X page.The Past Never Stays Silent....
16:15

People of Delhi ended reign of deceit: Shah

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The BJP government in Delhi will make the city the best capital of the world by making it clean, beautiful and prosperous, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday, as he congratulated new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her ministerial colleagues for taking oath of office. Referring to...
16:06

BJP's big day in Delhi

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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta along with her cabinet ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar Singh shows victory sign as she assumes the charge today.
16:03

Odisha: KIIT limps back to normalcy after uproar over Nepalese student's death

Nepali students were forced to leave the campus after the incident
Nepali students were forced to leave the campus after the incident
Normalcy is slowly returning to Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), days after the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old Nepalese woman, as students turned up for classes in large numbers on Thursday amid tight security in the campus. The unrest on the KIIT campus began on...
15:50

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta assumes office

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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta formally assumes the office at the Secretariat as the 4th overall and 2nd woman BJP CM of Delhi.  The 50-year-old MLA from Shalimar Bagh is also the only woman in the NDA team of chief ministers.  The BJP returned to power in Delhi after over 26 years. They bagged...
15:28

Rahul acting as tool for foreign agencies: BJP

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The BJP on Thursday said that US President Donald Trump's latest remarks on the USAID funding to India was a reaffirmation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls campaign that foreign powers were trying to stop him from coming to power. Congress leader...
15:09

Of a particular bent of mind: Sandeep Dikshit on Delhi CM

Rekha Gupta with her husband meets Delhi LG
Rekha Gupta with her husband meets Delhi LG
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Thursday congratulated Rekha Gupta for taking oath as Delhi chief minister and expressed hope that the BJP fulfils all its promises. Speaking to PTI Videos, Dikshit said the process of selection the current chief minister of Delhi matched the manner in...
15:01

Australia withdraws travel advisory to its citizens against travelling to Assam: Himanta

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The advisory issued by Australia to its citizens against travelling to Assam has been withdrawn but they have been asked not to go to four districts where the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is in force, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. Australia has reviewed the...
14:47

Satyendra Jain's defamation case dismissed

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Delhi court dismisses AAP leader Satyendra Jain's defamation case against BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj. Jain had alleged that Swaraj made defamatory remarks against him in a televised interview in October 2023. He claimed that the statements were intended to tarnish his reputation and were made in the...
14:28

Uddhav, Raj, are you listening?

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A poster at Shivaji Park, Dadar in Mumbai, urges the cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray to join hands. The poster in Marathi says, 'Politics in Maharashtra have become dirty. The Marathi manoos is in a quandary. Raj and Uddhav at least come together now, the Marathi manoos is waiting for you. The...
14:22

PM: Rekha Gupta has risen from grassroots, she will...

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Congratulating Rekha Gupta on taking oath as Delhi's chief minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said she has risen from the grassroots and expressed confidence that she will work for the city's development with full vigour. A first-time BJP MLA, Gupta was sworn in as Delhi...
14:12

What will Khara Insurance Committee Focus On?

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The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has set up a seven-member committee headed by former State Bank of India chairman Dinesh Khara to look into the proposed amendments to the Insurance Act, 1938 and suggest a framework for implementation of the same.The...
14:10

LTTS Targets $3 Bn Revenue, To Add 2K Freshers

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L&T Technology Services (LTTS), the engineering, research, and development arm of the L&T group, is targeting $3 billion revenue in the short to medium term. The company aims to scale each of its key divisions -- mobility, sustainability, and technology -- to $1 billion within this...
13:45

Mumbai Police gets threat to blow up Shinde's car

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The Mumbai Police on Thursday morning received anonymous calls threatening to blow up Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's car, an official said.  Probe was underway, he said.Calls were received at Goregaon, J J Marg police stations and at the control room at Mantralaya,...
13:27

'Salaries In India To Rise By 9.2% in 2025'

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Salary increments in India are expected to stabilise in 2025 and set to rise by 9.2 per cent, amid global uncertainty and softening growth, according to the Annual Salary Increase and Turnover Survey 2024-25 India by Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm.The rise in the...
13:24

First pharaoh's tomb found in Egypt since Tutankhamun's

Tutankhamun's golden mask at the Cairo museum
Tutankhamun's golden mask at the Cairo museum
A break from Delhi politics: Egyptologists have discovered the first tomb of a pharaoh since Tutankhamun's was uncovered over a century ago.King Thutmose II's tomb was the last undiscovered royal tomb of the 18th Egyptian dynasty.A British-Egyptian team has located it in the Western Valleys...
13:19

Delhi CM to meet with NDA CMs shortly

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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta reaches a hotel for the meeting of the CMs of the National Democratic Alliance.
12:53

Will Parvesh Verma be Delhi Dy CM? He says...

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BJP leader and New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma on Thursday said he is a very disciplined worker of the party and will fulfill the responsibility entrusted to him. Verma said the Delhiites have supported the BJP and given a mandate of 48 seats. I think that we have a huge responsibility...
12:47

Indian deportees from US arrive in Panama

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File pic
Panama has informed India about the safe arrival of a group of Indians deported from the US and the Indian mission in the country is working closely with the host government to ensure their wellbeing after obtaining consular access to them. The Embassy of India in Panama, Costa Rica &...
12:33

Parvesh Sahib Singh takes oath as minister

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BJP's Parvesh Sahib Singh takes oath as minister in CM Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government.
12:31

PM watches the proceedings

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That's of course, PM Modi on stage at Ramlila Maidan. Huge moment for the BJP which returns to power in Delhi after 27 years. 
12:28

Rekha Gupta takes oath as Delhi CM

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BJP's first-time MLA Rekha Gupta takes oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi. Lt Governor VK Saxena administers her oath of office. With this, Delhi gets its fourth woman CM, after BJP's Sushma Swaraj, Congress' Sheila Dikshit, and AAP's Atishi
12:25

Maharashtra at the swearing-in

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Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, Shinde on the stage. 
12:23

PM, all BJP bigwigs arrive for Delhi swearing-in

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PM arrives at Ramlila Maidan. Ahead of him, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and JP Nadda also arrived for the ceremony
12:14

Shah, Nadda take the stage

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister-BJP chief JP Nadda wave to the crowd as they arrive on the stage at Ramlila Maidan to attend the oath ceremony of Delhi CM-designate and her council of ministers. AP CM Chandrababu Naidu is in the row behind. 
12:10

Rajnath, Shah, Nadda arrive at Ramlila Maidan

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda greet Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta as they arrive at Ramlila Maidan to attend her oath ceremony. JP Nadda has also arrived. 
12:09

Hardeep Puri arrives at Ramlila

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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri greets Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta as he arrives at Ramlila Maidan to attend her oath ceremony.
12:08

Rekha Gupta greets Rajnath

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Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta greets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Ramlila Maidan.
12:02

Outward Remittances Drop To $22.82 Bn

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Outward remittances under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) dropped 10.15 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to $22.82 billion in the April-December period of 2024-25 (FY25), dragged down by declines across major segments.Outflows under the scheme were affected by a drop in deposits,...
11:54

Got nostalgic when Rekha Gupta's name was announced: Alka Lamba

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Congress leader Alka Lamba says, My greetings to the new Delhi CM Rekha Gupta. I went into nostalgia when her name was announced. We always had an ideological battle with her. The safety of our daughters is the main concern in Delhi; I hope she works on that. We will support her if she works in...
11:53

Pawan Kalyan arrives at Ramlila Maidan

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Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan arrives at Ramlila Maidan to attend the oath ceremony of Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta.
11:44

Rekha Gupta gets a big smile from AAP's Swati Maliwal

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Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal greets Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta as she arrives at Ramlila Maidan to attend her oath ceremony. On February 8, when AAP lost the Delhi polls, Maliwal had said the Aam Aadmi Party and its party chief Arvind Kejriwal's arrogance led to their loss in the Delhi...
11:31

Rekha Gupta's 1st acts after CM: Dole to women, AAP a/cs

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Delhi Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta on Thursday assured that her government will fulfill its promise of providing Rs 2,500 monthly assistance to women and added that the AAP would be held accountable for its actions during its rule. The first installment of the monthly support would...
11:26

What giant-killer Parvesh Singh's daughter said...

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BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh's daughter, Trisha says, We are all overjoyed. BJP is going to form the government.
11:11

Her 30-yr hard work has paid off: Rekha Gupta's son

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Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta's son, Nikunj says, It is good that a woman has been given the opportunity to be the CM. We are confident that she will be able to shoulder her responsibility very well. Her 30-year-long hard work has proved to be successful. She has worked hard and did all this...
10:58

Rekha Gupta stops at temple before swearing-in ceremony

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Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta arrives at Shri Marghat Wale Hanuman Baba temple ahead of her oath ceremony.
10:55

Passenger detained for bomb remark at Kochi Airport

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A passenger who jokingly responded that his luggage contained a 'bomb' when an airport security official questioned about its weight, has been booked, police said on Thursday. Kochi International Airport security officials handed over Rasheed, a native of Kozhikode, to Nedumbassery police...
10:54

'We will implement PM's vision'

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BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who will take oath as a Delhi minister today, says, It is a historic day. The people of Delhi have accepted PM Modi's vision, which we will implement.
10:32

Rekha Gupta leaves from home for Ramlila Maidan

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Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta shows a victory sign and accepts the greetings of people as she leaves from her residence for Ramlila Maidan. Rekha Gupta will be sworn in as Chief Minister at a ceremony in Ramlila Maidan in the national capital today. The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected...
10:07

Will Rekha Gupta stay in 'Sheesh Mahal'? She says...

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Where will Delhi CM designate Rekha Gupta stay? On being asked if she will stay at the 'Sheesh Mahal' after the oath ceremony, Gupta says, Nahi, Nahi...In mounting trouble for former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Central Vigilance Commission has asked the Central Public Works...
10:03

Delhi Speaker is...

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BJP MLA from Rohini, Vijender Gupta, to be new speaker of Delhi Assembly: party leaders.
10:01

US Tariff Hike May Hit India's GDP Growth: Goldman Sachs

Trump has told Modi that India will face reciprocal tariffs
Trump has told Modi that India will face reciprocal tariffs
The increase in average effective tariff rate imposed by the United States on Indian exports could potentially impact India's GDP growth by 0.1 to 0.3 percentage points, according to Goldman Sachs report on Wednesday.This forecast considers various scenarios, including the US government's planned...
09:57

We feel as if all of us are CM: Delhi BJP women

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Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha president Richa Pandey Mishra says, We feel as if all of us are CM. PM Modi has given this gift to all the women in Delhi. He has shown gender equality here.  A Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha worker says, I can't express it in words. There is great enthusiasm. We have...
09:38

RBI's Short Position Is...

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The Reserve Bank of India net sold $15.1 billion in December in the spot foreign exchange market, after a record net sale of $20.2 billion in November, according to the latest data released on Wednesday.The net short position in the forward market rose further to $67.9 billion by the end of the...
09:37

FDI Declines To...

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Net foreign direct investment (FDI) in India -- inflows minus outflows -- declined to $1.18 billion during April-December 2024 from $7.84 billion in the same period in 2023 due to a rise in repatriation and overseas investments by Indian firms.Gross inward FDI during April-November 2024 increased...
09:36

Kapil Mishra offers prayers

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BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who will take oath as a Delhi minister today, offers prayers at the Jhandewalan temple ahead of the swearing-in ceremony today.
09:34

Never thought... it's a miracle: Rekha Gupta's husband

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Delhi CM-designate Rekha Gupta's husband, Manish Gupta says, We never thought that she (Rekha Gupta) would become the Chief Minister of Delhi. It seems like a miracle. It is a matter of happiness for us that the party has given us so much respect. Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MLA...
09:11

Man who defeated Kejriwal to be part of Delhi Cabinet

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The new Delhi government will have six cabinet ministers, including Parvesh Verma who defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the recent assembly polls, who will be administered the oath of office on Thursday afternoon, officials said. A Union Home Ministry notification stated that the...
09:02

KIIT announces scholarship in memory of Nepalese student Prakriti Lamsal

Prakriti Lamsal's father
Prakriti Lamsal's father
The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha has announced a scholarship in memory of Prakriti Lamsal, the 20-year-old Nepalese student of the private engineering institute who died allegedly by suicide at her hostel room on February 16, leading to unrest on the campus.The...
08:53

Trump: Was India trying to get someone else elected?

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US President Donald Trump has one again questioned the United States' allocation of USD 21 million for voter turnout efforts in India, comparing it to concerns over foreign interference in American elections while addressing the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, Florida. Highlighting the...
08:45

Path open for all women if I can be CM: Rekha Gupta

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After being chosen as Delhi Chief Minister-designate, BJP leader Rekha Gupta said that it is a miracle and a new chapter marking the beginning of a transformative chapter for women in politics. Speaking to the media, Gupta vowed to hold corrupt individuals accountable, asserting that they...
08:33

Punjab has no water to spare with any state, Mann tells Ravi-Beas tribunal

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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the state does not have a single drop of water to share with any other state.  Mann stated this before the Ravi Beas Water Tribunal set up for adjudicating river water disputes between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.At a meeting with the...
08:17

25k security personnel for Delhi CM's oath ceremony

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More than 25,000 security personnel and over 15 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed across the national capital for Thursday's oath ceremony of the new chief minister at Ramlila Maidan, a Delhi Police officer said.The ceremony is likely to be attended by top party leaders,...
01:06

2 die of suspected GBS in Pune, toll rises to 11

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The fatality count due to suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) rose to 11 after two more patients died in Pune hospitals during treatment, officials said on Wednesday.The deceased include a 27-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man.The woman, diagnosed with GBS, died in a Pune hospital on...