The New Indian Express News

NEW DELHI: India has pledged a $450 million reconstruction and recovery package to Sri Lanka following the devastation caused by CycloneDitwah , External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on Tuesday during his visit to Colombo as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking after talks with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Jaishankar said he carrieda personal messagefrom Prime Minister Modi to President Anura Kumar Dissanayake, whom he met earlier in the day. The Pr

GANGTOK: An Army jawan died after a raft capsized in the Teesta river during a training exercise in Sikkim's Pakyong district, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred during an annual rafting training programme for soldiers on Monday when a raft struck a damaged structure of a bridge and capsized in the river, and the jawan was swept away, a senior officer said. The iron bridge was damaged and fell into the river during the 2023 floods. An operation was immediately launched by the Army alo

Rahul Gandhis remarks in Berlin alleging a full-scale assault on Indias institutional framework have sparked a sharp political backlash, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Congress leader of running down the country abroad and questioning his intent. Addressing a lecture at the Hertie School during his five-day visit to Germany, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha reiterated his vote theft charge against the BJP-led government. There is a full-scale assault taking place on th

JAIPUR: A local community body in Rajasthans Jalore district has imposed a controversial ban on the use of smartphones by daughters and daughters-in-law in 15 villages, with the restriction set to come into force from January 26. Under the diktat, women will not be allowed to carry camera-enabled mobile phones to weddings, public gatherings or even while visiting neighbours, though the use of basic keypad phones for voice calls has been permitted. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Chaud

NEW DELHI: Dhaka on Tuesday summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to formally raise concerns over the security of Bangladeshs diplomatic missions in India, amid a spate of protests and the suspension of consular services in several cities. Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam called in the envoy around 9:30 am to brief him on what Bangladesh described as an unsatisfactory security situation at its missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala, foreign ministry sources told The Dai

The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of undermining the ecological integrity of the Aravalli mountain range, questioning why it was hell-bent on redefining the ancient hills and who stood to benefit from the move. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Aravallis are part of Indias natural heritage and require restoration and strong protection, not dilution through technical redefinitions. The Aravallis have great ecological value. Why is the Modi governm

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-bound British Airways flight from London has received a bomb threat, prompting aerodrome authorities to initiate standard safety protocols after the aircraft landed here, airport sources said on Tuesday. The customer support service of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here received a mail bearing a bomb threat to the BA 277 flight from Heathrow to Hyderabad on Monday, they said. The flight landed safely, and a standard safety protocol was initiated. The flight has already

US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that his intervention helped avert a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, asserting that Pakistans leadership credited him with saving millions of lives. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday, Trump said Washington played a key role in preventing the escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a hig

BENGALURU : AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot on Monday termed the central government replacing the rural employment law MGNREGA, as a historic mistake and a systematic attack on the livelihood chances of those amongst us, who have the least. The former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister also accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of constantly fueling political vendetta by falsely framing Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The government of India has made a

PUDUCHERRY: All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Kannan Gopinathan announced on Monday that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on December 27 to decide on the party's course of action over the centres new rural employment Act. Addressing reporters at the Puducherry Congress office, Gopinathan criticised the BJP-led coalition government at the centre for introducing a bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with a new program

KOLKATA: Around 32 lakh unmapped voters will be called in the first phase of hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, officials said. Hearings for this category, in which voters could not link their names with those of family members in the 2002 electoral rolls, will begin from December 27, he said. We have started sending notices to around 10 lakh such voters from today, while the same will be issued to another 22 lakh voters from Tuesday, the official at the

RAIPUR: Chaitanya, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, received Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore as his share from an alleged liquor scam in the state, the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing (ACB/EOW) has claimed in its chargesheet. The state police's ACB/EOW, in its seventh supplementary chargesheet in the multi-crore liquor scam filed before a special court here on Monday, claimed Chaitanya Baghel played a key role in establishing, coordinating, and protecting an ex

NEW DELHI: Alarmed by the frequent incidents of elephants and other wildlife being hit or run over by trains, the Ministry of Railways, in coordination with the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and other institutions, has identified 127 railway stretches passing through forest areas as sensitive to wildlife fatalities. Of these, 110 stretches fall within elephant distribution ranges, while 17 are located in two tiger range areas. An official said that a comprehensive joint surv

NEW DELHI: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday asked the lawyers to approach the Supreme Court Registry for urgent hearing. The Registry will scrutinise the reasons cited and list matters accordingly, he added. CJI Kant made the observations while presiding over a special vacation bench along Justice Joymalya Bagchi to hear matters that required immediate judicial intervention. As the bench commenced hearing, several lawyers started mentioning cases for urgent hearing, promptin

NEW DELHI: Responding to questions raise in Parliament the Ministry replied that Indias AYUSH sector, the government arm for traditional and alternative medicine, is running with nearly half of its posts unfilled across key national institutes. Of 5,553 sanctioned posts at 19 autonomous bodies, about 2,512 are vacant and only 3,041 are currently filled, leaving a vacancy rate of roughly 45 per cent nationwide, the Ministry of AYUSH told Parliament on 5 December 2025. The Standing Committee on He

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the second day of his two-day visit to New Delhi. Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh were also present. This was Nitishs first meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi after the Bihar assembly elections. NDA leaders, however, dismissed the Congress charge, calling it a courtesy meeting. Bihar Congress on Monday took a swipe at Chief Ministe

Roadshows have emerged as a preferred tool for political parties. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a lead, other leaders are not behind when it comes to organising road shows. Newly-appointed BJPs working national president Nitin Nabin will also stage a roadshow in Patna on Tuesday during his maiden visit to the state after assuming his new post. Whether road show is more effective than a public meeting for attracting people towards political parties, particularly during elections, remai

AHMEDABAD: Although Ahmedabad was elevated as the official host of 2030 Commonwealth Games at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, data placed before the Rajya Sabha exposes a stark domestic reality: Gujarats grassroots sports ecosystem, at least on paper, is virtually non-existent. The approval came with clarity between 15 and 17 disciplines, spanning athletics, para-sports, swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, boxing and netball, are slated for Ahmedabad-2030, promising inclusiv

East Delhi BJP MP Harsh Malhotra speaks to editors of TNIE about the pace of road infrastructure expansion in the country. The Union MoS of Road Transport, Highways and Corporate Affairs answers a range of questions uppermost in peoples minds. Excerpts: We always hear that there are a lot of initiatives to improve quality of road matching international standards. How much success have we achieved? The progress achieved over the past decade represents a structural shift rather than incremental ch

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court sought response from Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Monday in the National Herald case. The order came on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which challenged a lower court order refusing to take cognisance of the agency charge sheet filed against the Gandhis and others. A bench of Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notice to the Gandhis and other respondents, directing them to file their response by March 12, when the court will next

BHOPAL: A local BJP leader from Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur district has been caught on camera abusing a visually impaired woman over allegations of religious conversion. The video which went viral on Monday, is related to an incident which reportedly happened in the premises of a Church in Hawa Bagh area under Gorakhpur police station of Jabalpur district on Saturday. In the video, the BJP's recently appointed Jabalpur city unit vice president Anju Bhargava is seen shouting at a visually impaired

NEW DELHI: Slamming Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for attending a tea party hosted by the BJP government after the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament, INDIA bloc ally CPI(M) on Monday said the move sent a wrong message at a time when the Centre had bulldozed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Speaking to reporters in the national capital, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said the optics of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi

JAIPUR: Environmentalists and social organisations staged demonstrations against the Supreme Courts acceptance of the Union Environment Ministrys definition of the Aravalli mountains in several cities of Rajasthan on Monday. Meanwhile, a political war of words has erupted between former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Protests were held in Udaipur, Jodhpur, Sikar, Alwar and Ajmer, with police action reported at some places. Leader of Opposition Tikaram

Days after the BJP-led Union Government passed a contentious law replacing the two-decade-old MGNREGA , CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Monday claimed that the Centre is now moving towards removing Mahatma Gandhis image from Indian currency notes. The allegation comes despite repeated denials by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that any such proposal is under consideration. Speaking to reporters in the capital, Brittas said a high-level meeting on the issue had already taken place, signalli

GUWAHATI: Assam's Biswanath district administration has directed two women, declared as Bangladeshis by the Foreigners' Tribunal, to leave the country within 24 hours of receiving the orders, officials said on Monday. The Tribunal had declared Asmull Khatun of Missamari village and Afuja Begum of Bakrapatta village as 'foreigners' from Bangladesh at different point of time following which Biswanath District Commissioner Lakhinandan Saharia issued an order under Section 2 of the Immigrants (Expul

Four years after its launch in May 2021, the Centre's ambitious Rs 18,100 crore battery manufacturing scheme is yet to start commercial production. Launched under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Production Linked Incentive scheme aims to establish a domestic manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries, critical for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and grid applications. However, so far it has failed to produce a single unit of commercial battery

RANCHI: Two youths poured boiling oil on a woman for allegedly resisting sexual harassment late Sunday evening in Jharkhand's Giridh. According to police, one accused has been arrested, while the other is still on the run. As per information received, the woman runs a shop selling fritters to support her family. The accused persons, Uday Chaudhary and Manish Chaudhary, had gone to her shop on Sunday evening. At that moment, the power went out. Both accused took advantage of the situation and att

A Christmas event scheduled to be held at a hotel run by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar has been cancelled following objections from Hindu outfits, a hotel official said on Monday. Several activities for children were scheduled for December 24 at Hotel Bhagirathi on the occasion of Christmas, but they will not be held now, hotel owner Neeraj Gupta said. After information about the Christmas event at the hotel spread on social media, Hindu organisation

RANCHI: Jharkhands Social Welfare Directorate is set to launch a a first-of-its-kind campaign to curb child marriage by sharing real-life stories of girls who stood up against the practice. The campaign will showcase the success stories of girls who protested against the outdated practice and persuaded their families to not go through with their marriages, while also discussing the challenges they faced throughout their struggle for autonomy. Through these stories, young girls will be sensitised

MUMBAI: Following its defeat in the Maharashtra local body elections, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has approached Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with a request to form an alliance ahead of the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), scheduled on January15, 2026. In the local body elections, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party . After winning the 41 Nagar Panchayat president posts in the local body elections, the Congress has gained

Following the controversy surrounding the recent Supreme Court order regarding the new definition of the Aravalli hills based on a 100-metre criterion, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav said the directive aims to restrict illegal mining. He added that the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) will develop a detailed, district-wise conservation plan for the Aravalli region in accordance with the Supreme Court's order. The Supreme Court or

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday presented a supplementary budget of Rs 24,496.98 crore for the financial year 202526 during the second day of the five-day winter session of the state legislature. The budget was presented in the Assembly by State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, who said it was aimed at sustaining the momentum of development, providing additional resources to essential sectors, and fast-tracking welfare schemes in response to emerging needs. Khanna said the origina

CHANDIGARH: After falling victim to an alleged online fraud by cyber criminals to the tune of Rs 8.10 crore, former Inspector General of Police Amar Singh Chahal shot himself in Patiala on Monday and is in a critical condition. Sources said that Chahal was rushed to Park Hospital with a serious chest injury and is undergoing treatment. A handwritten note recovered from the scene said that he was a victim of an online fraud. The note, written in the form of a letter and addressed to Prime Ministe

KOLKATA: Hearing of three PILs over the fiasco during Argentine football legend Lionel Messi showcasing event last week that saw spectator rampage at the Salt Lake stadium here concluded before the Calcutta High Court on Monday. The petitioners sought investigation into the incident by central agencies as well as refund of ticket price to the spectators, a section of whom had gone on a rampage over not being able to see their favourite star and early conclusion of the event following a messy sit

Union Health Minister and BJP President J P Nadda on Monday targeted the Congress, accusing some party insiders of facilitating the 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack, which led to the killing of its state leaders. Addressing the 'Janadesh Parab' (people's mandate festival) event held to mark the completion of two years of the Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh, Nadda alleged, Today, I say this with great responsibility that no one else was providing information and inside details abo

NEW DELHI: A day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the VBGRAMG Bill, turning it into a law, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi over her recent article criticising the changes. Gandhi had accused the Modi government of bulldozing MGNREGA, a charge the BJP strongly rejected. Amit Malviya, national head of the BJPs Information and Technology wing, responded with a detailed rebuttal on X, describing Sonia Gandhis arti

NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and lies on the issue of the new definition of the Aravallis and stressed that mining can be carried out legally in only 0.19 per cent of the area covered by the mountain range. At a press briefing, he said the Narendra Modi government remains fully committed to protecting and restoring the Aravallis. The Congress, which allowed rampant illegal mining in Rajasthan during its tenure, i

GUWAHATI: Protestors on Monday torched the ancestral residence of Assams Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang. The incident comes amid the demand for the eviction of outsiders from a few village grazing reserves (VGRs) and professional grazing reserves (PGRs). At least three protestors were injured. The violence broke out at Donkamokam in the hill district of West Karbi Anglong, where tribal Karbis are in the majority. Ronghangs house was gutted in the

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed his conviction in a cheating and forgery case. Issue notice to the Maharashtra government. Meanwhile, the conviction of the petitioner (Manikrao Kokate) shall remain stayed to the extent that there shall be no result of disqualification as a member of the state legislative assembly. However, that will not entitle the petitioner to hold an office of profit.

PATNA: The Bihar government on Monday claimed that the State has 'almost' got rid of the Maoist menace. The number of Maoist-infested districts has declined from 22 to zero, with no major incidents reported in the past few years, according to Bihar Home departments additional chief secretary (ACS) Arvind Kumar Chaudhary. Stating that Naxal-related violence has not been reported in the past 3-4 years in the State, Chaudhary said the number of left-wing Maoist-infested districts has reduced to nil

NEW DELHI: A latest study revealed that hot and humid conditions driven by climate change could increase cases of stunting in South Asia's children by over three million by 2050. Researchers found that pregnant women are known to be susceptible to heat stress due to the additional weight and hormonal changes, which make them 'vulnerable' to overheating. The findings published in the journal Science show that humidity can worsen the impacts of exposure to heat, in part as it prevents pregnant wom

LUCKNOW: After nearly nine years of legal proceedings, five convicts of the Bulandshahr NH-91 gang rape case were sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1.81 lakh each by the local court on Monday. Initially, 11 people were named as accused in the case, which pertained to a family that fell victim to brutal atrocities in 2016. Prime accused Salim Bawariya died during the course of the trial in 2019, while two other accused were killed in separate encounters by the STF. Those who

KOLKATA: Four members of a family were charred to death while sleeping inside a room during a fire on Sunday night in Howrah district of West Bengal, officials said on Monday. The incident took place around midnight in Sauria village under the jurisdiction of Joypur police station in Howrah. The deceased were identified as Durjodhan Dolui (72), his son Dudhkumar Dolui (45), daughter-in-law Shibani Dolui (40), and granddaughter Shampa Dolui (15). Their bodies were recovered from the room by polic

CHANDIGARH: A patient was allegedly assaulted by a doctor at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla triggering protests by his kin outside the hospital premises. Medical superintendent of the hospital Rahul Rao said that action against the accused doctor has been initiated and a report has been sought. Further action will be taken after the report is received, he said, adding that the victim has lodged a police complaint and an FIR has been filed against the doctor who is a specialis

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged minorities, who traditionally support the ruling Trinamool Congress, to remain united at a time when the partys suspended MLA Humayun Kabir floated a new political platform , the Janatar Unnyan Party (JUP). The move has raised concerns over a possible split in the minority vote bank barely four months ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled next year. Addressing a meeting of Trinamool Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the

CHANDIGARH: With the objective of making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant in the energy sector, the state government has set a target to meet over 90 per cent of its energy requirements through renewable sources and transform Himachal Pradesh into a Green Energy State by March 2026. As part of this initiative, 500 kW ground-mounted solar power projects will be installed in all panchayats across the state, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla on Monday. At present, the states annual

Indian H-1B visa holders who travelled back to India this month to renew their American work permits have been left stranded after their visa interviews were abruptly rescheduled by US consular offices, The Washington Post reported, citing three immigration lawyers. The high-skilled workers had appointments cancelled between December 15 and 26, a period that overlaps with the US holiday season, and many are now facing new dates months later, with interviews reportedly pushed to March next year.

ETAH:The Uttar Pradesh Police have intensified their crackdown on the alleged illegal trade, diversion and distribution of regulated codeine-based cough syrup, arresting six persons in separate operations in Etah and Mirzapur districts, officials said on Monday. The action comes as the probe widened into the alleged codiene syrup trafficking racket, suspected to be involved in illicit trade estimated to be worth hundreds of crores -- with links stretching across several states and possibly beyon

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sought to turn Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths do namune jibe into a political gotcha moment, claiming the remark was a self-goal that amounted to an open admission of an alleged rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly between its Delhi and Lucknow power centres. The sharp exchange unfolded amid a political slugfest over the alleged illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup, with Adityanath taking potshots at opposition

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday once again lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that he controls the Election Commission of India (ECI). Addressing a meeting of Trinamool Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, around 1.5 km from the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at BBD Bag, the Chief Minister intensified her attack on Shah. I have never seen such an autocratic, worthless home minister who controls