HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.30 pm: NATION DEL73 MHA-JK-LD SHAH Ecosystem that aids, abets terrorism in J-K has to be dismantled: Amit Shah New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir that aids, abets and sustains the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of common people requires to be dismantled.

DEL57 CONG-MOTHER-MODI Kharge, Rahul wish speedy recovery to PM Modi's mother New Delhi: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wished speedy recovery to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother, Hiraben, who was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad.

DES50 UP-OBC PANEL-URBAN BODY POLLS UP govt appoints five-member panel on OBC reservation in urban local body elections Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday appointed a five-member commission for providing reservation to Other Backward Classes in urban local body elections.

DEL58 COVID-MOCK DRILL Mock drills held across 20,000 hospitals to check Covid preparedness New Delhi: Over 11,000 oxygen plants are functional and nearly 2.8 lakh isolation beds are available in over 20,000 health facilities across the country where mock drills were conducted on Tuesday to check the operational readiness to deal with Covid amid a surge in cases in some countries, officials said. DEL49 CVC-APPOINTMENT Praveen Kumar Srivastava appointed acting CVC New Delhi: Vigilance Commissioner Praveen Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), officials said on Wednesday.

CAL20 BH-PRASAD-CONG Ravi Shankar Prasad lambasts Cong for likening Rahul to Lord Rama Patna: Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday flayed the Congress over its likening of Rahul Gandhi to Lord Rama, and warned that the opposition party must ''put an end to insulting the sanatana dharma''.

DES46 HP-CM-OPS Himachal CM says his government committed to implement Old Pension Scheme Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said his government is committed to approving the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state employees at its first cabinet meeting and has written to the Centre to clear the amount collected under NPS contribution.

DES67 ENV-AIR QUALITY-COAL BAN Delhi-NCR: Industries using unapproved fuels, including coal, to be shut down from Jan 1 New Delhi: The Centre's air quality panel on Wednesday said industries using unapproved fuels, including coal, in Delhi-NCR will be closed down straightaway from January 1 and heavy fines will be imposed on them.

BOM41 MH-KHARGE-MODI If Congress does not save democracy, Modi and BJP will take country towards dictatorship: Kharge Mumbai: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday claimed that if the party workers did not save the democracy and Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and RSS will take the country ''on the path of dictatorship.'' LEGAL LGD7 SC-POLL REFORMS-CONTEMPT SC to hear on Jan 2 plea of NGO seeking contempt for non-compliance of directions on electoral reforms New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea of an NGO seeking contempt action against a secretary of legislative department in the law and justice ministry for non-compliance of a top court direction issued in 2018 on electoral reforms. LGD6 GREEN-BASTAR-COMMITTEE NGT forms fact-finding committee on Bastar white clay mine collapse New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has constituted a fact-finding committee for providing relief to victims of the white clay mine collapse in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on December 2.

LGD10 DL-HC-UNDERTRIAL-CUSTODY Undertrial prisoner cannot be detained in custody indefinitely: Delhi HC New Delhi: An undertrial prisoner cannot be detained in custody for an indefinite period and the object of jail is not punitive or preventive, the Delhi High Court has said while granting bail to a man accused of cheating. LGD11 HP-PAPER LEAK-REAMD Himachal: Police remand of two accused extended in JOA paper leak case Hamirpur (HP): The police remand of Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) official Uma Azad and another main accused arrested in the JOA (IT) paper leak case was on Wednesday extended by three days by a local court.

FOREIGN FGN35 US-INDIANS-3RDLD DROWN 3 Indian-Americans die after falling in frozen lake in Arizona while walking on it to get pictures Washington: In a tragic incident, three Indian-Americans, including a couple, have drowned after they fell through the ice while walking on a frozen lake to get some pictures. By Lalit K Jha FGN40 UK-AKSHATA MURTY-DOWNING-STREET UK First Lady Akshata Murty offers peek into 10 Downing Street life London: Akshata Murty, the Indian wife of Rishi Sunak, plans to make 10 Downing Street a more accessible place during her tenure as UK First Lady and has offered a peek into the official residence of the British Prime Minister, according to a magazine feature released on Wednesday. By Aditi Khanna FES34 NEPAL-INDIA-POWER Nepal's power sector fears it will lose 'competitive advantage' due to India's new policy on hydropower projects Kathmandu: Nepal's power sector fears that they will lose the competitive advantage in the Indian market following New Delhi's recent decision to waive off the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges to India's hydropower projects, a move they say will severely hit their exports. By Shirish B. Pradhan FGN38 NEPAL-CHINA-LD TRADE Key trade route between Nepal-China reopens after nearly 3 years Kathmandu: Two-way trade from one of the key border transit routes between Nepal and China resumed formally on Wednesday after being closed for almost three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said. By Shirish B Pradhan FGN39 NEPAL-QUAKE Western Nepal hit by three tremors Kathmandu: A series of earthquakes jolted different areas of Western Nepal on Wednesday morning, officials said. By Shirish B. Pradhan

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