INDIA

The year 2024 has been officially recorded as the warmest year in India since 1901, with the average minimum temperature rising 0.90°C above the long-term average. According to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the annual mean land surface air temperature in 2024 was 0.65°C higher than the average recorded during the 1991–2020 period. This surpasses 2016, which had previously held the record with a mean temperature 0.54°C above normal. Globally, the European climate agency Copernicus reported that 2024 likely ended as the warmest year on record and marked the first year where the global average temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. A review by climate research groups World Weather Attribution and Climate Centr...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate five new train services connecting Delhi to the Kashmir Valley in January. The new trains will be equipped with heating systems to address the cold weather in the region The inauguration is set to take place virtually on January 6 from New Delhi. Railway officials confirmed that the new services will include advanced technology to ensure smooth operations in difficult weather conditions, such as extreme cold and snowfall. Details regarding the schedule, stops, and ticket bookings are expected to be announced soon by the Railway Ministry. The services are part of the ongoing Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBL) project, which aims to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country. This semi-high-speed train will be the fir...

A Zomato delivery agent in Indore faced harassment on Christmas Day when he was forced to remove his Santa Claus costume, a gesture initiated by the company to spread festive cheer. The incident, caught on video, has gone viral, drawing widespread criticism. The footage shows the rider, identified as Arjun, being confronted by a person off-camera, allegedly associated with the Hindu Jagran Manch. The individual questioned why Zomato agents did not dress up for Hindu festivals and accused the rider of promoting Christian traditions. “Why don’t you wear Lord Ram’s costume or saffron clothes during Hindu festivals?” the man asked. Despite Arjun’s explanation that the costume was provided by Zomato, he was coerced into removing his Santa outfit, including the cap, jacket, and trous...

Kashmiri shawl sellers in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district are reportedly facing harassment, assault, and threats from right-wing groups. As per Kashmir News Trust, these traders, many of whom have been working in the region for decades, allege that they are being pressured to leave despite having proper verification and documentation. Reports indicate that the landlords of these traders are also being coerced to evict them, adding to their insecurity. This is the third such incident in the region, raising concerns about a pattern of targeted violence against Kashmiri traders. The recurring incidents have sparked apprehension among the Kashmiri community and calls for intervention to ensure their safety. The traders reportedly contribute significantly to the local econom...

A Court in the national capital on Saturday acquitted two Muslim youths accused in the 2020 north-East Delhi riots case, citing insufficient evidence and unreliable prosecution. Feroz Khan, also known as Pappu, and Mohammad Anwar, residents of Old Mustafabad, were charged with participating in vandalism, looting, and arson in the Mahalaxmi Enclave area on February 24, 2020. They faced accusations under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 148, 380, 427, 451, 436, 511, 188, and 149. The Additional Sessions Judge noted significant discrepancies in witness testimonies and a lack of clarity in identifying the accused. The court also found no credible evidence proving the alleged attack on the property. These factors collectively undermined the prosecution's case...

A 33-year-old conman, Bilal Ahmad alias Dr. Bilal, hailing from Handwara, has been arrested in New Delhi by a team from Bijbehara Police Station. Bilal, wanted in multiple cases of cheating and forgery across Jammu Kashmir, has been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA). According to a police statement, the accused has been involved in defrauding numerous civilians and paramilitary personnel by promising bank loans for vehicle purchases and subsidy schemes. Using forged documents, he allegedly secured loans in the names of CRPF personnel, exploiting their identities for personal gain. The police spokesperson revealed that Bilal has at least 14 cases registered against him in various police stations across Jammu and Kashmir. Multiple complaints are also pending against h...

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq faces legal trouble as an FIR has been registered against him at Nakhasa police station for allegedly threatening officials from the Uttar Pradesh Power Department during an inspection. The complaint, lodged by Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Santosh Tripathi, cites Sections 352, 351(2), and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Earlier, the police booked Barq for alleged electricity theft at his residence in the Deepa Sarai neighborhood. The incident reportedly occurred during a routine inspection at around 7:30 a.m. when a power department team visited the MP's house. Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar stated that during the inspection, Barq confronted the officials, using abusive language and threatening them. According to th...

The government of India has addressed concerns raised regarding the blocking of independent media platforms, particularly news channels Bolta Hindustan and National Dastak. In response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by Pratima Mondal on December 18, 2024, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan clarified that the government follows strict procedural safeguards in such actions. The question sought details on whether notices had been issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to block these platforms without sufficient transparency or fair hearing, particularly in light of their impact on freedom of expression. Murugan explained that the government’s actions were in line with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digit...

The BJP-led Rajasthan government has initiated a process to replace Urdu and Persian terms in police terminology with Hindi. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Jawahar Singh Bedham, stated, “New recruits and officers in the police force don’t know much about Urdu. Since Hindi is in greater use, ‘Shudh’ (pure) Hindi should be adopted for police documents, investigations, and training.” Following this directive, DGP U.R. Sahoo issued instructions to identify Urdu terms commonly used in official documents like FIRs and complaints and suggest Hindi alternatives. Training materials will also be revised to remove Urdu, and new recruits will be briefed on these changes. The opposition Congress has condemned the decision, calling it unnecessary and divisive. Spokesperson Swarnim Chatu...

Job aspirants in Madhya Pradesh have staged protests after the results of a government recruitment examination showed a candidate scoring 101.66 marks out of 100. The examination, conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board for forest and jail department posts, declared the results on December 13. The unusual score was attributed to the "normalisation" process, which adjusts candidates' marks to account for variations in the difficulty levels of question papers across different sessions. The board clarified that the process, implemented as per rules, can result in scores exceeding 100 or even falling below zero. On Monday, a group of unemployed youths gathered outside the district collector's office in Indore, demanding a fair inquiry into the matter. Protesters s...