Sunday, December 28, 2025

Delhiites working hard but still a long way to go: Kejriwal on Delhi pollution

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the results of efforts made by Delhi residents to curb pollution in the city are encouraging but there is still a long way to go.

His remarks came a day after Diwali when the air quality in the national capital was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category. The situation, however, was relatively better than previous years due to favourable meteorological conditions which diluted the effect of many residents flouting a firecracker ban and stubble burning.

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 326 at 8 am.

“Delhiites are working hard in the field of pollution. There have been very encouraging results but there is still a long way to go. We will make Delhi the best city in the world,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

Emissions from firecrackers and farm fires have contributed significantly to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Diwali over the years.

Their share this year was relatively less than previous years due to reduced bursting of firecrackers and moderately warm and windier conditions which prevented rapid accumulation of pollutants.

Delhi had recorded an AQI of 382 on Diwali last year, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Jammu and Kashmir: Chief of Defence Staff visits forward posts in Rajouri

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan on Monday visited forward posts in Rajouri sector of Jammu & Kashmir and celebrated Diwali with soldiers posted on the frontlines.

He was accompanied by White Knight Corps Commander, Lt Gen Manjinder Singh.

Addressing the troops, Gen Chauhan exhorted them to carry forward the rich tradition of courage and valour of the Indian Army. He also emphasised the need for operational readiness of the highest order.

Gen Chauhan was briefed by field commanders on the current operational situation and security scenario along the Line of Control (LoC).

He also reviewed the development of defence infrastructure and operational preparedness undertaken despite challenging terrain and weather conditions in the region.

The CDS also laid a wreath at Naman Sthal, the war memorial of Naushera Sector and paid his respects to the bravehearts who had laid down their lives in the service of the nation.

 

Former Hurriyat chairman Ansari passes away

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Former chairman of the Hurriyat Conference and influential Shia leader Maulana Abbas Ansari died here on Tuesday. He was 86.

“Maulana (Ansari) breathed his last at his Nawakadal residence in the old city on Tuesday morning,” a relative of the deceased leader said.

He said Ansari was not keeping well for the past couple of months and was hospitalized for some time in September.

Ansari was the last chairman of the undivided Hurriyat Conference which split into two factions soon after his election as the head of the separatist amalgam in 2003.

He had stepped aside from active politics and his son Masroor had replaced him in Hurriyat as representative of Ittehadul Muslimeen party.

Proud of him: Narayana Murthy on Rishi Sunak

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Tehelka WebDesk
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We are proud of him and wish him success,” Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said in his first comments on the elevation of his son-in-law Rishi Sunak as Britain’s prime minister.

Sunak, 42, on Sunday won the race to lead the Conservative Party and is now set to become Britain’s first prime minister of Indian origin.

“Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and we wish him success,” Murthy said in first first reaction emailed to PTI. “We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom.”

The son of a pharmacist mother and doctor father, Sunak was educated at one of England’s most renowned schools, Winchester, and then Oxford. He spent three years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and later gained an MBA from Stanford in California, where he met his wife Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy.

He married Akshata in 2009 and the couple has two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.

India offers sweets to Pakistan on Diwali

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Tehelka WebDesk
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On the occasion of Diwali, Indian Border Security Force (BSF) here today offered sweets to its Pakistani Counterparts.

 

BSF commandant rank officer along with his staff gave sweets to the Pakistani Rangers at ‘Joint Check Post’ (JCP) on Attari/Wagah border.

At the time of Sweet offering at JCP to Pakistan Counterpart by BSF, both the forces were looking relaxed as they hugged and shook hands with each other besides sharing pleasantries for a few minutes.

Forces on both sides were seen clicking photographs of each other’s while wearing smile on their lips.

There are long coming traditions between India and Pakistan to offer sweets to each other on major religious festivals, like Eid, Diwali, similarly on Independence Days of both nations and India’s Republic Day.

 

 

Terror Financing : Pakistan taken off from FATF’s grey list after 4 years

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Pakistan has been taken off from the grey list of the FATF, the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, four years after the country was put in the infamous categorisation.

Significantly, for the first time, the FATF put Myanmar in the “high risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action”, often referred to as the watchdog’s black list.

In a statement, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said it welcomes Pakistan’s significant progress in improving its anti-money laundering, combating financial terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.

The decision was taken by the FATF in its plenary held in Paris on October 20-21.

“Pakistan has strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments of its action plans regarding strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in June 2018 and June 2021, the latter of which was completed in advance of the deadlines, encompassing 34 action items in total.

“Pakistan is therefore no longer subject to the FATF’s increased monitoring process. Pakistan will continue to work with APG to further improve its AML/CFT system,” the statement said.

With Pakistan’s exit from the “grey list”, Islamabad may now try to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union (EU), to boost its cash-strapped economy.

Punjab Cabinet approves restoration of Old Pension Scheme for employees

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chandigarh:  In a historic decision aimed at well-being of the government employees, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday approved restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for the employees of the state government.

Divulging the details, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that a decision to this effect was taken in meeting of Cabinet held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at the Punjab Civil Secretariat I.

The spokesperson further said that the employees will be given option for adopting the Old Pension Scheme or the New Pension Scheme. It may be recalled that Old Pension Scheme for employees was discontinued in year 2004 and ever since then the employees are being given New Pension Scheme. However the employees have been since long demanding the restoration of Old Pension Scheme.

Keeping in view the well being of the lakhs of employees the Cabinet has decided to restore the Old Pension scheme in the state. The implementation of the scheme is likely to give major relief to the employees of the state. Realizing that employees are the backbone of the government, the state government has taken this historic decision which is likely to benefit all the employees of the state government.

Punjab to give 6% DA to govt staff & pensioners from October 1, 2022

Meanwhile in significant decision, the Cabinet has also decided to give 6% Dearness Allowance (DA) to government employees and pensioners, with effect from October 1, 2022. The decision, which will benefit lakhs employees and pensioners, was approved by the Cabinet.
The Council of Ministers opined that the employees were a critical segment of the state administration and safeguarding their interests was the government’s top priority.

 

 

 

Three die in Army helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Itanagar:  Three persons were killed in an Army helicopter crash in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday morning, a defence official said.

The advanced light helicopter, carrying five Army personnel, was on regular sorties, he said.

The incident took place at 10.43 am at Singging near Migging, around 25 km from district headquarters Tuting.

“There were five Army personnel onboard. Three of them died. Two bodies have been recovered, while one has been sighted. Two others are yet to be spotted,” the defence official said.

A rescue team reached the spot and search operation is underway, Tezpur based defence spokesperson Lt Col AS Walia said.

Two choppers, one each of Army and India Air Force, have been deployed for the search and rescue operation, he said.
Upper Siang SP Jummar Basar had earlier said the crash site is a mountainous region, and it would take time for the search and rescue team to reach the spot.

The district police also sent a team to the spot for search operation, the SP said.
The Army chopper, also known as HAL Rudra, took off from Likabali in Lower Siang district of the state with the army personnel onboard.

This is the second incident of an Army helicopter accident in the state this month.A Cheetah helicopter crashed in Tawang district on October 5, killing one of the two pilots onboard. Another Cheetah chopper crashed in March near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The pilot died in this incident, too.

PM Modi arrives at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the famous Kedarnath temple in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand on Friday.

The prime minister will perform a “puja” at the temple, before proceeding towards Badrinath.

During his two-day tour of the state, Modi is scheduled to inspect various ongoing development projects and lay the foundation stones of some new projects.

Security has been tightened around the two famous temples of Kedarnath and Badrinath in view of the prime minister’s visit. Both the temples have been decorated with flowers.

The prime minister is also scheduled visit the Samadhi Sthal of Adi Guru Shankaracharya

Heroin worth Rs 28 crore seized in Mizoram, six held

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Aizawl:  More than 5.6 kilograms of heroin valued at over Rs 28 crore was seized by the Mizoram police in Champhai district bordering Myanmar, an officer said on Friday.

Altogether six people, including a Myanmarese national, were arrested for possessing the contraband. The seized heroin was believed to be smuggled from Myanmar, he said.

The officer said that 5.4 kilograms of heroin was recovered by the Champhai police from a vehicle near Tuipui village, about 20 kilometres from Champhai town, on Wednesday night.

Policemen posted at the Khankawn check gate recovered and seized 24 grams of heroin concealed in two soap cases from the possession of a local peddler and a 28-year-old Myanmarese woman on Wednesday morning.

Police recovered 24 grams of more heroin from a peddler at the same spot on the same day, the officer said.

In another seizure, Champhai police seized 156 grams of the drug from a vehicle at Champhai’s Vengsang locality on Thursday morning, he said.

The officer said that the smuggling of drugs, exotic wild animals and other contraband to the country from Myanmar via Mizoram remained unabated despite the law enforcement agencies maintaining vigil to curb the menace

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