India

Chennai, Dec 25: In a setback to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan, ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, general-secretary A. Arunachalam joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday. Arunachalam hails from a village in the Tuticorin district. The development came at a time when Haasan is campaigning for the forthcoming

Allahabad, Dec 25: Christmas has turned dark for Urdu literature with the passing away of literary giant Shamsur Rahman Faruqi in Allahabad on Friday morning. The writer and theorist had tested positive for COVID-19 in November though he was discharged from a Delhi hospital after a few days of treatment. Born on September 30, 1935, the poet, recipient of the Padma Shri honour (2009) known for his

Lucknow, Dec 25: A 20-year-old Muslim man, who was reportedly walking home with a Hindu girl after attending a birthday party, was arrested by the police on charge of so called 'Love jihad' and booked under the notorious 'anti-conversion' law in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnore district. The 'pradhan' (panchayat chief) of the village said that the youth and girl knew each other and they were returning home

New Delhi, Dec 25: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday appealed to farmers to try the three new farm laws as an "experiment" for a year or two and in case they are found not beneficial for the farming community, the government will do all necessary amendments. Describing the protesting farmers as his own people, Singh said, "Those who are sitting on dharna are farmers and

Allahabad, Dec 25: The Allahabad High Court has quashed an FIR against a person who had allegedly tweeted that "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has transformed the state into a jungleraj in which no law and order prevails". Hearing a writ petition filed by Yashwant Singh against whom the FIR was lodged at Bhognipur police station in Rama Bai Nagar district, a bench of Justice Pankaj

New Delhi, Dec 25: The central government on Friday said that it has planned a dry run for administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab next week as a step to prep up before the actual thing takes off. According to the Health Ministry, each state will plan the dry run in two districts and preferably in different session type settings, for example, district

Mathura, Dec 25: A third plea has been filed in a Mathura court seeking removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque near the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The suit filed in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Neha Bhadauria on Wdnesday demanded annulment of the 1968 compromise entered through a ruling of a Mathura court, ratifying a land deal between the Shahi Masjid Idgah Management committee and Sri

Aligarh, Dec 25: Noted scholar Jamal Khwaja, one of the last surviving members of the 2nd Lok Sabha, passed away at the age of 92 after a prolonged illness, according to his family. Khwaja died on Thursday and his last rites were performed the same night. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Aligarh in 1957. He led the Indian cultural delegation to Afghanistan in 1960. He moved away from politics in

As the social media platforms and governments battle the spread of coronavirus-related fake news, a new study has revealed that information on COVID-19 spreads quickly and misinformation or misleading information can take on a life of its own in social media channels. The consequences can be fatal, since often during a crisis, people are forced to make snap decisions while trying to take care of

New Delhi, Dec 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other parliamentarians on Friday paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on their birth anniversaries, at Central Hall in the Parliament. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to release a book on former Prime Minister titled 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament: A Commemorative Volume'