National

 Every year air pollution levels spike in the Indo-Gangetic Plain a day after Diwali with grey skies and hard-to-breathe air.

This results from several meteorological factors, the stubble burning in neighbouring states and increased local emissions due to the firecracker use.

Analysis by the NCAP Tracker of data from Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 33 monitors in Delhi showed that PM 2.5 levels in the capital city this year were lower than in 2021 but continued to be above the daily safe limits of 60 ug/m3.

 In a freak accident here on Tuesday, a man carrying a cracker in his pant pocket was seriously injured when it exploded accidentally.

The incident took place in Banthra on the outskirts of Lucknow when Babloo collided with another man coming from the opposite direction.

Babloo has been admitted to the Lok Bandhu hospital in a critical condition.
 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to list urgently a petition against Ajay Devgn-starrer Hindi film "Thank God", scheduled for release on October 25.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi, said there is nothing urgent here and posted the matter for hearing in November.

Counsel, representing 'Sri Chitragupta Welfare Trust', mentioned the matter before the top court seeking urgent hearing in the matter, and sought directions for removing the trailers and posters of the movie from YouTube and other platforms.

Delayed delivery of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines in Punjab and Haryana came up as a major concern in the inter-ministerial meeting held on the issue of of crop residue burning.

Amid the poor air quality situation in Delhi and surrounding cities, the meeting under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Environment and the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry was held in the national capital.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Arunachal Pradesh next week and inaugurate the greenfield airport in Itanagar and a 600 MW Kameng hydro electric power project, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior official of the state government said that the Prime Minister is likely to visit Arunachal Pradesh on October 27 or 28, though his tour schedule has not been finalised yet.

"The PM would visit Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh next week to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for several projects," said the official who didn't wish to be named.

At least three persons were killed and three others injured in an accident at the public sector Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers (RCF) plant here on Wednesday, an official said.

The incident occurred at the RCF's factory in Thal, Alibaug during the work of installation of an air-conditioning system, said Raigad Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge.

"The accident took place while the workers were installing the air-conditioning system. The situation is normal now. The plant is also working as usual," Gharge told IANS from the accident site.

A 28-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man at a hotel in west Delhi and the accused has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The accused has been identified as Sundar Yadav, a resident of Gurugram's Farukh Nagar.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, West, Ghanshyam Bansal, a complaint was received at Hari Nagar police station on Tuesday in which the woman, stated that she had met Yadav four months ago.

Production of Russia's new Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles in India may be launched before year-end, a senior Russian official has said, as per media reports.

The weapon will be manufactured at a plant in Korwa in Uttar Pradesh, according to Alexander Mikheev, the head of Rosoboronexport, the Russian state agency for international arms trade, RT reported.

"We plan 100 pert cent localisation of the production of the legendary Russian assault rifles in India," the agency quoted its chief as saying in a statement issued on Monday.

 President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice DY Chandrachud as the next Chief Justice of India.

Justice Chandrachud will be sworn in as India's 50th CJI on November 9.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, in a tweet, said: "In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, President appoints Dr. Justice DY Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 9th November, 22".

A total of 13 Congress delegates in Kerala failed to turn up to vote to elect their new president on Monday and these included nine who were unwell, and two who are aboard

Party legislator Eldhose Kunnapilly, who is presently on the run after a rape case, was one of the absentees, while Suresh Elavayoor was unable to reach on time.

Former state unit president V.M.Sudheeran and Karakulam Krishna Pillai are both out of the country.

Among those who did not turn up due to ill-health included former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi.