Breaking News: Mumbai police probes Param Bir-Vaze meet, IPL 2022 Retention List Out

Sunrisers Hyderabad retain captain Kane Williamson and uncapped Umran Malik, release star player Rashid Khan

Mumbai Indians release Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan ahead of IPL mega auction, RCB let go of Yuzvendra Chahal

RCB retain Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj; Mumbai Indians retain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav

Chennai Super Kings retain Ravindra Jadeja as number one player, M S Dhoni number two

A human chain protest was held today on behalf of the BJP demanding that the Tamil Nadu government reduce the tax on petrol and diesel.  More than 500 BJP members took part in the protests.

Supaul (Bihar): 173 bottles of liquor recovered from an ambulance run under Mukhyamantri Gram Parivahan Yojana

Mumbai Police is currently investigating the secret meeting between Sachin Vaze and Param Bir Singh a day after Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has canceled his scheduled meet with WB CM Mamata Banerjee who is currently on a two day visit to the state, due to health issues. 

The discussion on #COVID19 new variant will be held in Lok Sabha tomorrow under Rule 193: Sources
 

Pakistan has been reportedly blocking Indian trucks carrying food for Afghanistan.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar orders enquiry over recovery of empty liquor bottles in state Assembly premises

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today chaired a meeting of Floor Leaders of all parties to discuss and end the deadlock.

Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow, 1st December.

As per info by the governmet of J&K, after the abrogation of Article 370, a total of 1678 migrants have returned to Kashmir for taking up jobs under PM Development Package 2015. The land of 150 applicants stand restored: MHA in a written reply in Lok Sabha

187 insurgency-related incidents occurred in North East region this year till 15th Nov. 20 civilians, 8 security forces personnel and 39 insurgents killed in insurgency-related incidents this year up to 15th Nov: MHA in Lok Sabha

The Supreme Court has posted the jesting on January 18 and also expressed a clear intention to proceed with the hearing in the contempt case against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya. The Court stated that even if Mallya - who is now in the United Kingdom from where the Indian Government is trying to extradite him- is not present before the Court on that day for any reason, it will hear the counsel on his behalf. 

The Court has also appointed Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta as an amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. On an earlier occasion, the Court had rejected the request made by Advocate EC Agarwala seeking his discharge as Mallya's counsel in the case.

Afghanistan’s air force on Monday conducted the first military drills in Balkh province of the country for the first time since the Taliban took over power in August. Tolo News reported that drills took place in Afghanistan’s northern region including the US-gifted Russian Mi-17 and MD helicopters. The machines were provided by the United States to the ousted government. Reportedly, the extremists had urged the pilots who fled the war-torn country after August to return to the nation and even promised to return them their respective jobs. 

Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai Bipin Kumar Singh said, "We do not have any information" on the alleged meeting between former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh & his former associate & sacked cop Sachin Vaze"

Speaking to the media inside the Parliament premises on Tuesday, NC president Farooq Abdullah reiterated his demand for the restoration of Article 370. Contesting the notion that there is normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, he opined that the reinstatement of the region's special status was absolutely essential. The former J&K CM was among the mainstream leaders who was kept under house arrest while the Centre moved to abrogate Article 370.

Ex-J&K CM Farooq Abdullah remarked, "They have to reinstate Article 370 if normalcy has to be restored in Kashmir. You come here and see what kind of normalcy is there. There is no normalcy."

"The future of our children, their education, their jobs, our lands (is linked to this). When it comes to land to the tiller, we gave the land ownership right to the people without taking one paisa from them. That wouldn't have been possible if Article 370 was not there. But these people are not ready to fight this battle. There is no problem, don't fight. We will fight alone". 

"The kind of indiscipline we saw in last Monsoon session was never seen before. One Opposition MP tried to vandalise an LED screen,few MPs attacked women marshals. It was important to take action to maintain the dignity of the House"

South Africa’s province of Gauteng, where the Omicron COVID-19 variant was first detected has registered over 300% increase in coronavirus infection-related hospitalisations this week. As the Omicron scare continues to engulf the world in chaos, the Gauteng province which includes the city of Johannesburg has recorded at least 580 hospitalisations because of the COVID-19 peak.

Daily Mail reported citing the official data that the increase in Coronavirus infections in the South African province is a 330% jump from 135% just two weeks ago. Reportedly, just under 40% of Gauteng with 12 million residents have received at least a single shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination rate of the province is the third-lowest of South Africa’s total 12 provinces. Last week, the new Omicron variant was detected in at least 77 cases in the region. 

As rules for Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are yet to be framed, the Centre has informed Parliament on Tuesday, that it has no plans to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the national level as of date. Answering a question by Congress MP Hibi Eden, MoS Home Nityanand Rai wrote that a total number of 1,33,83,718 Indian nationals are living in foreign countries. Under CAA, those covered in the law may apply for citizenship after the rules are notified under the law.

The Centre also stated that 1,11,287 Indians have given up Indian Citizenship and took citizenship of other countries in 2021. In a written reply, Rai stated, "The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was notified on 12.12.2019 and has come into force w.e.f. 10.01.2020. The persons covered under the CAA may apply for citizenship after the rules are notified under the CAA. Till now, the Government has not taken any decision to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the national level"

"Jal Jeevan Mission is changing lives: Umla is one of the 12 villages in Leh district of Ladakh, wherein every household now has assured tap water supply even in sub-zero temp. The happiness on the face of this little girl and her grandma is the real satisfaction, "Additional. Secretary & Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission shared. 

"Our (TMC) two MPs will sit before the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises from tomorrow 10 am-6 pm daily till 23rd December. We will invite other MPs also to come to show solidarity with our MPs," Derek O'Brien said. 

12 suspended Opposition MPs will write to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and argue against their suspension. They will also stage a sit-in protest before the Gandhi statue in Parliament tomorrow.

Parliament's Winter Session has been adjourned till 3 PM. 

In an important development on Tuesday, official sources revealed that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is detected during RT-PCR tests and Rapid Antigen Tests. This comes amid speculation that the available diagnostic measures may not be able to accurately detect it. Moreover, sources indicated that state governments have been advised to ramp up COVID-19 testing to ensure the early detection of cases and subsequent management of such patients. Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha today, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that India has not recorded a single case of Omicron so far. 

The 12 suspended Opposition MPs will write a letter to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and further argue against their suspension. They will also stage a sit-in protest before the Gandhi statue in Parliament tomorrow.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the validity of COVID-19 containment measures, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its advisory dated September 21, 2021, till December 31, 2021. Apart from that, an order issued by the Ministry calls for rigorous screening and testing of all international arrivals at airports followed by genome sequencing of positive samples. 

"Had a great meeting with our former PM Shri HD Devegowda Ji in Parliament today."

While indicating no imposition of ban on cryptocurrency, Sitharaman said, "Crypto regulation is need of the hour."

Further, she ruled out complete ban on Crypto Ads on websites etc.

n solidarity with its suspended peers, Opposition MPs staged a walkout after Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu refuse to revoke the suspension of 12 MPs. Protesting at the Gandhi statue in Parliament, Opposition MPs like Sanjay Singh, PC Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Mallikarjun Kharge raised slogans against the Centre. 12 Opposition MPs were suspended from Rajya Sabha on disciplinary grounds for the Winter session.

Addressing the media, Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "We have staged a walkout from Lok Sabha to support the 12 Opposition members of Rajya Sabha who have been suspended. The action of suspension from the current winter session points at a 'retrospective effect'. Why should an apology be issued?". Lok Sabha had been adjourned amid heavy sloganeering against the suspension of the MPs.

"No case of COVID19 variant Omicron reported in India so far," Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

"We are keeping a strict check at the airport on international passengers arriving from countries where the new Covid variant has been detected. All international passengers will be tested at the airport on arrival," Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

Four people got injured in a fire incident in the Worli area after a gas cylinder exploded. People injured in the incident have been admitted to a hospital: BMC

Opposition leaders protest at Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises demanding revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs of Rajya Sabha

"We have staged a walkout from Lok Sabha to support the 12 Opposition members of Rajya Sabha who have been suspended. The action of suspension from the current winter session points at a 'retrospective effect'. Why should an apology be issued?: AR Chowdhury, Cong"

A three-member team will probe the matter. Action will be taken against the accused: Dr Vinay Kumar Sharma, Civil Surgeon of Muzaffarpur on people lost their eyes allegedly after the failure of cataract operations at Muzaffarpur Eye Hospital

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejects the request for revocation of suspension of 12 MPs during the Winter Session of Parliament. 

Opposition MPs stage walkout from Rajya Sabha after House Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejects the revocation.

Speaking to the media ahead of the meeting of the floor leaders of opposition parties in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge ruled out the possibility of the 12 suspended MPs tendering an apology. A day earlier, Congress' Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem, CPI's Binoy Viswam, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri of TMC and Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai were suspended for the remainder of the Winter session. Kharge opined that it was akin to muzzling the opposition. 

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge remarked, "We will talk to the leaders of all parties. We will take a decision after that. There is no question of apologising. Second, the manner in which they suspended (MPs) is against the rules. This incident is from the last session. To make this an issue in the Winter session and suspend (MPs) is a ploy to muzzle the opposition. They have decided to suspend MPs of opposition so that they are not exposed. Even the people who were not near (the spot where the incident took place) were suspended." 

Troubles seem to be mounting for actor Kangana Ranaut ever since she wrote a post allegedly referring to the entire Sikh community as Khalistani terrorists and that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi crushed them 'like mosquitoes' under her shoes. Kangana took to Instagram and informed about lodging an FIR against death threats that she has been receiving since that post from unknown people in Punjab. The Queen star also shared a copy of the FIR along with her throwback pictures from the Golden Temple visit while penning her sharp response to the threats. 

According to the FIR copy shared by the actor, Manpreet Singh, resident of Bhatinda, Punjab, and other known and unknown have been booked under sections 295A, 505 (2), 504, 506 (II), and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. The actor penned a lengthy note and retaliated to the death threats that she has been receiving and wrote that she is not scared of such moves and even in the future, she will continue to voice her opinion about terrorist and anti-social elements of the country.

Dr. N K Arora, India's COVID-19 Task Force Chairman informed that a comprehensive policy on additional and booster doses for the COVID-19 vaccine will be made public in the next two weeks. Speaking to news agency ANI, Dr. N K Arora stated that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) of India was working on a policy for a COVID booster dose, and the same would be released by December.

"A comprehensive policy on additional and booster doses for COVID-19 will be made public in the next two weeks by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) of India," Dr. N K Arora, India's COVID-19 Task Force Chairman informed. 

The COVID Task Force Chairman also revealed that a detailed plan for immunising 44 crore children below the age of 18 years would also be shared soon. Arora hinted that prioritisation would be for children with comorbidities. 

Hundreds of women in Pakistan’s Balochistan province took to the streets to call for their rights, in what was later termed as a “historic rally.” According to a report by Dawn, the rally commenced from the Al Johar Public School and went on till Marine Drive in the port city of Gwadar. The massive was called Gwadar ko Huqooq Do Tehreek which translates to Movement for Gwadar Rights. 

Chanting slogans and raising posters, the women asserted that the breadwinners in their homes were out of jobs. They demanded the administration to end illegal fishing trawlers and lift trade restrictions with Iran. It is worth mentioning that both the Islamic Republics inked a free trade agreement earlier this month which would be implemented for three months. 

Leader of the rally, the secretary of general of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Balochistan Chapter Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch said that the gathering was a testament to the fact that every citizen of the country mobilised for their basic rights. 

Today, November 30, 2021, schools and colleges in Madurai and Tuticorin have been advised to close. There are more districts where educational institutions have been asked to remain closed, in addition to these. In Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Nellai, Theni, Dindigul, Cuddalore, and Ramanathapuram districts, schools and colleges would be closed, while in Madurai, Tuticorin, Tiruvallur, and Sivagangai districts, schools and colleges would be closed.

According to Skymet Weather's latest forecasts from this morning, a low-pressure region is anticipated to emerge and could intensify into a potential northeast monsoon cyclone. This might exacerbate the situation in the state and neighbouring places, with assistance arriving in a matter of days. The Tamil Nadu State Weather Department issued a red alert for 9 districts in the state, including Chennai and Kanyakumari, on November 29, 2021. Schools and colleges were closed as a result, with the promise that a decision on reopening will be made by the end of the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting with top ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Narendra Singh Tomar in Parliament to discuss strategy for the ongoing winter session 

The price of petrol and diesel in India stayed steady on Tuesday, November 30. According to a notification from the state-run oil marketing businesses, the price of petrol and diesel remained steady for the 28th day in a row (OMCs). Since the day of Diwali, when the central government announced an excuse duty drop on petrol and diesel prices, fuel prices in India have been slashed. Fuel prices for November 30 are as follows

Mumbai:

Petrol price in Mumbai: Rs 109.98 per litre

Diesel price in Mumbai: Rs 94.14 per litre

Delhi:

Petrol price in Delhi: Rs 103.97 per litre

Diesel price in Delhi: Rs 86.67 per litre

Chennai:

Petrol price in Chennai: Rs 101.40 per litre

Diesel price in Chennai: Rs 91.43 per litre

Kolkata:

Petrol price in Kolkata: Rs 104.67 per litre

Diesel price in Kolkata: Rs 89.79 per litre

Bhopal:

Petrol price in Bhopal: Rs 107.23 per litre

Diesel price in Bhopal: Rs 90.87 per litre

Hyderabad:

Petrol price in Hyderabad: Rs 108.20 per litre

Diesel price in Hyderabad: Rs 94.62 per litre

Bengaluru:

Petrol price in Bengaluru: Rs 100.58 per litre

Diesel price in Bengaluru: Rs 85.01 per litre

Chandigarh:

Petrol price in Chandigarh: Rs 100.12 per litre

Diesel price in Chandigarh: Rs 86.46 per litre

Raipur:

Petrol price in Raipur: Rs 101.11

Diesel price in Raipur: Rs 92.33

Guwahati:

Petrol price in Guwahati: Rs 94.58 per litre

Diesel price in Guwahati: Rs 81.29 per litre

Lucknow:

Petrol price in Lucknow: Rs 95.28 per litre

Diesel price in Lucknow: Rs 86.80 per litre

“Cannot imagine a more responsive government”, hailed Ladakh-based engineer & education reformist Sonam Wangchuk while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for paying heed to his call for help regarding Leh airport. Just earlier this month Wangchuk had called on PM Modi to address the situation at Leh airport which was not adhering to the vision of ‘Carbon Neutral Ladakh’ and ‘Carbon Neutral India’. Just weeks later, the Ladakh-based engineer tweeted about he met with a PMO’s team led by Deputy secretary Mangesh Ghildiyal.

On Tuesday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will hold a meeting to discuss the development of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. The airport and railway authorities have been notified, according to the Chief Minister's office which issued a statement on the recent developments.

Speaking to reporters, CM Sawant said, "The state is adhering to Centre's guidelines over COVID-19. All precautions are being taken. A meeting with officials from Health and State administration is called on November 30 to discuss the issue. Airport-Railway stations have been alerted and have been asked to take precautions in wake of a new variant."

India reports 6,990 new cases, 190 deaths & 10,116 recoveries in the last 24 hours; Active caseload at 1,00,543: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Total Vaccination : 1,23,25,02,767

Amid the scare of a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and two South African returnees testing positive for COVID-19, preventive measures have been intensified at the Bengaluru airport which includes extensive testing, sanitisation followed by quarantining mandated for all the international passengers. 

As a part of the new system in place, more than 49 health officials are working alternatively in three shifts for checking the arrival of both International and domestic passengers. Apart from that, RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen testing has been made compulsory for those travelling from other countries followed by thermal screening and quarantining. Speaking on the same, Bengaluru Rural District Health Officer Tippeswamy after inspecting the Kannur International Airport Ltd on Monday spoke to the media and said that all International passengers who test negative for COVID-19 on arrival in Bengaluru will be put in quarantine for 7 days and will be tested again after 7 days. 

Lok Nayak Hospital is designated as the dedicated hospital which will treat the patients detected with a new variant of SARS-CoV-2: Delhi Government

"It is a matter of great honour for me to take charge as the Chief of Naval Staff. Indian Navy's focus is on our national maritime interests and challenges"

Admiral R Hari Kumar receives guard of honour at the South Block lawns as the new chief of Naval Staff

Delhi | Air Quality Index (AQI) is presently at 362 (overall) in the 'very poor' category, as per SAFAR-India

Parliament Winter session: Bill on regulation of reproductive technology to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

In a clear sign of revolt on Monday, Congress MP and Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur changed her display picture on Twitter to 'Captain for 2022' apart from removing the party's name from her bio. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Patiala 4 times since 1999, she has served as the Minister of State for External Affairs in the UPA government from 2009 to 2012. Notably, the Sonia Gandhi-led party won 7 out of 9 Assembly seats that fall under the constituency represented by Kaur in the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls. 

This latest development assumes significance as Preneet Kaur was asked to provide an explanation of her "anti-party activities" failing which Congress threatened to take disciplinary action against her. The show-cause notice issued on November 24 read, "From the last many days, we are continuously receiving reports from Congress workers, MLAs, leaders from Patiala and the media about your anti-party activities. This information and news have been coming ever since your husband Captain Amarinder Singh Ji resigned from the party and floated his own party: Punjab Lok Congress. We are also made aware of your open announcements in the media about siding with your husband's party". 

Aghast at the Farm laws being repealed from Parliament without debate, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, pointed that eight bills that had been repealed during PM Modi's tenure have had at least one hour of debate. Owaisi opined that if elected MPs are left unheard, what choice do people have apart from protesting. The three Farm Laws were officially repealed by both Houses sans debate amid Opposition sloganeering.

"Govt says that discussion on #FarmLawsRepeal was unnecessary. Even by BJP’s abysmal record, previous repeal bills were passed only after debate. Farm laws were passed & repealed without debate. If elected MPs are left unheard, what choice do people have apart from protesting?" Owaisi shared on Twitter

'India aware of the Tibetan situation, we have been in regular communication'

CM Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Tuesday (November 30) in order to review the preparedness to deal with "Omicron" and a possible third wave as the new COVID-19 variant raises concern globally. Taking it to Twitter, the Office of the Chief Minister of Delhi stated, "On Tuesday, November 30 at 11 AM, CM Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with the concerned officials to review the preparedness of Delhi in the wake of new COVID-19 variant and third wave."

"The whole selfie thing was done (at the women MPs' initiative) in great good humour & it was they who asked me to tweet it in the same spirit. I am sorry some people are offended but I was happy to be roped into this show of workplace camaraderie. That's all this is."

The statement holds relevance after the Congress MP received a great deal of flak over the previous tweet. 

"Who says the Lok Sabha isn’t an attractive place to work? With six of my fellow MPs this morning"

At least 1,000 travellers had landed in Mumbai in the last 15 days from African countries where the Omicron variant of coronavirus was detected, a senior official said on Monday. He said the Mumbai civic body collected swab samples of at least 100 travellers out of the 466 whose list was received so far.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told PTI that the airport authority has informed that around 1,000 travellers had landed in Mumbai from African countries in the last fortnight, but it has handed over a list of only 466 such passengers so far.

"Out of the 466 travellers, 100 are from Mumbai. We have already collected their swab samples. By tomorrow or a day after tomorrow, their reports are expected. It will be clear if they are positive or negative to coronavirus," Kakani said

"India has always condemned acts of violence in Syria as well as violations of human rights law, irrespective of who their perpetrators are," Pratik Mathur, Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to UNGA on UNSC Arria-formula meeting on accountability in Syria. 

"India firmly believes that long-term security & stability of the region can only be achieved by preserving the sovereignty & territorial integrity of Syria, Mathur added at the UNSC Arria-formula meeting on accountability in Syria"

"The persisting & repeated calls for regime change; external support to the armed groups in Syria, complicated the situation & resulted in the growth of terrorism"

Hours after 12 MPs were suspended from Rajya Sabha, government sources have hinted that there may be a revocation of their suspension provided they tender an apology. Sources from the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu's office have told Republic TV that if the MPs tender an 'unconditional written apology', the decision may be reconsidered.

The Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session suspended 12 members on the grounds of indiscipline. The decision was taken over the ruckus that had been caused during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. The suspension notice stated, "The MPs have lowered the dignity of the House by unprecedented acts of misconduct through their violent behaviour and 'intentional attacks' on security personnel on the last day of the monsoon session on August 11."

Taking to Twitter, he shared, "By suspending 12 MPs from the Rajya Sabha, BJP has now gone ahead of the majority number. Can easily pass listed bills through the upper house now. This move has no parallel in the history of parliamentary democracy and is entirely undemocratic, unlawful, and unconstitutional!"

New COVID-19 strain Omicron is a “cause for concern, not a cause for panic”, said US President Joe Biden while stressing on the importance of vaccination to combat the spread of infection. Speaking at the White House, Biden said that he was not considering any widespread US lockdown. He also urged people to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and return to face masks indoors in public settings to reduce the spread of coronavirus. 

In his remarks, the US President called it “almost inevitable” that the Omicron strain will be found in the country “at some point”. He said that America will “face this new threat just as we’ve faced those that have come before it."

"We have the best vaccine in the world, and the best medicines, the best scientist and we're learning more every single day," the US President said. He also vowed to "fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed. Not chaos and confusion."

The cases of the new Omicron variant continue to emerge across the world. The latest country to discover the new variant is Spain, according to the Associated Press. The first case of Omicron variant of coronavirus has been discovered in the microbiology service of the Gregorio Maranon Hospital.

The microbiology and infectious disease service of the Gregorio Maranon hospital, in a tweet, informed that the sequencing of samples from the patient showed that he was infected with the Omicron variant of the COVID virus, according to AP. The hospital further revealed that the 51-year old patient is in good condition.

The man who has tested for the Omicron variant in Spain had travelled from South Africa, after having a stopover at Amsterdam. According to the health authorities, the man had first tested positive for COVID-19 at the Madrid airport. The authorities are monitoring other passengers who came in close contact with the patient infected with the Omicron variant.

In a sensational development, Republic TV has learned that a closed-door meeting was allegedly held between former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh and ex-API Sachin Vaze post the hearing of the Chandiwal Commission on Monday. According to sources, a secret meeting was allegedly held between the two disgraced cops for one hour after Param Bir marked his appearance before the panel. The meeting is said to have been held close to a chamber near the Commission. 

Sources have also revealed that Mumbai Police officials reached the site to question the lawyers of the two cops. The advocates claimed that they had taken permission for the meeting. This development assumes great significance given that it is the first in-person meeting between Vaze and Param Bir after the 'Maha extortion racket' exploded leading to the 231-day disappearance of the latter. 

 National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) chief Dr. N.K Arora cleared several misconceptions around the inoculation of COVID vaccines and the future of booster doses in India. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network on Monday, Dr. Arora refuted the statements claiming that only one dose of the COVID vaccine is required after recovering from the infection. When asked why India is not inoculating its citizens with the booster dose or the "miracle dose", Arora said that the decision is yet to be made. Currently, several countries like Israel, the UK, the USA, Austria, Belgium and France are already administering the booster dose.

Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar is set to take over as the country's next Navy chief on November 30. He handed over charge of Western Naval Command to Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh on Monday at a ceremony. He will succeed Admiral Karambir Singh, who is the incumbent Indian Navy chief. 

Before Kumar was appointed as the Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command on February 28 this year, he was heading the Eastern Naval Command.

Earlier this month, Defence Ministry spokesperson A Bharat Bhushan Babu had said in a statement, "The Government has appointed Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar as the next Chief of the Naval Staff with effect from the afternoon of November 30. The present Chief of the Naval Staff retires from service on November 30."

As cases of the new COVID variant, Omicron, emerge, the international community has raised alarm over the situation. Amid growing concern over the new variant, the G7 health ministers held an emergency meeting on Monday, November 29, about the new Omicron COVID variant spreading across the world.

The meeting chaired by UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid discussed the development on the Omicron variant. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are the members of G7.

Following the meeting, G7 leaders, in the joint statement, highlighted the need for 'urgent action' to tackle the new variant.

"The global community is faced, at a first evaluation, with the threat of a new, highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, which requires urgent action," G7 leaders said in the joint statement.

As the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Twitter Inc., announced earlier yesterday that he was stepping down from his duties as the firm’s CEO, and giving the company reins to his Chief Technology Officer Parag Agrawal, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to his Twitter handle to appreciate the ‘Indian talent’. Replying to the tweet of Patrick Collison, co-founder, and CEO of Stripe Company, Musk wrote that the United States greatly benefits from Indian talent. Patrick congratulated Agrawal, as he wrote: "All the CEOs who run Google, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Palo Alto, Networks and now Twitter grew up in India. It is heartening to see the astonishing success of Indians in the tech world. Congratulations Parag."

Taking an opportunity to acknowledge India’s talented tech experts and welcoming Agrawal appoitnment as new CEO of Twitter, Musk agreed with Stripe's CEO, saying that Indian talent plays a huge role across the American technological firms. A graduate of IIT Bombay, the newly appointed CEO of microblogging firm Twitter Parag Agrawal, also holds a doctorate degree in computer science from Stanford University and assumed the role of Chief Technology Officer [CTO] of the company in 2017.

After National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah disapproved of senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's comments on Article 370, Azad once again clarified his statement by saying that statehood in Jammu and Kashmir must be restored. He also slammed the media for allegedly misquoting him earlier. 

Azad stated, "Some sections of the media tried to misquote my speech in Kashmir. Let me make it clear – we have a united, single stand on the August 5 decision. The decision has led to widespread public dissatisfaction in Jammu as well as Kashmir. The unemployment rate is sky-high. Tourism is finished. Instances of militancy have gone up. We want an end to the problems faced by the public. Statehood must be restored, an early election held next year and the jobs/land act brought back."

On Saturday, Azad had said that militancy is majorly in three parts of Kashmir and requested all political parties in the Valley to not politicise it. Instead, he suggested creating an atmosphere where people could believe that elections could take place.

"I urge all the political parties to create an atmosphere which is conducive for election. People are in distress in Jammu and Kashmir," Azad had said. He had also urged forces to be careful that no civilians get injured during the anti-terror operations.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has confirmed his resignation as CEO from the company, just an hour after reports about the same started surfacing. Ironically, Dorsey confirmed the authenticity of the reports by releasing a statement on the micro-blogging platform and said that the time has come for him to step down after 16 years of association with Twitter. Earlier, many speculations were made about the next CEO and Dorsey cleared the air around this via his statement. The 45-year-old revealed that Indian- born Parag Agarwal will be leading the company from now on. 

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday offered assistance to Africa, which is battling the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 stating that it was ready to send supplies bilaterally or through COVAX. Issuing a statement, the MEA expressed solidarity with nations battling Omicron and affirmed that India stands ready to supply life-saving essentials and medical equipment to their African counterparts.

"We have noted the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19, Omicron. We express our solidarity with the countries, particularly in Africa, who have so far been affected by the Omicron variant. The Government of India stands ready to support the countries affected in Africa in dealing with the Omicron variant, including supplies of Made-in-India vaccines. Supplies can be undertaken through COVAX or bilaterally," the statement said.