India

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Delhi reeled under a cold wave on Tuesday as icy winds sweeping through the city brought the minimum temperature down to 3.6 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a low of 3.6 degrees Celsius as against 5.6 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Bengaluru, Dec 28 (PTI) The Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to promulgate an ordinance to give effect to the contentious anti-cow slaughter bill that is yet to be approved by the legislative council.

Once it comes into effect, there will be a blanket prohibition of slaughter of cows in the state.

However, slaughter houses will continue to function and beef consumption will not be prohibited with respect to buffalo meat.

"The anti-cow slaughter law is not new. We have had it for decades.

New Delhi/Dehradun, Dec 28 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who tested positive for COVID-19 recently, was admitted to Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday with an infection in his lungs.

He was taken to Delhi in a helicopter in the morning on the advice of doctors after a slight infection was found in his lungs, an official said here. Rawat has undergone some important tests at the AIIMS, he added.

Rawat's physician NS Bisht is also with him, the official said.

Chandigarh, Dec 28 (PTI) Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday seeking withdrawal of the Centre's new farm laws or suspension of those until a consensus is reached with all farmer organisations and experts.

The 85-year-old president of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) said no concrete solution to the issue has been found so far because of the "stubborn" attitude of the government.

Kochi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on Monday said it had a "cordial" meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has initiated discussions with two rival Kerala-based Syrian church groups to end their bitter battle for possession of over 1000 churches and their properties.

Modi is expected to hold discussions with representatives of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church faction on Tuesday over the issue, sources said.

Dantewada, Dec 28 (PTI) Two women naxals, collectively carrying cash rewards of Rs 7 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarhs Dantewada district on Monday, a police official said.

The gunfight took place at around 5:30 pm in a forest between Kalepal and Kakari villages under Kuakonda police station limits when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-naxal operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey has said that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under home isolation.

In a tweet, Choubey informed on Monday that he underwent a test after showing initial symptoms of coronavirus infection.

He urged everyone who came in contact with him recently to get tested for the disease.

Bharuch, Dec 29 (PTI) Gujarat BJP MP and former Union minister Mansukh Vasava, who has been vocal on tribal issues, on Tuesday quit the party and said he would resign from Lok Sabha in the budget session of Parliament.

Vasava had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week seeking withdrawal of a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notification declaring 121 villages of Narmada district as eco sensitive zone.

NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (NNN-PTI) – The number of daily new cases of COVID-19 hit a six-month low in India yesterday, the federal health ministry said.

The daily COVID-19 caseload dropped to 18,732 yesterday, which was below 19,000 cases, after six months, which the ministry described as “a landmark.”

India’s current number of active cases was 278,690, yesterday.

“The country reported a trend of sustained decrease in the number of active cases. India’s present active caseload consists of just 2.74 percent of India’s total positive cases,” it noted.

Kanpur: The cold weather keeps up its firm hold in the city and adjoining suburban area known as Jajmau.

As the sun draws to complete its cycle in the evening the temperature sends the shivering chilliness in the open areas.

Even the high-rise flats also becomes colder in the night. One said that his second storey flat in quite a spacious area turns into cold storage. There is no respite during the night hours. What remains worth satisfactory is a glow of the sun in the day.