Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Heeding to demands made by several states, the GST Council on Friday put on hold a decision to hike the tax rate on textiles to 12 per cent from 5 per cent, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

The panel, the highest decision-making body for indirect taxes, met under emergency provisions after states made a request for deferring the January 1 hike in GST tax rates on textiles.

Sitharaman said a similar demand for footwear was not agreed to.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) India logged 309 fresh Omicron infections, taking the total tally of such cases in the country to 1,270, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The 1,270 cases have been detected across 23 states and UTs so far, and 374 people have recovered or migrated.

Maharashtra recording the maximum number of 450 cases followed by Delhi at 320, Kerala 109 and Gujarat 97.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday slammed the government over the purchase of a luxury car for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cavalcade at a time when the economy has taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recalling the prime minister's description of himself as fakir' (ascetic), Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said every person in the country desires to be a fakir like Modi who flies in an Rs 8,000 crore aircraft, rides in Rs 20 crore car and spends Rs 2,000 crore on building a home .

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested two people for allegedly raping a 34-year-old woman in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, officials said on Wednesday.

Around 3 am on Monday, the woman asked an unknown person to drop her at a relative's house. The man, who was accompanied by another person in the car, picked her from Sagarpur.

They allegedly raped her after stopping the car at a secluded place in Nihal Vihar area, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Prashant Gautam said.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first half of next month has been postponed, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

The prime minister was scheduled to visit the strategically important Gulf nation around January 6, they said.

Firozabad (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday attacked the government over "privatisation" of some institutions, saying it is a way to end reservation.

During an interactive session with women as part of her party's "ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon" campaign here, she said all political parties have started talking about women after the Congress raised their issues.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has left for a brief visit abroad, a day after the party celebrated its 137th foundation day.

Gandhi is learnt to be on a short visit to Italy.

"Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. BJP and its friends in the media should not spread unnecessary rumours," AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

Congress sources said Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally in Moga in Punjab on January 3 and may return in time for the event.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday urged the Centre to reimburse to the state a sum of Rs 15,000 crore it had spent on central security forces deployed for anti-Naxal operations in the state.

At the meeting of state finance ministers with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here, Baghel also asked the Centre for payment of GST compensation and transferring of the amounts collected as 'additional levy' from coal block companies.

BENGALURU, Dec 28 (Reuters) - India has approved Merck's (MRK.N) COVID-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use as the world's second most populous country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Asia's third-largest economy has already said it will allow COVID-19 booster shots for some of its population as some Indian states logged an uptick in Omicron cases.

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first half of next month which would be his first trip abroad in 2022, people familiar with the development said on Monday.

Both sides are looking at firming up the visit around January 6 but there is no finality on the dates yet, they said.