TODAY NEWS ON January 12, 2025

News Headlines for CAT,CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

Several workers trapped in Kannauj railway station building collapse

An under-construction building at the Kannauj railway station collapsed on Saturday (January 11, 2025) afternoon, trapping around two dozen workers under the rubble, a senior official said. Six workers have been rescued and rushed to hospital. Initial visuals from the site showed scenes of chaos and confusion with crowds, clouds of dust and broken beams as people tried to rescue those who had been trapped.

Two dead, six injured in accident at construction site in Raipur

Two workers were killed while six others sustained injuries when a centring frame on an under-construction building collapsed here on Saturday (January 11, 2025). The accident was reported around 3 p.m. on VIP Street, metres away from the VIP Road, a stretch that connects the city to the Raipur airport. The residential building has three multi-storey towers, each at a different stage of construction. While the project is run by a prominent construction firm from the State, those at the site said that it is subcontracted to various contractors.

Nine-month-old child tests positive for HMPV in Gujarat; cases rise to four in State

Gujarat has reported its fourth human metapneumovirus (HMPV) case, with a nine-month-old child contracting the infection in Ahmedabad, officials said Saturday (January 11, 2024). All the cases have been reported in less than a week. The baby boy was admitted to a private hospital in the city on January 6 with a cold, cough and difficulty in breathing. He has no history of foreign or other travel, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said.

Rijiju embarks on five-day visit to Saudi Arabia, to sign agreement for Hajj pilgrimage

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday (January 11, 2025) embarked on a five-day visit to Saudi Arabia to sign a bilateral agreement for the Hajj pilgrimage of 2025, where India is seeking an additional quota for 10,000 pilgrims. Mr. Rijiju is scheduled to meet Saudi Arabian Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah on Monday (January 13, 2025) when the two leaders are expected to sign the bilateral agreement.
 

J&K CM Omar Abdullah inspects Z-Morh tunnel ahead of PM Modi’s Kashmir visit to inaugurate it

Security arrangements were further tightened in Kashmir on Saturday (January 11, 2025) ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to inaugurate the Z-Morh tunnel on January 13. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah paid a visit to the project on Saturday to have a first hand account of the arrangements made for the inauguration ceremony. Mr. Abdullah inspected the tunnel tubes and expressed his appreciation for their efforts in completing this vital infrastructure, officials said. He also visited the venue where the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a public gathering and formally dedicate the project to the nation. The strategic 6.4-km tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway will keep Sonamarg open to tourists round the year and is also touted as a major milestone to connect the Kashmir valley with Ladakh.

Shami returns to India squad for England T20Is; Axar appointed as Suryakumar’s deputy

Mohammed Shami will return to international cricket after a prolonged injury hiatus. The pacer was picked in India’s 15-member squad for the five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22. The national selection panel met here in person on Saturday to finalise the squad and take stock of the Indian cricket team. The Hindu understands that Shami, who last featured for India during the 2023 World Cup final, is also set to be picked in the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy.

Majority of violence against minorities ‘political in nature’; ‘not communally motivated’: Bangladesh police report

Bangladesh police have filed a report on the complaint by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Unity Council that had claimed that a total of 1,769 communal attacks had taken place during August 2024 after the departure of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but has argued that “majority” of the cases were “not communally motivated” and had “political” overtones. A report by the police has claimed that 1,234 incidents were political in nature and 20 incidents were communal.

BPSC sends legal notice to Prashant Kishor; demands evidence within seven days

Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has sent a legal notice to Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor with regard to the allegation levelled by him on the Commission. The Commission has demanded evidence within seven days on the allegations of corruption levelled against the Commission by him and his team members. The notice is based on Mr. Kishor‘s statements of January 2, 3 and 6 and a YouTube clip of his statement has been attached.

No respite from skyrocketing costs in Karnataka

The 20 months of the Congress government in Karnataka has seen the costs of several essentials increasing, with taxes and prices going up, providing no respite to common people. This has given ammunition to the Opposition to target the government, arguing that the government is taxing people, unable to bear the fiscal burden of funding the five guarantee schemes, which costs the State exchequer nearly ₹60,000 crore annually.

Ukraine captures two North Korean soldiers in Kursk, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday (January 11, 2025), the first time Ukraine has announced the capture of North Korean soldiers alive since their entry into the war last autumn. North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Kyiv and its Western allies, who initially estimated their numbers at 10,000 or more. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said that the soldiers had been brought to Kyiv and were communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine, the country’s domestic intelligence agency.

Los Angeles investigates fire blame as curfew enforced

Californians on Friday (January 10, 2025) demanded to know who is at fault for the vast devastation caused by the raging Los Angeles wildfires, as a strict curfew went into force to prevent looting and lawlessness. At least 11 people died as flames ripped through neighbourhoods and razed thousands of homes in a disaster that U.S. President Joe Biden likened to a “war scene.” While Angelenos grapple with the heart-rending ruin, anger has risen over officials’ preparedness and response, particularly for a series of false evacuation alarms and after hydrants ran dry as firefighters battled the initial blazes.

Lebanon PM visits Damascus on first such trip since before Syria war

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrived in Damascus Saturday (January 11, 2025), the first such visit since before the civil war broke out in Syria in 2011. His visit comes as the neighbouring countries seek better relations after Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad last month.

President Joe Biden extends time in U.S. for 800,000 Venezuelans, Salvadorans as Donald Trump readies immigration crackdown

About 600,000 Venezuelans and more than 230,000 Salvadorans already living in the United States can legally remain another 18 months, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday, barely a week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office with promises of hardline immigration policies.

South Korea Jeju Air jet black boxes stopped recording four minutes before crash

The flight data and cockpit voice recorders on the Jeju Air jet that crashed on December 29 stopped recording about four minutes before the airliner hit a concrete structure at South Korea’s Muan airport, the Transport Ministry said on Saturday (January 11, 2025). Authorities investigating the disaster that killed 179 people, the worst on South Korean soil, plan to analyse what caused the “black boxes” to stop recording, the Ministry said in a statement.