TODAY NEWS ON December 26, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• M.T. Vasudevan Nair, doyen of Malayalam literature and cinema, passes away
• Centre yet to formally scrap Free Movement Regime with Myanmar
• States try to enrich themselves by ratifying building violations, says Supreme Court
• PM Modi to distribute 58 lakh property cards under scheme to digitise rural property records
• One dead, 20 rescued after tourist boat capsizes off Calangute beach in Goa
• Manipur needs immediate peace, understanding between two communities: CM N. Biren Singh
• Govt committed to improve quality spending, cut fiscal deficit to 4.5% in FY26: Finance Ministry report
• Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses returns to India after a 36-year ban
• Delhi govt departments distance themselves from AAP’s promised schemes; ask people not to share personal details
• India, Saudi Arabia exploring joint ventures in defence sector
• J&K: Doda receives fresh snowfall, attracts tourists from across India
• Pushpa 2 stampede: ₹2 crore ex-gratia to be handed to victims’ family
• Bumrah equals Ashwin’s record for rating points in ICC Ranking for Bowlers
• Modi lays foundation stone of Ken-Betwa river linking project; hails Ambedkar’s vision

International News

• Pope calls for ‘arms to be silenced’ in Christmas appeal
• Azerbaijani airliner crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38, officials say
• At least 13 people killed in Pakistani strikes on suspected militant hideouts in Afghanistan
• Japan Foreign Minister raises ‘serious concerns’ over China military buildup
• Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Christmas Day

Headlines

M.T. Vasudevan Nair, doyen of Malayalam literature and cinema, passes away

M.T. Vasudevan Nair, one of India’s greatest writers of all time, died in Kozhikode at a private hospital. He was 91. He was also an exceptional scriptwriter who revolutionised the art of screenplay writing in Malayalam cinema and authored several landmark films. Some of those films were directed by M.T. himself. His debut film as a director Nirmalyam, in fact, won the National Award for the best film in 1974. He wasn’t too keen on directing films, and was happier writing fiction.

Centre yet to formally scrap Free Movement Regime with Myanmar

Months after announcing that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Myanmar border has been entirely suspended, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has brought in fresh protocol to regulate the movement of people living within 10 kilometres on either side of the largely unfenced international border. A senior government official told The Hindu that the notification ending the FMR, which involves a bilateral agreement with Myanmar, is yet to be notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Pope calls for ‘arms to be silenced’ in Christmas appeal

Pope Francis called for “arms to be silenced” around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza. He used his traditional message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine as the country was pummelled by 170 Russian missiles and drones in a Christmas morning barrage Kyiv branded as “inhumane”.

States try to enrich themselves by ratifying building violations, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that State governments often seek to enrich themselves through the process of regularisation by condoning or ratifying building violations or illegal constructions. The court said such State governments were unmindful of the fact that whatever “gain” by condonation or regularisation of illegal constructions was insignificant compared to the long-term damage caused to orderly urban development and environment.

PM Modi to distribute 58 lakh property cards under scheme to digitise rural property records

Four years after the Union government launched the Svamitva scheme to digitise property records in rural areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute 58 lakh property cards providing ‘Record of Rights’ to owners in over 50,000 villages across 12 States at a virtual event, officials of the Panchayati Raj Ministry said on Wednesday (December 25, 2024). At least 13 Union Ministers will address events in different States where the property cards will be distributed, officials added.

One dead, 20 rescued after tourist boat capsizes off Calangute beach in Goa

One person died and 20 others were rescued after a tourist boat capsized in the Arabian Sea off Calangute beach in North Goa, police said. “The incident occurred around 1.30 pm,” they said. "A 54-year-old man died and 20 others were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after the boat they were travelling in capsized," a senior police official said. “Except for two passengers, all others were wearing life jackets,” he said.

Manipur needs immediate peace, understanding between two communities: CM N. Biren Singh

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said the State, which has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May last year, needs immediate peace and appealed to two communities to reach an understanding. "What is happening in Manipur today has many reasons. Today, those who have been trying to divide the state are asking what the government is doing...they are hungry for power," Mr. Singh said.

Azerbaijani airliner crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38, officials say

Kazakhstan officials say 38 people have died after an Azerbaijani airliner crashed near the Kazakhstan city of Aktau. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev disclosed the death toll while meeting with Azerbaijani officials, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Govt committed to improve quality spending, cut fiscal deficit to 4.5% in FY26: Finance Ministry report

The government will continue its focus on improving quality spending, strengthening the social security net and bring down the fiscal deficit to 4.5% of the GDP in FY26, a Finance Ministry document said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is schedule to present the Budget for 2025-26 in Parliament on February 1, 2025.

Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses returns to India after a 36-year ban

British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie’s controversial book The Satanic Verses has quietly returned to India 36 years after it was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government. A "limited stock" of the book, which caused a furore against its author and content that was deemed blasphemous by Muslim organisations the world over, has been selling at Bahrisons Booksellers in the national capital for the past few days.

Delhi govt departments distance themselves from AAP’s promised schemes; ask people not to share personal details

The Delhi government’s Women and Child Development and Health departments issued public notices distancing themselves from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s promised schemes of providing ₹2,100 to women and free treatment for the elderly, triggering a fresh row ahead of Assembly polls. The two departments also cautioned the people against providing personal details to anyone on the pretext of registration for “non-existent” schemes

India, Saudi Arabia exploring joint ventures in defence sector

Saudi Arabia is on top of the list of India’s close friends and allies and so is keen to share a number of defence technologies that have been localised in recent years, Indian envoy in Riyadh Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan said recently addressing a defence industry seminar. The remarks show how defence-industrial cooperation is now a major focus area between the two countries as they deepen defence cooperation and now exploring joint ventures and collaborations.

J&K: Doda receives fresh snowfall, attracts tourists from across India

Bhaderwah, a serene town nestled in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, is currently witnessing an influx of tourists, drawn by the region's fresh snowfall that blanketed the area. In the Bhaderwah area, visitors could be seen joyfully playing in the snow, building snowmen, and soaking in the winter charm. To keep warm, they gathered around bonfires, sipping hot tea. Balkrishan, an official from the Bhaderwah Development Authority, shared his excitement about the season's second snowfall and the growing tourist interest.

Vinod Kambli develops fever in hospital, condition stable; MP Shrikant Shinde pledges Rs 5 lakh aid

Former India cricketer Vinod Kambli, admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Thane district, developed a fever, but his condition was stable, doctors treating him said on Tuesday. Mr. Kambli (52) is responding to the treatment for urinary tract infections for which he was admitted at Akruti Hospital near Bhiwandi town on Saturday (December 21), Dr Vivek Trivedi told PTI.

At least 13 people killed in Pakistani strikes on suspected militant hideouts in Afghanistan

Local Afghans and the Pakistani Taliban said that civilians, including women and children, were killed after Pakistan launched rare airstrikes inside neighbouring Afghanistan. In Kabul, the Afghan Defence Ministry condemned the airstrikes by Pakistan, saying the bombing targeted civilians, including women and children. It said that most of the victims were refugees from the Waziristan region.

Japan Foreign Minister raises ‘serious concerns’ over China military buildup

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya raised “serious concerns” on Wednesday (December 25, 2024) over China’s military buildup as he met counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Tokyo said. On his first visit to China since becoming Japan’s top diplomat earlier this year, Mr. Iwaya told Mr. Wang that Tokyo was “closely monitoring the Taiwan situation and recent military developments”, according to his Foreign Ministry.

Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Christmas Day

Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday (December 25, 2024), striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources, in a statement on X.

Pushpa 2 stampede: ₹2 crore ex-gratia to be handed to victims’ family

Telangana Film Development Corporation (TGFDC) chairman V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, will hand over ₹2 crore ex gratia to the family of the victims of the Pushpa 2 stampede.

Bumrah equals Ashwin’s record for rating points in ICC Ranking for Bowlers

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah got a huge boost on the eve of the Boxing Day Test when he achieved the joint-highest rating ever by an Indian player, equalling the record held by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the ICC Ranking for Bowlers. The quick gained 14 rating points following his 9/94 in the drawn third Test at Brisbane, equaling Ashwin’s highest-ever 904 rating points and consolidating his position at the top of the rankings.

Modi lays foundation stone of Ken-Betwa river linking project; hails Ambedkar’s vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (December 25, 2024) accused Congress of ignoring Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s contribution to the development of water resources in the country as he laid the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh.