Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases the WHO technical report on training in Yoga

The US Embassy in Dhaka on Friday issued a security advisory for American citizens, citing media reports related to the arrival and funeral of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi and warning of potential traffic disruption and unrest in the capital.

Australian batter Josh Inglis, who was to be available for only four IPL matches next year, could play more games after securing a hefty bid from Lucknow Super Giants in the recent players' auction, triggering uneasiness in the BCCI and his former franchise Punjab Kings.

Inglis was released by Punjab Kings before the auction due to his limited availability even though the team was keen to retain him. In its pre-auction communication to the 10 teams, the BCCI had clearly stated that Inglis will be available for only four games in IPL 2026 because of his marriage.

IBM on Friday announced its commitment to skill 5 million learners across India in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Quantum Computing by 2030.

Delivered through IBM SkillsBuild, this initiative advances IBM's mission to build an equitable, future-ready workforce, broaden access and opportunity to advanced digital skills and employability for students and adult learners.

Through this initiative, IBM aims to expand AI and emerging technology education across schools, universities, and vocational and skilling ecosystems.

It will also collaborate with institutions like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to drive hands-on AI learning pathways and faculty enablement programs, curriculum integration, hackathons and internships.

Net direct tax collection grew 8 per cent to over Rs 17.04 lakh crore between April 1-December 17 as refund issuances slowed, the income tax department data showed on Friday.

This includes net corporate tax mop up of over Rs 8.17 lakh crore and non-corporate tax of about Rs 8.47 lakh crore. Net revenue from Securities Transaction Tax (STT) stood at Rs 40,195 crore till December 17 of the current fiscal.

Refunds issuance dropped 14 per cent compared to last year to over Rs 2.97 lakh crore.

Gross direct tax collections, before adjusting refunds, recorded 4.16 per cent growth at over Rs 20.01 lakh crore till December 17, as per the income tax department data.

In the current fiscal (2025-26), the government has projected its direct tax collection at Rs 25.20 lakh crore, up 12.7 per cent year-on-year. The government aims to collect Rs 78,000 crore from STT in FY26.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla holds meeting MPs in his chamber

Delhi | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla holds a meeting with the leaders of parties and Members of Parliament in Lok Sabha, in his Chamber in Parliament House on the conclusion of Winter Session of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also present at the meeting.

Members of the opposition on Friday staged a protest against the passing of Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill in the Parliament premises.

The opposition held posters of Mahatma Gandhi in protest to demonstrate their disappointment with the decision to pass the bill to remove his name from the Act.

Earlier, members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also started a 12-hour dharna (sit-in protest) against the passing of the VB-G RAM G Bill. It started at 12 am and will conclude at 12 noon today.

The Opposition continues its vocal protest over the passage of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill in Parliament.

On Friday, an united Opposition staged protest outside Parliament against the passage of the bills while the members of the Trinamool Congress continued their protest on the footsteps of the entry to the House.

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, who is currently in Germany, joined the chorus of voices against the bill and claimed that it was "anti-state" and "anti-village" by design.

Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh says, "The Bill was passed by ignoring the voice of the Opposition and amid a ruckus. The opposition's voice was neglected and the Govt was being stubborn. The Bill should have been sent to select committee. Because when the Bill was brought in 2005, it was sent to the Select Committee. The then Opposition was consulted and the suggestions were considered. So, this shows that the Govt is adopting a dictatorial approach and they have passed an anti-people, anti-labourer Bill. History will not forgive them..."

Revolutionary Socialist Party MP NK Premachandran says, "They have the absolute majority, so they can pass any legislation. But in passing legislation, minimum democratic means have to be complied with. Such a controversial Bill, changing the structure of a scheme which is pending since last 20 years and it is beneftting lakhs and lakhs of people, and making more financial burden on the part of the State Govt, consultations with the State Govt have not been done. We demanded that let the Bill go to Standing Committee and let's have a detailed discussion...But unfortunately, none of the demands of the Opposition was taken into consideration. They passed the legislation without proper procedure...Then what is the meaning of democracy?..."

A day after the Centre bulldozed its G RAM G Bill through the parliament, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die as Opposition mounted protests over the replacement of the earlier MGNREGA. However, amid all the chaos, the Central government was allowed to run away from its responsibility of ensuring good quality air in the National Capital Region, which is gasping for clean air for the last several weeks. The pollution debate, which was scheduled to take place, was junked without any notice with no resolution in sight for citizens.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday warned the Centre that people won't let their leaders roam on roads if they end UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme meant to provide 100 days' guaranteed livelihood to eligible rural households.

Participating in a debate on Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 to replace MGNREGA, he accused the BJP-led government of putting in efforts to weaken the poor to put them in "slavery" through the proposed legislation.

"It (MGNREGA) is a very big and important law. We should not take it lightly. Because this is a law related to the poor and it is not good to tamper with it. That is why I would say that it is not good that you are working to bring a new law in place of the old one. People will not let you roam on the roads," Kharge said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed strong disapproval over the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying the move "takes out the heart of the entire Mahatma Gandhi rural employment program."

The remarks came as Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, with the Rajya Sabha approving the legislation following Lok Sabha's nod.

Speaking to mediapersons, Tharoor said, "We are unhappy about that for various reasons. It really takes out the heart of the entire Mahatma Gandhi rural employment program..."

On Tuesday, Tharoor claimed that attempting to include "Ram" while removing Mahatma Gandhi's name is a disrespect to both names.

Opposition leaders staged a 12-hour overnight protest dharna in Parliament complex on Thursday night, while protesting against the passage of the VB-G RAM G bill that seeks to replace the MGNREGA rural employment programme and said they would take to the streets across the country.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose accused the Union government of bulldozing the VB- G RAM G bill, as opposition MPs sat on a 12-hour dharna in the Parliament complex.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill was passed by Parliament amid opposition's protests, with the Rajya Sabha giving it its nod post midnight.

Ghose said the manner in which the Modi government has brought in this completely "anti-poor, anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-rural poor" VBGRG bill, and has done away with the MGNREGA.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose says, "We have been sitting on a 12-hour dharna. We started at midnight and our dharna will go on till 12 noon. We are sitting in dharna because of the manner in which the MGNREGA has been destroyed by the Modi Govt. It has been replaced by the VB- G RAM G Bill but it was given to us just 5 hours before the Govt introduced it in the House. The Modi Govt is using bulldozer tactics to push through legislation. It is treating Parliament in a cavalier manner, it is not allowing any consultation with the Opposition parties, it is not holding meetings with the Opposition parties, you are just coming into Parliament and pushing through bulldozer tactics, these Bills...By destroying this Bill, the Govt has attacked the rural poor, it has attacked the rural workers and insulted Mahatma Gandhi; Modi Govt has assassinated Mahatma Gandhi for the second time..."

TMC MP Dola Sen says, "...BJP people were not a part of the freedom movement, so they have no respect for Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters. Their predecessor, Nathuram Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi and these people respect him. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 and yesterday he was assassinated once again in the House because his name was dropped from NREGA. Earlier, it was unconditional...Now, they say that 40% of its economic responsibility falls on the State Govt...We wanted the Bill to be sent to Select Committee and that there should be no haste but they are not democratic...So, we sloganeered and walked out. We are on a dharna from 12 am last night to 12 noon today."

Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: Opposition members sleep in Parliament premises to protests against G RAM G Bil

Delhi: Latest visuals from the Parliament premises this morning.

TMC MPs staged an overnight protest against the VB- G RAM G Bill 2025, which has been passed in both Houses of the Parliament. They are on a 12-hour sit-in protest, which began at 12 am last night.

Delhi AQI live updates: IndiGo issues travel advisory, reports say around 90 flights cancelled across India

The national capital, Delhi, woke up to poor air quality on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 387 at around 8 am, placing it in the 'very poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Air quality in the city deteriorated further compared to Thursday, when the AQI stood at 373 at 4 pm. Large parts of the city remained enveloped in toxic smog.

Anand Vihar was shrouded in thick smog, with an AQI of 437, placing it in the 'severe category. A thick layer of smog also engulfed areas around ITO, Ghazipur, Palam and Greater Noida.

According to CPCB data, several areas, including Vivek Vihar (436), Punjabi Bagh (412), R.K. Puram (436) and Nehru Nagar (425), saw further deterioration in air quality and fell into the 'severe' category. Wazirpur also recorded 'severe' air quality with an AQI of 406.

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday issued an advisory for the travellers about possible impact on flight schedules due to the fog situation in the capital.

In a travel advisory issued at 7 am, the airport said operations were currently being conducted under CAT-III conditions, a low-visibility protocol. Read more

Bangladesh live updates: Visuals of the aftermath from Prothom Alo office in Dhaka | Watch

#WATCH | Bangladesh: Visuals of the aftermath from Prothom Alo office in Dhaka, which was burned down by protesters last night. Firefighters are present at the spot.

After the death of Osman Hadi, a key leader in the protests against Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has erupted in unrest, and two newspaper offices have been set on fire in the capital Dhaka. The buildings of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo—the country’s two major newspapers—were set on fire.

IndiGo issued a travel advisory warning passengers of possible disruptions to flight operations due to low visibility and dense fog conditions over Varanasi. The airline said the adverse weather may continue to impact flight schedules, including delays and cancellations.

In a statement released on Thursday, IndiGo said it is closely monitoring weather developments and aligning its operations to ensure passenger safety remains the top priority. The airline advised travellers to check the status of their flights through its official website or mobile application before heading to the airport.

IndiGo added that its teams across the network are fully prepared to assist passengers at every stage of their journey and expressed hope that improving weather conditions would allow operations to return to normal soon.

TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with three major investors to sell just over 80% of the company's U.S. assets to American and global investors to avoid a U.S. government ban, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees on Thursday.

The deal is a major step toward resolving years of uncertainty about the short video app's future in the United States since August 2020, when then President Donald Trump first tried unsuccessfully to ban the app that is now used regularly by more than 170 million Americans.

Long queues at petrol pumps for PUC and intensified checking at Delhi borders greeted commuters as the authorities stepped up checks for BS-VI compliance and valid PUC certificates on Thursday, even as the air quality was recorded in the higher spectrum of the 'very poor' category.

The city witnessed nearly 76 per cent jump in the issuance of pollution under control (PUC) certificates on Wednesday, a day before the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital.

On Thursday, by 5.20 pm, 31,974 certificates were issued. The rush also slowed down the PUC server, leading to more people queuing up.

Australia will start a gun buyback program to take surplus, newly-banned and illegal firearms off the street, following the terror attack in Bondi Beach which left 15 people dead.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday announced the government will introduce legislation to help fund the buyback.

“We expect hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed,” he said at a press conference in Canberra, adding that states and territories will collect and process the weapons, while the Australian Federal Police will be responsible for destroying them, under the proposal.

Australian police said that seven men detained in Sydney's southwest on Thursday had ideological connections to the two gunmen who allegedly fired at hundreds celebrating Hanukkah in Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.

"We don't have definitive links between the individuals who committed these atrocities on Sunday and this yesterday apart from potential commonality in some thinking, but no associations at this stage," New South Wales state Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson told ABC Radio on Friday.

Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student uprising and a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform, died in Singapore on Thursday. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital there after being shot in the head by masked assailants a week ago.

Hadi was shot in Dhaka while travelling on a rickshaw, after two men on a motorbike followed him and opened fire before fleeing. He was treated in the Bangladeshi capital for several days and later flown to Singapore in critical condition. Read more

At least 25 journalists of The Daily Star have been rescued from their office more than four hours after a mob swooped on the newspaper office in Dhaka's Kawran Bazar, BD News reported.

The angry crowd descended on the English-language daily's office around 12 am on Friday.

The first attack came on the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo, where the crowd had gone chanting slogans. The crowd vandalised the office before setting it on fire around 12 am, as per BD News.

The rescue of The Daily Star journalists took place around 4 am on Friday. Attackers first vandalised the ground and first floors of the newspaper's office before setting it on fire at about 12:30 am. The blaze quickly engulfed two floors, sending a huge column of smoke into the air, as per BD News.

Stones were hurled at the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram on Thursday as Bangladesh witnessed fresh waves of unrest following the death of anti-India activist Sharif Osman Hadi. The protests also spilled over to the residence of India’s Deputy High Commissioner, where demonstrators targeted the property amid rising tensions. Read more

Bangladesh was rocked by violent protests in several cities after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi late on Thursday, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections.

Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform and a candidate in general elections, was shot ‌in ‌the head by masked assailants last Friday while launching his election campaign in Dhaka. He was initially treated at a local hospital before being flown to ‍Singapore for advanced medical care, where he died after spending six days on life support.

In Dhaka, videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalising the offices of the country’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, as well as the Daily Star.

A group of protesters staged a sit-in outside the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram after news of the death of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, the convenor of Inqilab Moncho, BD News reported.

The demonstrators gathered outside the mission's office in Khulshi, the port city, around 11 pm on Thursday. Police moved quickly to the scene after learning of the demonstration.

The protests began shortly before 11 pm. Another group of protesters simultaneously took position at Gate No. 2, police told BD News.

Those who assembled in front of the Indian Assistant High Commission shouted slogans protesting Hadi's killing, alongside anti-Awami League and anti-India slogans. Police officers later intervened and pushed the protesters back from the premises.