UP residents flocked to liquor stores following an end-of-year 'buy one, get one free' offer by vendors. The spike in sales and crowd management measures resulted from the new online lottery system for shop licences, replacing the previous automatic renewals, effective after March 31.
Related news
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, on hunger strike since November 26, called for nationwide unity among farmers to secure their rights. Addressing protesters, he emphasized the fight for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). With deteriorating health, he urged farmers to prevent his forced removal. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann urged the central government to engage in dialogue with the farmers.
A stampede took place as crowds went berserk to see Allu Arjun at the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2' at Sandhya theatre. A lady passed away in this stampede while her son got injured and was immediately hospitalised. The hospital has now shared an update about his health.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude towards US President Donald Trump and Americans for their support during the three years of full-scale invasion. This followed a tense meeting where Trump and VP Vance accused Zelenskyy of not being sufficiently thankful for the aid provided by the US.
Dipam has invited bids from merchant bankers to assist in the government's planned stake sale in select public sector banks and listed financial institutions. The application process includes two categories based on transaction size and a two-stage selection process, with the last date for bid submission being March 27.
US President Trump acknowledged the strength of India-US relations by sharing PM Modi's podcast praising him. Modi highlighted Trump's support during the 2019 'Howdy Modi' event and appreciated Trump's leadership stance. Trump also recently addressed India's high tariff rates amid trade negotiations.
Falling rupee and rising hotel tariffs have made overseas holidays more expensive for Indians, with a 15%-20% increase in costs compared to last year. European and Southeast Asian destinations are most affected. Despite the hike, travel interest remains high, with more bookings for exotic locations. The strengthening dollar and domestic travel costs are also contributing factors. Free e-visas from several countries are boosting interest.
New Zealand's Muhammad Abbas set a new record with the fastest debut fifty in ODIs, scoring 52 off 26 balls against Pakistan at McLean Park. The 21-year-old's impressive performance surpassed Krunal Pandya’s previous record. Supported by Mark Chapman's century, New Zealand secured a 73-run victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
In Singrauli district, four bodies were discovered in a septic tank behind the house of Hari Prasad Prajapati. The discovery was made after neighbors detected a foul smell and notified the police. Initial observations suggest the deceased could be family members, including Suresh Prajapati, who was last seen around January 1. Efforts to retrieve the bodies are ongoing.
President-elect Donald Trump hinted at potentially allowing TikTok to continue operating in the US, citing its role in his campaign's success. This comes despite a Senate-passed law demanding TikTok's Chinese parent company divest the app over national security concerns, a case now under Supreme Court review.
Stock market today: Indian equity benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and Nifty50, opened in green on Wednesday. While BSE Sensex was above 76,700, Nifty50 was near 23,200.