Latest news today (December 18): Presenting FE’s Breaking News today. We will keep you updated on all major news, views and much more throughout the day.
‘Murder of democracy’: Oppn slams govt over MPs’ suspension
Terming the suspension of MPs as “murder of democracy”, the opposition on Monday alleged that the government wants an “opposition-less” Parliament to “bulldoze” important legislations through without debate. In an unprecedented development, 78 opposition leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, T R Baalu, Jairam Ramesh and Kalyan Banerjee, were suspended from the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha for disrupting proceedings by waving placards and raising slogans.
Pakistan PM’s ‘tweet’ on Dawood Ibrahim death is FAKE!
Amid reports of alleged poisoning of India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, internet is abuzz with several developments from Pakistan. From internet blackout to glitch in social media, news related to India’s terror blacklist is doing the rounds with sensational claims and counter-claims. (Read More)
Google has removed 2,500 fraudulent loan apps from its Play Store, says FM
The government on Monday informed Parliament that Google has suspended or removed over 2,500 fraudulent loan apps from its Play Store between April 2021 and July 2022. The government is constantly engaged with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other regulators and stakeholders concerned to control fraudulent loan apps, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. (PTI)
31 Opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha
Over 30 Opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have been suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Winter Session for holding placards and disrupting the House proceedings. (Live Updates)
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal denies charge of rape
JSW Group Chairman and Managing Director Sajjan Jindal has denied the allegation of the levelled against him. In a statement, the JSW boss said he was committed to providing ‘full cooperation’ throughout the probe. The statement comes a day after it was reported that a 30-year-old woman alleged Jindal of sexual harassment. (Read More)
North Korea conducts first long-range missile test in months
North Korea on Monday conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in five months, likely launching a developmental, more agile weapon, as it vows strong responses against U.S. and South Korean moves to boost their nuclear deterrence plans. The South Korean government described the missile tested as a solid-fueled weapon, a likely reference to the North’s road-mobile Hwasong-18 ICBM whose built-in solid propellants make its launch more difficult for adversaries to detect than liquid-fueled weapons. (AP)
Cyclone brings floods, crocodile sightings in Australia’s northeast
Floods caused by heavy rain in the wake of former Tropical Cyclone Jasper cut off several towns popular with tourists in Australia’s northeast along the Great Barrier Reef on Monday, with a crocodile being captured from a storm drain. Jasper dumped months’ worth of rain in the far north of Queensland state over the weekend, forcing some people to flee homes and crowd on rooftops to escape fast-rising rivers. (Reuters)
Dawood Ibrahim poisoned? Hospitalised in Karachi amid tight security
Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim has reportedly been hospitalised in Pakistan’s Karachi due to serious health complications. Several reports on social media suggest that Dawood was poisoned, however, there has been no official confirmation yet. (Read More)
China to conduct sea trials for its first ultra-deepwater drilling ship
China will on Friday conduct sea trials for its first ocean research drilling vessel, capable of drilling at depths of more than 10,000 metres (32,800 feet), a key step towards beefing up the country’s deep-sea oil and gas exploration capabilities. It is China’s first vessel capable of ultra-deepwater research and drilling, Chinese state media reported on Monday. It can travel 15,000 nautical miles (27,780 kilometres) and operate for 120 consecutive days without returning to port. It can also drill as deep as 11,000 metres below sea level. (Reuters)
Car plows into parked vehicle in Biden’s motorcade outside Delaware campaign headquarters
A car plowed into a parked SUV that was guarding President Joe Biden ‘s motorcade Sunday night while the president was leaving a visit to his campaign headquarters. The president and first lady Jill Biden were unharmed. (AP)
ICMR data leak: 4 held
The Delhi Police has arrested four individuals in connection with the ICMR data leak case. The arrests come nearly two months after the leak was detected. The Indian Council of Medical Research’s data bank was leaked and put on dark web. The four arrests have been made from three states.