Next time you visit an Indian airport, beware of security personnel and private staff at the entry gate of passenger buildings who may be collecting your facial biometrics without your knowledge or consent. As year-end travel peaked at some of the busiest airports in the country last month, air travellers took to social media to express their shock and anger at the flagrant infringement of their privacy at airports, largely through the Digi Yatra initiative being aggressively promoted by the Union government. The app, which allows for digital processing of passengers, promoting paperless and seamless movement through airports, was rolled out as an entirely voluntary programme from December 2022.
Asim Das, an accused in the Mahadev betting app case, who had purportedly claimed and later denied that he had been sent to “deliver” cash to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, has retracted his denial, according to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
Centre defends ‘selfie points’ for promotion of its schemes
The Centre on January 5 defended before the Delhi High Court its decision to install “selfie points” in public places for promotion of its defence policy initiatives, saying it helps familiarise the public about government schemes and policies.
Police should get training on new criminal laws: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 5 inaugurated the three-day annual Director General of Police (DGP) conference in Jaipur where he stressed on the need to train police officials for the successful implementation of the three criminal laws that were notified in December.
Parliament security breach case | Five of six accused give nod to undergo polygraph test
Five of the six accused arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police in connection with the Parliament security breach on December 13, 2023, consented to a polygraph test before the Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Friday. The court also extended the police custody of the accused — Manoranjan D., Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Neelam Azad, Lalit Jha, and Mahesh Kumawat — by eight days.
Israeli minister lays out post-war Gaza plan as fighting rages
Israel’s Defence Minister has publicly presented for the first time proposals for the post-war administration of Gaza, where officials said on Friday unrelenting bombardment has killed dozens over 24 hours. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s plan for the “day after”, shared with the media late on Thursday but not yet adopted by Israel’s war cabinet, says that neither Israel nor Hamas will govern Gaza and rejects future Jewish settlements there.
Iran mourns those killed in Islamic State-claimed suicide blasts as death toll rises to 89
Iranian officials tried on January 5 to link Israel and the U.S. to an Islamic State group-claimed suicide bombing while speaking to a mass funeral for some of the 89 people killed in the attack, seeking to intertwine the assault with wider Middle East tensions from the Israel-Hamas war. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the top commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sought to make the link without offering evidence for their claims. The gathered crowd in front of flag-draped caskets shouted in response: “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
India’s real GDP growth for 2023-24 estimated at 7.3%
India’s real GDP growth in 2023-24 is estimated at 7.3%, compared to 7.2% a year ago, as per the first advance estimates of national income released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Friday, which reckon the economy will outperform the 7% uptick recently projected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is investigating domestic units of global delivery companies, such as Germany’s DHL, U.S.-based United Parcel Service and FedEx, for alleged collusion on discounts and tariffs, documents seen by Reuters showed. It is the latest such scrutiny for the logistics industry, some dating back to 2015, when France levied fines amounting to $735 million on 20 companies, including FedEx and DHL, for secretly colluding to increase prices.
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024: full schedule, dates and venues
The riveting cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan will reach planet’s biggest show city New York on June 9 when the arch-rivals go against each other there in a Group A match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The schedule for the showpiece was revealed on January 5, and India are clubbed with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA in Group A for the league stage games.
