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Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will seek revocation of its suspension by explaining to the government that it has not flouted any rules while taking decisions and if the issue is not resolved, it may explore legal options, its President Sanjay Singh told PTI. The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the newly-elected WFI for not following due procedure while announcing the dates for the U15 and U20 National Championships in Gonda, UP. «We are seeking time from the sports minister and request that the suspension be lifted.

BJP chief J P Nadda on Sunday summoned party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for a meeting in a bid to defuse the crisis that erupted as some leading wrestlers restarted their protest after people close to Singh took control of the Wrestling Federation of India. It was only after the nudge from the party leadership that Singh, who has long run the WFI like a pocket borough, announced that he no longer has anything to do with the Federation, sources said. «I am now retired.

Wrestling Federation of India, former Indian wrestler Sakshee MalikkhSunday said the government’s decision to suspend the WFI is for the betterment of the wrestlers. She also dropped a hint about a possible change in her decision to retire, news agency ANI reported. "This has happened for the betterment of the wrestlers.

Vatry airport in France as the authorities received a tip-off that the passengers of the plane were “likely victims of human trafficking." The France regulations allow border police to detain foreign nationals for up to four days. The timeline of detention can be extended by four days, for a period not more than 26 days and that too with an order by a judge. As per the news agency AFP, at least 11 Indian passengers stuck at the Vatry airport have requested asylum in the country.

Sports Ministry on Sunday asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to constitute an ad-hoc body to control and manage the affairs of WFI. The ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI until further orders after the newly-elected body made a «hasty announcement» of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals «without following due procedure and not giving sufficient notice to wrestlers» for preparations.

Sakshi Malik stated that she has not seen any in written about the suspension of newly elected body of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) or Sanjay Singh, adding that wrestlers fight is not with the government. In a major decision, coming in light of fresh protests by star wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia over the election of an aide of deposed WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the new president of the wrestling federation, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the sport's premier governing body in the country along with all its office-bearers. The decision came close on the heels of the newly elected WFI president Sanjay Singh announcing the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar in the Gond district of Uttar Pradesh by the end of the year. Sakshi hailed the decision but also said that there is no clarity on the suspension and told reporters, «I have not seen anything in writing yet. I don't know whether only Sanjay Singh has been suspended or the entire body has been suspended.

Lingayats, the state’s largest community at their convention at Davanagere on Sunday, passed a resolution urging chief minister Siddaramaiah to reject the caste census report, and order a fresh one in an apolitical gathering that included ministers, and both Congress and BJP MLAs. The convention was chaired by All India Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha president Shamnur Shivashankarappa, a veteran Congress MLA. There were eight resolutions passed at the convention which included demands to include the community in the central OBC list. The massive gathering urged the community members not to mention their community by the name of their sub-caste or as Hindu, but to record as Veerashaiva or Lingayat, seeking to assert a separate religious identity. Former BJP CM Basavaraj Bommai and BJP state president BY Vijayendra attended the event.

HD Kumaraswamy may spring a surprise by choosing to contest from Mandya in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as pressure is slowly building up on him. Mandya district, with seven assembly seats, was such a stronghold of the JDS that it won all the assembly seats in the 2018 assembly polls. But a series of electoral reverses for the regional party in its own pockets of Vokkaliga dominance is also one of the factors fuelling demands for the ex-CM to contest from here. The regional party has got into the election preparedness exercise after party’s national president HD Deve Gowda, along with Kumaraswamy & others, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, cementing the bonhomie the two parties have established. Kumaraswamy, who is also the JDS Karnataka president, had said he would not contest the LS polls while announcing that the seat sharing pact with the BJP would be finalised next month.

tourist tax on hotel nights next year, coinciding with the city hosting the Olympics. The current tourist tax in Paris ranges from 0.25 euros to five euros per night, depending on the type of accommodation. The government's plan to triple the tourist tax is part of its 2024 budget, set to be expedited through parliament without a vote before Christmas. The proposed increase, a 200-percent surge, is intended to contribute to funding public transport for the Olympic events. Paris hoteliers have expressed strong opposition to the government proposal. The UMIH hotel and restaurant union and the GNC group of hotel chains jointly issued a statement condemning the move, stating that it poses a threat to the competitiveness of the hospitality sector and France's international image during the high-profile Paris 2024 Olympics. Government estimates suggest that the tripled tax would generate 423 million euros annually, surpassing the 200 million euros initially deemed necessary for funding public transport. Catherine Querard, the president of GHR, a union representing the hospitality and catering sector, expressed concern that the increased tax rate could lead to a rise in hotel prices, placing blame on the industry. Hotels have already adjusted their rates for the Olympic period, spanning from July 26 to August 11. President Emmanuel Macron's government, lacking a majority after the 2022 elections, plans to use article 49.3 of the French constitution to push through the 2024 budget without a parliamentary vote.

ALSO READ: How much do famous YouTubers in India earn, and how? “In the wake of the recent controversy, it is important that I put out real facts and the truth," she said. “My motive behind going to Jagannath was to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath and present information about the temple's infrastructure. I am a practising Hindu.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday described himself as a «sufferer» and asserted that despite taking all affronts and insult, one must never deviate from the path of service. He also said that one must give space to the points of view of others but people must show their «spinal strength» when views are presented with a design to derail others from their path. Addressing a group of Indian Statistical Service probationers here, Dhankhar said though he is the vice president and chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, «people don't spare me».

Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata, nearly 1 lakh people from diverse backgrounds collectively chanted sacred verses from the Bhagavad Gita. Adorned in traditional attires, people from various age groups and societal status congregated at the iconic venue and recited the verses from the holy book alongside revered sages.

MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia was short of around 4.8 million workers in 2023 and the problem will remain acute in 2024, the Izvestia newspaper reported on Sunday, citing experts and research from the Russian Academy of Science's Institute of Economics.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose

Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Surat Diamond Bourse, which will have facilities like international banking, safe vaults, jewellery mall and create about 150,000 new jobs, during his visit to Gujarat. He also inaugurated the new terminal building of Surat Airport, which can handle 1,200 domestic passengers and 600 international passengers. A total of 146 MPs -- 100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha -- were suspended for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses, while they were demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident.

Sanjay Singh announced U-15 and U-20 nationals to take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year. The WFI elections were held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning the polls by big margins. Singh, the UP Wrestling Association vice-president hailing from Varanasi, secured 40 votes as against seven of his rival and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran.

Lokkho Kanthe Gita Path: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the “Lokkho Kanthe Gita Path" programme in a message on December 24, 2023. PM Modi expressed admiration for the program, which is set to take place at Parade Ground in Kolkata, emphasizing the commendable nature of the initiative that aims to have one lakh people recite the Gita. The message by PM Modi highlighted the praiseworthy objective of the “Lokkho Kanthe Gita Path" initiative, according to ANI.

Federal Reserve received some holiday cheer as inflation continued to soften while consumer demand firmed, and the Bank of Japan stuck with the world’s last negative interest rate. Meantime, maritime attacks carried out by Houthi rebels in Yemen have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, prompting a rerouting of cargoes that’s raised costs. Here are some of the charts that appeared on Bloomberg this week on the latest developments in the global economy: World The recent spate of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels transiting the major shipping route has resulted in several large shipping companies avoiding the waterway. The decision by the world’s five largest container liners — with 65% of global capacity — to suspend transits through it means higher shipping costs and longer delivery timelines.

Ukrainian Defence Ministry has been apprehended on charges of embezzling USD 40 million (1.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnia) related to a contract for artillery shells, CNN reported the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). The SBU alleged that the official, in December of the previous year, entered into an agreement with a specialised export company for the procurement of a substantial batch of artillery shells. Subsequently, a more advantageous contract for the supply of these shells, excluding intermediaries, thereby reducing delivery time and costs, was later signed with the same manufacturer, CNN reported. According to the SBU, the defence official extended the original, costlier contract, resulting in the transfer of funds amounting to USD 40 million to the accounts of a connected foreign intermediary firm. The SBU claimed that it is in possession of documents substantiating these illicit activities, with the accused facing a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years if proven guilty. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has initiated efforts to recover the misappropriated funds.

The question to Elon Musk was a long time coming: What is the “woke mind virus," anyway? For months and months, the world’s richest man has been talking about the “woke mind virus"—let’s call it WMV for short. He describes it as a threat to “modern civilization" and says those concerns motivated his decision more than a year ago to buy the social-media platform now known as X.

Vladimir Putin has been quietly signaling that he is open to a ceasefire in Ukraine despite publicly refusing to back down from the ongoing conflict between the two nations, The New York Times reported. The United Nations reported that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and over 18,500 injured since the war began between Russia and Ukraine. Former senior Russian officials close to the Kremlin and other American and international officials said Putin has been signaling since September that he is open to stopping the fight at the current boundary lines, as per NYT reports.