Top news of the day, December 3, 2019

New Delhi: Here's a roundup of top stories from the world of politics, sports and entertainment, which grabbed the spotlight and trended the most on various social media platforms on December 3, (Tuesday).

1. Indian Railways moots running 4 new Bullet trains after Mumbai-Ahmedabad project

The government is toying with the idea of running bullet trains on four new routes after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. The Ministry of Railways is exploring possibilities to run bullet trains on key routes including Delhi - Mumbai, Delhi- Kolkata, Mumbai - Chennai, and Mumbai - Nagpur. The government has also started a feasibility study as a first step to run these ultra-high-speed trains on the four extremely busy routes of the country. The government has appointed a consulting agency to conduct a detailed study on important topics such as infra, necessary expenses for launching the bullet trains on these routes. Read

2. Rajya Sabha passes SPG (Amendment) Bill; Congress, DMK, Left walk out

The SPG (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (December 3) as Congress, DMK and Left MPs staged walkout during the voting on the bill. Addressing the Rajya Sabha before the passage of the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that there was no merits in the claim that the government was acting out of political vendetta and the changes to the SPG law were not aimed at targeting the Gandhi family. Read

3. Ghaziabad suicide case: Main suspect traced in Kolkata, family taken in custody for enquiry

In a major breakthrough in the Ghaziabad family suicide case, the police has traced the prime suspect Rakesh Verma's location in Kolkata. The Ghaziabad Police is now in touch with the Kolkata Police over the same. Meanwhile, his family has been taken into custody for further enquiry. Rakesh's name was mentioned in the suicide note. He is said to be a relative of the family. After the initial investigation, the police had said he might be involved in the gruesome incident. Several other names have also been mentioned in the suicide letter. Read

4. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh warns China to take clearance to operate in Indian Ocean

Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said on Tuesday the presence of Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean is increasing and added that his force has been keeping a close watch on them. He assured the nation that the Indian Navy is fully prepared to deal with national security challenges. Read

5. 'One Nation One Ration Card' to be effective across India from June 1, 2020: Ram Vilas Paswan

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday (December 3) announced that the 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme will come into force across the country from June 1, 2020.The scheme is aimed at providing benefits to migrant labourers and daily wagers as it will allow the eligible beneficiaries to avail their entitled food grains under the National Food Security Act from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) at subsidised rate using the same ration card. Read

6. Lionel Messi, Megan Rapinoe win Ballon d'Or 2019 awards

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi claimed a record sixth Ballon d`Or award while USA women`s World Cup superstar Megan Rapinoe picked up the coveted accolade for the second time here on Monday. Messi, who last won the Ballon d`Or in 2015, moved one ahead of Christiano Ronaldo after the pair had won five awards each. It was Croatia`s Luka Modric who was bestowed with the title in 2018 after ending a decade-long dominance between two celebrated football icons. Read

7. India to play in Over 50s Cricket World Cup 2020, placed in B Division with Pakistan

In a first, India will be taking part in the Over 50s World Cup to be held in Cape Town and Stellenbosch in South Africa next year between March 11-24. West Indies, Namibia and Zimbabwe will also be making their debut in the tournament next year. Shailendra Singh will be leading India. Read

8. Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt's latest 'Brahmastra' pics from snow-capped Manali are breaking the internet

The stunning duo of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were recently welcomed in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. The lead pair shot a few sequences there and returned to the bay a few days back. Now, their on-set pictures have flooded the internet. Read

9. Diljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani and Akshay Kumar groove to remixed 'Sauda Khara Khara' song in Good Newwz—Watch

A starry ensemble of Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani are set to brighten the screens with 'Good Newws'. Directed by Raj Mehta, this entertainer is produced by Hiroo Johar, Aruna Bhatia, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Shashank Khaitan. Read