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Sat, 21 January 2023
Nitish 'will speak to disgruntled' aide

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21:49   Nitish 'will speak to disgruntled' aide
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said he will have a word with his key political aide Upendra Kushwaha who has of late been disgruntled, triggering speculations of exit from the Janata Dal-United.

Kumar, the de facto supremo of the JD-U, was replying to queries from journalists about Kushwaha, the party's parliamentary board chief, in Gaya district which he visited as part of a mass outreach programme 'Samadhan Yatra'.

"Please ask Upendra Kushwaha to speak to me," quipped the CM, with trademark wry humour, when his attention was drawn towards the speculations doing the rounds.

"Everybody has a right to decide his own course. Kushwaha has parted ways, only to return to us, on more than one occasion," recalled Kumar.

"He is currently not well. Let him come back. I will speak to him. The last I heard him speak he seemed to be firmly by my side," said Kumar about his party colleague whose pictures with some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders at AIIMS, New Delhi have gone viral on social media.

Notably, Kushwaha had merged his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party with the JD-U two years ago and was quickly rewarded with the top party post and a berth in the legislative council.

An ambitious protg of Kumar, Kushwaha had quit the JD-U in 2013 to float RLSP, allied with the National Democratic Alliance, tasted success in the Lok Sabha polls a year later and won a berth in the union council of ministers.

A volatile leader, Kushwaha, had grown uneasy with Kumar's return to NDA in 2017, which caused him to quit the alliance and give up his ministerial berth.

After spending several years in political wilderness he was finally resurrected by his former mentor.

However, Kumar's stout refusal to have another deputy CM besides Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the largest constituent of the ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' in Bihar, is said to have irked Kushwaha who is believed to have pined for the plum post.   -- PTI
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20:28   Azmat Ali Khan declared as titular Nizam
Following the demise of titular Nizam VIII Mukarram Jah, his son Mir Mohammad Azmat Ali Khan Azmat Jah was formally declared as the ninth Nizam of Hyderabad, a release from Chowmahalla Palace, the office of Nizams, said on Saturday.

Mukarram Jah, passed away in Istanbul, Turkey on January 14.

His last rites were conducted with state honours in Hyderabad on January 18.

'On Friday, the 20th day of January in terms of the desire and the decree made by Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan Walashan Mukaram Jah Bahadur H.E.H. the VIII Nizam of Hyderabad during his lifetime anointing his eldest son Mir Mohammed Azmat Ali Khan Azmat Jah as his successor in title and to accede his father as the IXth head of the Asaf Jahi dynasty for all symbolic ceremonial teacher and ancillary purposes...,' the release said.

He was declared as the Nizam IX in a simple ceremony held in the presence of the family members of Mukarram Jah, it further said.

Azmat Jah was born to Prince Mukarram Jah and Princess Esra.

Since the Central government abolished titles in 1971, the 63-year-old will not have the title of Nizam IX.   -- PTI

IMAGE: Azmat Jah, son of Mukarram Jah, Prince Muffakham Jah Bahadur, brother of Mukarram Jah, M. A. Faiz Khan offering prayers on the occasion Ziyarat of Mukarram Jah at Mecca Masjid, in Hyderabad on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo
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19:37   1st Indian nasal Covid vax launch on January 26
Homegrown vaccine maker Bharat Biotech will launch its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine iNCOVACC, the first of its kind in India, on January 26, the company's chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said in Bhopal on Saturday.

Interacting with students at the India International Science Festival in Bhopal, Ella also said that the homegrown vaccine for the lumpy skin disease in cattle, Lumpi-ProVacInd, is likely to be launched next month.

"Our nasal vaccine will be officially launched on January 26, on Republic Day," Ella said, participating in the 'Face-to-Face with New Frontiers in Science' segment of the IISF, organised at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT).

In December, Bharat Biotech had announced that it would sell the intranasal vaccine for Rs 325 per shot for procurement by the government and Rs 800 per shot for private vaccination centres.   -- PTI
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18:44   Nora was always jealous of Jacqueline: Conman
In a recent development, where Economic Offences Wings of Delhi Police has filed a supplementary chargesheet in connection with the Rs 200 crore extortion case, alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar on Saturday claimed that Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi has always been jealous of Jacqueline Fernandez.

Sukesh in a press statement issued through his lawyers Anant Malik and AK Singh stated that Nora Fatehi always brainwashed him against Jacqueline, so she wanted him to leave Jacqueline and start dating her.

"Nora used to try calling me at least 10 times a day and if I don't answer the call she used to keep on calling me," Sukesh claimed.

"As I and Jacqueline were in a serious relationship, I started avoiding Nora, but she kept irritating me by calling and also, asking me to help bobby (Nora's relative) in setting up a music production company which I did. She also kept sending me multiple pictures of Hermes bags and jewellery that she wanted, which I obliged by giving her, which she was using till date, ask her to produce one bill of Hermes bags that she has, she can never produce as she does not have, as the bags are worth more than Rs 2 crores," claims Sukesh.

He also stated that Nora first gives a different statement before ED u/s 50 PMLA which is admissible in court and also is evidence, later, now before EOW and a magistrate, the entire statement is changed and new stories are made by her, and the same can be very well be verified and compared with the charge sheet of ED and now the EOW.

This clearly shows how Nora is being manipulated and afterthoughts and ideas are implemented by her only with a mala fide mind of hers.

He also stated that actors and models Nikki Tamboli and Chahat Khanna, with these women in my association, were only professional as they were supposed to act in my production under the LS film banner.

"I had no romantic association as news alleged by them, as their statement before the Enforcement Directorate, nine months ago was completely different which can be seen by media to certain if I am lying. So this new statement given by them before EOW is only to save their skin and to grab publicity in the media, I have no fear to agree with the truth, but this new story is very funny after 9 months, I appeal to the media to verify the ED charge sheet statement and now new EOW charge sheet statement which will clearly show how these two Nikki and Chahath are lying," he said.

Sukesh also stated, "I have to this very min maintained dignity and respect for all those women and I don't want to stop down to this cheap level of putting out all the chats, and screenshots in the open which would expose the truth in open, and which will assassinate their characters, but if this circus goes on then I have face to show, as they know, what all they have spoken or have had knowledge about."

"The statement given by the so-called witness actresses in the supplement chargesheet filed by the EOW, I am sure everyone has perceptions after reading the statements published on media, but, I would also mention a few things in my press statement here which will show how the so-called witness actress have lied and abused the process of law," Sukesh said in a press statement issued on Saturday.   -- ANI
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18:40   TV producer held for harassing actor on social media
A 27-year-old television actor and producer has been arrested from the western suburb of Andheri in Mumbai after he allegedly created a fake account on social media and sent obscene messages to another actor, police said on Saturday.

Officials from Bangur Nagar police station apprehended the accused following a search operation in the area on Friday, an official said.

The accused had allegedly created a fake account of the victim on Instagram and sent obscene messages to her, her relatives and friends, and defamed her, he said.

The victim lodged a police complaint earlier this week, based on which an FIR was registered under sections 354 (assaults or uses criminal force to any woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act, the official said.  -- PTI
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17:31   Dera chief walks out of jail after getting parole
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walked out of the Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak on Saturday after he was granted a 40-day parole.

Singh came out of the prison in the afternoon, a police official from Rohtak said.

He will be going to the Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram at Barnawa in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, another official said.

The latest parole to the Dera chief, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, comes three months after he was granted another 40-day parole.

"The parole has been granted for 40 days. It has been granted in accordance with rules," Rohtak's Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma had said on Friday.

The period of the previous parole granted to Singh had ended on November 25.

While out on parole, the Dera chief had gone to his Barnawa ashram after his release from the prison on October 14.

Haryana Jails Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala had earlier said Singh had filed an application seeking a 40-day parole, which was forwarded to the Rohtak divisional commissioner.

Singh is also likely to attend a birth anniversary event of former Dera chief Shah Satnam Singh on January 25, sources said.

During his previous parole period in October-November, the 55-year-old Sirsa dera chief held several online 'satsang' sessions at the Barnawa ashram.

Some of these sessions were attended by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Haryana.

Prior to his October parole, the sect chief had come out of the prison on a month-long parole in June.

Besides, he was granted three weeks' furlough from February 7, 2022, barely two weeks before the Punjab assembly polls.

In 2021, the dera chief, along with four others, was also convicted for hatching a conspiracy to kill Ranjit Singh, a Dera manager.

The Dera chief and three others were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago.   -- PTI
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17:11   Cameron's offer to SS Rajamouli
American cinema veteran James Cameron is mighty impressed by SS Rajamouli's work on RRR and has offered to support the Telugu director if he ever plans to make a film in Hollywood.

Rajamouli and RRR composer M M Keeravani recently met Cameron at the Critics' Choice Awards (CCA) where the movie won the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song for Telugu track Naatu Naatu.

In a new clip of their brief meeting, shared by the Telugu blockbuster's official Twitter handle, Cameron told Rajamouli to approach him if he decides to pursue Hollywood.

"If you ever want to make a movie over here, let's talk," Cameron said.    

RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) is a pre-Independence fictional story focusing on two real-life Indian revolutionaries in the 1920s -- Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR).

The movie also features Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in special appearance.

During their conversation, the Avatar director praised the film's structure and Rajamouli's filmmaking style.

"And the setup... Your fire, water story. Reveal after reveal. And then you show what happened in the back story. It's like all of them are a homely setup. Why he's doing what he's doing and the twists and turns and the friendship and eventually it gets to a point that where he can't even kill him when the other reverses...It's just so, so powerful."

Cameron, who saw RRR twice, also congratulated Keeravani for his work on the film.

"And you composed, right? Because I saw you at the Golden Globes. The score, it's kind of amazing. Because I like the music to kind of stay out of the way and kind of come on in and support when the audience is already feeling something so it builds the theme. But you are using the music very differently," he said.

Rajamouli and Keeravani are both in the US to attend various international award ceremonies where RRR is nominated in several categories.

The movie recently won a Golden Globe for best original song-motion picture for the track Naatu Naatu, filmed on Charan and Jr NTR.

The track has also made it to Oscar shortlist.   -- PTI
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16:23   Govt blocks videos, tweets sharing BBC documentary
Multiple YouTube videos sharing the first episode of the BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' have been blocked as per the directions issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, sources said on Saturday.

Along with YouTube videos, the Centre has also directed Twitter to block over 50 tweets containing links to the concerned YouTube videos.

Both YouTube and Twitter complied with the government after directions were reportedly issued by Secretary, Information and Broadcasting on Friday using the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021.

UK's National broadcaster British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired a two-part series attacking Modi's tenure as Gujarat chief minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002.

The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms.

On Thursday, India denounced the controversial documentary and described it as a 'propaganda piece' that is designed to push a discredited narrative.  -- ANI
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15:54   Russian man jailed in Bihar for carrying vodka
A Russian national has ended up in jail for carrying a tiny bottle of liquor, supposedly for libation at a Buddhist temple in dry Bihar, a police officer said on Saturday.

According to Bodh Gaya Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar, the foreign national was caught with a 10 ml bottle of vodka at the Maha Bodhi temple complex on Thursday.

"There is tight security at the temple complex and visitors are allowed entry after frisking. When found with the bottle, the Russian said he wanted to perform some tantric rituals," said the Deputy SP.

However, in view of the stringent prohibition law that has been in place for close to seven years, the foreigner was booked for flouting the same and produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody, said the Deputy SP.

He is currently lodged at the central prison in Gaya.   -- PTI
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15:08   Derek says Twitter deletes his post on BBC film
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien has alleged that a tweet by him on a BBC documentary which he claimed 'exposed' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand on minorities has been deleted by Twitter.

Posting a mail from the microblogging site which said his tweet was deleted on the request of the Indian government claiming it violated laws in India, O'Brien termed it as 'censorship'.

'CENSORSHIP. Twitter India HAS TAKEN DOWN MY TWEET of the #BBCDocumentary, it received lakhs of views. The 1-hour BBC documentary exposes how PM Narendra Modi HATES MINORITIES,' the TMC leader alleged.

He also posted the mail he received from Twitter.

'Also see flimsy reason given. Opposition will continue to fight the good fight,' the Rajya Sabha MP said in a tweet.   -- PTI
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14:47   VK Singh calls wrestlers' protest 'political'
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Gen V K Singh said that the wrestlers' protest against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is more political and other aspects are lesser known.

The protest by the ace wrestlers, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games (CWG) medallists, is underway in Delhi, as women wrestlers levelled serious charges of sexual harassment by the president and coaches of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and of mismanagement in the functioning of the federation.

"I would not like to speak on this. My personal opinion is that the matter is more political and other aspects are lesser known," said MoS General V K Singh (Retd) .

The wrestlers' protest was called off early on Saturday with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announcing that Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will 'step aside' till the investigation by the 'oversight committee' into the allegations is completed.

Thakur announced the constitution of an oversight committee to probe the allegations levelled against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and assured that justice would prevail in four weeks.

"Considering the demands of the sportspersons, we have decided to constitute an oversight committee, whose names will be announced tomorrow. The investigation will be completed in the next four weeks, wherein all the allegations levelled will be thoroughly probed to take a final decision," Thakur said addressing a press conference at his residence in the national capital during the early hours of Saturday.   -- ANI
Swati Maliwal
Swati Maliwal
13:29   Lekhi: Maliwal's molestation charges conspiracy to defame Delhi
Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi has joined several other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in slamming the Aam Aami Party over Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal's molestation claims, alleging it was part of a conspiracy hatched by Delhi's ruling party to defame the national capital.

Hitting out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lekhi asked how far he would go defame and destroy Delhi.

The man the DCW chairperson has accused of molesting her is an AAP member, Lekhi said and claimed that the allegations were part of a plan to defame Delhi.

BJP leaders are of the view that Maliwal, appointed by the AAP government, staged the incident to target Delhi Police, which comes under the Centre.

Maliwal had alleged that she was molested by a drunk man while on an inspection at night and dragged for 10-15 metres by his car outside AIIMS with her hand stuck in the vehicle's window.

The accused, a 47-year-old man, has been arrested. BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari, Shazia Ilmi and its Delhi unit Working President Virendra Sachdeva had earlier attacked the AAP over the accused's alleged association with the party.  -- PTI
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12:45   6 injured in twin blasts in Jammu
Six persons were injured in two explosions in Jammu on Saturday, a senior police officer said.

The blasts occurred in the Narwal area of Jammu City, Additional Director General of Police (Jammu) Mukesh Singh said.

"The whole area has been cordoned off and the injured evacuated to hospital," another police official said.   -- PTI
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11:41   EC issues notification for Tripura assembly polls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued the notification for the 13th assembly election to 60 constituencies in Tripura, an official said.

Candidates will now be allowed to submit their nomination papers till January 30.

The scrutiny will be done on January 31 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 2.

As per the schedule, the polling to the 60 Assembly constituencies will be held on February 16 and counting will take place on March 2, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) Subhasish Bandopadhyay told PTI.

Altogether 28,13,478 electors are eligible to exercise their democratic right in the ensuing elections.

A record of 65,044 new voters were included in the final electoral rolls.

To ensure free and fair elections, webcasting will be done in all the 3,328 polling booths.

"Minimum assured facilities -- drinking water, electricity, toilets and ramps have been made available in all the polling booths," he said.

The ACEO said security measures have been tightened across the northeastern state with central paramilitary forces holding area domination exercise to increase confidence among the electors.

Three Election Commission appointed Special Observers are set to arrive shortly to look after the security arrangements in the poll bound state.  -- PTI
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11:19   Gujarat Cong suspends 38 members for 'anti-party activities'
The Gujarat Congress has said that it has suspended 38 of its functionaries and workers for six years for indulging in "anti-party activities" during the Assembly polls held last month, where the grand old party could win only 17 seats in the 182-member House. 

The disciplinary committee of the Gujarat Congress met two times this month and has so far received 71 complaints against 95 persons, its convener Balubhai Patel told reporters on Friday.

"We have suspended 38 functionaries and workers for anti-party activities. Action will be taken against others as well. Eight workers have received warnings," Patel said.

Surendranagar district president Raiyabhai Rathod, Narmada district president Harendra Valand and former Nandod MLA P D Vasava are among the 38 persons who have been suspended from the party, he said.

In the Assembly polls held on December 1 and 5 last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a landslide victory, bagging 156 seats and retaining power in the state. -- PTI 
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11:18   Christians not engaged in converting people: Union minister Barla
Union Minister John Barla rejected allegations that Christians are engaged in converting people, and asserted that the community has made immense contributions to the progress of India.
 
In spite of contributions in the field of education and philanthropy, he said Christians have not found their due recognition, while addressing a Peace Rally here on Friday.
 
Christian schools can be found everywhere in the country, the BJP leader said asserting that a number of personalities from Mahatma Gandhi to filmstar Shah Rukh Khan had their schooling in such institutions.
 
"(Besides) there are health centres, old-age homes. Yet, after so much contribution, there is no respect. Why will there be allegations that we convert people? No, we don't convert people," the union minister of state for Minority Affairs said.
 
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in various states accuse Church leaders of converting people to Christianity.
 
"We want nothing but peace ... Time has come to be united," Barla, himself a Christian, said, adding that members of the community should not face injustice as was the case in Chhattisgarh.
 
On January 2, a church was vandalised and six police personnel, including an IPS officer, were attacked and injured during a protest by tribals in connection with an alleged religious conversion in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur city.
 
"If we do not tell the world (about our contribution), we will get beaten up instead," said the MP of Alipurduar in West Bengal.
He said that besides schools, there are hospitals, health centres, old age homes and other facilities run by Christians with their funds, but still, they do not get respect.
 
Barla said, "From the time I became a minister, as the minority minister, as Christian, I thought - what is our contribution to the country? What have we given and what have we got in return? both before and after Independence. What respect did we get for our contribution?"
 
There are Christian schools in the remotest area of the country where there are no government institutes, he said.
 
Eminent personalities such as freedom fighters Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi, politicians LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Smriti Irani, JP Nadda, "Pawar family" and filmstar Shah Rukh Khan - all studied in Christian schools, Barla claimed.
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11:17   Goa-bound plane from Moscow gets bomb threat
A Goa-bound chartered flight from Russian capital Moscow with 240 passengers on board was diverted to Uzbekistan in the wee hours of Saturday following a bomb threat, police said. 
  
The flight was scheduled to land at the Dabolim airport in South Goa at 4.15 am, a senior police official said.

The flight (AZV2463) operated by Azur Air was diverted before it entered the Indian air space, he said. 

"It was diverted after an email was received at 12.30 am by the Dabolim airport director that mentioned about a bomb being planted on the plane," the official said. 

The incident occurred nearly two weeks after a Moscow-to-Goa flight made an emergency landing at Gujarat's Jamnagar airport following a bomb threat. -- PTI 
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10:47   Amid border row, IAF to hold Exercise Pralay along LAC
The Indian Air Force will carry out Exercise Pralay involving all its major air bases in the northeast including the recently moved drone squadrons in the northeast amid the ongoing standoff with China.

The exercise planned to be held in the next few days also comes at a time when the Indian Air Force has deployed and activated the S-400 air defence squadron in the area which can take on any enemy aircraft or missile from a distance of up to 400 km.

According to officials, the exercise would see major combat assets of the Air Force including the Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets activated along with the transport and other aircraft.

The IAF recently moved a squadron of drones from other bases to the northeast to augment its capabilities of monitoring adversary activities along the Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor sector.

The Chinese have also been increasing their activities along the Doklam area and are under the constant watch of Indian security agencies, as per officials. 

This is the second such command-level exercise carried out by the IAF in recent months.
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10:04   Now, OPS throws hat in ring to contest Erode bypoll
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, involved in an acrimonious leadership tussle with another former CM K Palaniswami, on Saturday announced to field his party candidate for the February 27 by-poll in Erode East assembly constituency.
  
However, his faction was willing to support the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in the by-election if the national party wanted to contest.

Asked if his decision, especially with Palaniswami already making it clear that his dominant faction is keen on seeking electoral fortunes from Erode East segment, could cause confusion among the party members and electorate, as well, Panneerselvam replied "it is he (Palaniswami) who is creating confusion. Ask him."

He claimed that the party's Two Leaves symbol was with him as the Election Commission of India still recognised him as coordinator of AIADMK. 

His party would accept any symbol allotted by the ECI in case the party symbol could not be retained, he said in reply to a specific query.

"Its only Palaniswami who has been a stumbling block in rejecting a unification (of factions) and also in staking a claim for the Two Leaves symbol, on which we have complete rights," Panneerselvam told reporters at his Greenways residence in Chennai.

On the resulting confusion and inability of the party candidates in obtaining the authorisation forms to contest the by-poll, as witnessed in the civic polls, Panneerselvam accused Palaniswami for scuttling the prospects of the party candidates by refusing to sign in the joint declaration.

He was in touch with friendly parties including the BJP and would seek their support for his party candidate, he added. -- PTI
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09:22   UK police fines Rishi Sunak over seatbelt 'error'
The local police force where Rishi Sunak filmed a social media video in a moving car without a seatbelt on Friday fined the British Prime Minister for the legal breach.
Lancashire Police, which had been "looking into" the matter, confirmed it had issued a fixed penalty notice to Sunak, which involves a 100  pounds fine for not wearing a seatbelt in a moving car. 
"Following the circulation of a video on social media showing an individual failing to wear a seat belt while a passenger in a moving car in Lancashire we have today (Friday, January 20) issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of fixed penalty," Lancashire Police said in a statement.
On Thursday, Sunak apologised for a "brief error of judgment" in removing his seatbelt to film a video while driving in north-west England.
"That was a brief error of judgement. The PM removed his seatbelt to film a small clip. He fully accepts this was a mistake and apologises about it," Sunak's spokesperson said.
"The Prime Minister believes everyone should wear a seatbelt," the spokesperson added.
In the UK, passengers caught failing to wear a seatbelt while in a car, unless covered by a valid medical exemption, can be given an on-the-spot fine of 100 pounds, increasing to 500 pounds if the case goes to court.
Sunak filmed the video while seated in the back seat of a moving car to promote his government's new Levelling Up Fund announcements to fund over 100 projects around the country. Police motorbikes could be seen escorting his car as he addressed the camera.
In England, passengers aged 14 and over are responsible for ensuring they wear a seat belt in cars, vans and other goods vehicles if one is fitted and drivers are responsible for passengers under 14. 
Exemptions include having a doctor's certificate for a medical reason, or being in a vehicle used for a police, fire or other rescue service.
The government recently also considered toughening seatbelt rules to ensure drivers not wearing them could also receive penalty points on their licence. Latest Department for Transport figures suggest around 30 per cent of people killed in cars on the roads in the UK in 2021 were not in a seatbelt.
The Opposition Labour Party said the latest incident added to "endless painful viewing" after a previous video appeared to show Sunak struggling to make a contactless payment with his card.
"Rishi Sunak doesn't know how to manage a seatbelt, his debit card, a train service, the economy, this country. This list is growing every day, and it's making for endless painful viewing," a Labour spokesperson said.
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09:14   PFI forms 'squads' to establish Islamic rule by 2047: NIA
As part of its agenda to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to further its agenda of establishing Islamic rule in India by 2047, the banned outfit Popular Front of India formed secret teams called 'Service Teams' or 'Killer Squads' to carry out killings of its 'perceived enemies' and targets.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) made these revelations in a charge sheet filed on Friday before a special court in Bengaluru pertaining to the killing of BJP's Yuva Morcha district committee member Praveen Nettaru on July 26 last year in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district. Nettaru was killed in full public view with lethal weapons to create terror among the people at large and especially among members of a particular community.

The charge sheet, which was filed against 20 PFI members, further mentions that "these 'Service Team' members were given arms as well attack training and surveillance techniques training in order to identify, list out and to mount surveillance on individuals and leaders belonging to certain communities and groups".

"These 'Service Team' members were further trained to assault and kill identified targets on the instructions of senior PFI leaders," said the NIA in the charge sheet.

In furtherance of conspiracy meetings by PFI members and leaders held at Bengaluru city, Sullia Town and Bellare village, said the charge sheet, adding "the head of district Service Team Mustafa Paichar was instructed to recce, identify and target a prominent member of a particular community".

"As per instructions, four persons were recced and identified and among them, Praveen Nettaru, who was a BJP Yuva Morcha member, was assaulted and killed on July 26 last year in full public view with lethal weapons to create terror among the people at large and especially among members of a particular community," mentions the charge-sheet.

Of the 20 chargesheeted PFI members, six are absconding and rewards have been declared for information leading to their arrest in the case.

The accused persons have been charge-sheeted under various sections of 120B, 153A, 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act.

Mahammed Shiyab, Abdul Basheer, Riyaz, Mustafa Paichar, Masud KA, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Noufal M, Ismail Shafi K, K Mahammad Iqbal, Shaheed M, Mahammad Shafeek G, Ummar Farook M R, Abdul Kabeer CA, Muhammad Ibrahim Sha, Sainul Abid Y, Shekh Saddam Hussain, Zakiar A, N Abdul Haris, Thufail MH have been chargesheeted in the case.
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09:11   The more I write, I fear less: Ravish Kumar at JLF
Senior journalist Ravish Kumar on Friday said writing has helped him evolve from a "fearful" person to someone who can question those in position of power.
 
The former TV anchor, who has authored books like "The Free Voice", "A City Happens in Love" (Ishq Mein Shahar Hona), (Dekhte Rahiye) and Ravishpanti, was speaking at 'The Nature of Fear' session on the second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).
It was moderated by Satyanand Nirupam, editorial director of Rajkamal Prakashan Group, and Ravi Singh, publisher and co-founder of Speaking Tiger Books.
On being asked what gave him the conviction to question those in position of power, Kumar said there are days when he doesn't have the courage to do it.
"There is so much impact on the mind and body that sometimes I leave it and you are doing it alone... I used to be a very fearful person, even about crossing a road. People who knew me back then were surprised 'How is he able to speak so much?'
"There are many moments that end up giving you the courage. Writing helped me evolve a lot. The more I write, I fear less. The more I speak, that fear starts becoming even more insignificant. When the process of speaking ends, the fear starts to grow. That's why I start writing the next day. When you write you speak to yourself, there is no viewer. The more you face yourself, the more you will fight with yourself," he told a packed crowd at the Charbagh section of JLF. 
Asked how he would define fear, Kumar quipped answers to such questions could only be found in books by Baba Ramdev, before adding said definitions were bound by time and context.
"I have my fears due to different reasons, you have your fears due to some other reasons. But in this era, both our concerns merge somewhere. If we understand that, we can work towards to remove them. You will have to fight a lonely fight to counter your individual worries," he added.
Asked by an audience member that after going independent as a YouTuber, he has begun requesting people to 'like-share-subscribe' his channel whereas during his stint at the TV channel, he had often described "Prime Time" as a "zero TRP show", Kumar said, "They often did not let the show reach the masses and that's why I used to call it a zero TRP show. But even then people used to watch it." -- PTI  
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08:58   Chris Hipkins to be new Zealand PM
Chris Hipkins is set to replace Jacinda Ardern as leader of the Labour party and New Zealand's prime minister after being the only candidate to be nominated for the role, the Labour Party said in a statement.

Chris Hipkins is the sole nominee to become the Labour Party Leader, Labour Whip Duncan Webb announced on Saturday, reported New Zealand's public broadcaster, RNZ.

"The Labour Party caucus will meet at 1 pm on Sunday to endorse the nomination and confirm Chris Hipkins as Party Leader," Duncan Webb said.

Hipkins was first elected to parliament in 2008 and was appointed minister for Covid-19 in November 2020.

He is currently the minister for police, education and public service.

Jacinda Ardern's surprise resignation sparked a Labour Party leadership contest.

The shocking decision from Ardern comes after five and a half years of tenure leading New Zealand through the coronavirus pandemic.

Ardern said she knew what the prime minister's job took and believed she "no longer had enough in the tank to do it justice" but there were colleagues who could.

She said her Government had achieved a lot and she was not standing down because she did not believe Labour could win the next election, but because she thought it could.
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00:52   31 Chinese military aircraft, four naval ships detected around Taiwan
As many as 31 Chinese military aircraft and four vessels were detected near Taiwan, the latest incursion amid ongoing tensions between the two nations, the Taiwanese ministry of national defence said in a tweet on Friday. 

It further said that 12 of the detected aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest air defence identification zone.      

Taiwan's ministry of national defence tweeted, "31 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities."   

In another tweet, the Taiwanese ministry of national defence further said, "12 of the detected aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*3, J-10*2 and BZK-007 UAV RECCE) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated."      

On January 19, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence in a tweet stated, "16 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities."      

The Taiwanese ministry of national defence further said, "4 of the detected aircraft (JH-7, BZK-007 UAV RECCE and J-16*2) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated."   -- ANI
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00:40   Protest at press meet of 'Gandhi Godse: Ek Yudh'
A promotional event of Rajkumar Santoshi's upcoming film Gandhi Godse: Ek Yudh was on Friday disrupted by protesters, who claimed the movie undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and glorifies his assassin Nathuram Godse. 

Written and directed by Santoshi, the film depicts the war of the two opposing ideologies between Gandhi and Godse. 

During the press event, the protesters, who sat among the media personnel, waved black flags and shouted slogans like 'Mahatma Gandhi Zindabaad'. 

They alleged that through the movie, Santoshi was trying to glorify Nathuram Godse, the man who killed Gandhi on January 30, 1948. 

According to a press release issued on behalf of the makers, the police was called to avoid any unpleasant situation. 

Santoshi said his film does not glorify Godse. 

"Once people see the film, they will understand what I am trying to convey through my film. I have equally given importance to both the historical characters in my films," the director said in a statement. 

Gandhi Godse: Ek Yudh features Deepak Antani and Chinmay Mandlekar as Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, respectively. -- PTI

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