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Fri, 03 May 2019
Karni Sena threatens Javed Akhtar
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23:26 Karni Sena threatens Javed Akhtar
Lyricist Javed Akhtar's recent comment on demand to ban the burqa in India has not only triggered a debate but some trouble too. Karni Sena has demanded an apology from him and threatened to beat him if he does not apologise in three days.
After Shiv Sena asked the government to follow Sri Lanka's decision to ban the burqa in India, Akhtar at an event in Madhya Pradesh said that if burqa is banned, the system of ghoonghat in Rajasthan should also be removed.
"If you want to bring a law banning the burqa, I have no objection. But before the last phase of election in Rajasthan, this government should announce a ban on the practice of 'ghoonghat' in that state. I feel that 'ghoonghat' should go and burqa should go. I will be happy," he had said.
This statement from the Bollywood celebrity has left Karni Sena furious. A video has come up on social media in which Maharashtra Karni Sena chief, Jeevan Singh Solanki is seen threatening to physically assault Akhtar if he does not apologise in three days.
He warned Akhtar not to speak anything against the culture of Rajasthan and demanded an apology from him in three days. He is seen saying Karni Sena will beat him inside his house if he does not apologise.
The Karni Sena leader even recalled the group's action against Sanjay Leela Bhansali before the release of Padmaavat.
23:05 Modi takes dig at Priyanka: Not snake charmers, India is now about IT-expert 'mouse charmers'
A day after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra impressed photographers during an interaction with snake charmers, Modi accused her of projecting an image of the country that did not sit well with the reality.
Now it is 'mouse charmers' and not 'snake charmers', Modi said Friday, referring to the young Indians in the IT sector.
He did not directly name the Congress general secretary.
Photojournalists covering Priyanka Gandhi's election campaign in her mother Sonia Gandhi's constituency of Rae Bareli had caught her talking with snake charmers.
Nothing will happen, it's fine, she had said when someone warned her against holding a snake.
At an election rally, Modi referred to a photo of Jawaharlal Nehru.
There was a time when the `naamdars' of the Congress used to feel happy showing snake charmers to foreign guests, he said.
There is popular picture of the first prime minister showing a snake charmer to foreign guests. It is available on social media. He was feeling proud, he said.
Such pictures made the world call India a country of snake charmers, Modi said.
The fourth generation of the `naamdar' family is doing this now as well, he added.
Modi said they forget that the country has moved ahead, and Indians hold the computer mouse now. Now it is 'mouse charmers' and not 'snake charmers'.
He said the country's young people have changed the image of the country by making a name in the field of IT.
-- PTI
22:42 'BJP helped with legal fees of lynching accused'
Union Minister Jayant Sinha was at the centre of a social media storm in July last year when images emerged of him garlanding eight men who were accused of being part of a mob that lynched a Muslim cattle trader in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, in 2017. Sinha is the MP for Hazaribagh and is seeking re-election from the constituency.
Sinha, who expressed regret for the garlanding incident, revealed that BJP members, including himself, had paid for the legal expanses of the accused in the case. Sinha made the revelation in an interview with BBC Hindi. Sinha claimed the accused men, who were released in July 2018, were innocent and of poor means.
Eleven people were convicted for the lynching incident in March 2018; the eight people who met Sinha were sentenced to life imprisonment, but their sentences were suspended by the Ranchi High Court in July that year.
Sinha claimed the BJP members' support was based on the fact that one of the accused was a BJP activist. Sinha claimed, so many people, including members of the party and himself had helped pay the legal expenses. Sinha added their monetary help went solely to the lawyer fighting the case.
When asked about the outrage that erupted over his garlanding of the accused in July 2018, Sinha claimed the media had distorted what was a private meeting. Sinha reiterated the lynching accused also needed justice just like the family of Alimuddin Ansari, the victim.
22:23 EC allows Rahul to respond to show cause by May 7
The Election Commission on Friday gave an extension till May 7 to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for replying to its notice, which was issued over his remark that the Narendra Modi government has enacted a new law which permitted tribals to be shot.
Citing his speech made in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh on April 23, the commission on May 1 had issued a showcause notice to Gandhi highlighting a provision of the Model Code of Conduct which bars "unverified" allegations against political opponents.
He was given 48 hours to respond to the notice, with the deadline ending Friday evening. To this Gandhi had sought time till May 7 to reply.
"The commission had issued a notice to Mr Rahul Gandhi on May 1 in light of his impugned statement made while addressing election meeting on April 23 at Shahdol, MP. He was given 48 hours to reply. A request was received today seeking extension till May 7 for filing reply. Commission has accepted the same," the poll panel said.
-- PTI
21:47 Lanka bombings: NTJ's financial controller held
The Lankan police on Friday arrested a man alleged to have been in charge of the finances of the banned local Islamist extremist outfit, National Thawheed Jammath, linked to the Islamic State, which claimed the responsibility for the Easter bombings that left 253 people dead and several hundreds injured.
NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, the mastermind behind the April 19 attacks, was killed inside the Shangri La hotel were he detonated himself.
A person named Abdul Sakthar Mohommed, who is alleged to have been in charge of the finances of the NTJ, was arrested in Gampola area, the Sri Lanka Mirror reported.
The suspect was staying in a rented accommodation located in close proximity to the home of the owner of the shoe shop where the Haq brothers, wanted by the Lankan probe agency in connection with the Easter terror attacks, were hiding, it said.
The brothers -- Sadiq Abdul Haq and Shahid Abdul Haq -- were arrested on April 29.
Two national identity cards, a photograph of the suspect dressed in army fatigues and holding a pistol and also a video on the recent clash in Theldeniya were recovered from the possession of Mohommed, the report stated.
An audio containing a message by an IS woman cadre instructing their members to be on high alert after the Easter attacks and informing them that they would not be able to avoid working for the organisation, was also discovered at the location.
Police also found bank slips of transactions carried out on behalf of the NTJ since 2017. There had been more than 200 transactions involving various persons providing financial assistance to the terror outfit, the report said.
A series of eight coordinated blasts, which ripped through three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists on April 19 in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war ended in 2009.
-- PTI
21:20 Masood listing by UN watershed: France
The listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar by the UN as a global terrorist is a "solid proof" of the international community's strong support to India's fight against terrorism, French Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler said Friday.
He said France has also been hit hard by terrorism and the fight against terror remains high in its national and international agenda.
"The listing of Masood Azhar by the UN Sanctions Committee is a watershed (moment) in our long fight against terrorism. I am very proud that France has played a fundamental role in achieving this diplomatic win," Ziegler told reporters.
"It's an important political decision because we have reached a consensus with the members of the Security Council. This is solid proof of the international community's strong support to India's fight against terrorism," he added.
The UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated Azhar as global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him, nearly a decade after New Delhi first pushed for it.
France, the UK and the US had moved a fresh proposal to declare Azhar as global terrorist by the UN in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The French envoy said it was bit odd that the JeM was banned by the UN after attacks on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and the Indian Parliament in 2001, but not its leader.
-- PTI
21:00 EC clean chit to PM for 'sinking Titanic' remark
The Election Commission has given a clean chit to PM Modi for his Nanded speech in which he dubbed Congress as a 'sinking Titanic'.
This is the fourth time that the PM has been given a clean chit.
In early April, Modi in a pre-poll prediction, said the Congress party is akin to Titanic ship that will bring doom to those who associate with it.
The Congress is like the Titanic ship, which is sinking with every passing day. Whoever has boarded this ship is either drowning like the NCP (the Nationalist Congress Party) or leaving the ship, said PM Modi at a poll rally in Nanded.
20:40 PM's itinerary in last 125 days: 200 programmes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 200 programmes, most of them electoral in nature, across 27 states and Union Territories, over the last 125 days beginning December 25, according to information provided by his official website.
"The PM joined 30 programmes in Delhi itself. Fourteen Cabinet meetings have been held since the start of the year. These numbers speak for themselves. They also offer a unique glimpse into the working style and multi-tasking abilities of PM Modi," read a statement on his website www.narendramodi.in.
One example of PM Modi's hectic schedule was his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. In February, PM Modi embarked on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir where in one day he covered all three regions of the state -- Ladakh, Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.
Since January 2019, PM Modi has made multiple visits to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura. These visits were scheduled before the Model Code of Conduct was enforced by the Election Commission, therefore a great emphasis on infra projects and sectors like energy and agriculture was laid in these trips.
On February 1, the NDA government announced two marquee schemes -- the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana. The former provides monetary support to farmers while the latter assures a monthly pension to the unorganised sector. Both these schemes were launched soon after the announcements were made.
PM Modi went to Gorakhpur on February 24 to launch the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi while he went to Ahmedabad to launch the Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana on 5th March.
On the same day, PM Modi was at the holy Sangam in Prayagraj, where he took a dip and participated in a Puja ceremony.
"He became the first PM in years to visit a Kumbh Mela," according to his website.
At the end of December 2018, PM Modi was on the shores of Port Blair to pay tribute to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
A month later, on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi was in Gujarat's Dandi to inaugurate a state-of-the-art Salt Satyagraha Memorial and Museum.
In January, he visited the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram and in March he was at the Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Tripura.
During the last 150 days, the 'MP Modi' visited his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi five times.
-- ANI
20:20 Rahul's letter to Amethi gets a response from Smriti Irani
Union minister Smriti Irani took a sharp dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his letter to the people of Amethi, which he shared on Facebook on Friday.
In the letter written in Hindi to his 'Amethi parivar', Rahul appealed to the voters of his constituency to re-elect him and promised to give momentum to the development works "blocked" by the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also mentioned that the strength of Amethi lies in its honesty, simplicity and integrity.
However, in her response, Irani, who is fighting against Rahul from Amethi, said that his letter proves that he has never given due importance to Amethi and has not visited the panchayats located in the constituency himself.
"The letter shows that he has not given importance to Amethi and thus, didn't take the pain to visit 'nyay- panchayat' located in the constituency himself," she claimed.
The union minister also added that with this, Rahul's anti-Hindu face has been exposed and she also accused the Congress of glorifying Yasin Malik, who had killed Kashmiri Pandits.
19:42 Action sought against Priyanka for use of snakes
A lawyer has sought action against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra under the Wildlife Protection Act after a video surfaced on the social media showing the Congress leader touching and petting snakes during an election rally in Uttar Pradesh.
In a letter written to the chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, Delhi-based lawyer-activist Gauri Maulekhi sought immediate action against the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh alleging that the snakes were illegally procured and she "aided the act of hunting by encouraging and instigating people to touch the snakes".
"Such acts of casual hunting for petty profits and its abetment such as this have led to a sharp decline in the snake population in India. The present case deserves nothing but the highest priority so that such blatant hunting and poaching is brought to book.
"Please consider this notice under section 55 of the Wildlife Act to take suitable steps to file a complaint against Priyanka Gandhi and her unknown accomplices under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972," Maulekhi has written in the letter.
She has also attached videos and news reports to her notice as evidence of the alleged violation by Priyanka Gandhi.
A video surfaced on the social media on Thursday showing the Congress leader sitting with snake charmers in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, touching a snake and putting the reptile in its box.
There was no immediate reaction to the development from the Congress party.
-- PTI
19:18 Can't be singing bhajan: Adityanath's counter on ECs hate speech notice
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who faces a notice by the Election Commission for his Sambhal speech last month defended his Babar ka aulad remark.
The chief minister said his speech cannot be a violation of the model code of conduct because he was only recalling a conversation with someone.
Do we go to the dais to sing bhajan (devotional songs). We go there to defeat our adversary and to corner them, the chief minister said.
The 46-year-old chief minister, who is seen as a prominent Hindutva face of his party, was banned from campaigning for 3 days for an earlier speech that was considered divisive by the Election Commission.
Yogi Adityanaths deadline to respond to the fresh EC notice ends Friday evening.
In his interview that was released earlier in the day, Yogi Adityanath made it clear that he did not see anything wrong in what had been said. The chief minister also underlined that it was for political parties to highlight the oppositions weakness in front of people.
18:52 PM takes dig at Cong over surgical strike claim
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday mocked the Congress over its claim of having conducted surgical strikes during the UPA regime telling the party that it is not a video game.
A day after the Congress claimed that six surgical strikes were carried out by the Manmohan Singh-led government, he said the Congress, which earlier used to mock the surgical strikes, is now saying 'me too, me too'.
"After losing in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections, now Congress is doing a new drama. A senior Congress leader last night said that during their time surgical strikes were done many times. Now Congress is trying everything to prove that it too had carried out surgical strikes. Congress claims that they carried out six surgical strikes," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing a rally in Sikar.
"What type of strikes were these about which the terrorists did not get to know, Pakistan didn't know and even Indians didn't know. First they mocked it. When they saw that the people are standing with Modi, then they started protesting. And now they say 'me too me too'," he added.
"I think there are people in the Congress who play video games at any age and may be they even consider surgical strike as a video game," Modi said.
"Jab kagaz par hi karni ho, jab video game mein hi strike karni ho to 6 ho ya 3 ho, 20 hon ya 25 hon, ye jhoote logon ko kya fark padta hai," he added.
The PM later took another jibe at the Congress and said "when the results for Lok Sabha elections will come out on May 23, then the Congress will say that we did 600 surgical strikes."
-- ANI
18:20 After 36 years of service, INS Ranjit to be decommissioned on Monday
After 36 years of glorious service, Indian Navy's front-line missile destroyer INS Ranjit will be decommissioned on Monday.
Commissioned September 15, 1983, INS Ranjit was the third of the five Kashin-class destroyers built by erstwhile USSR.
The ship will now be decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. The ceremony will be attended by personnel who have served onboard INS Ranjit in the past and will also include officers and sailors from the commissioning crew.
The chief guest for the ceremony would be retired Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, Lieutenant Governor Andaman and Nicobar.
-- ANI
17:53 Baby Fani born in Odisha as cyclone slams coast
A baby was born in an Odisha railway hospital as the extremely severe storm wreaked its havoc on Friday and her name came to officials in a flash -- she could only be Lady Fani for them.
The baby was born at 11.03 am in the railway hospital in Mancheswar, barely five km from the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar, officials said.
As Cyclone Fani raged outside, the doctors maintained their calm and delivered her safely, they said.
The child, born to a 32-year-old railway employee working as a helper at the Coach Repair Workshop, Mancheswar, and the mother are doing fine, said officials of the Bhubaneswar-headquartered East Coast Railways.
Packing heavy rain and winds with speeds of up to 175 kmph, Fani slammed into the Odisha coast Friday morning.
"Baby made landfall at 11.03. We are calling her Lady Fani as she was born when the hospital was hit. This was the mother's first baby and both of them are doing fine. The hospital suffered some damage," ECoR spokesperson J P Mishra told PTI
"She was born as the cyclone wreaked havoc and it was raining heavily. The doctors kept their calm and delivered her," Mishra added.
It is not clear if the parents want to name her Fani.
The word 'Fani' means a snake's hood and it was suggested by Bangladesh, said Mritunjay Mohapatra, additional director general of the IMD.
-- PTI
17:34 Getting feedback LS will miss me: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today held a meeting of senior officials to review the preparedness for commencement of 17th Lok Sabha and said the lower house has now become part of her life.
Last month the Lok Sabha Speaker, an eight-time Lok Sabha MP, announced she did not want to contest the lower house elections anymore.
This is the first meeting of Mahajan with Lok Sabha officials after her decision.
Addressing the media after the meeting, she said the preparedness for the 17th Lok Sabha has begun.
To a question on how she felt she would feel of not being part of the Lok Sabha anymore, Mahajan said having been a member of the Lok Sabha for the past three decades, it has become a part of her life now. "I was member of Lok Sabha for three decades. I am getting a feedback that Lok Sabha will miss me."
The Lok Sabha polls are being held in seven phases and the results would be announced on May 23. The date of oath-taking ceremony would be decided accordingly.
-- PTI
17:09 Never denied I hold Canadian passport: Akshay
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has responded to the questions he has been facing about his nationality.
In a Twitter post on Friday, he wrote that he is a tax-payer In India and intends to make the country stronger and stronger.
Kumars post says that the negativity surrounding his citizenship is unwarranted and that he does not need to prove his love for the nation. He also stated that even though he holds a Canadian passport, he has not visited the nation in past seven years.
Kumar added that he intends to contribute to nation building in every way possible and that he loved the country, no matter what people say about his citizenship.
The issue emerged when Akshay faced flak from netizens for not casting his vote when his wife, actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna, was spotted without him at a polling booth among many other Bollywood celebrities who turned out for voting.
Recently, he was also in news for sitting with Modi for a non-political interview.
16:40 Pakistan issues order to freeze assets of JeM chief Azhar, impose travel ban
Pakistan has issued an official order to freeze the assets of and impose a travel ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar after the UN declared him a "global terrorist".
Pakistan-based Azhar is also banned from selling or purchasing arms and ammunition.
The UN sanctions committee on the Islamic State and Al Qaeda on Wednesday announced the designation of Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, over its ties to Al Qaeda.
The JeM has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers and led to a spike in military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan ordered all non-banking financial institutions and regulating authorities on Thursday to block all investment accounts of Azhar.
The SECP ordered that all companies should scan their data and inform the SECP within three days about the necessary action being taken against the accounts of Azhar.
An official of interior ministry said that Azhar was already on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorist Act and could not travel without permission of the police. He was also barred from having any weapons due to the listing under the ATA.
His name was also already on the list of proscribed persons maintained by the National Anti-Terrorist Authority.
-- PTI
16:07 Rs 1,000 cr released in advance for Fani: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said over Rs 1,000 crore had been released in advance for the states affected by Cyclone Fani.
Addressing an election rally Rajasthan's Hindaun City, he said the government was with the people in times of crises.
A detailed review meeting was held and he had been given the latest updates on Cyclone Fani, Modi said as the extremely severe cyclonic storm hit Odisha on Friday morning.
"Lakhs of families are affected by a cyclone in the coastal areas of Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and the Centre is in touch with the state governments. I got the latest update from officers sometime ago and also held a detailed review meeting yesterday. More than Rs 1,000 crore have been released in advance," Modi told the rally in Rajasthan's Hindaun town, located in Karauli district.
He added that the National Disaster Response Force, the Indian Coast Guard, the Navy and the Army were engaged in the relief works.
"I want to assure the people of the cyclone-affected states that the entire country and the Centre are standing by the affected families and the state governments," Modi said.
The prime minister also ramped up his attack against the Congress, saying the party is distraught about Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar being declared as an international terrorist during the election and is questioning the timing of the announcement.
He alleged that the opposition party is unhappy with India's security situation. -- PTI
15:13 Mahabharat, Ramayna are full of incidents of violence: Yechury
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for fragmenting the society for votes through its divisive policies.
The leader went on to brand religious epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as specimens of Hindu violence.
"Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said that Hindus don't believe in violence. Many kings and principalities have fought battles in the country. Even the Ramayana and Mahabharata are also filled with instances of violence. Being a pracharak, you narrate the epics but still claim Hindus can't be violent? What is the logic behind saying there is a religion which engages in violence and we Hindus don't," he said.
"After the initial phases of election got over, they came back to the core Hindutva agenda -- Aboloition of Article 35A and 370, Construction of Ram Mandir on the disputed sight, Uniform Civil Code and NRC. On the back of such issues, the decision to bring in Sadhvi Pragya Thakur to contest from Bhopal after the third phase is a step taken based on hyping up the sentiments of the people," added Yechury.
Yechury recounted the non-violent traditions of the country citing the Maurya Empire's acceptance of the Buddhist philosophy.
"The Mauryan empire accepted Buddhism after the Battle of Kalinga. Ashoka's edicts state that any one who attacks other communities, damages his own community. Our tradition is this and not the one propogated by BJP," said the CPM leader.
Yechury elaborated in detail the Hindutva design and its genesis by recounting instances from history.
"Vinayak Damodar Savarkar has himself said that Hindutva has no relation with Hinduism. It is a political project. His slogan was 'Hinduize the Military and Militarize the Hindus'. He encouraged the Hindu youth to join the military. This was the way how Hindus were organized into RSS. The person who got inspired by this philosophy was Balakrishna Shivram Moonje. He went to Italy and got inspired by Mussolini. He came back and opened a military academy which inspired the later day Hindu nationalists," he said.
"So, it is a fallacy to say that Hindus can't engage in violence as historicity doesn't verify this claim. All the private armies that have been built in the name of moral policing are based on this philosophy," he contended.
Speaking on the BJP government's failings in the present regime, Yechury said, "according to the reports that have come in, there is not one institution left which the BJP is not using to propogate its political power. These attacks on the institution are not just limited to violating people's democratic rights. We fought against the emergency to save our democracy. This is a combined attack on our democratic setup." -- ANI
15:08 3 dead as cyclone Fani hits Odisha
Three people were killed in separate incidents as cyclone Fani battered the Odisha coast on Friday, officials said.
A teenager was killed when a tree came crashing down on him at a place within Sakhigopal police station area limits in Puri district.
Flying debris from a concrete structure hit a woman in Nayagarh district when she had gone to fetch water, killing her.
In Debendranarayanpur village in Kendrapara district, a 65-year-old woman died after suspected heart attack at a cyclone shelter, official information reaching here said.
Fani, an extremely severe cyclonic storm lashed the Odisha coast Friday morning, uprooting trees, blowing away thatched huts, and disrupting communication links. -- PTI
14:26 Cyclone Fani weakens, to move towards Bengal
The extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani that made landfall at Puri on Friday morning with a wind speed of around 245 kmph has weakened into a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of approximately 150-160 kmph.
As it continues to move north, north East, it is likely to further weaken into a "severe cyclonic storm" said the IMD.
"Fani weakened into VSCS at 1130 IST near 20.2N/85.9E about 10 km east of Bhubaneswar & 30 km south of Cuttack. To move NNE and weaken into SCS," IMD tweeted.
The system is likely to weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "severe cyclonic storm" by the early morning of May 4.
Thereafter, it is expected to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh by May 4 evening as a cyclonic storm.
Mrityunjay Mohapatra, IMD official, Delhi, said,"As Fani weakens and moves north-northeastwards, by evening it may weaken into a severe cyclonic storm over the extreme northern part of Odisha."
"It has moved away from Andhra Pradesh, so, we have issued a de-warning. Three districts in the state were impacted by heavy rainfall," he said. -- ANI
Image: A traffic police personnel sits inside a kiosk during rainfall in Kolkata. Photograph: PTI Photo
14:17 Mumbai: BEST bus catches fire, none hurt
A Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport bus caught fire in suburban Malad on Friday, but nobody was injured in the incident, a fire brigade official said.
The incident occurred around 7.30 am at a bus stand in Dindoshi area, he said.
"The blaze started from the fuel tank of the bus. Except its two rear tyres, the entire vehicle, which was going towards Malad from Goregaon, was gutted in the fire. There was no report of injury in the incident," the official said.
After being alerted, the fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flames, he added. -- PTI
Photograph: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com
14:15 Bajrang Punia bags gold at Ali Aliev wrestling tournament
World number 1 Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian to win gold at the Ali Aliev wrestling tournament after defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in the 65 kg freestyle in Kaspiysk.
Bajrang, who won the Asian Championships in China last week, came through stiff resistance from a host of local favourites over two days to prove his credentials as the world's best wrestler in his category. With the win on Thursday, the Indian has cemented his place on the top in the world rankings and is currently the highest ranked freestyle Asian wrestler in the world.
"I think the fact that I am competing in three different continents in three weeks is itself an incredible feat and I am thankful for all the support I have received through this period. I did have the belief that I could do well in these competitions and am pleased with my performances so far," Bajrang said.
"I am now looking forward to participating at Madison Square Garden and will continue to do my best to live up to the nation's expectations in the tournaments to come," he said.
Bajrang, who is part of the JSW Sports Excellence Program, will now get on the road once again as he heads to New York for the Beat The Streets 'Grapple At the Garden' on May 6 at the historic Madison Square Garden arena.
The Indian wrestler will take on former cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis. -- ANI
13:45 Fani: Poll code relaxed in 4 district in AP
Model code of conduct, in place for Lok Sabh elections, has been relaxed in four Andhra Pradesh districts -- East Godavari, Visakapatnam, Vizianagram and Srikakulam -- in view of relief work required due to destruction caused by Cyclone Fani.
"The Election Commission of India approves the proposal for granting relaxations in the provisions of Model Code of Conduct in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagram and Srikakulam districts, for all the preventive and relief work associated with Cyclonic Storm Fani," the EC said.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to the Election Commission requesting relaxation of the model code of conduct in four districts in the wake of the cyclone Fani.
Citing the forecast made by the meteorological department and completion of elections in the state, Naidu said, "The cyclone is going to be a super cyclone with wind speed expected to be around 200 km per hour. In view of this, four districts of Andhra Pradesh- East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam are to be kept on high alert."
12:42 J-K: Terrorist killed in Shopian
A terrorist was killed after an encounter broke out with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian on Friday.
The search operation is underway.
As per officials, the firing was reported in Adkhara area of Imam Sahib.
Further details are awaited.
12:15 Telecom hit, 157 trains cancelled due to Fani
Telecommunications networks have been reportedly partially disrupted in Puri and Bhubaneswar districts in Odisha due to cyclonic storm Fani making a landfall on Friday morning.
In addition to the 147 trains (scheduled from May 1 to May 3) cancelled earlier, East Coast Railway has cancelled 10 more trains.
Odisha and adjoining regions were battered by the extremely severe cyclonic storm which made landfall with a wind speed of around 245 kmph.
A helpline number -- 1938 -- has been made operational by the ministry of home affairs.
Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Paradip, Gopalpur, Haldia, Frazergunj and Kolkata besides four ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
The system is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "severe cyclonic storm" by the early morning of May 4.
Thereafter, it is expected to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on May 4 evening as a cyclonic storm.
12:11 Fani effect: Mamata cancels election rallies
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took to Twitter to inform that she has cancelled all her election rallies for the next two days in the wake of the 'impending' Cyclone Fani in her home state.
"Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster #CyclonicStormFANI We are monitoring the situation 24x7 and doing all it takes. I appeal to all people to cooperate. Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days," she tweeted.
Banerjee will stay in Kharagpur in West Bengal, near the coastal belt, and monitor the situation herself.
11:30 Cyclone Fani: Kolkata airport to halt operations
As Cyclone Fani expected to hit West Bengal tonight, no flights will land or take off from the Kolkata airport from 3:00 pm on Friday to 8:30 am on Saturday, news18 has reported.
The airport authorities have asked airlines to cancel both domestic and international flights during the said time.
Engineers and other emergency systems are on standby at Kolkata airport.
11:05 Delhi-based photojournalist covering Lanka blasts arrested for trespass
An India-based photo journalist, who was in Sri Lanka to cover the aftermath of Easter Sunday bombings, was arrested by Sri Lankan police for alleged unauthorised entry into a school.
Siddiqui Ahamad Danish, who works for Reuters news agency and is based in New Delhi, was arrested when he allegedly attempted to forcibly enter a school in Negombo city to speak to its authorities.
He was arrested on the charges of unauthorised entry and was later remanded by the Negombo magistrate till May 15, police said.
According to local media reports, the journalist, had attempted to enter the school to obtain information regarding a student killed in the bombing of St Sebastian's Church when parents who were at the school at the time alerted the police.
The journalist was temporarily here for the coverage of the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 250 people and wounded nearly 500 others. -- PTI
10:57 Fani: Senior health official suspended for not joining work
The Odisha government has suspended Chief District Medical Officer of Rayagada, Siva Prasad Padhi, for not joining duty despite the government's order cancelling holidays of all employees in the health department in view of the cyclonic storm Fani.
The state government had earlier cancelled the leaves of all the doctors and employees in the health department till May 15.
Chief District Medical Officers were directed to monitor the situation in hospitals.
The government had earlier stated that strict action would be taken against senior officials who do not report for duty during the period of emergency.
Following Padhi's suspension, Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital Superintendent has been given the additional duty of CDMO.
"Dr. Shakti Baral Mohanty, DMO-cum-Superintendent, DHH, Rayagada is kept in charge of CDM and PHO, Rayagada in addition to his own duty till joining of a regular CDM and PHO or until further orders, whichever is earlier," a statement issued by the state health department on Thursday said. -- ANI
10:52 13 Navy aircraft on standby for cyclone Fani
13 Navy aircraft at Vishakapatnam are in a state of readiness to provide necessary assistance as Cyclone Fani makes a landfall in Odisha's Puri.
10:30 Weakened cyclone Fani may move towards Bengal
According to the Indian meteorological department in Hyderabad, winds in Puri, Odisha, are blowing at a maximum speed of 240-245 km per hour and heavy to very heavy rains are continuing over the Odisha coast.
With cyclone Fani's landfall, the impact is likely to reduce and it is likely to move towards West Bengal coast.
R Shukla of the IMD in Paradip, Odisha, said cyclone Fani's landfall process started around 8 am and is expected to complete within two hrs. Then it's expected to move north-northeastwards, covering all districts in coastal Odisha and towards West Bengal.
09:54 Modi biopic will relase on May 24
A film on Prime Minister Narendra Modi will finally release in theaters on May 24, a day after the Lok Sabha election results are announced.
The film titled PM Narendra Modi starred Vivek Oberoi in the lead role.
The film was set to release on April 11.
However, Opposition parties protested against the release of the film during elections.
09:46 Odisha operates over 5000 kitchens in Fani shelters
Bracing for the fallout from cyclone Fani, which made landfall near Puri in Odisha this morning, the Odisha administration has been evacuating people in coastal areas.
Over one million people have been evacuated from vulnerable districts in the last 24 hrs and about 5000 kitchens are operating to serve people in shelters.
ANI photo shows a shelter in Paradip, Jagatsinghpur.
09:39 Cyclone Fani hits Puri, wind speed at 175 kmph
Extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani has hit Odisha coast in Puri with the area recording a wind speed of 145 kilometres per hour, the IMD said.
Mritunjay Mohapatra, in-charge of the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department, said the process of landfall will continue for the next three hours.
The area along Puri is witnessing winds with a speed of 145 kilometres per hour that could reach up to 180-200 kmph, which could bring an "extensive damage", he said.
A cyclone making a landfall implies that the first arm of the cyclone has reached the land.
The eye of the cyclone, which is calm, is nearly 30 kilometres. -- PTI
09:36 Coast Guard readies 34 disaster relief teams, stations 4 ships for cyclone Fani
The Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at Vishakapatnam, Chennai, Paradip, Gopalpur, Haldia, Frazergunj and Kolkata, besides four Coast Guard ships at Vishakapatnam and Chennai to handle the fallout from Cyclone Fani which had a landfall this morning in Odisha.
09:30 Encounter breaks out in J-K's Shopian
An encounter broke out between terorrists and security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir Friday, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Imam Sahib area of Shopian district in south Kashmir in the morning, a police official said.
He said a brief exchange of firing took place between the two sides after a contact with the terorrists was established.
The area has been put under cordon and further details were awaited, the official said. -- PTI
08:42 Cyclone Fani to make landfall between 8-11 am
Cyclone Fani has started making its impact felt in the Odisha coast, the weather office said.
"The impact of landfall process has started. Fani will make a landfall between 8-11 am. In the morning it was 70 km south-southwest of Puri. It is moving now," said HR Biswas, director, Met Dept, Bhubaneswar.
The impact of the landfall is likely to continue till noon and after that, the cyclone is expected to move north-westwards and gradually weaken as it reaches West Bengal by early tomorrow morning.
The Odisha government has already evacuated lakhs of people from the coastal areas to camps on higher grounds.
The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and disaster management agencies are on fully prepared and on stand-by.
Image: Rain and strong winds hit Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Fani is expected to make a landfall in Odisha today. Photograph: ANI
08:18 Cyclone Fani reaches 80 km from Puri
Cyclone Fani, which is expected to make a landfall at the Odisha coast by Friday forenoon, was nearly 65 kilometres from Gopalpur and 80 kilometres from Puri at 5.30 am, the IMD said.
The Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department said the wind speed of the Extremely Severe Cyclone Fani could reach 200-230 kilometres when it makes the landfall.
"According to our last update on location at 5.30 am, Cyclone Fani was 65 kilometres from Gopalpur and 80 kilometres from Puri, " said an official.
The cyclone is moving at a speed of 16 kilometres per hour, the IMD said. -- PTI
A photograph shows the violent roll of one of Indian Navy's ships in the choppy waters of the sea in the wake of Cyclone Fani. Photograph: Courtesy Indian Navy/Twitter
00:16 Sexual assault up by 13% in US military in 2018
Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan called for tougher action against sexual assault in the US military after an annual Pentagon report said the number of assaults in 2018 had risen from recent years.
Sexual assaults reported by Defense Department employees, both men and women, jumped 13 per cent last year to 7,263 compared to 2017.
Moreover, actual sexual assaults were likely to be about triple the reported number, given the estimate that just one out of three victims in the military file a complaint.
"It is clear that sexual assault and sexual harassment are persistent challenges," Shanahan said in a statement.
Around 6.2 percent of women in the Department of Defense experienced sexual assault or unwanted sexual contact in 2018, compared to 4.3 percent two years earlier, according to the report.
The level for men was much lower and relatively stable: 0.7 percent experienced assault in 2018, slightly higher than 0.6 percent two years ago.
The problem was worst in the Marines: some 10.7 percent of women in that service reported sexual assault last year, compared to 7.5 percent in the Navy and lower rates in the other services.
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