Controversial self-styled godman Namdeo Das Tyagi aka 'Computer Baba' on Saturday took part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party wondering how an accused person like him who was arrested in an encroachment case in the past could walk with Rahul Gandhi.

Tyagi was booked and arrested in 2020 for allegedly manhandling a panchayat staffer before the demolition of alleged illegal construction at his ashram near Indore.

Tyagi joined Gandhi in the yatra at Mahudiya village in Agar Malwa district in the morning.

He was seen interacting with Gandhi and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, and walked with them for a few minutes.

BJP leader Narendra Saluja, who recently quit the Congress and joined the saffron party, said, 'After Kanhaiya Kumar and actor Swara Bhasker, now Computer Baba...? What kind of Jodo Yatra is it?'

He alleged that 'Computer Baba' is an accused in cases related to encroaching government land and others, and was in jail on these charges.

'How can a person like him match steps with Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra?' he asked.

Responding to BJP's criticism, former Congress minister Rajkumar Patel said that several seers and religious leaders were becoming part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

"Everyone is welcome to join the yatra as it is in the interest of the country," he said.

On BJP targeting the Congress over Computer Baba's participation in the foot march despite facing cases,  he said, "It has nothing to do with the yatra. They (BJP) are free to probe allegations and nobody has stopped them from doing so."

The case against Tyagi had been registered in November 2020 for allegedly manhandling a panchayat staffer.

The authorities had then claimed that they had freed 40,000 sq ft of land worth Rs 13 crore from alleged encroachment by Tyagi.

His ashram, constructed illegally on government land at Jamboodi Hapsi village, was demolished by the district administration, they had said.       

Tyagi was accorded a Minister of State (MoS) status in 2018 by the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government.

He was appointed as the chairman of a river conservation trust.

However, his bonhomie with the BJP ended after he raised the issue of illegal mining going on in the Narmada river and also demanded a helicopter to survey the river.

In the last Assembly election, he had worked for the Congress.   -- PTI

Several Chinese cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu and Shenzhen on Saturday scrapped the mandatory COVID-19 tests for public transport, as authorities softened their stance on the stringent Zero-COVID policy amid a spate of anti-government protests across the country.

Residents in Chengdu and Guangzhou no longer require to show Covid test results when entering most public places, the official media reported on Saturday.

On Friday, authorities in Beijing announced that 48-hour valid nucleic acid tests are no longer needed on buses and subways starting next Monday.    

Passengers must, however, still keep their masks on, they said.

Shopping malls in Beijing will be open starting from December 3, although some still cannot provide dine-in services, for which a 48-hour test is required.

The marginal lifting of curbs came after last weekend's protests in several cities, including in Shanghai and Beijing against the draconian Zero-COVID lockdowns that are disrupting people's livelihoods.

The rare protests also included calls for Chinese President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) to step down.     Acknowledging the protests, Xi told European Union (EU) President Charles Michel here on Thursday that the protests were carried out by students who were frustrated after three years of the pandemic.

It was mainly students or teenagers in university, he is reported to have said, according to a report carried by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Friday.

This is the first time that Xi has commented on the public protests, which reportedly have rattled his government.

Following the protests, security has been intensified in all the major cities in China.

Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Ryan, Director WHO emergencies said his organisation was pleased to see China loosening some of its coronavirus restrictions.

While referring to the protests, he told media in London on Friday that it is important that governments listen to their people when they are in pain, and WHO was glad to see China adjusting their current strategies in trying to recalibrate their response to fighting the virus.

The UN body in the past had termed China's zero-COVID strategy as not sustainable.

The COVID-19 first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 and later spiralled into a pandemic.

Ryan also told Chinese authorities that using imported messenger RNA vaccines, like those made by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna would be a solid option for it to boost its immunisation coverage, especially for its elderly.

According to experts, China's vaccines have not proven to be effective, especially against the Omicron variant.

Official announcements of relaxations notwithstanding, residents of several apartments in Beijing still complain that they are still in lockdown following the detection of fresh cases.

China on Saturday reported 32,800 cases, down from the highs of over 40,000 cases that were reported a few days ago.

Along with eased controls in public transportation in urban areas, many cities have announced measures to improve medical services with fewer requirements in nucleic test results and more hospitals for the infected.    

On Thursday, Beijing released new measures to ensure certain groups continue to enjoy smooth medical services, requiring that hospitals in the capital not reject patients who don't have negative tests taken within 48 hours.

The subway operators in Tianjin, Beijing's close neighbour, also scrapped checks for 72-hour valid nucleic acid tests for passengers starting Friday.     The move was followed by Shenzhen and Chengdu, which, in addition to cancelling checks for nucleic tests for taking subways, told residents on Thursday that nucleic acid tests were not needed to enter most public places, and only green heath codes were required.

However, test results were still needed when entering medical institutions.

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, which has been the hardest hit by the recent COVID-19 wave, was among the first to cancel checks of nucleic acid tests in some public places in low-risk areas.

Many Chinese cities are further optimising their epidemic response with a 'consistent strategy and flexible measures', facing the weaker Omicron strain, the Global Times report said.

State-run Xinhua news agency published an editorial on Friday urging cities to impose restriction measures fast and lift those measures quickly, calling for the impact of Covid-19 on people's lives and economic, social development to be minimised.   -- PTI

The Gujarat government has opposed in the Supreme Court the bail pleas of some convicts of the 2002 Godhra train burning case, saying they were not mere stone-pelters and their acts prevented people from escaping the burning coach.

On February 27, 2002, 59 people were killed when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra, triggering the riots in the state.

The matter came up for hearing on Friday before a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha.

The apex court, while asking the state to specify the individual roles of the convicts, observed that bail pleas of those who were accused of stone pelting could be considered as they have already spent 17-18 years in jail.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state of Gujarat, said these convicts threw stones on the train which prevented people from escaping the burning coach.

"It is not a case of mere stone pelting," he told the bench.

Mehta told the bench that appeals filed by the convicts in the top court against the October 2017 verdict of the Gujarat high court, which had upheld their conviction in the case, could be listed for hearing.

He told the bench that he would examine the individual roles of these convicts and apprise the bench about it.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on December 15.

In its October 2017 judgement, the high court had commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to 11 convicts in the Godhra train burning case.

It had upheld the life sentence awarded to 20 other convicts in the case.

On November 11, the apex court had extended the period of interim bail granted to one of the convicts until March 31, 2023.

It had noted that on May 13, the top court had granted him interim bail for six months on the ground that his wife was suffering from terminal stage cancer and his daughters were differently-abled.

In its November 11 order, the bench had noted that having due regard to the situation which continues to subsist, 'we extend the period of interim bail until March 31, 2023 on the same terms and conditions'.   -- PTI

The stage is set for the high-stakes civic polls in Delhi on Sunday, with poll authorities and security forces all geared up for the elections, largely being seen as a three-way contest among the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

Over 1.45 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections to the 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, in which 1,349 candidates are in the fray.

Polling will be held from 8 am to 5.30 pm and the votes will be counted on December 7.

According to data shared by the State Election Commission officials, the total number of voters in Delhi is 1,45,05,358 -- 78,93,418 males, 66,10,879 females and 1,061 transgender persons. There are 250 wards in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

This will be the first civic election after the fresh delimitation exercise, and the poll will be held days after the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, and a day ahead of its second phase.

Authorities have set up 13,638 polling stations across Delhi for the exercise.

There were 272 wards in Delhi and three corporations -- NDMC, SDMC and EDMC -- in Delhi from 2012-2022, before being reunified into an MCD that had formally come into existence on May 22.

The erstwhile MCD, established in 1958, was trifurcated in 2012 during Sheila Dikshit's tenure as the chief minister.

With the announcement of the MCD polling date on November 4 by State Election Commissioner Vijay Dev, the Model Code of Conduct came into immediate effect in the national capital from that day itself.

Both the AAP and the BJP have exuded confidence that they will emerge victorious in the polls while the Congress is seeking to regain lost turf.

The high-decibel campaigning for the December 4 polls, which saw roadshows of AAP and BJP heavyweights criss-cross through the national capital amid a political slugfest, concluded on Friday.

Giving campaigns of their parties one final push on Friday, BJP leaders held over 200 public meetings and roadshows, while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia held a town hall with 400 traders to discuss issues faced by them while dealing with the civic body.

The SEC officials said poll authorities and its teams were all set for the big day on Sunday and adequate arrangements for deployment of forces has been done.

The Commission on Friday said it has made elaborate arrangements for safe, secure and pleasant voting experience of people.

These measures are required to keep the electoral field free and to ensure that a level playing field is afforded to all political parties and candidates.  

This is also the first civic polls being held in the national capital after the February 2020 riots in Delhi, and as per data shared by officials, 3360 booths, spanning 493 locations, have been identified in critical or sensitive categories.

For the MCD polls, 'nearly 40,000 Delhi Police personnel, about 20,000 home guards and 108 companies of CAPF and SAP are to be deployed', a senior police official said.

Sixty-eight model polling stations and as many pink polling stations covering all eleven assembly segments, have been established for quality experience of voters, poll officials said.

According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a few days ahead of the polls, the BJP has the highest number of millionaire candidates in the fray, followed by the AAP and the Congress.

Of the top three richest candidates, two from the BJP and one from the AAP.

In the civic election in 2017, the BJP had won 181 of the 270 wards. No polling could be held on two seats due to death of candidates.

The AAP had won 48 wards and the Congress 27.

In 2017 civic polls, the voting percentage was about 53.  -- PTI

A court discharged former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid and United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi in a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

The first information report (FIR) in the case was registered on the basis of the statement of Constable Sangram Singh who said a riotous mob had pelted stones on Main Karawal Nagar Road, besides setting ablaze several vehicles in a nearby parking lot on February 24, 2020.

Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey confirmed that Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi were discharged in the matter by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala.

A detailed order in the matter is awaited. Umar Khalid is accused in several other cases and facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the larger conspiracy behind the riots and these matters are pending in court.

The Karawal Nagar police station had registered an FIR against both accused along with others under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rioting and criminal conspiracy along with the sections of the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Property Act.

The investigation of the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch. -- PTI

The high-voltage campaigning for the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections ended at 5 pm on Saturday.

As many as 833 candidates are in the fray across 93 constituencies which will go to polls on December 5. Votes will be counted on December 8.

Prominent candidates in the second phase include Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from Ghatlodia, Patidar leader Hardik Patel from Viramgam and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South.

Both Hardik Patel and Thakor are contesting on Bharatiya Janata Party ticket.

The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat was held on December 1 with average turnout of 63.31 per cent, lower than the last time.

The main contenders in the elections are the ruling BJP, the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party.

The 93 constituencies where polling will be held on Monday are spread across 14 districts of north and central Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Gandhinagar.

There are 2.54 crore registered voters in these constituencies.

Polling will be held at 26,409 booths and nearly 36,000 Electronic Voting Machines will be used.

The Election Commission will deploy 29,000 presiding officers and over 84,000 polling officers in 14 districts, said an official release.

The ruling BJP is also facing a challenge from rebel candidates in some places in the second phase.

Sitting BJP MLA from Waghodia, Madhu Shrivastav is contesting as an independent after being denied party ticket.

Former BJP MLAs Dinu Solanki, Dhavalsinh Zala and Harshad Vasava are also in the fray as independents from Padra, Bayad and Nandod seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a whirlwind campaign for the BJP on December 1 and 2, including two back-to-back roadshows in Ahmedabad.

He also addressed seven poll rallies in Panchmahal, Chhotaudepur, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Patan, Anand and Ahmedabad districts in the last two days.

On Saturday, the BJP had planned several roadshows and rallies of their star campaigners.

Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Smriti Irani and BJP president J P Nadda also campaigned for the ruling party in the second phase.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed rallies in Ahmedabad and Waghodia.

For AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led roadshows and addressed rallies in the last two days. -- PTI

Seeking to use the Trinamool Congress' popular slogan 'khela hobe' (there will be a game) back at the ruling party of West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said that games will be played by both in the coming elections.

Asserting that the BJP believes in non-violence, the party's West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar said that this does not mean that it will not react if push comes to shove.

"The game will be played (khela hobe) by both the parties and it will be a dangerous one," the BJP leader said at a public rally at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district on Friday.

The TMC had coined the slogan 'khela hobe' before the 2021 assembly elections and it became immensely popular.

Several other parties outside West Bengal also used it later.

"I assure you that the Trinamool Congress government, which is selling out assets of the state, will be ousted in a few years," Majumdar said.

Hinting at early elections in the state, the BJP leader claimed that he will not be surprised if the assembly polls in West Bengal are held along with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government came to power in the state for the third consecutive term in 2021.

Claiming that around 300 TMC activists are behind bars in cases relating to post-poll violence of 2021, which are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Majumdar asserted that more are likely to be brought to book.

Anyone indulging in illegalities, in whatever big post they are holding, will not go scot-free as long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is there, Majumdar said.

He claimed that a bill will be brought in the Lok Sabha to ensure the neutrality of the police force.

Alleging that the police in the state were partial to the ruling party, he said, "I urge you (police personnel) to act neutrally as your salaries are given from the taxpayers' money and not by any political outfit."  -- PTI

A day after making controversial remarks on Hindus, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal on Saturday said he had no intention of hurting anyone's sentiments.

"If my words hurt anyone's sentiments, I take back my words. I had no intention of hurting anyone's sentiments. I only want the government to do justice to minorities and give them education and employment," Ajmal said.

He, however, stressed that everyone must think about population control.

Ajmal on Friday said that Hindus should adopt the Muslim formula and get their children married at a young age.

"Muslim men marry at the age of 20-22, and Muslim women also marry at 18 as per the permissible age by the government. On the other hand, (Hindus) keep one two or three illegal wives before marriage, they don't give birth to babies, enjoy themselves and save money...," the AIUDF chief said.

When asked about claims that the Muslim population was increasing, the AIUDF chief said, "After the age of 40 they get married under parental pressure... So, how can one expect that they will bear children after 40? If you sow in fertile land then only you can bear good crops. There will then be growth."

Ajmal said, "They (Hindus) should also follow/adopt the formula of Muslims and get their children married at a young age, get them married at the age of 20-22, get the girls married at 18-20 years and then see how many children are born... "

Assam Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Diganta Kalita lambasted AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal on Friday for his statement and said Ajmal should go to Bangladesh.

"You are a Muslim and we are Hindus. Do we have to learn from you? It is the country of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. There is no place for Bangladeshis here. We do not have to learn from Muslims," said Kalita.

"By saying such things, you are putting allegations about your mother and sister. I condemn it and warn you not to do it otherwise go to Bangladesh and do it. Hindus will not accept it. Do not stoop so low for politics and sell your mother and sister. Do not trample upon their dignity," added the BJP MLA.   -- ANI

A school teacher was suspended for attending the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, an official said on Saturday.

Rajesh Kannoje, a teacher with a government primary school under the state's Tribal Affairs Department in Kanasya, was suspended on November 25 but the issue came to light after his suspension order surfaced on social media.

"Kannoje was suspended for violation of service conduct rules and attending a political rally. He had sought leave citing important work but he posted photographs on social media after attending a political event," Assistant Commissioner N S Raghuvanshi of the Tribal Affairs Department said.

As per the order, Kannoje violated service conduct rules by attending Bharat Jodo Yatra being taken out by a political party on November 24.  -- PTI

IPO-bound travel tech firm OYO on Saturday announced it will downsize about 10 per cent of its 3,700-employee base by cutting 600 jobs in the technology and corporate verticals and hiring 250 members, primarily in the relationship management teams.

OYO said the move is part of implementing wide ranging changes in its organisational structure.

It is downsizing its product & engineering, corporate headquarters, and OYO Vacation Homes teams, while it adds people to the partner relationship management and the business development teams.

'OYO will downsize 10 per cent of its 3,700-employee base, which includes fresh hiring of 250 members and letting go of 600 employees,' a statement said.

Product and engineering teams are being merged for smoother functioning, it added.

The downsizing in tech is also happening in teams which were developing pilots and proof of concepts such as in-app gaming, social content curation and patron facilitated content, the company said.

Additionally, members of projects which have now been successfully developed and deployed such as 'Partner SaaS' are being either let go or are being redeployed in core product & tech areas such as AI (artificial intelligence) driven pricing, ordering and payments, it informed.

The company will be adding 250 members primarily in its relationship management teams to ensure better consumer and partner satisfaction, and in business development teams to help scale up the number of hotels & homes on its platform.

As the integration of various functions of its European vacation homes business progresses, it is downsizing in some parts of the business to increase efficiency and harness synergies, OYO stated.

The company has also reassessed its corporate headquarters base afresh and is merging congruent roles and flattening team structures where needed, it added.

The company informed that it will be helping as many employees as it can in the outplacement and continuing with their medical insurance cover ranging up to three months on an average.

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO, said: "We will be doing all that we can to ensure that most of the people we are having to let go, are gainfully employed. Every member of the OYO team and I myself will proactively endorse the strength of each of these employees.

"It is unfortunate that we are having to part ways with a lot of these talented individuals who have made valuable contributions to the company."

"As OYO grows and a need for some of these roles emerges in the future, we commit to reaching out to them first and offering them the opportunity," Agarwal added.   -- PTI

A Delhi Court has sent Pinki Irani to judicial custody till December 21 in connection with a probe into a Rs 200 crore extortion case involving jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

According to the Delhi Police, Mumbai-based Pinky Irani is said to be a close aide of Chandrasekhar and introduced him to bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez.

Additional Sessions Judge Shailendra Malik while sending her to judicial custody noted the submissions of the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police which sought judicial custody.

It stated that the accused was arrested in the case on November 30 and custody was needed to prevent the accused from committing any further offence, besides conducting a proper investigation.

The EOW application also stated that to prevent the accused from tampering with evidence, or influencing witnesses the judicial custody remand of the accused was needed.

The court also noted that the accused has also moved an application stating that her statement has been wrongly recorded.

Pinki Irani revealed on Saturday when she was produced before a magistrate in the Patiala House Court that the statement 'was absolutely false but attributed to her'.

The accused has stated that she is retracting all her statements and that be kept on record, the court noted.

The Delhi Police had earlier stated that Pinky Irani used to portray Chandrasekhar as a business tycoon.

She was instrumental in facilitating certain Bollywood personalities getting in touch with the main accused, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, in the extortion case.

It was also alleged that Irani has been instrumental in disposing of the amount extorted from the complainant and other sources.

Last week, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police recorded the statement of actor Jacqueline Fernandez after she said she wanted to give some important information.

Pinki Irani was arrested earlier but she managed to get bail.At the time, while moving the bail plea, she had stated that the allegations of violation of provisions of PMLA against the applicant were misconceived.  -- ANI

The Indian Navy has given assurances to the government that it will become 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant) by 2047, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference ahead of Navy Day, he also said the Navy keeps a strong vigil over the movements of various Chinese military and research vessels in the Indian Ocean Region.

He said the Indian Navy achieved a very high operational tempo in the last one year and there has been greater emphasis on the criticality of maritime security as India marches ahead.

"The government has given us clear guidelines on Atmanirbhar Bharat. We have given assurances that the Indian Navy will become Aatmanirbhar by 2047," the Navy Chief said.

Admiral Hari Kumar also said that operationally, the Navy had a very intense and engaging time in the last one year. Commissioning of aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was a landmark event for India, he said.

The Navy Chief said his force aims to have Made-in-India security solutions for the country.

Around 3,000 Agniveers have arrived in the Navy out of which 341 are women.

For the first time, we are inducting women sailors, Admiral Kumar said. -- PTI

A University of Hyderabad (UoH) professor was taken into custody for allegedly trying to misbehave with a foreign student, police said on Saturday.

The 62-year-old man was booked for allegedly outraging the woman's modesty and the case was registered on a complaint by a university official.

The woman, a post graduate student from Thailand, is not able to communicate in English or Hindi and the services of a translator have been sought to record her statement, they said.

Police would proceed further based on her statement.

The accused professor allegedly attempted to kiss and hug her at his residence on Friday evening, they added.   -- PTI

At least two people were killed and several others injured in a blast near the venue of senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's scheduled rally in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place in Bhupatinagar area, only 1.5 km from Contai town where TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address a public meeting on Saturday, a police officer said.

"The blast was reported in a house around 11.15 pm on Friday and two bodies were recovered on Saturday morning. A few others are injured.

"The cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained and further investigation is underway but the impact was so powerful that the mud house with a thatched roof was blown off in the incident," the senior police officer of Contain sub-division said, adding a forensic team has reached the spot to collect samples.

Bharatiya Janata Party national vice president Dilip Ghosh held the TMC responsible for the incident and said that 'only bomb-making industry is flourishing in the state'.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned why was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee silent on such incidents and demanded a statement from her.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said it is very easy for the opposition to blame the ruling party in West Bengal without any evidence. -- PTI

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting felt "all shiny and new" as he was back at the commentary box in the Australia and West Indies opening Test in Perth on Saturday after overcoming a heart-related  scare.

   

The two-time World Cup winning captain felt "unwell with sharp pains and dizzinnes" during the lunch break on day three of the opening Test and had to be rushed to the hospital.

 

"I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a scary moment for myself, Ponting admitted on the Channel 7 broadcast ahead of day four on Saturday.

 

"I was sitting in the commentary box halfway through the stint (on day three) and got a couple of really short and sharp pains to my chest. I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it, and probably didn't want to give too much away when I was on air."

 

His former teammate and current commentary partner Justin Langer helped Ponting walk down the stairs to find Australian team doctor Leigh Golding, before he was rushed to the hospital.

 

"I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lightheaded and dizzy and grabbed the bench.

 

"I mentioned to JL (Langer) on the way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest and Chris Jones heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there. 10 or 15 minutes later, I was in the hospital getting the best treatment that I possibly could."

 

Ponting said he had a "relaxing" afternoon in hospital and a good sleep to recover, though the 47-year-old great said he was on high alert given the year in Australian cricket, with Shane Warne and Rod Marsh dying from shock heart attacks and Ryan Campbell also at one stage placed into an induced coma.

 

"I think the bottom line is, the fact that I was willing to share it with JL and the fact that your mate looks after you, I think as people of our age, we are a little reluctant to share much or talk about our health.

 

"I think that is a good learning curve for me yesterday, especially with what has happened in the last 12-18 months to really close people around us." -- PTI 

The Communist Party of India-Marxist has lodged a police complaint against Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal, alleging that the veteran actor made the remark to provoke riots and destroy the harmony between Bengali community and other communities.

The police registered the case against the actor on the basis of a complaint filed by CPI-M leader Md Salim.

Salim, in his complaint to Taratola Police Station, said he came across a video on various social media platforms featuring the actor giving a speech, which could promote feelings of hatred against Bengalis.

The CPI-M leader said that people from Bengal residing in other parts of the country could get affected as a result of Rawal's comments.

"Such speech on public domain has been made to provoke riots and destroy harmony between Bengali community and other communities across the country, and cause public mischief," Salim said.

The "Hera Pheri" actor recently came under fire for a statement he made during an election rally in Gujarat.During his speech addressing the crowd he said "Gas cylinders are expensive, but their price will come down. People will get employment too. But what will happen if Rohingya migrants and Bangladeshis start living around you, like in Delhi? What will you do with gas cylinders? Cook fish for the Bengalis?" he said.

The comments did not go down well with many. The actor was accused of hurting the sentiments of Bengali people with his words.

Amidst the backlash, the actor took to Twitter to clarify and apologize.

In response to a user asking him to "clarify", the actor wrote, "Of course the fish is not the issue. As Gujarati, do cook and eat fish. But let me clarify by Bengali I meant illegal Bangladeshi Rohingya. But still if I have hurt your feelings and sentiments, I do apologise."

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh on the 11th day of its passage through the state on Saturday. 

          

After a night halt, the foot march began from the bus stop in Mahudiya village in Agar Malwa around 6 am.

        

This is the 87th day of the yatra since it started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

        

Noted music composer of southern India T M Krishna will take part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday, party sources said.

        

The yatra will take a halt at Amla village in the district around 10 am. Following the afternoon break, it will resume at 3.30 pm from Jain Mandir, Susner town and reach Mangeshpur Chowraha in Agar Malwa. The yatra participants will make an overnight stay at Lala Khedi village, they said.

       

As per the schedule announced earlier by the Congress, the foot march will cover a distance of 380 kms in Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh within 12 days before entering Rajasthan on December 4.

        

The march led by Gandhi entered Madhya Pradesh on November 23 in Burhanpur district from neighbouring Maharashtra. It has so far passed through Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Indore and Ujjain districts in the state and is currently moving through Agar Malwa, where it reached on Friday. -- PTI

India saw a single-day rise of 253 coronavirus infections, while the active cases have declined to 4,597, the health ministry said on Saturday.

          

The toll climbed to 5,30,627 with three more fatalities -- two reconciled by Kerala and one death reported from Himachal Pradesh in a span of 24 hours, it stated.  

        

The active cases comprises 0.01 per cent of the total infections, which stands at 4.47 crore (4,46,73,166). The recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the ministry.

        

A decrease of 75 cases has been recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,37,942,  while the case fatality rate  was 1.19 per cent. 

        

According to the ministry, 219.93 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive. -- PTI 

The high-voltage campaigning for the second phase of elections in 93 out of the total 182 seats in Gujarat will end on Saturday evening with candidates and political parties making the last ditch efforts to woo voters.

          

The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat was held on December 1, while elections for the second phase will be conducted on December 5. An average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded in the first phase. 

        

In the second phase, voting will be held for the remaining 93 seats, for which 833 candidates of nearly 60 political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, opposition Congress and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, and independents are in the fray.

        

The 93 assembly segments that are part of the second phase of polling are spread across 14 districts of north and central Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Gandhinagar.

        

Some of the important constituencies that would go to the polls in the second phase include Ghatlodia seat of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Viramgam seat where Patidar leader Hardik Patel is fighting on BJP ticket and Gandhinagar South from where Alpesh Thakor is fighting as BJP candidate.

        

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a whirlwind campaign for some of the BJP candidates on December 1 and 2, including two back-to-back roadshows in Ahmedabad.

        

On Saturday, BJP will hold several roadshows and poll rallies of their star campaigners. -- PTI

Facing flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party over his "Ravan" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the ruling party of misusing his remarks for electoral gains in Gujarat, and said that politics is not about individuals but policies.

In his first reaction over the controversy, Kharge told PTI that he believes in "performance politics", but the BJP's style of politics often lacks the spirit of democracy as "they make it about one person only, who is everywhere".

On the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) prospects in the ongoing Gujarat elections, he alleged that it was working at somebody's behest "to divide the Congress's votes."

Asked whether personal attacks, such as his own "Ravan" jibe, have become a key feature of the campaign, Kharge said, "They are misusing it for electoral gains."

"For us, politics is not about individuals. It is about policies, it is about their (BJP's) performance, and it is about the type of politics they practice. They make it about only one person, who is everywhere," the veteran Congress leader said.

"The BJP's and PM's style of politics often lacks the spirit of democracy. I gave so many instances regarding his style of campaigning at all levels of elections, but they are misusing my remark for electoral gains," Kharge said.

"I don't comment on any individual or make personal remarks because I also have experience of parliamentary politics for 51 years. I criticised (the BJP government) on the issues of development, inflation, unemployment, poverty," he said.

Speaking at a rally in Ahmedabad earlier this week, Kharge had said PM Modi asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. "Are you 100-headed like Ravan?" he had said.

The BJP seized on the comment, calling it an insult to every Gujarati.

Speaking about the prime minister's whirlwind campaign in Gujarat, Kharge said it reflects badly on the BJP government's performance in the state.

The United States on Friday designated 12 countries, including China, Pakistan and Myanmar, as "countries of particular concern" for the current status of religious freedom in these nations.

 

Ahead of the announcement of such an annual designation by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there were massive lobbying efforts by groups like Indian American Muslim Council and pressures from organisations like US Commission for International Religious Freedom to designate India as a country of concerns.

 

"Today, I am announcing designations against Burma (Myanmar), the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, the DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom, Blinken said in a statement on Friday.

 

Simultaneously, Blinken also placed Algeria, the Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam on the Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.

 

The US also designated al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, the Taliban, and the Wagner Group based on its actions in the Central African Republic as "Entities of Particular Concern".

 

"Our announcement of these designations is in keeping with our values and interests to protect national security and to advance human rights around the globe. Countries that effectively safeguard this and other human rights are more peaceful, stable, prosperous and more reliable partners of the United States than those that do not," Blinken said.

 

Blinken said the US will continue to carefully monitor the status of freedom of religion or belief in every country around the world and advocate for those facing religious persecution or discrimination.

 

"We will also regularly engage countries about our concerns regarding limitations on freedom of religion or belief, regardless of whether those countries have been designated," he said. -- PTI

The Ministry of Railways on Friday said the recruitment for the Indian Railway Management Service will be done through a specially designed exam that will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from 2023 onwards.

 

The Indian Railway Management Service Examination (IRMSE) will be a two-tier test -- a preliminary screening examination followed by a main written examination and interview.

For screening candidates for the second stage of the examination i.e. IRMS (Main) written examination, all eligible candidates shall be required to appear in Civil Services (Preliminary) examination, the ministry said in a statement.

The IRMS (Main) exam will consist of four papers of conventional essay type questions in subject sets.

The first will have two qualifying papers of 300 marks each -- Paper A on one of the Indian languages selected by the candidate and Paper B on English.

There would be two papers on optional subjects for 250 marks each. A personality test of 100 marks will also be conducted.

The optional subjects are Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Commerce and Accountancy.

The syllabi for the aforesaid qualifying papers and optional subjects will be the same as those for the Civil Services Examination (CSE).

The common candidates for CSE and IRMS (Main) exams may opt for any of the aforesaid optional subjects for both these examinations or choose separate optional subjects.

The language medium and scripts for the qualifying papers and optional subjects will be the same as those for the CSE (Main).

The age limit and number of attempts for various categories will be the same as those for the CSE.

The minimum educational qualification for the IRMSE will be a degree in Engineering, Commerce or Chartered Accountancy.

The Union Public Service Commission will draw and declare a list of finally recommended candidates from the four disciplines in order of merit.

The preliminary and main written round of both CSE and IRMSE will be held simultaneously, the ministry said.

Senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the ODI series against Bangladesh, starting Sunday, due to a hand injury, a BCCI source said on Saturday.

 

It has been learnt that Shami had suffered the injury during a training session after he returned from Australia, where the Indian team made a semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup. 

 

Shami could also miss the upcoming two-Test series, beginning in Chittagong from December 14.

 

"Mohammed Shami has suffered a hand injury that he sustained after resuming training post T20 World Cup in Australia. He has been asked to report at the NCA and has not travelled with the team on December 1," a senior BCCI source privy to development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

        

The extent of Shami's injury is not known yet.

 

The 33-year-old Bengal speedster is an integral part of India's ODI scheme of things, going into the World Cup next year.

 

Skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid would be worried if Shami misses the Test series because India need to win every game to stay in contention for the upcoming World Test Championship final at the Oval in June.

        

"Shami's absence from three ODI games is definitely a factor but bigger worry is his likely absence from Tests where he is supposed to spearhead the attack in Jasprit Bumrah's absence," said the source.

 

Shami has taken 216 wickets in Test cricket from 60 matches. -- PTI 

Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Friday released the internal 'Twitter Files' that showed the company responded to a request "from the Biden team" during the 2020 election -- shortly after the company cracked down on Hunter Biden, son of United States President Joe Biden's laptop story.

Musk tweeted a link to the account of independent journalist and author Matt Taibbi, who began posting a series of tweets revealing the inner story about the decision behind the censorship of Hunter Biden's laptop story. 

"The Twitter Files, Part One: How and Why Twitter Blocked the Hunter Biden Laptop Story," Taibbi tweeted. 

"On October 14, 2020, the New York Post published BIDEN SECRET EMAILS, an expose based on the contents of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop," he continued. 

According to Taibbi, the social media company "took extraordinary steps to suppress" The New York Post's Hunter Biden laptop story, removing links and posting warnings that it may be "unsafe." 

"They even blocked its transmission via direct message, a tool hitherto reserved for extreme cases, e.g. child pornography," he said in a tweet. 

The author further said, "Although several sources recalled hearing about a "general" warning from federal law enforcement that summer about possible foreign hacks, there's no evidence -- that I've seen -- of any government involvement in the laptop story. In fact, that might have been the problem..."

"The decision was made at the highest levels of the company, but without the knowledge of CEO Jack Dorsey, with former head of legal, policy and trust Vijaya Gadde playing a key role," he added. 

One of the employees of Twitter called the decision to censor the story "They just freelanced it", Taibbi further quoted the employee as saying that the hacking was the excuse, but within a few hours, pretty much everyone realized that wasn't going to hold. But no one had the guts to reverse it.

Sharing the picture on twitter, Taibbi writes in Caption, "You can see the confusion in the following lengthy exchange, which ends up including Gadde and former Trust and safety chief Yoel Roth. Comms official Trenton Kennedy writes, "I'm struggling to understand the policy basis for marking this as unsafe".

Taibbi also shared a picture on Twitter which termed the NYPost's Hunter Biden Laptop Article as "PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL" and reads, "our teams continue to investigate the origins of the material included in the reporting."

"India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go," Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has said, as he received the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Indian envoy to the US. 

Indian-American Pichai was awarded the Padma Bhushan for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category. The Madurai-born Pichai was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year. 

He received India's third-highest civilian award in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco on Friday.

"I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me," 50-year-old Pichai said while accepting the award from India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. 

"India is a part of me. I carry it with me wherever I go. (Unlike this beautiful award which I will keep somewhere safe)," he said.

"I was fortunate to grow up in a family that cherished learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had opportunities to explore my interests," Pichai said.

India's Consul General in San Francisco, T V Nagendra Prasad, was also present during the event.

Sandhu said that Pichai represented the limitless possibilities of technology for transformation. 

"He has been making commendable efforts towards making digital tools, and skills accessible to across various segments of the society in different parts of the globe," he said.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of technology that combines 3Ss - speed, simplicity and service, Sandhu hoped that Google would make full use of the digital revolution happening in India.

Pichai said that it had been amazing to return to India many times over the years to see the rapid pace of technological change. 

The innovations created in India are benefitting people around the world - from digital payments to voice technology, he said.

"I look forward to continuing the great partnership between Google and India, as we work together to bring the benefits of technology to more people," he said. -- PTI

The ransomware attack on the servers of All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi is a conspiracy and planned by forces that are significant, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday.

   

The servers of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, have been out of order for the 10th consecutive day due to the ransomware attack.

 

"It is clearly a conspiracy and it has been planned by forces that are pretty significant. It is a sophisticated ransomware attack. We will wait for the outcome of CERTin and NIA (National Investigation Agency) before we come to conclusion on who is behind the ransomware attack," Chandrasekhar said.

 

In a ransomware attack, cybercriminals lock access to data or a device and promise to unlock it after they are paid the desired ransom.

 

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Delhi cybercrime special cell, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Forensic Sciences University, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre, and National Investigation Agency, etc. are investigating the cyber attack.

 

"This will not be the first ransomware attempt. It will not be the last. It is for these entities like they say in the context of terrorism, you have to be right all the time and they can be successful only one time, so we have to be on guard. We have to make sure that our systems and processes are safe and secure. Especially in the era of intensifying digitisation of our economy and of our businesses and activities," Chandrasekhar said.

 

Meanwhile, internet services at the AIIMS continued to be blocked as per the recommendations of the investigating agencies.

 

Patient care services including outpatient, laboratory, inpatient and emergency, etc. are operating in manual mode.

 

On Tuesday, AIIMS authorities informed that the eHospital data has been restored on the servers. They said that the network is being sanitised before the services can be restored.

 

The process is taking some time due to the volume of data and a large number of servers/computers for the hospital services. Measures are being taken for cyber security, the AIIMS said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

 

According to cyber security intelligence firm CloudSEK, the number of cyber attacks on the Indian healthcare industry was the second-highest globally, with 7.7 per cent of total incidence on the segment being witnessed in the country in 2021. -- PTI