LIVE! Modi expresses anguish over Seoul stampede

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Sun, 30 October 2022

Modi expresses anguish over Seoul stampede

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21:49 Modi expresses anguish over Seoul stampede

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wrote to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and expressed deep anguish at the tragic loss of lives at the deadliest stampede in the country's history which killed at least 153 people, including over 20 foreigners.

The stampede happened on Saturday night in a narrow downhill alley near Hamilton Hotel in the famous nightlife district in Seoul after tens of thousands of people visited the area for Halloween celebrations.

'PM @narendramodi in his letter to ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol @President_KR has expressed deep anguish at the tragic loss of lives at yesterday's stampede incident in Seoul. He also conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the friends and families who lost their loved ones,' the Indian Embassy in South Korea tweeted on Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in the stampede, and said India stands in solidarity with that country during this difficult time.

'Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones,' Jaishankar said in a tweet.

'We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time,' he said.

At least 153 people have been killed and 133 others injured in a deadly stampede in Seoul's Itaewon district as huge crowds of partygoers, many in their 20s, converged in the entertainment district for late-night Halloween celebrations.

The death toll could rise further, as 37 people sustained serious injuries, Yonhap news agency quoted officials as saying.

The stampede marked the worst tragedy in South Korea since the 2014 sinking of a ferry that killed 304 people, mostly high school students.

The number of foreigners killed in the stampede was 20, Yonhap reported, quoting the official tally from fire authorities.

They are four each from China and Iran; three from Russia; and one each from the United States, France, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Norway, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Austria, officials said.

According to a separate tally released by the South Korean foreign ministry, however, the number of foreigners killed by the stampede had stood at 26 as of 9 pm, with victims having come from 14 countries.

Fifteen other injured foreigners received treatment at nearby hospitals and six were still under treatment, while others were sent home, the report said. -- PTI

20:45 32 dead as cable bridge collapses in Morbi

UPDATE: At least 32 dead in Morbi suspension bridge collapse so far, says a local civil hospital official.

UPDATE: A nearly century-old suspension bridge on Machchhu river in Gujarat's Morbi city collapsed on Sunday evening due to which several people standing on it fell into the river, officials said.

The bridge, which was recently reopened for public after renovation, collapsed as it could not bear the weight of the people standing on it, they said.

"Due to the bridge collapse, several people fell into the river. A rescue operation is underway. There are reports that several people have suffered injuries. They are being rushed to hospitals," local MLA and state minister Brijesh Merja said.

According to eyewitnesses, there were several women and children on the hanging bridge when it snapped.

Further details are awaited. -- PTI

A cable bridge collapsed in the Machchhu river, Morbi in Gujarat on Sunday.

Several people fear injured.

Further details awaited. -- ANI

19:33 MHA urges action against Chinese lending apps

The Union home ministry has sought urgent strict action by law enforcement agencies against predatory lending apps as harassment, blackmail and harsh recovery practices by such Chinese-controlled entities have led to multiple incidents of suicides.

In a communication to all states and Union territories, the home ministry said the issue has caused a serious impact on national security, economy and citizen safety.

It said a large number of complaints have been reported across India related to illegal digital lending apps that provide short-term loans or micro-credits at exorbitant interest rates with processing or hidden charges, especially to vulnerable and low-income group people.

The lenders use the borrowers' confidential personal data like contacts, location, photos and videos for blackmail and harassment.

Harsh recovery practices followed by these illegal lending apps have claimed many lives across India.

'This issue has caused a serious impact on national security, economy and citizen safety,' the communication said.

The home ministry said these illegal lending apps that may not be Regulated Entities (RE) by the Reserve Bank of India are using bulk SMS, digital advertisement, chat messengers and mobile app stores on a massive scale.

The borrower has to provide mandatory access to contacts, location, and phone storage in order to avail loans.

'This data is misused to harass and blackmail the citizens using morphed images and other abusive practices by recovery agents located in India as well as overseas violating RBI's Fair Practices Code,' the states and UTs were told.

The home ministry said after investigation it has been found that this is an organised cybercrime executed using disposable emails, virtual numbers, mule accounts, shell companies, payment aggregators, API services (account validation, document verification), cloud hosting, cryptocurrency, etc.

Hence, it is advised to involve domain experts during an investigation.

The home ministry said law enforcement agencies can avail the services of the National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory (NCFL), one of the verticals of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (14C), CIS Division for technical assistance on loan app analysis, malware analysis and crypto transaction tracing.

All states and UTs are requested to take strict legal action in this regard.

Further, all states and UTs are also requested to spread mass awareness in all districts against the risks of using such apps, it said.

A large number of Chinese-controlled loan apps have been found to be indulging in predatory lending in the recent past.

In addition to indulging in unethical operations, these apps utilise loopholes in the regulations and often operate in violation of existing rules and regulations.

Such apps came up during the COVID-19 pandemic as many people across India faced financial hardship and needed funds and these apps lent money for periods ranging from a week to 30 days.

These lending apps would charge high-interest rates and processing fees.

Moreover, these apps are often found to be harassing users over the repayment of their dues, leading to reported incidents of dozens of suicides.

The Enforcement Directorate has recently frozen Rs 9.82 crore of Chinese-controlled loan apps parked in merchant IDs with payment gateway companies.

The lending apps are part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against a 'Chinese-controlled' investment token app, officials said. -- PTI

18:26 Vadra likens brother-in-law Rahul to Saibaba

The country will witness a change due to Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as thousands of people are getting connected to it and are seeing him as the hope for the future, the Congress leader's brother-in-law and businessman Robert Vadra said in Shirdi on Sunday.

Vadra, who was in Shirdi town of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district to offer prayers at the famous Saibaba temple, also said that Rahul Gandhi's thinking is similar to that of the spiritual leader's (Saibaba) who preached unity, though he did not elaborate.

On the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', he said, "Rahul Gandhi is visiting a number of places and meeting thousands of people. These people are joining him in large numbers. Change will come in the future as Rahul Gandhi is the new hope for people."

"The government (led by Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre) will talk about our failures. They will make fun of the party (Congress), but Rahul, Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra) will not stop. We are among the people together and will work unitedly for them," he added.

The Gandhi family was receiving immense love from people, he said, adding that the newly-elected Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) will strive to help the masses.

Sounding a warning to those thinking of quitting the grand old party, he said, "Those who want to leave can leave, but those who will stay will understand the sacrifice made by Sonia Gandhi and efforts of Rahul and Priyanka."

Expressing happiness at being able to pray at the temple here, Vadra said that Saibaba has given the message of unity.

"Currently our country is facing a lot of distress. Rahul Gandhi's thinking is similar to that of Saibaba's. Hope he gets (the saint's) blessings." -- PTI

The share of stubble burning in Delhi PM2.5 pollution rose to 26 per cent on Sunday, the highest this year so far, amid an increase in farm fires and favourable conditions for transport of emissions to Delhi-NCR.

On Saturday, farm fires accounted for 21 per cent of the PM2.5 pollution in the national capital.

PM2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi's PM2.5 pollution remained low (up to 7 per cent) till Friday due to a prolonged rain spell in early October and slow transport-level winds which were not strong enough to carry smoke from farm fires to the national capital.

On Diwali (October 24), stubble burning contributed five to eight per cent to the total PM2.5 pollution in Delhi.

The share of farm fires in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution was 25 per cent on Diwali in 2021, 32 per cent in 2020 and 19 per cent in 2019.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) reported 1,761 farm fires in Punjab on Sunday, 1,898 on Saturday, 2,067 -- the highest so far this season -- on Friday and 1,111 on Thursday.

It logged 112 and 43 cases of stubble burning in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, on Sunday.

The Commission for Air Quality Management had on Thursday said the increased incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year 'is a matter of serious concern'.

According to satellite remote sensing data, up to October 24, only about 39 per cent of the sown area in Punjab had been harvested and thus the rising number of fire events was an alarming situation, it said.

Along with unfavourable meteorological conditions, paddy straw burning in adjoining states is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and vegetables.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Punjab reported 71,304 farm fires between September 15 and November 30 last year and 83,002 farm fires in the corresponding period in 2020.

Last year, the share of farm fires in Delhi's PM 2.5 pollution peaked to 48 per cent on November 7. -- PTI

17:10 SC to hear 232 pleas on CAA issue tomorrow

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear around 240 PILs, including a large batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), on Monday when it would reopen after a nine-day Diwali vacation.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi has listed for hearing as many as 232 petitions, mostly PILs, on October 31 on the issue of CAA alone.

Earlier, the bench headed by CJI Lalit, who is scheduled to demit office on November 8, had said that the pleas challenging the CAA will be referred to a three-judge bench.

The 2019 amended law, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, and Parsi communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have come to the country till 2014, has come in for stinging criticism by opposition parties, leaders and other entities over the exclusion of Muslims.

The lead plea on the issue was filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). In January 2020, the apex court made it clear it will not stay the operation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre.

Seeking a response from the central government in four weeks to a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court had also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue.

The IUML has claimed the Act violates the fundamental Right to Equality and intends to grant citizenship to a section of illegal immigrants by making an exclusion based on religion.

Several other petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the amended law, including by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All Assam Students Union (AASU), Peace Party, CPI, NGO 'Rihai Manch', advocate M L Sharma, and law students have also approached the apex court challenging the Act.

Besides the pleas on CAA, the apex court, according to the list of businesses uploaded on its website, is also scheduled to hear a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.

It seeks directions to the Centre and the states to publish draft legislations prominently on government websites and in the public domain at least 60 days before they are introduced in Parliament and state assemblies.

The CJI-led bench would also hear another PIL seeking to establish special anti-corruption courts in every district to decide cases related to various economic offences like money laundering and tax evasion within one year.

The top court would also consider a PIL for a direction to the Centre to declare the Law Commission as a 'statutory body' and appoint the chairperson and members to the panel.

A PIL seeking a direction to the Election Commission to remove party symbols from ballots and electronic voting machines (EVMs) and instead put age, educational qualification and photograph of candidates are listed for hearing on October 31. -- PTI

ANI Photo

16:12 Seoul Halloween deaths: Flag at Korean Embassy in Delhi flies at half-mast

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Delhi has put its national flag at half-mast over the horrific incident in Seoul's Itaewon on Saturday night during Halloween celebrations.

Atleast 151 people were killed when a large crowd pushed forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities.

The dead included 19 foreigners.

The nationalities of the foreigners who were killed in South Korea include those from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway, as per South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The death toll may rise further as the condition of 19 out of the total injured is critical.

The Embassy of Korea put its national flag fly half-mast after the President of South Korea declares national mourning.

"Flying the national flag at half-mast after our president declared national mourning on unfortunate stampede," a senior official of the Korean embassy told ANI.

"We are checking if any family member or relative of any Korean residing in India is affected in the stampede," an Embassy official told ANI.

The officials at the embassy are in deep sorrow and stressed most of the thousands of people gathered to celebrate Halloween in Seoul are young people in their 20s.

Moreover, all officials of the Embassy in Delhi were told to wear a black ribbon.

"All officials instructed to wear black ribbon and officials and events under national condolence emergency," as per an official at the Korean embassy in Delhi.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also expresses condolences over the Seoul tragedy.

'Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones. We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time,' he tweeted.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed an investigation. -- ANI

16:04 PhD student held for posts on Shinde, Fadnavis

The Maharashtra cyber wing has arrested a 29-year-old PhD student of a university in Ahmednagar for allegedly posting objectionable comments against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Twitter, an official said on Sunday.

The cyber cell had received a complaint on October 14 about an unidentified person using a particular Twitter handle to post the objectionable comments, he said.

The accused was also using the handle on the micro-blogging site to abuse women and female journalists, he said.

To avoid legal action, the accused was using Wi-Fi-VPN (virtual private network) and trying to create an impression that he was posting the content from Mumbai, the official said.

The cyber wing conducted a technical analysis of the tweets and found the accused was posting them from the Mahatma Phule Agricultural University at Rahuri in the state's Ahmednagar district, he said.

Accordingly, a cyber team went to Ahmednagar on Friday and conducted raids on some suspects on Saturday, the official said.

The cyber team detained two suspects and brought them to Mumbai for further investigation into the matter.

The probe team later arrested the main accused in the case from the university, he said, adding that two mobile phones and a laptop were also seized.

The police also are conducting a probe into the possibility of some of the content posted by the accused being created by other persons abetting the crime, the official said.

The police have sent the seized gadgets to cyber forensic experts to investigate whether more persons were involved in creating the content of the tweets, he said.

After the arrest, the accused was on Saturday produced before a local court which remanded him in police custody till November 2, the official said. -- PTI

The Congress will provide fixed jobs for contractual workers, bring back the old pension scheme (OPS) and ensure timely promotions if it comes to power in Gujarat, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday.

In a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi said it is the Congress' firm promise 'fixed jobs for contractual workers, bringing back the old pension scheme and timely promotions'.

'Implemented it in Rajasthan, now employees will get their due as soon as Congress government is formed in Gujarat,' Gandhi said using the hashtag 'Congress degi pakki naukri'.

The assembly elections in the state are expected to be announced soon. -- PTI

A bust of Mahatma Gandhi installed in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district was damaged allegedly by unidentified persons, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday in Rangaon village following which a first information report (FIR) was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against the unidentified culprits, Jawar police station in-charge Shivram Jat said. The case was registered following a complaint filed by Jawar village panchayat secretary Devraj Singh, he said.

Local Congress functionary Kundan Malviya said the incident has angered the villagers, and demanded strict action against those involved in it.

Another villager Rampal Singh also sought swift police action against the culprits. -- PTI

14:02 Jain flouts jail norms while meeting wife: ED

Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain has been getting special treatment inside the Tihar Jail, sources said quoting an affidavit filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the trial court as he meets with his wife regularly.

Satyendar Jain's wife, Poonam Jain, has been given access to his cell and she meets the Delhi minister beyond the limits permissible, ED alleged in its affidavit presented to the Trial Court, the sources told ANI.

According to sources, the ED has submitted an affidavit to the trial court stating that Satyendar Jain is getting special treatment inside Tihar jail.

The ED report also stated that Poonam Jain has been given access to the minister's cell where she stays with him for hours beyond the permissible limits.

It is pertinent to note that Satyendar Jain is the Jail Minister as well, and the jail where he has been lodged comes directly under his prerogative.

Meanwhile, the ED has also submitted a copy of CCTV footage to support its point in the affidavit.

The ED sources have revealed that the video footage showed Satyendar Jain getting a massage inside the Tihar jail premises.

CCTV footage also showed the jail superintendent meeting him regularly.

ED further disclosed before the court that Satyendar Jain has access to homemade food without the court's permission.

Jail's CCTV footage also showed Jain meeting with a co-accused for hours together inside his cell.

This case was based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint registered on the allegation that Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for.

The ED had attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to M/s Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd, M/s Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, M/s Paryas Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, M/s Manglayatan Projects Pvt Ltd, M/s JJ Ideal Estate Pvt Ltd, and other persons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The enforcement agency had alleged that these companies which were 'beneficially owned and controlled' by Jain had received accommodation entries amounting to Rs 4.81 crore from the shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through a hawala route.

However, the claim has been denied by Jain, who argued that he was nowhere related to the dealings of the companies, as he was only a 'minority shareholder'. -- ANI

A thief returned silver and brass items stolen from a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district along with an apology letter saying his act caused him sufferings, police said on Sunday.

The unidentified thief had stolen 10 decorative pieces of silver, including 'chhatras' (an umbrella shaped decoration piece), and three brass items from the Shantinath Digambar Jain Temple under Lamta police station limits on October 24, Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Dabar said.

Since then, the police were searching for the culprit, he said.

On Friday, members of a Jain family spotted a bag lying in a pit near the panchayat office in Lamta following which they alerted police and the community members, the official said.

The stolen goods were recovered from the bag along with an apology letter from the thief, he said.

The letter, a photo of which surfaced on social media platforms, stated, I am seeking an apology for my act. I made a mistake, forgive me. I have suffered a lot after the theft.

Dabar said the police have seized the stolen items and efforts are on to arrest the thief. -- PTI

13:11 Telangana withdraws general consent to CBI

The Telangana government has withdrawn general consent earlier given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the state.

This was informed by the Additional Advocate General (AAG) to the Telangana high court during arguments on a petition filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party seeking a CBI probe into the Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLAs poaching case.

Three persons, who allegedly tried to 'poach' four TRS legislators, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Saturday.

The government's Home (Special) Department had issued an order-G.O.Ms.No.51 on August 30 withdrawing all previous general consents issued by it under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, the AAG informed the court.

'On the other hand, the learned Additional Advocate General submitted that the petitioner does not have locus standi to file this writ petition. G.O.Ms.No.51, Home (Special) Department, dated 30.08.2022 was issued by the Government of Telangana withdrawing all previous general consents issued by the State Government under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (for short 'the Act'),' the high court said in its order.

The development comes after the BJP and TRS have indulged in a war of words over several issues in recent past that has led to acrimony between the two parties. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a manufacturing facility for C-295 transport aircraft in Vadodara in Gujarat on Sunday.

He will also address a gathering at Leprosy Ground in Vadodara, as per a Gujarat government release.

Modi will be on a three-day Gujarat visit from Sunday and launch a host of projects in different parts of the state where the assembly elections are expected to be announced soon.

A consortium of European defence major Airbus and the Tata group will manufacture C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Vadodara, the defence ministry said on Thursday, announcing the Rs 22,000 crore project where a military plane will be produced in India for the first time by a private company.

The facility will cater to export of the aircraft as well as for additional orders by the IAF.

The aircraft can be used for civilian purposes as well, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar had said.

In September last year, India had sealed the deal with Airbus Defence and Space for the 56 C-295 aircraft to replace the ageing Avro-748 planes of the IAF.

Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain within four years and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

It is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company, Kumar had said, adding its total cost is Rs 21,935 crore. -- PTI

Delhi recorded its air quality in the 'very poor' category on Sunday morning and forecasters said slow wind speed and an increase in stubble burning, especially in Punjab, may push it to the 'severe' zone.

With pollution levels worsening, the Centre's air quality panel on Saturday directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects, and other curbs under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan.

Delhi's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 367 at 9 am.

The 24-hour average AQI on Saturday was 397, the worst since January. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali).

Anand Vihar (AQI 468) was the most polluted place in the capital.

Wazirpur (412), Vivek Vihar (423) and Jahangirpuri (407) were among the monitoring stations that recorded 'severe' air quality.

V K Soni, head of the India Meteorological Department's Environment Monitoring and Research Centre, said a layer of smog lingered over the Delhi-NCR on Saturday amid adverse meteorological conditions and it is likely to persist for two more days. Some respite is likely from Tuesday.

SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, said that the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution rose to 21 per cent on Saturday, the highest this year so far.

It may increase up to 40 per cent on Sunday and push the air quality into the severe zone, Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR said.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will chair a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss measures to be implemented under stage III of GRAP.

GRAP is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

It classifies the air quality in the Delhi-NCR under four different stages: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI >450).

Under stage III, the authorities have been asked to enforce a strict ban on construction and demolition activities in the NCR, except for essential projects and non-polluting activities such as plumbing, carpentry, interior decoration and electrical works.

The construction ban will not be applicable on projects concerning national security, defence, railways and metro rail among others. However, it is likely to affect housing projects in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and other areas. Mining activities will not be allowed in the region.

The next stage in the 'Severe Plus' category or Stage IV can include steps like a ban on the entry of trucks into Delhi, allowing 50 per cent of staff to work from home in public, municipal and private offices,closure of educational institutions and the plying of vehicles on an odd-even basis, etc. -- PTI

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11:17 3 sent to jail for 'trying to poach' TRS MLAs

Three persons who allegedly tried to 'poach' four Telangana Rashtra Samiti legislators have been arrested and a local court in Hyderabad has remanded them to judicial custody.

The arrests were made on Saturday night after the Telangana high court had set aside a lower court's order and directed the accused in the case to surrender before police.

Earlier, a local court here on October 27 rejected the remand of three people, who were arrested by the Cyberabad police on the charge of trying to coax four TRS legislators into defecting, over not following the procedure of issuing a notice before the arrest.

The government appealed to the high court against the lower court's order.

Following TRS' allegations that the Baharatiya Janata Party tried to poach some of its MLAs, the saffron party filed a writ petition in the high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Another judge of the high court, on the petition by the BJP, posted the matter for November 4 and deferred investigation till then. -- PTI

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11:07 Delhi's morning air quality remains 'very poor'

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday morning with an overall air quality index at 350.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, the AQI in the overall Delhi region was in the 'very poor' category at 350.

In the Delhi University area and Pusa the AQI remained in 'very poor' category at 372 and 343 respectively.

In Lodhi Road area, the AQI was in the 'very poor' category at 326.

Further, near IIT Delhi, the AQI was in 'very poor' category at 303.

At Mathura Road, the AQI was in the 'very poor' category at 364.

Around Delhi airport, the AQI remained in the 'very poor' category at 349.

Morning walkers, cyclists, and joggers working out near India Gate amid dipping air quality in New Delhi were seen affected due to the dip in the air quality.

Earlier on Saturday evening, several parts of the national capital fell into the 'severe' category of AQI. -- ANI

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10:55 4 killed, 6 injured in landslides in J-K's Kishtwar

Four people, including a policeman, were killed and six injured after landslides struck near the under-construction Ratle power project in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Saturday, officials said.

An operation to find and rescue survivors trapped under the debris has concluded, they said.

Labourers were working on the construction of a link road near the Ratle power project site and an earth-moving machine was digging when a big boulder rolled down, trapping the workers, Kishtwar deputy commissioner Devansh Yadav said.

As an operation team comprising six people rushed to the spot to rescue those trapped under the debris, another landslide hit the area, burying more people, the officials said.

Yadav said a rescue operation was launched immediately and six people, including an assistant sub-inspector of police, were pulled out from the debris and taken to the hospital.

Four people, including a policeman and the JCB operator, were killed in the incident.

The JCB operator was identified as Manoj Kumar, he said.

Earlier, Yadav had said five people were trapped under the debris.

Of the six injured, the officials said, three were rushed to the Government Medical College in Doda, two to the Thathri hospital and one was sent to Jammu. -- PTI

An assistant sub-inspector of Gurugram traffic police was critically injured after he was dragged for nearly 50 metres and run over by an SUV whose driver he signalled to stop during checking of vehicles, officials said on Saturday.

The ASI is in critical condition and also suffered a broken leg in the incident which took place at Ambedkar Chowk, Sector 52 on Friday afternoon, they said.

ASI Harpreet (35) was checking vehicles along with a home guard and a constable on Friday.

Around 4:30 pm, he noticed an SUV with tinted windows and signalled its driver to pull over, the police said.

Instead, the SUV driver sped away and dragged Harpreet for around 50 metres.

After he fell down, the accused ran over him and fled the spot.

The ASI was rushed to a hospital, they said.

On a complaint by Constable Sombeer, an FIR has been registered against the unidentified accused at Sector 53 police station and efforts are on to trace him, they added. -- PTI

The Tamil Nadu police handed over the Coimbatore cylinder car blast case documents to the National Investigation Agency on Saturday evening, say the police officials.

The Centre had on Thursday handed over to the NIA the probe into the recent blast near a temple in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore city.

An engineer was killed in the incident.-- ANI

10:10 Rahul Gandhi is a Shiv bhakt: Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a 'Shiv bhakt'.

Gehlot was in the Nathdwara town of Rajasthan's Rajsamand district for the unveiling of a 369-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva, which is claimed to be the world's tallest.

The 'viswas swaroopam' statue was inaugurated by him along with preacher Morari Bapu and Rajasthan assembly Speaker CP Joshi.

"After 10 years, the magnificent statue got ready. I understand that Shiv Bhakts across the country will be very happy today," Gehlot told reporters.

"Do you know that our Rahul Gandhi Ji is also a Shiv bhakt. You can understand who can be the person who reveres Lord Shiva. I am happy that the statue got ready," he said.

The statue, nearly 45 km from Udaipur city, has been constructed by Tat Padam Sansthan.

A series of religious, spiritual and cultural events will be held for nine days from October 29 to November 6 after the inauguration of the statue. Murari Bapu will also recite Ram Katha. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the nation on the occasion of Chhath Puja.

In a tweet, he noted that the festival is dedicated to worshipping the sun and nature, as he extended this greetings on this auspicious occasion.

Crores of devotees will worship the setting sun this evening, and the rising sun on Monday morning.

This festival is celebrated with particular fervour in Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh. -- PTI

The Mumbai police on Saturday recorded the statement of Bollywood actor and model Sherlyn Chopra in connection with a complaint she filed against director Sajid Khan, a police official said.

Chopra had a filed a complaint with Juhu police station on October 19 alleging "sexual and emotional harassment" at the hands of Khan some years ago.

She reached Juhu police station with her legal team during the day, the official added.

"Her three-page statement was recorded in which she demanded that an FIR be registered against Sajid Khan under relevant Indian Penal Code sections, including molestation, attempt to rape, outraging modesty of women, etc. Police have assured they would summon Sajid Khan to record his statement," Chopra's lawyer Sohail Sharif said. -- PTI

The Election Commission is likely to announce schedule for the Gujarat assembly polls this week.

Citing convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat poll schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh election dates earlier this month.

While election in HP will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting will take place on December 8.

By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after polling, the Commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8.

In 2017, the polls in the two state were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18.

Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after Himachal poll schedule was announced. -- PTI

08:51 Today's match at T20 World Cup

It's a triple header on Sunday where the big one will be a battle of Indian batters against South African bowlers when they face-off in Perth.

Pakistan have their work cut out and can't afford to take minnows The Netherlands lightly if they have to have any realistic chance of claiming a semis spot.

While Bangladesh take on Zimbabwe in a battle of minnows that is guaranteed to be a competitive tie.

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, 08. 30 am IST

Pakistan vs The Netherlands, 12.30 pm IST

India vs South Africa, 04.30 pm IST

Representational image

08:37 Four killed, 18 injured as petrol tanker catches fire in Mizoram

At least 4 people were killed and 18 others injured when a petrol tanker caught fire and exploded in Mizoram's Aizawl district on Saturday evening, the police said.

The incident occurred at Tuirial village, about 18 km east of the state capital, at around 6 pm when the tanker was going to Champhai.

The tanker caught fire when locals tried to collect petrol oozing out of the tanker due to some reason.

Four people were charred to death, while 18 others were hospitalised with burns.

The condition of five of them was critical, the police said. -- PTI

Russia on Saturday suspended its participation in an UN-brokered grain deal with Ukraine which was regarded as the key to addressing global food shortage, CNN reported citing the statement of the Russian defence ministry.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, Russia suspended the deal for an indefinite period of time after a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea Saturday.

"After the attempt of a Ukrainian drone attack against Russian military ships ensuring safe functioning of #graindeal which according to Russian MoD's data was carried out with UK support Russia suspends participation in the deal," Dmitry Polyanskiy, deputy Russian envoy to the UN, said in a tweet.

"UN SG @antonioguterres will be shortly officially notified," he added.

The grain deal signed between Russia and Ukraine with the UnitedNations and Turkey paved the way for the export of 22 million Ukrainian grains which remained stuck in three Black Sea Ports, becoming a "beacon of hope" for millions of starving people across the globe.

Millions of people in the world's poorer nations that face an imminent danger of starvation breathed a sigh of relief on hearing the news that these desperately needed quantities of grain will reach the market and grain prices may become affordable once again. -- ANI

The Odisha police on Saturday arrested a government engineer after cryptocurrency valued at over Rs 1.75 crore was found in his possession, officials said.

The arrested additional chief engineer (planning, monitoring, design & investigation) under rural water supply and sanitation was to retire on Monday.

He was arrested on the charge of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

A vigilance court remanded him to jail custody for 14 days.

The cryptos were found in a raid on the additional chief engineer by the vigilance department in a corruption case, they said.

The raid which began on Friday continued on Saturday.

As soon as the officer and his family found the investigators at their doorstep, they tried to destroy evidence of the cryptocurrency they possessed, said an official statement. -- PTI

Rescue team members move a body at the scene in Seoul, South Korea, October 30, 2022./ Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

08:07 151 people killed in Seoul Halloween stampede

The death toll in the horrific Seoul Halloween stampede rose to 151, with 19 of them identified as foreigners, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported citing fire authorities.

During a briefing, Choi Seong-beom, the head of the fire department in Yongsan, said the death toll from Saturday's accident rose to 151, which included 19 foreigners.

Their nationalities include those from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway, Choi added.

The agency also reported that the victims in their 20s accounted for the age group most affected by the horrific Seoul Halloween stampede.

Moreover, the agency, citing the Seoul metropolitan government, said Sunday it has received about 270 reports of missing persons related to the deadly stampede during Halloween parties in the Itaewon district.

At least 151 people were killed and 76 others were injured after a deadly stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon district on Saturday at 10:20 pm (13:20 GMT), Al Jazeera reported citing the officials.

The incident reportedly occurred after a large group of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there, Al Jazeera reported citing the local media.

Social media footage showed several people being assisted by rescue officials and private citizens at the scene, and numerous ones performing CPR on people lying in poor condition on the streets.

The packed Halloween festivities in South Korea's capital of Seoul took place after covid restrictions were removed, the local officials said.

The festivities marked the participation of more than a lakh visitors and the number of casualties is only expected to rise.

Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people with breathing difficulty, "South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

A large crowd pushed forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities, resulting in dozens needing first aid.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered the dispatch of the emergency medical team to the area and said hospital beds should be prepared to minimise casualties, his office said. -- ANI

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