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Fri, 09 September 2022
Siddique Kappan to be released next week: UP official
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23:42 Siddique Kappan to be released next week: UP official
Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan will be released from the Lucknow jail next week, an official said on Friday, hours after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
"Siddique Kappan is lodged in the Lucknow jail for the past a few months. He will be released from the jail once his bail order is submitted here and a release order is issued as per the Supreme Court's order," said Santosh Kumar Verma, a Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the office of the DGP (Prison).
Kappan was arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras where a Dalit woman had died after being allegedly raped.
He was arrested by the Mathura police for having links with the Popular Front of India and being a part of "conspiracy" to instigate violence. Later, he was shifted to the Lucknow jail.
Observing that every person has a right to free expression, the Supreme Court on Friday granted him bail.
"Till now you have not shown anything provocative," a bench headed by Chief Justice UU Lalit and also comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and P S Narasimha told the UP government.
The court also took note of the submissions of the UP government and laid down several conditions for bail, including that he will have to remain in Delhi for the next six weeks after release and report to the Nizamuddin police station in Delhi on Monday every week. -- PTI
22:55 King Charles III vows 'lifelong service' in 1st address
King Charles III delivered his first address as monarch on Friday, in remembrance of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, saying her death has brought him "profound sorrow" and "great sadness."
"Throughout her life, her majesty, the queen, my beloved mother, was an inspiration. An example to me and to all my family. And we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example," King Charles said.
The king said the queen's affection, admiration and respect were a hallmark of her reign.
"I pay tribute to my mother's memory and I honor her service," he later added.
"That promise of lifelong service I renew to all today," he said.
He delivered the address with a framed photo on the queen on a desk.
22:33 King Charles III reaches Buckingham Palace, meets PM
Britain's King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, greeted large crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London on Friday, before holding his first meeting with Prime Minister Liz Truss.
The 73-year-old monarch, who ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday returned from Balmoral Castle in Scotland and was met with emotional crowds, who expressed their condolences.
Amid applause and cheers, and even a hug and kiss from a member of the public, the royal couple made their way into their new home at Buckingham Palace.
Charles will be formally proclaimed as King at the Accession Council on Saturday morning in the State Apartments of St. James's Palace, Buckingham Palace said.
It will mark the first time in history that the ceremony will be televised.
However, he has begun his royal duties already and would have discussed the plans for the Queen's funeral with newly-appointed Prime Minister Truss during their first audience.
It came just before his first televised address to the nation as monarch on Friday evening. -- PTI
21:33 Man snatches Assam CM's mic during Hyderabad event
A man interrupted the speech given by an office-bearer of a Ganesh Chaturthi festival committee during a meeting in which Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma participated, marking the conclusion of annual festivities in Hyderabad on Friday.
Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti (BGUS) general secretary Bhagwanth Rao was addressing the gathering at the Mojamjahi Market in the city when the man suddenly bent the mike and turned towards Sarma.
He was sent away by Rao and others from the stage. This led to mild commotion prevailing at the scene.
Police officials were not immediately available to share details, including the identity of the man.
Sarma visited the popular Goddess Bhagya Lakshmi temple at Charminar and also interacted with BJP activists and leaders during his visit to the city.
The BGUS is the umbrella body of Ganesh pandals in the city during the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.
The BGUS usually invites a prominent personality to address the devotees from a stage at the Mojamjahi Market during Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.
The festival is celebrated on a massive scale in Hyderabad with thousands of pandals being installed for public worship of Lord Ganesha.
The immersion of thousands of Ganesh idols in waterbodies after nine days of worship is a major event in the city.
21:31 First batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa likely to reach India in October
The first batch of 12 cheetahs are expected to reach India from South Africa next month as part of an ambitious project to reintroduce the distinctively spotted cat species in the country where it has become extinct, officials said on Friday.
A team of wildlife experts from South Africa returned to their country on Friday from India where they inspected the holding facility where the cheetahs will be released.
Nine cheetahs have been quarantined at the Rooiberg Veterinary Services run by wildlife veterinarian Dr Andy Fraser in Limpopo province, while the other three were quarantined at Phinda game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal province, officials said.
Fraser said he and South African cheetah expert Prof Adrian Tordiffe would accompany the animals expected to reach India next month.
The South African translocation of cheetahs on a still unconfirmed date in October will follow that of eight cheetahs, which are expected to be sent to India from neighbouring Namibia next week.
"There has been a massive collaboration between the nature conservation departments and the veterinarians of South Africa and India. We have had visits from the team that is going to be the custodians of the cheetah on that end, so they are very aware of the process and what is required," Fraser said.
The veterinarian echoed earlier comments by wildlife expert Vincent van der Merwe, who spearheaded the Cheetah Metapopulation Project, that the cheetah population in India would have to reach about 500 for it to be genetically viable.
"Sending 20 cheetahs, which is what will happen in 2022, is not a viable genetic population. They need to get to a large enough population, which will be a conjunction of initially many South African cheetahs and obviously other cheetahs will breed up from the Indian side as well.
"Cheetahs can breed quite rapidly under good conditions, but in the reserves that they are going to in India, there are very low tiger populations but very high levels of leopard populations. With such interspecies competition you will definitely have some of the cubs that are born in India being killed by competing predators. So, how well they settle there, and how intense or severe the predator pressure is, will determine how quickly they will breed," he said.
Fraser said South Africa has done translocation of cheetahs to other countries, but it is for the first time that the animals are being sent to India where its population became extinct in the early 1950's.
"The last confirmed sighting was in 1953, but Prof Jhala from the Wildlife Institute of India seems to be under the impression that there might be anecdotal reports of cheetahs in India until 1970," he said.
The cheetahs will be fully awake in their transport crates during the flight, but would be tranquilised to keep them calm.
"We immobilise them with a combination of chemicals with a dart gun to anaesthetise them; relocate them into their crates; do the work that we need to do on them; and scan their microchips. Government officials will check if their microchip numbers are correct, because there is disease testing and vaccination protocols required by India that have to match the microchip number of the cheetah itself, Fraser said.
"They are then loaded into the crates and are administered reversal drugs once their processing is complete. They will be awake before they leave Rooiberg," he added.
In India, the cheetahs would be released from their crates into a holding facility for the Indian team to monitor their health and to ensure that they are hunting again before releasing them into the reserve which will be their final destination.
21:29 Anti-tank mine found in J-K's Samba, destroyed
An anti-tank mine was detected and destroyed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Friday, officials said.
It was noticed by some people in the border area of the Basantar belt on Friday, they said.
Security forces were informed and a bomb disposal squad destroyed the anti-tank mine safely, thereby preventing a tragedy, they added. -- PTI
20:53 Kunal Kamra's Gurgram show cancelled after VHP, Bajrang Dal threat
A bar in Gurugram cancelled shows by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra after after they threatened of protest by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal.
Kamra was scheduled to perform on September 17 and 18 at Studio Xo Bar in Sector 29.
The VHP and the Bajrang Dal on Friday submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav through Tehsildar demanding cancellation of the show.
The members of the Hindu right wing bodies said if the show is not cancelled, they will hold a protest against it. The show is likely to create tension in the city, they added.
"Comedian Kunal Kamra makes fun of Hindu gods and goddesses in his show, which is quite wrong. In such a situation, due to the show being held in the city, tension can arise, we request it be cancelled at the earliest or we will protest," read the memorandum.
"There have been many cases registered against Kunal Kamra in the past. If the show is not cancelled, we will protest," said Ajit Yadav, district president of the VHP.
While administration is still to react on the appeal, the bar management announced they were cancelling the show to avoid trouble.
"We have got calls from many departments and also members of outfits visited the venue to warn us and finally we have cancelled the show. We have informed ticketing companies like Book My Show and others.
"The show would not happen," said Gyan, an employee of Studio Xo Bar. -- PTI
20:38 BJP takes swipe at Rahul over price of his T-shirt
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by suggesting that he was wearing a T-shirt costing over Rs 41,000 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but the Congress hit back saying the ruling party should also talk about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 10-lakh suit and Rs 1.5 lakh glasses.
"Bharat, dekho," (India, look), the BJP tweeted from its handle and posted two pictures, one of Gandhi and the other showing the price of a T-shirt similar to the one he was wearing. The Burberry T-shirt cost Rs 41,257, it claimed.
"Hey...are you scared? Seeing the crowds gathered in Bharat Jodo Yatra. Talk about the issue...Speak on unemployment and inflation.
"If we have to discuss clothes, then it will go to Modi ji's Rs 10 lakh suit and his Rs 1.5 lakh glasses. Tell me what to do," the Congress said on its Twitter handle in Hindi while tagging the BJP.
Congress leader and its social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate also tweeted saying, "Dear BJP, It is visible how your senses have been blown off after seeing the mass revolution! How desperately rattled are you!!!"
Gandhi also had his share of defenders. One user alleged that such a tweet from the BJP showed that it was "rattled" by the yatra while another noted that it was not public money that Gandhi is spending on his clothes.
Speaking to the media during the yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, Gandhi said he is not leading the march but is only participating in it and it is aimed at "undoing the damage done by the BJP-RSS" by spreading "hatred" in the country. -- PTI
20:17 Queen was 'radiant' in final meeting: Boris Johnson
Queen Elizabeth was "as radiant, knowledgeable and fascinated by politics" when she met Boris Johnson during his final meeting with the monarch on Tuesday, the former British prime minister said on Friday.
Johnson called on the Queen on September 6 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland to formally offer his resignation to pave the way for Liz Truss to succeed him as the new prime minister.
Johnson said the 96-year-old Queen was "as radiant, knowledgeable and fascinated by politics as I can remember and as wise in her advice as anyone I know, if not wiser".
"That impulse to do her duty carried her right through to her tenth decade to the very moment in Balmoral, only three days, ago when she saw off her 14th prime minister and welcomed her 15th.
"With her attentive and enquiring mind she became the greatest statesman and diplomat of all," Johnson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May said audiences with the "immensely knowledgeable" Queen were the only meetings as leader where everything that was said would remain private.
She said the meetings involved "talking about the affairs of the day, in a sense tapping into her wisdom and that knowledge that she had from her great experience".
The Queen would pass on "the knowledge that she had of the people, a lot of the people that the prime minister, that I, was dealing with," May told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.
"She was a very acute judge of people and was able often to give those little, if you like, pen portraits of people that she knew, that she'd met.
"And sometimes it was a case of not just the individual but actually a sort of history of that individual, of her experiences of particular countries, particular issues."
"There was often that twinkle in the eye, and that magnificent smile that would break out and that calmed so many people's nerves and made so many people feel at ease," she said about the Queen, who died on Thursday.
Naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough - a contemporary of the Queen - also paid tribute to the monarch.
19:52 Gotabaya Rajapaksa's younger brother Basil leaves for US
Sri Lanka's former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa left for the United States on Friday to receive medical treatment, a week after the Supreme Court allowed him to travel overseas until January 15 next year, media reports said.
Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left for Dubai on an Emirates flight from Katunayake Airport, from where he will catch a connecting flight to the US, Daily Mirror Lanka newspaper reported, quoting officials.
On September 2, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court's five-bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya permitted Basil, 71, to travel overseas, until January 15 next year to receive medical treatment.
The Supreme Court made this order in connection with a Fundamental Rights petition filed by Sri Lankan swimmer and coach Julian Bolling, former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chandra Jayaratne, Transparency International and Jehan Canaga Retna, the Mirror report said.
The petitioners are seeking an order to take legal action against Basil and his elder brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa for financial irregularities and mismanagement of Sri Lanka's economy.
In July, Basil was prevented from leaving Sri Lanka following protests from passengers and officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.
Basil was forced to resign from the government headed by his elder brother in April amidst the worst economic crisis faced by Sri Lanka, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange.
Earlier this month, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was given special security and a state bungalow for accommodation on his return to Sri Lanka from Thailand where he fled amid months-long mass protests over the country's worst economic crisis.
Former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the 76-year-old eldest brother, was also forced to resign in May amidst the anti-government protests in the country. -- PTI
19:49 96-gun salute for Queen for each year of her life
An official period of state mourning is underway in the United Kingdom on Friday, a day after Queen Elizabeth II died, and there has been an outpouring of grief from members of the public who have been laying flowers at royal residences around the country for its longest-reigning monarch.
In London, 96 rounds of gun salutes -- one for every year of the Queen's life -- have been fired in tribute to the late monarch from the Tower of London and Hyde Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Honourable Artillery Company.
Churches also tolled their bells, after the Church of England sent out guidance to parishes, chapels and cathedrals across the country encouraging them to open for prayer or special services. Major sporting events, including football and cricket matches, have been postponed as a mark of respect.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss led tributes at a special joint Parliament session convened to pay tribute to the Queen, who died at her Balmoral Castle residence in Scotland on Thursday.
The special session is expected to last through the day until 10pm local time. The regular business of government is at a halt, unless anything urgent occurs, with the focus to fall entirely on the Queen during the 10-hour sitting of Parliament.
Truss said that since the death of the Queen was announced there has been the "most heartfelt outpouring of grief" across the world.
"Everyone who met her will remember the moment. They will speak of it for the rest of their lives. Even those who never met her, her late majesty's image is an icon for what Britain stands for as a nation," she said, reiterated her earlier statement describing the late monarch as the rock on which modern Britain was built.
With reference to the Queen's heir King Charles III, she told the Commons that the nation will offer its "loyal service to our new King".
Truss and senior ministers are scheduled for public service of remembrance at St. Paul's Cathedral in central London and then the government is due to confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be around 12 days, from now up to the day after the Queen's funeral. The funeral day will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.
18:54 Prophet remark: SC refuses to entertain plea seeking arrest of Nupur Sharma
The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking the arrest of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her remarks on the Prophet made during a TV debate.
A bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justices S Ravindra Bhat and P S Narasimha said the courts should think carefully while passing orders in such matters.
"This may sound simple and innocuous but it has far-reaching consequences. The court should be circumspect while issuing directions. We would suggest you withdraw your plea, the bench remarked.
The petitioner then withdrew the plea and the matter was declared dismissed as withdrawn.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Abu Sohel seeking directions for an independent, credible and impartial investigation into the matter.
The top court had earlier provided relief to Sharma by clubbing all the FIRs lodged across the country and transferring them to Delhi Police in connection with her remark on the Prophet.
The telecast dated May 26, 2022, on the TV channel Times Now has led to the registration of various FIRs and complaints against the petitioner in different parts of the country.
Sharma's remark on the Prophet during a TV debate had triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries. The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.
18:31 Queen's state funeral to be UK's first since 1965
The Queen's state funeral will be United Kingdom's first in more than half a century, with former Prime Minister Winston Churchill being the last head of state to be accorded with this honour in 1965.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
Unlike Prince Philip, who had a royal ceremonial funeral, the Queen will have a state funeral, which is usually reserved for the sovereign.
A state funeral typically begins with the body of the deceased being carried on a gun carriage, which is drawn by sailors from the Royal Navy, as part of a military procession, according to The Independent newspaper.
The body is taken from a private resting chapel to Westminster Hall in the House of Parliament, it said.
This is followed by another procession to the Westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral, depending on where the service is, the report said.
Heads of state are then given a 21-gun salute.
The only monarch not to be given a state funeral in the last 295 years was Edward VIII, who abdicated.
The last state funeral in the UK was Churchill's in 1965 and the last state funeral for a sovereign was for the Queen's father, George VI, in 1952.
The Queen's coffin will be lying in state, which is a tradition in which the body of the deceased is placed in a state building for the public to pay their tributes.
The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall for about four days before her funeral, according to the BBC.
The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002, when more than 200,000 people queued to view her coffin, the BBC reported.
Meanwhile, bells tolled around Britain on Friday as mourners flocked to palace gates to pay tributes to the Queen.
17:48 Air India Group starts vacating its offices from government-owned properties
Air India has decided to vacate its offices in government-owned properties, and will house them jointly with other Tata group airlines, including Vistara, in a modern campus in the national capital region by March next year.
Air India, which was taken over by the salt-to-software conglomerate in January this year, continued with offices in government buildings including Airlines House near Parliament House in the national capital, a company statement said on Friday.
Airline staff in this office as also the ones in Delhi's Safdarjung Complex, GSD Complex and IGI Terminal One will be temporarily located in an office space in Gurugram beginning this month and will move to a newly-built Vatika complex in early 2023.
The idea is to house employees of all group airlines including Vistara and Air Asia India at one location.
"Air India Group has embarked on its strategy to consolidate workspaces across the country as an integral part of its transformation agenda," the statement said.
The consolidation of workspaces, it said, is being undertaken to improve collaboration, strengthen the organisation's culture, upgrade employees' work environment and facilities, and more easily deploy new technology.
"Beginning from this month, a number of Air India offices presently housed in government-owned premises across the country are being vacated.
"The largest base of staff, located in Delhi's Airlines House, Safdarjung Complex, GSD Complex and IGI Terminal One, will move to an interim office space in Gurugram before ultimately relocating to a campus at the newly-constructed Vatika One-On-One development in early 2023," it said.
In May, the group had asked its staff to vacate the government-owned housing colonies, including big ones in Delhi and Mumbai.
Besides Air India and its international budget arm Air India Express, Tata Group also holds a majority 51 per cent stake in Vistara, its joint venture airline with Singapore Airlines (SIA), and a 83.67 per cent stake in budget carrier AirAsia India.
Air India, Air India Express and AirAsia India will be housed jointly in a modern office campus in the National Capital Region by March next year, in line with this consolidation strategy, which is being undertaken to improve collaboration and more easily deploy new technology, among others, according to the statement.
17:26 Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on September 19
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on September 19.
Her death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state.
Her family had been gathering at her Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday. The UK now has a new monarch in Charles, the former Prince of Wales. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,: Buckingham Palace said in a statement yesterday.
17:18 Charles to be proclaimed monarch tomorrow
King Charles will be officially proclaimed as Britain's new monarch at a meeting of the Accession Council at St James's Palace on Saturday.
King Charles III, who spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role, planned to meet with the prime minister and address a nation grieving the only British monarch most of the world had known. He takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself.
17:02 Bilkis Bano case: SC seeks proceedings from Gujarat
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Gujarat government to file the entire record of the proceedings in the Bilkis Bano case, including the remission order given to the 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and BV Nagarathna granted two weeks to the Gujarat government to produce all relevant records in the case. The bench also issued notice to the Gujarat government and convicts on a plea filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra against the release of the convicts.
Earlier, the apex court had issued notice to the Gujarat government on the plea filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, and social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma. It asked the petitioner to impede convicts in the petition.
The plea has sought setting aside of order granting remission to 11 convicts and directing their immediate re-arrest.
"It is submitted that it would appear that the constitution of members of the competent authority of the Gujarat government also bore allegiance to a political party and sitting MLAs. As such, it would appear that the competent authority was not an authority that was entirely independent, and one that could independently apply its mind to the facts at hand," the plea stated.
The plea filed by the three women said they had challenged the order of competent authority of the government of Gujarat by way of which 11 persons who were accused in a set of heinous offences committed in Gujarat were allowed to walk free on August 15, 2022, pursuant to remission being extended to them.
16:28 Rod Laver with the queen
Rod Laver, Australian tennis legend, shares this picture writing, "My deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom at this sad time. Rest in Peace Your Majesty."
The image BJP4India had tweeted
16:21 Talk issues not clothes, Congress reacts to taunt
Congress reacts to the BJP trolling Rahul Gandhi for wearing what is believed to be a Burberry T-shirt at the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The Congress party tweeted the picture writing:
"Oh.. are you rattled by the massive turnout at Bharat Jodo Yatra?
The Congress party tweeted the picture writing:
"Oh.. are you rattled by the massive turnout at Bharat Jodo Yatra?
Talk about issues... Speak on unemployment and inflation.
Otherwise, if we are to discuss clothes, then Modiji's Rs 10-lakh suit and Rs 1.5 lakh sunglasses will also be included.
Do you want it? @BJP4INdia?
16:16 Yatra will help forge opposition unity: Rahul
The Bharat Jodo Yatra will help in forging Opposition unity even though that is a separate exercise, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday.
Speaking to the media during the yatra which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, he said the idea of this march is to connect with the people, listen to them, understand what they are facing and also communicate to them a few things. Gandhi said the aim is to communicate that India has changed and the "institutional framework of India has been captured".
"There is an attempt to place one vision on top of this country which has multiple visions. One vision is being enforced," he said, adding the yatra is a step to communicate that to the people.
"The yatra will of course help in bringing together the Opposition but that is a separate exercise," the former Congress chief said when asked about what is being done for Opposition unity. Responding to another question, Gandhi said it is the responsibility of the entire Opposition to come together.
"Every party has a role in it, it's not that the Congress party is the only party, every party has a role in it, and that discussion is in progress," he said. Rahul Gandhi, along with several of his party colleagues, embarked on the 3,570-km 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari on Thursday.
Amid sounds of drum beats, a sea of tricolour and slogans of "Bharat Jodo", the march began from Vivekananda College Road, Agasteeswaram, here on Thursday. PTI
15:58 Gun salutes in London for each year of queen's life
Gun salutes will be fired from central London on Friday as Britain mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, after 70 years on the throne.
King Charles III and his wife Camilla will make their way to London on Friday, after spending last night at Balmoral following the death of his mother, the Queen, aged 96.
The journey will mark the first day of a national period of mourning. Buckingham Palace has confirmed details of a gun salute to take place in honour of the Queen's life. This will take place in Hyde Park and the Tower of London from 1 pm on Friday, Sky News reported.
A statement says: "Royal Salutes will be fired in London today at 1300 hrs BST in Hyde Park by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.
"One round will be fired for each year of The Queen's life."
Meanwhile, the Royal Mail has confirmed that stamps bearing the image of the Queen remain valid following her death, the report added. Stamps, cash and flags are among several everyday items that will eventually change now that King Charles is the monarch. A Royal Mail statement said: "Following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Mail has confirmed that stamps bearing the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II remain valid for use.
"These include definitive stamps - regular 'everyday' stamps - and special stamps." However, post boxes built during the Queen's long reign will not change - indeed others still bear her father King George VI's GR royal cypher. PTI
15:44 SC to hear pleas on split order on marital rape
The Supreme Court Friday said it would hear on September 16 the pleas arising out of the Delhi High Court's split verdict on the issue of criminalisation of marital rape.
The high court on May 11 delivered a verdict with one of the judges favouring striking down the exception in the law that grants protection to husbands from being prosecuted for non-consensual sexual intercourse with their wives, the other refused to hold it unconstitutional.
However, both the judges had concurred with each other for granting the certificate of leave to appeal to the Supreme Court in the matter as it involves substantial questions of law that requires a decision from the apex court.
Two petitions arising out of the high court's May 11 verdict came up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and B V Nagarathna on Friday.
The counsel appearing for one of the appellants said they are seeking that the apex court decides the substantial question of law involved in the matter. The counsel said both the judges of the division bench of the high court had granted the certificate of leave to appeal to the apex court.
"Otherwise also, this matter has to be heard," the bench observed, adding one more plea on the issue that was earlier mentioned before it. "Let the other matter come, we will tag all of them," the bench said.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who headed the division bench of the high court, had favoured striking down the marital rape exception and said it would be tragic if a married woman's call for justice is not heard even after 162 years since the enactment of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Justice C Hari Shankar, who was part of the high court's division bench, had said the exception under the rape law is not unconstitutional and was based on an intelligible differentia having a rational nexus with the object of the exception as well as section 375 (rape) of the IPC itself.
The petitioners before the high court had challenged the constitutionality of the marital rape exception under section 375 IPC (rape) on the ground that it discriminated against married women who are sexually assaulted by their husbands.
Under the exception given in section 375 of the IPC, sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being minor, is not rape. The high court's verdict had come on PILs filed by NGOs RIT Foundation, All India Democratic Women's Association, a man and a woman seeking striking down of the exception granted to husbands under the Indian rape law. PTI
15:33 India, China to dismantle, verify temporary structures in Gogra-Hot springs area of LAC: MEA
India and China have agreed to dismantle and verify the temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15) area of the LAC in Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
This comes a day after Indian and Chinese troops in the Gogra-Hot Springs area started to disengage in a coordinated and planned way. In response to a media query, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the disengagement process in the area will be completed by September 12.
This disengagement process follows the sixteenth round of talks between the Corps Commanders of India and China that was held at Chushul Moldo Meeting Point on July 17, 2022. -- ANI
15:20 When Padmini Kolhapure kissed a future king
When Prince Charles visited India in 1980, the very talented Padmini Kolhapure had the rare distinction of kissing him! "I had no idea I was pecking the future King of England!" she exclaims to Subhash K Jha. Read the interview here.
15:11 The queen in Madras
Queen Elizabeth II visited the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur, Chennai, in February 1961.
15:07 Mourning to last until 7 days after queen's funeral
Buckingham Palace on Friday announced that a period of mourning for the Royal Family will be observed from now until seven days after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
The date of the Queen's funeral has not yet been confirmed. In a statement, Buckingham Palace says: "Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King's wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen's Funeral."
Separate to the national mourning, which the government is expected to outline on Friday, Royal mourning is to be observed by "members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties". The Queen's state funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey in less than two weeks. The exact day will be confirmed by Buckingham Palace, the BBC reported.
On Friday, there will be a remembrance service at St Paul's Cathedral, attended by the prime minister Liz Truss and other senior ministers. Because the Queen died in Scotland, her coffin will lie at rest at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
The public may be allowed to view the coffin after a few days. The coffin will then be flown to London, where hundreds of thousands of people will be allowed to file past over a period of four days' lying in state at Westminster Hall. King Charles will hold his first audience with British Prime Minister Truss on Friday after which a joint Parliament session will pay tribute to the Queen.
The regular business of government is at a halt, unless anything urgent occurs, with the focus to fall entirely on the Queen during the 10-hour sitting of Parliament.
In central London, 96 rounds of gun salutes - one for every year of the Queen's life - will be fired in tribute to the late monarch. Churches will also toll their bells, with the Church of England sending out guidance to parishes, chapels and cathedrals across the country encouraging them to open for prayer or special services. -- PTI
14:40 Jaishankar mourns Queen Elizabeth's death
External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar shares this picture with Queen Elizabeth II: "On the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, express my deepest condolences to her family and people of the United Kingdom. She guided her nation into contemporary times and will be remembered for her warmth and compassion."
With Jaishankar is PM Narendra Modi.
14:26 BJP trolls Rahul's attire
When your bosses tell you to troll Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but you can't find anything of substance:
The BJP's official twitter handle @BJP4India has this to say: "Bharat, dekho!" with the picture of Rahul at the Bharat Jodo Yatra and ostensibly the price of the Burberry T-shirt they think he is wearing.
The BJP's official twitter handle @BJP4India has this to say: "Bharat, dekho!" with the picture of Rahul at the Bharat Jodo Yatra and ostensibly the price of the Burberry T-shirt they think he is wearing.
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II
14:22 'The Crown' to halt filming after Queen Elizabeth II's death
Netflix royal drama "The Crown" is expected to pause filming on its sixth season "out of respect" for Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch who passed away on Thursday. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years.
She was 96.
In an email statement to entertainment news portal Deadline, "The Crown" creator Peter Morgan said the show is a "love letter" to Queen Elizabeth. "'The Crown' is a love letter to her and I've nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too," Morgan said.
Morgan also wrote the script for the 2006 movie "The Queen", starring Helen Mirren as the monarch.
He created "The Crown" in 2016 with the first season following a young Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) and her early days as Queen. Actor Matt Smith played her husband, Prince Philip.
After two seasons, Olivia Colman replaced Foy for seasons three and four of the show, with Tobias Menzies taking on the role of Prince Philip and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. The show's fifth season, which is expected to be released on Netflix in November this year, will feature Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth. PTI
14:20 SC refuses to entertain plea seeking Nupur Sharma's arrest
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to the authorities to act and arrest former BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her alleged hate statement against Prophet Mohammad and hurting sentiments of the Muslim community.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India UU Lalit told petitioner Advocate Abu Sohel said that his plea looked innocuous but had far-reaching consequences. Sohel then withdrew his plea.
The advocate sought an urgent hearing of the case alleging that no action has been taken against Sharma by the police despite the complaint.
The plea has said that Sharma made vulgar remarks against Prophet Mohammad and the Muslim community, and hence it sought directions for an "independent, credible and impartial investigation" into the incident which may ensure her immediate arrest.The plea sought immediate action against Sharma saying that her statements were violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, 26 and 29 of the Constitution and other fundamental rights. -- ANI
14:00 History recalled
The New York Times front page on the day Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI died.
Rahul Gandhi in Puliyoorkurichi in Kanyakumari
13:57 Rahul to be Congress prez? Here's what he said
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he has made his decision on whether he will become the next party president and will reply only when the elections are held.
Responding to questions on whether he will lead the Congress once again after he resigned from the post in 2019 taking moral responsibility for the party's poll drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, he said, "I've made my decision; I'm very clear and I'll reply when Congress president election takes place."
"It will become very clear whether I become president or not when the party elections take place. Please wait for that day," Gandhi told reporters.
He said he was not leading this yatra ("Bharat Jodo Yatra" from Kanyakumari to Kashmir) and was only participating in it. Gandhi also said it is the responsibility of everyone in the Opposition to work for the country. PTI
13:38 SC grants bail to journalist Siddique Kappan
Supreme Court grants bail to Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan who was booked by the Uttar Pradesh government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The SC directs that Kappan shall be produced before the trial court within three days and he shall be released on bail.
More deatails awaited. -- ANI
12:58 Queen's last public engagement was with Liz Truss
Queen Elizabeth II made her final appearance just two days before her death when she met British Prime Minister Liz Truss and asked her to form a new government.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, her summer residence, after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
The Queen, in increasingly frail health, met Truss on Tuesday at Balmoral in Scotland, where the new Conservative Party leader was asked to form a new government after the resignation of Boris Johnson.
"The Queen received Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle today. Her Majesty asked her to form a new Administration. Ms. Truss accepted Her Majesty's offer and was appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury," The Royal Family tweeted on Tuesday.
Truss is the 15th prime minister appointed by the Queen.
The Queen was photographed shaking hands with Truss while holding a walking cane and her handbag. Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson also travelled to Scotland for a formal farewell from the monarch on Tuesday.
Following Tuesday's audiences, the palace announced the Queen would no longer preside over a scheduled Privy Council meeting on Wednesday so she could rest.
She has postponed a meeting of senior governmental advisers known as the Privy Council after doctors advised her to rest, Buckingham Palace said.
It was the first time a prime minister has had to travel to Balmoral for an audience with the Queen, who normally sees incoming leaders at Buckingham Palace. The monarch experienced episodic mobility issues in June during the jubilee celebrations when she was notably absent from some events. PTI
12:41 The girl who didn't expect to be queen
The longest-serving monarch of the UK, Queen Elizabeth-II, took her last breath at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday.
Born on April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Queen was the oldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York - who later became King George VI - and Queen Elizabeth.
At that time Princess Elizabeth and her family did not expect that she would one day become the monarch. Then Princess Elizabeth and her only sibling, Princess Margaret, born in 1930 were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford.
Since childhood, Elizabeth showed a sense of responsibility and orderliness. She loved horses and dogs. The Queen's cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as "a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved" for her attitude.
Her Royal Highness was expected to live a relatively normal, if privileged, life with her close-knit and loving family.
She was having a perfect life, but everything changed in December 1936 when her uncle - King Edward VIII - abdicated, leaving her father as King, and her as the next in line to the throne.
Later, Elizabeth ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI died.
In 1939, when Britain entered World War II, Elizabeth chose to stay in England and joined the Army rather than sailing away to Canada. She served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during her training as a driver and mechanic when she was still a teenager.
The 14-year-old Elizabeth, in 1940, addressed other children who had been evacuated from the cities.
"We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end, all will be well," she said.
While still a teenager, Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Philip Mountbatten of Greece and Denmark, whom she had met in 1939.
In November 1947, the 21 years old, Elizabeth married Prince Philip, who was serving as a young officer in the Royal Navy. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. The couple then had four children, Prince Charles, who was born in 1948, Princess Anne (1950), Prince Andrew (1960) and Prince Edward (1964).
Elizabeth's normal life suddenly changed when in 1952, her father, King George VI died of cancer and consequently Elizabeth ascended to the throne with immediate effect. Her coronation took place in 1953, after which served as the head of the Commonwealth for seven decades.
On her twenty-first birthday, in a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth.
'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service,' she said.
Queen, then, made hundreds of overseas visits during her reign and became the most widely travelled head of multiple independent states.
In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour. The couple visited 13 countries and covered more than 40,000 miles by land, sea and air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those nations.She visited the United States in 1957, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. In 1961, she toured Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Iran.
In 1961 she made the first royal British tour of the Indian subcontinent in 50 years. The queen visited Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Iran, and became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America (in 1968) and the Persian Gulf countries (in 1979).
The reign of the Queen saw the greatest changes in many spheres, including technological and industrial development, and economic and social life across the world.
In 1977, Elizabeth marked the Silver Jubilee of her accession. In 2002, she marked her Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of her accession.
In 2012, Queen completed 60 years of her accession to the throne, and celebrations were held throughout her reign.
Last year, in April 2021, Prince Philip died, after 73 years of their marriage, making Elizabeth the first British monarch to reign as a widow or widower since Queen Victoria.
Elizabeth became the longest-lived British monarch in December 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch and longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in the world in 9 September 2015.
In 2017, she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee. She was the Queen of the United Kingdom from 6 February 1952 until her death on Thursday.
This year, the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, Realms and the Commonwealth were held. The four-day-long royal celebrations, while the queen turned 96, were attended by millions of participants.
Her Majesty's extraordinary life and reign, from a young girl who did not expect to be Queen, to an iconic and celebrated figure who has ruled for more than 70 years came to an end on Thursday.
Elizabeth II, died peacefully at Balmoral castle aged 96, the royal family said in a statement. The UK's longest-reigning monarch was placed under medical supervision earlier on Thursday after her condition deteriorated.
12:24 SC stays demolition of eatery linked to Phogat death
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the demolition of a portion of a restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa, which was in the news recently following the death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat.
The stay order pertained to demolition of structures situated on a particular survey number only.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit made it clear that unauthorized constructions situated on the land other than the specified survey number may be demolished.
Passing an urgent order, the bench asked the counsel for the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to convey the order to the authorities instantly for compliance.
The bench asked the restaurant and bar owner of 'Curlies' restaurant to suspend commercial activities for the time being. The Goa government on Friday morning began demolishing the restaurant for alleged violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
Phogat was found partying at the outlet hours before her death. Its owner Edwin Nunes was among five persons arrested in the Phogat death case and he was later granted bail.
The action against the restaurant was initiated after its owner failed to get any respite from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the 2016 demolition order of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
The case was heard on September 6 by the NGT bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel. The bench had upheld the order of GCZMA disposing of the petition filed by the restaurant management. On Thursday, the district administration had issued a notice asking its demolition squad to raze the structure on Friday. PTI
11:51 Anti-rabies shots for dogs ahead of cheetahs arrival
More than 1,000 dogs have been given anti-rabies vaccine doses around Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where cheetahs are being brought from Africa next week as part of India's ambitious project to reintroduce these fastest land animals, an official said.
The move is aimed at protecting the cheetahs from rabies, he said.
Eight cheetahs - five males and three females - are expected to reach KNP from Namibia on September 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the cheetah reintroduction programme on that day, which is also the PM's birthday, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said earlier this week.
"More than 1,000 stray and domestic dogs in villages located in the five km periphery of KNP have been given anti-rabies shots in an attempt to ensure that the wild animals, including cheetahs, stay safe in the sanctuary," KNP's Divisional Forest Officer P K Verma told PTI.
He, however, denied that the dogs are being vaccinated because cheetahs may prey on them. The forest official admitted that this was the first time that the park officials went on a massive anti-rabies vaccination drive.
"Usually, a leopard kills an animal and after devouring a portion of the carcass it leaves the remaining part only to return to eat the leftovers later after feeling hungry. In the mean time, if a rabid dog eats that leopard prey's leftover, the big cat is bound to catch rabies and spread it among other wild animals in the forest," Verma said.
Notably, in September 2013, a rabid dog had bitten the tail of a three-year-old tiger in Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in the state. The tiger coded P-212 was later given an anti-rabies injection by the forest department to save the wild animals, especially the big cats.
"In case a rabid canine bites cattle around the jungle and if it is preyed on by any of the cheetahs that are coming to the park, these animals can get infected. And this may cause infection among other cheetahs," he said. Verma said that the drive to give anti-rabies vaccine to dogs which started in April is almost over. "We have vaccinated the dogs against other diseases too," he added.
11:49 Elizabeth's wish Camilla be Queen Consort
Once called a "Rottweiler" by the woman she replaced, Camilla, the second wife of the new British king, Charles, may never have fully won over the public but she is now Queen Consort, holding a title few would have thought conceivable 25 years ago.
When Charles's first wife, the popular, glamorous Princess Diana, died aged 36 in a car crash in Paris in 1997, Camilla was depicted by the media as the most hated woman in Britain, someone who could never marry Charles, let alone become queen.
Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Diana had blamed Camilla, often portrayed as staid and dowdy, for wrecking her marriage and the now 75-year-old Camilla has perennially been compared with Charles's photogenic first wife.
But Charles and Camilla did marry in 2005, and since then she has come to be recognised, albeit grudgingly by some, as a key member of the royal family, whose calming effect on her husband has helped him deal with his role.
"I'd suffer anything for you. That's love. That's the strength of love," Camilla told Charles in a secretly recorded telephone conversation publicised in 1993.
Any lingering doubts about her future status were finally dispelled on the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne, in February this year, when Elizabeth gave her blessing to Camilla taking the title Queen Consort, saying it was her "sincere wish" that she do so."
"As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout," Charles said at the time.
Born Camilla Shand in 1947 into an affluent family - her father was an army major and wine merchant who married an aristocrat - she grew up on a country estate and was educated in London before going to the Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland and then the Institut Britannique in France.
She moved in social circles that brought her into contact with Charles, who she met on a windswept polo field in the early 1970s.
"His world turned upside down and I don't think he ever really recovered from it," said Christopher Wilson, author of a book on the couple's relationship.
Legend has it that in the early days, Camilla flirtatiously reminded Charles that her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was long-standing mistress to a previous Prince of Wales who became King Edward VII. She then apparently said: "So how about it?"The pair dated for a time and biographer Jonathan Dimbleby said Charles had contemplated marriage at the time, but felt too young to take such a major step.
As he dedicated himself to his naval career, Camilla went on to marry a cavalry officer, Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles. The couple had two children, Tom and Laura. They divorced in 1995.
The Union Jack at half mast at the British embassy
11:41 Remembering the Queen
Alex Ellis, Britain's envoy to India, tweets, "Her Majesty lived a life of service, of constancy which inspired and continues to inspire deep respect and affection. On this sad day I remember what She gave to my country and to so many people around the world."
The British High Commission's website has a black banner across the pages as well as a new section on 'the arrangements following The Queen's death'.
The Mullaperiyar dam
11:34 John Pennycuick: The British-era colonel revered in Tamil Nadu
The statue of Colonel John Pennycuick - donated by southern Tamil Nadu state - will be unveiled on 10 September at a public park in Camberley, 50km (31 miles) from London.
Pennycuick is a revered figure in Tamil Nadu for designing and building the Mullaperiyar dam, which provides water for drinking and irrigation to five districts in the state. Read more here.
11:29 India bans export of broken rice with immediate effect
India banned the export of broken rice with immediate effect. The export policy has been revised from "free" to "prohibited".
Some exports will, though, be allowed till September 15, including for where loading of broken rice on the ship has commenced before this ban order, where the shipping bill is filed and vessels have already berthed or arrived and anchored in Indian ports and their rotation number has been allocated, and where broken rice consignment has been handed over to the customs and is registered in their system.
The ban on exports assumes significance as it appears that the overall sown area under paddy this Kharif season could be lower than that of last year. This can have an impact on both crop prospects as well as prices going forward. -- ANI
11:26 Ganpati visarjan: 18k cops, RAF, SRPF on duty
The 10-day Ganesh festival celebrated across Maharashtra with fervour is concluding on Friday, and processions for the immersion of idols of the deity are being taken out, for which the authorities in Mumbai and other parts of the state have made elaborate arrangements.
The festival dedicated to the elephant-headed god had begun on August 31. At the culmination of the festival on Anant Chaturdashi, the idols of Lord Ganesh are taken to nearby water bodies and immersed. Devotees take the idols for immersion in a grand processions.
The idols of Lord Ganesh were installed in homes and public pandals across the state with pomp and gaiety this year with the coronavirus pandemic no longer casting its shadow on the celebrations.
The pandemic-induced restrictions had curtailed the celebration in the last two years. The authorities in Mumbai, Pune and other parts of the state have made elaborate arrangements for the immersion of idols and processions.
Processions began in Mumbai and other parts of the state on Friday morning amid chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhachya Varshi Lavkar Ya", beating of drums and sprinkling of gulal.
In Mumbai, more than 20,000 police personnel as well as other specialised units will be on duty. The festivities this year were held without COVID-19 pandemic norms and several thousand people are expected to take part in immersion processions across Mumbai, an official has said.
The immersions will take place at Girgaon Chowpatty (beach), Shivaji Park, Bandra, Juhu and Malad, apart from 70 natural lakes as well as artificial ponds made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he added. Girgaon Chowpatty is one of the major spots for immersion of popular idols like Lalbaugcha Raja.
"Expecting huge crowds, the deployment comprises more than 15,500 police personnel, 3,200 police officers, eight State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) companies, one Rapid Action Force (RAF) company, 750 home guards and 250 trainees. There will also be a large posse of traffic police," the official said. Police personnel will be on a strict vigil across the city to thwart any untoward incident during the immersion processions and to maintain the law and order situation, he said. There will be traffic restrictions on several roads as well as diversion in Mumbai on Friday, so people wanting to boards flights or long-distance trains must make arrangements accordingly, the official added.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it has put in place facilities for the immersion of idols at 73 natural and 162 artificial water bodies across the city. About 10,000 civic personnel, including officials, will be on duty. -- PTI
11:06 Queen Elizabeth II on Time Magazine
TIME's new commemorative cover: Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-ruling British monarch, died Sept. 8, 2022. To mark this moment, TIME released a commemorative issue dedicated to the longtime monarch. Here, a visual history of her appearances on the cover of TIME over the past 90 years. Take a look
10:59 INS Tarkash arrives in Nigeria
Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrived at Port Lagos, Nigeria yesterday. The ship was welcomed by officials of the Nigerian Navy, the High Commission of India and children of the Indian Language School. INS Tarkash is on a voyage across 3 Oceans, over 24000 nautical miles and 133 days with the mission to strengthen bridges of friendship and celebrate #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav.
10:52 With Queen Elizabeth II's death in Scotland, Operation Unicorn is underway
The British government's "Operation Unicorn" is underway following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral, Scotland.
The UK authorities had devised Operation London Bridge to manage events during the first 10 days between the Queen's death and the funeral. They had thought of Operation Unicorn in case the queen died in Scotland. She passed away in Balmoral, Scotland on September 8.
"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," the Royal Family said in a statement on Thursday.
Shortly before the Palace announced the Queen's death, BBC presenters changed into black attire, black suits and ties, as part of 'Operation London Bridge'.
As per the documents seen by The Politico, Thursday will be declared as "D-Day" and each following day leading up to the funeral will be referred to as "D+1," "D+2" till the tenth of her death.
As per one official memo, the code for conveying the message of the Queen's death is "London bridge is down." What will follow is a vast security operation to manage crowds and travel chaos, the report said.
According to documents seen by Politico, the Royal family will next announce plans for the Queen's funeral.
Ten days after Queen's death, the newly appointed UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will be the first member of the government to make a statement.
Aside from the statement from the PM and other members of the government, gun salutes will be arranged at all saluting stations.
Subsequently, Liz Truss will hold an audience with the new king, and King Charles will deliver a broadcast to the nation.
The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey and there will be a committal service in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Thereafter, Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The Queen was born on April 21, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York - who later became King George VI - and Queen Elizabeth
Prince Charles and now King Charles III with dabbawalas in 2015
10:33 Mumbai dabbawalas mourn death of Queen Elizabeth
Mumbai Dabbawala Association mourned the demise of the longest-serving monarch of the UK, Queen Elizabeth II. Subhash Talekar, the Chairman of the Association said that Mumbai Dabbawala has had a very close relationship with British Royal Family ever since Prince Charles visited India.
"Mumbai Dabbawala Association has had a very close relationship with British Royal Family ever since Prince Charles visited India. We are very sad to hear about the death of Queen Elizabeth II and all Dabbawalas pray that her soul rests in peace," said Subhash Talekar.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Queen Elizabeth II as he hailed her "inspiring leadership". Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister recalled his memorable meetings with the Queen during his UK visits in 2015 and 2018.
"I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings, she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture," PM Modi tweeted.
The Prime Minister said Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. -- ANI
10:25 The Empire State Building swathed in royal purple
New York's Empire State Building lights up to pay homage to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II who passed away yesterday. "Tonight, our tower lights will shine in purple and sparkle in silver to honor the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II," reads the tweet.
10:13 Sensex reclaims 60k level, Nifty tests 17,900
Benchmark indices began the trade on a firm note on Friday, extending their previous day gain, amid foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in global markets.
The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 431.58 points to 60,119.80 in early trade. On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty went higher by 127.2 points to 17,925.95. From the Sensex pack of firms, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Tata Steel, Hindustan Unilever, NTPC, Infosys, Dr Reddy's, Sun Pharma and ICICI Bank emerged as the biggest gainers.
Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finserv, Nestle India and Bajaj Finance were among the laggards. Elsewhere in Asia, markets in Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the green in mid-session deals. The US markets had ended higher on Thursday. On Thursday, the BSE benchmark climbed 659.31 points or 1.12 per cent to settle at 59,688.22. The Nifty advanced 174.35 points or 0.99 per cent to 17,798.75.
10:05 Queen Elizabeth II: A life in pictures
The BBC pays tribute to a queen and a legend. Take a look
10:02 Flashback in history
Dhruva Jaishankar, academician and the son of FM S Jaishankar tweets: "The last time there was a King Charles in England, English forces had just evacuated from Tangier, Isaac Newton was making breakthroughs on gravity and calculus, and the East India Company had just been allowed to build a trading station in Canton (today's Guangzhou)."
09:58 India to benefit from G7 price cap on Russian oil: US officials
The Group of Seven (G7) nations will soon convene and carve a price cap on Russian oil purchases, according to top US officials who said that India is going to benefit from the move even if it does not join the price cap mechanism directly.
US Treasury Department's assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, Elizabeth Rosenberg said, "India will have access to lower price of affordable energy (Russian Oil). It can leverage the price cap to negotiate a lower price with Russia. It is consistent with a price cap."
"We will not allow Russia to profit and get a war premium for invading Ukraine," the US official added. US officials informed reporters that while determining the price cap the G7 will factor in the cost of production and will give an economic incentive to Russia so that its oil keeps flowing into the markets.
This assurance comes as several countries are facing high inflation due to spiralling fuel prices -- ANI
09:49 IOC issues final warning to IOA to hold polls
International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday issued a final warning to IOA to "resolve its governance issues" and hold elections by December, failing which the world sports body will ban India.
The executive board of the IOC, which made in Lausanne on Thursday, also decided not to recognise any "acting/interim president" after Narinder Batra's ouster as Indian Olymic Association president and said it will deal with secretary general Rajeev Mehta as the main point of contact.
"... in view of the ongoing internal disputes, governance shortcomings and ongoing court cases, (IOC Executive Board) took the decision... to issue a final warning and consider the immediate suspension of the NOC of India at the next IOC Executive Board meeting in December 2022 if, by then, the NOC of India is not able to address and resolve its governance issues to the satisfaction of the IOC, in the interest of sport and the athletes. "...and operate properly through its governing bodies, i.e. the Executive Committee and General Assembly, and fulfil its obligations, in particular by holding its quadrennial elections in accordance with the Olympic Charter," the IOC's letter sent to IOA read.
The IOC letter sent by James McLeod, Director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations, further said: "During this transition period, and given that the IOC does not currently recognise any 'interim/acting president' of the NOC of India, the NOC Secretary General will serve as the main point of contact to coordinate the next steps with the IOC, in close consultation and in agreement with the NOC Executive Council and General Assembly."
The IOC also stated that it's Executive Board reserves the right to take any further action at any stage of the process depending on how the situation develops. The IOC also decided to postpone its session earlier scheduled to be held in Mumbai in May next year.
"In view of the uncertain situation, the IOC Session that is due to take place in Mumbai in May 2023 is postponed until September/October 2023," the letter said.
"Depending on the decisions that will be taken during the IOC Executive Board meeting in December 2022 relating to the NOC of India, the IOC Executive Board will decide as to whether the IOC Session in 2023 should be maintained in India or be relocated."
The IOC said in order to agree on a constructive solution and establish a roadmap leading to the elections of IOA, it will organise a joint meeting with all parties concerned later this month in Lausanne.
09:42 My problem is the itch, Prince Charles....
Another story from the then Prince Charles's 2003 visit:
Prince Charles turned and walked back to Majeedan Bi. He folded his hands in a namaste, but the old lady from the neighbouring Jogeshwari hutment languidly extended her right hand to the prince for a handshake.
Prince Charles turned and walked back to Majeedan Bi. He folded his hands in a namaste, but the old lady from the neighbouring Jogeshwari hutment languidly extended her right hand to the prince for a handshake.
The prince shook her hand, tipped his head and asked her how she was.
"My biggest problem is this itching all over my body, I have no other problem," she said in Hindi, scratching her lower abdomen through her white kurta. Read more here.
09:39 When Prince Charles visited India
When King Charles III, as he is known now, came to India in 1992, the Prince of Wales's (as he was known then) wife visited the Taj Mahal alone and publicly deflected a kiss from him during a polo match at Jaipur, sparking speculation about their marriage.
Eleven years later, Charles Philip Arthur George, better known as King Charles, returned to India on a nine-day visit, which takes him to New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Mumbai, to highlight the close links between Britain and India, including British investment in Delhi's metro system and environmental work by charities based in the United Kingdom. Read more here.
09:34 'Go back to India': Pramila Jayapal receives threat messages
Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has been receiving abusive and hate messages over phone.
On Thursday, she posted a collection of five such audio messages.
In
all these, portions of which have been redacted because of obscene and
abusive content, the male caller is heard threatening her with dire
consequences and in one instance she is being asked to go back to her
country of origin India.
'Typically, political
figures don't show their vulnerability. I chose to do so here because we
cannot accept violence as our new norm. We also cannot accept the
racism and sexism that underlies and propels so much of this violence,'
Jayapal said in a tweet.
Early this summer, a
man with a pistol had showed up outside the Congresswoman's house in
Seattle. The man, identified by police as Brett Forsell, 49, was
arrested later. -- PTI
09:32 Building collapse in Delhi
Five people have been trapped under debris at a building collapse site in Delhi's Azad Market area. Rescue operation underway, says fire department.
09:17 Demolition of restaurant linked to Sonali Phogat's death begins
The Goa government on Friday morning began demolishing the controversial restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa linked to the death of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, an official said.
The restaurant, 'Curlies', located on Goa's famous Anjuna beach, was in news recently after Phogat was found partying at the outlet hours before her death.
Its owner Edwin Nunes was among five persons arrested in the Phogat death case and he was later granted bail.
"The demolition squad of the district administration along with Anjuna police personnel arrived at the beach around 7.30 am to demolish the restaurant that was built in 'no development zone' in violation of the CRZ norms," the official said.
The action against the restaurant was initiated after its owner failed to get any respite from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the 2016 demolition order of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
The case was heard on September 6 by the NGT bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.
The bench had upheld the order of GCZMA disposing of the petition filed by the restaurant management.
On Thursday, the district administration had issued a notice asking its demolition squad to raze the structure on Friday.
Deputy collector of Mapusa sub division Gurudas S T Desai had issued the notice.
According to police, Phogat, a former TikTok star and contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss, was allegedly drugged at the restaurant before her death on August 23. -- PTI
08:39 It's Op Unicorn, not Op London Bridge, here's why
The British government's 'Operation Unicorn' is underway following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Balmoral, Scotland.
The United Kingdom authorities had devised Operation London Bridge to manage events during the first 10 days between the Queen's death and the funeral.
They had thought of Operation Unicorn in case the queen died in Scotland.
She passed away in Balmoral, Scotland on September 8.
'The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,' the Royal Family said in a statement on Thursday.
Shortly before the Palace announced the Queen's death, BBC presenters changed into black attire, black suits and ties, as part of 'Operation London Bridge'.
As per the documents seen by The Politico, Thursday will be declared as 'D-Day' and each following day leading up to the funeral will be referred to as 'D+1', 'D+2' till the tenth of her death.
As per one official memo, the code for conveying the message of the Queen's death is 'London bridge is down'.
What will follow is a vast security operation to manage crowds and travel chaos, the report said.
According to documents seen by Politico, the Royal family will next announce plans for the Queen's funeral.
Ten days after Queen's death, the newly appointed UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will be the first member of the government to make a statement.
Aside from the statement from the PM and other members of the government, gun salutes will be arranged at all saluting stations.
Subsequently, Liz Truss will hold an audience with the new king, and King Charles will deliver a broadcast to the nation.
The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey and there will be a committal service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Thereafter, Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The Queen was born on April 21, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.
She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York -- who later became King George VI -- and Queen Elizabeth. -- ANI
IMAGE: A girl places flowers outside Buckingham Palace, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters
01:05 Queen Elizabeth II defined an era: Biden
The seven decades of Queen Elizabeth II's history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity, United States President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said on Thursday, observing that the late monarch "defined an era".
Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
Her death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state.
"In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth," Biden and the First Lady said in a statement.
The President said that the seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.
She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection-whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones.
"And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service," said the first US couple.
Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead, the presidential statement said.
"Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values, it said.
Biden and the First Lady said that the queen was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make the US-Britain relationship special.
"She stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that Grief is the price we pay for love," the statement said.
"In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world, said Biden and the First Lady.
The White House, mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, said that its "hearts and thoughts go to the family members of the Queen, go to the people of the United Kingdom.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: Our relationship with the people of the United Kingdom, and this is something that the President has said himself, has grown stronger and stronger. The United Kingdom is one of our closest allies. And again, our hearts go to the people of the United Kingdom, to the Queen and to her family."
Former president Barack Obama said mourned the loss of the departed leader, observing that her reign was defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation.
"Her Majesty was just 25 years old when she took on the enormous task of helming one of the world's great democracies. In the decades that followed, she would go on to make the role of Queen her own -- with a reign defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation," Obama said in a statement.
From the day of her coronation 70 years ago - the first one ever televised - to this very moment, as countless tributes are being posted online in her honor, Queen Elizabeth II has captivated the world, he said. "Today, Michelle and I join so many others who are celebrating her life and mourning her passing, he said.
During World War II, she became the first-ever female royal to serve on active military duty. And through periods of prosperity and stagnation -- from the moon landing, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the dawn of the digital age -- she served as a beacon of hope and stability for the people of the United Kingdom and the world, said the former US president.
Obama said the queen worked with 15 Prime Ministers and countless foreign heads of state. She listened deeply, thought strategically, and was responsible for considerable diplomatic achievements. "And yet, she wore her lofty titles with a light touch -- as willing to act in a comic sketch for the London Olympics as she was to record steadying messages for the people of the UK during the COVID-19 lockdowns," he said.
"Michelle and I were lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty, and she meant a great deal to us. Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity. Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance," he said.
"Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty's dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time," he said.
00:38 UK 'devastated' by queen's death: PM Truss
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II just 48 hours earlier, said on Thursday that the United Kingdom is "devastated" by her death and described the late monarch as "the rock on which modern Britain was built".
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
Her death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state.
"We are all devastated" at the news of the Queen's death, which is a "huge shock to the nation and the world," Truss said.
She described the Queen as "a rock on which modern Britain was built", adding: "Britain is the great country it is today because of her."
She said the Queen was a personal inspiration to her as well as many Britons.
"Her devotion to duty is an example to us all," Truss, who had an audience with the Queen on Tuesday, said in a statement outside 10 Downing Street.
The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change. Her reign of 70 years was seven years longer than that of Queen Victoria.
With her death, her eldest son and heir Charles will lead the country in mourning as the new King and Head of State for 14 Commonwealth realms.
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