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Tue, 13 June 2023
Modi to lead world yoga day at UN on June 21
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SP MLA Irfan Solanki
23:57 SP MLA Irfan Solanki's uncle Ishtiyaq Solanki arrested in extortion case
The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Ishtiyaq Solanki, who owns a tannery and is the uncle of jailed Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki, in connection with an extortion case on Tuesday, a police officer said.
Joint commissioner of police (law and order) of Kanpur Anand Prakash Tiwari said Ishtiyaq Solanki was arrested from the Jajmau area when he was trying to flee from the city.
A case of extortion was registered based on a complaint by Nasim Arif, a resident of Kanghi-Mohal in Bajaria, lodged at the Jajmau police station on May 9 against Ishtiyaq Solanki, Adil Rasheed, Shakil Beg and another person, the police officer said.
Nasim Arif alleged that Ishtiyaq Solanki and his aides demanded that he hand over a plot of land to them and also gave him death threat.
Irfan Solanki, the Samajwadi Party MLA from Sisamau in Kanpur, has been in prison since December 2, when he along with his younger brother Rizwan Solanki surrendered before the police after being booked for rioting and arson in a land dispute case. -- PTI
23:47 Trump arrives at Miami court to face charges in document case
Former US President Donald Trump arrived at a Miami courthouse to face charges in documents case.
Trump was indicted in an investigation into his handling of classified documents after he left the White House, The Hill reported.
He has been indicted on seven federal criminal charges for retaining hundreds of classified government documents and even making false statements after leaving the White House, it reported.
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23:32 Modi to lead world yoga day at UN on June 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading a yoga session at the United Nations' Secretariat on June 21 to mark the International Yoga Day, UN resident coordinator in India Shombi Sharp said on Tuesday.
Interacting with PTI on the sidelines of a seminar held in New Delhi to mark 75 years of the United Nations Peacekeeping, he also said since 2015, "The world has truly embraced International Yoga Day".
Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga by a resolution.
The day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.
"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will be leading a yoga session at the United Nations, at the Secretariat, on June 21," Sharp said.
The secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the United Nations as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and the other organs.
Yoga is about staying fit and staying comfy, and International Yoga Day has "struck a resonance with the international community", Sharp said.
And, having PM Modi at the UN will be "special", he added. -- PTI
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23:28 Three boys drowned off Mumbai's Juhu beach, one still missing, clarifies BMC
Three of the four boys who went missing after venturing near the choppy Arabian Sea off Mumbai's Juhu Koliwada area were found dead on Tuesday, while a search was still on for the fourth one, a civic official said.
Earlier in the day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had declared that the bodies of all the four missing boys had been recovered from the sea, but later a civic official clarified one of them was still missing and the added the BMC erroneously put out the previous information.
A senior BMC official said a group of five boys from the Vakola area in suburban Santacruz (East), aged between 12 and 16 years, was pulled inside the rough sea by strong currents on Monday evening when they went near the shore.
One of the five boys was rescued by local fishermen, while the remaining four went missing, prompting officials to launch a search operation with help from the Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.
The Fire Brigade suspended the search operation due to darkness and bad weather around 11 pm on Monday.
Before that, a Navy chopper was pressed into service at 8.20 pm.
After the operation resumed, on early Tuesday morning, the Mumbai police recovered the bodies of two missing boys, while the body of a third one was found in the afternoon from the Juhu Jetty area, said the official. -- PTI
Anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft vessel being launched in Chennai/Navy/Twitter
23:05 Navy's anti-submarine warfare ship launched
An anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft vessel built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, for the Navy was launched at the Larsen and Toubro, Kattupalli Port in Chennai on Tuesday.
Anjadip, is the third of the eight ships of the contract that was signed between Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata and ministry of defence in April 2019.
The vessel was named after the island of Anjadip located off Karwar Port, Karnataka signifying its strategic maritime importance, an official release said in Chennai.
The 'Arnala' class of ships built by GRSE would replace the current 'Abhay' class of Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes of the Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low intensity maritime operations, subsurface surveillance among others.
The ships would have 80 per cent indigenisation.
Each ship measuring about 77 metre long, would have a displacement of 900 tons with a maximum speed of 25 knots and an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles.
Vice Admiral and Commander in Chief of the Strategic Forces Command R B Pandit was present at the launch ceremony on Tuesday. -- PTI
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22:45 UP reels under sever heat; heatwave warning issued for 22 districts
Uttar Pradesh continued to reel under severe heat on Tuesday with almost all the divisions of the state recording a high of more than 40 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.
The MeT issued a heatwave warning for 22 districts, including Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli and Varanasi for Wednesday.
During the past 24 hours, most of the divisions recorded above normal maximum temperature, Mohammad Danish, a scientist at Meteorological Center Lucknow, said.
Jhansi was the hottest place in the state with the mercury soaring to 45.6 degrees Celsius, according to the weather bulletin issued by the MeT.
The maximum temperature in Prayagraj was 45.1 degrees Celsius, Kanpur 44.1 degrees Celsius and Agra 43.8 degrees Celsius.
Varanasi and Hamirpur recorded a high of 43.2 degrees Celsius, while the mercury touched 42.6 degrees in Bhadohi and Fatehpur.
Several districts including Agra, Aligarh, Hardoi, Kanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Meerut and Moradabad recorded a night temperature that was above normal, the bulletin added.
According to the weather report, intense heat is likely to prevail in the state for the next three days, followed by a slight drop in the temperature in some areas. -- PTI
US NSA Sullivan meets PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi/ANI
22:32 US NSA Sullivan calls on Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that he is looking forward to a productive US visit and an engaging conversation with President Joe Biden on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Sullivan, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a two-day visit, called on Prime Minister Modi and briefed him on the progress in various sectors of bilateral cooperation.
He conveyed that the US president looked forward to welcoming PM Modi on the state visit, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction at the growing and deepening Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US, the statement said.
Prime Minister Modi said that he looked forward to a productive visit and an engaging conversation with President Biden on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.
In a tweet after the meeting, Modi said, "Glad to receive US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. Reviewed progress under India-US Initiative on Critical & Emerging Technologies (iCET) and other issues of bilateral cooperation. Look forward to meeting @POTUS @JoeBiden during my upcoming State Visit to the US." -- PTI
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22:01 Maha minister: 'We can reduce dry days if...'
Maharashtra excise minister Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday hinted that the government is open to reducing the number of "dry days" when liquor sale is not allowed if such a demand is made by people.
A dry day, declared by the government, is when liquor sales and its service are prohibited.
National holidays such as Independence Day, and Republic Day as well as the birth and death anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi are counted among dry days.
Some festivals and religious days are also declared as dry days by the state government.
Responding to a query from reporters in Mumbai regarding the plans to reduce the number of dry days as it causes some inconvenience to liquor consumers, the minister said, "If people make a demand then we will consider it. But the demand has to come from the people."
The minister did not elaborate.
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21:37 NEET 2023: Two students from Andhra, Tamil Nadu share top rank
Tamil Nadu's Prabanjan J and Andhra Pradesh's Bora Varun Chakravarthi have topped the medical entrance exam NEET-UG this year with 99.99 percentile scores, the National Testing Agency announced on Tuesday.
A total of 11.45 lakh candidates out of 20.38 lakh have qualified the exam.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh has highest number of qualifying candidates (1.39 lakh) followed by Maharashtra (1.31 lakh) and Rajasthan (over 1 lakh).
Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are the two most populous states in the country while Rajasthan also figures in the top ten in terms of population.
The NTA conducted the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-UG at 4,097 centres located in 499 cities throughout the country including 14 cities outside India on May 7.
"Seven candidates were identified using unfair practices in the examination and have been dealt with as per the norms," a senior NTA official said.
The examination was conducted in 13 languages (Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). -- PTI
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21:23 Farmers end stir over MSP for sunflower seeds
Farmers protesting over the minimum support price for sunflower seeds at Pipli in Haryana's Kurukshetra on Tuesday called off their stir after talks with the district administration here, Bharat Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said.
The protesting farmers have been assured of appropriate price for sunflower crop, Kurukshetra's deputy commissioner Shantanu Sharma said.
The farmers had blocked the National Highway-44 near Pipli, which connects Delhi with Chandigarh, and some other routes since Monday afternoon after holding a mahapanchayat on the issue. -- PTI
21:14 UP court sends conversion racket key accused to judicial remand
Shahnawaz Khan, a key accused in an alleged conversion racket, was sent to 14-day judicial custody Tuesday by a Ghaziabad court where he was produced after being brought from Maharashtra's Thane on a transit remand.
A court in Maharashtra's Thane had granted the Uttar Pradesh police transit remand of Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo on Monday.
Khan, who hails from Thane's Mumbra township, was arrested from a relative's place in Alibag in Raigad district on Sunday, the official said.
A Ghaziabad Police team that had gone to Thane brought Baddo here on the intervening night of June 12-13.
After a brief interrogation, he was produced before a Ghaziabad court which sent him in 14-day judicial remand, ACP Kavi Nagar Abhishek Tripathi said.
Now, the police will seek his police custody remand for detailed interrogation, he said.
A case of conversion was lodged by a resident of Kavi Nagar on May 30 in which he alleged his son was lured through an online gaming app to adopt Islam. Khan hails from the Mumbra township in Thane district. -- PTI
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20:45 Biparjoy won't impact monsoon further: IMD
Cyclone Biparjoy is now completely detached from the monsoonal flow and will not adversely impact the advance of the rain-bearing system or its performance, the India meteorological department said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference here, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone, however, helped the monsoon advance over southern parts of the peninsula by increasing the cross-equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea.
"Now, it is completely detached from the monsoonal flow. We do not expect any largescale impact either on the monsoon advance or its performance," he said.
Scientists had earlier said the cyclone pulled the moisture and convection, impacting the intensity of the monsoon and delaying its onset over Kerala.
Meteorologists had said further progress of the monsoon beyond southern parts of the peninsula will happen after the cyclone degenerates.
The monsoon hit India on June 8 with its onset over Kerala, a week later than normal.
Research shows a delay in the monsoon onset over Kerala does not necessarily mean a delay in the monsoon onset over northwest India.
However, a delay in the monsoon onset over Kerala is generally associated with a delay in onset at least over the southern states and Mumbai.
Scientists say a delayed MOK also does not impact the total rainfall over the country during the season. -- PTI
20:20 Editors Guild voices concern over intimidation of scribes by Union min, Kerala govt
The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday voiced concerns over alleged intimidation and harassment of journalists by Union minister Smriti Irani and the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led government in Kerala.
In a statement here, the Guild claimed that Irani intimidated a journalist during her visit to her Lok Sabha constituency Amethi on June 9 and threatened to call the owners of the Hindi daily he worked for.
In a separate incident, on June 10, a senior woman journalist in Kerala was named as an accused in a First Information Report lodged by the state police in response to a complaint filed by the Student Federation of India, the student arm of the ruling CPI-M party.
"This trigger happy approach to browbeat and harass reporters and news camera persons undermine the freedom of the press," the Guild said in a statement.
"The minister's threat to call newspaper owners and couch journalistic questioning as an affront to the people, was a clear intimidatory tactic," the Guild said.
It also urged the newspapers to reinstate the journalist sacked in connection with the case.
The Guild urged the CPI-M government in Kerala to withdraw the case against the female journalist with immediate effect.
"It is a matter of deep concern that mere reportage on political leaders can invite an FIR and questioning by the police," it said referring to the Kerala incident. -- PTI
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19:59 Go First extends flight cancellations till June 16
Crisis-hit airline Go First on Tuesday announced that its scheduled flight operations will remain cancelled till June 16, adding that a full refund will be issued to the passengers. Earlier, it was supposed to be till June 12.
"We regret to inform you that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till June 16, 2023, have been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the flight cancellations," Go First said in a tweet.
"We acknowledge the flight cancellations might have disrupted your travel plans and we are committed to providing all the assistance we can," they said in a letter.
They further said, "A full refund will be issued to the original mode of payment shortly."
Earlier on June 8, Go First announced that its scheduled flight operations will remain cancelled till June 12.
The airline operator had in early May filed for voluntary insolvency and since then its operations were kept stalled.
Civil aviation regulator DGCA had advised the airline to submit a comprehensive restructuring or revival plan, within a period of 30 days.
The revival plan once submitted by Go First shall be reviewed by the regulator for further appropriate action in the matter. -- ANI
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19:25 We will continue to see such data leaks...
'When the minister says CoWIN does not appear to be directly breached and this is a previously stolen database, what about the investigation of that old leak then?
'If there is no protection provided to users, we will continue to see such data leaks.
'When the data of a person, under care of the government, is breached, the government should give full disclosure and make the investigation public. If the institution is keeping it a secret, how will the public know,' asks Anivar Aravind, a public interest technologist, in an interview to Scroll.in, here.
19:22 Commuters suffer as signal failure hits WR services in Mumbai
The suburban services of Western Railway in Mumbai were affected due to signal failure on Tuesday afternoon, delaying trains and inconveniencing commuters, an official said.
Commuters claimed that the trains were delayed by 30 to 45 minutes from afternoon till evening.
According to Western Railway, the signal failure had occurred due to a cable defect near Malad station, which disrupted the suburban services.
The signal glitch occurred around 11.45 am and down slow line (Virar bound) was first restored, but it took nearly six hours to restore the system on all four lines (two for fast trains and two for slow lines), a spokesperson of Western Railway said.
While the official said that the services on all lines were restored by 5.45 pm, commuters complained that the train timetable was severely affected and they were inconvenienced.
An additional divisional railway manager of the Mumbai division had rushed to the spot to ensure speedy restoration, said Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western railway.
Swelling crowds and long wait at railway stations made travel unbearable, some commuters claimed.
A Mira road resident said the fast train she had boarded took more than an hour to cover the distance between Mira Road to Andheri, when the travel time was generally about 30 minutes.
Similarly, a Virar resident said the train services had not normalised even during the evening rush hour around 5.30 pm.
More than 30 lakh commuters travel by Western Railway's suburban network provides connectivity to Mumbai's suburbs as far as Vasai-Virar, Palghar, Boisar and Dahanu.
19:06 IIIT Basar girl student dies by 'suicide' in Telangana
A girl student of Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, popularly known as IIIT Basar, in Nirmal district of Telangana, allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday, the police said.
A student of Pre University Course-I, she was found hanging in the bathroom on the varsity's campus, they said.
The girl was a native of Sangareddy district, a police official said. As per preliminary information, the exact reasons were not still known and an investigation is on, the official said. -- PTI
18:52 MRF creates history as stock price hits Rs 1L mark
Tyre makerF on Tuesday reached a new milestone as its stock hit Rs 1 lakh mark during the day.
The stock went up to Rs 1,00,300 -- also its 52-week high level -- on the BSE during the day. Shares of the company ended at Rs 99,950.65, a gain of 1.02 per cent.
In intra-day, it climbed 1.37 per cent to Rs 1,00,300.
At the NSE, shares of the company advanced 1.48 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 1,00,439.95 during the day.
It ended at Rs 99,900, up 0.94 per cent. So far this year, the stock has rallied 12.89 per cent.
"MRF, one of the leading stocks in the Indian stock market, has made history by becoming the first 6-digit stock after surpassing the impressive milestone of 1 lakh," said Santosh Meena, head of research, Swastika Investmart Ltd.
MRF commands one of the highest price quotations on the exchanges. -- PTI
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18:43 Rescuers recover bodies of all 4 boys who drowned off Mumbai's Juhu beach
Rescuers have found the bodies of all the four boys who went missing after venturing into the Arabian Sea off Mumbai's Juhu Koliwada area, an official said on Tuesday.
They were part of a group of five friends, aged between 12 and 16 years, who ventured into the rough sea, about half a kilometre from the shore, around 5.30 pm on Monday.
While one of them was rescued, the others went missing, prompting the Fire Brigade to launch a search operation with assistance from the Indian Coast Guard.
The Fire Brigade suspended the search operation due to darkness and bad weather around 11 pm on Monday.
Before that, a Navy chopper was pressed into service at 8.20 pm.
The operation resumed in the morning during which the missing boys were located and rushed to civic-run Cooper Hospital, where the doctors declared them brought dead, said the official.
The bodies of two of the four missing boys were recovered early in the morning and the others in the afternoon, said the official.
The deceased were identified as Jay Roshan Tajbariya (15), Manish Yogesh Oganiya (12), Shubham Yogesh Oganiya (15) and Dharmesh Valji Faujiya (16), he said. -- PTI
17:57 Man booked for attempting to lure youngster to convert in Maha
An offence has been registered against a man for allegedly attempting to convert a youngster from Maharashtra's Palghar district after getting in touch with him on social media, police said on Tuesday.
Based on a complaint lodged by the man's father, the police have registered an offence against the accused, who is a resident of Mumbra in neighbouring Thane district, and he will be arrested soon, senior inspector Sampatrao Patil of Manickpur police station said.
The complainant alleged that the accused had gotten in touch with his son on social media and during their chats online, he posted derogatory remarks about Hindu deities to convince the youngster to convert, he said.
The accused also allegedly claimed that he had supernatural powers, the official said.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 and other acts, he added. -- PTI
17:33 K'taka court nod to attach 82 assets of Reddy, wife
A special court in Bengaluru has ordered for the attachment of 82 immovable properties belonging to former minister and accused in the illegal iron ore mining scam in Ballari,
G Janardhana Reddy and his wife G Lakshmi Aruna.
The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs in Karnataka gave its order on June 12 on a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The CBI had sought the attachment of six properties of Janardhana Reddy and 118 properties in the name of Lakshmi Aruna.
However, the court allowed the attachment of five properties in the name of Reddy as one of the six listed by the CBI was not in his name.
As for the properties in the name of Lakshmi Aruna, the court found that she had "acquired some of the properties prior to the date of offence ie, 01.01.2009. Those cannot be attached and it cannot be said that those properties were acquired by the Objector by means of offence alleged," the court said and allowed only 77 of the 118 properties to be attached.
The attachment is connected to the 2012 complaint against Government officials for involvement in the Ballari illegal iron ore mining scam. After investigation by the CBI, a supplementary charge sheet included the names of Janardhana Reddy and others in the case in 2013.
The CBI claimed that there were "reason to believe that G Janardhana Reddy had acquired majority of the assets mentioned in the schedule of properties through the proceeds of the aforesaid offences," and sought their attachment in an application filed in the case.
The court ordered in 2021 that the application be delinked and a separate case be filed.
A criminal miscellaneous petition was filed by the CBI in 2022 seeking the attachment.
The court's order allowing the attachment was passed on June 12, 2023. -- PTI
17:18 Tata Steel plant workers hospitalised after steam leak in Odisha plant
A few workers at Tata Steel Ltd's plant in Odisha's Dhenkanal were "affected", the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We are saddened to report an accident at the BFPP2 power plant due to escape of steam at Tata Steel Meramandali Works in Dhenkanal, Odisha," Tata Steel said in the statement.
"The accident took place at 1pm during inspection work. The workers were shifted to the occupational health centre inside the plant premises and then to Cuttack for further treatment," the statement said.
As a precautionary measure, they were rushed in the company's ambulance, accompanied by doctor and paramedics, it added. -- PTI
17:01 Rahul undertakes another truck ride, this time in US
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently travelled from Washington to New York in a truck and engaged in a candid conversation with the driver that centred around the everyday lives of Indian-origin truck drivers in the US.
Gandhi's journey in the truck during his recent visit to the United States came days after he took a truck ride from Delhi to Chandigarh to listen to the problems of truck drivers.
Continuing his journey to listen to people in India as well as overseas, the Congress leader went on a 190-km "American Truck Yatra" from Washington DC to New York with driver Taljinder Singh Vicky Gill and his companion Ranjeet Singh Banipal, a journey that ended with a scrumptious breakfast at an eatery, according to a release issued by the party.
Much like his truck ride from Delhi to Chandigarh, a candid heart-to-heart conversation centred around the everyday lives of Indian-origin truck drivers in America was the highlight of the journey, the release said.
During the ride, Gandhi noted that the trucks in the US are designed keeping in mind the safety and comfort of the driver, which is not the case in India. -- PTI
16:27 Zero tolerance: Air India on grounding pilots
Air India, which grounded two of its pilots for "breach of regulations" over inviting a woman friend into the cockpit during a Delhi-Leh flight last week on Tuesday said that it has a "just culture" approach to all safety-related events and followed a "zero tolerance" approach for any deliberate breaches in its regulations.
"Air India has a Just Culture approach to all safety-related events and has zero tolerance for deliberate breaches of regulations. Such breaches are dealt with on a serious basis and sanctions will be imposed on those who are in breach of the regulations," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.
The Air India management acted against the pilot and the co-pilot soon after receiving a complaint from the cabin crew regarding an unauthorised woman passenger entering the cockpit of the AI-445 aircraft.
"A female friend of an AI-445 pilot entered the cockpit without following rules, both pilots have been grounded and off-rostered by Air India," a top Air India official told ANI.
Responding to the incident, the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it is aware of the issue and necessary action is being taken in the matter in accordance with the procedures."Air India formed a committee for the detail investigations and a probe is underway," an official told ANI
16:22 Accident at Tata Steel plant in Odisha
An accident reported at Tata Steel's Meramandali plant in Dhenkanal.
In a statement, Tata Steel says, "We are saddened to report an accident at the BFPP2 power plant due to escape of steam at Tata Steel Meramandali Works in Dhenkanal, Odisha. The accident occurred at 1:00 pm today during the course of the inspection work and has affected a few people working at the site, who were immediately shifted to a hospital for further treatment. Immediately post the accident, all the emergency protocol services were activated and the area has been cordoned off."
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16:06 Earthquake: Cracks appear in buildings in J-K's Doda
A 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit Doda in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, forcing people in parts of the union territory to rush out of their homes in panic and causing damage to some buildings, officials said. The tremors were felt across Delhi and other parts of north India, and in neighbouring Pakistan.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the region at 1:33 pm. Its epicentre was in Doda.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 6 kilometres, it said.
In Doda's Bhaderwah town, a few buildings developed cracks due to the tremors. "The false ceiling of a ward of the sub-district hospital collapsed. Some of the debris fell on patients recuperating in the hospital ward, an official said. The patients have been moved to safety and are being treated in an emergency ward of the hospital," he said.
Azim Malik, a resident of Ghata Bhaderwah, said his house was damaged due to the tremors. "It was a strong earthquake and cracks have developed in my house," Malik told PTI.
Panic-stricken schoolchildren gathered in fields in the Bhaderwah valley and teachers were seen consoling a few of them who were sobbing. Officials in Doda said they are assessing the damage caused by the earthquake. Tremors were also felt in Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, about 150 km from Doda.
"Things in my kitchen were shaking due to the tremors," said Nandini, a resident of Shimla.
The earthquake was also felt in parts of Punjab and Haryana but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property. "The tremors were mild and I felt them while I was sitting on a chair," said Baldev Chand, a resident of Chandigarh. PTI
16:02 Jaishankar, G20 delegates visit Sarnath
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with G20 delegates Tuesday visited the historical Buddhist site of Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath here, officials said.
The delegates from different countries have arrived in Varanasi for the three-day G20 Development Ministers' conclave, which commenced on Sunday.
Around 12 km from the ancient temple town of Varanasi, Sarnath is one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrimage centres in the world.
The Dhamek Stupa marks the location where Lord Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. It was built in 500 CE to replace an earlier structure constructed by King Ashoka in 249 CE.
During their Sarnath visit, the G20 guests also visited other holy places in Sarnath, including Buddhist monasteries and the remains of ancient monuments and relics of the Mauryan period, an official of the district administration said.
After their arrival at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Varanasi on Sunday, the delegates were accorded a grand welcome with drumbeats and music where volunteers received them by applying 'tikaa' and showering flowers. India is hosting the conclave of development ministers of the G-20 member nations from June 11-13 in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
15:52 Israel killed hundreds of ISIS terrorists, says former Army chief
Israeli lawmaker and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot revealed on Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces conducted external operations against Islamic State in 2015.
"ISIS knows best how frequently the IDF acted in the Middle East, and they paid a price in hundreds of killed and injured," Eisenkot said at an Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv. The National Unity Party Knesset member said that Jerusalem was asked to act against ISIS by an unspecified third party, but did not elaborate.
He also did not reveal where any of the activity took place, saying only that it spanned "many more than one country."
"There are few states in the world that can identify targets the size of a postage stamp and then strike it with a missile anywhere within a 1,000-kilometer [620 mile] radius.... Our enemies saw us do this, the Russians saw it and so did the Americans," said Eisenkot.
15:46 Coromandel train crash: 1 more dead, toll 289
The toll in the Odisha triple train accident increased to 289 after an injured passenger succumbed in the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on Tuesday, an official said. The passenger was identified as Bijay Paswan, a resident of Bihar.
He was admitted to the Cuttack facility on June 3, a day after one of the worst train disasters in the country took place at Bahanga Bazar station in Balasore district.
Paswan was suffering from multiple injuries including one in the spinal cord. He was also suffering from hypertension, a hospital official said. The brother of the deceased said Paswan's health condition worsened on Monday night and he died on Tuesday.
The Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at 7 pm on June 2. A few coaches of Coromandel toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time. PTI
15:18 Stalin asks PM to discontinue NExT
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin tweets on the NExT: "The introduction of National Exit Test (NExT) will be an additional burden on our young medical students, who already have a rigorous academic load. It will force them to focus more on the theoretical part of medicine during their course and internships and is bound to hamper development of adequate clinical skills. It is also an attempt to dilute the role of State Governments and Universities in the health sector and to centralise powers with the Union Government. Therefore I request Hon'ble @PMOIndia to continue with the existing system."
15:17 AIADMK slams BJP chief for remarks against Jaya
Relationship between the AIADMK and the Tamil Nadu BJP appears to be on the rocks owing to BJP chief K Annamalai's alleged remark on former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
An irate AIADMK general secretary K Palaniswami on Tuesday lashed out at Annamalai for the latter's "irresponsible and immature" remark. The BJP state president had cast aspersion on late chief minister Jayalalithaa with an ulterior motive, Palaniswami said.
Reacting strongly to the criticism of the AIADMK leader, Palaniswami said "Annamalai's remark is irresponsible, lacking political experience and maturity. We strongly condemn it."
Speaking to reporters here Palaniswami, who was a former CM, said the party's district secretaries passed a resolution against the BJP chief for "tarnishing the reputation of revolutionary leader and Idhaya Deivam (goddess in the heart, as Jayalalithaa is fondly called by her followers) in a planned manner."
This is the first time the AIADMK has condemned Annamalai in such harsh terms and even passed a resolution against him. Palaniswami had chaired the meeting at the party office.
15:11 Twitter turned rogue during 2020-22: Malviya
The BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya Tuesday came down heavily on former Twitter chief executive officer Jack Dorsey, saying the social media company was in violation of laws between 2020-2022 when he was at the helm of affairs.
Malviya's counteroffensive through a Twitter post after Dorsey claimed the Indian government threatened raids on employees and shutdown if the company did not take down posts critical of the government during the farmers protest against three new laws in 2020 and 2021.
Malviya said that Under Dorsey the firm had turned "rogue, disregarding laws of the sovereigns they operated in, muzzling freedom of speech (shadow banning ideologically differing voices) and in many cases promoting secessionist voices and those who were working to exacerbate social fault lines, including several Twitter employees (Dorsey himself is guilty of it)"
He said 'Twitter Files', released after Elon Musk got rid of "toxic people" in Twitter, is a testimony.
"It can't be the case that Twitter was always in the right and every other government, including their own, in the US, was wrong," said Malviya. He said Twitter was in violation of India laws for an extended period (between 2020-2022). "But neither was Twitter ever shut down nor its employees raided or sent to jail, despite Dorsey and his colleagues actively pursuing a policy, which was at loggerheads with Indian regulations. They were also allowing their platform to be used by foreign forces inimical to India's interest, on several occasions, which posed grave threat to India's national security and well being," said Malviya.
He also slammed Opposition Congress saying they were "excited" by an "invertebrate liar's misplaced assertions". "Rahul Gandhi goes abroad and seeks help of foreign powers and his minions in India amplify stray disposed voices to demonise India Is leaning on foreign money and media the only way Congress hopes to undermine the will of the people and unseat a democratically elected Govt?" he said.
15:07 4 dead as chemical-laden tanker explodes on Pune-Mumbai Expressway
Four people were killed and three injured when a chemical-laden tanker caught fire following an accident and exploded on Pune-Mumbai Expressway on Tuesday, police said.
The accident took place on the expressway stretch between Lonavala and Khandala, an official said. The tanker caught fire following an accident and exploded causing fiery balls of the chemical to fall on the motorists travelling on the road below, he said.
Four motorists on the road below sustained injuries, of which three died, while one occupant of the tanker was killed and two others in the vehicle were injured, said the official from Lonavala police station. The injured were rushed to a hospital, he said, adding that the fire at the scene has been extinguished. PTI
14:47 PM's Rozgar Mela does NOT mean new jobs: Cong
The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 'Rozgar Mela' events, saying this "entire tamasha" is giving the identity of "job destroyers" to the BJP which is now resorting to "desperate gimmicks" to manage the headlines.
The Opposition party's attack came after Modi addressed the newly-recruited government employees after distributing appointment letters to over 70,000 people.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "Let us be absolutely clear. The Rozgar Mela does not mean NEW jobs. What it is doing instead is making the personalisation of governance complete. People are getting government jobs presumably against already sanctioned posts and after going through a recruitment process that has existed for years." Now the prime minister, who has "totally and completely failed" to create jobs in the last nine years, is making it appear as if some special favour is being bestowed by him and him alone on those getting the government and other public sector jobs," Ramesh said hitting out at Modi.
"I know of a few in leading educational institutions who were told that their appointment letters, which they would have got in the normal course, would be handed over as part of self-styled Vishwaguru's tamasha," he said.
"This entire Tamasha is certainly giving an identity to the BJP as he claims the identity of job destroyers now resorting to desperate gimmicks to manage the headlines," Ramesh said in his tweet. In his remarks, Modi said the 'Rozgar Mela' has become the new identity of the BJP and NDA governments.
14:33 Irani was annoyed at being asked for a byte in Amethi
There's a strong chance you saw the viral video of union minister Smriti Irani ticking off a journalist -- one Vipin Yadav. "I will call the owner of your paper," she said, "and tell them no journalist has the right to insult the people." A day later, a stringer -- but it wasn't Yadav -- with Dainik Bhaskar lost his job over the exchange. Read the report here.
14:01 Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi, parts of north India
Earthquake tremors were felt in the national capital and parts of north India on Tuesday afternoon. The quake was felt post 1:30 pm. Further details are awaited.
Kandla port has been cleared of ships
13:59 Biparjoy: Severe damage likely in Kutch, Jamnagar
Cyclone 'Biparjoy' has an extensive damaging potential and it is likely to impact Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat the most, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
Cyclone Biparjoy is predicted to cross Saurashtra and Kutch coasts near Jakhau Port on the evening of June 15 as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. "Its damaging potential could be extensive," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said at a press conference.
The cyclone could lead to extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm) at isolated places in Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts on June 15.
"Usually these areas do not receive such massive rainfall. Therefore, it can lead to flooding in low-lying areas," he said.
Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagarh may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. Winds gusting up to 145 kilometers are predicted to batter these districts.
"Tidal waves reaching heights of up to six metres could inundate low-lying coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch. Evacuation measures have been recommended, and authorities are taking prompt action," Mohapatra said.
13:42 Two accused acquitted in Best Bakery case
A Mumbai court acquits two of the accused -- Harshad Raoji Bhai Solanki and Mafat Manilal Gohil -- in the 2002 Best Bakery case.
The case pertains to a bakery in Vadodara that was torched by a mob during the 2002 Gujarat riots, which led to the death of 14 people. Following the incident bakery owner's daughter, Zaheera Sheikh had lodged a police complaint against 21 people.
A total of 21 people were charged with murder in this case. All were acquitted by the local court at Gujarat in this case. In order to ensure fair trail, Supreme Court transferred this case to Maharashtra.
In 2006, a Mumbai court found nine people guilty on several charges including murder, and were sent to life imprisonment. In 2012, the Bombay High Court acquitted five of the nine accused, while confirming punishment given to four.
13:30 Woman kills mom, packs her in suitcase, surrenders
A 39-year-old physiotherapist allegedly strangled her mother to death and surrendered at a police station with the corpse packed in a suitcase, police said on Tuesday.
The accused Sonali Sen, a native of West Bengal, was the only child of her parents and after her father's death in Kolkata five years ago, she was taking care of her mother at her home here, police said.
"Yesterday at about 11 to 11.30 am, the woman strangled her mother with a veil when her husband had gone for duty at Hebbagodi based company in the city," the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East Division, C K Baba told reporters. According to police, Sen was staying at an apartment at Bilekahalli in Mico Layout in the city for the past five years along with her husband, son, mother Bibha Paul and mother-in-law.
After killing her mother, Sen packed the body in a suitcase with her photograph and came to the Mico Layout police station. Subsequently, a murder case was registered by a police sub-inspector, Baba added.
Regarding the murder motive, he said the matter is under investigation. I don't know why the murder was committed. We have to take her into custody. She has studied physiotherapy. It appears there were some domestic issues, Baba said.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
13:27 Jitan Manjhi's son resigns from Nitish cabinet
In a sudden move, Bihar minister for SC and ST welfare, Santosh Suman, on Tuesday resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet, his party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) announced in Patna.
Suman is currently the national president of HAM which was founded by his father Jitan Ram Manjhi, a former chief minister. It was not immediately known whether the resignation was accepted.
Sources in 'Mahagathbandhan', the ruling alliance in the state, however, said that even if HAM, a four MLA-strong party, pulls out of the coalition, it would not have a bearing on the survival of the government. PTI
13:21 News updates
Bihar minister Santosh Suman, son of ex-CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, resigns from Nitish cabinet.
Cyclone Biparjoy may cause extensive damage; Gujarat's Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar districts likely to be most impacted: IMD
13:10 AI grounds 2 pilots for inviting woman in cockpit
Over a month after an Air India pilot was grounded for inviting his female friend into the cockpit, the airline has now initiated action against two pilots for inviting a woman into the cockpit of a Delhi-Leh flight last week.
The Air India management acted against the pilot and the co-pilot soon after receiving a complaint from the cabin crew regarding an unauthorised female passenger entering the cockpit of the AI-445 aircraft.
"A female friend of AI-445 pilot entered the cockpit without following rules, both pilots have been grounded/off-roster by Air India," a top Air India official told ANI.
Responding to the incident, the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "DGCA is aware of the issue and necessary action is being taken in the matter in accordance with the procedures."
"Air India formed a committee for the detail investigations," an official told ANI. There was no official response from Air India as yet. "Air India formed a committee for the detail investigations," an official told ANI.
12:33 Biparjoy: 50 oil rig men evacuated from Dwarka
The Indian Coast Guard evacuated 50 personnel from an oil rig located 40 km off the Dwarka coast in Gujarat in an overnight operation amid inclement weather conditions due to the impending cyclone Biparjoy in the region, the maritime agency said on Tuesday.
"India Coast Guard Region north-west evacuated 50 personnel from oil rig 'Key Singapore' 40 km seaward from Dwarka in seven sorties of overnight ops by ICG ALH aircraft and ship Shoor," it said in a release.
It said the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and ship braved "very rough sea conditions" and inclement weather due to approaching Biparjoy, which is expected to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district on June 15. The Coast Guard pressed into service its MK III, an ALH, for the rescue operations even as all its units continued to be on high alert to render assistance as required, it said.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD)'s latest bulletin, Biparjoy is very likely to move north-northeastward and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port by the evening of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm.
Wind speed at the time is expected to be in the range of 125-135 kmph gusting up to 150 kmph, it said. In view of the cyclone, authorities have planned for large-scale evacuation of people living near the coastline. PTI
12:29 Cong demands answers from govt on Dorsey's claims
The Congress Tuesday demanded answers from the Modi government after ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey claimed the platform was threatened it would be shut down unless it complied with orders to restrict accounts critical of the government during the farmers' protest.
In a tweet, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said, "The Modi Government forced Twitter to shut down accounts of Farmers and Farmer's movement, shut down accounts of journalists critical of Government, or Twitter and its employees would be raided".
"This is what Twitter Co Founder and Ex CEO Jack Dorsey admits in a TV interview. Will Modi Government answer," he asked.
He also shared clips from a TV interview in which Dorsey levelled the allegations. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh too took to Twitter, saying, "During the farmers agitation the cowardly BJP government threatened to shut down Twitter & raid the homes of their employees."
Dorsey, who quit as Twitter CEO in 2021, made the sensational allegation in an interview with the YouTube news show Breaking Points on Monday. He claimed that the Indian government "pressured" the company with threats of a shutdown and raids on employees if it did not comply with requests to take down posts and restrict accounts that were critical of the government over the protest by farmers against new laws in 2020 and 2021.
"It manifested in ways such as: 'We will shut Twitter down in India', which is a very large market for us; 'we will raid the homes of your employees', which they did; And this is India, a democratic country," he said talking about pressure Twitter under him faced from the Indian government.
Rubbishing the claims, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "@twitter under Dorsey and his team were in repeated and continuous violations of India law. As a matter of fact they were in non-compliance with law repeatedly from 2020 to 2022 and it was only June 2022 when they finally complied". PTI
Is Eknath Shinde ready to break free?
12:18 Sena ad says Shinde preferred as CM, not Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday placed a full-page advertisement in many newspapers titled Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra, quoting a survey where Shinde is shown as more preferred for the top post than BJP's Devendra Fadnavis.
The ad prompted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut to call the party Modi-Shah's Shiv Sena. The advertisement carries Sena's bow-and-arrow symbol and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde. It has no image or photo of Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, a noticeable departure going by its earlier publicity materials.
"For the chief minister's position, 26.1 per cent of the people in Maharashtra desire Eknath Shinde and 23.2 per cent of the people wish to see Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister, reads the advertisement. Thus, it is undeniable proof that 49.3 per cent of the people in Maharashtra wish to see a strong alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena for their state's leadership," it said.
The figures and claims in the advertisement have been attributed to a Zee TV-Matrize survey. According to the election surveys, 30.2 per cent of citizens of Maharashtra prefer Bharatiya Janata Party, while 16.2 per cent of citizens prefer the Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde).
These numbers show that a total of 46.4 per cent people of Maharashtra trust the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance for the development of the state, the advertisement said. Responding to the advertisement, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said, It was Balasaheb's Shiv Sena earlier, but the advertisement has cleared the air.
"It has now become Modi-Shah's Shiv Sena. Where is the image or photo of late Balasaheb Thackeray in the advertisement?"
State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, however, tried to downplay the advertisement. "It is always the election result that decides which party or leader is more acceptable to the voters. Shinde as a cabinet minister was popular earlier and now his acceptance has increased as the chief minister. People of the state have lots of expectations from Fadnavis, Shinde and Modi," he said.
11:35 IndiGo flight suffers tail strike while landing at Delhi
An IndiGo aircraft has been grounded after it suffered a tail strike during its landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The incident took place on Sunday when the plane was on course to Delhi from Kolkata. No injuries were reported in the incident. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo A321-252NX (Neo) aircraft VT-IMG while operating flight 6E-6183, sector Kolkata - Delhi was involved in a tail strike while landing at Delhi.
The flight was uneventful till the approach to land at Delhi. During the approach on runway 27, the crew felt that they floated longer than normal and initiated a go-around. During the go-around maneuver, probably the bottom of the tail portion of the aircraft touched the runway surface and sustained damages, said DGCA.
11:16 Agree with Dorsey on Twitter clampdown: Tikait
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait reacts to former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's claim on 'pressure' from India during the farmer protests. "We had information that the kind of reach on Facebook and Twitter that was expected on farmers' protest, was not coming. They used to try to stop it at their level. The Head (former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey) has said this clearly now. But such companies don't come under anyone's pressure. Govt of India must have made such attempts...What he said is correct."
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in a stunning allegation claimed that the micro-blogging platform had faced government pressure and threats of shutdown during farmers' protest, a statement that evoked a sharp rebuttal from Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar who termed it an "outright lie".
Rubbishing the claims, the Minister of State for IT tweeted that Dorsey's Twitter regime "had a problem accepting the sovereignty of Indian law". "No one went to jail nor was twitter `shutdown'," Chandrasekhar said.
Jack Dorsey has alleged that during the farmers' protest the Indian government pressurised the microblogging platform and threatened to shut down Twitter in India, raid the homes of employees if it didn't listen to what was being told.
Modi and Biden at the G20 Summit in Bali last year
10:42 Bidens to host intimate dinner for PM
The Biden family is planning to host an intimate dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21, a day before the much-in-demand State Dinner at the White House, a senior administration official has said.
Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an official state visit. The historic visit, among other things, would include an impressive welcome ceremony on the South Lawns on June 22, which later in the night would also become the venue for the State Dinner that would be extraordinarily glittery with great entertainment, the official, familiar with the planning of the high-profile trip said.
"We will have a very substantial arrival ceremony on the White House lawn. The night before, I expect the Prime Minister and President Biden and the Biden family to have some moments of intimacy where they really have a chance to sit down together," the official told PTI.
The venue of the intimate dinner has not been disclosed. According to the White House schedule released last week, Biden is scheduled to travel to California from June 19 to 21. The Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Washington DC from New York on June 21 after attending the International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters. The day of hectic activities on June 22 would conclude with a State Dinner, for which a tent is likely to be pitched on the South Lawns of the White House to accommodate the large number of guests who have been invited for it.
The guest list is normally released on the evening of the state dinner. The attendees are expected to be the stakeholders of this relationship from across the United States and also from India. "I think the State Dinner will be really a celebration of the US-India relations with supporters and advocates coming from India, but also around the United States. We have a saying ...it's a very hot ticket. Hardly a day goes by when I haven't received requests from people to get the last tickets to the state dinner. I believe it will be a wonderful celebration," said the official.
10:38 Prabhu Deva confirms, Yes, I am a father again
Choreographer, director and actor Prabhu Deva is on top of the world. He has become a father again, his first child with his second wife Himani whom he married in 2020.
Confirming this Prabhu says, "It's true. I am a father again at this age (50). I feel very very happy and complete."
This is the first girl child in Prabhu's family; Prabhu has three sons from a previous marriage.
Prabhu wants to spend as much time at home as possible. "I have already cut down on my workload. I felt I was doing too much work, just running around. I am done with that. I want to spend some time with my family."
Prabhu divides his time between Mumbai and Chennai. He has a thriving career as a director and actor in both cities. As a choreographer he says he wants to take it easy, unless something big comes up.
-- Subhash K Jha
10:32 Biparjoy: Orange alert for Saurashtra, Kutch
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued an Orange alert for Saurashtra and Kutch coasts in Gujarat as the cyclonic storm Biparjoy is set to cross the Jakhau Port in Gujarat by the evening of June 15 as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS).
"Cyclone Warning for Saurashtra and Kutch Coasts: Orange Message. VSCS BIPARJOY at 0530IST of today about 300km WSW of Porbandar, 290km SW of Devbhumi Dwarka, 340km SSW of Jakhau Port, 350km SSW of Naliya. To cross near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by the evening of 15th June as VSCS," the IMD tweeted.
The IMD has been providing regular updates about the cyclonic storm that is gushing through the Arabian sea.
10:22 No teaser of Karan Johars film with Adipurush
... At least not on June 16 when Adipurush releases all over the world.
There are reports in a section of the media that the teaser of Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani will be attached to Adipurush.
Informs a source close to Dharma Production, "The teaser of Rocky Aur Rani will be released only on or after June 20. So there is no question of the teaser opening with Adipurush on June 16. However they may attach Rocky Aur Rani's teaser to Adipurush from June 20 onwards. If not then the teaser will be attached to Satyaprem Ki Katha."
Getting ready a teaser of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani is not an easy task.
"There are at least 10 major characters and Karan doesn't want to miss out on any of them in the first teaser," says a source from Dharma.
-- Subhash K Jha
10:06 MSP stir: Delhi-Chandigarh highway remains blocked
Farmers blocking the national highway in Pipli in Haryana's Kurukshetra district over the demand for MSP for sunflower seeds will hold a meeting on Tuesday to mull their future course of action after two rounds of talks with the district administration failed to yield any outcome.
Farmers have blocked the highway (NH-44) near Pipli, which connects Delhi with Chandigarh, and some other routes since Monday afternoon after holding a mahapanchayat on the issue.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said they held a meeting with the district administration twice on Monday night but the talks did not yield any outcome. He said a local committee of farmers that was constituted on Monday and the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would hold a meeting on Tuesday to chalk out their further course of action.
Tikait said the issue of minimum support price for sunflower crop is not only affecting farmers in Haryana but the entire farmer community "as we are demanding a MSP law for all crops, as promised by the union government when we withdrew the 'Kisan andolan' (farmers agitation against the now repealed farm laws)".
Apart from the MSP for sunflower seeds, the protesting farmers are demanding the release of nine farmer union leaders who were arrested during a protest at Shahabad recently.
Kurukshetra's Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria told PTI that the district administration is trying to persuade the farmers to lift the blockade and was hopeful that a solution would be found. He also said that a fresh case has been registered against the protesters by the police under relevant provisions of law for blocking the national highway.
Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 imposed in an area of 2 km radius of grain market Pipli, where farmers held their mahapanchayat, have been violated, he said.
The "MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat", called by the BKU (Charuni), was held at a grain market in Pipli close to national highway-44.
Subsequently, they blocked the highway. The district administration and the police have been making efforts to persuade the protesting farmers to lift the blockade, which has caused inconvenience to commuters.
09:59 Inmate sodomised but no action from jail bosses
Arthur Road prison is in the soup for the third time this month. A man has alleged that his 24-year-old son, imprisoned in a POCSO case, was sexually assaulted by two inmates. "They first badly thrashed him inside the toilet and then took turns to sodomise him," said the father from his hometown in UP. Neither the jail officers nor the local NM Joshi Marg police have taken any action, said the alleged victim's lawyer. Read the report here.
09:38 Rampant abuse at Vasai shelter
The inmates of a shelter home under the government of India's ambitious project Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -- National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) -- in Vasai are allegedly being tortured, assaulted and not taken care of by the workers of an NGO that runs it. The inmates have also alleged that they are not provided good food. Neither is anything done under the Mission for their upliftment, as this reporter found at the facility.
Read the report here.
09:32 WR short-terminates 56 trains heading to Gujarat
As the powerful cyclone Biparjoy moves closer to the Gujarat coast, the Western Railway has short-terminated more than 50 trains heading to coastal areas of the state and is considering cancellation of several trains over the next three days, a release said.
The WR is taking various measures including setting up disaster management rooms, help desks, and keeping relief trains ready, the release said on Monday. The wind speed is being monitored at five locations in Bhavnagar division, at eight sites in Rajkot and at three spots in Ahmedabad division on an hourly basis and station masters have been instructed to regulate or stop trains when the wind velocity exceeds 50 kmph, as per the release.
According to IMD, Biparjoy' is likely to make landfall near the Jakhau port in Kutch district on Thursday afternoon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour.
As many as 56 trains heading to Gandhidham, Veraval, Okha, Porbandar in coastal Gujarat have been short-terminated at Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surendranagar. Around 95 trains are being proposed for cancellation between June 13 to June 15, the release said.
Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer (CPRO), WR, said, "Passenger trains scheduled from June 12 onwards in the vulnerable sections are being reviewed and necessary decisions will be taken. Several trains have been cancelled and short-terminated as a precautionary measure in view of the safety of passengers and train operations."
Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to hit the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, covering Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Ahmedabad divisions of the Western Railway.
As Veraval-Junagad, Porbandar-Kanalus, Rajkot-Okha and Viramgam-Gandhidham-Bhuj sections are most vulnerable to this cyclone, the WR has taken various safety and security precautions, the release said.
09:13 Dorsey lying, says govt on blocking accounts
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on co-founder and former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey's claim on 'pressure' from India: "This is an outright lie by Jack Dorsey -- perhaps an attempt to brush out that very dubious period of twitters history. Twitter under Dorsey & his team were in repeated & continuous violations of Indian law. As a matter of fact, they were in non-compliance with law repeatedly from 2020 to 2022 and it was only June 2022 when they finally complied. No one went to jail nor was Twitter "shutdown". Dorsey's Twitter regime had a problem accepting the sovereignty of Indian law...," tweets Chandrasekhar.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said Twitter received numerous requests from India to block accounts related to farmers' protests and those expressing criticism towards the government.
Dorsey mentioned that India had put pressure on Twitter, including threats of shutting down the platform in the country, conducting raids on employees' homes, and closing down Twitter offices, all because of their refusal to comply. Dorsey emphasised that these actions were taking place in a democratic country like India.
'We would raid the homes of your employees, which they did; we will shut down your offices if you don't follow suit. And this is India, a democratic country," said Dorsey on pressure from India.
Dorseys comments came as he was asked to give some examples of pressure from foreign governments so that the audience had an idea how it felt when some of the most powerful people" on the planet approached him and demanded things from the company.
Tidal waves at Tithal beach in Valsad
08:52 Gujarat to evacuate people within 10 km of coast
As Cyclone Biparjoy' approaches and is likely to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district off the Gujarat coast, evacuation efforts will pick up on Tuesday, with the government aiming to evacuate people within 10 km from the coast.
Authorities in the coastal districts of Kutch, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh, and Morbi have started the process of shifting those living near the coastline. They said thousands of people residing in areas within 10 km from the shore will be moved to safer places from Tuesday.
"VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm) Biparjoy lay centered at 0230 IST of the 13th June, 2023 over Northeast and adjoining Eastcentral Arabian Sea about 290 km southwest of Porbandar & 360 km south-southwest of Jakhau Port. To cross Saurashtra & Kutch near Jakhau Port by evening of 15th June as a VSCS," India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest post.
Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey told reporters that the government is constantly working to ensure that there is no loss of life due to the weather phenomenon.
Pandey said the rescue operation will be carried out in two phases beginning Tuesday, with people residing 0 to 5 km from the seashore to be shifted first. Thereafter, people living within a distance of 5 to 10 km from the coast will be moved to safer places, with priority to be given to children, pregnant women and the elderly.
A total of 12 teams each of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the districts that are likely to be affected by the cyclone and arrangements have been made for the accommodation, food and medicine of the evacuated people. -- PTI
08:28 Massive Bhopal fire put off after army steps in
The fire that broke out at Satpura Bhawan in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal has been brought under control, informed officials on Tuesday morning.
A massive fire broke out at Satpura Bhawan in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal on Monday afternoon. Bhopal District Collector Ashish Singh said that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Army came together to douse the fire.
"The fire has been brought under control. All agencies including CISF, Army came together to douse the fire and it has been controlled," said the District Collector. Bhopal Police Commissioner, Harinarayan Chari Mishra said that primarily it has come to the fore that the cause of the fire is a short circuit, but a team of experts has been formed to investigate it.
"The flames have been controlled but there is a cloud of smoke at different places, due to which there is a possibility that it may catch fire later but teams are working. As of now, there is no need (for IAF helicopters). Primarily it has come to the fore that the cause of the fire is due to a short circuit, but a team of experts has been formed to investigate it," said Harinarayan Chari Mishra.
Initially, the fire incident occurred on the third floor of the building and later it spread up to the sixth floor of the building on Monday. On getting the information about the incident fire tenders rushed to the spot and started extinguishing the fire.
Earlier on Monday, calling it an unfortunate incident, Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Prabhuram Chaudhary said that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident. -- ANI
08:24 US has 'terrific cooperation' with India inside Quad: WH
The United States has a "significant" defence partnership with India and "terrific cooperation" inside the Quad, the White House has said.
The remarks by John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council in the White House, to reporters at Monday's daily news conference come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US next week.
"We are very much looking forward to have Prime Minister Modi here," he said.
"As you know, the United States has a significant defence partnership with India and terrific cooperation inside the Quad, across the Indo-Pacific with India... We are looking forward to the visit," Kirby said in response to a question.
The Quad comprises Japan, India, Australia, and the US. The four countries in 2017 gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quadrilateral coalition or "Quad" to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific.
Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an official State Visit, which will include a State Dinner on June 22. -- PTI
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01:39 Malegaon blast: Accused seeks action against ex-ATS officer
An accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast on Monday moved a plea before a special court here, seeking action against a former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad officer for allegedly falsely implicating a co-accused in the nearly 14-year-old case.
The court asked the National Investigation Agency to file its response to the plea.
In his plea moved before special judge AK Lahoti, accused Sameer Kulkarni claimed that the deposition of two witnesses, who have said they spotted the officer at the home of co-accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi on November 3, 2008 -- more than a month after the blast -- shows the former ATS officer misused his official position and committed a serious offence.
The plea seeks legal action as per provisions of law against the officer.
The Maharashtra ATS, which had probed the case initially, alleged the bomb was assembled at Chaturvedi's residence, where it had found traces of RDX.
Later, the National Investigation Agency took over the case and filed a supplementary chargesheet, saying a former ATS officer had planted evidence in the home of an accused.
However, the officer concerned, during his deposition before the court last week, denied allegations that he had planted RDX (explosives) at Chaturvedi's house. -- PTI
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
01:19 Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sends 600 kg mangoes as gift to Mamata
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent 600 kg of mangoes as a gift to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, officials said Monday.
"Mangoes comprising the imsagar' and 'angra' variants have been sent to Banerjee, as part of diplomatic efforts. Last year, too, we had sent mangoes," an official in the Bangladesh deputy high commission in Kolkata said.
Hasina has also sent mangoes to all the chief ministers of the northeast. Last year, she had sent mangoes as a gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. -- PTI
00:44 Chhattisgarh scribe held for 'spreading baseless news' against judicial, govt officials
A news portal journalist has been arrested for allegedly circulating baseless and misleading news against judicial and government officers in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, the police said on Monday.
Raipur-based Nilesh Sharma, editor of the India Writers portal, was apprehended by a team of the Bilaspur district police in Raipur on Sunday and brought to Raipur, a senior police official said.
Sharma was arrested in a case lodged last month under Sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(1)(b) (Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report with intent to cause fear or alarm in the public) of the IPC based on a complaint of a lawyer, he said.
The lawyer had complained over a news article published in a news portal - NewsTodayCG.com -- against judicial, government and administration officials claiming it to be "baseless and misleading", he said.
Acting on the complaint, the Bilaspur police along with their Raipur counterparts had apprehended Sunil Namdeo, the operator of NewsTodayCG.com, from the Mana area of the state capital on June 1 after a raid. -- PTI
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00:27 Woman killed, hubby hurt as tree falls on bike due to strong wind in Gujarat
A woman was killed and her husband was injured on Monday after a tree fell on their motorcycle on a state highway in Jasdan taluka of Gujarat's Rajkot district due to strong winds, an official said.
Many parts of Gujarat are experiencing strong winds due to cyclone 'Biparjoy', which appears to make landfall in the Kutch district on June 15 with winds gusting up to 150 kmph.
"A woman, identified as Varsha Bavaliya, was riding pillion on the motorcycle while her husband Bhavesh was riding it when a tree fell on them due to strong winds on Kamlapur-Bhadla state highway at around 11:30 am," said Jasadan taluka Mamlatdar (disaster wing), Ashvin Padani.
Varsha died shortly after being admitted to a nearby hospital, he added. -- PTI
Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut
00:23 Raut sues Kirit Somaiya for defamation over tweets
Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya in a court in Mumbai for allegedly posting defamatory tweets against him since 2022.
In the complaint filed before a magistrate's court in suburban Mulund, through advocate Sundeep Singh, the Rajya Sabha MP urged the court to take cognizance of offence punishable under IPC Section 500 (punishment for defamation) against Somaiya.
"Since the year 2022, I noticed that the accused made some tweets on his Twitter account with defamatory statements against me, which are completely unwarranted statements and amount to defamation against me," the complaint said.
Raut said he was shocked and surprised over these statements of the BJP leader.
The statements were noticed by me and many of my followers and other people from his Twitter account.
He has made defamatory statements against me without having any strict proof.
He is trying to malign my reputation in eyes of society and public at large, the complaint alleged. -- PTI
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