LIVE! 'Drunk' student mows down security guard in Hyd

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Sun, 11 August 2024

'Drunk' student mows down security guard in Hyd

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21:57 'Drunk' student mows down security guard in Hyderabad

A 38-year-old security guard died after being hit by a speeding car driven by a degree student allegedly in a drunken state at Gajularamaram here on Sunday, police said.

The incident happened at around 6.15 am when the security guard was walking on the road, a police official at Jeedimetla police station said.

After being hit by the speeding vehicle, the pedestrian was flung in the air and fell down, police said, adding he died on the spot.

The accident was caught on a CCTV camera. A 20-year-old degree second-year student, who was driving the vehicle, was taken into custody in connection with the accident, the official said.

A breath analyser test conducted on him revealed that he was allegedly driving the car in an inebriated condition, he said.

Five of his friends were also travelling in the car when the incident happened, the official added.

As per the video footage, none of the occupants of the car allegedly came to the rescue of the pedestrian who was seen lying on the ground even as they were seen moving away from the place. -- PTI

20:51 Heavy rains in Delhi: 3 flights diverted

Three flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Sunday due to bad weather, according to an official.

Various parts of the national capital witnessed heavy rains on Sunday.

The official said three flights of Air India were diverted, two to Jaipur and one to Lucknow.

These flights were diverted between 0945 and 1115 hours, the official added. On Sunday morning, Air India said flights to and from Delhi may be affected due to heavy rains.

'Guests are advised to start early for the airport, as slow traffic and waterlogging may delay movement,' the airline said in a post on X. -- PTI

19:35 Maratha protesters stop Sharad Pawar's convoy

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday faced angry Maratha agitators in separate incidents who stopped his vehicle in Solapur district and later raised slogans and waved black flags when the veteran politician was addressing a rally in Barshi town.

Visuals aired by television channels showed a group of people raising 'Maratha aarakshan' slogans stopping Pawar's SUV near Kurduwadi village and asking him to clarify his stand on the reservation issue.

The former Maharashtra chief minister can be heard saying he supported the reservation but protesters said he was not speaking his mind on the issue.

"You have been talking for a long time about supporting reservation for the Maratha community. Why don't you publicly declare your stand on this issue?" a protester asked Pawar.

In a separate incident which occurred within hours after Pawar's SUV was stopped, some youths reached the venue of his rally in Barshi town and raised slogans hailing quota leader Manoj Jarange.

They also showed black flags when Pawar was delivering a speech.

Confirming the incident, a Solapur Police official said four youths raised slogans supporting Jarange at Pawar's rally.

They were overpowered by security guards and police personnel and detained at the local police station.

Speaking at the rally, Pawar took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his assurance of doubling the income of farmers, claiming farmer suicides doubled under the Bharatiya Janata Party rule.

Manoj Jarange has been leading protests demanding OBC certificates for recognising all Kunbis (agriculturists) and their 'sage soyre' (blood relatives) as Marathas.

In February, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs, but Jarange is insisting on the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category. -- PTI

Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar and Suprodip Chakma were sworn in on Sunday as the members of the council of advisers of Bangladesh's interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Poddar and Chakma while Chief Adviser Dr Yunus witnessed the ceremony at Darbar Hall of the presidential palace 'Bangabhaban' in Dhaka, state-run BSS news agency reported.

On Thursday, the majority of the members of the 16-member council of advisers took oath.

The council will assist Yunus in running the state's affairs.

Chakma, former Ambassador and Chairman of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board, and Dr Poddar, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, could not take oath on Thursday as they were outside Dhaka, the news agency said.

Another adviser, freedom fighter Farooq-e Azam, could not take oath as he was outside the capital.

Yunus, the 84-year-old economist was appointed as the head of the interim government on Tuesday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

He took the oath of office on Thursday. -- PTI

Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran broke down while consoling people looking for their missing family members days after the devastating landslides in Wayanad district.

The minister, who visited the landslide-hit areas, spoke to a father and son who were seen searching at the spot where their house once stood.

Saseendran turned emotional while listening to the painful words and concerns of the hapless family and embraced the boy to console him.

The minister himself was inconsolable while sharing their plight to the media later.

"I never thought in my life that I would have to see such a sight. What reply should I give them? There is no answer to their questions...," Saseendran told reporters.

He urged everyone to work in unison to rebuild the lives of the victims.

The minister also assured survivors that the entire state and the government stood by them in their most difficult time in life.

An extensive search is continuing in landslide-hit Wayanad to trace those who are still missing in the aftermath of the calamity that hit the hill district on July 30.

On Saturday, Modi visited the landslides-hit Wayanad district and assured that the central government would 'spare no effort' in helping Kerala in relief and rehabilitation while describing the tragedy as 'nature displaying its furious form'.

According to the state government, the landslides killed 229 people, while over 130 are still missing. -- PTI

18:30 Shinde terms attack on Uddhav as 'reaction'

The attack on the convoy of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray in Thane was a reaction to action, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the rival Shiv Sena, has said.

When Thackeray arrived for a gathering of his party workers at the Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane on Saturday, workers of the Raj Thackeray-headed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest and hurled tomatoes and cow dung at his convoy.

Responding to a question about the incident, Shinde said on Saturday night, "Who started it? Sena-UBT activists targeted Raj Thackeray's convoy in Aurangabad. This was just a reaction to the action."

Those who abandoned the thoughts of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe, Shinde's mentor and popular Sena leader from Thane, will have to face such situations, he said.

Referring to his revolt in the undivided Shiv Sena, which split the party, Shinde said, "We took the decision (to break away) only to save the party and (its symbol) bow and arrow."

On Friday, Sena-UBT supporters had thrown supari or betel nuts at the convoy of Raj Thackeray, Uddhav's estranged cousin, in Beed city. -- PTI

Eleven Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended while trying to infiltrate into India through international border in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalya, the Border Security Force (BSF) said on Sunday.

They are being questioned and will be handed over to state police for further legal action, a spokesperson said.

He said the BSF was in regular touch with its counterpart BGB to sort out mutual issues, especially the prevention of atrocities on Indian nationals and people from minorities communities in Bangladesh.

The South Bengal Frontier of the force headquartered in Kolkata said in a statement that its eastern command head, Additional Director General (ADG) Ravi Gandhi, chaired an operational conference on Saturday to review security along the 4,096-km-long India-Bangladesh border 'amid the current unrest in Bangladesh' and the upcoming Independence Day on August 15.

It said, "11 Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended on border while infiltrating into India. Two each were nabbed from West Bengal and Tripura borders while seven were apprehended from Meghalaya border."

They are being questioned and will be handed over to state police for further legal action, he said.

The spokesperson said BSF ADG (eastern command) Ravi Gandhi chaired a meeting on Saturday to review security all along this border.

"Detailed deliberations were held to further enhance border control, security and management. Besides, it was decided to continue the close collaboration with counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)," he said.

The BSF has been holding flag meetings with the BGB to sort out mutual issues amicably, especially for the prevention of atrocities on Indian nationals and people from minorities communities in Bangladesh and counterpart BGB has been responding well, he said.

The Union home ministry recently formed a committee under the ADG to look into issues being faced by minorities in Bangladesh following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. -- PTI

16:42 BSP to fight all 10 seats in UP bypolls

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday announced that her party will field candidates in all the 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are going to be held.

The Election Commission is yet to declare the schedule for the by-elections to Karhal, Milkipur, Katehari, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Meerapur, Phulpur, Majhawan and Sisamau assembly seats.

In a statement, released after a meeting of the BSP's state unit district chiefs, office bearers and functionaries, the party said Mayawati reviewed the preparations for the upcoming assembly bypolls.

"Ten assembly constituencies have fallen vacant after the Lok Sabha elections. No official announcement of the date has been made so far but activities pertaining to this are increasing continuously, especially the ruling party, BJP, and its government have made it an issue of prestige, due to which the interest of the people in the bypolls has also increased," it said.

"The BSP will field its candidate in all these assembly constituencies, where by-elections will take place, and will contest the bypolls with full might," the statement said.

By-elections were necessitated for nine seats as the MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

The Sisamau seat fell vacant due to the disqualification SP leader Irfan Solanki as MLA after he was sentenced to jail in a criminal case.

Mounting an attack on the BJP, Mayawati said, "There is tremendous anger among the common public as the BJP government at the Centre and in the state has not only failed in stopping rising poverty, unemployment, price rise and backwardness but has also not paid enough attention towards this."

"Hence, to divert the attention of the people from these issues, they are resorting to destructive bulldozer politics (vidhvansak bulldozer raajniti), and are continuously hatching conspiracies to create new casteist and communal violence or dispute," she said.

"In this sequence, a new law on religious conversion (has been brought), sub-classification of people of the SC-ST society and the creamy layer are new attempts to divide them, denying caste census, government interference in the operation of the mosques-madrasas and Waqf are being done," the BSP chief said.

While these are happening, the poor and the hardworking people are striving to live with self-respect and earn livelihood, she said.

She said now that people are not blindly believing the intention and policy of the government, the BSP must continue its efforts to win the their trust through its policy and principle of 'bahujan hitaaye, bahujan sukhaaye'.

Attacking the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government on the issue of law and order, Mayawati said that in this matter, the strictness of the government is more on paper and it is ineffective on the BJP people. -- PTI

Two pilots were injured after a trainer aircraft belonging to a private aviation academy crashed at an airstrip in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district on Sunday, a police official said.

The two-seater Cessna 152 plane crashed at around 1.30 pm, possibly due to engine failure, after remaining airborne for 40 minutes, Guna Cantt police station in-charge Dileep Rajoria said.

Two pilots on board the plane suffered injuries. They are out of danger and have been admitted to a hospital here, he said.

The plane arrived here a few days back for testing and maintenance, the official said. -- PTI

15:24 New chief justice takes oath in Bangladesh

Syed Refaat Ahmed was sworn in as Bangladesh's new chief justice on Sunday, a day after Obaidul Hassan stepped down as the top judge following an ultimatum by the protesters demanding a revamp of the judiciary.

Hassan and five other judges of the apex Appellate Division on Saturday tendered their resignation, five days after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's regime amid massive street protests.

His resignation came as protesters of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at the apex court premises.

The students had issued an ultimatum to him and the judges of the Appellate Division to resign by 1 pm Ahmed took oath as the new chief justice during a ceremony at the Darbar Hall of the president's official residence at around 12.45 pm local time, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to the chief justice.

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain, the report said.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, who was sworn in on Thursday as the head of an interim government following the ouster of Hasina, also attended the event.

President Shahabuddin on Saturday appointed Justice Ahmed as the 25th chief justice of Bangladesh.

Several top officials in Bangladesh, including Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Maksud Kamal and Bangla Academy Director General Professor Dr Md Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, resigned from their posts in the wake of new protests by students and other demonstrators. -- PTI

Twelve passengers were injured when they jumped out of a slow-moving train in panic after some men operated a fire extinguisher and its fumes filled a coach near Uttar Pradesh's Bilpur on Sunday.

The incident took place in a general coach of the Howrah-Amritsar Mail in the morning near Bilpur station, which falls under the Moradabad division, an official of the Northern Railway said.

Passengers pulled the alarm chain for an emergency stop and jumped out of the train in panic, while it was still moving, the official said and added that '12 passengers were injured'.

"Prima facie, it looks like some miscreants or unruly passenger operated a fire extinguisher which created an impression that a fire had broken out in the general coach of the moving Howrah-Amritsar Mail," he said.

The official added that the Railway Protection Force is investigating the case. -- PTI

14:06 Phone, WhatsApp hacked, claims Supriya Sule

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Supriya Sule has alleged that her phone and WhatsApp have been hacked.

In a post on 'X' on Sunday, the Baramati legislator requested people not to call or message her.

'My phone and WhatsApp have been hacked. Please do not message or call me. Please note that I am filing a police complaint,' Sule wrote.

According to a source close to the NCP-SP leader, a police complaint regarding the hacking was lodged online. -- PTI

Asserting that the mega infra project in Great Nicobar Island is a 'grave threat' to the natural ecosystem, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to suspend all clearances accorded to the project and called for its thorough and impartial review, including by the parliamentary committees concerned.

In a letter to Yadav, former environment minister Ramesh said the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change must fulfil its dharma, and not allow itself to be reduced to becoming a project proponent, especially when the project has decidedly 'disastrous' human, social and ecological consequences.

'You may recall our recent exchange in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. The Union Government's proposed Rs. 72,000 crore 'Mega Infra Project' in Great Nicobar Island is a grave threat to Great Nicobar Island's tribal communities and natural ecosystem,' Ramesh said.

The project can have 'catastrophic ecological and human consequences' and has been pushed through by violating due process and sidestepping legal and constitutional provisions protecting Tribal communities, he claimed.

'First, the project will require the diversion of 13,075 hectares of forest land 15% of the island's area, and a nationally and globally unique rainforest ecosystem,' he said.

Compensatory afforestation, which is no substitute whatsoever for the loss of natural biodiversity-rich forests, is being planned thousands of kilometres away and in a vastly different ecology, Ramesh said.

'Parts of the project site reportedly come under CRZ 1A (areas with turtle nesting sites, mangroves, coral reefs), as had been noted in an National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in response to petitions challenging the clearances. Port construction is prohibited in this zone,' he said in his letter dated August 10.

However, recently, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) set up by the NGT has concluded that the port does not fall in CRZ- 1A, but in CRZ-1B where port construction is allowed, Ramesh pointed out.

'The HPC's conclusions are at variance with the information submitted by the Andaman and Nicobar Coastal Management Authority. The HPC's operations have been opaque - details of its ground-truthing activities and its report has not been made public, and the new information that would have justified the recategorisation of the land has not been provided to stakeholders,' he argued.

The project can potentially result in the genocide of the Shompen, an indigenous community classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), he claimed.

'The project has been rammed through in violation of all legal and policy safeguards for the protection of tribal groups,' Ramesh alleged.

'The Tribal Council of the Islands was not adequately consulted, as is legally required. The Tribal Council of Great Nicobar Island has in fact expressed objections to the Project, claiming that the authorities had earlier 'rushed them' into signing a 'No Objection' letter based on misleading information - and that the No Objection letter has since been revoked,' he said.

The Island's Shompen Policy, notified by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which requires authorities to prioritise the tribe's welfare when considering 'large scale development proposals' was neglected, he claimed.

Consultations with the Scheduled Tribes Commission, legally mandated by Article 338(9) of the Indian Constitution, appear to have been skipped, the Congress leader alleged.

The 'Social Impact Assessment' conducted as part of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR) ignored the existence of the Shompen and the Nicobarese, he said.

"The Project violates the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act (2006), which holds the Shompen as the sole legally empowered authority to protect, preserve, regulate and manage the tribal reserve," Ramesh alleged.

He further said the coastline where the port and the project is proposed to come up is an earthquake prone zone, and saw a permanent subsidence of about 15 feet during the tsunami of December 2004.

Locating such a massive project here deliberately jeopardises investment, infrastructure, people, and the ecology, he said.

"Given these numerous violations of due processes, all clearances accorded to this short-sighted project must be suspended. The proposed project should be reviewed thoroughly and impartially, including by the Parliamentary committees concerned," Ramesh said in his letter to Yadav. -- PTI

A former MLA's wife was killed in a bomb blast in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, officials said on Sunday.

The bomb blast was triggered at a house adjacent to that of former Saikul MLA Yamthong Haokip on Saturday evening, they said.

Sapam Charubala, the second wife of Haokip, was injured in the blast and was taken to a health facility in Saikul but later succumbed to her injuries, the officials said.

Haokip was also in his house when the blast took place but he was not injured in the incident.

Police are investigating the matter. -- PTI

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday evening said his party workers were his 'wagh-nakh' (tiger claws), and he was not afraid of 'Abdali'.

Earlier, as Thackeray arrived for a gathering of his party workers at the Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest and threw tomatoes and cow dung at his convoy.

Recently Uddhav Thackeray had dubbed Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah as 'Ahmed Shah Abdali' after the Union home minister accused him of being the head of the 'Aurangzeb fan club'.

"My Shiv Sainiks are my 'wagh-nakh', I have no fear of Abdali," Thackeray said at the program.

'Wagh-nakh' or tiger-claw, a hand-held weapon, is said to have been used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when he killed Bijapur sultanate general Afzal Khan in 1659.

The weapon is currently on display at a museum in Satara.

His party's original name (Shiv Sena) and electoral symbol (bow and arrow) were 'stolen' and the adversaries spent crores of rupees, still Shiv Sena-UBT candidates secured more than five lakh and four lakh votes in Thane and Kalyan Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, Thackeray said.

Both the seats, strongholds of the undivided Shiv Sena, were won by the rival Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Thackeray also noted that his party won Mumbai Graduates and Mumbai Teachers Legislative Council seats recently. -- PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, in Maldives/ANI Photo

11:16 Relationship with Maldives very important: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the Maldives is "no ordinary neighbour" of India and emphasised that New Delhi will continue to nurture it and find practical ways of expressing friendship with the archipelagic nation.

Jaishankar also explained how India values its diaspora and the impact that the Indian-origin members have across the globe while interacting with the Indian diaspora in Male during his three-day official visit.

His visit, the first high-level trip from India, is aimed at resetting the bilateral relationship after pro-China President Mohammad Muizzu assumed office last year.

According to the Indian embassy in the Maldives, the Indian expatriate community in the country has an approximate strength of 27,000.

They have a strong presence in the health and education sector.

There are Indian unskilled workers and most of them are engaged in the construction sector.

Before the Diaspora event, Jaishankar met President Muizzu and emphasised New Delhi's commitment to deepen India-Maldives ties for the benefit of the people in the two countries and the region.

He also virtually inaugurated and handed over to the Maldives a massive water and sanitation project worth $110 million funding from India at 28 islands covering seven per cent of its population.

"We say 'Neighbourhood First' today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We give a lot of attention to the countries of the Indian Ocean. We have a policy called SAGAR. But I do want to say that Maldives is not just an ordinary neighbour," Jaishankar said. -- PTI

A view of the Tungabhadra dam/Courtesy X

11:11 Tungabhadra dam gate washed away in K'taka floods

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority on Sunday alerted people living along the banks of Krishna river to keep vigil, following the washing away of a Tungabhadra dam gate in Karnataka.

Due to the snapping of a chain link, APSDMA managing director R Kurmanadh said gate number 19 got washed away due to the intensity of floodwaters.

According to reports, the mishap occurred on Saturday night in Hospet.

Nearly 35,000 cusecs of floodwaters flowed and a total of 48,000 cusecs will be discharged downstream.

People in Kurnool district's Kosiri, Mantralayam, Nandavaram and Kouthalam should exercise caution, he said in a press release.

Further, the managing director advised Krishna river riparian inhabitants to avoid crossing canals and streams. -- PTI

Five Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested for allegedly staying illegally in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra, the police said on Sunday.

Following a tip, the Navi Mumbai police's anti-human trafficking cell conducted a raid at a residential building in Koparkhairne area on Saturday and apprehended four women and a man.

During the questioning, it came to light that they entered India using forged documents, an official from Koparkhairne police station said.

The four women, in the age group of 34 to 45 years, worked as housekeepers, while the man, aged 38, used to do painting work, he said.

An FIR was registered against them under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for cheating and forgery as well as provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules-1950 and the Foreigners Act-1946, the official said. -- PTI

A 13-year-old boy died due to electrocution at a cricket ground in outer Delhi's Ranhola area.

According to the police, a PCR call around 1.30 pm was received on Saturday that a 13-year-old boy was playing cricket on the Cricket Ground in Kotla Vihar Ph-2 when he got an electric shock from an iron pole carrying electric wire to a Gaushala situated in a corner of the said ground when he went to get the ball.

The body was immediately taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital by PCR van.

The hospital authorities declared him dead, said the police.

An FIR under Section 106(1) BNS has been registered and an investigation has been taken up, according to the police.

More updates on the matter are awaited. -- ANI

Doctors and nurses of a state-run hospital in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district on Saturday demonstrated, alleging that a patient had threatened a woman medic if his treatment was delayed.

The patient, in an inebriated condition, entered the emergency ward of the Bhatar State General Hospital and threatened the lady doctor that she would face the same consequence that a trainee medic had experienced in a Kolkata hospital.

The body of the woman doctor was found inside the seminar hall of a government-run hospital in north Kolkata on Friday. A preliminary autopsy report has confirmed sexual abuse before she was killed.

A Purba Bardhaman district health official said, "The patient allegedly told the attending doctor that if the medic did not treat him properly, he would ensure the same treatment as the woman doctor of R G Kar Hospital in Kolkata witnessed. The doctor, as part of her duty and medical ethics, did not stop the treatment, and she discussed the matter with other staffers."

"Today, they came in a group to the CMOH office and demanded punishment of the man and security for the health personnel," the official said.

A senior police official said the accused, identified as Susanta Roy, has been arrested. -- PTI

Cochin International Airport, Kerala/File image

10:13 Flyer held for uttering 'bomb' word at Kerala airport

A passenger, who was scheduled to fly from Kochi to Mumbai on an Air India flight, was arrested on Sunday morning at Cochin International Airport in Kerala for making an 'alarming comment' to a Central Industrial Security Force officer at the X-ray baggage inspection system checkpoint.

The flight departed on time.

The accused, Manoj Kumar (42), has been handed over to the police by the airport authorities.

"During the pre-embarkation security check, Mr. Kumar asked the CISF officer, 'Is there any bomb in my bag?' This statement triggered immediate concern and prompted the airport security team to take swift action. The passenger's cabin and checked baggage were thoroughly inspected by the bomb detection and disposal squad. After completing the necessary checks, which revealed no threat, Mr. Kumar was handed over to the local police for further investigation," said a statement issued by Cochin International Airport. -- ANI

Pradeep Bandekar with Shah Rukh Khan

10:10 Veteran photographer Pradeep Bandekar passes away

Pradeep Bandekar, veteran photographer and ace chronicler of the film industry, passed away on Sunday morning.

Pradeep has been contributing to Rediff.com since its inception in February 1996, and his loss feels like a personal tragedy.

His son Prathamesh, also a photographer, told Rediff.com that Pradeep had a family dinner last night and was in a jovial mood.

Around 3 am on Sunday he felt uneasy so Prathamesh rushed him to the nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Pradeep's social media feeds are testimony to his popularity among film stars, and no filmi do seemed complete without his presence.

Pradeep always told his colleagues that he wants to depart from the world with his finger on the click button of the camera.

He got his wish.

Flag of Albania/File image

09:42 India operationalises mission in Albania

India on Saturday opened its resident mission in Albania as part of efforts to expand its footprint in the Balkan peninsula.

"India has operationalised its new resident mission in Tirana, Albania with effect from August 10," the ministry of external affairs said.

It said the operationalisation of the mission in Albania will help expand India's diplomatic footprint.

"It will also deepen political relations between India and Albania and would assist in the growth of bilateral trade, promote investments and economic engagements and cooperation on multilateral issues," the MEA said.

"The Indian mission in Tirana will facilitate people-to-people contacts and also assist the Indian community in Albania," it said in a statement. -- PTI

A Bangladeshi citizen posing as an Indian was caught at the Lucknow airport while he was allegedly trying to fly to Thailand on a fake tourist visa, an official said on Saturday.

The incident came to light Friday at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport when immigration officers questioned a traveller on the basis of suspicion, the person said.

"On Friday, the passengers of the flight (FD-147) going from Lucknow to Bangkok (Thailand) were being cleared at Terminal-3. Then a passenger Ashish Rai gave his passport and Aadhar card," immigration officer Rakesh Kumar Yadav said.

"The address of Rathtala of Singur police station in Hooghly district of West Bengal was recorded on the document. But when the documents were examined, suspicion arose. When the passenger was questioned, it was found that he is Shimul Barua of Shilghata, Chopachhari, Satkania, Chattogram, Bangladesh," he said.

Barua had changed his name and address and got a passport and Aadhaar card made on a West Bengal address through fake documents, he said. -- PTI

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Anita Birje (third from left) joins Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde/Courtesy X

08:51 Senior Uddhav Sena leader Anita Birje joins Shinde-led faction

Senior Shiv Sena-Uddhav Baladaheb Thackeray leader from Thane, Anita Birje, joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday night.

Shinde welcomed Birje into the Sena fold at a function attended by several workers of the party, mainly women.

Birje, who headed the women's wing of Shiv Sena-UBT in Thane, had been a loyalist of the late Sena veteran Anand Dighe, the political mentor of Shinde.

Birje, however, chose to remain with Uddhav Thackeray after the undivided Sena split in June 2022. -- PTI

Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh/File image

08:42 Former foreign minister Natwar Singh dies at 93

Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday night after a prolonged illness, family sources said.

He was 93.

He breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi, where he had been admitted for the past couple of weeks, they said.

Singh was born in 1931 in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

He was a career diplomat, who brought a wealth of experience in diplomacy to his political career and a prolific author on subjects ranging from the life of a maharaja to nuances of foreign affairs.

During his distinguished career, he wore many hats, and for his service to the nation, the former external affairs minister was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984.

"His son is there at the hospital, and many more family members are coming to Delhi from his native state for the last rites planned in Delhi. He was not keeping well for some time," a family source said late night on Saturday.

He died late Saturday night, the source said. -- PTI

File image

08:40 Search launched after encounter in J-K's Kishtwar

An encounter took place between security forces and terrorists in a remote forest in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir early Sunday, officials said.

The gunfight took place for a brief period when police assisted by army and paramilitary forces launched a search operation in Nownatta, Naageni Peyaas and adjoining areas following information about movement of terrorists, they said.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and an operation is underway to hunt down the terrorists.

The latest encounter comes a day after two army personnel -- Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma -- were killed and six others, including two civilians, were injured in a fierce gunfight in Kokernag woods in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. -- PTI

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