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Sat, 20 July 2024
Editors Guild seeks Rahul Gandhi's support
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22:25 Editors Guild seeks Rahul Gandhi's support
The Editors Guild of India on Saturday sought Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's support in raising issues of press freedom and right to information in Parliament and claimed the government has taken several legislative steps to regulate and control the media.
In a letter to Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Guild expressed concerns on legislative measures taken to control the media -- print, broadcast and digital -- over the last few years and called for renewed debate and consultations.
The Guild also flagged concerns about the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, Broadcast Services Regulation Bill, Press and Registration of Periodicals Act and the IT Rules 2021 and subsequent amendments to it in 2023.
"We believe that a free and independent press is vital for the health of our democracy and it is imperative that these legislative measures are revisited to safeguard these fundamental principles," the Guild said.
It said a general concern about these legislative measures was that they were taken without adequate stakeholder consultation and parliamentary scrutiny in the drafting and passing of these laws.
"They carry provisions that are vague and overbroad, which could be misused to restrict legitimate journalistic activities. These provisions give sweeping powers to a wide array of government authorities and agencies to take actions that can have a potential chilling effect on journalism and press freedom due to increased government control and punitive measures," the Guild said.
The Guild said there were inadequate safeguards for press independence and freedom of expression. -- PTI
21:27 Somnath Bharti challenges Bansuri Swaraj's election
Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti on Saturday approached the Delhi High Court challenging Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bansuri Swaraj's election in the Lok Sabha polls 2024 on the grounds of alleged corrupt practices.
Justice Manmeet P S Arora is scheduled to hear the election petition on July 22.
The plea said while Bharti secured 3,74,815 votes, Swaraj got 4,53,185 votes as per the returning officer. They both contested from the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency and Swaraj was declared as winner.
"The present election petition is being filed by the petitioner (Bharti) under Section 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act challenging the election of the respondent no.1 (Swaraj) as a Member of House of the people from the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency on the grounds of 'corrupt practices' indulged into by the respondent no.1 , her election agent and other persons with the consent of the respondent during the course of the Lok Sabha election 2024 held on May 25, 2024," the plea said.
The plea alleged that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who was though a candidate set up by the Bahujan Samaj Party but in reality he was set up by Swaraj's party to help her against the petitioner.
It said Anand was a minister in the Aam Aadmi Party's government in Delhi and was active in campaigning for Bharti till April 9 and suddenly he resigned from the party on April 10.
Anand contested the election on the ticket of Bahujan Samaj Party to help Swaraj by cutting into the vote share and later on July 10, he joined the BJP, the plea alleged.
"On the election day, that is, May 5, 2024, the petitioner, during his visits to different booths across New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, was shocked to see that booth agents of the respondent no. 1 had her pamphlets displaying her ballot number, photo, election symbol and photo of PM Sri Narendra Modi and was showing the same to the voters who had lined up in the booth to vote and asking them to vote for Ballot no.1 and such an act certainly qualifies to be a corrupt practice. This was also reported to the respondent no. 3 (returning officer) but all in vain," the plea claimed. -- PTI
20:55 Nothing wrong in UP police diktat to fruit sellers: Manjhi
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday asserted that he saw 'nothing wrong' with fruit sellers along the 'Kanwar Yatra' route in Uttar Pradesh being asked to display their names at their stalls.
Manjhi was responding to journalists' questions about the controversial UP police directive, which has faced criticism from the opposition and some BJP allies, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas.
Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, said, "I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and addresses prominently?"
"In fact, such display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a favourite stall. It is wrong to view the episode through the prism of religion," said Manjhi, who made his parliamentary debut, at a ripe age of 79, in the recent elections.
Manjhi's stance on the issue differs from that of Paswan, another Dalit leader from Bihar. Paswan recently told PTI that he disapproved of the directive, stating that 'casteism and communalism have harmed the country more than anything else'.
The opposition has alleged that the UP police directive aims to push Muslim fruit sellers out of business during the pilgrimage season.
JD-U chief spokesman K C Tyagi criticised the UP police order, invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'sabka saath sabka vikas' slogan and noting that similar directives have not been issued in other states associated with Kanwar Yatra, such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
Interestingly, Manjhi has often drawn flak from the BJP for remarks like 'Lord Rama is imaginary, not historical' and tirade against Brahmins. -- PTI
20:31 SP leader killed at home in UP, BJP councillor booked
A local Samajwadi Party leader has been killed in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, and a Bharatiya Janata Party councillor and his three sons, among five, have been booked, police said on Saturday.
Om Prakash Singh was attacked with sharp-edged weapons at his house on Friday night.
A post-mortem was conducted, and Singh's body was handed over to the family, who staged a protest on Saturday morning, refusing to perform last rites.
They placed Singh's body on the road and said that last rites would be performed only after the accused were arrested, police said.
Singh, 45, was killed on Friday night after some people broke into his house in Raja Tola in Parsapur town and attacked him with a sharp-edge weapon, they said.
Following the protest, senior SP leader Yogesh Pratap Singh, former MLA Baijnath Dubey, and other party leaders reached his house and demanded fair and immediate action.
Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Radheshyam Rai and Colonelganj Police Circle Officer Chandrapal Sharma rushed to the spot and assured the protesters of swift action, police said.
Seeing the crowd gathered outside Singh's house, additional force was called in, they said.
Based on Singh's wife Neelam's complaint, an FIR was registered against five people, including BJP councillor of Paraspur Nagar Panchayat Udaybhan Singh alias Lallan Singh and his three sons, Paraspur police station in-charge Dinesh Singh said.
A case was registered, and a team has been formed to arrest the accused.
Om Prakash Singh had contested the Nagar Panchayat elections for the councillor seat on the SP symbol and lost it to BJP candidate Udaybhan Singh, the station in-charge said.
In her complaint, Neelam Singh alleged that Udaybhan and his family had attacked them twice in the past. Her husband and son were beaten up. They had filed a complaint at the local police station, but due to political pressure, no action was taken.
She said this emboldened the accused, and they entered their house on Friday and killed her husband. If the police had taken action on the earlier complaints, her husband would not have lost his life, Neelam added. -- PTI
19:51 778 Indian students return from violence-hit Bangladesh
A total of 778 Indian students have returned to India from Bangladesh through various land transit points, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday as the neighbouring country continued to reel under deadly clashes over a controversial job-quota system.
Indian missions in Bangladesh are in regular touch with the authorities concerned to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and students, the MEA said.
"Thus far, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports," the ministry said.
Bangladesh is reeling under deadly clashes, with protesting students demanding that the Sheikh Hasina-led government scrap the controversial job-quota system.
More than 50 people have been killed in the clashes that broke out weeks ago.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said the total number of Indian nationals in Bangladesh is estimated to be around 15,000.
Indian missions in Bangladesh are in regular touch with the authorities concerned to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and students, the MEA said.
"Thus far, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports," the ministry said.
Bangladesh is reeling under deadly clashes, with protesting students demanding that the Sheikh Hasina-led government scrap the controversial job-quota system.
More than 50 people have been killed in the clashes that broke out weeks ago.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said the total number of Indian nationals in Bangladesh is estimated to be around 15,000.
The MEA said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting the return of Indian nationals home. -- PTI
IMAGE: Indian students returned from Bangladesh after immigration clearance amid a countrywide protest at Agartala integrated checkpost, on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo
Image only for representation
18:50 Parents of Agniveer want son's death probed
The parents of an Agniveer soldier, who died in Kashmir earlier this week, have urged the president and prime minister to hold an inquiry into their son's death and give them justice.
Nikhil Dhadwal, who was posted in Tanda area in Kashmir's Akhnoor died on Thursday. He was from the first batch of Agniveers and had completed two years in the Army.
Dhadwal's father Daler Singh, a taxi driver, said that he was informed on phone that his son sustained injury and later he died. He urged President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get an enquiry conducted into the cause of death on Saturday.
The soldier's body was brought to his native village Lahlari in Himachal's Hamirpur district on Friday and the last rites were performed with full state honours.
Dhadwal's parents said that the family was earlier informed by the army that he was seriously injured but later they told that he died.
Justice should be provided so that no one is afraid of joining a scheme like Agniveer, said his father.
Akhil, brother of the deceased soldier, has also requested the government to investigate his death and do justice to him.
"How did the death happen? It should be found out," he said.
On Friday, emotional scenes were witnessed as the Akhil lit the pyre in presence of hundreds of local people and others.
The family suspects that there is a mystery behind the death of their son which should be investigated.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a message to the family, said the news of the untimely death of Agniveer Nikhil is very sad. May God give strength to the bereaved family to bear this loss.
Deputy Commissioner Amarjit Singh and SP, Bhagat Singh had also visited the home of Nikhil and consoled the bereaved family.
Lt Col Varun Gandhi who had accompanied the body from Kashmir to Hamirpur did not comment about the reason behind the Agniveer's death. -- PTI
17:33 Udhayanidhi downplays reports of possible elevation
Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday played down reports of his possible elevation as Deputy Chief Minister and said Chief Minister M K Stalin has to take a call on the issue.
In a brief chat with reporters Chennai, he said, "It is the Chief Minister who has to decide."
Udhayanidhi was responding to a question about reports indicating that he is likely to be elevated soon.
Earlier addressing the 45th foundation day of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing in Chennai, Udhayanidhi who is the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister, said the post of secretary of the party's youth wing which he held, was close to his heart.
"When media persons ask about the speculation about my elevation as deputy Chief Minister I tell them that all the state Ministers and office-bearers of the party and youth wing are functioning as deputies to the Chief Minister," he said.
His primary commitment remained as the party's youth wing secretary he said and added 'whatever the post, according to me, the youth wing secretary post is close to my heart'.
The minister called upon the DMK youth wing members to daily devote at least ten minutes in the morning and evening to be active on social media. -- PTI
In a brief chat with reporters Chennai, he said, "It is the Chief Minister who has to decide."
Udhayanidhi was responding to a question about reports indicating that he is likely to be elevated soon.
Earlier addressing the 45th foundation day of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing in Chennai, Udhayanidhi who is the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister, said the post of secretary of the party's youth wing which he held, was close to his heart.
"When media persons ask about the speculation about my elevation as deputy Chief Minister I tell them that all the state Ministers and office-bearers of the party and youth wing are functioning as deputies to the Chief Minister," he said.
His primary commitment remained as the party's youth wing secretary he said and added 'whatever the post, according to me, the youth wing secretary post is close to my heart'.
The minister called upon the DMK youth wing members to daily devote at least ten minutes in the morning and evening to be active on social media. -- PTI
16:40 Won't let Mumbai turn into Adani city: Uddhav
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said the Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender awarded to industrialist Gautam Adani's firm will be scrapped if his party comes to power in Maharashtra.
Addressing a press conference, Thackeray said his party will ensure Dharavi residents and businesses are not uprooted, adding that people staying there must be given 500 square feet houses in the locality itself.
"We will scrap Dharavi slum redevelopment project tender after coming to power. The government should give an answer as to why it should not be scrapped now itself. We will not allow Mumbai to be turned into Adani city," the former chief minister said.
Additional concessions that are not specified in the contract are being given to the Adani Group in the project to redevelop Dharavi, one of the world's densest urban sprawls, Thackeray claimed.
"We will not give additional concessions. We will see what is good for residents of Dharavi and if need arises we will issue a fresh tender," he asserted.
Thackeray also took a dig at the government, and asked if it was planning to start a 'Ladka Mitra' (dear friend) scheme on the lines of 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana', which aims to give women a measly sum of Rs 1,500 per month.
The Shiv Sena-UBT and the Congress had made the Dharavi redevelopment project a major poll issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. -- PTI
16:23 Nipah outbreak suspected in Kerala's Malappuram
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday convened a high-level meeting to take steps to prevent a Nipah outbreak in the state.
The meeting was convened in the wake of an outbreak of the virus infection that was suspected in northern Malappuram district.
According to local media reports, a boy from Malappuram, who is under treatment in a private hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode, was suspected to have symptoms of Nipah and his samples were sent to a central lab for a detailed scientific examination.
As per a statement from the Health Minister's office, the final test results were yet to be received but steps, as per the Nipah protocol, have already been initiated in the morning.
The actions would be coordinated according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) formulated as per the government order with regard to Nipah prevention, it said.
The health minister would reach Malappuram soon and lead the Nipah prevention activities, the statement added.
Various higher officials, including the health secretary, National Health Mission state director, district collectors of Kozhikode and Malappuram and health director took part in the meeting, it added.
The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.
Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023, and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, and Ernakulam districts. -- PTI
14:54 Woman dead, 3 injured as part of building crashes in Mumbai
A woman was killed and three others were injured after some portion of a balcony of a four-storey residential building located on Grant Road in south Mumbai came crashing down on Saturday, officials said.
The building, Rubinnisa Manzil, where the incident occurred is located on Sleater road near the Grant Road railway station, a fire brigade official said.
The incident took place around 11 am, he said.
"Four persons were injured after some part of the balcony collapsed. They were rushed to a local hospital, where a woman was declared dead, while three others are undergoing treatment," the official said.
It is an old building of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) that was declared dangerous by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he said, adding that a notice had also been issued to it earlier.
Following the incident, seven persons were rescued from the building, he said. -- PTI
14:17 In a first, Indian women in uniform at Olympics!
24 personnel from the armed forces, including ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and two women participants, are among the 117 Indian athletes who are set to test their mettle at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The presence of these two women athletes in the contingent, marks the maiden participation of female service athletes at the Olympics, the ministry of defence in a statement on Saturday.
Chopra, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, is a subedar in the Indian Army. -- PTI
The presence of these two women athletes in the contingent, marks the maiden participation of female service athletes at the Olympics, the ministry of defence in a statement on Saturday.
Chopra, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, is a subedar in the Indian Army. -- PTI
13:32 Uttarakhand HC asks couple to register under yet-to-be-implemented UCC
In an order that has left people surprised, the Uttarakhand high court has asked police to provide security to an interfaith live-in couple if they register their relationship within 48 hours under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which is yet to be implemented in the state.
Disposing of a protection petition filed by the couple, a division bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Pankaj Purohit said if the petitioners apply for registration under the UCC within 48 hours, the station house officer (SHO) concerned will provide adequate security to them for six weeks.
The order came as a surprise as the UCC is yet to be implemented in Uttarakhand.
The government advocate has clarified that the junior government advocate appearing in the court in the matter was not aware that the notification for the UCC has not been issued in the state as yet.
It was a misunderstanding, the government advocate said.
A revised order will be issued, deleting the portion relating to the UCC, he added.
A recall application will be filed in this regard on Saturday. In the meantime, protection will be provided to the couple, he said.
The Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 is an act to govern and regulate laws relating to marriage and divorce, succession, live-in relationships and matters related thereto.
According to section 1(2) of the Act, it shall come into force on such date as the government may, by a notification in the gazette, appoint. However, since no notification has been issued by the government, the Act is not in force in the state.
In the matter at hand, a 26-year-old Hindu woman and a 21-year-old Muslim man, who are in a live-in relationship, had filed the petition, saying both of them are adults and belong to different religions.
Feeling threatened by the families of the couple, they had approached the high court.
The government counsel cited section 378(1) of the Uttarakhand UCC to say it is mandatory for live-in couples within the state to submit their details to the registrar, irrespective of their residential status in Uttarakhand.
Partners in a live-in relationship will be subject to penalties if they fail to register their relationship within a month from the beginning of such relationship. -- PTI
13:04 India's Forex reserve jumps to all-time high of $666.85 billion
India's forex reserves jumped by $9.699 billion to an all-time high of $666.854 billion for the week ended July 12, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday.
In the previous reporting week, the kitty had increased by $5.158 billion to $657.155 billion, surpassing the previous high of $655.817 billion for the week ended June 7.
For the week ended July 12, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $8.361 billion to $585.47 billion, the data released on Friday showed. -- PTI
12:51 13-year-old raped, blackmailed by Insta friend in MP
A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a moving car by a man she befriended on social media while another person shot a video of the act in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, police said on Saturday.
Police have arrested two out of three accused in connection with the incident, an official said.
While the incident occurred in the Mohna police station limits on June 1, a complaint was lodged on Thursday, he said.
The girl, a Class 9 student, befriended one of the accused on Instagram and was introduced to another man.
The duo chatted with her on social media, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Niranjan Sharma told reporters.
On June 1, the two men and another accused met the girl at her village and forced her to go for a ride with them, he said.
As per the complaint, one of the accused raped her, and another shot a video of the act while their accomplice drove the car, the official said.
Later, the accused repeatedly called the girl to meet, threatening to circulate the video, he said.
When the girl refused to give in to their threats, the video was circulated, and her family found out about the assault, the official said.
Two men have been arrested, and a search is underway for the third accused involved in the crime, he said.
The mobile phone and car used in the crime were seized, the official said. -- PTI
12:20 NTA announces centre-wise results of NEET-UG
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday announced the centre and city-wise results for medical entrance exam NEET-UG, which is under the scanner over alleged irregularities.
The results, which were initially announced on June 5, have been published in this format following an order of the Supreme Court, which is hearing several petitions about the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam, including paper leak.
The exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad, for more than 24 lakh candidates.
The court had ordered that the results be announced while masking the identities of the aspirants, saying it wanted to ascertain whether candidates appearing at allegedly tainted centres secured more marks than those writing the exam elsewhere.
The top court will resume hearing the arguments on July 22 on a batch of pleas seeking cancellation, re-test and a court-monitored probe into the allegations of malpractice in the prestigious exam. -- PTI
Passengers at Mumbai airport/ANI on X
11:29 Airline systems back to normal after outage: Govt
Airline systems across airports have started working normally from 3 am on Saturday, said the ministry of civil aviation.
"Flight operations are going smoothly now. There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday (Friday), and it is getting cleared gradually," the ministry said.
"By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved," said the ministry. -- ANI
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11:20 BSF officer, jawan die of heat stroke during border patrol in Guj
A Border Security Force officer and a jawan died during patrol due to extreme heat exposure at the 'Harami Nallah' creek area along the India-Pakistan international front in Gujarat, official sources said Saturday.
The incident, in which assistant commandant Vishwadeo and head constable Dayal Ram are stated to have suffered a heat stroke and dehydration, took place on Friday along the border, the sources said.
The officer belonged to the 59th battalion of the BSF.
The two were undertaking a 'zero line' patrol when they collapsed.
The two BSF men were rushed to a health facility in Bhuj but could not be saved, sources said. -- PTI
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11:02 Heavy rain in Mumbai; waterlogging in some areas, train services normal
Mumbai and its suburbs received intermittent heavy spells of rain on Saturday, which led to waterlogging in some areas, but the local trains are operating normally, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department said Mumbai received 91 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending 8 am on Saturday, while its eastern and western suburbs recorded 87 mm and 93 mm rainfall respectively.
The department predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in the city.
A high tide of 4.24 metres is expected at 11.28 am and of 3.66 metres at 11.18 pm, an IMD official said.
Heavy rainfall resulted in waterlogging at some places in the metropolis.
Due to waterlogging, traffic on the road near Sheetal Cinema and Kale Marg, both in Kurla area, was diverted.
Similarly, traffic on the Aarey route in Goregaon east has been diverted via Seepz-Marol Maroshi-JVLR in both directions, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials said.
Andheri subway has also been temporarily shut for vehicles due to waterlogging and traffic has been diverted to S V Road, a traffic police official said. -- PTI
Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar/Courtesy X
10:47 ED arrests Haryana Congress MLA in mining case
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar in an "illegal" mining-linked money-laundering case, official sources said on Saturday.
The federal agency had raided the premises of the 55-year-old legislator in January.
It had then arrested former Indian National Lok Dal legislator from Yamunanagar, Dilbag Singh, and one of his associates in the case.
The money-laundering case stems from several FIRs registered by the Haryana police for probing alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel and sand that took place in the past in Yamunanagar and nearby districts in spite of a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal.
The ED is also probing an alleged fraud in the "e-Ravana" scheme, an online portal that was introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to simplify collection of royalties and taxes and prevent tax evasion in mining areas. -- PTI
UPSC chairman Manoj Soni/Courtesy UPSC online
10:41 UPSC chairman Manoj Soni resigns citing 'personal reasons'
UPSC chairman Manoj Soni has resigned citing personal reasons before the expiry of his tenure in May 2029, official sources said on Saturday.
His resignation is "not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the Union Public Service Commission after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar issue came to the fore," they said.
"The UPSC chairman had tendered his resignation citing personal reasons over a fortnight back. It is yet to be accepted," a source said.
Eminent educationist Soni, 59, took over as a member of the Commission on June 28, 2017.
He took oath as the UPSC chairman on May 16, 2023 and his term was to end on May 15, 2029.
Sources said Soni was not keen on becoming the UPSC chairman and had requested to be relieved.
However, his request was not accepted then, the sources said.
They said Soni has now desired to devote more time to "socio-religious activities."
The development assumes significance as the UPSC on Friday said it has lodged a criminal case against Khedkar for faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts in the civil services examination beyond eligibility, and taken steps to debar her from future selections. -- PTI
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10:21 Maoist killed in encounter with forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma
A Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, the police said.
The encounter took place in a jungle area on a hill near Tumar Gatta and Singavaram villages under Jagargunda police station limits in the morning when a team of the District Reserve Guard was out on an anti-Maoist operation, a senior official said.
The operation was launched on Friday night following inputs about the presence of Maoists belonging to their Jagargunda area committee, he said.
"After the exchange of fire stopped, the body of a Naxalite along with one muzzle-loading gun, a wireless set, explosives and Maoist-related material were recovered from the spot," he said.
A search operation was still underway in the area, he added.
With this incident, 142 Maoists were gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year, the police said. -- PTI
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi (right)/File image
10:16 Army Chief Gen Dwivedi to visit Jammu today, review security situation
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Jammu on Saturday to review the security situation, officials said.
He will be briefed by the formation commanders on the areas being taken by the security forces.
A security review meeting with other security agencies is also likely to be held.
The Army chief's visit will come after four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on July 16.
This will be the Army chief's second visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
On July 3, he visited the Poonch-Rajouri sector to review the security situation along the Line of Control.
General Upendra Dwivedi took over the command of the Indian Army on June 30. -- ANI
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09:41 Families of 3 youths killed in 'encounter' by Assam police seek probe
The families of the three youths, who were killed in an alleged encounter by the Assam Police, on Friday filed a police complaint demanding a probe into the circumstances leading to their deaths.
Lalthavel Hmar, Lalremsang Hmar and Lalchunghnung Hmar, the relatives of the three youths, filed a complaint at Lakhipur police station in Cachar district.
The police said they have received the complaint but are yet to register a case.
On July 17, three suspected Hmar militants were killed and three police personnel were injured in a fierce gunfight in Cachar, senior police officials had said.
Two of these suspected militants were locals and one was from Chrachandpur in Manipur.
The police complaint requested a thorough investigation as the statement given by the Cachar's SP Numal Mahatta "doesn't add up at all".
Based on the short video footage covered by one unknown state police personal, it was clearly recorded how Lalbiekkung Hmar, Joshua Hmar, Lallungawi Hmar were apprehended from the auto-rickshaw without kevlar & helmet and were also unarmed. -- PTI
Police and protesters clash in Dhaka, Bangladesh/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters
09:24 204 more Indians return from violence-hit Bangladesh
Over 360 more citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan crossed over to Meghalaya from violence-affected Bangladesh, taking the total number of people taking refuge in the state to over 670, officials said.
A senior home department official said that 363 people reached Meghalaya through the Dawki Integrated Check Post on Friday.
Of them, 204 are Indians, 158 are Nepalese and one person is from Bhutan.
So far, 80 residents of Meghalaya, mostly students, have crossed over to the state.
Out of the 80 people, 13 entered their home state on Friday.
The Meghalaya government has activated a helpline number, 1800-345-3644, for the state's citizens in Bangladesh to help them because of the violence in the neighbouring country.
Violence escalated in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and elsewhere over student protests demanding reforms of the quota system for government jobs.
There were varying reports of the number of people killed on Friday. -- PTI
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08:59 Successfully navigated daylong system outage: Akasa Air
Budget carrier Akasa Air said late on Friday it "successfully" navigated a daylong system outage due to the Microsoft Azure technical issue that affected operations across the global aviation industry.
"While the global systems downtime of reservations, check-in and boarding systems posed an unprecedented operational challenge to our ground services team, Akasa Air confirms that all ita scheduled flights on Friday operated with minimum disruptions and nil cancellations," the airline said in a statement.
"Our team's efforts and swift response across flight dispatch, airport services, care centre collaborating to activate our operations continuity plan that called for manual processes including manual check-in and boarding of thousands of passengers and yet maintain continuity of our services with nil cancellation of flights," the airline said.
Airports across the country witnessed chaotic scenes on Friday after dozens of flights were either delayed or cancelled after a widespread global computer outage that also hit operations like cash withdrawal at some banks, and impacted functioning of some brokerages. -- PTI
08:46 Elon Musk congratulates Modi on being most followed world leader on X
Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on being the most followed leader in the world on social media platform X.
"Congratulations PM @NarendraModi on being the most followed world leader!" Musk, also the owner of X Corp., formerly Twitter, said in a post on X.
Modi has 100.1 million followers on X.
Earlier this week, when this milestone was reached, Modi said on X: "A hundred million on @X! Happy to be on this vibrant medium and cherish the discussion, debate, insights, people's blessings, constructive criticism and more."
Looking forward to an equally engaging time in the future as well, Modi said. -- PTI
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08:33 Air India relief aircraft leaves for San Francisco with passengers
An Air India relief aircraft for passengers of its Delhi-San Francisco flight stranded at Russia's Krasnoyarsk Airport has now departed from there for the US city, the airline has said.
"The flight AI 1179 departed Krasnoyarsk at 0002 hours local time (20 July) for San Francisco, carrying all passengers and crew of AI183 that was diverted to Krasnoyarsk," Air India said in a statement.
The airline had to divert its Delhi-San Francisco flight with 225 passengers and 19 crew members to the Russian city on Thursday after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
The relief flight with an Air India team, including crew and security personnel, took off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 12.52 pm for the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk.
The ferry flight also carried on board essentials in addition to sufficient food for all passengers.
The airline said it has mobilised additional on-ground support at SFO to carry out the clearance formalities for all passengers upon arrival.
The team at SFO are prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases, it stated. -- PTI
08:23 Biden completes fourth dose of Paxlovid after Covid diagnosis: Doctor
US President Joe Biden, who has been under self-isolation at his Delaware residence after he tested positive for COVID-19 early this week, has completed his fourth dose of PAXLOVID on Friday morning, his physician said.
"President Biden completed his fourth dose of PAXLOVID this morning. His loose, non-productive cough and hoarseness continue to be his primary symptoms, but they have improved meaningfully from yesterday (Thursday). His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal," DR Kevin C O'Connor said in a memorandum to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air.
"His lungs remain clear. Polymerase Chain Reaction testing yesterday (Thursday) was confirmatory for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Variant identification is still pending. All of his bloodwork was normal," he said.
Complete blood count was normal, demonstrating no anaemia or evidence of bacterial infection.
Similarly, his comprehensive metabolic panel demonstrated normal electrolytes as well as good kidney and liver function, the White House physician said. -- PTI
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08:18 40 migrants killed as boat catches fire off Haiti coast
At least 40 people were killed after the boat they were on board caught fire off the coast of Haiti earlier this week, the International Organisation for Migration has said, citing local authorities, CNN reported.
The vessel carrying more than 80 migrants departed from Haiti on Wednesday and was heading to Turks and Caicos, the IOM said on Friday, adding that Haiti's Coast Guard rescued 41 survivors.
According to CNN, IOM's chief of mission in Haiti, Gregoire Goodstein, blamed the tragedy on Haiti's spiralling security crisis and the lack of "safe and legal pathways for migration."
He said, "Haiti's socio-economic situation is in agony. The extreme violence over the past months has only brought Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more."
Haiti is dealing with gang violence, a collapsing health system, and a lack of access to essential supplies, resulting in many Haitians taking dangerous journeys to move out of the country.
Earlier this year, the situation in Haiti escalated after gang warfare exploded, forcing the resignation of the then-government.
According to the IOM's data, the number of migration attempts by boat from Haiti has witnessed a rise since then. -- ANI
01:15 Detailed strategy ready for assembly polls: Pankaja Munde
BJP leader Pankaja Munde on Friday said her party has prepared a detailed strategy for the Maharashtra assembly elections, due in October.
Talking to reporters here after a meeting of the state BJP's core committee, attended by Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw, she said comprehensive discussions took place over the last two days about all 288 assembly seats.
"We have prepared a strategy for winning the maximum number of seats along with our allies Shiv Sena and NCP," she said.
The core committee also discussed the issues to be taken up during the state BJP convention in Pune on July 21 where Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Amit Shah will address party workers, Munde said.
The welfare schemes announced in the recent budget of the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government in Maharashtra for women, the youth and farmers were well received by the people, she said.
"We discussed the schemes and how the BJP and it allies can ensure that they reach the (areas covered under) 97,000 polling booths in the state," she said. -- PTI
01:05 UP court decares Swami Prasad Maurya absconder
A special MP-MLA court in Lucknow has declared former minister Swami Prasad Maurya and his daughter, former MP Sanghmitra Maurya, absconding in a case of harassing and threatening a person.
The court has fixed the date of next hearing of the case on August 27.
While the Special Judge Alok Verma of the local MP-MLA court passed the order on July 5, it was made public public on Friday.
He has declared Maurya, Sanghmitra, who is a former BJP MP, and three others as absconders in the case of harassing the man, named Deepak Kumar Swarnkar, who claimed to be Sanghmitra's husband.
The court said that despite repeated summonses and warrants, the accused did not appear in the court.
Earlier, while hearing Swarnkar's complaint, the court had found that prima facie a case is made out against the five accused for attacking Deepak, and conspiring and threatening to kill him. -- PTI
Governor CV Ananda Bose and CM Mamata Banerjee/File image
00:33 Mamata challenges HC order restraining defamatory statement against guv
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday filed an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta high court challenging a single bench order restraining her and three others from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against Governor CV Ananda Bose.
The single bench of the court had passed the interim order on Tuesday on a defamation suit filed by the governor. Speaking on a row over the oath-taking of two newly-elected TMC MLAs, Banerjee had made certain comments, over which Bose had filed the suit.
Banerjee challenged the single bench order which was applicable till August 14.
Besides Banerjee, the order restrained three others - newly elected MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar, and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh - from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against Bose.
The matter now will be listed for hearing before a division bench. -- PTI
The Sri Lanka-bound merchant vessel in which fire broke out/ANI on X
00:28 Fire breaks out on Lanka-bound cargo ship off Goa
A major fire has broken out on a merchant vessel reportedly carrying hazardous cargo about 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa, the Indian Coast Guard said late Friday evening.
An ICG ship is carrying out firefighting operations while battling inclement weather and rough sea, and two more ICG ships are heading to the spot, an official release said.
The merchant vessel, on its way from Mundra to Colombo, was reportedly carrying "International Maritime Dangerous Goods cargo" and explosions have been occurring on its front part, the Coast Guard said.
An ICG Dornier aircraft was also launched for aerial assessment, and the crew which was in panic was reassured of safety by the ICG ship, it said. -- PTI
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