LIVE! Joe Biden quits US presidential election

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Sun, 21 July 2024

Joe Biden quits US presidential election

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23:44 Joe Biden quits US presidential election

US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced that he will end his candidacy for re-election, saying "it is in the best interest of my party and the country".

The 81-year-old president's decision comes four months before Americans go to the polls on November 5.

Biden's decision follows weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats after a disastrous presidential debate performance against his Republican rival and former US president Donald Trump at the end of June.

In a letter posted to his social media account, he said it had been the greatest honour of his life to serve as president.

"And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling the duties as President for the remainder of my term".

Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees' Union (KITU) has urged the Siddaramaiah-led government to reconsider its reported plans to extend the working hours of the IT/ITeS/BPO sector.

According to the union, the government plans to increase the working hours to 14 hours a day.

The proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act in this regard, was presented in a recent meeting called by the labour department with various stakeholders in the industry, it said in a release.

Labour Minister Santosh Lad, officials from the Department of Labour and IT-BT Ministry attended the meeting, in which the representatives of the union took part.

The union strongly opposed the proposed amendment which, it said, poses an "attack on the basic right of any worker to have a personal life."

The labour minister agreed to have one more round of discussion before taking any decision, it added.

Noting that the proposed new bill 'Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2024' attempts to normalise a 14-hour work day, the union said, the existing act only allows a maximum of 10 hours work per day, including overtime.

This amendment will allow the companies to go for a two shift system instead of the currently existing three shift system, and one third of the workforce will be thrown out of their employment, it claimed.

Noting that during the meeting KITU pointed out the studies on the health impact of extended working hours among the IT employees, it said, "the Karnataka government in their hunger, to please their corporate bosses, completely neglects the most fundamental right of any individual, the right to live."

This amendment shows that the Government of Karnataka is not ready to consider the workers as human beings who need personal and social life to survive. Instead, it considers them as only a machinery to increase the profit of the corporates to whom it serves, it added. -- PTI

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea against the Uttar Pradesh government's order that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners.

A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti is likely to hear the plea filed by NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights.

Days after the Muzaffarnagar Police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state.

The order issued by the Muzaffarnagar police earlier this week has been slammed by opposition parties and some members of the ruling NDA at the Centre, who say it targets Muslim traders. -- PTI

As many 36 flights were cancelled at the Mumbai airport on Sunday as intermittent heavy spells of rains hit the city, which also forced the facility operator to suspend runway operations twice within almost one hour, albeit for a brief period, sources said.

The flights cancelled at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were of budget airline IndiGo as well as full-service carriers Air India and Vistara, as per the source.

"Heavy rains, which continued to hit the city at a frequent interval and low visibility led to the cancellation of 18 arrivals and departures each on Sunday," said the source.

These cancellations involve 24 flights of IndiGo, including 12 departures, and eight by Air India, including 4 departures.

Vistara also cancelled four of its flights at Mumbai Airport, the source said.

Earlier a source said that runway operations were first suspended for eight minutes at 12.12 pm and later again from 1 pm to 1.15 pm during the day due to inclement weather and low visibility.

At least 15 flights, including that of Air India, IndiGo and Akasa were diverted to the nearby airports, mainly Ahmedabad, till 4 pm, the source added. -- PTI

20:04 YSRCP, TDP spar over Andhra special status

Leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and opposition YSRCP engaged in a war words ahead of Parliament's Budget session over the issue of special category status for the state and its interests.

The session begins from Monday and will have 19 sittings till August 12.

After an all-party meet convened here by the BJP-led government at the Centre on the eve of the session, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP accused the TDP of ignoring the issue of special category status and compromising the state's interests.

The TDP, a BJP ally, hit back by blaming the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government for Andhra Pradesh's financial woes, and said the N Chandrababu Naidu-led dispensation will come out with a white paper in a day or two on the financial status of the state which will send "shockwaves".

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who was present at the meeting, took a swipe at the TDP, saying the JD-U and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, but "strangely" the TDP kept quiet on the matter.

Like the TDP, the JD-U is also an ally of the BJP and part of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.

Briefing reporters on the issues raised by the YSRCP at the all-party meeting, the party's floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, Vijaisai Reddy, said the YSRCP demanded imposition of President's Rule over the law and order "breakdown" in the state under the TDP's rule of a few weeks.

He said eight issues were raised by his party, and the first one was of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

"It has been our demand right from the day it was promised by then prime minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Rajya Sabha. Even today, we demand that the special category status is the only solution. The TDP is completely ignoring the issue...it is compromising with the interests of the people of the state," Vijaisai Reddy said.

He said the YSRCP also raised the issues of Andhra Pradesh's share in the central pool of taxes and states following population control being "punished" in share of revenue. The issue of population as a criteria for sharing of funds must be addressed by the Finance Commission, Vijaisai Reddy said.

He said the party also raised the issue of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, saying it is opposed to any attempts of its privatisation.

"Another very important issue raised was that of lawlessness in Andhra Pradesh and the breakdown of law and order," Reddy said. -- PTI

19:47 Mahayuti allies free to go solo: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the Mahayuti constituents, including the Nationalist Congress Party led by him, are free to contest local bodies elections independently.

Addressing Nationalist Congress Party workers in Pimpri Chinchwad city, he argued that independent contests would help strengthen the cadres.

"Even though we are allies in Lok Sabha and state assembly, Mahayuti members are free to contest local bodies polls independently," he said.

The schedule for elections to local bodies, which include municipal councils, nagar panchayats and zilla parishads, is not yet finalised.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance includes Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP, and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar also asserted that Pimpri Chinchwad is synonymous with his name.

"Pimpri Chinchwad means Ajit Pawar and Ajit Pawar means Pimpri Chinchwad. No one can deny this fact," he said in an apparent swipe at his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar who had claimed credit for the development of the township.

Addressing a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad on Saturday, the Pawar senior said, "Our government had changed the face of Pimpri Chinchwad. This used to be a collection of small villages. We brought the IT sector here, we gave jobs to youth here".

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar said "new and old faces" from all sections of the society will be fielded in elections to local bodies whenever they are conducted.

He denied stopping Sharad Pawar from speaking at a Pune District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) meeting held on Saturday. -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday termed Nationalist Congress Party-SP chief Sharad Pawar as the "sargana" (ringleader) who institutionalised corruption in the country and accused Rahul Gandhi of being "arrogant" despite Congress losing elections on three occasions.

Addressing the BJP's state convention in Pune, Shah dubbed Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray "the head of the Aurangzeb fan club" who was sitting with people who sought pardon for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon.

He said Rahul Gandhi's arrogance will be crushed after BJP wins upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.

"If there is the biggest 'sargana' of corruption in Indian politics, it is Sharad Pawar. There is no confusion in my mind about this. I am saying it openly that Pawar has institutionalised corruption in the country," Shah said as he accused the veteran politician of doing nothing for the country's welfare and Maharashtra when he was in power.

Taking a swipe, Shah said the BJP allotted reservation to Marathas when it helmed Maharashtra (under Devendra Fadnavis) whereas whenever Sharad Pawar's government comes to power, the Maratha quota disappears.

He said the Mahayuti government must come to power to ensure the reservation for Marathas stays.

This is Shah's first visit to Maharashtra after the BJP suffered severe drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections where the party's tally tumbled to 9 from 23 seats it had won in 2019.

Attacking the Shiv Sena-UBT chief, Shah said, "Uddhav Thackeray is sitting with those who sought clemency for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon."

"Who is the Aurangzeb fan club? Those who serve biryani to (26/11 terror attack convict) Kasab, those who seek pardon for Yakub Memon, those who give (controversial Islamic preacher) Zakir Naik a messenger of peace award and those who support the (banned Islamist outfit) PFI.

Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of sitting with these people," Shah said.

In a scathing speech, Shah also targeted Rahul Gandhi for his "arrogance" despite the Congress party's consecutive losses in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Once we win the Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand assembly polls later this year, Rahul Gandhi's arrogance will be crushed," Shah said.

He also challenged the Congress to implement its Lok Sabha election promise of providing Rs 8500 monthly to women in states ruled by the party. "I want to tell women of Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh to start demanding it," Shah said.

Despite the BJP securing 240 seats in the general elections, surpassing the INDIA alliance tally, Shah urged party workers in Maharashtra to improve their position in the upcoming state assembly elections.

"Mark my words, the BJP-led alliance will win Maharashtra massively," he asserted. -- PTI

The Haryana government on Sunday ordered suspension of mobile internet and the bulk SMS services in Nuh district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra that was marred by violence last year.

The internet service in the district will remain suspended from 6 pm Sunday to 6 pm Monday, according to an order by Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi.

"... there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public and private property and disturbance of public peace and tranquility in the district Nuh..," read the order that came at the feedback of Additional DGP-CID, Haryana and a Deputy Commissioner.

The suspension came "to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours" through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Meanwhile, the Nuh Police said tight security arrangements have been made to ensure that the Yatra passes off smoothly.

Two home guards were killed and at least 15 others, including several policemen, injured on July 31 last year as a mob in Haryana's Nuh district tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession, pelting stones and setting cars on fire.

The same night, a mob attacked a mosque in Gurugram and killed its naib imam.

At least six people were killed and scores injured in the immediate aftermath of the interfaith clash.

The BJP government in the state, then led by Manohar Khattar, had drawn sharp criticism from the opposition parties over the violence. -- PTI

18:18 BJP conspiring to kill Kejriwal in jail: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of "conspiring to kill" Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail and cited his medical report to show that his sugar levels had fallen 26 times between June 3 and July 7.

There was no immediate reaction from BJP.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP-led central government and Lt Governor VK Saxena are playing with Kejriwal's life.

"The documents that the jail authorities have legally provided to Kejriwal's lawyer are enough to tell that any untoward incident can happen to him inside the jail any day," he said.

"The way the LG and the entire BJP are repeatedly making false statements about Kejriwal's health by issuing false reports, the suspicion becomes stronger that the Delhi LG and the BJP are playing with Kejriwal's life in collusion with the central government," he alleged.

There was no immediate reaction even from the LG Office.

Singh cited various statements made regarding Kejriwal's health to elucidate his point.

"Earlier these people said that Kejriwal is eating too much... puri, sweets, etc and increasing his calories and sugar intake. He does not need insulin. He is asking for insulin; we will not give insulin. Then on court's order, AIIMS doctors conducted tests and insulin was administered to the CM, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

"Now, they are saying that Kejriwal is not eating at all, he is staying completely hungry and reducing his sugar, he alleged.

Singh stressed a "deep conspiracy" has been hatched to "kill" Kejriwal.

"Will any person make such effort to end his life himself? That is why I am reiterating that the BJP is playing with Kejriwal's the life and hatching a deep conspiracy to kill him," he said, adding that this charge is based on three reports. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday criticised Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for apparently "live-tweeting" some of the issues raised by different parties at an all-party meeting, and said the opposition party should consider sending a "more seasoned hand" next time.

Ramesh, who attended the meeting, posted on X while the deliberations were going on, "In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD-U leader demanded special category status for Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter."

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said there is a certain propriety and protocol one associates with these all-party meetings.

He said, "There is free and frank exchange of ideas followed by media briefing. But a look at Jairam Ramesh's timeline and it appears he was live tweeting the proceedings. Next time, the Congress should consider sending a more seasoned hand for these meetings."

Ramesh's post had a political angle as he highlighted the demands of the two regional parties -- JD-U is a BJP ally as well -- which is a tricky issue for the central government. Officials have argued that Finance Commission's recommendation accepted by the government preclude such a possibility.

The Congress leader also took a dig at the TDP, another BJP ally. -- PTI

Hormonal issues, increasing substance use, and changing lifestyle are leading to an increase in infertility in India, which may irreversibly altar India's population dynamics, potentially leading to an ageing crisis, Dr Ajay Murdia, the man behind India's one of the largest fertility chain, Indira IVF, has said.

Talking to PTI ahead of the World IVF Day on July 25, Dr Murdia said that India stands at a critical crossroads, facing an unprecedented infertility crisis that threatens not only millions of families but the country's future demographic balance.

"According to some estimates, about 27.5 million married couples are actively trying to conceive and are suffering from infertility. But only about 275,000 IVF cycles are performed every year," he said.

"This silent epidemic, affecting one in six couples, is rapidly evolving into a national emergency with far-reaching consequences for India's societal structure and economic prospects," Murdia, Founder and Chairman of Indira IVF, said.

According to a National Family Health Survey, the fertility rate is 1.6 in urban India and 2.1 in its rural areas. By 2050, India's total fertility rate (TFR) is projected to dip to 1.29, far below the replacement rate of 2.1.

This means a rapidly depleting working-age population.

"This isn't just about individual families, it's a looming demographic catastrophe that threatens India's economic growth and social stability.

"While India currently boasts a demographic dividend with a young population, the rising infertility rates coupled with an ageing population could lead to a scenario similar to other Asian countries struggling with inverted population pyramids," he stated.

Rampant instances of polycystic ovary syndrome, which affects up to 22.5 per cent of women, increasing substance abuse, changing lifestyles, and rising cases of STI are some of the major reasons behind infertility.

"In the coming years, these factors could create a perfect storm that may irreversibly alter India's population dynamics, potentially leading to an ageing crisis that the country is ill-prepared to handle," Murdia said.

According to him, the government must consider infertility a national health priority and invest in IVF infrastructure, especially in rural areas.

Murdia said the demand for IVF is such that there is a need to scale up training programmes for specialists.

Bringing IVF under government health schemes and offering subsidised or free IVF are an imperative, he stressed.

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Janata Dal-United on Sunday asked the party's national president Nitish Kumar to reconsider the alliance with the BJP at the Centre.

"The actions of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir has forced us to appeal to our national leader Nitish Kumar to reconsider our participation in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)," JD-U state general secretary Vivek Bali said here.

He said the JD-U was trying to bring the islamic scholars in Kashmir back to the mainstream but the BJP was allegedly creating obstacles in these efforts.

"We are trying to bring these Islamic scholars back into the system so that they can contribute to nation building. We cannot leave them out. However, the BJP finds ways and means to create obstacles in this," Bali added. -- PTI

A total of 1,267 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra in the first six months of this year, with Amravati division in the state's Vidarbha region accounting for 557 deaths.

As per January to June data in a state government report, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division was second with 430 deaths, followed by 137 in Nashik division, 130 in Nagpur division and 13 in Pune division. No death was reported in the coastal Konkan division.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2022, Maharashtra led with 37.6 per cent of all farmer suicides in the country.

The NCRB said 11,290 persons involved in the farming sector, comprising 5,207 farmers or cultivators and 6,083 agricultural labourers, ended their lives in 2022. This accounted for 6.6 per cent of all suicides in the country, which stood at 1,70,924.

In 2021, 10,881 persons involved in farming, comprising 5,318 farmers and 5,563 agricultural labourers, committed suicide, with Maharashtra accounting for 37.3 per cent of these deaths.

As per NCRB data, a total of 1,64,033 persons committed suicide in 2021 and those connected to farming comprised 6.6 per cent.

In 2020, a total of 10,677 individuals in the farming sector (5,579 farmers or cultivators and 5,098 agricultural labourers) died by suicide, which was 7 per cent of the 1,53,052 such deaths nationwide.

Maharashtra accounted for 37.5 per cent of the deaths in 2020.

Incidentally, Maharashtra is also the highest contributor in the country's GDP. -- PTI

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of petitions related to the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam, NEET-UG 2024, which was held on May 5.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) had on Saturday released city- and centre-wise results of the medical entrance exam, which is riddled with accusations of paper leak and inordinate inflation of marks.

According to the cause list of July 22 uploaded on the apex court's website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra would hear more than 40 pleas, including those filed by the NTA seeking transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts on the NEET-UG row to the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of litigations.

An analysis of data released by NTA indicated that the candidates who allegedly benefitted from the paper leak and other irregularities did not do well. Some centres, however, showed high concentration of well-performing students, it revealed.

The voluminous data of over 32 lakh candidates from 4,750 centres was not released in a cumulative format but in a drop-down menu for each centre. The data was released on the direction of the Supreme Court which is hearing several petitions over the alleged irregularities as lakhs of aspirants await a final verdict on the fate of the exam.

The performance of the candidates from the centres under the scanner -- such as Oasis School, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, Hardayal Public School, Jhajjar, Haryana, Jay Jalaram International School in Godhra, Gujarat -- were comparatively much below par.

On July 11, the top court had adjourned till July 18 the hearing on the pleas, including those seeking cancellation of the exam, re-test and probe into alleged malpractices in the conduct of NEET-UG 2024, as the responses of the Centre and the NTA were yet to be received by some parties.

The bench had observed that it had received a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation on the progress made in the probe.

In an additional affidavit filed in the apex court last week, the Centre said data analysis of the results of NEET-UG 2024 was conducted by IIT-Madras, which found there was no indication of "mass malpractice" or any localised set of candidates scoring abnormally high marks. -- PTI

The Delhi high court will on Monday hear the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in a UAPA case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the riots here in February 2020.

The plea, which assails a recent trial court order refusing to grant bail to Khalid, is scheduled to be heard by a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma.

Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against CAA and NRC.

Khalid was arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020.

On May 28, the trial court had rejected Khalid's plea seeking regular bail for the second time, saying its previous order dismissing his first bail application had attained finality.

"When the Delhi high court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant (Khalid) vide order dated October 18, 2022, and thereafter, the applicant approached the Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court as passed on March 24, 2022 (on the first bail plea), has attained finality and now, in no stretch of imagination this court can make analysis of the facts of the case as desired by the applicant and consider the relief as prayed by him," the trial court had said.

On October 18, 2022, the high court had upheld the dismissal of the first bail plea and said the city police's allegations against him are prima facie true.

The high court had said that admittedly, the anti-CAA protests "metamorphosed into violent riots", which "prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings" and the statements of the witnesses indicate Khalid's "active involvement" in the protests. -- PTI

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday dissolved the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, days after the party's poor showing in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state.

Kharge has approved the proposal of complete dissolution of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, including its President, PCC, office bearers and executive committee, District/Block/Mandal Congress Committees, Frontal Organisations, Departments and Cells, with immediate effect, a statement issued by the party said.

"The current DCC presidents will serve as acting presidents until new DCC Presidents are appointed," the statement said.

Sarat Pattanayak was the president of the now dissolved Odisha PCC. --PTI

15:09 Roll back Kanwar Yatra eatery order: BJP ally

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary on Sunday demanded the Uttar Pradesh government roll back its order that eateries along the Kanwar route must display the names of their owners, saying the pilgrimage does not belong to any one religion or caste

"It seems that the order was taken without much thought and the government is adamant on it because the decision has been taken," the Rajya Sabha member told reporters here.

"There is still time. It (roll back) should happen or the government should not put much emphasis on (implementing) it," he said.

No one identify the Kanwar, neither the people who serve the Kanwar are identified on religion or caste, he added. -- PTI

15:01 Jharkhand CM offers aid to flood-hit Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has offered Rs 2 crore as aid to the flood-affected people of this northeastern state.

Sarma thanked Soren and the people of Jharkhand for the gesture.

"Hon'ble CM of Jharkhand, @HemantSorenJMM Ji has graciously offered Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Assam to aid flood-affected people," Sarma posted on X.

"On behalf of the people of Assam, I deeply appreciate the generosity of the kind-hearted people of Jharkhand and the Hon'ble Chief Minister," he added.

At least 113 people have been killed in the flood, landslides, lightning and storms in the state so far.

More than 1.30 lakh people in 10 districts continued to remain affected. -- PTI

14:48 Be on high alert: CM as heavy rains lash Maha

In view of heavy rains in several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai and the coastal Konkan region, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday asked officials to be on high alert.

The State Disaster Response Force, the local administration, civic bodies, police etc should take regular updates on the weather from the India Meteorological Department and plan accordingly to provide relief to citizens, Shinde said.

Accident-prone areas should be surveyed, flood control methods should be adopted and traffic must be diverted as required, he said.

IMD updates should be shared with citizens regularly, the CM added.

Food, medicine and relief material stocks should be maintained in appropriate quantity, temporary shelter camps must be made for people and animals, he told officials. -- PTI

14:14 Boy infected with Nipah in Kerala dead

The 14-year-old boy from Kerala's Malappuram, who was undergoing treatment here for Nipah infection, died on Sunday, state Health Minister Veena George said.

George said the boy from Pandikkad suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 10.50 am on Sunday and efforts to revive him failed.

"He was on ventilator support. The urine output had reduced this morning. After a massive cardiac arrest, the revival efforts failed and he passed away at 11.30 am," George said.

The minister said the funeral will be held following international protocols.

"Further matters on the funeral will be decided only after the district Collector holds discussion with the boy's parents and the family," George said. -- PTI

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday met West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at her residence in Kalighat in the southern part of Kolkata, party sources said.

Yadav is in Kolkata as a special invitee to the 'Martyrs' Day' rally of the TMC held in Esplanade area in the central part of the city this afternoon.

According to TMC sources, both leaders discussed the present political situation in the country.

Banerjee and Yadav later arrived at the venue of the rally to address the gathering. -- PTI

K Armstrong

13:44 One more person arrested in BSP leader Armstrong murder case

One more person involved in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party Tamil Nadu unit chief K Armstrong has been arrested, police said.

With the investigation in the murder case continuing, the Greater Chennai Police said 14 accused have been apprehended and during interrogation one of the accused - Arul had revealed that he had handed over their mobile phones to 37-year-old K Haridharan to destroy it.

Haridharan is an advocate and AIADMK Union Committee Member in Kadambattur in neighbouring Tiruvallur district. After collecting six mobile phones, he had thrown them into the Kosasthalai river in Vengathur, he told police personnel, according to a statement from the police on Sunday.

He has been arrested and special teams of Fire and Rescue, Police departments recovered three of the six mobile phones. Search is on to trace the remaining phones.

The 52-year-old Armstrong was hacked to death by a six-member bike-borne gang near his house at Perambur here on July 5. According to police, he was killed to avenge the murder of notorious criminal 'Arcot' Suresh in August 2023. Suresh's brother Ponnai Balu and other gang members believed Armstrong had a role in the murder of Suresh. -- PTI

The Congress on Sunday sought the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's position for the opposition in the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament session, and raised the issue of paper leaks, including of the prestigious NEET, sources said.

They said party leader Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition should be allowed to raise issues in Parliament after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju sought cooperation from every party for the smooth running of the two Houses.

Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav, sources said, raised the issue of the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive to eateries on the kanwariya route to display the owners' names.

The YSR Congress spoke about the TDP government's alleged targeting of its leaders in Andhra Pradesh and sought the Centre's intervention.

The meeting is being chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju.

Separately, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in the all-party meeting, the JD-U and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but "strangely" the TDP kept quiet on the matter.

In a post on X, Ramesh, who was present at the meeting said, "In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD-U leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter."

Ramesh's post on the social media came when the meeting was still underway.

JD-U, a key ally in the ruling NDA had recently passed a resolution demanding special category status or package for Bihar.

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the state, the demand has again gained momentum post Lok Sabha polls.

BJP president J P Nadda, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan were among the the leaders who attended the meet. -- PTI

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that in the all-party meeting ahead of Parliament session, the Janata Dal-United and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but "strangely" the Telugu Desam Party kept quiet on the matter.

Ramesh's post on social media came when the meeting was still underway.

JD-U, a key ally in the ruling NDA had recently passes a resolution demanding special category status or package for Bihar.

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the state, the demand has again gained momentum post Lok Sabha polls. -- PTI

11:57 I took a bullet for democracy: Trump

Former United States president Donald Trump in his first campaign rally since surviving an assassination attempt has dismissed concerns raised by critics that he is a threat to democracy, telling a large crowd in Michigan that he "took a bullet for democracy."

In the rally in Michigan on Saturday, Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee for the November 5 elections, was joined by his running mate J D Vance.

More than 12,000 people piled into the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids to see him and his running mate.

"They keep saying he's a threat to democracy. I'm saying, "What the hell did I do to democracy?' Last week I took a bullet for democracy," Trump said, referencing an often-used Democrat talking point.

"What did I do against democracy? Crazy," Trump, 78, said amidst applause from thousands of his supporters.

Trump's comments come one week since the former president survived an assassination attempt while campaigning in Pennsylvania. He was shot in the ear less than 10 minutes into his speech, prompting him to be escorted off stage. One attendee and the shooter died during the attack while two others were injured.

The former president also spoke about Project 2025, which his rivals and the opposition Democratic Party claim is an initiative that threatens democracy.

"I don't want to know anything about it. But what they do is misinformation and disinformation, he said, as he distanced himself from it.

Overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation, the multi-pronged initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to usher in a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch.

"I shouldn't be here right now, but something very special happened," Trump, who wore a bandage on his ear, said at the rally.

A man along with his wife allegedly killed his mother by slitting her throat with a sharp weapon on Saturday, the police said.

The incident took place in the Hariharpur area under the Sinduria police station.

According to police, Rajkumar Sahni, along with his wife Rajeshwari, killed his mother, Shyamdei (60), over a property dispute. They slit her throat with a sharp weapon.

After committing the crime, they fled from the spot, the police said.

Sinduria police station in-charge Dinesh Kumar said that based on Shyamdei's younger son's complaint, a case was registered against the couple. Efforts are being made to arrest them. -- PTI

Three wagons of a goods train derailed in Alwar Yard in Rajasthan in the early hours of Sunday, Railway officials said.

According to CPRO, North Western Railway, "It happened on side line of the yard hence traffic movement on Delhi-Alwar route remained unaffected." The incident happened at 2:30 am, the officials said.

"The Alwar-Mathura route was affected but since there was no passenger or freight train during that time it didn't effect train operations," he added.

The CPRO further said that the track was cleaned by 9 am and the first passenger train between Barmer and Mathura will cross in some time. -- PTI

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10:38 Eleven killed in rain-related incidents in UP

Eleven people were killed in rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh in a 24-hour period ending Saturday evening, relief department officials said.

According to the relief department, from 6:30 pm on Friday to 6:30 pm on Saturday, five persons drowned and five others were killed after being hit by lightning.

One person in Ghazipur district was killed after snake bite.

Uttar Pradesh recorded an average of 7.3 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period. Of the 75 districts, 19 recorded excess rainfall in this time period, with Hamirpur recording a maximum rainfall of 163.2 mm.

The relief department has also alerted local administration in Gorakhpur, Siddharth Nagar and Gonda districts where rivers have been flowing near the danger level mark.

"We are coordinating with local administration to mitigate any kind of damage caused by adverse weather conditions. All units are ready and are on standby mode," state relief commissioner GS Naveen Kumar said. -- PTI

Security personnel patrolling in Churachandpur district of Manipur/ANI Photo

10:17 Militant group executes suspected spy in Manipur

A man was shot dead in Manipur's Imphal East district, the police said on Sunday.

The incident happened at Tekcham in Lamlain police station area on Saturday, they said.

The man, identified as RK Prithibi Singh, was blindfolded, his hands were tied behind his back and shot from a point-blank range, they added.

A proscribed outfit, KCP-Progressive, claimed responsibility for the execution-style murder, stating that Singh was spying for security forces.

It claimed that Singh was a former militant who teamed up with other surrendered militants to spy for the forces.

Meanwhile, a militant of the proscribed KCP-Taibanganba was arrested from Tejpur Makha Leikai in Kakching district, police said.

Ningthoujam Ashakumar Meetei (33) was involved in extortion activities, they said. -- PTI

Poetess Shabeena Adeeb/Courtesy Facebook

10:12 BJP opposes Shabeena Adeeb's 'mushaira' participation in UP

A Rashtriya Lok Dal leader on Saturday claimed that poetess Shabeena Adeeb could not participate in a 'mushaira' in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh following objections from some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Adeeb had to take part in the recitation at the annual All India Mushaira held at the Nauchandi fair in Meerut on Saturday.

Former minister and general secretary of RLD, a BJP ally, Mairajuddin Ahmed, who is the head of the managing committee for the event, said,

"As part of a conspiracy, an old video of Shabeena Adeeb reciting a shayari was circulated. She was stopped from performing at the event which is very bad.

"Later, Adeeb also agreed and did not come to perform saying her health was not good."

City president of BJP Suresh Jain told reporters that they objected to her participation due to fear of communal tension.

"Shabeena Adeeb recites poems which are not good for communal harmony. This could lead to tensions. When we came to know about it, we requested the administration not to invite her to perform here," he said. -- PTI

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09:56 Garbage bags now must for tourist vehicles entering Sikkim

All tourist vehicles entering Sikkim will now have to mandatorily carry a large garbage bag, according to an official order.

The decision has been taken to ensure community participation towards achieving the goal of environmental sustainability, said the order issued by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.

It will be the responsibility of the tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to inform the traveller about the use of garbage bags for waste disposal, it said.

Random checks of tourist vehicles would be conducted to ensure compliance and any vehicle found violating the order, will be penalised, it added.

Awareness campaigns about cleanliness are being carried out to educate tourists about waste management and environmental sustainability, officials said.

Sikkim, which is India's least populated state with over 6 lakh residents, gets more than 20 lakh visitors every year for its picturesque Himalayan destinations, they said. -- PTI

Protesters clash with police in Dhaka, Bangladesh/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

09:36 In new advisory, US asks its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh

The United States has recommended that its citizens do not travel to Bangladesh and allowed the voluntary departure of its non-emergency government employees and family members in view of the ongoing civil unrest in the South Asian country.

The development comes just a day after the US issued a new travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging Americans to reconsider their travel to the strife-torn country.

Authorities in Bangladesh has imposed a strict curfew across the country and military personnel patrolled parts of the capital to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government jobs left more than 40 people dead and hundreds injured.

The US Department of State raised the Travel Advisory Level for Bangladesh to Level 4 -- 'Do Not Travel'.

"Do not travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism," the state department said, adding, "The department allowed for the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members." -- PTI

In an alleged road rage incident in Pune city, a 27-year-old woman was "brutally" beaten by a car driver on Baner-Pashan Road here, the police said.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon and the accused driver and another woman who was with him were arrested, the police said.

The victim, who was riding a two-wheeler with two children, alleged that the driver followed her for 2 kilometres before the assault, leaving her with severe injuries and bleeding from her nose.

The woman has recorded a video detailing the incident and posted it on the social media platform, Instagram, seeking justice and raising concerns about women's safety in the city.

The video has gone viral on social media.

The accused have been under sections 118(1), 74, 115(2), 352, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicle Act, the police said, adding the case has been registered at Chaturshrangi police station. -- ANI

Indian students from Bangladesh arrive through check post in Agartala/ANI on X

09:26 150 Indian students return from violence-hit Bangladesh

Amid the ongoing countrywide protests in Bangladesh against job quotas, around 150 Indian students from Bangladesh arrived through the Integrated Check Post in Agartala.

The students arrived in Agartala on Saturday.

Rajeev Agnihotri DIG, sector commander, Border Security Force, said that around 150 students have comeback through different ICPs.

"Due to the current situation in Bangladesh, the Indian and foreign students who were studying there are coming back through different ICPs (Integrated Check Post)...till now around 150 students have come back through different ICPs. BSF is making all the necessary arrangements for this," he said.

Vishal Kumar, district magistrate, West Tripura, said, "In the last 4-5 days, anti-reservation protests have been going on in Bangladesh, and especially the students and other citizens of neighbouring countries like India have been greatly affected by them. Almost their entire system is under seizure. Due to this, many of our citizens are coming to our country, including many people from Tripura, especially yesterday and today, many students and many of our Indians who have gone there due to different occupations are coming." -- ANI

09:04 Kerala student drowned in Latvia

An Indian student who went missing while swimming in the Latvian capital is feared to have drowned, media reports said on Saturday.

News portal LSM, part of the Public broadcasting of Latvia, quoted friends of Albin Shinto from Kerala, who went missing while swimming in the Jugla canal in Riga as saying that they feared the worst after he disappeared beneath the waves.

The portal said eyewitness Arhik Haries said Shinto was one of five friends who swam in the canal on July 18 in the evening.

Albin got into difficulties and was sinking from view. Two of his friends tried to save him and almost succeeded but they, too, got into difficulties.

A passing fisherman managed to save the rescuers with his boat but unfortunately, Albin Shinto was lost beneath the waves, it said.

Haries acknowledged that police and rescuers, including a diver, were quickly on the scene and searched for two to three hours but were unable to find Shinto and called off the search with night approaching.

The search would continue not before Monday because of limited resources being available to conduct large-scale and lengthy search operations, the portal said. -- PTI

Flags of India and Cambodia/ANI Photo

08:50 14 Indians trapped in cybercrime scam in Cambodia rescued: Indian Embassy

The Indian embassy in collaboration with Cambodian authorities has rescued 14 Indian citizens trapped in cybercrime scam and is working for their expeditious return home, the Indian embassy said in a statement.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia stated, "@indembcam in collaboration with Cambodian authorities have got 14 Indian citizens trapped in cybercrime scam released. They are being looked after by Cambodian side. The Embassy working for their expeditious return home & remains committed to their welfare."

14 Indian nationals trapped in cybercrime scam in Cambodia rescued: Indian embassy "In close cooperation with Cambodian authorities, the Embassy has facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indian citizens who had fallen victim to these scams," it said.

"Most recently, the embassy provided specific leads to the Cambodian police, leading to the rescue of 14 additional Indian victims. These individuals are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia's ministry of social affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation," it added. -- ANI

Former US President Donald J Trump is assisted by Secret Service agents after gunfire/Brendan McDermid/Reuters

08:42 Trump recovering from gunshot wound, says his ex-doc

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound sustained during the assassination bid on him in Pennsylvania on July 13, a former physician to Trump has said in a memorandum.

Trump, 78, survived an attempt on his life on July 13 when a young shooter fired multiple shots at him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, injuring his right ear.

The shooting left one person attending the rally dead and two others in serious condition.

The 20-year-old suspected shooter was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service.

In a memorandum to fellow Americans on Saturday, Dr Ronny L Jackson said that as the former appointed physician to Trump, he was very concerned, as was the entire world, about his well-being after the assassination attempt on him.

"As such, I met him in Bedminster, New Jersey, late that evening to personally check on him and offer my assistance in any way possible. I have been with President Trump since that time and I have evaluated and treated his wound daily."

"He is doing well. As reported and witnessed by the entire world, he sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered rifle used by the would-be assassin," the doctor said. -- PTI

Police with the arrested drug smugglers in Amritsar/ANI on X

08:32 Punjab police arrest 3 drug smugglers with 2.45 kg heroin

Three alleged drug smugglers were arrested in Amritsar and one kg methamphetamine, 2.45 kg heroin and 520 grams of pseudoephedrine was recovered from their possession, police said on Saturday.

The police said Gurbax alias Lala, a "big fish" who was involved in sourcing the precursor chemicals used for making drugs, was among the arrested smugglers.

"Lala has been actively sourcing the precursor chemicals, used to adulterate crude heroin to increase its potent effect, and to manufacture crystal methamphetamine," director general of police Gaurav Yadav said.

Lala used to earn a commission of Rs 50,000 per consignment, Yadav said.

The other two accused were identified as Daljit Kaur and Arshdeep.

All three of them are residents of Chheharta in Amritsar.

Lala and Arshdeep have criminal history and both are out on bail.

The DGP said that the Amritsar police also traced the backward link of accused Lala and police teams are on manhunt to nab the kingpin of this narco-syndicate. -- PTI

A priest performs abhishek at Mahakaleshwar Temple, in Ujjain, MP/ANI Photo

08:26 Now shop owners asked to display names in MP city

The BJP-ruled Ujjain Municipal Corporation has directed shop owners to display their names and mobile numbers outside their establishments in the ancient city, a directive coming on the heels of a similar order by the BJP government in UP for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route.

Violators will have to pay a Rs 2,000 fine for the first offence and Rs 5,000 if they defy this order for the second time, Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday.

This order is aimed at ensuring safety and transparency and not intended to target Muslim shop-keepers, the mayor said.

Ujjain, the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, is known for its sacred Mahakal temple, attracting devotees from around the globe, especially during the Savaan month, which starts on Monday.

Tatwal said the Mayor-in-Council of Ujjain had approved a proposal for shopkeepers to display their names on September 26, 2002, followed by the Corporation House, and subsequently sent it to the state government for objections and formalities. -- PTI

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