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Sat, 29 October 2022

Delhi's water not good, Maharashtra is nice: Gadkari

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21:28 Delhi's water not good, Maharashtra is nice: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said he found Maharashtra better than Delhi, and his experience has been that the people he thought to be "big" turned out to be very small when seen up close.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader recounted a conversation he had had with a friend.

He had lived in Delhi earlier when he was elected president of his party, Gadkari said, adding with a smile, "Delhi's water is not good."

"Maharashtra is very nice. Mumbai is very good,' he further said, evoking laughter in the audience.

Gadkari was president of the Bhartiya Janata Party from 2009 to 2013.

He was earlier a minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999.

Since 2014 he has been a senior minister in the Narendra Modi government.

"I also told him (his friend) that the people whom I considered tall, when I went close to them, I realised that they were not so tall as I had thought. They were small. And those whom I thought to be small'when I went close to them, I found they were tall. This has been my life experience,' the BJP leader said. -- PTI

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu on Saturday said she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis.

The actor opened up about her condition on Instagram while thanking her fans for the overwhelming response to the trailer of her upcoming movie Yashoda.

"Your response to the Yashodha trailer was overwhelming. It is this love and connection that I share with all of you, that gives me the strength to deal with the seemingly unending challenges that life throws at me.

"A few months back I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis. I was hoping to share this after it had gone into remission. But it is taking a little longer than I hoped," Samantha wrote alongside a photo from a hospital.

Myositis is the name for a group of rare conditions that can cause muscles to become weak, tired and painful. It is usually caused by a problem with the immune system, where it mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

Samantha, 35, said her doctors are confident that she will make a complete recovery soon.

"I am slowly realising that we don't always need to put up a strong front. Accepting this vulnerability is something that I am still struggling with. The doctors are confident that I will make a complete recovery very soon.

"I have had good days and bad days. physically and emotionally. and even when it feels like I can't handle one more day of this, somehow that moment passes. I guess it can only mean that I am one more day closer to recovery... This Too Shall Pass," she added.

On the work front, the actor will next be seen in Yashoda, set to be released in theatres on November 11.

Written and directed by filmmaker duo Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan, the action thriller will be released in five languages -- Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. -- PTI

The United Nations Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee on Saturday called on member-countries to ensure "zero tolerance" towards terrorist activities and vowed to deal with the scourge more vigorously at the end of its two-day special conclave in India.

The meeting, attended by representatives of 15 member-countries of the UN Security Council and global counter-terror experts, adopted the "Delhi Declaration" listing the council's priorities in combating the challenge of terrorism and terror-financing.

In the declaration, the global body expressed concerns over the increasing use of Internet and other information and communications technologies, including social media platforms, for terrorist purposes.

It said innovations in financial technologies such as crowd funding platforms present a risk of being misused for terrorist-financing and noted with concern the increasing global misuse of unmanned aerial systems by terrorists to conduct attacks against on critical infrastructure.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee urged all member-states to ensure "zero tolerance" towards terrorism, consistent with their obligations under international laws, including human rights law.

The meeting underlined the need for taking "urgent action" to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations through the full and effective implementation of various UN resolutions.

The committee reaffirmed that terrorism in all forms constitutes "one of the most serious threats" to international peace and security, and vowed to contribute further to enhancing the effectiveness of the overall effort to fight the scourge on a global level.

It said terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, and called on member-states to continue their efforts towards the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

It also noted the importance of continuing discussions on the misuse of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes in other relevant international forums, including the G20.

The committee emphasised the need for member-states and CTED (Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate) to continue cooperation with the private sector and civil society for more effective means to counter the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. -- PTI

The Congress on Saturday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tried to bribe journalists by sending Rs 1 lakh cash gifts to them on Diwali and demanded the registration of a graft case as well as his resignation.

Attacking the BJP, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, "Before the election neither will I indulge in corruption, nor will I let others indulge in it. After the election will take '40 per cent commission' and then send bribes to Karnataka media in sweet boxes on Diwali."

"BJP government of 'PayCM' and 'PayPM', corruption of 'double engine' across the country," Gandhi said.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee demanded a judicial inquiry into what it called "Chief Minister's Office (CMO) 'sweet box bribe' to journalists".

According to sources in the CMO, Bommai has said he was unaware that "cash" was given to journalists.

Addressing the media in Delhi, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "The Bommai government's bribegate is now out in the open and this time the responsibility lies at the doorstep of the chief minister himself."

"This time, Mr Bommai has surreptitiously, overtly and in a conspiratorial fashion tried to bribe the entire journalistic fraternity by sending Rs 1 lakh cash to every journalist in Karnataka. Hats off to our journalist friends who openly exposed the bribegate," said Surjewala, who has been looking after the party's affairs in the state.

This is not the first time that the "40 per cent corrupt Bommai government" has attempted to do so, he alleged.

The BJP government in Karnataka has become infamous for the "PayCM" campaign that the people of Karnataka have launched, Surjewala claimed.

He alleged that under the BJP government in the state, there has been bribery in recruitment, postings and contracts.

"Latest is the CM trying to bribe journalists. Where has the money come from? Was this Rs 1 lakh withdrawn from the public exchequer and then put in a packet to be sent to journalists on Diwali or has it come from your personal kitty," Surjewala asked.

If the CM is involved in bribery, who will protect the state, he asked.

"CM Bommai has been caught red-handed in the bribery to journalists scam. A case of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act for offering bribes has to be registered against Mr Bommai and he has to resign immediately," Surjewala said.

Earlier, in a tweet, Surjewala said, "The 40 Percent Sarkar seeks to bribe the journalists with (Rs) 1 Lakh cash! Will Mr. Bommai answer- 1. Isn't it "bribe" being offered by CM? 2. What is the source of ?1,00,000? Has it come from Public Exchequer or from CM himself? 3. Will ED/IT take note?"

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee said the people of the state should know how much money was given as bribe, how much was received and how much was returned. -- PTI

Amid the blame-game between the government and Opposition over the 'loss' of Tata consortium-Airbus project, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the state will get major investments in the coming days.

The opposition has been targeting the Shinde government after a Tata-led consortium and Airbus chose Vadodara in Gujarat for its military aircraft project. Earlier, Vedanta-Foxconn had chosen Gujarat over Maharashtra for its semiconductor plant.

"In the coming days, the state will get major industries," chief minister Shinde said at a function in Nandurbar.

"There has been a discussion going on about the industries in the state and our industries minister is speaking on this issue. I don't want to comment on it. (But) The government will not fall short in generating employment for the youth," Shinde added. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were on Saturday shown black flags by Bharatiya Janata Party supporters, who also chanted 'Modi, Modi' slogans when the Aam Aadmi Party leaders were on their way to address a public rally at Chikhli in Gujarat's Navsari district.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party supporters standing on the roadside between Khudvel and Golvad villages in Chikhli taluka waved black flags as the motorcade of AAP leaders passed by. They also shouted 'Modi, Modi' as the vehicles made their way to the National Cricket Ground in Chikhli town, where the two chief ministers were to address the rally.

Referring to the incident while addressing the rally later, Kejriwal said he considers those showing black flags to him as his brothers, and said he was confident that one day he would win over their hearts and make them join his party.

Kejriwal said that people can vote for whichever party they like, but the AAP will make sure that their children get free and quality education and medical treatment.

He claimed that even the BJP members were against the government in Gujarat and many of them have told him they want to see the party removed from power. He appealed to the BJP workers to stay with their party but vote for AAP.

"As soon as they (BJP supporters) saw us, they started chanting, 'Modi, Modi, Modi'. I consider them as my brothers, I have nothing against them in my heart. You can shout for whoever you want, vote for whichever party you want. I will make schools for your children, get an ill member of your family treated. I am confident I will win your heat one day and make you join my party," he said.

The AAP's national convener further said he was not against anyone and will make schools for all, including those who vote for Congress and BJP.

"We will get the family members of those treated who show us black flags. I am not against anyone," he said.

He also took a swipe at the "double engine" government campaign of the BJP and asked as to why there was a need for it.

"One engine malfunctioned, and another engine became old. We don't need a double engine government, but a new engine," he said.

Calling his party a "new engine" that has hit the market, he said it comes with the "latest technology, 21st century engine and runs smoothly with new politics and new faces."

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Saturday reported a net loss of Rs 272.35 crore for July-September despite booking over Rs 10,800 crore of LPG subsidy it received from the government after the quarter ended.

The net loss of Rs 272.35 crore compares to a profit of Rs 6,360.05 crore in July-September 2021, according to a company's filing with the stock exchanges.

The decline comes on the back of a Rs 1,992.53 crore loss incurred in the previous April-June quarter. This is the first time that IOC has booked losses in two straight quarters - all because it sold petrol, diesel and cooking gas (LPG) at rates below cost.

The loss in the second quarter of the current fiscal was despite accounting for Rs 10,801 crore of one-time grant that the government had announced on October 12.

The government on October 12 extended a one-time grant of Rs 22,000 crore to three state-owned fuel retailers to cover the losses they incurred on selling domestic cooking gas LPG below cost in two years starting June 2020.

An official explained that though the subsidy was provided by the government after the quarter had ended but it was for the period up to September 2022 and so it was considered following the principle of 'accrual-based' accounting.

"The company had suffered under-recoveries from the sale of domestic LPG in the financial year 2021-22 and in six months ended on September 20, 2022. To compensate for under-recoveries, the Government of India has recently approved a one-time grant of Rs 10,801.00 crore. This grant has been recorded under revenue from operations in financial results for the period April- September 2022," IOC said in the filing.

IOC, as well as other state-owned fuel retailers, had booked heavy losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal and did not revise petrol, diesel and cooking gas LPG prices in line with the cost to help the government contain runaway inflation.

The three firms, who are supposed to revise petrol and diesel prices daily in line with the cost, haven't changed rates for over six-and-half-months now - the longest freeze in rates since fuel pricing was deregulated.

In April-June (the first quarter of 2022-23 fiscal), IOC booked a net loss of Rs 1,992.53 crore.

For the first half of the current fiscal, the company has now accumulated a Rs 2,264.88 crore net loss against a profit of Rs 12,301.42 crore in the year-ago period.

This was despite a record refining margin of USD 25.49 per barrel during April-September compared to USD 6.57 a barrel in the same period last year.

"The core gross refining margin (GRM) or the current price GRM for the period April-September 2022 after offsetting inventory loss/gain comes to USD 22.19 per barrel. However, the suppressed marketing margins of certain petroleum products have offset the benefit of an increase in GRM," IOC said. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government was working on providing ten lakh jobs.

In a video message for a `Rozgar Mela' (employment fair) organized by the Gujarat government here, he also said that the number of government jobs for the youth will rise.

"This kind of Rozgar Melas will continue to be organised at the national and state levels in the coming months," the prime minister said.

"The Central government is working on providing ten lakh jobs, the states and Union territories are also getting associated with the campaign. The number of government jobs given to the youth will rise significantly," he said. -- PTI

Film star Kangana Ranaut on Saturday said she wants to serve the people of Himachal Pradesh in any possible capacity, even if it requires her to join politics.

The actor, who hails from Manali, said it will be a matter of pride for her if she gets the opportunity to work for the betterment of the people of her home state.

"Whatever will be the situation... If the government wants my participation, then I will be very much open to all kinds of participation... It will be my honour if the people of Himachal Pradesh give me a chance to serve them. So, definitely, it will be my good luck," Kangana, 35, said.

The National Award-winning actor was speaking at the Panchayat Aajtak Himachal Pradesh event in Shimla ahead of the Assembly polls in the state on November 12. The counting will take place on December 8.

Earlier this month, Kangana had said that she has no plans to enter into politics professionally as she remains focused on her film career.

During the event, the "Manikarnika" actor was also asked about the latest Twitter takeover by American billionaire Elon Musk and if she would like to return to the platform in near future.

Kangana's account was suspended by the microblogging site in May last year for repeated violations of rules, specifically its "hateful conduct and abusive behaviour" policy.

"I was there on Twitter for one year and Twitter couldn't tolerate me for even a year... I have completed one year on Instagram in May and I have already received three warnings. So I said I will not use Instagram. My team has taken over and now everything is good. Nobody has a problem with it.

"If I come back on Twitter, then people's lives will become sensational and my life will become problematic because cases are filed against me in different states. I'm happy that I'm not there on Twitter. But if my account is revived, then definitely... you will get a lot of 'masala'," said the actor.

Musk completed the USD 44 billion takeover of Twitter on Friday. He reportedly fired the social media company's four top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal and legal executive Vijaya Gadde.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Saturday exhorted farmers not to burn stubble so as to keep the environment clean and pollution free.

He was addressing a gathering in Mohali in an event in which 150 progressive farmers from across the state were honoured for not setting the crop residue on fire for the last five years, according to an official release.

Sandhwan said crop residue burning causes damage to other microorganisms present in the upper layer of the soil as well as its organic quality.

Speaking on this occasion, Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said it is a matter of happiness that farmers are giving up stubble burning practice.

Due to pollution, not only the lungs are damaged, many other type of health diseases affect the human being, he stated.

Hayer appealed to progressive farmers to spread the message of not burning crop residue in villages.

The minister also expressed happiness that the young generation is now participating in plantation campaigns in a big way.

He also spoke about the state government's campaign in which mini forests are being set up at various places in the state.

In the event, experts from the Agriculture Department sensitised the public about the ill-effects of stubble burning, its alternative methods and about the efforts being made by the government to control the same.

A "nukkad natak" was performed by the artistes illustrating the effects of pollution caused by stubble burning on health and the environment.

During the function, several progressive farmers also shared their experiences with the audience regarding the benefits of not burning the crop residue.

They also spoke about increase in land fertility and less requirement of fertilisers by mixing stubble in soil. -- PTI

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday produced an audio clip of an alleged Bharatiya Janata Party man purportedly discussing the party's bid to poach Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in the capital and demanded Home Minister Amit Shah's arrest if he was involved in the matter.

The senior AAP leader played the audio tape at a press conference and said the BJP "dalal" (broker) heard in the clip was one of the three people arrested in Telangana over an alleged bid to poach that state's ruling party Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLAs.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or Shah.

"In this audio, the BJP's dalal (broker) can be heard luring a (TRS) MLA to the BJP, saying they were also trying to poach 43 Delhi MLAs and that money had been kept aside for this purpose. He is also saying that he has spoken with Shah and BL Santosh," Sisodia said.

"If it is Home Minister Amit Shah the BJP's dalal is referring to, he should immediately be arrested and questioned," the Delhi deputy chief minister demanded.

He said the audio tape was a "proof" of the BJP's failed attempt to poach AAP MLAs in Delhi and Punjab and demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate into the matter.

"It is very dangerous for a country if its home minister is involved in such a conspiracy," Sisodia said. -- PTI

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17:23 Pak drone returns after BSF troops open fire at IB

A drone from Pakistan was spotted close to the international border in Punjab's Ferozepur, said officials on Saturday.

The unmanned aerial vehicle flew back to Pakistan after the Border Security Force troops fired at it, they said. The BSF personnel fired at least 18 rounds towards the drone, they said.

A search operation is underway, they said.

On the night of October 27, the BSF had recovered a huge cache of firearms and ammunition in the Ferozepur sector.

The BSF troops had recovered a bag along the Indo-Pakistan border and had found six AK-47 assault rifles, three pistols and 200 live rounds from it. -- PTI

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel

16:57 Gujarat forms panel for implementing Uniform Civil Code

Ahead of the assembly polls in Gujarat to be held by the year-end, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state on Saturday decided to set up a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said the state cabinet cleared a proposal to constitute the committee during its meeting held on Saturday.

This is considered the last meeting of the Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet as the schedule for the state elections is expected to be announced next week.

"The committee will be headed by a retired high court judge and will have three to four members," Union minister Parshottam Rupala said.

Earlier, the BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had announced implementation of the UCC in their states. -- PTI

Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud Saturday said the Sheikh Hasina government is committed to the safety of its Hindu minorities and the peaceful Durga Puja celebrations in the country this year is a testimony to it.

Mahamud, who is in the city to inaugurate Bangladesh Film Festival, said the Indo-Bangla relation is not dependent only on the Teesta water sharing agreement between the two nations.

"The Sheikh Hasina government is committed to protecting the rights of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The recent peaceful Durga Puja celebration in the country is a testimony to it. This year the number of Durga Pujas held in Bangladesh was much higher than last year," Mahmud said at a press conference at the Press Club here.

Referring to the communal violence in Bangladesh during Durga Puja in 2021, he said the country's government was extra cautious to avoid any untoward incident this year.

"Those who had tried to create problems during Durga Puja stand exposed. We have taken special measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place," he said.

Speaking on India-Bangladesh relations, the minister said more than the government to government relations it is the people-to-people associations between the two countries that have helped strengthen the diplomatic relations.

"Our bilateral relation is not only dependent on Teesta (Water sharing). Whenever I come to India, I am asked this question. Our relationship is diverse," he added.

The Teesta river water agreement has been hanging fire for more than a decade due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. -- PTI

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police on Saturday questioned former chief secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Jitendra Narain in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old woman, an official said.

The grilling of the official began around 11 AM and was underway at the Police Lines in Port Blair.

The SIT, headed by senior IPS officer Monika Bhardwaj of the Andaman and Nicobar Police, had questioned Narain for over eight hours on Friday.

The SIT was constituted to probe allegations that the woman was lured to the chief secretary's residence with the promise of a government job and then raped by top officials including Narain.

Labour Commissioner R L Rishi was also accused of raping the woman while a police inspector and a hotel owner were named in the FIR as accomplices in the crime.

The police inspector was also interrogated by the SIT on Friday.

Narain is being kept at private resort here. The senior official has arrived here to face questioning following a Calcutta High Court order.

The FIR was registered on October 1 when Narain was posted as the chairman and managing director of the Delhi Financial Corporation. The government suspended him on October 17 with immediate effect.

The woman said as her father and stepmother did not take care of her financial needs, she needed a job and was introduced by some people to the labour commissioner as he was close to the then chief secretary.

She claimed in the FIR that the chief secretary appointed "7,800 candidates" in various departments in the administration of the islands "on the basis of recommendation only" and without any "formal interview".

The woman alleged that she was lured to the chief secretary's home with the promise of a government job, and then raped there on April 14 and May 1. -- PTI

The Narcotics Control Bureau has filed a charge-sheet against comedian Bharti Singh, her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa and a drug peddler in connection with a 2020 drug case, a senior official said on Saturday.

The charge-sheet, which runs into around 1,200 pages, was submitted by the NCB in a court in Mumbai recently, he said.

The couple was arrested by the anti-drug agency in November 2020 following the seizure of ganja (cannabis) at their residence in suburban Andheri, the official said.

Both the accused were booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including section 8 (c) (possession of drugs) and 27 (consumption of drugs), he said.

During the investigation, the NCB team had arrested one more person who had played a role in the supply of the banned drug, he said.

Accordingly, the NCB team investigated the case and submitted the charge-sheet a few weeks ago, he said.

The couple was granted bail after two days of custody on a bond of Rs 15,000 each, he said. -- PTI

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has sought investments from the Tata Group in and around Nagpur, citing strengths like infrastructure, land availability and connectivity in his home city.

In a letter to Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on October 7, Gadkari, who handles the road transport and highways portfolio, said group companies engaged in businesses like steel, auto, consumer products, IT services and aviation can choose to invest in Nagpur.

The letter shared with the media on Saturday comes amid Maharashtra losing several big-ticket projects to neighbouring Gujarat, like the over Rs 1.5 lakh crore investment from Foxconn-Vedanta on chip manufacturing and the Rs 22,000 crore aircraft manufacturing project where the Tata Group has tied up with Airbus.

At a recent event, Chandrasekaran had said the Tata Group is exploring investments in electronics, renewable energy, electric vehicles and other modern sectors, and is engaged with the newly formed state government under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the same.

In the letter, Gadkari said there are over 3,000 acres of land in the Multi-modal international Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) SEZ and non-SEZ area, and added that already a lot of companies have set base in the vicinity.

"All Tata Group companies like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consumer Products, Voltas, Titan Industries, Big Basket may enjoy the strengths of Nagpur like overnight connectivity with 350 districts of six states, lower rates of land, manpower and warehousing," the minister said in the letter.

Underlining that the group companies have already been present in central India's Nagpur for over a century, Gadkari told Chandrasekaran that the Tata Group's airline ventures Air India, Vistara and AirAsia India can cut costs by making Nagpur as a hub of their operations and choosing to park aircraft at night.

Air India already has a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at MIHAN, Gadkari said, stressing that considering the expansion plans of the group in the sector, more MROs can be considered.

Separately, the group can also look at large warehousing for aviation spares for its own use and also for other airliners, he said.

He said the group can also look at entering container manufacturing, saying supply from Tata Steel is possible in the Nagpur region, which augurs well for the business.

TCS can augment its presence in the MIHAN area courtesy the quality education institutes in the area, Gadkari wrote.

An FIR was lodged against nine people and a probe ordered following allegations of religious conversion, police in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut said on Saturday.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said a complaint was received regarding religious conversions and Brahmapuri police station had been asked to investigate the matter.

"On the basis of the preliminary investigation report, a case was registered against nine people, including three women, on Friday. The investigation is going on," the officer said.

The complaint was filed by a few residents of Mangatapuram Colony.

According to the complainants, during COVID-19, some people provided food and financial assistance to the poor living in the area. They alleged that the accused then forced these people to convert to Christianity, the police said.

"Not only this, pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses are also being thrown out by the accused from the houses of the people of Mangatapuram Colony. On protesting or complaining about the incident to anyone, the accused come home with knives and sticks and threaten to kill," according to the complaint.

While there is no mention of how many people have been converted, local BJP leader Deepak Sharma claimed that more than 100 people living from Mangatapuram Colony had allegedly been converted to Christianity.

"This has been going on for the past three years. During the COVID-19 period, the people were given ration and money to convert to Christianity. Now, other people are being threatened to convert as well," Sharma alleged.

The nine persons named in the FIR are Chhabili alias Shiva, Binwa, Anil, Sardar, Nikku, Basant, Prema, Titli and Reena under Section 3, 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion Prohibition Act.

Police are yet to make an arrest. -- PTI

In an unusual move, Islamabad police on Saturday barred hotels and guest houses in the federal capital from providing accommodation to the participants of the long march led by former Pakistan premier Imran Khan to force the government to announce a date for early general elections.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has also directed television channels not to live telecast PTI leaders' speeches and the long march, according to its notification of October 28.

The PEMRA said it was observed during a speech that statements against state institutions were aired live in violation of the code of conduct and court orders. It warned that legal action, leading to suspensions and revocation of licences, would be initiated in case of non-compliance.

The long march dubbed as 'Haqeeqi Azadi March' began from the Liberty Chowk area in Lahore on late Friday afternoon and the participants moved slowly as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party held power shows at Ichhra, Mozang, Data Sahib and Azadi Chowk areas of Lahore.

The march stopped at Data Darbar last night and will resume its journey on Saturday.

It plans to travel on the historic GT Road and arrive in Islamabad on November 4 to hold a big protest rally, which may be transformed into a sit-in.

Khan has said no one can stop the PTI's long march, adding his supporters must wait for his next decision when he reaches Islamabad.

As to what will happen when we reach Islamabad, you have to wait as to what I decide after reaching Islamabad, he told a journalist in a video tweeted by Aaj TV.

On the second day, the convoy will march to Kamoke via Muridke, where the PTI chairman was expected to address his supporters, according to the organisers.

Then the rally will proceed towards Gujranwala City where Khan will address a public gathering.

From Gujranwala, the rally will proceed to Sialkot via Daska and Sambrial, and it will conclude at Wazirabad for an overnight stay.

The next morning, as per the itinerary of the long march, the convoy will head towards Gujarat, the home town of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who will welcome it. Khan will address a public gathering there.

Convoys from north and south of Punjab will also join the long march at Rawat in the suburbs of Islamabad from there to march into the capital city.

Islamabad police barred hotels and guest houses in the federal capital from providing accommodation to the participants of the march.

The Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Superfast Express rammed into cattle near Atul station in Gujarat on Saturday morning, causing a delay of 20 minutes in reaching its destination, a railway official said.

Railway sources said the incident left the train's front panel damaged and also dented the underbelly equipment of its first coach.

This is the third such incident involving this semi-high speed train so far this month.

The incident occurred around 8.20 am, the official said. The train rammed into the cattle that came on to the track near Atul railway station.

The train was stranded for nearly about 20 minutes due to the incident, before it resumed its journey towards Gandhinagar, he said.

"The train did not suffer any operational damage. It resumed further journey in 20 minutes," said Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway, adding that all the passengers onboard the train were safe.

On October 6, four buffaloes were killed after being hit by this train on its way to Gandhinagar from Mumbai between Vatva and Maninagar railway stations in Gujarat. Its nose panel had to be replaced overnight due to the damage.

n the second such incident that occurred the next day (October 7), the train had hit a cow near Anand in Gujarat while on its way to Mumbai.

The indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high speed train, the third service under the Vande Bharat series, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30 from Gandhinagar and it started the commercial run from the next day.

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday launched a crowdsourcing campaign to select the party's Chief Ministerial candidate for the Gujarat elections.

Kejriwal announced a number to register the opinion -- 6357000360. On this number, people can send voice message, WhatsApp and SMSes till November 3. The results would be announced on November 4.

He has also shared an email id on which views can be sent.

Elections to the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly are due by the end of this year. However, the polling dares are yet to be announced.

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11:40 Delhi's air quality nears 'severe' zone

A layer of pungent haze lingered over Delhi on Saturday morning as the city's air quality neared the "severe" zone amid adverse meteorological conditions -- low temperatures and calm winds -- and an increase in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab.

The overall air quality index of Delhi stood at 396 at 10 am, worsening from 357 at 4 pm on Friday.

It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali). Anand Vihar (AQI 454) was the most polluted place in the capital.

Wazirpur (439), Narela (423), Ashok Vihar (428), Vivek Vihar (427) and Jahangirpuri (438) were among the monitoring stations that recorded "severe" air quality.

The air quality in the neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad (381), Noida (392), Greater Noida (398), Gurugram (360) and Faridabad (391) also inched closer to the "severe" category.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the concentration of lung-damaging fine particles known as PM2.5 was above 400 micrograms per cubic metre at 10 am, around seven times the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre, in many areas.

The India meteorological department said calm winds prevailed at night.

Moderate wind speed (up to 8 kmph) is predicted during the day, it added. -- PTI

The government has extended restrictions on sugar exports till October 31 next year, a move aimed at increasing availability of the commodity in the domestic market.

Earlier, the restrictions were imposed till October 31 this year.

"Restriction on export of sugar (raw, refined, and white sugar) is extended beyond October 31, 2022 till October 31, 2023, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Other conditions will remain unchanged," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification dated October 28.

However, it said these restrictions will not be applicable on sugar being exported to the EU and the US under CXL and TRQ duty concession quotas. A specified amount of sugar is exported to these regions under CXL and TRQ (tariff rate quota).

India has been the highest producer and the second largest exporter of sugar in the world in the current year. PTI

At least 25 people, including five police personnel, were injured when a fire broke out in a congested alley in south Bihar's Aurangabad district in the early hours of Saturday, an official said.

The incident happened in Shahganj locality of Aurangabad town where an LPG cylinder exploded inside a house as preparation of prasad for Chhath Puja was underway, sub-inspector in-charge of Town police station Vinay Kumar Singh said.

He said that according to the owner of the house, Anil Goswami, gas had begun to leak from the cylinder and it went up in flames before the occupants could clear off.

"A police team and fire brigade personnel reached the site soon. Five police personnel, including a woman constable, sustained injuries in the firefighting operations," said the police officer.

The injured were admitted to the Sadar hospital and a private nursing home.

The condition of five persons was stated to be critical. -- PTI

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for concerted global efforts to deal with the challenge of the use of new technologies by terror groups to foment discord.

In a message at the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee's meeting in Delhi, he expressed concerns over the abuse of new technologies by various terror groups to spread disinformation, foment discord and radicalise youths.

The counter-terror meeting in Delhi is being attended by representatives from all 15 member nations of the UN Security Council.

The message by Guterres was read out by an official of the global body. "New and emerging technologies have unmatched potential to improve the human conditions everywhere, regrettably they have been also been misused by many including malicious actors," the UN Secretary-General said.

"Terrorists and others posing hateful ideologies are abusing new and emerging technologies to spread disinformation, foment discord, recruit and radicalise, mobilise resources and execute attacks," he said. -- PTI

10:21 Today's match at T20 World Cup

On Saturday's crunch clash between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the SCG, the Kiwis will need to be sure to avoid an upset.

Sri Lanka are under more pressure and will have to play better than they have done so far at the tournament to win.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 01.30 pm IST.

The Mumbai police added attempt to murder charge in the FIR against film producer Kamal Kishore Mishra in connection with hitting his wife with a car in Andheri on October 19.

Kishore was presented before a court in Mumbai on Friday after being arrested and was sent to the police custody till Sunday.

He was detained by the Amboli police on Friday after a case was registered against him for hitting his wife with a car.

Mishra is the producer of the film Dehati Disco.

Representational image

09:19 Defence ministry world's biggest employer: Report

India's ministry of defence is the world's biggest employer with 2.92 million people, which includes combined active service personnel, reservists and civilian staff, according to a report in Statista.

A close second to the Indian defence ministry is the US department of defence which employs 2.91 million people, according to the Statista infographic on employers with the largest workforces worldwide in 2022.

Statista is a Germany-based private organisation that provides data and statistics about various issues worldwide.

"At the top of the ranking for the world's largest employers is India's ministry of defence. Combining active service personnel, reservists and civilian staff, the total headcount comes to 2.92 million -- a touch ahead of the United States equivalent, the department of defence," the report said.

In China, the People's Liberation Army, which doesn't include civilian positions, employs around 2.5 million people, the Hamburg-based firm specialising in market and consumer data said.

"The Chinese equivalent of the US department of defence, the central military commission may have as many as 6.8 million people in its employment, though that figure was not deemed sufficiently reliable to be included in this list," the report adds. -- ANI

The police arrested 33 people including 20 women in connection with the lynching of a 50-year-old woman on suspicion of a witchcraft related incident in Odisha's Ganjam district, an offficer said on Friday.

"We have registered total five different cases, including murder, after the incident. Inquiry was on about the incident," said a police officer.

After police action, almost all the male residents of Madhurachua village fled away.

Presently some elderly people, women and children are in the village.

"We have launched a manhunt to arrest more persons involved in the incident," said Prabhat Sahoo, inspector in-charge, Kabisurya Nagar police station.

The villagers allegedly killed Jhunu Nayak, wife of Yudhisthira for lodging a police complaint by her husband against her neighbour without consulting them on Wednesday. -- PTI

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and husband Paul Pelosi/Reuters

08:29 US House speaker Nancy's husband undergoes surgery after deadly attack

Paul Pelosi, husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who a male assailant attacked on Friday morning, has undergone surgery for a skull fracture and other severe injuries to his right arm and hands, CNN reported citing a statement released by the speaker.

The US House speaker also expressed gratitude and thanked people for the outpouring of support and prayers following the deadly attack on Paul Pelosi.

"Paul Pelosi underwent surgery Friday "to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," a statement released by Nancy Pelosi said.

Moreover, deputy chief of staff and spokesperson Drew Hammill, added: "The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr Pelosi's entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault."

Paul Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery, it read, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden described the attack on Pelosi's husband as 'despicable.'

"This is despicable. There's no place in America -- there's too much violence, political violence. Too much hatred. Too much vitriol," Biden told a fundraising dinner Friday in Philadelphia. -- ANI

Aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will conduct a detailed investigation to ascertain the cause of the Bengaluru-bound IndiGo plane's one of the engines catching fire at Delhi airport at the time of taxiing on Friday night.

The DGCA said that a suitable follow-up action shall be taken in the matter.

"IndiGo A320-Ceo aircraft VT-IFM operating flight 6E-2131 (Delhi-Bengaluru) was involved in reject takeoff as Engine 2 Fail warning came. Loud bang was heard. Fire extinguisher bottle was discharged. Aircraft returned to bay. It has been grounded for inspection,' said DGCA. -- ANI

A court in Mathura on Friday fixed November 30 as the next date of hearing in a matter involving a dispute between the Meena Masjid and the Katra Keshav Dev temple as the hearing could not be held due to the respondents' absence.

The petitioners have claimed that the mosque was built on a part of the temple land.

Senior advocate Devkinandan Sharma, who is representing the petitioners -- Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha treasurer Dinesh Chandra Sharma and Lord Keshav Dev -- told reporters that Friday's hearing was supposed to take place on a survey of the mosque by an ameen (revenue official) and to put a stay on the ongoing construction work on its premises.

He said no lawyer has so far appeared on behalf of the respondents -- the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board chairman and the Intezamia Committee of the mosque.

The court fixed November 30 as the next date of hearing in the matter, Sharma said. -- PTI

The Maharashtra government has removed `categorised' security cover of 25 leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, an official said on Friday.

It means these leaders would not have permanent police security outside their houses or escort.

The decision was taken after a fresh assessment of their security perception, the official said.

Those who lost security cover includes several former cabinet ministers. The security cover of Uddhav Thackeray, the previous chief minister, and his family has been retained.

The security cover of Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar and his family including his daughter and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule too has been retained, but that of some other NCP leaders including Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and jailed Anil Deshmukh has been removed.

Patil, Bhujbal and Deshmukh have been home ministers in the past.

The security cover of NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad has been maintained.

Interestingly, Milind Narvekar, personal secretary and trusted aide of Uddhav Thackeray, has been given 'Y-plus-escort' cover. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Ajit Pawar (NCP) and fellow NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil, who was home minister in the previous MVA government, too have been given 'Y-plus-escort' cover. -- ANI

Delhi's water not good, Maharashtra is nice: Gadkari

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