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Thu, 14 November 2024

India test-fires guided Pinaka weapon system

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23:22 India successfully test-fires guided Pinaka weapon system

India has successfully completed the flight-tests of guided Pinaka weapon system as part of a set of validation trials.

During these tests, the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) parameters, viz., ranging, accuracy, consistency and rate of fire for multiple target engagement in a salvo mode have been assessed by extensive testing of rockets, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

"Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the flight-tests of Guided Pinaka Weapon System as part of Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) validation trials," it said.

The flight-tests have been conducted in three phases at different field firing ranges.

"Twelve rockets from each production agency from two in-service Pinaka launchers upgraded by the launcher production agencies have been tested," the statement said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful PSQR validation trials of the system and stated that the induction of this Guided Pinaka Weapon System will further boost the artillery fire power of the Armed Forces, it said.

The precision strike variant for Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System is a totally indigenous weapon system designed and developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and Proof & Experimental Establishment with Munitions India Limited and Economic Explosives Limited as production agencies for ammunition and Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Larsen & Toubro for Pinaka launcher and Battery Command Post. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Samir V Kamat, also congratulated the teams associated with the trials and said the rocket system has 'completed all pre-requisite flight trials before induction into the Indian Army'. -- PTI

The Centre has informed the Kerala government that landslides and flash floods that happened in Wayanad in July this year cannot be declared as a 'national disaster'.

More than 200 people died and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the natural calamity and the state has been demanding that it be declared as a 'national disaster' and also provide assistance for rehabilitation.

'Under the existing guidelines of SDRF/ NDRF, there is no provision to declare any calamity as 'National Disaster',' Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a letter dated November 10.

SDRF and NDRF refers to State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund, respectively.

In August, the state government wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to declare the landslides and flash floods that happened in Wayanad as a national disaster.

Rai also said that an amount of Rs 388 crore has been allocated to the state government for financial year 2024-25 in SDRF. Out of the total amount, the Centre's share totalling Rs 291.20 crore was released in advance in two instalments, he added.

"In addition, the Accountant General, Kerala has reported a balance of Rs 394.99 crore in its SDRF account as on April 1, 2024. Thus, sufficient funds are available in the SDRF account of the state for the relief operations," Rai said.

In the letter written by Rai to K V Thomas, who is the Special Representative of Kerala in New Delhi, Rai also said the central government will continue to extend all possible support to the state in their endeavour.

On November 9, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan highlighted the lack of central assistance for the rehabilitation of those affected by the landslides that hit Wayanad in July, saying that nothing has come from the Union government despite several reminders.

Kerala has sought a Rs 2,000-crore relief package from the Centre for Wayanad.

On November 4, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal expressed hope that the Centre will immediately provide a special package for the rehabilitation of Wayanad. -- PTI

Shivkumar Gautam, the alleged main shooter in the Baba Siddique murder case, remained at the spot for 20 minutes after the Nationalist Congress Party leader was gunned down on October 12, an official said on Thursday.

He had changed his clothes and returned to the spot, the official added.

"He had thrown a bag carrying his shirt, pistol and his Aadhar card at the spot. After the shootout, he found people were in panic and a large number of police had arrived. He also observed if police were asking bystanders for leads on the perpetrators," the official said.

He saw that two of his associates had been nabbed from the spot itself, the official added.

"Gautam took an autorickshaw and went near Lilavati hospital, where Siddique was admitted, to get confirmation on whether he had died. At around 10.47pm, he left for Kurla railway station. While inside the train, he threw his mobile phone somewhere. Efforts are on to trace it," the official said.

The official also said a suspect brought from a border village in Punjab was allowed to go after no role of his surfaced.

During the interrogation of the accused persons, Crime Branch officials found wanted accused Shubham Lonkar was in direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi, brother of the jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

The Mumbai crime branch also found that Shubham Lonkar had trained with an AK-47 rifle in the dense forests some 50 kilometres from Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur in July, he said.

"Shubham Lonkar was with arrested accused Vilas Apune and Rupesh Mohol when trio had gone to Mahakal. Shubham Lonkar was given training by some people. The training session was going on for four days, and their stay was for five days," the official said.

"We are probing if Shubham Lonkar got weapons training from Naxalites. Lonkar had warned Apune and Mohol that they should not discuss about the training with anybody. We also got information that a corporator from Pune was on the hit list of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang," he said.

According to the official, in Baba Siddique murder conspiracy, arrested accused Anurag Kashyap and Gyan Prakash Tripathi had sent money to scrap dealer Harish Kumar.

"Harish had transferred money into various other accounts and had given his ATM card to shooters to withdraw money," he said. -- PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Mahesh Khichi was elected as the next mayor of Delhi on Thursday, marking a significant victory for the ruling party in the national capital ahead of the assembly polls due early next year.

As Khichi took his seat, the jubilant AAP councillors filled the air with the 'Jai Bhim' slogan, celebrating the victory of the Dalit candidate in a tough contest.

Khichi defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kishan Lal by a wafer-thin margin of three votes, receiving 133 votes to the latter's 130.

Two votes were declared invalid, with a total of 256 votes cast for the mayor's post.

Following its defeat in the mayoral poll contest, the BJP withdrew from the race for deputy mayor, clearing the way for the AAP's Ravinder Bharadwaj to secure the position unopposed.

The saffron party had fielded Nita Bisht for the deputy mayor's post.

'Many congratulations to Mahesh Kumar ji on being elected as the new Mayor of Delhi. Work diligently for the people, take forward the good work being done in MCD,' AAP national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X.

Eight AAP councillors cross-voted, helping the BJP increase its vote share in the election, party officials said.

One vote from the BJP and one from the AAP were declared invalid, they added.

The seven Congress councillors did not participate in the voting and one councillor resigned from the party at the last moment.

The AAP candidates emerged victorious after a closely-contested election in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), following months of tension between the Kejriwal-led party and the BJP.

The polls, initially scheduled for April, were postponed due to procedural delays.

The Congress boycotted the voting, calling for a full term for the mayor rather than the truncated tenure on offer.

"We want the Dalit mayor to get a full tenure instead of just four months," a Congress councillor said.

The day began with an uproar in the MCD House as the Congress councillors, led by the Leader of the Party Nazia Dhanish, raised slogans and stormed into the well.

Dhanish accused the administration of denying a Dalit mayor a full term.

The Congress members raised slogans accusing the AAP of being anti-Dalit, while the AAP councillors responded with chants in support of Kejriwal.

In a dramatic twist, Congress councillor Sabila Begum resigned from the party just ahead of the voting. Her resignation letter, posted online by her husband, revealed her intent to support the AAP nominee.

Key political figures, including AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and N D Gupta, along with all seven Lok Sabha MPs of the BJP from Delhi, exercised their franchise. -- PTI

IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party's Mahesh Kumar Khichi along with former Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi celebrate the party's win in the MCD mayoral elections, at Civic Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

20:56 Rajnath Singh to visit Laos from Nov 20-22

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a three-day visit to Laos next week to attend a meeting of a grouping comprising 10-nation ASEAN and some of its dialogue partners that is expected to deliberate on evolving regional security situation.

Singh is likely to present India's position on dealing with major security challenges facing the region at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), sources said.

The defence minister will visit Laos from November 20 to 22, they said.

ADMM-Plus is a platform comprising 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its eight dialogue partners -- India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.

Laos is hosting the meeting in its capacity as the current chair of ADMM-Plus.

The meeting is likely to deliberate on the situation in the Indo-Pacific as well as ways to combat the threat of terrorism.

On the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus meeting, Singh is likely to hold bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of a number of participating countries.

India became the dialogue partner of the ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi in October 2010. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus ministers have been meeting annually to bolster regional security cooperation.

With pollution reaching alarming levels, the central pollution watchdog imposed restrictions under the third stage of the GRAP in Delhi-NCR on Thursday, including a ban on construction and demolition activities.

The air quality in the capital remained in the 'severe' category for a second consecutive day, prompting authorities to impose stringent anti-pollution measures. The restrictions will come into force from Friday.

The decision was taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), all inter-state buses from NCR states -- except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses -- will be prohibited from entering Delhi, alongside a stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, consideration of shifting to online classes for students up to Class 5 and daily water sprinkling on major roads.

Under the third stage of the GRAP, there would be restrictions on the plying of BS-lll petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.

The GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality -- Stage 1 for 'poor' Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 201 and 300, Stage 2 for 'very poor' AQI of 301-400, Stage 3 for 'severe' AQI of 401-450 and Stage 4 for 'severe plus' AQI (more than 450). -- PTI

IMAGE: Vehicles move on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway amid low visibility due to fog, in Gurugram on Thursday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said there was no set formula for selecting the next chief minister of the ruling Mahayuti alliance and a decision in this regard will be taken once assembly poll results were declared.

In an interaction with a group of reporters in Mumbai, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader clarified there was no such formula of having a chief minister from the party winning the maximum number of seats or that with a better strike rate in the November 20 polls to elect a new 288-member assembly.

The BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party headed by deputy CM Ajit Pawar are constituents of the ruling alliance.

"A decision (on CM post) will be taken by leaders of the three parties. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are national presidents of their respective parties and the BJP Parliamentary Board authorises the party president to take a decision. So, the national presidents of the three parties will decide," he said.

Going into elections, the Mahayuti has not formally declared its CM face.

Fadnavis, the BJP's first CM in Maharashtra who served from 2014 to 2019, laughed away questions about his possible 'promotion' to the Centre after the elections in Maharashtra.

"I will do whatever BJP tells me to do. 'Jeena yahan, marna yahan, iske siwa jaana kahan'. I will go wherever the BJP asks me to go," remarked the deputy CM, who is contesting from the Nagpur South West.

Assembly poll results in Maharashtra, where the Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, are locked in a close fight for electoral supremacy, will be declared on November 23. -- PTI

Sridhar Vembu

19:05 Zoho CEO to be chief guest at ABVP meet

The CEO of Zoho Corporation, Sridhar Vembu, will be the chief guest at the 70th National Conference of Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) to be held in Gorakhpur from November 22-24.

Vembu will address students and faculty representatives at the inaugural session of the conference on November 22, according to a statement issued by ABVP, the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Vembu's efforts in advancing India's technological growth, promoting rural development and bringing significant reforms in the education system serve as a guiding light for the youth of the country, the statement said.

Vembu established Zoho Corporation at Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu with the goal of creating jobs for the local residents.

After setting up his industry in a remote part of Tamil Nadu, Vembu created opportunities that are typically available only in the top multinational companies in major cities, the statement added.

His efforts to connect rural life with advanced technology and entrepreneurship are exemplary, and his address at the ABVP national conference will offer direction and inspiration to the youth, it said.

-- PTI

Reliance Industries has completed the merger of its media assets with the India business of global media house Walt Disney to form a new joint venture worth Rs 70,352 crore.

The JV, in which Reliance Industries has invested Rs 11,500 crore (USD 1.4 billion) for its growth, will be headed by Nita Ambani as its chairperson, according to a joint statement.

"The transaction values the JV at Rs 70,352 crore (USD 8.5 billion) on a post-money basis, excluding synergies," it said.

At the closing of the transactions, the said JV is controlled by RIL.

Reliance Industries holds a 16.34 per cent stake in the JV, while its step-down unit Viacom18 holds 46.82 per cent and Disney the rest 36.84 per cent.

"Nita M. Ambani will be the chairperson of the JV, with Mr Uday Shankar as vice chairperson providing strategic guidance to the JV," it said.

Viacom 18 Media and The Walt Disney Company have already received necessary approvals required from authorities such as CCI, NCLT for the merger of the media and JioCinema businesses of media and JioCinema businesses of Viacom18 into Star India.

The JV will be one of the largest media & entertainment companies in India with pro forma combined revenue of approximately Rs 26,000 crore (USD 3.1 billion) for the fiscal year ended in March 2024.

The JV operates over 100 TV channels and produces more than 30,000 hours of TV entertainment content annually.

The JioCinema and Hotstar digital platforms have an aggregate subscription base of over 50 million.

The JV holds a portfolio of sports rights across cricket, football and other sports.

Commenting on the development RIL Chairman & Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said: "With the formation of this JV, the Indian media and entertainment industry is entering a transformational era.

"Our deep creative expertise and relationship with Disney, along with our unmatched understanding of the Indian consumer will ensure unparalleled content choices at affordable prices for Indian viewers. I am very excited about the JV's future and wish it all the success," he said.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Thursday courted controversy after he said at a poll rally that if the party is voted to power, gas cylinders will be given at Rs 450 to all citizens of the state, whether they are infiltrators or not.

In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that such a remark is 'anti-national' and reflects the Congress' appeasement and polarisation politics.

"We have promised that we will provide gas cylinders at Rs 450 from December 1 if our government is formed. This will be for the common masses -- whether they are Hindus, Muslims, infiltrators -- it will be given to all Jharkhand citizens, no other factor will be considered," Mir said addressing a poll rally at Chandrapura in Bermo assembly constituency.

The remarks come at a time when BJP leaders are accusing the JMM-led coalition of patronising infiltration in the state for 'vote bank politics'.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The Congress' Ghulam Ahmad Mir said they will provide gas cylinders to infiltrators at Rs 450. It is the
Congress-JMM-RJD government that is patronising infiltration in Jharkhand."

Addressing an election rally at Birni in Giridih district, he alleged that lakhs of infiltrators entered Jharkhand and the government helped them get voter and ration cards.

At another rally in Bokaro, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The Congress in charge has promised to give cylinders to Hindus, Muslims and infiltrators. BJP will not allow handing over of tribals rights to infiltrators."

The second phase of polling will be held on November 20. The first phase of voting was held on Wednesday, while votes will be counted on November 23. -- PTI

IMAGE: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi with and Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir. Photograph: ANI Photo

Consumer rights regulator CCPA has ordered a detailed probe into complaints related to alleged 'deficiencies' in services and electric two-wheelers manufactured by Ola Electric.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) headed by Nidhi Khare has directed the Director General (Investigation), who is also head of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), to investigate this matter.

The order to this effect was issued on November 6 and the BIS DG has been asked to submit the investigation report within 15 days.

"The company has responded to the notice. The CCPA has now asked the DG (Investigation) to investigate the matter in detail and submit the report within 15 days," a senior consumer affairs ministry official told PTI.

The move comes after the CCPA initiated action after it received 10,000-odd complaints on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).

The regulator had issued a notice to Ola Electric on October 7 citing alleged violations of consumer rights, misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.

Replying to the notice on October 21, the company said it has resolved 99.1 per cent of the 10,644 complaints lodged with CCPA. -- PTI

Naresh Meena slaps an SDM

17:25 Teargas, burnt cars, scribes assaulted in Rajasthan

Independent MLA candidate Naresh Meena was arrested on Thursday following high drama and escalating violence in which a mob assaulted a PTI reporter and video cameraperson and burnt their camera.

The attack, a day after the Congress rebel contesting as an Independent in the bypolls slapped SDM Malpura Amit Chaudhary outside a polling booth in front of hundreds of people, came while the PTI crew was covering a protest following the arrest.

PTI reporter Ajeet Shekhawat and cameraperson Dharmendra Kumar were badly injured and rushed to hospital. In a selfie video sent to the PTI head office in Delhi, Shekhawat can be seen bleeding from under his left eye. He said his colleague Dharmendra suffered a gash on the head and his arm may be broken. The two came under attack when they were about to interview Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, who had gone to the trouble spot to assess the situation in Tonk district's Samravta village, about 100 km from the state capital Jaipur.

The violence has been going on since Wednesday evening when police tried to stop Naresh Meena's supporters from sitting on dharna. The slap, videos of which were circulated widely on social media platforms, set in motion differing protests from both his supporters and Rajasthan Administrative Service officials.

The tension that started outside the polling booth snowballing into outright violence through the night and into Thursday. Work across government offices in the state was hit in the morning with officials of the RAS Association and allied services going on a pen-down strike demanding that Meena be arrested.

They said they would continue till a meeting with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. Ranged against them were Meena's alleged supporters. About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers, including police vehicles, were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency when police tried to prevent the dharna. About 60 people were arrested in the early hours of Thursday following the violence that also saw crowds pelting stones at police personnel. As the morning progressed, tension spiralled.

"I will not surrender," a defiant Meena told jostling camera crews in Samravta after he was taken into custody. As restless crowds could be seen roaming the village, police mounted vigil to ensure that nothing more goes wrong.

The arrest was planned with care. Police administration, which included senior officers in full riot gear, were deployed in full strength and held a flag march. Tonk Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan gave the final direction to the police team to enter the village and take Meena in its custody. Police fired teargas shells to disperse the agitated mob after Meena's arrest.

Some also pelted stones at the police but no injuries were reported. Alleged supporters of Meena blocked the roads, which were removed. "It could be anyone the government is strict with those who commit crime. We are getting the entire incident investigated and asked for a report and soon action will be taken against those who are guilty," said Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham. -- PTI

17:13 Gainers, losers in the markets today

Experts stated that markets may continue the downward trend until February, and a reversal can be witnessed when Trump takes charge. The "Trump Anticipation Trade" is dominating the markets.

17:07 HC nod for release of movie on Malegaon blast

The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of the movie Match Fixing - The Nation at Stake', based on the 2008 Malegaon blast, noting that it was a work of fiction.

A division bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Somasekhar Sunderesan dismissed a petition filed by Lt Col Prasad Purohit, an accused in the case, seeking a stay on the film claiming that it would impact and influence the trial. Purohit's lawyer said the movie projects saffron terror. Purohit claimed that the movie, scheduled for release on November 15, tarnished his reputation.

The movie's producer told the court it was a work of fiction based on a book already available in the market. The producer also submitted the disclaimer that would be exhibited at the beginning of the movie which states that the film is a work of fiction and bears no resemblance to any person dead or alive.

After briefly hearing the arguments, the bench suggested certain minor changes to the disclaimer which the producer accepted. We do not think that the apprehension of the petitioner is well founded. The movie is based on fiction and hence there can be no apprehension that the trial, which is at the stage of final arguments, would get affected, the court said. Entire apprehension of petitioner is wholly misconceived.

Petition is dismissed, it added. The court also asked Purohit if he thinks judges in India get influenced by such movies. Are you really saying that a judge of the Indian judiciary is going to watch a movie and get influenced and forget evidence? When the book is not banned why should the film be banned? So the judge won't get influenced by the book, HC said. Advocate Harish Pandya, appearing for Purohit, then sought the court to stay the release of the movie at least till after the Maharashtra assembly elections, scheduled to be held on November 20. Saffron terror is projected in the movie, Pandya said.

The court, however, questioned what the movie had to do with the elections. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that if the Maha Vikas Agadhi alliance gains power in Maharashtra, it will bring back the era of droughts and the water crisis in the poll bound State.

"Agadhi wale boond boond paani ke liye apko tarsayenge. Isliye mein mata aur beheno ko keheta hu, Agadhi wale ko ghusne bhi mat dena, warne aapko paani ke liye bhi tarsake rakehenge (The Agadhi alliance will make you beg for every drop of water, that is why I tell the mothers and sisters that they should not even let the alliance get in power, otherwise they will make you beg for water)," said PM Modi.

He was addressing a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district in the state, which is headed for Assembly polls on November 20.

PM Modi was also felicitated by NDA leaders, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.

The Prime Minister alleged that the MVA alliance has done nothing but increase the problems of the State.

"There has been a water crisis in Marathwada for a long time, but the Congress and the Aghadi people always remained sitting idle. For the first time in our government, concrete efforts began to fight drought," he said. The PM also highlighted that the MVA alliance did not respect the wishes of Balasaheb Thackeray, saying that it was the late leader's wish to rename Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

"The whole of Maharashtra knows that the demand to give this name to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar was raised by Balasaheb Thackeray. The Aghadi government was in power for 2.5 years, but these people did not have the courage to do so under pressure from the Congress. Whereas the Mahayuti government renamed this city as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar as soon as it came to power. We fulfilled your wish, we fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's wish," he said. -- ANI

16:25 Sensex, Nifty falf for 6th day

Benchmark Sensex declined by 110 points in a see-saw trade on Thursday, marking its third straight session of losses amid continued FII selling, disappointing quarterly results and soaring inflation.

BSE Sensex dropped 110.64 points or 0.14 per cent to settle at 77,580.31. During the day, it dropped 266.14 points or 0.34 per cent to 77,424.81. Broader NSE Nifty dropped by 26.35 points or 0.11 per cent to close at 23,532.70, extending its losing streak to the sixth day.

From the 30-share Sensex pack, Hindustan Unilever, NTPC, Nestle, IndusInd Bank, Power Grid, Adani Ports, Tata Motors and Bajaj Finserv were the major laggards. Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra, Mahindra & Mahindra and HDFC Bank were among the gainers. -- PTI

A day after the Supreme Court verdict on bulldozer action, the victims of demolition drives across Uttar Pradesh have breathed a sigh of relief and said they would take legal recourse to seek compensation for their losses.

The Uttar Pradesh government, which has been receiving flak from various quarters over its bulldozer action, has also hailed the apex court's verdict while clarifying that the demolitions were carried out after following due process and on properties constructed on encroached lands.

Equating "bulldozer justice" with a lawless state of affairs where might is right, the Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down pan-India guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond.

In Prayagraj, the house of Javed Mohammad, who runs a pump set business, was demolished with a bulldozer on June 12, 2022. Police justified the action, saying he had five cases registered against him and was the main accused in a stone pelting incident in the Atala area.

"Houses shouldn't be demolished in an arbitrary manner... when my two-storey house was being demolished, my wife and daughter were kept in police custody," Mohammad said, hailing the SC verdict.

He claimed his house was razed without notice as the local administration was eager to prove to the higher-ups that it had ensured "action overnight". "The administration's claim of sending a notice is completely false... they never sent any notice," he said.

He said after the demolition, his family faced a lot of hardships and no one came forward to help. "No friend or relative came forward to help. With great difficulty my family shifted to a rented house," he said, adding that due to the demolition, he suffered huge losses in his business.

Prayagraj Development Authority Secretary Ajit Singh, however, said the authority only takes action against those houses or shops that are not approved.

"Before a demolition, a notice is issued and the person is given an opportunity to present his side. Action is taken only after that, he said. In Bareilly, houses of 16 people were demolished in Gausganj village in Shahi area on July 22. The houses belonged to those named as accused in a clash over taking out a Tazia procession in which one person was killed. Reacting to the SC verdict Rasidan, Nafisa and Saira Khatoon of Gausganj, whose houses had been demolished, said they will approach the court to seek compensation. Sub Divisional Magistrate Tripti Gupta said 11 houses of those involved in vandalism were identified in the village. These houses were constructed after encroaching on the Gram Sabha land.

Later, a revenue team identified five more such houses that too were demolished, she said. On June 22, two groups of Rajiv Rana and Aditya Upadhyay fired at each other in Bareilly over a dispute. On June 27, Rana's house and hotel in the Tulasherpur locality were demolished while the resort of Upadhyay also saw bulldozer action on July 28. -- PTI

File pic

15:43 Goons beat man, try to molest wife; nobody helps

A newly-married woman has alleged that some youths harassed and tried to molest her when she and her husband were travelling from Delhi to Aligarh on a train, police said on Thursday. In a complaint filed at the Government Railway Police (GRP) station in Aligarh she claimed that when her husband tried to resist the miscreants, the accused thrashed the couple with belts in the EMU passenger train on Tuesday night.

The woman told reporters that they had pleaded with other people on the train to help them but the terrified co-passengers did not come to their rescue.

A GRP official said that a case was registered based on the woman's complaint and one of the accused, identified as Jitu, was arrested within hours of receiving the complaint.

In the police complaint, the woman claimed that even after she and her husband deboarded the train at Aligarh and their family members were at the platform to receive them, the accused continued to thrash her husband.

Upon hearing her cries, a crowd gathered at the spot and the accused fled but threatened to shoot her husband, the woman claimed. She alleged that the GRP personnel in Aligarh did not respond to their pleas.

However, soon after, the couple's family members and some Samajwadi Party members rushed to the spot. Former city president of the Samajwadi Party, Ajju Isha told reporters that the Tuesday night's incident on the train "points to the growing lawlessness in the state".

The safety and security of a woman is not ensured even in a crowded train compartment, he alleged. GRP Circle Officer (Etawah Circle) Uday Pratap Singh told PTI over the phone that a case under relevant sections has been filed against two named persons and some unnamed persons.

While Jitu has been arrested, the other named accused Mahesh and the unnamed accused were absconding and efforts are being made to nab them with the help of CCTV footage, the police officer said.

The accused have been booked under BNS 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 352 (intentional insult), police said. PTI

An 80-year-old woman was mauled to death by a stray dog in Odisha's Balasore district on Thursday, police said. The dog was also beaten to death by locals, they said. The woman, identified as Basanti Sahu, was sleeping when the dog entered her house in Jayarampur in Bograi block and attacked her, police said.

The woman was alone in her home when the incident happened as her family went to attend a village function, they said. The dog pounced on her and bit her several times, killing her on the spot, they added. Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed to the house. They then beat the dog to death, police said. PTI

15:18 Maharashtra on decline, grieves Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday claimed that Maharashtra has fallen into the wrong hands in the past few years and has suffered a decline. He was in the Chinchwad assembly constituency in Pune district to canvass for his party candidate Rahul Kalate, who faces off against BJP's Shankar Jagtap in the November 20 Maharashtra polls.

Pawar took part in a roadshow and addressed a public gathering in support of Kalate. Maharashtra was once ranked number one in the country but it has fallen into the wrong hands in recent times leading to the state's downfall, he said.

The NCP (SP) president said the Chinchwad constituency lacks even basic infrastructure. The Pimpri-Chinchwad area near Pune is an auto hub. Those in power here for the last 10 years didn't complete any development projects. It's time for the transformation of Chinchwad, he said, and urged the public to vote for Kalate.

Pawar said Kalate has huge experience as he was earlier a corporator from the area. I am sure good days will be back here, he added. In the Chinchwad constituency, the BJP replaced sitting MLA Ashwini Jagtap, the wife of late party leader Laxman Jagtap, and instead, nominated his brother Shankar Jagtap, who is contesting his first election. In the 2019 state polls, Laxman Jagtap had defeated Kalate by over 38,000 votes. PTI

14:50 Sonia's 'Rahul plane' will crash again: Shah

In a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Sonia Gandhi tried to launch her son 20 times, and her "Rahul plane" was also going to crash on the 21st attempt in Jharkhand. Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Giridih, he alleged that the waqf board in Karnataka grabbed lands of ancient temples, and an amendment will be made in the law to stop it despite stringent opposition.

"Sonia-ji is fond of launching her son. Sonia-ji tried to launch the 'Rahul plane' 20 times but it failed to land. It crashed 20 times. It is going to crash on the 21st time at the Deoghar airport," he said.

Shah also accused the waqf board of grabbing farmlands. "This waqf board is in the habit of grabbing land. In Karnataka, they have devoured assets of entire villages, 500 years old temples. They have grabbed farmlands. Tell me whether changes are required in the waqf boards or not. Hemant-babu and Rahul Gandhi oppose it, let them oppose it. BJP will pass a bill in Parliament for amendment to the Waqf Board Act and no one can stop it," he said.

Shah alleged that the ruling JMM-led coalition has turned infiltrators into its "vote banks", and announced to check illegal immigration once the BJP is voted to power in the state.

"We will wipe out Naxalism and infiltration from Jharkhand," he said, promising to deport "each and every infiltrator". "The JMM-led alliance has been shown the exit door in the first phase. Results are out -- BJP is going to form govt in Jharkhand," he claimed.

Shah said that while Jharkhand powers the nation with coal, the people of the state have remained poor. He claimed that if the BJP is voted to power in Jharkhand, it will make it the most prosperous state in the country in five years.

14:33 PM has never read the Constitution: Rahul

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his attack on Rahul Gandhi for flaunting a 'blank constitution', the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said the Constitution seems blank to the Prime Minister because he has never read it in his life.

Addressing a public gathering in poll-bound Maharashtra today, Rahul said that the Prime Minister says that I show the Constitution in public meetings that is empty.

"Sanvidhan unke liye khali hai kyuki unhone ise zindagi mein pada nahi hai (The Constitution seems empty to him because he's never read it in his life)," Rahul Gandhi said in a public gathering in poll-bound Maharashtra's Nandurbar.

Attacking the Prime Minister further, the Congress leader said that the Constitution is not blank, but carries thoughts and ideas of thousand years.

"He has no idea what's written inside this book; that's why he says it's empty. He says Rahul Gandhi shows a red book. It doesn't matter to us what colour the book is; what matters is what's written inside it. We are ready to give our lives for what it represents," Rahul Gandhi said.

"I want to explain to the Prime Minister that this Constitution is not hollow. It is filled with thousands of years of thought. When you call it hollow, you disrespect Birsa Munda, Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, and others. This fight is about protecting it," he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi saying the "Laal Kitab" of the Constitution which the Congress was flaunting contained "nothing".

"In 'farziwada', Congress has broken its own record. The 'Laal Kitab' of the Constitution which the Congress party was flaunting and distributing contained 'nothing'. It was an empty book. This is nothing but a testament to Congress' disregard and hate for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The entire country is in shock over this foolish and unfortunate political play of Congress," PM Modi said. -- ANI

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said the Indian economy has been sailing "smoothly" amid the global headwinds.

Speaking at an event organised by CNBC-TV18 in Mumbai, Das declined to comment on a suggestion by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for a rate cut, maintaining that the rate-setting panel will take an appropriate call on it at its next meeting in December.

In comments made days after headline inflation shot up beyond the 6 per cent tolerance band of RBI for October, Das said inflation is "expected to moderate despite periodic humps". The Governor said the domestic economy has sailed very well through the prolonged period of turbulence in the recent past exhibiting resilience, but added that there are a slew of headwinds prevailing in the global economy right now like rising bond yields, commodity prices showing a divergence and a contradiction of financial markets showing resilience despite rising geopolitical risks.

"The Indian economy is sailing smoothly, powered by buffers like strong macroeconomic fundamentals, a stable financial system and a resilient external sector," said the bureaucrat-turned-central banker, who will be completing six years at the helm at RBI soon. With the rupee hitting new lows, Das said India's external sector has exhibited "strength and stability" in the recent period as seen in the current account deficit remaining at a manageable level, merchandise exports starting to grow, and service exports growth being strong.

He reminded that the country has the fourth largest forex reserves in the world. The forex reserves, which stood at USD 682 billion as of October 31, are sufficient to cover the entire external debt and a year's import payments, he added.

BJP MP and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan has said the slogan "batenge to katenge" is not in good taste and irrelevant and the people will not appreciate it.

In an interview to PTI on Wednesday, Chavan also said he doesn't attach much importance to the "vote jihad - dharma yuddha" rhetoric, as the BJP and ruling Mahayuti's policy is development of the country and Maharashtra.

Notably, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath has been raising the slogan of "batenge to katenge" (divided we fall) in his rallies ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls.

Asked about it, Chavan said, "There is no relevance of this (slogan). Slogans are given at election time. This particular slogan is not in good taste and I don't think people will appreciate it. Personally speaking, I am not in favour of such slogans."

"Every political functionary has to take a decision after a lot of thinking. We also have to see that nobody's sentiments are hurt," the BJP leader added, while speaking at Ardhapur in Nanded during his election campaign for the Mahayuti.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis last week said "vote jihad" should be countered by "dharma-yuddha" of vote. Asked if the poll campaign was drifting away from the issue of development amid the "vote jihad-dharma yuddha" narrative, Chavan said the Mahayuti and BJP's policy was Viksit Bharat and Viksit Maharashtra, as spelt out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I don't give much importance (to vote jihad rhetoric). Personally speaking, development is my only agenda. Therefore, people appreciate my stand despite me changing the party," said the parliamentarian, who joined in BJP in February this year after a long association with the Congress. On claims that the Maratha reservation issue affected the Mahayuti's prospects in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, Chavan said the government has taken decisions with respect to the quota issue.

"The Maratha quota impact was more in the Lok Sabha elections. Many decisions after the Lok Sabha elections were taken by the Shinde government, like 10 per cent reservation; those who had Kunbi certificates were granted reservation. People also got jobs (through quota) and cases (filed against people during quota agitation) were also withdrawn," he said.

The Maharashtra legislature in February this year unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs. However, activist Manoj Jarange has been demanding Maratha quota under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Chavan said Jarange's decision to neither contest the polls nor support any party was his individual move as he thinks he has the target only to facilitate reservation to the people of his community. "I have also met him and assured that the Mahayuti will think of the demands once it comes to power again," he said. -- PTI

13:18 Venugopal's Maha prophecy: Mahayuti has...

Exuding confidence in winning the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Thursday said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance has a clear-cut chance in the State and preparations are going well.

Speaking to mediapersons, Venugopal said, "Preparation is going on well. Our entire leadership is there for elections and campaign preparations. Certainly, Maha Vikas Aghadi has a clear-cut chance in Maharashtra."

Maharashtra polls are scheduled for November 20 and counting will be held on November 23.In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the undivided Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

Further, the Congress leader, while responding to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "Batenge to Katenge" remarks, said that the Congress party believes in love and affection."Congress party believes in love and affection. Its ideologies and policies are very clear. We are not here to spread violence and hatred. BJP and Yogi Aditynath have only one agenda to divide the people and create hate among them...They don't believe in governance and policies for poor people. They only believe in dividing the people," Venugopal said.

Independent MLA candidate from Rajasthan's Tonk district Naresh Meena was arrested on Thursday, a day after he slapped a sub-divisional magistrate during polling in full view of camera crews.

Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura, Amit Chaudhary, by his collar and slapped him, an official said.

Chaudhary was trying to get more people to vote. Locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in Uniara sub-division instead of Deoli as Uniara is nearest location. Meena was supporting the villagers. The incident led to tension in the area with vehicles being torched, police being pelted with stones and 60 people arrested. PTI

Wholesale price inflation rose to a 4-month high of 2.36 per cent in October as prices of food items, especially vegetables, and manufactured goods turned dearer, as per the government data released on Thursday.

The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation was 1.84 per cent in September 2024. It was (-) 0.26 per cent in October, last year. As per the data, inflation in food items shot up to 13.54 per cent in October, as against 11.53 per cent in September. This was led by 63.04 per cent inflation in vegetables, as against 48.73 per cent in September. Inflation in potato and onion remained high at 78.73 per cent and 39.25 per cent, respectively, in October.

Amruta Fadnavis

12:29 Mrs Fadnavis only makes Insta reels: Kanhaiya

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar sparked a row with his 'controversial' remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife Amruta Fadnavis stoking strong condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Targeting Deputy CM Fadnavis over his "Dharamyuddh" remark, Kanhaiya Kumar took a jibe and that the job of saving 'dharma' should be of everyone, and it should not be like people are saving the religion and Deputy CM's wife is "making reels on Instagram."

"Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that this is a 'Dharamyudh'. This is a good thing. It is our Dharam to protect the democracy and the constitution for which I am standing and giving a speech today. Whichever leader talks about saving religion, you have to ask only one thing to that leader who is giving you speech about saving religion that will your son or daughter join us in this fight to save religion?" Kanhaiya said during a public rally in Nagpur on Wednesday.

"Will this happen that the responsibility of saving the religion will be ours and your children will study in Oxford Cambridge universities. If we want to save religion, let us save it together. It can't be like we save religion and the Deputy Chief Minister's wife makes reels on Instagram. It can't be like that. Everyone will save the religion together," he added.

Imtiaz Jalil (left) with his family

12:05 Will 'vote jihad' help MVA win in Aurangabad?

Zameer Sheikh, an auto-driver in his 50s, makes no bones about his wish to see the opposition MVA in power in Maharashtra. He is no less sure about his preference in his Aurangabad East constituency -- it is Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM.

In this one-time capital of the erstwhile Nizam-ruled region, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is drawing significant support from Muslims, who are in large numbers in the city, as it pursues its ambition to emerge as the community's voice across the state. Two of the 16 seats of the 288-member assembly the party is contesting falls in what is now officially named as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

Its former MP Imtiaz Jaleel, who came second in the Lok Sabha elections, is fighting from Aurangabad East, while its candidate from Aurangabad Central is Naser Siddiqui. Sitting in his office, the party's district president and builder Sameer Sajid brushes aside queries about division in Muslim votes helping the ruling 'Mahayuti' after their consolidation in the Lok Sabha poll helped the Maha Vikas Aghadi score a big win.

"We did not contest in Haryana. Did the Congress win?" he said, while noting that the AIMIM is contesting on only 16 seats against 52 in 2019. Many Muslims laud the decision, saying it will ensure that their votes are not split. Though Sajid takes pains to paint the Congress and its allies as "chhupe hue Bhajpayi" (hidden BJP) as he accuses them of trying to finish off the political representation on Muslims by not giving them poll tickets, many observers ascribe the AIMIM's decision to contest on fewer seats to its wish to not harm the prospects of the MVA outside its pockets of influence.

Nilesh Patil, a BJP worker who has just returned from the campaign of sitting Aurangabad East MLA Atul Save, says his party alleges "vote jihad" for this very reason that Muslims may vote for any party but will always unite against his.

Joined by other workers, he claims that the local Congress candidate Lahuji Shewale is making little efforts to put up a strong fight. Shewale is seen as a surprise choice by the Congress and political observers believe that his OBC background might have helped him.

A cross-section of Muslims say their preference for the AIMIM was due to its vocal airing of their issues and grievances at a time when parties like the Congress have been on the defensive in the face of the BJP's resonant plank of Hindutva.

Not a single Muslim was fielded in the Lok Sabha polls by the MVA, Sajid notes. The party with its roots in Hyderabad also appeals to a hardline Muslim identity.

The prices of onion continue to remain high in November while other vegetable prices are seeing a dip of 4.1 per cent MoM in Nov so far, highlighted a report by ICICI Bank.

The report noted that the overall vegetable prices have seen some relief in November, but onion prices continue to remain elevated, contributing to India's inflationary pressures.

It said "prices are seeing some deceleration in November. Although onion prices continue to remain elevated in November, veggie prices are seeing a dip of 4.1 per cent MoM in Nov so far".

But despite the fall in vegetable prices in November, on an annual basis prices are still running high, recording a 57-month peak with a year-on-year increase of 42 per cent in October.

The report noted that this surge in vegetable prices is led by significant price hikes in essential items prices like tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. Tomato prices have skyrocketed by 161 pc year-on-year, while potatoes and onions have seen price hikes of 65 pc and 52 pc, respectively.

Don't know how to cook without onions? Try our onion-free recipes

11:49 See: Golden Temple enveloped in thick smog

A blanket of smog envelops Shri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar as the air quality in the region continues to deteriorate. The AQI has been recorded at 326, categorized as 'very poor'. The AQI level in Delhi at 8 a.m. was 428, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

In its ongoing efforts to break down the terror network in Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday attached the immovable property of a major terror suspect associated with 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the agency said on Thursday. The property of Adil Manzoor Langoo was attached in connection with the brutal killing of two non-locals at Srinagar's Shala Kadal in February this year.

The weapon used in the commission of the crime was recovered, along with ammunition, from the 10 Marlas property which had been transferred to Langoo's father and others by its original owner, said the agency.

The property, located in Srinagar's Zaldagar, was attached under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The case relates to a conspiracy hatched by Langoo, along with two others, identified as Ahran Rasool Dar and Dawood. -- ANI

File pic

10:55 IndiGo Nagpur-Kolkata flight gets bomb threat

A Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight with 187 passengers and six crew members onboard made an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning following a bomb threat to the aircraft, police said.

The aircraft, which had taken off from Nagpur for Kolkata, was diverted after airport authorities received the threat, Raipur's Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said.

The plane landed at the airport in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur some time after 9 am and was immediately taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks, the official said. The aircraft was being thoroughly checked by the technical staff and bomb squad, he said. PTI

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez's counsel has claimed in the Delhi High Court that she was unaware of the illicit origin of gifts she received, which are allegedly part of a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekar.

Delhi High Court on Wednesday heard part of the arguments on behalf of Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez. She has challenged the charge sheet filed against her in the Rs 200 crores money laundering case.

It was submitted that she was not involved in the offence of money laundering. She was unaware that the gifts she received were part of the alleged proceeds of crime.

Justice Anish Dayal during the hearing raised a query, "Whether there is a duty upon an adult person to know the source of gift one receives." The matter is listed on November 26 for further arguments. Senior advocate Siddharth Agrawal along with Prashant Patil and Shakti Pandey appeared for Jacqueline Fernandez.

He argued that she did not know that the gifts she received were part of the proceeds of crime. She was not aware that the gifts she received from Sukesh Chandrasekar were bought out of money allegedly extorted from Aditi Singh.

"It is also not the case of ED that she was aware that gifts she received were part of proceeds of crime," senior counsel argued. -- ANI

10:08 Sensex, Nifty trade firm in early trade

Benchmark equity indices bounced back in early trade on Thursday after facing heavy correction in the last two trading days, amid massive buying by domestic institutional investors and a rally in frontline stocks HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries.

The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 254.5 points to 77,945.45 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up by 86.25 points to 23,645.30. The BSE benchmark had tanked 1,805.2 points or 2.27 per cent in the past two days.

From the 30-share Sensex pack, HCL Technologies, HDFC Bank, NTPC, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra and Axis Bank were the major gainers. UltraTech Cement, Power Grid, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Maruti and Larsen & Toubro were among the laggards.

09:52 Delhi chokes, coughs, eyes burn at 428 AQI!

A dense layer of smog enveloped the national capital as the pollution levels continued to rise. The AQI level in Delhi at 8 a.m. was 428, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Bhayender, a local said that the daily activities were being affected due to the increased pollution.

Speaking to ANI, he said "The pollution has increased. We are facing breathing problems and irritation in the eyes. Earlier we used to go for running, but we are not even able to do that now."

A school student Raunak said that he had been coughing continuously due to the excessive pollution around.

"I go for running daily. However these days with the increase in pollution, I have been coughing continuously which could also affect my lungs. If there is a controlled use of pollution and more of CNG based vehicles, the problem could be solved. However there is no cooperation by the people," Raunak said.

Prateek, another local said that the visibility had reduced, and people had started feeling suffocated.

"The pollution level has increased a lot. The visibility on the roads have reduced, there is barely any visibility, our eyes burn and we have started feeling suffocated. The government needs to do something on this," Prateek said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary on Thursday. Nehru was born on this date in 1889 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad (now Prayagraj).

He was one of the leading faces of the country's freedom struggle. He breathed his last on May 27, 1964.

"On the occasion of his birth anniversary, I pay homage to our former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru," Modi said in a post on X. PTI

09:32 Trump nominates Matt Gaetz as Attorney General

After his victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, President-elect Donal Trump on Wednesday nominated Congressman Matt Gaetz to be the Attorney General of the United States.

In addition, Trump announced other key appointments for his 2024 administration, including Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as Secretary of State and former Congresswoman Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). "It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States.

Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice," Trump said in a statement.

09:29 Sri Lankans vote in Parliamentary election

Sri Lankans on Thursday began voting in the snap parliamentary election, the first major test of the ruling National People's Power party led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The voting is taking place at over 13,314 polling stations across the country. The voting started at 7 am and will continue till 4 pm local time. The counting will start soon after the closing of polls. Voters turned out in steady streams during the first hour of the polls, election officials said.

Over 17 million voters from the island's 21 million population are eligible to vote for the 225-member Parliament for a five-year term. Nearly 90,000 security personnel from the police and the military are deployed to provide security at the election venues. Thursday's vote would be the first major test of the popularity of the ruling party, National People's Power, led by President Dissanayake.

09:05 Over 1,15,000 users leave X after Trump's win

After the 2024 United States Presidential election that confirmed Donald Trump's victory, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) experienced its largest user exodus since Elon Musk acquired it in 2022, with users migrating to alternatives like Bluesky, CNN reported.

More than 1,15,000 US users deactivated their X accounts the day after the election, and this figure only includes those who deactivated through the website, excluding mobile app users, CNN reported citing a report of digital intelligence platform Similarweb.

This shift follows Musk's influential role in the US presidential election. Bluesky's user base has doubled in 90 days, reaching 15 million after gaining 1 million new sign-ups in a single week.

Musk spent months using X to support President-elect Donald Trump.

Researchers also report increased sexist language on X, such as "your body, my choice."

Additionally, Musk's previous changes -- cutting moderators, restoring banned accounts, allowing racist and Nazi accounts, and altering the verification system to boost anyone who was willing to pay regardless of what they posted -- all of which helped to tank the company's core ad business.

Notably, prominent journalists Charlie Warzel, the New York Times' Mara Gay, and former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced their exit from X this week, joining Bluesky.

British news publisher The Guardian announced on Wednesday that it is quitting X, citing concerns over Musk's influence during the US election process.

In a statement on Wednesday, The Guardian said it will no longer post from any official Guardian accounts on the site.

Further, it said that the recent US election underlined its view that X is a "toxic" platform and that Musk uses it to influence politics.

Musk who campaigned actively for US President-elect Donald Trump has been named as one of two heads of a new "department of government efficiency."

The United States will see an orderly and peaceful transition of power, the White House said following a two-hour long meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

"Today, President Biden met with President-elect Trump for approximately two hours in the Oval Office. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles joined the meeting. It was substantive meeting and exchange of views," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters here.

"They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world. President Biden also raised important items on Congress's to-do list for the lame-duck session, including funding the government and providing the disaster supplemental funding the president requested," she said.

"Finally, the president reiterated what he said to the president-elect the day after the election and to the American people in the Rose Garden just last week: We will have an orderly transition and a peaceful transition of power," Jean-Pierre said.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that transitions are uniquely consequential moments in geopolitics.

"They're a time when competitors and adversaries can see possibly opportunity, because you have this change in government here," he said.

Responding to a question, Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration wants to move forward.

"We respect the will of the people. There was an election, as you know, last week, and the American people spoke. And so, the president is going to make sure that he puts the American people first. He's going to make sure that we move forward in this process and this transition process in a way that is respectful to the American people and to lead by example," the White House press secretary said. -- PTI

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat and the first-ever Hindu elected to the US Congress, would serve as Director of National Intelligence in his second term.

A four-term Congresswoman, 2020 presidential candidate and NYT bestselling author, Gabbard is a veteran with three deployments to war zones in the Middle East and Africa. She recently moved from being a Democrat to a Republican member.

"I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans," Trump announced.

"As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she has broad support in both parties. She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing peace through strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!" Trump said.

Gabbard first served in elected office in the Hawaii State House of Representatives when she was 21 years old. After the 9/11 attacks, she enlisted in the Army National Guard. In 2004, she gave up an easy re-election campaign and volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the 29th Brigade Combat Team where she served in a medical unit, according to a media release.

After returning home in 2006, she worked in the US Senate as a legislative aide to the late Senator Danny Akaka, who was the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. She then volunteered for a second Middle East deployment as a platoon leader.

Having experienced firsthand the true cost of war, Gabbard ran for United States Congress at the age of 31, vowing to honour the lives and sacrifice of her brothers and sisters in uniform. She prevailed in a difficult election and went on to serve in Congress for eight years as a member of the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs Committees. Foregoing a run for reelection to Congress in 2020, she ran for president as a Democrat. -- PTI

A joint team of local police and Sashastra Seema Bal on Wednesday arrested an Iranian citizen while he was trying to cross over to Nepal illegally, officials said.

The arrested Iranian citizen is identified as Kamran of Tehran, they said. Police and SSB have recovered four passports, two fake Aadhaar cards, two other identity cards, five SIM cards of different companies and Rs 13,000 from his possession, the officials said.

Circle officer (Sadar) Arun Kant Singh said that officials from Mohana police station and SSB were conducting a thorough search operation in the Kakarhawa area on the Indian border.

Iranian citizen Kamran was trying to cross the border and go to Nepal, Singh said.

When police stopped Kamran and searched his belongings, four passports of different countries, two fake Aadhaar cards, two other residence certificates along with five SIM cards were recovered from him, he said.

Singh said that Kamran was hiding in Delhi for the last two years.

The accused wanted to go to Iran again and for this he chose Kakarhawa border of Siddharthnagar district but he was arrested, the officer said.

He said that police have filed a case against the arrested Iranian citizen who has been sent to jail. -- PTI

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00:29 5 booked for stalking woman, damaging her car in Mumbai

The police on Wednesday registered an FIR against five people for allegedly stalking a woman and damaging her car in Mumbai's Jogeshwari area, an official said.

According to the MIDC police station official, the incident took place on Tuesday night outside a club on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road when the victim went to meet another woman.

A group of five persons was waiting outside the club and their intention was to attack the woman whom the victim had come to meet, he said.

However, the official did not disclose the reason behind the planned attack.

When the victim reached the spot in a car, the five men allegedly stalked her and later damaged her vehicle, he said.

She lodged a complaint based on which an FIR was filed against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said the official, adding a probe was underway. -- PTI

Three persons died and 12 others fell ill due to suspected food poisoning at a state-run shelter home in Patna, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident happened at the home for differently-abled women, Asha Grih, at Patel Nagar in the Shahstri Nagar police station area, district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told PTI.

They fell ill reportedly after consuming breakfast on November 7, he said.

While a 24-year-old woman died on November 7 itself at the Patna Medical College and Hospital, a nine-year-old girl lost her life on November 10 and a 12-year-old girl died on Wednesday evening, he added.

The shelter home is run by the social welfare department.

Singh said some of those who fell ill are still undergoing treatment at the Patna Medical College and Hospital.

"The exact cause of the incident is not known," he said, adding that a high-level inquiry has been ordered.

A five-member team has been formed to probe the incident with an additional district magistrate as its head, the DM said. -- PTI

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