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Tue, 01 October 2024

US to shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel

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US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu/Reuters

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Iranian attack against Israel from the White House Situation Room and receiving regular updates from their national security team.

According to a White House situation room update, President Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel's defence against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles that are targeting Israel.

On Tuesday, in a major escalation in the raging conflict in the Middle East, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel on Tuesday.

In a statement the IDF said, all Israeli civilians are in bomb shelters as rockets from Iran are fired at Israel. Hezbollah is upset that the IDF exposed their plans to massacre Israelis, so they decided to target innocent civilians by firing a barrage of rockets, the IDF further said.

102 missiles have been launched towards Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. Sirens continue to sound across Israel amid the attack, the Times of Israel reported. -- ANI

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel offers prayers to the overflowing Narmada River, at Sardar Sarovar dam site/ANI Photo

Sardar Sarovar Dam filled to brim for 5th time since 2017; Guj CM offers prayers

The reservoir of the Sardar Sarovar Dam built on the Narmada river in Gujarat was filled to capacity on Tuesday following bountiful rainfall in its upstream area this monsoon season, officials said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel offered prayers at the dam site near Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, around 200km from Ahmedabad, to mark the occasion, said an official release in Ahmedabad.

This was the fifth time when the mega dam, considered Gujarat's water lifeline, has reached its full reservoir level after it was dedicated to the nation in 2017.

The dam's water mark on Tuesday reached its maximum level of 138.68 meters, or 455 feet, said the release, adding its total storage capacity was 9,460 million cubic meters.

Following inflow of water from Omkareshwar dams situated in adjoining Madhya Pradesh on the upstream of the Narmada river, authorities on Tuesday opened 10 out of 30 gates of the Gujarat dam up to the height of 0.75 meters, said the release. -- PTI

Tirupati temple/File image

Fresh PIL seeking CBI probe into Tirupati laddus row filed in SC

A fresh PIL was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a CBI probe into alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus under the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime.

The PIL was filed by one K A Paul, a social activist and president of organisation 'Global Peace Initiative', seeking a "comprehensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations of corruption and mismanagement surrounding the procurement and preparation of the Laddu Prasadam".

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan is already seized of as many as four petitions on the issue. On September 30, the top court observed that Gods should be kept away from politics while questioning Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's public statement that animal fat was allegedly used in making Tirupati laddus under the previous regime.

The apex court also said the laboratory test report was "not clear at all" and it prima facie indicated that "rejected ghee" was subjected to test.

"It is very clear from the report that this is not the Ghee which has been used. Unless you are sure, how did you go public with that?" the bench had asked. -- PTI

Representational image. Pic: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Iran has fired missiles at us, says Israel

The Israeli military says Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens are sounding across the country, Associated Press has reported.

Residents have been ordered to shelter in place and remain close to bomb shelters, the report added.

Israel has warned there would be "repercussions" if Iran attacks.

However, thus far there have been no independence confirmation of Iran's attack on Israel.

Representational image

Local trains disrupted on Central line in Mumbai

Local train services on the Central line in Mumbai were affected for at least 90 minutes after an overhead wire snapped between Thakurli and Kalyan stations, inconveniencing commuters returning home during the evening rush hour on Tuesday.

A Central Railway spokesperson said the incident occurred on the Down slow (Kalyan-bound) line between Thakurli and Kalyan railway stations at 7.20 pm, leading to the holding up of at least four local trains on tracks.

The services were restored more than one-and-a-half hours after rectifying the issue, he said.

The incident delayed local trains by at least 15 to 20 minutes, causing swelling of crowds at the platforms of various railway stations and on trains.

Central Railway operates 1,800 local train services on its main, harbour, trans-harbour and Belapur-Uran corridors which are used by around 40 lakh commuters for to and fro journey from south Mumbai to the extended suburbs.

The first batch of five pilgrims arrived in Pithoragarh on Tuesday to have a view of the sacred peak of Mount Kailash from the old Lipulekh pass.

It is for the first time that pilgrims are getting an opportunity to view the peak from the old Lipulekh pass as part of a pilot project started by the tourism department.

The five pilgrims of the first batch will be taken from the Naini Saini airport by a helicopter to Gunji camp from where they will have to trek to the old Lipulekh pass, located at a height of 17,500 feet, for a view of Mount Kailash, District Tourist Officer of Pithoragarh Kriti Chandra Arya said.

Mount Kailash is situated in Tibet and earlier pilgrims from India used to go there for a view of the sacred peak.

The Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra through Uttarakhand and other routes in India was suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

The tour will also include a pilgrimage to Adi kailash and Om Parvat, the official said.

Fifteen pilgrims have booked for the pilot project, he said, adding that they will be taken in batches in Heritage Aviation helicopters up to Gunji on Oct 2, 4, 7 and 10.

Home stay facilities have been booked for the pilgrims in Gunji, Arya said.

The nodal agency for the project is Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) which has made all the arrangements of loading, boarding and travel of the pilgrims, he said.

The Kailash Darshan Yatra from within Indian territory was planned by the Centre after Chinese authorities stopped giving permission to Indian pilgrims to visit Kailash Mansarovar after 2019.

Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh/File image

Ram Rahim gets 20-day parole, but EC bars him

The Election Commission has set stringent terms for granting parole to rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, including a ban on his entry in Haryana, delivering public speeches and indulging in political activity.

The Haryana government on Tuesday granted 20-day parole to the sect chief, official sources said.

In a letter to the Haryana jail department's additional chief secretary, the state chief electoral officer referred to the September 30 letter by the administration which conveyed the "emergency and compelling reasons" furnished by the convict while seeking a 20-day parole.

The CEO said, "In view of the above mentioned letters, the state government may consider the matter regarding grant of parole (20 days) to convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh confined in district jail, Rohtak, subject to the correctness of the facts regarding emergency and compelling reasons as mentioned in your letter dated September 30."

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, is convicted in a rape case. -- PTI

Pic: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com

Engineer Rashid's bail extended till Oct 12

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended till October 12 the interim bail granted to Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid in terror funding case.

Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh directed Rashid to surrender before jail concerned on October 13.

The judge had on September 10 granted interim bail till October 2 to Rashid.

Voters queue up at a polling station in Bandipora, north Kashmir/Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Reuters

J-K: Baramulla, Sopore see highest turnout in 30 yrs

The three border districts of Kashmir -- Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara -- registered a voter turnout of 60 percent with traditional boycott bastions of Sopore and Baramulla towns witnessing the highest turnout in an election in the last three decades.

However, the turnout in the 16 assembly segments of these three districts on Tuesday was nearly 5 percent less than what was recorded in the 2014 assembly polls.

The third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls was held on Tuesday.

The polling in the 40 assembly segments across seven districts, including the winter capital Jammu, began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm.

The votes will be counted on October 8.

According to the election commission data, Sopore town, which was once a hotbed of separatism and militancy, witnessed a turnout of 41.44 percent -- 11 percent more than the 2014 assembly polls.

In the Baramulla assembly seat, nearly 48 percent of voters exercised their franchise.

The turnout in this election was 8 percent more than in 2014. -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed a closure report in a case of alleged cheating against former NDTV promoters and directors Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy as it could not find legally tenable evidence in the Rs 48 crore loss incurred by ICICI Bank in the settlement of a loan in 2009, officials said.

The case was initiated in 2017 when the CBI registered an FIR based on a complaint from an individual, Sanjay Dutt, of Quantum Securities Ltd who alleged that RRPR Holdings Pvt Ltd, associated with the Roys, had taken a Rs 500 crore loan from India Bulls Pvt Limited to acquire a 20 percent stake in NDTV through a public open offer.

According to the FIR, RRPR Holdings also took out a Rs 375 crore loan (with Rs 350 crore disbursed) from ICICI Bank at an interest rate of 19 percent per annum to repay the loan from India Bulls.

The complaint alleged that the Roys pledged their entire shareholding as collateral for this loan, failing to report the pledging to the Securities and Exchange Board of India, stock exchanges, or the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In 2022, the Adani Group acquired a controlling stake in NDTV, purchasing shares from the Roys at a premium of nearly 17 percent over the price paid to minority shareholders. -- PTI

Jaggi Vasudev/File image

Police visit Jaggi Vasudev's ashram for inquiry

The Coimbatore superintendent of police K Karthikeyan and district social welfare officer R Ambika conducted an enquiry at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore on Tuesday over allegations of women "brainwashed" to reside there.

The move followed the Madras high court's directive on Monday to file a status report listing out the cases related to the foundation at Velliangiri foothills.

A strong contingent of police, with a strength of about 150 personnel, descended upon the Isha Foundation, as a precaution, during the enquiry.

"The officials held an enquiry with the persons at the foundation," a senior police official said.

The HC bench while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Coimbatore, had directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit particulars on all the criminal cases registered against the spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation.

In his petition, Kamaraj alleged his two daughters were "brainwashed" to reside at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore and that the foundation did not allow them to maintain any contact with their families.

Responding, Isha Foundation denied it advocated monkhood or asked people to get married, as these were individual choices. -- PTI

Rupee stayed in a narrow range and settled 3 paise lower at 83.82 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday amid subdued equity markets, unabated outflow of foreign funds and strengthening American currency.

However, crude oil prices sliding to near $70 per barrel helped the local unit resist a steep fall, forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 83.81 and moved between the low of 83.83 and high of 83.80 against the greenback during the session.

The unit finally settled at 83.82 (provisional), registering a loss of 3 paise from its previous closing level. On Monday, the rupee settled 10 paise lower at 83.79 against the American currency. -- PTI

Bobby Deol

Bobby Deol joins Thalapathy Vijay's 69th film

Animal star Bobby Deol is all set to star in Vijay's next film, tentatively titled Thalapathy 69.

"100% official now, Super happy & excited to announce that @thedeol joins #Thalapathy69 cast," KVN Productions, which is backing the movie, said on X.

Deol is on a career high for his role in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal and recently won the best villain trophy at the IIFA Awards.

He will next star in Kanguva, headlined by Suriya.

The untitled film, which is scheduled to be released in theatres in October 2025, in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, will be Vijay's last before his full-time political entry.

The actor, known for films such as Leo, Mersal, Master, and Bigil, launched his political party Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam in February and announced plans to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly polls. -- PTI

A voter turnout of 65.48 percent was recorded till 5 pm in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections on Tuesday, according to Election Commission data.

Polling in the 40 assembly segments across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir, including the winter capital Jammu, began at 7 am amid tight security and is scheduled to conclude at 6 pm.

Long queues outside polling stations since early morning marked the enthusiasm among people who voted for the first time in the assembly elections post the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters are set to decide the fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig, and several former ministers and legislators.

Officials said polling was going on peacefully in all segments including special polling stations along the International Border and Line of Control (LoC) with no untoward incident reported from anywhere.

A voter turnout of 65.48 percent was recorded till 5 pm.

The polling is scheduled to conclude at 6 pm, the EC said. -- PTI

File image

48-hour bandh affects normal life in Manipur's Thoubal

A 48-hour bandh called by a Joint Action Committee over the failure to secure the release of two youths abducted by militants affected normal life in Manipur's Thoubal district on Tuesday, the police said.

The bandh, which began at 3 am, was called by the JAC formed over the abduction of two local youths by militants on Friday.

The JAC had threatened of democratic protests and a total shutdown in the district if the youths were not released by Monday night.

"The government had assured people of the release of the youths by Monday night but failed, as a result of which the bandh is underway. We will continue the stir till our boys are safely released," JAC convenor L Subol told reporters.

Thousands of people took to the streets and blocked National Highway 102, which connects Imphal with Moreh, at various places including Mela Ground, Wangjing, Yairipok and Khangabok, police said.

At the blockade site near Mela Ground in Thoubal town, women protesters sat on the highway while youths burnt old tyres to prevent vehicular movement. -- PTI

BSE Sensex top losers today

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty edged lower on Tuesday, extending the losing run to the third day amid profit-taking in oil & gas and select FMCG shares.

The BSE Sensex dipped 33.49 points or 0.04 percent to settle at 84,266.29.

During the day, it hit a high of 84,648.40 and a low of 84,098.94.

The NSE Nifty closed marginally lower by 13.95 points or 0.05 percent to 25,796.90.

Muted trends in global markets and heavy foreign fund outflows weighed

Among 30 Sensex companies, IndusInd Bank fell the most by 2.68 percent.

Asian Paints dropped 1.54 percent and Hindustan Unilever by 1.27 percent.

Tata Motors fell nearly 1 per cent on disappointing September sales numbers.

Tata Steel, Titan, Reliance Industries and NTPC were also among the major laggards. -- PTI

A junior doctor was allegedly hit on the several times with a metal tool by a patient's kin at Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College in Meerut, officials said on Tuesday.

In the wake of the incident, the doctors went on a strike and also suspended the emergency service sitting at the department's gate.

The doctors demanded the arrest of the assault accused as a condition of the strike call-off.

Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College Principal Dr RC Gupta said that on Monday night some people had brought a woman in a dying condition.

Doctors posted in the emergency checked on the woman and declared her dead, after which, the attendants created a ruckus alleging negligence in her treatment, he said.

In the commotion, someone hit junior doctor Manish on his head a number of times with a spanner used in opening oxygen cylinders, he said.

According to Dr Gupta, a case has been registered against unknown persons at the medical police station in connection with the incident. -- PTI

Seven children were injured, three of them seriously, in an explosion near a garbage dump in Bihar's Bhagalpur district on Tuesday, a senior police officer said.

Senior superintendent of police, Bhagalpur, Anand Kumar said that the blast took place in Khilafat Nagar locality, under the jurisdiction of Habibpur police station, of the town and the children appeared to have inadvertently fiddled with an explosive substance.

"Seven children, three of them seriously, were injured in the incident. All of them have been admitted to the nearest government hospital," he said.

"The incident took place around noon and forensic experts as well dog squad have reached the spot to defuse any such explosives that may be lying at the garbage dump and also identify the nature of the explosion that took place. Investigators have collected crucial exhibits from the spot and will be sent for scientific examination," said the SSP. -- PTI

Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth is stable and doing well and he should be home in two days, the corporate hospital where the top actor was admitted, said on Tuesday.

Rajini was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals, in Chennai, on September 30.

He had a swelling in the main blood vessel leaving his heart (Aorta), which was treated by a non-surgical, transcatheter method, the hospital said in a statement in Chennai.

"Senior interventional cardiologist Dr Sai Satish placed a stent in the Aorta completely sealing off the swelling (Endovascular repair)," Dr R K Venkataslam, director, medical services, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, said in a bulletin.

He further said, "We would like to let his well-wishers and fans know that the procedure went as planned. Mr Rajinikanth is stable and is doing well. He should be at home in two days." -- PTI

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty edged lower on Tuesday, extending the losing run to the third day amid profit-taking in oil & gas and select FMCG shares.

The BSE Sensex dipped 33.49 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 84,266.29. During the day, it hit a high of 84,648.40 and a low of 84,098.94. The NSE Nifty closed marginally lower by 13.95 points or 0.05 per cent to 25,796.90. Muted trends in global markets and heavy foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment, analysts said. Sensex has shed nearly 1,570 points or nearly 2 per cent and Nifty declined 419 points or 1.6 per cent since Friday after China announced stimulus measures to prop-up its economy. Among 30 Sensex companies, IndusInd Bank fell the most by 2.68 per cent.

Asian Paints dropped 1.54 per cent and Hindustan Unilever by 1.27 per cent. Tata Motors fell nearly 1 per cent on disappointing September sales numbers. Tata Steel, Titan, Reliance Industries and NTPC were also among the major laggards.

The 2024 monsoon season has ended with 7.6 per cent more rainfall than normal, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. Rajasthan, Gujarat, west Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh got excess rainfall, according to the IMD data.

The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural sector, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area dependent on it. This primary rain-bearing system is also essential for replenishing reservoirs that provide drinking water and support power generation across the country. PTI

Protests at Badlapur station in August

Badlapur case: HC refuses pre-arrest bail to 2 accused school trustees

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused pre-arrest bail to the chairman and secretary of a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur town where two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a male attendant.

A single bench of Justice R N Laddha said prima facie there is material to show the two accused were aware of the alleged incident before August 16 but they failed to take any steps to report the same to police or local authority.

Justice Laddha further said the offence is serious and the court has to consider the plight of the minor victims. "The victims are minors. The trauma that they have endured can profoundly affect their adolescent years leaving them with lasting psychological scars," the court said. It is undisputed that applicants are persons responsible for managing the school, the court held.

More than one lakh complaints have highlighted a deliberate "love jihad" conspiracy wherein Hindu women were being lured into marriage by men using fake identities, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Targeting the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, Fadnavis claimed "vote jihad" was witnessed in 14 of 48 constituencies in Maharashtra in recent Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a public event in Kolhapur city on Monday evening, Fadnavis pointed out instances wherein women were tricked into inter-faith marriage and subsequently abandoned after they gave birth to children. Fadnavis' remarks drew sharp reactions from Congress which accused him of violating the Constitutional oath and demanded an apology.

"A decade ago, we used to think that love jihad talk was a one-off incident. We thought it was not a conspiracy. We have now observed that there have been more than one lakh complaints where Hindu women are lured into marriage by running away with men from different faiths," said Fadnavis, who handles the state Home ministry.

Love 'Jihad' is an unofficial term used by Hindu groups to refer to an alleged campaign by Muslim men to convert Hindu girls under the pretext of love and marriage.

Fadnavis clarified that he was not against inter-faith marriages. "However, in many cases, individuals have used fake identities and provided false information about themselves for marriage. These individuals have also abandoned their spouses after they have had children together," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

"This is not an act of love, but it is a deliberate conspiracy, and it is love jihad. It is a way of cheating and spoiling women from our religion," Fadnavis said.

Siddaramaiah has said he won't resign

MUDA 'scam': Lokayukta police survey land

A team of Lokayukta police probing MUDA site allotment case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others on Tuesday surveyed the land, in lieu of which 14 sites were "illegally" allotted to his wife Parvathi B M.

The Lokayukta team was joined by the special land acquisition officer, surveyors and town planning members from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), and they surveyed the land and took notes, official sources said.

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna on whose complaint the Lokayukta police has registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife and two others, was also present, they said. Krishna today appeared before the Lokayukta police here, following the notice issued to him by the investigating officers.

Meanwhile, Parvathi's letter conveying her a decision to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots, was personally submitted to MUDA Commissioner A N Raghunandan's office by her son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, earlier today. "The letter received will be processed after going through the provisions in the law," a MUDA official said.

Hearing in a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur district was postponed on Tuesday as the lawyer of the plaintiff was unwell.

The matter will now be heard on October 9.

Gandhi's lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla said the hearing was postponed as Santosh Kumar Pandey, the lawyer of the plaintiff and local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, was unwell. On September 21 too, the hearing was postponed due to a health camp organised by the bar council.

Gandhi has been accused of making objectionable comments during the 2018 Karnataka polls about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was BJP president then. Mishra filed a complaint against Gandhi in August 2018. Since then, the matter has been going on in the court.

J-K polls: 56% voter turnout till 3 pm

56.01% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

Bandipore-53.09% Baramulla-46.09% Jammu-56.74% Kathua- 62.43% Kupwara-52.98% Samba-63.24% Udhampur-64.43%

Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde was killed

Badlapur case: 'Why weren't school trustees held?'

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday gave an earful to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Badlapur school sexual assault case, for its inability to apprehend the two accused school trustees.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan questioned as to how the police, that usually go to any extent to nab an accused, are unable to arrest them in this case.

The court in August took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the case.

Two girls - aged four and five - were sexually assaulted inside the washroom of a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra's Thane district by a male attendant.

The accused, Akshay Shinde, was subsequently arrested. He was killed by police in a shoot-out on September 23.

The Maharashtra government in August said an SIT, headed by an Inspector General of Police-rank officer, will probe the alleged sexual abuse of two girl students of the school in Badlapur. Two trustees of the school - the chairman and secretary- were also named as accused in the case. The duo has been booked under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not reporting the incident to the police immediately and negligence.

Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the bench that the two accused are still absconding and have not been apprehended. The duo has filed for anticipatory bail in the HC.

The Ambani wedding

Rahul: Ambani spent crores on wedding, but farmers...

Ahead of the Assembly polls in Haryana, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He claimed that while Ambani spent crores on the wedding, farmers can organise a wedding only by drowning in debt.

Rahul Gandhi said, "When the media of Adani and Ambani shows the face of PM on television for 24 hours then you should realise that this is attack on constitution. Have you seen Ambani wedding? Ambani spent crores on the wedding. Whose money is this? It is your money. ...You take bank loans to marry your children but Narendra Modi ji has made such a structure under which the selected 25 people can spend crores on weddings, but a farmer can organise a wedding only by drowning in debt. If this is not an attack on the Constitution, then what is? The amount of money PM Modi will give to Adani and Ambani the same amount of money we will give to the poor of this country."

Rahul Gandhi held a roadshow in Bahadurgarh on Tuesday. Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda was also present.

Rahul Gandhi said, "The employment opportunities which were there in Haryana have been closed. PM Modi used to say that cost of gas cylinder have become Rs 400. Today the rate is Rs 1200. When Congress comes to power the rate of cylinder would become Rs 500 which means we will put Rs 700 in your pocket. Rs 2000 will be deposited to account of women in Haryana every month. Farmers are trying to sell their grains but the govt is not purchasing. The farmers know that they are not getting the right prices for their paddy, wheat and sugarcane."

He further said that as soon as Congress government comes to power it would buy the paddy from farmers.

"We will provide MSP to farmers. Earlier you used to get calls for ransom from jails but now you gets call from abroad. Haryana govt has laid a web of unemployment. 2 lakh government job positions are vacant. Congress govt will fill these vacancies. For the poor we will provide plots worth 100 yards and 3.5 lakh rupees for 2 bedroom house and 300 unit free electricity and health care insurance worth Rs 25 lakhs would be provided," he said.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday confirmed the death penalty imposed by a Kolhapur court on a man for killing his mother in 2017 and allegedly eating some of the body parts, noting this was a case of cannibalism.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said it was confirming the death penalty on the convict - Sunil Kuchkoravi - and added there was no chance of his reformation. The bench said this was a case of cannibalism and it falls under the rarest of rare category.

"The case falls under the rarest of rare category. The convict not only murdered his mother but he also removed her body parts - brain, heart, liver, kidney, intestine and was cooking them on a pan," the HC said.

"He had cooked her ribs and was about to cook her heart. This is a case of cannibalism," it said. "There is no chance of reformation of the convict as there are tendencies of cannibalism," the high court observed.

"If given life imprisonment, he may commit a similar crime in jail," the bench said. Kuchkoravi was informed of the decision via video conference. According to the prosecution, Sunil Kuchkoravi gruesomely murdered his 63-year-old mother Yallama Rama Kuchkoravi on August 28, 2017 at their residence in Kolhapur city.

SIT probe in laddu 'adulteration' temporarily stalled as case is under SC's purview, says Andhra Pradesh DGP.

Yesterday, the Special Investigation Team inspected ghee tankers and the lab at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

The SIT, constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government, conducted inspections at various places in Tirumala.

Headed by Guntur range Inspector General of Police (IG) Sarvashresth Tripathi, the SIT checked ghee tankers and the lab of TTD, which manages the affairs of the world-famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

They also went around the flour mill of TTD and checked the quality of wheat and other ingredients procured by the authorities for making laddu prasadam.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra on Tuesday alleged that the BJP was behind Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal being out of jail to campaign in the Haryana polls with an aim of denting the Congress' chances.

Vadra also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP top brass for allegedly "using" his name in a "derogatory manner".

"When they release Baba Ram Rahim for 20 days before the elections who has charges of murder, rape, and you (BJP) release him to campaign... I would say having Kejriwal ji come out of the prison just in time so that he can campaign in Haryana, I think these are premeditated thoughts of the BJP," Vadra told PTI Videos.

The BJP thinks that these people can dent the Congress' chances of winning Haryana, he said.

The Haryana government may consider Dera Sacha Sauda chief Singh's parole subject to the correctness of facts mentioned in his parole plea and satisfying other conditions with respect to the Model Code of Conduct for elections, Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said on Monday. Singh has sought a 20-day parole ahead of the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls. Also, Kejriwal, who was released from Tihar Jail following his bail in the excise policy case by the Supreme Court, has been campaigning across Haryana.

Vadra, a businessman by profession, said he felt the company he was dealing with could have provided jobs in Haryana. "I could have given employment in Haryana but this (BJP) government made sure that all my associates were intimidated that they moved away, it was difficult for me to work, financially they tried to destroy me," he said.

Vadra exuded confidence that people in Haryana will vote for the Congress which would get a "very large majority" in the polls. Voting in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the results would be out on October 8. PTI

The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 44.08 per cent as of 1 pm on Tuesday, as per the Election Commission of India.

According to the latest data issued by ECI, Udhampur district recorded the highest voter turnout of 51.66 per cent as of 1 pm, followed by Kathua at 50.09 per cent of voter turnout, with Samba slightly behind at 49.73 per cent. Meanwhile, Baramulla recorded the lowest voter turnout at 36.60 per cent. Besides these, Bandipore recorded voter turnout of 42.67 per cent, Jammu at 43.36 per cent, Kupwara at 42.08 per cent.

On the MUDA scam and his wife Parvathi's letter, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says: "It (land) was gifted by my wife's brother to her. MUDA encroached on it and for this, she asked alternative site. She didn't ask for Vijayanagara but they gave it. This has become big politics now. Let them (BJP-JDS) do whatever they want. Money laundering doesn't come into the picture here.

"What is my role? My wife thought it had become a reason for politics so she wrote a letter because she didn't want any controversy. BS Yeddyurappa's case and mine is a different case. He did denotification of land and I am not involved in it.

"I will not give my resignation as a self-witness. Whether ED or anything else I will fight it out legally.

"I work with conscience, no need to resign. According to me, MUDA case does not attract provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act."

A shawl worn by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday caught fire while lighting a lamp at an event in Palakkad, but it was quickly extinguished, official sources said. Sources said that as the governor bent to light a lamp at the event -- conclusion of the 'shatabdi' of the Sabari Ashram Palakkad -- the end of his shawl caught fire. "It was quickly extinguished on the spot. No one was injured," sources said. PTI

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said the present design of the Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project "endangers ecology" in a "needlessly unacceptable manner".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on X cited the views of former Chief of Navy Admiral Arun Prakash, who has stated that it is both desirable and possible to bolster security without harming ecology.

Sharing a report on Prakash's remarks, Ramesh said on X, "These views on the very controversial Greater Nicobar Integrated Development Project expressed by a very distinguished former Chief of the Indian Navy, Admiral Arun Prakash, who has served in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands merits serious attention. His basic point is this: It is both desirable and possible to bolster security without harming ecology."

"The present design of the project being pushed through by the non-biological PM endangers ecology in a needlessly unacceptable manner," Ramesh said. The Congress general secretary also shared the views of a professional Nicobarese anthropologist Anstice Justin on the Great Nicobar Integrated Development Project and claimed that the project is a "recipe for ecological and humanitarian disaster".

On Saturday, Ramesh had written to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav over the Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project, alleging the high-powered panel tasked to revisit environmental clearances to the project was "biased" in its very composition and did not carry out any meaningful reassessment.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday alleged that his wife Parvathi B M, who decided to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots that was allotted to her by the MUDA, was a victim of politics of hate' against him and he was surprised by her move.

The chief minister said Parvathi was confined to her family but the politics of hate has led to her suffering psychological torture'. "My wife Parvathi has returned the lands that were given in the form of compensation for the land that was seized without carrying out MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority) land acquisition in Mysuru," he said in an online post.

"The people of the state also know that the opposition parties created a false complaint and dragged his family into the controversy to create political hatred against him," Siddaramaiah claimed.

"My stand was to fight without bowing down to this injustice but my wife, who is upset with the political conspiracy going on against me, has taken a decision to return these sites, which has surprised me too," he said.

"My wife, who never interfered in my four decades long politics and was confined to her family, is a victim of the politics of hate against me and is suffering psychological torture. I am anguished. However, I respect my wife's decision to return the plots," Siddaramaiah said.

Parvathi, who is rarely seen in public, on Monday wrote to the MUDA expressing her desire to surrender the 14 sites allotted to her as compensation for the 3.16 acres of land belonging to her that had been used by the MUDA.

Hours earlier, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA, after taking cognisance of the FIR registered against him by the Lokayukta police.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout. Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. It is also alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land.

... actor Priyanka Chopra.

The star took a trip down memory lane, sharing childhood photos that show her transformation over the years. Taking to her Instagram account, the actor on Monday gave her fans a peak into how much she changed from her pre-teen years to her Miss India days.

Her motivational message about self-love and growth inspired many fans. The first picture showed a black-and-white photo of nine-year-old Priyanka with a boy-cut hairstyle, which her mother, Madhu Chopra, preferred for its convenience at school.

The second picture showed the 17-year-old Priyanka, just after winning the Miss India title in 2000. The transformation between the two pictures is striking, with Priyanka looking unrecognizable in the earlier photo.

Along with the pictures, the actress also shared a caption that read, "Warning: Don't troll my 9-year-old self. So wild to think about what puberty and grooming can do to a girl. On the left is me at my awkward pre-teen era with a 'Boy cut' hairstyle... and on the right is me at 17, having just won Miss India in the year 2000... Both pictures taken less than a decade apart."

"Looking back at my younger self often makes me kinder to myself today... Think about your younger self and how much she has done for you. Love yourself, you've gone through a lot to be where you are today," she added. -- ANI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will lay down guidelines for all citizens and not for any particular community on the issue of demolition of properties.

Observing that its directions will be applicable pan-India, the apex court said it will make it clear that merely because a person is an accused or even a convict, it can't be a ground for demolition of property.

"Whatever we are laying down, we are a secular country. We are laying it down for all the citizens, for all the institutions not for any particular community," a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said.

Observing that there can't be a different law for a particular religion, the bench said it will not protect any unauthorised constructions on public roads, government lands or forests.

"Public safety is paramount and any religious structure encroaching upon a road, water bodies, or rail tracks must go," the Supreme Court said today. The court stressed that India is a secular country and its directions for bulldozer action and anti-encroachment drives will be for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

"We will take care to ensure that our order does not help the encroachers on any of the public places," the bench said.

The hearing in the matter is underway. The top court is hearing arguments on a batch of pleas which have alleged that properties, including of those accused of crime, were being demolished in several states.

The apex court had on September 17 said there will be no demolition of properties, including of those accused of crime, till October 1 without its permission. It had observed that even one instance of illegal demolition was against the "ethos" of the Constitution.

Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday said the decision of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots amounts to his official acceptance of wrongdoing in the MUDA 'scam' and demanded his immediate resignation.

Vijayendra termed her move a "political drama" and alleged that it was aimed at "escaping from legal hurdles", adding, Siddaramaiah should step down as Chief Minister.

"Before resigning as Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah should apologise to the Governor (Thaawarchand Gehlot) for alleging that he was behaving like a puppet in the hands of the Centre," he said.

Vijayendra demanded proper police security to social activist Snehamayi Krishna on whose complaint the Lokayukta police has registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife and two others. On Monday, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority).

Hours later, in a dramatic development, the Chief Minister's wife wrote to MUDA expressing her desire to surrender the sites allotted to her by the MUDA. -- PTI

A voter turnout of 28.12 per cent was recorded in the first four hours of polling for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections of Tuesday, according to Election Commission (EC) data. Polling in 40 assembly segments across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir began at 7 am amid tight security.

Long queues were seen outside polling stations. More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters are set to decide the fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig. Polling is underway in three border districts of north Kashmir --? Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara.

The assembly segments where polling is being held are Baramulla, Uri, Rafiabad, Pattan, Gulmarg, Sopore and Wagoora-Kreeri in Baramulla district; Kupwara, Karnah, Trehgam, Handwara, Lolab and Langate in Kupwara district; and Bandipora, Sonawari and Gurez in Bandipora district. A total of 202 candidates are in the fray in these 16 segments.

Who is this?

An actress shared this image on social media of herself when she was nine years old. She is?

Clue: She straddles Bollywood and Hollywood.

Sonam Wangchuk shared this image of a Ladakhi fellow protester's blistered feet

Sonam Wangchuk begins indefinite fast near Delhi

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and several others who were detained at the Delhi border while marching to the capital to demand Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh on Tuesday launched an indefinite fast at police stations where they have been kept.

Wangchuk was leading the march, 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra', which began from Leh a month ago. He and around 120 others from Ladakh were detained on Monday night. The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, seek its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Wangchuk and those accompanying him were detained at the Delhi border for violating prohibitory orders and were taken to different police stations, including Bawana, Narela Industrial Area and Alipur, according to a police officer.

"We tried to convince them to go back as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (which prohibits assembly of five or more people) is imposed in the national capital but they were adamant," the officer said. They remain under detention," he said.

A representative of the group claimed that Wangchuk was taken to Bawana police station and was not being allowed to meet his lawyers.

Sonam Wangchuk's post saying he was being detained

Sonam Wangchuk's detention unacceptable: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Modi government over the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and several other Ladakhis, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi terming it as "unacceptable" and saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to listen to Ladakh's voice.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the "arrogance of the Modi government", consumed in power, has detained a group of citizens from Ladakh peacefully marching to Delhi.

Around 120 people from Ladakh, including Wangchuk -- who had marched to the national capital demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory -- have been detained by the Delhi Police at the national capital's border. Kharge said it was nothing but a "cowardly action, and is deeply undemocratic in nature".

In Ladakh, there is a growing wave of public support, with widespread calls for safeguarding tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, he said.

"Instead, the Modi government wants to exploit the ecologically sensitive Himalayan glaciers of Ladakh to benefit its crony friends. This incident tells us that the fight against Modi Govt's brazen despotism is far from over!" Kharge said.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable."

The former Congress chief also asked why elderly citizens were being detained at Delhi's border for standing up for Ladakh's future.

"Modi ji, like with the farmers, this 'Chakravyuh' will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh's voice," Gandhi said. Congress general secretary in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said a day before Gandhi Jayanti, the government of India is out to kill his ideals once again.

"The arrest of Sonam wangchuk ji shows the government is scared of anyone who speaks up for their rights. Ladakh has been silenced, stripped of its democratic rights, and on the verge of being handed over to large corporates," Venugopal said.

"This protest is months old, and the BJP is silly to think such petty acts of cowardice are going to deter those who have embarked on a Gandhian mission. The Modi regime is hell bent on repeating the sins that have caused their downfall," the Congress leader said. In a post on Instagram shortly before being detained, Wangchuk shared visuals from the Delhi border, where their buses were stopped amid huge police presence. The climate activist can be seen in the video interacting with police officials.

In his post, Wangchuk said several vehicles of the Delhi Police and its Haryana counterpart were accompanying their buses. While they initially thought that they were being escorted as they approached the national capital, it was clear they were going to be detained.

"As we are approaching Delhi, it appears we are not being escorted, we are being detained," Wangchuk said. He said around 1,000 police personnel had been deployed at the Delhi border and they were informed that heavy deployment of security forces was made at the Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi, and in areas where students from the Union Territory resided. "It appears they don't want to allow this padyatra to take place," he said.

Superstar Rajini hospitalised, stable

The health of Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth, admitted to a corporate hospital in Chennai late Monday night, is stable, and he is likely to undergo an elective procedure at the cath lab later in the day, a source said.

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said in a post on the social media platform X: "I stand with the millions of devoted fans of Thiru Rajnikanth around the globe, in praying for his swift and smooth recovery." Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wished the superstar a speedy recovery, and scores of the top actor's fans sent their prayers on social media and wishes, too, for his quick recovery.

"His condition is stable following his admission for digestive discomfort. He will undergo an elective procedure in the cath lab to attend to the problem near his abdomen, and will be later shifted to a room," a source at the hospital said. The 73-year-old popular actor is likely to be discharged on Tuesday evening, the source added.

Actor Govinda thanks fans, says doctors have removed bullet from leg after his revolver misfired at Mumbai residence. In an audio message from his hospital bed, the 60-year-old actor says that the blessings of his fans, parents and his guru saved him. "I was hit by a bullet, but it has been extracted. I thank the doctors here and your prayers," he said in the audio clip.

The actor, who was hospitalized after the accident, is out of danger and recuperating at his home, a Mumbai police official said. Govinda's manager Shashi Sinha said that as Govinda was about to leave his home at 4.45 am for the airport to catch a 6 am flight to Kolkata for a show, the trigger of his licensed revolver was accidentally pushed as he was keeping it in the cupboard. The gun misfired and a bullet hit his leg, police said.

The injured actor was admitted to the nearby Criti Care Hospital for treatment. No one has lodged any complaint in this matter, police said, adding they have begun an investigation into the matter.

Rupee fell 2 paise to 83.81 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday, tracking massive outflow of foreign funds amid volatile global markets. Forex traders said the Indian unit was weighed down by a strengthening American currency against major rivals, though a retreating crude oil prices and recovery in domestic equity markets resisted a steep fall in the rupee.

They said monetary and fiscal stimulus announced by China triggered the withdrawal of foreign funds as investors preferred better-performing Chinese markets.

A voter turnout of 11.60 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of polling for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections of Tuesday, according to Election Commission (EC) data.

Polling in 40 assembly segments across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir began at 7 am amid tight security. Long queues were seen outside polling stations.

More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters are set to decide the fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig. Polling is underway in three border districts of north Kashmir --? Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara.

A voter turnout of 11.60 per cent was recorded till 9 am in the final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir polls, the EC said. Udhampur district recorded the highest turnout of 14.23 per cent, followed by 13.31 per cent in Samba, 13.09 per cent in Kathua, 11.64 per cent in Bandipora, 11.46 per cent in Jammu, 11.27 per cent in Kupwara and 8.89 per cent in Baramulla. Among the constituencies, Ramnagar was leading with 15.27 per cent polling recorded in the first two hours. Sopore segment, once a terrorist and separatist stronghold, recorded the lowest turnout of 6.71 per cent, the EC data showed.

Having gained voting rights for the first time following the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, enthusiastic West Pakistani refugees, Valmiki Samaj and Gorkha community members thronged polling stations in the early hours.

Benchmark indices rebounded in early trade on Tuesday, after a sharp decline in the previous trade, amid buying in IT stocks and recovery in Japanese markets.

The BSE Sensex climbed 348.1 points to 84,647.88 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went up by 96.75 points to 25,907.60.

From the 30 Sensex firms, Tech Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finserv, Infosys and Power Grid were the major gainers. Asian Paints, JSW Steel, Tata Steel and Titan were among the laggards.

The rain chart

The monsoon went out with a bang in Mumbai last week, but how much rain did India get in 2024 and how does that compare with previous years? Take a look alongside.

In this exclusive interview on the 2024 campaign trail, Maya tells PEOPLE that she'll always see her sister as the little girl who "never backed down from a challenge". Read the interview here.

A peoples' protest in Kolkata against the RG Kar incident

Bengal docs resume indefinite strike

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal resumed their indefinite 'total cease work' on Tuesday to press for various demands, including ensuring their safety and security at all medical establishments.

The junior doctors had on September 21 rejoined their duties partially at government hospitals after a 42-day protest. They were on a 'cease work' agitation to protest the rape and murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

"We do not see any positive approach from the state government to fulfill our demands for safety and security. Today is the 52nd day of the protest (since August 9) and we are still being attacked and there is no attempt to keep the other promises made during the meetings with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the given situation, we are left with no option other than opting for full cease work, starting today," Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating junior doctors, told PTI.

"Unless we see clear action from the state government on these demands, this complete cease work will continue," he added.

The junior medics have also called for a march from College Square to Dharmatala in central Kolkata on Wednesday, and invited people from all walks of life to join them.

"We are calling for a march and assembly on October 2, on Mahalaya. It will be from College Square to Dharmatala where there will be an assembly. We urge people from all walks of the society to join us at the rally," the junior doctors said in the statement.

The junior doctors said that justice for the deceased woman medic continued to be on top of their demand and it should be answered immediately without any further delay in the form of a protracted judicial process.

Among other demands, the medics called for immediate removal of the health secretary from his position and the health department to take responsibility for administrative incompetence and corruption.

They also demanded the setting up of a centralised referral system at all hospitals and medical colleges in the state besides a digital bed vacancy monitoring system, constituting task forces to ensure necessary arrangements for CCTV, on-call rooms, and bathrooms.

They stressed increasing police protection in hospitals, recruiting permanent female police personnel and immediately filling up all vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in hospitals.

A BJP leader and member of the Delhi Gurdwara Committee has received a threat note from gangster Gogi Mann, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, Raman Jot Singh, 30, was informed by the sewadar of the gurdwara in JJ Colony, Pankha Road in Dwarka's Bindapur area that a threat note was found on his SUV parked nearby.

The note read, "... koi security kaam nahi aayegi teri (no security will save you), Last Warning. Gogi Maan Group."

Police said Singh was earlier provided security but the PSO (personal security officer) was withdrawn after a security review. Footage of CCTV cameras near the gurdwara is being reviewed, they said. PTI

Actor and Shiv Sena leader Govinda hospitalised after he was accidentally shot in the leg by his own revolver this morning, says a senior Mumbai Police official.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday urged voters to reach at the polling stations along with their families and cast votes.

Speaking to ANI, Azad said, "I urge all voters to reach at the polling stations along with their families and caste votes. I think one-fourth of the voters will be the new generation and their expectations are totally different. The biggest issue is unemployment and it is just not the issue for the youth, but for the entire society. For the last several years, no plans or programs have been made for the issue of unemployment. There are several educated youth who have been sitting unemployed."

Further, he said that the issues of the people are not raised during elections.

"Elections are fought on issues which have been present for several years. Issues are present on several aspects but no one raises the issues of the people. Unemployment is the biggest issue that needs to be solved. There are all types of candidates who stand up during the elections. The voters of Jammu and Kashmir will form the government, and whoever they vote for, will form the government," he added.

Earlier today, Azad cast his vote at the Government Girls High School for the third and final phase of the state election.

Speaking to media persons, Azad appealed to the people to use their votes wisely and choose their leaders carefully.

"I appeal to the people to vote wisely and choose their leaders and political figures carefully. The voters of Jammu and Kashmir have 11 to 12 hours today to cast their votes, and I appeal to all of them to cast their votes. I will not be speaking in favour of or against any party. The political party that comes to power will resolve the issues," Azad said.

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, focusing on Hezbollah strongholds and infrastructure identified through precise intelligence.

According to the IDF, the limited and localised raids concentrated in villages near the border, aim to neutralise threats to Israeli communities in the northern region.

In a post on X, the IDF wrote, "In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon."

It added, "These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel."

The Israeli military stressed that the ground operations in southern Lebanon are proceeding according to a plan developed by the General Staff and Northern Command.

"The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months. The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area," the IDF said.

The IDF reaffirmed its commitment to Operation Northern Arrows, adjusting tactics as needed, while simultaneously combating threats in Gaza and other areas.

"These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation 'Northern Arrows' will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas," it said.

The IDF further added, "The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes."

Earlier in a precision strike, the IDF had dismantled a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility, located approximately 1.5 kilometres from Beirut's international airport.

In a post on X, the IDF said, 'A surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility that Hezbollah had positioned approximately 1.5 km from Beirut's international airport was dismantled in a precise IDF strike.'

The IDF further asserted that the facility posed a threat to Lebanese and international airspace.

'This infrastructure poses a threat to both Lebanese and international airspace. The IDF will continue to degrade Hezbollah's military capabilities in Lebanon,' the IDF stated. -- ANI

IMAGE: Smoke rises over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 1, 2024. Photograpgh: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Veteran actor Rajinikanth was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai late on Monday, sources said.

The 73-year-old is likely to undergo an elective procedure on Tuesday, they said and added that his condition was stable.

There has been no official communication from Rajinikanth's family or the hospital yet. -- PTI

File image

J-K exit polls after 6 pm on October 5

With the third and final phase of polling for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election scheduled for Tuesday, authorities have said exit poll predictions could be aired only after 6 pm on October 5.

According to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC) on August 31 and under the provisions of section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, all media outlets, polling agencies and individuals are informed that publication or broadcast of exit poll results related to the Jammu and Kashmir election may be done after 6 pm on October 5, the office of the chief electoral officer said in a statement on Monday.

It said violations of the guidelines may lead to legal action, including fines and imprisonment.

"The restriction applies to all forms of media, including newspapers, television channels, radio, online news portals, social media platforms and messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc. It also applies to political parties, candidates, polling agencies and any individuals engaged in election-related activities," the statement said. -- ANI

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BMC probe report blames Mumbai Metro, contractor for death of woman

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-appointed high-level probe committee has held Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd and its contractor responsible for the death of a woman, who fell into a storm water drain here during last week's downpour.

In a release on Monday, the BMC cited the committee's probe report and noted the responsibility for rectifying the faults at the accident site in Andheri in the western suburbs and surrounding areas lies squarely with MMRCL and its contractor L&T as the location had been under their control since 2015.

On September 25 night, a 45-year-old woman, Vimal Anil Gaikwad, fell into a storm water drain in the SEEPZ area of Andheri (East) amid heavy rains and lost her life.

Following the tragedy, the Mumbai civic body appointed a three-member high-level committee to investigate the circumstances of her death and submit a report within three days. -- PTI

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna/ANI Photo

Activist who complained against Sidda booked for threatening woman

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna, a complainant in the alleged land allocation scam against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been booked over a woman's complaint that he threatened her in a property dispute, the police said on Monday.

According to police sources, the 30-year-old woman, a resident of Nanjangud in Mysuru district, alleged Krishna had threatened her and her mother on July 18 with dire consequences, asking her to stay away from a dispute with her in-laws regarding a property over which her late husband has a share.

The FIR was registered on August 21.

Krishna has termed the charge as "fake" and demanded that police investigate the matter thoroughly to find out where he was at the time of the alleged incident. -- PTI

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HC allows docs' rally against RG Kar rape-murder

The Calcutta high court on Monday allowed a rally to be held in the metropolis by the Joint Platform of Doctors on October 1 to protest the rape-murder of a trainee medic at RG Kar hospital.

Disposing of a petition by the JPD, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed that a peaceful rally be held between 5 pm and 8 pm from College Square in north Kolkata to Rabindra Sadan in the south, via Central Avenue and Esplanade.

Though the police authorities had asked for curtailment of the number of participants and length of the route, the court did not order any such restriction.

It directed the authorities, under the supervision of joint commissioner of police (headquarters) of the Kolkata police, to make necessary arrangements for security with adequate personnel so as to ensure that the rally can move peacefully.

Justice Bharadwaj also asked the organisers of the rally to provide sufficient number of volunteers to control their supporters, and ensure that it is held peacefully.

The medics' platform, an umbrella organisation of the Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal, had made a representation before the Kolkata police commissioner for permission to take out the protest rally from College Square to Rabindra Sadan from 5 pm to 8 pm with around 50,000 participants.

The joint commissioner (headquarters) of Kolkata Police had informed the applicants that they were allowed to hold the proposed programme with only 1,000 participants and sufficient number of volunteers from College Square to Rani Rashmoni Avenue at Esplanade. -- PTI

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