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Sat, 07 September 2024
Bengal Medical Council notice to RG Kar ex-principal
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22:23 Motivational speaker arrested in TN after tiff with visually impaired TN teacher
A 'motivational' speaker who stoked controversy by his remarks on rebirth and for his brazen argument on 'sin and punya' with a differently-abled government school teacher was arrested on Saturday, the police said.
Following a complaint from a member of an association committed to the welfare of the differently-abled people, he was arrested at the airport on his arrival from abroad.
He was later produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody, a police officer said adding provisions of relevant laws have been invoked against him.
The motivation speaker, Maha Vishnu, was the founder of Paramporul Foundation and who gives lectures and holds training programmes on yoga practices and meditation.
Days ago, the visually impaired teacher, Shankar, strongly objected to remarks based on Karma and rebirth in a school programme meant for motivating students.
The founder of the foundation argued with the teacher over the issue and a video clip of his arguments, some of which appeared inappropriate and harsh, was widely shared in the social media. -- PTI
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21:41 Hand grenade found near Kandla port in Gujarat
A hand grenade was found in a consignment imported by a waste cloth unit at the Kandla special economic zone in Gujarat on Saturday, the police said.
The grenade, believed to be of a kind used by the United States armed forces, was not `live', said an official.
It was found when the consignment was being sorted, said Superintendent of Police, Kutch (East), Sagar Bagmar.
"The hand grenade is not live, and primarily appears to belong to the US Army. Police are investigating the matter," he said.
Situated nine km from Kandla Port, Kandla SEZ is considered to be the country's largest multi-product functional SEZ, spread over 1,000 acres with more than 300 units operating within its limits. -- PTI
RG Kar Hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh (centre)/ANI Photo
21:16 Bengal Medical Council issues notice to RG Kar ex-principal
The West Bengal Medical Council on Saturday issued a showcause notice to arrested ex-RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the health facility, an official said.
The 'showcause notice' to Ghosh is a step before the council takes any decision on cancelling his medical registration, he said.
Dr Ghosh has been served with a showcause notice. We have given him a three-day time to reply to the same," the official said.
Ghosh has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The allegations of financial irregularities at the hospital came to light after the body of a woman doctor was recovered from there on August 9.
The postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty in the health facility.
The incident triggered a nationwide protest.
Three other doctors have also been asked to refrain from any activity of the council until they come out clean of allegations against them, the official said. -- PTI
21:12 Gas leak from LPG wagon in Gujarat's Kheda, cooling operations underway
An incident of gas leakage from an LPG tanker wagon was reported near Kanij railway station in Kheda on Saturday, an official said.
Nadiad Fire Brigade rushed to the spot.
The goods train has been halted.
Cooling operations on the LPG tanker are underway, an official said. Railway PRO Pradeep Sharma told ANI, "There is an incident of gas leakage from HPCL wagon. Downline is operational and trains coming from Vadodara to Ahmedabad are operational. Work is underway." Further information is awaited.
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20:46 Trackman's heroics avert major train disaster on Konkan Railway
In a remarkable display of alertness and bravery, trackman Mahadeva averted a major train accident on the Konkan Railway line between Kumta and Honnavar.
According to railway officials, the incident occurred at around 4.50 am on Friday when Mahadeva, on routine duty, noticed an incomplete welding of the track joint in the area.
At the time, the Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi Rajdhani Express was approaching this route.
Sensing imminent danger, Mahadeva quickly contacted the Kumta station to stop the train.
However, the express had already left the station and was speeding toward the hazardous section.
Undeterred, Mahadeva made a frantic attempt to contact the loco pilot directly, but communication could not be established.
With just minutes to act, he made a split-second decision.
He sprinted along the tracks, covering half a kilometre in just five minutes.
In the nick of time, he flagged down the train and brought it to a halt, avoiding a potential disaster, the officials said.
Once the welding work was completed, the Rajdhani Express safely resumed its journey towards Karwar.
The quick actions of Mahadeva, who risked his life to ensure the safety of hundreds of passengers, were widely praised. -- PTI
Rescue operation underway at the building collapse site in Lucknow/ANI on X
20:20 3 dead, many trapped in Lucknow building collapse
Three people were killed and 20 others were injured when a three-storey building collapsed in the Transport Nagar area in Lucknow on Saturday evening, officials said.
As per information provided by the office of the UP relief commissioner, the injured have been rushed to Lok Bandhu Hospital in the state capital.
"Three people have been killed in the incident and 20 have been injured. Rescue operation is underway," they said.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.
The incident occurred at around 5 pm.
The building was being used as a godown, officials said.
Some construction work was being done in the three-storey building.
It was constructed around four years ago, the police said.
Senior police and administrative officials are on the spot to oversee the ongoing rescue operations.
"Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed to the scene and are working to extricate the trapped individuals," said relief commissioner GS Naveen Kumar. -- PTI
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19:55 Local BJP leader, associates booked for demolishing house in UP
The police booked a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his associates for allegedly demolishing a house built on a plot of land along a highway in Prayagraj using a bulldozer, officials said on Saturday.
Deputy commissioner of police (Yamuna Nagar) Vivek Kumar said Ghurpur police station was informed about the demolition on September 5 by the building's owner Abhishek Tripathi.
He said a police team inspected the spot and registered an FIR based on Tripathi's complaint.
Two persons have been arrested in the case and the bulldozer was seized, Kumar added.
In his complaint, Tripathi alleged that local BJP leader Raees Chandra Shukla's aides Alankar Singh and Chandrasen, along with around 30 unidentified people, demolished his house and its boundary wall on September 5 and looted his belongings.
According to Tripathi, a land dispute case was going on in a court over the property between him and Raees Chandra Shukla, his son Sandeep Shukla, Devendra Singh, Harshita Rautela, Tapas Kesarwani and Abhishek Gupta. -- PTI
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19:31 Fire breaks out in Mumbai high-rise, nobody injured
A minor fire broke out in the electrical duct in a 16-storey residential building in Kurla (East) area in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon but no one was injured in the incident, officials said.
The flames were doused within half-an-hour.
The fire started in the duct on the fourth floor of Savera Heights in Nehru Nagar around 2.30 pm, said a release issued by the civic body.
Fire brigade vehicles reached the spot immediately, it said, adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. -- PTI
Tibetan government-in-exile hosts Arunachal CM Pema Khandu led delegation/ANI Photo
19:26 Tibetan govt-in-exile hosts Arunachal CM Khandu led high-level delegation
The Tibetan government-in-exile held a felicitation event to welcome the leaders of Arunachal Pradesh in Dharamshala on Saturday.
The leaders, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu participated in the long-life prayers for the Dalai Lama which were held on Saturday morning at the main Tibetan temple, Tsuglagkhang in the north Indian hill town of Dharamshala.
After the prayer ceremony, the Central Tibetan Administration held an event to welcome the delegation from Arunachal Pradesh.
The delegation included Tapir Gao, MP and co-convener of the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet; Pasang Dorjee Sona, minister for education and tourism; and Zingnu Namchoom, MLA Namsai. Sikyong/ CTA president Pempa Tsering expresses his gratitude towards all the leaders and people of Arunachal Pradesh as they have organised this long-life prayer. -- ANI
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18:54 NC leader faces action over hate speech in J-K rally
Authorities in Srinagar have recommended filing a case against a National Conference leader for allegedly inciting hatred at an election rally of party leader Omar Abdullah in the Ganderbal segment of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
Nodal officer, Model Code of Conduct, Mushtaq Ahmad Simnani recommended registering an FIR against Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie, former sarpanch, for using the term "assassination" during an election speech at Kachan in Ganderbal.
"Given the gravity of the situation, it is recommended that stringent action be taken against the said person. An FIR should be lodged against the culprit under the applicable laws for promoting hatred through his speech and violating the model code of conduct," the nodal officer said in the letter to the concerned official.
Ganaie, during an election rally where Abdullah was present, said, "We can kill" anyone for disrespecting the party flag.
In a video, which formed the basis of the complaint, Ganaie was, however, promptly stopped by Abdullah and prevented from addressing the rally any further. -- PTI
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18:31 Killer wild elephant on prowl kills woman in Chhattisgarh; 5th victim over month
A 65-year-old woman from Chhattisgarh's Korba district became the fifth victim of a savage attack by a wild elephant which had trampled four persons to death in separate incidents in the area over the last month, officials said on Saturday.
In the latest incident that occurred near Baghmara village in the Balco forest range, the pachyderm also trampled two bulls to death, a forest officer said.
The tusker elephant attacked Bhalai Bai and her husband in their hut in an agricultural field near the village on Friday night when they were asleep, said Arvind PM,
Divisional forest officer, Korba forest division. Bhalai Bai's husband survived as he managed to run away from the spot.
The elephant also attacked and killed two bulls in the area, he said.
After being alerted about the incident, forest and police personnel rushed to the spot and sent the body for a postmortem.
The kin of the deceased woman was given financial assistance of Rs 25,000 and the rest of Rs 5.75 lakh will be paid later as per the procedure, the forest officer added.
Notably, the same tusker had trampled an elderly man to death on September 4 in the Katghora forest division in Korba district, and three women at separate places in the Katghora forest division on August 8. -- PTI
18:05 Malayalam superstar Mammootty turns 73; fans and celebs extend wishes
Hundreds of fans, celebrities and politicians greeted Malayalam superstar Mammootty on his 73rd birthday on Saturday.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan posted a heart-warming picture of them both sharing a stage on social media and greeted the senior actor.
Meanwhile, actor Mohanlal took to Facebook to wish the megastar.
He uploaded a picture of him kissing Mammootty during an event and posted "Happy Birthday Dear Ichakka".
Hundreds of fans gathered outside the residence of Mammootty in Kochi to wish their dearest actor.
However, Mammootty who was in Chennai with his family greeted everyone through a video call.
His fans celebrated his birthday by cutting cake and setting off crackers.
The pan-Indian actor will soon be seen in Gautham Vasudev Menon's film titled Dominic and the Ladies Purse. -- PTI
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma/File image
17:53 NRC receipt number must for new Aadhaar in Assam
All new applicants for Aadhaar cards in Assam need to submit their National Register of Citizens application receipt number, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.
"Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number," the chief minister said at a press conference in Guwahati.
This will "stop the influx of illegal foreigners" and the state government will be 'very strict" in issuing Aadhaar cards, he said.
"It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam," Sarma said.
Submission of the NRC application receipt number will not be applicable for the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the National Register of Citizens process, and they will get their cards, he added. -- PTI
17:19 ED attaches Amtek Group's assets worth Rs 5,000cr
Farm houses, hundreds of acres of agricultural and industrial lands across states and shares and debentures worth more than Rs 5,000 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an alleged bank loan fraud case against an insolvent automotive equipment manufacturing company, the ED said Saturday.
The action comes after the federal agency arrested Amtek Group promoter Arvind Dham in July.
The company is under liquidation.
The Enforcement Directorate booked a case against the company and its promoters under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, taking cognisance of a CBI FIR and a direction issued to it by the Supreme Court in February to probe the case.
The IDBI Bank and the Bank of Maharashtra had filed a CBI complaint against the accused for "illegally diverting" bank loans and causing loss to these lenders, the ED said in a statement.
The bank "fraud" is estimated to be about Rs 27,000 crore.
Companies of the group like Amtek Auto Limited, ARG Limited, ACIL limited, Metalyst Forging Limited and Castex Technologies Limited along with other concerns were taken to insolvency, whose resolution had led to "huge haircut" of more than 80 per cent for the banks causing "substantial" losses to these public sector banks, it claimed.
Probe found that the financial statements of the group companies were "deceitfully manipulated" to obtain additional fraudulent loans and create bogus assets and investments in the books of accounts, the ED said. -- PTI
BSF chief Daljit Singh Chawdhary/File image
16:51 BSF chief visits forward areas along LoC to review operational preparedness
Director general of Border Security Force Daljit Singh Chawdhary on Saturday visited forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district to review the operational preparedness of the force.
Chawdhary visited the forward locations along the LoC in the Kupwara district where he was briefed about the security situation and operational preparedness of the unit deployed there, officials said.
They said the BSF DG lauded the professionalism and steadfastness of the personnel in executing their duties. Chawdhary on Friday visited the Jammu and Kashmir Police headquarters in Srinagar and interacted with director general of police RR Swain.
The two officials discussed the prevailing security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, including the counter-infiltration measures put in place to prevent entry of terrorists into the Union Territory from across the LoC. -- PTI
RJD chief Lalu Pradad Yadav and son Tejashwi Yadav/File image
16:36 Land for jobs case: Court to take cognisance of chargesheet against Lalu, Tejashwi on Sep 13
A Delhi court is likely to take cognisance of a supplementary charge sheet against former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and eight others in alleged land for jobs scam, on September 13.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne on Saturday fixed the matter for the next week after noting that no further clarification was required from the ED on the matter.
The final report was filed before the court by the ED on August 6. The ED filed its case based on an FIR lodged by the CBI.
The case pertains to Group-D appointments made in West Central Zone of the railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Lalu Prasad's tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates, the ED said. -- PTI
Kannada filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat/Courtesy Facebook
15:49 Kannada filmmaker booked for crew member's death in set
A case has been registered against Kannada filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat and three others after a crew member allegedly fell from a 30-foot ladder during the shooting of a film, following which he died, the police said on Saturday.
The incident occurred on September 3 during the shooting of Kannada movie titled Manada Kadalu near Adakamaranahalli in Dasanapura in Madanayakanahalli police station limits.
According to the police, light boy Mohan Kumar (24) reportedly fell from a ladder during the shooting of the film and sustained severe injuries.
He was shifted to a hopsital, where he died.
"Based on a complaint we received from the victim's brother, a case was registered against Bhat and three others, including the assistant director and producer," a senior police officer said.
"We have served notice to those named in the FIR and further investigation is underway," he said.
Meanwhile, Film Industry for Rights & Equality (FIRE) that began in 2017, with the intention of providing a justice platform for neglected and deprived groups in the film industry, including workers, has expressed condolences to victim Kumar and his family. -- PTI
PM Narendra Modi with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan/Courtesy X
15:37 Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to visit India on September 9-10
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be on an official visit to India on September 9-10 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This would be the first visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
He will be accompanied by several ministers from the UAE government and a business delegation, the ministry of external affairs said on Saturday.
On September 9, the Crown Prince will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold discussions on a wide range of areas of bilateral cooperation.
He is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu.
He will also visit Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
On September 10, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince will visit Mumbai to participate in a Business Forum, in which business leaders from both countries will participate.
"India and UAE share historically close and friendly ties. In recent years, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and UAE has deepened in a wide range of areas, including political, trade, investment, connectivity, energy, technology, education, and culture," the MEA stated. -- ANI
Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh/File image
14:57 Vinesh, Bajrang Punia were used by Cong as pawns: Brij Bhushan Singh
Wresters Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were used by the Congress as "pawns" in their "conspiracy" to take control of the Wrestling Federation of India and attack the BJP, former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Saturday.
A day after Olympic medallists Phogat and Punia joined the Congress, the senior BJP leader said here that he had defeated Congress' Deepender Hooda in the 2012 election for the WFI which is why they nursed a grudge against him.
Asked about Phogat and Punia, the two prominent faces of the protest against Singh over charges of sexual harassment, he said, "They were faces... they were mohrey (pawns). They were used like pawns by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family."
"This was all conspired to gain a hold on the Wrestling Federation of India and to attack the BJP and its ideology...This team of Rahul, the Congress keeps doing this thing," he told PTI Videos.
When asked about Vinesh Phogat's assertions that no woman should have to face what she had to, Singh said, "What happened with her? The incident that she alleges happened at a time when I was in Lucknow. Time will tell the truth." -- PTI
14:24 Drunk driver rams truck into Pune hotel after being denied food, arrested
A police officer arrested a drunk driver after he crashed his truck into a hotel when he was refused food in Indapur taluka on Saturday.
The incident, which took place at Hotel Gokul on the Pune-Solapur Highway, has gained widespread attention on social media.
According to a police report, the driver, travelling from Solapur to Pune, stopped at the hotel and asked for food.
The hotel owner declined, stating that the establishment was closed for the day.
Enraged, the driver then rammed his truck into the hotel, causing major damage.
He also destroyed a two-wheeler and two four-wheelers parked nearby.
Locals attempted to intervene, but the driver continued his rampage until the truck's wheels got stuck.
The police arrived at the scene, arrested the driver, and charged him under Sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and BNS Section 109, 281, 324 (4)(5).
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited. -- ANI
14:04 Hit by car, Delhi man dragged for 10 mtr before death
A man was killed after allegedly being hit by a car and dragged by it for around 10 metres in Connaught Place, officials said on Saturday.
The driver of the car, who allegedly fled the spot after the incident on Wednesday, was arrested the next day, they said.
After being hit by the car, Lekhraj (45), a homeless man, was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him dead, they added.
According to a police officer, the driver, Shivam Dubey, 28, was tracked down with the help of CCTV footage. Dubey, a native of Madhya Pradesh, borrowed a car from a friend in south Delhi's Mahipalpur to meet someone in Connaught Place on Wednesday, the officer said.
On his way back around 3.25 pm, the car driven by him allegedly hit Lekhraj who was crossing the road near Barakhamba Radial Road at Connaught Place's outer circle.
Lekhraj got stuck under the car's wheels but Dubey allegedly kept driving the vehicle, the officer said.
After being dragged for around 10 metres, Dubey allegedly fled the spot leaving Lekhraj on the road.
He was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him dead, the officer said. -- PTI
Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao/Courtesy CCBI online
13:49 Archbishop of Goa wishes people on Ganesh Chaturthi
The Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, on Saturday extended greetings to the citizens of the state on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, wishing that the festival strengthens and renews fraternal bonds.
He also urged people to work unitedly towards building an "integrated nation where every citizen is valued, respected and provided equal opportunities".
"On this auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi, I, along with Auxiliary Bishop Simiao Fernandes and all the Catholic faithful of this Archdiocese, would like to convey warm and joyful greetings to every member of the Hindu community in this state," he said in a message.
This festival calls for removal of obstacles, growth in wisdom and respect for all, creating a peaceful environment for enjoying prosperity, dignity and for promoting socio-cultural integrity, he said.
"I would like to recall the words uttered by Pope Francis at the meeting of different religious leaders that took place during his just-concluded visit to Indonesia, wherein he said -- 'By looking deeply, we discover that we are all brothers, all pilgrims, all on our way to God, beyond what differentiates us'," he said. -- PTI
13:31 Karnataka HC rejects school teacher's plea to quash POCSO case
The Karnataka high court has declined to quash a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences case against a school teacher accused of recording videos of girl students while they were changing clothes.
The accused, employed at a residential school for children from backward communities in Kolar district, is facing charges of sexual harassment under the POCSO Act.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, in a recent ruling, described the teacher's actions as horrendous and highlighted the severity of the charges.
The teacher was arrested in December 2023 after authorities discovered he had allegedly used mobile phones to secretly record the students.
"What is deeply concerning is that the petitioner was found with five different mobile phones, all of which were seized and sent for forensic examination," the court observed.
"Each device contained approximately 1,000 images and several hundred videos."
The teacher approached the court, arguing that his actions did not constitute sexual harassment under the POCSO Act.
The high court rejected this claim, asserting that filming children in such a manner clearly falls under the definition of sexual harassment as outlined in the Act. -- PTI
Devotees transport Lord Ganesh's idol in a train ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at Mumbai Central Railway Station/ANI Photo
13:10 Ganesh festival begins in Maharashtra amid fanfare
The 10-day Ganesh festival began in Maharashtra on Saturday, with idols of the deity being installed in homes and at public pandals across the state amid fanfare and gaiety.
Families, including children and elderly members, stepped out of their homes early morning to bring their beloved god home amid chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya" and the beating of drums.
Many people were seen carrying the idols of Lord Ganesh in autorickshaws, cars, and other modes of transport.
Traditional 'dhol-tasha' (drum) troupes accompanied the processions which began in the morning. Many mandals - groups that celebrate the festival in public places -- brought in their Ganesh idols with grand processions in the last few days.
The idols will be installed at homes and in pandals with rituals.
Devotees thronged vegetable and flower markets, sweet shops and roadside stalls for buying flowers, puja materials, sweets and decorative items.
Several politicians and celebrities from Bollywood install idols of the deity of wisdom and knowledge in their homes every year.
In Mumbai, around 15,000 police personnel besides senior officials have been deployed for security during the 10-day festival.
As many as 32 deputy commissioners of police, 45 assistant commissioners, 2,435 officials, 12,420 constables, home guards and personnel of the State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Unit will be on the streets, an official said.
More than 2,500 Ganesh mandals and lakhs of households in the financial capital of the country will be celebrating the festival.
Authorities received 3,358 applications from Ganesh mandals, and permission to put up pandals was granted to 2,635 mandals as on Friday, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said. -- PTI
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft returns to Earth/Courtesy NASA
13:02 Boeing Starliner back to Earth without Sunita, Barry onboard
Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth successfully as it landed in New Mexico on Saturday.
"NASA and Boeing welcomed #Starliner back to Earth at 12:01am ET (0401 UTC) on Saturday, Sept. 7, following the uncrewed spacecraft's landing in New Mexico concluding its flight test to the @Space_Station," NASA said in a post on X.
NASA said that while the Starliner makes its return to Earth, both Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are safe aboard the International Space Station with a SpaceX Dragon vehicle available in case of an emergency, and later as part of the Crew9 mission.
The uncrewed spacecraft's safe return could be vital for the overall Boeing Starliner programme.
BJP MLA Prashant Bamb/Courtesy Facebook
12:30 Maharashtra BJP MLA's dance moves go viral
A video showing BJP MLA Prashant Bamb from Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district dancing on megastar Amitabh Bachchan's hit song "Khaike paan Banaras wala" has gone viral on social media.
While some netizens praised the legislator for his dance moves, several others criticised him saying that while farmers in parts of Marathwada region were reeling under crop losses, he was dancing.
Bamb represents the Gangapur assembly seat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
He won the seat for the second time in the 2019 assembly elections.
He performed the dance during a programme organised on Thursday night.
When contacted, Bamb told PTI, "An entertainment programme is organised every year for my party workers. During this year's event held at Mhaismal, a famous tourist destination, I danced to the 'Khaike paan Banaras wala' song. Before that, I also sang a Lavani, which is a part of Maharashtra's culture. I don't see anything wrong in it." -- PTI
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12:07 Five killed in fresh violence in Manipur's Jiribam
Five people were killed in fresh violence in Manipur's Jiribam district on Saturday morning, the police said.
One person was shot dead in his sleep while four others were killed in subsequent exchange of fire between armed men of two warring communities, a police officer said.
Militants entered the house of the person who lived alone in an isolated location around 5 km from the district headquarters and shot him dead in his sleep, he said.
After the killing, a heavy exchange of fire broke out between armed men of the warring communities in the hills around 7 km from the district headquarters, leading to the deaths of four armed persons, including three hills-based militants, the officer said.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier this week, fresh arson broke out in the district after suspected "village volunteers" burnt down an abandoned three-room house of a retired police officer at Jakuradhor in Borobekra police station said. -- PTI
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12:00 9 FIRs lodged, 5 govt employees suspended for poll code breach in J-K
The office of the chief electoral officer has said nine FIRs were lodged and five government employees suspended for violations of the Model Code of Conduct in Jammu and Kashmir.
Twenty-three warnings were issued and inquiries were underway in 48 cases of poll code violations, the office of the chief electoral officer said in a statement.
The Model Code of Conduct for elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly came into effect on August 16.
The statement from the CEO's office said 175 cases of poll code violations, including 96 against political parties and candidates and 53 against government employees, had been reported across Jammu and Kashmir.
However, 89 complaints were dropped as these were found to be "baseless and false", the statement said and added five government employees were placed under suspension by the authorities in Srinagar for participating in political activities and further inquiry was initiated against them.
Warnings were issued to violators in 23 cases while FIRs were lodged in nine cases of violations of serious nature.
Inquiries have been initiated in 48 cases, the statement said. -- PTI
11:27 Massive oil, gas reserves found in Pak waters
A substantial deposit of petroleum and natural gas has been discovered in Pakistan's territorial waters, a cache so large its exploitation could change the country's destiny, according to a media report.
A three-year survey was undertaken in collaboration with a friendly country to verify the presence of the oil and gas reserves, DawnNewsTV quoted a senior security official as saying on Friday.
The geographic survey has allowed Pakistan to identify the location of the deposits, and the relevant departments have informed the government of the resources found in Pakistani waters.
Terming it an effort to benefit from what he called the 'blue water economy', the official said that proposals for bidding and exploration were being studied, meaning that the exploration work can be started in the near future.
However, he said the work of digging wells and actually getting oil out could take several years.
But the 'blue water economy' can yield more than just oil and gas; there are several other valuable minerals and elements that can be mined from the ocean.
The official said that taking the initiative and acting quickly could help turn around the country's economic fortunes.
Some estimates suggest that this discovery constitutes the fourth-largest oil and gas reserves in the world.
Currently, Venezuela is thought to be the leader in oil reserves with around 3.4 billion barrels, while the US has the most untapped shale oil reserves.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada and Iraq constitute the rest of the top five.
While talking to DawnNewsTV, former Ogra (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) member Muhammad Arif said even though the country should remain optimistic, there's never 100 per cent certainty that the reserves would be discovered as expected.
When asked if these reserves are enough to meet the country's energy needs, he said it depends on the size and recovery rate of the production.
"If this is a gas reserve, it can replace LNG imports and if these are oil reserves, we can substitute imported oil."
However, he cautioned that it is 'wishful thinking' until the prospects for the reserves are analysed and the drilling process begins.
He pointed out that exploration alone required a hefty investment of around $5 billion and it might take four to five years to extract reserves from an offshore location.
He said if the exploration resulted in the discovery of reserves, then further investment would be needed for wells and laying down the infrastructure to extract the reserves and produce fuel, reported Dawn. -- PTI
A three-year survey was undertaken in collaboration with a friendly country to verify the presence of the oil and gas reserves, DawnNewsTV quoted a senior security official as saying on Friday.
The geographic survey has allowed Pakistan to identify the location of the deposits, and the relevant departments have informed the government of the resources found in Pakistani waters.
Terming it an effort to benefit from what he called the 'blue water economy', the official said that proposals for bidding and exploration were being studied, meaning that the exploration work can be started in the near future.
However, he said the work of digging wells and actually getting oil out could take several years.
But the 'blue water economy' can yield more than just oil and gas; there are several other valuable minerals and elements that can be mined from the ocean.
The official said that taking the initiative and acting quickly could help turn around the country's economic fortunes.
Some estimates suggest that this discovery constitutes the fourth-largest oil and gas reserves in the world.
Currently, Venezuela is thought to be the leader in oil reserves with around 3.4 billion barrels, while the US has the most untapped shale oil reserves.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada and Iraq constitute the rest of the top five.
While talking to DawnNewsTV, former Ogra (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) member Muhammad Arif said even though the country should remain optimistic, there's never 100 per cent certainty that the reserves would be discovered as expected.
When asked if these reserves are enough to meet the country's energy needs, he said it depends on the size and recovery rate of the production.
"If this is a gas reserve, it can replace LNG imports and if these are oil reserves, we can substitute imported oil."
However, he cautioned that it is 'wishful thinking' until the prospects for the reserves are analysed and the drilling process begins.
He pointed out that exploration alone required a hefty investment of around $5 billion and it might take four to five years to extract reserves from an offshore location.
He said if the exploration resulted in the discovery of reserves, then further investment would be needed for wells and laying down the infrastructure to extract the reserves and produce fuel, reported Dawn. -- PTI
10:55 Manipur: 3 bunkers of militants destroyed by security forces
Security forces have destroyed three bunkers in Churachandpur district after militants launched rocket attacks in adjoining Bishnupur that killed one person and injured six others, a police statement said.
The operation was undertaken in Mualsang and Laika Mualsau villages in Churachandpur district on Friday.
'Militants deployed long-range rockets among the civilian population in two locations of Bishnupur district in one of which one senior citizen civilian expired and six other civilians were injured,' the statement said.
Police teams and additional security forces conducted a combing operation in the adjoining hill ranges.
'Two bunkers at Mualsang village and one bunker at Laika Mualsau village of Churachandpur were destroyed,' it said.
Police teams including the Bishnupur SP rushed to the area and were fired upon by suspected militants but the police team retaliated and repelled the attack.
A military helicopter has been deployed to conduct aerial patrolling, it added.
High-level security meetings have been held to take stock of the law and order situation, it said.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and the police are prepared to respond to any contingency that may arise, the statement added.
Suspected militants fired two rockets in Bishnupur district on Friday, killing one person and injuring six others, as tension gripped Imphal Valley following high-tech attacks over the past few days.
The rocket attacks came after drones were employed to drop bombs on people at two nearby places in Imphal West district earlier this week.
Both were earlier unheard of in the state where ethnic violence left over 200 people dead and thousands homeless since May last year.
People in peripheral areas of Bishnupur and Imphal East districts turned off their lights on Friday night following sightings of multiple drones, officials said.
Multiple drones were sighted at Narainsena, Nambol Kamong in Bishnupur district and Pukhao, Dolaithabi, Shantipur in Imphal East district creating panic in the areas, they added. -- PTI
10:30 Vistara sends new aircraft for passengers stuck in Turkey
Vistara on Saturday said it
is dispatching an alternative aircraft along with a fresh set of crew to
fly the passengers of its Mumbai-Frankfurt flight to their destination
after it was diverted to Erzurum Airport in Turkey due to an alleged
bomb threat on Friday.
The substitute aircraft is expected to arrive at
the Turkish airport by 12.25 (local time) and depart for Frankfurt with
all passengers by 14.30 hours (Local time), Vistara said in an updated
statement of X (formerly Twitter).
The flight UK 27, operating on
Mumbai-Frankfurt route, departed from Mumbai at 1.01 pm on Friday after a
delay of an hour and was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt (Germany) at
5.30 pm (local time).
The Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft was, however,
diverted to Turkey after the airline's crew on-board found a paper note
stating that there was a bomb on the aircraft, Vistara sources had said.
According to an AP report, the aircraft had 247 passengers and crew on
board.
The flight landed safely at Erzurum Airport at 1905 (local
time) on Friday, the airline had said.
'Since the crew have exceeded
their duty time limitation, we are sending an alternate aircraft, with a
fresh set of crew, to Erzurum Airport, Turkey, which is expected to
arrive there by 1225 hours (local time) and depart for Frankfurt, with
all customers, by 1430 hours(local time),' Vistara said in its updated
statement.
It said that all the necessary checks have been conducted
and the customers, along with the crew and aircraft, have been cleared
by the security agencies.
In the meantime, all efforts are being made
to minimise inconvenience to customers, including offering them
refreshments and meals, Vistara said in the statement.
On Friday the
airline had said its Flight UK27 from Mumbai to Frankfurt, 'has been
diverted to Turkey (Erzurum airport) due to security reasons and has
landed safely at 1905 hours', without divulging the number of passengers
and crew on board the aircraft. -- PTI
09:18 Drones sighted in Manipur, people turn off lights
People in peripheral areas of Bishnupur and Imphal East districts of Manipur turned off their lights on Friday night following sightings of multiple drones, officials said.
Drones were employed by militants to drop bombs on people at two nearby places in Imphal West district earlier this week.
On Friday night, multiple drones were sighted at Narainsena, Nambol Kamong in Bishnupur district and Pukhao, Dolaithabi, Shantipur in Imphal East district creating panic in the areas, the officials said.
Panicked villagers turned off lights at home. Security forces are on high alert in peripheral areas to monitor the movement of large groups of people, an official said.
Several illumination rounds were fired in the sky in Bishnupur district creating panic and confusion among the public. It was not clear if security forces or others had fired those.
The use of drones as a weapon was first noticed in Manipur on September 1 in Koutruk village in Imphal West district.
In the attack in which guns were also used, two persons were killed and nine others were injured.
The remote-controlled small flying device was employed again in Senjam Chirang, around three km away, the next day, injuring three persons. -- PTI
08:57 2 coaches of Indore-Jabalpur Express derail in MP
Two coaches of Indore-Jabalpur Express train derailed early on Saturday when it was approaching the Jabalpur station, a railway official said. No passenger suffered any injury in the derailment that occurred around 5.50 am, he said.
"Two coaches of the Indore-Jabalpur Superfast Express (22191) derailed when the train was approaching platform number 6 of the Jabalpur station," the official said.
The derailed coaches were positioned just behind the engine.
The derailment happened just around 50 metres away from the platform, he said, adding that restoration work was underway. -- PTI
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01:13 Youth who performed stunt with snake dies in Hyderabad
A youth in Telangana who performed a stunt with a snake, while recording a video, died after being bitten by the serpent, the police said on Friday.
The youth in Kamareddy district, who catches snakes, performed a stunt and he put the snake in his mouth, they said.
He passed away after being bitten by the snake. -- PTI
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01:10 Five members of a family injured in wolf attack in MP's Khandwa
Five members of a family in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh were on Friday attacked by a wolf, officials said.
The incident took place at 2:30am in Malgaon village in tribal-dominated Khalwa tehsil, some 20 kilometres from the district headquarters, Harsud sub divisional officer of police Sandeep Vaskale told reporters.
"After the family started screaming, neighbours and others arrived and chased away the wolf. A woman has sustained wounds on her hands while four men have been bitten on the hands. They are being treated in Khandwa Medical College Hospital," the SDOP said.
Divisional forest officer Rakesh Damor told reporters the injured have been given rabies shots and medicines.
It was not known if the wolf has been captured.
The incident comes at a time when wolf attacks in Bahraich in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh have made national headlines. -- PTI
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00:55 Three injured in Himachal factory blast
Three people have been injured in a blast at a factory in Jharmajri village in Himachal Pradesh's Baddi-Barotiwala industrial area, officials said on Friday.
The incident, which took place at Wipro Enterprises factory on Thursday, came to light the following day when workers halted work in protest, shouting slogans at the gate over the lack of safety equipment and the management's indifferent attitude towards their welfare, the officials said.
Sunil Thakur, Rajiv and a trainee sustained burns in the incident, they said, adding that Sunil has been referred to PGI Chandigarh for treatment.
According to Rajiv, the blast occurred due to a reaction while they were preparing a mixture for shaving cream, the officials said.
After news of the protest and blast spread on social media, Harbans Rana, General Secretary of the Indian National Trade Union Congress Federation, visited the site and spoke to the injured workers, they added. -- PTI
00:52 2 Goa ex-MLAs paid in cash by AAP for polls: CBI
Two former Goa MLAs who contested the 2022 state Assembly polls on Aam Aadmi Party tickets have alleged that they were paid in cash by a party volunteer for meeting campaign-related expenses, the CBI has said in its chargesheet in the Delhi excise policy case.
The agency has alleged that of the total of Rs 90-100 crore of ill-gotten money paid by the "South Group" to tweak the excise policy in its favour, an amount of Rs 44.5 crore in cash was sent to Goa for meeting election-related expenses.
In its fifth and final supplementary chargesheet in the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged that the role of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with that of another accused Durgesh Pathak, a Delhi MLA and the AAP in-charge for the Goa polls, has surfaced in the transfer of the ill-gotten money and its use to meet election-related expenditures.
The CBI has alleged that two former MLAs -- Mahadev Narayan Naik and Satyavijay Naik -- were approached by Pathak, who asked them to contest the February 2022 assembly polls on the AAP's tickets from the Shiroda and Valpoi constituencies respectively.
When they cited a lack of funds to contest the election, Pathak allegedly told them that "all the election-related expenditures would be made by the AAP". -- PTI
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