PM reacts: Mithun Chakraborty is a...

In a post on X, Modi said, "Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema." 

"He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him," he said.

 Chakraborty, star of films such as "Mrigayaa", "Surakshaa", "Disco Dancer", and "Dance Dance", was on Monday named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the government's highest recognition in the field of cinema. PTI

 Speaking to ANI, Sule said, "It's very painful and shocking for me because she (Nirmala) is a very fine woman who we have worked very closely with. I hope this is not true. When the Parliament starts in November, we will be asking questions to the government. I looked at her as a very strong and honest woman who was trying to lead this country, and these allegations are levelled and disappointing." 

 Further, on the Maharashtra seat sharing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, she said that the process is on and meetings are being held to bring clarity. 

 "The process is on and meetings are being held to bring more clarity. The next three four days will bring in more clarity. I am not claiming seats, this is a healthy discussion," Sule said. 

 On Sunday, Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge slammed Sitharaman over the electoral bonds and accused her of the 'architecture' of the bill.

Speaking to ANI, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said, "The Supreme Court has already told that the electoral bonds are illegal and unconstitutional. The same has been filed here in Karnataka. There are instances where they have forced companies into quid pro quo and the architect of all this is the finance minister and that's what the complaint has said. The court has upheld the complaint. Let the investigation happen, What are they so scared of?" 

Meanwhile, Congress MP and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi came out heavily against the Bharatiya Janata Party over the FIR filed against Nirmala Sitharaman. 

 Singhvi said that the BJP's plan had been "sinister" and that there was a pattern on how the electoral bond had helped a few firms ease their case with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or get out of custody. He also demanded the resignation of Sitharaman. -- ANI

 Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that amidst the "U-turns and scandals" that have marked the last few months of this "tottering" government, "the non-biological PM and his drum beaters have tried to find some solace in their economic record, claiming to have created eight crore employment opportunities between 2021 and 2024". 

 "This claim initially emerged from the RBI KLEMS data, which we had earlier countered on July 15th, 2024. The Government's spin doctors have now mustered another statistic - that of 6.2 crore net subscribers joining the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) database between September 2017 and March 2024. Both claims are based on half-truths," he said in a statement. 

 To justify its claim of eight crore new jobs, the government adopts an expansive definition of employment, without registering the quality and circumstances of employment, Ramesh argued. 

 A large part of the claimed "employment growth" is recording unpaid household work done by women as "employment", he said, adding that it is not new job creation.

The '80 million new jobs' headline also eludes discussion on the quality of jobs, Ramesh said. Amidst the poor economic climate, the share of salaried, formal employment in the labour market has decreased, he said and pointed out that workers are moving to low-productivity informal and agricultural jobs, which KLEMS is capturing as jobs created.

 "This is why the KLEMS data shows an increase in employment during the COVID-19 pandemic years, when large sections of the economy fully shut down. While crucial sectors like education saw 12 lakh fewer jobs in 2020-2021, a whopping 1.8 crore 'jobs' were 'created' in agriculture," he said.

"Thus, factory workers, teachers, miners, etc. who returned home during COVID-19 and had to return to farming and agricultural labour are registered as a "job created" in agriculture," Ramesh argued. "This shift to low-productivity, poorly paid jobs is an economic travesty, which the government is touting as an achievement," the Congress leader said.

 "Finally, in the absence of a Population Census since 2011, the KLEMS statisticians assumed a population level to arrive at their projections. Several economists have indicated that the population estimate used was too large, resulting in an overestimation of jobs created," Ramesh said. 

 He further said the government cites the addition of 6.2 crore net subscribers in the EPFO database to show record employment growth, without revealing the full picture. EPFO only tracks the organised sector which is less than 10 per cent of total employment, he said.

The two-day event includes the IIFA Utsavam where stalwarts from the south Indian industry were honoured and the NEXA IIFA awards where Bollywood stars were awarded.

 Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement on X. "Mithun Da's remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema," the minister said in the post. 

 The award will be presented to Chakraborty at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, 2024, Vaishnaw said. 

 Chakraborty, 74, made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen's 1976 film "Mrigayaa", for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor. He is also known for films such as Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki and Commando.

 The tigress was observed roaming near the protected areas. The tranquillization process took place in compartment no. 717, located in the Janala area. Forest Range Officer Priyanka Velme coordinated the operation with a team of sharp shooters and wildlife experts to ensure the safety of both the animal and local residents. The decision to tranquillize was undertaken after the tigress posed threat to local residents. 

The tigress' entry to residential areas was serious and could lead to potential danger to local residents. Therefore, a careful assessment was meticulously planned to minimise stress on the animal and to avoid any harm to the public. The authorities reached the site early in the morning to carry out the operation to cage the tigress.

BharatPe arrived at a definitive agreement with the company's former co-founder Ashneer Grover. Bringing an end to years of dispute between the two, a settlement was arrived at as per which Ashneer Grover will not be associated with BharatPe in any capacity nor be a part of the shareholding of the company.

BharatPe former founder Ashneer Grover shares this on X: "I have reached a decisive settlement with BharatPe. I repose my faith in the management and board, who are doing great work in taking BharatPe forward in the right direction. I continue to remain aligned with the company's growth and success. I will no longer be associated with BharatPe in any capacity, nor be part of the capital table. My remaining shares will be managed by my Family Trust. Both parties have decided not to pursue cases filed. I hope BharatPe continues to grow and succeed for the benefit of all its stakeholders. 

Peace!"

 Incessant rainfall from last Friday triggered floods and landslides, wreaking havoc in the Himalayan nation. At least 192 people have been killed in the continuous rainfall, floods, landslides and inundation, officials from the Nepal Police said.

 They said 94 others have also been injured nationwide in the disaster, while 30 others remain missing. The government has given high priority to search, rescue, and relief operations, MyRepublica news portal reported, quoting Home Ministry Spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari.

 Security agencies across the country have been deployed for search, rescue and relief efforts, and more than 4,500 disaster-affected individuals have been rescued so far, the report said. 

 While those injured are receiving free treatment, food and other emergency relief materials have been provided to others affected by the floods.

As they stepped aboard, they were greeted by the Expedition 72 crew, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. SpaceX launched the rescue mission on Saturday that will bring them home next year.

Hague and Gorbunov entered the ISS after opening the hatch between the space station and the pressurised mating adapter at 7:04 p.m. EDT before opening the hatch to Dragon, NASA said in a statement.Hague and Gorbunov were welcomed by the space station's Expedition 72 crew, including NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Don Petitt, Butch Wilmore, and Sunita Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner.

Sunita Williams welcomed the two men aboard, with the crew all smiles at the prospect of a rescue. 

In a post on X, NASA's Johnson Space Center wrote, "The official welcome! The Expedition 72 crew welcomed Crew 9, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, the Crew 9 commander and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, the Crew 9 mission specialist, after their flight aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft."

The incident took place under the Komuravelli police station.

The accused, identified as Sharfuddin, was later taken into custody by the police and a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said.

Additionally, cases were filed against individuals for creating vandalism, which created a law and order issue in the area.

"Today, we registered a POCSO case against Sharfuddin (20) and sent him to judicial remand. Following the incident, some individuals created a law and order issue, and we have subsequently registered a separate case against them," the police said. -- ANI

 "When I was the Chief Minister, did you hear even a single news that any project from here went to Gujarat? In the last two and a half years, since this Mindhe (Shinde) became Chief Minister, so many industries have gone to Gujarat. Everything is being taken to Gujarat. Mumbai's economic centre has also been taken to Gujarat. We are not just fighting for power, but our fight is against the looting of Maharashtra," Thackeray said in Ramtek, where he unveiled the statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

 He alleged that in past two years Maharashtra failed to bag projects and industries it should have to neighbouring Gujarat. 

Notably, Vedanta-Foxconn had inked a pact with Gujarat in September 2022 for a Rs 1.54 lakh crore semiconductor project in Ahmedabad Thackeray also accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of wanting to "finish" him and NCP leader Sharad Pawar. 

 "Mohan Bhagwatji (RSS chief), do you agree with the BJP's Hindutva? Goons are coming into this BJP, corrupt people are coming. Do you agree with this? Amit Shah is coming to finish me and Sharad Pawar, will you let us be finished? Only my people can finish me, not Amit Shah. If my people tell me to sit at home, I will sit at home, but if someone from Delhi tells me to sit at home, my people will make them sit at home. After our government came to power, I will stop the loot going on in Maharashtra," he said.

 Thackeray also slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the collapse of the Shivaji statue at the Malvan fort in Sindhudurg and termed it an embarrassment for the state. 

 A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26. It was unveiled on December 4 last year as part of Navy Day celebrations and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -- ANI

A two-year-old girl was killed due to suffocation after an airbag opened in the car she travelled in met with an accident in Kerala's Malappuram district, police said on Sunday.

The mishap happened on Friday evening when the child was travelling along with her family members through Kottakkal-Padaparambu area, they said.

"The car collided with a tanker lorry and the airbag deployed suddenly under the impact of the collision," police said.

The child, sitting on the lap of her mother on the front seat, got suffocated due to the airbag deployment as her face pressed on to it.

The other four passengers, including the mother, escaped with minor injuries, police added. -- PTI