Breaking News, September 1

A POCSO court in Shamli district on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl last year. 

Three people from Himachal Pradesh were killed when the car in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Kalsi area of Dehradun district on Thursday, police said. 

Intermittent heavy rains lashed Nashik city and other parts of the district in North Maharashtra on Thursday, but normal life remained largely unaffected.

A 22-year-old salesman at a liquor shop in Ambala City was found hanging from the ceiling of his house on Thursday, police said. The deceased was identified as Abhishek, who hailed from Bihar and was living near Sector 9 in Ambala City, they said.

As many as seven employees of a private factory consumed poison during a protest against the delay in disbursal of their monthly wages and transfer to another establishment in Indore, the police said on Thursday.

One more person died from COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday as 121 fresh cases pushed the state's infection count to 3,11,104, an official said.

Chief economist at State Bank of India has revised downward the full-year growth forecast to a low 6.8 percent from 7.5 percent earlier for FY2023, citing "the way below GDP numbers for the first quarter". The National Statistical Office on Wednesday released the Q1 growth numbers which showed a consensus growth of 13.5 percent, pulled down by the poor show of the manufacturing sector, which reported a paltry 4.8 percent expansion in the first three months of FY23, negating the robust show by the services sector.

The Met department has forecast very heavy rain in sub-Himalayan West Bengal till Sunday under the influence of an active monsoon trough, warning of possible landslides and flash floods. Heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur at one or two places over Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Coochbehar districts, the department said on Thursday.

In a minor bureaucratic reshuffle in Maharashtra on Thursday, three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers were transferred, including Astik Pandey, who has been appointed Additional Commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA), a state government official said.

One suspect each has been detained in Kenya and Azerbaijan in connection with the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala and India is in touch with authorities in the two countries.

The CBI has arrested a junior engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for allegedly accepting Rs 40,000 as bribe, officials said Thursday.

The Taliban announced they have arrested and will soon sentence an Afghan woman who appeared in a video on social media earlier this week and said a senior Taliban official forced her into marriage and raped her repeatedly. 

A Goa Police team visited Sonali Phogat's Sant Nagar home here on Thursday and later met revenue officials as part of their investigation into the alleged murder of the BJP leader. The police team had arrived here Wednesday and family members of Phogat were present when they went to her house, which was closed for the past several days.

Shares of SpiceJet recovered most of their early lost ground and settled over 3 percent lower on Thursday. Earlier in the day, it tumbled nearly 15 percent after the company reported a widening of net loss to Rs 789 crore during the April-June quarter of FY23.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha kick-started a month-long drug de-addiction campaign here on Thursday and said efforts were underway to put an end to the smuggling of narcotic substances from across the border. He sought the cooperation of all sections of society for the success of the 'Nasha Mukt' campaign and lauded security forces personnel for their alertness and the seizure of a huge quantities of smuggled drugs in the Union Territory.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government to provide police protection to Adani Ports' under construction Vizhinjam port project which is facing protests. The court also directed the protestors should not trespass into the port premises and that they should agitate peacefully outside it. The construction work should not be obstructed, the court ordered. The order came on a plea moved by Adani Ports, which is constructing the Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram, seeking protection from protesters and alleging that the police and the government were not taking any action in this regard. A large number of coastal people have been staging strong protest outside the main entrance of the multi-purpose seaport, located at nearby Mulloor in Thiruvananthapuram, since August 16 pressing their seven-point charter of demands including stopping the construction work and to conduct a coastal impact study in connection with the multi-crore project.

The government has decided not to extend the anti-dumping duty imposed on ammonium nitrate imported from Russia, Iran and Georgia. The finance ministry has not accepted the recommendations of the directorate general of trade remedies (DGTR). The commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR had conducted a probe to review the need for the continuing imposition of anti-dumping duty on the product imported from these countries, following a complaint from the domestic industry. In June, the directorate recommended an extension of the duty on imports for two more years. "...the central government after considering the final findings of the designated authority (DGTR) has decided not to accept the recommendations," the department of revenue has said in an office memorandum.

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday passed with voice vote and vote division the confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to "prove" that the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' in the capital had failed. All AAP MLAs present in the House voted in favour of the motion. There was no vote against it as three BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta, Abhay Verma and Mohan Singh Bisht were marshalled out of the Assembly following an argument with Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, who did not heed their demand to take up their calling attention notices before a discussion on the confidence motion. The rest of them walked out in protest. Trying to project the AAP as an alternative to the BJP, Kejriwal said there are only two parties at the national level at present -- 'Kattar Imandar (hardcore honest) party and Kattar Beimaan (hardcore corrupt) party'. 

A Ganesh pandal set up on the theme of the under-construction Ram temple in Ayodhya is attracting huge crowds in Gujarat's Surat city, with the organisers saying its pillars and lighting give visitors a feel of actually being inside the temple. The pandal's entrance is an exact replica of the Ayodhya temple's entrance, they claimed. The sprawling pandal, spread across 125 X 65 metres area, has been erected on Bhatar road by a group of people engaged in making pandals for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival for the last 25 years. This year, the 10-day Ganpati festival commenced on Wednesday.

A man died allegedly after jumping in front of a moving train at Tilak Nagar metro station on Thursday, police said. The incident was reported at 8.34 am, they said. A senior police officer said the man was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where he was declared brought dead. The identity of the person is yet to be ascertained, he said. The incident led to delay in services on the Blue Line of Delhi Metro, officials said. The Blue Line connects Dwarka Sector 21 in Delhi and Noida City Centre, with a branch line at Yamuna Bank to Vaishali. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also took to Twitter to alert the commuters about the delay. "Blue Line Update: Delay in services between Dwarka Sector 21 and Noida Electronic City/Vaishali due to a passenger on track at Tilak Nagar. Normal service on all other lines," the DMRC tweeted. 

Pakistan's top climate and environmental experts believe that the effects of global warming are throwing up surprises as they warned that the devastating floods in the country are just a beginning and weather changes will be harsher and more extreme in the coming years. Pakistan is witnessing unprecedented floods that has claimed more than 1,100 lives, destroyed infrastructure and crops, and affected 33 million people or one-seventh of the country's population. The natural disaster has forced the government and the United Nations to launch a Flash Appel this week for USD 160 million in assistance to help the country overcome the impact of the floods. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who met some foreign diplomats recently in Islamabad, said that more than 33 million people had been badly affected by the flash floods and torrential rainfalls. He said that Pakistan's carbon emission footprint was negligible but it was ranked at the 8th position among the countries exposed to the horrors of climate change.

The US has likely recorded its first death in a person diagnosed with monkeypox in Texas who was also severely immunocompromised, according to health officials. The unnamed adult who was being treated in Harris County, died on Sunday. The officials said the individual had "various severe illnesses" beside the virus, reports the Daily Mail. A cause of death is yet to be determined, but if it is confirmed to be monkeypox, it will make the fatality the first in the US from the virus during the current outbreak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in this coastal city on Friday afternoon during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore and address a mega event. This visit by Modi for about a couple of hours to this port city, after attending events in neighbouring Kerala, is likely to give a boost to the Karnataka BJP, which is preparing for Assembly polls next year, aiming to regain power in the state, with a target of winning at least 150 of the total 224 seats.

Benchmark indices started the trade on a weak note on Thursday, dragged down by index majors Reliance Industries, IT and banking counters amid an overall weak global markets trend. The BSE benchmark Sensex fell 898.61 points to 58,638.46 in early trade. Similarly, the NSE Nifty declined 273.75 points to 17,485.55. From the Sensex pack, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Reliance Industries, HDFC, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Hindustan Unilever, HCL Technologies and ICICI Bank were among the major laggards. Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers. Elsewhere in Asia, markets in Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading lower, while Shanghai quoted in the green in mid-session deals.

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Nearly seven months after the roof of a residential high-rise here collapsed leaving two people dead, the Gurugram administration has ordered structural audit of 17 high-rise societies in the city, a senior official said. Following the sequential collapse of roofs of flats on seven floors of the Chintels Paradiso society in Sector 109 on February 10, residents of 58 societies had demanded a structural audit of their buildings. In the first phase, 17 high-rises are being audited and the work orders will be issued to the auditing firms from Monday, according to a press release by the district administration.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has addressed the Investors' meet and curtain raiser for the 'Make in Odisha' conclave in the national capital and urged the investors to invest in Odisha. The event was held by the Odisha government in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Addressing the investors, Patnaik on Wednesday said, "Odisha is one of the fastest growing economies in India and has consistently grown above the national average in the last decade and a half. We are fast emerging as a major industrial destination in eastern India because of our natural resource advantage and strategic location. I seek everyone support to ensure 'Make in Odisha' Conclave 2022 a successful event." The third edition of 'Make in Odisha' Conclave is being held between November 30 and December 4, with focus on sectors, including metals and metal downstream, chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles and apparel, along with technical textiles, food processing, among others.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal are scheduled to visit the United States this month for various multilateral and bilateral meetings as New Delhi accelerates its engagement with the world post-Ukraine war. Jaishankar would primarily travel to New York to attend and address the annual General Assembly session of the United Nations. On its sidelines, he will be holding a series of bilateral meetings, the details of which are still being worked out. The focus of India's engagement this year at the United Nations would be the reform of the UN Security Council, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, climate change and issues of food security and supply chain which have become critical in the wake of the Ukrainian war.

The US Navy “harboured toxic secrets” when jet fuel contaminated drinking water for 93,000 military members and civilians in Hawaii, according to a lawsuit filed from four families who say they're still suffering from seizures, gastrointestinal disorders and neurological issues. Hundreds of additional claims are expected from those who ingested the toxic water, said the lawsuit filed in US District Court in Honolulu on Wednesday. Others going through the administrative process of the Federal Tort Claims Act will be added to the lawsuit. At least twice last year, thousands of gallons of jet fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, a massive World War II-era military-run tank farm in the hills above Pearl Harbor, leaked into a well that supplied water to homes and offices in and around the sprawling base.

An Indian-American doctor has filed a lawsuit here against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and business tycoon Gautam Adani on a host of issues, including corruption and Pegasus spyware. The US District Court for the District of Columbia has issued summons to all these leaders, along with several others, which were served on them in India earlier this year. Eminent Indian-American attorney from New York Ravi Batra has termed it a "dead on arrival lawsuit". The lawsuit against Modi, Reddy and Adani has been filed by Richmond-based gastroenterologist Dr Lokesh Vuyurru. Among others named in the lawsuit is Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic forum.

The Kremlin treaded carefully Wednesday reacting to Mikhail Gorbachev's death, praising his prominent role in reshaping 20th-century history but noting his “romantic” view of the West. The Kremlin's ambivalence was reflected in the uncertainty about funeral arrangements. An iconic central venue chosen for Saturday's farewell ceremony has been used for state funerals since Soviet times, but Russian media reported that Gorbachev won't be given that honour. The hesitant stance was mirrored by state television broadcasts, which paid tribute to Gorbachev as a historic figure but described his reforms as poorly planned and held him responsible for failing to safeguard the country's interests in dialogue with the West.

The office of UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has published its long-awaited report on alleged rights violations in China's western Xinjiang region, brushing aside Beijing's demands to keep a lid on a report that fanned a tug-of-war for diplomatic influence with the West over the rights of the region's native Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups.

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has sealed a paper manufacturing unit here and imposed a fine of Rs 8.20 lakh on it for causing pollution, an official said on Wednesday. The Shri Balaji Paper Mill here was found guilty of violating norms, UPPCB Regional Officer Ankit Singh said. Meanwhile, five illegal plastic waste warehouses on Bhopa and Jolly roads in the district were also sealed by officials for violating norms, he said. 

The government has hiked the windfall profit tax on the export of diesel to Rs 13.5 per litre and on jet fuel exports to Rs 9 a litre, besides raising the levy on domestically-produced crude oil in line with the hardening of global prices. At the fourth fortnightly review, the government raised the windfall profit tax on the export of diesel to Rs 13.5 per litre from Rs 7 per litre. The tax on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) exports too has been hiked to Rs 9 from Rs 2 per litre with effect from September 1, according to a finance ministry notification issued late Wednesday night. Alongside, the tax on domestically-produced crude oil too has been hiked to Rs 13,300 per tonne from Rs 13,000.

The White House has expressed grief over the tragic loss of lives and devastation caused by severe flooding in Pakistan. Floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains have caused widespread havoc across Pakistan, killing over 1,100 people and displacing 33 million or one-seventh of the country's population. "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and destruction as a result of the severe flooding in Pakistan. We send our deepest condolences to all the individuals and families impacted. The United States stands with communities in Pakistan as they experience severe flooding and landslides," White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Wednesday.

Two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the Sopore area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday. The encounter broke out in the Bomai area of Sopore town Wednesday night after the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation, a police official said. He said two terrorists were gunned down by the security personnel in the operation. A civilian also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. The terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, a senior police officer said, adding that the duo was planning attacks on civilians. "Killed JeM terrorists were categorised & identified as Mohd Rafi of Sopore & Kaiser Ashraf of Pulwama. Terrorist Rafi was earlier booked under PSA twice. Both were involved in several terror crime cases. As per input they were planning to attack civilians in Sopore area," ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar tweeted.