Breaking News, April 14 | HIGHLIGHTS

Day temperatures continued to rise in south Bengal on Friday, with heatwave conditions prevailing at several places, the Met Department said. Kolkata recorded the maximum temperature at 41 degrees Celsius, while in adjoining Salt Lake, the mercury rose to 42.1 degrees Celsius, it said.

A woman from Uganda was arrested by Goa police on Friday for allegedly overstaying in the country, an official said. The woman was staying in Anjuna without valid documents and she has been charged under the Foreigners Act, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi and discussed ways to expand the bilateral development corporation and committed to work for the advancement of the partnership in areas like trade, investments and defence.

A large number of devotees took a holy dip in the Ganga river at Har ki Pauri on the occasion of Baisakhi on Friday. Devotees, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, take a ritual bath in the Ganga here on Baisakhi which heralds the beginning of the harvest season in these states.

Nine people were injured after an elevator at a hotel here malfunctioned and had a free fall from the third to the ground floor, police officials said on Friday. Three of the injured at the hotel near Baraula in Sector 49 suffered bone fractures, they said.

Iran may consider an extension of the sub-sea natural gas pipeline from Oman to India, its Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Relation Mehdi Safari said in a statement on Friday. "Already, Iran is building this natural gas pipeline to Oman, which can be extended to India up to Porbandhar," Safari said while speaking at an interactive meeting organised by MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai on Thursday evening, it added

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government had worked hard to bring the northeast into the national mainstream and accused the opposition of “neglecting” the region and being “credit hungry”. Modi, who was speaking at a function to dedicate the northeast’s first AIIMs here, said his government on the other hand formulated policies by placing people first. Attacking the opposition, Modi asserted, “We make our policies on the basis of countrymen first ... (but) the opposition is credit hungry and credit hungry people destroy the nation.” He added, “ We work with 'Seva Bhaav' (spirit of service) and 'samarpan' for the people”. He also stressed that his government had worked hard to ensure dramatic improvement in social infrastructure in the Northeast over the last 9 years. “The Northeast was distant for earlier governments...we have served with dedication to bring it near,” the prime minister said.

Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged on Friday that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is involved in corruption. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Thakur accused the TMC government of corruption in connection with the mid-day meal scheme. On opposition parties' efforts to stitch up an alliance in order to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Union information and broadcasting minister said all parties immersed in corruption are holding each other's hands, but their corrupt face is visible to the public.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday set a target for the BJP to win 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in next year’s election, and said the Mamata Banerjee government in the state won't survive beyond 2025. Stating that Narendra Modi would again be the prime minister of the country in 2024, Shah asserted that leaders like Mamata Banerjee, can never give a befitting reply to Pakistan or fight militancy in Kashmir. Shah's comments drew sharp reactions from the TMC, which asked how a union minister could "openly threaten to topple an elected government" before it completes its full term.

Three people were killed and one was injured in a collision between a tractor-trolley and a truck in this district in the early hours of Friday, police said. The crash took place at the Kotban crossing under Kosi Kalan police station limits, they said. The speeding truck, travelling towards Hodal from Mathura, hit the hay-laden tractor-trolley which overturned at the NH2, Circle Officer (CO) Gaurav Kumar Tripathi said.

With the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and his aide in Jhansi, the number of alleged criminals gunned down in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 183 in the six years of Yogi Adityanath's government, officials said. The UP Police data showed that more than 10,900 police encounters have taken place in the state since March 2017, when Adityanath took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time. In these encounters, 23,300 alleged criminals were arrested and 5,046 were injured.

A 29-year-old man who allegedly in an inebriated state fired a shot from an illegal weapon while dancing was arrested after a video of the crime went viral on social media, police said on Friday. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain said the video posted by the 29-year-old man on social media purportedly showed him dancing in Rampur Maniharan while brandishing the illegal arm and firing a shot from it.

The CBI has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy scam case on April 16, officials said on Friday.  Kejriwal has been asked to be present at the agency headquarters at 11 AM to answer queries of the investigating team, they said.  The central probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. 

BJP president J P Nadda on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to fulfil the dream of Bhimrao Ambedkar by working for the development and prosperity of all sections of the society. In his remarks after paying tributes to the architect of the Constitution on his birth anniversary, Nadda said the Modi government has accorded the due respect and honour on Ambedkar and noted that for the first time his 125th birth anniversary was celebrated in the United Nations.

China won't sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine, the country's foreign minister said on Friday, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide military assistance to Russia. China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its invasion of its neighbour. Qin Gang is the highest-level Chinese official to make such an explicit statement about arms sales to Russia. He added that China would also regulate the export of items with dual civilian and military use. “Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude,” Qin said at a news conference alongside visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

The Uttar Pradesh Police said Friday that they have gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in the six years of Yogi Adityanath's government and this included gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and his accomplice, who were killed in an exchange of fire in Jhansi. The UP Police data showed that more than 10,900 police encounters have taken place in the state since March 2017, when Adityanath took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time. In these encounters, 23,300 alleged criminals were arrested and 5,046 were injured.

A woman died and two more persons are feared to have been buried after a sand-laden truck overturned and fell into a marshy patch trapping one or two motorcycles in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Friday, fire brigade sources said. The accident took place around 10.30 am on Narangi Road in Virar when the truck carrying the construction material tilted and fell into swampy land while giving way to another vehicle, said Roopesh Patil, chief fire officer of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. One or two motorcycles were believed to be moving on the side where the truck fell, said an official.

The Nashik unit of Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 47-year-old businessman for making a hoax call to police claiming that three terrorists with Pakistan links had entered Mumbai, an official said on Friday. The accused, a resident of Ahmednagar, is locked in a property dispute with his relatives and he made the hoax call naming his cousin just to harass him, the official said.

With the ruling BJP facing revolts and desertions in some constituencies, following the announcement of candidates in 212 Assembly segments for the May 10 polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said some leaders with ambition to become legislators might be parting ways, but workers were committed to the party. The Congress inducting some disgruntled BJP leaders who are unhappy over not getting tickets would make no difference, he asserted speaking to reporters, and claimed that the grand old party lacked suitable candidates in about 60 Assembly segments. "Naturally there will be a greater demand for tickets in a ruling party," Bommai said in response to a question about dissidence within BJP.

Two people were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a mini truck here, police said on Friday. Circle Officer (Kernalganj) Naveena Shukla said 26-year-old Rajkumar had gone to Chakraut village with his friend Lalit (18). The mini-truck, while trying to overtake a truck on the Paraspur-Kernalganj Road, collided head-on with their motorcycle. Rajkumar and Lalit fell on the road and were run over by the mini truck. They died on the spot, Shukla said. Following the accident, the mini-truck driver abandoned his vehicle and fled the spot. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and a case registered based on the complaint by local residents, the police said.

Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the BJP after being denied ticket to contest in the May 10 Assembly elections, on Friday decided to join the Congress. His decision came after a meeting with Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and Congress general secretary and party in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala. "He has agreed to become a member of our (Congress) family on his own volition," Shivakumar, who was flanked by Savadi and Siddaramaiah, told reporters. Shivakumar said Savadi, a BJP MLC, would meet the Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti (to tender his resignation from the Upper House) this afternoon, after which he would formally join the Congress.

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has tested positive for COVID-19, the Raj Bhavan said on Friday. Mishra's test report is positive, the Raj Bhavan said, and suggested that those who came into contact with him recently get themselves tested and follow Covid guidelines. Recently, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his predecessor Vasundhara Raje also tested positive for COVID-19.

Firefighters saved the lives of seven persons and properties worth Rs 169.53 crore in 2022-23 during which they worked tirelessly to tackle many blazes, including the recent wildfires in the coastal state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday. Addressing a function on the occasion of National Fire Service Day, which is observed on April 14, on Friday, Sawant praised the Fire and Emergency Services of Goa for their efforts in responding to distress calls and urged the public not to make hoax calls as they burden firefighters.

Nearly two years ago, Mary Sebastian was hoisted on a chair and carried by a policeman in waist-deep floodwaters, leaving behind her now damaged home where she had spent more than 70 years of her life. She never thought she would return. So, when Sebastian, now 85, recently recounted her experience during Cyclone Tauktae, which hammered parts of southern India in May 2021, she became emotional as the memories came rushing back. Having returned to the same tiny, tiled-roof home, she expressed hope that a sea wall being erected on the coast just in front of her house would check raging waves of the Arabian sea and keep her safe. "I feel that at least now we have a shield to protect the coast," she said. "To stop the waves suddenly hitting the shores and sending it back to the sea." "Nothing like that had been here for years," she added.

Police arrested three persons here for creating a WhatsApp group to hurt the religious sentiment of a particular community on social media, an officer said. Shastrinagar area of Jamshedpur witnessed a clash between two groups on Sunday over the reported desecration of a religious flag. The police with the help of its technical cell detected that some people have created a WhatsApp group and conspiring to hurt the religious sentiment of a particular religion on Wednesday night, said Officer-in-Charge of Bistupur police station Anjani Kumar on Thursday. The police technical cell examined the WhatsApp group and arrested the group admin and two members of the group, all residents of Dhatkidih Harijan Bhati area of the city, the police officer said. The arrested persons have confessed to their involvement to hurt the religious sentiment of a particular community, the officer said.

Rajasthan Police has arrested two accused involved in the alleged abduction and murder of two men from Bharatpur in Haryana by suspected cow vigilantes, an official said on Friday. Nasir (25) and Junaid alias Juna (35), both residents of Ghatmeeka village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on February 15. Their bodies were found inside a burnt car in the Loharu area of Bhiwani in Haryana on the morning of February 16. A police spokesperson said, "Monu Rana and Gogi have been arrested by Rajasthan Police. They were wanted in the abduction and murder case of Junaid and Nasir." The Inspector General of Police (Bharatpur range) and the district Superintendent of Police will disclose further details later in the day, the spokesperson added.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat will address a gathering of volunteers of the organisation at an event in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on Friday, an RSS functionary has said. An estimated 15,000 volunteers will gather for the event, "Samajshakti Sangam (confluence of social power)", which is being organised in the run-up to the Nagpur-headquartered RSS' centenary celebrations in 2025, he said. The programme is being organised at Ahmedabad's GMDC Ground, where RSS 'sarsanghchalak' Bhagwat will address the volunteers in the evening, said the functionary. "A self-respecting, self-reliant, powerful India is the dream of all of us. To realise this dream, the creation of a disciplined organised society is imperative, for which the RSS is constantly working. At the same time, the motivational support of 'sajjan shakti' is vital for the success of the nation's work," the Karnavati (Ahmedabad) unit of the RSS has said in its invite for the event.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in West Bengal on Friday on a two-day visit to the state. He will hold a public meeting and take stock of the organisational strength of the BJP in the state during the visit. Shah is visiting the state ahead of the rural polls in the state, which is due next month, and the party seeks to strengthen its organisational machinery. "Amit Shah Ji will be on a two-day visit to West Bengal from April 14. He is scheduled to hold a public meeting in Birbhum in the afternoon and inaugurate the district party office in Suri. He will come to the city later in the evening, hold a meeting with the state party leaders and take stock of the organisational situation," a state BJP leader said. On Bengali New Year's Day on April 15 Shah will visit Dakshineswar Temple and offer puja. The Home minister will then return to New Delhi, he said. Shah's programme in Bengal is part of BJP's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen its organisation in 144 Lok Sabha seats in the country that it had lost by slender margins in the 2019 general election. The party had won 18 of the total Lok Sabha 42 seats in Bengal in the 2019 elections.

Armed assailants shot dead two security guards posted at a state-owned bank’s branch in Bihar’s Saran district and looted Rs 13.28 lakh on Thursday, police said. The deceased have been identified as Ganesh Shah and Ram Naresh Rai. “Five unidentified persons entered the bank around 12.30 pm. When the guards resisted, they shot at them. Both died during treatment,” according to a statement issued by the Bihar Police headquarters here. Police are examining the CCTV footage to trace the accused, it said.

Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on Thursday, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia. The sandy, dusty weather and strong winds will last until Sunday, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement, adding the public should take precautionary measures to guard against poor air quality. It renewed a blue alert for sandstorms — the least severe warning in the country's four-tier weather warning system — and forecast that more than a dozen regions, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, would see some areas affected by floating sand and dust on Thursday.

A court here on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to Mohammad Waliullah in connection with the 2006 serial blasts in Varanasi. He was sentenced for being in possession of RDX, a detonator and a pistol. Special Judge of NIA court VS Tripathi also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him. In his order, the judge said that Waliullah was already sentenced to death in the Sankat Mochan bomb blast case which showed that he was a dreaded culprit and hence was entitled to the maximum punishment provided in the current case. Waliullah's counsel sought a lesser sentence pleading that he has already spent 17 years in jail and he has a mother, wife, son and a daughter to look after. Opposing the plea, state counsel said that Waliullah was a dreaded criminal and that had he been not arrested in Lucknow, he would have succeeded in executing blasts in the city.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday took a ride in a ‘Made in India’ train during his visit to the capital of Mozambique and discussed with the Mozambican Transport minister about India's partnership in helping expand the train networks electric mobility and waterways connectivity. Jaishankar arrived here in the capital of Mozambique on Thursday on a three-day visit and met the President of the African country's Parliament to strengthen bilateral cooperation. His visit to Mozambique from April 13 to 15 is the first-ever visit by an external affairs minister of India to the country.

Amid the ongoing political tussle in Rajasthan, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Thursday said one should stand like a rock in difficult circumstances. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made the remark at a religious gathering. Without naming anyone or referring to any context, Raje said one should have faith in God, then no one can harm you. "Stand like a rock in difficult circumstances. Have faith in God and the ability to fight in yourself, then no one can harm you," she added. Through a story of two devotees, Raje also concluded that no matter how much one hatches conspiracy, the true one emerges victorious.