Breaking News, October 29

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said he found Maharashtra better than Delhi, and his experience has been that the people he thought to be "big" turned out to be very small when seen up close.

Five persons were held for allegedly gang-raping a 15-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district and dumping her in an unconscious state behind a house, a police official said on Saturday. The Class X student was found unconscious on Friday evening in Chachoda and the incident had triggered protests in the area.

A court in Odisha's Kandhamal district awarded life imprisonment to a 30-year-old man on Saturday for raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl some four years ago. Phulbani Pocso court judge Bhaskar Chandra Sahu also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on the convict, special public prosecutor Banamali Behera said.

A 77-year-old Non-Resident Indian missing from south Delhi's Sarojini Nagar area was reunited with his family members, police said on Saturday. The person hails from Hoshiyarpur in Punjab but resides in the US, they said, adding that he has difficulty remembering things.

Police on Saturday registered a case against 20 unknown people for recording videos on their mobile phones instead of helping a 12-year-old girl who was found soaked in blood and writhing in pain at a government guest house here. Gursahaiganj SHO Rajkumar Singh said due to the video, the identity of the minor girl became public, as a result, a case has been registered under the POCSO Act and IT Act.

A special court Chhattisgarh's Raipur district on Saturday sent to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody businessman Suryakant Tiwari, a prime suspect in a money laundering case linked to the alleged extortion of money from mining transporters.

Asserting that India has been a victim of terrorism for decades, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said zero tolerance to all acts of terror, irrespective of its motivations, should continue to be the guiding approach of the international community in shaping the global counter-terror architecture.

Police tell Somalia state media there are “scores of civilian casualties” after two explosions struck a busy junction Saturday in Somalia's capital near key government offices. The Somalia National News Agency cited national police spokesman Sadiq Dodishe, who said two car bombs had gone off.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate two key railway lines in poll-bound Gujarat to the nation on Monday, officials said. These are the section of the Asarva (Ahmedabad)-Himmatnaga-Udaipur Gauge Converted Line and the Lunidhar-Jetalsar Gauge Converted Line.

A 369-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva, claimed to be the world's tallest, was unveiled in Nathdwara town of Rajasthan's Rajsamand district on Saturday.

The opposition Congress on Saturday released a "chargesheet" against the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP regime in Himachal Pradesh, with a senior party leader terming it a "government of mafias".

A blaze broke out at a soap factory in Boisar area of Maharashtra's Palghar district on Saturday and no casualties were reported in the incident, police said.

A Swiss railway company plans to try to set a record for the world's longest passenger train during a Saturday trip on one of the most spectacular tracks through the Alps.

Amid worsening pollution levels in Delhi, the Centre's air quality panel on Saturday directed authorities in the National Capital Region to immediately implement curbs under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The restrictions include a ban on construction and demolition activities except for essential projects concerning national security, defence, railways and metro rail among others.

Indian Railways has delivered its first consignment of goods to Bhutan through a multi-modal route, officials said on Saturday. Seventy-five utility vehicles bought by Bhutan were transported from Chennai to Hasimara Railway Station in West Bengal by a goods train.

The Karnataka High Court has quashed a case pending in a lower court against a car driver who was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Motor Vehicles Act for causing an accident that led to the death of a petitioner's pet dog.

Technology adoption by the government for the benefit transfer to targeted people has plugged leakages and ensured good governance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.

A protest erupted in Binaganj area of Madhya Pradesh's Guna district on Saturday after a 15-year-old girl was found unconscious behind a house, leading to police registering a case under relevant Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act provisions, an official said.

A Delhi court on Saturday sought the CBI's response on the bail application moved by Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in connection with a case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The Congress on Saturday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tried to bribe journalists by sending Rs 1 lakh cash gifts to them on Diwali and demanded the registration of a graft case as well as his resignation.

The Election Commission will organise a two-day international conference on the role of election management bodies beginning Monday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were on Saturday shown black flags by BJP supporters, who also chanted 'Modi, Modi' slogans when the AAP leaders were on their way to address a public rally at Chikhli in Gujarat's Navsari district.

Delhi metro rail services will begin at 4 am on October 31 to facilitate people participating in the 'Run for Unity', DMRC officials said on Saturday. 'Run for Unity' is held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31 — also known as the National Unity Day or the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

A six-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a teacher of a madrasa in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district, police said on Saturday. The girl's mother approached the police on Friday after the child informed her about the alleged incident at a madrasa, Moghat police station in-charge Ishwar Singh Chouhan said.

The flight acceptance hot test of CE-20 engine has been successfully carried out in the High Altitude Test facility of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu for a duration of 25 seconds.

The Supreme Court has sought response from the Centre on a plea against the age restriction of 35 years on women's reproductive rights for conducting pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic tests.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday produced an audio clip of an alleged BJP man purportedly discussing the party's bid to poach AAP MLAs in the capital and demanded Home Minister Amit Shah's arrest if he was involved in the matter.

Amid AAP's allegations that the MCD is planning new garbage dumping sites in the city while failing to clear "mountains" of filth at existing three landfills, Delhi LG VK Saxena on Saturday asked the civic body to take strict legal action against "elements" misleading people. In a series of tweets, Saxena said Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has cleared 26.

An FIR was lodged against nine people and a probe ordered following allegations of religious conversion, police here said on Saturday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan said a complaint was received regarding religious conversions and Brahmapuri police station had been asked to investigate the matter.

Four women and their 13 children who were held in a Syrian camp since the Islamic State group fell in 2019 have become only the second group of Australians to be repatriated from the war-torn country, Australia's government said on Saturday as political opponents warned the families pose a domestic security risk.

In an unusual move, Islamabad police on Saturday barred hotels and guest houses in the federal capital from providing accommodation to the participants of the long march led by former Pakistan premier Imran Khan to force the government to announce a date for early general elections.

The Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Superfast Express rammed into cattle near Atul station in Gujarat on Saturday morning, causing a delay of 20 minutes in reaching its destination, a railway official said. Railway sources said the incident left the train's front panel damaged and also dented the underbelly equipment of its first coach.

Several leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday staged a protest outside the residence of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for not approving the file to proceed with the 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign. The protesters gathered at Raj Niwas Marg with placards and raised slogans against Saxena. Security presence outside Saxena's residence has been beefed up. Police personnel have been deployed and water canons kept on standby.
The 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off' campaign in the national capital was set to be launched on Friday.

The much awaited north east monsoon commenced over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Tamil Nadu receives the bulk of its annual rainfall during the northeast monsoon, which prevails over between October and December. "Northeast monsoon rains commenced over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and adjoining areas of south Coastal Andhra Pradesh today, the 29th October 2022," the IMD said in a release.

Gujarat government is likely to move a proposal to constitute a committee, just like in Uttarakhand, under a retired High Court judge, to evaluate all aspects of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state, as per BJP sources.

The counter-terror sanction regime of the United Nations has been effective to put countries on notice that turned terrorism into a state-funded enterprise, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, in an apparent reference to Pakistan. In an address at the meeting of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in Delhi, Jaishankar described terrorism as "one of the gravest threats" to humanity. He said despite efforts by the UN, the threat of terrorism is only growing and expanding, particularly in Asia and Africa.

A layer of pungent haze lingered over Delhi on Saturday morning as the city's air quality neared the "severe" zone amid adverse meteorological conditions -- low temperatures and calm winds -- and an increase in incidents of stubble burning in Punjab. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 396 at 10 am, worsening from 357 at 4 pm on Friday. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday (Diwali). Anand Vihar (AQI 454) was the most polluted place in the capital. Wazirpur (439), Narela (423), Ashok Vihar (428), Vivek Vihar (427) and Jahangirpuri (438) were among the monitoring stations that recorded "severe" air quality.

The Mumbai Police have reinstated three of its officers, who were arrested earlier this year in a case of allegedly extorting money from angadias here, an official said on Saturday. The reinstated police officers are police inspector Om Vangate, assistant police inspector Nitin Kadam and police sub-inspecror Samadhan Jamdade. They have been reinstated by the Police Establishment Board at the Police Commissionerate level following a review meeting, the official said. Suspended IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi, who was then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone -II), is absconding in the case.

The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Dharmapur in Mahabubnagar town in Telangana on Saturday and is expected to cover a distance of over 20 km, Congress party sources said. This is the fourth day of the yatra in the state. Gandhi will address a Corner Meeting at Jadcherla X Road Junction in the evening, before halting for the day. The yatra kicked off at around 6.30 am with a number of party leaders joining Gandhi. Actress Poonam Kaur and students belonging to the Osmania University joined Gandhi during the march, sources said.

Aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday said it will take suitable follow-up action after conducting a detailed probe into an incident of an IndiGo plane's engine catching fire at the Delhi airport. A Bengaluru-bound A320 ceo aircraft, carrying 184 people, aborted takeoff at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here due to fire in one of its engines Friday night. The plane returned to the bay and passengers were deboarded safely. "The priority is to carry out a detailed investigation of the incident and ascertain the reasons for the fire in the engine. Fortunately, the fire was extinguished swiftly and the aircraft is now grounded," DGCA chief Arun Kumar told PTI.

Flash floods and landslides set off by torrential rains left at least 47 people dead, including in a hard-hit southern Philippine province, where as many as 60 villagers are feared missing and buried in a deluge of rainwater, mud, rocks and trees, officials said Saturday. At least 42 people were swept away by rampaging floodwaters and drowned or were hit by debris-filled mudslides in three towns in Maguindanao province from Thursday night to early Friday, said Naguib Sinarimbo, the interior minister for a five-province Muslim autonomous region run by former separatist guerrillas.

US President Joe Biden will travel to Egypt next month to participate in the COP27 United Nations climate change summit to build on the significant work Washington has undertaken “to advance the global climate fight,” the White House said. The US President will then travel to Cambodia from November 12-13 to participate in the annual US-ASEAN summit and the East Asia Summit, following which, he will visit Bali in Indonesia from November 13-16 for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, the White House said on Friday.

A portion of the 165-year-old Katra Neel Gateway in Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk area collapsed on Friday morning, according to members of the Resident Welfare Association. No casualty was reported as shops in the area had not opened by then, they said. The top part of the unprotected heritage structure, built in 1857, caved in at around 9:30 am. Anil Pershad, vice president of the Resident Welfare Association (Katra Neel) told media that police and fire brigade have barricaded the area and no entry is allowed. Pershad's ancestral house, "Chunnamal haveli", is located adjacent to the Katra Neel Gateway. "As the shops in the Chandni Chowk market open around 11 am, no one was present at the spot when the incident happened," Pershad said. According to the National Mission on Monuments and Antiques, the gateway having two bay arch openings is made of red sandstone and appears as a conventional form of structure that was popular in the later Mughal period. Following the incident, Alishah Ali, heritage professional and assistant curator at the upcoming Dara Shikoh Library museum, called for regular checks of similar buildings in Old Delhi.

An irate mob has lynched two employees of a mobile company here after rumours spread that they were kidnappers, in yet another instance of street crime that has now become a common feature in Pakistan’s commercial hub. The incident took place on Friday afternoon in Karachi’s Machar Colony. According to Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fida Hussain Janwari, the deceased were visiting the low-income area, apparently, to “check an antenna for signals”. Police said they have arrested two suspects who had allegedly instigated the mob. “We have identified eight other people and will scan cctv cameras in the neighbourhood and interrogate witnesses to nab the other suspects,” Janwari said. “As the two employees of a cellular were seen in the neighbourhood in their vehicle, some people started shouting and spreading rumours that they were kidnappers who had come to kidnap children,” he said. Janwari said that the situation in the neighbourhood was tense after instances of children going missing in the recent past.

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Friday announced the disqualification of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from the House, a day after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case. Principal Secretary of the UP Legislative Assembly, Pradeep Dubey told PTI that the assembly secretariat has declared the Rampur Sadar Assembly seat as vacant.

The German economy grew in the third quarter, an unexpectedly positive performance powered largely by private spending, official figures showed Friday. But the immediate outlook for Europe's biggest economy remained gloomy, with inflation rising again in October. Gross domestic product expanded by 0.3% in the July-September period compared with the previous quarter, the Federal Statistical Office said. That followed a slight increase of 0.1% in the second quarter.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Friday in its first ballistic weapons launches in two weeks, as the U.S. military warned the North that the use of nuclear weapons “will result in the end of that regime.” South Korea's military detected the two launches from the North's eastern coastal Tongchon area around midday on Friday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said both missiles flew about 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 24 kilometers. The statement said South Korea strongly condemns the launches, calling them “a grave provocation” that undermines regional peace and violates U.N. Security Council resolutions banning any ballistic activities by North Korea.