Breaking News, September 21

Britain's government said on Wednesday it will cap wholesale energy bills for businesses this winter as part of a package of measures to protect people and companies from soaring energy prices. Prime Minister Liz Truss said the cap will apply for six months from October 1 and will ensure businesses “are able to get through the winter." She added that shops and pubs will benefit from financial help on their energy bills beyond the initial support period. “We're going to review it after six months. We'll make sure that the most vulnerable businesses like pubs, like shops, continue to be supported after that," said Truss, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

Around 5 Muslim men arrested for an offence have alleged that a Rajgarh district jail officer forced them to shave their beards, following which a senior Madhya Pradesh prison official on Wednesday said a probe was on into the matter. A Congress MLA alleged that these men were abused in the jail, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed it was an act of "custodial torture". The five men- Kalim Khan, Talib Khan, Arif Khan, Salman Khan alias Bhola and Wahid Khan- were sent to the district jail on September 13 after being arrested under Indian Penal Code Section 151 (disturbing public peace). They were released on September 15. On Tuesday, Bhopal Congress MLA Arif Masood along with the five men met MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra. Masood accused the jail authorities of forcing the five men to shave their beards and demanded action against the jail authorities.

Two Naxalites, including a woman, collectively carrying rewards of Rs 6 lakh on their heads surrendered before the Gadchiroli police in Maharashtra, a senior officer has said. The duo is identified as Anil alias Ramsay Kujur (26), a resident of Gadchiroli, and Roshani Pallo (30), a resident of Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli superintendent of police Ankit Goyal said in a release. Goyal stated that Kujur was carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh and Pallo of Rs 2 lakh. Kujur was working as a militia member. He was involved in two cases of ambush in 2011 in Khobramendha and Gyarapatti and also in an encounter in Chota Zeliya forest in the same year. Pallo had worked as deputy commander and a militia member before her surrender. She was involved in various encounters and murders, the police said in a release.

A huge traffic congestion was reported near the Hero Honda Chowk on Wednesday (September 21) after the Jaipur to Delhi section of the flyover was closed for load testing from September 21 to 26. The load test is to be undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The Gurugram traffic police issued an advisory in this regard on Tuesday (September 20). The impact of the closure of the main expressway was severe and vehicles were in a queue stretching for 8 to 10 kilometres and commuters were taking up to 25 minutes to cover the two kilometre-stretch on the expressway.

About 73.8 lakh children were administered polio vaccine in 20 districts of the state under Pulse Polio Vaccination Campaign, a health department spokesperson said. The campaign ran for three days from September 18 during which the vaccine was given to children of upto five years of age at booths and also door-to-door to those who missed coming to the booths. The spokesperson said that on the first day 42.9 lakh children were given the polio drops on the booths set up by the health department and on the second and third day, the health workers went door-to-door to reach 30.9 lakh children. For the campaign, 4,452 transit teams and 6,424 mobile teams were formed and more than 1 lakh health workers were engaged. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday condoled the death of popular comedian Raju Srivastava. Srivastava, 58, suffered a heart attack on August 8 and was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where he underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on ventilator support and never gained consciousness. "The death of famous comedian Raju Srivastava is very sad. May God give place to the departed soul at his feet. My sympathies are with his kin and admirers in this hour of grief," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. Srivastava, counted among the most high-profile and experienced comics in the country, is survived by his wife and two children. The artiste, who featured in Hindi films such as "Maine Pyar Kiya" and "Baazigar", was declared dead at 10:20 am, according to hospital sources. 

The Congress on Wednesday said no one requires the permission of its president Sonia Gandhi or its leader Rahul Gandhi to contest in its presidential polls which is likely to be held next month if there is no consensus on who should be at the helm of the grand old party. AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, speaking to the media during the break between the first and second leg of the days' Bharat Jodo Yatra, said, "Anybody is free and welcome to contest in the election if they have the backing of 10 PCC delegates." "No one requires the permission of Congress president or Rahul Gandhi to file nomination. The elections will be fair and transparent. No other political party in the country holds elections to select their party chief."

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday resumed his party's Bharat Jodo Yatra from Madavana near here after paying floral tributes to social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, with senior leader Sachin Pilot joining him in the footmarch. The Wayanad MP was accompanied by others including senior state Congress leaders, as he began the 14th day of the yatra. "An inspiring start to the day. Offered my tributes to the great spiritual leader, philosopher and social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru whose teachings of equality are key to the idea of #BharatJodoYatra," Gandhi tweeted. The Congress leader also shared a photograph of him praying before a portrait of Sree Narayana Guru. "Day 14 of #BharatJodoYatra started with @RahulGandhi paying floral tributes to Sree Narayana Guru. The padayatra started at 6:45 am from Madavana and the Yatris will be walking 13 kms in the morning till Edapally. @SachinPilot joined the Yatra today," AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

A 29-year-old man allegedly strangulated his mother to death with the help of a woman relative in Maharashtra's Thane district after she disapproved of their affair, an official said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Bhiwandi town on Tuesday and the man initially tried to pass it off as a case of accident, senior police inspector Madan Ballal from Narpoli police station said. After a probe into the incident, the police on Wednesday arrested the man and his 30-year-old woman relative, he said. The accused woman is the niece of the deceased's husband. She was staying with the deceased's family, the official said.

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A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office in Tokyo early on Wednesday in apparent protest against the state funeral planned next week for former leader Shinzo Abe, officials and media reports said. The man, believed to be in his 70s, sustained burns on large parts of his body but was conscious and told police that he set himself on fire after pouring oil over himself, Kyodo News agency reported. A note apparently written by the man was found with him that said, “Personally, I am absolutely against” Abe's funeral, Kyodo reported.

The cabinet of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has decided to partially lift the ban on brewing, consumption and sale of liquor to boost the state's revenue as well as minimise health hazards caused by the consumption of illicit alcohol. The prohibition will be lifted from all the district headquarters including Imphal city, tourist destinations, hotels with at least 20-bed lodging facilities and camps of security forces, Tribal Affairs and Hills Development Minister Letpao Haokip told reporters on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. However, those transporting liquor from one place to another would require possessing a permit, he said. The minister said the partial lifting of prohibition would generate at least Rs 600 crore of annual revenue. The decision, however, was also taken in view of health hazards caused by the consumption of illicit liquor, he said.

The Adani Group has pledged its entire stake worth USD 13 billion in Ambuja Cements and ACC, days after completing its USD 6.5 billion acquisition of the two companies. According to regulatory updates on Tuesday, billionaire Gautam Adani-led group has encumbered its 63.15 per cent stake in Ambuja Cements and 56.7 per cent stake in ACC (of which 50 per cent is held by Ambuja) to the Hong Kong Branch of Deutsche Bank AG.

Four people sleeping on a road divider were killed and two others injured in the early hours of Wednesday after they were run over by a speeding truck in northeast Delhi's Seemapuri area, police said. Two of the victims died on the spot, they said. At around 1:51 am on Wednesday, a truck that was crossing the DTC depot traffic signal and going towards the DLF T-point crushed six people sleeping on a road divider. The driver was driving rashly and negligently, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram said.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed disappointment Tuesday over the failure of the United Nations Security Council to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine because of Russia's right of veto, calling for reforms that would allow the UN to better defend global peace and order. The United Nations used to play a central role in maintaining world peace, but “the foundation of the international order is violently shaken right now,” Kishida said in a speech at the UN's annual assembly of world leaders.

A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office in Tokyo early Wednesday in apparent protest against the state funeral planned next week for former leader Shinzo Abe, officials and media reports said. The man, believed to be in his 70s, sustained burns on large parts of his body but was conscious and told police that he set himself on fire after pouring oil over him, Kyodo News agency reported. The man was taken to a hospital.

Dismissing all speculations over his candidature in Lok Sabha polls from Phulpur constituency of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that "he is only interested in uniting opposition parties ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Kumar also asserted that his efforts should reap benefits for the younger generation, "for people like (his deputy) Tejashwi Yadav". "These are mere speculations and there is no basis for such talks. I don't know the source of such reports. I am only interested in uniting all opposition parties ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections," said the CM on Tuesday when asked if he had plans to enter the Lok Sabha contest from UP.

In yet another case of man-animal conflict, a teenage boy was killed in an attack by a tiger in a sugarcane field in Dhaurahra forest range in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district. The deceased has been identified as Kishan Kumar, 14, a resident of Paraspur village under Tikunia kotwali area. His body was recovered from the forest area when his family members searched for him following his long absence from home. The boy was reported to have gone to the fields to collect fodder for his cattle.

Alarmed parents laid siege to a Texas high school Tuesday after a classroom shooting report that ultimately proved to be false. The siege at Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio began about 1 pm Tuesday after police received a call of a possible shooting in progress at the school, according to a police statement. The school was placed on lockdown as police entered and began clearing the campus but found no evidence of an active threat or shooting.

Lok Sabha MP from Bhopal and BJP member Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has claimed girls are being "sold" by their parents to arrange money for getting their relatives released from police custody after they are caught for involvement in illegal liquor trade. After a video of Thakur's purported comments surfaced, Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Govind Singh of the Congress said it was shocking and a matter of concern that illicit liquor business has been flourishing in the state capital.

BJP leader Sambit Patra on Tuesday posted a picture of Rahul Gandhi walking with a hijab-clad girl during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and accused him of indulging in appeasement politics, triggering a backlash from Congress leaders who slammed Patra for his remarks. Posting a picture of Gandhi walking with the girl wearing a hijab, Patra tweeted in Hindi, "When votes are accounted for on the basis of religion… then it is called appeasement."

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday told Congress MLAs that they will be asked to come to New Delhi if he decides to file his nomination for the party president election. But he will first visit Kochi to persuade Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra there, to contest for the post. Gehlot said this at a Congress Legislature Party meeting at his official residence here, according to a state cabinet minister.

US President Joe Biden in his address to the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday will urge the international community to rebuke Russia's "unjust" war in Ukraine and stand against it, his top national security advisor has said. During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will put forward his vision for US foreign policy and stress on principled leadership in the world. Biden will make new announcements about the US' investments to address global food insecurity and lay out in detail how the country "restored its global leadership by delivering on its promises… on global health, climate and emerging technologies among others", he said.