Breaking News, January 19

The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police has seized one live pangolin and arrested one wildlife criminal in Bolangir district, police said on Wednesday. "STF, with the help of Balangir forest officials, seized/ rescued one live pangolin near Baragaon, Balangir. One accused was arrested. Further investigation is on," the STF informed through twitter. According to police officials, the STF team conducted a raid on the road near Baragoan Chhaka under Deogoan police station of Bolangir district on Tuesday and rescued the pangolin. Later, the police handed over the pangolin to DFO, Bolangir for safe custody, they said.

The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police has seized one live pangolin and arrested one wildlife criminal in Bolangir district, police said on Wednesday. "STF, with the help of Balangir forest officials, seized/ rescued one live pangolin near Baragaon, Balangir. One accused was arrested. Further investigation is on," the STF informed through twitter. According to police officials, the STF team conducted a raid on the road near Baragoan Chhaka under Deogoan police station of Bolangir district on Tuesday and rescued the pangolin. Later, the police handed over the pangolin to DFO, Bolangir for safe custody, they said.

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday will hear on February 23 the plea stating continuous environmental violations by industrial units functioning at Barhi Industrial area in District Sonipat, Haryana despite the tribunal's last March 5 order which stated remedial action was required in the matter. During the last hearing on October 21, 2021, the bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A.K. Goel had issued notice to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) in the matter. It also took serious note of waiving of several thousand crores of rupees which had to paid by more than two dozens industrial units as fine for causing damage to the environment. It had also directed the State PCB to put the affected parties to notice of the proceedings for their response within one month. The applicant may serve papers on the affected parties and file an affidavit of service within one week, as per the last order. As per the plea filed by Sonipat resident Varun, it was stated that the industries damage to water and earth on the account of the release of pollutants directly into the Yamuna as well as drains without any treatment.

I will contest elections after taking permission from the Azamgarh people: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. 

JioFiber added 0.19 million subscribers to become the number 1 operator in the fixed broadband segment in just about two years from commercial launch, with 4.34mn FBB subs. JioFiber's market share improved 85bp month on month to 16.9 per cent (launched commercially in Sep-19), Nomura said in a report. Bharti added 0.1mn subs to reach 4.08mn FBB subs (up 68% since May-20), with market share up 60bp m-m to 15.9 per cent. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) market share further declined by 185 bp to 16.4 per cent share (vs 44 per cent pre-JioFiber launch in September'19), the report said. Without significant fund-raising, Vodafone Idea's network investments and 5G rollout would likely remain constrained, at least in the near term. Hence, we expect market share gains to continue for Bharti and R-Jio, the report said.

Father and brother of a minor girl arrested for allegedly repeatedly raping her in Dharavi area. Both the accused have been sent sent to judicial custody till 22nd January: Mumbai Police. 

The suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country has been extended till February 28, aviation regulator DGCA said on Wednesday. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020. However, special passenger flights have been operating between India and approximately 40 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements formed with them. In a circular on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated, "The competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of February 28, 2022." 

The Odisha government has suspended a college principal and a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) on charge of violation of Model Code of Conduct (MMC), which is in force in the state for the ensuing Panchayat election. Principal of Maa Tarini Higher Secondary School in Mahakalapada of Kendrapara district, Bikash Chandra Das and SDPO of Salipur, Prasanta Majhi faced suspension for allegedly organising a public meeting on the premises of college recently, officials said on Wednesday. The Kendrapara sub-collector and Home department had issued two orders on Tuesday on immediate suspension of Das and Majhi, respectively. Both have been suspended on the recommendation of the State Election Commission (SEC), the officials said. Besides, an FIR has been lodged against the college principal for allegedly allowing a public gathering in his college in violation of model code of conduct and also Covid-19 norms. The Mahakalapara tahasildar has lodged the FIR.

Government employees in Andhra Pradesh have threatened to go on strike to press for their demand of roll back of the Government Order (GO) relating to implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations. The employees on Wednesday attended the offices wearing black badges while some protesters among teachers set afire the copies of the GO. Leaders of Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (AP JAC) and AP JAC Amaravati will be holding a meeting later in the day to chalk out future course of action. They said if necessary, the employees will go on strike to press for their demands. Stating that the pay revision announced by the government is far below the Interim Relief (IR), AP JAC chairman Bandi Srinivasa Rao and AP JAC Amaravati chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu demanded that the government continue paying IR and also release the arrears of Dearness Allowance (DA). They said there is no instance in the state's history of a pay revision being lower than IR.

A group of Bajrang Dal workers allegedly beat a Muslim man, who was travelling with a married Hindu woman, in an Ajmer-bound train and was forcibly picked up from the train at Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain railway station. Bajrang Dal members assaulted the Muslim man, accusing him of being involved in 'Love Jihad' and they (woman and man) were made to sit for several hours at the Ujjain railway police station until their family members reached there from Indore and said that they were family friends known to each other. The man and the woman were let off by the police after parents' statements that the Muslim man was travelling with Hindu woman because they were known to each other and there was no angle of alleged 'Love Jihad'.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Ukraine in a show of support as fears grow of a Russian invasion: AFP News Agency. 

Pakistan has decided to compensate the 36 Chinese nationals, who died and were injured in a terrorist attack last year- aimed at removing a major irritant in bilateral relations, Express Tribune reported. A total of 10 Chinese national lost their lives and another 26 were hurt in a suicide attack on a bus that was carrying them to the work site of the Dasu Hydropower Project in July last year. The Pakistan government has worked out four different compensation amounts ranging from $4.6 million (Rs 810 million) to $20.3 million (Rs 3.6 billion), sources told The Express Tribune.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, presently undergoing treatment in the US at the Mayo Clinic, on Wednesday morning presided over the weekly cabinet meeting virtually. Vijayan informed the cabinet that with the Covid scenario in the state undergoing a rapid change, strict protocols should be adhered to. He said he will be taking part in the Covid review meeting on Thursday when the present rapid surge would be discussed in detail. During the online cabinet meeting, his colleagues enquired about his treatment and he said things are all fine, according to a source in the know of things.

Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting for Uttarakhand Assembly polls to be held tomorrow at 5:00 pm: Sources. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has said that the tableaux rejected by the Centre for the Republic day parade, will be displayed across the state. He said that the state would also organise a photo exhibition titled 'Tamil Nadu in Freedom Struggle' in all major cities across the country. Stalin, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed shock and disbelief over the rejection of tableaux projected by the state for participating in the Republic Day parade and said that the contribution of Tamil Nadu for the country's independence was no less than any other state.

Ahead of the mega 5G rollout in the US, major airlines like Emirates, Air India, ANA and Japan Airlines have announced to cancel some flights over concerns that it could potentially interfere with some instruments and may put flyers' safety at risk. Emirates said it's "suspending flights to the following US destinations from 19 January 2022 until further notice," listing Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle. The airline will continue to fly to New York JFK, Los Angeles (LAX), and Washington, DC (IAD), reports The Verge. Air India will also not be able to operate a number of US-bound flights. Airline operators in the US warned that the rollout could cause "catastrophic disruption" to their flight schedules.

A police vehicle was damaged and an inspector seriously injured when a mob attacked the police, following the death of a person in an accident. The incident took place on Tuesday when a person was killed and another injured after a truck hit a motorcycle near Katesar village under the limits of Mughalsarai police circle. Angered over the incident, locals blocked the road and staged a violent protest. The vehicle of Circle officer (CO) Sadar Anil Rai was damaged while inspector Mughalsarai Brijesh Chandra Tripathi suffered head injuries in brick batting by some protestors.

Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel died after an ambulance in which they were traveling hit the divider and overturned, near Shastri Park metro station on Monday (January 17). A case has been registered: Delhi Police. 

Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav is likely to join the BJP. Sources in the BJP said that Aparna is in touch with the party's top leadership and is likely to join the party on Wednesday. It is learnt that she is seeking a ticket from Lucknow Cantt Assembly seat, however, the BJP leadership has clarified that there will be no pre-condition for joining. "Aparna has contested the 2017 Assembly polls from Lucknow Cantt Assembly constituency and this time also she has expressed her desire to contest from the same seat. However, the BJP leadership has clarified that there will be no pre-condition and Aparna ticket will be decided like any other only on the criteria of winnability," a senior BJP leader said.

A youth who allegedly had links with militants was arrested in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.

A suspected gas explosion and subsequent fire in New York City's Bronx borough killed one person and injured eight others on Tuesday morning, Mayor Eric Adams has said at a press briefing. Two of the injured were in critical condition while five police officers were taken to hospitals due to smoke inhalation, Xinhua news agency reported, citing earlier media reports. Part of the building collapsed and the local fire department has not said if the blast was triggered by gas leakage. The explosion took place at 869 Fox Street near Bill Rainey Park, which is close to the site of a recent major fire in Bronx which killed 17 people.

A man was allegedly stabbed to death in the national capital by three men for interacting with the sister of one of the accused, an official said here on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Salman, 29, a resident of Trilokpuri in East Delhi. According to the official, the incident took place on Monday around 10.00 p.m. when a woman named Heena called Salman near her house and was talking to him. The complainant, who is the mother of the deceased, has said that her son Salman used to talk to Heena, even as both the families objected to their friendship. On the day of the incident, when Salman was talking to Heena, they were spotted by Heena's sister named Fareena, who started shouting at them. After this, Fareena called her brother named Fardeen alias Addu who reached there along with 2-3 people and started abusing and beating Salman.

National carrier Air India will not be able to operate a number of US-bound flights on Wednesday, the airline said. Accordingly, the airline informed passengers via it's official Twitter handle that it will not be able to operate the Delhi-JFK-Delhi and Mumbai-EWR-Mumbai flights amongst other on Wednesday. The deployment of 5G communications in the US has been cited as the cause for flight cancellations. However, in another tweet the airline said that it will operate the flight to Washington DC from Delhi by AI103 on Wednesday.

Following the surge in Covid cases in the state, the Kerala High Court decided to go online through virtual hearing from Monday and soon came a person who was seen either brushing his teeth or shaving, mostly facing the camera, during the proceedings before Justice V.G Arun. It appeared that the judge did not notice the incident but a video of the same was shared across social media. The man, in the video, was seen walking back and forth in a room appears to be a washroom and it appeared that he was either shaving his beard or brushing his teeth. Even though the judge did not notice it, it was seen by other attendees.

Authorities in eastern Congo have arrested two men in connection with the killing of the Italian ambassador and two others nearly a year ago, though police said Tuesday that the prime suspect remains at large. Gen. Aba Van Ang, the commissioner of the police in North Kivu province, said that rebels had killed Ambassador Luca Attanasio in a botched attempt to kidnap him for ransom. The suspects, who were presented to the province's military governor in front of journalists on Tuesday, apparently had planned to seek more than $1 million in ransom, authorities said. Instead the 43-year-old ambassador was fatally shot along with Carabiniere paramilitary officer Vittorio Iacovacci and a U.N. World Food Program driver, Moustapha Milambo.