National

    Sierra Leone national arrested at Mumbai airport with cocaine worth Rs 20 crore

    The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Monday arrested a woman from Sierra Leone, who was in possession of 1,979 grams of cocaine worth Rs 19.79 crore at the Mumbai international airport, an official said. The woman, who had landed in the maximum city from the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi, was taken into custody on Sunday on a tip-off, the official added. “We found the items she was carrying, like shoes, moisturiser bottle, shampoo bottle etc, were heavy and rigid. When we checked them, we found white powder concealed in these items,” the DRI official said. When the powder was tested using a field kit with the apprehending team, it was found to be cocaine, the statement said. “We seized 1,979 grams of cocaine worth Rs 19.79 crore from the illicit market. She was placed under arrest and has been remanded in judicial custody. Further probe into the smuggling network…
    International

    Israel’s war on Gaza live: Tanks ‘crushed bodies’ at al-Shifa Hospital

    Palestinians who fled the ongoing Israeli siege of al-Shifa Hospital say Israeli tanks and armoured bulldozers drove over at least four bodies and ambulances. Israeli forces have also surrounded al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in southern Gaza. Israel informed the UN it would no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north Gaza, where 70 percent of people face an extreme level of food scarcity. Mediation efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza appear to be struggling, with a Hamas official telling Al Jazeera that Israeli negotiators have rejected their latest proposals for a ceasefire. At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139, with dozens taken captive.
    Telangana

    Reach out to farmers hit by hailstorms: Harish Rao

    Hyderabad: BRS leader and MLA T Harish Rao on Tuesday demanded that State government immediately reach out to farmers who suffered extensive crop losses due to untimely rains in several districts in the State. Appealing to the government on ‘X’ to extend help to the affected farmers, he said hailstorms had wreaked havoc on paddy, maize and sorghum crops. Even horticultural crops, including papaya and mango, were also damaged in a big way in the districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet and Rangareddy. He wanted the Congress government to rise to the occasion and stand by the farming community. The government should take up immediate enumeration of the crop losses and ensure payment of compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre. He wondered why the government did not respond to the situation even as the rains continued to damage the crops for the last two to three days. When untimely rains caused crop losses in a big way last year, the…
    International

    Russia-Ukraine war live: Border shelling intensifies after Putin reelected

    Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will not be intimidated as he cements his grip on power in a landslide election victory. Allies such as China were quick to congratulate Putin but Western countries denounced what they called an illegal election. Ukraine says residents are being evacuated from border settlements in the northeastern region of Sumy due to increased Russian shelling. Russia claims downing eight Vampire, two Alder and one Grad multiple-launch rocket system shells over its Belgorod region.
    International

    Half-a-dozen people killed in Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan

    Kabul: Pakistani military aircraft carried out airstrikes in the Barmal district of Paktika province and the Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district in Khost province. Tragically, these strikes targeted civilian homes, resulting in the loss of six lives and destruction of property, a spokesperson for Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement. Reports indicate that six individuals, including three women and three children, lost their lives in Paktika, while two women perished in Khost due to a collapsed house. “Last night at around 3 o’clock in the Barmal district of Paktika province and in Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district of Khost province, Pakistani planes bombed the houses of civilians, as a result, 6 people including 3 women and 3 children were martyred and a house destroyed in Paktika, as well as, two women were martyred due to the collapse of a house in Khost province,” the statement said. Notably, the purported…
    National

    EC orders removal of Home Secretaries in six states to ensure fair elections

    New Delhi: In a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Additionally, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed. The commission has directed all the State Governments to transfer the officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. Maharashtra had not complied with the directions in respect of few Municipal Commissioners and some Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners in Maharashtra. While conveying displeasure to the Chief Secretary, the Commission directed transfer of BMC and the additional / Deputy commissioners with the direction to report by 6pm today. The Chief Secretary was further directed to transfer all the similarly placed Municipal commissioners…
    Telangana

    Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan resigns; might contest Lok Sabha

    Hyderabad: Tamilisai Soundarajan has tendered her resignation as Governor of Telangana and Puducherry on Monday and the same has been sent to President Draupadi Murmu’s office. Her resignation came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Hyderabad. She is likely to visit Chennai later in the evening today. Soundararajan would have completed five year’s in office as Telangana governor in September this year and the decision to submit resignation has triggered speculations about her political aspirations, especially contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Political circles are abuzz with speculations that she might contest from Central Chennai or Puducherry. In December last, the Governor had categorically denied any plans to contest the elections. She had said there were no such plans and stated that no request either was made to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership.
    National

    Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Take a look at state-wise schedule of the 7-phase polls

    Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Saturday. In a press conference, the ECI has stated that the polls will be held in seven phases, with the first phase being held on April 19 and the seventh phase on June 1. Counting of the votes has been announced to take place on June 4. Following the press conference, the ECI has shared a map depicting 7 phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
    Telangana

    Telangana: ENT surgeon supplying drugs to addict in Hyderabad nabbed

    Hyderabad: An ENT surgeon who runs a hospital in Jagtial town was arrested on charges of supplying narcotic and psychotropic drugs to an alleged addict using courier services, a press release from the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) said here on Saturday. Officials of different wings involved in combating drug menace raided a place in Sainkpuri and seized huge stocks of drugs stored in a house. The DCA in association with local police units, TS Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) raided different places in Hyderabad and Jagitial to expose what was being described as most clandestinely run drug racket involving Dr Madanmohan, the ENT surgeon who operated Mamatha ENT Hospital in Jagitial. The official teams initially raided a residential building in Sri Saibaba Officers Colony in Sainikpuri where they found huge stocks of narcotic drugs, which included different brands of Morphine injections and tablets in addition to psychotropic drugs in the form of injections and tablets.…
    National

    Is India part of Apple’s Vision Pro global roll out plan? Find out

    Apple is may soon make its Vision Pro available in more regions outside America. The tech giant is planning to introduce 12 new languages to the virtual keyboard ahead of the launch, according to a report on MacRumors. While the virtual keyboard currently supports only English (US) and Emoji, limiting it to the United States now, the addition of more languages suggests the expansion of the Vision Pro’s reach to other countries. Will India be a part of the expansion plan? The list of 12 languages that may be supported by the Vision Pro are Cantonese, Simplified Chinese, French, French for Canada, German, Japanese, Korean and English variants UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan. Going by the speculated list of language options being made available on the device, an Indian launch does not seem to be a part of the scheme at this point of time. That said, Apple may launch their…

    POLITICS

    • Apr- 2023 -
      16 April

      Asaduddin Owaisi Dubs Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf’s Murder As ‘Failure’ Of UP CM Yogi Adityanath

      Hours after the gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by unidentified assailants, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Party Chief Asaduddin Owaisi took an aim at the law and order situation in the state of Uttar Pradesh and said that the murder of Atiq and Ashraf was a pefect example of failure of CM Yogi Adityanath. AIMIM Chief took on Twitter and said that Atiq and his brother were killed while they were in police custody and their murder is perfect example to show how the UP CM Yogi has failed to maitain law and order in the state.  Owaisi furher said that people who are celebrating the “encounter-raj” are also equally responsible for the murder of…

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    • 16 April

      Mike Pompeo declines to endorse Donald Trump as he drops out of 2024 race

      Mike Pompeo, America’s former top diplomat, has declined to endorse Donald Trump’s presidential bid as he opted out of the 2024 race. The former US Secretary of State was one of Mr Trump’s most vocal defenders in office, but for months had suggested he would challenge his former boss for the Republican nomination. However, he failed to make a dent in polls of GOP primary voters, with a core base remaining loyal to Mr Trump. Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, is the only other prospective candidate to reach double digits in most polls. “The time is not right for me and my family,” Mr Pompeo said in a statement. Mr Pompeo claimed Mr Trump did not factor into his decision, but he made…

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    • 16 April

      Atiq Ahmed shot dead: 17 cops suspended after failing to prevent gangster-politician’s murder

      The Uttar Pradesh police department has suspended 17 cops were responsible for the security of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, who were shot dead in Prayagraj on Saturday night. The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm by three gunmen. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmad’s son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed here just hours before the shooting. A police officer said the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to…

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    • 16 April

      Iran to roll out harsher punishment for people encouraging veil removal

      People encouraging women in Iran to remove the hijab will be prosecuted in criminal courts with no right of appeal against any conviction, the country’s deputy attorney general is reported to have said. “The crime of promoting unveiling will be dealt with in the criminal court, whose decisions are final and unappealable,” local news quoted Iran’s deputy attorney general Ali Jamadi as saying. “The punishment for the crime of promoting and encouraging others to remove the hijab is much heavier than the crime of removing the hijab itself,” Mr Jamadi added. He said the act of encouraging a person to remove the hijab was a “clear example of encouraging corruption”, but did not elaborate on what exactly the punishment might be or what constitutes…

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    • 16 April

      Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi cannot be extradited, rules Antigua and Barbuda court

      Mehul Choksi, a diamantaire wanted in India in connection with a scam of INR 13,000 crores (Rs 130 billion), cannot be extradited, the Antigua and Barbuda High Court said on Friday. Choksi had requested relief, including a declaration that says he is entitled to a timely and complete inquiry into the events surrounding his forceful deportation from Antigua and Barbuda on or about May 23, 2021.  Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in India for a Rs 13,000-crore fraud in the Punjab National Bank, disappeared from Antigua in May 2021 after fleeing there in 2018 to evade punishment in India for defrauding PNB along with his nephew, Nirav Modi. He had then claimed that he was removed from Antigua & Barbuda and was…

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    • 16 April

      Royal Mail and Communication Workers Union reach agreement on pay and employment terms

      Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have reached an agreement in principle following a long-running dispute over pay and employment terms. In a joint statement with Royal Mail, CWU confirmed the agreement will now be considered by the executive of the union before it goes before the membership. The details of the proposed agreement will be made public once it has been ratified by the union’s executive committee – expected to take place next week. In a further statement, the CWU said: “We have reached a negotiators agreement with Royal Mail Group. “The CWU Postal Executive will now meet and consider the agreement on Monday and Tuesday and we are putting in place plans to brief representatives across…

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    • 16 April

      ‘Pure anarchy, murder of rule of law’: Politicians condemn killings of Atiq Ahmed, his brother

       Leaders across political parties late Saturday condemned the murders of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, calling them “extrajudicial killings” that brought shame to the Uttar Pradesh government. Television footage showed three men firing at the brothers as they were walking under heavy police security while on their way to a hospital for medical examination. Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: “Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amid a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created.” Officials said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has…

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    • 16 April

      Civilians reportedly killed during heavy fighting in Sudan between army and paramilitary forces

      At least three civilians have reportedly been killed in clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces in the capital Khartoum. The country’s doctors trade union said the deaths came during sustained fighting on Saturday, with UK and US embassies in the city both warning their citizens to stay indoors. Clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) raged around the presidential palace and Khartoum International Airport as both sides fought for control of symbolic sites. The two parties forged a partnership following the ousting of former leader Omar al Bashir in 2019, but army boss General Abdel Fattah al Burhan has been the country’s de facto president since a military coup in October 2021. Sudan’s armed forces have dismissed…

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    • 16 April

      ‘Nahi le gaye to nahi…’: Atiq Ahmed’s last words on son’s funeral before being shot dead; Ashraf didn’t even complete his sentence

      In a shocking turn of events, mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Saturday while they were being taken fro medical examination. Seconds ahead of the bullets being fired on Atiq and Ashraf, both criminals, who were accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, were talking to the media and giving their reaction on Atiq’s son’s last rites wherein he was not allowed to go. No doubt Indias ranking is 77 in the human rights ranking. Shãme on Ind!ans, for electing these kind of politicians. pic.twitter.com/VY4ejYou7Q— Брат (@nvinci6l3) April 15, 2023 His reaction to his son’s last rites were the last of words that Atiq said before dying. “Nahi le gaye to…

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    • 15 April

      Central agencies lying to courts, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on CBI summons

      Kejriwal He added, “The CBI has falsely accused Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case. People were beaten to obtain false statements. The agencies are torturing people for evidence. This was a great policy to eradicate corruption.” New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that he knew he would be next in line to be summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since the day he spoke against corruption in Delhi assembly. Kejriwal was addressing a press conference in the national capital a day after he was summoned by the CBI on Sunday for questioning in the Delhi excise police case. While talking to mediapersons, he said, “Central agencies are lying to courts against us in…

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