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 -
      14 April

      Don Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad killed in an encounter in UP’s Jhansi

      Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad, who is wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter on Thursday by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in Jhansi. The police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on Asad. Another accused in the case, Ghulam, with a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was also killed in the encounter led by Deputy SP Navendu and Deputy SP Vimal. UP STF ADG Amitabh Yash said the team had been tracking Asad and Ghulam for the last one and a half months. He said they last missed Gulam by a delay of just five minutes but they successfully traced him to Jhansi where he…

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    • 14 April

      ‘Cancer riddled’ Putin receiving chemo, leaked documents show

      Vladimir Putin is receiving treatment for cancer with his top military chiefs looking to “throw” Russia’s war in Ukraine, a rumour contained in a leaked US intelligence document has claimed. A trove of top secret files were leaked last week, including sensitive disclosures on Ukraine, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. As well as detailed information about troop movements in Ukraine and the death toll on both sides, the trove contains daily intelligence briefings from a number of sources from around the world. One such briefing includes a rumour claiming – a top Russian general is conspiring to “throw”, meaning deliberately lose, the war in Ukraine while Putin is undergoing chemotherapy. The claim says Russian National Security Council Secretary, Nikolay…

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    • 14 April

      If BJP leaders’ daughters marry Muslims they call it love, when others do so it’s called ‘jihad’: Baghel

      Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in double standards, saying that when the daughters of BJP leaders get married to Muslims, they call it love, but if anybody else does so then it’s dubbed as “jihad”. Talking to reporters in Bilaspur town of the state, he also accused the saffron party of trying to take political advantage of last week’s communal violence in Biranpur village of Bemetara district. When asked about the BJP’s claims that tension started brewing in Biranpur following some interfaith marriages there, Baghel said, “The BJP neither examined the matter (clash) nor came out with any report before calling for a bandh. A fight between two children led…

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    • 14 April

      National guardsman suspected to be behind US military document leaks arrested

      A national guardsman suspected to be behind a series of US military document leaks has been arrested by the FBI. Jack Teixeira, 21, is said to have overseen a private online group, containing around 25 active members, in which the highly sensitive documents were shared. Teixeira is a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times. Officials told Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News, that they have been on to him for some time On Thursday, the FBI said it had made an arrest in Massachusetts. US Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the arrest of Teixeira and said he was due to be brought to court for…

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    • 14 April

      Noida Covid-19 Update: Health Dept Advises To Wear Face Masks, WFH If Suffering From Cough, Flu

      Amid a rise in Covid cases, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department on Thursday issued a set of recommendations that includes practising social distancing and the use of face masks at offices, schools, colleges, and cinema halls, among other public places. For workplaces, the guidelines recommend the use of sanitisers, proper cleaning of offices, thermal temperature scanners at office entries, and work-from-home option for employees showing signs of cold, cough, fever, and flu and suggested Covid test for them. The guidelines came as Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, registered 114 more positive cases of Covid on Thursday, pushing the tally of active patients across Noida and Greater Noida to 396 — the highest so far this year, according to official…

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    • 14 April

      Italy’s pick for new Leonardo CEO is unlawful, opposition party says

       Italy’s Antitrust agency should intervene against the appointment of former energy and environment minister Roberto Cingolani as CEO of defence group Leonardo, the leader of a green opposition party said on Thursday. As part of a raft of nominations at state-controlled firms, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration on Wednesday picked Cingolani to lead Leonardo, replacing former banker Alessandro Profumo. Opposition lawmaker and Green party leader Angelo Bonelli said the appointment violates a conflict-of-interest law that prevents ministers from taking on jobs at companies in sectors they previously regulated in the 12 months after leaving office. “Leonardo operates also in the environmental sector and Cingolani was ecological transition minister in the previous government led by Mario Draghi until October 2022,” Bonelli…

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    • 14 April

      Owaisi slams BJP over encounters of criminals ‘in the name of religion’

      Attacking the BJP for conducting encounters “in the name of religion”, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday sought to know whether those who burnt to death the two youth in Haryana would also be killed in an encounter. Owaisi, who was addressing a gathering at Nizamabad in Telangana, referred to the killing of Junaid and Naseer in Haryana, allegedly by cow vigilantes in February this year. “Whose government is in power in Haryana? Are houses not being bulldozed? Are encounters not done by firing bullets?… will you shoot at those who killed Junaid and Naseer?” he asked. “… you do encounter in the name of religion. Can you eliminate the killers of Junaid and Naseer? You will not do. So…

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    • 14 April

      Macron faced with renewed pension protests on return to France

      Emmanuel Macron has been confronted with fresh street protests on his return to France as popular discontent around the French President’s pension reforms continues. Strikes and demonstrations have been widespread across the county in the past month as French workers react to plans to raise the pension age in France from 62 to 64. France’s constitutional council is due to vote on the pension reform bill this Friday amid questions over how Macron plans to appease public anger. Following a request by French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, the constitutional council has been tasked with judging whether Macron’s pension reform is allowed under France’s constitution. In Paris, as thousands marched along the designated protest route, some protesters holding lit flares veered off to the…

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    • 13 April

      Karnataka polls: Denied ticket to contest, BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy quits party

      Mudigere BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy Bengaluru: Mudigere BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy on Thursday announced his resignation from the party, after he was denied ticket to contest the Karnataka Assembly polls, and blamed national General Secretary C T Ravi for not getting nominated. He remarked that if party stalwart B S Yediyurappa does not attend BJP rallies, people would not turn up in large numbers. The three-time MLA said he will also be submitting his resignation as legislator to the Assembly Speaker soon. In the BJP’s second list of 23 candidates announced last night, Deepak Doddaiah was named as candidate from Mudigere. Kumaraswamy hit out at BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi for not getting the ticket, and said…

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    • 13 April

      ED files case against BBC India over forex violation

      The Enforcement Directorate has registered a FEMA case against news broadcaster BBC India for foreign exchange violations New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has registered a FEMA case against news broadcaster BBC India for foreign exchange violations, official sources said Thursday. The federal probe agency has also called for documents and the recording of statements of some company executives under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), they said. The probe is essentially looking at purported foreign direct investment (FDI) violations by the company, they said. The moves comes in the backdrop of the Income-Tax department surveying BBC office premises in Delhi in February. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative body for the I-T department, had then said…

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