"Excellent Move", Says PM Modi After Defence Panel Clears Massive Deal

Applauding the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)'s approval for capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 2.23 lakh crore to enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said this marks a crucial stride in the pursuit of self-sufficiency in the defence sector.

"Excellent move towards bolstering our Armed Forces' operational prowess. The commitment to 'Make in India' in this decision marks a crucial stride in our pursuit of self-sufficiency in the Defence sector," the Prime Minister posted from his official handle on X.

Earlier, on Thursday, the DAC, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave approval to Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various capital acquisition proposals amounting to Rs 2.23 lakh crore.

Excellent move towards bolstering our Armed Forces' operational prowess. The commitment to 'Make in India' in this decision marks a crucial stride in our pursuit of self-sufficiency in the Defence sector. https://t.co/EpZJYshSM2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 30, 2023

Of the total, acquisition worth Rs 2.20 lakh crore (98 per cent) will be sourced from domestic industries.

"This will give a substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry towards the aim of achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta'," a defence ministry statement said.

The council accorded the AoN for procurement of two types of Anti-tank Munitions namely, Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type-2 and Type-3, which are capable of neutralising Tanks and Armoured personnel carriers and enemy personnel.

To replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which has completed its service life, AoN for procurement of a state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS) has been granted which will become a mainstay of Artillery forces of the Indian Army.

The AoN was also accorded for 155 mm Nubless projectile for use in 155 mm Artillery guns which will enhance lethality and safety of the projectiles. All this equipment of the Indian Army will be procured under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

The AoN for procurement and integration of Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC) for T-90 Tanks under the Buy (India) category have also been accorded which will help in maintaining a combative edge of T-90 tanks over adversary platforms.

The AoN for procurement of Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM) for surface platform of Indian Navy under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has also been accorded. The MRAShM is envisaged as a lightweight Surface-to-Surface Missile which will be a primary offensive weapon onboard Indian Naval Ships.

In addition, the DAC accorded AoNs for procurement of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. The AoNs have also been accorded by the DAC for upgradation of Su-30 MKI Aircraft indigenously from HAL.

While procurement of these equipment will provide enormous strength to the IAF, acquisition from domestic defence industries will take the indigenous capability to a new height. It will also reduce dependability on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) substantiall

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Henry Kissinger’s Life and Work in Photos

By The New York Times from NYT World https://ift.tt/f5HqPne

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Fraud Cases In Supreme Court Tend To Increase As Polls Near: Chief Justice

The number of "fraud cases" in the Supreme Court tends to increase as elections draw closer and the court becomes a site for political engagement, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Constitution Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Chandrachud said we all exist together and the Indian Constitution tells us that "we either survive or we perish together".

"But above all, I think it is important that on a day where we celebrate the Constitution, we learn to discharge our duties to the cause of justice. Our duty to the cause of justice ranks much higher than the success or failure in individual cases," he said.

"Just yesterday, I had to deal with a fraud case. The Supreme Court deals with fraud cases every day. Some courts have more than their share of fraud cases and there are some times as elections come, the number of fraud cases tends to increase in the court and we as judges realise it," the CJI said.

Constitution Day is celebrated across the country on November 26 every year.

Chief Justice Chandrachud said after elections get over, things settle down and "as the polls come closer and closer, the court becomes a site for political engagement. That is a truth of our society. I am not looking at it with any value judgement".

Chief Justice Chandrachud, who also addressed the gathering in Hindi for a few minutes, said freedom and the Constitution have an unbreakable relationship.

Speaking about the legal profession, the CJI said it is a profession of diversity, including diversity in terms of gender. He said be it the judges or lawyers, all have come from different parts of the country in search of a better livelihood.

"But in the process of giving each one of us a better livelihood, we are also engaged in providing a better existence to our fellow citizens. That is the big power which all of you command as lawyers," he said.

Referring to the attire of judges and lawyers, the CJI said it reminds us that the "similarity of our attire is a symbol of the common existence which we share". It was for the members of the Bar to make the legal profession broad-based and inclusive, Chief Justice Chandrachud said while highlighting the need to encourage young lawyers.

"And remember, ultimately, it is if you support the institution of justice, which is to ensure that you support the independence of your own judiciary, that the judiciary can truly be able to discharge its duties," he said.

"If you are not giving to the judiciary its own sense of due, how will you expect them to discharge their own obligations towards society. Because your judges come from you and they return to you. They are not distinct from you," he said.

He said members of the Bar are also here for the betterment of the profession, to serve the cause of justice and to ensure that the other side of the profession, the judges, who are duty bound to act in aid of justice, continue to do so.

"You have to not merely protect your judges, but you have to hold them to account as well," he said.

Sharing a story, Chief Justice Chandrachud said sometime back, one of his colleagues had an attack of dengue and there was a need for blood transfusion.

"But we drew on the credit of the blood which was given by our employees during the last blood donation camp…my colleague came back to normalcy very quickly by the blood transfusion," he said, adding this was again a reminder that all of us are bound together in this cycle of existence.

"None of us in that sense is different from the other. None of us stands alone," Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mehul Choksi To Not Object Petition Seeking Release Of Properties: Court

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday rejected absconding diamond merchant Mehul Choksi's application seeking to intervene in an application filed by the ICICI Bank for the release of certain mortgaged properties worth Rs 636 crore.

Mehul Choksi, an accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, is currently living in Antigua in Barbados.

The ICICI Bank has sought release of certain properties mortgaged with it.

His intervention application took objection to the release of his flats in south Mumbai and a bungalow in Alibaug, attached by the Enforcement Directorate during its probe, in the bank's favour.

But special judge for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases SM Menjoge said the bank had not sought these properties. The properties which the ICICI Bank was seeking were not owned by Choksi personally but by different companies, hence, he had no right to intervene, the court said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate are investigating diamond businessman Nirav Modi, his uncle Choksi and others in the PNB scam. Nirav Modi, Choksi and the companies owned by them borrowed more than Rs 13,000 crore from PNB through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking and Letters of Credit between 2011 and 2017 in connivance with some bank officials, the central agencies have alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gujarat High Court Dismisses Petition Seeking Ban On Loudspeakers At Mosques

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest Litigation seeking a ban on the use of loudspeakers for 'azaan' or the Islamic call to prayer at mosques, terming the plea as "wholly misconceived." A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee also asked, during the hearing, if it was the petitioner's case that the noise of bells and gongs during 'aarti' at a temple is not heard outside.

The petition, filed by Bajrang Dal leader Shaktisinh Zala, claimed that "noise pollution" caused by 'azaan' when played through loudspeakers affects people's, especially children's health and causes inconvenience otherwise. However, the High Court noted that the claims in the petition had no scientific foundation.

Azaan is conducted for a maximum of ten minutes at a time at different hours of the day, the court pointed out. "We fail to understand how the human voice making azan through loudspeaker in the morning could achieve the decibel (level) to the extent of creating noise pollution, causing health hazards for the public at large," it further said.

"We are not entertaining this kind of PIL. It is a faith and practice going for years, and it is for 5-10 minutes. In your temple, the morning aarti with drums and music also starts early at 3 am. So it does not cause any kind of noise to anyone? Can you say the noise of ghanta (bell) and ghadiyal (gong) remains in temple premises only, does not percolate outside the temple?" the court asked the petitioner's lawyer.

There is a scientific method for measuring noise pollution, but the petition does not provide any data to show that a ten-minute 'azaan' causes noise pollution, the court noted. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Zoo Keeper Dies After Being Attacked By Black Bear At Vizag Zoo

A 23-year-old animal keeper was mauled to death by a Himalayan black bear in the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (Vizag Zoo) on Monday.

B Nagesh Babu was attacked by Jihwan, the bear, estimated to be around 15 years old, an official said.

"Nagesh had left all the doors open in the animal night house and gone inside to clean, following which the animal came into the night house and attacked the keeper," said Vizag Zoo curator Nandani Salaria in a release.

According to the Zoo, Mr Babu was found lying in an unconscious state with serious injuries on his head, left arm, and chest by the animal night house.

Following the attack, the zoo officials managed to lure the beast back into its enclosure using honey.

The Forest Department declared a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Babu's family. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Will Definitely Reach Out To Independents If...": Rajasthan Minister

Every party tries to get in touch with Independent candidates with a high probability of winning elections, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, adding that communications will be established with them in case of a neck-to-neck fight in the upcoming elections.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "Every party will try to get in touch with Independent MLAs who have a high probability of winning seats. BJP will also try this. Those who want to transform their shops into a showroom and then into a government will definitely try to establish contacts. Ashok Gehlot, BJP everyone will try it. If there is a neck-to-neck situation, definitely contact will be established."

"If any Independent candidate has done good work, he will definitely win. I have no problem with Independent candidates," he added.

Mr Khachariyawas exuded confidence that Congress will sweep victory from the Civil Lines Assembly constituency and form the government in the state.

"We will win Civil Lines with a huge margin, more than the number of votes we got last time. I think the silent voter also voted for me. The Congress will form the government in Rajasthan. We gave the slogan for winning 156 seats. Time will tell how many seats we will get," the Congress leader said.

In Rajasthan, 199 out of 200 seats went to the polls as, due to the death of a Congress candidate in Sriganganagar's Karanpur seat, Gurmeet Singh Koonar the election in this constituency was adjourned.

Approximately 74.13 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Rajasthan on Saturday in the mainly direct contest between the Congress and the BJP to form a new government in the state, according to the latest data from Election Commission.

In 2018, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73. Ashok Gehlot assumed the Chief Minister position with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.

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More aid flows into Gaza during cease-fire, but still falls far short of needs.

By Raja Abdulrahim and Abu Bakr Bashir from NYT World https://ift.tt/3m7DbPI

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"Companies Waiting": What S Somnath Said About Retired ISRO Scientists

ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Saturday emphasised the necessity of deregulating unnecessary controls in the space sector to foster improved growth.

He also attributed India's significant progress in the space industry to the opening up of the sector.

Speaking to media here during the celebration of 60 years since India's first sounded rocket launch, Somanath highlighted that the involvement of the private sector in space science development has led to remarkable expansion in India's satellite-building capabilities.

"Earlier, it was only ISRO for the development and production of satellites, launch vehicles, and related technologies. ISRO has only 17,000 people and a budget of Rs 13,000 crore. It remained so for all these years," S Somanath said.

He said that India now has more than 130 startups in the space sector, with some companies boasting a workforce of 400 to 500 employees and a turnover ranging from Rs 500 to 1000 crores.

"Some of them are paying better salaries than ISRO, and the scientists retired from ISRO are in great demand. In fact, these companies are waiting for people who are retiring from ISRO," Mr Somanath said.

The ISRO chief further said that India has the potential to become an excellent hub for satellite manufacturing and could significantly expand its presence in the business.

"Technology development and progress in space science are all fine, but business is important. It has to bring money," he noted.

Currently, there are five Indian companies with the capability to manufacture satellites, and three of them have successfully manufactured and launched their satellites from foreign countries, he pointed out.

"We don't want them to launch their satellites from outside, and we want them to use our facilities. We want them to build satellites here; they can bring in the technologies from wherever they want, but build them here and launch them from here." He clarified that the expansion of the private sector in space science does not imply a reduction in ISRO's role.

"ISRO will continue to do what it does at present. We are now talking about sending men into space. ISRO will continue to strategise and grow. This is not scaling down, but scaling up," Mr Somanath said.

He said that the GSLV rocket has undergone regular upgrades, demonstrating its capability to carry a higher payload than its original design specifications.

"GSLV was designed to carry 4 tonnes of payload, but we have already successfully launched a 7.5-tonne payload. Its cryogenic stage is also being upgraded. In the semi-cryogenic stage, the new SE 120 is being developed," Mr Somanath said.

He mentioned that the PSLV, which initially had a payload capacity of 850 kg, now boasts a payload capacity of two tonnes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Retired Army Official Duped Of Over Rs 3 Lakh By Travel Agent: Cops

A retired officer of the Indian Army was allegedly duped of over Rs 3 lakh by a travel agent in Gurugram, police said on Friday.

The travel agent made the booking for Mauritius after taking Rs 3,68,500 online from the retired officer, but later cancelled the booking and got the refund fraudulently, they said.

Major (Retd) Naresh Kumar Mawa, a resident of Sector 23 in Gurugram, in his complaint, said that he had to go to meet his son, who is pursuing a medical course in Mauritius, and contacted a travel agent named Krishan Kant Sharma, a resident of Rajasthan's Jaipur, police said.

"I had made a total payment of Rs 3,68,500 to the travel agent through UPI payments in parts, but the agent cancelled the tickets after booking them including total stay without informing me and made a fraud of this amount. He switched off his phone and is not reachable," Major (Retd) Mawa said in his complaint.

An FIR was registered against the travel agent following the complaint under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Palam Vihar Police Station on Thursday, police said.

A senior police officer said they are investigating the matter and the accused will be arrested soon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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In India's 'Amritkaal', Country Has Come Out Of Mentality Of Slavery: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said for the first time in the 'Amritkaal' of India's independence, the country has come out of the mentality of slavery and is moving ahead with the feeling of pride for its heritage.

He was addressing the 'Mirabai Janmotsav', organised here to celebrate the 525th birth anniversary of the poet and Lord Krishna devotee.

"Today for the first time in the 'Amritkaal' of India's independence, the country has come out of the mentality of slavery, PM Modi said.

"We have taken the pledge of 'Panch Pran' from the Red Fort. We are moving ahead with the feeling of pride for our heritage," he said.

Mentioning Mirabai, he said, "Our country has always been the one that worships women power".

PM Modi also released a commemorative stamp and coin in the honour of Mirabai and attend a cultural programme, in which Hema Malini performed. Before attending the event, the prime minister paid obeisance at the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Congress Took Revenge...": PM Modi's Open Letter To People Of Rajasthan

Ahead of the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the people of Rajasthan, promising to take the state to newer heights and accusing the Congress government of causing unimaginable damage to the state's reputation.

"It seems as if the Congress has taken revenge for some old enmity with Rajasthan in these five years," he said and claimed the people of the state are embarrassed by the Ashok Gehlot government.

Attacking the Congress government over a range of issues, including crime against women and corruption, PM Modi alleged the ruling party has made Rajasthan the number one state in crimes.

Because of its appeasement policy, the Congress government has avoided taking action against criminals and gave a free hand to anti-social elements in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister claimed.

"Today, the situation is such that even following one's faith has become difficult in Rajasthan."

"Rajasthan is the land of those who sacrificed their lives for the respect of women power. But the last five years became the most unsafe years for women power in Rajasthan. Therefore, today the women of Rajasthan have resolved to uproot this Congress government,” PM Modi said.

He claimed that the BJP on the other hand has always thought about the development and prosperity of the state. After the BJP forms government in Rajasthan, water resources will be the government's top priority, PM Modi said.

"Our vision is the path of effort, prestige and progress. The coming BJP government in Rajasthan will work as a double-engine government. For this double engine government, fast development, respect for the poor and a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption will be the basic mantras of good governance," PM Modi added.

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25 and votes will be counted on December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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A Palestinian family hopes that the hostage deal means their own loved ones will come home.

By Hiba Yazbek from NYT World https://ift.tt/JDUOfLS

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Man Dupes People By Creating Fake Websites Of E-Commerce Platforms: Cops

The Delhi Police has arrested a man who allegedly duped scores of people across the country by creating fake websites of e-commerce platforms and posting lucrative offers on groceries and other household items, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested accused, identified as Shahrukh Akhtar, was the kingpin of the entire network, police claimed in a statement.

A complainant claimed that while he was surfing social media platforms, he came across an advertisement of lucrative offers. He clicked the link and followed the directions eventually losing Rs 98,000 from his credit card, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO, special cell) Hemant Tiwari said.

Police said the money trail and digital footprints were investigated. It was found that the racket was spread across many states and operated in multiple tiers, he said.

Financial analysis revealed that there are transactions worth more than Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and more than 15 people have been duped by the gang, police said.

Two accused -- Sonam (21), and Juned Akhtar (28) -- were arrested on October 5. Sonam disclosed that she was working as a telecaller on the directions of one Shahrukh Akhtar, the police officer said.

"We arrested Shahrukh Akhtar from Ghaziabad. He is the mastermind of the racket. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

"Akhtar told police that he cheated people and used to earn Rs 30 lakh a month by making fake e-commerce websites. We have so far seized, six mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, one laptop and a car from the accused," the DCP said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rajneesh Goel appointed as Karnataka's new Chief Secretary

The Karnataka government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Rajneesh Goel as the next Chief Secretary, with incumbent Vandita Sharma due to retire at the end of November.

Mr Goel, a 1986-batch IAS officer, is currently the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) in the Home Department of the Government of Karnataka.

In May this year, after the Congress government came to power, he was given concurrent charge of the post of ACS to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"Dr Rajneesh Goel IAS, (KA:1986), Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home Department, Government of Karnataka is appointed as Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka" as the incumbent "Smt. Vandita Sharma IAS is retiring from service on superannuation on 30.11.2023," an official notification said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Who Are the Palestinian Prisoners Who Could Be Released in the Hostage Deal?

By Karen Zraick from NYT World https://ift.tt/iMCeRwE

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Supreme Court's Big Order On Extra-Territorial Pre-Arrest Bail Requests

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Monday held that a high court or sessions court can grant anticipatory bail for a limited period to a person apprehending arrest in connection with an FIR registered outside their territorial jurisdiction, saying it was necessary to protect a citizen's right to life, personal liberty and dignity.

The top court in its order, having wide ramifications in criminal matters where accused apprehend arrests in cases lodged in other states, laid down several conditions for grant of such a relief.

“We are of the view that considering the constitutional imperative of protecting a citizen's right to life, personal liberty and dignity, the High Court or the Court of Session could grant limited anticipatory bail in the form of an interim protection under Section 438 of CrPC in the interest of justice with respect to an FIR registered outside the territorial jurisdiction of the said court,” a bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said.

At the same time, it said such power to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail should be exercised in exceptional and compelling circumstances.

The verdict came on an appeal of a woman challenging the grant of anticipatory bail by a Bengaluru local court to her estranged husband and his family members in connection with a dowry harassment FIR lodged at Chirawa Police Station at Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan.

This gave rise to a legal question of whether a sessions court can grant anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in connection with an FIR lodged outside its jurisdiction.

Answering in affirmative, Justice Nagarathna, in her 85-page judgment, laid down certain conditions for granting such a relief.

“Prior to passing an order of limited anticipatory bail, the investigating officer and public prosecutor who are seized of the FIR shall be issued notice on the first date of the hearing, though the court in an appropriate case would have the discretion to grant interim anticipatory bail,” it said.

The bench said the order of grant of “limited anticipatory bail” must record reasons as to why the applicant apprehends an inter-state arrest and the impact of such grant of limited anticipatory bail or interim protection, as the case may be, on the status of the investigation.

“The jurisdiction in which the cognisance of the offence has been taken does not exclude the said offence from the scope of anticipatory bail by way of a State Amendment to Section 438 of CrPC,” it said.

The person, seeking anticipatory bail, must satisfy the court regarding his inability to seek anticipatory bail from the court which has the territorial jurisdiction to take cognisance of the offence, it said.

The grounds raised by the applicant may be “a reasonable and immediate threat to life, personal liberty and bodily harm in the jurisdiction where the FIR is registered”, it said.

The person apprehending arrest will have to prima facie establish the violation of the right to liberty or impediments owing to arbitrariness and “the medical status/ disability of the person".

Dealing with the facts of the case, the bench took note of the social reality of “criminal complaints relating to dowry harassment, cruelty and domestic violence arising out of unsuccessful matrimonial relationships”.

“With the increasing migration of young people for marital and career prospects, supplemented by the forces of economic liberalisation, a significant number of couples hail from two different states, with the corollary being that the matrimonial home of a complainant-wife is located in a different state from where her parental home is located,” it said.

The judgment said it would be impossible to fully account for all exigent circumstances in which an order of extra-territorial anticipatory bail may be imminently essential to safeguard the fundamental rights of the applicant.

“We reiterate that such power to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail should be exercised in exceptional and compelling circumstances only - which means where denying transit anticipatory bail or interim protection to enable the applicant to make an application under Section 438 of CrPC before a Court of competent jurisdiction would cause irremediable and irreversible prejudice to the applicant,” it said.

The court, while considering such an application for extra-territorial anticipatory bail, in case it deems fit may grant interim protection instead for a fixed period and direct the applicant to make an application before a court of competent jurisdiction, it said.

By this judgment, the top court set aside verdicts of the Patna High Court and the Calcutta High Court “to the extent that they hold that the High Court does not possess jurisdiction to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail that is even a limited or transit anticipatory bail.” The judgement also answered a query with regard to jurisdiction.

The question was if a person commits an offence in one state and the FIR is lodged there, can he approach a court at his native place in another state seeking “transit anticipatory bail for a limited duration”? “We have held that the accused could approach the competent court in the State where he is residing or is visiting for a legitimate purpose and seek the relief of limited transit anticipatory bail although the FIR is not filed in the territorial jurisdiction of the District or State in which the accused resides, or is present depending upon the facts and circumstances of each case,” it held. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Tuskless Elephant Found Dead At Tamil Nadu's Anamalai Reserve Forest

A 35-year-old tuskless elephant was found dead while patrolling at Anamalai Reserve Forest in Tamil Nadu's Nagamalai at around 3 pm.

The patrolling team found the carcass of the elephant. The veterinary doctor has been informed and a post-mortem examination has been scheduled.

The elephant was monitored with the help of its collar ID. It appeared that the elephant slipped down from a rocky cliff and died.

Earlier on Friday, a male wild elephant was electrocuted and found dead in the Gudalur area of Nilgiris district.

The carcass of the elephant was discovered by forest officials. As per reports from Rajesh Kumar, a veterinary assistant surgeon, the elephant died due to electrocution.

According to Forest Range Officer, Gudalur Division, the elephant died after it came into contact with an electric board line installed in the area.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Karel Schwarzenberg, Renegade Czech Prince and Politician, Dies at 85

By Adam Nossiter from NYT World https://ift.tt/u18XeDL

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Air Pollution In Delhi Drops From 'Severe' To 'Very Poor', Curbs Revoked

The Centre on Saturday removed stringent curbs, including a ban on construction work related to linear projects and the entry of polluting trucks into Delhi, following an improvement in air quality due to an increase in the wind speed and a change in the wind direction.

These measures constitute the final stage, Stage IV, of the Centre's air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, asked Delhi and NCR states to revoke all emergency measures, under which only CNG, electric and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states are allowed to enter Delhi, with exemptions granted to those involved in essential services.

All medium and heavy goods vehicles not engaged in essential services were also banned in the capital under Stage IV of GRAP, according to the latest CAQM order.

The pollution control body said all other curbs under stages I, II and III of GRAP, including a ban on non-essential construction work, mining, stone crushers and diesel generators will continue.   The city's 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, improved from 405 on Friday to 319 on Saturday. It was 419 on Thursday, 401 on Wednesday, 397 on Tuesday, 358 on Monday, 218 on Sunday, 220 on Saturday and 279 on Friday.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad (276), Gurugram (322), Greater Noida (228), Noida (265) and Faridabad (309) also recorded "very poor" air quality.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", 401 and 450 "severe" and above 450 "severe plus".

The air quality forecasts by the India Meteorological Department/Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology do not indicate any steep degradation in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR in the coming days, the CAQM said.

Recent findings from a joint project by the Delhi government and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur found out that vehicular emissions accounted for about 45 per cent of the capital's air pollution on Friday. This reduced to 33 per cent on Saturday.

Secondary inorganic aerosols -- particles such as sulfate and nitrate that are formed in the atmosphere due to the interaction of gases and particulate pollutants from sources like power plants, refineries and vehicles -- is the second major contributor to Delhi's foul air, accounting for 19 to 36 per cent of the air pollution in the city over the last few days.

Delhi's air quality dropped over the last few days despite the city government implementing stringent measures, including a ban on construction work and the entry of diesel-guzzling trucks into the national capital.

According to IQAir, a Swiss company that specialises in air-quality monitoring, Delhi was the second-most polluted city in the world on Saturday after Baghdad.

Doctors say breathing in the polluted air of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day.   Prolonged exposure to high levels of pollution can cause or exacerbate respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and dramatically raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, they said.   Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers and other local pollution sources, contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winters.   According to a report compiled by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) in August, air pollution is shortening lives by almost 12 years in Delhi.

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Case Against Man After Teen Dies By Suicide In Ghaziabad: Police

A 16-year-old girl allegedly hanged herself in her house in Ghaziabad, police said on Friday.

The police have booked a man for alleged abetment to suicide in the case, they added.

Neha was found hanging from her room's ceiling fan at her house in the Sudama Puri area here on Thursday, they added.

An FIR has been lodged in this connection by her father Kushamvir at Wave City police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chandra Yadav said.

Neha's father alleged that he was informed by his neighbour that a man named Lucky came to his house when his daughter was alone, Mr Yadav said.

He also accused Lucky of allegedly abetting the suicide of his daughter, he added.

The DCP said the girl had called the man in the absence of her family members. One of the neighbours informed Neha's father after he spotted her with Lucky around 11 am on Thursday.

When Neha's father and brother reached home, they saw the man trying to escape from the terrace. They caught him and handed him over to the police, the DCP said.

The police are trying to ascertain whether Neha allegedly died by suicide due to fear of her parents or the Lucky provoked her. According to her call record details, Neha used to frequently speak to him over the phone, he said.

The possibility of honour killing cannot be ruled out, the DCP added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Lahore Keeping An Eye On Polls In Rajasthan's Tonk": BJP MP Sparks Row

Lahore is keeping an eye on elections in Rajasthan and Tonk, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who recently courted controversy over his derogatory remarks in Parliament against BSP MP Danish Ali, said at a meeting of party workers.

"We will have to see whether laddus will be distributed in the country or in Lahore after the elections on the 25th... The enemy sitting outside the country is keeping an eye on this election. It is a question of our identity," Mr Bidhuri said while addressing a youth workers' meeting organised by BJP candidate in Tonk Ajit Mehta on Tuesday night. A video purportedly of Mr Bidhuri's remarks at the meeting appeared on social media on Thursday.

Sitting Congress MLA and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is contesting from Tonk, which has a sizeable population of Muslim voters.

"The whole country is eagerly watching this election. Not just the country, Lahore is keeping an eye on elections in Rajasthan and Tonk. Who gives shelter to PFI people? When PFI people are caught, who provides them food? People sitting in Tonk feed them," he alleged, referring to the banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India.

Participating in a discussion in Lok Sabha on September 21, Mr Bidhuri had fired a volley of objectionable words at Ali, sparking outrage. The BSP MP was later accused by some BJP members of instigating Mr Bidhuri with remarks against the Prime Minister.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had warned Mr Bidhuri of strict action if such remarks were repeated but the opposition parties had demanded strict action against the BJP MP, including expulsion.

Mr Bidhuri's derogatory comments were condemned by his party colleagues as well, with BJP president JP Nadda issuing a show-cause notice to him.

However, nearly a week later, the South Delhi MP, who is a Gujjar leader, was appointed as Tonk district election incharge in Rajasthan, where voting will be held on November 25. Opposition leaders had hit out at the BJP, alleging the party "rewards hate".

"Terrorists like Hamas have an eye on this region that if someone dies in an accident, his family is given a job and Rs 50 lakh... and if an innocent Kanhaiya is murdered, then there is talk of giving Rs 5 lakh as alms," Mr Bidhuri is heard saying in the video.

Kanhaiya Kumar, a tailor in Udaipur, was murdered on June 28 last year by two cleaver-wielding men who accused him of insulting Islam.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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3 Drones, Heroin Seized Near Pakistan Border In Punjab Districts

Three drones and a 500-gram packet of heroin were seized near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts, a BSF official said on Wednesday.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops carrying out an area domination exercise ahead of the border fencing on Wednesday observed some suspicious items lying in a field near the Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar.

During a search operation, they seized a drone and a packet of heroin, weighing 500 grams, the official said.

In another incident, a joint operation by the BSF and the Punjab Police on the outskirts of Kalash Havelian village in Tarn Taran led to the seizure of a China-made drone, the official said.

In the third incident, BSF troops intercepted a drone on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday in Tarn Taran.

During the joint search operation with the police, the BSF troops recovered the damaged drone from a field in the district's Mianwali village, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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A White House spokesman denies that the U.S. had advance warning of Israel’s raid of Al-Shifa Hospital.

By Katie Rogers from NYT World https://ift.tt/9BO6DjE

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Smriti Irani To Host Weekly Radio Show On Akashvani From Tomorrow

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani will host a show for Akashvani celebrating the incredible tales of empowerment of women with the aid of initiatives of the Government, and their role in shaping the lives of women in India, government said in a release on Tuesday.

As per the release, the stories celebrate the success of women in diverse fields including entrepreneurship, skill development, sports, health and finance. The weekly one-hour show 'Nai Soch Nai Kahani--A Radio Journey with Smriti Irani' will be broadcast on India's largest broadcaster Akashvani every Wednesday from 9 AM to 10 AM.

The first show will be aired on November 15, Thursday, on Akashvani Gold 100.1 MHz in Delhi. It will also be aired by the Akashvani stations across the country. The show will be available on the NewsOnAIR app, on Akashvani website www.newsonair.gov.in, on the Akashvani YouTube channel @airnewsofficial and on its various social media platforms.

The first show will feature women from start-ups and self-made businesswomen who will share their stories of success and how they are taking advantage of government initiatives in their endeavours. The show will also feature senior officials of various Central Government Ministries who will describe how to access the benefits of different government schemes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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PM Modi To Hold Roadshow In Ranchi Tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi on Tuesday evening, officials said.

The roadshow is scheduled to begin from the Birsa Munda Airport soon after his arrival here around 8 pm and culminate at the Raj Bhavan around 9:30 pm, a distance of 10 km, they added.

As per Ranchi police traffic advisory, movement of vehicles has been restricted from 8 pm to 10:30 pm from Birsa Munda Airport to Raj Bhavan via Hinoo Chowk, Birsa Chowk, Satellite Chowk, Argora Chowk and New Market Chowk on November 14 in view of the Prime Minister's visit.

After an overnight stay at Raj Bhavan, the PM will head to Ulihatu, the birthplace of Birsa Munda around 9:30 am on November 15, the birthday of the tribal leader. The day is also celebrated as Jharkhand Statehood Day and Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.

Prior to his journey to Ulihatu, about 65 km from here, the PM will visit the Birsa Munda Museum at Jail Chowk at 8:15 am, officials added. After Ulihatu, PM Modi will head to Birsa College Football Stadium in Khunti where he will hold a public rally and launch the PM PVTG Development Mission.

The Rs 24,000-crore scheme aimed at holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), officials said. In 2021, the Modi government announced that the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda will be commemorated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. The mission, announced in the 2023-24 Union budget, is aimed at improving the socio-economic condition of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups, the officials said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Splinter Is Coming for These ‘Game of Thrones’ Trees

By Jenny Gross from NYT World https://ift.tt/ZLkVPyJ

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Most Drugs Entering Tripura Through Mizoram: Police

Tripura's 107 km-long boundary with Mizoram is a cause of concern for law enforcement agencies as most of the drugs from Myanmar enter the state through that border.

Vigil has been stepped up along the border between the two northeastern neighbours to prevent drug trafficking, said Bhanupada Chakraborty, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district, which shares the boundary with Mizoram.

"Law enforcement agencies are working hard to curb drug trafficking but smuggling of drugs especially heroin continues along the inter-state border," Mr Chakraborty told PTI on Monday.

Chief Minister Manik Saha has declared a war against increasing drug trafficking and law enforcement agencies have adopted a zero-tolerance policy to curb the drug menace.

Till August 2023, a total of 746 people were booked in connection with 445 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases and contraband items including heroin amounting to Rs 91.84 crore was seized during the period, according to a police report.

"Myanmar appears a potential threat to the war against drugs declared by Tripura... We are sure these drugs are coming from Myanmar. Mizoram is just a transit point as far as drug trafficking is concerned," the police officer said.

According to Mr Chakraborty, drug mafias sometimes also use Silchar-Churaibari (entry point to Tripura from Assam) to transport drug items.

"We often foiled drug smuggling under Churaibari police station despite having severe staff constraints. The police need to be strengthened further to intensify war against the drug trafficking", the SP said.

"Police have sent two or three teams to Mizoram in connection with some specific NDPS cases but they did not make much progress as the origin of the drug peddlers could not be found. In the course of interrogation and probe, we came to know that Mizoram border is being used as a safe corridor for trafficking drugs to the state," Officer in Charge (OC), Damcherra police station, Raju Bhowmik told PTI.

Three police stations- Damcherra, Khedacherra and Vangmum share 107 km inter-state border with Mizoram with a skeleton staff.

"At present, Damcherra police station has only two sub-inspectors along with one inspector and six to eight constables and some Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans. It is very difficult to maintain close control at Nripen Chakraborty setu (bridge) which connects Mizoram's Mamit district to Damcherra in North Tripura," the OC said.

The bridge over river Longai connects Tripura and Mizoram.

Mr Bhowmik said, "We require adequate staff to maintain strict vigil at the entry point to Damcherra. Around 40/50 vehicles are coming to Damcherra through the bridge daily. If we want to check all vehicles, more policemen are needed at the check gate at Damcherra".

Taking advantage of skeleton police presence, the drug mafia are using Damcherra to smuggle drugs along with goods to the northeastern state, he said.

North Tripura, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Arunabh Chakraborty said the number of injected drug users (IDUs) among the inmates of Bruhapra resettlement village (Bru camp) under Damcherra police station has been on the rise over the past few years.

"... Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) is working in the field to check the menace. We have identified some potential pockets of drug users and opened two Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) clinics in two Public Health Centres (PHCs) at Jampui Hills (Vangmun) and Damcherra to provide them medical attention", he said.

Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will soon have a zonal-level office in Agartala to curb drug and narcotics trafficking effectively, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Hikers Rescued After Following Nonexistent Trail on Google Maps

By Amanda Holpuch from NYT World https://ift.tt/mBhnGL3

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S Jaishankar Meets Rishi Sunak, Gifts Bat Signed By Virat Kohli

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street and conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Diwali on Sunday.

S Jaishankar along with his wife, Kyoko Jaishankar met with the UK PM and presented him a Lord Ganesha Statue and a cricket bat signed by Indian batting great Virat Kohli.

Taking to his official handle on X, EAM S Jaishankar shared details about his meeting with the UK PM, posting, "Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times. Thank Mr. and Mrs. Sunak for their warm reception and gracious hospitality."

The Prime Minister @RishiSunak welcomed @DrSJaishankar to Downing Street this evening.

Together they expressed their very best wishes as Indian communities around the world begin #Diwali celebrations.

???? pic.twitter.com/gjCxQ0vr8d

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) November 12, 2023

S Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he is scheduled to hold a meeting with his UK counterpart James Cleverly. He arrived in Britain on Saturday and will conclude his visit on November 15.

He is also scheduled to meet several other dignitaries during his visit.

India and the UK have a "growing bilateral partnership", the MEA stated in a release earlier, noting that the two countries launched a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.

"India and the UK share a warm and thriving relationship. The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030," the MEA stated in its release.

"The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both the countries. EAM's visit will give a new impetus to the friendly ties between the two countries," it added.

Significantly, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.

Earlier, on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress on the Free Trade Agreement during a telephone conversation.

Rishi Sunak also congratulated PM Modi on Team India's dazzling performances in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

"Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations. They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides," the UK government stated in an official release.

"The leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January," it added.

PM Modi and Rishi Sunak also discussed the conflict in West Asia, especially in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel and reiterated that the terror group "did not represent" the Palestinian people.

The two leaders also reflected on the need to de-escalate tensions in the wider region.

PM Rishi Sunak underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country, the statement added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Hundreds of Thousands Protest Spanish Prime Minister’s Deal With Separatists

By Jason Horowitz from NYT World https://ift.tt/yulwPc2

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50 Million Passengers To Fly Out Of India Per Year By 2030, Data Shows

The number of international outbound departures by Indian residents is expected to grow to over 50 million in 2030, which is more than double of what it was in 2022 - about 18 million, predicts Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) India in their latest 'India Outbound Travel in FY2030' report.

For the study and forecasts, CAPA India conducted in-depth research with 250 respondents, supported by 100 detailed, qualitative discussions, and rigorous analysis of tourism and traffic data.

Indian Travelers: The Outward-Bound Surge

The number of Indians taking on to travel overseas has been seeing year-on-year rise from 1995. According to the data from World Tourism Organisation, the numbers went from three lakhs in 1995 to 2.6 crore in 2019.

The CAPA India report's projection of 50 million outbound Indian travellers by 2030 mirrors the nation's growing appetite for international travel and the economic clout of Indian tourists abroad.

Inbound Tourism: The Global Footprint in India

On the arrival front, India has seen a massive year-on-year increase in international tourists, with Asia and the Pacific leading the source regions, followed by Europe and the Americas. The economic impact is substantial, with the spending by these tourists contributing significantly to country's economy.

The sector has demonstrated not just recovery, but a potential for surpassing pre-pandemic levels, suggesting a bright future for India's tourism industry.

India's Tourism Industry On An Upward Swing

India's tourism industry has shown exceptional growth and resilience. With a surge in international arrivals, the nation's allure as a global tourist hub is more evident than ever promising lot of livelihoods.

The tourism industry has also shown a remarkable trajectory in terms of establishments (hotel rooms) and personnel. As per data, in 1995 there were just 57,386 rooms in the total registered hotels doubled to a figure of 1.16 lakhs in 2019. Meanwhile the jobs in the industry has also seen a huge surge before COVID-19 disruptions

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Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel Meet Amit Shah Amid Crisis Over Maratha Quota

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior NCP leader Praful Patel on Friday met Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

The meeting took place amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra over the demand for reservation by the Maratha community and the hearing before the Election Commission on the claim over the NCP.

"Had a meaningful meeting with Hon'ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji in Delhi, extending warm Diwali wishes. Grateful for the opportunity to pay a courtesy call and share festive joy," NCP working president Patel said on 'X'.

Mr Pawar was accompanied by Mr Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare for the meeting.

In June, Mr Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra with support of more than 40 of the NCP's total 53 MLAs and leaving his uncle and founder of the regional outfit Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar has since staked his claim to the party's name and election symbol, a case which is being heard by the Election Commission.

Ajit Pawar's meeting with the Union home minister came on a day when the Pawar family had a get together over a lunch in Pune.

NCP founder Sharad Pawar, his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule were present at the pre-Diwali family lunch that took place at the Pune residence of Prataprao Pawar, the veteran leader's younger brother.

Ajit Pawar reached the national capital from Pune. Both Patel and Pawar left Shah's residence without speaking to the media.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Last 12 Months On Earth Were The Hottest Ever Recorded: Report

The Earth experienced its hottest year-long period in recorded history with global temperatures setting a new 12-month record, exceeding 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels from November 2022 through October 2023, according to a new analysis of international data released on Thursday.

This is the hottest year-long period in recorded history due to human-caused climate change that influenced heat over the last 12 months in 175 countries and 920 cities.

In India, 86 per cent of the population (1.2 billion) residents were exposed to at least 30 days of above-average temperatures made at least three times more likely by the influence of climate change, or level-three on Climate Central's Climate Shift Index (CSI).

CSI, developed by Climate Central (an independent US-based group of scientists and communicators), is a tool that quantifies the contribution of climate change to daily temperatures.

The Climate Central analysis released Thursday showed that average temperatures between November 2022 and October 2023 were above the 30-year norm in 170 countries, exposing 7.8 billion people - 99 per cent of humanity - to above-average heat.

"November 2022-October 2023 were the hottest 12 consecutive months ever recorded. This 12-month period's data is very consistent with the long-term global warming trend. Global Mean Temperature (GMT) was around 1.3 degrees Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial climate," mentions the Climate Central report.

"1 in 4 people worldwide (1.9 billion people) faced extreme and dangerous heatwaves driven by climate change over the last 12 months. This marks the hottest year-long period in recorded history," it added.

In 170 countries, mean temperatures over the span exceeded 30-year norms, exposing 7.8 billion people--99 per cent of humanity--to above-average warmth.

Only Iceland and Lesotho recorded cooler-than-normal temperatures, as per data released by the nonprofit organisation Climate Central.

Weather attribution analysis also revealed that during the span, 5.7 billion people were exposed to at least 30 days of above-average temperatures made at least three times more likely by the influence of climate change, or level-three on Climate Central's Climate Shift Index.

This exposure included nearly every resident of Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and every Caribbean and Central American nation.

India recorded an average CSI of 1, but the CSI increased to 1.6 between May and October this year.

"In India, 1.2 billion residents--86 per cent of the population--experienced Climate Shift Index level-three temperatures on 30 or more days. In China, this figure was 513 million residents--35 per cent of the population; and in the United States, 88 million--26 per cent of the population experienced at least 30 days of temperatures made at least three times more likely by climate change," the report mentions.

Researchers at Climate Central conducted the analysis using CSI, which measures how often and how much temperatures have shifted from the historical average. A higher index indicates more dramatic change compared to the past.

During this span, more than 500 million people in 200 cities experienced streaks of extreme heat, with at least five days of daily temperatures in the 99th percentile compared to 30-year norms.

No major city on Earth matched Houston's 22 consecutive days of extreme heat between July 31 and August 21.

"This 12-month record is exactly what we expect from a global climate fueled by carbon pollution," Dr Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central, said.

"Records will continue to fall next year, especially as the growing El Nino begins to take hold, exposing billions to unusual heat. While climate impacts are most acute in developing countries near the equator, seeing climate-fueled streaks of extreme heat in the U.S., India, Japan, and Europe underscores that no one is safe from climate change."

The rising frequency and intensity of heat waves across the globe are consistent with the consequences of carbon pollution -- mainly from burning coal, oil, and natural gas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Day After Supreme Court Report, Punjab Reports Over 2,000 Farm Fires

More than 2,000 farm fires were reported from Punjab on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court issued directions to ensure stopping of crop residue burning "forthwith".

Sangrur district, the birthplace of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, recorded the maximum number of stubble burning incidents in the state on Wednesday.

Many parts in Haryana saw air quality indices in the 'severe' and 'very poor' categories.

The total number of farm fires jumped to 22,981 in Punjab with 2,003 fresh such cases being reported on Wednesday, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

Out of the 2,003 stubble burning incidents, Sangrur continued to top with 466 such cases, followed by 221 in Bathinda, 216 in Barnala, 150 in Faridkot, 131 in Mansa, 106 in Patiala, 103 in Ferozepur and 96 in Ludhiana, according to the data.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav on Wednesday asked the police officers to work in tandem with the civil administration to prevent stubble burning in the state.

The DGP also appointed Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla as the police nodal officer to monitor action against stubble burning, according to an order.

"The police nodal officer shall issue suitable directions, hold meetings, conduct tours and collect and collate relevant information and put up to the DGP Punjab and the Chief Secretary so that monitoring of the actions being undertaken by the police to ensure compliance of the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is done in an effective manner," the order read.

Out of total 22,981 farm fires recorded from September 15 till November 8, Sangrur is leading with highest number of stubble burning cases of 4,070, followed by 2,176 in Ferozepur, 1,888 in Tarn Taran, 1,719 in Mansa, 1,524 in Patiala, 1,454 in Amritsar, 1,436 in Bathinda, 1,129 in Barnala, 1,089 in Ludhiana and 1,014 in Faridkot.

Meanwhile, Haryana's Fatehabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 451, followed by Faridabad at 425, Jind at 406, Bhiwani at 400, Gurugram 385, Kaithal 380, Rohtak 362, Hisar 332, Panipat 323 and Sisra 319.

In Punjab, Bathinda reported AQI at 348, followed by Mandi Gobindgarh at 338, Ludhiana 292, Patiala 267, Jalandhar 266, Khanna 253 and Amritsar 240.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, saw an AQI of 201.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

As the window for wheat, a key rabi crop, is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Orcas Sink Fourth Boat Off Iberia, Unnerving Sailors

By Isabella Kwai from NYT World https://ift.tt/hq5mXtY

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Over 1,500 Farm Fires In Punjab Today, Haryana Air Quality "Severe"

Punjab reported over 1,500 stubble-burning incidents today while many parts of Haryana saw air quality indices in the 'severe' and 'very poor' categories.

The total number of farm fires increased to 20,978 with 1,515 such cases being reported today, according to the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

Of the 1,515 stubble-burning incidents, Sangrur continued to top with 397 such cases, followed by 147 in Barnala, 137 in Mansa, 129 in Bathinda, 97 in Ferozepur, 93 in Moga, and 86 in Ludhiana.

On the same day in 2021 and 2022, the state saw 5,199 and 2,487 active fires, respectively.

Out of the 20,978 farm fires recorded from September 15 till November 7, Sangrur is leading with maximum stubble burning cases of 3,604, followed by 2,073 in Ferozepur, 1,847 in Tarn Taran, 1,588 in Mansa, 1,444 in Amritsar, 1,418 in Patiala and 1,215 in Bathinda.

Meanwhile, Haryana's Fatehabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 421, followed by Hisar at 403, Jind at 384, Sonipat at 381, Kaithal 377, Faridabad 374, Gurugram 364, Bhiwani 361, Sirsa 334, Panipat 328 and Rohtak 326, In Punjab, Bathinda reported AQI at 343, followed by Mandi Gobindgarh at 299, Jalandhar 252, Patiala 250, Ludhiana 239, Amritsar 205 and Khanna 203.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, saw an AQI of 159.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

To prevent further deterioration of air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, had on Sunday decided to invoke Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan, in the entire National Capital Region with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, officials said that the Deputy Commissioners of the affected Haryana NCR districts have given strict instructions to ensure compliance with all restrictions under GRAP-4.

Haryana State Pollution Control Board Chairman P Raghavendra Rao on Tuesday gave necessary guidelines while holding a meeting of Deputy Commissioners through video conference to review the compliance of restrictions and instructions under GRAP-4.

Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar, who also attended the meeting, has directed that if anyone is found disobeying the instructions, strict action should be taken against him.

While assuring full compliance with the instructions received, Manoj Kumar said that all possible steps are being taken to control pollution.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal Tuesday appealed to farmers not to burn crop residue as people were gasping for breath due to severe air pollution.

"Ever since November started, paddy straw burning cases are on the rise," he said in a statement.

Setting straw ablaze was not a sensible solution to vacate fields for the wheat sowing, rather smoke was being carried by winds to other states, deteriorating air quality and creating breathing difficulties for citizens, Mr Gosal said.

Stating that the Punjab farmers have always garnered admiration for being industrious and tenacious, he urged the rural community to not resort to burning paddy stubble as it was not a healthy sign and was bringing a bad name to the farming community of Punjab.

Mr Gosal called upon farmers to be wise and sensible and have mercy on humanity.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the major reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

As the window for wheat -- a key Rabi crop -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing the next crop.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Simple Touch Not Penetrative Sex Assault Under POCSO Act: High Court

A "simple touch" cannot be considered "manipulation" of a minor's body to cause penetration and attract the offence of penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act, the Delhi High Court said.

Justice Amit Bansal said "touch" was a separate offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act as he refused to uphold the conviction of a man for "aggravated penetrative sexual assault" for touching the private parts of a six-year-old girl his brother, a tuition teacher, taught

The judge, however, refused to interfere with the conviction and five-year jail term awarded to the man for the offence of "aggravated sexual assault" under the law.

"A perusal of Section 3(c) of the POCSO Act shows that for an act to be a penetrative sexual assault, the accused has to manipulate any part of the body of the child to cause penetration," said the court while dealing with the convict's appeal against a trial court decision.

"A simple act of touch cannot be considered to be manipulation under Section 3(c) of the Act. It is relevant to note that under Section 7 (sexual assault) of the POCSO Act, 'touch' is a separate offence. If the submission raised by the learned APP that a touch would amount to manipulation is accepted, then Section 7 of the Act would be rendered redundant," the court said in its order.

Sexual assault becomes "aggravated sexual assault" under Section 10 of the POCSO Act when committed on a child below 12.

The court observed there was nothing in the present case to show that there was any manipulation on any part of the body of the girl to cause penetration and attract the offence of "aggravated penetrative sexual assault".

The appellant argued there were serious lapses in the investigation and that the survivor's deposition contained material contradictions and improvements.

The court said two other children were present at the time of the incident but the prosecution did not make any attempt to question them which "clearly amounts to a serious lapse in the investigation".

It, however, added that merely because there were inconsistencies in the statement of the girl, it could not be said that her testimony was completely unreliable and should be disregarded in its entirety.

The court said the girl "consistently stated in her testimony as well as various previous statements" that she was touched in the anal region by the appellant and that caused her pain.

"I am of the opinion that the offence under Section 6 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act has not been proved against the appellant beyond all reasonable doubt. But the offence under Section 10 of the POCSO Act is proved beyond all reasonable doubt against the appellant," ruled the court.

"The appellant is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment of five years for the offence under Section 10 of the POCSO Act. The fine of Rs 5,000 awarded by the trial court is retained," it ordered.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Congress Very Cunning Party": Akhilesh Yadav's Swipe On Caste Census

In a fresh attack on Congress, its ally I.N.D.I.A. ally, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused it of being a "cunning" party, accused it of "betraying" him, and urged the people to not vote for its leaders in the upcoming elections.

"Do not vote for the Congress. It is a very cunning party. It is now being supportive of the caste census for the sake of votes. If It has betrayed us, how come the public is significant for it," Akhilesh Yadav said at a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Jatara constituency.

Akhilesh Yadav also said that by the time the general election of 2024 approaches, the BJP will also come in support of caste-based census because it's the demand of voters.

While addressing the public rally, the SP chief also targeted the present government of Madhya Pradesh over poor infrastructure and women's safety.

Responding to PM Modi's free ration scheme, Mr Yadav said, "If you are getting nothing as ration, then why will you vote for BJP?

He also slammed the BJP by calling it a "loot-tantrik" government.

Akhilesh Yadav is on a three-day visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party has fielded candidates on 72 seats in the upcoming state elections.

Meanwhile, the strained partners in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc have been at loggerheads following the breakdown in seat-sharing talks, with Akhilesh Yadav firing the "chirkut" (small-timer) jibe at Congress' UP chief Ajay Rai.

Upset over the Congress's alleged seat snub to the SP ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, Mr Yadav said, "I want to tell the Congress, don't let your chirkut leaders talk about us."

He said he was clueless whether the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) was meant to take on the BJP at the national or state level.

"If Congress didn't want to give us seats (in Madhya Pradesh), they could have said so before. We have decided to go alone in Madhya Pradesh. After (the breakdown in seat-sharing talks in) Madhya Pradesh, I have come to realise that I.N.D.I.A. is meant only for the general elections. But if Congress continues to behave like this, then who will stand with them? If we fight against the BJP with such confusion and doubts in our minds (around the alliance), we will never succeed," he added.

Congress leader Ajay Rai earlier asked the SP to withdraw from Madhya Pradesh in favour of the grand old party as the Akhilesh Yadav-led party, he said, did not have any base there.

"If you (Akhilesh Yadav) are a part of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, then you will have to see what the situation is in each state. In Madhya Pradesh, there is a fight between Congress and the BJP, so SP should be supportive (of Congress). They had only one MLA and he also joined the BJP," Mr Rai said.

Adding fuel to the ongoing war of words within the grand alliance, Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that the Congress was "busy with the state assembly elections" in five states and not very keen on taking the I.N.D.I.A. bloc forward. The JDU is also a part of the bloc.

While addressing the Communist Party of India's (CPI) 'BJP Hatao, Desh Bachao' rally in Patna, Nitish Kumar said, "Yes, we constituted an alliance but the work to strengthen it is not actively happening right now. Elections are about to happen in five states and the Congress party is more interested in that it seems. We all were working together to help strengthen the Congress party and take it forward but they don't seem to be as keen. Congress is busy with the assembly polls in five states now."

Nitish Kumar asserted that the bloc won't stop the fight for the country and added that the meetings of the coalition will resume once the elections in five states are over.

Meanwhile, targeting the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The INDI-Alliance has disintegrated before it is formed. Now, Nitish Kumar has also said that Congress does not care about other parties. Even before this, one can see, that Congress has worried about Congress and they also worry about families. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is only busy establishing her son and daughter (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi)".

Madhya Pradesh 2023 assembly elections are scheduled in a single phase on 17 November 2023. The votes will be counted on 3 December along with the votes of the Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana assembly elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"They Can Arrest Arvind Kejriwal But...": B Mann Attacks BJP Over Summons

Coming down heavily on the Centre over the ED summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the liquor 'scam' case, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said the AAP convenor picked up the 'broom', which is the party's official symbol, to sweep the 'filth' from politics.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Punjab Chief Minister said, "Arvind Kejriwal picked up the broom to sweep the filth from politics. I understand that the BJP has received an intelligence report saying that Kejriwal will be arrested (by the ED). The BJP wants to put him away behind bars as wherever he goes, the mess that they have left behind is cleansed."

"They (BJP-led Centre) want to stop us. They can arrest Kejriwal but can they stop lakhs of people who have made him their leader for 10 years? AAP is the only party which has prioritised the welfare and well-being of the common man," Mr Mann said.

Meanwhile, speaking at a public meeting in poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Saturday, Mr Kejriwal said the AAP has extended its footprints beyond the national capital, forming the government in two states within a span of 10 years since its inception.

"We formed government in two states within a span of 10 years by the grace of God. We are in power in Delhi and Punjab on the back of clear and decisive mandates. We also have 5 MLAs in Gujarat and 2 in Goa and we are making rapid inroads beyond Delhi. People are fond of the AAP and we want to take our party to the far corners of the country," the Delhi Chief Minister said.

"I am not here to ask for votes. All I am here for is to urge you all to give us an opportunity to give a good education to your children. I will; ensure that your children receive a proper education and study in good schools. Government schools in Delhi were in a sorry state when we took over. They were in a dilapidated state, much like the ones here in Chhattisgarh. Previously, the power in Delhi merely alternated between the Congress and the BJP. However, one fine day, the voters decided to throw the BJP and Congress out and bring the AAP to power," he added.

Earlier, on Friday, AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons to CM Kejriwal is "just the beginning" as the agency will soon "summon other leaders" of the party.

Speaking at a press conference, the Delhi minister said, "ED's summons to our leader Arvind Kejriwal is just the beginning. They will summon more leaders from our party and raid their homes in the coming days. They will arrest more of our MLAs, ministers and MPs."

Skipping the summons, he wrote to the central agency, stating, "The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which, to say the least, is vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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David Kirke, Who Made the First Modern Bungee Jump, Dies at 78

By Alex Williams from NYT World https://ift.tt/5vLJX9j

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The West Bank seethes amid the war in Gaza.

By Aaron Boxerman from NYT World https://ift.tt/UzPWI2k

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Evacuating from Gaza turns out to be its own ordeal.

By Emma Bubola and Ameera Harouda from NYT World https://ift.tt/e0Tgqp6

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4 killed, 7 Injured As Vehicle Falls Into Gorge In Himachal's Mandi: Cops

Four people, including three women, were killed while seven suffered injuries when a pick-up van they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district on Wednesday evening, police said.

The vehicle, travelling from Lagdhar to Kotli, had 11 occupants at the time of the accident, they said.

Police said the driver lost control over the vehicle near Ghanyara in Kotli, about 26 km from Mandi, adding that the accident took place when they were returning after attending a marriage function.

Three of the dead people were identified as Chinta Devi, Chandra Devi and Mast Ram while one woman is yet to be identified, police said, adding the injured have been referred to Mandi's Zonal Hospital.

Mandi Assistant Superintendent of Police Sagar Chand said a case of negligent driving, causing hurt and death by negligence has been registered against the vehicle driver under sections 279, 337, 338 and 304 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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