Court convicts activist Medha Patkar in defamation case filed by Delhi LG V K Saxena
A Delhi court on May 24 convicted Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar in a defamation case lodged against her by V K Saxena, the incumbent lieutenant governor of the national capital. Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma found Ms. Patkar guilty of criminal defamation. Under the relevant law, the activist may get a jail term of two years or fine or both as the punishment.
SC refuses to pass interim order for EC to publish ‘Form 17C’ data
The Supreme Court on May 24 refused an NGO’s plea to issue the Election Commission of India to upload authenticated, scanned and legible copies of Form 17C showing the account of votes recorded booth wise after each phase of polling in Lok Sabha elections. A Vacation Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said the nation is on the evening of the sixth phase of General Elections. Mammoth polls require huge human resources. The court said it did not want to divert the attention of the Election Commission (EC) in the middle of the elections.
Cyclone Remal to make landfall in West Bengal, Bangladesh on May 26: IMD
“A cyclone brewing in the Bay of Bengal will make landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Bangladesh’s Khepupara on Sunday midnight,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on May 24. This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season and will be named Remal, according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region. The system will strengthen into a cyclonic storm by Saturday morning and further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday night. “It’s very likely to cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara around Sunday midnight as a severe cyclonic storm,” the IMD said in an update. The cyclone could reach a wind speed of 120 km per hour on May 26.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval says undefined borders in west and north adversely affects country
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said on May 24 that the undefined borders in the west and north have adversely affected the country and its weight on internal security in terms of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking is a liability for the nation. He said India’s economic progress would have been much faster “if we had more secure borders.” Mr. Doval was addressing the Investiture ceremony of the Border Security Force (BSF). India shares an undefined border with China in the north, while a large area has been occupied by Pakistan in the west.
India General Elections 2024 LIVE updates: May 24, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 24 accused the Congress of not fulfilling its promise of providing 1 lakh jobs to the youth of Himachal Pradesh and said the party’s “talabaaz sarkar” put a lock on the state staff selection commission. Addressing a ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Sirmaur district’s Nahan to garner support for BJP’s Shimla Lok Sabha seat candidate Suresh Kashyap, the Prime Minister also said that communalism, casteism and dynastic politics are common in the Congress and its allies. The sixth phase of the general elections is slated for May 25. With its seven parliamentary seats, the national capital will also go for voting in Phase 6.
Death toll rises to 10 in Thane chemical factory blast; owners booked for culpable homicide
The death toll in the chemical factory blast in Maharashtra’s Thane district rose to 10 with the discovery of three more bodies from the accident site, officials said on May 24. Police have registered a case of culpable homicide against the owners of Amudan Chemicals - Malti Pradeep Mehta, Malay Pradeep Mehta along with the director, administrator and other officials of the company in the Dombivali boiler blast case. A case was registered under sections 304, 324, 326, 285, 286, 427 and 34 of IPC.
MEA sends show-cause notice to Prajwal Revanna asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show-cause notice to suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna asking why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him, people familiar with the matter said on May 24. Official sources on Thursday had said the MEA is processing the Karnataka government’s request to cancel Prajwal’s diplomatic passport. Currently, he is believed to be in Germany. The show-cause notice has been served on Mr. Prajwal as part of the process initiated to cancel his passport, the people cited above said.
Police suspect Bangla MP honey-trapped before ‘murder’ by contract killers, one detained
The West Bengal CID on Thursday evening detained one person for his alleged involvement in the “murder” of Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim Anar, an officer said. Police suspect that the MP could have been “lured” into a New Town flat by a woman and then murdered by contract killers. The detained person, who is a resident of an area in West Bengal close to the international border with Bangladesh, had met one of the prime accused in the murder case, the officer said.
Pune Porsche car crash | As fake video of teen goes viral, mother appeals to cops to protect him
The mother of the 17-year-old boy who allegedly fatally knocked down two persons with his high-end car has appealed to the police to “protect” her son after a video purportedly featuring him, boasting about how he got away with the accident, went viral. In a video message, the teen’s mother stressed that the clip had nothing to do with her son and that it was fake. “The video which is being circulated is not of my son. That is a fake video. My son is in the detention centre,” says the teen’s mother in her message.
Archery World Cup: Indian compound mixed team enters final; Deepika in second successive semifinals after comeback
Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Priyansh advanced to the compound mixed team final, confirming India’s second medal, while Deepika Kumari brightened the country’s gloomy recurve campaign, reaching to her second successive Archery World Cup semifinals after her comeback in the Stage 2 of the event, in Yecheon on May 24. The compound women’s team of Jyothi, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Swami had assured India’s first medal by making the final on May 22. Young compound archer Prathamesh Fuge is also eyeing a medal as he advanced to the semifinal in the individual category.
Need someone with understanding of Indian cricket: BCCI secretary Jay Shah denies approaching Aussies for coach job
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Friday, May 24, 2024, rejected claims that the Board has approached any former Australian cricketer to be India’s next head coach and hinted that Rahul Dravid ’s successor could be an Indian by saying that he should have a “deep understanding” of the game’s structure in the country. In the midst of high-profile coaches around the globe choosing not to enter the race to be India’s men’s cricket head coach, Mr. Jay Shah has issued a clarification of not having approached anyone for the prestigious post.
How the World Health Organization could fight future pandemics
Health officials from the 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) hope next week to complete more than two years of negotiations on new rules for responding to pandemics when they gather in Geneva. Negotiations go to the wire on Friday for two complementary deals set to be formalised at the May 27-June 1 meeting: an update to existing health rules on outbreaks and a new legally-binding treaty to shore up the world’s defences against future pathogens after the COVID-19 pandemic killed millions of people.
AC Milan coach Pioli to leave at the end of the season, 2 years after leading club to Serie A title
AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli is leaving the Italian club at the end of the season after a near five-year stint that included the 2022 Serie A title. Milan announced Pioli’s departure on Friday, a day before its final league game of the season at home to Salernitana. Pioli stepping down had been widely expected, with club great Zlatan Ibrahimovic — who has been given a front-office role by Milan’s American owners — reportedly already involved in the search for a successor.
