Four dead, Opposition lashes out at Shinde government over relief efforts
Severe storms and torrential rainfall have claimed the lives of at least four people in Mumbai, and its neighbouring areas. The intense weather has led to the closure of schools and caused major disruptions to train services. Mumbai Police have also registered an accidental death report (ADR) and launched a probe. Three people died due to lightning strikes in separate incidents on Wednesday in neighbouring Thane district. Calling the Eknath Shinde-led MahaYuti government inefficient, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the current dispensation for failing to provide relief mechanisms for citizens during Wednesday’s storms and heavy rains. He criticised the government for the flooding in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.
Isolate all Mpox cases, follow strict control measures: Health Ministry
After India became the third non-African country to report a case of clade Ib Mpox infection recently, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday (September 26, 2024) written to all States and Union Territories directing that all suspected Mpox cases be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures be put in place. It said samples from skin lesions of any patient with suspected symptoms of Mpox should be sent to the designated labs immediately and for those who test positive a sample should be sent to the ICMR-NIV for genome sequencing to determine the clade.
Sanjay Raut gets bail, hours after Mumbai court sends him to 15 days in prison, in defamation case filed by Kirit Somaiya’s wife
A metropolitan magistrate court in Mazgaon, Mumbai on Thursday (September 26, 2024) granted bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut hours after sentencing him to 15 days of simple imprisonment in a defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Aarti Kulkarni convicted Mr. Raut for the offence under Indian Penal Code Section 500 (punishment for defamation). The court also imposed a fine of ₹25,000 in the criminal defamation case. After the court passed its judgment, Mr. Raut’s lawyer filed two pleas for suspension of the sentence and granting him bail, which the court allowed.
Supreme Court grants bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthilbalaji
The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 26, 2024) granted bail to former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji in a money laundering case linked to the cash-for-jobs ‘scam’. A Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka said “stringent thresholds for bail and delay in prosecution do not go together”. Justice Oka, while pronouncing the verdict, said the apex court has put “onerous conditions” of bail.
Samples of over 50 drugs in market not of standard quality: CDSCO
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), in its drug alert for August, has listed that samples of more than 50 drugs, including commonly used paracetamol, Pan D, calcium, vitamin D3 supplements, and anti-diabetes pills, are “not of standard quality”. The drugs are allegedly manufactured by companies, including Alkem Laboratories, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Hetero Labs Limited, Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Nestor Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Priya Pharmaceuticals and Scott-Edil Pharmacia Ltd.
Bilkis Bano case: Supreme Court rejects Gujarat’s plea seeking review of verdict over certain observations
The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 26, 2024) dismissed a plea filed by the Gujarat government seeking a review of the court’s verdict which contained certain observations against the State while quashing the remission granted to 11 men convicted of raping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members during the 2002 riots. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan also rejected the application for listing review petition in open court.
Bengaluru woman’s body chopped into pieces: Murder suspect found dead in Odisha
Four days after the gruesome murder of a 29-year-old woman was discovered at her house in Vyalikaval in Bengaluru, the prime suspect in the case, Mukti Ranjan Pratap Roy, who was on the run was found to have ended his life near his native place in Odisha on Wednesday (September 25, 2024). The woman was killed on the first floor of a three-storey house, and the chopped body parts were stuffed in a fridge. The murder had sent shockwaves in the city. The police, who were on the trail of the suspect, had sent a team to Odisha to track him down.\
Supriya Sule asks PM Modi to inaugurate Pune Metro virtually
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule on Thursday (September 26, 2024) suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should inaugurate the new phase of the Pune Metro virtually, as he has already inaugurated the ‘same’ project five times previously. She also called Union Minister Amit Shah’s recent two-day visit to Maharashtra to meet BJP leaders and allies ‘strange and interesting’ as their focus was not on serving the city but on ‘finishing’ her father, NCP (SP) Sharad Pawar, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray.
Indian nationals ‘strongly advised’ to leave Lebanon; government mulls evacuation plans
India has “strongly advised” its nationals to leave Lebanon. An advisory issued by the Embassy of India in Beirut has advised Indian citizens to not to travel to Lebanon which has been targeted by Israeli bombing raids over the past three days. Official sources have informed that the Government of India is contemplating evacuation of Indian nationals from Lebanon in view of the deteriorating security situation in the country. “All Indian nationals already in Lebanon are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon. Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remaining contact with Embassy of India in Beirut through our email ID: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +96176860128,” the Embassy of India said in a public notification.
‘Rare embodiment of simplicity, visionary statesman’: Congress hails Manmohan Singh as he turns 92
As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turned 92, wishes poured in from Congress leaders on Thursday (September 26, 2024) with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi hailing his humility, wisdom and selfless service in shaping the country’s future. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also greeted Mr. Singh on his birthday and said he stands as a “rare embodiment of simplicity, dignity and ingenuity in the realm of politics”.
AAP’s strength falls to 59 in Delhi Assembly; BJP’s to seven
Three seats held by the AAP and one seat held by the BJP have fallen vacant in the Delhi Assembly, taking the AAP’s strength to 59 and BJP’s to seven in the 70-member Assembly. Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said in the Assembly House on Thursday (September 26, 2024) that Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Rajendra Pal Gautam submitted their resignation as MLAs and they have been accepted. “Raaj Kumar Anand and Kartar Singh Tanwar have been disqualified as members of the Assembly. All these empty seats have been notified and election commission has been informed,” Mr. Goel said.
Terrorism won’t be allowed to stage comeback, it has been buried: Amit Shah in Udhampur rally
Terrorism has been buried and won’t be allowed to stage a comeback, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) while addressing a rally. Promising a terror-free region under the BJP regime, Mr. Shah alleged that the National Conference-Congress alliance would impose Pakistan’s agenda if it comes to power. Mr. Shah, who is spearheading the BJP’s election campaign, said Assembly elections are taking place in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir without Article 370. The Narendra Modi-led government, Mr. Shah said in his address, had fulfilled the dream of the party’s patriarch Syama Prasad Mukherjee in August 2019 when it abrogated Article 370.
Israel vows to keep fighting Hezbollah ‘until victory’
Israel flatly rejected on Thursday (September 26, 2024) a push led by key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, as it vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah militants “until victory”. Israeli aerial bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon has killed hundreds of people this week, while the militant group has hit back with barrages of rockets. “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Katz said in a post on social media platform X.
‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon,’ U.N. chief warns Security Council
“Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon,” warned U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, as he addressed the Security Council on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) regarding the escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon. Mr. Guterres highlighted the alarming expansion in “scope, depth and intensity” of the exchanges of fire across the U.N.-monitored boundary. His remarks came in the wake of Lebanon’s deadliest day in decades, with Israel intensifying its bombardment of areas largely controlled by Hezbollah, following last week’s pager and walkie-talkie attacks that claimed 37 lives.
Hurricane Helene is expected to bring devastation during landfall on Florida’s north-western coast
Fast-moving Hurricane Helene was advancing on Thursday (September 26, 2024) across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, threatening an “unsurvivable” storm surge in north-western parts of the state as well as damaging winds, rains and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across much of the south-eastern U.S., forecasters said. Helene is expected to be a major hurricane — meaning a Category 3 or higher — when it makes landfall on Florida’s north-western coast on Thursday (September 26, 2024) evening. As of early Thursday, hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into south-central Georgia. The governors of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas have all declared emergencies in their states.
Government retains borrowing target, to raise ₹6.61 lakh crore in H2 to fund revenue gap
The Centre has retained its borrowing target for the current financial year and plans to raise ₹6.61 lakh crore through auction of dated securities during October-March period of 2024-25 to fund the revenue gap to boost economic growth. “Out of Gross Market borrowing of ₹14.01 lakh crore budgeted for 2024-25, ₹6.61 lakh crore (47.2%) is planned to be borrowed in H2 through issuance of dated securities, including ₹20,000 crore of Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs),” the finance ministry said in a statement on Thursday (September 26, 2024).
Cheteshwar Pujara was backbone of Indian batting on last two Australia tours, says Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari, part of India’s back to back series wins in Australia, reckons the services of veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara will be dearly missed when the team aims for a hat-trick Down Under later this year. The five Test series begins in Perth from November 22. Out of favour Pujara was the leading run-getter in the 2018-19 series with 521 off 1258 balls and was once again the backbone of Indian batting three years later when he accumulated 271 runs off 928 balls. Across the two teams, the 103-Test veteran by far faced the number of balls to wear out the opposition attack comprising Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Published - September 26, 2024 07:41 pm IST
