NewsMidday Newsen-ushttps://www.mid-day.com/news23341999<![CDATA[The multidimensional mother]]>2024-03-29T04:14:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/the-multidimensional-mother-23341999Mid-dayNewsSince Monday morning, I have been living through the peculiar conundrum of simultaneously missing our toddler yet being surprisingly content with the four-night break I’m on from being called ‘mama’. I was a mess on Sunday evening. I held my toddler close and couldn’t fathom not sleeping next to him for the first time since his birth. When I count my consciousness of him during the span of my pregnancy, the time of our togetherness feels even longer. And here I am now, finally on the other side of the anxiety. Tomorrow, as you read this column, I will mid-flight, on my way back to Milan. We will be reunited. 

I was lucky to be staying with my family in Dubai. It definitely helped to distract myself. Did I check in with my partner or video call my child? No. I have only been sending video dispatches. I felt it was best not to check in on his caretakers—my partner and my in-laws so that they didn’t feel like they needed to report to me. Returning to Dubai to meet my niece and nephew, who are now 15 and 14, was also a good reminder of the fact that these separations are small blips in their trajectories. Neither have any memory from their childhood of being without their mothers. The advice I mentioned last week, about anxiety stemming from lack of trust in people, has held me in good stead. Another calming text I read spoke about how, in the absence of the breastfeeding mother, the child simply will sleep with the father or the alternative caregiver. It is not that they need necessarily to feed to sleep, they need, really, to feel safe and be offered the right environment.

To anyone who doesn’t have children, it may seem strange to hear me talk about this first-time separation, but it is so bodily, especially when one is breastfeeding. It has something to do with experiencing one’s consciousness differently. Also, encountering very different levels of non-tiredness. Last night, for instance, I struggled to fall asleep because I was simply not tired enough. Even though it was midnight and I had spent the last two hours in a shopping mall (the joys of being in Dubai during Ramadan) and had spent the whole day first at the workshop I am co-hosting with the Sharjah Art Foundation at the Africa Institute, then to and back from Al Dhaid, an hour’s drive away from Sharjah city to see the Foundation’s exhibition of Palestinian art from their collection. Despite all of these intellectual and physical intensities, not taking care of a child leaves the body not quite tired, which, in combination with mild jet lag, meant I didn’t fall asleep as I normally would have. I woke up constantly as if my body was even rejecting the rest. 

There is a term used to describe the overwhelming experience of becoming mother. It is called ‘matrescence’. It refers to the complexity of suddenly inhabiting a dual consciousness and the very bodily experience of feeling like you are not your previous self anymore. Shopping is an odd thing to do because I don’t even know what my ‘style’ is anymore. I wear baggier jeans and like looser fitting clothes, but the wardrobe from my pre-maternal days feels somewhat alien to me. What I choose to spend my energies on when I am alone with myself has also changed. On my flight, for instance, I felt elated to watch the animated cartoon, Bluey, about a family of dogs living in Brisbane. It thrilled me because it captured so much of the joy and the anguish of parenting.

I think if there is one category of people who are most idealised but who never quite feel seen, it is mothers. Within this there is the category of the stay-at-home and the ‘working’ mother, both obscenely worded categories, because motherhood in and of itself is exhausting labour. Holding a job at the same time to me feels welcome because it takes me away from the drudgery of the singularity of the maternal identity. Being offered the chance to relate to other people who are not my children reminds me that I have other dimensions to my identity. 

Our toddler refers to my work as ‘Mama study’. It’s perfect because even when I am the one teaching, I continue learning. Working with students—mostly Gen Z—is something I have done parallel to holding a full-time job and being a mother, and it is, possibly, the most rewarding form of professional labour. I relish being in the company of these people whose sense of self is still in flux. Because I feel secure about myself and confident in my skills as a lecturer, I allow myself to bask in the feeling of awe I can see being directed towards me. I see their brains lighting up. I see their worlds shifting. I see how this form of labour, like intentional parenting, is another form of feminist activism. It fills my heart with joy and delight and hope. I feel complicit in gently altering the trajectory of the future.

Deliberating on the life and times of Everywoman, Rosalyn D’Mello is a reputable art critic and the author of A Handbook For My Lover. She tweets @RosaParx
Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.

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23341998<![CDATA[We need to have a healthy respect for natural water bodies]]>2024-03-29T04:11:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/we-need-to-have-a-healthy-respect-for-natural-water-bodies-23341998Mid-dayNewsThere is a consistent pattern to reports flooding news sites, about a number of drownings post Holi festivities. From Mumbai, where the focus is on Dadar-Mahim beach, to Gujarat, Odisha and Kolkata we have reports about revellers losing their lives in the water.

The tragedies usually unfold this way. Post getting colour on themselves playing Holi, youngsters decide to gadabout in water bodies. Many think taking a quick dip will help in washing off colour. That is when they underestimate depth or currents. Some simply slip and fall into the waters, while trying to get colour from their limbs. Still others have drowned trying to save friends and companions who are being washed away.

There are boys and girls who finish playing Holi but decide to meander onto the beach to continue having fun. While staying on the sand is safe, they conclude that the water will be more fun and make their way to the shoreline, emboldened, they wade further in. Some perch on slippery rocks, confident and not quite realising how precarious this is.

People need to wash off the colour at home, they cannot and should not be wandering into water bodies to wash off Holi colour. There is no merriment in wading into waters that could have questionable depths or currents, one can have the same joy on land at a very safe distance from water.

Families must reinforce messages like not succumbing to peer pressure and foolish dares, as youngsters may egg on others to get into the water. On some beaches in urban setting signboards and sirens warning revellers not to go into the water at all, may prove to be a small deterrent.

It will take huge awareness, intent and certain punitive measures to dial back these deaths. In the end, the mindset must change as people must be aware of the dangerous potential of deceptively placid waters.

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23341988<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh: Jailed gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari passes away]]>2024-03-28T22:30:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/uttar-pradesh-jailed-gangster-turned-politician-mukhtar-ansari-passes-away-23341988Mid-dayNewsJailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died at the Banda Medical College in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday following a cardiac arrest, its principal said.

Earlier in the day, Ansari was taken to the hospital after his health deteriorated, his lawyer said.

Banda Medical College principal Suneel Kaushal confirmed to PTI that Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at the facility.

He was hospitalised for around 14 hours on Tuesday after he complained of abdominal pain.

Mukhtar Ansari, 60, is a five-time former MLA from Mau Sadar seat and has been behind bars in UP and Punjab since 2005. He has over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP and was lodged in the Banda jail.

His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.

Earlier, his brother and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari, who reached the hospital, alleged that he was given poison in jail.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341978<![CDATA[Rameshwaram Cafe blast case: NIA arrests key conspirator]]>2024-03-28T21:37:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/rameshwaram-cafe-blast-case-nia-arrests-key-conspirator-23341978Mid-dayNewsIn a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key conspirator in Bengaluru`s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

Muzammil Shareef was picked up on Wednesday and placed in custody as a co-conspirator after NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations, including 12 in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh, it said.

The NIA, which took over the case on March 3, had earlier identified the main accused, Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who had carried out the blast.

It had also identified another conspirator, Abdul Matheen Taha, who is also wanted by the agency in other cases, the statement said.

"Both the men are on the run," it added.

NIA investigations have revealed that Muzammil Shareef had extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, involving an IED explosion at the cafe located at ITPL Road, Brookefield, Bengaluru, on March 1.

Several customers and hotel staff members were injured, some of them grievously, in the blast, which caused extensive damage to the property.

"Raids were conducted today at the houses of all these three accused as well as the residential premises and shops of other suspects, the statement said.
Various digital devices were seized during the searches, along with cash, it added.

Efforts are on to nab the absconding accused and unearth the larger conspiracy behind the blast, the NIA said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341976<![CDATA[ED created smoke screen of AAP being corrupt, alleges Arvind Kejriwal in court]]>2024-03-28T21:12:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/ed-created-smoke-screen-of-aap-being-corrupt-alleges-arvind-kejriwal-in-delhi-court-23341976Mid-dayNewsDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose ED custody was extended till April 1, on Thursday himself made submissions in a court here during the hearing in the alleged excise policy case, and alleged that the federal agency`s objective is to crush AAP.

Kejriwal also alleged that a smoke screen of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) being corrupt has been created before the nation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED produced him in the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja and sought a seven-day further custody, arguing that he needed to be confronted with some people linked with the case. The court extended his custodial interrogation till April 1.

Shortly after the proceedings started, the AAP national convener made the submissions in Hindi after obtaining permission from the court even though his lawyers were present there.

"So far, the CBI has filed 31,000 pages in this case in the court and 294 witnesses have been examined in this case. The ED has investigated 162 people and filed a 25,000-page report so far. By combining all these documents and reports, why have I been arrested? My name figures only in four statements," he said in a jam-packed courtroom.

Elaborating on the four statements mentioning his name, Kejriwal said C Arvind, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia`s secretary, gave a statement. According to it, Sisodia handed over some excise policy-related documents to C Arvind in his (Kejriwal`s) presence, in the chief minister`s official residence.

"He has only stated that Manish Sisodia gave some documents to C Arvind. Madam, several MLAs, ministers and dignitaries come with their secretaries to my house.

"They do side-talks and hand over documents to each other. How do I know who is giving what to whom? Is this statement a sufficient reason to arrest the sitting chief minister?" Kejriwal said.

Giving details of the second statement in which his name appears, Kejriwal said Magunta Srinivas Reddy is an MP from (Andhra Pradesh chief minister) Jagan Mohan Reddy`s party (YSRCP).

"Magunta Srinivas Reddy came to my office at 4.30 pm on March 16, 2021. He had sent an e-mail to my office that he is an MP and wanted to meet me.

"My office gave him an appointment to meet me after 10 days. He came over and said I want to open my family`s charitable trust in Delhi. I told him that land does not come under us, it comes under the Lieutenant Governor (LG)," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi chief minister asked Magunta Srinivas Reddy to give him the letter which he will forward to the lieutenant governor.

He said on September 16, 2022, Reddy`s house was raided and the ED asked him whether he had met Kejriwal. When Reddy replied in the affirmative, saying his meeting was about seeking land for his family`s trust, the ED was "not happy" and later the agency arrested his son in February 2023.

"When the son remains arrested for five months, the father changes his statement. He changed his statement on July 16, 2023, and his son was released on July 18. Mission accomplished. That means the only mission of the ED was to get me trapped," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi chief minister further said Magunta Srinivas Reddy gave three statements to the agency but only one was considered.

"Why the only statement that is against Kejriwal has been included in the 25,000 pages of ED report and the other two statements were not considered?All the three statements should have been brought to the notice of the court, so that it could decide the truth in the case," he said.

About the statement of the third person, Raghav Magunta, the Delhi chief minister said out his total seven statements, six were not against him (Kejriwal). But as soon as he gave the seventh statement against him, Magunta was released from the jail.

"The six statements which are not against me have not been brought on record," the chief minister said.

He said Sarath Chandra Reddy, who was the fourth person to make a statement mentioning his name, stated nothing against the chief minister in his two statements before his arrest and nine statements after being arrested.

"After he was kept in jail for six months, he (Sarath Chandra Reddy) finally succumbed and gave another statement on April 25, 2023.The only thing he said against me was that he had gone to meet the CM along with Vijay Nair," he said.

Kejriwal asked the judge whether these four statements are enough to arrest a sitting chief minister.

He claimed that there is no evidence to the ED`s claims that AAP has taken Rs 100 crore. The actual liquor excise policy scam started after the beginning of the ED investigation, he said.

"The ED investigation had two main motives -- first was to crush the Aam Aadmi Party and to declare it corrupt," he said.

He said the second motive was to form a smoke screen in front of the nation where they could declare the AAP as corrupt.

Without mentioning the BJP or the Centre, he alleged that they wanted to make the AAP an accused in excise policy scam and easily operate their electoral bond scam behind all of this. "They were extorting huge funds in the name of electoral bonds," he added.

ASG S V Raju countered Kejriwal and his counsel, saying, "Persons who have later named him have disclosed reasons to do so. It is in the papers. All these submissions have been made before the Delhi high court."

The ASG further said the claim about papers factoring him being with the agency was "a figment of his imagination".

"He is the person in-charge of affairs of the AAP which has received the bribe amounts used in the Goa elections. We have witnesses to say the money came through hawala from the South Group. There is a chain. He has selectively not talked about that chain," the ASG said.

The ED officials reacting to Kejriwal`s statement said they were investigating the case under the lawful procedures of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the agency has been duly filing charge sheets before the courts.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341973<![CDATA[Bawankule`s statement on case involving Rana misleading, Cong writes to EC, SC]]>2024-03-28T20:07:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/lok-sabha-elections-2024-bawankules-statement-on-case-involving-navneet-rana-misleading-congress-writes-to-ec-sc-23341973Mid-dayNewsThe Congress on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission (EC) and the Supreme Court, accusing Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule of giving a misleading statement in a case involving MP Navneet Rana, reported the PTI.

The statement amounted to contempt of court and a violation of the model code, the Congress has claimed, as per the PTI.

In a video message, state Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe alleged that Chandrashekhar Bawankule had claimed that the SC had given its judgment on a caste validity certificate case concerning Rana, as per the PTI.

Navneet Rana, who currently represents the Amravati Lok Sabha seat, joined the ruling BJP at the Chandrashekhar Bawankule`s residence in Nagpur, Maharashtra along with her supporters late Wednesday night.

The BJP announced her name as the party candidate for the Amravati seat, and Chandrashekhar Bawankule said she would file her election nomination on April 4, according to the PTI.

Atul Londhe claimed that Chandrashekhar Bawankule`s statement was misleading as the SC has not yet given any decision on Rana`s caste validity certificate case and that the matter is still sub judice. The utterance amounts to contempt of court and a violation of the model code of conduct, he said, the news agency reported on Thursday.

The Congress has demanded registration of a case against Chandrashekhar Bawankule and has given a written complaint to the Election Commission and Supreme Court against him, Atul Londhe said, adding that his party will also file a petition in the court in this matter.

Navneet Rana had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate against the undivided Shiv Sena`s then MP Anandrao Adsul from the Amravati constituency in Maharashtra. However, soon there were allegations against her of submitting a fake caste certificate, the PTI reported.

On June 8, 2021, the Bombay High Court said the `Mochi` caste certificate submitted by Navneet Rana was obtained fraudulently using fabricated documents. It had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on her.

Last month, The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on her plea challenging the high court`s verdict cancelling her caste certificate.

(with PTI inputs)

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23341968<![CDATA[Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress to release poll manifesto in Jaipur on April ]]>2024-03-28T18:40:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/lok-sabha-elections-2024-congress-to-release-poll-manifesto-in-jaipur-on-april-6-23341968Mid-dayNewsThe Congress will release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls on April 6, party`s Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Thursday.

He said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will release the party`s manifesto at a public meeting in Jaipur.
Randhawa was talking to reporters after the meeting regarding election strategy in the Congress` `War Room` here.

He said in today`s meeting, the preparations for this public meeting were also discussed.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra handed over responsibilities. He said there is enthusiasm among the leaders and the people, and more and more crowd will come to the public meeting.

He said the people have come to know what they (the central government) have done for the people during their 10 years in office.

On the question of Congress candidate Sudarshan Rawat expressing his desire not to contest the elections from Rajsamand after being named in the list, Randhawa said every party has to change the ticket from time to time. Many parties change tickets at the last moment, he added.

Dotasra said on the occasion that our leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are coming and will release the party`s election manifesto in the public meeting.

Targeting the BJP government of the state, he said, "In four months, they have done only tours, speeches and mislead the people. Apart from this, they have done nothing else."

Dotasra claimed that there is enthusiasm among the people about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He described the electoral bonds as the biggest scam in the country.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341966<![CDATA[Lok Sabha elections 2024: Rs 1.76 crore cash sized in Maharashtra`s Gondia]]>2024-03-28T18:27:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/lok-sabha-elections-2024--rs-1-76-crore-cash-sized-in-maharashtras-gondia-amid-poll-code-23341966Mid-dayNewsThe administration of Gondia district in Maharashtra has seized Rs 1.76 crore cash from two places ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, officials said, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, in the first case, the cash worth Rs 1.71 crore was seized at the check-post of Soni village and Rs 5 lakh from the Murdoli village check-post.

The cash was possessed by people in contravention of the Election Commission of India`s directives as one has to upload the details of the cash that he or she is carrying on the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) of the ECI, as per the PTI.

Meanwhile, last week, Rs 23 crore cash, 17 lakh litre liquor, and 699 kg drugs from different parts of the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Maharashtra since March 1 were seized by the authorities, the state Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam had said on Saturday, reported the PTI.

Addressing a press conference, the CEO also said preventive action has been taken against 13,141 persons so far, as per the PTI.

According to the news agency, as per the poll schedule for the 2024 general elections, Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, is scheduled to vote in five phases from April 19 to May 20.

"The highest number of cash seizures at Rs 3.6 crore was in Mumbai suburban district," Chockalingam said.

Maharashtra has 9.2 crore registered voters and 1,84,841 new voters have been added to the list between March 17 and 22, he added, the news agency reported.

He said 10 nominations have been filed so far for the first phase of polling since March 20 including one nomination in Ramtek, five in Nagpur, two in Bhandara-Gondiya, and two in Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency.

No nomination has been received in Chandrapur, as per the PTI.

Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had last week announced that the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In the first phase, scheduled for April 19, 2024, voters in five key constituencies, including Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara Gondia, Gadchiroli Chimur, and Chandrapur, will cast their votes.

(with PTI inputs)

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23341947<![CDATA[Court extends ED custody of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal till April 1]]>2024-03-28T15:56:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/excise-policy-case-court-extends-ed-custody-of-delhi-cm-arvind-kejriwal-till-april-1-23341947Mid-dayNewsA court on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case.

The agency had sought seven-day custody of the AAP chief, but the court said he has to be produced before the court on April 1 at 11 am.

The ED had produced him before Rouse Avenue court Special Judge Kaveri Baweja as his current custody was ending on Thursday.

The ED said in its fresh remand plea that during his custodial interrogation, his statements were recorded on five days and that he was "giving evasive replies".

It said the statements of three other persons have also been recorded during the remand.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341942<![CDATA[Delhi under constitutional crisis, Arvind Kejriwal should quit: BJP]]>2024-03-28T15:16:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/delhi-under-constitutional-crisis-arvind-kejriwal-should-quit-if-he-has-scant-regard-for-people-bjp-23341942Mid-dayNewsThe Delhi BJP Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case, alleging the city is facing a constitutional crisis.

Addressing a press conference here, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and party MP Manoj Tiwari said the AAP could have made anyone from the party chief minister after Kejriwal was taken into custody.

"Delhi is under a huge constitutional crisis. If you have even scant regard for the people of Delhi who elected you, you could have made anyone (from AAP) chief minister," Tiwari said.

Taking a dig at the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, Sachdeva said there is an internal tussle going on in the AAP for the chief minister`s chair.
He questioned the constitutional validity of running a government from the custody of a probe agency.

"Show us one example in the entire world of somebody running the government from jail. If you have any ethics left in you, resign," Sachdeva said, asking why did the party get Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain to resin if functioning from jail is legal.

On Wednesday, Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said if President`s Rule is imposed in the national capital in the aftermath of Kejriwal`s arrest, it would be a clear case of "political vendetta".

She was responding to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena`s statement that the Delhi government will not be run from jail.

"What is the constitutional provision he is drawing on? The law of the country is very clear. You have the GNCTD Act which is very clear that you cannot be the chief minister if you do not enjoy the majority of the House. These conditions do not apply. So, under what conditions will President`s Rule be imposed?" she said.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and was subsequently remanded in the agency`s custody till March 28 by a court.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341951<![CDATA[Security forces seize explosives, Maoist literature in anti-Naxal op in Maha]]>2024-03-28T14:41:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/maharashtra-security-forces-seize-explosives-maoist-literature-in-anti-naxal-ops-23341951Mid-dayNewsDuring an anti-Naxal operation in Maharashtra`s Gadchiroli district, security personnel discovered gelatin sticks, wires, batteries, and Maoist literature, an official stated Thursday.

Based on intelligence about the presence of Naxalites along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, security forces conducted an operation near Bhumkan Village. Superintendent of Police (SP) Nilotpal reported that armed cadres of "Kasansur Chatgaon Dalam and Aundhi Dalam from Chhattisgarh" were camped in the region, planning for subversive acts ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. 

According to a report in PTI, the Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) Lok Sabha constituency, which is set for the first phase of voting on April 19, is a major source of anxiety.

The operation, carried out by members of the C-60, an elite anti-Naxal team of the state police, and a Quick Action Team of the Central Reserve Police team (CRPF), resulted in a fire battle with the Naxalites. The firefight lasted all night Wednesday, forcing the Naxalites to flee into the darkness, the report added. 

Per the PTI report, when security personnel searched the location on Thursday morning, they discovered explosives such as gelatin sticks, cables, batteries, solar panels, and Maoist literature. SP Nilotpal acknowledged that the anti-Naxal operation is still underway in the region.

Earlier in February, the police in Gadchiroli had discovered two kilograms of explosives hidden underground by Naxalites intending to harm the law enforcement personnel. According to another agency report, the authorities had launched a search operation in the Gondri woodland area of Kurkheda taluka after receiving intel indicating Naxalite activities. 

The Bomb Detection and Disposable Squads (BDDS) were dispatched to search the area for potential hazards, reported PTI. 

During the search, the PTI report stated, the BDDS discovered two kilograms of explosives expertly disguised in a pressure cooker buried about two feet below ground. Quick action was taken to safely neutralise the explosives on the scene.

According to the report, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal said Gadchroli`s anti-Naxal operation was augmented after the discovery of explosives. 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla had earlier said that police camps have reached areas that were once Naxal strongholds in Gadchiroli and assured that the menace will soon be eradicated with the support of citizens.

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23341937<![CDATA[Easter 2024: Date, celebrations and rituals, here`s all you need to know]]>2024-03-28T14:39:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/offbeat-news/article/easter-2024-date-celebrations-and-rituals-heres-all-you-need-to-know-23341937Mid-dayNewsAs Easter approaches in 2024, it’s a time for Christians worldwide to celebrate one of the most significant events in their faith – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But beyond its religious significance, Easter has become a culturally rich holiday celebrated by people of various beliefs. Here’s a comprehensive guide to all you need to know about Easter 2024:

Easter 2024: Easter’s Origins and Significance

Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as described in the New Testament of the Bible. It is Christianity’s oldest and most important festival, symbolising new life, hope, and redemption.

Easter 2024: Dates and Observances

This year, Easter is going to be celebrated on March 31, 2024. The date varies each year because it is based on the lunar calendar, specifically the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The week leading up to Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

Easter 2024: Religious Traditions

For Christians, Easter Sunday begins with sunrise services and church gatherings to celebrate the resurrection. Many churches hold special services, including the lighting of the Paschal candle and the recitation of the Exsultet. Easter eggs, symbolizing new life, are often decorated and exchanged, while Easter lilies adorn churches as a symbol of purity and hope.

Easter 2024: Secular Celebrations

Beyond its religious roots, Easter has evolved into a secular holiday celebrated with various customs and traditions. One of the most popular activities is the Easter egg hunt, where children search for hidden eggs filled with candy or small toys. Decorating Easter eggs, baking festive treats like hot cross buns and Easter cakes, and hosting family gatherings are common secular traditions.

Easter 2024: Global Customs and Festivities

Easter is celebrated around the world, each culture adding its unique customs and festivities. In Greece, the tradition of “tsougrisma” involves cracking red-dyed eggs to symbolize the cracking open of Christ’s tomb. In Spain and Mexico, elaborate processions and reenactments of the Passion of Christ take place. In the United States, the White House hosts its annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn.

Easter 2024: Symbols and Iconography

Several symbols are associated with Easter, each carrying its own meaning. The Easter bunny, a symbol of fertility and new life, is a prominent figure in secular Easter celebrations. Easter baskets filled with goodies represent abundance and blessings. The lamb symbolizes Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” while the cross represents his crucifixion and resurrection.

Easter 2024: Reflection and Renewal

Easter is not only a time for celebration but also for reflection and renewal. It’s an opportunity for individuals to contemplate the themes of resurrection, forgiveness, and redemption, regardless of their religious beliefs. Many people use this time to engage in acts of charity and kindness, spreading love and goodwill within their communities.

In conclusion, Easter 2024 is a time for both religious observance and cultural celebration, marked by traditions that span centuries and continents. Whether participating in religious ceremonies, engaging in secular festivities, or simply taking time for personal reflection, Easter offers an opportunity for individuals and communities to come together in hope, joy, and renewal.

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23341930<![CDATA[AAP`s Saurabh Bharadwaj claims: "Operation Lotus floated to break AAP"]]>2024-03-28T13:40:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/aaps-saurabh-bharadwaj-claims-operation-lotus-floated-to-break-aap-23341930Mid-dayNewsDelhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, alleging that the BJP had offered money, security and positions to AAP MLAs in Punjab to switch and join the BJP.

"I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has turned out to be true today --- Operation Lotus has been floated just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab," said the AAP leader.

Saurabh Bharadwaj also raised a question as to why AAP legislators from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Sheetal Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, joined hands with the BJP in Punjab`s Jalandhar, where the party was to come fourth in the elections.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Bharadwaj said, "If the BJP is in such bad condition in Punjab, why did it poach our MP (Sushil Kumar Rinku) and MLA (Sheetal Angural) yesterday? Our MLAs from Punjab told us yesterday that several MLAs in the state were offered money to switch and join the BJP and that they were offered Y+ security and positions. They were also given the offer to contest Lok Sabha elections."

"Sushil Kumar Rinku`s MP tenure has concluded. A model code of conduct is in place. He can do only one thing now, which is contest elections. You can ask anyone for an assessment. The BJP will come in fourth in Jalandhar, Punjab. They can do whatever they want, but they will be fourth. The question is, why would an MP join the BJP to come fourth?" said Bharadwaj.

The AAP leader also said that three AAP Punjab MLAs had held a press conference wherein it was discussed that a majority of AAP MLAs received phone calls where they were lured to join the BJP.

"I think what Arvind Kejriwal was saying earlier has turned out to be true today - Operation Lotus has been floated just to break AAP and topple our governments in Delhi and Punjab. But we are proud of our MLAs that they brought this to the knowledge of party leadership and held a press conference," said Bharadwaj.

Earlier on Wednesday, two Aam Aadmi Party legislators from Punjab, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural, joined the BJP, met its national president, JP Nadda, at his residence.

Rinku, a Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, and Angural, a Jalandhar West MLA, met Nadda immediately after both of them joined the BJP at its headquarters here. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was also with them during the meeting.

Rinku said that he had taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar.

"I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the projects of the Central Government to Jalandhar," he said.

Rinku also alleged that no development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government.

"No development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government. On the other hand, I am impressed by the developmental work initiated by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also helped me a lot in the developmental work I have done in the Jalandhar constituency," Rinku said.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, "Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today. He is the only Lok Sabha MP of the AAP and they should be ashamed.

"Sheetal Angural put out a statement saying that he has resigned from all the responsibilities he had in the AAP.

Rinku is joining the BJP despite being announced as the AAP candidate from Jalandhar. He won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 58,691 votes in a by-poll in 2023.

On Tuesday, the Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Bittu, joined the BJP. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995 in Chandigarh in a suicide bombing.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Bittu defeated Simarjeet Singh Bains from the Lok Insaaf Party by 76,372 votes. In 2014, he defeated the Aam Aadmi Party`s (AAP) Harvinder Singh Phoolka with a margin of 19,709 votes.

The BJP earlier this week announced its decision to contest the election in Punjab on its own after it severed ties with its long-time ally, Shiromani Akali Dal.

Operation Lotus refers to the "poaching" or "bribing" of MLAs and MPs of other parties by the BJP, often to form governments in states where they do not have the majority.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

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23341932<![CDATA[Erode MP A Ganeshamurthi, who attempted to end his life, passes away]]>2024-03-28T12:01:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/erode-mp-a-ganeshamurthi-who-attempted-to-end-his-life-passes-away-23341932Mid-dayNewsMember of Parliament (MP) A Ganeshamurthi of Tamil Nadu`s Erode, who purportedly attempted suicide recently, died of his injuries on Thursday morning at a hospital in Coimbatore, according to MDMK sources and local officials. 

According to a report in PTI, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deep grief over Ganeshamurthi`s death and recalled his illustrious political career within the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), including his time with MDMK leader Vaiko. Stalin hailed Ganeshamurthi`s efforts and described him as an ardent diplomat, expressing his deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and party members.

Vaiko, too, expressed shock and sent his condolences to Ganeshamurthi`s family. Those who knew the MP were saddened by his sudden death.

On March 24, the 77-year-old MP allegedly attempted to end his life by ingesting deadly drugs at his Erode property. Despite receiving rapid medical treatment, he was unable to recover from his injuries. The Erode Town police, who initially reported an attempted suicide, will now report a death by suicide.

Following legal processes, the body was turned over to the Institute of Road Transport (IRT) Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Once completed, the body will be buried in Kumaravalasu village, the report added. 

According to the report, Ganeshamurthi, who was elected as an MP in 2019 using the DMK emblem, had previously represented Palani in 1998 and Erode in 2009. A widower, the MP is survived by a son and a daughter.

Vaiko denied accusations that Ganeshamurthi attempted suicide since he did not receive a nomination to run for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. He complimented the late MP`s leadership abilities and recalled their long friendship since college, emphasising their shared dedication to party progress.

Speaking to the reporters in Coimbatore, Vaiko said, "He was a brave and determined leader. There`s no iota of truth that Ganeshamurthi made a suicide attempt over not getting a seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The struggles during the student union days are still vivid in my mind. .. he was in charge of the Erode district of DMK and later joined hands with me to launch the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam."

The death of Ganeshamurthi has left a gap in the political landscape, with condolences flooding in from all sides, including AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswai and BJP state president K Annamalai.

 

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23341927<![CDATA[FIR against BJP leader Dilip Ghosh for remarks on Mamata Banerjee]]>2024-03-28T12:00:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/fir-against-bjp-leader-dilip-ghosh-for-remarks-on-mamata-banerjee-23341927Mid-dayNewsAn FIR has been registered against senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh at Durgapur Police Station for his comments regarding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, confirmed an official on Thursday. BJP leader Ghosh faces charges under IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 509 (word, gesture or act insulting the modesty of a woman), respectively, reported PTI. 

Ghosh while addressing the public had implied that Mamata Banerjee claims allegiance to other states when she visits them and questioned her commitment to West Bengal. 

As per the news agency report, the FIR was initiated in response to complaints submitted by an advocate and other persons in Durgapur court. 

Ghosh, who was previously the saffron party`s state unit chief, apologised on Wednesday for his statements that had sparked a political controversy. 

The BJP leader, per the PTI report, was also sent a show-cause notice by the Election Commission after the ruling Trinamool Congress filed a complaint against the politician for his remarks on Mamata Banerjee. The ECI has told Dilip Ghosh to respond to the notice by March 29. 

The Election Commission said that the comments made by Ghosh were insulting and a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct. 

Meanwhile, the saffron party too admonished the veteran leader for his "unparliamentary" views and said that they opposed the party`s spirit. Ghosh, who has been fielded from the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, then apologised for his choice of words and acknowledged the concerns raised by both his party and the people.

Ghosh, known for stirring controversies because of his abrasive statements, acknowledged that he needed to be sensitive and said, "If it is so, I am sorry for that."

Ghosh`s previous clarification

However, the BJP candidate for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 had previously defended himself saying that he was only commenting on Mamata Banerjee`s political statement. 

Ghosh, while mocking TMC`s slogan of "Bangla Nijer Meye ke chai (Bengal wants its own daughter)", had said, "When she goes to Goa, she says she is the daughter of Goa. In Tripura, she says she is the daughter of Tripura. First, let her clarify."

Dilip Ghosh, on Wednesday, speaking to the media had reportedly said that his comments stir controversy because he speaks "in front of those who commit injustice". He added, "Regarding the statement, I gave concerning the Honourable Bengal Chief Minister, I would like to say that I do not have any personal dispute, grudges or ill will towards her. I had merely countered and questioned the political statements she has given to mislead people. The question is that many people have objections to my use of language and words. Our (BJP) party as well as other parties have called it unparliamentary. If so, I am sad about it."

With agency inputs

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23341923<![CDATA[How debutant K Annamalai can enable BJP’s re-entry in Tamil Nadu]]>2024-03-28T11:49:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/lok-sabha-elections-2024-how-debutant-k-annamalai-can-enable-bjps-re-entry-in-tamil-nadu-23341923Mid-dayNewsOn Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore constituency K Annamalai filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. “BJP is confident of winning more than 400 seats this year at the Centre and that will include the representative from Coimbatore,” Annamalai said while speaking to the media after submitting his election papers.

“The DMK and the AIADMK have joined hands to fight the BJP, but our fight is against those stopping Coimbatore’s development or selling ganja”. “We don’t talk about minorities or majority here. Coimbatore has the risk of being targeted by fundamentalists and extremists, and the State and Central governments should protect all the people here,” Annamalai said in his typical fiery style.

The 38-year-old K Annamalai is one such leader who swiftly rose through BJP ranks and became the perfect fit for the party to foray into Tamil Nadu. In the state which sends 39 parliamentarians to Lok Sabha, the BJP has none. For the party to achieve its goal of winning over 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the electoral gains in the southern states play a major role.

The BJP has a strong hold on the Hindi heartland; however, it has repeatedly failed to make any significant mark in southern India. PM Narendra Modi has visited Tamil Nadu at least seven times in 2024 so far. Even after the election schedule was announced, Modi chose Coimbatore for the first campaign rally.

PM Modi’s frequent visits to the state highlight the party’s spirited cadre base led by K Annamalai is well-positioned and the BJP leadership’s belief in its ‘Singham’ leader Annamalai to ensure its foot-holding in Tamil Nadu.

‘Singham Anna’ to BJP’s prominent leader

Annamalai is an interesting personality. His journey has been remarkable, transitioning from a tough police officer, where he earned the moniker ‘Singham Anna’, to becoming a firebrand politician. He hails from a simple agricultural family in the Karur district, studied mechanical engineering at a premier institute in Coimbatore and MBA from IIM-Lucknow. Annamalai cracked the UPSC and became an IPS of the 2011 batch in the Karnataka cadre.

Also Read: Can BJP achieve its 370-plus seats target in 2024 Lok Sabha polls?

In his eight-year career, Annamalai gained a reputation as a tough cop, leading undercover crackdowns on gutka sales, campaigning against drug abuse and several other actions as an IPS. However, he quit the force in 2019, resigning as the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru.

In 2020 he joined the BJP and in no time, he climbed ranks with sole focus on increasing the party’s footprints in the state. He became the youngest BJP state president. Though Annamalai lacks electoral victories; his fierce, confrontational approach and the boost he has given to the BJP on the ground have earned him accolades and followings from youngsters.

Annamalai`s relentless efforts to expand the BJP`s influence in Tamil Nadu have been evident through initiatives like his extensive "En Mann, En Makkal" padayatra, which covered all 234 constituencies of the state. This grassroots approach has garnered widespread support.

The fact that despite losing the assembly elections of 2021, he has been nominated for the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore constituency emphasizes the BJP’s strong backing for the young leader.

Why the Coimbatore constituency is crucial for the BJP

Winning the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat would mean a re-entry of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. The BJP`s association with Coimbatore dates back to 1998 when the city witnessed 12 bombings killing 58 people and injuring over 200. The attacks took place during BJP veteran and then deputy prime minister LK Advani’s visit to the city, and allegedly the blasts were targeting the election meeting Advani was scheduled to attend. PM Modi during his recent visit to Coimbatore ensured to pay homage to the deceased.

Notably, the BJP had won the Coimbatore seat in 1998 and 1999. The communal sensitivity helped the BJP garner the Hindu vote bank. However, since then the BJP could not make any significant electoral gain in the state, or rather southern India.

Tamil Nadu politics has always been dominated by the two major Dravidian parties, DMK and the AIADMK. However, since K Annamalai joined the BJP, he has left no stone unturned to activate the dormant BJP in the state.

What expert say

Political strategist Prashant Kishore speaking with the media recently said that the vote share of the BJP in Tamil Nadu is most likely to increase to double digits in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. During the 2014 general elections, BJP`s vote share in Tamil Nadu was 5.5 per cent and in 2019 it fell to 3.66 per cent.

Political commentator Ashok Wankhede claimed that BJP’s target of winning over 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha is not possible. “They need to fill 67 more seats, and at present southern states is the only region where BJP can garner more seats. However, the chances are very dim.” “In states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Telangana, with stronger regional parties and Congress’ presence, BJP with extensive campaigning and excellent election management can increase its vote share. But winning a higher number of seats is difficult,” Wankhede said.

The BJP is contesting 23 seats in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha. It is also in alliance with the New Justice Party and other smaller parties.

If BJP’s prominent candidate and face for Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai’s efforts will result electoral win for the party, only time can reveal.

Tamil Nadu will go for the Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.

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23341921<![CDATA[Uttarakhand Police:Nanakmatta Gurdwara Kar Sewa head killed, SIT formed to probe]]>2024-03-28T11:28:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/uttarakhand-police-nanakmatta-gurdwara-kar-sewa-chief-killed-sit-formed-to-probe-case-23341921Mid-dayNewsUttarakhand Police Headquarters has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising officials of the Special Task Force and local police hours after the killing of Nanakmatta Gurdwara Kar Seva Pramukh, Baba Tarsem Singh, on Thursday morning.

Additional police force has also been deployed in the Nanakmatta area of Udham Singh Nagar district to maintain peace and police have appealed to the Sikh community to maintain peace.

Kar Seva Pramukh was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants around 6:30 am on Thursday.

According to the police, Baba Tarsem Singh was rushed to the hospital in Khatima after being shot but was declared dead by doctors.

Police officials have also contacted central agencies to share useful input, and a massive search operation is underway to nab the culprits.

Police officials said they have also contacted the central agencies to share useful input related to this matter with them. The state police is confident of solving the murder.

Uttarakhand, Director General of Police, Abhinav Kumar, said, "We received information around 7 am today that between 6:15-6:30 am, two masked assailants entered Nanakmatta Gurdwara and shot Kar Seva Pramukh Baba Tarsem Singh. He was rushed to the hospital in Khatima. But I have received inputs that he succumbed to his injuries.

"This is a very serious matter...Senior officials have reached the spot. SSP is already there. DIG Kumaon is also reaching there, he will inspect the scene of the crime and speak to the locals. He will try to assess the situation there. For investigation of the incident, Police Headquarters has formed an SIT - this will comprise officials of STF and local Police," he added.

DGP Abhinav Kumar also said that the case is being investigated on top priority and minutely.

"The STF has been told to keep this as their top priority and probe all angles minutely. We have to not only identify the assailants but also the bigger conspiracy behind this murder, if any. We have also contacted the central agencies to share useful inputs related to this matter with us. I assure you that we will solve this matter soon and take strict action," said DGP.

Meanwhile, SDM Khatima Ravindra Singh Bisht said that Law and order situation is normal in the area.

"An unidentified person shot at Baba Tarsem Singh. He was declared brought dead at the hospital. Law and order situation is normal," said SDM. 

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341922<![CDATA[Group of lawyers write to CJI against `vested interest group`]]>2024-03-28T11:24:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/group-of-lawyers-write-to-cji-chandrachud-against-vested-interest-group-trying-to-pressure-judiciary-23341922Mid-dayNewsA group of lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, have written to the Chief Justice of India, alleging that a "vested interest group" is trying to pressure the judiciary and defame courts "on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas".

"Their pressure tactics are most obvious in political cases, particularly those involving political figures accused of corruption. These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric," their letter, dated March 26, addressed to CJI D Y Chandrachud said.

The letter, shared by official sources, targeted a section of lawyers without naming them and alleged that they defend politicians by the day and then try to influence judges through the media at night.

This interest group creates false narratives of a supposed better past and golden period of courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present, the letter said, claiming that their comments are aimed at influencing courts and embarrassing them for political gains.

The group of lawyers, who are behind the letter titled "Judiciary Under Threat-Safeguarding Judiciary from Political and Professional Pressure", number around 600 and also include Adish Aggarwala, Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla and Swarupama Chaturvedi, the official sources said.

Though the lawyers behind the letter have mentioned no specific cases, the development comes at a time when courts are dealing with several high-profile criminal cases of corruption involving opposition leaders.

Opposition parties have accused the central government of targeting their leaders as part of its political vendetta, a charge refuted by the ruling BJP. These parties, whose ranks include some noted lawyers, have joined hands against the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

Targeting critics, these lawyers have accused them of suggesting that courts in the past were easier to influence. This shakes the public`s trust in courts, they said.

"Their antics are vitiating the atmosphere of trust and harmony, which characterises the functioning of the judiciary," they said in their letter to CJI Chandrachud.

They have also concocted an entire theory of "bench fixing" which is not just disrespectful and contemptuous but an attack on the honour and dignity of courts, the letter said.

"They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions of unfair practices," it said.

These critics have adopted the "my way or the highway" approach at work as they hail the decisions they agree with, but any decision they disagree with is trashed, smeared and disregarded, they said.

"This two-faced behaviour is harmful to the respect a common man should have for our legal system," the letter said and claimed that this cherry-picking has been visible in very recent judgments too.

"Some elements are trying to influence who the judges are in their cases and spread lies on social media to put pressure on them to decide in a particular way," they alleged in the letter.

Questioning the timing, the lawyers said it is all happening when the country is headed for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

"We are reminded of similar antics in 2018-2019 when they took to their `hit and run` activities, including fabricating wrong narratives. These efforts to belittle and manipulate the courts for personal and political reasons cannot be allowed under any circumstances," they said.

They urged the Supreme Court to stand strong and take steps to protect courts from these alleged attacks.

"Staying silent or doing nothing could accidentally give more power to those who mean to harm. This is not the time to maintain dignified silence as such efforts are happening for a few years and too frequently," they said, adding that the CJI`s leadership is crucial in these "tough times". 

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341920<![CDATA[From microphone to pressure cooker, smaller parties wage war of symbols in TN]]>2024-03-28T10:51:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/lok-sabha-elections-2024-from-microphone-to-pressure-cooker-smaller-parties-wage-war-of-symbols-in-tamil-nadu-23341920Mid-dayNewsDespite the `Rising Sun` and `Two Leaves`, the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Tamil Nadu revolves around many symbols as some heavyweights are contesting on an independent symbol.

Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O Pannerselvam, will contest independently, on an independent symbol from Ramanathapuram constituency. MDMK Headquarters Secretary Durai Vaiko will face the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on an independent symbol from Trichy Constituency.

Likewise, Naam Thamizlar Katchi (NTK), which failed to get the Sugarcane farmer as its symbol, is now contesting with the Microphone symbol in all constituencies of Tamil Nadu.

Naam Thamilar Party coordinator Seeman says that the Microphone symbol gives them hope. The NTK is contesting outside the principal alliances in the state.

"Even though we didn`t get our sugarcane farmer symbol, we are contesting with hope in the `Mic` symbol. Many revolutionaries used this equipment to put forth their slogans," NTK leader Seeman said.

TTV Dhinakaran`s AMMK will contest the elections using the Pressure Cooker symbol. The `Pressure cooker` is the lucky symbol on which he had won the RK Nagar by-poll after the death of former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha amidst political drama in Tamil Nadu after former CM Jayalalitha`s demise.

For the candidates, it is a question of proving their worth on an unrecognised symbol. O Pannerselvam who was ousted from the AIADMK is out to prove that he still has the support of AIADMK cadres as he seeks victory in the Ramanathapuram constituency.

"Symbol is a way of identifying with voters, with their ideology. With regards to DMK, we have the Rising Sun, which symbolises sun will drive away the darkness of ignorance darkness of oppression. Every political party will ask for a symbol which signifies their ideology signifies the DNA of the party so that is why symbols are important," says DMK spokesperson Saravanan.

Meanwhile, DMK ally Vaiko`s MDMK is looking to bolster its vote share to ensure it gets a recognized symbol for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The ECI refused to allocate the `Top` symbol to MDMK, saying the party is contesting only in one constituency.

The MDMK was under pressure from alliance big-brother DMK to contest on the DMK Rising Sun symbol but Vaiko`s party felt it would be better to strike out on an independent symbol.

Vaiko`s son Durai Vaiko had broken down in a public rally saying, "We are facing indirect pressure to contest the DMK symbol, but that would affect our party`s image. Whatever it takes, he would contest their party`s independent symbol."

In Tamil Nadu`s political history, the symbol for the election is a prestigious issue. When former CM and MDMK founder MG Ramachandran passed away, the AIADMK split. One faction was led by MGR`s wife Janaki and the other by Jayalalitha.

At that time, AIADMK two leaves symbol was frozen and Jayalalitha contested an independent symbol of `Two Pigeons` while Janaki`s faction was given the Seval (Rooster) as its symbol.

For the voter, a multitude of symbols could be confusing, so it is really up to the individual leaders to woo their cadres to ensure that their symbol prevails.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341917<![CDATA[Mahua Moitra to campaign in Bengal`s Krishnanagar on March 28, skip ED summons]]>2024-03-28T10:51:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/mahua-moitra-to-campaign-in-bengals-krishnanagar-on-march-28-skip-ed-summons-23341917Mid-dayNewsTMC leader Mahua Moitra has said she will campaign in her Krishnanagar constituency on Thursday, giving a miss to the Enforcement Directorate summons that asked her to appear for questioning at the ED office in New Delhi.

"I will be out for campaigning in the Krishnangar constituency in the afternoon," she told reporters.

The Enforcement Directorate had issued fresh summons to Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case.

The 49-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was called for questioning twice earlier by the central agency, but she did not depose citing official work and sought deferment of the notice.

Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for "unethical conduct", has been renominated by her party from West Bengal`s Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided her premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday, days after anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal directed the federal agency to investigate the allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Moitra has denied any wrongdoing.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341916<![CDATA[MEA says Jaishankar`s Malaysia visit gave opportunities to develop ESP]]>2024-03-28T10:51:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/mea-says-jaishankars-malaysia-visit-gave-opportunities-to-develop-enhanced-strategic-partnership-23341916Mid-dayNewsExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar`s visit to Malaysia and his meetings with the country`s top leadership presented an opportunity to reiterate commitment to further develop the bilateral Enhanced Strategic Partnership, an official statement said on Thursday.

Jaishankar was in Kuala Lumpur from March 27 to 28 as part of the last leg of his three-nation tour to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. He called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Bin Ibrahim and thanked him for his support in deepening bilateral ties under the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership, India`s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jaishankar`s visit to Malaysia provided an opportunity to reiterate commitment to further develop the Enhanced Strategic Partnership, it said.

Anwar gave his commitment to facilitate the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) branch campus in Malaysia, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, for assisting Malaysia when the country was hit by a rice shortage and hoped for further facilitation on importing agricultural produce from India.

"May the Malaysian-Indian relationship continue to grow and blossom for the benefit of the people of both friendly countries," Anwar said.

Jaishankar also held a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan and held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral cooperation, including political, trade and economic, defence, digital, cultural and education.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on regional and global interest issues, according to the MEA.

Jaishankar also met the Minister of Digital Gobind Singh Deo.

During his visit, Jaishankar held a round-table meeting with the CEOs and leaders of the industry. He also interacted with members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia and praised their contribution towards India-Malaysia ties.

Malaysia is a key partner for India in ASEAN and its Act East Policy, the MEA said.

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23341902<![CDATA[Earthquake of magnitude 4.2 hits Afghanistan]]>2024-03-28T08:08:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/earthquake-of-magnitude-4-2-hits-afghanistan-23341902Mid-dayNewsAn earthquake of magnitude 4.2 jolted Afghanistan on Thursday, as per National Centre for Seismology data.

According to the NCS, the tremors were felt at around 5:44 am on Thursday.

The epicentre of the quake was found to be at latitude 36.36 and longitude 71.18 at a depth of 124 km, as per the NCS data.

"Earthquake of Magnitude:4.2, Occurred on 28-03-2024, 05:44:02 IST, Lat: 36.36 & Long: 71.18, Depth: 124 Km ,Location: Afghanistan," the NCS posted on social media X.

Earlier this month, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale struck Afghanistan, the National Centre for Seismology said.

The earthquake took place at 19:59:23 IST at a depth of 169 km.

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23341901<![CDATA[Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in New York hush-money case]]>2024-03-28T08:05:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/donald-trump-assails-judge-and-his-daughter-after-gag-order-in-new-york-hush-money-criminal-case-23341901Mid-dayNewsDonald Trump lashed out on Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order ahead of his April 15 hush-money criminal trial, suggesting without evidence that the veteran jurist was kowtowing to his daughter`s interests as a Democratic political consultant. The former president objected in particular to what he said was her specious social media photo showing him behind bars. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, posted on social media that the gag order issued on Tuesday was "illegal, un-American, unConstitutional".

He said Judge Juan M. Merchan was "wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponisation of Law Enforcement" by Democratic rivals and urged him to step aside from the case. The gag order, which was requested by the prosecution, bars Trump from either making or directing other people to make public statements on his behalf about jurors and potential witnesses in the hush-money trial, such as his lawyer turned nemesis Michael Cohen and porn star Stormy Daniels. It also prohibits any statements meant to interfere with or harass the court`s staff, prosecution team or their families.

It does not bar comments about Merchan or his family, nor does it prohibit criticism of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the elected Democrat whose office is prosecuting Trump. Merchan`s daughter, whose firm has worked on campaigns for President Joe Biden and other Democrats, "makes money by working to Get Trump`" and recently posted a fake photo on social media depicting her "obvious goal" of seeing him behind bars, Trump said. He argued those circumstances make it "completely impossible for me to get a fair trial". Trump did not link to the purported photo, but an account appearing to belong to Loren Merchan on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed a photo illustration of an imprisoned Trump as its profile picture Wednesday morning. It was later changed. Loren Merchan`s consulting firm had linked to that same account in a previous social media post.

"So, let me get this straight," Trump wrote on Truth Social, "the Judge`s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her dream` of putting me in jail ... but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?" "Maybe the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to Get Trump` and when he rules against me over and over again, he is making her company, and her, richer and richer," Trump continued.

"How can this be allowed?" Messages seeking comment were left with Merchan, his daughter, and a spokesperson for New York`s state court system. Bragg`s office declined to comment. Trump`s three-part Truth Social post was his first reaction to the gag order. His focus on Merchan`s daughter and her ties to Democratic politics echoed his lawyers` arguments last year when they urged the judge to exit the case. The judge had also made several small donations totalling USD 35 to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including USD 15 to Biden. Merchan said then that a state court ethics panel found that Loren Merchan`s work had no bearing on his impartiality. The judge said in a ruling last September that he was certain of his "ability to be fair and impartial" and that Trump`s lawyers had "failed to demonstrate that there exists concrete, or even realistic reasons for recusal to be appropriate, much less required on these grounds."

"The Judge has to recuse himself immediately, and right the wrong committed by not doing so last year," Trump wrote Wednesday. "If the Biased and Conflicted Judge is allowed to stay on this Sham Case,` it will be another sad example of our Country becoming a Banana Republic, not the America we used to know and love." In a recent interview, Merchan told The Associated Press, that he and his staff were working diligently to prepare for the historic first trial of a former president. "There`s no agenda here," Merchan said.

"We want to follow the law. We want justice to be done." Trump`s hush-money case, set to be the first of his four criminal cases to go to trial, centres on allegations that he falsely logged payments to Cohen as legal fees in his company`s books when they were for Cohen`s work during the 2016 campaign covering up negative stories about Trump. That included USD 130,000 Cohen paid Daniels on Trump`s behalf so she wouldn`t publicise her claim of a sexual encounter with him years earlier. Trump pleaded not guilty last April to 34 counts of falsifying business records, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison, though there is no guarantee that a conviction would result in jail time. He denies having sex with Daniels and his lawyers have said that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses, not part of any coverup.

In issuing the gag order, Merchan cited Trump`s history of "threatening, inflammatory, denigrating" remarks about people involved in his legal cases. A violation could result in Trump being held in contempt of court, fined or even jailed. Though not covered by the restrictions, Merchan referenced Trump`s various comments about him as an example of his rhetoric. The gag order mirrors one imposed and largely upheld by a federal appeals court panel in Trump`s Washington, D.C., election interference criminal case. Trump`s lawyers fought a gag order, warning it would amount to unconstitutional and unlawful prior restraint on his free speech rights. Merchan had long resisted imposing one, recognizing Trump`s "special" status as a former president and current candidate and not wanting to trample his ability to defend himself publicly. But, he said, as the trial nears, he found that his obligation to ensuring the integrity of the case outweighs First Amendment concerns. He said Trump`s statements have induced fear and necessitated added security measures to protect his targets and investigate threats.

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23341900<![CDATA[Don`t have that kind of money to contest: Sitharaman opts not to fight LS polls]]>2024-03-28T08:03:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/dont-have-that-kind-of-money-to-contest-niramala-sitharaman-opts-not-to-fight-lok-sabha-polls-23341900Mid-dayNewsUnion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that she would not contest the Lok Sabha election, adding that Bharatiya Janata Party asked her to contest the polls from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh.

"Party did ask me, after thinking over a week or days, I just went back to say ...may be not. Because my party president asked me, would you want to contest somewhere in the south-option is somewhere in South, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh", said Nirmala Sitharaman while speaking at the Times Now summit.

"But I don`t have that kind of money to contest, I also have a problem because whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu, there is also going to be a question of various winability criteria that they use, are you from this community or from that religion. I said no I dont think I am going to be able to do it. The party was graceful enough and I am very grateful to accept my argument, and I am not contesting", the Union Finance Minister said.

When asked why she does not have enough funds to contest elections, Sitharaman said, "My salary, my earnings, and my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India."

Nirmala Sitharaman has served as the Union Defence Minister. In 2014, she was elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh. She has also served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry with Independent Charge.

As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman is credited with expediting the decision-making process relating to procurement in defence sector. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an "action plan" to effectively overcome with various security challenges facing the nation.

Sitharaman joined the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2008 and has served as a national spokesperson for the party since 2010.

Sitharaman was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on August 18, 1959. She completed her graduation from Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College, Tiruchirappalli and obtained her M.A. (Economics) from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

On March 2, Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi again.Of 195 candidates, 34 are Ministers from Centre and States, while two are former Chief Ministers who are on the list.

Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, while Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar will contest from Kerala`s Thiruvananthapuram.Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will contest from Dibrugarh, Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj`s daughter Bansuri Swaraj has been fielded from New Delhi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will contest from Lucknow, Smriti Irani will again contest from Amethi. Ajay Mishra Teni,MOS Home will again contest from Khiri. BJP leader Alok Sharma to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh while former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to contest from Vidisha. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined BJP from Congress in 2020, to contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341898<![CDATA[Four killed, seven wounded in northern Illinois stabbings, a suspect in custody]]>2024-03-28T08:00:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/four-killed-seven-wounded-in-northern-illinois-stabbings-a-suspect-in-custody-23341898Mid-dayNewsFour people were killed and seven hurt in stabbings in northern Illinois on Wednesday, authorities said. A 22-year-old man is in police custody and was being questioned Wednesday afternoon, according to Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd. She said one of the people who was wounded remained in critical condition. "My heart goes out to the families right now that are suffering a loss," Redd told reporters. She said the Rockford Police received a medical call at 1.14 pm, followed by additional calls for police and paramedics. "We don`t believe there`s any other suspects that are on the run or at large at this particular time," Redd said. "Right now, we don`t have a clear motive as to what caused this individual to commit such a heinous crime."

Not all of the victims found at multiple addresses in the city had stab wounds and none were shot, according to Redd. Rockford Police initially said five people had been injured. Cori Hilliard, a public information officer with the Winnebago County Sheriff`s Office, told AP Wednesday evening that two more victims were among those hurt. Three people died at the scenes. The fourth died at a hospital. Police later identified those victims as a 15-year-old girl, a 63-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man and a 22-year-old man.

Their names were not released. Redd said residents in the area were being asked to review their home surveillance camera footage for anything related to the attacks. Rockford`s population is about 150,000 and it`s 144.84 kilometres northwest of Chicago. The violence Wednesday came days after a teenage employee of a Walmart in Rockford was stabbed and killed inside the store. "Today, we are shocked by another horrific act of violence against innocent members of our community," Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. Now that the suspect is in custody, he continued, "Our primary concern is ensuring that our community members directly impacted by this violence are supported throughout their healing and recovery."

The mayor wrote on the city`s Facebook page that "multiple jurisdictions" are "working on multiple crime scenes to develop an understanding of what transpired in an effort to prevent this from happening again". The suspect was arrested by a Winnebago County sheriff`s deputy after they were called to a reported home invasion, Sheriff Gary Caruana said. "The young lady ran from him," Caruana said of one of the survivors. "She got some stab wounds in her hands and her face. She is in serious condition. One of the good Samaritans stopped to help her out. He did get some stab wounds. He is being checked out." Resident Eric Patterson said he was struggling to make sense of the violence on his street.

"You can`t rationalise this," Patterson told the Rockford Register Star. "It`s almost like playing a video game, but it`s reality. It makes no sense. It`s like Grand Theft Auto. `I`m going to run over the mailman here. I`m going to stab a couple people there. I am going to go in this house over here.`" Another resident, Vanessa Hy, told WREX-TV in Rockford that the experience of witnessing the arrest was unreal, "like a movie". "All of the sudden, we heard police run up on both sides of the house screaming `Stop! Get down!`" Hy told the station. "Then they ran into the backyard and after a few minutes we saw them bringing the suspect down the driveway in handcuffs and he was very bloody." Cassandra Hernandez, another neighbour, told the Rockford paper that she is friends with one of the victims. "You never expect this here," Hernandez said. "We have such great neighbours."

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23341891<![CDATA[France to send 78 howitzers to aid Ukraine]]>2024-03-28T07:48:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/france-to-send-78-howitzers-to-aid-ukraine-23341891Mid-dayNewsFrance will soon be able to deliver 78 Caesar howitzers to Ukraine and will boost its supply of shells to meet Kyiv’s urgent needs for ammunition to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion, the defense minister said.

Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said at a news conference that an agreement was reached among France, Ukraine and Denmark to finance the Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, which will enable France to “quickly deliver” them.

France has also set a goal to deliver 80,000 shells for 155 mm guns to Ukraine this year — up from 30,000 delivered since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, 2022, he said.

In addition, Lecornu said, France is participating in an effort to identify available stocks of gunpowder and ammunition that could be bought from countries outside the European Union, a plan initiated by the Czech Republic to further support Kyiv.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341889<![CDATA[Companies scrambling to reroute cargo]]>2024-03-28T07:45:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/companies-scrambling-to-reroute-cargo-23341889Mid-dayNewsThe stunning collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is diverting shipping and trucking around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast, creating delays and raising costs in the latest disruption to global supply chains. 

After the container ship Dali hit the bridge and brought it down early Tuesday, ship traffic entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore was suspended indefinitely. That will require rerouting vessels or their cargo to other ports, potentially causing congestion and delays for importers, said Judah Levine, head of research for the global freight booking platform Freightos.

“People right now are figuring out where are they going and what are their options,’’ Ami Daniel, CEO of the maritime intelligence company Windward in Tel Aviv, Israel, said.

The Dali was the only container vessel in the port at the time of the collision, but seven others were scheduled to arrive in Baltimore through Saturday, Levine said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

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23341888<![CDATA[Pakistan to test DNA of suicide bomber who killed Chinese]]>2024-03-28T07:43:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/pakistan-to-test-dna-of-suicide-bomber-who-killed-chinese-23341888Mid-dayNewsPakistani authorities will perform DNA testing on the remains of the suicide bomber who rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle in the country’s northwest, killing five Chinese nationals and their local driver, officials said Wednesday.

The attack occurred in Shangla, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where thousands of Chinese nationals work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which includes a multitude of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture. The CPEC is a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped government, currently facing one of its worst economic crises.

The five were engineers and laborers heading Tuesday to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked. Their remains were transported to the capital, Islamabad, local police official Altaf Khan said, adding that the deceased had a police escort when the attack happened.

Pakistani officials said they shared the latest investigation developments with their Chinese counterparts.

 China is expected to send its own experts Wednesday to the attack site to conduct an independent investigation while collaborating with Pakistani authorities.

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23341887<![CDATA[Jihadist confirms terror groups using Shifa hosp]]>2024-03-28T07:38:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/jihadist-confirms-terror-groups-using-shifa-hosp-23341887Mid-dayNewsIsraeli soldiers continued operations against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists holed up in Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital and in Khan Yunis, the Israel Defence Forces said on Wednesday morning. Israel returned to the hospital, Gaza’s largest, after receiving intelligence that senior Hamas figures were inside the compound planning attacks. On Tuesday, the IDF released footage of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative confirming to his interrogator how Hamas and PIJ used hospitals to plan and launch attacks.

“Shifa, or schools and places like that, are our shelter,” Nabeel Rajab Abed Shteiwi, who said he has been involved in PIJ’s missile production since 2012. Shteiwi said he had been living in Shifa for three months. When asked about the location of the terror group’s headquarters in Shifa, Shteiwi said that PIJ “does not have specific headquarters. They are in all the buildings, scattered everywhere”.

In the last 24 hours, soldiers eliminated terrorists and located terror infrastructure and weapons inside the hospital compound. Since entering the compound Israel has killed over 180 terrorists.

500
No. of Hamas members held from Shifa

Israel, Hamas dig in as pressure builds

Netanyahu has said Israel can only dismantle Hamas and returning scores of hostages if it expands its ground offensive to Rafah, where over half of Gaza’s population has sought refuge. Meanwhile, Hamas says it will hold onto the hostages until Israel agrees to a more permanent ceasefire, withdraws from Gaza and releases Palestinian prisoners, including top militants. It said that it rejected a recent proposal that fell short of those demands, which would allow it to claim victory.

8 killed along Lebanon border

An Israeli airstrike on a paramedics center linked to a Lebanese Sunni Muslim group in south Lebanon killed seven of its members early Wednesday and triggered a rocket attack from Lebanon that killed one person in northern Israel, officials said. The strike on the village of Hebbariye came after a day of airstrikes and rocket attacks between Israel’s military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group along the Lebanon-Israel border, raising concerns of further escalation along the frontier that has been active for the past five months.

Hezbollah fires more rockets

Around 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Wednesday morning, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah took responsibility for the launches and said they were in response to an Israeli airstrike on a paramedic centre linked to a Lebanese Sunni Muslim group in south Lebanon that killed seven of its members overnight.

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23341886<![CDATA[ED files case against Kerala CM’s daughter, her IT company]]>2024-03-28T07:35:00https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/ed-files-case-against-kerala-cms-daughter-her-it-company-23341886Mid-dayNewsThe Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan, her IT company and some others to probe a case of alleged illegal payments made by a private mineral firm to her and the company, official sources said Wednesday.

The agency has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to summon the people involved, the sources said.

The ED case has been booked after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), an investigative arm of the Union corporate affairs ministry, they said.

The case stems from an Income Tax Department investigation that alleged that a private company called Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL), made an illegal payment of R1.72 crore to Veena’s company-- Exalogic Solutions-- during 2018 to 2019, even though the IT firm had not provided any service to the company.

The Karnataka High Court had last month dismissed a plea filed by Exalogic Solutions against the probe initiated by the SFIO.

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