Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the shooting attack on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, calling it a "cowardly and dastardly act". PM Modi further wished the Slovak PM a speedy recovery. Moroever, he expressed support for the people of Slovakia. Taking on social media X, PM Modi stated, "Deeply shocked at the news of the shooting at Slovakia's Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this cowardly and dastardly act and wish PM Fico a speedy recovery. India stands in solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic." Deeply shocked at the news of the shooting at Slovakia’s Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this cowardly and dastardly act and wish PM Fico a speedy recovery. India stands in solidarity with the people of the Slovak Republic. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2024 Robert Fico, who is a four-time Prime Minister of Slovakia, was wounded in a shooting incident on Wednesday (local time) in Handlova, reported the local newspaper, The Slovak Spectator. He was hospitalised following the attack. Several shots were fired at the scene when the PM came out to meet the people. The alleged shooter was arrested on-site and the area was evacuated. According to witnesses, shots were heard when the PM came out to meet the people who welcomed him. Fico was then seen on the ground with blood stains. The incident took place after a government meeting in Handlova, following which the PM was hospitalised. Yesterday, reactions poured in from across the globe condemning the shooting attack on Slovak PM Robert Fico and wishing for his speedy recovery. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was "shocked" to hear about the incident. In a post on social media platform X, Sunak wrote, "Shocked to hear this awful news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family." Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the act of violence against Slovakia's head of state. "The attack on Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is appalling. We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighbouring partner state's head of government," Zelenskyy wrote on X. (With inputs from Agencies)
16 May,2024 01:04 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentRallies were held in Mizoram’s Champhai district on Thursday to protest against the Centre’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border, withdrawing the free movement regime with the neighbouring country. The peaceful rallies were held in Zokhawthar and Vaphai villages in Champhai district that borderers Myanmar, and many people from the neighbouring country also took part in the processions, a leader of the organisation told PTI. The rally in Vaphai began at 7 am and ended around 10 am. Another procession in Zokhawthar, where the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate is located, commenced at 11 am and is underway, Zoro general secretary L Ramdinliana Renthlei told PTI. The rally is organised by Zo Re-Unification Organisation (Zoro) Zoro, a Mizo group which seeks the reunification of all Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar by bringing them under one administration. "Thousands of people took to the streets in Vaphai while around 7,000 protestors participated in the Zokhawthar rally. Hundreds of people from Myanmar took part in the two rallies, while several could not enter India as the authorities concerned had to close the Friendship Gate to prevent any untoward incident," Renthlei said. Across the India-Myanmar Friendship Gate in Zokhawthar, people waved at each other and raised slogans against the Indian government's decision to fence the international border between the two countries and thus restricting the free movement between the two regions.. The free movement regime (FMR) allows people to cross up to 16 km on both sides of the international border.Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar's Chin state and the Mizos share ethnic ties with people belonging to the Chin community. All government offices and schools in the two villages remained closed on Thursday, Renthlei said. He claimed that such a protest was also held in Manipur's Tengnoupal district. The protesters demanded that the Centre must review its decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the FMR with the neighbouring country, Renthlei said. More than 34,000 people from the Chin state of Myanmar are currently taking shelter in different parts of Mizoram, according to the state home department. The Chin people fled their homes following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021. The Centre’s decision is facing resistance from the Mizoram government, civil society organisations and student bodies because they believe that it will "disturb" close contact between ethnic communities of the two countries. The Mizoram assembly had on February 28 passed a resolution, opposing the Centre's decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and abolish the FMR. (With inputs from PTI)
16 May,2024 12:53 PM IST | Aizawl | mid-day online correspondentOn Thursday morning, a horrible accident took place where a speeding BMW car rammed into an e-rickshaw in proximity to Sumitra Hospital in Sector 24 of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, the accident unfortunately resulted in the deaths of two people and left three more individuals with critical and painful injuries. The incident took place at around 6 this morning when the e-rickshaw which was carrying five people, was hit from behind by the speeding BMW car. From the Noida City Centre, the e-rickshaw was travelling to head towards the Noida Sector 12-22 region. "All the injured victims were immediately admitted to the hospital, where two persons were declared dead during the treatment, while three of them are undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Noida Sector 110," the police told ANI. The two deceased people have been identified as Mohammad Mustafa (50), and Rashmi (25), a staff nurse, at Metro Hospital, while the injured people include Rajendra (45), a resident of Gijhore, and also the driver himself, Pawan (27), and Suraj (20). Per and ANI report, the driver of the BMW, Tushar, and his associate, Adi, have been taken into custody by the Noida Police. But their friend, Aman Sisodia, was able to get away. "The accused are all identified as residents of Sector 41, within the jurisdiction of Sector 39 police station," stated the police. "We have detained the accused and are actively working to apprehend the one who fled." The police stated that more inquiries were being conducted. This adds to the extensive and depressingly long list of road accidents that occur in Delhi NCR on a daily basis. Over a thousand accident cases are reported in the national capital region, mostly causing deaths and fatal injuries to people. This also underlines the alarmingly urgent need for better awareness and driver’s training, not only in Delhi but everywhere in India, to mitigate such careless accidents in the future. (With Inputs from ANI)
16 May,2024 11:36 AM IST | Noida | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea of a 20-year-old unmarried woman seeking termination of her over 27-week pregnancy, saying the foetus in the womb also has a fundamental right to live. A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai passed the order while hearing the woman’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 3 order refusing to allow termination of her pregnancy. “We can’t pass any order contrary to the statute,” the bench, also comprising justices S V N Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, told her counsel. “The child in womb also has a fundamental right to live. What do you say about that?,” the bench asked. 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
16 May,2024 07:38 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Supreme Court on Wednesday declared as “invalid in the eyes of law” the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in a case under the anti-terror law, and directed that he be released from custody. The apex court observed that a copy of the remand application in the “purported exercise of communication” of grounds of arrest in writing was not provided to Purkayastha or his counsel before the passing of the remand order dated October 4, 2023 which “vitiates” his arrest and subsequent remand. “As a result, the appellant is entitled to a direction for release from custody by applying the ratio of the judgement rendered by this court in the case of Pankaj Bansal,” a bench of Justices B R Gavai, Sandeep Mehta said. “Accordingly, the arrest of the appellant (Purkayastha) followed by the remand order dated and so also the impugned order passed by the High Court of Delhi are hereby declared to be invalid in the eyes of law and are quashed and set aside,” it said. The bench delivered its verdict on Purkayastha’s plea challenging the high court’s October 13 last year order dismissing his plea against arrest and subsequent police remand in the case. He was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3 last year. Oct 3Day in 2023 Prabir was arrested 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
16 May,2024 07:35 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Chabahar port would benefit the entire region and a narrow view should not be taken of it, after the US warned that any country having business dealings with Iran runs the “potential risk of sanctions”. Speaking at a programme in Kolkata on Tuesday night, he said that in the past, even the US has been appreciative of the fact that the Chabahar port has a larger relevance. “We had a long association with the Chabahar port but we could never sign a long-term agreement. The reason was there were various problems... Finally, we were able to sort this out and we were able to get the long-term agreement done. A long-term agreement is necessary because without it we cannot improve the port operations. And, the port operations, we believe, will benefit the entire region,” Jaishankar said. India asks Iran to release nearly 40 Indian seafarers India has asked Iran to release nearly 40 Indian seafarers who were detained from four different merchant ships seized by the Persian Gulf country over the past eight months on different charges, sources said on Wednesday. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal made the request during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran on Monday. Sonowal was in Tehran where India signed a 10-year contract to operate the strategic Iranian port of Chabahar that will help expand the trade with Central Asia. Following a request of Iranian side, a meeting was held between Sonowal and Abdollahian where bilateral issues were discussed, sources privy to the development 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
16 May,2024 07:33 AM IST | Kolkata | AgenciesComing down hard on the Uttarakhand government, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday it was at pains to say that the state’s approach in controlling forest fires was “lackadaisical”. A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai directed the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand to be present personally before it on May 17. The bench, also comprising Justices SVN Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, observed that though multiple action plans are prepared, no steps are taken for their implementation. The apex court also flagged the issue of huge vacancy in the forest department of the state and said the issue needs to be addressed. The top court was hearing a plea on raging forest fires in Uttarakhand. 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
16 May,2024 07:30 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesKripashankar Singh, once a prominent North Indian face of the Congress in Mumbai, is contesting the general election on a BJP ticket from his hometown Jaunpur, a crucial Lok Sabha seat. Gangster Dhananjay Singh’s wife, Srikala Reddy, was originally being fielded as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate for Jaunpur. However, the party later withdrew her nomination and gave the ticket to incumbent MP Shyam Singh Yadav, who won the seat in 2019 when the BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) were allies. This time, the SP has nominated Babu Singh Kushwaha. The seat remains challenging for the BJP, which is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and the Ram Mandir. However, with Srikala’s exit—considering her husband’s significant political influence in Jaunpur—the BJP now has a slight edge in this crucial race. The Jaunpur seat frequently changes hands between parties, reflecting the high political awareness and discerning voting patterns of its residents. The seat was held by Congress from 1952 to 1962, with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh winning in 1962. In 1963, it returned to Congress and remained with them until 1971. Since then, voters favoured various parties, including the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Janata Party, BJP, SP and BSP. In an interview with mid-day in Jaunpur, Singh said that no other candidate was in the race, as people were voting for Modi and his leadership, which, he claimed, was taking India to new heights of development. Excerpts Why did you leave Mumbai, your karmabhoomi, to contest elections in your hometown on a BJP ticket? Won’t it be challenging as most of your cadre is based in Mumbai?I was 21 when I left Jaunpur to live in a small house in Mumbai, where I worked hard and received so much in return. However, my connection to my birthplace is special, and I visited Jaunpur every month, just as one would return home when done with work. The people here love me and take pride in my accomplishments in Mumbai. In Mumbai, you’ll find that every sixth person from Uttar Pradesh has roots in Jaunpur. Today, our Prime Minister is doing a lot of good work, and the party wanted me to contest the elections from Jaunpur. I am here as a party worker, confident that we will win because people are voting for development and for Modi-ji, and we are his karyakartas. The voting patterns and issues of Mumbai and Jaunpur are very different. What do you think are the key issues driving votes here?The people here are very pleased with the work being done by the state government under Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The mindset of the voters here mirrors that of other states’ residents—they want to give Modi-ji a third term to elevate development efforts to new heights. As the Prime Minister has stated, his third term will involve making significant decisions, and when he appeals to the people, they follow his lead. He is the only leader with such a broad mass appeal. Why did you quit the Congress despite the party giving you so much? You have been the party’s Mumbai president, a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet and someone close to the Gandhi family.I have always been clear that I left the party over core issues like Article 370 and the Ram Mandir. I wrote multiple letters to Sonia Gandhi regarding the party’s stance on Article 370, but the party didn’t listen. Additionally, the party refused the invitation to attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. How can such decisions be made? I have visited Ayodhya multiple times, and my wife used to feel so bad seeing our Lord Ram in such a condition. Today, you see a huge temple being built and the sentiment of the people, with lakhs visiting Ayodhya daily. I never had complaints with the leadership; I left the party purely for ideological reasons. What are the issues in Jaunpur? Is there any kind of anti-incumbency against the BJP government or caste-based factors at play?Yes, there is anti-incumbency sentiment, but it’s directed against the current Member of Parliament from the Bahujan Samaj Party. If you ask anyone in Ayodhya whether they’ve seen their MP in the last five years, you’ll get your answer. People are fed up with him and want to vote for Modi to ensure their development work continues uninterrupted. The state and Central governments have done a lot of work in UP—you can see it in the roads and highways, the distribution of rations, and the improved law and order. People are very happy, so there is a pro-incumbency sentiment in favour of the BJP, and I am confident of winning with a huge margin. Do you think that the re-nomination of the current MP will make your journey easier?This is their internal matter, and I don’t want to comment on it. What I know is that I am winning Jaunpur by a huge margin, and people are going to vote for PM Modi. What promise do you want to make to the people of Jaunpur?I want to transform Jaunpur into an industrial corridor, leveraging the existing infrastructure. Bringing in a lot of industries to Jaunpur will be my priority.
16 May,2024 07:23 AM IST | Jaunpur | Faizan KhanAnnu Mishra kept her modest food stall shut as temperatures in Odisha's Bhubaneswar remained above 40 degrees Celsius for 17 consecutive days in April. This streak was the longest since 1969, severely impacting health and livelihoods. "The crippling heat made it extremely difficult to stand near the gas stove," said 51-year-old Mishra, noting that the only time her food stall remained shut for such a long duration was after Cyclone Fani in 2019. Similar heatwaves could occur once every 30 years and they have already become about 45 times more likely due to climate change, leading climate scientists said on Wednesday, citing historical weather data. The team of scientists, called the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, emphasized that heatwaves intensified by climate change are making life much tougher for people living in poverty across Asia. Amid a prevailing but weakening El Nino and the increasing concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, millions of people in South Asia endured brutal heat in April. Record-smashing maximum temperatures were logged in parts of India, prompting health warnings from government agencies and some states to suspend in-person classes in schools. The oppressive heat also shattered temperature records in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. In West Asia, including Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, April heatwaves with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have become more frequent due to climate change. The world experienced the warmest April ever and the eleventh consecutive month of record-high temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday. Another WMO report published in April said Asia experienced maximum disasters in the world in 2023, with extreme weather, climate, and water-related hazards affecting over nine million people in the region As global average temperatures have risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the cooler pre-industrial climate, scientists predict that West Asia is expected to experience similar heatwaves about once every 10 years. If warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius, similar heatwaves will occur about once every five years. Heatwaves can be deadly, with the elderly and children particularly at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,66,000 people died as a result of heatwaves between 1998 and 2017. Extreme temperatures can also impact economies. People are less productive during hot weather, even if they work indoors, while children struggle to learn in extreme heat. A study in 2022 said extreme heat resulted in labour productivity loss of USD 2.1 trillion equivalent in 2017. In Bhubaneswar, Mishra suffered a loss of Rs 20,000 due to keeping her food stall, the only source of income for her family, shut during the prolonged heat wave spell (16 days), the longest since April 2016. "Other street vendors were allowed to sell their produce and articles between 6 am and 10 am in the morning and 6 pm and 10 pm in the evening, resulting in massive losses for them. Many suffered heatstrokes," Mishra, who is also a member of the local street hawkers' association, said. Experts suggest that the population aged above 65 and below 15 needs special attention in terms of preparedness to reduce the impact of extreme heat on health. "Cities in India need to identify vulnerable populations expeditiously and prepare heat action plans accordingly," said Vishwas Chitale, senior program lead at the Council on Energy Environment and Water. The WWA emphasized that some countries, such as India, have comprehensive heat action plans in place. Yet, to protect some of the most vulnerable people, these plans must be expanded with mandatory regulations, such as workplace interventions for all workers to address heat stress. 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
16 May,2024 12:02 AM IST | Delhi | PTIAt a rally in Nashik, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress for proposing to provide 15% of the national government budget to religious minorities. He committed to reject any attempt to divide the budget or impose religious preferences in employment and education. Modi accused the Congress of using minority communities as a "vote-bank" during its previous term from 2004 to 2014. He emphasised that the BJP was vehemently opposed to the proposal to allocate budgets based on religion, obstructing its implementation, reported PTI. The Prime Minister highlighted that Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Constitution's architect, was opposed to the religion-based reservation. He cautioned against the risky practice of dividing the budget along religious lines. "We give the benefit of welfare schemes to everyone. But the Congress wants division and distribution of budgets based on religion. They divided the country on the basis of religion and are doing it even today," stated PM Modi and added, "When I was the chief minister (of Gujarat), the Congress (then heading UPA government) had brought up this proposal (to earmark 15 pc of budget for minorities). The BJP strongly opposed this move and hence it could not be implemented. But the Congress wants to bring this dangerous proposal again (if voted to power)." Modi also chastised the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray for allying with the Congress, calling it a "duplicate" party. He accused the Congress of discarding Hindu cultural practices while praising his government's efforts to provide social programmes to all sections of society, regardless of faith, reported PTI. "Merger of small parties with the Congress is sure to happen. When duplicate Shiv Sena (referring to Sena UBT headed by Uddhav) merges, I will remember Balasaheb Thackeray's words that if the Shiv Sena becomes like the Congress, he will shut down his party. Now, the duplicate Shiv Sena will cease to exist. The duplicate Shiv Sena has crushed all dreams of Balasaheb Thackeray," he said. "The dream has been accomplished, but the duplicate Shiv Sena is upset. The Congress rejected the invite for 'pran pratistha' (idol consecration ceremony at Ram temple) and the duplicate Shiv Sena also took the same path," the PM opined. "Congress leaders are criticising the rituals done in the Ram temple at Ayodhya, but the "duplicate" Shiv Sena is keeping quiet. The Congress abuses (Hindutva icon) Veer Savarkar, but the duplicate Shiv Sena is supporting the Congress. The duplicate Shiv Sena has abjectly surrendered to the Congress. The people of Maharashtra have decided to punish the duplicate Shiv Sena," Modi remarked. The Prime Minister highlighted farmer welfare actions, such as abolishing the onion export prohibition and expanding onion buffer stocks. He pledged continuous support for farmers and urged people to elect strong leaders for a thriving India. "Modi is the chowkidar (watchman) of rights of deprived sections of society and will never let the Congress take away their rights. Modi will not let budget distribution or quota on the basis of religion," the BJP stalwart declared. "Your service is my life's biggest goal. In the last ten years, you have seen my work and now I have come to seek your blessings for a third term for a Viksit Bharat (developed India). If (voting) trends of the four phases held so far are any indication, the NDA will get a huge mandate," he asserted. PM Modi was campaigning for Bharati Pawar (BJP) and Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena) who are running in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Nashik and Dindori, respectively.
15 May,2024 10:45 PM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondentOn Wednesday, a police policeman attached to the security squad at cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai home allegedly committed suicide in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district. According to an official statement, Prakash Govind Kapade, a 39-year-old member of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), shot himself in the head with his service handgun in the early morning, reported PTI. According to the report, Kapade, who had returned to his birthplace of Jamner with his family last week, was discovered by family members after hearing a gunshot. Despite being transported to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival. A police squad from Jamner arrived at the location, but no suicide note was discovered, the report further stated. Per the PTI report, Kapade has been in the SRPF for 15 years and is currently assigned to the Maharashtra Police's Special Protection Unit (SPU). He was earlier stationed at Sachin Tendulkar's home in Bandra. The motivation for the suicide is still being investigated. In another unrelated incident, two brothers from Bhayandar, Thane district, Maharashtra, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly beating and threatening a police sub-inspector (PSI). The event occurred late on May 13, when a guy went to the Bhayandar police station to report an attack. The PSI assisted the victim and transported him to a medical facility. After asking his subordinates to transport the accused to the station, the siblings verbally insulted the police officer. They physically abused him by tugging his collar and making threats of retaliation, the PTI report added. According to the report, fellow officers intervened and restrained the brothers, who were then brought into prison. Based on the PSI's complaint, a case has been filed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including impeding a public official, inflicting harm, criminal intimidation, and malicious insult, the report added. According to the PTI report, the case against them has been booked under Sections 186 (voluntarily obstructing any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant), 353 (use of criminal force to deter a public servant from performing their duty), 504 (intentionally insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
15 May,2024 09:07 PM IST | Jalgaon | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
