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"Great leader": US VP Vance lauds PM Modi during his India visit
United States Vice President JD Vance on Monday said it was an "honour" to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called the PM a "great leader" on the first day of his India visit. Vance also expressed gratitude for hosting his family at the PM's residence in New Delhi and said that PM Modi was "incredibly kind to my family." Responding to PM Modi's post on X, the US Vice President wrote, "It was an honor to see Prime Minister Modi this evening. He's a great leader, and he was incredibly kind to my family." Vance further expressed willingness to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries. "I look forward to working under President Trump's leadership to strengthen our friendship and cooperation with the people of India!" Vance said. PM Modi, after meeting Vance, said that both nations are committed to mutually beneficial cooperation in various sectors. "Pleased to welcome US Vice President JD Vance and his family to New Delhi. We reviewed the fast-paced progress following my visit to the US and meeting with President Trump. We are committed to mutually beneficial cooperation, including in trade, technology, defence, energy and people-to-people exchanges," PM Modi wrote on X. He also emphasised that India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership will be a "defining" partnership of the 21st Century for India and the world. It was an honor to see Prime Minister Modi this evening. He’s a great leader and he was incredibly kind to my family. I look forward to working under President Trump’s leadership to strengthen our friendship and cooperation with the people of India! https://t.co/pCWmxcFjw8 — JD Vance (@JDVance) April 21, 2025 During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the strength of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and jointly launched the India-U.S. COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century, which as described by a statement from US Vice President office is an "initiative anchored in mutual trust, shared interests, goodwill, and robust engagement of their citizens". The two leaders also welcomed the progress in the negotiations for a US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). They formally announced the finalisation of the Terms of Reference for the negotiations. "Vice President Vance and Prime Minister Modi welcomed significant progress in the negotiations for a US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and formally announced the finalization of the Terms of Reference for the negotiations, laying down a roadmap for further discussions about our shared economic priorities," said the statement from Vance's office. It said BTA presents an opportunity to negotiate a new and modern trade agreement focused on promoting job creation and citizen well-being in both countries. The goal is to enhance bilateral trade and supply-chain integration in a balanced and mutually beneficial manner. 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
22 April,2025 08:32 AM IST | New Delhi | ANI
Karnataka ex-DGP murder: Cops book wife, daughter
The wife and daughter of slain former Karnataka DGP Om Prakash have been booked on murder charges, following a complaint from the deceased officer’s son that he “strongly” suspected the role of the two women in his father’s killing, police said on Monday. The retired IPS officer was found dead in a pool of blood in his HSR Layout residence in Bengaluru on Sunday afternoon. Police arrested Om Prakash’s wife Pallavi and daughter Kriti in connection with the incident. In his complaint, Om Prakash’s son Kartikesh alleged that Pallavi had been threatening to kill his father for the past one week. “Due to these threats, my father had gone to stay at his sister’s house,” he stated. “Two days ago, my younger sister Kriti went there and pressured my father to return home. She brought him back against his will,” Kartikesh alleged. “My mother Pallavi and my sister Kriti used to fight with my father often. I strongly suspect that they are involved in the murder of my father. I request to initiate legal action in this case,” he said in his complaint to the police. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said a detailed investigation will bring out the truth behind former DGP’s murder. When asked about the reason behind the murder, Parameshwara said he has no clue because the investigation has started and the investigation officer has not shared any information yet. 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
22 April,2025 08:10 AM IST | Bengaluru | Agencies
Up to Union government to frame regulations, says Supreme Court
“As it is, we are alleged of encroaching upon the parliamentary and executive functions,” Supreme Court’s Justice B R Gavai said on Monday in an apparent reference to recent attacks on the judiciary while hearing a matter over the West Bengal violence. The SC was hearing one matter over the recent violence in West Bengal during anti-Waqf law protests, while the other plea sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to prohibit streaming of sexually explicit and pornographic content on OTT and social media platforms. While hearing the plea over online content, Justice Gavai told advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who was appearing in the matter: “Who can control it? It is for the Union to frame a regulation in that regard. As it is, we are now criticised that we are interfering with the executive’s function, the legislative functions.” The top court’s remarks came after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey recently made disparaging remarks against the judiciary. While Dhankhar questioned the judiciary setting a timeline for the president to make decisions and acting as a “super Parliament”, saying the Supreme Court cannot fire a “nuclear missile” at democratic forces, Dubey said Parliament and assemblies should be shut if the apex court had to make laws. He also blamed Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for “religious wars” in India. Plea seeks Prez’s rule A plea has been filed in the SC seeking to impose President’s rule in West Bengal in the wake of the recent violence. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain for the petitioner stated that there was an urgent need for the deployment of paramilitary forces in the region, and immediate action was needed. Fresh incidents of anti-Waqf violence rocked Bhangar area in South 24 Parganas district on April 14. At least three people were killed in the communal violence in parts of Murshidabad district on April 11 and 12 during protests. Murshidabad violence: 12 detained in Odisha Around 12 people were detained from Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Monday in connection with the violence Murshidabad. They were nabbed by a Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal police, a senior Odisha police officer said. Among those apprehended were two sons of Ziaul Sheikh, one of the prime suspects in the murder of a man and his son in Murshidabad’s Jafrabad, he said. Sheikh has already been arrested by the West Bengal police. These people who used to work as labourers had gone home to Murshidabad during Eid and allegedly took part in the violence. Following the violence, they returned to Jharsuguda and were in hiding. “The people detained by the STF are being questioned, and their mobile phones are being verified to ascertain their presence in Murshidabad on the day of the violence,” the officer 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
22 April,2025 08:10 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies
PM Modi, US VP JD Vance, hold bilateral talks with focus on trade
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with US Vice President JD Vance against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade pact. The two leaders will be discussing ways to further expand India-US global strategic ties as well as New Delhi’s concerns over Washington’s trade policy. After the talks, Modi will host a dinner for Vance, his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and the delegation of senior US government officials accompanying the vice president. Vance and his family landed in Delhi this morning on a four-day India visit after their trip to Italy over the weekend. He is the first US vice president to visit India in 12 years after Joe Biden visited New Delhi in 2013. Vance’s first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries including India. New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues including tariff and market access. Last month, US assistant trade representative Brendan Lynch visited India and held talks with his Indian interlocutors on firming up the bilateral trade agreement (BTA). The US president’s tariff tussle has stoked fears of a global trade war. Days after announcing the reciprocal tariffs, Trump announced a 90-day pause on them for all countries, except China. Washington is also pushing New Delhi to buy more American oil, gas and military platforms to bring down the trade deficit that stands at around USD 45 billion in India’s favour. The US was the largest trading partner of India with overall bilateral trade in goods and services amounting to $190 billion for calendar year 2023. 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
22 April,2025 08:09 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies
PM Modi, Vice-President JD Vance welcome progress in negotiations for trade pact
India and the US on Monday welcomed the "significant progress" in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial bilateral trade pact as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President JD Vance held wide-ranging talks to enhance cooperation in areas of defence, energy and technologies. Modi hosted Vance, Indian-origin US Second Lady Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel over dinner at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence after the official talks. PM Modi conveyed to Vance his warm greetings for President Donald Trump and said that he looked forward to his visit to India later this year. The prime minister and the vice president also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and called for "dialogue and diplomacy" as the way forward. Vance and his family arrived in Delhi this morning on a four-day visit that came weeks after President Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries including India. New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement as agreed during Modi's talks with Trump in Washington DC in February. The trade pact is expected to address a variety of issues including tariff and market access. Prime Minister Modi and Vice President Vance "reviewed and positively assessed" the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, an Indian readout said. "They welcomed the significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries," it said. "Likewise, they noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defence, strategic technologies and other areas," it said. It is for the first time that the two sides publicly announced that there has been "significant progress" in the negotiations for the BTA first tranche of which is likely to be finalised by this fall. A delegation of Indian negotiators are set to travel to the US on Wednesday to hold talks with American officials on the BTA. "The prime minister fondly recalled his visit to Washington DC in February and his fruitful discussions with President Trump, which laid down the roadmap for close cooperation between India and the US, leveraging the strengths of Make America Great Again (MAGA) and Viksit Bharat 2047," the Indian readout said. It said Modi and Vance also "exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward". "The prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to his visit to India later this year," the readout said. Trump is expected to visit India later this year to attend the annual summit of the Quad grouping. "The prime minister extended his best wishes to the Vice President, Second Lady and their children for a pleasant and productive stay in India," the readout added. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and Principal Secretary (II) to PM Shaktikanta Das were part of the Indian delegation at the talks. The focus of the talks was learnt to be early finalisation of the bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties including in areas of defence and energy. The US Vice President and his family landed in Delhi after their trip to Italy over the weekend. Vance is the first US vice president to visit India in 12 years after Joe Biden visited New Delhi in 2013. On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site. In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Center in Jaipur. Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia. The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said. In Agra, they will visit Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said. After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23. The Vances will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above. 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.
21 April,2025 11:23 PM IST | New Delhi | PTI
Heatwave alert in Chandrapur after district sizzles at 45.6 degrees Celsius
A heatwave alert was issued by the administration in Maharashtra's Chandrapur after the district recorded a temperature of 45.6 degrees Celsius on Monday, reported the PTI. The district administration has issued a heatwave alert for three days, advising citizens to take precautions when they step out. As per the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Nagpur, 11 cities in Vidarbha have recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, with Chandrapur recording the highest 45.6 degrees Celsius. The Chandrapur district has been facing intense heatwave since last week, and a heatwave alert has been issued in one or two places in the district till April 24. After recording a such high temperature on Monday, Chandrpur has become the hottest city in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, an official said, as per the PTI. Bramhapuri tehsil recorded a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius and remained the second hottest city in the region, according to the PTI. Amid oppressive heat, 91 animals rescued; most suffering from dehydration, says official Meanwhile, as several districts in Maharashtra continue to face intense heat, many animals were rescued after being found extremely dehydrated. Over 90 animals, including birds and reptiles, have been rescued in and around Mumbai amid stifling heat, an official said last week, the news agency reported on Saturday. These animals were dehydrated and were showing signs of distress due to the impact of high temperatures, he added. These 91 animals were rescued by the forest department and NGO Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, honorary wildlife warden Pawan Sharma said, as per the PTI. Sharma, who is the founder-president of RAWW, said they would be released into their natural habitats after treatment. "These animals were directly impacted due to heat and dehydration. The cases of Bonnet Macaques, kites and parakeets being rescued have also increased in the last five years. We have rescued more than a dozen this month itself," he said, according to the PTI. People need to be vigilant and report any wildlife in distress to the forest department on 1926 toll free helpline, Sharma added. Mumbai and its adjoining areas has been witnessing hot weather since February. (with PTI inputs)
21 April,2025 08:59 PM IST | Chandrapur (Maharashtra) | mid-day online correspondent
BJP protests against civic body over supply of contaminated water in Latur
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a 'jalabhishek' protest against the Latur civic body over supply of contaminated water to citizens in parts of the Latur district in Maharashtra, reported the PTI. Several BJP workers gathered at the Latur Municipal Corporation complex to protest on Monday. BJP city president Devidas Kale said that MLA Amit Deshmukh and the civic body have done nothing to provide relief to people, as per the PTI. A memorandum was submitted the LMC's water supply engineer, he added. Congress targets state govt over water crisis in Nashik The Congress on Monday slammed the Mahayuti government over the severe water crisis in Nashik district of Maharashtra which has forced women to risk their lives to fetch water from dried wells, reported the PTI. Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised clean tap water to every home in the country by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, the 'Har Ghar Nal, Har Nal Jal' appeared only on posters, while the reality in many villages is dire. He said that mothers and sisters in the rural areas of the Nashik district still have to cross mountains and valleys with pots to fetch water, as per the PTI. "Moreover, in many places, they risk their lives to descend into dry wells for just a pot of water," Harshvardhan Sapkal posted on X. He stated that this is not just a failure of the government but a grim reality of insensitivity and empty sloganeering. Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar also highlighted women's struggle for water. "This is a great shame for Maharashtra that mothers and sisters are having to fight such a life-threatening struggle for water," he said. Wadettiwar said the government is awash with funds to spend on the upcoming Sinhastha Kumbh Mela to be held in Nashik and questioned its priorities. They have money to splurge on festivals and programmes but not for drinking water for the people, he alleged. "The government should stop misleading the public by throwing events and work on the real issues of the people. First, provide drinking water to these poor families, then celebrate festivals worth thousands of crores," he added, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
21 April,2025 07:32 PM IST | Latur | mid-day online correspondent
BJP man booked for sexually assaulting woman in Madhya Pradesh; party expels him
A BJP office-bearer from Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, following which he was expelled from the ruling party. A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) against Suresh Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police Gayatri Tiwari told PTI on Monday. Legal steps will be taken after a thorough probe, the deputy SP said. Meanwhile, Singh, who is the BJP's Sidhi district unit vice president, was removed from the post and expelled from the party on Sunday by state unit chief VD Sharma for his "undignified and intolerable act," party functionaries said. Defending himself, Singh said the accusations were false and alleged he was being targeted as part of a conspiracy "hatched by a party colleague". "I have honestly served the party for the past two decades after retiring from the army. The party didn't ask for my side before taking action. I will fully cooperate in the probe," Singh 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
21 April,2025 07:09 PM IST | Sidhi | PTI
Woman dead, 25 injured after mini truck plunges into gorge in Shimla
One woman has been killed while 25 others sustained injuries after an overloaded Bolero Camper they were travelling in plunged into a deep gorge in Dodra Kwar region of Shimla district, police said on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Shana Devi (35), a resident of Dodra village. According to police, the accident took place on Monday near Gusangu village when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it skidded into a deep gorge, killing the woman on the spot and leaving at least 25 persons injured. Police, who reached the spot after receiving the information, rescued the injured and recovered the dead body from the gorge. Around 20 people sustained minor injuries and are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital in Dodra Kwar. Five people who were critically injured have been shifted to the Civil Hospital in Sandasu, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police Shimla Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi confirmed the report and said that a case has been registered. 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
21 April,2025 07:06 PM IST | Shimla | PTI
Punjab: 24-year-old man stabbed to death in Hoshiarpur
A 24-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death following a petty monetary dispute with a vendor, police said on Monday. Sanjeet Kumar had a contract for cleaning the Sabzi Mandi market and he used to charge Rs 10 from each vendor for the service. The incident occurred when an altercation occurred between Kumar and the vendor over a pending amount of Rs 40-50 on Sunday night. The quarrel escalated, and the accused allegedly stabbed Kumar, leaving him seriously injured. He was initially admitted to the local government hospital, but was later referred to a private hospital in Ludhiana in a critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday. 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
21 April,2025 07:06 PM IST | Hoshiarpur | PTI
ED to restitute Rs 15,000-crore assets to fraud victims during 2025-26
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has earmarked assets worth about Rs 15,000 crore that will be restored to the victims of real estate, Ponzi and other frauds across the country during the current financial year, officials said. The federal probe agency has begun initiating this provision for restitution of properties, available under the anti-money laundering law, "aggressively" since last year to ensure that legitimate owners and rightful claimants duped by a financial crime get their dues, documents showed. Till date, as per records accessed by PTI, assets worth a total of Rs 31,951 crore have been restituted under this provision. Out of this, Rs 15,201.65 crore assets were restituted between 2019-21 in three money laundering cases related to fugitive economic offenders, Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, apart from the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) case. In June last year, ED Director Rahul Navin undertook a comprehensive review of all money laundering cases where assets can be restored to the victims of frauds and since then, the agency has secured court orders in 32 cases after it filed applications to initiate the restitution procedure, the officials said. According to the data, between August 2024 and April this year, the ED restored assets of Rs 15,261.15 crore (2024-25 fiscal) and Rs 1,488 crore worth of properties during the current fiscal (2025-26). The officials said the ED chief recently issued directions to all regions of the agency to "actively work on cases marked for restitution of assets worth Rs 15,000 crore during the financial year 2025-26". The investigating officers and their supervisory officers have been asked to file special applications before the competent court and follow them up till a final order is issued. More such cases where restitution can be done are being worked upon, the officials said. Under the existing scheme of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the process to restore the assets of innocent investors can be ordered by competent courts even before the trial is completed in a case. The ED needs to file a chargesheet before the court and it should frame charges against the accused before initiation of restitution proceedings. Restitution or restoration of assets can be done under section 8(8) of the PMLA which says that if a property has been confiscated by the central government (by the ED), the special court has the power to direct restoration of the confiscated property to a claimant who has a legitimate interest in the property and has suffered a quantifiable loss as a result of an offence of money laundering. The court, while ordering restitution, has to determine that the properties were initially acquired through illicit means but ultimately belong to innocent parties. "These provisions empower the ED to act swiftly to ensure that legitimate claimants regain control of their assets before the conclusion of the legal process," an officer working on these cases said. The said sections have been provided in the PMLA to provide prompt relief to those who lost their hard-earned money in a criminal case of cheating like bank fraud, Ponzi scheme, investment fraud or non-delivery of a promised home by the builder, among others, he said. As per procedure, the claimants receiving the restitution are required to execute a bond to refund or reimburse the amount, if, directed at any subsequent stage of the proceedings or upon conclusion of the trial. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the campaign for the 2024 general elections, had said that his government will work to "return the money looted from poor people". "The prime minister of India has consistently emphasised the urgent need to recover and return funds misappropriated from the poor and innocent citizens of the country and has repeatedly stressed that money siphoned off through fraudulent means must be rightfully restored to those who have been cheated in Ponzi schemes," a recent government statement on restitution had 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
21 April,2025 06:26 PM IST | New Delhi | PTI