The Opposition party termed as a “huge setback” Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir's scheduled lunch with Trump, and said the PM should have conveyed India's displeasure on it to the US president. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asserted that if Indira Gandhi would have been the prime minister she would definitely have conveyed her displeasure to whoever the US President would have been. On Trump's scheduled lunch with Munir, Ramesh said, “This is a triple jhatka for Indian diplomacy. Today Field Marshal Munir, whose incendiary, inflammatory, provocative and unacceptable remarks formed the background to the Pahalgam terror attack, is set to have lunch with President Trump. The same military man who is not the head of government is being invited for a special one-on-one lunch with President Trump. This is a huge setback.” 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
19 June,2025 11:44 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPolice in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have arrested a man for allegedly murdering a 64-year-old following a personal dispute, an official confirmed on Thursday. The incident took place on the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday when the two, along with some of their friends, were consuming liquor in Kasa village. The 35-year-old accused and the victim had a dispute over an issue. The accused then allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim to death, Kasa police inspector Avinash Mandale said. The police rushed to the spot after being alerted and sent the body to a government hospital for a postmortem. The accused was arrested on Wednesday and booked under section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said. 21-year-old Palghar man kills father to prevent axe attack on mother In a similar case, which took place in May, a man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly murdering his father to prevent an axe attack on his mother in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said. The 21-year-old accused also allegedly burnt the body and the murder weapon following the incident, reported news agency PTI. The crime occurred in Varnol village within the limits of Wada Police Station in Palghar district on Tuesday, an official said, adding that the accused, identified as Akshay Hadal, was taken into custody in the early hours of the day based on a complaint lodged by villagers. "The victim, Vilas Hadal (45), was an alcoholic who would often harass his wife. On the day of the incident, he came home inebriated and, during a heated altercation, allegedly ran after his wife with an axe, threatening to kill her," the official said.Akshay then intervened, snatched the axe from his father and attacked him, killing him on the spot, the official added. To conceal the crime, the accused allegedly burnt his father's body along with the bloodstained axe and even threatened villagers if they informed the police about the crime, the official said. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 103 (murder) and 238 (destruction of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), he added. (With inputs from PTI)
19 June,2025 11:11 AM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentSenior Congress leader and prominent member of Parliament Sonia Gandhi has been facing serious stomach-related health issues for the past few days. However, after a few days, the veteran leader’s health is said to be stable. According to the hospital chairman, Sonia Gandhi is now stable after undergoing treatment for a stomach infection at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. As reported by ANI, the veteran Congress leader is under the supervision of the medical team at the hospital, which has introduced a new diet plan as part of her care. Dr Ajay Swaroop, the hospital's chairman, while addressing the situation about Sonia Gandhi’s health, said that "Sonia Gandhi is responding positively to treatment. Her health is stable, and a specific diet plan has been introduced today as part of her ongoing care. She remains under close observation." A team of doctors, including Dr S. Nundy and Dr Amitabh Yadav, continues to closely monitor her condition, read an official statement from the hospital. However, neither the hospital administration nor the doctors have revealed when Sonia Gandhi is expected to be discharged from the hospital. The hospital, when asked about the discharge, stated that they will decide on the basis of her recovery progress. Earlier, Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on Sunday (June 15) for a stomach infection. Dr Swaroop said on June 16, "Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital at 9:00 PM yesterday (15.06.2025, Sunday), under the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology for a stomach-related issue. She is currently stable, and the doctors are closely monitoring her health." On June 17, 2025, giving an update on the 78-year-old Congress leader's health, the Chairman said, "Smt. Sonia Gandhi is stable and responding well to treatment. She is recovering from a stomach infection. Her diet is being closely monitored, and she remains under observation. As a precautionary measure, her discharge date has not yet been decided". Earlier on June 7, the Congress leader also went to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Himachal's Shimla, being brought in for a routine health check-up due to some minor health issues, according to Naresh Chauhan, Principal Advisor (Media) to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. (With ANI Inputs)
19 June,2025 10:42 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA week after the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed new draft regulations aimed at enhancing flight safety by removing hazardous obstructions near airports. Titled the Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, the draft was released on June 18 and will come into effect upon notification in the Official Gazette, as per news agency ANI. The proposed rules empower authorities to take swift action against buildings, trees, or any other structures that breach permissible height limits within designated aerodrome zones. The move is viewed as a preventive measure to eliminate risks posed by such obstructions in aircraft flight paths. "Where any notification has been issued by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 18 of the Act and the officer-in-charge of the concerned aerodrome has reason to believe that any building or tree exists in violation of the provisions of the aforesaid notification, he shall serve a copy of the notification on the owner of the building or tree, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedure laid down in sub-section (3) of said section," the draft reads, reported news agency ANI. Under the draft, any structure found violating the prescribed height limits may be served with a notice by the officer-in-charge of an aerodrome. Owners must submit detailed information, including structure dimensions and site plans, within sixty days. Failure to comply could result in enforcement action, including demolition or height reduction. "The officer-in-charge of the concerned aerodrome shall forthwith send a report of such violation to the Director General, or any officer authorised by him in this behalf," it added, reported ANI. For physical verification, officers are empowered to enter the premises during daylight hours after informing the owner. In cases of non-cooperation, officers may proceed based on available information and refer the matter to the DGCA. "Before forwarding the details to the Director General, the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome shall satisfy himself about the correctness of the details and for that purpose, he shall be empowered to enter the premises in question and carry out physical verification of the dimensions of the building or tree, as the case may be, during daylight hours and with reasonable prior notice to the owner, who shall be duty bound to extend full cooperation during such physical verification," it further added, reported ANI. If there is non-compliance, the officer-in-charge must report the matter to the District Collector, who is then responsible for ensuring the demolition or trimming is carried out in accordance with the order. The procedure will mirror the process used for removing unauthorised constructions. Owners have the right to appeal orders to the First or Second Appellate Officer. Appeals must be filed in the prescribed form along with supporting documents and a fee of Rs 1,000. However, only those who comply with the orders may claim compensation under section 22 of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. Any new non-compliant structures built after the notification will not be eligible for compensation, as per ANI. The Civil Aviation Ministry has invited objections or suggestions from the public within twenty days of the notification's publication. Responses may be sent to the Director-General of Civil Aviation. On June 12, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, reported ANI. (With ANI inputs)
19 June,2025 09:14 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentPolling for the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll in Punjab began Thursday morning here amid tight security arrangements. The polling began at 7 am and it will continue till 6 pm, said officials. The counting of votes will be held on June 23. The Ludhiana West Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. The Ludhiana West segment is set to witness a multi-cornered contest with major political outfits -- the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal vying to outdo each other in the urban constituency. Campaigning for the bypoll ended on Tuesday evening. There are a total of 14 candidates in the fray and 1,75,469 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise - 85,371 of them women and 10 belonging to the third gender. A total of 194 polling stations are there for the bypoll with 100 per cent live webcasting of polling stations, officials said. The voting process will be monitored in real-time from the integrated command and control centre located at the district administrative complex. As many as 235 CCTV cameras have been installed at polling stations, said officials. The ruling AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora for the bypoll. Arora (61) is a Ludhiana-based industrialist and is also known for his social welfare work. The Congress has placed its bet on former minister and Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu (51). Ashu had been MLA twice from this seat in 2012 and 2017. He was defeated by Gogi by a margin of 7,512 votes in the 2022 Assembly polls. The BJP has field party's senior leader Jiwan Gupta. He is a member of the core committee of Punjab BJP. He had earlier remained the party's state general secretary. SAD named Parupkar Singh Ghuman as its candidate for the bypoll. Ghuman is a lawyer and the former president of Ludhiana Bar Association. 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
19 June,2025 08:46 AM IST | Ludhiana | PTIVoting in the by-poll for the Nilambur Assembly constituency in Kerala commenced at 7 am on Thursday. Polling commenced amidst tight security arrangements, including the deployment of central security forces and police, along with live monitoring of the by-election process through an extensive webcasting system. People began arriving early in the morning at the 263 polling booths across the constituency, which has over 2.32 lakh voters who will elect their representative from among 10 candidates. Among the 10, the key contenders are ruling LDF pick M Swaraj, Aryadan Shoukath (Congress-led UDF), Trinamool Congress state convener and independent candidate P V Anvar and Mohan George of the BJP-led NDA. The by-election was necessitated after Anvar resigned as MLA of the constituency following his severing of ties with the CPI(M)-led LDF over certain allegations by him against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his close aides. On Thursday, voting commenced after a mock polling was carried out in the morning to check if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were working. The final voter list includes 1,13,613 men, 1,18,760 women and 8 transgender persons, with 7,787 first-time voters, 373 overseas voters, and 324 service voters. Election officials received polling material on Wednesday from the distribution centre at Chungathara Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School. 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
19 June,2025 08:43 AM IST | Malappuram | PTIThe Supreme Court on Wednesday grilled the Tamil Nadu (TN) government over the suspension of Additional Director General of Police H M Jayaram, who was directed to be arrested by the Madras High Court. A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan was informed by state government's counsel that the officer was taken into custody and released on Tuesday. Jayaram's counsel submitted that he was released by the police but the government had suspended him. “He is a senior police officer. Where was the requirement for you to put him under suspension? These kinds of orders are shocking and demoralising,” the bench remarked. The top court told the TN government counsel to seek instructions on the matter and come back on June 19 for revoking his suspension. 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
19 June,2025 08:41 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIndia on Wednesday officially launched 'Operation Sindhu' to evacuate Indians from Iran amid the Iran-Israel conflict, an official statement said. It stated that 110 students were evacuated as part of the operation and were on their way to New Delhi. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wrote, "India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025." This is part of the many steps that the government has taken over the last several days for the safety and security of Indian nationals stuck in Iran and called for help in view of the deteriorating situation due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the statement said. Operation Sindhu begins 🇮🇳.India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a… pic.twitter.com/8WJom7wh5f — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025 The government of India said that it is grateful to the governments of Iran and Armenia for the smooth facilitation of the evacuation process, according to the IANS. "India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them using the available and feasible options," the MEA stated, the news agency reported. The MEA advised Indian nationals in Iran to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline, and with the 24x7 Control Room established by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Advisories India issued an advisory for its citizens in both Iran and Israel. It said that in view of the current situation, all Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin in Iran must remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary movements, follow the Indian embassy’s social media accounts and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. The Indian Embassy in Iran has also issued contact details for the Indians. The Indian Embassy in Israel also issued an advisory, informing Indian citizens to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the Israeli authorities and Home Front Command (https://oref.org.il/eng). “Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters. We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation, including the safety of Indian nationals. In case of any emergency, please contact the 24/7 helpline of the embassy,” the advisory read. Emergency contact numbers for those in Iran Call only98 912810911598 9128109109 WhatsApp+98 901044557+98 9015993320+91 8086871709+98 9177699036 (Bandar Abbas)+98 9396356649 (Zahedan) Telephone numbers for those in Israel+972 54-7520711+972 54-3278392
18 June,2025 09:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday searched multiple premises in the national capital as part of a money laundering investigation into the classroom construction 'scam' that is alleged to have taken place during the previous AAP government, official sources said, according to the PTI. The federal probe agency carried out the raids after it recently registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), taking cognisance of a Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) FIR into the said allegations, reported PTI. At least 37 premises of contractors and private entities linked to the case have been covered by the ED officials, the sources said. The ACB had booked Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, in its complaint filed on April 30. It was alleged that financial irregularities amounting to 2,000 crore rupees were done in the construction of over 12,000 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in Delhi government schools. The accused in the ED case are the same, sources told PTI. However, AAP, after the filing of the Delhi ACB case, had charged that the ruling BJP was using the probe agency (ACB) as a "tool" to target its leaders and claimed there was no corruption in the construction of classrooms. Sisodia, 53, held the finance and education portfolios in the previous AAP government, and Jain, 60, was in-charge of the public works department and some other ministries. They both were summoned by the ACB for questioning in this case earlier this month. According to PTI, Jain had deposed once while Sisodia skipped the date and is expected to be called again by the ACB. The AAP had called the ACB summons "pure politics". Both Sisodia and Jain have been investigated by the ED in separate money laundering cases earlier. Sisodia was arrested and chargesheeted by the agency in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, while Jain was taken into custody in 2022 and later chargesheeted in an alleged hawala transactions and possession of disproportionate assets case. The ACB FIR came about after alleged lapses in this case were flagged by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Meanwhile, Delhi BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra, Harish Khurana, and Neelkant Bakshi had in 2019 filed a complaint with the ACB, alleging serious financial irregularities in the construction of classrooms across three zones of Delhi. The ACB further alleged that the total expenditure incurred on the project amounted to 2,892 crore rupees, pushing the per-classroom cost to 24.86 lakh rupees, compared to the estimated 5 lakh rupees per room under standard norms. However, it claimed the project was awarded to 34 contractors, most of whom were allegedly linked to AAP. The construction involved Semi-Permanent Structures (SPS) with an expected lifespan of 30 years, yet costs matched those of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures, which typically last up to 75 years. The ACB further claimed that the consultant and architect for the project were appointed without following due process. "The Chief Technical Examiner (CTE) of the Central Vigilance Commission had raised serious violations of various clauses in its report which highlighted gross violations of CPWD Works Manual 2014, GFR 2017, and CVC guidelines. However, the report was allegedly suppressed for nearly three years," it added. (With inputs from PTI)
18 June,2025 07:59 PM IST | New Delh | mid-day online correspondentA landslide on the trek route to the Kedarnath shrine left two palanquin carriers from Jammu and Kashmir dead and three others including a pilgrim from Gujarat injured on Wednesday, police said. As reported by PTI, the dead were identified as Nitin Kumar and Chandrashekhar. Moreover, both the deceased were palanquin carriers from Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir, the police stated. It has also been reported that people who are injured in the incident have been identified as Sandeep Kumar and Nitin Manhas, both palanquin carriers from Doda in Jammu and Kashmir and one pilgrim named Akash Chitriya from Bhavnagar in Gujarat, police said. The landslide occurred at 11.20 am on June 18, 2025 near Junglechatti ghat along the route with boulders rolling down the hillside hitting pilgrims and palanquin and porter operators, Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Akshay Prahlad Konde said. The Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshay Prahlad Konde said that "The landslide ion the Kedarnath trek route occurred at 11.20 am near Junglechatti Ghat along the route. The boulders rolled down the hillside hitting pilgrims, palanquins and porter operators." VIDEO | Uttarakhand: Tragedy struck the Kedarnath Yatra after boulders rolled down a hillside near Jungle Chatti on the trekking route. Four pilgrims were caught in the landslide, two died on the spot, while two others were injured. Rescue operations are underway.#kedarnathdham pic.twitter.com/1mPppRjTir — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 18, 2025 The SP added "They fell into a gorge after being hit by the rubble of the landslide. Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search and rescue operation." Furthermore, police and SDRF personnel as well as locals had a tough time pulling out the dead as well as the injured out of the gorge with the help of ropes. Two persons died on the spot while three others were injured. Two seriously injured men were referred to a health centre in Gaurikund, the Rudraprayag SP Akshay Prahlad Konde stated. Konde, while concluding his statements, said that "The movement of pilgrims along the route continues under police protection."
18 June,2025 06:22 PM IST | Rudraprayag | mid-day online correspondentA major fire broke out in Noida’s Sector 36 on Monday due to a sudden blast in an air conditioner. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far. Fire tenders rushed to the scene immediately, and with the help of two fire engines, officials were able to bring the blaze under control. The quick response prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The exact cause of the AC blast is yet to be determined. Further investigation is underway, and more details are expected to emerge soon. 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
18 June,2025 06:05 PM IST | Noida | ANIADVERTISEMENT
