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While Delhi, neighbouring National Captial Region (NCR) and other North Indian states grapple with rising air pollution levels, the air quality levels in Mumbai, surrounding Thane and Navi Mumbai districts, have dropped to "unhealthy" levels on Sunday. Mumbaikars woke up to the city's skyline wrapped under a blanket of smog. The real-time overall air quality of the city at 10 am docked in at 181, higher than Gurugram's real-time AQI at 10 am of 162. The pollutant levels in Mumbai of PM 2.5 (particulate matter which can settle in the lungs and cause health ailments) was 114, which is considered very unhealthy. According to Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) AQI bulletin for Saturday till 4 pm , Gurugram remained in a better position with an AQI of 78 which falls under 'satisfactory' category, while Mumbai docked in 190 which comes under 'moderate' category. An AQI between 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory",

Bhopal : A former MLA and seven other people were sentenced to three years in prison by a local court on Saturday for threatening to set fire to a police station in 2017. Judge Suresh Singh of a special court handed over fine of Rs 5,000 each to former Karera MLA and Congress leader Shakuntala Khatik and the others. The court has granted one month to the accused to file an appeal against the judgment. Khatik threatened to burn a police station against the police firing on protesting farmers in Mandsaur in 2017. Apart from the Congress leader, Vinas Goel, Deepak Seth, Narayan, Bunty alias Sanjay, Satish Verma and Manish Khatik have been sentenced to jail. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2r5jqLx Asian News International

Lahore : The opening of the historic Kartarpur corridor was the brainchild of Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and it will hurt India for ever, a top Pakistani minister claimed on Saturday, contradicting his government's assertion that the idea behind the initiative was that of Prime Minister Imran Khan. On 9 November, Prime Minister Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor to facilitate the visa-free entry of Indian Sikh pilgrims to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev. While inaugurating the corridor, Khan had told a gathering of over 12,000 devotees, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, "I had no idea of the importance this place holds. I found out a year ago. I am happy we could do this for you". The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government has claimed that the Kartarpur corridor was the initiative of Prime Minister Khan. However, Pakistan's Railways Minister Shei

New Tehri: A woman from Karnataka was allegedly raped by a truck driver in Uttarakhand's Tehri district, a police official said on Saturday. The 28-year-old woman ran away from her home in Karnataka after a fight with her family, Sub Inspector Kandisaur Surendra Singh Rawat said. According to a complaint lodged by the woman with Kandisaur Police, she was raped by the truck driver who had given her a lift, Rawat said, adding that the driver later dumped her somewhere on the way. The woman's medical examination on Saturday confirmed rape, the sub-inspector said. Her statement has been recorded and her relatives in Karnataka have been informed, he said. A search was underway to trace the truck driver who was at large, he added. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/35N5lRy Press Trust of India

Hyderabad rape and murder: Three cops suspended for delay in filing FIR Telangana Police suspended three policemen over a delay in filing an FIR in the case of the rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinary doctor, whose charred remains were found on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The woman was raped and killed allegedly by four men, all lorry workers. The four accused were sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Saturday. A lot of time was wasted because the police were fighting over jurisdiction that in which police station the case should be registered, National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma claimed. She also slammed Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali's remarks on the victim, saying such people do not deserve the position and they need to be sensitised. Maharashtra Assembly to elect Speaker The Maharashtra Assembly speaker will be elected on Sunday, followed by a motion of thanks on the governor's address in the House. The ruling alliance has fielded Nana Pa

Industrialist and Bajaj Group chairperson Rahul Bajaj, speaking at an  Economic Times  award function in Mumbai, said there is an atmosphere of fear, people are afraid to criticise the government and do not have the confidence that the government will appreciate any criticism. As per a report in The Quint , Bajaj asked a panel comprising Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal why people are not allowed to question the government. Bajaj said people had the freedom to critique the UPA government but that the current regime has created an environment of fear and uncertainty, as per the report. “During UPA-II, we could abuse anyone. You are doing good work, but if we want to openly criticise you, there is no confidence you will appreciate that. I may be wrong but everyone feels that,” Bajaj said, according to a report in The Print. Bajaj's comments come the day after India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the  July-Septe

Kottayam: A court in Kottayam on Saturday extended the bail granted to Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, till 6 January. The Bishop appeared before the Kottayam Additional Sessions Court in Kottayam on Saturday. When the case came up, Mulakkal's counsel filed a plea seeking an extension of his bail. The Kerala High Court had in October last year granted conditional bail to Mulakkal, arrested over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting the nun. In her complaint to the Kottayam Police in June last year, the nun had alleged that Bishop Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions. The nun said she had to approach the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman. However, Mulakkal has denied the charges as "baseless and concocted," insisting that she levelled them as the Catholic order had rejecte

Coimbatore: A minor girl out with her male friend in a park in Coimbatore to celebrate her birthday was allegedly raped by six men, four of whom have been arrested, police said on Saturday. The 11th standard student had gone to a park with her male friend on 26 November and were returning home at around 9 pm when the gang accosted them, assaulted the man, dragged her to a secluded place and raped her. They also videographed the incident, police said The girl narrated the incident to her mother the next day following which a complaint was lodged at an all-women police station. Investigations led to the arrest of four men, who were booked under various sections of the POCSO Act, 354 (assault on woman to outrage her modesty) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) of IPC, they said. They were produced before a Mahila Court, which remanded them to custody and lodged them in the central jail in Coimbatore. A search is on for other two men, including the gang leader, police said. fro

New Delhi:  In their inaugural foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, India and Japan on Saturday voiced serious concern over the threat posed to regional peace and security by terror networks operating from Pakistan and asked it to take "resolute and irreversible" action to contain terrorism. The two countries, under the new framework of two-plus-two dialogue, discussed a raft of strategic issues including the latest developments in the disputed South China Sea, evolving security scenario in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to boost bilateral cooperation in co-development of military hardware, officials said. Acknowledging the emerging security challenges, the two sides specifically decided to further expand maritime security ties and expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the negotiations for the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) which would allow the two countries to use each other's military logistics, they said. While deliberating on se

New Delhi:  The Hyderabad Police played a "negative role" and "wasted precious time" which could have been used to save the life of a veterinarian who was brutally raped and murdered, her family members told the NCW on Saturday. The National Commission for Women (NCW) had sent an inquiry committee headed by a member of the panel to look into the rape and murder, which has sparked a national outrage. Representational image. PTI The charred body of the 25-year-old veterinary doctor was found on the outskirts of Hyderabad. She was raped and killed allegedly by four men, all lorry workers. The four accused were sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Saturday. NCW chief Rekha Sharma said the family told NCW member Shyamal S Kunder that the police played a "negative role" in the case. Kunder said the family claimed that before filing the complaint, the police even levelled allegation that "she had eloped with someone", Sharma added. A lot of time

New Delhi: Terrorism in Kashmir has been at a minimum level after the repeal of Article 370, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Saturday, describing the first six months of the Modi government's second term as dedicated to development and security of the country. Javadekar said India has had a little impact of the global economic slowdown and efforts to recover from it have been hastened by the government. Simultaneously, this government is continuously addressing economic challenges because of economic headwinds globally, he said. File image of Union minister Prakash Javadekar. PTI The information and broadcasting minister said the Modi government completes six months of its second term today, with the country moving fast on the path of progress. Citing various landmark decisions and work done in the first six months of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second stint, Javadekar said the repeal of Articles 370 and 35A has paved the path of peace in Kashmir. "In the fo

Mumbai: A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Saturday rejected bail pleas of Haroun Yusuf and Humayun Merchant , both arrested by Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case involving gangster Iqbal Mirchi. Special PMLA Judge P Rajvaidya refused bail to the two accused, both alleged aides of Mirchi. The court, however, granted bail to Ranjeet Bindra, a broker in the deal of Mirchi's property, and Rinku Deshpande, through whom Bindra allegedly received his commission. Earlier, while opposing their bail, ED said the case was sensitive, involving money generated from organised crime, and its suspected use for terror financing and in the narcotic trade was under investigation, the agency said. The case appears to have international ramifications as well, ED had claimed. The four were arrested in October under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the ED's probe into illegal real estate deals of Mirchi. The probe is into Mirchi's purchase of t

The owner of a Porsche 911 sports car, worth around Rs 2 crore, was slapped with a fine of Rs 9.8 lakh by the Ahmedabad Regional Transport Office (RTO) for not having valid documents and legal number plates, police said on Friday. The traffic police have impounded the vehicle, they said. During a routine checking in Ahmedabad West. Porsche 911 was caught by PSI MB Virja. The vehicle had No Number Plate and Valid Documents. Vehicle detained and slapped fine of Rs. 9 Lakh 80 Thousand (9,80,000 INR). #AhmedabadPolice #Rules4All pic.twitter.com/runtd5k8dX — Ahmedabad Police (@AhmedabadPolice) November 29, 2019 The silver colour car was stopped by the traffic police at Helmet crossroad on Wednesday as it did not  have number plates, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tejas Patel, said."On being questioned, the driver failed to produce valid documents of the vehicle. Therefore, we detained the car and issued an RTO memo under the Motor Vehicles Act. This means that he has to deposi

New Delhi:  A woman sitting on a solitary protest outside Parliament on Saturday morning in the wake of the gang-rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad has alleged that she was harassed and beaten up by cops. The Delhi Commission for Women has issued notice to Delhi Police. Holding a placard with the slogan 'why I can't feel safe in my own Bharat', Anu Dubey, in her mid-20s, sat on the pavement near gate number 2-3 of the Parliament House complex to protest crime against women in the country, police said. She alleged "gross misbehavior, harassment and violence" by Delhi Police from the Parliament Street Police Station who forcefully removed her from the site and detained her. Though the Delhi Police denied the allegations of brutality, the DCW issued notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, seeking action against the erring police officials. According to the police, some of its personnel asked the wo

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a financial assistance of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka, including USD 50 million to fight terrorism, after holding "fruitful" talks with the island nation's newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on maritime security, demands of Tamil minorities, concerns of fishermen and ways to boost security and trade ties among others. Assuring New Delhi's unflinching support to Sri Lanka's journey for prosperity, Modi, in a media statement, said the security and development of the two maritime neighbours were "inseparable" and it was natural that both countries remain mindful of each other's security interests and sensitivities. The prime minister said he has assured Rajapaksa of India's commitment to a development partnership with Sri Lanka which will be in accordance with the priorities of the people of the island nation. On the Tamil issue, Modi said he was confident that the new Sri Lan

New Delhi:  India and Japan on Saturday held their inaugural foreign and defence ministerial dialogue with an aim to give further momentum to their special strategic partnership, particularly in the maritime domain. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led the Indian delegation while the Japanese side was headed by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Minister of Defence Taro Kono, officials said. The talks under the new framework are taking place following a decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during the 13th India-Japan annual summit last year. The two leaders decided to institute the new mechanism for further deepening bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries. In the talks, the two sides exchanged views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and resolved to work for achieving shared obj

As the Modi 2.0 government completes six months in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the dispensation has taken numerous decisions that have pushed the country's development, accelerated social empowerment and enhanced unity. In a series of tweets using the hashtag "6monthsofIndiafirst", the prime minister said the government "aspires to do even more in the times to come, so that we create a prosperous and progressive New India." Inspired by the motto of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' and with the blessings of 130 crore Indians, the NDA government has continued working towards developing India and empowering the lives of 130 crore Indians with renewed vigour, he said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA government returned to power with a stronger mandate than in 2014. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2rC4Paq Press Trust of India

Jammu: Two Army personnel were killed on Saturday after an avalanche hit their patrol at an altitude of about 18,000 feet in southern Siachen glacier in the Union Territory of Ladakh , a defence spokesperson said. An Army patrol operating at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in Southern Siachen Glacier was hit by an avalanche during the early hours of Saturday, Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said in a statement. He said an Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) following the patrol immediately rushed and managed to locate and pull out all members of the patrol. Army helicopters too were simultaneously pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims, he said. Despite the best efforts by the medical teams, two Army personnel, however, perished in the avalanche, the officer said. It was for the second time that an avalanche occurred in Siachen in the past two weeks. Earlier on 18 November, four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed i

New Delhi:  Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has written to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking an urgent inquiry into the alleged suicide of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) student, asserting that action in the matter is of utmost importance for the safety of girls in the state. On 16 September, the body of 17-year-old Anushka Pandey, a Class 11 student of JNV, Bhongaon, was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room. A suicide note was found in the room in which she stated that she was taking the extreme step as her roommates had publicly humiliated and taunted her over the theft of some snacks, police had said. However, Pandey's father had lodged an FIR against school principal Sushma Sagar, hostel warden, and two students alleging that his daughter was murdered, they had said. Priyanka, in her letter to Yogi Adityanath, said the incident was heart wrenching and it assumes importance in the context of the security of girls studying in various i

Mumbai: The Appointments Committee of Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal of Ministry of Home Affairs for extension in service of Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay S Barve for a period of three months. The proposal has been extended in relaxation of Rule 16 (1) of All India Services Rules, 1958 as a special case in the public interest, a government official said. Earlier in August, the committee had given nod to the proposal of Ministry of Home Affairs for extension Barve's service for a period of three months beyond his superannuation. Barve, a 1987-batch IPS officer, was due to retire on 31 August, 2019. On February 28, Barve had taken over as the Police Commissioner of Mumbai. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2L9V36h Asian News International

Protests broke out in Telangana on Saturday in the wake of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian, according to several media reports. Some Hyderabad locals, including activists, staged a protest outside Shadnagar Police Station where the accused are lodged, raised slogans against them and demanded severe punishment for them. Some even demanded that the accused be handed over to public. "It is not enough if they are taken to court. They should be handed the same treatment what they did to the victim [sic]," a man said. "If you cannot do it, hand them over to us," another man said. As per a report in   The News Minute,   some protesters raised slogans condemning the crime and demanded 'an encounter' of the accused. The article also said that a massive protest was led by students in Shamshabad, where the rape and murder occurred, demanding justice for the victim. Police assured the agitators that they would ensure that the acc

Security forces in Kashmir have been put on high alert as militants have been planting locally assembled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on roads in an attempt to repeat a Pulwama-like attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and which increased tensions between India and Pakistan. The IEDs are being planted on roads frequently used by security forces. According to a police official, forces during a routine patrolling at Sempora in Pampore on 14 November found an IED planted on the road. A bomb disposal squad was called in to defuse the IED, which was made by fitting a pressure cooker with “urea fertiliser and a detonator” as per a police official. He added that what made the forces raise their alert level was that the device was planted in the vicinity of a security camp and militants had earlier targetted forces in the area. In the government-run Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), which also lies nearby, five personnel wer

The government's claims of 'normalcy' in Kashmir take a hit when the state of the educational institutions in Valley is reviewed. Classrooms that were once populated by students are now serving as a shelter for hundreds of the paramilitary troopers, who were stationed in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August. Nabeel Wani (21), a civil engineering student of Kashmir Government Polytechnic (KGP) College in Gogji Bagh area of Srinagar, had last attended a class on 3 August – the first day of his third semester. But apart from the shutdown and restrictions, it is the presence of the seven CRPF companies in his college which has prevented Nabeel from attending the classes. Nabeel is one among 850 students of KGP College who can’t attend classes because their college is acting as a shelter for the additional troopers in the valley. "Since the last four months, classes have halted as the college is under the occupation of seven CRPF companies. I decide

"I identify as tired." Perhaps Hannah Gatsby’s striking reflection stemming from her rage against a world blinded by binaries is shared by the trans community in India following the passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 in Parliament on 26 November. The Bill, while claiming to protect the rights of people who identify as transgender, has in turn appeared to create more psychological barriers between them and the basic freedom of identity that any individual deserves. The transgender community, in a press statement , recognised that the Bill limits their freedom of movement to familial places and rehab centers, persecutes them, and also involves a framework to grant certification of being transgender which, objectively through a third person, serves as ‘proof’ of their identity. These steps not only underline a (possible) misuse of professional power and ethics but also may further induce psychological distress in people from the community. I

A white paper on healthcare released recently in Mumbai by NGO Praja Foundation has shown that people in the city spend an enormous percentage of their household incomes on accessing basic health services. According to the data released, on an average, people spent 9.7 percent of their annual income on healthcare in 2019. If we take the per capita income of the city to calculate actual expenditure on health, we see a drastic increase in overall health spending from Rs 19,209 crores in 2017 to Rs 27,795 crores in 2019 (a 45 percent rise in two years). It is crucial to examine the reasons behind this state of affairs. One clue in this regard is provided by data for government-run OPDs (Out-Patient Departments) in Mumbai in 2018. The numbers show that 76 percent of the total OPD patients went to government hospitals while only 24 percent went to dispensaries. It is worth pondering as to why people seem to prefer hospitals over dispensaries for accessing basic healthcare services. In Mu