New updates: IMA announces nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors on August 17

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11:59 PM

IMA announces nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors on August 17

Indian Medical Association (IMA) said it has declared nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours, as a mark of protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

8:57 PM

Renowned DRDO scientist Ram Narain Agarwal, Father of Agni Missiles, passes away at 84

Renowned DRDO missile scientist Ram Narain Agarwal— also known as the Father of Agni Missiles, passed away today in Hyderabad at the age of 84. He played a crucial role in the long-range ballistic missile programme in the country and was the first Programme Director of the Agni missiles and was also known as Agni Man: DRDO officials

8:57 PM

Donald Trump asks judge to delay sentencing in New York hush money case until after presidential election

Donald Trump asks judge to delay sentencing in New York hush money case until after the November presidential election

8:57 PM

Key doctors' association FORDA resumes strike after vandalism at Kolkata hospital

On Thursday, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) resumed its strike in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. The decision to restart the protest came just hours after vandalism was reported at RG Kar Hospital, where the body of the trainee doctor was discovered.

 

FORDA had previously suspended its protests on August 13 following a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi.

8:53 PM

JU professors announces cease-work on Friday to protest attacks on docs, nurses

The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association has called for a day-long cease-work on Friday to protest the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

 

In a statement, the association denounced any attempts to conceal evidence related to the rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor and demanded justice for the victim's family.

 

"We also demand a high-level impartial probe into alleged attacks on nursing students and medics by miscreants on the intervening night of August 14-15," JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy told PTI on Thursday.

 

To emphasise these demands, JUTA will observe a full day cease-work on August 16, alongside a sit-in from 1 pm to 3 pm at the administrative building, Aurobindo Bhavan.

 

Coincidentally, SUCI (Communists) has also called for a 12-hour general strike in the state on the same day, addressing the same issue.

8:34 PM

Mediators hold new Gaza cease-fire talks and hope to head off a wider war

A new round of peace talks aimed at ending the Gaza war started on Thursday, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said.

 

The United States, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

 

International mediators were set to hold a new round of talks Thursday aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict.

 

The United States, Qatar and Egypt were to meet with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war climbed past 40,000, according to local health authorities. Hamas, which is not expected to participate directly, accuses Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which Hamas had agreed in principle.

 

A cease-fire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region. Diplomats hope it would persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas' top political leader in an explosion in Tehran.

6:32 PM

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv troops captured Russian town of Sudzha in Kursk region

6:20 PM

PM Modi to address mega community event in Long Island, New York on Sept 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address members of the Indian-American community at a mega diaspora event here next month when he visits the US for the high-level UN General Assembly session.

 

The community event will be held on September 22 at the 16,000-seater Nassau Coliseum in Long Island.

 

Modi is scheduled to address the high-level UN General Assembly session here on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN.

 

Sources told PTI that preparations are in full swing for the community event in Long Island, coming 10 years after Modi had addressed a massive community gathering at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014. This happened just months after he had first taken charge as Prime Minister and had visited the city to attend the high-level annual General Assembly session.

 

In 2019, Modi addressed the mega community event Howdy Modi' at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, where he was joined by then-US president Donald Trump.

6:19 PM

Another low pressure brewing over Bay of Bengal, Odisha cautions fishermen not to venture into sea

Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) on Thursday advised fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea on August 16 and 17 due to a potential low-pressure formation in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

 

In a letter to the principal secretary and director of fisheries and animal resources development department, as well as to district collectors in Ganjam, Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore, the SRC noted the persistence of a cyclonic circulation over South Bangladesh and adjacent Gangetic West Bengal, extending up to 4.5 km above sea level and tilting southwestwards.

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that this system could lead to the formation of a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal in the next 24 hours.

 

Under its influence, along with strong monsoon currents, squally weather with gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kmph is expected over the North West Bay of Bengal on Friday and Saturday, it added.

 

"In this connection, fishermen may be advised not to venture into north west Bay of Bengal on August 16 and 17," the SRC said, adding that fishermen out at sea are advised to return to the coast.

6:16 PM

Met issues orange alert for very heavy rains in Himachal, 126 roads closed

Rain-induced landslides and flash floods in several parts of the Himachal Pradesh since the past week have thrown life out of gear, blocking over 120 roads, uprooting trees and inundating low-lying areas, according to officials.

 

A total of 126 roads, including two national highways, in the state are closed for vehicular movement, officials said on Thursday.

 

Meanwhile, the local meteorological office issued an 'orange' alert for heavy to very heavy rains on Thursday and a 'yellow' alert for heavy rain in isolated parts of the state till August 21.

 

Kangra, Sirmaur and Bilaspur districts received heavy rains overnight, with some streams overflowing, trees uprooting and roads being waterlogged in Kangra.

 

According to rainfall data recorded from Wednesday 5 pm to Thursday 9 am, Kangra was the wettest in the state recording 156 mm rains, followed by 150.8 mm in Dharamshala, 143 mm in Palampur, 120 mm in Nahan , 78.2 mm in Naina Devi , 69 mm in Jot, 67.4 mm in Dehra Gopipur, 48 mm in Poanta Sahib and 37.6 mm in Slapper.

4:59 PM

Such incidents shouldn't happen after 78 years of independence: RS Deputy Chairman on Kolkata doctor's murder

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh expressed sorrow over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a medical college in West Bengal's Kolkata. "After 78 years of independence and in the 75th year of the implementation of the Constitution, such an incident has happened in this country, especially in the land where people worship Maa Durga. This land has a long and rich history of equality between men and women, which is why Prime Minister Modi expressed pain from the Red Fort," he said.

4:50 PM

Any project impacting environment needs second thought: CPI

The CPI, an ally of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, on Thursday said that in view of the landslides that hit Wayanad district, any projects that may impact the environment requires a second thought. The statement was made by CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam who said that the Western Ghats running through Kerala are very fragile and, therefore, scientific studies need to be carried out before going ahead with any proposed tunnel projects there.

4:43 PM

Seating LoP Rahul in 5th row shows PM's pettiness, lack of respect for democratic traditions: Congress

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate claimed that Prime Minister Modi is a person with a "petty mindset" and he keeps giving proof of that himself. "It is futile to expect big things from small-minded people. Narendra Modi certainly showed his frustration by making Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sit in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebrations, but this does not make any difference to Rahul Gandhi and he will keep raising issues of the people as he has been doing," she said in a video statement on X.

 

4:33 PM

9 arrested for vandalism at Kolkata hospital where doctor was raped-murdered

9 people were arrested in connection with the violence at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a trainee doctor was  raped and murdered last week. The medical equipment and furniture was ransacked in the emergency ward. Kolkata Police, however,  stated that the crime scene was intact.

4:20 PM

Daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be nominated as new prime minister

Thailand's populist Pheu Thai party on Thursday said it will nominate its party leader, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in a Parliament vote for the country's new leader after former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed by a court order over an ethical violation. Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is seen as force behind Pheu Thai. 

4:18 PM

Sikkim CM inaugurates web-based land record management system

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Thursday inaugurated a web-based integrated land record management system on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day. Developed by the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the system aims to streamline and manage land records more efficiently.

3:49 PM

Left leaders remember freedom fighters on Independence Day

Left leaders on Thursday greeted people on 78th Independence Day, and remembered the sacrifices made by freedom fighters for the nation. In a post on X, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said it is an occasion to recall the courage and sacrifice of our freedom fighters and reaffirm our pledge to live up to these values.

3:32 PM

On Independence Day, farmers hold tractor marches in Punjab, Haryana

Farmers at many places in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday held tractor marches on the occasion of 78th Independence Day to press the Centre to accept its demands, including a legal guarantee on MSP for crops. The call for taking out tractor marches was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) that are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march in support of the farmers' demands.

3:31 PM

PM Modi hosts Paris Olympics contingent of India at his residence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met with the Indian contingent which returned from the just-concluded Paris Olympics with six medals with history-scripting shooter Manu Bhaker showing her pistol with which she won two bronze, at his residence here.

3:19 PM

2 French fighter pilots die after colliding with another warplane during training

Two fighter jet pilots were killed after their Rafale warplane collided with another and crashed in northeastern France, according to the French military. The pilot of the other jet ejected and suffered minor injuries. The two aircraft collided Wednesday during a combat maneuver in the Vosges region near the town of Colombey-les-Belles, the Defense Ministry said in a statement late in the day. 

3:13 PM

Odisha announces policy of one-day paid menstrual leave for women employees

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Thursday announced a one-day paid menstrual leave policy during the 78th Independence Day celebrations in Cuttack. The policy is aimed at supporting the health and well-being of the menstruating people and will be extended to both public and private sectors. Read here for more details.

2:38 PM

Congress hits out PM Modi's communal civil code remark

The Congress's denunciation came in the wake of Modi saying a "secular civil code" is the need of the hour as the existing set of laws was a "communal civil code" and discriminatory. Slamming PM Modi, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The non-biological PM's capacity for malice, mischief, and maligning of history knows no bounds. It was on full display today from the Red Fort."

2:18 PM

Want to work closely, Hasina’s statements don’t help, says Bangladesh's Foreign Advisor

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain stated on Wednesday that the interim government of Bangladesh wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations, but  added that Sheikh Hasina’s public statements from India are “not conducive” towards that.

2:01 PM

Chhattisgarh govt working on war footing to set up new security camps in Naxalite-hit areas: CM Deo Sai

In his Independence Day address to the state at the Police Parade grounds in state capital Raipur, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the Chhattisgarh government was working on a war footing to set up new security camps in the Naxalite-hit areas of the state with an aim to end the menace and ensure basic facilities to people living there.

1:58 PM

We need to live and move forward for the survival of the state: CM Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that while everyone in the country was sad regarding the Wayanad landslides that claimed over 200 lives, it was time to live and move forward for the survival of the state. Vijayan, speaking after hoisting the national flag at the Central Stadium here on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day of the country, also said that even as India excelled in various sectors since its independence in 1947, the scientific awareness in the country was being damaged and superstitions, harmful customs, and outdated rituals were making a comeback.

1:23 PM

West Bengal Governor meets protesting doctors at RG Kar medical college hospital

West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose arrived at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to meet with protesting doctors. A day after unidentified miscreants damaged portions of the hospital during the night, nurses at the state-run facility have initiated a protest. They are calling for adequate security measures on the hospital grounds.

1:10 PM

'Sad national flag couldn't be hoisted at Delhi CM's residence,' says Sunita Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita on Thursday said she was sad because the national flag could not be hoisted at the CM residence because of his imprisonment. In a post on X, Sunita Kejriwal said that the "dictatorship" can put an elected chief minister in the jail but it cannot stop "patriotism" in his heart.

1:08 PM

BJP's Partition Day an attempt to spread hatred: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday attacked the BJP-led Centre, saying the rulers of today are encouraging divisive thinking and marking the 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' with the intention of spreading hatred. In his address at the AICC headquarters here on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, Kharge slammed the RSS, saying that the Sangh Parivar promoted Britishers' divide-and-rule policy for its own benefit.

12:45 PM

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Autopsy reveals multiple penetrations

The autopsy report of the doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital indicated multiple penetrations, according to media reports.

12:37 PM

'CM's pharmacy stores' on anvil to make generic medicines available: Stalin

In his Independence Day address, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin stated that over 75,000 openings in the government sector will be filled by January 2026. The Chief Minister's pharmacy scheme will be launched next year, on the day of Pongal, the harvest festival, (January 14, 2025) and as many as 1,000 pharmacy outlets will be opened in the first phase.