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Highlights: PM's principal secy chairs meet to analyse plans for tackling air pollution in Delhi-NCR

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PK Mishra, PK

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra | (Photo: PTI)

P K Mishra, the principal secy to PM, chairs meet at PMO to evaluate preparations for tackling air pollution in Delhi-NCR ahead of winter. Mishra also directed the Punjab, Haryana, UP chief secretaries to rigorously enforce action plans to eliminate stubble burning.

The Israeli military has said that it is widening an aerial offensive against what it claims are Hezbollah weapons sites in southern and eastern Lebanon. The military said that it was expanding its airstrikes to include areas of the Bekaa Valley, along Lebanon's eastern border, after targeting more than 300 sites in southern Lebanon. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said residents of Bekaa Valley must immediately evacuate areas where Hezbollah is storing weapons for their own safety.

A Delhi court on Monday extended till October 7 the judicial custody of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case. Special Judge Rakesh Syal passed the order after the accused was produced before the court on the expiry of his judicial custody granted earlier. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had arrested Khan on September 2, told the court that if he is released, he might influence the witnesses and hamper the investigation.

Kiran Rao's "Laapataa Ladies", a light-hearted satire on patriarchy, has been chosen as India's official entry for Oscars 2025, the Film Federation of India announced here on Monday. The 13-member select committee headed by Assamese director Jahnu Barua unanimously decided on "Laapataa Ladies", from a list of 29 films, including Bollywood hit "Animal", Malayalam National Award winner "Aattam" and Cannes winner "All We Imagine As Light".

In a major order, the Supreme Court ruled that downloading and watching child pornography is an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra  also laid down certain guidelines on child pornography and its legal consequences. The top court delivered its verdict on a plea challenging the Madras High Court order.

India and the United States have agreed to set up a semiconductor manufacturing facility for producing chips designed for applications in national security, advanced telecommunications, and sustainable energy sectors, according to the Indo-US joint fact-sheet. The leaders of both nations, US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, praised this “watershed arrangement”, marking the first instance where the US military has consented to share highly valuable technology with India in such a partnership. The semiconductor facility, which will concentrate on developing advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics technologies, will receive support from the India Semiconductor Mission. Additionally, it will benefit from a strategic technology alliance involving Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force, according to the official statement.

India will open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, meeting the long-pending demand of the fast-growing Indian American community in these two large American cities.
While Boston is considered as the education and pharma capital of the US, Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, is hosting the next summer Olympics and current US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti is the city's former mayor.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of an Army officer and the sexual assault of his fiancee at a police station here. The state government is committed to taking strict action against all persons or officials who are found guilty, the chief minister said. He issued the order for judicial inquiry after a discussion with his deputy chief ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Law Minister Pritihiviraj Harichandan and senior officers. According to a statement released by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the judicial inquiry will be presided over by Justice Chittaranjan Das and the report will be filed within 60 days.

11:52 PM

Badlapur case accused gunned down: Self defence by cops, says govt; Oppn seeks probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said police shot dead Badlapur school sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde in self-defence.
 
Akshay Shinde, accused of sexually abusing two minor girls in the school where he worked as an attendant, was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail for investigation when he snatched a policeman's gun and fired at an assistant inspector when the police vehicle reached Mumbra bypass.
 
He was killed in retaliatory firing by a police officer who was part of the escort team.
8:39 PM

Karnataka HC's verdict on CM's plea challenging Guv's order to be pronounced tomorrow

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday will pronounce its order on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the legality of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for investigation against him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.

 
6:58 PM

Jagan must allow law to decide its course in Tirupati laddu adulteration case: Pawan Kalyan

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said there is no need for former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to defend himself over the Tirupati laddu adulteration controversy and allow the system (law) to take its own course in punishing the culprits.
6:26 PM

Israeli military to expand strikes against Hezbollah weapons sites in Lebanon

The Israeli military says it is widening an aerial offensive against what it says are Hezbollah weapons sites in southern and eastern Lebanon. The military said Monday that it was expanding its airstrikes to include areas of the Bekaa Valley, along Lebanon's eastern border, after targeting more than 300 sites in southern Lebanon.

5:00 PM

UPSC aspirants' deaths: Court grants interim bail to CEO, coordinator of RAU's IAS Study Circle

A Delhi court on Monday granted till December 7 interim bail to Rau's IAS Study Circle CEO Abhishek Gupta and its coordinator Deshpal Singh in a case related to the death of three civil services aspirants in July in the centre's flooded basement. Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna granted relief to the accused persons on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with two sureties of the like amount.
4:58 PM

Left, Congress in Kerala slam Nirmala Sitharaman over statement on EY employee death

 The ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress in Kerala on Monday lashed out at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her statement on the recent death of a young CA professional employed with audit major EY, and demanded her apology. Anna Sebastian Perayil, who cracked the tough Chartered Accountant exam in 2023 and worked at Ernst and Young, Pune office for four months, died in July. According to a letter her mother wrote to the EY India Chairman, Perayil was overworked with a "backbreaking" load as a new employee that affected her "physically, emotionally, and mentally". In an event held at Chennai on Saturday, Sitharaman had in an apparent reference to the incident, said families should teach the children to handle pressure through divinity.
4:43 PM

Delhi HC closes Pocso case against 19-year-old in romantic relationship with minor girl

The Delhi High Court has closed the criminal proceedings in a POCSO case emanating from a romantic relationship between a 19-year-old man and a minor girl, saying if the FIR is not quashed, the lives of three individuals -- the duo as well as their newborn -- will be destroyed. The court said it was passing the order on "humanitarian grounds" in view of the "exceptional circumstances", as it noted that the petitioner man and the 17-year-old prosecutrix in the case were neighbours and got married in August 2023 out of their own free will.
4:41 PM

Grave insult to Constitution, CM post: BJP, Congress on Atishi leaving Kejriwal's chair vacant

The BJP and the Congress on Monday attacked Delhi's new chief minister Atishi, over her decision not to sit on the chair used by her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal, saying her gesture was a "grave insult" to the constitutional rules and the post of chief minister. Atishi, who took charge as the eighth chief minister of Delhi on Monday, said she would serve as Delhi's chief minister for four months like Ramayana's Bharat who ruled Ayodhya in the absence of his elder brother Lord Ram by placing his 'khadaun' (wooden slippers) on the throne.
4:36 PM

'Not a western concept': SC stresses importance of sex education in India

The Supreme Court noted that sex education is not a western concept incompatible with traditional Indian values. The perception that it is, the Court said, has resulted in opposition from several state governments, leading to bans on sex education in schools in certain states. Read here for more details.
3:59 PM

Subramanian Swamy moves SC seeking court-monitored probe in Tirupati laddu row

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus. The BJP leader requested the court to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the source and sampling of the ghee used for making the laddus. Swamy also urged the court to issue an interim direction to obtain a detailed forensic report from the authorities concerned.
3:58 PM

Delhi court extends AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan's judicial custody till Oct 7

A Delhi court on Monday extended till October 7 the judicial custody of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case. Special Judge Rakesh Syal passed the order after the accused was produced before the court on the expiry of his judicial custody granted earlier. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had arrested Khan on September 2, told the court that if he is released, he might influence the witnesses and hamper the investigation.
3:42 PM

Mpox patient discharged from Delhi's LNJP Hospital, say officials

An Mpox patient admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital here earlier this month has been discharged, the hospital officials confirmed.The 26-year-old patient, who had been admitted to the disaster ward dedicated to Mpox cases for almost 12 days, was discharged on Saturday.
An official from the hospital confirmed "the only Mpox patient was discharged on September 21." The 26-year-old patient from Hisar, Haryana, was admitted to the hospital on September 8, with doctors confirming the diagnosis on September 9.
3:36 PM

UP: Three labourers killed, one injured in road accident in Banda

Three labourers were killed and one was injured when the bike they were travelling on was hit by a truck here on Monday, police said. The victims were identified as Vijay Bahadur (29), Manoj alias Baua (24), Prabhudayal (20) and Rambabu (22), they said. The incident took place near Kartal turn in the Naraini police station area here. The victims were travelling on a bike when they were hit by a truck, Additional SP, Shivraj said.
2:52 PM

We are together at home: Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar

Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party. “Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least),” the veteran politician said at a press conference at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region. He was responding to a query about the demand from “various quarters in the state” that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again. In July last year, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state as deputy chief minister. 
2:51 PM

Bengaluru woman murder: Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara vows to catch culprits soon

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday vowed to apprehend those responsible for the gruesome murder of a 29-year-old woman here, as soon as possible. According to police, Mahalakshmi's body was found chopped into over 50 pieces and stuffed into a refrigerator in a flat at Vyalikaval in the city.
"Aready some information has been collected, which I cannot reveal now, but we will soon nab those involved in it," Parameshwara told reporters here.

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First Published: Sep 23 2024 | 9:03 AM IST

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