2 Armed Men Get Caught Attempting To Kidnap Doctor At Gunpoint In Jharkhand

2 Armed Men Get Caught Attempting To Kidnap Doctor At Gunpoint In Jharkhand

Country-made pistol, 2 live cartridges of 8 mm bore were recovered from accused: Cops (Representational)

Jamshedpur:

Two armed men were caught when they were allegedly trying to kidnap a well-known doctor in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur city, police said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday night when doctor Bimarjeet Pradhan, an ENT specialist, was walking to his car after attending a patient near Golmuri Market, they said.

The two armed men tried to push him in his car at gunpoint. But the doctor shouted instantly, and as it was a busy area, people caught the accused, Senior Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal said.

A country-made pistol and two live cartridges of 8 mm bore were recovered from the accused — identified as Ashok Kumar Singh and Ravi Shankar Singh, both natives of Begusarai in Bihar but living in the city at present, he said.

A case was registered under the Arms Act and IPC sections 364 (kidnapping) and 307 (attempt to murder), among others, he added.

The local chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) condemned the incident, and demanded stringent action against the accused.

It also demanded adequate security for doctors in the city.

Health Minister Banna enquired about the incident and asked police to take stringent action, an IMA functionary said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

EU's Borrell condemns Kerman terrorist incident

In this call, Borrell offered his condolences to the families of the victims as well as the government and the nation of Iran and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Referring to the need for the international community to deal with various forms of terrorism, the Iranian foreign minister thanked the high representative of the European Union for his sympathy in this regard.

In this conversation, the two sides discussed the latest developments in the region, including Gaza.

Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in two terrorist blasts near the burial site of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani in the city of Kerman during a ceremony marking his fourth martyrdom anniversary.

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Israel, America Not Behind Iran Blasts: US

US Says Israel, Washington Not Behind Iran Blasts

The United States was not involved in any way, US State Department said after Iran blasts.

Washington:

The United States on Wednesday rejected suggestions that ally Israel or Washington was behind deadly blasts in Iran at the grave of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed four years ago in a US strike.

“The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

“We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

US Says Israel, Washington Not Behind Iran Blasts

US Says Israel, Washington Not Behind Iran Blasts

The United States was not involved in any way, US State Department said after Iran blasts.

Washington:

The United States on Wednesday rejected suggestions that ally Israel or Washington was behind deadly blasts in Iran at the grave of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed four years ago in a US strike.

“The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

“We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Iran pens letter to UNSC following Kerman terrorist blasts

The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns such heinous acts of terrorism and will spare no effort in pursuing justice for the victims of this incident, Iravani said.

The Islamic Republic of Iran asks the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council to immediately and unequivocally condemn this terrible terrorist attack, he added.

As one of the main victims of terrorism and with direct experience of its disastrous consequences, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to lead the fight against terrorism, Iravani noted.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people were killed and injured in two terrorist blasts near the burial site of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani in the city of Kerman during a ceremony marking his fourth martyrdom anniversary.

The head of Kerman’s emergency service said that the explosions left 103 people dead and at least 141 more injured.

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UN agency chief warns of ‘unbearable suffering’ in Gaza

The commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of “unbearable suffering” and the spread of disease in the Gaza Strip, as a nightmare of bloodshed in Gaza is unfolding due to Israel’s incessant bombing of the coastal territory. 

The UN agency’s commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini in a social media post on Wednesday said that three months of the war in Gaza had led to “mass displacement, mass human losses and injuries, and mass destruction.”

“Unbearable suffering made worse by constant dehumanization and promotion of hate speech going unchecked,” he said in a post on X.

The warning comes as UNRWA has already sounded the alarm on the spread of disease in the Israeli-bombarded besieged Palestinian territory. The agency has warned that the situation in Gaza was dire after nearly 90 days of Israeli aggression.

“Overcrowded streets of Rafah witness the alarming spread of disease. Famine looms, exacerbated by restricted access. It’s critical for a humanitarian ceasefire to provide urgent aid and end this forced continuous displacement.”

 Gazans ‘exposed to epidemics, diseases’ due to lack of food: Palestinian PM

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in a government meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah said on Wednesday that Gaza was witnessing “a state of hunger and starvation in scenes that are shocking to us and to the world”.

“People have lost their strength, are no longer able to support their emaciated bodies and have become exposed to epidemics and diseases,” the prime minister said.

He further noted that Gaza was suffering from hunger and starvation which was especially affecting children and infants.

Israel is committing crimes by starving Gaza’s population and preventing the delivery of food, the premier said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Shtayyeh thanked South Africa for filing a case against Israel on charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

Gaza laborers ‘stripped naked, attacked by dogs’

Separately, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Israel held thousands of Gaza laborers.  They were held without charge in incommunicado detention for weeks after October 7.

Some were stripped naked and photographed, put in diapers, attacked by dogs, dragged face down in gravel and cuffed for days.

“The released Palestinian workers gave media interviews, describing abuses and degrading conditions in detention, including being subjected to electric shocks, urinated on, attacked by dogs, as well as held for several days without food or water,” the group said. “Human Rights Watch was not able to verify these accounts.”

Palestinian officials have already said testimonies from released Palestinian abductees from the besieged Gaza Strip revealed they had been subjected to torture by Israeli forces. They stated that the abductees were subjected to all forms of beatings and ill-treatment during their detention.

Death toll rises in Gaza

The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed thousands of civilians, most of them women and children.

The Palestinian health ministry says the death toll from Israel’s aggression on Gaza now stands at 22,313 Palestinians. At least 57,296 Palestinians have also been wounded.

Thousands more are trapped under the rubble of their homes and are presumed dead.

In the past 24 hours,  at least 128 Palestinians have been killed and 261 others were injured in Israeli attacks.

However, almost three months into the war, Tel Aviv has failed to achieve its declared objective of eliminating the Hamas resistance movement and finding Israeli captives in Gaza.

Man Jumps Off Moving Delhi Police Van, Dies After Hospitals Turn Him Away

Man Jumps Off Moving Delhi Police Van, Dies After Hospitals Turn Him Away

Failure to get any hospital bed resulted in his death, cops said. (Representational)

New Delhi:

A 47-year-old man died due to the injuries that he sustained after jumping out of a moving police van early Wednesday, a senior officer said.

The victim, identified as Pramod, was rushed to four different government hospitals by the police personnel due to the unavailability of beds or equipment at the hospitals, he added.

The failure to get admission at any hospital resulted in his death at 5.45 am, police said.

“Patrolling staff was taking the accused to the New Usmanpur police station after he had molested and abused a woman near Shanti Mohalla. The accused was in an inebriated condition and was vomiting,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), northeast, Joy Tirkey.

“He suddenly jumped off the moving vehicle after opening the glass window,” he added.

The officer further said that he fell on the road and was immediately taken to the Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital from where he was referred.

“The injured was taken to the GTB Hospital by an ambulance, but he could not be admitted there because of the unavailability of CT-Scan. He was referred to LNJP hospital, but he could not be admitted there due to unavailability of beds in the ICU Ventilator,” said Tirkey.

“The injured was later rushed to the RML Hospital, but the hospital authorities denied admission. He was again brought back to the JPC Hospital, where the injured was declared dead at 5.45 am,” he added.

The DCP said that a medical board is being constituted to conduct an autopsy.

Sharing details of the incident in which Pramod was taken into police custody, Tirkey said that the police control room received a call around 9 pm from a woman living in Shanti Mohalla in New Usmanpur, alleging that she was abused and molested by a drunk man.

Subsequently, a police team was sent and the 21-year-old complainant told them that Pramod was drunk and molested her. When the woman stopped him, he started quarrelling with her, police said.

The police team arrested Pramod from the spot and was bundled into the police van to take him to the New Usmanpur police station.

“He jumped as the police van reached near the police station. It’s strange that no hospital could give him proper medical treatment. The patient kept on hopping from hospital to hospital to hospital. We have started further investigation into the matter,” said the DCP.

A case of molestation, sexual harassment and assault was later registered at the police station on the woman’s complaint, police said.

The DCP further said Pramod was found previously involved in two criminal cases, including that of attempt to murder in 2015.

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in a statement said, “It has been brought to my notice by media query that a victim of road accident was allegedly refused admission by three Delhi government hospitals namely GTB Hospital, JPC Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital and one Central government hospital namely RML hospital.” “The patient was not provided timely emergency medical treatment and later he succumbed to his injuries,” he added.

The minister said that an explanation has been called from the three concerned Delhi government hospitals.

Bharadwaj further said that if the Farishtey scheme would have been fully functional in Delhi, this victim of road accident could have been taken to a nearby private hospital, having requisite medical services and there would have been fair chances of him surviving. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Iran president vows culprits behind Kerman attack will be punished


Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi

Iran’s president has vowed that those behind the “indiscriminate and cowardly” terrorist attack that hit the Iranian city of Kerman will soon be brought to justice.

In a written statement, Ebrahim Raeisi called the attack a criminal act by anti-Iran agents engaged in a “terror” campaign. 

“Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and those who ordered this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished for their heinous act by the capable security and law enforcement forces,” he said.

He stressed that the attackers and the masterminds of the inhumane attack should be brought to justice.

“I ask all the provincial authorities to take the necessary measures as soon as possible to alleviate the sufferings of the victims, treat the injured and restore order and peace to the … city of Kerman,” he said.

 

The Iranian president said such attacks cannot break the will of the Iranian nation and undermine their fight against terror and violence.

 “The enemies of the nation should know that such acts can never undermine the Iranian nation’s iron will to defend Islamic causes, and they (the Iranian people), more determined than before, will be present in the battlefield against enemies opposing the Islamic Iran’s dignity and might until they eradicate terror and violence,” he said.

Kerman was rocked by twin explosions on Wednesday afternoon, which have so far left at least 103 people dead and 211 injured.

Medical services said the death toll is expected to rise as ambulances were taking the wounded to hospitals.

Tasnim news agency cited unnamed sources as saying that two bags loaded with explosives which were remotely detonated caused the explosions.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

Opinion: Telangana as women’s welfare state

Previous BRS govt’s schemes including Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, KCR Kits, and pension for single women and beedi workers helped boost women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship

Published Date – 11:59 PM, Wed – 3 January 24


Opinion: Telangana as women’s welfare state


By TS Kavita Rajeshwari, Dr Avanindra Nath Thakur 

While the costs and benefits of welfare schemes are debated, the Telangana government’s recent announcement of the distribution of e-bikes to college-going girls and free bus services for women takes pride in extending welfare schemes for women. Telangana, formed in 2014, has quite expeditiously gained a reputation as a land of opportunities for women, focusing on investment in creating conducive infrastructure, human capital formation and a sustainable funding model.


Vaddi Leni Runalu (interest-free loans) for strengthening self-help groups is one among many State initiatives like Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, KCR Kits, pension scheme for single women, pension to beedi workers, Arogya Lakshmi and SHE Teams to boost women empowerment and entrepreneurship. Several success stories of women entrepreneurs and women conclaves underline that women of Telangana are not just making their mark but also encouraging other women to advance professionally.

KCR’s Initiatives 

Former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao wanted to transform Telangana into a women’s welfare State. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of Industries & Commerce and Information Technology in the Telangana government, attributed a significant portion of the State’s remarkable per capita income growth of 130% since 2014 to women’s contribution to the GSDP.

Studies have revealed that women’s decision to enter the workforce is a multifaceted process that involves various factors beyond their control. Unlike men, women’s participation in the labour market is heavily influenced by their family, education, marital status, social status and infrastructure. Earlier research on female labour force participation in India highlights education, household income, social norms, labour regulations, access to resources, infrastructure and demand for their labour as the main determinants. While welfare programmes in Telangana, aimed at mobilising women through the formation of self-help groups, capacity building and providing support, are widely considered beneficial, it is imperative to evaluate the state of women in Telangana.

Info

Higher Participation

According to the Periodic Labour Survey (PLFS) annual report 2022-23, Telangana reported a higher female labour force participation rate at 33.7% in rural and urban areas combined compared with an all-India average of 21.7% according to the usual principal status for all ages. The gender gap in participation rate in Telangana is 17.5% in rural areas and 35.6% in urban areas, compared with all-India’s 31.2% and 39.6%, respectively, for all ages. An extraction of NSO’s Time Use Survey (2019) for the age group of 15-59 years shows that male and female participation rates in employment and related activities are higher in Telangana than the national average.

Further, participation in the production of goods for own final use is lower in Telangana in rural and urban areas than the national average (Figure 1). Even though the variation in the female participation rate in unpaid domestic work at around 90% and higher is low, we observe that males ubiquitously report lower participation rates in unpaid domestic work in Telangana. Higher female participation in the paid market and lower participation of men in the unpaid market might warn of a double burden on women in Telangana, but foraging into the time spent on various activities tells us a different story.

Figure 2 depicts the daily time spending pattern of men and women in Telangana and at the all-India level. We observe that Telangana boasts not just high participation of men and women in employment and related activities in a day but also reports a higher average time spent per person in a day — 412 minutes for men and 185 minutes for women than the national average of 333 minutes and 75 minutes, respectively. Interestingly, women in Telangana spent a lower time of 73 minutes daily, with an average time of 217 minutes compared with the national average of 290 minutes on unpaid domestic work. The difference in the daily time spent on unpaid domestic work in rural Telangana is much starker at 81 minutes lower than in the all-India rural area.

Info Image

The time spent on producing goods for own final use, primarily unpaid, is much lower in Telangana. An examination of the time spent by women on sub-categories categorised under unpaid domestic work, which includes time spent on food and meals management and preparation, cleaning, do-it-yourself decoration, household management for own final use, pet care, shopping, travelling showed that the highest amount of time is spent on food and meals followed by cleaning and washing clothes and maintaining footwear. Lower time spent by males on food and meals management and cleaning indicates that the lower time spent by females on unpaid domestic work cannot be attributed to a reversal of social norms in the intra-household distribution of domestic and care work, and invites further exploration.

Possible reasons for Telangana women spending less time on food and meals include food preparation taking less time, the primary source of energy used for cooking being efficient, lower family size, lower time available to spend on domestic work or higher incentives (reservation wages) to work to spend more time in the labour market.

We find that rural Telangana women’s higher time investment in paid activities is a major departure from the national trend of women in rural areas spending more time on unpaid SNA (System of National Accounts) activities. The SNA is a framework used to measure a country’s economic activity. Unpaid SNA work is vital because it contributes to a country’s social and economic well-being.

Telangana has made great strides in empowering women through focused policy initiatives, resulting in significant progress. Women from both rural and urban areas of the State are now dedicating more time to paid activities, which is a positive development. However, more attention needs to be given to recognising and valuing unpaid SNA and non-SNA activities as productive work, so that women’s contributions do not go unnoticed. It is inspiring to see Telangana emerge as a women’s welfare state, but there is still much work to be done to reverse gender roles. Nevertheless, women farmers in the State reeling under the pressure of loans and the increase in suicide rates is a blatant truth, reminiscing that a lot needs to be done.

Op

Criminals behind Kerman attacks must await harsh response

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei issued a message over the martyrdom of hundreds of people in two terrorist blasts near the burial site of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani in Kerman. 

The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of dear people in Kerman,  the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said.

The hard-hearted criminals could not tolerate the love and enthusiasm of the people to visit the shrine of their great commander, martyr Qassem Soleimani, he said.

“They (the enemies) must know that this disaster will have a hard response, God willing,” he added.

“I sympathize with the injured and pray for their healing from God,” Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said.

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