Top News

Hemant Soren Sent To Jail For A Day, Probe Agency Custody Decision Tomorrow

admin 0

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren (File).

New Delhi:

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren – arrested late Wednesday night by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges – has been sent to judicial custody for one day, with a definitive ruling on the central agency’s request for 10-day custody expected Friday afternoon. 

The Ranchi special court before which Mr Soren – whom the agency claims was directly involved in an alleged Rs 600 crore land scam – was presented this morning, delayed passing its final order because the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of a petition by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader.

Hours before he was produced in the special court, Mr Soren had moved the Supreme Court to challenge his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. In his petition, he said the agency had “abused its power and acted in a malafide manner to destabilise a democratically-elected state government”.

He also called his arrest “illegal and without jurisdiction”; Mr Soren has already filed one case against senior officers of the probe agency under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Act.

“The ED is brazenly acting under the (diktats) of the central government and hounding the petitioner to destabilise a democratically-elected government headed by the petitioner…” he complained.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud agreed to hear the plea at 2 pm Friday.

Visuals from earlier in the day – from outside the Ranchi courtroom – showed a confident Mr Soren smiling and waving as he got out of a vehicle and was escorted inside surrounded by ED officials and security personnel.

The agency believes Hemant Soren was “directly involved with acquisition (and) possession of land” and also in the use of proceeds of the crime. Details of these illegally acquired properties were found on phones of other accused in the case, the agency is expected to tell the court in today’s hearing.

Meanwhile, Champai Soren, who is expected to replace Hemant Soren as the Chief Minister, will meet Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at 5.30 pm. In a brief letter this morning, he said he had the support of a majority of lawmakers and the ability to “provide a stable government in the state”.

READ | “No Government In Jharkhand For 18 Hours”: Champai Soren’s SOS To Governor

He also red-flagged the lack of a functioning government and the “situation of confusion”, and said, “…the MLAs, and people of the state, expect you will take steps to form a popular government.”

Champai Soren, the Transport Minister, is seen as an acceptable alternative to Hemant Soren’s original plan – to make his wife, Kalpana Soren, the Chief Minister till he returns to power.

READ | How Champai Soren Emerged Consensus Candidate As Jharkhand Chief Minister

There was, however, opposition to that idea, with many in the party, including the Chief Minister’s extended family, who said Ms Soren – not a MLA – did not have the necessary experience.

Hemant Soren was arrested Wednesday night amid high drama all this week, starting with “the case of the missing Chief Minister” that played out from Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon.

READ | Before Hemant Soren’s Arrest, Drama Outside Raj Bhavan In Jharkhand

He had flown into Delhi Saturday night and was reportedly seen leaving his home in the city’s Shantiniketan area the following night – on foot and with a shawl around his head.

The Enforcement Directorate turned up at 7 am the following day to find the house empty and Mr Soren’s whereabouts unknown. The agency said it seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and a luxury SUV.

READ | Hemant Soren’s 1,300 km Car Journey As Probe Agency Watched Delhi Airport

Mr Soren remained “missing” till Tuesday, when he popped up in Ranchi to hold a meeting of his party’s lawmakers. Reports said he had taken a nearly 1,300 km road trip from Delhi.

After he emerged in Ranchi, he was questioned by the ED for over seven hours.

As the day wore on, it became clear Hemant Soren would be arrested and, in dramatic final moments, NDTV was told he refused to sign his arrest memo till he had resigned.

READ | Hemant Soren Refused To Sign Arrest Memo Until He Resigned: Sources

This, sources said, was to avoid the distinction of becoming the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested. Giving in to his demand, the ED team took Mr Soren to Raj Bhavan to resign.

He was then taken to the agency’s office in the city and formally arrested.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Hyderabad

Suryapet: Elderly person dies on spot in road accident

admin 0

The Chivvemla police filed a case and are making efforts to identify the vehicle.

Published Date – 1 February 2024, 04:40 PM


Suryapet: Elderly person dies on spot in road accident


Suryapet: An elderly person died on the spot in a hit and run incident at Akkaladevigudem in Chivvemla mandal in the district.

The victim, Palavarapu Someshwar Rao (70) from Suryapet town, was a retired Transco employee and was suffering from a psychological disorder. According to the police, Someshwar Rao had left his home on Wednesday evening and his body was found on the road at Akkaladevigudem on Thursday morning. It was suspected that an unidentified vehicle hit him and sped away.

The Chivvemla police filed a case and are making efforts to identify the vehicle.

Middle East

Israeli forces follow orders to occupy, burn Palestinian homes in Gaza

admin 0

Israeli forces have set fire to Palestinian homes in the Gaza strip, following direct orders from their commanders to “burn Gaza”, a move considered an apparent war crime in the South African-led genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday reported that Israeli forces have occupied and then burned hundreds of Gaza homes and everything in them, on direct orders of their commanders, without the necessary legal permission to do so.

Some Israeli troops have posted videos on social media, which showed them taking part in acts of home burning, which they described as revenge for fellow soldiers’ deaths or the “October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.”

“Until last month, the army’s combat engineering corps mostly used mines and explosives, and in some cases heavy machinery such as D9 bulldozers, to demolish structures. Setting fire to homes belonging to noncombatant civilians, for the mere purpose of punishment, is forbidden under international law,” Haaretz wrote.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not a target. They must be protected. Everywhere. At all times,” the United Nations account on X platform posted.

Wars have rules that must be respected by all sides.

Humanitarians must be able to safely deliver aid.

Civilians & civilian infrastructure are #NotATarget.

They must be protected.

Everywhere.

At all times.

— via @UNOCHA pic.twitter.com/zerJ31NC7D


— United Nations (@UN) January 31, 2024

Previous UN reports have indicated that Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have displaced more than 90% of the territory’s population and destroyed or damaged over 60% of the infrastructure there.

In the occupied West Bank, the same case is happening, where settlers regularly attack Palestinian people and property and burn their houses. For decades, Israel’s policy of destroying the homes of relatives of Palestinian resistance fighters has been condemned as illegal collective punishment.

Meanwhile, international human rights groups have documented Israeli troops conducting systematic looting of Palestinians’ homes across Gaza, stealing their property, vandalizing Palestinian businesses and even burning humanitarian aid supplies, including food.

Several Israeli officials, including the deputy speaker of the Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, who is a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, have called for the destruction, burning, and even nuclear annihilation of Gaza, advocating the policy to “Burn Gaza now.”

Some of their statements have been used as evidence in the South African-led genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are forbidden under international humanitarian law.

The ICJ last week called on Israel to prevent genocidal acts in its ongoing war in Gaza but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire. It also ordered the regime to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the population in Gaza.

India

At 56 minutes, Sitharaman’s shortest budget speech ever

admin 0

At 56 minutes, it was Sitharaman’s shortest budget speech. She also holds the distinction of delivering the longest budget speech at two hours and forty minutes in 2020.

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 04:32 PM


At 56 minutes, Sitharaman’s shortest budget speech ever

Photo: ANI

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented her sixth consecutive budget with a speech lasting 56 minutes, her shortest-ever.

Sitharaman, who holds the distinction of delivering the longest budget speech at 2.40 hours in 2020, was cheered at regular intervals by the treasury benches — her remarks on the presentation of the full budget by “our government” in July receiving the loudest applause.

Opposition members listened to Sitharaman’s budget speech with rapt attention, barring some voices of disapproval to the minister’s reference to her government returning to power after the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, BJP members raised slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Siya Ram as Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the Lok Sabha chamber and took his seat a few minutes before 11 am.

At 56 minutes, it was Sitharaman’s shortest budget speech. She also holds the distinction of delivering the longest budget speech at two hours and forty minutes in 2020.

In 2019, as India’s first full-time woman finance minister, Sitharaman’s budget speech had lasted for two hours and 17 minutes. In 2021, her speech lasted for one hour and 50 minutes, followed by 92 minutes in 2022 and 87 minutes in 2023.

Sitharaman’s budget speech found no mention of Tamil poets and thinkers unlike previous occasions, but she referred to Prime Minister Modi at least eight times and quoted from his speeches.

The public galleries saw thin attendance with a few Rajya Sabha members occupying seats in Gallery 2, while relatives of Finance Minister Sitharaman – Krishnamurthy Lakshminarayan and Vidya Lakshminarayan – and her daughter Vangmayi Parakala were seated in the first row of Gallery 3.

Sitharaman, who was dressed in a turquoise-coloured embroidered Kantha silk saree, Ministers of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Bhagwat Karad, and top officers from the Finance Ministry called on President Droupadi Murmu before presenting the Budget.

The President gave Sitharaman a spoonful of curd and sugar and extended her best wishes for the presentation of the Union Budget. In her budget speech, Sitharaman coined new expansion of FDI – First, Develop India and for GDP – Governance, Development and Performance.

“Besides delivering on high growth in terms of Gross Domestic Product, the government is equally focused on a more comprehensive ‘GDP’, i.e., ‘Governance, Development and Performance’,” Sitharaman said.

In 2019, Finance Minister Sitharaman did away with the traditional Budget briefcase and instead went for a ‘bahi-khata’ with the national emblem to carry the speech and other documents on a tablet computer, a tradition she stuck to on Thursday.

JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan ‘Lalan’ Singh, whose party re-joined the NDA last week, was seen applauding the budget speech on regular occasions.

The prime minister walked up to Sitharaman at the conclusion of her speech and congratulated her for the presentation of the interim budget. Several ministers were also seen congratulating Sitharaman after her speech.

Top News

Over 250 tribal habitations remain isolated in Asifabad

admin 0

The tribals have now pinned their hopes on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s tour to Adilabad district on Friday and are expecting him to make announcements and ensure implementation of the same to improve their lives.

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 04:47 PM


Over 250 tribal habitations remain isolated in Asifabad

A tribal family commute by a bullock cart from remote Dharegaon village in Kaghaznagar to their destination. Photo: Santosh Padala

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Tribals have been struggling to reap the fruits of developmental programmes even 75 years post Independence in the country.

A considerable portion of habitations, mostly of ethnic tribes, are still deprived of road connectivity, owing to insufficient allocation of funds and delay in according approval to the facility by the Forest department.

The district accounts for 335 Gram Panchayats comprising over 1,050 habitations. Of them, 280 habitations in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district do not have road facilities. In particular, 126 habitations are facing a severe challenge, according to officials of the Panchayat Raj and Roads & Building departments.

Tribals from scores of habitations in Kerameri, Wankidi, Jainoor, Sirpur (U), Lingapur, Thiryani, Penchikalpet, Bejjur and Chinthalamanepalli mandals continue to be isolated during the monsoon. The dwellers of these interior settlements, located in dense forests and hilly areas, are left with no option but to repose faith in god while shifting their family members to hospital in nearby mandal centres and towns during medical emergencies.

Officials of Panchayat Raj and Roads & Building department said proposals for laying roads to these tribal areas were pending for quite a long time. “Proposals were submitted estimating the cost to be Rs.500 crore. However, funds were not sanctioned to at least 10 percent of the roads mentioned in the proposals so far,” an official said.

Meanwhile, inordinate delay in giving nod to the proposed road facilities by the Forest department is compounding woes of the tribals. Scores of proposals are still pending with the department, it is learned. Elected representatives say they are fed up by the hurdles created by bureaucrats.

The tribals have now pinned their hopes on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s tour to Adilabad district on Friday and are expecting him to make announcements and ensure implementation of the same to improve their lives.

Middle East

UN: Israeli war renders Gaza ‘uninhabitable;’ restoration will take ‘decades’

admin 0

The United Nations says the ongoing Israeli war has left the Gaza Strip “uninhabitable” and that the destruction in the Palestinian territory will take tens of billions of dollars and “decades” to reverse.

In a report published on Wednesday, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) assessed the social and economic deterioration in besieged Gaza since the genocidal Israeli aggression began nearly four months ago.

The report said that the war has displaced 85 percent of Gaza’s population, halted economic activities and further worsened poverty and unemployment in one of the world’s most densely populated areas.

As of December 2023, it added, unemployment had surged to 79.3 percent while 37,379 buildings – equivalent to 18 percent of Gaza’s total structures – had been damaged or destroyed by the Israeli onslaught.

“The Gaza Strip, half of whose population are children, is now rendered almost uninhabitable, with people lacking adequate sources of income and access to water, sanitation, health or education,” it said.

“UNCTAD’s assessment underscores that restoring pre-conflict socioeconomic conditions in Gaza will take decades and requires substantial foreign aid.”

The report also found that Gaza’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 24 percent after the Israeli assault and that it would take “until 2092 just to restore the GDP levels of 2022.”

It further noted that Gaza’s dire economic situation originates from well beyond the current war.

“Gaza’s economic constraints, rooted in 56 years of occupation and a 17-year blockade, necessitate a thorough understanding and realistic strategies to unlock its growth potential through measures that include restoring the Gaza International Airport…, building a seaport and enabling the Palestinian government to develop the natural gas fields discovered in the 1990s in the Mediterranean Sea,” it said.

Meanwhile, UNCTAD economist Rami Alazzeh, who co-authored the report, said new data indicates that 50 percent of the Gaza structures are damaged or destroyed.

“The longer these (military) operations in Gaza go on… the more severe the impact will be,” Alazzeh warned. “Gaza currently is uninhabitable.”

Israel waged its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 26,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 65,949 others.

Top News

Sri Lanka To Host ICC Annual General Meeting In July

admin 0

Sri Lanka Cricket was suspended last year for government interference in its functioning.© AFP




With their suspension lifted, Sri Lanka will host the Annual General Meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in July, the country’s sports minister Harin Fernando said on Thursday. Sri Lanka Cricket was suspended for government interference in its functioning. It cost the island nation an opportunity to host the Under-19 World Cup which is currently underway in South Africa.

“Sri Lanka gets to host the ICC AGM from July 19-22 in Colombo. This will be a great boost for Sri Lanka with regards to cricket and tourism,” Fernando, who is also the minister of tourism, said in a statement.

SLC was suspended in November for not meeting its ICC Member obligations, specifically, failing to independently manage its affairs and prevent government interference in the regulation and administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.

Roshan Ranasinghe, the predecessor of Fernando, appointed an interim committee, alleging corruption in SLC. The committee was headed by the former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

The ICC declared that Ranasinghe’s action to appoint an interim committee was a serious breach of its governance rules.

However, the suspension was lifted on Sunday after Fernando, in December, annulled the gazette issued by Ranasinghe.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Top News

"Rivers In The Sky": What You Need To Know About California's Current Weather

admin 0

'Rivers In The Sky': What You Need To Know About California's Current Weather

Atmospheric river storms are raising concerns due to their combined strength

California is currently facing a series of powerful storms, driven by atmospheric rivers (ARs), raising concerns about flash flooding, landslides, and strong winds. 

Here is a breakdown of the key facts surrounding these weather events.

What is an Atmospheric River?

Atmospheric rivers, often referred to as “rivers in the sky,” are long streams of moisture in the atmosphere, spanning 250-375 miles wide. Fueled by water vapor from the Pacific Ocean, they play a crucial role in California’s precipitation. While they contribute significantly to water supply, they can also lead to destructive floods and intense storms due to their sheer volume of moisture, according to NOAA.

‘Pineapple Express’ Storms

The current storms hitting California belong to the category known as “Pineapple Express”, originating around the Hawaiian Islands. These systems can bring heavy precipitation, dumping as much as 5 inches of rain in a single day, posing a heightened risk of flash floods and other weather-related dangers. 

“This system has the potential to bring a six- to 12-hour period of heavy to locally very heavy rainfall in NorCal on Wednesday,” noted climate scientist Daniel Swain during a discussion of the impending storm on Tuesday, as per the Guardian. Swain cautioned that there is a high probability of widespread flooding on roadways and in small streams due to the anticipated heavy rainfall. 

Why are people worried?

Back-to-back atmospheric river storms are raising concerns due to their combined strength and the already saturated conditions of the soil. Last year, a similar pattern resulted in historic rainfall, causing flooding, landslides, and casualties, reported the Guardian.

Although this winter has not seen as much rain, there have been serious floods in Ventura County and San Diego. Last year, Ventura faced a deluge with water rescues and submerged streets. In January, heavy rain in San Diego overwhelmed its old stormwater systems, causing flooding in homes and businesses. 

Scientists warn these destructive events are just a glimpse of what’s coming due to the climate crisis, doubling the risk of a catastrophic megaflood in California, displacing millions and causing over $1 trillion in losses. Scientist Daniel Swain warned that California still has a long way to go to prepare for such events, however, time is running short.

California’s climate is witnessing more extreme shifts, with atmospheric rivers becoming more likely and potentially more severe due to rising ocean temperatures. The climate crisis is amplifying the risks, as models indicate increased intensity and frequency of these weather events, according to a study. Atmospheric rivers could pose challenges to California’s water supply, with a shift from snow to rain as temperatures rise.

Top News

New Jharkhand Chief Minister Today? Champai Soren Gets Governor's Call

admin 0

'No Government In Jharkhand For 18 Hours': Champai Soren's SOS To Governor

Champai Soren has said 47 MLAs are supporting him

Ranchi:

There is no government in Jharkhand for 18 hours now and a situation of confusion has emerged, Chief Minister-in-waiting Champai Soren has told Governor CP Radhakrishnan, urging him to take immediate steps for government formation. The Governor, it is learnt, has now called Mr Soren at 5.30 pm.

Mr Soren was yesterday chosen the legislative party leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after Hemant Soren stepped down as the Chief Minister and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a corruption case.

In his letter to the Governor, Champai Soren said he had yesterday submitted a letter of support signed by 47 MLAs from JMM, Congress and RJD — more than the majority mark in the 81-member Assembly — to the Governor. He added that all the MLAs had accompanied him to the Raj Bhavan, but were not allowed inside.

“Sir, currently there is no government in the state for the last 18 hours. There is a situation of confusion. Being the constitutional head, we, the MLAs, and the people of the state expect that you will soon take steps for the formation of a popular government and take the state out of confusion,” he wrote in Hindi.

Champai Soren added that he can take all the MLAs backing him to the Governor’s residence to assure him that he has majority support.

Hemant Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by mafia in Jharkhand.

The JMM leader has alleged that the probe agency has abused its power to destabilise a democratically elected government. Hemant Soren has approached the Supreme Court on the issue and the petition has been listed for tomorrow.

“The Enforcement Directorate is brazenly acting under the dictates of the Central Government and hounding the petitioner to destabilise a democratically elected government headed by the petitioner, who is the Chief Minister of the State of Jharkhand,” he has said in the petition.