BRS president KCR takes oath as MLA

The former CM was elected as MLA from the Gajwel assembly constituency in the recent assembly polls.

Published Date – 1 February 2024, 01:10 PM


BRS president KCR takes oath as MLA


Hyderabad: BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday took oath as a member of the State Legislative Assembly.

The former CM was elected as MLA from the Gajwel assembly constituency in the recent assembly polls. He could not take oath along with other MLAs in December as he underwent a total hip replacement surgery after an accidental fall.


Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar administered him the oath in the presence of party leaders T Harish Rao and a host of others. Chandrashekhar Rao was already elected as its leader by the BRSLP . He will lead the BRSLP in the house in the ensuing budget session.

Party legislators, former MLAs and other leaders reached the assembly premises in advance and gave him a rousing welcome.

4 Foreigners And A Sophisticated Drug Lab At "Luxury" Home Near Delhi

4 Foreigners And A Sophisticated Drug Lab At 'Luxury' Home Near Delhi

Four foreign nationals have been arrested in the case.

New Delhi:

Four foreign nationals and a luxurious house near Delhi – a detail that didn’t mean much to anyone until it was known that the team of four was using the property to produce “fine-quality” banned methamphetamine drugs.

The lab at the “luxurious and lonely private place” at Alestonia Estate in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida was busted by the Delhi Police on Tuesday. The police recovered 445 grams of fine-quality banned methamphetamine drug and 20.5 kg of raw materials that included one kg of pseudoephedrine – an ingredient for the illicit manufacture of methamphetamines. Sophisticated equipment, including a heating mantle machine and high-quality face masks, were also recovered from the lab.

Nigerian national Eze Uchenna James (49), Alitumo Ifedi Shedrack (28), Eze Ibe Emeka Chibuzo alias Iko (56) and Kenyan national Ivo Osita alias Usta alias Osey (44) have been arrested, police said.

Out of the accused, Eze, Alitumo and Ivo were previously arrested and convicted in drug trafficking cases and were out on conditional bail, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh.

The drug bust was part of an ongoing operation by the Delhi Police against the suppliers of narcotics substances.

On November 27, 2023, a team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Dwarka district got a secret tip-off about a Nigerian national being involved in a drug syndicate. The team conducted a raid and caught Eze from Uttam Nagar.

Soon after Eze’s arrest, his associate Alitumo was caught from the same area of Uttam Nagar on January 11 and about 100 grams of methamphetamine drug was recovered from his possession.

The police said Alitumo along with Ibe and Ivo used to manufacture fine-quality methamphetamine drug in the Greater Noida-based lab, a raid was conducted and all of them were caught on January 16.

Police said the accused used to distribute the drugs to their potential customers in Delhi and nearby areas.

Sabarimala Greenfield Airport has got site, defence clearance from Centre: Kerala govt

Vijayan said that an environmental impact study report has been prepared and steps were being taken to submit it before the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change for approval.

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 12:55 PM


Sabarimala Greenfield Airport has got site, defence clearance from Centre: Kerala govt

File Photo

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday said in the Assembly that the Central government has granted site and defence clearance for the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport project.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that an application for security clearance is under consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The CM was responding to a notice by CPI(M) MLA K U Jenish Kumar calling his attention to the necessity to expedite the construction of the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport.


Vijayan said that an environmental impact study report has been prepared and steps were being taken to submit it before the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change for approval.

Besides that, a seven-member expert committee, appointed to study the final Social Impact Assessment study report prepared by the Center for Management Development (CMD), has submitted its recommendations regarding the project, he said.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, the process of acquiring around 2,570 acres of land for the construction of the airport has been initiated, the CM said in the Assembly.

Vijayan further said that steps were also being taken to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the Sabarimala Airport and to select an agency to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

The Kerala government had in December last year issued an order to proceed with the acquisition of 2,570 acres of land in Kottayam district for this ambitious project.

The airport is being developed on land in Erumeli South and Manimala villages in Kottayam district.

Yemeni students, academics rally in show of support for Gaza



University students and academics gather for an anti-Israeli and anti-US rally in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in Yemen’s capital of Sana’a on January 31, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Hundreds of Yemeni students and academics gather in the capital Sana’a to show support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have come under a United States-backed genocidal war by the Israeli regime.


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25 crore people came out of poverty in last 10 years: Sitharaman

Sitharaman said that fulfilling aspirations and needs of Garib (poor), Mahilaye (women), Yuva (youth) and Annadata (farmers) are the highest priority of the government.

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 12:20 PM


25 crore people came out of poverty in last 10 years: Sitharaman

Photo: IANS

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the government believes in “empowering the poor” and in the last ten years, at least 25 crore people have been assisted to get freedom from multidimensional poverty. Sitharaman said that fulfilling aspirations and needs of Garib (poor), Mahilaye (women), Yuva (youth) and Annadata (farmers) are the highest priority of the government.

When the poor become empowered partners in the development process, the government’s power to assist them also increases manifold, the Finance Minister said while presenting the 2024 Interim Budget in Lok Sabha. She said that direct benefit transfer (DBT) of 34 lakh crore rupees using PM Jan Dhan accounts has led to saving of 2.7 lakh crore to the government, which has strengthened the welfare of the poor. Sitharaman said that 78 lakhs street vendors were given credit assistance under PM Swanidhi scheme while end to end support was given to artisans and craftsmen under PM Vishwakarma Yojna.


Under the PM Kisan Samman Scheme, every year direct cash assistance was given to 11.8 crore farmers, including marginal and small farmers, she said. She said that Garib Kalyan, Desh ka kalyan (welfare of poor is welfare of the nation) and country progresses, when they (poor) progress. On Thursday, after securing President Draupadi Murmu’s assent to the interim budget, the Finance Minister reached Parliament House along with her two ministers of state where the interim budget was approved in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi. This is the last budget of the second term of the Modi government.

State Government directs district collectors to appoint special officers for Gram Panchayats

These officers or committee will perform the functions of the Gram Panchayat till the assumption of new members and Sarpanches, who are elected by the people. The Special Officers have also been directed to take charge immediately.

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 12:37 PM


State Government directs district collectors to appoint special officers for Gram Panchayats

These officers or committee will perform the functions of the Gram Panchayat till the assumption of new members and Sarpanches, who are elected by the people. The Special Officers have also been directed to take charge immediately.

Hyderabad: With the term of Sarpanches getting expired by today, the State government has directed District Collectors to appoint Special Officers or Person-incharge or a committee of Persons-in-charge to perform the functions of the Gram Panchayat.

To this effect, GOMs 5 was issued on Wednesday by the State Government. The District Collectors have been ordered to appoint an officer in the rank of Tahsildar / Mandal Parishad Development Officer / Agriculture Officer / Mandal Educational Officer / Mandal Panchayat Officer or similar rank officers with effect from Friday.


These officers or committee will perform the functions of the Gram Panchayat till the assumption of new members and Sarpanches, who are elected by the people. The Special Officers have also been directed to take charge immediately.

Meanwhile, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said Sarpanches were retiring from the post and not from public service. He also expressed gratitude to the sarpanches, who served the people for five years.

“Under the leadership of BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao, the role played by sarpanches in establishing nurseries, Palle Prakruthi Vanams, Vaikuntha Dhamams and setting a benchmark for the nation, is invaluable,” Rama Rao said on X. He also hoped that Sarpanches would stay in the public service for a long time.

There are 12,777 Gram Panchayats across the State. Sarpanches Association and a few political parties are demanding the State Government to conduct elections and object to the appointment of Special Officers.

In a representation to the State government, the CPM State unit has demanded the State government to hold the elections immediately.

The CPM State Committee opposes the plans to appoint special officers in place of elected bodies. Panchayat elections should be held immediately to ensure continuity of the governing bodies elected by the people, CPM State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram had demanded.

England Spinner Leach Ruled Out Of Second Test Against India Due To Injury




Ahead of their second Test match against India, England has suffered a major blow with experienced spinner Jack Leach missing the match scheduled to start from Friday at Visakhapatnam. Leach faced a knee issue while fielding on the opening day of England’s thrilling 28-run victory over India in the opening Test in Hyderabad, but the left-armer still managed to feature in the game and also bowled 10 overs during the hosts’ second innings, as per ICC. England was hoping that the injury would settle down and Leach would make himself available for the second Test, but skipper Ben Stokes revealed the 32-year-old would be forced to sit out during the crucial ICC World Test Championship encounter.

“He is ruled out of the second Test,” Stokes said of Leach as quoted by ICC.

“Unfortunately, the knock he took resulted in a haematoma in his leg. It is a big shame for us, a big shame for Jack, obviously after a long time out of the game with his back.”

“To sustain that injury, first game back, obviously it is frustrating. But it is something we are assessing every day. The medical team have taken over that, and hopefully, it is not something that is too serious and keeps him out for longer in the series.”

England are still yet to finalise the make-up of their XI for the second Test, with young uncapped off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in contention to replace Leach should the tourists look to include another spinner.

England also have the option of calling on veteran seamer James Anderson in case conditions are suitable, with Stokes indicating he would wait until Thursday before deciding his final XI.

Stokes expressed optimism that Bashir could perform well on debut if chosen to partner fellow spinners Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley during the second Test.

“If he was to play on this tour, then the great thing he has on his side is, what is there to lose?” Stokes said.

“That is how I will be thinking about it, if he gets the chance to play: just to make sure I can give him the best experience I possibly can. Because you only play your first Test match once. If he does play, then I will be trying to make it as enjoyable and fun for him as I can.”

“Myself, Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) and Popey (vice-captain Ollie Pope) will probably have a longer think about it. We looked at the wicket; I gave it a tap, and a play-around to make it look like I knew what I was doing. Bash is in the squad, we have not brought him here to have an experience. If we feel we want to turn to him, we will,” he concluded.

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

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Ukraine promises new ‘counteroffensive’

According to Russia Today, Budanov claimed in ain interview with Telegraph that Russia’s offensive operations around the Donbass settlements of Kupyansk, Liman, Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine), and Avdeevka will be “completely exhausted” by “early spring.” 

“We make a move, the enemy makes a move,” he said. “Now is the enemy’s turn. It will end, and then ours will start.”

Ukraine’s last counteroffensive began in June and lasted until around October, with Ukrainian forces attempting to penetrate Russia’s defensive lines at multiple points across Kherson, Zaporzhye, and Donetsk Regions. It failed to achieve any significant territorial gains and cost Kiev around 160,000 lives, according to figures from the Russian Defense Ministry. 

This time around, the Ukrainian military would be heading into battle with much of its Western-provided hardware destroyed and its best-trained troops replaced with inexperienced conscripts, all while continued military aid from the US remains uncertain. Even now, the situation at the front is “dramatic,” anonymous “generals and soldiers” told Germany’s Die Welt newspaper last week, citing shortages of vital ammunition and fresh recruits.

MNA/PR

US Woman Charged After Pulling Her Pants And Underwear Down On Flight

US Woman Charged After Pulling Her Pants And Underwear Down On Frontier Airlines Flight

The incident took place in November 2023. (Representative pic)

A passenger aboard a Frontier Airlines flight is facing indecent exposure charges after she pulled her pants and underwear down, cursed at the crew and allegedly threatened to kill fellow flyers. According to the New York Post, Dulce Huertas, 60, had two cocktails during a flight from Orlando to Philadelphia in November last year and did not cause any major disturbances while en route. However, as the plane was about to land, the woman got up out of her seat and announced, “I have to pee”. 

According to the complaint, obtained by the Post, a flight attendant told Ms Huertas that she needed to stay seated but the 60-year-old began cursing before finally taking her seat during her outburst. After the plane landed and was taxiing to the gate, Ms Huertas “began cursing at passengers around her,” as per the complaint. The flight attendant then asked another crew member to have the captain request that security meet the plane at the terminal.

The captain made an announcement instructing everyone to remain seated. But at the gate, Ms Huertas allegedly pushed other passengers out of the way to reach the lavatory. When she was stopped by the crew, she resumed her aggressive behaviour. “Sorry, everybody,” she announced before pulling her pants and underwear down to urinate in the aisle. 

Ms Huertas did not urinate, according to the complaint, but instead “stood up and pulled her underwear and pants back up”. She “displayed her anus and genitalia” in front of the passengers, some of whom were children, the complaint added, as per The Daily Beast

Also Read | US Man, 33, Arrested After Allegedly Beheading Father And Showing His Head On YouTube

The 60-year-old then cursed at passengers and tried to push her way off the aircraft. “Let me pass, let me pass,” she allegedly demanded, attempting to squeeze by a flight attendant while they were in the process of disarming the main cabin door. 

At this time, the cabin crew was concerned that the woman would open one of the external doors and activate an emergency slide. She continued to try to deplane, but when she failed to get by, she allegedly continued to yell, curse and threaten to kill several passengers. 

Now, months after the incident, Ms Huertas has been charged with indecent exposure in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, interference with flight crew members and attendants and simple assault, according to the complaint filed Monday in US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.