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Union Minister's "No Vacancy" Jibe After Atishi Claims BJP Approached Her

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Union Minister's 'No Vacancy' Jibe After Atishi Claims BJP Approached Her

AAP leader Atishi is Delhi’s Public Works Department Minister (File).

New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party “does not have any vacancy”, Union Minister Hardeep Puri said Tuesday evening, hours after Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi claimed she had been approached with an offer to jump ship and “save my political career”. “…they threatened that if I don’t switch (then) the Enforcement Directorate will arrest me”, the senior AAP leader said this morning.

Mr Puri hit back with a reference to the alleged liquor policy scam that has shaken the AAP and the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha election. “At a time when the entire AAP is embroiled in the liquor scam, we will not create trouble for ourselves by accepting her in our party,” he said.

“We do not have any vacancy for a political activist like Atishi…” Mr Puri said.

The Urban Development Minister’s firm rejection came after Atishi said she had been tapped to swap the AAP for the BJP. She said she was told the saffron party had “made up its mind on crushing everyone (in the Aam Aadmi Party)”.

READ | Atishi Claims BJP Offer, Says 4 AAP Leaders To Be Arrested Soon

“First, they put everyone in AAP’s leadership in jail… Satyendra Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and now Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. BJP’s plan is to arrest four more AAP leaders in the next two months. They will arrest me, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha,” she said.

Tension between the AAP and the BJP has ramped up over the past few months, and particularly after central probe agencies began investigating the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy scam.

Ex-Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia was arrested last February and remains in jail.

Mr Singh was arrested in October on money laundering charges related to the alleged scam. He was released on bail earlier today, after six months in jail without a trial.

READ | Sanjay Singh Gets Bail After 6 Months In Jail In Liquor Policy Case

Mr Jain, Delhi’s former Health Minister, has also been arrested, albeit in a different case.

The biggest arrest, though, was on March 21; Chief Minister Kejriwal, described by the ED as the “kingpin”, was taken into custody after the Delhi High Court refused protection from arrest.

The AAP has accused the BJP of playing foul – by using central agencies like the ED to file fake corruption cases and harass opposition leaders ahead of the election, which begins April 19.

The BJP has rubbished the claims, insisting the ED and other agencies, including income tax officials, are acting independently and in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s crackdown on corruption.

Atishi has been at the forefront of the AAP’s fight back since Arvind Kejriwal – whom the ED has labelled the “kingpin” in the alleged liquor policy scam – was arrested.

READ | Kejriwal Lodged In 14×8 Feet Cell. See What All Court Has Allowed

The BJP, she said, thought the AAP would splinter after Mr Kejriwal’s arrest. “But after the rally on Sunday (at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan), BJP thinks arrest of four leaders was not enough,” she said.

She declared she had insider information the ED could raid her home and those of her relatives before arresting her, but declared, “We are Kejriwal’s soldiers,… won’t be cowed by BJP’s threats.”

With input from ANI

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World

Cuba, Venezuela condemn Israeli assault on Iran onsulate

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Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, today strongly condemned Israel’s attack on Iran’s diplomatic facilities in Damascus, Syria, the “euro.eseuro.com” website reported.

On his account in X, the Cuban Foreign Minister pointed out that the act is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Syria and International Law.

These unacceptable actions increase the risk of escalation and regionalization of the conflict with unpredictable consequences, Rodríguez Parrilla wrote in his message on the social network.

“We strongly condemn Israel’s attack on Iran’s diplomatic facilities in Damascus in flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty and International Law. These unacceptable actions increase the risk of escalation and regionalization of the conflict with unpredictable consequences.”

Also, Venezuela’s  Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto in a statement on Tuesday declared his country’s solidarity with the people and governments of Iran and Syria, condemning Israel’s aggression.

In the statement, the Venezuelan top diplomat called the Zionist regime the biggest source of instability in the region and said that this attack showed the foolishness of the regime.

MNA/FNA1712058970343711297

Middle East

Australia summons Israel envoy over aid worker killed in Gaza

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Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has “requested a call-in from the Israeli ambassador,” Albanese said on Tuesday.

“We want full accountability for this. This is a tragedy that should never have occurred,” he added.

Australian citizen Zomi Frankcom was among the seven aid workers who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Monday.

Citizens from Britain and Poland, and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada were also among the victims who were working for the World Central Kitchen.

The World Central Kitchen said its aid workers were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the charity’s logo as well as “a soft skin vehicle.”

Despite coordinating movements with the Israeli military, “the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route,” the group said in a statement.

Albanese said, “The truth is that this is beyond any reasonable circumstances that someone going about providing aid and humanitarian assistance should lose their life.”

The premier also reiterated calls for a “sustainable ceasefire”, saying, “Australians want to see an end to this conflict.”

Earlier, DFAT said in a statement that Australia has been “very clear that we expect humanitarian workers in Gaza to have safe and unimpeded access to do their lifesaving work.”

Erin Gore, chief executive of World Central Kitchen, said, “This is not only an attack against WCK.

“This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable.”

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli intensified violence against Palestinians.

Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 32,845 Palestinians and injured nearly 75,392 others.

MNA/Press TV

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Patanjali ads: SC lashes out at Ramdev and Balkrishna, terms their apology lip service

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Both Ramdev and Balkrishna were present in court in connection with show cause notices on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

Published Date – 2 April 2024, 05:16 PM


Patanjali ads: SC lashes out at Ramdev and Balkrishna, terms their apology lip service

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev leaves the Supreme Court after appearing in the misleading advertisement case filed against the Patanjali Ayurveda, in New Delhi on Tuesday. He tendered an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court for violating the apex courts order for misleading advertisements of Patanjalis medicinal products.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday tore into Patanjali Ayurved’s defence for putting out misleading advertisements, rejecting the apology from yoga guru Ramdev and the firm’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna as “lip service” and warning them against perjury.

The bench, headed by Justice Hima Kohli, also questioned the Centre’s alleged inaction over Patanjali’s tall claims about the efficacy of its products and denigrating allopathy during the Covid peak and asked why the government chose to keep its “eyes shut”. Both Ramdev and Balkrishna were present in court in connection with show cause notices on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

The bench, also comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, posted the matter for hearing on April 10 and said Ramdev and Balkrishna have to appear again.

Giving them a last one week opportunity to file affidavits, it took strong note of their “absolute defiance” in not adhering to the undertaking given before it in the case filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

“You have to abide by undertaking given to court and you have broken every barrier,” the bench said.

Sternly reprimanding Ramdev and his number two Balkrishna, Justice Kohli said the court was taking their apology with a “sack full of salt”.

The bench also warned Patanjali, Ramdev and Balkrishna that it would take note of “perjury” as certain documents, which were said to be attached with other papers, were created later on.

“This is a clear case of perjury. We are not closing the doors on you but we are telling all that we have noted,” the bench said.

Patanjali Ayurved Ltd assured the top court on November 21 last year that it will not violate any law, especially those relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it. It also assured the bench that “no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form”.

The top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is “bound down to such assurance”. The non-observance of the specific undertaking and subsequent media statements irked the bench, which later issued the show cause notices.

On Tuesday, the court strongly disapproved of Balkrishna’s statement that the Drugs and Cosmetics (Magic Remedies) Act is “archaic” and said Patanjali Ayurved’s advertisements were in the “teeth of the Act” and violated with impunity the undertaking given to the court.

The bench warned Ramdev and Balkrishna to be ready to face the consequences.

“Your apology is not persuading this court really to accept it. We think it is more of a lip service,” Justice Kohli told the counsel representing the Patanjali Ayurved MD.

Observing that some matters have to be taken to their logical conclusion, the bench said there cannot be “so much magnanimity”. “The purpose of contempt is to make a person realise that the majesty of the law is above all,” Justice Kohli said.

Senior advocate Vipin Sanghi, the counsel representing Patanjali, said the firm’s media department was not aware of the fact that the top court had restrained it from continuing with advertisements or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it which are meant to cure diseases, disorders or conditions specified in the Act.

“Mr Sanghi, once it is a court proceeding and there are specific undertaking given by you to the court, whose duty is to convey it to entire chain down the line?” Justice Kohli asked.

The bench said the undertaking has to be abided by in letter and spirit.

“That did not happen. Just to say that now you are sorry, we can also say we are sorry and we are not willing to accept such an explanation… your media department is not a standalone island in your office…,” Justice Kohli said.

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for Ramdev, said the yoga guru was tendering an unconditional apology and they will file a better affidavit.

Keeping in mind the stature and the social respect of Ramdev and Balkrishna, there was an onerous responsibility on them to behave responsibly and they owe a better explanation not just to the public but to the court, Justice Kohli said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, offered his assistance in the contempt proceedings and said he was willing to sit down with the counsel for the parties to resolve the issue.
“What has happened, should not have happened,” he said.

Justice Kohli said 2020 and 2021 was a critical period for the whole world with Covid at its peak and there was a recommendation by the Centre’s committee that Ayurvedic products were supplementary to main medicines.

“The contemnors were going to town saying that this is the answer and the cure and there is nothing available in the modern science which can address it. They were aware of the fact that they have been cautioned not to do that… You choose to keep your eyes shut,” she said.
Mehta said they will place the relevant material before the court.

On March 19, the apex court directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it after taking exception to the company’s failure to respond to the notice issued in the case relating to advertisements of the firm’s products and their medicinal efficacy.

The top court had said it deemed it appropriate to issue Ramdev a show cause notice as advertisements issued by Patanjali, which were in the teeth of the undertaking given to the court on November 21, 2023, reflect an endorsement by him.

Top News

N Korea conducts ballistic missile test capable of reaching US bases in Western Pacific

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North Korea has conducted a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from its eastern coast, demonstrating its commitment to advancing missile technology capable of reaching US military bases in the Western Pacific.

The missile, which was launched from a location near the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday, did not pass over Japan like some of the IRBMs that North Korea has previously launched, but instead, it landed in the waters between the two countries after traveling a distance of 372 miles, the South Korean military reported.

Lee Sung Joon, the official representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the recent launch was probably a continuation of North Korea’s test in March, which involved a solid-fuel engine designed for an advanced hypersonic missile with an intermediate range.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida informed the press that there have been no reports of damage caused by the missile.

He claimed that North Korea’s repeated missile launches pose a threat to the peace, security, and stability of Japan, as well as the wider region and international security.

According to experts, if these weapons are successfully developed, they could potentially reach Guam, the US Pacific military hub, and even extend beyond.

Military experts say that in the event of a conflict with North Korea, US military bases in Japan and Guam are strategically positioned to serve as key launchpads for American reinforcement forces, such as warplanes and naval fleets. Targeting these bases is considered a crucial element of North Korea’s war strategy.

Tuesday’s test was North Korea’s third ballistic missile launch this year so far.

Back on January 14, North Korea carried out an IRBM test, during which it announced the successful launch of a solid-fuel IRBM equipped with a hypersonic warhead.

Later, on March 19, the country disclosed that it had conducted a ground jet test for a new hypersonic IRBM, specifically focusing on the solid-fuel engine.

World

Russia's FSB Says Seized Explosives Sent From Ukraine Via EU

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The seizure came following a cargo inspection in the northwestern Pskov region along the border with Latvia, the FSB said in a statement.

It added that the cargo shipment was “part of the cross-border traffic of explosives from Ukraine through the European Union,” saying the explosives had passed through Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

The seized cargo comprised 70 kilograms of explosives devices “hidden in icons and ready for use,” according to the law enforcement agency.

The FSB said one person was arrested, adding that it would seek to track down all those involved, including foreigners, who would then face legal proceedings in Russia.

MNA/PR

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"That Was My Only Error": Erasmus Opens Up On ENG vs NZ 2019 WC Final

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South African cricket umpire Marais Erasmus, who officiated during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 final between England and New Zealand, opened up on his umpiring decisions that might have costed the Kiwis their maiden 50-over World Cup title back in 2019, including a controversial decision to avoid six runs to England after the ball had touched Ben Stokes’ bat while running and ran towards the boundary. Erasmus was one of the on-field umpires along with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharamsena during the epic title clash between two nations, which saw the Three Lions lift their maiden World Cup on boundary count after the regular game was tied at 241 runs each and the Super Over ended in a tie as well.

During the final over of the game, England needed 15 runs with Stokes and Adil Rashid at the crease. On the fourth ball of the inning, the duo ran a double. Before Stokes could make it to his crease, the throw sent by Martin Guptill touched Stokes’ bat and the ball went racing to the boundary. With England batters having taken two and the ball running towards the boundary, England was given six runs, reducing the deficit to three runs in two balls.

However, as per rules by ICC, only five runs should have been given as both batters had not completely crossed while taking the second run, when Guptill’s throw touched Stokes’ bat. That decision proved to be extremely decisive as it reduced the deficit to three in two balls from nine runs in three balls. The match and Super Over ended in a tie and England won their maiden title because they had more boundaries.

Speaking to Telegraph Cricket, Erasmus, who retired from umpiring after the second Test between New Zealand and Australia earlier in March, said that next over he had a discussion with Dharamsena about his decision. They had not picked that Stokes-Rashid had failed to cross completely during the second run and ended up giving one extra run to England.

“The next morning (after the final) I opened my hotel room door on my way to breakfast and Kumar opened his door at the same time and he said ‘did you see we made a massive error’. That is when I got to know about it. But in the moment on the field, we just said six, you know, communicated to each other ‘six, six, it’s six’ not realising that they haven’t crossed, it was not picked up. That is it,” said Erasmus as quoted by Telegraph.

Also, Erasmus said that one of his other errors, adjudging Kiwi batter leg-before-wicket for 15 even though the ball was missing the leg stump, also impacted the game. The umpire said that the ball was too high and Kiwis had wasted their last review earlier.

“That was my only error in the whole seven weeks and afterwards I was so disappointed because it would have been an absolute flip had I got through the whole World Cup not making an error and that obviously impacted the game a bit because he was one of their top players,” admitted Erasmus.

Erasmus was appointed to the Elite Panel of ICC umpires in 2010, making him the joint-longest serving current umpire on the list, alongside Rod Tucker.

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

Topics mentioned in this article

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World's Most Powerful MRI Scans 1st Images Of Human Brain

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World's Most Powerful MRI Scans 1st Images Of Human Brain

The magnetic field created by the scanner is a whopping 11.7 teslas

Saclay, France:

The world’s most powerful MRI scanner has delivered its first images of human brains, reaching a new level of precision that is hoped will shed more light on our mysterious minds — and the illnesses that haunt them.

Researchers at France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) first used the machine to scan a pumpkin back in 2021. But health authorities recently gave them the green light to scan humans.

Over the past few months, around 20 healthy volunteers have become the first to enter the maw of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, which is located in the Plateau de Saclay area south of Paris, home to many technology companies and universities.

“We have seen a level of precision never reached before at CEA,” said Alexandre Vignaud, a physicist working on the project.

The magnetic field created by the scanner is a whopping 11.7 teslas, a unit of measurement named after inventor Nikola Tesla.

This power allows the machine to scan images with 10 times more precision than the MRIs commonly used in hospitals, whose power does not normally exceed three teslas.

On a computer screen, Vignaud compared images taken by this mighty scanner, dubbed Iseult, with those from a normal MRI.

“With this machine, we can see the tiny vessels which feed the cerebral cortex, or details of the cerebellum which were almost invisible until now,” he said.

France’s research minister Sylvie Retailleau, herself a physicist, said “the precision is hardly believable!”

“This world-first will allow better detection and treatment for pathologies of the brain,” she said in a statement to AFP.

Lighting up the brain’s regions

Inside a cylinder that is fives metres (16 feet) long and tall, the machine houses a 132-tonne magnet powered by a coil carrying a current of 1,500 amps.

There is a 90-centimetre (three-foot) opening for humans to slide into.

The design is the result of two decades of research by a partnership between French and German engineers.

The United States and South Korea are working on similarly powerful MRI machines, but have not yet started scanning images of humans.

One of the main goals of such a powerful scanner is to refine our understanding of the anatomy of the brain and which areas are activated when it carries out particular tasks.

Scientists have already used MRIs to show that when the brain recognises particular things — such as faces, places or words — distinct regions of the cerebral cortex kick into gear.

Harnessing the power of 11.7 teslas will help Iseult to “better understand the relationship between the brain’s structure and cognitive functions, for example when we read a book or carry out a mental calculation,” said Nicolas Boulant, the project’s scientific director.

On the trail of Alzheimer’s

The researchers hope that the scanner’s power could also shed light on the elusive mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s — or psychological conditions like depression or schizophrenia.

“For example, we know that a particular area of the brain — the hippocampus — is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, so we hope to be able to find out how the cells work in this part of the cerebral cortex,” said CEA researcher Anne-Isabelle Etienvre.

The scientists also hope to map out how certain drugs used to treat bipolar disorder, such as lithium, distribute through the brain.

The strong magnetic field created by the MRI will give a clearer image of which parts of the brain are targeted by lithium. This could help identify which patients will respond better or worse to the drug.

“If we can better understand these very harmful diseases, we should be able to diagnose them earlier — and therefore treat them better,” Etienvre said.

For the foreseeable future, regular patients will not be able to use Iseult’s mighty power to see inside their own brains.

Boulant said the machine “is not intended to become a clinical diagnostic tool, but we hope the knowledge learned can then be used in hospitals”.

In the coming months, a new crop of healthy patients will be recruited to get their brains scanned.

The machine will not be used on patients with conditions for several years.
 

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

Hyderabad

Two pseudo Naxalites arrested for terrorising hospitals, hotel in Warangal

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Two individuals claiming affiliation with a Maoist ideology were apprehended on suspicion of intimidating the administrations of several private hospitals and a hotel in Hanamkonda.

Published Date – 2 April 2024, 05:23 PM


Two pseudo Naxalites arrested for terrorising hospitals, hotel in Warangal


Warangal: Two pseudo Maoists were arrested on charges of terrorising managements of multiple private hospitals and a hotel in Hanamkonda. A mobile phone, empty letter pads containing titles of the Maoist party and a motorbike were seized from them.

Hanamkonda ACP Devender Reddy said Dasari Srikanth, a private employee from Gollapalli village in Gundlapadu mandal and Balini Mahesh, a businessman belonging to Karimabad in Warangal district were detained while moving suspiciously during a vehicle check at Hanuman junction on the Mulugu Road.

During interrogation, the two confessed to threatening the management of NSR group of hotels and Hazara hospitals and Deepak Skin Care Centre. They admitted to sending a letter allegedly signed by Devanna, a commander of Maoist party’s Cherla-Shabari Area Committee alleging adulteration of milk and fleecing patients.

However, with the managements approaching the police, the Central Crime Station and Hanamkonda police launched an investigation and the two were nabbed.