Top News

US Army Blasts Donald Trump's Staff Over "Push" During Cemetery Visit

admin 0

US Army Blasts Donald Trump's Staff Over 'Push' During Cemetery Visit

Donald Trump’s team posted photos from the visit, including one showing him giving a thumbs-up. (File)

Washington:

The US Army on Thursday took aim at Donald Trump’s staff over a visit by the Republican presidential candidate to the country’s most hallowed resting place for its war dead.

Trump went to the Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington with family members of some of the 13 service members killed in a 2021 bombing during the last hours of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

His campaign posted photos from the visit, including one showing him giving a thumbs-up gesture while standing with relatives at the grave of one of the Marines killed.

The Army said an Arlington employee was “abruptly pushed aside” when she sought to ensure a law prohibiting political activity on cemetery grounds was followed.

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the (Arlington National Cemetery) employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement.

Going on the offensive, Trump’s campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita has described the employee as a “despicable individual,” while campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said she was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”

Trump has made criticism of President Joe Biden’s handling of the US retreat from Afghanistan a key note of his campaign ahead of the November election.

The withdrawal was made as part of a peace deal signed by the Trump administration with the Taliban.

Uproar over the incident at Arlington on Monday is the latest controversy in Trump’s troubled relationship with the military.

While often touting his support for the armed forces, he privately mocked the war dead while president and did not want to be seen near military amputees, according to his former chief of staff.

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

Top News

Scolded For Harassing Girl, Class 12 Student Hacks Man To Death: Cops

admin 0

Scolded For Harassing Girl, Class 12 Student Hacks Man To Death In Bhubaneswar: Cops

Police are checking documents to ascertain whether the accused is a minor or not. (Representational)

Bhubaneswar:

A man was hacked to death by a jilted minor in Raghunath Nagar under the Khandagiri police station area in the state capital, said police on Thursday, adding that the accused had felt insulted after being scolded for harassing a girl.

Two minors, including the prime accused, have been detained. The accused is a Class 12 student of a local college in Bhubaneswar.

The victim was identified as Jagat Mallik alias Jaga of Suka Vihar in the Raghunath Nagar area of the city.

The 30-year-old victim, an auto driver, was returning home after attending a cultural programme in Cuttack. The minor and his associate reportedly intercepted the victim ‘s vehicle just 100 meters away from the latter’s residence on Wednesday night.

Both Mallik and the minors engaged in a heated argument. The accused assaulted the victim with a sword as per their plan. The accused later fled the spot leaving Mallik bleeding profusely.

Mallik was rushed to the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar where the doctors declared him dead.

Upon being informed, Khandagiri Police reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the matter.

Speaking to media persons, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Prateek Singh said that the accused have been detained at the police station and the weapon of offence has been seized.

“We ascertained during further investigation that the accused minor had an unrequited love for the victim’s niece. The victim had earlier warned the accused minor on this issue. The accused who felt insulted assaulted the victim yesterday to take revenge,” said DCP Singh on Thursday.

DCP Singh also said that police are checking the school leaving certificate and documents to ascertain whether the accused is a minor or not.

Sources claimed that the victim and the accused’s family members fought over the unrequited love affair around two months ago. The victim’s family members also alleged that the accused’s father had reportedly threatened to kill them over the issue.

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

Top News

In High-Level Diplomatic Meet In Beijing, India, China Discuss Situation Along LAC

admin 0

In High-Level Diplomatic Meet In Beijing, India, China Discuss Situation Along LAC

The two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity in the border areas. (Representational)

New Delhi:

India and China on Thursday had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the situation along the LAC to “narrow down” differences and find an early resolution to outstanding issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that “restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations”, it said.

In line with the guidance provided by the two foreign ministers’ meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July to accelerate the discussions, and building on the WMCC meeting held last month, “the two sides had a frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues”, the statement said.

For this, they further agreed for “intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels”.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (east Asia), from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meantime, the two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments, the MEA statement said.

The leader of the Indian delegation also called on the vice-minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 30th meeting of the WMCC was held in New Delhi on July 31.
 

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

Top News

Mumbai Property Dealer Gives Contract To Kill Friend. Then, A Plot Twist

admin 0

Mumbai Property Dealer Gives Contract To Kill Friend. Then, A Plot Twist

Contract Killing and then a miscalculation leading to a second death – these were what tied an abandoned car found near Mumbai and two missing property dealers, the Maharashtra Police have found. The men in question – property dealers Aamir Khanzada and Sumit Jain – have been missing since August 21. But the police had no clue till the Baleno car was found near Mumbai Pune Expressway two days later.

Deepak Sakore, a senior police officer of Navi Mumbai, said the they found bullet marks, two empty cartridges and blood inside the car.

The breakthrough came when they arrested Vitthal Nakade, who was linked to the contract killer. 

Mr Sakore said Vitthal Nakade was a friend of Sumit. Amir Khanzada and Sumit Jain, the police found, were friends and business partners who had fallen out over a land deal. Both were residents of Nerul and were missing since the night of August 21.

“Recently, Sumit Jain, who  had incurred massive debts, usurped a plot of land through fraud. Aamir was blackmailing him to get a share. So Sumit hired a contract killer to kill Aamir,” he said.  It appeared that the entire planning was done by Sumit Jain and Vitthal Nakade in a day or two. The contract killer was given Rs. 50 lakh, the police were told by Nakade.

But then came the big twist. Instead of the body of Aamir Khanzada, the police found the body of Sumit Jain. The big question then became who killed Sumit and the whereabouts of Aamir.

The next big revelation came when the police arrested a few more men connected to Vitthal Nakade.

“On the night of August 21, at 11 pm, Sumit Jain and Vitthal Nakhade had got Aamir Khanzada in the car. They shot Aamir and disposed of his body. Then Sumit got himself shot in the leg – the plan was to make himself incapacitated, so he stays out of suspicion,” said Mr Sakore.

What marred the script was an unexpected fight between the two killers. Sumit, unable to get medical help in time, died of excessive bleeding. Nakhade disposed of his body too.

Amir Khanzada’s body was found near Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Sumit Jain’s body was dumped by the roadside on Pen-Khopoli Road.

Top News

Stalemate over granting recognised union status to AITUC in SCCL irks employees

admin 0

The delay over granting recognised status to the union has been attributed to the company’s dilemma over fixing tenure of recognition for the elected union.

Published Date – 29 August 2024, 08:03 PM


Stalemate over granting recognised union status to AITUC in SCCL irks employees

The delay over granting recognised status to the union has been attributed to the company’s dilemma over fixing tenure of recognition for the elected union.

Kothagudem: Stalemate over granting recognised trade union status to elected union in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has been continuing much to the displeasure of employees as well as the elected union.

Nine months have passed since trade union elections conducted in December, 2023. It might be recalled that CPI affiliated All India Trade union Congress’ (AITUC) Singareni Collieries Workers union won the election after a gap of 16 years. But the management has not yet accorded recognised trade union status at company level to the union.

The delay over granting recognised status to the union has been attributed to the company’s dilemma over fixing tenure of recognition for the elected union. It is said that the company wanted to fix the tenure for two years instead of four years.

The AITUC leaders strongly opposed the management’s decision. Speaking to Telangana Today, AITUC state secretary Vasireddy Seetharamaiah said since the year 2000 all the unions that won elections have been given four years tenure to represent the employees as a recognised union.

But, now the management is deviating from the previous practice for reasons unknown and AITUC wants what it deserves rightfully. If the management fails to accord recognised trade union status for four years, the union would knock on the doors of the court, he noted.

The management maintains that a letter was written to the State government for its approval and reply is awaited. Political interests are behind the delay in granting recognised union status to AITUC’s Singareni Collieries Workers Union, he alleged.

On the other hand, Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) president Miriyala Raj Reddy wanted the company to conduct elections again. According to SCCL’s Industrial Relations Policy para 6.8, recognition at company level and grant of representative status at area level should be done within 45 days from the date of declaration of results.

Similarly, as per para 6.9 of the policy if the elections are delayed, the unions already enjoying recognised/representative status should be allowed to do so for another six months or till the elections are held, he explained.

A representation regarding the issue would be submitted to the SCCL CMD N Balram. If the management fails to respond to the sangham’s request they would approach the court. Even after elections over the employees are left without a union to represent them, he added.

Top News

UN food agency suspends operations in Gaza after car hit by Israeli gunfire

admin 0

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended the movement of its employees across the Gaza Strip until further notice, following an attack on one of its vehicles at an Israeli military checkpoint.

The WFP in a statement on Wednesday said that it is pausing movement of its staff in Gaza after a team returning from an aid delivery mission on Tuesday evening was directly shot at just meters from an Israeli-controlled checkpoint at the Wadi Gaza Bridge.

“Though this is not the first security incident to occur during the war, it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite securing the necessary clearances,” the statement added.

A photo released by the WFP showed multiple bullet marks in the driver’s side window, with the agency reporting that at least 10 bullets hit the vehicle, yet no one in it was hurt.

“This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza,” Cindy McCain, head of the UN food agency, said on X, adding, “Humanitarians are not a target.”

She called on the Israeli authorities and all involved in the conflict to take swift action to guarantee the safety and security of aid workers in Gaza.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, the UN Secretary General’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the WFP aid vehicle that was shot at had been clearly marked, describing the WFP logo as “probably one of the most recognizable in the world” in conflict zones.

Humanitarian efforts in Gaza are facing escalating difficulties, with aid workers encountering significant obstacles in delivering essential assistance, as reported by the World Food Programme.

Continuous evacuation orders are displacing families and disrupting food relief operations, the agency says. Recently, the WFP lost access to its final operational warehouse in the central region of Gaza, and five community kitchens managed by the organization were forced to evacuate.

Over 280 humanitarian workers have been killed since the start of the ongoing Gaza war, which has now entered its 11th month, primarily due to airstrikes. The majority of the victims are Palestinians employed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has recently reported.

In April, nine aid workers from the World Central Kitchen, a US-based non-profit charity, were killed in an Israeli airstrike while en route through Gaza, despite coordinating with Israeli authorities.

After more than 10 months of conflict, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 40,500 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, and extensive regions of Gaza are devastated, compounded by a severe blockade restricting access to food, clean water, and medical supplies.

Top News

Rashid Khan Takes Break From Test Cricket To Manage His Back

admin 0

File photo of Rashid Khan.© X (formerly Twitter)




Afghanistan cricket’s poster boy Rashid Khan will not play the Test format in the near future to nurse his back after having undergone a surgery last year. A source in the Afghanistan Cricket Board told PTI that Rashid and the team management had decided mutually on his break from the longest format considering his back issues. Earlier this week, he was not named in the preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida from September 9.

Rashid was out of action for four months after undergoing a back surgery following the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. He was part of the more recent T20 Word Cup in the USA and Caribbean where he captained Afghanistan to the semifinals.

The 25-year-old recently played three games in as many days in the Shpageeza T20 league in Kabul, taking six wickets in total.

“The plan for Rashid after the surgery was to gradually increase his workload. Not playing the longer format for the next six months to one year was also part of the plan.

“In Tests, he would be required to keep bowling from one end and his back is not ready for that kind of workload. He should be available for the ODI series against South Africa next month,” the source said.

Rashid has played five Tests, 103 ODIs and 93 T20Is for Afghanistan, who hardly get to play the five-day game against top teams like New Zealand.

He had also suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred in the UK earlier this month.

The Afghanistan squad is already in Greater Noida, its adopted home venue, and have begun preparation for the Test against New Zealand.

Rashid should be able to play the three ODIs against South Africa in the UAE from September 18, the first ever bilateral series between the two nations.

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

Topics mentioned in this article

Top News

Bangladesh Amends Law Scrapping Special Security For Sheikh Hasina, Family

admin 0

Bangladesh Amends Law Scrapping Special Security For Sheikh Hasina, Family

Sheikh Hasina currently faces more than 75 cases in Bangladesh. (File)

Dhaka:

The interim government in Bangladesh on Thursday withdrew the special security cover accorded to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her close relatives, days after revoking their diplomatic passports.

The Council of Advisers with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair decided to amend the Special Security Force Act 2021 lifting special security for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her close relatives, the official BSS news agency reported.

After Sheikh Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5, Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament.

Sheikh Hasina currently faces more than 75 cases in Bangladesh, nearly half of them murder charges.

“Against the backdrop of student-people mass upsurge the interim government has been formed on August 8, 2024, comprising the Chief Adviser and other advises,” the chief adviser’s office (CAO) said in a statement following an advisory council meeting.

The statement noted that the act was enacted and enforced following the previous government’s decision. Subsequently, on May 15, 2015, a gazette was issued under this law to provide special security and benefits to Sheikh Hasina and her close relatives.

“The law was made solely to provide special state benefits to the members of one family, which constitutes clear discrimination.” The interim government is firmly committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination, it said.

Because of the changed scenario “it is not possible to implement under administrative management the provisions relating to ‘Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family’ in line with the existing law, it said.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, advisory council member Syeda Rizwana Hasan said “The interim government was the outcome of an anti-discrimination movement”.

Syeda Rizwana, entrusted with the portfolio of environment, forest and climate change ministry, said the council decided to amend the law considering it “discriminatory”.

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the diplomatic passports of Sheikh Hasina, her advisers, former cabinet members, and all members of the 12th Parliament. Diplomatic passports for their spouses and children have also been revoked with immediate effect.

Syeda Rizwana said Bangladesh signed the Instrument of Accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance on Thursday, “demonstrating its commitment to investigate each and every case of enforced disappearances”.

“The Chief Advisor has signed the instrument. About 700 people are still missing due to enforced disappearance.

The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was adopted in New York on December 20, 2006.

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

Top News

Demolition Notice To Revanth Reddy's Brother For House In Restricted Zone

admin 0

Demolition Notice To Revanth Reddy's Brother For House In Restricted Zone

Hyderabad:

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy — criticized after the razing of the convention centre co-owned by actor Nagarjuna Akkineni — has said the demolition drive to remove encroachments on Hyderabad’s water bodies is impartial. A 30-day notice for demolition has been issued to Tirupathi Reddy, brother of Revanth Reddy, for his home and office that are said to be in the non-development zone of Hyderabad’s Durgam Cheruvu. 

This is among hundreds of notices issues to residential and commercial structures reportedly built encroaching on area that originally belonged to water bodies. 

Senior Congress leaders have also got demolition notices. Earlier, properties of Congress leaders Pallam Raju and Danam Nagender were demolished by HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection). The municipal authorities have issued notices to 225 row houses belonging to Telugu cine artists in Manikonda.

“I bought house in 2016-17… I did not know about any violations. If it is illegal, it has to be demolished, no other option. If I was not living here, notices may not have come for others… If they give me time, I will take my belongings and leave,” Tirupathi Reddy told reporters.

Political leaders of all hues are among those who have received demolition notices. The list includes educational institutions run by MIM’s Akbaruddin Owaisi, BRS MLAs Palla Rajeswar and Rajasekhar Reddy, whose father-in-law is a former minister and education baron. 

The court has given them a week’s time to reply even as the government has had second thoughts and says they will not disrupt the academic schedule of students studying in these institutions.
“You can pump me with bullets but don’t destroy my work. I am trying to give education to so many young women,” said AIMIM chief Akbaruddin Owaisi.

A team of officers also went to measure the extent of encroachment by a farmhouse in Janwada that KT Rama Rao says he does not own but has only taken on lease. Revanth Reddy has claimed it is KTR’s property and allegedly violates a government order that the BRS government had scrapped.

Top News

Delhi Cop Seen Dancing At Colleague's Farewell, Dies Moments Later

admin 0

Delhi Cop Seen Dancing At Colleague's Farewell, Dies Moments Later

Ravi Kumar was posted at Roop Nagar police station in the national capital

New Delhi:

A young police officer, who was dancing at a farewell party in Delhi, died after probably suffering a heart attack. Ravi Kumar, the head constable in Delhi police, was enjoying the farewell party of a colleague when he suddenly experienced pain in his chest and collapsed. The incident happened on Wednesday. 

Mr Kumar was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but the doctors declared him dead. He was posted at Roop Nagar police station in the national capital. A video capturing the final moments of the cop has now emerged which shows him and another man shaking a leg together on a loud Haryanvi song. Moments later, a smiling Ravi is seen stepping aside. He suffered the heart attack after that. 

According to a PTI report, Ravi Kumar, a resident of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, lived in Model Town area and is survived by his wife and two children. He joined the Delhi Police Force in 2010. Mr Kumar had had an angiography done about 45 days ago.

This is not the first case where people have suffered heart attacks while dancing or perform. ming at an event. In April this year, an 18-year-old girl, who was dancing at her sister’s wedding ceremony in UP’s Meerut, collapsed and died soon after. A video showed Rimsha trying to match dance steps with her family members to loud music. But, seconds later, she was seen touching her chest and trying to hold the hand of the boy dancing next to her, before collapsing.

A month later, a yoga event in Indore witnessed heart-rending scenes when a retired soldier collapsed on stage, clutching the Indian flag, while delivering an enthusiastic performance on a patriotic song. Assuming that the fall was part of the act, the audience continued to clap for over a minute before one of the organisers realised that something had gone horribly wrong. 

In October last year, at least 10 heart attack deaths were reported at garba events across Gujarat in the past 24 hours and the youngest of the victims was just 17 years old.