CM Mehbooba Calls for Cessation of Hostilities Along Border
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Death Toll Rises Due to Nipah Virus in Kerala
The death toll due to the deadly Nipah virus, that broke out in Kozhikode, Kerala has risen, with six of the deceased confirmed to be victims of the virus and six others suspected to have been suffering from the virus.
Meanwhile Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja, had said that the government had induced measures to contain the virus, even as two more fell prey to the virus.
Several medical professionals, including Dr Kafeel Khan, who had been at loggerheads with the Yogi government over the case of infant-deaths in Gorakhpur and briefly imprisoned for seven months, had asked Kerala Chief Minister Pinayar Vijayan if he could come and provide medical help in the Nipah-affected regions. The Chief Minister had warmly complied to this request.
Anti-Sterlite Protests: At Least 11 Killed, Dozens Injured
The months-long protest demanding closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, took a violent turn on Tuesday, 22 May, with agitators allegedly pelting stones and toppling police vehicles after they were prevented from marching towards the plant.
A video has gone viral allegedly showing the police using assault rifles on protesters, to contain the protests and a DGP leader stated that the police even used tear-gas on them.
Kumaraswamy to Take Oath as Karnataka CM
Janata Dal leader H D Kumaraswamy will be sworn in as Karnataka’s new Chief Minister at 4.30 pm, on Wednesday, 23 May.
The ceremony will take place at the Grand Steps of the Vidhana Soudha. Along with Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President G Parameshwara will also be taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
RLD Leader, Supporters Beat Worker at Petrol Pump
RLD leader Sunil Rohta and his supporters allegedly beat up a worker at a Petrol pump in Meerut, because they thought the latter had not put petrol in their vehicles.
Speaking to ANI, the worker said: “They thrashed me as they believed that I'd not put petrol. I said there can be a glitch in meter as I'd put it.” The petrol pump’s owner has handed over the CCTV camera footage to the police and has also demanded an inquiry.
Unrealistic to Expect UN Peacekeepers to Protect Civilians in Conflict Situations: India
Speaking at a UN Security Council debate on 'Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts' on Tuesday, 23 May, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, said it is "unrealistic" to expect from UN peacekeepers protection of civilians in the absence of clear mandates. He also suggested developing a "politically attuned" framework for the purpose.
Adding to this, he said that the Council's membership needs to frame mandates with “clarity and specificity”.
(With inputs from PTI)
14 Priests in Chile Stripped Off Duties Due to Sex Abuse Scandal
In an event that rocked Pope Francis’ papacy, fourteen priests involved in a sex abuse scandal in Chile, were stripped of their priestly duties on Wednesday, 23 May.
"Fourteen priests no longer are allowed to carry out their duties... These priests have taken part in actions that may be civilian crimes as well as within the church," the bishop's office in the city of Rancagua told PTI.
A few days prior to this, the Pope had ordered an investigation into the accusations. The probe found senior church officials had destroyed proof in cases of sex abuse and that certain members of the clergy, who had displayed immoral behavior, had been transferred to other dioceses, after trying to "minimize" the consequences of their wrong deeds.
(With inputs from PTI)
MH370 Not Deliberately Crashed by Pilot: Investigators
Investigators looking into the mysterious disappearance of the MH370, that went missing in 2014, while flying to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, have rejected claims that the flight was deliberately brought down by the pilot.
Rumours regarding a "controlled ditching" into the sea was dismissed on Tuesday, 22 May by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the BBC reported.
The bureau maintains that the pilot was unconscious during the final moments.
At the time of its disappearance, the flight had 239 people on board.
Home Min Seeks Report from Tn Govt on Sterlite Protest Violence
The Home Ministry is now seeking a report from the Tamil Nadu government, on the sterlite protests that turned hostile in Thoothukudi on Tuesday, 22 May where 11 people were killed in police firing.
IAF Chopper Crash-Lands in J&K
A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Air Force crash-landed in Natha Top in Jammu and Kashmir soon after it took off on a routine sortie today morning, official sources said here.
The two passengers and two crew members on board the military chopper were safe, they said.
The helicopter was on a routine sortie from Jammu when it crash-landed at the Natha Top helipad around 9.50 am, the sources said.
A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
4 Civilians Killed, Several Injured in J&K Districts in Ceasefire Violations
Four civilians were killed and several others injured in heavy mortar shelling and firing by Pakistani troops at Indian villages and BoPs, along the International Border (IB), in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts on Wednesday, 23 May.
It is also the 9th day of continuous firing and shelling by Pakistani Rangers along the IB and LoC in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts. Pakistani Rangers also targeted civilian areas and posts in Kathua district.
(With inputs from PTI)
Cabinet Approves Ordinance To Change Bankruptcy Rules
The Cabinet today cleared amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), incorporating changes suggested by a government appointed panel, PTI reported.
Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, briefing reporters after the Cabinet meet said, "I cannot disclose anything because it's a new legislation except to reinforce that the Cabinet has approved it".
In other decisions of the Cabinet meet, as many as 4,072 mobile towers will be set up by the government in 10 Naxal-affected states to improve telecom network in such places.
Here are some of the other important decisions taken on 23 May:
Other Decisions Taken at the Cabinet Meet
- Approves provision of mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism Areas
- Approves MoU between India and Turkey on trade in poppy seeds to ensure quick and transparent processing for import of poppy seeds from Turkey
- Approves MoU signed between India and France in the field of Renewable Energy
- Approves ordinance to set up India's first sports university in Manipur
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
Anti-Sterlite Protests: Death Toll Reaches 12 in Tuticorin
At least one more person has been killed in a fresh round of firing by the police in Thoothukudi. Even as Thoothukudi continued to mourn the death of 11 persons from Tuesday’s clashes, another youth was killed in fresh police firing on Wednesday, while at least five others sustained injuries, The News Minute reported.
Madras HC Orders to Preserve Bodies of the Deceased Killed in Sterlite Protests
Madras High Court orders to preserve the bodies of the 11 people who were killed in police firing in Tuticorin on 22 May, until further orders, ANI reported.
JD(S) Leader HD Kumaraswamy Takes Oath as Karnataka CM
After days of political tussle, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy takes oath Karnataka Chief Minister at Vidhana Soudha on 23 May.
His counterpart, Congress' G Parameshwara takes oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. Governor Vajubhai Vala also administers the oath of office and secrecy to state Congress chief G Parameshwara as deputy chief minister.
AB de Villiers Announces Retirement From All Forms of International Cricket
AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. The middle-order batsman announced the news in a video posted on Twitter on Wednesday.
SSC Paper Leak: CBI Register FIR, Conduct Searches Across Locations
Central Bureau of Investigation has registered an FIR in the SSC paper leak case, conducting searches at 12 locations across the country, ANI reported.
Sify Technologies Ltd. office in Noida being searched by the CBI in SSC paper leak case, officials told PTI.
Internet Services Suspended in Tuticorin, Nellai, and Kanyakumari
Tamil news channel Puthiya Thalaimurai reported that internet services had been suspended in Tuticorin, Nellai, and Kanyakumari following violence and clashes between police and protesters.
Lalu Prasad Yadav Admitted to Mumbai Hospital
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was admitted to the city-based Asian Heart Institute on Wednesday, 23 May.
Prasad (69), convicted in fodder scam is out on a six-week bail by the Jharkhand High Court. He had undergone a bypass surgery a few years ago, had sought an appointment with renowned heart surgeon Ramakant Panda at the institute.
(With PTI inputs)
Niranjan Davkhare Quits NCP, to Join BJP
NCP leader Niranjan Davkhare submitted his resignation on Wednesday, 23 May as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, quit the party, and said he was going to join the BJP from Thursday.
He was quitting the Sharad Pawar-led party as he was fed up of politics within its local unit, the leader from Thane said. The NCP claimed that Davkhare had been expelled from the party for six years on the directive of state unit chief Jayant Patil.
(With PTI inputs)
IAF on Standby to Handle Uttarakhand Forest Fire
The Indian Air Force will be on stand by to handle the forest fire in Uttarakhand, ANI reported.
“If need arises, then deployment of Mi-17 will be done,” said Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff on incidents of forest fires.
Indian Air Force's One light Utility Helicopter has been sent for recce in Trikuta Hills of Katra district where a fire broke out, the report added. The two Mi-17s with bambi buckets have been put on stand by for operation.
(With ANI inputs)
Ola Cab Driver Held for Allegedly Molesting Mumbai Passenger
A 36-year-old driver of an Ola cab was arrested for allegedly molesting a 24-year-old woman bank professional in his vehicle on May 21, the police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Sureshkumar Yadav, was picked up by Powai police on the day of the incident itself, a senior officer said.
The alleged incident occurred on Monday evening after the woman hired the cab at Nariman Point in south Mumbai for Chandivali near suburban Powai, a distance of over 30 kms, where she was supposed to meet her friend, the officer said.
(With PTI inputs)
Nipah Virus: Kerala's Neighbouring Districts Put on High Alert
Neighbouring districts of Kozhikode and Mallappuram in Kerala have been put on "high alert" by a central health ministry team sent to the state in the wake of the outbreak of Nipah virus.
The state government issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Waynad and Kannur.
The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on 25 May to discuss the issue.
(With PTI inputs)
Two MP Pilgrims Among 3 Dead, 6 Injured in Road Accident in Jammu
Three persons, including a woman, were killed and six others injured when a car ploughed into a group of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh before hitting their parked bus alongside a highway in Jammu on Wednesday, police said.
The bus, on its way to the Vaishno Devi shrine, developed some technical snag and was being attended by its driver and a mechanic on the roadside near Sidhrah highway when a speedy car allegedly skidded off the road and hit the pilgrims before crashing with the rear side of the vehicle, a police official said.
(With PTI inputs)
Delhi HC Directs Regularisation of Kashmiri Migrant Teachers
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 23 May directed the city government to regularise Kashmiri migrant teachers working in municipal and government schools on contractual basis for decades.
Pakistan's Ex-PM Sharif Says Intelligence Chief Asked Him to Resign
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday, 23 May accused a former intelligence chief of asking him to resign during opposition protests in 2014, comments likely to further fray tense civil-military relations ahead of general elections.
In other thinly-veiled remarks aimed at the military, Sharif also suggested he was removed from office over his foreign policy stance and refusal to drop a treason case against former army dictator Pervez Musharraf.
(With inputs from Reuters)
India Summons Pak Envoy Over Baby's Killing in Cross-Border Firing
India summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah on 23 May over the loss of life of a seven-month-old in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, ANI reported.
Pompeo Seeks Crackdown on Pak's Terror Havens
Pakistan should crackdown on terrorist’s havens and instigators of terrorist activities in its own country on 23 May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday.
The US and others have long complained that Pakistan provides safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan.
Pakistan denies these allegations but President Donald Trump has escalated the criticism against Islamabad since he took office.
Major Fire in Trikuta Hills, Vaishno Devi Yatra Suspended from New Track
The pilgrimage yatra to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Shrine was suspended from new battery car track on Wednesday afternoon after a major fire broke out in Trikuta Hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra district, ANI reported.
CM Mehbooba Calls for Cessation of Hostilities Along Border
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on 23 May expressed grave concern over the situation prevailing along the borders in the state following the latest spate of killings in cross-border shelling by Pakistan and called for immediate cessation of hostilities to safeguard the lives and properties of the hapless people, PTI reported.
The chief minister said the onus also lies on Pakistan also to respond positively in the larger interest of peace and stability in the region.
Here are the top news stories of the day.
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