INDIA

Srinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) The state investigation agency (SIA) of J&K CID on Tuesday raided eight places in Srinagar in connection with the murder of a Kashmiri Pandit woman in 1990.Officials said that the SIA is carrying out multiple raids at different locations in Srinagar in connection with the murder case of a Kashmir Pandit woman.Sarla Bhat, 27, belonged to Anantnag district and was working as a nurse in Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in the Soura area of Srinagar city.She was abducted from the institute’s hostel on April 18, 1990. Her bullet-riddled body was found on April 19, 1990, on the road in the Malbagh area of Srinagar city.A case of murder was registered under FIR 56/1990 in Nigeen police station of Srinagar district.Her murder was part of a larger con...

Bhubaneswar, Aug 12 (IANS) BJD President and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday expressed deep shock and anguish over the death of another girl by self-immolation in Gaisilet area of Bargarh district.The 13-year-old girl, who was staying at her maternal uncle's house at Phiringimal village under Gaisilet police station area, on Monday set herself on fire allegedly over some family issues.The villagers spotted her half-burnt at a football ground near her uncle's house.She was rescued and rushed to VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla, Sambalpur, where she later succumbed while undergoing treatment.The victim, after the incident, reportedly told locals that a girl was responsible for her taking the extreme decision. The police have launched an investigation ...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The Delhi Police on Tuesday said that they have arrested a mother-daughter duo on charges of theft and recovered stolen gold and silver in the melted form.The two were arrested from Dwarka district in the National Capital by a team of personnel from the Bindapur police station. The team recovered 5.23 grams of melted gold and 589.15 grams of melted silver.The arrests were made following an investigation after a complaint was received by the police on August 1. The online e-FIR No. 80071435/25, U/s-305 BNS was received at the Bindapur police team, following which a crack team reached the spot and met the complainant.The complainant, Ishika, a resident of Shrichand Park, Matiyala, stated that unknown persons stole the jewellery, after which she lodged the above-said ...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) A Har Ghar Tiranga Rally was flagged off on Tuesday from Delhi's Bharat Mandapam with an aim to encourage citizens to bring the Tricolour home and hoist it in celebration of India's Independence Day.Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with several Members of Parliament, flagged off the rally.Speaking to reporters, CM Rekha Gupta said, "With chants of 'Bharat Maa Ki Jai,' thousands of bikes, carrying the Tricolour in hand, set out today, as the sky and the winds echo with the slogans in praise of Mother India.""Today, from the MPs to our brave soldiers, everyone is expressing their patriotism. Even years after indep...

Chennai, Aug 12 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will on Tuesday launch the 'Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar Scheme', a new welfare initiative aimed at delivering essential commodities directly to the homes of senior citizens aged above 70 years and persons with disabilities. The scheme is designed to ensure that vulnerable sections of society receive their Public Distribution System (PDS) entitlements without the hardship of visiting fair price shops. Beneficiaries will receive their monthly allocation of rice, sugar, wheat, palmolein oil, and toor dal -- the key commodities supplied under the PDS -- at their doorsteps.According to official data, Tamil Nadu has 2.26 crore ration cards covering a population of around seven crore. Of these, 16.73 lakh ration cards, benefiting a to...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Value addition and identifying state-specific species hold key to boosting India’s seafood exports, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh has said.Singh underscored the importance of value addition in Indian seafood to enhance its export potential.Speaking at the ‘Seafood Exporters Meet 2025,’ he highlighted the ongoing government initiatives being taken in the fisheries sector, including the development of a single-window system for better market linkages for all stakeholders, strengthening of High Seas and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) fishing, and upgrading infrastructure, all aimed at further bolstering the fisheries sector.The minister emphasised on Marine Products Export Development Authority's (MPEDA) pivotal role in navigating the tariff challenges faced by the...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough, Delhi Police teams from West and South West Districts have arrested a total of nine auto-lifters and two proclaimed offenders (POs) in separate operations across the national capital. The crackdown comes as part of intensified efforts to tackle street crime, motor vehicle theft, and absconding criminals evading trial.According to a press release issued by the West District Police on Tuesday, seven notorious auto-lifters were apprehended during a series of patrol operations led by multiple police teams.The accused, identified as Dinesh alias Teda, Swantantar alias Babu, Arjun alias Teesmar Khan, Nikhil alias Noni, Ravi, Vishal, and Chetram, have collectively been previously involved in over 60 criminal cases, including theft, snatching...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) The third round of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) will take place in New Delhi on Wednesday, aiming to further expand and deepen the bilateral relationship between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday.The high-level discussions come ahead of the possible visit of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to India next month, according to media reports.Representing India at the talks will be External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.They will be joined by six ministers from Singapor...

Chennai, Aug 12 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government will establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to oversee the network of co-working spaces planned under the Chief Minister’s project, ensuring smooth operations regardless of changes in government or bureaucracy. The SPV will function as a private company with its own CEO, directly funded by the state and vested with executive powers.The decision was finalised at a meeting involving the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the special projects department, and the urban development department.Officials said the chief minister emphasised that all 30 proposed co-working centres should function continuously without being affected by administrative changes.Currently, the only operational co-working centre at Kolathur is jointly man...

Chennai, Aug 12 (IANS) An eight-year-old boy from Assam was killed in a sloth bear attack at Waverly Estate in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Tamil Nadu's Valparai, said officials on Tuesday. The attack happened on Monday night. This is the second fatal incident involving a child in the reserve in the past two months.The victim, identified as S. Noor Islam, was a Class 3 student living with relatives in the estate’s labour quarters while his parents remained in Assam.Forest department officials said the boy had gone to a grocery shop about 200 metres away from his quarters at around 7.30 p.m. to buy milk. When he failed to return after 45 minutes, worried relatives alerted estate staff and neighbours, who began a search. His body was eventually found about 500 metres from the quarters...