INDIA

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) The Meteorological Department on Tuesday said that several districts in South Bengal are likely to receive more rain from Thursday onwards, with a low-pressure area expected to form over the north Bay of Bengal in the coming days.Some south Bengal districts have been witnessing light to moderate rains for the last few days, with the day’s highest temperature increasing above normal at many places.The combination of high temperatures and humidity has made conditions uncomfortable, but relief is expected soon."The monsoon axis is spreading over north Bengal. A warning of heavy to very heavy rain has been issued in north Bengal districts. Districts of south Bengal, on the other hand, are experiencing high humid conditions due to scattered rainfall. Another low-pressure ...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday reacted to the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, calling it a step backward from decades of humane, science-backed policy.Taking to social media platform X, LoP Gandhi said, “The SC’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.”He added, “These voiceless souls are not ‘problems’ to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, and community care can keep streets safe — without cruelty. Blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion. We can ensure public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand.”The Supreme Court’s order, issued on Monday, directs civic bod...

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee, said on Tuesday that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) proposed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was acceptable only if the current Parliament is dissolved. “If I agree with you that SIR was necessary since there were manipulations in the voters’ list, then you will also have to accept that the last Lok Sabha elections were conducted with that manipulated voters’ list. So the current Parliament should be dismantled. Since the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister were elected by that manipulated voters' list, they should also resign. In the meantime, there were Assembly elections in some states, with a manipulated voters' list. So the Assemblies in t...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday strongly criticised the Central government for remaining silent on Israel's military actions in Palestine, asserting that such inaction amounts to complicity.Taking to X, she wrote, "The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. It has starved hundreds to death, including many children, and is threatening to starve millions.""Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself. It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she said, slamming the Centre.She also condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, calling it "another heinous crime" in P...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) In a rare and constitutionally significant move, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday formally read out the impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, marking the beginning of proceedings under Articles 124 (4) and 217 and 218 of the Constitution for his potential removal from office.Speaker On Birla said he had received a motion on July 31 backed by Ravi Shankar Prasad and a total of 146 members from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha, following explosive revelations earlier this year when bundles of charred currency were discovered at Justice Varma’s government-allotted residence in Delhi during a fire incident in March.Though the judge was not present at the time the fire occurred at his residence, a three-member in-house judicial i...

Patna, Aug 12 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission of India was not functioning transparently and has removed the names of a large number of voters in Bihar. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Tejashwi claimed that while Bihar has not been granted special state status, its democratic rights are being "violated"."I am not against revising the voter list," Tejashwi said, "but I oppose the opaque functioning of the Election Commission. A large number of names have been removed, yet there is no explanation for why. The Commission is ignoring even the Supreme Court's advice and trying to evade accountability."Tejashwi Yadav announced that from August 17, he and his party will launch a Matdata Adhikar Yatra (Voter Rights Yatra), aimed at ...

Gandhinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a spirited Tiranga Yatra was held across the country on Tuesday to ignite patriotism and unity ahead of Independence Day. Gujarat's Gandhinagar witnessed a vibrant display of national pride as hundreds of citizens gathered for the yatra, which commenced from Sector 6 and stretched over 2 to 3 kilometres.The rally saw enthusiastic participation from Minister Bhanuben Babaria, MLA Rita Patel, Mayor Meera Patel, District Collector Mehul Dave, schoolteachers, students, and police personnel. Dressed in Tricolour-themed attire and waving the national flag, participants turned the city streets into a moving mosaic of patriotism.Similar 'Tiranga Yatras' were also held in other parts of Gandhinagar, including Satyagraha Canto...

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress MP Amar Singh on Tuesday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party used all kinds of tactics to win the Ludhiana and Jalandhar bypolls in Punjab, suggesting that vote theft may have taken place.Speaking to IANS, Amar Singh said, "The AAP has done everything to win these elections. They have used various tactics. There must have been vote theft, as they have their own government there. They have distributed scooters, goods, fridges -- I haven’t seen an election like this. The police were used to threaten people, and bribes were given. They used to call themselves 'common people' -- I don't know where all this money is coming from."His remarks came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during a protest rally in Bengaluru on Friday, alleged that the Election Commissio...

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 12 (IANS) When Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Divi Bijesh sits before a chessboard, the world around her disappears.At just 10 years old, the fifth-grade student of Allen Feldman Public School in the state capital already boasts an enviable resume. Her latest feat -- a silver medal at the National Under-11 Girls Chess Championship in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, last week -- is yet another jewel in her crown.In Jalgaon, Divi tied for first place with 9 points alongside Maharashtra’s Krishna Tamhane Jain and Tamil Nadu’s Poojashree R. Venkalav. The Buchholz tiebreak placed Krishna first, Divi second, and Poojashree third.For Divi, the result was more than just a medal -- it was a reaffirmation of years of effort.“I started playing chess when I was 7, thanks to my brother Devn...

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of the BJP has completed the formation of booth committees for a majority of the state’s polling stations, a key step in strengthening its grassroots network ahead of next year’s crucial Assembly elections.“Of the 81,000 polling booths in the state, the process of formation of booth committees has been completed for 65,000 booths. However, out of the 65,000, the process of verification is yet to be completed for 15,000 booths, which will be done soon,” said a state committee member of the BJP.Each booth committee will have one president and two associates. A detailed training program for the newly appointed booth committee members will be conducted from August 16 to August 22. By then, the verification of the 15,000 booths will also be completed,...