INDIA

Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and the party's national spokesperson Sambit Patra, on Thursday, criticised the Congress over media reports regarding a senior Congress leader Vidhu Bhusan Das singing Bangladesh's national anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla, during a party meeting in Assam's Sribhumi district recently.Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP leader Patra expressed shock that the senior Congress leader began the meeting of the party's Seva Dal at Sribhumi on October 27 by singing the national anthem of Bangladesh.He alleged that this reflects the Congress party's politics of appeasement and its desperation to pamper the illegal infiltrators for vote-bank politics.He also clarified that the BJP has no issues with the national an...

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday inaugurated the 'National Farmer Producer Organisations' (FPO) Conclave 2025 in Delhi, announcing that the government will soon introduce a Seed Act to ensure farmers receive high-quality seeds,He said strict action is being taken against counterfeit seeds and pesticides. Chouhan urged FPOs and participating institutions to convert farmers into entrepreneurs and traders to ensure benefits reach growers directly, bypassing middlemen.Expressing concern over price disparity, Chouhan said that farmers often do not get fair prices for their produce, while consumers pay more. “This gap must be reduced,” he said, calling on farmers to move towards value addition.“Farmers should not remain only producers but beco...

Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) The Keel Laying of second Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) and Plate Cutting of fifth FPV under the 14 FPV Project for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) took place at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) here on Thursday, an official said.In addition to this, the Girder Laying Ceremonies for the second and third indigenously built Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) for ICG was held at Chowgule’s Rassaim Yard, Goa.The contract for design and construction of 14 FPVs with an indigenous content of 60 per cent was inked on January 24, 2024, the Defence Ministry official said in a statement.Each FPV is equipped with indigenously built gearboxes. These water-jet propelled vessels have an approximate displacement of 340 tonne and are designed for coastal security, search and rescue and law en...

Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) A social media channel owner was shot dead by Mumbai Police in a hostage drama plotted by him using an air gun to confine 20 children at R A Studio in Mumbai’s Powai on Thursday, a police official said.Rohit Arya died of excessive bleeding while being taken to the hospital after the police stormed the premises where he held the children hostage for about 30 minutes under the garb of conducting an acting audition, police said.After holding the students hostage, Arya circulated a video as part of a plan to force certain individuals to speak to him, failing which he threatened to set the studio building and the hostages on fire, the police said.The Mumbai Police were alerted after some of the hostages, who attend acting classes on the first floor, managed to wave at pa...

Itanagar, Oct 30 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Thursday that the state has immense potential, endowed with rich natural resources, unique agro-climatic conditions, and a strong tradition of craftsmanship.Inaugurating the two-day Arunachal Pradesh Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (RBSM) 2025 at a city hotel here, the Chief Minister said the event marks a significant step toward positioning Arunachal Pradesh as a key contributor to India’s export ecosystem.“From kiwi and mandarin oranges to large cardamom, ginger, and pineapple, our state has the potential to become an important player in India’s export basket,” Khandu said. He underlined his government’s vision to transform Arunachal Pradesh from a producer state into an export-oriented economy.The Chief Minister cite...

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday that some Indian companies have received licenses for importing rare earth magnets from China.At least three Indian companies—Continental India, Hitachi, and Jay Ushin—have received initial government approval to import the magnets. These firms supply components for India's automotive and electronics industries.This is the first set of clearances since Beijing imposed tight controls on the export of these magnets earlier in April. The move is intended to alleviate supply issues that have impacted key industries in India.Jaiswal also said, “We have to look at how the US and China talks will play into our domain."The import licenses have specific conditions attached. The imported magnets can...

Chennai, Oct 30 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday hit out at dissident leaders K.A. Sengottaiyan, O. Panneerselvam, and T.T.V. Dhinakaran, accusing them of betraying the party and functioning as the “DMK’s B team.”His comments came hours after Sengottaiyan joined the two expelled leaders to jointly pay homage at the Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar memorial in Ramanathapuram — a move that has triggered fresh turmoil within the AIADMK. The three leaders garlanded Thevar’s statue together and performed arti using the same plate, marking an open display of unity that sent shockwaves through the AIADMK ranks. Sengottaiyan’s participation was particularly significant since, though stripped of his organisational posts, he continues as a primary member of the pa...

Bengaluru, Oct 30 (IANS) A software engineer has filed a complaint with the Kumaraswamy Layout police station in Bengaluru after falling victim to a delivery "scam", in which he allegedly received a piece of tile instead of a mobile phone worth Rs 1.85 lakh.The victim has been identified as Premanand, a senior techie.According to the complaint, he had purchased a Samsung Z Fold mobile phone worth Rs 1.85 lakh through the Amazon app and made full payment during Diwali. The order was delivered to him on the scheduled date.However, Premanand was shocked to find a piece of tile inside the package instead of the phone. When he tried contacting the delivery boy, there was no response. He immediately filed a complaint through the National Cyber Reporting Portal (NCRP).Premanand stated that the ac...

Chandigarh, Oct 30 (IANS) A scientific team at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, on Thursday, has reported a significant rise in infections caused by a lesser-known bacterium that mimics whooping cough (pertussis) in northern India.The discovery follows the team's earlier identification of Stenotrophomonas sepilia, a new bacterium responsible for sepsis, highlighting PGIMER's leadership in emerging infectious-disease research.Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that has historically been a major cause of childhood mortality, with fatality rates reaching 10 per cent in the early 20th century.In Asia, pertussis continues to pose a significant public health burden, particularly in India a...

Raipur, Oct 30 (IANS) In a major breakthrough against Maoist violence, security forces arrested seven Maoist operatives in separate operations conducted by Usur and Ilmidi police stations in Bijapur district.The arrests follow two brutal murders of villagers who were suspected by Maoists of being police informers. On October 1, Bhima Madkam, a resident of Pujarikanker under Usur police station, was hacked to death with a sickle and knife by Maoists. Acting on intelligence inputs, a joint team comprising Usur police, two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalions, and a CoBRA unit launched a swift operation that led to the arrest of five Maoist cadres directly involved in the killing. The arrested individuals include Renga Pidga alias Gundam, Hadma Kaka, Shankar Esam alias Golem, Mad...