BJP Attacks Tharoor For Showing India's 'Mutilated' Map In Manifesto

The BJP, on Friday, took a dig at Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor over the country's map shown in his manifesto, saying he put a "mutilated map" not having parts of Jammu and Kashmir may be to "find favour" with the Gandhis.

Tharoor filed his nomination on Friday and released a manifesto which had India's map that did not appear accurate as some parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were omitted. Later his office said the map has been corrected.

In a tweet, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said Tharoor used a mutilated map of India in his manifesto.

Taking a swipe at Tharoor, he said, "While Rahul Gandhi is supposedly on a Bharat Jodo Yatra, wannabe Congress President is hell bent on dismembering India. May be he thinks this might help find favour with the Gandhis."

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP's national spokesperson R.P. Singh said, "It is not a mistake or blunder but laid policy of Congress about Jammu and Kashmir."

Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are the main contenders in the Congress presidential race with both the leaders filing their nominations on Friday.

The veteran Kharge has appeared to be a clear favourite.

SC Suggests Idea Of Private Jails Built By Corporates

Representational Image

 

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, expressed concern over the condition of jails in the country and suggested the idea of building private jails involving big corporates.

The apex court said big corporate houses can build private prisons as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

“In Europe, there is a concept of private jails. Then there is corporate social responsibility. If you give them sufficient inducement you can have jails built. Because you don't want the public exchequer to be used for that. There is an alarming number of under-trial prisoners. They will build it and give it to you and claim reduction under the Income Tax. A new concept will emerge. Then a new concept will evolve, from anticipatory bail to anticipatory jail,” said a bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy.

The observation came after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for activist Gautam Navlakha, said there is overcrowding in jails and only Ayurveda doctors are available for patients.

The top court said the study of prisons is the lowest priority for any government.

The top court directed the Taloja jail superintendent to immediately shift Gautam Navlakha, incarcerated in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, to Mumbai's Jaslok hospital for treatment, after the activist's counsel said he has colon cancer.

American Businesses Struck By How Much More Digital India Has Become: Jaishankar

American businesses are struck by how much more digital India has become and there is a broad sense of overall appreciation of the ease of doing business in the country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

During a luncheon on Wednesday, USISPF president Mukesh Aghi presented Jaishankar with USISPF's coffee table book titled, 'We The People', chronicling 75 years of the US-India story, strengthened by the minister's efforts. The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful strategic partnership between the U.S. and India.

"Delighted to participate in a business luncheon with USISPF," Jaishankar tweeted. "Noted the high interest in transformational changes happening in India in energy, health, climate, infrastructure and logistics and defence domains," he said.

American businesses are struck by how much more digital India has become, how effectively the government is practising digital delivery, what a change that has been in startups and innovation, and how much more enthusiastic students and young innovators are. A lot of positive references to the drone policy, to the change in labor laws, to the production linked incentive policies, Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters on Wednesday at the conclusion of the US visit.

During the Washington DC-leg of his visit, he held two separate luncheons with leaders from the corporate sectors organised by US India Business Council and US India Strategic and Partnership Forum.

"I almost invite, I won't say criticism, but I invite problems. I asked people to say give me your difficulties. But yesterday and today, much more than I had before I largely heard a positive appreciation. (It) doesn't mean that there is no room to grow, doesn't mean that we are close to perfection," he said.

"I'm very real about where we are, and I think so is the government and the Prime Minister. But it did leave me with a reflection that we appear to have made solid progress and more importantly communicated that to the American business community," Jaishankar said.

During the luncheon organised by USIBC, Jaishankar met with the CEOs and senior industry executives representing Occidental, Lockheed Martin, Tata Sons, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Liberty Mutual, Google, Stripe, and Carlyle.

During his lunch discussions organised by USIBC on Tuesday, Jaishankar shared with the CEOs and executives his views on India's prospects for economic growth, and as a hub for direct investment in manufacturing, digital economy, services, energy, and other key sectors.

"The bullish sentiment on India was on clear display. Shared the conviction that stronger business links will further galvanize our relationship," the minister said in a tweet.

He also discussed India's forthcoming presidency of the G20, the growing prominence of the Quad platform in the Indo-Pacific, and the central importance of US-India Business ties in steadying and strengthening bilateral relations, according to a USIBC statement.

Additional, key topics of discussion at the lunch included the situation in the Indo-Pacific, geopolitical tensions, and the impact on the global economy, as well as the challenges on climate and energy policy.

During the lunch, industry executives expressed optimism regarding India's growth trajectory, and commitment to engage with the government further on these issues, as well as policies for expanding foreign direct investment, the statement said.

Germany Loses 1 Of Its 5 Glaciers To Scalding Summer

Scientists in Germany have stripped the Southern Schneeferner in the Alps of its status as glacier after extreme heat this summer hastened its demise.

The announcement on Monday by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences means Germany now has only four glaciers left.

The Southern Schneeferner is an ice sheet that lies on a high plateau south of the country's highest peak, the Zugspitze. Researchers said that measurements in mid-September showed it has shrunk by half in the last four years.

It is now little more than 2 metres thick in most areas, meaning it won't glide downhill anymore and therefore can't be considered a glacier, they said.

"The remaining ice will melt away completely in the coming one to two years," the scientists said.

Experts say many of Europe's glaciers are likely doomed to vanish in the coming decades due to human-caused climate change. (AP)

Delhi: Yamuna Flowing Above Danger Mark, Evacuation Begins

 

Water level rises in the Yamuna River in New Delhi (PTI)

Authorities on Tuesday started evacuating people living in the low-lying areas near the Yamuna banks in Delhi with the water level in the river rising to 206.18 metres, much above the danger mark of 205.33 metres and the highest this year so far, following incessant rains in the upper catchment areas.

East Delhi District Magistrate Anil Banka said an evacuation alert was issued Tuesday morning after the water level crossed the 206-metre mark.

"People living in low-lying areas near the riverbanks are being evacuated and shifted to higher grounds. Arrangements have been made for their stay at government schools and night shelters in nearby areas," he said.

Announcements are being made to caution people about a further increase in the water level, Banka said.

The low-lying areas near the river in Delhi are considered vulnerable to flooding. They are home to around 37,000 people. This is the second time within two months that the authorities are evacuating the people living in the river floodplains due to flooding.

The Yamuna had breached the danger mark of 205.33 metres on August 12, following which around 7,000 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas near the riverbanks.

The water level had shot up to 205.99 metres on August 13 before the river started receding. The Delhi flood control room said the water level at the Old Delhi Railway Bridge crossed the evacuation level of 206 metres at 5.45 am on Tuesday. The river swelled to 206.18 metres by 9 am. It predicted that the water level may increase to 206.5 metres between 3 pm and 5 pm.

The authorities reported a discharge rate of around 96,000 cusecs at 7 am from the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana. The discharge rate was 2,95,212 cusecs at 6 am on Monday, which is the highest so far this year. One cusec is equivalent to 28.32 litres per second.

Normally, the flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage is 352 cusecs, but the discharge increases after heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The water discharged from the barrage normally takes two to three days to reach the national capital.

Incessant rains have battered parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and north Uttar Pradesh over the last few days. Delhi also recorded a four-day long rain spell starting September 21.

The catchment of the Yamuna river system covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

Last year, the Yamuna river breached the danger mark on July 30 and the water level at the Old Railway Bridge rose to 205.59 metres. In 2019, the flow rate had peaked at 8.28 lakh cusec on August 18-19, and the water level in the river had hit the 206.60-metre mark.

In 1978, the river had swollen to the all-time record water level of 207.49 metres. In 2013, it had risen to 207.32 metres. 

Saudi Arabia Plans To Send Female Astronaut To Space In 2023

Saudi Arabia said on September 22 that it will launch a training program with the goal of sending its own astronauts, including a woman, into space next year.

The kingdom is actively promoting science and technology as part of its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to overhaul its economy and reduce its dependency on oil.

The plan, championed by Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also calls for greater integration of women into the workforce of the conservative Muslim country. Saudi Arabia lifted a long-standing ban on women driving in 2018.

The Saudi Astronaut Program, which is an integral part of the Kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030, will send Saudi astronauts into space to help better serve humanity, the Saudi Space Commission said in a statement.

One of the astronauts will be a Saudi woman, whose mission to space will represent a historical first for the Kingdom.

The first Arab or Muslim to travel to space was Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan bin Salman, a half-brother of the crown prince and an air force pilot who was part of the seven-member crew of NASA's Discovery mission in 1985. He later served as head of the Saudi Space Commission from 2018 until last year, when he was appointed an adviser to King Salman.

The neighbouring United Arab Emirates has the Arab world's leading space program, having launched a probe into Mars' orbit in February 2021.

The UAE plans to launch its first lunar rover in November. If the moon mission succeeds, the UAE and Japan, which is providing the lander, would join the ranks of only the US, Russia and China as nations that have put a spacecraft on the lunar surface. (AP) 

Hong Kong Journalist Granted Bail, Trip For Fellowship

 

Ronson Chan, chairman of the HKJA, reports to police over his charge of obstructing police, in Hong Kong, China on September 19, 2022 (Reuters)

The head of Hong Kong's largest journalist group was granted bail on Thursday and allowed to leave the city for an overseas fellowship two weeks after he was arrested for allegedly obstructing police officers while reporting.

Ronson Chan, who chairs the Hong Kong Journalists' Association, pleaded not guilty to two counts of obstructing the police. A conviction could mean up to two years in jail.

Chan was allowed to post bail and leave Hong Kong for a fellowship program at the University of Oxford later this month on the condition that he keeps the Hong Kong police updated on his address and mobile number while in Britain.

He was arrested while reporting on a homeowners' meeting in the Mong Kok district earlier this month with a colleague.

Police said that the two were behaving in a suspicious manner and were requested to produce proof of identity. Chan was arrested after he was uncooperative and refused to show his identity card.

His arrest prompted concern from the city's Foreign Correspondents' Club, which said it supports journalists' right to cover stories without fear of harassment and arrest.

The club also called on authorities to exercise transparency and care in handling the case.

When asked on Thursday outside the court about his thoughts on press freedom in Hong Kong, Chan said he was not able to discuss details of the case, but said that in Hong Kong, if you try to observe what is happening, then you can get the answer.

Hong Kong, once a bastion of press freedom in Asia, has since seen its press freedoms decline after a tough national security law aimed at stamping out dissent was imposed on the city.

Media outlets critical of the government, such as the now-defunct Apple Daily and Stand News, shut down after police raided their offices and arrested executives and journalists. 

Unseen Photo Of Queen Elizabeth II Released By UK Royal Family After Her Funeral

 

The image tweeted by @RoyalFamily

The UK's Royal Family has released a previously unseen photograph of Queen Elizabeth II after she was laid to rest in a private burial.

The Queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, was laid to rest alongside her late husband Prince Philip in a private burial at St George's Chapel on Monday after the pomp and pageantry of a majestic state funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Before the burial, some 800 guests attended a committal service in St George's, which concluded with the crown, orb and sceptre - symbols of the Queen's power and governance - being removed from the coffin and placed on the altar.

The image released by the Royal Family on Monday after the funeral was taken at Balmoral in 1971, with the caption often borrowed from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest."

King Charles III referenced the line during a televised address following his mother's death, the BBC reported.

"In loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen. 1926 - 2022."

The photo shows the Queen, walking stick in hand, traversing moorland. She is wearing a headscarf and sunglasses and has a coat draped over her arm.

The Royal Family will observe another week of mourning for the Queen after the funeral, Sky News reported.

The family is not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8 am after the final day of royal mourning. However, flags on non-royal buildings were slowly being returned to full-mast on Tuesday following the end of the period of national mourning.

'Start Respecting Local Languages,' Telangana Minister KTR Tells IndiGo After Seat Row

 

Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao has asked IndiGo Airlines to start respecting local languages after news emanated that a Telugu passenger was asked to vacate her seat at the exit as she reportedly failed to understand security procedures explained in English and Hindi.

The Minister was responding to a tweet by a flyer Devasmita Chakraverty who, in her tweet, claimed that a woman who was originally sitting in 2A (XL seat, exit row) was forced to take the seat 3C because she understood only Telugu, not English/Hindi.

"Indigo 6E 7297. Vijayawada (AP) to Hyderabad (Telangana), Sept 16-2022. The woman in green originally sitting in 2A (XL seat, exit row) was forced to seat 3C because she understood only Telugu, not English/Hindi. The attendant said it's a security issue," Chakraverty tweeted.

Responding to that, Rama Rao suggested the airlines recruit more staff who can speak the local language like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada on regional routes.

"Dear @IndiGo6E Management, I request you to start respecting local languages & passengers who may not be well conversant in English or Hindi. In regional routes, recruit more staff who can speak the local language like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada etc. This will be a win-win solution," the minister tweeted.

"Flight from AP to Telangana has no instructions in Telugu, attendant said it's a safety issue that she doesn't understand English/Hindi. If unhappy, we (not she) should complain. No dignity, non-Hindi treated as second class citizens in their own state," Chakraverty said in another tweet. (PTI)

Novel Plastic Film Can Kill Covid Virus Using Just Room Light

 

Representational Image

Scientists in the UK have developed a plastic film that can kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which land on its surface with just room light.

The self-sterilising film developed by a team at Queen's University Belfast, UK, is less costly to produce, can be readily scaled and used for disposable aprons, tablecloths, and curtains in hospitals.

The film is coated with a thin layer of particles that absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and produce reactive oxygen species -- ROS.

These kill viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the researchers said. The technology used to create the film also ensures it is degradable -- unlike the current disposable plastic films -- making it environment-friendly, the researchers said.

The research, published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, could lead to a significant reduction in the transmission of viruses in healthcare environments but also in other settings that use plastic films.

The researchers tested the film for anti-viral activity using four different viruses -- two strains of influenza A virus, a highly-stable picornavirus called EMCV and SARS-CoV-2.

They exposed the film to either UVA radiation or with light from a cool white light fluorescent lamp. The researchers found that the film is effective at killing all of the viruses - even in a room lit with just white fluorescent tubes. SARS-CoV-2 was particularly prone to photocatalytic inactivation even under very low UV irradiation conditions, they said.

"This film could replace many of the disposable plastic films used in the healthcare industry as it has the added value of being self-sterilising at no real extra cost," said Professor Andrew Mills from Queen's University Belfast.

"Through rigorous testing we have found that it is effective at killing viruses with just room light. This is the first time that anything like this has been developed and we hope that it will be a huge benefit to society," Mills said. The researchers noted that pathogenic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza will continue to be a global problem for years to come.

"In developing self-sterilising thin plastic films, we have created a low-cost technology that could have a significant impact on the transmission of such concerning viruses in a healthcare environment and other sectors where they are used," Professor Andrew Mills added. (PTI) 

Four Sadhus Beaten Up On Suspicion Of Being Child Abductors In Maharashtra

 

Four sadhus were allegedly assaulted by a mob in Maharashtra's Sangli district on suspicion of being child lifters, police said.

The sadhus, however, did not complain about the incident which took place on Tuesday, even as its video went viral.

The incident took place at Lavanga village in Jat tehsil, when the four men hailing from Uttar Pradesh were heading towards the temple town of Pandharpur from Bijapur in Karnataka in a car.

They had halted at a temple in the village on Monday. While resuming the journey on Tuesday, they asked a boy for directions, a police official said. This led some locals to suspect that they were part of criminal gangs which abduct children.

"There was an argument. It escalated quickly and the sadhus were allegedly beaten up with sticks by locals," the official said.

A police team reached the spot and found the sadhus were members of an 'Akhada' in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

Computer Engineer Turns To Farming In UP Village, Cashes In Handsomely

 

A once barren land has metamorphosed into an enterprise and an inspiration for many farmers, with its cash-yielding dragon fruit, where an engineering graduate in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district has decided to toil on a different track.

A native of Chilahua village under Allahganj police station, Atul Mishra has completed his B.Tech in computer science from Chennai. Talking to PTI, he said he did not go for a high-paying job after completing his studies as he wanted to do something for his fellow villagers and add to the prestige of his district.

After surfing the internet, he decided to experiment with dragon fruit cultivation. Mishra said he brought a few saplings of the dragon fruit, also called Pitahaya, from Sholapur in Maharashtra in 2018 and planted them on a barren land owned by his family.

After experiencing success, he has now expanded the fruit farming to five acres of his land. "There are another seven acres of barren land of our family in which dragon fruit would be grown next season," he said. Mishra said now he has employed three men and a woman to help him cultivate dragon fruit on a large scale.

Earlier, wheat was grown on his family's other piece of land, yielding a return even less than the input cost. He said cow urine and medicine are sprayed to protect the plants from fungus. The enterprising youth said, in addition to the fruit, he is also selling saplings of the dragon fruit to farmers coming to him from many states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

"I also give tips of successfully growing dragon fruit to people who come to me to buy the sapling," he said. Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America. Its taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear. In India, it is grown in different parts of Maharashtra.

The crop is also grown in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. He said the fruit ripens after one year of plantation. Mishra said he fruits start coming in his trees from May and continue until December, and he sells them at a handsome profit in Delhi's Azadpur Mandi.

Farmers of the district are praising Mishra for his achievement. Kuldip Singh, a farmer from Rampur Daulatpur, said he would also go for this cash-rich produce. He and some other farmers said that the cultivation of dragon fruit needs more cash but expressed concern over the lack of assistance provided by the state government.

Dr Rajesh Kumar, Principal of Government Medical College in Shahjahanpur, said dragon fruit has many health benefits as it contains vitamin C and magnesium in addition to protein and iron, adding that it improves the immune system.

Rahul Gandhi Wore T-Shirt Worth Rs 41,000 During Bharat Jodo Yatra, Claims BJP

 

Rahul Gandhi

The BJP, on Friday, took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by suggesting that a T-shirt he wore during the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' cost more than Rs 41,000.

"Bharat, dekho," (India, look), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tweeted from its handle and posted two pictures, one of Gandhi and the other showing the price of a T-shirt similar to the one he was wearing. The Burberry T-shirt cost Rs 41,257, it claimed.

However, the Congress leader had his share of defenders. One user alleged that such a tweet from the BJP showed that it was "rattled" by the Yatra while another noted that it was not public money that Gandhi is spending on his clothes.

Speaking to the media during the yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, Gandhi said he is not leading the Yatra and is only participating in it and it is aimed at "undoing the damage done by the BJP-RSS" by spreading "hatred" in the country. (PTI)

Goa's "Curlies" Restaurant, Linked To Sonali Phogat Death, Being Razed

 

The Goa government on Friday morning began demolishing the controversial restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa linked to the death of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, an official said.

The restaurant, 'Curlies', located on Goa's famous Anjuna beach, was in news recently after Phogat was found partying at the outlet hours before her death. Its owner Edwin Nunes was among the five persons arrested in the Phogat death case and he was later granted bail.

"The demolition squad of the district administration along with Anjuna police personnel arrived at the beach around 7.30 am to demolish the restaurant that was built in a 'no development zone' in violation of the CRZ norms," the official said.

The action against the restaurant was initiated after its owner failed to get any respite from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the 2016 demolition order of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).

The case was heard on September 6 by the NGT bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel. The bench had upheld the order of GCZMA disposing of the petition filed by the restaurant management.

On Thursday, the district administration issued a notice asking its demolition squad to raze the structure on Friday. Deputy collector of Mapusa sub-division Gurudas S T Desai had issued the notice.

According to police, Phogat, a former TikTok star and contestant on the reality show 'Bigg Boss', was allegedly drugged at the restaurant before her death on August 23. (PTI)

 

Cyrus Mistry Death: Mercedes To Send Car's Electronic Control Module To Germany For Analysis

Wreackage of the Mercedes car in which businessman and former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry was travelling when it met with an accident in Palghar, Maharashtra (PTI)

 

Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India is sending the electronic control module (ECM) of the car in which former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident recently, to Germany for analysis, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The company's report is expected in the next few days and will help shed light on issues like mechanical faults and driver error, the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"There is a chance that we may get the report as early as Friday," the official said.

Asked about reports that the car was speeding at 130-140 kmph, the official said only the ECM analysis will be able to shed light on the exact speed of the car when it crashed into a divider on the Surya river bridge in Palghar district, around 100 km from Mumbai, on Sunday.

Most high-end cars have the electronic control module which can later help identify technical issues like brake failure or low brake fluid. An engine control unit, also called the engine control module, is an electronic control unit that controls a series of actuators on an internal combustion engine to ensure optimal engine performance. It does this by reading values from a multitude of sensors within the engine bay, interpreting the data using multidimensional performance maps.

Police have also written to the Central Road Research Institute for road safety audit, the official said. Mercedes-Benz India on Tuesday said it is cooperating with the authorities investigating the car crash.

While Mistry (54) and his friend Jehangir Pandole were killed, two other occupants of the Mercedes GLC 220d 4MATIC car survived. Gynaecologist Anahita Pandole (55), who was at the wheel, and her husband Darius Pandole (60) suffered injuries and are being treated at a private hospital in Mumbai.

The deceased were not wearing seat belts as per a preliminary probe, the official said. (PTI)

Rahul Gandhi Pays Tributes At Father's Memorial In Sriperumbudur

 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays homage at his father Rajiv Gandhi's memorial in Sriperumbudur (PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid floral tributes to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the latter's memorial in Sriperumbudur near Chennai, ahead of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.

The Wayanad MP, who had arrived here on Tuesday night, began the day by offering tributes to the former Prime Minister and sat in a silent prayer in his memory. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

Earlier, Rahul planted a sapling at the memorial. TNCC chief K.S. Alagiri and other senior party leaders accompanied Rahul. He was scheduled to leave for the southern coastal Kanyakumari district and after visiting the twin memorials for savants Thiruvalluvar and Swami Vivekananda, besides those for Kamaraj and Gandhi Mandapam, he would launch the 3,500 km-long 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' covering 12 states.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would present Rahul Gandhi with the national flag made from 'khadi' to be handed over to Seva Dal workers managing the foot march.

One Suspect In Canada Mass Stabbings Found Dead: Cops

One of two brothers who were the target of a massive manhunt after allegedly carrying out a stabbing spree that left 10 dead and 18 wounded has been found dead, police said Monday.

Federal police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore told a news conference that Damien Sanderson's "body was located outdoors in a heavily grassed area in proximity to a house that was being examined" by authorities in the James Smith Cree Nation, an Indigenous community, with "visible injuries."

His brother Myles Sanderson remains at large, she added. "He may have also sustained injuries, but this is not confirmed."

She said the public should remain vigilant as he may seek medical attention, and consider him armed and dangerous.

"We can't say for sure how Damien came to be deceased," Blackmore said, adding that he "could potentially" have been killed by his brother.

His exact cause of death will be determined by the Saskatchewan coroner's office, which has yet to set a date and time for the examination.

Canadian police launched a massive manhunt for the pair on Sunday following stabbings in the remote James Smith Cree Nation Indigenous community and the town of Weldon in Saskatchewan province in western Canada. (AFP)

10 Killed, 15 Wounded In Stabbing Spree In Canada

 

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore speaks next to images of suspects during a press conference at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police office (AP)

A series of stabbings at an indigenous community and another town nearby in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan left 10 people dead and 15 wounded, Canadian police said on Sunday as they searched for two suspects.

The stabbings took place in multiple locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the village of Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon, police said.

Rhonda Blackmore, the Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP Saskatchewan, said some of the victims appear to have been targeted by the suspects but others appear to have been attacked at random. She couldn't provide a motive.

"It is horrific what has occurred in our province today," Blackmore said. She said there are 13 crime scenes where either deceased or injured people were found. She urged the suspects to turn themselves in.

Blackmore said police began receiving reports before 6am of stabbings in the First Nation community. More reports of attacks quickly followed and by midday police issued a warning that a vehicle reportedly carrying the two suspects had been spotted in Regina.

Police said the last information they had from the public was that the suspects were sighted there around lunchtime. There have been no sightings since.

"If in the Regina area, take precautions and consider sheltering in place. Do not leave a secure location. Do not approach suspicious persons. Do not pick up hitchhikers. Report suspicious persons, emergencies or info to 911. Do not disclose police locations," the RCMP said in a message on Twitter.

Doreen Lees, an 89-year grandmother from Weldon, said she and her daughter thought they saw one of the suspects when a car came barreling down her street early in the morning as her daughter was having coffee on her deck. Lees said a man approached them and said he was hurt and needed help.

But Lees said the man took off and ran after her daughter said she would call for help. "He wouldn't show his face. He had a big jacket over his face. We asked his name and he kind of mumbled his name twice and we still couldn't get it," she said. "He said his face was injured so badly he couldn't show it."

She said the man was by himself and "kind of a little wobbly."

Weldon resident Diane Shier said she was in her garden Sunday morning when she noticed emergency crews a couple of blocks away. Shier said her neighbour was killed. She did not want to identify the victim out of respect for his family.

"I am very upset because I lost a good neighbour, she said.

The search for suspects was carried out as fans descended in Regina for a sold-out annual Labour Day game between the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Regina Police Service said in a news release that with the help of Mounties, it was working on several fronts to locate and arrest the suspects and had "deployed additional resources for public safety throughout the city, including the football game at Mosaic Stadium."

The alert first issued by Melfort, Saskatchewan RCMP, about 7 am was extended hours later to cover Manitoba and Alberta, as the two suspects remained at large.

Damien Sanderson, 31, was described as five feet seven inches tall and 155 pounds, and Myles Sanderson, 30, as six-foot-one and 200 pounds. They may be driving a black vehicle.

Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers issued a wanted list last May that included Myles, writing that he was unlawfully at large.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority said multiple patients were being treated at several sites.

A call for additional staff was issued to respond to the influx of casualties, authority spokeswoman Anne Linemann said in an email.

Mark Oddan, a spokesman with STARS Air Ambulance, said two helicopters were dispatched from Saskatoon and another from Regina. He said two carried patients to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, while the third carried a patient to Royal University from a hospital in Melfort, a short distance southeast of Weldon.

"The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I'm thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted. (PTI)

Haryana: Woman Pushed Off Moving Train For Resisting Molestation Bid, Dies

 

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A 32-year-old woman died allegedly after she was pushed off a moving passenger train by a man who tried to molest her near Haryana's Tohana station in Fatehabad, officials said on Friday.

The incident took place in the presence of the woman's nine-year-old son on Thursday night, they said.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) said the woman had boarded the passenger train from near Lakhan Majra in Rohtak to travel to Tohana.

The SHO of GRP police station, Hisar, Naresh Kumar said the woman was travelling with her son.

"The passenger train was on its way from Delhi to Tohana and the woman and her son had boarded it from Lakhan Majra," he said.

He said a majority of passengers had got off from the train at a previous station and most coaches were empty when the incident took place near Tohana station where the woman had to get down.

The woman's husband was waiting at Tohana station.

"During preliminary investigations, it has come to light that one accused was involved in the incident. We are trying to identify him and he will be arrested soon," the GRP SHO said.

He said the woman resisted attempts of the accused to harass her, but was allegedly pushed down from the running train and she died due to the injuries.

Kumar said when the train reached Tohana, her son, who was crying profusely, narrated the incident to his father after which the police were informed. The woman's body was later found near the tracks at some distance from Tohana, he said.

"A case has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 (murder) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty)," the police official said.

Indian-American Sues PM Modi, Andhra CM Reddy, Adani In US Court For Corruption

 

Indian-American doctor has filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy, and business tycoon Gautam Adani on a host of issues, including corruption and Pegasus spyware.

The US District Court for the District of Columbia has issued summons to all these leaders, along with several others, which were served on them in India earlier this year. Eminent Indian-American attorney from New York Ravi Batra has termed it a "dead on arrival lawsuit".

The lawsuit against Modi, Reddy and Adani has been filed by Richmond-based gastroenterologist Dr Lokesh Vuyurru. Among others named in the lawsuit is Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic forum.

Without any documentary evidence, the Indian-American physician, who comes from Andhra Pradesh, alleged that Modi, Reddy and Adani, along with others, are engaged in corruption, including massive cash transfers to the US and use of Pegasus spyware against political opponents.

The lawsuit was filed on May 24, following which the court issued the summons on July 22. The summons were served on them in India on August 4 and to Schwab in Switzerland on August 2.

Dr Vuyyuru submitted the evidence of submission of the summons before the court on August 19. Asked about the lawsuit, Batra said Vuyyuru had too much free time on his hands.

"Lokesh Vuyyuru has too much free time on his hands. Seeing his improper use of our federal courts by filing his 53-page complaint to defame and disparage an American ally, India, and despite the presumption against extra-territoriality and foreign sovereign immunity act - something we helped flush out by repeatedly winning dismissal of SFJ v INC and SFJ v Sonia Gandhi - he slashes and burns indiscriminately as if there was no Rule 11 to teach him respect for Article III courts," he told PTI.

"That no lawyer agreed to sign this toilet paper 'complaint' speaks volumes, for this is a dead on arrival lawsuit," Batra said in response to a question. "He has a birds-eye complaint about corruption as he sees it and he doesn't specify RICO and Fraud require," he said. (PTI)