Top news of the day: September 14, 2024

Protesting doctors reach Prime Minister Mamata's residence to discuss demands

Protesting doctors in Kolkata agreed to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence on Saturday (September 14, 2024), just hours after she visited their protest site in Salt Lake. They arrived for the discussion at around 6.45 pm. West Bengal Chief Minister Manoj Pant had extended the invitation after the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front wrote to him welcoming Ms Banerjee's visit but insisting on an audience with her to discuss their demands.

CPI(M) leader among two arrested in Kolkata after TMC alleges conspiracy to attack protesting doctors

CPI(M) leader Kalatan Dasgupta was among two people arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to attack the protesting junior doctors, police said on Saturday (September 14, 2024). The arrests came after an audio clip of a phone conversation of TMC leader Kunal Ghosh was released, in which he alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to attack the protesting junior doctors outside the Swashtya Bhawan in Salt Lake to defame the Mamata Banerjee government in the state.

PM Modi: Upcoming elections will decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism on its last legs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (September 14, 2024) termed the upcoming general elections as “elections that will decide the fate of Jammu and Kashmir”. He launched a scathing attack on the Gandhis, the Abdullahs and the Muftis and stressed that terrorism in the Union Territory (UT) is in its final phase. “These elections will decide the fate of Jammu and Kashmir. Since independence, our Jammu and Kashmir has been in the sights of foreign powers. Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is now counting its last days. The upcoming elections will decide the future of the UT,” said Mr Modi, addressing the first-ever election rally in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir.

Madhabi Buch traded in listed securities while in possession of unpublished, price-sensitive information: Congress

Congress raised the stakes in the conflict of interest row surrounding SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch on Saturday (September 14, 2024), alleging that she traded in listed securities while in possession of unpublished price-sensitive information and invested in Chinese companies at a time when India is facing geopolitical tensions with China. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh referred to “fresh allegations of conflict of interest” against Mr Buch, claiming that she traded in listed securities worth Rs 36.9 crore as a full-time member and later as SEBI Chairperson.

PM Modi plans domestic and international travel but ‘carefully avoids Manipur’, says Congress

The Congress on Saturday (September 14, 2024) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation in Manipur, saying he continues to plan trips to other parts of the country and abroad but is “carefully” avoiding visiting the “most troubled state”. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said Manipur started burning on May 3, 2023, and a three-member commission of inquiry was set up on June 4, 2023, to investigate the causes and spread of violence and unrest.

Omar Abdullah urges PM Modi to focus on ‘deteriorating’ security situation in Jammu and Kashmir instead of dynastic politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus on the “deteriorating” security situation in Jammu and Kashmir instead of raising the specter of dynastic politics, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Saturday (September 14, 2024). Addressing an election rally in Doda district in support of BJP candidates earlier in the day, Modi said the political dynasties in Jammu and Kashmir had destroyed the region and not allowed a new leadership to grow. The NC leader hit back, saying the BJP had no qualms about forming alliances with these parties and questioned the prime minister's silence on the death of two army soldiers in an encounter in Kishtawar.

‘Sensitive’ petitions delay appointments of High Court chief justices: Centre to Supreme Court

The Central government has informed the Supreme Court that “sensitive material” with the government is delaying the implementation of the Supreme Court's recommendations for appointment of chief justices to the high courts. Attorney General R Venkatramani told a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that he had received certain information from the Union government which was sensitive in nature. He also informed the Supreme Court that it was not in the interest of the institution or the judges involved to make these matters public.

All files in my ministries are in Hindi: Amit Shah

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (September 14, 2024) urged parents and guardians to speak to their children in their mother tongue and advised them not to be influenced by concerns about “progress through other languages”. He stressed that the future belongs to Indian languages ​​and that the country can no longer be trapped in colonial chains. Mr Shah said he had ensured that all files in the Home Ministry were in Hindi. “I want to tell all the central government employees that even a person like me took three years to get all the files in Hindi. In my ministries (Home and Cooperation), none of the notifications and files are in English, all the files are in Hindi,” Mr Shah said at the Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the implementation of Hindi as the official language of the Union.

Naxalite killed in clash with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday (September 14, 2024), police said. “The encounter occurred early in the morning in the jungle on a hillock near Tumalpad village within the Chintagufa police station premises when a joint team of security forces was on its way for an operation against Naxalites,” Sukma Police Commissioner Kiran Chavan said. “Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Bastar Fighters – both units of the state police and the district force – were involved in the operation,” he said.

Indian recruits in the Russian army: Young Telangana-American Mohammed Sufiyan remembers his time on the battlefield

Mohammed Sufiyan remembers being locked in a tiny bunker, constantly hearing the ominous hum of surveillance drones overhead. The occasional volleys of automatic weapons fire across the Ukraine-Russia border made his life even more uncertain. When news of his release arrived, he could hardly believe it, he recalls. The 24-year-old, who had been duped into travelling to Russia and fighting alongside Russian forces, returned to Hyderabad on Friday afternoon (September 13, 2024), after eight months of war that seemed like an eternity. After an emotional reunion with his family, they drove to their home in Narayanpet in Telangana.

Report: Imran Khan arrested for inciting mutiny of Pakistani government officials

Pakistan's top investigative agency has registered a case against jailed former prime minister Imran Khan for inciting government officials to mutiny through his social media posts, a media report said. A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team comprising investigative and technical officers visited Adiala Jail to question Mr Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in connection with a controversial post on his official X account. “The FIA ​​has registered a case against Mr Khan for inciting government officials to mutiny,” Dawn newspaper reported, citing sources.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore want to vote from space in the 2024 US elections

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded on the International Space Station until February, now plan to vote from space in the U.S. presidential election on November 5. “This is a very important duty for us as citizens and (I) look forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Ms. Williams, who is of Indian descent, said in a phone call with reporters on Friday afternoon (September 12, 2024).

Russia claims to have recaptured another village in eastern Ukraine

Russia announced on Saturday (September 14, 2024) that it had recaptured another village in eastern Ukraine, where it had made a series of advances. “The village of Zhelannoe Pervoe (in Ukrainian Zhelanne Pershe) was liberated thanks to the active and decisive operations of the southern units,” the Defense Ministry said. The village is located in the Pokrovsk district, an important logistical hub of the Ukrainian army.

Iranian women forgo hijab as second death anniversary of Mahsa Amini approaches

It is becoming increasingly common to see women without the mandatory headscarf (hijab) on the streets of Iranian cities as the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and the mass protests it sparked approaches. There is no government official or study acknowledging the phenomenon, which began when Iran entered the hot summer months and blackouts on the overloaded power grid became frequent. Yet on social media and in videos of people filming neighborhood streets or simply talking about a normal day in their lives, women and girls can be seen walking by with their long hair over their shoulders, especially after sunset.

Tariff increase on crude and refined oil benefits farmers enormously

“The government's decision to increase customs duty on crude palm oil and refined sunflower oil to 20% and 32.5% respectively will benefit farmers 'hugely' as it will increase their income,” a senior official said on Saturday (September 14, 2024). The government official also said that the decision to remove the minimum export price and reduce export duty on onions would help farmers in the country.

Asian Champions Trophy: India beat Pakistan 2-1 to finish league season undefeated

Defending champions India continued their winning streak by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir on Saturday (September 14, 2024). It was India's fifth consecutive win in the six-team round-robin tournament. Pakistan took the lead through Ahmad Nadeem (8th minute) before Harmanpreet Singh (13th, 19th) converted two penalty corners to give India the win.