A mysterious disease has caused widespread panic in Jammu and Kashmir's Badhal village, with 16 reported fatalities and 38 affected individuals since early December 2024, ANI reported. The cause of the illness is still unidentified, despite extensive efforts by medical experts and organisations such as PGIMER Chandigarh, the National Institute of Virology, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). On Saturday, one woman from Badhaal Village was admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC) after showing symptoms of the mysterious illness. Authorities are on high alert, with the Rajouri district administration, police, and health department coordinating to look into the fatalities and help the impacted families. The outbreak has primarily impacted three interlinked families in the village, ANI cited. Due to the lack of concrete information regarding the cause of the disease, efforts to enforce targeted measures into place have been hindered, forcing local authorities to step up their investigations and preventive measures in a race against time to avoid further deaths. Additionally, the medical staff on site is examining the chaotic state of "mysterious illness." As per ANI, an official said, "We're closely monitoring the situation. Reports of illnesses and deaths due to a mysterious disease will be available within 8-10 days. Medical assistance has been provided in 4 wards, and door-to-door counselling and surveillance are ongoing. ICMR has collected samples, and we're taking daily samples. Doctors are available 24/7, and village surveillance has been ongoing since December 7." Another member of the team said, "From a pediatric perspective, all necessary tests have been conducted. The symptoms and progression of the illness have been observed. The ill children's condition deteriorates rapidly within 2-3 days, leading to coma and eventually death despite ventilation. Notably, these incidents are confined to three specific families, suggesting a non-infectious cause. Therefore, there's no need for the general public to worry." The situation continues to increase, with all relevant departments committed to identifying the origin of the disease and ensuring the safety of the localites, ANI reported. (With inputs from ANI)
18 January,2025 12:23 PM IST | Rajouri | mid-day online correspondentA total of 1521 nominations have been filed for the assembly elections on 70 constituencies of Delhi, scheduled to be held on February 5, as per the Election Commission of India. These nomination papers have been filed by 981 candidates for 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly, said the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi. The scrutiny for these nomination papers will be done today and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. According to the Election Commission of India, a total of 680 nomination papers were filed on the last date of filing nominations, January 17. As per the ECI, the maximum number of nomination papers have been filed in the New Delhi Assembly Constituency and a total of 29 candidates have filed 40 nomination papers for this seat. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is contesting elections from the New Delhi seat against the sons of two former Delhi CMs, i.e, BJP's Parvesh Verma (son of Sahib Singh Verma) and Congress' Sandeep Dikshit (son of Sheila Dikshit). Meanwhile, the minimum number of nomination papers have been filed in Kasturba Nagar Assembly Constituency with a total of 6 candidates filing a total of 9 nomination papers. AAP has fielded Ramesh Pahalwan, BJP has fielded Neeraj Basoya and Congress has fielded Abhishek Dutt from this seat. A total of 18 candidates have filed 28 nomination papers from the Kalkaji seat, from which incumbent CM Atishi is contesting against BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress' Alka Lamba. The ruling AAP has fielded famous educator Awadh Ojha from the Patparganj seat which received 20 nomination papers from 11 candidates. It is worth noting that former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had been contesting the Patparganj seat since 2013, but is now contesting from Jangpura assembly. Jangpura has received 19 nomination papers from 12 candidates. As per the ECI, a total of 154 nomination papers have been filed by 99 candidates in Central Delhi while East Delhi has received a total of 119 nominations from 79 candidates. The New Delhi part which contains constituencies like Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantt, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, RK Puram, and Greater Kailash has received a total of 135 nominations from 85 candidates. 108 candidates have filed 183 nominations in North Delhi while 116 nominations have been filed by 80 candidates in North-East Delhi. As per the data of the ECI, 90 candidates have filed 139 nominations from North West Delhi while 78 candidates have filed 124 nominations from the Shahdara area of the national capital. South Delhi containing constituencies of Malviya Nagar, Mehrauli, Chhatarpur, Deoli and Ambedkar Nagar has received a total of 88 nominations from 57 candidates. South East Delhi received 140 nominations from 93 candidates while South West Delhi received 153 nominations from 108 candidates. West Delhi including constituencies of Nangloi Jat, Moti Nagar, Madipur, Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Tilak Nagar and Janakpuri received a total of 170 nominations from 104 seats. As the assembly elections inch closer, the poll battle in the national capital has also intensified, with the three parties - AAP, BJP, and Congress levelling allegations against each other. This assembly is witnessing a rift within the INDIA alliance as AAP and Congress are fighting the elections separately. Recently, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi asked former CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal what he has done towards combating inflation and helping the poor in the national capital while the latter claimed that the upcoming Assembly polls would uncover the long-standing alliance between the Congress and BJP, describing it as a "jugalbandi". However, the BJP-led NDA seems to be united in these assembly polls as the BJP has announced its candidates on 68 seats out of 70, leaving two seats of Burari for JDU's Shailendra Kumar and Deoli for LJG (RV). Delhi will go for polls on February 5 while the counting of votes will take place on February 8. The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 January,2025 10:26 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIThe Rohini court has sentenced a 60-year-old man to 12 years imprisonment for raping and impregnating a minor in 2018. The court on January 16 also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the convict, to be given to the victim as compensation. While sentencing the accused, Special Judge (POCSO) Sushil Bala Dagar said, "Children are falling victim to sexual offences done by their family member, relative, neighbour, teacher, acquaintance, etc. Being innocent of their age; both boys and girls are abused." "In a patriarchal society as in our country, everyone is quick to blame the victim child involved in any such incident of penetrative sexual assault by the culprit for illicit intercourse. Rather, it is the convict on whom full blame ought to lie as he, despite being a neighbour is responsible for the heinous crime with the victim child," the court said in an order passed on January 16. "The sexual offence may be an isolated act for the convict, however, the said act deeply impacts the life of an innocent child," the special judge said in the order. The court said that it is the responsibility of society as a whole to take care of its children and to protect them from their physiological and psychological exploitation at the hands of the sexual abusers. The children of the present day are the future of society. The interests of vulnerable children need to be protected in order to have a healthy, developed, and vibrant society. The convict, in the present case has been held liable to be punished under section 6 POCSO Act and u/s 376 (2)(i) IPC, for having committed penetrative sexual assault upon the victim, the court said. Additional Public Prosecutor Yogita Kaushik assisted by the Counsel for DCW has contended that the convict should be granted maximum punishment so that like-minded persons in the society are deterred from committing such heinous and despicable offences. She submitted that the accused has been convicted for the offence u/s 6 POCSO Act and Section 376(2)(i) IPC (as in force prior to amendment dated 21.04.2018) committed against victim, a minor girl aged about 14 years and 07 months. The victim child gave birth to a new born baby whom she had put in a polypack and left on the street, where the new born was found by a passer-by. She submits that even though the victim child was won over by the convict at the time of her deposition, however, the medical evidence, FSL result and the entire prosecution version show that the convict had influenced the victim child as he was already helping the family of the victim child financially, Kaushik submitted. She further stated that there is no belying the fact that the victim suffered pain, faced hardships, disappointment and inconvenience including anxiety and depression and emotional harm for which she needs to be compensated. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 January,2025 06:31 AM IST | New Delhi | ANISeven persons, mostly spectators and a bull owner, died in the jallikattu and manjuvirattu events held across Tamil Nadu on Kaanum Pongal day, police said on Friday. Two bulls also died in separate incidents. At the manjuvirattu in Siravayal in Sivaganga district, Thaneesh Raja of Naduvikottai Keela Aavandhipatti village died along with his bull after the animal fell into a farm well. About 130 people were injured in the manjuvirattu in which 150 tamers and 250 bulls participated. 55-year-old spectator P Periyasamy of Mettupatti village near Vadipatti was gored in the neck by a raging bull in Alanganallur in Madurai where at least 70 people, mostly spectators sustained injuries. Two spectators were gored to death and 148 persons, including bull owners, and tamers were injured in four separate jallikattu events in Tiruchirappalli, Karur, and Pudukottai districts. A 60-year-old spectator, Kulanthaivelu, from Samuthram near Kuzhumani in Karur district, was gored to death at the jallikattu events in RT Malai while a 70-year-old spectator was gored to death in the Mahadeva Patti jallikattu in Pudukottai district where 607 bulls and 300 tamers participated. Moreover, ten persons including tamers and spectators were injured. About 19 persons were injured in the Vanniyan Viduthi jallikattu in Pudukottai district. A 30-year-old man died in an eruthu vidum vizha event held at Basthalapalli in Krishnagiri district, while a 45-year-old man died after being attacked by a bull in the Sentharapatti in Salem district, police said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 January,2025 05:23 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesIndia and Singapore are looking at establishing a “corridor for renewable energy” besides forging close ties in critical sectors like advanced manufacturing and semiconductors, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said as he arrived in India on Thursday. In his maiden visit to India, Shanmugaratnam also said that a “data corridor” between the GIFT City in Gujarat and Singapore is being explored too for the financial institutions of the two sides to exchange data on a safe and trusted basis. The Singaporean leader, on a five-day visit to India, held separate talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a broad focus on further expansion of the bilateral ties in a range of areas. Singapore and India are now on a “new trajectory” of cooperation after the relations were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during PM Modi's visit to Singapore in September last year, Shanmugaratnam told reporters. MoU in Odisha Shanmugaratnam arrived in Odisha on Friday on a two-day visit, during which several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed between the island country and the coastal state. During his visit, at least eight MoUs will be signed between Singapore and Odisha, focusing on key areas such as skill development, industrial infrastructure, and sustainable energy. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja and other senior officials welcomed President Shanmugaratnam and his delegation at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The President, who is accompanying a high-level delegation, including ministers, MPs, and officials, went to a reputed hotel where he is scheduled to hold discussions with Majhi and other officials later in the day to boost trade, business and tourism in the state. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 January,2025 05:22 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant bail on medical grounds to former chairman of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) E Abubacker in a case registered against him under anti-terror law UAPA. Abubacker, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during a massive crackdown on the organisation in 2022, had approached the Delhi high court after the trial court rejected his bail application. A bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal said it was not inclined to release Abubacker at this stage after looking at the medical report. The top court granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the trial court for bail. It also rejected the submission of senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayan, appearing for Abubacker, that the petitioner may be kept under house arrest. During the hearing, Sankaranarayan referred to the medical report and said the petitioner was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 January,2025 05:22 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe much-awaited judgement in the brutal rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, which led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests, will be delivered on Saturday. Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer with the city police, was charged with committing the crime on the postgraduate trainee at the state-run hospital in north Kolkata on August 9 last year. The judgement will be delivered on Saturday, 57 days after the trial commenced before the court of additional district and sessions judge, Sealdah court, Anirban Das. The Kolkata Police which was investigating the case initially arrested Roy on August 10, 2024, a day after the medic’s body was recovered from the seminar room of the hospital. The Calcutta High Court later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the agency has sought the death penalty for the accused. The in-camera trial in the rape and murder of the doctor commenced on November 12 and 50 witnesses were examined. Hearing in the trial of Roy was concluded on January 9. Probe half-done, say parents The parents of the RG Kar victim alleged that the investigation is half-done as others involved in the crime are roaming free. The victim’s mother stated that the administration had been shielding several others involved in the crime. “All the evidence were either lost or erased...Those seen at the crime scene must be punished," she said.
18 January,2025 05:22 AM IST | Kolkata | AgenciesPresident Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that Singapore is a key pillar of India's Act East policy and the growing bilateral partnership will bring immense benefits to people of both countries. Welcoming Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his delegation to the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, the president said that with a shared history, long tradition of friendship based on trust and mutual respect, and extensive cooperation across a wide range of areas, India-Singapore cooperation has gained further momentum in recent years. She also hosted a banquet in his honour. Murmu said that Singapore is a key pillar of India's Act East policy and "our vision of the Indo-Pacific". "Our shared belief in democratic values also connects us with each other," the president was quoted as having said in a statement issued by her office. Both leaders agreed that as India steadily moves towards becoming the world's third largest economy, the growing India-Singapore partnership will bring immense benefits to the people of both countries, it said. Murmu was happy to note that the two countries have recently elevated the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and have also established a unique ministerial roundtable dialogue mechanism covering diverse sectors of cooperation, including advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare & medicine, skills development and sustainability. The two leaders also jointly launched a logo commemorating the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore bilateral relations, the statement said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 January,2025 10:29 PM IST | New Delhi | PTISamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav prayed for the well-being of actor Saif Ali Khan and urged the government to ensure the safety of artistes on Friday, reported news agency PTI. In a post in Hindi on X, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh wrote, "Praying for the speedy recovery of the popular film star Saif Ali Khan. I request the government to ensure the safety of all artistes." लोकप्रिय फ़िल्म स्टार सैफ़ अली ख़ान की सेहतमंदी की दुआओं के साथ सरकार से आग्रह कि कलाकारों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित की जाए। — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 17, 2025 A man armed with a knife entered Saif Ali Khan's residence on the 12th floor of the Satguru Sharan building in Mumbai's Bandra area on Wednesday night and attacked the 54-year-old Hindi cinema actor multiple times, leaving him severely injured. The incident also raised several questions about the security provided to celebrities. Doctors at Lilavati Hospital confirmed that Khan, who underwent emergency surgery, is now "out of danger" and was shifted to normal ward from ICU even as the Mumbai Police continue its investigation into the attack and search for the intruder, PTI stated. In 2016, when SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, National Film Award-winning actor Khan had performed at the Saifai Mahotsav. Suspect in Saif Ali Khan attack reportedly scoped Shah Rukh Khan's house, but police deny claims Recent reports have suggested that the individual who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan may have previously conducted a reconnaissance of Shah Rukh Khan’s residence a few days earlier. However, these claims have been officially denied by the Mumbai Police. “Nothing of this sort has been discovered till now. Request to all the members not to speculate without confirmation,” said DCP Dixit Gedam. The incident, which took place in the early hours of Thursday, has sent shockwaves through the Bollywood community. The Bandra police are now questioning two individuals who were working on the flooring of Saif Ali Khan’s residence, Satguru Sharan. The police suspect that the attacker was familiar with the layout of the building, which enabled him to use both the shaft and stairs to access the 11th floor, where the actor resides with his family. (With inputs from PTI)
17 January,2025 02:19 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondentOuter Delhi woke up to a blanket of very dense fog on Friday morning, significantly reducing visibility and disrupting both vehicular traffic and train schedules. The minimum temperature recorded was 8.8 degrees Celsius, slightly above the seasonal normal by 1.2 degrees, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The air quality in the national capital continued to remain a pressing concern, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 294, placing it firmly in the 'poor' category. Among the worst-affected areas were Nehru Nagar (360), Patparganj (377), and Okhla Phase-2 (351), with Vivek Vihar recording the highest AQI at 390, bordering on 'very poor' levels. Other areas like R K Puram (344), Rohini (343), and Sonia Vihar (323) also reported concerning figures. Conversely, Mandir Marg (144) and Sri Aurobindo Marg (156) exhibited comparatively moderate air quality, though still far from ideal. The IMD has forecast a foggy day ahead, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius. Dense fog conditions are predicted to persist over the weekend, with Saturday likely to witness very dense fog and Sunday experiencing dense fog. The dense fog has not only hampered daily commutes but has also caused significant delays in train services. As per ANI reports, 27 trains operating in Northern India have been delayed, some by several hours. The Unchahar Express (14217) is running behind schedule by 215 minutes, while the Kaifiyat Express (12225) is delayed by 178 minutes. Similarly, the Prayagraj Express (12418) and Vikramshila Express (12367) are lagging by 110 and 119 minutes, respectively. The AP Express (20805) reported the longest delay of 240 minutes, causing considerable inconvenience to passengers. Other trains, such as the RKMP NZM SF Express (12155), are also running behind schedule by 109 minutes. These delays are a recurring challenge during the winter season, as dense fog disrupts visibility and affects transportation systems. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) continues to monitor the air quality across Delhi, with efforts ongoing to mitigate the impact of pollution. With AQI values frequently breaching hazardous thresholds, the situation underscores the urgent need for effective policies to tackle air pollution in the capital. Residents are advised to exercise caution, particularly during early mornings and evenings when visibility is at its lowest. The dense fog and poor air quality serve as a grim reminder of the environmental challenges facing Delhi during its peak winter months. (With inputs from Agencies)
17 January,2025 09:53 AM IST | New DelhiPresident Droupadi Murmu welcomed Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, and hosted a grand banquet in his honour. The event was graced by prominent leaders, including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal. In a post on X, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said, "President Droupadi Murmu received President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a banquet in his honour. The President noted that the close ties between India and Singapore are rooted in centuries-old commercial, cultural and people-to-people links." https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1879936226272375035 In another post, it said, "President Droupadi Murmu said that the remarkable progress made by Singapore since its Independence is an example for all developing countries, and Singapore is a valuable partner for India in our developmental journey. Both leaders jointly released a logo commemorating the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore bilateral relations." https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1879936510541337060 Notably, India and Singapore marked six decades of diplomatic relations with a landmark event in the national capital, during which President Murmu and President Tharman unveiled a special logo to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The commemorative logo was designed to symbolise the enduring relationship between the two nations, featuring elements from both countries' national symbols. It incorporates the colours from the Indian and Singaporean flags, as well as the national flowers--the lotus of India and the orchid of Singapore. The number '60' in the logo highlights the important milestone in the two countries' bilateral history. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the national capital to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries to further enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between their countries. The two leaders discussed cooperation in futuristic sectors like semiconductors, digitalisation, skilling, and connectivity as well as ways to improve cooperation in industry, infrastructure and culture. The two countries have expanded their cooperation over the years, with key areas now including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, digitisation, sustainability, and education. Singapore remains integral to India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy. To mark the 60th anniversary, various commemorative events will be held throughout 2025 to celebrate this enduring partnership.
17 January,2025 09:02 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIADVERTISEMENT
