50-Year-Old Woman Found Chained to Tree in Sindhudurg Forest with US Passport, Aadhaar Card 2
A 50-year-old woman was found tied to a tree with an iron chain in a forest in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. A shepherd discovered her in Sonurli village on Saturday evening. Upon hearing her cries, the shepherd alerted the police, who found the woman in distress and chained.
The woman, identified as Lalita Kayi, was initially taken to a hospital in Sawantwadi in the Konkan region and then transferred to Oros in Sindhudurg. Due to her critical mental and health condition, she was later moved to Goa Medical College for advanced treatment. She is currently out of danger, but doctors have diagnosed her with psychiatric problems and found medical prescriptions in her possession.
Documents and Police Investigation
The police recovered a photocopy of her United States passport and an Aadhaar card with a Tamil Nadu address. Her visa has expired, and authorities are verifying the documents to confirm her nationality.
According to initial information, Lalita Kayi has been in India for the past ten years. Due to her weakened state from lack of food and exposure to heavy rains, she has been unable to give a statement. Police believe that her husband, who is from Tamil Nadu, may have tied her to the tree and fled.
The police are working with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office to gather more information and to ensure the woman receives the necessary care and support. The investigation continues to uncover the full circumstances surrounding this distressing incident.
Congress to Raise UPSC Aspirants' Death Case in Parliament Today 4
Congress will raise the issue of the Delhi coaching centre tragedy, in which three UPSC aspirants died, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Congress MP from Punjab Dr Amar Singh has moved an adjournment motion demanding accountability for the death of IAS aspirants.
“I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely:- Demanding accountability for the death of three IAS aspirants who died due to waterlogging in a building housing a coaching center in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area.”
Another Congress MP, Manickam Tagore also moved an adjournment notice in the Lower House to suspend business and “immediately discuss Demanding accountability for Delhi’s infrastructure Tragedies and Tragic Loses.”
Three civil services aspirants — Shreya Yadav, Tania Soni and Navin Delvin — died when water suddenly gushed into the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajender Nagar on Saturday.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday condoled the deaths and said common people were paying the price for unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level.
In a post in Hindi on X, he said, “…This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life.”
There Must Be Immediate Steps Towards Ceasefire in Gaza: UK PM to Israeli Prez 6
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Paris and told him that there must be “immediate steps towards a ceasefire” in Gaza.
The two leaders met on Sunday and reiterated their “commitment to maintaining the historic friendship” between Israel and the UK.
Starmer expressed his condolences for the deaths of the five hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, whose bodies have recently been recovered from Gaza.
Starmer’s office in a statement said that the Prime Minister reiterated his “ongoing support for Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law”.
The Prime Minister was “clear that there is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democratic state actions and Hamas, a terrorist organisation”, it added.
According to the statement, Starmer said there must be “immediate steps towards a ceasefire, so that hostages can be released and more humanitarian aid can get in for those in desperate need”.
The two leaders committed to continuing their close partnership in key areas of collaboration such as trade and investment.
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed new Governors in nine states and a new Lieutenant Governor in Puducherry.
Former Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde has been appointed Governor of Rajasthan while former Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma has been appointed Governor of Telangana.
The President has appointed former Rajya Sabha MP Om Prakash Mathur as Governor of Sikkim.
Similarly, former Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has been appointed as Governor of Jharkhand while former Lok Sabha MP from Assam Ramen Deka has been made Governor of Chhattisgarh.
Former Karnataka Minister CH Vijayashankar has been appointed as Governor of Meghalaya.
CP Radhakrishnan who is presently Governor of Jharkhand has been made Governor of Maharashtra.
Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has been appointed as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Similarly, Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been appointed as Governor of Assam and has also been given additional charge as Governor of Manipur.
Former IAS officer K Kailashnathan has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Cancers In Head And Neck Rising, Account For 26% Cases In India: Study 9
Around 26 per cent of cancer patients in India have tumours in the head and neck, and there is an upward trend of such cases in the country, a study has found.
The findings of the study, conducted on 1,869 cancer patients across the country, were released on the World Head and Neck Cancer Day observed on Saturday.
Cancer Mukt Bharat Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation, conducted the study by collating data from calls received on its helpline number from March 1 to June 30.
Dr. Ashish Gupta, a senior oncologist who is heading the Cancer Mukt Bharat Campaign in India, said that India is seeing surge in head and neck cancer cases, especially among young men, due to increased tobacco consumption and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
“Around 80-90 pc of oral cancer patients have been found to use tobacco in some form, be it smoking or chewing. Most of the head and neck cancer are preventable, unlike other cancers for which the reason is unknown. It is a preventable cancer that can be prevented with lifestyle modification.
“There is a need to raise awareness to quit tobacco and early check-ups for early pickup of the disease,” Gupta said.
In India, nearly two-thirds of cancer cases are detected late likely due to low adoption of proper screening, he said.
Gupta added that the Cancer Mukt Bharat campaign aims to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer on individuals and communities through education and early detection.
“If found early in stages one or two, most head and neck cancers are curable in more than 80 pc of patients. In the field of cancer treatment, we get new medicines almost every week which can treat cancer in better way leading to better outcomes and good quality of life.
“A combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy can be used for treating head and neck cancer. Latest cancer treatment has evolved to prioritize not just curing the disease, but also ensuring a good quality of life for survivors,” he said.
Under the Cancer Mukt Bharat Campaign, a free national helpline number (93-555-20202) was launched recently, which is operational from 10 am to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday.
Cancer patients can call on this number to speak to leading oncologists directly or even do a video call to discuss about their treatment without paying any fees.
Head and neck cancer was closely followed by gastrointestinal cancers which was 16 per cent. Fufteen per cent cancers in India re breast cancers and and blood cancers make up 9 per cent of them.
These data are in line with the latest GLOBOCAN data — a database that gives global cancer statistics — on India. GLOBOCON data is part of International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Global Cancer Observatory.
India is expected to have 2.1 million new cancer cases by 2040, a big jump from the numbers in 2020, as per a recent GLOBOCAN report.
Cauvery Aarti Will Be Done on Lines of Ganga Aarti to Promote Tourism: K'taka Dy CM Shivakumar 11
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday said that the Cauvery Aarti will be done on the lines of Ganga Aarti at Brindavan Garden in the premises of the famous KRS Reservoir.
“We are trying to conduct Cauvery Aarti on the lines of Ganga Aarti. It is purely to promote tourism,” the Deputy Chief Minister told media persons while talking about upgrading the KRS Brindavan Garden.
He said that the cabinet has approved the plan to give a new look to the KRS Brindavan Garden.
On opposition remarks that the government is wasting money, the Deputy Chief Minister said: “Their allegations are bogus. This project was proposed during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s previous government. When Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister and I was the Irrigation Minister, this project was announced in the budget.”
He said that the project will be undertaken with private and public partnerships.
“The government is not making any investment. This will significantly boost tourism. Just like the Ganga Aarti, we will have a Kaveri Aarti program, which is aimed at promoting tourism,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister had said that a Cauvery Aarti programme will be held at the KRS reservoir, similar to the famous Ganga Aarti in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
When asked about the pending Greater Bangalore bill, he said that all MLAs have stated that there should be a detailed discussion on this matter.
“Due to the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution, we need to provide effective governance to Bengaluru. A meeting of MLAs from all parties has been called and a committee will be formed soon. We will accept the suggestions and opinions of the opposition parties,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Senior NCP Leader Durrani Joins Sharad Pawar's Faction Ahead of State Polls 13
In a pre-election jolt to the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party’s Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, a senior leader from Parbhani, Abdullah Babajani Khan Durrani, MLC, crossed over to the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), led by Sharad Pawar on Saturday.
Babajani, as he is commonly known, functioned as the NCP’s Parbhani district president and was welcomed to the NCP (SP) fold by Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders.
Political circles were agog with speculation over Babajani’s moves amid backdoor talks with the NCP (SP) and finally, he cleared the air on Saturday on his decision.
Sharad Pawar said that many people who joined (Ajit Pawar) felt they had gone astray and were in touch with the NCP (SP), but reiterated that “the final decision on taking them will be decided by the party leadership”.
NCP (SP) circles hinted that Babajani, an ex-MLA and two-time MLC who was always keen to contest the assembly elections, may be considered for a party ticket from Parbhani for the state polls to be held in October.
However, Babajani, who was overlooked for an MLC ticket, denied that he had made any demands from the NCP (SP) or was given any assurance by the party, and claimed that his move was purely on grounds of political ideology.
“The Muslim minority community is under stress… They are disenchanted with the parties in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Under such circumstances, it is awkward to continue with such a party (NCP) any longer, hence I am joining the NCP (SP),” declared Babajani.
Senior NCP (SP) leaders like state President Jayant Patil, national general secretary Jitendra Awhad, Rohit R. Pawar and others have stated in the recent past that around 18-20 legislators from the ruling MahaYuti ally NCP will join NCP (SP), but the NCP leaders have scoffed such suggestions.
J&K: Army Soldier, Pakistani Terrorist Killed in Kupwara Encounter (3rd Ld) 15
One Pakistani terrorist and an Indian army soldier were killed on Saturday in the exchange of fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement: “Taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility along the LoC in Machhal Sector, a group of two to three armed personnel crossed the LoC and fired on a forward Army post from close proximity.”
“Alert troops responded vigorously and in the ensuing exchange of fire. One Pakistani intruder was killed,” as per the statement, adding that weapons, ammunition and war-like supplies were also recovered.
“Identification and affiliation of this Pakistani national is being ascertained. During this intense fire exchange, two of our brave soldiers also suffered some grave injuries and were immediately evacuated to Base Hospital at Srinagar,” according to the Ministry’s statement.
“Unfortunately, one of these bravehearts has succumbed to his injuries. The other brave is responding well to treatment and care and is presently stable,” it added.
Similar attempts have been made by infiltrators in the past, actively aided and abetted by Pakistan Army.
“Indian Army is firm in its resolve and commitment to maintain the sanctity of the Line of Control and defeat the nefarious and inimical designs of Pakistan,” the statement said.
Donald Trump Accuses Kamala Harris of Anti-Semitism in Overblown Speech 17
US presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely accused election rival Kamala Harris of being an anti-Semite who plans to allow the murder of newborn babies, in a speech meant to rally religious supporters Friday that quickly went off the rails.
The vice president, who is married to a Jewish man, has gained ground on Trump in polling since she replaced Joe Biden on the top of the Democratic ticket just days ago.
Former Republican president Trump dedicated much of his address at a religious convention in southern Florida to assailing Harris’s record as a senator and as Biden’s number two, but many of his attacks were smears untethered to reality.
Explaining why 59-year-old Harris had skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau’s speech to the US Congress on Wednesday to instead honour a prior commitment, Trump accused her, baselessly, of anti-Semitism.
“She doesn’t like Jewish people. She doesn’t like Israel. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always going to be. She’s not going to change,” he said.
The remark — coupled with his claim that Harris “is totally against the Jewish people” in North Carolina on Wednesday — marked an escalation in Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, days after his campaign said an attempt on his life had given him a focus on unity.
The hour-long Friday speech, hosted by hard-right Turning Point Action, raised legitimate questions over Harris’s previous statements on policing, immigration and the environment that placed her to the left of current Biden administration policy.
But it was marked by hyperbole and falsehood.
‘Execute the baby’
Trump — a convicted felon who is fighting multiple further indictments — suggested baselessly that the Justice Department and FBI were “rounding up” Christians and anti-abortion activists and throwing them in jail for their “religious beliefs.”
He also called Biden’s decision to exit the election campaign a “coup” by Democrats and said America was a “laughing stock.”
But he saved his darkest vitriol for Harris, calling her a “bum” and a failed vice president who had rejected federal judges for being Catholic and would appoint “hardcore Marxists” to the Supreme Court.
He also accused her falsely of wanting to force doctors to give chemical castration drugs to children and suggested she might cheat to win in November.
“If Kamala Harris has her way, they will have a federal law for abortion, to rip the baby out of the womb in the eighth, ninth month and even after birth — execute the baby after birth,” he claimed, in perhaps his most egregious calumny.
78-year-old Trump, now the oldest major-party nominee in history, is scrambling to reorient an election against someone two decades his junior, having expected to face an 81-year-old incumbent Biden beset by concerns over infirmity.
Just last week, the former reality TV star was in cruise control as he accepted a hero’s welcome — and the official presidential nomination — at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
Crowning glory
His crowning glory came a week after a gunman nearly killed him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — an extraordinary incident that Trump vowed Friday to commemorate with “a big and beautiful” new rally in the town, although he did not give a date.
Seeking to become the first female president in US history, Harris is tasked with rapidly assembling a campaign against an opponent who has been in near permanent reelection mode since he became president in 2016.
Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama pledged support for Harris earlier Friday, as polls showed her closing the gap that Trump had built over Biden to make the race a statistical tie.
A top California prosecutor and senator before being elected the country’s first female and first Black and South Asian vice president, Harris has highlighted Trump’s criminal conviction and what she said Thursday is a Republican attack on “hard-fought freedoms” in US society.
Democrats leapt on a Trump campaign announcement late Thursday that cast into doubt whether he will debate Harris.
“It shows that he’s afraid,” Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a major Harris campaign advocate, told MSNBC.
“It shows that he knows that if the two of them are on a stage together, it’s not going to end well for him.”
2 Rescued, 24 People Have Narrow Escape as Navi Mumbai Building Collapses 19
Several people are feared trapped after a three-storey building collapsed in Navi Mumbai’s Shahbaz village on Saturday morning.
Navi Mumbai Deputy Fire Officer Purushottam Jadhav said that two people have been rescued and two are likely to be trapped.
“We received a call about a building collapse at 4.50 am. Two people have been rescued. Two people are likely to be trapped and rescue operation is underway to rescue them,” Jadhav told ANI.
Kailas Shinde, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, said that rescue operations are underway.
“The building collapsed around 5 am. It is a G+3 building. Two people have been rescued and two are likely trapped. The NDRF team is here, rescue operations are underway,” Shinde said.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier on July 20, parts of the balcony of a building named Rubina Manzil collapsed in the Grand Road area of Mumbai, in which one person died and 13 others were injured.
The incident took place at 11 am on July 20, close to the Grant Road Railway Station.
The continuous rainfall in Maharashtra has brought Mumbai to a standstill, disrupting public transport services and causing inconvenience to countless commuters.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued orange alert for Madhya Maharashtra on July 28.
Several regions in Maharashtra are currently facing continuous heavy rainfall, leading to severe waterlogging and extensive traffic snarls in many cities, including Mumbai.
