3 killed in landslide at Kerala’s Idukki district

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August 29, 2022

kerala land slide — Visuals from search Operation pic credit : ANI

Three persons, including a minor boy, have been killed and two others have gone missing in a landslide that hit Kodiyathoor in the high range region of Kerala’s Idukki district early Monday morning.

The landslide washed away the house of Soman killing his mother and son Devananad, whose bodies were found today, officials said. One more unidentified body has been recovered, officials said.

A search operation is underway for Soman his wife Shiji and their daughter has been initiated, District Disaster Management Authority said.

Water Resource Minister Roshy Agustine who’s in charge of the Idukki district said he will reach the site. Roads and crops in the area have been washed away.

Heavy rains have led to flooding in several areas in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.

The Met Department has issued a yellow alert from Kottayam to Kasaragod. Isolated heavy rain has been predicted in hilly regions of the state.

Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts have been directed to exercise caution.

Earlier this month also, landslides were reported at many parts of Idukki.

A heavy landslide was reported early this month in Munnar Kundala estate leading to submerging a temple and two shops completely. The landslide hit the MunnarVattavada route, after that the route was covered with debris of huge rocks and mud.

In 2020, Rajamala in the Idukki district witnessed a massive landslide in the month of August. The landslide was triggered by torrential rains, killing over 60 people.

Kerala chief minister had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs to kin of the deceased and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

UK aircraft carrier, Prince of Wales, breaks down off South Coast

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ANI

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August 29, 2022

UK Prince of Wales — UK aircraft carrier, Prince of Wales, breaks down off South Coast 3

The British HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, the United Kingdom’s largest warship, broke down soon after leaving the Portsmouth port in southern England, UK media reports said.

The aircraft carrier, which was first launched in 2017, broke down shortly after setting sail from Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon.

“HMS Prince of Wales remains in the South Coast Exercise Area while conducting investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” a Royal Navy spokesperson told UK Defense Journal, which was the first to report the breakdown.

The Royal Navy is now carrying out “investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” a spokesperson said as quoted by The Guardian.

The USD 3.5-billion, 65,000-tonne warship was on its way for a four-month deployment to the United States when it broke down and now remains in the south coast exercise area near the Isle of Wight, the newspaper said.

First BrahMos missile deliveries to Philippines expected next year

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ANI

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August 29, 2022

The first deliveries of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines will begin in 2023, co-director of the joint Russian-Indian venture BrahMos Aerospace Alexander Maksichev said, as per local media.

The USD 375-million deal for the supply of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines was reached in January and is the first export contract for BrahMos Aerospace, as per Russian news agency Sputnik.

“The first deliveries of the missiles will begin in 2023 . These will be missiles for coastal defense, a coastal missile system,” Maksichev said.

As per the agency, BrahMos Aerospace was established in 1998, specializes in producing cruise missiles and supporting equipment, such as launchers and missile guidance systems. The joint Indian-Russian enterprise was named after the rivers of Brahmaputra and Moscow.

Meanwhile, BrahMos Aerospace Deputy CEO Sanjeev Joshi received the World Disaster Management Congress for Disaster Risk Reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.

India will be a crucial partner for America in countering China: US navy Chief

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ANI

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August 29, 2022

US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday. (Twitter)

United States Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday has said that India will be a crucial partner for America in the future, playing a key role in countering China.

This remark comes as the idea that the border clashes between India and China in the Himalayas pose a two-front problem for Beijing has been gaining traction among US strategists, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia reported.

During an in-person seminar in Washington, America’s highest-ranking Navy officer on Thursday that he has spent more time on a trip to India than with any other country as he considers New Delhi to be a strategic partner for the US in the future.

Referring to his five-day visit to India last year, Admiral Gilday said, “The Indian Ocean battlespace is becoming increasingly more important for us. The fact that India and China currently have a bit of a skirmish along their border … it’s strategically important.”

“They now force China to not only look east, toward the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, but they now have to be looking over their shoulder at India,” Admiral Gilday said during the event hosted by the Heritage Foundation.

Back in June, when the leaders of the Quad were meeting in Japan, former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby told Nikkei Asia that while India would not directly contribute in a local battle over Taiwan, it could draw China’s attention to the Himalayan border.

What the United States and Japan need India to do is to be as strong as possible in South Asia and effectively draw Chinese attention so that they have a major secondfront problem,” said Colby, the principal author of the 2018 National Defence Strategy under former President Donald Trump.

India, in the meantime, draws the same benefit from China’s difficulties in facing a strong US-Japan alliance around Taiwan, he said.

5 youths died due to drowning in Yamuna river

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ANI

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August 29, 2022

As many as five youths died due to drowning in the Yamuna river under a DND flyover during the immersion of the Lord Krishna idol on Sunday, the police said.

According to Delhi police, the deceased have been identified as Ankit (20), Lucky (16) Lalit (17) Beeru (19) and Ritu Raj alias Sanu (20).

Soon after the information was received a team of police reached the spot.

After immersion, the idol got stuck in the middle of the river. Then, six boys entered the river, out of which only one managed to come back and five boys drowned, the police said.

The bodies of all five boys have been recovered from the river and sent to Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem. All were residents of Salarpur village, Greater Noida, the police added.

Girl who was set on fire in Jharkhand’s Dumka succumbs to injuries

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ANI

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August 29, 2022

A girl who was allegedly set on fire by a person after she did not reciprocate his proposal in Jharkhand’s Dumka district succumbed to her burn injuries on Sunday. The police said the accused has been arrested.

Accused Shahrukh poured petrol on her and set her ablaze on August 23. She was set on fire in a case of unrequited love.

A student of class 12, Ankita Kumari had been first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition. Later she was referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment.

Soon after the incident came to light, people were seen protesting in the streets of Dumka.

Speaking to ANI, Dumka Superintendent of police (SP) Ambar Lakda said, “The accused Shahrukh has been arrested. We will apply at fast track court for a fast trial. People are cooperating with us. We appeal to people to maintain peace. The situation is under control and Section 144 has been imposed.

Reacting to the matter, Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta said stringent action will be taken against perpetrators ensuring a fast trial.

“The state government is serious regarding the murder of a girl in Dumka. Stringent action will be taken against perpetrators. We will ensure a fast trial. We have talked to DC in this regard,” Gupta said.

RPF personnel foil woman’s suicide attempt at Byculla station

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Web Team

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August 28, 2022

A suicide attempt by a 22-year woman was aborted due to presence of mind of a Central Railway motorman and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at Byculla station on Saturday evening.

As per information, the woman made two suicide attempts by standing in front of the train at Byculla.

The first attempt was made at 5.55pm on Kurla-bound slow tracks. However, passengers forced her to vacate the track after they heard incessant honking by the motorman of the on-coming train.

She was brought on platform no. 1 but immediately began to run towards track where CSMT-bound train operates.

She stood there for the on-coming train to run over her. However, the motorman began honking as well as applied emergency brakes after witnessing the scenes on the track.

When the woman showed no signs for clearing the tracks, assistant sub inspector Ravindra Sanap, who had rushed on the track to alert the motorman, pushed her away to safety. Fortunately, the train managed to stop a few inches ahead of her.

Mumbai’s iconic double-decker buses all set for comeback in electric avatar

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PTI

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August 28, 2022

Mumbai’s iconic double-decker buses are set for a comeback in an electric avatar with a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking official stating that their numbers will match the highs of the 1990s by next year.

Woman held for killing paramour in Goregaon

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Web Team

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August 28, 2022

A 30-year-old woman was arrested on Saturday for allegedly strangling her paramour in Goregaon in Mumbai, a police official said.

The incident happened in the afternoon near Tapeshwar Temple in Goregaon East, the Aarey police station official said. “The accused woman and the man often fought. On Saturday afternoon, she strangled him with a stole and left the body in an autorickshaw. She then surrendered. Both are Powai residents,” he said.

Srilanka is waiting for the response from China amid the economic turmoil

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ANI

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August 28, 2022

While Sri Lanka awaits a response from China over Colombo’s request for debt restructuring amid the economic turmoil, Beijing has downplayed these critical requests and instead put ahead the agenda of human rights in the island nation.

This comes ahead of the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to be held in September.

In the op-ed which was disseminated from the Chinese embassy in Colombo, the Chinese focus turned on something entirely different where its shared its views on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

This comes ahead of the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

In a detailed Op-Ed by Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, he failed to address the debt restructuring of loans it has provided to Sri Lanka since it makes up more than 40 pc of the total Government to Government (GtoG) debt the country owes.

The Chinese side sugarcoated its statements by diplomatic words such as “extending support to the Sri Lankan government to relieve it from the economic crisis” but nothing more substantial so far, a diplomat lamented, reported Sunday Times.

In a hard-hitting response to the remarks of Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Saturday that his views were a violation of basic diplomatic etiquette and may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude.

The High Commission, which made a series of tweets, also referred to Qi’s remarks on the visit of a Chinese spy vessel to Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and said his imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purportedly scientific research vessel is a giveaway.

The High Commission also referred to reports of China’s debt-trap diplomacy and said “opaqueness and debt-driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations”.

It said Sri Lanka, which is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda.

“We have noted the remarks of the Chinese Ambassador. His violation of basic diplomatic etiquette may be a personal trait or reflect a larger national attitude. His view of Sri Lanka’s northern neighbour may be coloured by how his own country behaves.

India, we assure him,is very different. His imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purportedly scientific research vessel is a giveaway,” the Indian High Commission said. “Opaqueness and debt-driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations. Recent developments are a caution. Sri Lanka needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda,” it added.

India had earlier rejected insinuations by China that it had exerted pressure on Colombo to defer the visit of a high-tech Chinese research vessel to Hambantota port and said Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions.

“We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said at a media briefing. Bagchi said India will make the best judgement about its security interests and it takes into account the prevailing situation in the region, especially in border areas.