The southwest monsoon has become active over Maharashtra again after a gap of two weeks, this time bringing extremely heavy showers to south Konkan region, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.
The state’s coastal districts, mainly Sindhudurg and parts of Ratnagiri, received more than 200 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Monday, as per the IMD data.
Many villages and hamlets in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri have become inaccessible because of the connecting roads getting inundated, according to locals.
A number rivers in the two districts have swollen and the waters have entered agricultural fields and also affected houses, they said. “Some tehsils in Sindhudurg district received more than 250 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, including Lanja where 290 mm precipitation was recorded, the highest in the state,” a MeT official said.
In the neighbouring Kolhapur district, Gaganbawda tehsil recorded 190 mm rain and Shahuwadi witnessed 90 mm downpiur, the official said. Compared to this, central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha regions received moderate rainfall over the last 24 hours, she said.
In the second and third weeks of July, Marathwada and Vidarbha had witnessed heavy rains, which claimed many lives and damaged crops.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said as many as 51 people were killed in Gaza during the most recent round of fighting between Israel and Gaza-based militants, including 24 from the Jihad terror group.
According to the military, 16 people uninvolved in the hostilities were killed by Gazan rockets which fell short.
The military believes that the figures are estimates, agencies reported.
The report said that another 11 people who were not affiliated with terror groups were killed, according to the IDF.
With this, a total of 27 Gazan civilians, including a number of children were killed in the fighting, the Times of Israel reported quoting the Israeli Defence Forces.
IDF spokesman Ran Kochav said that the military believes it killed 24 terrorists from the Islamic Jihad terror group.
“More Palestinians were killed by the failed firing by Islamic Jihad than by the firing of the IDF…Lessons will be learnt” Kochav said, in the wake of the killing of the 11 people not directly involved in the fighting,” agencies reported.
The IDF launched an operation “Breaking Dawn” against the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and carried out missile strikes, initially killing 10 people and injuring over 50 on Friday, which ended with a ceasefire last night.
The military said that approximately 1,100 rockets were fired toward Israel by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 200 rockets fell short of their targets and landed in the Gaza Strip, it added.
The IDF carried out strikes on approximately 170 targets linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including senior officials and activists of the terror group.
The Islamic Jihad organization is aligned with Hamas, but often acts independently. Both are regarded as terrorist organizations by the majority of Western countries.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting today to discuss the latest escalation between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, as airstrikes were carried out across the Gaza Strip under Israel’s operation Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
During the Monday meeting, Security Council members will discuss “the current developments and ways to support international efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace,” a senior United Arab Emirates official said.
Earlier in a statement, Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office of Israel informed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip on August 5.
“The goal of this operation is the elimination of a concrete threat against the citizens of Israel and the civilians living adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as the targeting of terrorists and their sponsors. The IDF is acting in operational coordination with the ISA and intelligence bodies,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel.
“Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: we will find you.”
“The security forces will act against Islamic Jihad terrorists to eliminate the threat they pose to the citizens of Israel,” he added.
Adding to what Lapid said, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated the goal is to protect the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel and they will not allow anyone to threaten or harm the citizens of Israel. “Whoever tries to do so – will get hurt.”
Court sends ISIS member Mohsin Ahmad to NIA custody 4
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Monday sent Mohsin Ahmad, an alleged active member of ISIS to NIA custody till August 16.
Earlier today, Mohsin was produced before the NIA court in the Patiala House Court complex here.
Mohsin was arrested on Saturday from his residence in Delhi for alleged involvement in the collection of funds for the terrorist outfit from sympathisers in India as well as abroad and sending it to Syria and other places in form of cryptocurrency, the agency said on Sunday.
The NIA arrested Mohsin during a search operation conducted at his present residence at Japani Gali, Jogabai Extention, Batla House, New Delhi.
He was arrested in a case pertaining to online and on-ground activities of ISIS, said the NIA. The case was registered suo-moto by the NIA on June 25 this year.
“Ahmad is a radicalised and active member of ISIS. He has been arrested for his involvement in the collection of funds for ISIS from sympathisers in India as well as abroad,” said the NIA.
The anti-terror agency further said that the arrested accused was sending these funds to Syria and other places in form of cryptocurrency in order to further the activities of ISIS, and added that further investigations in the case are in progress.
In July this year, the NIA conducted searches at 13 premises of suspects in six states in connection with activities pertaining to ISIS. The raids were conducted in six states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
The agency conducted searches at Bhopal and Raisen districts in Madhya Pradesh; Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Ahmedabad districts in Gujarat, Araria district in Bihar, Bhatkal and Tumkur City districts in Karnataka, Kolhapur and Nanded districts in Maharashtra and Deoband districts in Uttar Pradesh.
The case was registered suo-moto by NIA on June 25, 2022, under sections 153A, and 153B of IPC and sections 18, 18B, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA.
Following a heartbreaking nine-run loss to Australia in the final of the cricket tournament held at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that the team made some mistakes in the final few overs of the match.
Indian women’s cricket team scripted history as they clinched their maiden silver medal in the Edgbaston Stadium at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur played a brave knock of 65 runs but was unable to save India from the hands of defeat as Australia won the match by nine runs to clinch the Commonwealth Games 2022 title.
“We had full control of the game. But in the last few overs, we did some mistakes. We should have been more calculated. It is a good feeling to get a medal for our country. We are satisfied with our performance,” said Harmanpreet to media.
Harmanpreet said that her stay at the crease and 96-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues were important and gave Team India a huge advantage.
Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet’s batting partner in this match also said to media, “We are very proud of the way our team played during Commonwealth Games 2022.
It feels good but there is always regret of not winning gold. It feels wonderful to contribute to India’s medal tally. Playing cricket and winning a medal feels really good.”
Coming to the match, Chasing the target of 162 for the gold medal, India got off to a bad start as they lost their star opening batters Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma in under five overs.
Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who were in good touch coming into the final, could only score 6 and 11 respectively, leaving India struggling at 22/2. Jemimah Rodrigues along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur tried to anchor innings.
The duo kept piling runs with good running between the wickets. Harmanpreet hammered Darcie Brown for 14 runs in the 6th over of the innings. The pair kept playing big shots after gathering runs for their team.
After the powerplay, India’s score read 42/2. Harmanpreet welcomed bowler Alana King with a four to deep mid-wicket. Harmanpreet brought up her half-century in the 34 delivery while hammering Australian bowlers all around the ground.
The duo took their team’s score beyond the 100-run mark in the 14 over while smashing sixes and fours. Megan Schutt gave her team a much-needed breakthrough as she dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues for 33 runs.
Rodrigues’ wicket invited Pooja Vastrakar to the crease. Vastrakar could not do much as she went back to the pavilion scoring just one run.
Harmanpreet shortly after followed Vastrakar in the hut as she was dismissed by Ashleigh Gardner after scoring 65 runs. Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana tried to anchor the innings and played some big shorts to ease the pressure from the Women in Blue.
But Sneh Rana’s stint at the crease was short-lived as she departed after being run out. Yastika Bhatia then came to the craese. In the thrilling 19th over Deepti Sharma was dismissed after scoring 13 runs in 8 balls.
In the last over of the match, India needed 11 runs. In the 20th over Yastika Bhatia was sent back to the hut by Jess Jonassen. The fighting Indian unit was unable to chase the score as they were bundled out on 152 to hand Australia the maiden Commonwealth Games cricket champions title.
Earlier, Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana’s fiery spells helped India to restrict Australia at 161/8 in 20 overs in the historic gold medal match. For Australia, Beth Mooney scored 61 while Meg Lanning played a knock of 36 runs. For India Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana bagged two wickets each.
Opted to bat first, Australia got off to bad start as Indian pacer Renuka Singh struck early with the ball once again in this all-important gold medal match dismissing opening batter Alyssa Healy for seven runs.
Healy tried to play a shot across the line but could not get any connection on the ball that crashed onto her pads, trapping her leg before the wicket. It was a positive breakthrough for Harmanpreet Kaur’s team as at the end of four overs, the Aussies were at 22/1.
Opener Beth Mooney and skipper Meg Lanning shifted gears and started batting aggressively. The duo kept piling up runs by good running between the wicket in every over.
But Meg Lanning was sent back to the hut as she was run out for 36 at the non-striker’s end by Radha Yadav. In the very next over Australia lost another wicket as Tahlia McGrath was dismissed on Deepti Sharma’s delivery.
After the 12 over of the innings, new batter Ashleigh Gardner smashed two back-to-back fours in Deepti Sharma’s over. In the 16th over of the innings, Sneh Rana gave her team a big breakthrough as she dismissed Ashleigh Gardner for 25 runs in 15 deliveries.
Mooney in red-hot form hammered Indian bowlers all around the ground and brought up her half-century in the 16th over with a blistering four. In the 17th over, Renuka dismissed new batter Grace Harris, leaving Australia tottering on 133/5.
Deepti Sharma took a one-handed sensational catch of Mooney (61) on the delivery of Sneh Rana. In the last over of the innings, the lower order of Australia failed to score runs as Deepti Sharma ended the first innings with just conceding five runs in the 20th over to leave Australia’s total at 161/8.
Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu clinched India’s first gold medal in Badminton at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 and the first women’s singles CWG gold medal of her career by defeating Canada’s Michelle Li in the final on Monday.
Sindhu was a dominant figure in the match, though her opponent competed well. The Indian won the match in straight two games by 21-15, 21-13.
PV Sindhu got off to a great start. Halfway through the first game, she was leading by 11-8. Michelle Li offered her Indian opponent great competition but fell short in every rally. The result was a 21-15 win for Sindhu in the first game.
Li started the second game on a good note. But Sindhu took advantage once again within no time. The Canadian kept making errors and it kept widening Sindhu’s lead with every failure. Halfway through the second game, Sindhu was in an advantageous position with an 11-6 lead. She needed ten more points to take home the first CWG 2022 gold medal for India in badminton.
After the break, things started more even, with both players getting two points quickly due to errors committed by their opponent. Sindhu and Li had an exciting rally of 57 shots, which concluded with the Indian losing a point. Li was slowly gaining an advantage over Sindhu as she was cutting the deficit. Eventually, Sindhu’s lead was reduced to 13-11.
Sindhu kept fighting through the second game and eventually won it by 21-13. With the win, she also clinched her first-ever women’s singles medal in Commonwealth Games 2022 and India’s first-ever gold in badminton at CWG 2022.
Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan take part in 'Tiranga Yatra' in Cuttack 8
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday took a part in the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Cuttack. Earlier in the day, Shah visited and offered prayers at the Shree Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.
After offering prayers at the Shree Lingaraj temple, Union Minister visited the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Odia Bazar.
Earlier today, Shah and Pradhan arrived at Bhubaneswar airport. The locals and BJP workers welcomed the duo into the city. People were seen holding banners and placards with pictures of the ministers on them.
The BJP leaders will also attend the 75th-anniversary event of the ‘Prajatantra’, a wellknown Odia newspaper.
Earlier on Sunday, Home Minister attended the 7th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and held in the national capital.
From farmers’ plight to GST revenue, chief Ministers of States raised numerous issues that were discussed during the meeting.
The agenda of the NITI Aayog meeting included crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses; implementation of the National Education Policy-school education; implementation of the National Education Policy-higher education; and urban governance.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Monday said he will visit Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district on Tuesday to demand razing of an ‘illegally constructed’ resort in Dapoli town, allegedly linked to Shiv Sena leader and former minister Anil Parab.
Somaiya, a former MP, had in March this year also gone to Dapoli vowing to pull down the resort which is alleged to be constructed without necessary permissions.
Parab, who served as the transport minister in the previous state government led by Uddhav Thackeray, denied any connection to the resort and said he has already filed a defamation case against Somaiya for linking him to the controversial resort.
Somaiya has been alleging that the resort in Dapoli is linked to Parab and the latter violated rules, including of the Coastal Regulation Zone, in its construction.
When contacted, Somaiya said the Ratnagiri district collector and other authorities concerned have received orders since January this year to demolish the Dapoli-based resort, but no action has been taken.
“I am visiting Dapoli on Tuesday to reiterate my earlier demand of razing the resort and will ask the authorities about reasons behind the delay in executing the orders,” he said.
“For how many days should we wait? We have found the entire deal and the construction is illegal. Even the Union government’s environment ministry has found it illegal. There are written orders regarding the same,” he said.
Asked about his decision to visit Dapoli when the BJP is in power both at the Centre and in Maharashtra, Somaiya said, “I have informed them about my decision.” There are enough government orders against the resort, but none has been executed so far, he said. “Hence, I am going to ask the authorities about the delay in razing the illegal construction,” he said. When contacted, Parab said Somaiya has levelled allegations against him “more than 40 times” and he has already clarified that he has nothing to do with the resort.
“I am not going to comment on it every time he says something regarding the Dapoli resort,” the former minister said. “If any probe agency asks me, I will respond to its queries. I have also filed a defamation case against Somaiya for linking me to the controversial resort,” the Sena leader added.
Mike Hankey, a senior foreign service officer was appointed as the new consul general of the United States in Mumbai, an official statement said on Monday.
Hankey, who succeeds the former Consul General David J Ranz assumed his duties on Sunday, an official statement from the US Embassy in India stated.
Prior to this, Hankey served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Amman. He also headed the Palestinian Affairs Unit at US Embassy in Jerusalem from its establishment in early 2019 as the lead for US engagement with the Palestinians.
A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he was previously deputy to the chief of mission of US Consulate General Jerusalem and the Consul General at the US Consulate General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he led an inter-agency team promoting commercial and security ties in the heart of the Saudi oil industry.
Since joining the Foreign Service in 2001, Hankey has led teams to build deep and productive links with political, economic, and media partners across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
In Egypt before and during the Arab Spring, he advanced engagement with both Muslim and Christian communities. In earlier tours, he promoted economic development in northwestern Iraq, American consular and commercial interests in Yemen, and media professionalism in Nigeria.
In Washington, he led worldwide media outreach to promote global security, disarmament, and economic prosperity as well as the team advancing American engagement with South Asia audiences.
Fluent in Arabic, French, and Tamil, Hankey received his Bachelor’s Degree in international affairs and journalism from George Washington University, with a focus on South Asian studies and his Master’s Degree in second language education from Indiana University.
Hankey, who is also a former journalist has worked on many key assignments in the middle-east and Africa.
Prior to the Foreign Service, he worked as a newspaper reporter and as an international affairs editor for a news service covering the United Nations, and in support of US government public affairs outreach on Arab-Israeli and South Asian issues.
He has written a textbook for learning Nigerian Pidgin English. He will be accompanied to Mumbai by his wife and their two sons, the statement said.
The Consulate General seeks to promote US-India relations and progress towards common goals through information outreach, dialogue and exchange in western and central India, including Mumbai and the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Goa, it added.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Navika Kumar in connection with FIRs lodged against her over controversial remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate moderated by the news anchor.
A bench of Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli issued notices to the Centre, West Bengal government and others on Kumar’s plea seeking quashing of proceedings initiated against her.
Sharma’s remark on the Prophet during a TV debate had triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries. The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.
A team of the Economic Offence Wing on Monday morning raided the residence and office of an assistant manager of Madhya Pradesh’s cooperative society department, police said.
The raid was conducted at the premises of Panna Lal Uike at Imlai in Jabalpur, Deputy Superintendant of Police AV Singh said.
The raiding team found assets disproportionate to his income and registered a First Information Report (FIR).
Panna Lal has two plots approx 4,000 sqft in village Jamgaon, 3.55 hectare agricultural land in village Imlai, 1.67 hectare agricultural land in village Jamgaon, 5 acres agricultural land in village Doli, 1.38 hectare agricultural land in village Jamgaon, officials said.
Separately, last week, Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted raids at the residence of a senior clerk of the Medical Education Department in Bhopal and seized a large amount of cash, gold and property-related documents.
According to EOW, they were constantly receiving complaints about the disproportionate assets of Hero Keswani, a senior clerk posted in the Medical Education Department in Satpura Bhawan.
“Hero Keswani, currently drawing a salary of around Rs 50,000 per month, has several properties exceeding his income. We got information about it and raided his house,” Superintendent of Police (EOW) Rajesh Mishra had said.
