Top news of the day: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury passes away; Mamata-doctors talk deadlocked over live streaming, and more

The major news headlines of the day and more.

Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary, passes away

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday (September 12, 2024). He was undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for acute respiratory tract infection. He was 72-years old. Mr. Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti, a son and a daughter. His elder son Ashish Yechury succumbed to COVID-19 in 2021. “Sitaram Yechury CPI(M) general secretary no more. He was admitted in AIIMS,” CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah told ANI.

Kolkata protest: 30 protesting junior doctors reach Nabanna to meet CM Mamata Banerjee

Escorted by a pilot police vehicle, a delegation of protesting doctors in Kolkata reached the Bengal Secretariat at around 5.25 p.m., some 25 minutes past the scheduled time of commencement of the meeting. The delegation was seen waiting till 5.45 p.m. outside Nabanna Sabhaghar, the meeting venue at the Secretariat, completing entry formalities for all members of the delegation who were granted access by the government. At the meeting venue, both doctors and senior government officials were separately huddled in meetings, perceptively to decide whether or not to live stream the meeting proceedings. The doctors who arrived at the State Secretariat are insisting on live streaming of the meeting, which the State government is not accepting as a prerequisite to the meeting. The Chief Minister has been waiting for over one and half hours, State’s Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said.

Row over PM Modi attending Ganpati Puja celebrations at CJI’s residence: BJP slams opposition

With a row erupting over Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Ganpati Puja celebrations at Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s residence, the BJP and its ally hit out at the opposition parties, calling their reactions “reckless” and said casting “baseless aspersions” on the highest court sets a dangerous precedent. Several opposition leaders and some lawyers of the Supreme Court reacted sharply to Mr. Modi attending the puja at the CJI’s residence. “Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated and people visit each other’s house... I don’t have information whether the prime minister has visited anyone’s house,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said.

Police arrest two in connection with assault on Army officer, his friend in Madhya Pradesh

“The police have arrested two people in connection with the assault on a young Army officer and his friend,” a police officer said. A young Army officer of the Military Headquarters of Warfare (Mhow) Infantry School, along with his friend, was assaulted by 7-8 unknown assailants, and one of their two female friends was allegedly sexually assaulted, states the FIR. Indore Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Hitika Vasal told ANI that 10 police teams conducted investigations and identified six accused. Two of them have been arrested, and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining four. “10 police teams carried out investigations and police identified six named accused. Two of them have been arrested. Efforts are underway to nab the remaining four; they will be caught at the earliest,” she told ANI.

Ajit Doval meets Putin in St. Petersburg

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday (September 12, 2024) met Russian President Vladimir Putin amid renewed efforts to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict. The meeting took place on the margins of a conclave of national security advisors of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) nations in St. Petersburg. In the talks, Mr. Putin hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would travel to Russia’s Kazan next month to attend the annual BRICS summit.

We made some progress, says Jaishankar on India-China talks on eastern Ladakh row

Roughly 75% of the “disengagement problems” with China are sorted out but the bigger issue has been the increasing militarisation of the frontier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday (September 12, 2024) on the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh. In an interactive session at a think-tank in this Swiss city, Mr. Jaishankar said the Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020 affected the “entirety” of India-China ties, asserting that one cannot have violence at the border and then say the rest of the relationship is insulated from it. The External Affairs Minister said negotiations between the two sides to find a solution to the problem are underway.

Clashes in Mandya: Attempts to disturb communal harmony will not be tolerated, says district in-charge Minister Cheluvarayaswamy

Mandya district in-charge minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said that the Karnataka government will not tolerate attempts to disturb communal harmony in the State and will deal with it strictly. The Minister also urged the Opposition in the State not to politicise the incident and instead respond to it in a responsible manner. He was speaking to media persons on Thursday (September 12, 2024) after visiting Nagamangala town which was affected by group clashes when a procession was being taken out for immersion of Ganesha idols, on September 11 night. Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the government was committed to ensuring peace and providing security to enable people to live in harmony in the society.

Indian-origin Israeli soldier killed amid escalating tensions in West Bank

A 24-year-old Indian-origin Israeli soldier from the Bnei Menashe community was killed in a vehicle-ramming attack close to the West Bank’s Beit El settlement, community members said on Thursday (September 12, 2024). Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal was a resident of Nof HaGalil and a soldier in the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, the Israeli Army said.

Gujarat government deploys specialist doctors, 50 medical teams in Kutch as ‘undiagnosed fever’ kills 11

“The Gujarat government has deployed specialist doctors and 50 medical teams in and around seven villages of two talukas in Kutch district after an ‘undiagnosed’ fever has claimed the lives of 11 persons in a week,” a State Minister said on Wednesday (September 11, 2024). Health Minister Rushikesh Patel held a review meeting in Bhuj town of Kutch over the steps being taken in the region. Talking to reporters after the meeting on Wednesday (September 11, 2024), Mr. Patel said 48 new cases of fever have been detected in seven villages of Lakhpat and Abdasa where 11 persons, including four children, died earlier owing to an ‘undiagnosed’ fever between September 3 and 10.

Delhi excise policy case: SC to deliver verdict on Sept 13 on Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver on Friday (September 13, 2024) its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petitions seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the CBI in the excise policy “scam”. As per the cause list of September 13 uploaded on the apex court website, a Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is slated to pronounce the verdict. The Bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, had on September 5 reserved its verdict on the pleas.

Vietnam death toll climbs to 197 as Typhoon Yagi brings flash floods, landslides

Nearly 200 people have died in Vietnam in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi and more than 125 are missing as flash floods and landslides take their toll, state media reported Thursday (September 12, 2024). Vietnam’s VnExpress newspaper reported that 197 people have died and 128 are still missing, while more than 800 have been injured.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia admitted to hospital

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was admitted to a private hospital in the early hours of Thursday (September 12, 2024), according to a media report. The 79-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson arrived at the Evercare Hospital from her Gulshan residence around 1.40 a.m., BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

Sensex scales mount 83K, Nifty at lifetime high on rally in blue-chip stocks

Benchmark Sensex hit the historic 83,000 level for the first time on Thursday (September 12, 2024) and the Nifty settled at a lifetime high after a rally in blue-chip shares, surge in global markets, and foreign fund inflows. A sharp fag-end rally drove the 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex to the 83,000 level for the first time. The barometer surged 1,593.03 points, or 1.95%, to hit its lifetime intra-day peak of 83,116.19 in the last hour of trade. The index closed at a record high of 82,962.71, up by 1,439.55 points, or 1.77%.

Retail inflation rises marginally to 3.65% in August

India’s retail inflation stayed under the Reserve Bank of India’s median target of 4% for the second successive month in August, even as it inched up marginally to 3.65% from an upwardly revised 3.6% in July. August’s inflation pace is the second-slowest in five years. Base effects from last August, when retail prices rose 6.8%, helped keep the inflation pace in check, but food inflation quickened from July’s 13-month low of 5.4% to 5.7% and crossed the 6% mark in rural India.

Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test: Day 4 abandoned due to rain as one-off Noida Test faces complete washout

The fourth day of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was abandoned due to rain here on Thursday (September 12, 2024). The toss was scheduled to take place at 9a.m. but persistent rain continued to play spoilsport as the match officials called off the day’s play for the fourth day in succession. “The fourth day of the only Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand teams is also not going to be played due to continued rainfall,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement.

Hero Asian Champions Trophy: India beats Korea; registers fourth consecutive win

Defending champions India defeated Korea 3-1 to register their fourth consecutive win at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Hulunbuir on Thursday (September 12, 2024). Paris Olympics bronze medallist India had already defeated China 3-0, Japan 5-0 before thrashing last year’s runner-up Malaysia 8-1. Araijeet Singh Hundal (8th minute) and skipper Harmanpreet Singh (9th, 43th) were the goal getters for India against the Koreans.

Published - September 12, 2024 07:18 pm IST