STORY OF THE DAY
Three Indian journalists allegedly killed within 12 hours
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| (From L to R): Navin Nischal, Sandeep Sharma |
Three journalists hailing from states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have lost their lives, within a span of 12 hours as per reports in different sections of the media.
Update: Accused arrested in hit-and-run case of MP scribe
The Madhya Pradesh police, on late Monday evening nabbed the accused truck driver in the hit and run case of of journalist Sandeep Sharma and has reportedly admitted to being responsible. "He has admitted that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. Special Investigative Team (SIT) is questioning and doing the investigation," SS Kushwaha of MP police was quoted byANI. The move came after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised that the 'no culprit will be spared' and had ordered a probe immediately. Sharma who was reportedly investigating a sand mining case was run over by a truck on Monday morning, after which the truck driver was on the run. CCTV footage recovered by police, clearly shows Sharma riding a pillion when the truck behind him runs over.
SUV rams journalist to death in Bihar, accused on the run
In Bihar's Bhojpur district, Navin Nischal of Dainik Bhaskar and his colleague Vijay Singh were on a bike when they were rammed by an SUV, late on Sunday evening. Nischal’s family has alleged murder and accused the former village head Ahmed Ali and son Daboo over the incident. Several media reports suggest that Nischal and Daboo had repeated arguments, in the past with the alleged accused. The accused are currently absconding. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is yet to give any comment in the matter.
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Russia asks Twitter on how to respond to US
Russia embassy in US on Monday held a Twitter poll, asking which US Consulate should be shut after 60 of its diplomats were sacked from America. The US President Donald Trump led government also closed Russian Embassy office in Seattle, in perhaps the largest expulsion of Moscow diplomats in history. Along with the US, 16 countries of the European Union have also decided to ask their Russian diplomats to leave. The undaunted move by the countries is in solidarity with the United Kingdom, who has alleged the Russian government’s active role in poisoning and attempted assassination of its UK based, former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter last month. Countering the allegations, Russian ambassador to US has called it a ‘wrongful’ decision, while the Foreign Ministry has promised to respond in ‘kind’ to every country involved in the expulsions, as quoted by Aljazeera.
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FIR filed against Delhi SHO for sexually assaulting journalist
Three days after Delhi’s Station House Officer (SHO) was accused of sexually harassing a journalist during a student protest, an FIR was filed against the police officer in the matter on Monday. The incident refers to the protest taken out by Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) on Friday, against compulsory attendance rule, autonomy and administration’s poor stand on sexual harassment charges on a professor. According to media reports, the reporter in her complaint had alleged that the SHO Vidyadhar Singh ‘pushed her and placed his hand on her chest.’ On Sunday, a female head constable and a male constable were also suspended for ‘manhandling the students crowd.’
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The President doesn’t believe Daniels was threatened: White House
Reacting to adult film star Stormy Daniels controversial allegations of being threatened to hush her affair with the US President, the White House on Monday issued a official statement defending its authority. Facing the questions in the routine press briefing with the media, White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said "The president doesn't believe that any of the claims that Ms Daniels made last night in her interview were accurate." In an interview with popular TV talk show that was broadcasted on Sunday, Daniels had alleged that she had accepted $130,000 from Mr Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, before the 2016 election to hide her affair and was threatened in a car park in 2011 to stay away from Trump.
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91 Maharashtra farmers demand euthanasia over crop prices
As many as 91 farmers have submitted a letter to the governor on Monday and sought permission for euthanasia - the right to die with the help of medical intervention after they were not paid remunerative prices for their crops and adequate compensation for their land. The farners allege that their farm land was acquired by the government for the construction of a highway. The farmers further said that they are not able to feed their families with the money, and their helplessness is turning into despair.The incident comes just days after thousands of farmers thronged the streets of Mumbai to protest the alleged failures of the Modi led NDA government in agricultural reforms, including non-implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act by the CPM-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha.
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Death toll increases to 64 in Russia shopping mall fire
A fire at a shopping mall in a Siberian city has killed at least 64 people and injured more than 80 others, Russian officials said on Monday. The massive fire that broke out on Sunday evening inside a cinema complex of the four-storied building and kept on burning through the night was extinguished on Monday morning. Russia’s Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov confirmed the 64 deaths but refrained from saying how many of them were children after conflicting media reports stated that most of the victims were kids and the source of the fire was a nearby playground. The Investigative Committee has detained four people after findings suggested no alarms went off and no staff was present to help at the time of the accident.
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SC to examine the concept of Polygamy, Nikah Halala
The Supreme Court on Monday accepted the plea to examine the constitutional validity of polygamy and Nikahhalala, two significant matrimonial practices in the Muslim community. The top court has issued notices to the Centre and Law commission to present their clear stand on the petitions to abolish the practices. Polygamy is the practice which allows a man to marry more than onewoman. In nikah halala, a woman who wishes to remarry her ex-husband, should marry another man and consummate the marriage before seeking divorce and should observe a separation period called Iddat. A Hyderabad based lawyer who is the petitioner in the case has questioned the apex court on why even a Muslim woman cannot practice polygamy like that of a Muslim man.
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PNB just 5 days away from becoming India's 1st defaulter bank
Punjab National Bank may find itself in yet another problem soon. Close to Rs 1,000 crore of Union Bank of India’s exposure on account of letters of undertakings (LoUs) issued by Punjab National Bank is due in the next few days. If PNB does not pay back its dues, Union Bank will have to list the Bank as a loan defaulter in its books. It would be the first time a bank would be technically labeled as a defaulter. The Reserve Bank of India and the government may have to step in to address this unprecedented event in Indian Banking.
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