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SC extends Aadhaar linking deadline

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for linking of various services with Aadhaar till it delivers its judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the biometrical identification scheme.

Announcing the order, a five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however said that this extension will not affect the linking of Aadhaar with the disbursal of benefits under social welfare schemes.

The order came as senior counsel Arvind Datar, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the court that passport issuing authorities have made submission of Aadhaar mandatory for issuance of passports.

At this point, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal sought to clarify that this requirement of Aadhaar was only for issuance of ‘tatkal’ passports.

The court order also extended this extension to the issuance of passports.

The current deadline for linking of bank accounts, mobile phone connections, and other services with Aadhaar was March 31 and this had been extended by the apex court on December 15 last year.

(IANS)

IndiGo, GoAir cancel 65 flights after DGCA grounds faulty planes

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Mumbai: Budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir cancelled as many as 65 flights on Tuesday after the country’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grounded 11 of their A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt & Whitney engines, causing severe inconvenience to hundreds of flyers.

While the Gurugram-based IndiGo cancelled 47 of its 1,000-odd flights per day, the Wadia Group-promoted GoAir said it had cancelled 18 flights.

GoAir has cancelled 18 flights originating from over eight cities, the airline said in a statement to news agency PTI.

GoAir operates 230 flights per day.

IndiGo announced on its website the cancellations of some 47 flights across its domestic network for Tuesday. The flights that have been cancelled are from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Patna, Srinagar, Bhubaneswar, Amritsar and Guwahati, among others.

Later in a statement to the media, IndiGo said the affected passengers have been given the option to either choose another flight at no additional cost or cancel their booking and get a full refund without any cancellation charges.

“IndiGo has cancelled certain flights due to the grounding of our aircraft further to the DGCA directions which has been issued in the interest of safety,” the airline said. “While we understand that this may cause inconvenience to some of our passengers, given that we have multiple flights to the same destination, we are proactively re-accommodating all our affected passengers on other flights,” it added.

The DGCA cracked the whip after an IndiGo flight bound for Lucknow returned to Ahmedabad within 40 minutes of its getting airborne due to a mid-air engine failure on Monday.

Citing safety of aircraft operations, the Director of the DGCA, in the March 12 order, said that A320Neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect. Three other IndiGo A320Neo planes have been on the ground since February following similar engine problems.

On Monday, hundreds of passengers were stranded across the country as dozens of flights were cancelled by IndiGo and GoAir due to the grounding of the 11 A320 Neo planes of the two carriers. IndiGo carries about 40 per cent of domestic flyers, while GoAir has a market share of around 10 per cent.

(PTI)

Eastern Ghouta: At least 42 killed amid ongoing offensive

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At least 42 people killed in relentless air raids as Syrian government forces encircle the central town of Douma.

The Damascus suburb, home to some 400,000 people, has been under the control of armed opposition groups since 2013 [File: Anadolu]

by Al Jazeera

At least 42 people have been killed in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta as government forces continue to launch air raids on the rebel-held enclave while edging closer to its central towns.

Activists in Douma, one of the main urban centres, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Syrian jets have “not stopped bombing towns all over Ghouta”.

Syrian state television reported the town of Mudeira had been seized on Sunday by the army, which was now able to link up with units on the other side of Eastern Ghouta.

Government forces have now surrounded Douma after capturing the neighbouring town of Mesraba, 10km east of Damascus, on Saturday, it said.

The advance on Mudeira has driven a wedge deep inside the rebel-held territory, leaving Douma and Harasta cut off.

Civilians trapped

The UN estimates there are 400,000 civilians trapped in Eastern Ghouta.

Activist Nour Adam said eight people died in Jobar, a town east of the capital Damascus, and 16 people from the same family were killed in an attack on Douma.

The rest died in attacks that hit the towns of Harasta, Zamalka, and Irbin, Adam said.

On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, told Al Jazeera that Eastern Ghouta had been divided into three – Douma and its surroundings; Harasta in the west; and the rest of the towns further south.

The government’s latest offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which began on February 18, has killed 1,099 civilians over the past 21 days, the Syrian Observatory reported.

The figure includes 227 children and 145 women, while at least 4,378 others have been wounded.

The Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said on Sunday a government attack on Irbin a day earlier involved “chlorine … phosphorus”. It was the second alleged chemical attack to hit the suburb in a matter of days.

The government denies using either incendiary weapons or chlorine gas bombs and said on Saturday it had information the rebels were planning to stage a fake chemical attack to discredit the army.

Previous pattern

The Syrian government’s offensive follows a pattern of previous assaults on opposition strongholds, deploying massive air power and tight sieges to force rebel fighters to accept “evacuation” deals.

These involve rebels surrendering territory in exchange for safe passage to opposition areas in northwest Syria, along with their families and other civilians who do not want to come back under Assad’s rule.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Gaziantep along the border in neighbouring Turkey, said Russian-backed Syrian forces tend to use military gains to try and secure a “political advantage”.

“[They do so] by saying to fighters maybe you should move to another part of Syria,” Fisher said.

On Friday, a number of rebel fighters and their families were evacuated from Eastern Ghouta, state media reported.

These include rebels from Jaish al-Islam, one of the main opposition groups in the enclave, which announced it had agreed to the evacuation of several Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham fighters – previously part of al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front – who were detained by the group.

Wael Olwan, spokesman of the rebel group Failaq al-Rahman, with ties to the Free Syrian Army, denied on Sunday that such negotiations were taking place – despite the government’s claims that talks with rebel groups were under way.

Suffocating siege
The Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta has been under the control of armed opposition groups since 2013 – two years after a popular uprising called for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

The area has been under a suffocating siege by government forces since then in an attempt to drive out rebels.

The ongoing fighting on multiple fronts, coupled with continuous shelling and air raids, has prevented desperately needed food and medical supplies from being delivered to residents trapped inside.

India’s women’s team all out for 200 against Australia

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Vadodara: A 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket saved India the blushes before being bowled out for 200 against Australia in the first One-day International of the ICC Women’s Championship here today. Electing to bat after winning the toss, India lost wickets at regular intervals before the duo of Pooja Vastrakar (51) and Sushma Verma (41) steadied the ship with sensible batting.

This was the 18-year-old Vastrakar’s maiden half century, and she laced her crucial knock with seven boundaries and a six, while Verma found the fence three times during her 71-ball innings. The total looked a far cry when Shikha Pandey was dismissed in the 32nd over with the score reading 113 for seven. That was the time when Verma and Vastrakar joined hands to bail India out of a precarious situation.

The hosts were off to a steady start with openers, Punam Raut (37) and Smriti Mandhana (12), putting on 38 runs in nine overs. However, Mandhana was trapped in front of the wicket by Amanda-Jade Wellington in the first ball of the 10th over, giving the leg-spinner the first of her three wickets. The most successful Australian bowler, though, was Jess Jonassen, who returned impressive figures of 4/30.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Raut were also dismissed in quick succession as India were left struggling at 60 for three, which became 83 for four in the 23rd over. While facing 50 deliveries, Raut struck six boundaries and a six. With skipper Harmanpreet Singh falling to Alyssa Healy’s work behind the stumps off Megan Schutt’s bowling an over later, hosts India slumped to 87 for five.

The Australians were disciplined with the ball with the spinners taking eight wickets. Had they held on to their chances, Meg Lanning’s side could have restricted the hosts to a much lower score.

(Agencies)

Receiving threat calls: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge

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Bengaluru: MP Mallikarjuna Kharge on Sunday said that since a month he has been receiving threat calls.

Addressing the presspersons, Kharge said that he has been receiving threat calls from unknown numbers from a month and that he has lodged complaints at the Tughlaq Police in New Delhi in this regard.

I have also informed this matter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan,” he said.

Kharge expressed dissatisfaction over Bidar (South) MLA Ashok Kheny joining the Congress.

“I have no idea why Kheny has joined the Congress. People who brought him into the party have to explain how this will benefit the party. I don’t want to comment any more on the issue,” Kharge said.

(Agencies)

Mangalore Pub Attack Case: Pramod Muthalik, 30 Others of Sri Ram Sene Walk Free Due to ‘Lack of Evidence’

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Mangaluru: Lack of evidence has forced the acquittal of all the accused in the Mangaloreinfamous pub attack case.

This repugnant incident took place on January 24 th at Amnesia – The Lounge on Balmatta Road. Some miscreants had attacked and beaten up youngsters including few girls at this lounge located in the heart of the city. This incident had garnered national and international reputation and attracted widespread criticism.

30 persons were accused in this case and were facing trial. Majority of them belonged to a right wing group. On Monday, Judge Manjunatha of the third JMFC court delivered the judgment. Advocates Vinod and Asha Nayak argued on behalf of the accused.

Sri Rama Sene supremo Pramod Muthalik was one of the accused in this case and was in the court during the judgment. Speaking to the press he said he was happy with the verdict.

(Agencies)

9 trekkers dead in TN forest fire

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Chennai: Nine trekkers have died in a forest fire on the Kurangani Hills in Tamil Nadu, the District Collector said on Monday.

A rescue operation with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters has been underway since Sunday. A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the fire in picturesque Theni district, some 520 km from here.

The trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday.

Earlier, in a tweet, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan expressed grief and shock at the loss of life of those who were caught up in the blaze.

The Minister said he was praying for the fast recovery of those who were injured. He also thanked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deploying the IAF team in the rescue effort.

According to a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official, the operation was expected to be over by Monday afternoon.

Speaking to IANS, District Collector Pallavi Baldev said the operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members.

A temporary helipad has been set up at the Bodi foot hills. The injured have been admitted in hospitals in Madurai and Theni, she said.

The night climate was generally chilly while efforts were afoot to reach the stranded trekkers caught up in the blaze, the fire official added.

State Health Secretary J.Radhakrishnan said six of the rescued admitted in a Madurai hospital have suffered serious burn injuries.

The IAF commando team had flown in from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed up the hills.

Sitharaman had confirmed on Sunday that the commandos deployed in the rescue mission would carry medicines and provide medical assistance on spot.

Having access to advanced communication facilities, the IAF team was also deputed to check the landing facility for helicopter.

They decided on the best ways to evacuate those stuck on the hill, including the injured.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said that 24 trekkers from the Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur had gone up the Kurangani Hills.

The adventure was part of the Woman’s Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday.

A Tamil Nadu Forest Department official had said that the organisers had not obtained any permission for the trekking mission.

(IANS)

Karti sent to judicial custody till March 24

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New Delhi: A court on Monday sent senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case.

After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told Special Judge Sunil Rana they did not require further custody of Karti Chidambaram, the court remanded him in judicial custody.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested last month for allegedly taking money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister in the UPA government.

(IANS)

Agrarian crisis: Over 35,000 farmers converge in Mumbai to protest

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Mumbai: For the second time in 10 months, Maharashtra farmers cracked the whip on the government to turn spotlight on the grave agrarian crises gripping the state by completing a long march to the Legislature, here on Monday.

More than an estimated 35,000 peasants — men, women, youth and even seniors — with lines of worry collectively writ on their weary faces, determinedly completed the 180-km long march over six days.

Organised by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmers wing of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the farmers sporting red caps, red flags, beating drums and cymbals and the tribal blowing instrument –‘tarpa’, marched in disciplined unity as the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena braced itself for the political fallout of the peasant power.

In a considerate gesture, the farmers abandoned their night’s rest, to march from the Somaiya Grounds, Vidyavihar starting 2 a.m. (Monday) to reach the historic Azad Maidan at dawn, to avoid inconveniencing students appearing for the ongoing board examinations.

Wary of the potential ramifications as the farmers prepared to lay ‘seige’ on the Maharashtra Legislature on Monday afternoon, the state government hurriedly formed a high-powered six-member Ministerial Committee to discuss all issues with the peasants.

Farmers leader Ajit Nawale said that among the major demands are implementation of the farm loans waiver announced in June 2017, (after farmers in the state went on a ‘strike’), then make the farmers completely debt-free, besides other demands.

“Considering the tremendous response we have evoked from across the state, the government cannot dismiss us lightly. If it continues to dilly-dally on the farm loans waiver or try to take us for a ride, it will face the consequences,” Nawale told reporters late on Sunday.

AIKS Maharashtra President Ashok Dhavale pointed out that the crisis in the farmlands is very severe with “over 400,000 farmers committing suicides in the past 25 years”.

“Agrarian distress is linked to malnutrition… The farming community is feeling betrayed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre,” Dhavale said.

Congress leaders including state chief Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Prithviraj Chavan, and the Nationalist Congress Party’s President Sharad Pawar and Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad declared support to the marchers.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Yuva Sena President Aditya Uddhav Thackeray turned up personally to welcome the farmers on Sunday evening.

Many of the marchers, braving the early summer heat, were seen reaching Mumbai with red and swollen eyes, broken or temporarily mended footwear, dusty, torn clothes, having barely managed a square meal or a proper bath during the past week as they started in Nashik on Wednesday.

However, they hoped that justice might be finally done to their cause.

(IANS)

Bangladesh plane carrying 67 passengers crashes in Nepal

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Kathmandu: A US-Bangla Airlines plane carrying 67 passengers today crash landed after catching fire at Nepal’s international airport here, officials said.

It was not immediately clear if there were fatalities.

The plane carrying 67 passengers and four crew skidded off the runway while landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

At least 17 people on board had been rescued, authorities said.

The plane caught fire after it careened off the runway during landing and crashed onto a football ground near the airport, the TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.

The aircraft took off from Dhaka and landed at the airport at 2:20 pm (local time).

All the flights to and from TIA have been halted after the crash.

(PTI)

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