Archives for July 2022

Colombo: More than 1,000 valuable artefacts, including items of vintage and antique value have reportedly gone missing from Sri Lanka’s Presidential Palace and Prime Minister’s official residence at Temple Trees here after irate anti-government protesters occupied these premises earlier this month, police said on Saturday.

On July 9, anti-government protesters occupied the residences of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after storming into their premises and setting fire to one of the buildings protesting the government’s handling of the unprecedented economic crisis.

Based on initial investigations at least 1,000 items of value, including rare artefacts have gone missing from the Presidential Palace as well as the Prime Minister’s official residence, web portal Colombo Page quoted police sources as saying.

Special investigation teams have been formed to begin an investigation, it said.

What is compounding the agony for the investigative officers is that the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology does not have a detailed record of the antiques and different artefacts at the Presidential Palace, even though it has been gazetted as a place of archaeological importance, the report said.

A senior official of the Department of Archaeology told Sunday Lankadeepa newspaper that it would be difficult to get specific and clear information about the exact number of antiques that have gone missing, even though police estimate that it could be well over 1,000.

Newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he respects the rights of the protesters to peacefully undertake their demonstrations, but he asserted that he will not allow another government building like the Presidential Palace or the Prime Minister’s private residence to be occupied.

Wickremesinghe said he has authorised Sri Lanka’s armed forces and the police to take whatever action is necessary to stop people from storming public facilities and obstructing Parliament.

“Don’t obstruct the parliamentarians and the parliament from carrying out their duty,” he said this week.

In a pre-dawn raid on Friday, Sri Lankan security forces attacked a site of anti-government protesters at Galle Face, where several government offices are located, injuring at least nine persons.

Rudraprayag: An 18-year-old unmarried woman died of excessive bleeding on Saturday at a district hospital here, while the body of the baby she delivered was found in the toilet of the medical facility, officials said.

At a press conference, chief medical superintendent of the district hospital Rajiv Singh said the woman was admitted to for treatment of low hemoglobin levels and the hospital was not informed about her pregnancy.

The woman died of excessive bleeding on her hospital bed at 3 am the body of her baby was found in the toilet at 5 am, Chief Medical Officer of Rudraprayag B K Shukla told PTI.

A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the incident, the Shukla said.

Neeraj Chopra

Eugene: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra scripted yet another history as he became only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win a medal in the World Championships by clinching silver in the javelin throw final here.

The 24-year-old Chopra, who had come into the showpiece as a hot medal favourite, produced a best throw of 88.13m to finish second.

The legendary long jumper Anju Booby George was the first Indian to win a medal — bronze — in the World Championships in the 2003 edition in Paris.

Chopra began with a foul throw and had 82.39m and 86.37m to be at fourth after three rounds. He got his rhythm back with a big fourth round throw of 88.13m, his fourth career-best effort, to jump to second place, which he held on to till the end. His fifth and sixth throws were fouls.

Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada won gold with a best throw of 90.54m while Olympic silver winner Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic took the bronze with 88.09m.

Chopra had topped the Group A qualification round and qualified for the final at second place behind Peters by sending his spear to 88.39m for his third career-best throw. Peters had topped Group B with an effort of 89.91m.

The other Indian in the fray, Rohit Yadav finished at 10th with a best throw of 78.72m. Rohit had finished 11th overall in the qualification round with a best throw of 80.42m.

The 21-year-old Indian had recorded a season’s and personal best of 82.54m while winning a silver at the National Inter-State Championships last month.

Chopra had won Indian athletics’ maiden gold in the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is only the second Indian to have won an individual gold in the Olympics, after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who clinched the yellow metal in 2008 Beijing Games.

Neeraj Chopra

Eugene: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra scripted yet another history as he became only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win a medal in the World Championships by clinching silver in the javelin throw final here.

The 24-year-old Chopra, who had come into the showpiece as a hot medal favourite, produced a best throw of 88.13m to finish second.

The legendary long jumper Anju Booby George was the first Indian to win a medal — bronze — in the World Championships in the 2003 edition in Paris.

Chopra began with a foul throw and had 82.39m and 86.37m to be at fourth after three rounds. He got his rhythm back with a big fourth round throw of 88.13m, his fourth career-best effort, to jump to second place, which he held on to till the end. His fifth and sixth throws were fouls.

Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada won gold with a best throw of 90.54m while Olympic silver winner Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic took the bronze with 88.09m.

Chopra had topped the Group A qualification round and qualified for the final at second place behind Peters by sending his spear to 88.39m for his third career-best throw. Peters had topped Group B with an effort of 89.91m.

The other Indian in the fray, Rohit Yadav finished at 10th with a best throw of 78.72m. Rohit had finished 11th overall in the qualification round with a best throw of 80.42m.

The 21-year-old Indian had recorded a season’s and personal best of 82.54m while winning a silver at the National Inter-State Championships last month.

Chopra had won Indian athletics’ maiden gold in the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is only the second Indian to have won an individual gold in the Olympics, after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who clinched the yellow metal in 2008 Beijing Games.

Nasheman news

Pashudhan Praharee, a bi-lingual magazine dedicated to animal health care and livestock development, has honoured the Executive Secretary of the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association (KPFBA), Mr. Inayath Ulla Khan with the “Prof. G.Devegowda Poultry Science Excellence Award 2022 “.

The award has been instituted in recognition of his significant and outstanding contribution in the field of poultry sciences for the year 2022. 

Mr. Inayath Ulla Khan was presented the award at a recent seminar on ‘GM Crops and Animal Nutrition’ in the presence of Prof. G.Devegowda who is considered as the ‘Pitamaha’ of poultry sciences, the President of KPFBA, Dr. Sushanth Rai, the Chairman of Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India (CLFMA), Mr. Neeraj Srivastava, Dr. Vibha Ahuja, Chief General Manager, Biotech Consortium India Limitedand other dignitaries.

The citation read out by Dr. G. Gopal Reddy (Vice President, IVPI ) listed out the relentless efforts Mr. Khan has been contributing to the sustainable growth of poultry sector, by networking with various institutions and experts; by organizing various sector related events through KPFBA; and connecting with government and government agencies for bringing about policy changes. 

In his thanks giving address, Mr. Khan acknowledged the role played by different President’s and Committee Members of KPFBA in shaping his career, learning from each President the new skills.  He recalled how during the Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions that followed, the KPFBA rallied to connect with government authorities to ensure that the poultry sector image was not tarnished as all kinds of rumours were floating at the onset of the pandemic. ‘The poultry sector has many challenges and they can be resolved only through collective efforts, collaborative approach and that KPFBA is one of the platforms to bring about growth of the sector’, Mr. Khan said.

As Murmu is set to become the 10th successive president to take oath on July 25 since 1977, know why it holds a special role in history for India’s President. 

The President-elect will be sworn-in as the 15th President of India.

President Ram Nath Kovind and President-elect Droupadi Murmu will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession. The President-elect will take the Oath of Office in the presence of the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, followed by a 21-gun salute. 

The term of President Ram Nath Kovind comes to an end on Sunday. Murmu will be the first member of the tribal community and the second woman to hold the top constitutional post in the country.

Murmu was the first woman governor of Jharkhand and served in the post from 2015 to 2021.

Born in a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. She has also served as a minister in Odisha.

Special saree 

Murmu may wear a traditional Santali saree when she takes the oath of office in Delhi on Monday. Her sister-in-law Sukri Tudu is travelling to Delhi with a special saree used by Santal women in Eastern India.

Sukri along with her husband Tarinisen Tudu on Saturday left for the national capital to witness the oath taking ceremony to be held at the Parliament’s central hall.

“I am not sure what she will actually wear during the occasion. The Rashtrapati Bhawan will decide the dress of the new president,” Sukri said.

The Santali sarees have some stripe-work on one end and is worn by the Santal women on special occasions. The saree is vertically symmetric and has both the ends designed with the same motifs.

She is also carrying traditional sweet pancakes, also called ‘Arisa Pitha’ for Murmu.

Meanwhile, Murmu’s daughter Itishree, a bank officer and her husband Ganesh Hembram, have reached New Delhi and are staying with the President-elect.

“Only four members of the President-elect’s family – brother, sister-in-law, daughter and son-in-law – will attend the oath-taking ceremony,” said a senior BJP leader adding that essence of ‘adivasi’ culture and tradition could be reflected in the swearing-in of the country’s 15th President.

Why July 25 holds special role? 

Droupadi Murmu will become the 10th successive president to take oath on July 25 since 1977. Records show that since 1977, successive presidents have taken oath on July 25.

India’s first President Rajendra Prasad took oath on January 26, 1950 — the day India became a Republic.

In 1952, he went on to win the first presidential poll. He won the second presidential election and was in office till May 1962.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan took oath as the president on May 13, 1962 and was in office till May 13, 1967.

Two presidents — Zakir Husain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed — could not complete their tenures as they died in harness. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the sixth president of India, took oath on July 25, 1977.

Since then successive presidents including Giani Zail Singh, R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayanan, A P J Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind have taken oath on July 25.

Hopes of tribals 

Hopes and aspirations are running high among tribal of Jharkhand as they look up to Droupadi Murmu to pave the way for their ‘sengel’ (empowerment) after “centuries of neglect”.

They are also optimistic that Murmu would take steps to fructify a long-standing demand by tribals that the Centre recognise their religion as ‘Sarna’ and ensure enumeration under this category in the next census.

Conclusion of the ceremony 

The National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday.

The President will then deliver an address. On the conclusion of the ceremony, the President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an Inter-Services Guard of Honour will be given to her in the forecourt and courtesies will be extended to the outgoing President.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and members of the Council of Ministers, state Governors, Chief Ministers, Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Members of Parliament and principal civil and military Officers of the government of India will assemble in the Central Hall for the ceremony on Monday.

Earlier, BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday along with his party MPs met President-elect Droupadi Murmu here and congratulated her on winning the election.

CHANDIGARH: An exchange of fire was underway in Amritsar on Wednesday between the Punjab Police and two gangsters, believed to be involved in the killing of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, official sources said.

The operation of the Anti-Gangster Task Force of the Punjab Police is going on at Bhakna village, they said.

According to official sources, gangsters Jagroop Singh Roopa and Manpreet Singh alias Mannu Kusa, the two shooters who were allegedly involved in the killing of Moosewala, were at large.

The area has been cordoned off, they added.

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, also known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29.

Emphasising the need for developing ports and fishing harbours, Jagan announced that Bhoomi Puja for the other ports would be performed within two months

Speaking after performing the Bhoomi Puja for the Ramayapatnam Port at Mondivaripalem village in Nellore on Wednesday, he said that the government has acquired 850 acres for the first phase of the port’s construction, which would be taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 3,700 crore.

“Initially, four berths will be constructed. Six more berths will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore each. Four berths will have a cargo handling capacity of 25 million tonnes, which will be hiked up to 50 million tonnes based on the requirement,” he explained.

Emphasising the need for developing ports and fishing harbours, Jagan announced that Bhoomi Puja for the other ports would be performed within two months and that operations would commence in the next five years.

He asserted that each port would provide indirect employment to lakhs of people as the government would also set up nine fishing harbours besides the four ports: Bhavanapadu, Kakinada Gateway Port, Machilipatnam and Ramayapatnam. He explained that each fishing harbour would provide job opportunities one lakh fishermen.

He said works at Budagatlapalem, Pudimadaka, Uppada, Biyyaputhippa, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, Odarevu, Kothapatnam and Juvvaladinne fishing harbours have picked up pace. 

Pointing out that the ports would help in the development of the regions, generation of revenue and creation of employment, Jagan said, “Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Mumbai were developed into major cities as they have sea ports. They (proposed ports) will help in development of the State in various aspects.”

Stating that his government brought in an Act for providing 75 per cent employment opportunities to local youth in the industries, Jagan said nearly 3,000-4,000 local youth would get job opportunities at each port in the State. Besides the Visakhapatnam Port, the five ports in the State have a cargo handling capacity of 158 million tonnes. The Vizag port could handle 70 million tonnes. 

Jagan criticised former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for laying the foundation stone for the Ramayapatnam Port in February 2019 without any detailed project report and land acquisition plan with an eye on elections. 

Responding to the issues raised by local MLAs, the CM announced Rs 25 crore for the construction of a bypass road in Kandukur and sanctioned Rs 27 crore for the extension of Rallapadu right canal to irrigate 8,500 acres. Jagan also allotted a permanent building for a primary healthcare centre at Ulavapadu and asserted that he would develop the Kandukuru municipality.    

He thanked the villagers of Mondivaripalem, Avulavaripalem, Karlapalem, Ravuru, Chevuru, Salipeta and others for giving their lands to develop the port. Earlier, he offered prayers to the sea by offering silk robes and flowers as part of the Bhoomi Puja. He unveiled the pylon at the village.

NEW DELHI: Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair was released from Tihar on Wednesday night, hours after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in all FIRs lodged in Uttar Pradesh against him for alleged hate speech, prison officials said on Wednesday.

Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through his tweets.

Multiple FIRs were lodged against him in UP – two in Hathras and one each in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, and at Chandauli police station – on similar charges.

“Mohd Zubair has been released from Tihar,” a senior official confirmed.

The Supreme Court, earlier in the day, ordered the release of Zubair on interim bail, saying “exercise of the power of arrest must be pursued sparingly” and transferred all the cases in UP to Delhi.

The court said “it finds no reason or justification for the deprivation of his liberty to persist any further” and ordered disbanding of the SIT, constituted by the UP police.