Archives for September 2024

Washington: Satellite imagery showed that China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction, a senior US defence official said Thursday.

The sinking of China’s first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it continues to build out the world’s largest navy. Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

Meanwhile, China faces longtime territorial disputes involving others in the region including Brunei, Malaysia, the Phillippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The United States has sought to strength ties to its allies in the region and regularly sails through those waters in operations it says maintains the freedom of navigation for vessels there, angering Beijing.

The submarine likely sank between May and June, when satellite images showed cranes that would be necessary to lift it off the bottom of the river, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details about the submarine loss.

China has been building up its naval fleet at a breakneck pace, and the US considers China’s rise one of its main future security concerns.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Thursday said it was “not familiar with the situation” and it did not have information to provide.

The US official said it was “not surprising” that China’s navy would conceal it. The submarine’s current status is unknown.

The identification of the sunken nuclear submarine was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy submariner and an analyst at the Center for a New American Security, first noticed the incident involving the submarine in July, though it wasn’t publicly known at the time that it involved the new Zhou-class vessel.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show what appears to be a submarine docked at the Shuangliu shipyard on the Yangtze River before the incident.

An image taken June 15 appears to show the submarine either fully or partially submerged just under the river’s surface, with rescue equipment and cranes surrounding it. Booms surround it to prevent any oil or other leaks from the vessel.

A satellite image taken August 25 shows a submarine back at the same dock as the submerged vessel. It’s not clear if it was the same one.

It remains unclear if the affected submarine had been loaded with nuclear fuel or if its reactor was operating at the time of the incident. However, there has been no reported release of radiation in the area in the time since.

China as of last year operated six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a US military report.

News of the submarine’s sinking comes as China this week conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Experts say it marked the first time Beijing had conducted such a test since 1980.

Srinagar: At least four security forces personnel and a traffic police officer were injured in an encounter with terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

The gunbattle broke out in Adigam village in the Devsar area of the district after security forces launched a cordon and search operation.

Additional SP (traffic) Mumtaz Ali suffered minor injuries after being struck by a stray bullet near the encounter site, officials said.

They said four security personnel involved in the anti-terrorist operation sustained injuries.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru court has ordered the registration of an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following a complaint alleging extortion linked to the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme. The complaint was lodged by Adarsh Iyer from the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane.

The Special Court for People’s Representatives in Bengaluru has directed the police to register the FIR, which implicates Sitharaman and others in the case.

In response to the allegations, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asks if Nirmala Sitharaman will resign.

“An FIR has been registered against Nirmala Sitharaman in the Special Court for People’s Representatives. Who is she? She is a Union Minister, and there is an FIR against her too. They were involved in extortion through electoral bonds and the FIR has been registered on that. She should tender her resignation after the FIR has been registered. Will they (BJP) ask her to resign?” he said.

“Now, as per Section 17A (of Prevention of Corruption Act), the investigation must be completed and a report should be submitted within three months. Based on that, they have registered the FIR and are investigating further,” he added.

“In my case, the lower court has passed an order. The Governor has asked for an enquiry under Section 17A, and the court has directed that the investigation be completed and a report should be submitted within three months,” Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah will also be probed under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with alleged irregularities in the MUDA case.

Siddaramaiah also demanded resignation of JD(S) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, accusing him of corruption.

“First, let Kumaraswamy resign. Shouldn’t he tender his resignation too? Let them resign first. Even PM (Narendra) Modi should resign. In the election bond extortion case, PM Modi should also tender his resignation. Nirmala Sitharaman should resign as well. Kumaraswamy is out on bail and he should resign,” he said.

Bhavika Mangalanandan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

United Nations: In a strong retort, India has slammed Pakistan in the UN General Assembly, saying its “fingerprints” are on terrorist incidents across the world and the country should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will “inevitably invite consequences”.

India exercised its Right of Reply in the UN General Assembly on Friday in response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his address at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

“This Assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy,” First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Bhavika Mangalanandan said, delivering India’s Right of Reply.

She asserted that as the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours.

“It has attacked our Parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, marketplaces and pilgrimage routes,” she said, referring to the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups.

“The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst,” Mangalanandan said.

In his address, Sharif raised the Kashmir issue, as expected, and said that to “secure durable peace”, India should reverse the Abrogation of Article 370 and enter into a dialogue for a “peaceful” resolution of the issue.

He said India has spurned Pakistan’s proposals for a mutual “Strategic Restraint Regime”.

Responding to this reference “to some proposal of strategic restraint”, India asserted that there “can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.”

Reminding the international community that this was a nation that for long hosted Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Mangalanandan said Pakistan’s “fingerprints are on so many terrorist incidents across the world, whose policies attract the dreads of many societies to make it their home.

“Perhaps it should come as no surprise that its prime minister would so speak in this hallowed hall. Yet we must make clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us. We know that Pakistan will seek to counter the truth with more lies. Repetition will change nothing. Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration,” she said.

India stressed that it is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too in a democracy.

“The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory, and in fact, has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India,” the young Indian diplomat said.

She said it is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly even now, “dare speak about intolerances and phobias. The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is.”

A Pakistani diplomat went on to respond to Mangalanandan with a Right of Reply.

Describing India’s assertions as “baseless and misleading”, the Pakistani diplomat said the United Nations Security Council, through numerous resolutions, has unequivocally called for a free, impartial plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self- determination.

Every year, Pakistan’s leaders, on expected lines, make references to Jammu and Kashmir in their UNGA speeches and India fields its young diplomats to deliver hard-hitting retorts to Islamabad’s rants.

Bhavnagar: Passengers being saved from a bus at flooded Kolyak village, in Bhavnagar. 29 passengers including 27 pilgrims were rescued. (PTI Photo)

Bhavnagar: In an overnight operation lasting over 8 hours, 29 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu were rescued from a stranded bus on a flooded causeway in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. The pilgrims were en route to Somnath after visiting the Nishkalank Mahadev temple when their bus became stuck due to rising water levels.

A coordinated effort by local Muslims and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) led to the successful evacuation. Rescuers initially reached the stranded bus using a mini-truck, breaking the rear window to transfer the 27 pilgrims on board. However, the mini-truck itself got stranded during the operation. In response, a larger truck was arranged, and all 29 people, including the rescuers, were safely transferred to it.

However, the involvement of local Muslims in the rescue has largely gone unreported by major news channels.

Alt New Co Founder and Fact Checker Mohammed Zubair shared this update on X, pointing out that while the mainstream media is busy promoting anti-Muslim narratives, the real stories of unity and support go unnoticed.

Visual from the residence of the victims in Delhi

New Delhi: The decomposed bodies of a 46-year-old man and his four daughters, two of whom were differently-abled, have been found in their rented accommodation in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area, police said on Saturday.

The bodies, discovered on Friday afternoon, did not have injury marks but police found three packets of celphos poison, five glasses and a spoon containing a suspicious liquid in the house.

While police said the man’s two youngest daughters were differently-abled, neighbours claimed that all four were challenged. Police are verifying the claim, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Rohit Meena.

According to the locals, the daughters hardly came out of their room. The neighbours claimed that they last saw the man and his daughters on September 24.

A police official said the bodies were discovered when the neighbours complained of a foul smell emanating from the rented accommodation on the first floor of a residential complex in Rangpuri village.

DCP Meena said the building’s owner Nitin Chauhan was informed by the caretaker that a foul smell was coming from flat C-4 following which he knocked on the door but got no answer.

With the help of a fire brigade team, police broke open the door and found a man lying dead in one room while the bodies of four women were found in the other room, the officer said.

The deceased were identified as Heeralal Sharma, who worked as a carpenter in the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj for the past 28 years, and his four daughters — Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23) and Nidhi (20).

The DCP said enquiry with neighbours and close relatives revealed that Heeralal’s wife died of cancer about a year ago. He earned about Rs 25000 each month but has not attended his duty since January 2024, the officer said.

Meanwhile, Heeralal’s brother Mohan Sharma and sister-in-law Gudiya Sharma, reached the house after learning about the incident.

They said Heeralal had stopped being interested in family affairs after his wife’s death and was mostly preoccupied with his daughters’ treatment.

An inquest proceedings under section 194 of BNSS have been initiated and a medical board has been constituted for post-mortem, police said.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren

Ranchi (PTI): Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, who joined the BJP last month, on Wednesday accused the Hemant Soren government in the state of putting his life at risk by withdrawing all security vehicles assigned to him.

The former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader alleged that withdrawing his security vehicles was a political conspiracy.

The state police, however, rejected the charge saying that five vehicles are still engaged with the security of the former chief minister who also enjoys the services of 63 police personnel.

“The Jharkhand government withdrew all security vehicles assigned to me, putting my life at risk, under a political conspiracy. I am not afraid of this move. The people of Jharkhand would provide security to me,” Champai Soren

He asserted that he never compromised with his values and people will give a befitting reply to the JMM-led coalition in the assembly polls due later this year.

Asked about Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s remarks that the BJP “bought” political leaders in Jharkhand, Champai Soren said, “No one can dare buy me. I have made crystal clear the circumstances behind leaving JMM.”

Champai Soren joined the BJP claiming that he was “humiliated” and “disrespected” by the JMM.

Responding to Champai Soren’s remarks, the state government said the accusation about the withdrawal of all security vehicles is baseless since five cars are still being assigned to him.

In a statement, the police said that four other vehicles were recalled since those are part of the CM’s carcade and cannot be used elsewhere.

It said that the former CM still enjoys the services of 63 security personnel including six bodyguards from the Special Branch.

Champai Soren also posted on X: “Ignoring all the rules and protocols, the state government has recalled the vehicles used for my security. I do not need any kind of security among my people in Jharkhand. The people of the state will answer this political conspiracy of playing with the security of a former CM.”

Chennai: A fire broke out at a chemical godown of the electronics component factory of Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd in Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

However, there were no casualties nor anyone injured due to the incident, they said.

Seven fire tenders from Hosur and nearby districts were pressed into service. They doused the flames after battling for hours.

“The incident occurred at a chemical godown located on the campus at about 6 am. Seven fire tenders were pressed into service. There has been no casualty nor injury to anyone,” a senior fire and rescue service official at the Hosur Fire Station told PTI.

Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd said the employees were safe and officials are currently engaged in identifying the cause of the incident.

“There has been an unfortunate incident of fire at our plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Our emergency protocols at the plant ensured that all our employees are safe. The cause of the fire is under investigation and we will take necessary actions to safeguard the interest of our employees and other stakeholders,” the company said in a statement.

According to the company website, Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd is a greenfield venture of the diversified conglomerate Tata Group with expertise in manufacturing precision components.