TDP Member of Parliament Galla Jayadev Declares Temporary Hiatus from Political Engagement
TDP leader Galla Jayadev has announced a hiatus from politics, opting out of the upcoming Parliament elections. Currently serving as a Lok Sabha member from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Jayadev expressed gratitude to his constituency and cited a focus on expanding his business for the decision. The Chairman and Managing Director of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Limited, Jayadev emphasized a commitment to contribute to the country's growth while addressing concerns raised in Parliament.
33 people have been killed in separate traffic crashes in eastern Afghanistan
Separate traffic crashes in eastern Afghanistan have left at least 33 people dead and 16 others injured, authorities said on Sunday. Ten collisions occurred in the Sorabi district of Kabul province, on the main highway linking the Afghan capital, Kabul and the eastern Nangarhar province, killing 17 people, including two children and four women, said Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. Ten others were injured in the crashes and they were hospitalised for treatment, Zadran said. Meanwhile, four additional collisions happened in the eastern Laghman province near the end of the same highway between Kabul and Nangarhar, killing 15 people, according to a statement from the Laghman police chief. One person was killed and six others were injured in other parts of Laghman province, it added. The injured were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment. Traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, mainly because of poor road conditions and the carelessness of drivers on highways.
J-K: 3 drug peddlers arrested in Kishtwar
Police on Sunday arrested three drug peddlers and recovered "heroin-like substances" in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. Acting on a specific tip-off, a police team intercepted a vehicle carrying three persons at Malipath area of Kishtwar, they said. The trio was identified as Asif Kabir, Arif Hussain and Tariq, officials said. A case has been registered and investigation is underway, they added.
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik praises sculptor Arun Yogiraj for Ram Lalla’s idol
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has praised sculptor Arun Yogiraj, saying Ram Lalla's idol crafted by him was heart touching and that it would inspire millions of people. "Namaskar @yogiraj_arun ji. You are truly blessed by Lord Vishwakarma. Your sculpture of Bhagwan Ram Lalla is heart touching for me as an Artist. May (the) blessings of Prabhu Ram be always with you. Jai Shri Ram," Pattnaik said in a post on X. Later, talking to PTI, he said Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj is a wonderful artist and that his work would inspire millions of people in and outside the country. "His idol is divine. The art form crafted by him is encouraging for all artists across the world. It will inspire millions of people in India and abroad," Pattnaik said. Responding to Pattnaik's post, Yogiraj on X said that his praise will motivate him to do more in the field of art. "Dear sir, receiving an appreciation from one of the renowned sand artists of the world means a lot to me…This will definitely motivate me to do more in my field of art," Yogiraj said.
Congress leader Jairam labels Nitish Kumar “expert in betraying”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday criticised Nitish Kumar's recent volte-face, branding him as an "expert in betraying", and emphasised the irony of his decision to join the BJP-led NDA camp after being instrumental in conceptualizing the opposition bloc INDIA. Kumar on Sunday resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. Ramesh remarked that Kumar's tendency to change political colors rivals that of chameleons and suggested that the political upheaval in Bihar is a tactic to divert attention from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, scheduled to enter Bihar on Monday.
CISF SI saves life of French national at Delhi’s IGI airport
A 63-year-old French national, who fell unconscious at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, was saved by a CISF personnel by performing the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure on him, a force spokesperson said on Sunday. The incident took place around noon on January 26 when passenger Bertrand Patrick had queued up for security check as he was scheduled to take an Air Vistara flight to Paris, he said. The passenger fell unconscious in the security-hold area and CISF Sub-Inspector Puneet Kumar Tiwari, working on the x-ray scanner nearby, rushed to him and performed CPR on him, following which he regained consciousness.
India logs 182 new COVID-19 cases
India saw a single-day rise of 182 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 1,525, the health ministry said on Sunday. One death has been reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, which is 0.2 percent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, around 92 percent are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in hospitalization and mortality," the official source stated.
Bengal: Rahul Gandhi-led Congress yatra resumes from Jalpaiguri after 2-day break
The Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' resumed from West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Sunday after a two-day break. Sitting atop an SUV along with state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gandhi traversed through the town of Jalpaiguri, as he waved at onlookers. The yatra will halt for the night near Siliguri, a state Congress leader said. On Monday, it will head to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district, before entering Bihar, he said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi was received at the Bagdogra airport in Siliguri in the northern part of the state by Chowdhury.
India to assist in rescue of Sri Lanka fishermen captured by Somali pirates
India has pledged to assist in the rescue of six Sri Lankan fishermen captured by the Somali pirates, Sri Lanka Navy spokesman Gayan Wickremasuriya said on Sunday. The multi-day fishing trawler Lorenzo Putha-4 set sail from Dikowita fishing harbor in Sri Lanka on January 16. Wickremasuriya said the UN's central maritime command was alerted by Sri Lanka on Saturday on the six fishermen and their trawler being captured by the Somali pirates 840 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu. He said India has pledged to assist Sri Lanka in rescuing the fishermen. The pirates had allowed the Sri Lankan fishermen captured to communicate with the fisheries ministry, the state minister of fisheries Piyal Nishantha told reporters.
PM Modi: Supreme Court Bolsters Democracy, Economic Policies Pave Way for Bright Future
PM Narendra Modi says, "...The Supreme Court has strengthened India's vibrant democracy. Today's economic policies of India will form the basis of tomorrow's bright India. The laws being made in India today will further strengthen tomorrow's bright India ..."
