Top news of the day: India clinches maiden Chess Olympiad gold; Sri Lanka Presidential election goes to historic second count, and more

The major news headlines of the day and more

Sri Lanka presidential election goes to historic second count

In a historic first, Sri Lanka’s Presidential election on Sunday went into a second round of counting after no candidate secured over 50% vote needed to be declared the winner. The latest results showed Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party’s broader front National People’s Power (NPP) had won 42.3% of the votes counted. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of Samagi Jana Balawegaya is in second place with nearly 32.76% of the total vote. Sri Lankans voted on Saturday (September 21, 2024) to elect a new president in the first election since the economic meltdown in 2022. Election Commission Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said the new President will be declared elected after the cumulative votes and preference votes are counted.

Chess Olympiad 2024: India clinches maiden gold in open section

India claimed a maiden gold medal in the open section of the 2024 Chess Olympiad on Sunday. India’s title win was secured in the final round after second-placed China dropped points on two boards against the USA, while Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh clinched wins for the Indians against Slovenia. The Indian team enjoyed a near-flawless run in the competition, starting with eight wins before it was held to a draw by defending champion Uzbekistan.

Tirupati laddu row: Jagan Mohan Reddy writes to PM Modi, wants CM Naidu to be reprimanded for spreading ‘lies’

Dubbing the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister as a “habitual liar”, YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention into the Tirupati laddu adulteration issue and that Chandrababu Naidu be reprimanded. In a letter addressed to PM Modi, Mr. Reddy alleged that CM Naidu has stooped so low as to hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives. Explaining the sequence of events, he said it is crucial to note that the ghee allegedly adulterated was rejected and not allowed to enter the premises of TTD. However, Naidu with malafide intention raised the issue at a political party meeting on September 18.

Arvind Kejriwal lashes out at PM Modi; poses five questions to RSS chief

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday, lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the RSS if it agreed with the BJP’s politics of using Central agencies to break up parties and topple opposition governments, and inducting “corrupt” leaders into its fold. In his first ‘Janta ki Adalat’ public meeting at Jantar Mantar following his resignation as Delhi chief minister, Mr. Kejriwal asked five questions to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, including if the BJP’s rule on age of retirement also applied to Modi as it did for L.K. Advani.

Pakistani national arrested along LoC in J&K’s Poonch

A 35-year-old Pakistani national was arrested by Indian army troops guarding the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district on Sunday, security officials said. Hassam Shahzad, a resident of Tarinote village of Pakistan side of the LoC, was intercepted and taken into custody by the troops in the Krishna Ghati sector of Mendhar sub-division when he tried to sneak into this side in the early hours of the day, the officials said.

BJP charges Asaduddin Owaisi of ‘misleading’ Muslims over Waqf amendments bill

The BJP, on Sunday, asked Majlis leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi to desist from “misleading” the Muslim community on the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill by the Central Government and claimed that the effort is only to provide “better representation to different sections from the minority community as well as to protect the properties”. Former MLC N. Ramchander Rao charged that Mr. Owaisi appears to be supporting vested interests involved in deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement of the Waqf properties across the country over the years.

Army seeks info from Manipur Security Adviser on entry of 900 Kuki militants

The Army has sought information from Manipur security advisor Kuldiep Singh to provide details on intelligence regarding the alleged entry of 900 Kuki militants from Myanmar on September 28. Mr. Singh, while addressing a press conference in Imphal on September 20, had said that the government is aware of intelligence inputs regarding the entry of “900 Kuki militants” on September 28 and “unless it is proven wrong it is 100% correct.” The inputs were first shared by Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s office with the Director General of Police and the security adviser last week, a copy of the leaked letter showed.

Congress appoints Uday Bhanu Chib as new Indian Youth Congress president

The Congress on Sunday appointed Uday Bhanu Chib as the president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), replacing Srinivas B V. Mr. Chib was currently serving as the general secretary of IYC and is a former president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Uday Bhanu Chib as the president of the Indian Youth Congress with immediate effect, a party statement said.

297 Indian antiquities to return to India from the U.S.

The illicit trafficking of cultural property is a longstanding issue that has affected many cultures and countries throughout history. India has been particularly affected by this issue and a large number of antiquities have been smuggled out of the country. During this visit of PM Modi to U.S., 297 antiquities were handed over to India. This takes the total number of antiquities recovered by India since 2014 to 640. The total number of antiquities returned from the U.S. alone will be 578. Further, in July 2024, on the sidelines of the 46th World Heritage Committee, in New Delhi, India and the United States signed the first ever ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of antiquities from India to the U.S.

Coldplay announces third Mumbai show due to ‘phenomenal demand’

British rock band Coldplay on Sunday added a third show to the Mumbai leg of its “Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025“ citing “phenomenal demand”, hours after fans expressed disappointment over long virtual queues on the online ticket platform BookMyShow. The tickets for the new show, set to be held on January 21 at Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Stadium, will go live at 2 p.m. on BookMyShow. According to reports, the server of BookMyShow website and app on Sunday crashed as it opened the sale for the British band’s concerts scheduled for next year.

Gaza rescuers say Israeli strike on school shelter kills seven

Civil defence rescuers in Gaza City said an Israeli strike on Sunday on a school-turned-shelter killed at least seven people, with the Israeli military saying it had targeted Hamas militants. Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported “seven martyrs and a number of wounded, including serious cases, as a result of Israeli shelling of Kafr Qasim School” in the Al-Shati refugee camp. He said hundreds of displaced Gazans were sheltering there.

IND vs BAN first Test: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja annihilate Bangladesh by 280 runs

India dismantled Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. On the fourth day, the lone point of interest was centred around how long the visitor would resist a seemingly inevitable defeat. That question was answered well before the crockery was set for lunch as India needed a mere 24.5 overs to pocket the remaining six wickets. The target of 515 remained unsurmountable and Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men were bowled out for 234 in the second innings while the host won by 280 runs. India leads the two-match series at 1-0 with the second and final Test commencing at Kanpur on September 27.

Published - September 22, 2024 07:10 pm IST