Morning Digest: Eight Israeli soldiers dead as Hezbollah claims to repel incursion; Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk released, and more
Here is a select list of stories to start the day
by The Hindu Bureau · The HinduLadakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk released, allowed to visit Rajghat
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was released by the Delhi Police and allowed to visit Rajghat on Wednesday (October 2, 2024). Mr. Wangchuk and about 120 others had been detained on Monday night (October 1, 2024) as they marched to the capital seeking constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. Many of those detained were on a hunger strike. They said a sense of uncertainty prevailed during the day about their release. Finally, four or five buses carrying those who had been detained were allowed to go to Rajghat at different times of the day, in the presence of heavy police deployment.
56 years after IAF plane crash, body of Army soldier to be handed over to extended family
Fifty-six years after his death, the body of soldier Narayan Singh will reach his ancestral village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Thursday, and will be received by his extended family .Narayan was one of the four crew members on board the Indian Air Force AN-12 transport plane that crashed into snow-covered mountains near Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh on February 7, 1968. The plane carried 102 passengers, including the crew. A joint team of Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army, in collaboration with representatives of Tiranga Mountain Rescue, recovered the remains of four individuals from the crash site, almost 16,000 ft. above seal level near Dhaka glacier, earlier this week.
The objective of “love jihad” is to establish dominance by certain anti-social elements of a particular religion against India through demographic warfare and international conspiracy, a local court here has observed .Additional District Judge (Fast Track Court) Ravi Kumar Diwakar said Hindu girls are being lured into “love” for the sake of illegal conversions and create conditions similar to those in Pakistan and Bangladesh in India. Justice Diwakar said that illegal conversions pose a significant threat to the country’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty as he heard a case involving marriage under false identities, relationships, and abortion on Monday.
Badlapur sexual assault: accused school trustees arrested
Thane Police on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) arrested the two accused school trustees in the Badlapur sexual assault case, an official said. A day before, the Bombay High Court had refused pre-arrest bail to the school chairman and secretary, and also come down heavily on police for failing to arrest them so far. Officials of the Thane crime branch nabbed the duo from Karjat, the police official said, adding that they would be handed over to the special investigation team probing the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at the school at Badlapur in August.
Three killed in clashes over land dispute between two villages in Manipur’s Ukhrul
Three people, including a Manipur Rifles constable, were killed and about 30 others were injured after a boundary dispute between the residents of two Naga villages in the State’s Ukhrul district flared up on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) .The two villages, Hunphun and Hungpung, are close to Ukhrul town, the district headquarters about 80 km northeast of the State’s capital Imphal. District officials said the injured from both the villages were rushed to Imphal for treatment.
‘Sickening cycle of escalation’ in Mideast must stop, says UN chief Antonio Guterres
UN chief Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for an end to the “sickening cycle of escalation” in the Middle East, while specifically condemning Iran over its latest missile attack after facing harsh criticism from Israel. The secretary-general was speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, called after Iran on Tuesday launched a massive missile barrage at Israel, which has ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
U.S. prosecutors detail evidence in Donald Trump election subversion case
A U.S. judge on Wednesday made public a court filing in which federal prosecutors laid out their evidence accusing former President Donald Trump of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The 165-page filing is likely the last opportunity for prosecutors to detail their case against Trump before the Nov. 5 election given there will not be a trial before Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
Eight Israeli soldiers dead as Hezbollah claims to repel incursion
Hezbollah said it repelled an Israeli infiltration into southern Lebanon on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) as Israel reported eight soldiers were killed — its first losses since launching cross-border raids this week. The clashes came hours after Iran launched its largest missile attack yet on Israel, its sworn enemy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran would pay for its “big mistake”. Iran, which backs Hezbollah, said it would step up its response if Israel retaliates, defying calls for de-escalation in a war that has cost more than 1,000 lives in Lebanon.
Congress calls for urgent dialogue in West Asia after Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Amid escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel, the Congress on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) said there is a “fierce urgency” to start a dialogue and establish peace in a region that has been engulfed by violence .In a post on X, Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2 is an opportune moment to underscore the importance of the principle of non-violence.
Inner Manipur MP asks Amit Shah to ensure safe rescue of abducted Meitei youth
Inner Manipur MP A. Bimol Akoijam wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, asking him to intervene and “use all resources” available to his office to secure the release of two Meitei men, allegedly abducted by Kuki-Zo miscreants in Kangpokpi district last week. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he also made an appeal to church leaders across the country, along with religious leaders of all faiths, to pray for the safe release of the youth. Mr. Akoijam added that the resolution of this crisis will show the way forward in beginning to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict in the State. There have been clashes between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023.
Air India’s recent announcement that most of its cabin crew must share hotel rooms during layovers has sparked concern over their need for rest and privacy, especially during long-haul flights .In a mail to its cabin crew on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), the airline informed them of some key policy changes regarding layover entitlements, leisure travel, and gratuity, among others. It informed them that while Air India crew were earlier entitled to a single room during layovers, “cabin crew” and “cabin seniors” will now be assigned rooms on twin-sharing basis; only senior cabin crew such as “cabin managers” and “cabin executives” will be allotted single rooms.
Independents, regional parties in Haryana eye a major role in post-poll scenario
Caught in a direct contest in Haryana during the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party alliance had finished neck and neck, leading in 44 and 46 Assembly segments respectively .But with Independents and regional party candidates also emerging as strong contenders in a few pockets in the agrarian State, the political calculations of the two national parties could go awry in this weekend’s high-stakes Assembly election.
People of Chhattisgarh feel cheated under BJP government: Bhupesh Baghel
Slamming Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai government over the issue of law and order, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party Government had made every section of the population feel cheated and insulted. “Today there is no caste, class or society left that is not feeling insulted under the [Chief Minister] Vishnu Deo Sai government. The people of Chhattisgarh are feeling insulted and cheated,” said Mr. Baghel, referring to recent incidents, including the death of a youth in police custody in Kabirdham district.
Female dhakis find their own rhythm at the Durga puja traditions amidst societal barriers
Female dhakis break another barrier at Durga Pujas. Playing dhak or drums (from Eastern India) during Durga Puja was mostly a male domain which now women are taking up as a profession and owning the artform as their own .The beats of this drum are what completes the Durga Puja, a festival of a female goddess, yet no women were allowed to play the instrument until recently. Mohila Dhaki Babadhamraj Sampradaya, a troupe of 10 female dhakis from Katwa, Purba Bardhaman district, north Bengal are fighting all social taboos to pursue their dreams. They wait in their white and blue saris, donning their white sports shoes, with heavy dhaks on their shoulders, ready to entertain, ready to welcome the guests and goddess Durga.
Ukraine withdraws from eastern town of Vugledar
Ukraine’s army said Wednesday (October 2, 2024) that it had withdrawn from the eastern town of Vugledar, handing Russia one of its most significant territorial gains in weeks .The fall of the coal mining town raised new questions about Ukraine’s defensive positions along its southeastern front line with Russia advancing ahead of winter. Around 14,000 people lived in Vugledar before Russia invaded, making it one of Moscow’s more important gains in months of grinding advances across the east.
Published - October 03, 2024 07:05 am IST