Latest News: Six Soldiers Injured in an Encounter in Sukma
Catch all the latest breaking news and updates here.
Catch all the latest breaking news and updates here.
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North Korea Fires Two Short-Range Ballistic Missiles
North Korea on Saturday, 21 March, fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korea's military.
The launch originated from North Pyongan province, the agency said, citing the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Earlier this month, the nuclear-armed North carried out similar launches on two occasions -- Pyongyang said they had conducted "long-range artillery" drills, but Japan said the projectiles appeared to be ballistic missiles.
(Source: AFP)
Indian-American Raja Krishnamoorthi Wins Congressional Primary
Indian-American lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi has won the primary elections in Illinois. Seeking his third consecutive term in the House of Representatives from the 8th Congressional District of Illinois, Krishnamoorthi now advances to the November general elections.
Highly popular in his constituency, he swept the Democratic Congressional primary with 80 per cent of the votes. William Olson finished a distant second with just 13 percent of the votes.
(Source: PTI)
Landslide on Badrinath National Highway: 3 Killed
Three people, including a junior engineer and his assistant, were killed after being hit by falling rocks and boulders in a landslide on the Badrinath national highway, police said.
The accident occurred around 4 am on Saturday, 21 March, when the victims were engaged in road-widening work under the all-weather road project along the highway, Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer NN Joshi said, adding that their bodies have been pulled out of the debris.
(Source: PTI)
Landslide on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway
A massive landslide blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district on Saturday, 21 March, forcing suspension of all vehicular traffic, officials said.
The landslide struck the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, near Higni-Ramsoo around 9 am, leaving thousands of Jammu-bound vehicles stranded, a traffic department official said. Road clearance agencies have swung into action and efforts are on to reopen the highway, he added.
(Source: PTI)
American Singer Kenny Rogers Dies at 81
Kenny Rogers, American country singer-songwriter, passed away at the age of 81, his family announced on Twitter. "The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family," his official Twitter handle stated.
In an attached statement, the family said that they are planning a small private service due to the COVID-19 emergency. They "look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date," the statement said.
Delhi Govt Revenue Dept: Amanatullah Khan No Longer Chairman of Waqf Board
Delhi government's revenue department has said Amanatullah Khan ceased to be the chairman of the Waqf Board after the legislative assembly was dissolved on 11 February.
The office of the principle secretary (revenue) stated in a letter on Friday, 20 March, that Khan ceased to be a member and chairman of the Board with the dissolution of the assembly, as per Section 14(1) of Waqf Act, 1995. Khan as an MLA was nominated to the seven-membered Waqf Board and subsequently unanimously elected as its chairman in September 2018.
A senior Delhi government officer denied that Khan was removed from his post and added that the panel is to be reconstituted by the new government.
(Source: PTI)
Man Shot Dead in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, Body Cut Open
A male body with its intestine missing was found at a brick kiln in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday, 21 March, police said. The body was found at the brick kiln near the Dumri Four-Lane Road in the Sadar police station area, Station House Officer Mithilesh Jha said.
It seems that the man was shot dead and then the body was cut open, following which the intestine was removed, he said. The identity is yet to be ascertained, Jha said, adding that further investigation is underway.
The body was first spotted by locals who then informed the police, he said. The body has been sent to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) for post-mortem, police said, adding that seven empty cartridges and liquor bottles were seized from the spot.
(Source: PTI)
Two Officials Arrested for Taking Bribe in Jammu
Two government officials, including an executive engineer, have been arrested after they were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 45,000, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) spokesperson said on Saturday, 21 March.
Executive Engineer Rajinder Kumar and an account officer of SAMAGRA (Education division, SSA-RMSA, division III-IV) Jammu were booked under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act and searches were also conducted at their residences, the official said. He said the ACB laid a trap on Friday after receipt of a complaint alleging that the two officials are demanding illegal gratification to release pending bills worth Rs 15 lakh for works undertaken by a construction company.
(Source: PTI)
UN Internal Report 2019: Rise in Fraud, Sex Abuse Probes in Peace Operations
The UN’s internal oversight body said in a report on UN peace operations that the number of fraud cases it decided to investigate in 2019 increased nearly 80% from 2018, while the number of sexual exploitation and abuse cases rose 40%.
The 2019 report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services, which was circulated Friday, 20 March, said the highest number of cases it investigated were in the UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic.
Of the 241 cases investigated, 77 relate to fraud, a 79% increase from the previous year, and 73 cases relate to sexual exploitation and abuse, a 40% rise.
(Source: AP)
Wall of Under-Construction Factory Collapses in Haryana; 4 Killed, Including Minor
Four persons, including a minor, were killed after a wall of an under-construction factory collapsed on them in Haryana's Hisar district, police said on Saturday, 21 March.
The incident took place on Friday near Chikanwas village. The deceased were identified as labourers Hari Prasad (34), his wife Sonia (28), their son Chintu (5) and another labourer, Laxmi Devi (50). All of them were natives of Madhya Pradesh and were working at the construction site when the incident took place, police said.
The bodies were pulled out from the rubble using a JCB machine and sent to the Agroha Medical College, Hisar. A case has been registered against the owner of the factory, the police said.
(Source: PTI)
Chhattisgarh: Moderate Tremors Rock Bastar, Sukma; No Casualties
Moderate tremors were witnessed in parts of Bastar and Sukma districts in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, 21 March, an official said. However, no casualties or damage to property were reported, he said.
"An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale hit parts of Bastar and neighbouring Sukma district at around 11.15 am. The epicentre of the quake was 34 km away from Jagdalpur in southeast direction close to Chhattisgarh- Odisha border," a meteorologist at Meteorological Centre said.
(Source: PTI)
Union Cabinet Approves Signing and Ratifying of India-Belgium Extradition Treaty
The Union Cabinet approved the signing and ratifying of an Extradition Treaty between India and Belgium on Saturday, 21 March. Offences relating to taxation, or revenue or those of a fiscal character also fall within the scope of the treaty.
(Source: ANI)
Seven Coal Miners Killed in Explosion in Pakistan
At least seven coal miners were killed and three others injured after a gas explosion in a mine of a private company in Degari area of Pakistan's southern Sindh province, officials said on Saturday, 21 March.
The powerful explosion took place on Friday when around 12 miners were working inside the Degari coalfield, 60 km from Quetta, said Chief Inspector of Mines for Balochistan Shafqat Fayyaz.
"Around 12 miners were working inside the mine when the explosion took place due to a gas leak. We have recovered seven dead bodies while three others have been shifted to a hospital with injuries," he said. The explosion took place due to presence of methane gas inside the mine.
(Source: PTI)
Senior PDP Leader Joins BJP in Jammu
Senior PDP leader and former legislator Faqir Mohammad Khan on Saturday joined the BJP and said the people of Gurez along the Line of Control in north Kashmir are very optimistic about the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Khan was welcomed into the party by Union Territory BJP president Ravinder Raina at the party headquarters.
Khan was the zonal president of the PDP before resigning from the party. Besides Khan, senior Congress activists from Arnas including Sansar Singh (sarpanch), Sunny Sharma (youth block president) and Umesh Singh and another activist Sunil Sharma from Reasi also joined the BJP.
(Source: PTI)
7 Personnel Injured as Mob Attacks Police Station in Rajasthan
At least seven police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, were injured and several vehicles damaged after a mob pelted stones at a police station in a failed attempt to release an accused from custody in neighbouring Baran district.
The incident took place late at night on Friday, 20 March, as the 200-strong mob vandalised police jeeps among other vehicles in the premises. At least seven police personnel, including an assistant sub inspector, sustained injuries in the attack and were discharged from hospital after being treated, Circle inspector (CI), Baran City police station, Ramkishan Verma said.
(Source: PTI)
RBI: Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Restrictions Extended
The Reserve Bank of India said that the regulatory restrictions that were put on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank have been further extended for 3 months till 22 June, ANI reported.
The RBI is also, both directly and through Administrator, discussing with various authorities on expeditious sale of securities and recoveries of loans.
(Source: ANI)
Man Held for Firing at Shopkeeper in Delhi's Sangam Vihar
A 29-year-old man was arrested for allegedly firing at a shopkeeper in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar area, police said on Saturday, 21 March.
Radhey Shyam (52), who runs a grocery store in the area, was shot at by Ved Prakash and his associates on Friday, they said. Shyam received a bullet injury in the attack and was rushed to a hospital. He told police that an associate of the accused was killed by his son-in-law Pardeep due to personal enmity in December 2019.
Prakash and his associates attacked Shyam to exact revenge for the killing, a senior police officer said. "After investigation, police nabbed Prakash who was previously involved in 11 criminal cases," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said.
(Source: PTI)
Six Soldiers Injured in an Encounter in Sukma
Six soldiers have been injured in an encounter which is underway in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.
(Source: ANI)