LIVE news: Congress releases 1st list of 31 candidates, fields Vinesh Phogat from Julana | India News

India-Germany relationship is based on “tremendous amount” of trust, friendship and shared responsibility, bringing both countries forward as well making contribution to the world, and the upcoming visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in line with it, a top German official said here on Friday.

 

In an interview to PTI, Uwe Gehlen, Head of Development Cooperation, German Embassy in India, said the Hamburg Sustainability Conference is scheduled to be held in Germany early October in which India will participate both from the public and private sectors.

An 11-year-old student of a government school was allegedly sexually assaulted in her classroom by a self-defence trainer on Friday in Sultanpuri area of outer Delhi, triggering protests, police said.

 

The police have arrested the accused, Satish (45), who was conducting self defence classes for free of cost through an NGO, they said. He was not a regular teacher at the school.

 

A senior police officer said the family members and their neighbours gathered outside the police station and demanded action against the accused.

 

According to the victim’s father, his daughter called him in the afternoon stating that her sports teacher touched her inappropriately during the class and threatened her during the act.

 

He further said that they approached the school principal and also informed the local police about the matter.

Former BJP MP and ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday sought to downplay wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia’s foray into politics, saying any BJP candidate will defeat them if they contest in Haryana and also offered to campaign in the upcoming assembly elections should his party allow.

 

Talking to journalists at his residence Vishnoharpur, about 40 km from the district headquarters, he said, “These wrestlers made a name in the sport and became famous on the strength of wrestling. Now after joining Congress, their name will be erased.’ Earlier, Phogat and Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protest against the then WFI chief Singh, joined the Congress with a vow of “not being scared or backing off”.

 

There are indications that both or at least one might contest the October 5 assembly polls in Haryana.

 

Reacting to this development, Singh said, “These people consider politics to be a wind. They are thinking that they will win the assembly elections from Haryana. They can contest from any assembly seat in Haryana, a small BJP candidate will defeat them.” He went on to add: “If my party directs, I will also go and campaign in the Haryana assembly elections. I claim that I will get maximum support from the people of their community. I am ready to campaign in favour of the BJP candidate in front of them as well.” He also claimed that during the Lok Sabha elections, the “people of Haryana were saying that if you come and contest elections from here, we will make you win, but at that time I had refused them”.

 

Singh said many Congress leaders joined the wrestlers’ protests in the name of getting justice for them.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday targeted his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee over the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata, saying that action is needed on the issue of women’s safety and not mere words.

 

Stating that safety is a fundamental human right and not a political issue, he said there is a need to act with urgency and without any excuses to ensure that women live without fear.

 

In a long post on X, Patel said, “Mamta Didi, we need action, not just words. The POCSO Act and other laws for women’s safety are robust, but their impact depends on swift and fair action by local police. From investigation to conviction, timely justice is crucial,” he said.

NITI Aayog member V K Paul on Friday launched a coffee table book which highlighted 50 pioneer entrepreneurs under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) ecosystem from across India who are driving change through their contributions in life sciences and biotechnology.

 

Within this sector, the publication delineates innovation into subcategories like diagnostics, therapeutics, bioengineering and drug discovery.

 

The book is intended to highlight the stories of these innovations and underscore the vast applications and impact of their innovations.

 

Intended to both guide and inspire upcoming startups, the book also underscores the pivotal role of AIM-supported incubators in fostering innovation and research within these domains.

Senior Haryana BJP leader Anil Vij on Friday took a dig at wrestler Vinesh Phogat over joining the Congress, saying what objection could they have if she wanted to become “Congress ki beti” from “desh ki beti”.

 

The former minister was asked about Phogat and another wrestler Bajrang Punia, both from Haryana, hours before the two joined the Congress on Friday ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

 

“… Agar woh desh ki beti sey Congress ki beti banna chaahti hai, to hamein kya etraaz hai (if Vinesh wants to become Congress’ daughter from being the country’s daughter, what objection can we have),” the former Haryana home minister said.

 

Vij said the Congress was trying to bring these players with them from the very first day and it was due to their instigation that the wrestlers started the movement in Delhi.

Less than a month before leaving office, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Seoul and reaffirmed sympathy for the suffering of Koreans during Japan’s colonial rule, as he and his South Korean counterpart Friday underscored the need to maintain warming ties between the Asian neighbours.

 

Since early last year, Kishida and conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have worked together repair ties badly frayed over grievances stemming from Japan’s brutal 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula.

 

As a result, the two countries revived high-level talks and withdrew reciprocal economic restrictions imposed due to wrangling over Koreans forced to work for Japanese companies during the colonial period.

 

But now, experts say challenges lie ahead after Kishida’s departure.

 

“It’s important to uphold the efforts by our predecessors to overcome difficult periods and cooperate with the Republic of Korea for the future,” Kishida said at the start of a meeting with Yoon, according to Yoon’s office.

 

Kishida said he has “strong pains in my heart” over the suffering of victims of forced labour, Yoon’s’ office said, similar to comments he made last year. On both occasions he avoided a new, direct apology for colonization.

 

Yoon said “difficult issues” between the two countries remain but he hopes that Seoul and Tokyo will continue their pushes to achieve “a brighter future” for them.

“We cannot lay down one-size-fits-all solutions,” the Supreme Court said on Friday while dismissing a PIL seeking a direction for holding virtual hearings besides evening courts in district judiciary across the country.

 

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said there cannot be uniform directions on this aspect for all district courts keeping in mind the the complexities of administration.

 

“Do you know how many district courts there are in the country? You have prayed for evening courts. The lawyers will oppose this. After arguing for the whole day in the regular courts, we direct that there will be evening courts, lawyers after their day’s work will be arguing in the evening Courts?…We cannot lay down one-size-fits-all solutions. The country is too large and complex to lay down such directions,” the CJI said.

The New Delhi Municipal Council has reported over a 94 per cent drop in cases of dengue this year as compared to last year, data stated on Friday.

 

According to the data, the national capital recorded seven cases of dengue this year till August 29, while the number was 131 last year during the same period.

 

There was only one case of Chikungunya last year till August 29. However, there have been no cases so far, the report stated.

 

Similarly, one case of Malaria was reported in 2023 till August 29 and one case was reported this year, it stated.

 

The data showed that the NDMC has issued 1,679 notices this year so far where mosquito breeding was found and 104 challans were issued till now.

Last 10 years saw golden era of Jammu and Kashmir, ensured peace, progress and development, the home minister stated today. “I want to tell Omar Abdullah that whatever be the results, we will not allow you to touch reservation given to Gujjars,” Amit Shah added.

Article 370 is part of history and will never come back, asserted Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the BJP’s manifesto launch for J-K assembly polls. 

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw discussed further enhancing cooperation with Japan in the field of railways, innovation in the digital landscape and focusing on futuristic technological advancements during his visit to Tokyo. Vaishnaw, who holds the portfolios of railways, information and broadcasting, and information technology and electronics, held productive discussions with Tetsuo Saito, Japan’s minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism on enhancing India-Japan cooperation.

The CPI(M)-led Left government in Kerala on Friday announced disbursement of a two-month pension for over 60 lakh beneficiaries, marking an Onam gift.

Announcing the decision, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that Rs 1,700 crore has been allocated for this purpose. “Around 6.2 million people will receive Rs 3,200 each for Onam. This is in addition to the one month’s pension that is currently being given,” he said in a statement here.

West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee on Friday urged Governor CV Ananda Bose not to make politically motivated statements, and said he should look into the Constitution and determine whether the anti-rape Bill passed by the assembly requires any further clarification. Bose had on Thursday evening criticised the Mamata Banerjee administration for “failing to send” the technical report along with the Bill, which is necessary for giving assent to it.