Jerusalem, Sept 6,2024: Israel continues negotiations with mediators to agree on the Gaza ceasefire deal and the release of hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adviser Dmitri Gendelman said.
“Negotiations are ongoing to agree on details of the implementation of the framework agreement based on the US proposal put forward in May. This will allow the return of the hostages and the achievement of other goals of the war. Israel appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediating countries aimed at preventing Hamas from disrupting the deal,” Gendelman said on Telegram on Thursday.
He added that “Israel is determined and doing everything possible to return the 101 hostages – all of them, both alive and dead, including women, children and the elderly.”
Gendelman noted that military control over the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt–Gaza border is a strategic issue for Israel’s security.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians and took hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid. The IDF launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. The enclave’s health ministry says that the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exceeded 40,800.
Mumbai, Sep 5,2024: Sculptor Jaydeep Apte, wanted in connection with the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort last month, was arrested from neighbouring Kalyan city in Thane district, said Dnyaneshwar Chavan, joint commissioner of police, Thane, on Thursday morning.
Apte was nabbed from a housing society at Kalyan where he had gone on Wednesday night to meet his relatives, police said, adding he would be presented in a magistrate court.
The sculptor was on the run after the Malvan Police in Sindhudurg filed a case against him and his aide, Chetan Patil, structural consultant for the statue project. Patil was arrested earlier this week from Kolhapur.
Apte was arrested by a team of the Bazarpeth Police which had been keeping watch.
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue collapsed on August 26 due to strong winds.
The incident sparked a significant political controversy in the run-up to Maharashtra Assembly elections, with Opposition parties criticising the government led by Eknath Shinde.
The 28-feet bronze statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023 during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg.
Kinshasa, Sep 3,2024: At least 129 prisoners were killed and 59 others injured in an escape attempt at Makala Central Prison early Monday in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC government announced early Tuesday.
The provisional death toll reached 129, including 24 by gunfire after a “warning,” and the others by “shoving or suffocation,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security Jacquemain Shabani, specifying that at least 59 injured inmates were taken care of by the government, as well as some women who had been reportedly raped.
He said the administrative building, the registry, the infirmary, and food depots were set on fire during the accident.
Gunshots were heard for several hours at Makala Central Prison in the early hours of Monday, witnesses told Xinhua.
In July, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba decided that 1,284 inmates at the Makala Central Prison would be granted conditional release to ease overcrowding.
Kolhapur, Aug 30,2024: A structural consultant involved in installation of the now-collapsed statue of Chhatrapatii Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district was arrested early Friday morning from Kolhapur city’s Shivaji Peth area, police said.
Consultant Chetan Patil was arrested in a culpable homicide case registered against him and sculptor Jaydeep Apte, a resident of Thane, for the collapse on August 26, police said.
Soon after the incident, official had claimed the 35-foot metal statue, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last December, crashed due to strong coastal winds.
The incident caused embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government with the Opposition parties alleging corruption in the construction of the statue.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar later sought a public apology for the incident and assured to rebuild the statue.
On Friday, Pawar visited the Fort along with Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare and took stock of the situation at the collapse site.
He dismissed allegations that the collapse was due to hasty installation and said the government has ordered a detail probe and guilty persons will be punished.
Nukuʻalofa (Tonga)/New Delhi, Aug 29,2024: India on Thursday offered to undertake a Quick Impact Project in each of the 14 Pacific Island Countries, based on each country’s choice, worth USD 50,000.
The offer was made by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, in his address at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Dialogue Partners Session, in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga, which is hosting the PIF.
“As part of our continuous solidarity with our Pacific Partner Countries and the Pacific Islands Forum, I am pleased to announce that Government of India will undertake one Quick Impact Project or QIP of each country’s choice worth USD 50,000 in each of the 14 Pacific Island Countries. We will be happy to receive proposals in this regard from the respective countries,” he said.
He reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to work closely with the Pacific partner Countries and the Pacific Islands Forum, as the foremost regional mechanism, in line with the priorities outlined in the 2050 Strategy to help build a stronger, more resilient and prosperous Blue Pacific Continent.
Margherita said that India’s multifaceted engagement with the Blue Pacific Continent is anchored in its Act East Policy, and is strengthened both bilaterally and through different mechanisms such as the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).
He highlighted the significance that India attaches to the relationship.
India’s bilateral development partnership in the form of grant-in-aid projects is worth about USD 3 million per annum. These are demand-driven and have had high impact in the 14 Pacific partner countries.
At the 3rd FIPIC Summit held in Papua New Guinea last year, Prime Minister Modi announced a 12 Point Action Plan which includes the setting up of a 100-bedded regional Super-specialty Hospital in Suva, Fiji, a Regional IT and Cyber Security Training Hub in Papua New Guinea, 1,000 Scholarships over the next five years, supply of Dialysis Units, and Generic Medicine Pharmacy outlets.
India leads a number of global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Green Grids Initiative — One Sun, One World, One Grid, the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuel Alliance which benefit our Pacific partners.
India is committed to responding to the vulnerabilities caused by natural hazards in the Pacific, the MoS added.
New Delhi, Aug 27,2024: India on Monday slammed “fake videos, rumours and fear mongering” in flood-hit Bangladesh to create misunderstanding regarding release of water by India from the Farakka barrage and said that this should be firmly countered with facts.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:
“We have seen media reports of the opening of Farraka barrage gates that will allow the flow of over 11 lakh cusecs of water downstream of the river in its natural course into the Ganga/Padma river.
“This is a normal seasonal development that takes place due to increased inflow from heavy rainfall in the Ganga river basin catchment areas upstream.
“It is to be understood that Farraka is only a barrage and not a dam. Whenever, water level reaches the pond level, whatever inflow comes that passes.
“It is merely a structure to divert 40,000 cusecs of water into the Farraka canal that is carefully done using a system of gates on the main Ganga/Padma river, while the balance water flows into the main river to Bangladesh.
“Data, as per protocol, is shared with the concerned Joint River Commission officials in Bangladesh on a regular and timely basis. It has been done this time as well.
“We have seen fake videos, rumours and fear mongering to create misunderstanding. This should be firmly countered with facts.”
The MEA response comes as Bangladeshi media reports said that India has opened all the gates of the Farakka barrage that is situated on the Ganges River in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, around 18km from the Bangladesh border.
The Dhaka Tribune reported that:
“India has opened all the gates of the Farakka Barrage due to heavy rains in Bihar and Jharkhand.
“M Inamul Haque, former director general of River Research Institute, Bangladesh Haor Development Board and Water Resources Planning Organisation, confirmed the matter on Monday”, the Dhaka Tribune said.
“The Farakka Barrage has 109 gates. Some are always open, and during the monsoon season, more gates are opened. Currently, all of them are open. There is no possibility of flooding,” he said.
“The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre is monitoring the water level.
Farakka Barrage General Manager R Desh Pandey said the Farakka Barrage authority is always on alert and is monitoring the situation constantly.
“Given the sudden surge in water pressure, it became necessary to open all 109 gates to relieve the pressure on the barrage. Failing to do so could have caused significant damage. Currently, 40,000 cusecs of water are being released into the feeder canal, and 1.1 million cusecs downstream,” he said, according to Dhaka Tribune.
New Delhi, Aug 27,2024: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday decided to create five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The five new districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang, an official statement said.
Along with giving “in-principle approval” for the formation of five new districts, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Ladakh administration to form a committee to assess various aspects related to the formation of new districts.
The committee will assess aspects such as headquarters, boundaries, structure, creation of posts, any other aspect related to the formation of district etc. and submit its report within three months.
After receiving the report of the said committee, the Union Territory of Ladakh will send the final proposal regarding the creation of new districts to the Home Ministry for further action.
Informing about this decision in a post on ‘X’, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that with this decision, the new districts – Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang – will take the benefits meant for the people to their doorsteps by bolstering governance in every nook and cranny.
After the formation of these five districts, there will a total of seven districts in Ladakh, including Leh and Kargil.
This important decision of MHA will prove to be very useful in the all-round development of Ladakh.
New Delhi, Aug 23,2024: In view of the grave flood situation in Tripura, the Government on Friday approved the release of Rs 40 crore as the central share from SDRF to provide relief to the affected people of the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on micro blogging site X said, “Given the flood situation in Tripura, the central govt, under the leadership of Modi Ji, has approved the release of ₹40 crore in advance, as the central share from SDRF, to provide relief to the affected people”.
“The 11 NDRF teams, 3 columns of the Army, and 4 helicopters of the Air Force deployed by the Centre are already assisting the state govt. in relief and rescue operations,” Shah said in his post.
The Home Minister said, “No matter what, our sisters and brothers in Tripura will find the Modi govt standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them to battle these difficult times”.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister for the central assistance.
“I thank Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble HM Shri @amitshah Ji for this much needed support in the hour of grief in Tripura due to floods. The constant support from your side is helping & motivating us to firmly fight this tough situation. I on behalf of Tripura convey my regards to the caring govt. in the central,” the Tripura CM said in a post on X.
The Chief Minister also conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas to asses the damage caused by the flood.
The Gomati river is still flowing above the danger mark. The state administration has shifted the people residing in nearby areas to safe places.
Dhaka, Aug 22,2024: Bangladesh’s interim government has sought 1 billion U.S. dollars from the World Bank as budgetary support.
The call came from the country’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s meeting with Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in Dhaka Wednesday.
He made the plea as the ministry owes more than 2 billion dollars to suppliers in import costs of power and energy.
Khan mentioned that the interim government, which was formed with many pressing mandates, is due to settle a 2 billion U.S. dollars debt left by the previous government in the power sector.
He said they have already suspended activities under the much-criticized Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act 2010 and abolished the government’s power to set energy prices without any public hearing.
Israel, Aug 21,2024: Israel will sign an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages if mediators manage to bring Palestinian movement Hamas to it, an Israeli government source told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite objections from several of his cabinet ministers, initially and fully endorsed the Gaza plan proposed by US President Joe Biden on May 27, the source said.
“Now it is all up to Hamas. Unfortunately, in the past, due to the terrorists’ repeated failure to reach a deal, the decisive role is now given to the mediating countries: the United States, Qatar and Egypt. If they manage to bring Hamas to an agreement, Israel will sign it,” the source said, adding that the deal depends on mediators’ ability to persuade Hamas to sign Biden’s plan.