LIVE: Army rescues over 3,500 stranded tourists from landslide-hit Sikkim
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 "Sikkim landslide")
Photo: Sikkim police
Maharashtra sees 19 coronavirus cases, no fatality
Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 19 fresh coronavirus cases and zero fatalities, the health department said in a bulletin. With the new additions, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 81,69,654 and the death toll to 1,48,553.
Maharashtra is now left with 142 active cases.
Currently, the dominant variant of COVID is Omicron XBB.1.16 and a total of 1,685 cases were found to be infected with this variant. A total of 19 fatalities occurred in the cases of this variant, the bulletin said.
LIC announces relaxations for victims of Biparjoy Cyclone
Following insurance regulator Irdai directive, LIC on Saturday announced concessions to mitigate the hardships of the claimants of policies and also of Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana affected by the Cyclone Biparjoy.
LIC in a statement said it is reaching out to the affected people to provide assistance although the loss of lives has been minimal.
Nodal officers have been nominated at Divisional level to liaison with Chief/Secretary/Officer concerned of the State Government in this regard, it said.
Over 2,400 stranded tourists rescued from North Sikkim
Altogether 2,413 stranded tourists were on Saturday rescued from North Sikkim after they were stuck in Lachen and Lachung areas following a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain, officials said.
The landslide at Pegong-Chungthang caused a road blockade, disrupting vehicular traffic in the region, they said.
In a day-long rescue operation launched jointly by officials of Chungthang Sub-Division, the General Reserve Engineer Force and members of the local panchayat, 2,413 individuals, who were stranded in the area, were successfully rescued.
Chhattisgarh: Man held with Rs 10 lakh in Rs 2000 notes belonging to Naxalite leaders
An alleged Maoist supporter was arrested in Bijapur in Chhattisgarh with Rs 10 lakh in Rs 2000 notes belonging to leaders of the outlawed movement, a police official said on Saturday.
The Reserve Bank of India had recently announced the withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation and had asked people to deposit it in banks or get it exchanged till September 30.
Dinesh Tati (23), resident of Palnar village in Gangaloor police station limits, was held on Friday from a tractor showroom in Bijapur town, Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Gavarna said.
Assam: CBI books senior BSNL employees for Rs 22 crore fraud
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against BSNL Assam Circle employees, including a deputy general manager, assistant general manager, and chief accounting officer, as part of its ongoing investigation into an alleged fraud involving 21 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) officials, sources said.
According to a CBI officer, searches were conducted at 25 locations, including the accused's offices and residences across Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Haryana, after the FIR was filed recently.
The officials booked were posted at multiple locations in Jorhat, Sivasagar, Guwahati, etc.
27 die due to heatwave in Bihar
At least 27 people have died in Bihar due to the intense heatwave in the state with the mercury soaring beyond 40 degrees Celsius in most places, an official said on Saturday.
Six persons have died in Bhojpur district, four each in Rohtas, Banka, and Arwal, three in Aurangabad, and one each in Nalanda, Jamui, Jahanabad, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Patna due to the heat wave.
On Saturday, Patna recorded a maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius. Sheikhpura was the hottest in the state at 45.1 degrees Celsius.
The Met department has predicted that the heat wave would continue for the next 24 hours.
Amit Shah conducts aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas in Gujarat
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday took an aerial tour of Kutch and Jakhau in Gujarat to survey the areas hit by Cyclone Biparjoy, which made its landfall on Gujarat's coasts on June 15.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accompanied him during the inspection.
Shah also engaged in a comprehensive review meeting with Patel and other high-ranking officials to discuss the current scenario.
The aerial survey covered Jakhau port and Mandvi in Kutch, both of which were severely impacted by the cyclone. Additionally, Shah made a visit to the Civil Hospital in Mandvi to meet those who received injuries due to the cyclone.
Manipur violence: Opposition parties led by Cong urge PM Modi to intervene, seek meeting
Addressing a press conference with other leaders, Manipur's three-time former chief minister O Ibobi Singh said they have sought a meeting with the prime minister and were awaiting his response before he leaves for his foreign tour on June 20.
The Congress leader said that the violence was continuing in the state since May 3 and the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi is "hurting" Manipur.
"There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the prime minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it," he asked.
Deadly winds rock Surat; 1 killed, 1 injured
Surat in Gujarat is witnessing grave incidents caused by high-speed winds since the last two days, which resulted in the killing a man while a pedestrian has been injured.
The high-speed winds, ranging from 45 kmph to 55 kmph, have uprooted trees, damaged electric poles, with several hoardings collapsing in different parts of the city.
The fire department reported over 25 incidents of tree uprooting and several instances of electric poles getting damaged within the city.
In the Wall City area of Nanavat, a part of a roof of an aging building crumbled and fell on Krunal Jariwala (26), who was standing below. Jariwala, a resident of Wadifalia area, succumbed to his injuries late on Friday at the SMIMER hospital in Surat. The building was in a poor state, and the high-speed winds caused the roof to collapse onto him.
Indian elected vice-chairman of global UN advocacy body
A senior Indian advocate was unanimously elected vice-chairman of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), a global UN advocacy body.
The WFUNA is a global non-profit organisation representing and coordinating the membership of over 100 national United Nations Associations (UNAs) and their thousands of constituents.
Suresh Srivastava, a senior advocate and secretary general of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations (IFUNA) --- an affiliate body of WFUNA, got unanimously elected as vice-chairman of the world body during its executive committee meeting on Thursday, according to a UNA press release.
Four wagons of goods train derail in Odisha
Four wagons of a goods train derailed near Ambadola in Odisha's Rayagada district on Saturday, a railway official said.
There was no immediate report of any loss of life or injury to anyone, he said.
The four wagons jumped the rails while the goods train was on its way to a Vedanta Ltd plant in Lanjigarh from Ambadola on a special route, the official said.
The train services remained unaffected as the derailment took place on the special route, he said.
Centre shielding WFI president: Rakesh Tikait
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday accused the Centre of shielding Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations.
Country's top wrestlers including Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment and intimidation.
Alleging that the wrestlers who have revolted against Singh are under government pressure, Tikait, an influential leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), accused the central government of trying to save the BJP MP.
PM Modi had ordered to make all arrangements before landfall of Cyclone: Amit Shah
Biparjoy aftermath: Amit Shah conducts aerial survey of affected areas in Kutch
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of areas affected by cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat's Kutch district. He met injured people at a hospital in Mandvi town and also interacted with farmers and personnel of NDRF and BSF.
Shah landed at Kutch district headquarters Bhuj in a chopper and conducted an aerial survey of Jakhau, which bore the brunt of the powerful cyclone on Thursday night. He was accompanied by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendera Patel.
He visited the Mandvi sub-district hospital and met injured people and pregnant women who were shifted from coastal villages hit by the cyclone, which had made landfall near Jakhau port.
Millions hooked to mobile games; India to become $7 bn market by 2025
Mobile gaming has come a long way since the early days of the 'Snake' game on Nokia phones to next-generation smartphones offering high-definition graphics and immersive gameplay that rival even the most popular console games.
Mobile gaming has evolved as much as the mobile device itself.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed during that time, the mobile gaming segment shone as it catered to the entertainment-seeking public eagerly, and the Indian mobile gaming market witnessed a boom during the period, which is still ongoing for the sector.
During the waves of Covid-19, consumers made a significant shift towards online channels.
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First Published: Jun 17 2023 | 10:31 AM IST
