Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is set to grace the upcoming Republic Day celebration in the national capital as the Chief Guest, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. It is learnt that Subianto is unlikely to travel to Pakistan immediately after concluding his trip to India after New Delhi raised the issue. Jakarta planned a trip to Pakistan by the Indonesian President after his visit to New Delhi, Pakistan media had reported. India is yet to formally announce this year's Republic Day chief guest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with Subianto during his visit. Every year, India invites world leaders to attend the Republic Day celebration. Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi graced the occasion in 2023. There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebration. In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, while in 2018, leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the event. In 2017, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at celebration, while then French President Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016. In 2015, then US President Barack Obama watched the parade. In 2014, ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebration, while Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013. The heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac. The then British Prime Minister John Major had attended the R-Day celebration in 1993, Nelson Mandela participated as the then South African President in 1995, while South Korean President President Lee Myung Bak witnessed the parade in 2010. In 2008, Sarkozy participated in the celebrations as French President, while his predecessor Chirac graced the occasion in 1998. Other world leaders who have attended the celebration include Nepal's King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, who came here in 1999, Iran's then President Mohammed Khatami in 2003, then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011, and President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1991. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 10:45 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIUnion Minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, calling the former Delhi Chief Minister's demand to include the state's Jat community in the OBC list is a "false demand." Speaking to ANI, Athawale asserted that it is the state government's responsibility to decide which community to include in the list before sending the proposal to the central government. "Arvind Kejriwal has been the Chief Minister thrice. The state government decides which community to include in which list, after which they send a proposal to the Center... Arvind Kejriwal is lying. He has not done the work of giving justice to the Jat community," Athawale told ANI. He further claimed that Arvind Kejriwal is only using that demand because he feels that the time has come for him to be out of power. "The time has come for him to come out of power, so he feels that now the Jat community should be included in OBC... This is his false demand," Athawale added. Earlier, former Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to include Delhi's Jat community in the OBC list of the Centre. Kejriwal accused the BJP-led central government of "cheating" the community in the name of OBC reservation for the last 10 years. Additionally, speaking on the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Athawale reiterated his support for the NDA and said that his party will contest seats while also making sure the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not lose votes. "We are contesting elections on 15-20 seats but BJP should not suffer any loss, my party is in NDA, and we support BJP, NDA. Our role is to ensure that the BJP government comes here...," he said. Athawale also criticised Kejriwal further, accusing his government of corruption during his tenure. "There have been scams during Arvind Kejriwal's tenure... Now the report that has come shows that Arvind Kejriwal's government was corrupt, so we demand to remove Arvind Kejriwal and bring the BJP to power," he said. The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. A three-way contest is on the cards in Delhi between the ruling AAP, BJP and Congress. Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. Whereas AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got eight seats. Earlier on Saturday, the BJP released its second list of 29 candidates for the upcoming elections. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 10:44 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIISRO on Sunday said the two satellites launched to perform space docking experiments were brought within three metres and then moved safely back in a trial attempt. The space agency also said the docking process would be done after analysing the data further. "A trial attempt to reach up to 15 metres and further to three metres is done. Moving back spacecraft to safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further," ISRO said in a post on X. The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) project has missed two announced schedules for docking experiments on January 7 and January 9. ISRO launched the mission on December 30. The PSLV C60 rocket, carrying two small satellites -- SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) -- along with 24 payloads, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. About 15 minutes later, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kilogrammes each were launched into a 475-kilometre circular orbit, as intended. The SpaDeX project is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using small spacecraft, according to ISRO. A successful demonstration of SpaDeX will make India the fourth nation to master the complex technologies that are crucial for its future missions, such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and landing an astronaut on the moon. In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 10:41 AM IST | Bengaluru | PTIWelcome to Mid-Day's Top News at this hour! We bring you a curated selection of the most significant and compelling news from around the globe. Stay informed with the latest developments in the nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today. Vasai crime: Sans guard, jewellery store robbed at gunpoint; owner hurt Two unidentified men stole 50 tolas of gold jewellery, worth about Rs 40 lakh, at gunpoint from a shop in Vasai on Friday night. The shop owner was injured in the heist. The owner of Mayank Jewellers located in Kaul Heritage City’s Agarwal & Dosti Complex in Vasai, Ratanlal Sanghvi, was packing up preparing to close the shop at around 9.15pm when two men arrived on a motorcycle. Read more. Beed sarpanch murder: MCOCA charges filed against 8 accused The seven accused in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog in Beed district, have been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Read more. ‘She was in her uniform when she learnt she was pregnant’: The dark reality of teenage pregnancies in tribal hamlets of Pen Teenage pregnancy is a dark reality for residents of tribal hamlets in Pen and nearby talukas of Raigad district, where every month on an average five-10 minor girls in the age group of 12 to 17 years are becoming pregnant —a fact that comes to light when they miss their menstrual cycle and visit the primary health centre or rural hospital, where tests confirm pregnancy. Read more. Rohit’s struggles shook Team India Australia clinched a thrilling five Test series win over India and in the process finally regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Read more. Wamiqa Gabbi to play female lead opposite Ranveer Singh in Basil Joseph’s next superhero film? It’s raining offers for Wamiqa Gabbi, who recently appeared in Baby John alongside Varun Dhawan. She has joined Adivi Sesh and Emraan Hashmi in the thriller G2 and will feature in Akshay Kumar’s Bhoot Bangla. The actor is also the frontrunner to join opposite Ranveer Singh in an upcoming superhero film directed by Basil Joseph, known for Minnal Murali. The project is rumoured to be a Bollywood adaptation of the iconic Indian superhero Shaktimaan. Read more.
12 January,2025 10:05 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJoining the debate on a 90-hour work week, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Saturday said focus on the quality of work and not on the quantity, as one can change the world in 10 hours, reported news agency PTI. Speaking at the National Youth Festival in the national capital, Mahindra asserted that he is on social media not because he is lonely and quipped, "My wife is wonderful. I love staring at her", reported PTI. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan has sparked an online outrage with his comments, asking, "How long can you stare at your wife" while advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting that employees should even give up Sundays. Responding to a query on the 90-hour work week, Mahindra, while reiterating his respect for Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and others, said, "Let me not get this wrong, of course, but I have to say something. I think this debate is in the wrong direction because this debate is about the quantity of work", reported PTI. "My point is we have to focus on the quality of work, not on the quantity of work. So, it's not about 40 hours, it's not about 70 hours, it's not about 90 hours. What output are you doing? Even if it's 10 hours, you can change the world in 10 hours," he added, reported PTI. Mahindra further said he "always believed that you have to have leaders and people in your company who make wise decisions, wise choices. So, the question is, which kind of mind makes the right choices and right decisions?" He also stressed the need to have a mind that is "exposed to holistic thinking, that is open to inputs from around the world" and also the need for people from different backgrounds like engineers and MBAs to study arts and culture to be able to make better decisions. "...because I think you make better decisions when you have a whole brain, when you are informed about arts, culture, that's when you make a good decision," Mahindra said, reported PTI. Highlighting the need to spend time with family and friends, he said, "If you're not spending time at home, if you're not spending time with friends, if you're not reading, if you don't have time to reflect, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?", reported PTI. Taking the example of M&M, which makes automobiles, he said, "We have to decide what a customer wants in a car. If we are only in the office all the time, we are not with our families, we are not with other families. How are we going to understand what people want to buy? What kind of car do they want to sit in?", reported PTI. He further said, "I'm not going to say you need to work so many hours of that. I don't want it to be. Ask me what's the quality of my work. Don't ask me how many hours I work". Referring to his followers on X, who often ask how much time he has and why he spends so much time on social media instead of working, Mahindra said, "I want to tell people I'm on X on social media not because I'm lonely... My wife is wonderful. I love staring at her. I spend more time. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here because people don't understand it is an amazing business tool, how in one platform I get feedback from 11 million people..." Last month, billionaire Gautam Adani also waded into the work-life balance debate when he said the spouse would leave if one was to spend eight hours with the family. He had reportedly stated that work-life balance is a matter of personal choice. "Your idea of work-life balance should not be imposed on me, and my idea shouldn't be imposed on you. Say, someone spends 4 hours with family and finds joy in it, or if someone else spends 8 hours and enjoys it, that is their work-life balance", he added. "Aath ghanta family ke saath bitayega tho biwi bhaag jaayegi (Wife will leave if one spends eight hours with family)," he had said. Last year, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy stirred up a storm on the internet when he suggested the need for a change in India's work, stating youngsters should be prepared to work for 70 hours a week. Murthy had found support from Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal. (With inputs from PTI)
12 January,2025 09:09 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA 10-month-old child has been detected with the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, the first such case this season in Assam, officials said on Saturday. The child is undergoing treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh and is “stable” now, they said. AMCH Superintendent Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan said the child was admitted to the state-run hospital with cold-related symptoms four days ago. “The HMPV infection was confirmed yesterday after we got test results from Lahowal-based ICMR-RMRC,” the hospital superintendent said. Bhuyan said that samples are sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research for tests in influenza and flu-related cases as a routine practice. “It was a routine test during which the HMPV infection was detected. The child is stable now. It is a common virus and there is nothing to worry about,” he said. ICMR—Regional Medical Research Centre, NE, Lahowal (Dibrugarh) Senior Scientist Dr Biswajit Borkakoty said, “Since 2014, we have detected 110 HMPV cases in Dibrugarh district. This is the first case this season. Every year it is detected, and nothing is new. We have got the sample from AMCH and this has been found positive for HMPV”. The virus infection is usually a mild and self-limiting condition and most such patients recover on their own. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 07:58 AM IST | Dibrugarh | AgenciesTwo Kasaragod natives undertook a gruelling 8,000 kilometre and 223-days long journey by foot from north India to the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala here with prayers for world peace, a Travancore Devaswom Board said on Saturday. Sanathkumar Nayak and Sampathkumar Shetty, who hail from Ramdas Nagar in Kasaragod district, left for Badrinath from Kerala on May 26, 2024, by train. From there, they filled up their “irumudi kattu” (the traditional bundle a devotee brings to the Lord Ayyappa shrine) and set off on foot for Sabarimala on June 3, TDB said in a release. During their journey, they visited various pilgrimage centres and temples, including four monasteries established by Shankaracharya, and reached Sannidhanam via Ayodhya, Ujjain, Dwarka, Puri, Jagannath, Rameshwaram, Achankovil and Erumeli. They stayed at various temples, ate local fare or cooked their own food as they walked 8,000 kilometres to reach the hill-top shrine. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 07:56 AM IST | Pathanamthitta | AgenciesThe CAG has projected a loss of Rs 2,026 crore due to the Delhi government’s excise policy, and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has not tabled the report in the assembly to hide its misdeeds, the BJP claimed on Saturday. AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar on Saturday accused the BJP of fabricating false allegations against the Delhi government and dismissed the party’s claims about a CAG report as “manufactured and baseless”. Responding to the BJP’s claims about the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Kakkar alleged during a press conference here that the report presented by the BJP was not authentic and had neither been seen by key stakeholders, including the chief minister and the LG, nor listed on the CAG’s official website. “The report they are showing is fake and manufactured in their office. It holds no credibility. This is the same strategy the BJP uses repeatedly to mislead people with false allegations,” Kakkar said. Referring to previous allegations levelled by the BJP, including those in the liquor policy case, Kakkar claimed even the Supreme Court had dismissed their claims as baseless. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 07:55 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAn under-construction building at the Kannauj railway station collapsed on Saturday afternoon, trapping around two dozen workers under the rubble, officials said. At least 23 people have been injured in the incident. Six of them were pulled out of the debris and rushed to hospital, they said. The North Eastern Railway (NER) said it has constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident. Initial visuals from the site showed scenes of chaos and confusion with crowds, clouds of dust and broken beams as people tried to rescue those who had been trapped. “According to preliminary information, the incident occurred when the under-construction shuttering of the roof collapsed,” said District Magistrate (DM) Shubhrant Kumar Shukl. “Our first priority is to rescue the workers who are trapped. We are using all resources at our disposal for the rescue efforts,” Shukl, who had rushed to the spot along with other senior officials to supervise the rescue operation, added. Roof shuttering is a temporary structure that supports concrete while it sets. Minister of State (Independent Charge), Social Welfare, Asim Arun also reached the spot. “So far, 23 people have been injured in the accident. While 20 of them suffered minor injuries, three of them sustained grievous injuries. The rescue operation is underway and will take a few more hours,” the minister told reporters. Construction was going on for the new terminal of the Kannauj railway station under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Arun said. “Once the rescue operation is completed, a thorough probe will be launched into the incident,” he said. The NER division of the Indian Railways said in a statement that it has formed a high-level three-member committee to investigate the incident. “The investigation team will include the chief engineer, planning and design; the additional divisional railway manager, Izzatnagar; and the chief security commissioner of the Railway Protection Force,” the statement quoted chief public relations officer of NER Pankaj Kumar Singh as saying. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 January,2025 07:53 AM IST | Uttar Pradesh | AgenciesThe decision by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) to contest the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra independently is a result of the party’s realisation that parting ways with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and aligning with the Congress in 2019 was a mistake, state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday. Amid a blame game over the Maha Vikas Aghadi's defeat in the state assembly elections, key constituent Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) announced earlier in the day that it would fight the local elections solo. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut highlighted the lack of opportunities for workers within alliances and the need for organisational growth as key reasons for contesting independently, news agency PTI reported. "The Shiv Sena (UBT) has realised its blunder of choosing the Congress over BJP and Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has realised that the Congress' ideology cannot take it forward," Bawankule said. Thackeray had ended the decades-long alliance with BJP after the 2019 assembly polls, accusing the latter of breaking a promise to share the chief ministerial post. He subsequently formed an alliance with the Congress and then undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and served as chief minister from 2019 to 2022. The state BJP chief also mentioned that the Mahayuti will endeavour to encourage workers to contest the local body elections unitedly, PTI reported. "If one party, or an alliance with a shared ideology, is in power from the Centre down to the panchayat level, then every paisa earmarked for development reaches the grassroots from Delhi," Bawankule added. The BJP, the largest party in the Mahayuti, which also includes the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, will not be arrogant and will seek to accommodate allies in the local polls, he stated. Polls in several urban areas, including Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur, have been pending since early 2022. Regarding the state BJP's day-long convention on Sunday, Bawankule said that 15,000 delegates would attend, including 50 from each assembly constituency, PTI reported. "The convention is being held to prepare the cadre so that the welfare schemes of the Union and state governments reach beneficiaries at the grassroots level. The convention will be historic," he said. (With PTI inputs)
11 January,2025 09:46 PM IST | Shirdi | mid-day online correspondentGujarat has confirmed its fourth case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) after a nine-month-old tested positive in Ahmedabad, officials reported on Saturday. All the cases have emerged within a week, reported news agency PTI. The baby boy was admitted to a private hospital in the city on Monday after developing symptoms such as cold, cough, and difficulty breathing. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation noted that he had no history of foreign travel or other travel. On Friday, an eight-year-old boy from Sabarkantha district was identified as the third case patient of HMPV. Just two days prior, an 80-year-old man in Ahmedabad, who has asthma, also tested positive for the virus and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital. The first case in Gujarat was recorded on Monday, January 6, when a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan was diagnosed with the viral disease, which presents symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough. He was later discharged after treatment. With the recent infant's infection, the state has now documented four cases of HMPV since Monday. HMPV, which was discovered in 2001, is part of the Paramyxoviridae family and is closely related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It spreads through respiratory droplets released during coughing or sneezing and can also be contracted by touching contaminated surfaces or having direct contact with infected individuals. HMPV scare: No cause for concern, says Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar Amid concerns surrounding the Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) virus, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar on Wednesday reassured the public that the state health department is working efficiently in this matter and no one has to worry about it, reported news agency ANI. He reiterated that this variant of HMPV is not that strong and the nation has already dealt with problematic viruses like coronavirus. Speaking to reporters, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said, "We have mentioned this earlier too that this variant is not strong. We have dealt with problematic viruses like coronavirus. Our health department is working efficiently in this matter. No one has to worry..." Earlier on January 8, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official, Margaret Harris said that the rise observed in the number of common respiratory infections, is 'common' during winter and spring, reported ANI. (With agency inputs)
11 January,2025 07:16 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT