Tag: Hindi News

In an unusual turn of events, Norwegian government officials have issued a warning to residents, advising them to maintain a safe distance from a beluga whale believed to have ties to the Russian Navy. Dubbed Hvaldimir, the endearing marine creature has captured the attention of experts and locals alike with its peculiar behaviour and alleged espionage associations, as per a report from New York Post.

Hvaldimir first made headlines in 2019 when it was spotted wearing a harness labeled “St. Petersburg”, complete with mounts for an underwater camera. This intriguing discovery led marine experts to suspect that the beluga whale had undergone training by the Russian Navy, potentially as a covert operative.

Norwegian authorities ask residents to maintain distance
Recently, Hvaldimir has been spotted in the densely populated area of Inner Oslofjord, playfully following boats and interacting with humans on board. Concerned about the safety of both the creature and individuals, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries issued a statement urging residents to avoid contact with the whale, despite its seemingly friendly nature.

Frank Bakke-Jensen, director of the agency, emphasised the need for caution, particularly for boat owners, as Hvaldimir has suffered minor injuries from previous encounters with vessels. The risk of further harm to the whale due to human contact has significantly increased, prompting the call for people to maintain a safe distance. Notably, Hvaldimir has displayed a unique ability to forage for food at fish farms, taking advantage of surplus feed. This behavior has allowed the animal to sustain itself and has added to its intrigue among locals who have encountered the whale in recent weeks.

The whale ‘Hvaldimir’ won’t be captured
While suspicions regarding Hvaldimir’s affiliation with the Russian Navy persist, Norwegian authorities have no plans to capture or confine the animal. Officials have reiterated that the beluga whale is a free-living creature and stressed the absence of any need for intervention beyond monitoring its movements.

The origins of Hvaldimir can be traced back to 2019 when fisherman Joar Hesten first encountered the whale in the northeastern county of Finnmark. At the time, marine biologists and experts identified the animal as a trained beluga whale from Russia, with the harness bearing the inscription “Equipment St. Petersburg”. These findings fueled speculation that the whale could be involved in covert military activities, as the Russian Navy has been known to employ belugas for such purposes.

As Hvaldimir continues to captivate the public with its unusual behavior and suspected connections, marine officials to remain vigilant, closely observing the creature’s activities in the interest of both its well-being and the safety of those who encounter it. While the truth behind Hvaldimir’s past and potential ties to the Russian Navy may remain shrouded in mystery, its presence serves as a reminder of the remarkable and unexpected connections that can exist between the animal kingdom and the world of human affairs.

Amid the ongoing political turmoil, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sent a defamation notice to the country’s Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel. Khan sent the legal notice of PKR 10 billion to Patel after he questioned the PTI chief’s mental stability at a press conference, Dunya News reported. In the legal notice, Khan pointed out Patel’s allegation that traces of alcohol and cocaine were found in the urine analysis of the cricketing legend. On May 26, Patel shared the details of Khan’s confidential medical report which was supposedly conducted while Khan was in custody.

The PTI chief sent the legal notice through his lawyer Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi. The legal notice was sent to Patel under the Defamation Ordinance, 2002, which deals with the “dissemination and circulation of wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious and defamatory information”. “The press conference was watched in Pakistan as well as all over the world through electronic media channels, YouTube and various other social media platforms. Moreover, details regarding the press conference were also published in newspapers nationally as well as internationally,” the notice said. “The report emphasises a lot on the mental state of our client [Imran Khan]; however, no details of mental state examination have been provided,” it further added.

Imran Khan accuses Patel of having ‘malicious interests’
The defamatory notice sent by Khan’s lawyer alleged that the Health Minister made these remarks, “knowingly, consciously, willingly, deliberately and maliciously”. It highlighted that such a proclamation caused “a loss” to the PTI chief’s “goodwill and injury to his reputation”. Khan demanded that the Federal Health Minster retract his comment and tender an unconditional apology. He also insisted that Patel should admit that he had committed a mistake, Dunya News reported. The notice called on Patel to pay “Rs 10 billion for defaming…and levelling false allegations”.

“Likewise, you (Patel) have also caused emotional trauma, mental agony and anguish and distress to our client (Imran),” the notice added. During last week’s press conference, the health minister disregarded questions surrounding the moral and ethical grounds for sharing the medical records of the PTI chief. Patel alleged that the National Accountability Bureau office collected Khan’s urine sample on May 9, shortly after Khan was arrested in the Al Qadir Trust Case. Reading the report in front of the Pak media, the health minister stated that Khan appeared under stress and displayed symptoms of anxiety during his medical examination. After alleging that traces of drug and alcohol were found in Khan’s urine sample Patel stated that a detailed report will be shared with the media once finalised. Meanwhile, the notice stated that Imran would be “compelled to initiate” legal proceedings if the minister failed to take the aforementioned steps within 15 days.

US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation on Monday where bilateral relationship and cooperation as NATO allies were critical areas of discourse. Erdogan won a third consecutive term as President of Turkey on Sunday.

In a statement, the White House said, “They (US President Biden and Turkish President Erdogan) expressed their shared commitment to continue working together as close partners to deepen cooperation between our countries and people. They also discussed their readiness as NATO Allies to address regional and global challenges, including strengthening transatlantic security at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.”

I look forward to continuing to work together as NATO Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.

— President Biden (@POTUS) May 28, 2023
The NATO summit is scheduled to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 11 to 12 July 2023. Finland became the newest member of the Cold War alliance this year. Turkey was instrumental in blocking the bids of Sweden and Finland to join NATO but later both the Nordic States and Ankara signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to settle disputes among them.

What is NATO?
NATO is a military alliance comprising 27 European nations, 2 North American nations, and 1 Eurasian nation. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States were the Alliance’s original 12 founding members in 1949.

The other member countries are Greece and Turkey (1952), Germany (1955), Spain (1982), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017), North Macedonia (2020) and Finland (2023).

NATO claims that it is dedicated to the peaceful settlement of problems. It possesses the military might to conduct crisis-management operations if diplomatic efforts are unsuccessful. These are carried out on their own or in collaboration with other nations and international groups by a United Nations mandate or the collective defence provision of NATO’s founding treaty, Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

Three members of a family, including a four-year-old girl, were killed and six injured when their car plunged into a river in Maharashtra’s Nashik district on Tuesday, police said.

The accident took place around 1 am on Panzan river bridge in Nandgaon taluka, when the car with 10 members of a family was on its way to Malegaon from Jalna, an official said.

Dr Mansuri, who was driving the car, fell asleep at the wheel, causing it to plunge into Panzan river, the official said.

The injured are undergoing treatment at different private hospitals and two of them are in a critical condition, he said.

A case has been registered under sections 304 (A) (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Motor Vehicle Act, he added.

Amid efforts from various leaders such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to put forward a united front against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, Congress leader P Chidambaram stated the party line is to constitute a common front against the BJP. He also projected in the scenario of all opposition parties coming together against the saffron party, it is possible to field a common candidate against BJP in about 450 seats across the country. Chidambaram also informed it may happen soon and a meeting of all opposition parties is scheduled in Patna on June 12.

When asked about the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress MP P Chidambaram said, “I can’t speak about Lok Sabha strategy but I can tell you that the party line so far is all the non-BJP Opposition parties must get together, in my view it is possible that in 450 seats we can field one common candidate against the BJP. But that is an aspiration. Parties are meeting in Patna on June 12. It is a work in progress. It will happen but it will take some time,” former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram was addressing a press conference in Mumbai and flanked by Maharashtra Congress top brass.

He has also met regional leaders in many states and also declared his support to Arvind Kejriwal in the latter’s fight against the Centre in connection with the Delhi ordinance. Notably, Kejriwal recently has also been rallying hard to seek the support of the opposition to vote against the Delhi ordinance when it comes up for voting in the Rajya Sabha.

Opposition boycotts new parliament inauguration
Multiple opposition parties came together to register a protest against the Centre not inviting President Draupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new parliament building on May 28. They didn’t attend the inauguration ceremony however a part of the opposition did accept the invite and took part in the function.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday visited Churachandpur, the scene of some of the worst rioting in the recent ethnic conflict which broke out in Manipur earlier this month, to hold talks with Kuki civil society leaders.

Among others, Shah who flew down in a helicopter accompanied by the IB chief and home secretary, is meeting church leaders as well as intellectuals from the Kuki community to understand their grievances and find ways to bring peace to the northeastern state which has witnessed a seroies of clashes between Meiteis and Kukis.

Earlier in the day, the government announced it will give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to those who died during the ethnic conflict in Manipur.

A member of the family of those who died in the rioting will also be provided a job.

The compensation amount will be borne equally by the centre and the state, officials said.

The decision was taken at a meeting between the Union Home Minister and chief minister N Biren Singh, on Monday late night.

Manipur has been hit by ethnic conflict for nearly a month and witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.

The death toll from clashes has gone up to 80, officials said.

The meeting also decided to ensure that essential items such as petrol, LPG gas, rice and other food products will be made available in large quantities to cool down prices.

The home minister who flew in to Imphal Monday night is accompanied by the Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Kumar Deka.

Shah also held consultations on Tuesday with stake-holders starting with a breakfast meeting with a group of women leaders, as part of his initiative to bring peace to the violence-hit state.

“Held a meeting with a group of women leaders (Meira Paibi) in Manipur. Reiterated the significance of the role of women in the society of Manipur. Together, we are committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the state,” Shah tweeted.

According to a home ministry spokesperson, Shah also held a meeting with the delegation of different civil society organisations in Imphal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday said on the sidelines of a function in Pune, that challenges in Manipur have not disappeared, but expressed hope that things will settle down in some time while noting the situation in the north-eastern state now is not related to insurgency.

“We are helping the state government with the problem,” the CDS said.

“I would like to say that the armed forces and Assam Rifles have done an excellent job there and may have saved a large number of lives. Though the challenges in Manipur have not disappeared, it will take some time. Hopefully this will settle and the government there will be able to do the job with the help of CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) etc,” he said.

Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then there have been waves of un rest including a latest round of clashes which saw at least 5 dead on Sunday.

The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday address a rally in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, the first major event in a month-long outreach campaign by the BJP to mark its nine years in power at the Centre.

Rajasthan, where the ruling Congress is caught in a leadership tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, goes to the polls this year-end.

Modi will travel by helicopter from Kishangarh airport to the holy town of Pushkar, where he will offer prayers at the Brahma temple and visit the ghats, according to party leaders.

He will then travel by helicopter to Kayad Vishram Sthali on the Jaipur road to address the rally. Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary, and other BJP leaders from Rajasthan will attend the meeting.

Ajmer North MLA Vasudev Devnani said BJP workers from 45 assembly and eight Lok Sabha constituencies are being mobilised for the rally.

The constituencies fall in the districts of Ajmer, Nagaur, Tonk, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Jaipur and Pali.

Of these 45 assembly seats, 21 are held by the Congress, 19 by the BJP, three by independents and two by the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party.

Over the past few weeks, Modi has also visited Rajsamand and Sirohi.

This BJP event comes soon after the Congress leadership at the Centre held discussions with Gehlot and Pilot in an effort to patch up their differences ahead of the assembly polls later this year.

The party claimed that the two leaders agreed to fight the elections unitedly.

BJP leaders have already held press conferences in several states already to mark Modi’s nine years as prime minister.

The PM’s rally will flag the beginning of a series of party meetings as part of a major outreach campaign.

Accusing the government of attacking federalism, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday condemned the central ordinance on control of administrative services in Delhi and extended his party’s support to AAP in opposing it in Parliament when a bill will be brought to replace it.

The development comes after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal met Yechury at the CPI(M) office here, seeking the Left party’s support on the issue. Yechury appealed to the Congress and other opposition parties to support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the issue, saying promulgation of the ordinance on administrative services in Delhi is a “brazen violation” of the Constitution and this can happen with the government of any non-BJP party. He said the BJP government has been attacking the pillars of the Constitution — its federal structure — which he said was not only being “violated” but also destroyed.

“I appeal to all political parties to come forward to protest against this ordinance. Parties which have not condemned it so far should understand that today it is the Delhi government, tomorrow it could be Kerala, Rajasthan and other places where there is Congress government or states with governments of regional parties. The Modi government can go to any extent to destabilise non-BJP government,” Yechury said in a joint press briefing soon after the meeting with Kejriwal.

“We have condemned the ordinance brought by the Centre. It is unconstitutional. It is also contempt of court. We appeal to the biggest opposition party Congress to come forward to save our Constitution,” he asserted.

Kejriwal also said that when the ordinance comes up in Parliament, it is in the Rajya Sabha and that the opposition unity can reject it.

He said he has met TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Telanana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackaray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar over the matter.

A spoked copper wheel of Kushana era, an arrowhead of Rajput period and coins dating from the Mughal reign are among a range of ancient artefacts unearthed in the latest excavation currently underway at the Purana Qila site in Delhi, a top official of the Archaeological Survey of India said on Tuesday.

It is one of the “rare archaeological sites” in India where layers of history spanning over 2,500 years have been found, ASI spokesperson Vasant Swarnkar said.

Painted grey wares or PGWs were found in the first round of excavation in 2013-14, Swarnkar said.

Padma Vibhushan Prof B B Lal, who had also carried out excavation works inside the fort and its premises in 1954 and 1969-73, had co-related the finding of PGWs at various sites believed to be linked with Mahabharata with that period, according to ASI officials.

The artefacts have been unearthed as a result of multiple rounds of excavations, which date from Pre-Mauryan era to Mughal period, Swarnkar said.

“In the latest excavation at Purana Qila site, artefacts from Kushana period, Rajput period and Mughal period have been found, among other antique remains. These include a spoked copper wheel about 5 cm in diameter (Kushana period), a copper arrow head (Rajput period), a bone needle and a pint (Gupta period) and old coins (Mughal period),” Swarnkar told PTI.