Two arrested for cheating woman in Salem

Heat wave triggers political activism

Chennai : The unprecedented heat wave sweeping across the State Chennais weather on Wednesday will be 37 degrees Celsius but it will feel like 51 degrees Celsius has triggered some activity in the various political camps with some parties setting up water kiosks on the roadside and in select locations to quench peoples thirst and others placing demands to the governments on various fronts. Dispelling the panic created by some media reports that Chennai was facing a water shortage soon, Metrowater came out with a clarification on Tuesday that the five lakes supplying water to the capital city had a storage of 57 per cent, assuring the people that it would be adequate to meet the demands for the next 7 months. Apart from the reservoirs Chembarambakkam, Poondi, Sholavaram, Puzhal and Kannankotai that have a storage of over 5 lakh million square feet of water, the desalination plants at Nemili and Minjur were functioning to capacity and supplying water to various parts of the city, Metrowater officials said. Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Edappadi K Palaniswamy, raised the issue of the mango crops getting affected due to severe water shortage in the States mango bowl comprising the districts of Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. In a statement, he blamed the State government for not addressing the problem faced by the mango farmers. He also accused the State government of not desilting the lakes, 90 of them managed by the PWD and another 1160 by the panchayats in Krishnagiri district alone, and failing to store the rain water properly, which had led to 90 per cent of the lakes and 70 per cent of the 57,500 wells in the district going dry. PMK founder S Ramadoss urged the Union Government not to hold the by-election to the Vikravandi State Assembly constituency on June 1 in view of the heat wave. In a statement he said that there was a talk that the Election Commission of India was planning to hold the by-election on June 1 along with the last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls by referring to the heat wave in the State. There was enough time for holding the by-election as the seat fell vacant only on April 8. Since October 7 was the 6 month deadline for the by-election, it could be held along with any of the State elections coming up in September (Jammu and Kashmir) or October (Haryana), Ramadoss said, adding that the State was in the grip of a broiling heat wave in the past 10 days. He also said that the dog days (locally known as Kathiri veyil) would begin on May 4, when the temperatures are expected to go up to 116 degrees Celsius, and the election process would have to begin on May 7 (if the polling was to be held on June 1). President of the PMK, Anbumani Ramadoss, criticized the State government as TASMAC, the distributor of of beer, wine and liquor in the State, had reportedly urged the breweries to increase the production of beer in view of the growing demand due to the heat wave that had not even spared salubrious hill stations like Kodaikanal and Ooty. Instead of addressing the water shortage in the State with the storage in the lakes coming down, the government was trying to increase the sale of beer with a commercial motive during the summer season, which should be given up, Anbumani Ramadoss said in a statement. BJP State President K Annamalai urged his party functionaries to address the peoples needs by setting up water kiosks and also supplying buttermilk to the people. Though the service to quench the thirst of the common people was being done in the party headquarters and district offices, more kiosks in common places should be opened, he told the office bearers through a statement. Other political parties have already opened such kiosks in various places with former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam inaugurating one at Padi, G K Vasan opening one at Royapettah in the last few days. The AIADMK too has opened a few water kiosks across Chennai. The kiosks could not be opened when the heat wave set in as it was election time. But soon after the polling was over, Chief Minister M K Stalin held a review meeting and gave instructions to the officials to tide over the situation. State Minister for Youth Affairs Udhaynidhi Stalin, too, called for party functionaries to open water kiosks. The heat that is unbearable in Chennai during the day time, say between 7 am and 6 pm, subsides by late evening and people throng the various beeches to breath a whiff of cool air and get some relief.

Salem District Collector instructs officials to prioritise drinking water related works

Man stabs police officer from behind in Jerusalems Old City

Turkish national stabs Israeli policeman in Jerusalem, shot dead: Police

A terrorist armed with a knife arrived in the Old City of Jerusalem... charged at the border police officer and stabbed him, said a police statement

France shares more proposals with Israel over southern Lebanon

France shares more proposals with Israel over southern Lebanon French officials shared on Tuesday proposals made to Lebanese authorities to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said as Paris attempts to work as an intermediary between the sides. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in escalating daily cross-border strikes over the past six months - in parallel with the war in Gaza - and their increasing range and sophistication has raised fears of a wider regional conflict. Hezbollah has amassed a formidable arsenal since 2006 and since October thousands of people on both sides of the border have been displaced. A number of proposals that we made to the Lebanese side have been shared (with you), Sejourne said ahead of a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem. We have a relationship with Lebanon, 20,000 citizens there and the war in 2006 was particularly dramatic for them. Sejourne was in Lebanon on Sunday where he met officials including politicians close to Hezbollah. French officials say they had seen progress in the responses from Lebanese authorities. Sejourne said the basis of the proposals was to ensure U.N. resolution 1701 was implemented. Hezbollah has said it will not enter any concrete discussion until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas is in its seventh month. Israel has flagged a potential military operation along its northern front, saying it wants to restore calm on the border with Lebanon so thousands of Israelis can return to the area without fear of rocket attacks, even if Hezbollah has said it will not stop exchanges until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. France has historical ties with Lebanon, a large expatriate population in the country and some 700 troops as part of the .N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. Sejourne presented this year a written proposal to both sides that included Hezbollah's elite unit pulling back 10km (6 miles) from the Israeli border and Israel halting strikes in southern Lebanon. It also looked at long-term border issues and was discussed with partners including the United States, which is making its own efforts to ease tensions and exerts the most influence on Israel. Katz thanked France for its help in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones in an attack on Israel in April. It was a message that regional states participated in that because it was very important in regards to what we can expect in the future, he said

At 29Celsius, Ooty records hottest 2 days in 73 yrs

NILGIRIS: Less than five months after the temperature in Ooty fell to 0Celsius in December, the popular tourist destination recorded a high of 29Celsius, the hottest the hill station has been in 73 years, on Sunday and Monday. Tourists, however, remain undeterred by the heat as officials prepare for more people to visit the traditional summer holiday retreat in the coming days. This temperature rise is not limited to Ooty, or even Tamil Nadu. Such an increase is being witnessed across the country, S Balachandran of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai told TNIE . On Monday, Erode recorded the highest temperature in TN of 42.6Celsius, followed by Tirupattur with 42Celsius. Tirupattur also recorded a temperature deviation of 4.2Celsius. Other districts that recorded high temperatures include Salem (41.6Celsius), Vellore (41.5Celsius) and Karur Paramathi (41Celsius). Balachandran noted that the temperature spike has occurred right as the El Nino phase is coming to a close. The overall rise in temperature across TN clearly signals the importance of protecting the environment by planting more trees and preventing deforestation, he opined. Hotter days due to climate change Even as tourists continue to throng Ooty, workers, plantation and agricultural labourers, are among the worst affected by the unusual heat. V Sivadas from the Nilgiris Environment Social Trust, said these days umbrellas are a common sight in the region, used by tourists and locals alike to escape the scorching heat. Since tender coconut water is quite costly in Ooty, we have been advising people to drink barley, sabja or thulasi water instead, and to eat pears, he said. Poovulagu Sundarrajan, founder of Poovulagin Nanbargal and a governing council member of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission, told TNIE that it is time Ooty residents and the rest of Tamil Nadu begin adapting to the new weather conditions by following the heatwave instructions which were issued by the health department carefully, in order to prevent sickness and death. The rise in temperature is due to climate change. We appeal to the state and central government to examine human deaths in the summer months and declare the number of heat stroke deaths by examining autopsy reports, Sundarrajan said. E-pass for Nilgiris Chennai: Madras High Court on Monday ordered TN government to introduce an E-pass system for tourist vehicles heading to Nilgiris and Kodaikanal during summer to regulate traffic in the region.

2,000-yr-old ancient underground hideout unearthed in Israel!

The labyrinth is evidence, the experts said, that Jewish communities as far north as the hills of the Galilee, where Jesus is believed to have preached, prepared for the Roman legions quashing rebellions closer to Jerusalem.

College student ends life in Salem

Volunteers, forest department step up to provide water to wildlife in Salem forests

Woman, son die in accident in Salem

Likely attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targets a vessel in the Red Sea

JERUSALEM: A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a vessel in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route. The attack happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centred, without offering any other immediate details. It urged vessels to exercise caution in the area. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge any attack there, though suspicion fell on the group. It typically takes the rebels several hours before claiming their assaults. The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage. Report claims Yemen's Houthis have a hypersonic missile, possibly raising stakes in Red Sea crisis The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the U.S.-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily in the last months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the last week. TheHouthison Saturday claimed it shot down another ofthe U.S. militarys MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen. He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating. Ship carrying oil from Russia to India attacked off Yemen by Houthis

Hamas delegation to arrive in Egypt for Gaza truce talks

JERUSALEM, UNDEFINED: A Hamas delegation is due Monday in Egypt, where it will respond to Israel's latest proposal for a long-sought truce in Gaza and hostage release after almost seven months of war. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, but a flurry of diplomacy in recent days appeared to suggest a new push towards halting the fighting. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his seventh visit to the region since the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war, arrived Monday in Saudi Arabia and will also travel to Israel and neighbouring Jordan later this week, a State Department official said. A senior Hamas official said Sunday that the Palestinian group had no major issues with the most recent truce plan. The atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles, the official told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss the negotiations. While Israel has pledged to go after Hamas battalions in Rafah despite mounting global concern for Palestinian civilians sheltering in the southern Gaza Strip city, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the government may suspend the invasion if an agreement is reached. The war has brought besieged Gaza to the brink of famine, UN and humanitarian officials say, reduced much of the territory to rubble and raised fears of broader conflict. An AFP correspondent, witnesses and rescuers reported air strikes overnight on Rafah, where the majority of Gaza's 2.4 million people have sought refuge near the border with Egypt. More strikes were reported in central Gaza. At least 22 people were killed in Rafah, medics and the Civil Defence agency said Monday, with witnesses telling AFP at least three houses had been hit. A Hamas source close to the negotiations had told AFP the group is open to discussing the new proposal positively and is keen for an agreement that guarantees a permanent ceasefire, the free return of displaced people, an acceptable deal for (prisoner) exchange and ensuring an end to the siege in Gaza. In Israel, protesters have taken to the streets to urge the government to secure the freedom of the 129 hostages who remain in Gaza since being seized by militants on October 7, including 34 the military says are dead. Biden and Netanyahu speak as pressure grows on Israel over Rafah invasion and cease-fire talks A top Qatari official urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal 'Irreversible path' to statehood Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,454 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. A one-week halt to the fighting in November saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Hamas has previously insisted on a permanent ceasefire -- a condition Israel has rejected. However, the Axios news website, citing two Israeli officials, reported that Israel's latest proposal includes a willingness to discuss the estoration of sustainable calm after hostages are released. It is the first time that Israeli leaders have suggested they are open to discussing an end to the war, Axios said. As diplomatic efforts intensified, Blinken arrived in Riyadh for talks with Arab and European foreign ministers aimed at pushing an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and increasing humanitarian aid into Gaza, a State Department official said. His Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said on Sunday that the international community had failed Gazans. The situation in Gaza obviously is a catastrophe by every measure - humanitarian, but also a complete failing of the existing political system to deal with that crisis, Prince Faisal told a World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Riyadh. He reiterated that only a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian state will prevent the world from confronting his same situation again in the future. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government has rejected calls for Palestinian statehood. Push for truce ramps up as Israel pummels Gaza 'Suspend' Rafah invasion Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, appealed at the WEF meeting for the United States to stop Israel from invading Rafah, which he said would be he biggest disaster in the history of the Palestinian people. Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, signalled on Saturday that Israel would be willing to call off an invasion of Rafah if Hamas accepted a deal to release hostages. If there is a deal, we will suspend the operation, he told Israel's Channel 12. In February, Netanyahu said any truce deal would only delay -- not prevent -- a Rafah operation. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said in a statement that Rafah is important in the long struggle against Hamas but that he government will not the right... to exist if it prevents the return of the hostages. UN humanitarian agency OCHA has warned that famine thresholds in Gaza will be breached within the next six weeks if massive food aid does not arrive. The White House said Sunday that a US-made pier meant to boost aid to Gaza will become operational in two to three weeks but cannot replace land routes. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on ABC News that Israel is letting in more trucks, in line with commitments that President Biden asked them to meet. US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone Sunday and eviewed ongoing talks to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the White House statement said. The two leaders also discussed increases in the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the statement said, including preparations to open new crossings to northern Gaza, where condition have been particularly dire. Egypt sends delegation to Israel, its latest effort to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

KKR vs DC: 47th Match, Dream11 Team, Indian Premier League 2024

Two teams that are scoring 220-plus totals for fun will be up against each other in the upcoming game of the TATA IPL 2024. Match No. 47 will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens on Monday. Both teams scored 250+ totals in their last match; KKR failed to defend it while DC won by a margin of 10 runs. Both teams have 10 points on the board, and whoever wins this game will jump to the second spot on the table. That is why this game is very important. KKR vs DC: Match Details Match Date : April 29, 2023 (Monday) Time : 7:30 PM IST Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata KKR vs DC: Live Streaming Details You can watch the live telecast of the upcoming clash on your TV on Star Sports networks and its regional channels. Furthermore, you can also enjoy the live stream of the match on the Jio Cinema mobile app or website. KKR vs DC: Head-to-Head The head-to-head competition between the two teams is very tight. So far, these teams have played 33 games, Kolkata Knight Riders have recorded 17 wins; and Delhi Capitals have 15 wins in total, where one match was rained out. KKR vs DC: Pitch Report More than 520 runs were scored at Eden Gardens in the last match, which tells the story of how good this pitch is for batting. Both teams have a strong batting unit, which makes the coming game even more exciting. There will be dew in the evening, and toss will be important. KKR vs DC: Predicted XIs KKR : Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh , Dusmantha Chameera, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana DC : Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rasikh Salem, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar KKR vs DC: Dream11 Team Wicket-keepers : Phil Salt, Rishabh Pant, Shai Hope Batters : Shreyas Iyer, Jake Fraser McGurk (Vice captain), Tristan Stubbs All-rounders : Sunil Narine (Captain), Andre Russell, Axar Patel Bowlers : Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy Also Read: Join Our WhatsApp Channel For IPL 2024 Updates Dream11 Prediction: Both teams have different strengths altogether, but whoever does well will win. However, because KKR will be playing at home, we predict them to win here.

Dog days in interiors of north TN districts till May 1

CHENNAI: Heat wave-like conditions are likely to prevail in interior parts of northern Tamil Nadu till May 1, said the regional meteorological centre (RMC) in its forecast. The districts include Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Dharmapuri, Salem, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tiruchy, Erode, and Namakkal. The RMC also said that light rain is expected in Kanniyakumari district till May 1. The rest of the state, Puducherry and Karaikal will experience dry weather. The maximum temperature would be 3-5C above normal in a few pockets in north interior parts and 2-3C above normal in a few pockets in the rest of the state during the next four days. The temperature is likely to be 39-43C in a few pockets over the plains in north interior districts, and 35-39C in a few pockets over the rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till May 1. As far as Chennai is concerned, the maximum temperature likely to be 36-37C and minimum around 27-28C. On Sunday, Erode registered the highest temperature of 42C while Kodaikanal registered 22.1C. Ooty registered 29C with a temperature deviation of 5.4C. Seven districts in the state registered temperatures of more than 40C.

Houthi rebels down US drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft

JERUSALEM: Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. The Houthis said they shot down the Reaper with a surface-to-air missile, part of a renewed series of assaults this week by the rebels after a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen. He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating. The Houthis described the downing as happening Thursday over their stronghold in the country's Saada province. Footage released by the Houthis included what they described as the missile launch targeting the drone, with a man off-camera reciting the Houthi's slogan after it was hit: God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam. The footage included several close-ups on parts of the drone that included the logo of General Atomics, which manufactures the drone, and serial numbers corresponding with known parts made by the company. Since the Houthis seized the countrys north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels counting Thursday's shootdown in 2017, 2019, 2023 and this year. Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The drone shootdown comes as the Houthis launch attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the U.S.-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily in the last months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the last week.

Hamas delegation due in Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas delegation due in Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks A Hamas delegation will visit Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday, as mediators stepped up efforts to reach a deal ahead of an expected Israeli assault on the southern city of Rafah. The official, who asked not to be named, said the delegation will discuss a ceasefire proposal handed by Hamas to mediators from Qatar and Egypt, as well as Israel's response. He did not disclose details of the latest proposals. Another senior Hamas official told Reuters the delegation will fly to Cairo from Qatari capital Doha, adding it will be led by Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy to Hamas' Gaza chief. The talks will take place between the Hamas delegation and the Qatari and the Egyptian mediators to discuss remarks the group has made over the Israeli response to its recent proposal. Hamas has some questions and inquires over the Israeli response to its proposal, which the movement received from mediators on Friday, the official told Reuters. The comments suggest that Hamas may not hand an instant response to mediators over Israel's latest proposal. The war, now in its seventh month, was triggered by an attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls Gaza, in a military operation that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, 66 of them in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health authorities. The war has displaced most of the 2.3 million population and laid much of the densely populated enclave to waste. On Friday, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said the group had received Israel's response to its ceasefire proposal and was studying it before handing its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Prior rounds of talks have failed to bridge gaps in the two sides' positions. Hamas wants an accord for a permanent end to the war and for Israel to pull its forces out of the Gaza Strip. Israel has only offered a temporary ceasefire to free around 130 hostages remaining in captivity and to allow the delivery of more humanitarian aid. It has said it won't end its operations until it has achieved its aim of destroying Hamas. PLANNED INCURSION Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday that a planned incursion into Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, could be put off should a deal emerge to release the Israeli hostages. The issue has created cracks in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Hawkish ministers insist on the Rafah incursion while centrist partners have said a hostage deal is the top priority. Hardline nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday urged Netanyahu not to back down from an assault on Rafah and said that agreeing to the ceasefire proposal would constitute a humiliating defeat. Without eradicating Hamas, a government headed by you will have no right to exist, Smotrich, who is not a member of the war cabinet, said in a video statement addressed to Netanyahu. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said in a post on X: Entering Rafah is important in the long struggle against Hamas. The return of our abductees ... is urgent and of far greater importance. Western countries, including Israel's closest ally the United States, have urged Israel to refrain from attacking the border city on concern over potential civilian casualties. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that Israel had agreed to listen to U.S. concerns before it launches an invasion of Rafah. Washington has said it could not support a Rafah operation without an appropriate and credible humanitarian plan. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said only the United States could stop Israel from attacking Rafah. He said he expected an attack on Rafah in coming days, saying even a small strike would force the Palestinian population to flee the Gaza strip. The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people's history would then happen. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said it was in everybody's interest in the region, our interest, the interest of the Palestinians, the interest of the Israelis, in the interest of the global community of nations, that we find a pathway to resolve this issue once and for all. (Reporting and writing by Nidal Al Mughrabi; Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Steve Scheer in Jerusalem and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Ros Russell and David Holmes)

Hamas delegation to visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks, Hamas official says

Hamas delegation to visit Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks, Hamas official says A Hamas delegation will visit Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday, as mediators stepped up efforts to reach a deal ahead of an Israeli assault on the southern city of Rafah. The official, who asked not to be named, said the delegation will discuss a ceasefire proposal handed by Hamas to mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as Israel's response. He did not disclose details of the latest proposals. The war, now in its seventh month, was triggered by an attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls Gaza, in a military operation that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, 66 of them in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health authorities. The war has displaced most of the 2.3 million population and laid much of the densely populated enclave to waste. On Friday, senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said the group had received Israel's response to its ceasefire proposal and was studying it before handing its response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Prior rounds of talks have failed to bridge the gaps in the two sides' positions. Hamas wants an accord for a permanent end to the war and for Israel to pull its forces out of the Gaza Strip. Israel has only offered a temporary ceasefire to free around 130 hostages remaining in captivity and to allow the delivery of more humanitarian aid. It has said it won't end its operations until it has achieved its aim of destroying Hamas. Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday that a planned incursion into Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, could be put off should a deal emerge to release the Israeli hostages. The issue has created cracks in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Hawkish ministers insist on the Rafah incursion while centrist partners have said a hostage deal is the top priority. Hardline nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday urged Netanyahu not to back down from an assault on Rafah and said that agreeing to the ceasefire proposal would constitute a humiliating defeat. Without eradicating Hamas, a government headed by you will have no right to exist, Smotrich, who is not a member of the war cabinet, said in a video statement addressed to Netanyahu. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said in a post on X: Entering Rafah is important in the long struggle against Hamas. The return of our abductees ....is urgent and of far greater importance. Western countries, including Israel's closest ally the United States, have urged Israel to refrain from attacking the border city on concern over potential civilian casualties. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that Israel had agreed to listen to U.S. concerns before it launches an invasion of Rafah. Washington has said it could not support a Rafah operation without an appropriate and credible humanitarian plan. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said only the United States could stop Israel from attacking Rafah. He said he expected an attack on Rafah in coming days, saying even a small strike on Rafah would force the Palestinian population to flee the Gaza strip. The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people's history would then happen. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said it was in everybody's interest in the region, our interest, the interest of the Palestinians, the interest of the Israelis, in the interest of the global community of nations, that we find a pathway to resolve this issue once and for all. (Reporting and writing by Nidal Al Mughrabi. Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Steve Scheer in Jerusalem and Alexander Cornwell Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Sharon Singleton and Ros Russell)

Commuters demand Salem Corporation to install green shade nets at bus stops without shelters

With the temperature in Salem district hovering between 39 degree Celsius and 42 degree Celsius for almost a month now, the movement of people has reduced drastically during noon in the city

Install green shade nets at bus stops without shelters, commuters demand Salem Corporation - The Hindu

Install green shade nets at bus stops without shelters, commuters demand Salem Corporation The Hindu

After Ben Gvir, Israel Education Ministers Car Crashes In Jerusalem Within 48 Hours | Watch

Israel Education Minister Haim Bitons car crashed in Jerusalem, within 48 hours after far right leader Ben Gvirs car was involved in an accident. Videos circulating on the social media shows Israel education ministers car was heavily damaged injuring his father, who was taken to the hospital. But, the education minister survived as he was not present at the time of accident.

EPS opens buttermilk stalls in Tamil Nadu's Konganapuram, Edappadi

SALEM: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday inaugurated buttermilk stalls set up by party members in Konganapuram and Edappadi. The initiative is aimed at providing relief to the public from the summer heat. Palaniswami commenced the project by opening the Konganapuram stall near the local bus station and distributing buttermilk and fruits to residents. Later, he proceeded to the Edappadi bus stand where he opened a stall and stressed the necessity for such facilities. He then offered prayers at various shrines in the Nanjundeswarar temple. Speaking to reporters at the party office in Salem, Palaniswami criticised the central governments response to cyclone Michaung, highlighting discrepancies between the funds allocated and the states needs. He also slammed the DMK government for discontinuing schemes initiated by the previous AIADMK government. He further raised concerns about the alleged rampant availability of drugs in the state.

Ballistic missiles fired by Yemens Houthi rebels damage Panama-flagged oil tanker in Red Sea

JERUSALEM, Apr 27: Ballistic missiles fired by Yemens Houthi rebels caused minor damage to a Panama-flagged oil tanker travelling through the Red Sea on Friday, authorities said. The attack follows an uptick in assaults launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative lull in their months-long campaign over Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels fired three missiles in the attack, one of which damaged the Panama-flagged, Seychelles-registered Andromeda Star, the US militarys Central Command [] The post Ballistic missiles fired by Yemens Houthi rebels damage Panama-flagged oil tanker in Red Sea appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Houthi rebels fire ballistic missiles in Red Sea, Panama-flagged oil tanker damaged

JERUSALEM: Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels caused minor damage to a Panama-flagged oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea on Friday, authorities said. The attack follows an uptick in assaults launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative lull in their monthslong campaign over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels fired three missiles in the attack, one of which damaged the Panama-flagged, Seychelles-registered Andromeda Star, the U.S. military's Central Command said. The private security firm Ambrey described the tanker as being engaged in Russia-linked trade. The vessel was traveling from Primorsk, Russia, to Vadinar, India, Ambrey said. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree later claimed the attack early Saturday in a prerecorded statement aired by the rebels. He described the tanker as being directly hit. Another vessel, the Antiqua-Barbados-flagged, Liberia-operated Maisha, was also nearby at the time of the assault, the U.S. said. The attack occurred off Mocha, Yemen, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the U.S.-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily in the last months. However, since Wednesday, there have been at least two other attacks claimed by the Houthis. The first targeted the MV Yorktown , a U.S.-flagged, owned and operated vessel with 18 U.S. and four Greek crew members. Another targeted the MSC Darwin . The Houthis have said they will continue their attacks until Israel ends its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage. Most of the ships targeted by the Houthis have had little or no direct connection to Israel, the U.S. or other nations involved in the war. The rebels have also fired missiles toward Israel, though they have largely fallen short or been intercepted.

Hamas studying new Israeli truce proposal as mediators seek to revive talks

JERUSALEM: Hamas said it was studying on Saturday the latest Israeli counterproposal regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, a day after a delegation from mediator Egypt reportedly arrived in Israel in a bid to jump-start stalled negotiations. The signs of fresh truce talks came alongside ongoing Israeli preparations for a military push into Gaza's southern city of Rafah and as spillover from the war led to continued attacks across the region. Today, the Hamas movement received the official Zionist occupation response to the movement's position, which was delivered to the Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13, Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of Hamas's political arm in Gaza, said in a brief statement early Saturday. The movement will study this proposal, and upon completion of its study, it will submit its response. Hamas had previously insisted on a permanent ceasefire, something rejected by Israel. Egypt sends delegation to Israel, its latest effort to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been unsuccessfully trying to seal a new truce deal in Gaza ever since a one-week halt to the fighting in November saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Several Israeli media outlets, citing unnamed officials, said Israel's war cabinet had discussed a new plan for a truce and hostage release ahead of the Egyptian delegation's visit. There has been oticeable progress in bringing the views of the Egyptian and Israeli delegations closer, said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence services. The war in Gaza was also on the agenda for an international summit set to kick off in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. The World Economic Forum special meeting, scheduled to begin in Riyadh on Sunday, will include a Gaza-focused session on Monday set to feature newly appointed Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations aid coordinator for the Gaza Strip. Discussions with European, American and regional counterparts on Gaza and the regional situation are planned in Riyadh, a diplomatic source said Friday. Gaza war: Hamas official says group will lay down arms if independent Palestinian state is established 'Miracle' baby dies Witnesses in besieged Gaza reported fresh Israeli strikes overnight into Saturday around Rafah, the last urban centre Israeli ground forces have yet to enter. Plans for an Israeli incursion into the city, which military leaders say is necessary to uproot Hamas battalions, have sparked opposition among the international community due to the presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians seeking refuge there. Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told AFP on Thursday that such an operation will undoubtedly threaten the negotiations and show hat Israel is interested in continuing the war. The war began with the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,356 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Israel estimates that 129 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. On Friday, missiles fired from an Israeli jet hit Gaza City, killing at least three people in the Rimal neighbourhood, an AFP reporter said. I was sitting selling cigarettes and suddenly a missile fell, shaking the whole area, a witness who did not give his name told AFP, adding that the bodies of a man, a woman and a little girl were pulled from the rubble. Meanwhile, a baby delivered from her dying mother's womb in Rafah on the weekend has died, the girl's uncle said. When she was born, doctors hailed her as a miracle. But Rami al-Sheikh told AFP on Friday that his niece Ruh had joined her family in the gardens of eternity, after her mother was fatally wounded in an Israeli strike. Israel-Hamas talks on Gaza truce 'stalling': mediator Qatar 'Hands off Rafah' Opposition to an Israeli military operation in Rafah extended to university campuses across the United States, where hundreds of students have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests. Stop the invasion! Hands off Rafah! said a sign at a pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University in the US capital. Israel's military offensive has turned vast swathes of Gaza into rubble, creating 37 million tonnes of debris that will take years to clear away, according to the UN Mine Action Service. The World Food Programme has warned that famine is a real and dangerous threat in Gaza. The European Union said Friday it was giving an extra $73 million in aid to Palestinians in Gaza in light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis. Israel minister in crash The Gaza war has led to increased violence between Israel and Iran's proxies and allies, in particular the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon. The Israeli army said Friday that a civilian was killed by anti-tank missiles fired towards he area of Har Dov, which refers to the disputed Shebaa Farms border district. Also on Friday, the Lebanese Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya said an Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon had killed two of its senior commanders. In response to what it called a cowardly assassination, Hezbollah said it launched dozens of rockets at two military posts in northern Israel. And in the Red Sea, a tanker was damaged when it was targeted with multiple missiles off Yemen's coast on Friday, in the latest attack on international shipping in the Red Sea to be claimed by Iran-backed Huthi rebels. Near Tel Aviv, an 18-year-old woman was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack and the assailant was killed at the scene, according to paramedics and police. After addressing journalists at the scene, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was involved in a car crash in which three people were lightly injured, police said.

Salem Periyar University defies Tamil Nadu government, reintroduces M Tech course

SALEM: Periyar University has reintroduced MTech course, despite an assurance given by higher education minister K Ponmudy in the Assembly in April 2023 that such courses would not be offered by arts and sciences institutions. The Periyar university had refrained from offering engineering or technical courses, since they come under the purview of Anna University. The minister had emphasized this in the Assembly, stressing that any attempt to initiate technical programs would be promptly halted. However, defying the directive, Periyar University has advertised the reintroduction of M Tech in Energy Technology during academic year 2024-2025. This decision has reignited tension between the university and the government. Sources said M Tech programmes were implemented at Periyar University five years ago, accommodating a total of 100 students distributed across batches of 20 each. However, a significant portion of the faculty holds only MSc degrees, which disqualifies them from teaching these specialised courses. Further, the university faces a shortage of laboratories essential for hands-on learning, exacerbating the disparity between theoretical instruction and practical application. These discrepancies have spurred calls for the immediate discontinuation of M Tech classes at Periyar university. When asked, Periyar university VC R Jagannathan told TNIE, The M Tech course has been notified this year with the approval of AICTE, and there is no illegality. However, when pressed about the higher education ministers statement in the Assembly, he declined to offer comment. When contacted, minister Ponmudy said he will take action against those responsible for making these decisions.

Tamil Nadu: Water level dips, Mettur maintenance work on

SALEM: Amidst concerns over declining water levels at the Mettur dam, which is one of the major reservoirs in the state, maintenance work began on Friday morning. Official sources said routine work like repairs to sluices and assessing the dams stability for the upcoming rainy season would be carried out. With the current water level at a mere 54 feet, well below its full reservoir level of 120 feet, authorities have started to undertake vital maintenance work in the 16 gates of Ellis surplus sluices. This area serves as a pivotal point for the dams functionality, particularly during periods of excess water discharge. Typically, when the dam nears its full capacity of 120 feet, overflow mechanisms such as the 16 sluices play a crucial role in managing water levels and preventing potential overflow disasters. However, with the current water scarcity exacerbated by inadequate rainfall and Karnatakas reluctance to release water, ensuring the operational integrity of these mechanisms has become paramount. The work encompasses various aspects, including repairs to the iron sluices within the canal area and the application of a cement mixture to fortify the overflow area near the 16 gates of Ellis surplus sluices, which would prevent water stagnation and potential structural deterioration. Officials from the Mettur dam water resources department said the work will be completed within a few weeks and painting would be taken up after this.

Kathirimalai tribal village in Erode to get electricity soon

ERODE: Electricity will be brought soon to Kathirimalai tribal village in Anthiyur taluk of Erode district, said TANGEDCO officials. Kathirimalai is located at an elevation of 3,600 feet inside the Chennampatti forest range of the Erode Forest Division. In all 82 families belonging to Solaga community reside here. The village can be reached after trekking on foot for four hours from the foothills at Kathiripatti in the Kolathur Block of Salem district. In the absence of road connectivity, people have to reach Kathiripatti and proceed towards Kolathur to purchase essential commodities. Only solar panels light up the households. M Madhesh, a resident of Kathirimalai, said, For us, road access and electricity were the biggest problems. We did not have these facilities from the beginning. These are long-term demands. At first there was only a footpath. Currently, the state government is constructing a macadam road from Kathripatti to our village. These works which have been going on for the last two years should be completed quickly. After that, if electricity also comes, our people will be relieved. Now our houses only have solar panel lights. A house has one light. These lights need to be repaired. So our expectation is permanent electricity connection, he added. VP Gunasekaran, the Coordinator of Tamilnadu Tribal Peoples Association, said, All the government administrations for the village are at Bargur and Anthiyur in Erode. People have to walk 20 km through the hills to reach Bargur. Otherwise they should go to Salem district and then come to Erode district. This is not an easy thing. The village urgently needs a road and electricity. After that, the ration items should be taken to that village. For this the villagers are currently walking for about 4 hours. There is a middle school there. Around 30 students are studying. So houses should be built for teachers to stay there. At present the teachers do not stay there. Speaking to TNIE, Anthiyur MLA AG Venkatachalam, said, An NOC has been obtained from the Forest Department to bring electricity to the village. Currently, the TANGEDCO is engaged in the next phase of work. The NOC is valid for one year. But the work will be completed in six months. Now the road is being constructed to that village. After that, the work of carrying electricity will also be completed. I am in regular contact with the villagers. Their long-standing demands will be addressed soon. Officials from TANGEDCO (Gobichettipalayam SE Division) said, A study is underway to bring electricity connection to Kathirimalai tribal village. Currently, a road is being constructed for that village by the revenue department. Once that work is done we will start our work. Because it is through that road that the poles can be installed and the electricity connection can be carried. At present solar panel lights have been provided to the houses.

Farrukh Dhondy | Amid Gaza war, efforts on to ban pro-Palestinian London protests

Come visit the all-seeing Sachapir His words fulfilling as a bowl of kheer Predicting the past is his expertise The future holds unknown mysteries You will depart no wiser but peaceful and calm With a lighter pocket -- can that do any harm? From Encounters with Evil Gibberish , by Bachchoo Ever since the genocide in Gaza came to the worlds attention, there have been pro-Palestinian demonstrations every Saturday in London. They carry Palestinian flags, placards which say Free Palestine, Ceasefire Now, etc. Some marchers have raised the slogan from the river to the sea, which has been interpreted as a demand for a state of Palestine from the river Jordan (I presume, rather than the Indus) to the Mediterranean. Undoubtedly, it could be interpreted as a demand for a nation that includes the West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and Gaza. This could be, and is characterised as, a hostile-to-Israel demand (Fat chance? Beggars would ride???) for the obliteration of the Zionist state. I could offer another interpretation: that of a single multi-faith state with a guarantee for the entry and safety of the Jewish Israeli population living in harmony with Palestinian Arabs. Yes, a fantasy, so not a demand -- just a possible interpretation, even though ultra-orthodox Jews, such as Neturei Karta and the Satmar Hasidim, would support it on the grounds that Jehovahs promised land was not a human-established nation state. These demonstrations are, in the main, demanding an end to the slaughter of innocents in Gaza, which is why hundreds of Jewish people join these marches. Organisations, such as the Jewish Network for Palestine, make it their duty to demonstrate a presence. Several of their members have appeared on television, testifying as the descendants of the prisoners (or even themselves as infants, the prisoners) of Nazi concentration camps. Their unmolested presence, to me, gentle reader, indicates that there is no venomous anti-Semite, anti-Jewish animus in the Palestinian marchers -- or at least one that doesnt express itself in attacks, verbal or physical on these Jewish people. Yes, anti-Zionist! On Saturday, April 13, Gideon Falter, the chief executive of an organisation called the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, went to Aldwych in central London as the pro-Palestinian demonstration was in progress past that spot. He was wearing a yarmulke, the Jewish skull-cap. He approached the marchers from a point behind the police cordon that accompanies most demonstrations. He accosted the bodies of policemen who blocked his access to the passing marchers. He said he wanted to cross the throng of marchers to get access to the streets beyond. A senior policeman denied him access to the march and said, since he was clearly Jewish, it could be a provocation to the marchers and so, for his own safety, the copper said he would escort him by another route to the other side of the street. Falter refused and tried to push past the constable. He was restrained. Its pretty obvious that the policeman, whether rightly or wrongly, prevented this entry and crossing through the marchers, not through any anti-Semitic conviction but because he believed it might provoke an attack on Mr Falter. Falter was stopped from crossing but not from loudly protesting that he had encountered police anti-Semitism. This protest reverberated through the Tory Party and even with Prime Minister Hedgie Soongone, who joined him in demanding an abject apology from the officer who had told Falter that he was openly Jewish. These Tory boobies even demanded an apology from the Metropolitan Police commissioner. They, with Falter, turned this simple attempt to forestall a possible civic incident into a disingenuous cry of anti-Semitism in the police force. Now, its no secret that Falter and his Campaign have lobbied to have the pro-Palestinian Saturday marches banned. Some Tory supporters have even called for the Army to be sent in to disperse the Saturday marches if a ban on their demonstrating resulted in civil disobedience. The disobedience could be thousands of pro-Palestinians gathering to assert their right under British law to demonstrate on the streets. Allow me, gentle reader, to get personal and go back to July 7, 2005, when four bombs were set off by Islamist suicide bombers, three on the London Underground and one on a London bus. The bombs went off earlier in the day and I happened to be walking towards Edgware Road Underground station where one of the bombers had killed himself and his innocent victims. There was a police cordon across Edgware Road. Nevertheless, some people were walking through the cordon. As I approached it, a senior police officer stepped out and asked me to stop and turn back -- he said he was not letting me through. He must have used words to the effect that I was obviously Asian though I wasnt wearing my Parsi skull-cap or even the Muslim fez Ive kept from my fathers belongings. The officer said there were gatherings (he didnt say a mob) outside the Tube station and that he was turning me back for my own safety. I understood. I turned back -- thankfully. I didnt go to the press or to the Labour Party to protest against the curtailment of my freedom or that of obvious Asians to walk wherever they chose. So: Why did Gideon Falter cross the road? To provoke an incident which would permit his Zionist Tory supporters to try and ban pro-Palestinian marches.

Cairo dispatches delegation to Jerusalem in bid to mediate Israel-Hamas truce

Cairo dispatches delegation to Jerusalem in bid to mediate Israel-Hamas truce Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah on the border with Egypt could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability. Egypt's top intelligence official, Abbas Kamel, is leading the delegation and plans to discuss with Israel a new vision for a prolonged cease-fire in Gaza, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the mission freely. As the war drags on and casualties mount, there has been growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement on a cease fire. Friday's talks will focus at first on a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of a significant number of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza with minimum restrictions, the Egyptian official said. The hope is that negotiations will then continue, with the goal of a larger deal to end the war, he said. The official said mediators are working on a compromise that will answer most of both parties' main demands. Hamas has said it will not back down from its demands for a permanent cease-fire and full withdrawal of Israeli troops, both of which Israel has rejected. Israel says it will continue military operations until Hamas is defeated and that it will retain a security presence in Gaza afterwards. Ahead of the talks, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told The Associated Press there is nothing new from our side, when asked about the negotiations. Both Israeli and Egyptian officials confirmed the Egyptian delegation had arrived in Tel Aviv, but further details weren't immediately available. Overnight, Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group fired anti-tank missiles and artillery shells at an Israeli military convoy in a disputed border area, killing an Israeli civilian. Hezbollah said its fighters ambushed the convoy shortly before midnight Thursday, destroying two vehicles. The Israeli military said the ambush wounded an Israeli civilian doing infrastructure work, and that he later died of his wounds. Low-intensity fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has repeatedly threatened to boil over as Israel has targeted senior Hezbollah militants in recent months. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border. On the Israeli side, the cross-border fighting has killed 10 civilians and 12 soldiers, while in Lebanon, more than 350 people have been killed, including 50 civilians and 271 Hezbollah members. Meantime, Israel has been conducting near-daily raids on Rafah, a city in which more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people have sought refuge. The Israeli military has massed dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles in an area of southern Israel that is close to Rafah, in apparent preparations for an invasion of the city. Rafah also abuts the Gaza-Egypt border. While in Israel, Kamel, who heads Egypt's General Intelligence Service, plans to make clear that Egypt will not tolerate Israel's deployments of troops along that border, the Egyptian official said. The official said Egypt shared intelligence with the United States and European countries showing that a Rafah offensive would inflame the entire region. A Western diplomat in Cairo also said that Egypt has intensified its efforts in recent days to reach a compromise and establish a short cease-fire in Gaza that will help negotiate a longer truce and avert a Rafah offensive. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the developments. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi cautioned that an Israeli attack on Rafah would have catastrophic consequences on the humanitarian situation in the strip, as well as the regional peace and security. El-Sissi's comments came in a phone call with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of The Netherlands, the Egyptian leader's office said. Egypt has also said an attack on Rafah would violate the decades-old peace deal between Egypt and Israel. Illustrating the pressures facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the far-right flank of his government, his ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, scoffed on the social media platform X about the Egyptian attempts to bring about a cease-fire. The Egyptian proposal arrived because Hamas is afraid of a Rafah operation,'' he wrote. ''Rafah now! The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Hamas' October 7 raid into southern Israel, in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people as hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, around two-thirds of them children and women. The ministry said Friday that the bodies of 51 more people killed in Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours. Israel has reported at least 260 of its soldiers killed since the start of ground operations in Gaza.

VAO booked for assaulting mentally disturbed person in Salem

Edappadi Palaniswami distributes fruits and buttermilk at AIADMKs thanneer pandal in Salem

The AIADMK leader has asked party cadres to set up such pandals across the State in order to provide refreshments to members of the public in view of the searing heat

High School Student In US Charged For Slapping Female Teacher Multiple Times

The incident occurred at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem.

Man arrested for stabbing wife to death in Tamil Nadu

KRISHNAGIRI: A 40-year-old was arrested on Thursday for stabbing his wife to death near Pochampalli. Two others, including a minor, were also nabbed in connection with the case. The arrested are identified as A Chinnamuthu (40) of Vellimalai, victims husband, his relatives V Ramkumar (20) and a 17-year-old boy. Chinnamuthu and his wife Seetha (37) were living separately due to a family dispute. Seetha was staying with her relative near Uthangarai. Enquiries revealed that Chinnamuthu hatched a plan to murder his wife with the help of his two relatives. With this motive, he met her at a mango grove near Melchengampatti on Monday night and an argument erupted between them. Amid this, M Prakash of Keelchengampatti, who allegedly had an affair with Seetha for the past few years, also unexpectedly came to the spot. Following a quarrel with Chinnamuthu, he left the place. After he left, Chinnamuthu along with the other two suspects, who were hiding in the mango grove, murdered Seetha. However, after a few minutes, Prakash returned to the spot with a single barrel muzzle-loading unlicensed gun and started to shoot the trio. Though the suspects managed to escape, Ramkumar and Chinnamuthu got injured. A case has been registered under IPC sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words), 302 (murder) and 506 (ii) ( criminal intimidation) and all three were arrested. The minor was produced before the juvenile justice board at Krishnagiri and he was sent to a juvenile home in Salem on Thursday. Similarly, Ramkumar was sent to Salem prison. After being remanded to prison, Ramkumar was taken to Salem Medical College Hospital to remove one pellet from his hand. After receiving treatment, Chinnamuthu returned to Pochampalli police station and he will be remanded to prison at night, police said

Israel to begin soon evacuating civilians in Rafah

Jerusalem: Israel is expected to soon begin evacuating civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground attack on Gazas southernmost city, a state-owned media outlet has reported. The planned evacuation will start soon, pending final approval by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Israeli Kan TV report. Earlier on Thursday, the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Israel intensifies airstrikes on Gaza's Rafah before ground operation

Israel intensifies airstrikes on Gaza's Rafah before ground operation Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties. Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist. We are afraid of what will happen in Rafah. The level of alert is very high, Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters on Thursday. Some are leaving, they are afraid for their families but where can they go? They are not being allowed to go to the north and so are confined to a very small area. The Gaza Strip is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. In the seventh month of a devastating air and ground war, Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas, though it is unclear how they would do so. A United Nations team visiting a site for a staging area and pier for maritime aid operations was forced to take cover in a bunker on Wednesday after the area came under attack, a spokesperson said on Thursday. They were there for some time, but there were no injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting o discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere, government spokesperson David Mencer said. He declined to say when or whether the classified forum might give a green light for a ground operation in Rafah. Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Thursday. The offensive has laid to waste much of the widely urbanised enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and leaving many with little food, water or medical care. A U.N. expert speaking after visits to Jordan and Egypt said aid agencies were seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from the acute lack of food in the enclave. What I've seen here was traumatising. Patients that previously arrived in Egypt primarily with explosive and other war injury related symptoms are now joined by increasing numbers of patients, often children, with chronic diseases and severe malnutrition, Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, told reporters in Cairo. Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Iranian-backed Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction due to its occupation of Palestinian territories. Escalating Israeli warnings about invading Rafah, the last refuge for around a million civilians who fled Israeli forces further north earlier in the war, have nudged some families to leave for the nearby al-Mawasi coastal area or try to make their way to points further north, residents and witnesses said. But many were confused over where they should go, saying their experience over the past 200 days of war had taught them that no place was genuinely safe. Mohammad Nasser, 34, a father-of-three, said he had left Rafah two weeks ago and now lived in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to avoid being caught by surprise by an Israeli invasion and unable to escape. We escape from one trap into another, searching for places Israel calls safe before they bomb us there. It is like the rat and trap game, he told Reuters via a chat app. We are trying to adapt to the new reality, hoping it will become better, but I doubt it will. Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council said there appeared to be fewer people in Rafah, which borders Egypt. She said teams on the ground had said people expect an invasion after the Jewish Passover holiday ends on April 30. A senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday Israel was poised to evacuate civilians before its attack on Rafah and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10 to 12 people each. Satellite images of Mawasi between Rafah, Khan Younis and the sea, an area of sand beaches and fields and stretching only around 5 by 3 km (three by two miles), showed significant camp settlements erected over the past two weeks. BOMBING AND BODIES Meanwhile, a Palestinian civil defence team called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers left the complex in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said allegations by Palestinian authorities that its forces had buried the bodies were aseless and unfounded. In the north, Israeli forces continued to pound Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Zeitoun, with some residents saying Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were fighting Israeli ground forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and sniper fire. The Palestine Telecommunications Company said internet services had again been cut off in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, blaming Israeli military operations. Such outages have compounded the obstacles confronting efforts to get emergency aid to stricken civilians. An aid worker who was part of Belgium's development efforts in Gaza died in one Israeli strike, the Belgian government said on Thursday, adding it was summoning the Israeli ambassador over the incident. (Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Emma Farge in Geneva and Sayed Sheasha in Cairo; writing by Mark Heinrich and Sharon Singleton; editing by Alex Richardson, Timothy Heritage and Josie Kao)

Provide adequate water for livestock in Summer, says Salem Collector

Man arrested for murdering mother in Salem

Tamil Nadu: Salem Police Hunt For Woman Who 'Married' Off 15-Year-Old Daughter, Groom Arrested - ABP Live

Tamil Nadu: Salem Police Hunt For Woman Who 'Married' Off 15-Year-Old Daughter, Groom Arrested ABP Live

Will lay down weapons if a two-state solution is implemented: Hamas

ISTANBUL: A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. The comments by Khalil al-Hayya in an interview Wednesday came amid a stalemate in months of cease-fire talks . The suggestion that Hamas would disarm appeared to be a significant concession by the militant group officially committed to Israels destruction. But it's unlikely Israel would consider such a scenario. It has vowed to crush Hamas following the deadly Oct. 7 attacks that triggered the war, and its current leadership is adamantly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Al-Hayya, a high-ranking Hamas official who has represented the Palestinian militants in negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage exchange, struck a sometimes defiant and other times conciliatory tone. Speaking to the AP in Istanbul, Al-Hayya said Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by the rival Fatah faction to form a unified government for Gaza and the West Bank. He said Hamas would accept a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions, along Israels pre-1967 borders. If that happens, he said, the group's military wing would dissolve. All the experiences of people who fought against occupiers, when they became independent and obtained their rights and their state, what have these forces done? They have turned into political parties and their defending fighting forces have turned into the national army, he said. Over the years, Hamas has sometimes moderated its public position with respect to the possibility of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. But its political program still officially rejects any alternative to the full liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea referring to the area reaching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which includes lands that now make up Israel. Al-Hayya did not say whether his apparent embrace of a two-state solution would amount to an end to the Palestinian conflict with Israel or an interim step toward the groups stated goal of destroying Israel. There was no immediate reaction from Israel or the Palestinian Authority the internationally recognized self-ruled government that Hamas drove out when it seized Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections. After the Hamas takeover of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority was left with administering semi-autonomous pockets of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority hopes to establish an independent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. While the international community overwhelmingly supports such a two-state solution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hard-line government rejects it. The war in Gaza has dragged on for nearly seven months and cease-fire negotiations have stalled. The war began with the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Militants dragged some 250 hostages into the enclave. The ensuing Israeli bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children , according to local health authorities , and displaced some 80% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million. Israel is now preparing for an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have fled to. Israel says it has dismantled most of the initial two dozen Hamas battalions since the start of the war, but that the four remaining ones are holed up in Rafah. Israel argues that a Rafah offensive is necessary to achieve victory over Hamas. Al-Hayya said such an offensive would not succeed in destroying Hamas. He said contacts between the political leadership outside and military leadership inside Gaza are uninterrupted by the war and contacts, decisions and directions are made in consultation between the two groups. Israeli forces have not destroyed more than 20% of (Hamas) capabilities, neither human nor in the field, he asserted. If they cant finish (Hamas) off, what is the solution? The solution is to go to consensus. In November, a weeklong cease-fire saw the release of more than 100 hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. But talks for a longer-term truce and release of the remaining hostages are now frozen , with each side accusing the other of intransigence. Key interlocutor Qatar has said in recent days that it is undertaking a reassessment of its role as mediator. Most of Hamas top political officials, previously based in Qatar, have left the Gulf country in the past week and traveled to Turkey, where Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday. Al-Hayya denied a permanent move of the groups main political office is in the works and said Hamas wants to see Qatar continue in its capacity as mediator in the talks. Israeli and U.S. officials have accused Hamas of not being serious about a deal. Al-Hayya denied this, saying Hamas has made concessions regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners it wants released in exchange for the remaining Israeli hostages. He said the group does not know exactly how many hostages remain in Gaza and are still alive. But he said Hamas will not back down from its demands for a permanent cease-fire and full withdrawal of Israeli troops, both of which Israel has balked at. Israel says it will continue military operations until Hamas is definitively defeated and will retain a security presence in Gaza afterwards. If we are not assured the war will end, why would I hand over the prisoners? the Hamas leader said of the remaining hostages. Al-Hayya also implicitly threatened that Hamas would attack Israeli or other forces who might be stationed around a floating pier the U.S. is scrambling to build along Gaza's coastline to deliver aid by sea. We categorically reject any non-Palestinian presence in Gaza, whether at sea or on land, and we will deal with any military force present in these places, Israeli or otherwise as an occupying power, he said. Al-Hayya said Hamas does not regret the Oct. 7 attacks, despite the destruction it has brought down on Gaza and its people. He denied that Hamas militants had targeted civilians during the attacks despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary and said the operation succeeded in its goal of bringing the Palestinian issue back to the worlds attention. And, he said, Israeli attempts to eradicate Hamas would ultimately fail to prevent future Palestinian armed uprisings. Lets say that they have destroyed Hamas. Are the Palestinian people gone? he asked.

Gaza war hostage crisis: Israeli police save Netanyahu minister Ben Gvir from angry protesters

Violent clashes between erupt at a Jerusalem protest calling for the release of hostages. Police and activists clash as new hostage video surfaces.Protesters overturn garbage cans, light fires and set off fireworks and block traffic, according to police. Far Right Israeli National Security Minister surrounded by protesters in Jerusalem as police scramble to escort him to safety. Watch video.

Mother marries off 15-year-old daughter, TN Police on the lookout

Mother marries off 15-year-old daughter, TN Police on the lookout Chennai: The Salem police in Tamil Nadu are on the lookout for a 45-year-old woman in a child marriage case involving her 15-year-old daughter. According to the police, the Class 10 girl married Vinod (35), a minibus driver on March 23 at a temple [] The post Mother marries off 15-year-old daughter, TN Police on the lookout appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

12 held in Chennai for selling IPL tickets in black

CHENNAI: Twelve people were arrested on charges of selling IPL tickets, for the Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants match that was held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on Tuesday, at exorbitant prices. The Triplicane police have seized 56 tickets worth Rs 1.4 lakh from them. A team led by inspector of D-1 Triplicane police station were monitoring Chepauk Cricket Ground and its surrounding areas - Pattabiram Gate, Wallajah Road, Bells Road, Wallaja Road Junction, Victoria Hostel Road Junction and Chepauk Railway Station - when they came across the illegal activity, stated a press release. The accused were identified as Elumalai (38) of Andhra Pradesh, Hayatbasha Noor Mohammad (38) of Triplicane, Shyam (20) of T Nagar, Kishore (27) of Velachery, Vinithkumar (25) of Kannikapuram, Kaleeswaran Murthy (24) of Coimbatore, Rajkumar (34) of Pudupet, Vignesh (32) of Nolambur, Suresh (47) of Salem, Venkatasubramanian (51) of Kanchipuram, Santhosh (19) of Kolathur and Sreejith (27) of Kolathur.

Tamil Nadu: Dindigul, Salem on top in stopping child marriages

KRISHNAGIRI: Dindigul and Salem districts are among the top districts in stopping child marriages in Tamil Nadu for the last three years from January 2021 to February 2024, revealed data accessed by way of Right to Information Act from the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department. However, the Community Service Registers (CSRs) and First Information Reports (FIRs) filed on child marriage cases were far less than the actual number of incidents that were stopped following the interference of authorities, the data showed. This was revealed in the RTI data accessed by advocate and child rights activist, S Prabakar, from the Commissionerate of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, for the past three years. It was also revealed after authorities stopped child marriage incidents, police complaints on the cases were not registered by district authorities concerned, and some districts are filling the cases after the incident. In 2021 from January to December, 2,638 child marriages were stopped in Tamil Nadu, in which CSR or FIR filed only 707 cases, which is just 26.80%. Similarly, in 2022 from January to December, 2, 401 child marriages were stopped in which CSR or FIR was filed on 881 cases, which is 36.69%. And in 2023 from January to December, 1,961 child marriages were stopped, in which 973 cases were registered as CSR or FIR, which is 49.62 %. Similarly, in January and February 2024, 347 child marriages were stopped, of which 128 complaints were registered as CSR or FIR, which is 36.89%, explained Prabakar. He said, More FIRs will reduce child marriage and teenage pregnancy cases in Tamil Nadu. Apart from stopping child marriages, the district administration should make efforts to file cases against people. Salem Collector R Brindha Devi told TNIE that they are working on the issue and taking steps to reduce child marriage, and even recently career guidance programme was conducted for higher secondary school students. Dindigul district Collector MN Poongodi was unavailable for comments. However, Dindigul District Social Welfare Officer G Pushpakala told TNIE, In 2023, the number of child marriages stopped was 121; however CSR or FIR was filed only on 44 cases. We are taking steps to make CSR or FIR for 10 more cases for the year 2023. In many cases after stopping child marriage, there are no sufficient documents to file police complaint against them and in few cases, members of families where child marriages were stopped fled to other districts. Theni collector RV Shajeevana was unavailable for comment. An official from Theni district collectorate asked TNIE to contact the Collector after the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha election because the collector was busy with election duty and could not talk to the media on certain topics.

Residents stay indoors as intense heatwave grips Erode, Salem and Namakkal districts

Salem, Trichy new hotspots for teen pregnancy in TN

Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin Hamas released a video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Wednesday. The video is the first proof that he survived being badly injured during his capture on October 7, CNN reported. Goldberg-Polin, then 23, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7. More than 1,200 people died and over 200 people were taken hostage when Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October. In the video, he is seen with part of his left arm missing several inches above the hand. The videos posted on October 7 showed Goldberg-Polin with his arm severely wounded. A young woman, who was in a bunker with him when Hamas attacked, said he helped to throw grenades out before his arm was blown off from the elbow down. In the latest video shared by the terrorist group, Goldberg-Polin was seen sitting on a chair, addressing the camera. While speaking about himself mentioning the names of his parents and giving his date of birth, he occasionally gestured with his injured arm. In the video, Hersh Goldberg-Polin said he has been here for almost 200 days, suggesting that the video was captured shortly before Tuesday, the 200th day of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to CNN report. He slammed the Israeli government similar to what other Israeli hostages have done in propaganda videos shared by Hamas. Held captive by Hamas for six months in Gaza, Goldberg-Polin is almost certainly speaking under duress. Hersh Goldberg-Polin also spoke about Israeli government ministers having holiday dinners with their families, an apparent reference to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which started on Monday night, CNN reported. He urged his own family to remain strong for him and concluded by saying that he hoped he was able to give them some comfort on the holiday. Goldberg-Polin is among the most recognizable of the 129 hostages who continue to remain held in Gaza. Banners and murals displayed in Jerusalem read, Bring Hersh Home, CNN reported. His parents Rachel and Jonathan have regularly met top US officials in Washington to pressurise them about the case of hostages held in Gaza, CNN reported. Of the 129 October 7 hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli government believes 33 are dead. Hersh Goldberg-Polin's mother Rachel Goldberg-Polin has campaigned for her son's release for the past six months. He was scheduled to go on a round-the-world trip he had planned. On December 27, when he had planned to depart for the round-the-world trip, his mother visited the airport with friends and handed stickers of Hersh to passengers travelling on his flight, asking them to share photos from places they visited. (ANI)

Salem Virudhachalam DEMU passenger train to run up to Cuddalore Port junction

Israels army orders immediate evacuation in Gaza

Jerusalem: Israel has ordered residents of the city of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate urgently ahead of a new planned onslaught in the area. You are in a dangerous combat zone, Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wrote on Tuesday on the social media platform X. Also Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Blazing heat forces Erode residents to stay indoors

ERODE: Erode district is under the glare of the blazing summer sun. On Monday, the district recorded a temperature of 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius), say India Meteorological Department data. Erode was the third hottest city in India on Monday as per the IMD figures. The rising heat has forced many to stay at home. Workers have been hit hard. Schools have been urged to give holidays for students attending special classes. A Sivakrishnan of Nadar Medu in Erode, said, This years heat is more than last years. By 11 am I will finish all my work, including buying vegetables, outside. After that I leave the house only after 6 pm. As much as possible, I dont go outside during the day. If necessary, I will go with an umbrella. Even at night, the air is warm. We cant sleep at night even if we turn on the fan. The air from the fan is also hot. Children are the most affected. S Kulendran, a painting contractor of Erode, said, Now it is very sunny during the day. So we start work at 6 am. We work outside the building from 6 am to 10 am. After that, we go inside the building. At unavoidable times we work outside following the shadow of the building. At present, workers tire quickly when working outdoors. This slows down the work. They work by taking little breaks. There is no other way. We try to get rid of fatigue by drinking juices and cold water. K Sekar, a construction worker of Thingalur, said, We dont stop working even if it is hot. If we take some rest it will affect our wages. But we tie a towel around our heads to protect ourselves from the sun. We drink water often. We bring lemon juice from home. We add curd and buttermilk to the midday meal. S Saranya, North Traffic Inspector of Erode, said, Even in the scorching heat, the traffic police do their duty without fail. Necessary hand gloves, caps etc. have been provided to the traffic police. Fruit juice was given during the day to beat the heat as advised by our higher officials. It was interrupted due to the election. Providing fruit juice to the traffic police again is under consideration. Our higher officials have advised us to stand and work under umbrellas during off-peak hours. At the same time, there has been a demand to declare holidays for schools in Erode immediately. M Yuvaraja, State President of the Youth Wing of Tamil Maanila Congress, on Tuesday, said, Amidst the scorching heat in Erode, the examinations in schools and colleges have not yet been completed. Some schools run special classes. The district administration should immediately declare a holiday for all these activities. Examinations and special classes can be held as the heat wanes. Officials of the IMD (Salem Region) said, The weather in Erode is hotter than expected. Erode recorded a temperature of 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. On Tuesday, it was 108 F (42.2 C). One of the reasons for this is that there are no clouds. Officials from the district administration said, Erode has been experiencing extreme heat for the last 20 days. The public has been advised to protect themselves from the heat. People should avoid going out of their houses during the day unnecessarily.

Soccer-Al-Ain seal Asian Champions League final berth despite Al-Hilal loss

Soccer-Al-Ain seal Asian Champions League final berth despite Al-Hilal loss Al-Ain advanced to the Asian Champions League final despite losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in Riyadh on Tuesday, with the side from the United Arab Emirates completing a 5-4 aggregate victory to progress to next month's decider. Hernan Crespo's outfit will take on either Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea or Japan's Yokohama F Marinos. Goals from Ruben Neves and Salem Al-Dawsari gave Al-Hilal victory on the night at the Kingdom Arena. Leading 4-2 from the first leg in Al-Ain last Wednesday, the visitors were rocked inside the opening two minutes as the Saudi Pro League side, watched from the stands by their injured playmaker Neymar, made a blistering start. The four-times winners reduced the deficit in the fourth minute as a rash challenge in the area saw Kouame Kouadio bring down Brazilian winger Michael and, after a VAR review, Neves smashed his spot-kick into the top corner. But Al-Ain remained resolute, with Kaku heading over the bar before the 2003 champions restored their two-goal aggregate advantage in the 12th minute. Erik Jorgens cut in from the left and fed the ball to Kaku, who found Yahia Nader on the right and he set up the unmarked Jorgens to stroke the ball past Yassine Bounou from 14 yards having continued his run across the box. Ahmed Barman then headed against his own crossbar as Al-Hilal pushed forward, with Ali Al-Bulayhi nodding across the face of the Al-Ain goal soon after. Six minutes into the second half the home side struck again, Al-Dawsari slotting his low shot into the bottom corner after Barman's header from Yasser Al-Shahrani's long throw had landed at the Al-Hilal winger's feet. Goalkeeper Khalid Eisa kept Michael's deflected effort out at the near post with five minutes remaining while Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed over moments later as Al-Hilal sought in vain to score the goal that would take the game into extra-time. The result means Al-Ain will return to the final for the first time since 2016, when they lost out over two legs to South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors. Ulsan and Yokohama face off in the second leg of their semi-final in Japan on Wednesday, with the South Koreans holding a slender 1-0 lead. The first leg of the final will be played in either Japan or South Korea on May 11 with Al-Ain hosting the return two weeks later.

Two people murdered in Salem and Krishnagiri

Valluvar Vasagar Vattam initiative at Salem Central Prison completes its 25th week

Woman dies after child accidentally fires airgun in Salem

TN cop dies by suicide after wife leaves for UK

COIMBATORE : A head constable attached to the investigation wing of Saravanampatti Police station died by suicide at his residence. The deceased was identified as Balakumar (38). A 2003 batch personnel, he lived in Ganapathi Maanager with his wife and two children. According to sources. his wife works in a private hotel. Recently, she got a promotion and relocated to the London branch two weeks ago leaving their two children under the care of her parents in Salem. Upon completing his election duty, Balakumar returned home on the morning of April 20, but did not report for work for the next two days. His parents tried to contact him but their efforts went in vain. On Sunday, they reached out to the Saravanampatti police station, asking the personnel to visit his residence on Sunday night to check on him. A team of police went to his home and found Balakumar had died by suicide. The body was sent to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for post mortem examination. Police said Balakumar was allegedly unhappy with his wife as she left the country and they quarrelled over it before her departure. In a letter, he mentioned that he was not able to speak with his wife properly. Also, work pressure might have triggered him to take the extreme step, police sources added. (To overcome suicidal thoughts, contact the health departments helpline 104 or the Vidiyal helpline run by Coimbatore police at 0422-2300999)

Dharmapuri district records its hottest day in 8 years, dog days to continue across TN

CHENNAI: Heatwave conditions continue to prevail over north interior districts of Tamil Nadu where the mercury went up several degrees above normal on Monday. Dharmapuri recorded its highest temperature in the past eight years on Monday, but Erode topped the chart with a sizzling 43 degree Celsius. The regional meteorological centre (RMC) in Chennai has issued a temperature warning till April 26. Due to high temperatures and humid conditions, hot and uncomfortable weather is likely at isolated pockets over Tamil Nadu during the next five days, said P Senthamarai Kannam from RMC. The all-time record for Dharmapuri was 42.2 degree Celsius recorded on April 25, 2016. The second highest of 41.2 degree Celsius was recorded on Monday. Mercury had breached 40 degrees in 12 districts, including Erode, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Tiruchy Tiruthani, Vellore, Karur, Madurai, Namakkal, Salem, and Coimbatore. The met office said maximum temperature is likely to be 2-3 degrees above normal at a few places over interior Tamil Nadu for the next five days. The temperature will be 39-41 degrees over the plains of the north interior districts and 34-38 degrees over rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal area. Humidity is likely to be about 30%-50% in the afternoon hours and 40%-75% during the rest of the day over the plains of interior districts; and 50% to 85% over the coastal areas during the next five days. Weather blogger K Srikanth said the hot and humid conditions are likely to prevail for the next two weeks.

Election turnout figures based on polling app entries, not mandatory, clarifies TN CEO

CHENNAI: Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Monday clarified that the periodic provisional turnout figures that were provided by his office on polling day was based on projections from figures entered in a mobile application by Presiding Officers (POs) in polling stations across the state. Sahoo offered these clarifications after wide variations between provisional polling figures and final figures led to a lot of confusion on Friday. In an interaction with reporters on Monday, he stressed that the entry of data in this mobile app was not a statutory or mandatory task for the POs. Many were not updating the data on the app since they were held up with other activities at the polling stations, he said. The provisional figures provided through the day by his office were therefore based on projections from those polling stations that were feeding data into the app, he said. He contrasted this with the statutory task of POs filling form 17A (register of votes) and form 17C (account of votes recorded), which form the basis for authentic figures. He said the final figures will be provided by Returning Officers to political parties in all seats. Only copies signed by ROs report final data, says CEO Sahoo said even in the 2021 Assembly election, the provisional figures provided at 7 pm on polling day was around 69% but this was revised to over 72% the next day. He said the provisional figure was only to provide a trend and must not be treated as final. The signed physical copies provided by ROs are the authentic figures, he added. TNIE had reported on Sunday how the projections done based on a sample number of polling stations led to wide variations. Surveillance teams in 13 dists The Static Surveillance Teams and Flying Squad Teams, he said, have been withdrawn from all except 13 districts sharing borders with neighbouring states where elections are under way. A total of 171 teams, divided into 57 teams working in three shifts, have been deployed in Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Salem, Erode, Theni, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, Tirupattur and Nilgiris. On inquiries about political parties requests for re-polling in certain voting booths, the CEO said neither Returning Officers nor Observers have recommended conducting re-polls anywhere in the state.

Hezbollah fires 35 rockets at Israel: Army

Jerusalem: Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched about 35 rockets toward northern Israel while Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said in a statement. The rockets triggered air raid sirens in the city of Safed and other communities in northern Israel, but no injuries have been reported, Xinhua news agency reported. Also Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Head constable dies of cardiac arrest in Salem

Israeli Military Intelligence Chief resigns over Hamas attack, calls for probe

JERUSALEM, Apr 22: Israels Military Intelligence chief Major General Aharon Haliva resigned on Monday, taking responsibility for his units failures during the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks on the Jewish state. Haliva is the first General of the Israeli armys general staff to leave his position due to the failures that led to the massive attack by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. In his resignation letter written in Hebrew, Haliva said, The Intelligence Division [] The post Israeli Military Intelligence Chief resigns over Hamas attack, calls for probe appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Voter Turnout App figures are right: CEO

Chennai: Amidst persistent criticism over the repeated changes in the voting percentage put out by the Election Commission of India, the States Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sathyabrata Sahoo clarified the reason behind the faux pas and said that Voter Turnout App gave the right figures. Since the media was always in a hurry to publish the voting percentage and the details were obtained over telephone in haste from the various Returning Officers (RO) and Assistant Returning Officers (ARO) in the field and passed on there was bound to be some error in the immediate tabulation, Sahoo told media persons in Chennai on Monday. However, only when the details were submitted in writing by the ROs and AROs they became the final figure and that too was passed on to themedia, he said. The Voter Turnout App figures were accurate, he said. Asked about the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct after the completion of polls in the State on Friday, Sahoo said that it would be in force in 12 districts that shared a border with other States where polling had not been completed. So, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Salem, Erode, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi ad Tirupattur districts would continue to enforce the MCC till the elections in the neighbouring States were completed, he said. He said the polled EVMs hadbeen stored in the strong rooms of 39 Counting Centres (43 buildings) for the 39 Parliamentary Constituencies after the conclusion of poll on Friday. The ECI had allotted 190 companies of CAPF/SAP toTamil Nadu for elections and 15 companies had been retained after the polling process was over, for guarding the strong rooms. Adequate security was being provided to all the counting centers as per ECI guidelines. The strong roomswere secured with a double lock system and three layers of security cover were being provided to each of the counting centers, he said. The inner perimeter of the counting center is under the direct control of CAPF personnel, the second security layer is manned by State Armed Police Force. The third layer of security is provided by the State Police. The entire Counting centre is under CCTV surveillance andthe ROs visit the strong rooms daily to check the security of the strong room, he said. As per the direction of ECI, Flying SquadTeams and Static Surveillance Teams were being deployed at the districtssharing borders with neighbouring States and at strategic locations till the counting day, he added.

Increase in temperature in Salem increases muskmelon sales

Police head constable dies in Salem

Jerusalem prepares events for massive visitation over Passover holiday

Jerusalem prepares events for massive visitation over Passover holiday Tel Aviv [Israel], April 22 (ANI/TPS): Preparations are being made for the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors to Jerusalem over the Passover holiday, specifically to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The holiday begins Monday night. To that end, Israel's Ministry of Jerusalem and the Tradition of Israel and the Society for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter said that they are engaging in an unprecedented project, in which a huge air-conditioned refreshment tent will be erected will be erected within the Jewish Quarter for the masses of visitors and klezmer music entertainers will perform and the Hurva Synagogue - the uined synagogue destroyed by the Jordanians after Israel's independence and restored in recent years - will be opened to the general public. The air conditioning will come in handy as it is expected to go above 90 degrees (33 C) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, a mother and child tent will be set up to serve families. Ushers will be spread throughout the Jewish quarter and will direct the crowd to the historical points of interest in the place and will serve the many families who will come to the holy place to mark the Passover holiday and learn about the history of the streets where our ancestors walked in the days of the Temple. The CEO of the Society for the Rehabilitation and Development of the Jewish Quarter, Herzl Ben Ari: This year, more than ever, we invite all the people of Israel to make a pilgrimage to the Jewish Quarter and connect their feet to the eternal chain of the Jewish people. We thank the Minister of Jerusalem and Israel's Traditions for the mobilization and support that enable the activity that has already become a tradition. (ANI/TPS)

Anti-collision system to be set in 2.2K km tracks in Tamil Nadu, Kerala

CHENNAI: Southern Railway has decided to install Kavach, the anti-collision system for trains, for 2,216 km of tracks across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. During the first phase, the high-density routes Chennai-Arakkonam (68 km), Arakkonam -Renigunta (65 km), and Chennai-Gudur section (138 km)will be prioritised, where Vande Bharat express trains are operational, said an official statement. The remaining 1,945 km, which includes ArakkonamJolarpettai (150 km), Chennai-Egmore-Tambaram-Chengalpattu (60 km), Chengalpattu Villupuram (102.76 km), JolarpettaiSalemErode (179.26 km), ErodeIrugurCoimbatorePodanur (106.54 km), Villupuram-Tiruchchirappalli (178 km), will be covered in the second phase. The project is being accorded top priority as part of the modernisation of signalling systems for the year 2024-25. Kavach protection system prevents trains from passing red signals and avoids collisions. When the locomotive passes the red signal, the system will automatically activate braking in the train and bring it to a halt. Additionally, it prevents collisions between two trains and locomotives, said Chief Public Relations Officer M Senthamil Selvan. The system will also produce auto-whistling while approaching level crossing gates, besides sending emergency alerts to the concerned railway units. When the system gets developed in the future, train movement will be monitored centrally through network monitors, Selvan added. How does Kavach work? Kavach broadly comprises stationary control unit (SCU) and on-board equipment. On-board RFID reader is mounted beneath the locomotive and it can read the RFID tags fitted between the rails and collect information such as unique tag ID, direction of travel and unique track identification number (TIN). This data is communicated to the station control unit through the radio link. SCU will locate the train based on the RFID tag ID and send the information like approaching signal aspect, and distance to the locomotive. On-board equipment which receives information from the station control unit collects the speed of train through sensors mounted on the loco axle to determine whether the loco is travelling at safe speed limit. In case the locomotive is running beyond safe speed, an alert will be sounded to loco pilot for five seconds before initiating the brakes and bringing the train to a stop, said a press note.

Israel PM Netanyahu to increase pressure on Hamas

Israel PM Netanyahu to increase pressure on Hamas Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to intensify the military crackdown on Hamas. In a video address on Sunday, Netanyahu threatened action in the coming days, without elaborating on the time and place. We will strike it with additional painful blows and this [] The post Israel PM Netanyahu to increase pressure on Hamas appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region, prices shoot up

The mango growers in Krishnagiri are incurring a loss of 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh an acre due to drought; the State government should focus on water management in the district, say farmers

Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region of Tamil Nadu, prices shoot up - The Hindu

Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region of Tamil Nadu, prices shoot up The Hindu

Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region, prices shoot up - The Hindu

Drought hits mango cultivation in Salem region, prices shoot up The Hindu

LS polls: Final polling percentage stands at 69.72 per cent in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The final polling percentage in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha elections stands at 69.72 per cent, according to an announcement made by Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, on Sunday. Of the total number of voters - 6,23,33,925 in Tamil Nadu, 4,34,58,875 have polled their votes for the Lok Sabha elections. Women voters have outnumbered the men in the electoral rolls. In exercising their franchise too, they are ahead of men. Of the 3,17,19,665 women voters, 2,21,58,256 have turned up at the polling booths on April 19. Similarly, of the 3,06,05,793 men voters, 2,12,97,903 voters have exercised their franchise. According to the final voting percentages, Dharmapuri constituency polled the highest: 81.20 per cent, while Chennai Central constituenced polled the least: 53.96 per cent. Polling percentages in all 39 constituenies are as follows: Thiruvallur (SC) - 68.59% Chennai North - 60.11% Chennai South - 54.17% Chennai Central - 53.96% Sriperumbudur - 60.25% Kancheepuram (SC) - 71.68% Arakkonam - 74.19% Vellore - 73.53% Krishnagiri - 71.50% Dharmapuri - 81.20% Tiruvannamalai - 74.24% Arani - 75.76% Villpuram (SC) - 76.52% Kallakurichi - 79.21% Salem - 78.16% Namakkal - 78.21% Erode - 70.59% Tirupur - 70.62% The Nilgiris - 70.95% Coimbatore - 64.89% Pollachi - 70.41% Dindigul - 71.14% Karur - 78.70% Trichy -67.51% Perambalur - 77.43% Cuddalore - 72.57% Chidambaram (SC) - 76.37% Mayiladuthurai - 70.09% Nagapattinam (SC) - 71.94% Thanjavur - 68.27% Sivaganga - 64.26% Madurai - 62.04% Theni - 69.84% Virudhunagar - 70.22% Ramanathapuram - 68.19% Thoothukudi - 66.88% Tenkasi (SC) - 67.65% Tirunelveli - 64.10% Kanyakumari - 65.44%

Reuters' Mohammed Salem wins 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award for picture of mourning Palestinian woman

The winning image portrays Inas Abu Maamar, 36, sobbing while holding Salys sheet-clad body in the hospital morgue

Edappadi segment witnesses second-highest voter turnout in Tamil Nadu

SALEM: Edappadi assembly segment in Salem Lok Sabha constituency has registered the second-highest voter turnout in Tamil Nadu, an impressive 84.71%, whereas the overall polling statewide is expected to be lower than the 2019 figures as per the latest updates. Significantly, the eponymous home town of AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is in this segment. In all 2,41,216 votes were cast in the Edappadi assembly segment on Friday when all the 39 seats in the state went to the polls. This is a significant increase from the previous turnout of 2,27,229 in the 2019 general election. The highest polling was registered in Palacode assembly segments in Dharmapuri Lok Sabha constituency, with 84.88% of voters turning up to cast their votes. In the Edappadi assembly segment, the highest polling was recorded in Karattur, Iruppali, Savariyur, Moolakadai, Chettimankurichi, and Periyasuvaragai polling stations. In response to enquiries from TNIE regarding the surge in voter participation, Assistant Returning Officer C Maran attributed it to the extensive election awareness campaigns held at Edappadi Arts and Science College, with more than 1,500 individuals participating. Deputy Tasildhar of Edappadi, T Karnan, said Various activities, including quizzes, drawing and essay contests, were organised to encourage turnout, with prizes awarded to encourage every ones participation. Is the higher polling a pointer to the outcome when votes are counted on June 4? S Parthasarathy, a 37-year-old IT specialist, expressed mixed sentiments. Residents of suburban Salem are overall satisfied with the incumbent government, he noted. V Gomathi, a 52-year-old farmer, shared her motivation for casting her vote, citing the benefits received under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. With an annual grant of `6,000 it helps me to get essentials for my Urad dal farm, she said while stressing the importance of continued state support. Up by over 13,000 votes In all 2,41,216 votes were cast in the Edappadi assembly segment on Friday. This is a significant increase from the previous turnout of 2,27,229 in the 2019 general election.

A ragpicker-turned-banker

VIJAYAWADA: Life was no bed of roses for Seelam Sandeep Kumar, who was abandoned by his parents at the age of six. What kept him going was his dream of some day working in the bank that he looked at every day while scavenging for food from a dustbin near a restaurant in Vijayawada. His mother, Parvathi was from Kadapa district. She married Sunil, a native of Kolkata. Sandeep was born in Mumbai and raised in Kolkata. However, his mother brought him back to Kadapa when he was just 3, due to harassment by her husband. Parvathi handed over a six-year-old Sandeep to her relatives and left without a word. Sandeep had faced abandonment, rejection and neglect at a very young age. His relatives refused to send him to school, citing financial constraints. He then resolved to earn money to pay for his education. He boarded a train to Tirupati, climbed the Alipiri steps, and ate prasadam distributed by other devotees for sustenance. Language was a challenge as Sandeep was fluent in both Marathi and Bengali and not Telugu. He earned money by selling coconuts at the Dwajasthambam in Tirumala. Unfortunately, it was stolen while he was asleep. After having starved for three days, a devotee offered him a free meal token for Anna Prasadams at the temple. He came to Vijayawada on learning that the Navajeevan Bala Bhavan in the city provided accommodation to orphans. He then began working at a hotel near the railway station. Sandeep found himself right back at square one after the person he entrusted his earnings with fled the orphanage. He then began working with labourers near Eluru canal. He had sustained injuries in a road accident and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. Following this, he joined an Orphan School in Pezzonipet with the help of Thomas Kaushy, founder of Navajeevan. He excelled in the Class X exams at RCM High School. During his free time, he swept train carriages and collected plastic as a ragpicker. Sometimes, he also had to beg to make ends meet. He was able to join Sarada College for intermediate education. Unfortunately, he failed the exams. While dealing with the curveballs life threw at him, Sandeep learnt how to dance. This helped him earn money as he began teaching dance. When a film director encouraged him to test his luck in the film industry, he went to Hyderabad and became an assistant to a dance master in Hyderabad. As Sandeep did not find any success even three years after working in the film industry, he returned to Vijayawada from Hyderabad. As he began settling down in life, he met Rajeswari and later married her, but not without facing challenges. Rajeswaris parents refused to get her married to an orphan. To prove that he was not an orphan, he searched for his mother across the country and luckily found her in Salem, Tamil Nadu. He thus gained the approval of Rajeswaris parents and married her. They are now parents of two children, Sahasra and Harshi. After getting married, he pursued an MBA through distance education while working part-time and gaining knowledge of the stock market. He secured a job at Kotak Bank (Securities wing) in Vijayawada. Reflecting on his journey, the 37-year-old reminisces, Now, as I gaze through the banks windows, I can see the spot near Sweet Magic where I once scavenged for discarded cakes In a bid to give back to the society, Sandeep, along with his friends from Navajeevan, formed a WhatsApp group titled Fruits from Navajeevan to support orphans like him. Sandeep told TNIE, We have mobilised funds to provide support to those facing challenges like we did. We are committed to ensuring that no child is deprived of education due to financial constraints.

Tamil Nadu: Sample projection by CEOs office led to wide variation in turnout percentage

CHENNAI: The significant difference in the voter turnout data between the provisional figures released by the office of Chief Electoral Officer after the Lok Sabha elections at 7.30pm (72.09%) on Friday and at 12am (69.46%) on Saturday stirred considerable confusion among the public. While minor variations are expected in these figures in every poll, variations in the range of seven to 13.5 percentage points in several constituencies led to concerns over data quality. Enquiries by TNIE revealed that a method of projection based on data directly collected by the office of the CEO from a sample number of polling stations led to these variations. According to officials, periodic updates provided by office of CEO on Friday and later at 7.30pm were based on this sample- based projection. In contrast, the Saturday 12am figure was based on actual data from all assembly segments fed by the respective Returning Officers to the ECIs online portal, Encore. Interestingly, even after 24 hours of polling, the final turnout figures were not released until Saturday night. Releasing the same 12am figures at 7.30pm on Saturday, CEO Satyabrata Sahoo said data entry for each polling station was still under way. The respective ROs are doing it for all polling stations. We expect very minor variation (in the final figures), he said. The statewide turnout remained at 69.46% as on Saturday night. Sahoo, however, added that turnout for Thoothukudi will be sharply revised to 66.88% from 59.96% as there were delays in entering data to the Encore portal on Friday. Except for this constituency, only very little changes are likely in other seats, he added. The revision in Thoothukudi will marginally increase the statewide turnout data when the final figures are released. The variations reported earlier due to sample-based projections were sharp in the three seats in Chennai district, and Sriperumbudur, Coimbatore, Sivaganga, and Madurai (refer infographic). Dharmapuri locals have more at stake S Kumaresan , a labourer and a native of Pennagaram who works in Bengaluru, said, In villages, everybody knows everybody else. So when a person from our village calls you to come and cast vote for a political party, we just cannot ignore it. This is a big reason for casting the vote. Moreover, this also gives us the chance to meet up with family and friends. R Mariappan, a labourer working in Coimbatore, said, Most migrant labourers working in the district either work in Dharmapuri, Tiruppur or Coimbatore, which are not too far. It only takes a few hours to reach home. Moreover, in rural areas, if you do not vote, the ward members or panchayat president will not respect you. Though we vote for people of our choice, cadres cutting across party lines would solicit our opinion on local matters. If you do not vote, then your opinion may not matter. The district, which comprises one municipality, 10 town panchayats, and 251 gram panchayats, has consistently trumped bigger districts like Chennai, Coimbatore and Salem that are relatively more urban in nature. Speaking to TNIE, Collector K Santhi said, Dharmapuri has always been a good performer in polling. One of our key initiatives to bring in voters was by analysing previous Lok Sabha election data. We had identified poor performing polling stations and increased SVEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) activities there using self-help groups, she said. Political parties, however, attribute this increase in polling percentage to political awareness. CPM district secretary A Kumar said, All three major parties the DMK, PMK and AIADMK were well-received by the elderly and youth across the district. As most people in Dharmapuri belong to weaker sections of the society, they have more at stake. SP Venkateshwaran, Dharmapuri MLA and PMK district secretary (West), said, As an MLA, I have gone to many rural areas where we are increasingly questioned by youth. In a sense, youth are actively monitoring the political scene.

EPS breathes fresh life into the withering Two Leaves

Edappadi K Palaniswami is a lone fighter. Away from the electoral battles he once fought with a row of luminaries and legions of animated cadres in tow, the general secretary of AIADMK found himself forlorn, unkindly thrown to the Lok Sabha battlefield to fight a seemingly lost battle. The party which banked on charismatic leaders like MG Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa, who captained the ship with the mass support of both party cadres and the general public, was going rudderless after Lok Sabha elections were announced. The court battles he fought to retain his supremacy and party symbols also dragged on, creating a sharp void in the opposition space. Born to Karuppa Goundar and Thavasiyammal at Siluvampalayam at Edappadi in Salem on May 12, 1954, EPSs political graph always had many ups and downs. And, he is facing the 2024 Lok Sabha election after two successive defeats. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, AIADMK under the twin leadership of EPS and O Panneerselvam contested 179 seats but managed to win only 66 seats, 70 less than the 136 seats the party had won in 2016 under the leadership of former CM J Jayalalithaa. Out of the 66 seats AIADadMK won in 2021, a major chunk of 35 seats were from western TN, the partys fortress. The very next year in 2022, AIADMK was decimated by the ruling DMK in the local body elections losing all the corporations. This election season was also not a cakewalk for him. After snapping ties with the BJP in September last year, Palaniswami was trying hard to break the formidable DMK-led alliance and woo VCK into its fold, which did not materialise. Then he tried hard to forge an alliance with the PMK, with AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP CV Shanmugam meeting PMK founder S Ramadoss. To his shock, PMK decided to join the NDA alliance led by BJP. Lefty with just a few options, Palaniswami signed an alliance with DMDK offering five seats to them and decided to contest the remaining 34 seats in the Two Leaves symbol, which included one seat each for Puthiya Tamilagam and SDPI parties which are contesting on AIADMK symbol. Adding fuel to the fire, EPSs political rivals came with an array of leaders to spearhead their campaign. While the BJP-led alliance lined up all their top stars, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president JP Nadda to several cabinet ministers, the DMK-led alliance had Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other alliance party leaders to boot. EPS was left with no other option except shouldering the lions share of the campaigning responsibility on his shoulder. However, as the days progressed, Tamil Nadu saw him drawing masses through his campaigns. Unlike the 2021 assembly polls, where he used a campaign vehicle to address the public, this time, EPS was holding public meetings in each constituency. Furthermore, AIADMKs poll strategists were designed to energise the cadres. EPS played old videos of DMK leaders, including CM MK Stalin, in support of his criticism. He even snapped back at Udayanidhi Stalins mockery using a picture of him with PM Modi, in the same class; with a photograph of Udayanidhi meeting the PM. Anbumani Ramadoss also tasted his lash, when EPS shot back to his lambasts with the question, Then why PMK forged an alliance with AIADMK earlier? During the last leg of his campaign, he came out strongly against the BJP saying, Now out of the NDA alliance, AIADMK MPs will stand up for the states rights in Parliament. EPS embraced all cadres, both old and young. He wanted to take the party to new heights. Coming from the grassroots level without any mass appeal, he emerged as the general secretary of AIADMK through his hard work, which earned him the acceptance of the public. He faced the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as a Chief Ministerial candidate and managed to get a maximum number of seats for AIADMK as an opposition party, asserted AIADMK IT wing president Singai G Ramachandran. Palaniswamis roommate during college days at Sri Vasavi College in Erode, R Mathivathanan was all praise for his down-to-earth approach. Even after holding the Chief Ministers post and becoming general secretary of AIADMK, Palaniswami was approachable for all, something that cant be found in leaders of other political parties. Recalling the old days, Mathivathanan added, Palaniswami used to come to the college by bike and was an MGR fan. We met through his uncle, became friends, rented a house and stayed together for two years. He was a teetotaller and was always focused on his studies and his family business of jaggery. He used to sell the jaggery collected from the farmers at the Kavindapadi or Perundurai market. Though he is well celebrated in his quarters and AIADMK expresses confidence in his leadership, political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy is of the view that DMK president MK Stalin has an upper hand in the election with the alliance of Congress, VCK, CPM, CPI and MDMK. Not just in this election, but also in the future, it will be difficult for Palaniswami to forge a political realignment and form a strong alliance in Tamil Nadu. That is the reality. Down the lane, Palaniswami will be a decisive leader, but cannot replace Jayalalithaa in terms of forging a strong alliance. He will be a force like HD Deva Gowdas Janata Dal (Secular), which gets a 20% vote share in Karnataka, he added. In this election, Pramalatha Vijayakanth helped AIAD MK to some extent in getting sympathy votes from the Telugu-speaking community. Palaniswami borrowed facts from NTK leader Seeman for the campaigning. We need to wait and see who converted it into votes. But one cant ignore the fact that whenever EPS was pushed to the bottom in the past, he had managed to rise like a phoenix. Will he weather the current storm or be left by the wayside? June 4 holds the key.

57 yrs on, 1967 polling record still unbeaten in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: With the final polling percentage of Lok Sabha elections in TN expected to be just above 70%, the state has failed once again to break its own polling percentage created during 1967 Lok Sabha elections (76.56%). The highest poll percentage in the 1967 elections was significant since it took place in a historical moment when the DMK snatched power from the Congress party. The elections happened in the backdrop of the anti-Hindi agitations of 1965, in which the DMK was at the forefront. Since then, Dravidian majors have been maintaining bipolar politics in the state without giving room for any national party. The Congress has been on a piggyback ride on either the Dravidian majors. After 1967, the voter turnout crossed 70% in 1984, 2009, 2014 and 2019. The voter turnout was lowest (below 60%) in 1998 and 1999, when the country faced general elections in quick succession due to unstable coalition governments. In the current election, the BJP left no stone unturned to gain a strong foothold in Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu around 10 times and did a vociferous campaign, including roadshows, for BJP. A large gamut of union ministers were also on the campaign. Despite this, the voter turnout saw a dip. Further, the provisional polling percentage indicates that 35 constituencies polled lesser votes than in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections while four constituencies - Kallakurichi, Salem, Coimbatore and Vellore polled higher votes than in the previous LS elections. But, as far as the Assembly elections are concerned, the highest was 78.12% in the 2011 elections, when the DMK faced huge anti-incumbency.

More than 14 Palestinians killed as violence flares in West Bank

More than 14 Palestinians killed as violence flares in West Bank Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, while an ambulance driver was killed as he went to pick up wounded from a separate attack by violent Jewish settlers, Palestinian authorities said. Israeli forces began an extended raid in the early hours of Friday in the Nur Shams area, near the flashpoint Palestinian city of Tulkarm and were still exchanging fire with armed fighters well into Saturday. Israeli military vehicles massed and bursts of gunfire were heard, while at least three drones were seen hovering above Nur Shams, an area housing refugees and their descendants from the 1948 war that accompanied the creation of the state of Israel. The Tulkarm Brigades, which groups forces from numerous Palestinian factions, said its fighters exchanged fire with Israeli forces on Saturday. The West Bank, a kidney shaped area about 100 km (60 miles) long and 50 km wide that has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since it was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. The Gaza war has overshadowed continuing violence in the territory, including regular army raids on militant groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and street attacks by Palestinians on Israelis. Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested and hundreds killed during regular operations by Israeli army and police since the start of the Gaza war, most members of armed groups, but also stone-throwing youths and uninvolved civilians. On Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said at least 14 Palestinians, two of whom were identified by Palestinian sources and officials as a gunman and a 16 year-old boy, were killed during the raid, one of the heaviest casualty totals in the West Bank in months. Another man was killed on Friday. The Israeli military said a number of militants were killed or arrested during the raid, and at least four soldiers were wounded in exchanges of fire. In a separate incident, the Palestinian health ministry said a 50-year-old ambulance driver was killed by Israeli gunfire near the village of Al-Sawiya, south of the city of Nablus, as he was making his way to transport people injured during the attack on the village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by settlers. There was no immediate comment from the military. GAZA STRIKES CONTINUE In Gaza, where fighting has continued despite the withdrawal of most of Israel's combat forces earlier this month from southern areas, the death toll passed 34,000, Palestinian health authorities said on Saturday. Israeli strikes hit the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are sheltering, as well as Al-Nuseirat in central Gaza, where at least five houses were destroyed, and the Al-Jabalia area in the north, health officials and Hamas media said. In Rafah, a strike hit a house and badly wounded a pregnant woman but doctors at the Kuwaiti hospital were able to save the baby, medics said. The Israeli military said troops were carrying out raids in central Gaza, where they were engaged in close quarter combat with Palestinian fighters. Overall, Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 37 Palestinians and wounded 68 over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said. Rafah is the last Gaza area that Israeli ground forces have not entered in a more than six-month war aimed at eliminating the Islamist Hamas group that rules the enclave, following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, that killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced wide international opposition to the plan to attack Rafah, where the military says the last remaining organised brigades of Hamas are located and where the remaining 133 Israeli hostages are believed to be held. (Nidal al-Mughrabi reported from Cairo, additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem, editing by Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry, Mike Harrison and Sandra Maler)

More than 12 Palestinians killed as violence flares in West Bank

More than 12 Palestinians killed as violence flares in West Bank A Palestinian ambulance driver was killed on his way to evacuate the wounded during a raid by violent Jewish settlers and at least 12 Palestinians died during a separate incident in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said on Saturday. The incidents came as violence flared across the area and fighting continued in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry said the 50-year-old driver was killed by Israeli gunfire near the village of Al-Sawiya, south of the city of Nablus, as he was making his way to transport people injured during the attack on the village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by settlers. There was no immediate comment from the military. In a separate incident in the Nur Shams area, near the Palestinian city of Tulkarm, health authorities said at least 12 Palestinians, two of whom were identified by Palestinian sources and officials as a gunman and a 16 year-old boy, were killed during an extended raid by Israeli forces. A number of militants were killed or arrested, the Israeli military said, and at least four soldiers were wounded in exchanges of fire. Tulkarm Brigades group, which includes militants from numerous Palestinian factions, said its fighters exchanged fire with Israeli forces on Saturday. At least three drones were seen hovering above Nur Shams, where Israeli military vehicles were massed and bursts of gunfire were heard. In Gaza, Israeli strikes hit the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are sheltering, as well as Al-Nuseirat in central Gaza, where at least five houses were destroyed, and the Al-Jabalia area in the north, health officials and Hamas media said. The Israeli military said troops were carrying out raids in central Gaza, where they were engaged in close quarter combat with Palestinian fighters. Overall, Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 37 Palestinians and wounded 68 over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said. Fighting has continued in Gaza despite the withdrawal of most of Israel's combat forces earlier this month from southern areas, and where the death toll passed 34,000, according to Palestinian health authorities. Rafah is the last Gaza area that Israeli ground forces have not entered in a more than six-month war aimed at eliminating the Islamist Hamas group that rules the enclave, following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, that killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced wide international opposition to the plan to attack Rafah, where the military says the last remaining organised brigades of Hamas are located and where the remaining 133 Israeli hostages are believed to be held. The Gaza war has overshadowed continuing violence in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, including regular army raids on militant groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and street attacks by Palestinians on Israelis. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the deaths of 13 people since Thursday night in Nur Shams, an area that houses refugees from the 1948 war and their descendants. One fatality was identified by Palestinian sources as a gunman. The second was a 16-year-old schoolboy, according to Palestinian officials. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the United States for effectively stopping the United Nations from recognising a Palestinian state by casting a veto this week in the Security Council. In an interview with the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority would reconsider bilateral relations with the United States. The West Bank and Gaza are among the territories that the Palestinians seek for an independent state. U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down a decade ago. (Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Nidal al-Mughrabi in from Cairo; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry and Mike Harrison)

Teacher dies in accident in Salem

Teacher dies in accident in Salem - The Hindu

Teacher dies in accident in Salem The Hindu

Flying squad seizes 44.90 crore in Namakkal and 2.87 crore in Salem till April 19

Flying squad seizes 44.90 crore in Namakkal and 2.87 crore in Salem till April 19 - The Hindu

Flying squad seizes 44.90 crore in Namakkal and 2.87 crore in Salem till April 19 The Hindu

EVMs kept in strong rooms in Salem and Namakkal districts; both districts register a 78.16% turnout

DMK cadres stage roadroko in Salem

Two Palestinians killed in Israeli operation in West Bank

Jerusalem: At least two Palestinians have died and seven suffered gunshot wounds in an Israeli military operation in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm on the West Bank, the Palestinian health authority reported on Saturday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the operation had begun on Friday and was continuing into Saturday. It Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Book Review | Jingoistic war fantasy presented as speculative fiction

In the dystopian narrative of The Man Who Lost India , journalist Meghna Pant paints a grim picture of a future India ravaged by Chinese occupation in the year 2032. Through vivid hyperbole, Pant depicts the tumultuous aftermath of a devastating conflict, where China's relentless advance leaves India in ruins. The story unfolds in Lalbag, a small town in Punjab, which miraculously survives due to the mythical presence of a Shiva Linga atop Mount Akaho. The narrative then delves deeper into the lives of Lalbags residents, primarily through the voice of Seth Saheb, one of the towns wealthiest men. Seth's internal monologue paints a vivid picture of how the war has reshaped his world. His soliloquy weaves together the personal dramas of his family love, betrayal, and illness with the larger narrative of war and survival. While Seth Saheb serves as a central figure, the supporting characters lack depth and development. They often feel like mere vehicles for clunkily advancing the plot rather than fully realised individuals. While the China-India war scenario offers a refreshingly unique backdrop, the novels portrayal of China falls short, especially taking into account that Pant travelled across China while researching for the book. She relies heavily on crude language and offensive stereotypes, diminishing the potential for a more nuanced exploration of the conflict. Terms like dog squirting on fire hydrants and lion-penis eating Chinese are not only distasteful but also detract from the narrative's seriousness. The derogatory terms and hyperbolic metaphors, border on sensationalism and xenophobia, detracting from the novels potential to provoke thoughtful reflection. Another flaw lies in the depiction of female characters. They remain underdeveloped and terribly objectified. Descriptions like opaline skin of milk and honey or a yearning to be consumed by mans agony sexualise female characters in a way that feels gratuitous and out of place within the storys broader themes. From Seths daughter Ida, described in terms of her physical attributes, to Urmila, the servants wife portrayed as a witch-like figure reminiscent of historical witch hunts, female characters are reduced to archetypes that reinforce patriarchal norms and detract from the storys authenticity. The novel also throws a unique geopolitical situation into the mix. Israel stands as the sole beacon of hope, accepting Indian refugees. This creates a dramatic irony: Jerusalem, a holy land for another faith, becomes a promised land even for the displaced Hindus of Lalbag. Despite these shortcomings, The Man Who Lost India has some intriguing elements. The narrative draws fascinating parallels to Indias past. Seth Saheb's ambition to build a Black Taj mirrors Shah Jahan's iconic monument, a symbol of both love and loss. Similarly, Ram, Seths servant, seeks to wield the sword of Aurangzeb against the Chinese, linking past conflicts to the present struggle. The abstract denouement, which hints at Hindu resurgence in Lalbag, lacks resolution and coherence, leaving readers with more questions than answers. As the French literary theorist Roland Barthes stated, Only after the author is dead, a reader is born. In that spirit, one can comment that Pant could have gracefully developed the deeper thematic layers with subtext, symbolism and allegorical elements that reveal her underlying commentary on nationalism, identity or the human condition. While her ambition is commendable, her execution leaves much to be desired, highlighting the challenges of balancing fictitious speculations with meaningful social commentary. Dr Shubhda Chaudhary is the editor of Centre for India West Asia Dialogue, a New Delhi-based think tank The Man Who Lost India By Meghna Pant Simon & Schuster pp. 308; Rs 499

Heat wave on polling day; Erode district sizzles at 43C

CHENNAI: Heat wave conditions swept several parts of the state, especially north interior districts, on Friday causing great discomfort to enthusiastic voters who turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. Erode recorded the hottest day this summer with the mercury clocking 43 degrees Celsius, which is 5.2 degrees above normal. The regional meteorological centre had issued a heat wave warning for north interior districts on polling day and cautioned people to take adequate measures. Districts that recorded temperatures in excess of 410C were Vellore (41.90C), Karur (41.50C), Trichy (41.30C), Tiruthani (41.20C), Salem (41.2), Dharmapuri (410C) and Madurai (410C). In Chennai, the temperature was between 38-39 degrees Celcius, which was 2-2.7 degrees above normal. The Met office said the temperature may fall marginally on Saturday, but no big change is anticipated till April 23. Light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lighting is likely to occur at one or two places over Western Ghats and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu. The dry weather is very likely to prevail over the rest of the state, Puducherry and Karaikal. Humidity is likely to be about 30-50% in the afternoon and 40-75% during the rest of the day over the plains of interior districts; and 50-85% in coastal areas for the next five days, the Met office said.

Three elderly voters die at polling stations in Tamil Nadu

SALEM/TIRUTTANI: Three elderly voters who came to polling booths to exercise their franchise on Friday died even as the voting for the Lok Sabha election across the state passed off peacefully. Two of these deaths were reported from Salem and the other from Tiruttani. The deceased were R Chinnaponnu (77), N Palaniswamy (65) both of Salem and K Kanagaraj (70) of Tiruttani. In the first incident, R Chinnaponnu passed away after she made her way to the primary school at Sentharampatti on a wheelchair to cast her vote after arriving with her son and other family members. She died inside the booth before the EVM after ID verification. Meanwhile, Palaniswamy died after collapsing while waiting in line at the Old Suramangalam Elementary School on Friday afternoon. Sources say Palaniswamy had arrived with his wife Kamala. In Tiruttani, Kanagaraj, a resident of Nemili Colony, breathed his last while he came to cast his vote alongside his son, Sridhar, at polling centre 269 in the Tiruttani Assembly segment under the Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituency on Friday. Kanagaraj suddenly collapsed during verification. He was swiftly transported to Tiruttani Government Hospital. However, upon examination, the attending doctor declared him deceased. Police have filed a case and further investigation is on.

Don't have any comment: White House mum on reports of Israeli strikes in Iran

Don't have any comment: White House mum on reports of Israeli strikes in Iran The US has refrained from commenting on reports of Israeli attacks in Iran overnight, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre abstaining from taking any questions about the strikes. I know there's a lot of interest in reports from the Middle East overnight and we understand that we get that. I'm going to say it now, though I know you all will certainly ask me about that. We do not have any comment on the reports at this time, Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing on Friday. The White House Press Secretary further said that the US has been consulting its allies and partners, including in the region, to reduce further risk of escalation in the Middle East. Asked about the situation in the Middle East, Karine Jean-Pierre said, I'm going to again be super mindful, and I understand the interest and going to be disappointing many people here this afternoon. I just don't have anything to share. I'm not going to speculate on the reportings out there. You heard the same, obviously. You said what we've been saying since this morning; you heard from Secretary Blinken. So, I'm just going to be really, really mindful, but as you asked me as well about escalation, I'm going to speak more generally. She said that the Biden administration has been clear from the beginning that they do not want to see this conflict escalate. She referred to the G7 foreign ministers' joint statement released after the meeting, that was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. We have been very clear from here from the beginning that we do not want to see this conflict escalate. We continue to consult with our allies and partners, including in the region, to reduce further risk of escalation in the region. That's a sentiment that was expressed in the G7 foreign ministers' joint statement that went out this morning, she added. Earlier on Friday, Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran, ABC News reported, citing a US official. Al Jazeera cited Mehr news agency reporting that sounds were heard over the city in Isfahan, adding that several miniature UAVs were shot down. However, the official could not confirm whether Syria and Iraq sites were hit as well. The report came shortly after local sources reported blasts in the Isfahan region of central Iran. Following this, Iran fired air defense batteries and shut down flight operations in several cities, including Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, which were later lifted. Meanwhile, as per Syrian media reports today morning, the Syrian Army's locations in the southern Syrian governorates of As-Suwayda and Daraa were also the target of attacks. The attacks targeted Syrian military radar sites between Qarda and Izraa in Daraa, southern Syria, according to the local news outlet As-Suwayda24. Residents of Mosul and Erbil in Iraq reported hearing the sounds of fighter jets as well on Friday during the early morning hours, the Jerusalem Post reported. The latest development comes after Iran on April 13 fired a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones against Israel, which Tehran said was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 in which 13 people were killed. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during discussions on the Middle East situation at the UNSC on Thursday, warned Israel against taking any military actions targeting Iranian interests. He stated Iran has concluded its defense and counteroffensive measures and urged the international community to stop Israel from carrying out any military operations against Iran. On April 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel will make its own decisions and do whatever is necessary to protect itself, even if it contradicts the advice given by its allies, as reported by The Times of Israel. Netanyahu made the statement at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday after meeting with the foreign ministers of the UK and Germany. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Israel on Wednesday. (ANI)

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Moderate polling in 1st phase

NEW DELHI: The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday covering 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories witnessed a moderate 62% voter turnout. The figure is expected to go up after reports come in from all polling booths. It was the biggest of the seven-phase festival of democracy. There were reports of sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, the strife-torn Manipur, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh. Elections were held for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, all five seats in Uttarakhand, 12 seats in Rajasthan, five in Maharashtra, and all seats in the Northeastern states and three Union Territories. Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were also held simultaneously. HIGHLIGHTS | LS polls 2024: Phase 1 voting ends with 62.37% nationwide turnout, TN records 72% Billed as the worlds largest electoral exercise, elections for the 18th Lok Sabha is crucial for the BJP as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term in office. Riding on populist welfare schemes such as free ration, housing schemes and construction of the Ram temple, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance aims to reach the 400-seat mark in the 543-strong Lok Sabha. The Oppositions INDIA bloc, which is looking to dislodge the BJP from power, projects the rising employment, inflation and rural distress as the main issues to attack the government. Strife-torn Manipur records over 68% voter turnout in LS polls amidst incidents of gun fires, EVM damage, booth capturing One of the keenly watched contests is Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is hoping to make significant gains. All eyes are on Coimbatore, where the BJP has fielded state chief K Annamalai. The election to the eight states in Western Uttar Pradesh is also crucial for the saffron party as it is facing trouble from upper caste communities and farmers. Other high profile candidates who are seeking the mandate in the first phase include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Sarbananda Sonowal. The second phase of voting for 89 seats in 13 states will be held on April 26 and the seventh and last phase on June 1. The counting of votes will be on June 4. Home secretarys circular sparks furore, withdrawn A circular issued by the state home secretary P Amudha stating that one casual leave or earned leave will be deducted if staff fail to cast votes sparked a row. The circular was later withdrawn 3 voters die in three separate incidents Three voters died in three incidents in polling booths. Two victims, R Chinnaponnu (77) and N Palaniswamy (65), were from Salem, and K Kanagaraj (70), the third victim, was from Tiruttani Heat wave sweeps TN, Erode sizzles at 43C Heat wave swept TN on Friday with Erode recording the highest of 43C. Places with temperature in excess of 41C included Vellore (41.9), Karur (41.5), Tiruchy (41.3), Tiruttani (41.2) and Salem (41.2)