MODI’S POLICY TOWARDS CHINA ‘MEEK’: CONG LEADER KHARGE 14 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman AMIT SHAH HOLDS MEGA ROADSHOW IN KANNIYAKUMARI PAGE 5 IN-FORM KKR LOOK TO EXTRACT MOST OUT OF HOME LEG GAMES PAGE 4 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT RAIN/ THUNDERSHOWERS ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 35-45 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 33 & 20 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 001.3 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71 % New Delhi in touch with Teheran to ensure crew’s well-being Min. 31 % TEMPERATURE Max: 39.3 °C+3) SUN RISES 5:56 hrs MOON RISES 10:08 hrs Min: 23.0 °C (+2) SUN SETS 18:47 hrs MOON SETS 00:56 hrs THUMBNAILS Devotees take a dip in the sacred pond of the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib on the occasion of the Baisakhi in New Delhi on Saturday. ANI Keralites crowdfund Rs 35.45 cr to save man on death row in Saudi: In what could be called as the biggest crowdfunding for humanitarian aid in the history of Kerala, Keralites from around the globe have joined hands to provide a lease of life to a 44-year-old Kozhikode man imprisoned in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The crowdfunding campaign for the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Feroke in Kozhikode proved successful with contributions from across the state and around the world. (P4) AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL I ran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized an Israellinked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday amidst escalating tensions with Israel. Of the 25 crew members aboard, 17 are reported to be Indian, and government sources in New Delhi were quoted as saying India was in touch with Iran to ensure their security and welfare. “We are aware that a cargo ship ‘MSC Aries’ has been taken control by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Teheran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals,” Indian government sources were quoted as saying. The ship in question was the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by Zodiac Maritime, based in London. Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire This image made from a video provided to the Associated Press by a Mideast defense official shows a helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. AP Eyal Ofer. Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled down a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship and seized the vessel on Saturday. Iran’s state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy carried out the heliborne attack on the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is cur- SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea against arrest tomorrow PARMOD KUMAR rently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking site, Marine Traffic. "A container ship named 'MCS Aries' was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," the IRNA agency reported. The operation, it said, was carried out "near the Strait of Hormuz" - between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman - which is vital to world trade, and "this ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters" of Iran. Tensions have escalated between NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL Aam Aadmi Party supporters install a poster in support of Delhi CM and party national convener Arvind Kejriwal at ITO foot ANI over bridge in New Delhi. we will look into it.” The Delhi Chief Minister approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court order dismissing his plea against arrest by the ED and his subsequent remand in the alleged excise policy scam. In his appeal against the High Court order, Mr Kejriwal contended that his arrest after the announcement of the general election was “motivated by extraneous considerations”. Describing his arrest as “motivated”, Mr Kejriwal contended that a sitting Chief Minister had been arrested in the middle of the election cycle, especially after the announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Mr Kejriwal said that the statements and material relied upon by the ED have been in its possession for the last nine months and questioned why is it that the ED chose to act only when the process for the general election was underway. In order to help meet the high electricity demand in the country during the summer season, the Centre has decided to operationalise gasbased power plants. To ensure maximum power generation from gasbased generating stations, the Centre has issued directions to all Gas-Based Generating Stations under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (under which the appropriate government may specify that a generating company shall, in extraordinary circumstances operate and maintain any generating station in accordance with the directions). The Ministry of Power pointed out that a significant portion of the gas-based generating stations (GBSs) is currently unutilised, primarily due to commercial considerations. The order PM bets big on e-sports, encourages creators to build games for the world NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The BJP will release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday at the party headquarters here in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The party's manifesto, known as the ‘Sankalp Patra’, will be launched in presence of PM Narendra Modi on 14 April," a party official said on Saturday evening. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda will also be present during the launch of the manifesto, the party sources said. According to the party sources, the BJP's manifesto will focus on development, a prosperous India, women, youth, the poor, and farmers. The party pledges to fulfil only those promises that are achievable. The theme of the manifesto will be "Modi's Guarantee: Developed India 2047," with a focus on cultural nationalism. The BJP formed the Election Manifesto Committee, comprising 27 members. Defence Minister Raj- Bharatiya Janata Party National President JP Nadda being felicitated by Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna at a party cluster meeting, in Chümoukedima on Saturday. ANI nath Singh was appointed as the chairman of this panel. Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as the convenor, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal was made the co-convenor. Apart from them, 24 people were included in this committee as members. The manifesto committee, chaired by the Defence Minister, has already held two meetings. The BJP has received over 1.5 million suggestions for its manifesto, including more than 400,000 through the NaMo app and over 1.1 million through videos. The upcoming Lok NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL and had fruitful discussions around a myriad of key topics, while spending some light and cheerful moments. After an introductory discussion on how much time gamers play and their contribution to the content space as subsidised internet rates have enabled gamers to pursue their dream careers, PM Modi delved deeper into some of the key issues around the esports industry. “Regulation won’t help for the esports industry which can create multiple career options for our youth. It must grow under an organised, legal structure. The time is to Sabha polls are scheduled to take place from 19 April to 1 June, to choose the 543 representatives for the 18th Lok Sabha. These elections will be conducted over seven phases, with the outcome being declared on 4 June. Around 970 million individuals, out of a total population of 1.44 billion, are eligible to take part in the elections. The legislative assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will coincide with the general election. Additionally, there will be by-elections for 35 seats across 16 states. KOLKATA, 13 APRIL The Ministry of Power pointed out that a significant portion of the gasbased generating stations is currently unutilised, primarily due to commercial considerations. under Section 11, which is on similar lines as done for imported coal-based power plants, aims to optimise the availability of power from gasbased generating stations during the ensuing high demand period. The order shall remain valid for generation and supply of power from 1 May to 30 June. As per the arrangement, GRID-INDIA will inform the gas-based generating stations in advance of the number of days for which gasbased power is required. Gas-based generating stations holding Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Distribution Licensees shall first offer their power to PPA holders. The two arrested suspects in the Bengaluru cafe blast case, who were apprehended from a Digha hotel by the NIA on Friday in cooperation with the state police, used multiple mobile numbers and forged Aadhaar cards during the month they were on the run, according to NIA sources. The suspects used around 35 SIM cards and also used an unspecified number of fake Aadhaar cards and hid out in four different states before they sneaked into West Bengal. The unspecified number of Aadhaar cards seized from the duo had addresses from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Sources said that those cards were made in Karnataka. In Kolkata, claimed NIA sources, the two changed their hideouts at regular Intervals, eight times to be precise, to evade arrest. Investigations revealed that the two The CCTV footage of two suspects of the Rameswaram Cafe blast case staying in a guest house in Kolkata from 25 to 28 March. ANI Bengaluru cafe blast accused also stayed in Egra, Contai, and Digha in East Midnapore. They visited Purulia, Darjeeling and Siliguri as well. The accused fled after the blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on 1 March and as investigations revealed, chose West Bengal to hide in. They may have planned to ultimately escape to Bangladesh, sources said. The two accused, Abdul understand the world of gaming, and mould it to our country’s needs,” the PM noted. Mr Modi discussed how e-sports should be recognised as a mainstream sport, separate from gambling and Real Money Gaming (RMG) apps. In FY23, the Indian gaming industry generated $3.1 billion in revenue. The country has a gaming audience of more than 500 million players. PM Modi, addressed as the ‘biggest influencer’ and coolest PM in the country by the creators, also encouraged them to build games which address global issues like climate change and cleanliness. The Prime Minister said that he wants the youth to benefit from gaming and the country should have an impact on the global ecosystem. Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, came to the city on 12 March by train from Chennai, after shuttling between other states. In the city, they had stayed in at least eight locations, four near Esplanade and four near Kidderpore and Watgunj. On 28 March, the duo set out for Digha on a bus and finally the NIA sleuths, with active cooperation from the state police were able to nab them. J&K: Rich tributes paid to brave hearts of ‘Operation Meghdoot’ on 40th Siachen Day STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE From building games for the world to spreading awareness regarding environmental and social issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday ~ in a free-wheeling chat with some of the top Indian creators ~ gave the esports industry a much-needed boost, saying it should be kept regulation-free and allowed to grow under an organised and legal framework to create millions of jobs. Mr Modi met Payal Dhare(photo) (the only woman gamer present at the roundtable) along with Mithilesh Patankar, Animesh Agarwal, Naman Mathur, Anshu Bisht and others, at his official residence in the capital STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Iran and Israel after an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syrian capital Damascus, that killed at least 12 people, including some senior Iranian generals. It also came against the backdrop of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, which has already heightened tensions region-wide. Amidst fears of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza devolving into a larger Middle-Eastern conflict, US President Joe Biden said earlier today that he expects Iran to attack Israel 'sooner than later'. "I don't want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later," Mr Biden told reporters when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel would be. Teheran has vowed revenge after Israel launched airstrikes on the Iranian diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing three top military generals. India and other countries, including the USA, Britain and France, issued new travel guidelines for their nationals for the region as the Iranian threat loomed. Central govt to operationalise B’luru blast suspects used around 35 SIM gas-based power plants to meet cards, multiple Aadhaars to evade arrest summer electricity demand STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The Supreme Court will on Monday (15 April) hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and his subsequent remand in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta will hear Kejriwal’s appeal against the Delhi High Court's 9 April order rejecting his plea against arrest and subsequent remand. Soon after approaching the Supreme Court on 10 April 2024 to challenge the Delhi High Court's 9 April order upholding his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand, Mr Kejriwal's counsel mentioned the matter for an urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. CJI Chandrachud, heading the bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, said, “We will see, BJP to release its election manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ in presence of PM Modi today 17 Indians on board ship seized by Iran JAMMU, 13 APRIL Remembering the courage and fortitude of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) displayed four decades ago when Operation Meghdoot was launched to seize control of the world's highest battlefield Siachen Glacier, rich tributes were on Saturday paid to the bravehearts by the Fire & Fury Corps in Ladakh. On the occasion of the 40th Siachen Day, the Indian Army paid rich tributes at the Siachen War Memorial to the bravehearts who have valiantly guarded the ‘Frozen Frontier’ with courage and fortitude. The nation will always remain indebted to them and their family members, said the Ladakh-based Corps of the Indian Army. The IAF posted pictures of operations at the glacier and also wrote on X; "Saluting the indomitable spirit and bravery of our brethren on this Siachen Day". "The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) , Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all IAF personnel pay our sincere homage to the innumerable sacrifices made over the years in defending our nation's highest battleground," the IAF wrote. "Four decades of operations from the highest battlefield of the world, in extreme climatic conditions, IAF maintains its role as the lifeline of military operations at the Siachen Glacier. Flying over ruthless terrain, chapters of human endurance and technical proficiency continue to be achieved by IAF every day," IAF added. Operation Meghdoot was launched on 13 April 1984, when the Indian Army and IAF advanced to the Siachen Glacier to secure the heights dominating the Northern Ladakh region. The operation involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the IAF and dropping them on the glacial peaks. Although the operation began in 1984, IAF helicopters were already operating in the Siachen Glacier since 1978, flying the Chetak helicopters which was the first IAF helicopter to land in the Glacier in October 1978. By 1984, Pakistan's cartographic aggression in the uncharted territory of Ladakh, allowing foreign mountaineering expeditions in Siachen, was becoming a cause of concern.
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