MONdAY Turnout in French elections highest in over four decades 08 JUly, 2024 Voting began in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to far-right or produce a hung Parliament epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard 50 X.com/TheMornStandard gaza war Candidates reported being physically attacked while campaigning Israel agrees to attend truce talks Amid air strikes in the Gaza Strip, Israel said it will send a delegation to continue truce talks with Qatari mediators that began recently in Doha. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 09 Chandrachud-led bench to take up NEET pleas today Supreme Court to hear batch of 38 petitions, including those seeking fresh examination SU C H I T R A K A LYA N M OH A N T Y @ New Delhi A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, will on Monday hear a batch on the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking a direction to conduct it afresh. According to the cause list for July 8 uploaded on the SC website, the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is scheduled to hear a total of 38 petitions related to the exam. T hese petitions have been filed separately by both students and various educational institutions. Among the pleas is one filed by a group of 20 students seeking direction to scrap the NEET-UG exam and a Supreme Court-monitored probe by the CBI or any other independent agency into the alleged irregularities in the test. The SC had earlier stayed proceedings on similar pleas filed by students and others in various high courts. The National Eligibility-cumEntrance Test-Undergraduate is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country . The Centre and the NTA had filed separate affidavits in the SC, opposing the pleas seeking drastic steps. In its affidavit, the Union education ministry said the exam held on May 5 should not be cancelled as it would seriously jeopardise lakhs of honest candidates who attempted it. It added that it would not be rational to scrap the e n t i r e N EE T- U G exam in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality . The NTA’s affidavit said, “The cancellation of the entire examination... would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest.” Meanwhile, a group of students on Sunday staged a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against NEET irregularities. aqi turns ‘satisfactory’ Delhi breathes easy as air quality best this year E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v ic e @ New Delhi The Air Quality Index in the capital was at its best on Sunday at 56, the lowest in the year, placing it in the “satisfactory” category , according to the data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI remained below 100 for seven days in June and improved further in July due to “favourable” weather, it said. The CPCB reported an AQI of 56 at 9 pm, consistently in the “satisfactory” range from July 1-7, with Sunday marking the year’s lowest reading. An AQI between zero and 50 is “good,” 51 and 100 “satisfactory 101 and 200 “moderate,” 201 ,” and 300 “poor,” 301 and 400 “very poor,” and 401 and 500 “severe.” Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded Delhi’s maximum temperature on Sunday at 35.8 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average, with a minimum of 26.2 degrees, two degrees below average. The weather office forecast generally cloudy skies with chances of light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, or lightning in the evenings until July 13. No alerts have been issued for the upcoming week, but temperatures are expected to rise, leading to higher humidity levels, with daytime relative humidity between 57% and 93%. Temperatures may reach up to 37 degrees Celsius in the next five days. Delhi has recorded 10.6 mm of rainfall in July so far, indicating a rain deficit of 61%. According to the MeT office, the monsoon winds shifting towards Delhi is likely to intensify rain in the coming days. Then there were four With the semi-finalists identified, a look at how things stand at the European Championships... Spain, the team to beat Spain have been the best team. Their new-age wingers “Lacine Yamal and Nico Williams” have also set the pulses racing three lions march on England have relied on individual brilliance to take them to another semifinal. It’s a 3rd semis across the last four major senior events for Gareth Southgate’s wards Semifinals Tuesday: Spain vs France Wednesday: Netherlands vs England l New Delhi l J8.00 l PAGES 12 ‘Poison cans’ opened in Hathras, claims lawyer N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow IN a new twist to the July 2 Hathras satsang stampede, the lawyer of ‘ B h o l e B a b a ’ N a r ay a n Sakar Hari alias Suraj Pal on Sunday claimed that witnesses told him some people opened cans containing a poisonous substance in the crowd. This, he said, caused panic among the crowd and triggered the stampede that killed 121 people, mostly women. Talking to media persons in Delhi, lawyer A P Singh also alleged conspiracy and criminal acts by some antisocial elements, who were upset about the baba’s ‘rising popularity’. “I have been told by the witnesses that there were 15- Express read Mahua booked over remark on NCW chief Delhi Police registered an FIR against TMC MP Mahua Moitra for her social media remark on National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma. The FIR was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The TMC leader commented on X that showed Sharma arriving at the site of a stampede in Hathras on July 4. Moitra later deleted the post. P7 6 terrorists, 2 soldiers killed in encounters The death toll in the two gunfights between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district has risen to eight with the recovery of two more bodies of militants from the encounter sites, sources said. Two soldiers, including an elite para commando, were also killed. DGP RR Swain said, “Six militants have been killed in the gunfights in Kulgam so far. The encounters had erupted after security forces came under heavy fire. P7 Probe panel meets locals, witnesses Head of the judicial panel formed by the Yogi govt on Sunday said it would grill anyone, including Bhole Baba, for its probe. The 3-member panel on Sunday interacted with locals, officials and witnesses of the July 2 tragedy 16 people carrying cans of a poisonous substance which they opened in the crowd. I have seen post-mortem reports of the deceased showing asphyxiation as the main cause of death and not the injuries,” said Singh. Compensation not enough, says Rahul Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, urging him to increase the compensation for Hathras tragedy victims. The state govt had earlier announced `2 lakh ex gratia to the families of the victims In his first reaction to the tragedy Uttar Pradesh Chief , Minister Yogi Adityanath had said the conspiracy angle could not be ruled out. Singh said, “There were vehicles parked at the site to help the men, who had re- Raj k u ma r M o h ant y @ Puri The first Rath Yatra under the newly-elected BJP government in Odisha started on a tragic note as a male devotee was killed and several others sustained injuries when a stampede-like situation arose during the pulling of the chariots of the Holy Trinity on Sunday evening. While the deceased has been identified as Lalit Bagarti of Saintala in Balangir district, the condition of one of the injured is said to be critical. The incident took place near the Hindi school, about 200 metres from Simhadwar of the Jagannath temple, when there was a mad rush to pull the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra — the first to roll. Eyewitnesses said, the tussle among the devotees to lay hands on the ropes and pull the chariot led to the situation. The deceased devotee Chariot of Lord Jagannath being pulled on the first day of Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK fell down in the push and was trampled by others. At least, five others also fell down and sustained injuries. Volunteers shifted all of them to the district headquarters hospital where the doctors declared one dead. This apart, over 300 devotees were hospitalised due to various reasons including dehydra- tion. Grand Road, the venue for Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra’s annual sojourn to Gundicha temple, the abode of their aunt, teemed with a sea of devotees as lakhs converged to take part in the festival with President Droupadi Murmu in attendance this year. woman killed Sena leader held over son’s hit-and-run in Mumbai S u d h i r S u r a w an s h i @ Mumbai A Shiv Sena leader was arrested on Sunday after a speeding luxury car, allegedly driven by his son, rammed a motorcycle killing a couple in the early hours of Sunday in Mumbai. A BMW sedan, allegedly driven by Mihir Shah, son of Rajesh Shah, rammed the twowheeler on which Kaveri Nakhawa and her husband Pradeep Nakhawa, both fisher folk, were traveling in Worli. Pradeep, who was riding the motorcycle, said when the car dashed them, he lost balance and they fell on the car’s bonnet. The driver continued to drive, dragging his wife along, while Pradeep fell onto the road. Pradeep said Mihir was driving the vehicle and he pleaded with him to stop the vehicle, but he kept driving. “He continued to drive his car and dragged my wife. I tried to run after the vehicle ... then I took the help of a taxi. We chased the car for more than a kilometer, but could not find Kaveri. So, I decided to go to Worli police station. Then we traced my wife and took her to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries,” Pradeep said, adding if Mihir Shah had stopped his car at his request, his wife would have not died. The 24-year-old Mihir was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Mihir is absconding. The police said Mihir and his friend visited the bar and ordered beer and food worth `18,730. Maharashtra CM Ekanth Shinde has vowed strict against the guilty. “We will not protect anyone. All are equal before the law even though Mihir’s father belongs to our party Justice will be de. livered,” Shinde said. Post court battle, slain TN BSP chief Naidu’s plan to revive buried at pvt land, Maya for CBI probe TDP in T’gana sets EX P RESS N EWS SERV I C E @ Chennai After a procession of nearly 20 km, featuring thousands of mourners, the mortal remains of Tamil Nadu BSP chief K Armstrong were laid to rest on a private land belonging to a relative at Pothur in Tiruvallur, on Sunday night. BSP national president Mayawati, who arrived in the city to pay homage to the leader, urged CM M K Stalin to refer the probe into Armstrong’s murder to the CBI, alleging the men arrested by the Chennai police were not the real culprits. While the ruling DMK’s allies, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, paid respects to Armstrong at the Bunder garden corporation school, senior leaders of the Dravidian major remained absent. Armstrong’s final resting space was decided after a court battle, as the deceased leader’s family, led by his wife Porkodi, had initially sought permission for burial at the BSP office premises in Perambur. However, the city corporation had turned down the plea, stating there was not enough vacant land. Porkodi moved the Madras HC with an urgent plea and it was decided that Armstrong could be laid to rest at a private land owned by his relative T V Latha at Pothur. The village panchayat passed a resolution saying people in the neighbourhood had expressed no objection to the move. Indian cuisine: Madras prawn to lamb korma From Chicken Tikka Masala to Lamb Korma and Madras prawn to Butter Chicken, Indian athletes will enjoy these delicacies at the Asian district lunch and dinner menu at the Games Village during the Paris Olympics. It is not just Indian dishes that are available for the athletes but there are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free food options as well. In a novel initiative, the Indian Olympic Association has prepared a chart for Olympic-bound athletes to help leased poisonous substance, flee. We have proof and we will submit it.” T he lawyer also said t h at h e wo u l d d e m a n d security for the witnesses who reached out to him with the revelation. So far, nine persons, including key accused Devprakash Madhukar, have been arrested in connection with the Hathras stampede. On Saturday, Hathras police said it was also probing into the suspected funding of the congregation by a political party and warned of the “strictest possible” action against it. Bhole Baba was not mentioned as an accused in the FIR lodged at the local Sikandra Rao police station. 1 dead, many injured in stampede-like situation during Rath Yatra in Puri Paris Games village menu k a lyani man g a l e @ Chennai Tactical move to stop the far right By Sunday 5 pm, some 61.4% of voters had turned out for the high-stakes poll —the highest number at that time since 1981. Far-right National Rally came on top in the first round of voting on June 30. However, since then many candidates from left and centrist parties have dropped out of the election to avoid splitting the vote against the National Rally. | P9 them with their nutritional needs. The chart lists out cuisines available at the Olympic Games Village under different heads. The menu will be served on an eight-day rotational basis. The Indian contingent will be reaching the venue around July 18-20 for the July 26-August 11 event. “Most of the athletes are already working with their respective nutritionists,” Aradhana Sharma, IOAappointed chief nutritionist for the Paris Olympics, told this daily “I have been in touch . with those nutritionists and we have shared the menu with them and asked them to prepare the diet plan according to this menu because athletes will be eating in the village. For the other athletes whose personal nutritionists are not travelling, we will be supervising what the athletes are eating if they are sticking to the diet plan or not, or if there is any lastminute information they need about food or if anything needs to be replaced in their diet plans. We have shared this menu with most of the athletes and their nutritionists,” she informed. For this purpose, IOA has created “A Comprehensive Food & Nutrition Guide for Olympic Bound Athletes”, which will help the 120-strong contingent. The IOA, for the first time, has assembled a 13-member medical team headed by orthopaedic surgeon Dhinshaw Pardiwala, including two nutritionists, Dr. Sharma and Ms Mihira Khopkar. IOA believes if you bring professionals, you will get better services for the athletes. off buzz on alliance KE TA N N A RO T TA M TA N N A @ New Delhi Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced plans to reactivate the TDP in Telangana. His statement, which came a day after his meeting with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, left political analysts trying to figure out its implications. Earlier, Andhra Deputy CM and Jana Sena Party (JSP) supremo K Pawan Kalyan too had spoken about dabbling in Telangana politics. He had said the BJP and JSP would work as allies in Telangana. The TDPJSP-BJP alliance is already in power in Andhra. Responding to Kalyan’s comment, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay said the BJP high command would soon decide on the alliance’s continuation in Telangana. The TDP and BJP had an alliance in Telangana until the 2014 Assembly elections. The current political dynamics bode well for a reunion of these parties, with JSP joining the alliance. This raises questions about the future of main Opposition in Telangana, BRS. A former minister from BRS claimed that Naidu’s entry into Telangana would benefit the pink party He said Telangana . residents would not accept Naidu, who opposed the state’s formation. The BRS leader alleged that the recent meeting between Revanth and Naidu was aimed to revive TDP in Telangana. His comment assumes significance as Revanth was a key TDP leader before bifurcation of the state. Meanwhile, Congress leaders believe that any TDP revival would benefit their party by splitting votes between the Andhra alliance and BRS. However, political analysts disagree, saying that the Congress could lose votes since it had captured the TDP and JSP vote share in 2023 Assembly polls, as these parties did not contest. TDP leaders have hinted at contesting the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls, expected in 2025. TDP and BJP have strongholds in various Hyderabad areas and an alliance between them could improve their chances in Telangana.
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