West Bengal Police has constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the recent incidents of violence in Murshidabad district, officials said on Wednesday.
Day: April 16, 2025
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Full Speech: Nigel Farage Vows To Fix ‘Broken Britain’, Gives Big Warning To Labour Ahead Of Polls
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage on April 15 said that his party is “parking its tanks in Labour’s lawn”, suggesting a close contest in upcoming local elections. Holding a tabloid newspaper with the front headline ‘Britain is broken’, Farage vowed to “fix” the country currently being run by Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Watch his full speech here.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
#nigelfarage #britain #reformuk #faragespeech #uk #uknews #ukelections #starmer #farage #localelections
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In fresh cuts by Musk’s DOGE, AmeriCorps volunteers to leave before end of service
AmeriCorps’ volunteers, who respond to natural disasters and help with community projects across the United States, have become the latest casualty of federal job cuts by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) informed volunteers on Tuesday they would exit the program early due to “programmatic circumstances beyond your control,” news agency Associated Press reported.
The unsigned memo to members said NCCC’s ability to sustain “program operations” was impacted by “new operational parameters” laid out by the Trump administration’s priorities and president’s executive order creating DOGE.
As per the memo, volunteers who receive a living allowance and have basic expenses covered, would be paid through the end of April.
Also, members who have completed 15% or more of their term would be eligible for a prorated amount, but those who have completed less would not be eligible.
According to AmeriCorps’ website, more than 2,000 people, aged 18 to 26 years, serve for nearly a year, and get assigned to projects with non-profits and community organizations or the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The volunteers are especially visible after natural disasters, such as Hurricane Helene of September 2024 and Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. In a social media post in March, the organization said its teams have served 8 million (80 lakh) service hours on nearly 3,400 disaster projects since 1999.
It also provides members, who complete their 1,700-hour service term, with funding for future education expenses or student loans. That benefit was worth about $7,300 this service year.
Funding for AmeriCorps and NCCC has long been included when there are talks in the Congress of budget trims. The federal agency’s budget showed NCCC funding stood at around $38 million for the previous fiscal.Adblock test (Why?)
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‘Criminal contempt’: Judge slams Trump admin for deporting Venezuelans despite order
A US federal judge said on Wednesday he had found “probable cause” to hold President Donald Trump’s administration in “criminal contempt” for deporting alleged members of Venezuelan gangs to El Salvador, despite the judge issuing a temporary restraining order to halt the deportations.
In a written opinion, district judge James Boasberg cited “evidence” of the federal government engaging in a “deliberate or reckless disregard” by proceeding with the flights despite the restraining order, news agency AFP reported.
Boasberg wrote, “Defendants provided no convincing reason to avoid the conclusion which appears obvious, that they deliberately flouted this court’s written order and, separately, its oral command which explicitly delineated what compliance entailed.”
The judge added, “The administration’s actions were sufficient to conclude that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt.”
However, Boasberg offered a final chance to the Trump administration to “purge such contempt” or face further court action.
The judge had issued a temporary restraining order on March 15 to pause the deportations, carried out under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The obscure wartime law strips away the usual legal due process.
White House plans ‘immediate’ appeal
The White House said it would file an “immediate” appeal to the decision by the district judge.
“We plan to seek immediate appellate relief. The president is 100 per cent committed to ensuring that terrorists and criminal illegal migrants are no longer a threat to Americans and their communities across the country,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement after the ruling.
The Alien Enemies Act had only been used previously during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II; Trump said he was targeting “transnational gangs” he had declared foreign terrorist organizations.
These included the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, but lawyers for several of the deported Venezuelans denied their clients were gang members, and stated they had committed no crimes and were targeted largely “on the basis of their tattoos.”Adblock test (Why?)
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Chess v checkers: US and China blunder into stalemate
The TOI correspondent from Washington: Pride and prejudice stand in the way of China and the US making the first move to break the trade and tariff stand-off that is starting to strangle global commerce. The Trump White House is saying the ball is in China’s court to initiate talks and Beijing is demanding “respect” to kickstart negotiations as the two sides slid further into a swampy stalemate, threatening to take the world down with them.
“China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted on Tuesday as both countries began courting trading partners and blocs, with many countries, including India, Japan, and Vietnam, caught in the crossfire. The US also increased tariff on Chinese imports to 245 percent, a meaningless hike that Beijing dismissed as a joke since even at 145 per cent the exports make no economic sense.
It is now boiling down to which side can hold out longer and take punishment before one of them blinks. “China needs America’s money, but US needs Chinese goods more. China isn’t as desperate to reach a deal as you make it sound. We’re curious to see who holds out longer: a country that prints money or a country that manufactures goods,” Hu Xijin, a Chinese media influencer, clapped back at Leavitt’s remark.
Prospects of New Delhi gaining from the clash looks sketchy as Washington is now turning its attention to choking off transshipment of products that China is trying to export through third countries like India, Mexico and Canada. The routing of six plane loads of iPhones — nearly 1.5 million units — from India is now attracting scrutiny amid reports that some of the stash was manufactured in China and transshipped via India to get around the high tariff. There are also questions about tariffs on Chinese components in the phones assembled in India.
It appears that President Trump may have intervened directly to help Apple fly out the iPhone consignments considering he publicly said “I helped Tim Cook, recently, and that whole business” without conclusively identifying what he helped him with. Staving of a shortage or doubling of price of a high-profile item like iPhone would have made headlines, but the first uptick in prices are already starting to show up.
Although there are no sign of any shortages yet from what is virtually a blockade of Chinese-made goods with high taxes some sellers have begun tagging a “Trump tariff” to the final price. Dame, a sexual wellness company that sells adult toys, added what it explicitly called a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge” to all its Made in China products, its CEO Alexandra Fine telling TV network that the “The intention…was to remind people that this is an extra tax on us. I wanted people to understand … that it’s because of political decisions that were made.”
Meanwhile, Trump, despite saying he had no problem with the leaders of China and Vietnam meeting this week, complained that they were probably figuring out how to “screw” the US, even his administration’s claim that 70 countries have lined up to sign trade deals with Washington has so far produced zilch by way of formal agreements. There is now a hint of desperation to produce something, with the US President announcing that he himself will take part in talks with a visiting Japanese delegation led by its trade minister.
“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and “TRADE FAIRNESS.” I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Public opinion in the US remains split between the MAGA faithful, who believe Trump is a genius who has cornered China, and liberal critics who believe he has painted himself into a corner. A MAGA talking head who claimed that Trump has managed to isolate China from the rest of the world (while the Chinese leader was visiting Vietnam) was reminded by a liberal opposite that Japan and South Korea are negotiating trade deals with China and the EU is eliminating Chinese EV tariffs. “I’m concerned you’re not familiar with which country is being isolated — doesn’t look like it’s China,” he said.Adblock test (Why?)
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Live: California Governor Gavin Newsom Sues Trump Over ‘Unlawful’ Tariffs | US News | Trump News
Watch live coverage as California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces the state’s intention to sue President Donald Trump to halt his sweeping tariff regime, arguing that he is implementing his protectionist trade agenda illegally. The forthcoming federal lawsuit will make California the first state to challenge the Trump administration over its wide-ranging tariff plans, which have whipped up historic market volatility and frayed America’s relationships with its allies and trading partners. The lawsuit will argue that Trump’s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act — which he recently invoked to impose his so-called reciprocal tariff plan — is “unlawful and unprecedented,” Newsom’s office.
#newsom #trump #usnews #live #trumptariffs #TrumpSued #NewsomVsTrump #TariffLawsuit #TradeWar #California
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Iran Close To Having A Nuclear Bomb, Says UN Body Chief, Heads To Tehran
Donald Trump is pressurising Iran to give up on its nuclear weapons programme.Iran is dangerously close to developing an atomic weapon, warned the International Atomic Energy Agency, hours before the UN watchdog’s chief is expected to leave for Tehran. During his visit, the top nuclear body chief will hold talks with Iranian government officials over recent developments in its top secret nuclear programme.
Rafael Grossi, who heads the IAEA, likened the development of a nuclear weapon to that of solving a jigsaw puzzle. “Iran has all the pieces now, and could well put them together eventually,” he said.
Speaking about Tehran’s nuclear weapons ambition, Mr Grossi told French newspaper Le Monde that “Iran is not too far from having an atomic bomb”.
IAEA, which is an autonomous UN body, is currently tasked with overseeing Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that fell apart after Donald Trump withdrew from it during his first term as US President. At the time President Trump had called it a “bad deal”.
‘RADICALS CANNOT HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS’
He now wants to completely rid Iran of its military nuclear programme. Just this week, President Trump had asserted that “Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. These are radicalised people, and they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
His remark came shortly after the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran which were held in Oman last weekend.
After the first round of negotiations, US’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, who represented America, said that the talks were “positive, constructive, and compelling”. Surprisingly, even Iran’s Supreme Leader said the talks are “going well” so far. Iran however, swiftly sent a top delegation headed by the foreign minister to Moscow to consult the Kremlin.
The second round of talks are expected in Rome, though Tehran is pushing for talks to continue in Oman.
Explaining Washington’s outlook and objectives from these talks, Mr Witkoff told Fox News that “This is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program, and then ultimately verification on weaponization. That includes missiles, the type of missiles that they have stockpiled there. And it includes the trigger for a bomb.”
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Further explaining his point, Mr Witkoff said that for the first time Iran had been offered a specific level of enrichment by the United States. Today, Tehran enriches uranium to up to 60 per cent – a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
For their limited, peaceful and civilian purpose, “They (Iran) do not need to enrich past 3.67 per cent,” Mr Witkoff told Fox News, adding that “In some circumstances, they’re at 60 per cent, in other circumstances, 20 per cent. That cannot be.”
“You do not need to run, as they claim, a civil nuclear program where you’re enriching past 3.67 per cent. So this is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program, and then ultimately verification on weaponisation.”
OBAMA DEAL vs TRUMP DEAL
Under then US President Barack Obama, for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Tehran had agreed to drastically reduce its stockpile of uranium and only enrich up to 3.67 per cent – enough for its nuclear power plant at Bushehr. In exchange, Iran received access to frozen funds around the world, and sanctions were lifted on its crucial oil industry and other sectors.
In 2018, when Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, he had highlighted that Iran’s ballistic missile stockpile was one of the main reasons to exit the deal. Adding to that, Mr Witkoff said that “Any deal with Iran would have to include missiles – the type of missiles that they have stockpiled there and it also includes the trigger for a bomb.”
In a post on social media platform X after the first round of US-Iran talks, Mr Witkoff wrote, “A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.”
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“Will Be Chaos”: Supreme Court On Reopening Cases That Are Concluded
“Litigation which had concluded or had reached finality cannot be reopened,” the bench said.
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Wednesday said finality of a litigation is a core facet of a sound judicial system and a case that has concluded cannot be reopened, otherwise there will be “chaos in the administration of justice”.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed a writ petition filed by former employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation Limited, seeking pensionary benefits despite the issue having attained finality in a separate round of litigation in 2016.
“It is crystal clear that the present writ petition is thoroughly misconceived and is liable to be dismissed. However, before parting with the record, we would like to emphasise and reiterate the principle of finality of an adjudication process. Finality of a list is a core facet of a sound judicial system. Litigation which had concluded or had reached finality cannot be reopened,” the bench said.
It added that a litigant aggrieved by a decision rendered by this court in a special leave petition or in a civil appeal arising therefrom can seek its review by invoking the review jurisdiction and thereafter through a curative petition.
“But such a decision cannot be assailed in a writ proceeding under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. If this is permitted, then there will be no finality and no end to litigation. There will be chaos in the administration of justice,” the bench emphasised.
It said that the top court in its 2002 verdict in the case of ‘Green View Tea and Industries Versus Collector’ had expressed the view that finality of an order of the top court should not lightly be unsettled.
The bench said this salutary principle was reiterated by this court in its 2011 verdict in the case of ‘Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action versus Union of India’.
“Thus, having regard to the discussions made above, we are of the unhesitant view that the present writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is wholly misconceived. The decision of this Court in Rajesh Chander Sood (2016 verdict) is clearly binding on the petitioners. That being the position, there is no merit in the writ petition which is accordingly dismissed,” it said.
In 2018, three former employees of the forest corporation approached the top court by filing a writ petition under Article 32.
They were aggrieved by denial of pensionary benefits to them in terms of the Himachal Pradesh Corporate Sector Employees (Pension, Family Pension, Commutation of Pension and Gratuity) Scheme, 1999 discontinued vide the notification dated December 2, 2004, which though carved out an exception for those who had opted for the scheme and had superannuated prior to December 2, 2004.
They sought a direction to the state government for payment of pension to them upon their superannuation in terms of the said scheme at par with similarly situated employees who had retired prior to December 2, 2004, by counting their pensionable service from the date of joining till the date of their superannuation.
The issue of pensionary benefit was earlier raised by a group of former employees of the corporation before the high court, which allowed their petition in 2013 and directed the State to provide pension to the retired employees of the Corporation in terms of the scheme.
The 2013 decision of the high court was challenged before the top court by the state government, which in 2016 reversed the high court’s order.
The 2018 writ petition sought the same relief and contended that in the 2016 verdict, several binding precedents were ignored by the top court and the decision be rendered as per incuriam (bad in law).
The top court on March 20, 2018, issued notice on the plea and the matter was placed before a three-judge bench as the correctness of the two-judge verdict of 2016 was questioned.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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“I’ll Marry Him”: UP Woman Who Eloped With Daughter’s Fiance
Aligarh: “I will marry him and live with him,” the woman said.
Aligarh:A mother from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh grabbed the spotlight last week for all the wrong reasons. She eloped with her daughter’s fiance ten days before the wedding.
Sapna surrendered at a police station today and broke her silence on why she chose to betray her family. She alleged that her husband used to drink and beat her up, and that even her daughter used to fight with her frequently. Which is why, she said, she took the step.
“I will live with Rahul, whatever happens,” a defiant Sapna said, adding she decided to come back after police were involved in the case.
“I will marry him and live with him,” she repeated.
Rahul Kumar, the man Sapna’s daughter was all set to marry today, also surrendered with her.
Sapna and Rahul Kumar – a resident of the Dadon police station area – fled on April 6, shocking both their families. Jitendra Kumar, Sapna’s husband, had then said that his wife used to speak to Mr Kumar for hours every day.
Sapna also denied her family’s allegations that she fled with lakhs of rupees and jewellery. “I was only carrying a mobile and Rs 200 with me when I left”.
Her daughter, Shivani, had accused her of taking away Rs 3.5 lakh in cash from the almirah in the house and jewellery worth over Rs 5 lakh.
Telling his side of the story, Rahul Kumar said that he agreed to elope with Sapna as she threatened to kill herself if he didn’t. “She told me that if I didn’t meet her at Aligarh bus stop, she would die. So, I went. We first went to Lucknow, and from there Muzaffarpur”.
He said they decided to come back when they got to know the police were looking for them. He also claimed that Sapna’s husband and her in-laws used to “torture” her.
But, when he was asked if he would marry Sapna, he seemed caught in two minds: “There’s nothing like that”. Then, after a brief pause, said, “Will do”.
Meanwhile, her family has said that she is not welcome in their homes anymore
“We don’t want her (Sapna) back. We just want the things that she took away with her,” said her brother-in-law Dinesh.
“She needs to return the money and jewellery that she took from her in-laws’ home. Action should be taken against her for what she has done. My brother-in-law and my niece are still in shock,” said her brother Dinesh.
He also denied her allegations that her husband used to beat her up: “I used to stay at her house for months. I have never seen anything like that”.
The police, meanwhile, avoided commenting on the development.
– With inputs from Adnan Khan.
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Meta Antitrust Trial LIVE | Zuckerberg’s Meta Faces Historic Antitrust Trial | Instagram | WhatsApp
During the ongoing antitrust trial against Meta, an email revealed that CEO Mark Zuckerberg contemplated separating Instagram from the company in 2018 due to the “non-trivial” risk the government would move to break up his social media empire.
During the second day of the FTC’s antitrust trial against Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, an email from May 2018 showed that the social media kingpin considered spinning off Instagram from the company. The email, presented during Zuckerberg’s second day on the stand, highlights the growing concerns over potential antitrust litigation against Facebook at the time.
#live #markzukerberg #zukerberg #nstagram #facebook #meta #metamonooly #monopolyhearing #monopoly
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Sanjay Mishra-Neena Gupta wrap up shoot of Luv Films’ Vadh 2: “The film is rooted in the same soul while exploring deeper human narratives”
The shoot of Vadh 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2022 acclaimed thriller Vadh, has officially been wrapped up. Reuniting celebrated actors Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta, Vadh 2 serves as a spiritual sequel to Vadh—carrying forward the essence that made the original film resonate strongly with audiences. Vadh 2 aims to retain the introspective tone, moral tension and emotional complexity that defined Vadh, while venturing into new mysteries under the same thematic umbrella.
Sanjay Mishra-Neena Gupta wrap up shoot of Luv Films’ Vadh 2: “The film is rooted in the same soul while exploring deeper human narratives”
The film is directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg’s Luv Films.
Expressing his emotions on completion of Vadh 2, Sanjay Mishra said, “Vadh was not just a film, it was a cinematic experience that stayed with us and even the audience. To see it evolve into a franchise is both humbling and exciting. Working once again under Jaspal’s direction has been truly inspiring—his vision brings depth to every moment.”
Neena Gupta added, “It’s rare to find stories with such a unique voice. Jaspal [Singh Sandhu] has an eye for truth and tension that makes him a standout storyteller. I am so proud to be part of this journey once again and excited for the audiences to see what we have in store for them in Vadh 2.”
Director Jaspal Singh Sandhu shared, “Vadh 2 is rooted in the same soul, while exploring deeper human narratives. Collaborating again with Sanjay ji and Neena ji has been a gift. I am grateful to Luv Films for believing in this vision and backing it with heart and I can’t wait for the audience to step into this world we’ve built together.”
Vadh 2 will release in 2025. Earlier this year, the team of Vadh 2 had sought divine blessings for their film at the auspicious Mahakumbh held in Prayagraj, by participating in the sacred holy dip at the Sangam Ghat.
Also Read: Devmanus trailer out: Mahesh Manjrekar and Renuka Shahane shine in gripping Marathi remake of Luv Films’ Vadh
More Pages: Vadh 2 Box Office Collection
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