MADURAI l Tuesday l June 18, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Fresh tensions as Chinese, Filipino ships collide in disputed waters The incident near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea (SCS) comes amid rising tensions and dangerous military maneuvers by both sides Beijing, Manila point fingers at each other a major flashpoint in south china sea The Chinese coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, ignored warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel, resulting in Monday’s collision. The Philippines says the shoal and the waters nearby fall within its exclusive economic zone and Chinese ships have no business being there — a claim disputed by Beijing | P9 ■ ■ Several incidents of near collision have been reported in recent months near the shoal, where Manila maintains a post aboard a World War II-era ship The incident comes at a time when China is aggressively pursuing its territorial claims in the SCS. Just days ago, a new Chinese law took effect that allows for detention of foreigners who enter SCS without permission 1,000+ km is the Distance between mainland china and the second thomas shoal CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Rahul picks Rae Bareli, Priyanka to make poll debut from Wayanad P R EETHA NA I R @ New Delhi Rescue work underway after a speeding goods train rammed into the stationary Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani railway station in West Bengal on Monday | PTI Goods train rams express, kills 9 Stationary Kanchanjunga Express hit in the rear by speeding goods train in West Bengal S u l a g n a S e n g u p ta & R a j e s h T h a k u r @ Kolkata / New Delhi A fast-moving goods train rammed into a stationary passenger express from behind in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district on Monday morning, killing at least nine persons and injuring over 40 others. The toll may go up as some of the injured are said to be serious. According to reports, the goods train overshot the red signal at high speed and collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express. The impact was such that four rear compartments of Kanchanjun- admitted to gh Estranged husband hacks Kanchi cop in broad daylight e x p r e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai A 31-year-old woman constable in uniform was attacked with a sickle allegedly by her husband in broad daylight on Monday afternoon in Kancheepuram town. The constable, identified as M Dillirani, sustained injuries on her left shoulder and collapsed on the spot, bleeding. Shocked bystanders rushed her to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital while her attacker escaped in his two-wheeler. Police said Dillirani, attached to the Vishnu Kanchi police station, was returning home from work when her estranged husband Meghanathan (35) waylaid her and started an argument before hacking her with the sickle. A police official said that the constable is recovering. A senior official said the incident was the result of a domestic dispute. “The couple had not been on speaking terms for the past six months. They were living separately. We are searching for Meghanathan. His phone has been switched off. He is believed to be hiding at a relative’s place,” the official said. A case has been registered by Sivakanchi police station and further probe is on. Leader of Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami strongly condemned the incident. He said that although preliminary reports state that she was attacked by her husband due to a personal dispute, the police should conduct a thorough inquiry “Whatever be the . reason, a cop in uniform being attacked with a sickle in broad daylight is a new low in the deteriorating law and order situation (of Tamil Nadu),” Palaniswami said. ga Express were thrown off track. The loco pilot of the goods train, which was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah (West Bengal), and a guard of the passenger train are among those killed in the accident. The collision occurred near Rangapani station, 30 km from New Jalpaiguri station. The Kavach anti-collision system has not been implemented on the route, said an official. Local media reports quoting police sources pegged the toll at 15. While the Commissioner of Railway Safety has initiated a probe, conflicting versions emerged. Speaking to media persons in Delhi, Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha blamed the loco pilot of the goods train for the accident. “The collision happened because the goods train disregarded the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express,” he said. However, the loco pilots’ union said the automatic signalling system was defective since 5.50 am on Monday and the loco pilot had got written authorisation to go past the sig- Fresh peace talks with Meiteis & Kukis: Shah M UKE S H R ANJAN @ New Delhi Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Centre would hold talks with both the Meiteis and the Kukis to bridge the ethnic divide in Manipur and restore peace and tranquility at the earliest. He made the statement at a highlevel meeting to review the security situation there amidst reports of fresh incidents of trouble in the state. Shah was given a detailed briefing on the situation by Security Advisor to the Manipur government Kuldiep S i n g h , D G P R a j iv Singh and Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi. The home minister assured that the head count of Central Armed Police Forces would be increased if required and directed them to ensure their strategic deployment. He also asked the officials to take strict legal action against those who indulge in violence, officials said. As for those at relief camps, Shah directed Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. The home minister took stock of the situation a day after Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey called on him here. On June 10, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur for over a year. There were reports of fresh violence in capital Imphal and Jiribam recently, the officials said, adding that the Centre is worried over the violence spreading to new areas like Jiribam, which has been by and large peaceful in the past one year since the ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023, the sources said. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were present at the hour-long meeting. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts protesting against a high court order on Scheduled Tribe status to the Meiteis. nals. The document, called TA 912, was reportedly issued to the driver of the goods train by the station master of Ranipatra, authorising him to cross all red signals. However, officials said even with TA 912, the train should have moveed at 15 kmph. This speed limit seems to have been breached, said sources. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rushed to the accident spot to take stock of the rescue efforts. He also announced `10 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Rail ministry is not bothered about passenger safety . Ending suspense, the Congress on Monday announced that former party chief Rahul Gandhi will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from the Wayanad seat. Rahul had won both Rae Bareli and Wayanad with a huge margin of votes. This paper was the first to report on June 7 that Rahul would retain Rae Bareli and let go of the Kerala constituency . On fielding Priyanka from Wayanad, Congress leaders said the party wanted to send out a message that it hasn’t abandoned Wayanad and Kerala. Political observers say that Priyanka’s entry is a strategic move by the grand old party ahead of the 2026 Kerala assembly elections. The decision came after the Congress top leadership met at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s in the national capital. Speaking to the media, Rahul said he has an emotional connection with Rae Bareli and Wayanad and both constituencies will now have two MPs. “Priyanka will contest from Wayanad, but I will also go there frequently and fulfil all <=-6.5°C -6.5 to -4.5 -4.4 to -3.1 -3.0 to -1.6 -1.5 to 1.5 1.6 to 3.0 3.1 to 4.4 4.5 to 6.4 >=6.5 Now, night ‘heatwaves’ Circled regions represent the places where warm nights were observed With the North continuing to bake, warm night to severe warm night conditions observed some parts of HaryanaChandigarh-Delhi and in isolated pockets of UP on Monday. Warm night conditions observed in isolated pockets of Punjab, Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh how it is classified Warm nights are those when the maximum temperature is at 40°C or above and the departure from normal is 4.5°C to 6.4°C. It gets categorised as a severe warm night if the departure is over 6.4°C Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra embrace before announcing that Priyanka will contest the Wayanad seat after Rahul gives it up, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI the promises we made to the people. I have an old connection with Rae Bareli and I am happy to represent them, but it wasn’t an easy decision. The people of Wayanad supported me. My doors will be always open for them,” he said. For her part, Priyanka said she will help her brother in Rae Bareli and would be available in both seats. Apart from Rahul and Priyanka, Sonia Gandhi and senior leader K C Venugopal were also present in the meeting at Kharge’s house. If Priyanka is elected from Wayanad, Parliament will see all three Gandhi family mem India committed to boost strategic ties with US: PM Y e s h i s e l i @ New Delhi India is committed to strengthening its comprehensive global strategic partnership with the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday after meeting the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who is on an official visit to India. “Met US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good,” Modi wrote on X. Sullivan briefed Modi on the progress achieved in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Initiation on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). “PM expressed satisfaction at the speed and scale of the growing bilateral partnership in all areas and the convergence of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. Sullivan also met the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. “We had a comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global Live-in relationships end when either Spooked by superstition, party decides to leave, says Madras HC man kills infant grandson R S i v a k u m a r @ Chennai Holding that a live-in relationship entered into by a man — already married with five children — with another woman cannot get the status of a legal marriage in the absence of formalisation of the relationship through marriage as per the law, the Madras High Court ruled that such a man cannot claim rights over property that stands on the woman’s name following a settlement deed. The ruling was given by Justice R M T Teekaa Raman recently on an appeal filed by P Jayachandran from Nagavedu, Ranipet, challenging the judgment and decree of a trial court. The judge noted, “Relationship of marriage continues, notwithstanding the fact that there are differences of opinions, marital unrest, etc., even if they are not sharing a household, being based on law. But a live-in-relationship is purely an arrangement between the parties. Once a party determines he/she does not wish to live in such a relationship, it comes to an end.” The appellant, Jayachandran, a school teacher, was married to Stella and had five children. He entered into a live-in relationship with Margarette Arulmozhi, who was working as the head- mistress of a panchayat union middle school. He effected a settlement deed in the name of Arulmozhi in 2010, transferring a low income group (LIG) plot, which stood in his name, to her as a mark of love and affection. However, he ‘unilaterally’ cancelled the settlement deed in 2013 after she passed away . Arulmozhi’s father A Yesurathinam filed a plaint in 2013 in the Second Additional Sessions Court, Ranipet, seeking declaration of title of the property to him in his capacity as the sole legal heir of the deceased. p5 e x p r e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ Ariyalur A 58-year-old man, S Veeramuthu, was arrested on Monday near Jayankondam for the murder of his month-old grandson on Friday. Police said he had become fearful that the birth of the child in the Tamil month of Chithirai would bring bad luck to the family . According to police, the infant’s parents — S Balamurugan (29) from Sundaraperumalkoil, Thanjavur, and V Sangeetha (21) from Utkottai, Ariyalur — got married in 2023. Some months ago, Sangeetha became pregnant and moved to her par- bers — Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka — in the House. This will also mark a political shift in the party as the Congress seeks to increase its footprint in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh after its strong show in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The leadership believes that Congress is on a revival path in UP after winning six seats with an increase in its vote share. The SP-Congress alliance won 43 of 80 seats in the elections. “The party is also eying the assembly elections in the state 2027. The Rahul-Akhilesh combo will boost the alliance,” said a leader. ents’ home ahead of the delivery On May 7 she gave birth to . a baby boy . Early on Friday June 14, San, geetha had fed the baby and fallen asleep. Veeramuthu went out and, upon returning home, asked Sangeetha where the baby was, police said. Sangeetha realised the infant was missing and the family began a search. Eventually the , baby was found wrapped in a cloth and drowned inside a drum of water stored in the house, police said. Sangeetha informed the authorities of the death. A case was filed and her kin were brought in for questioning. p5 Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issues. We are confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new team,” Jaishankar wrote on X. Earlier in the day, Sullivan and Doval co-chaired the second meeting of iCET where they reviewed the progress in implementing the ambitious initiative. The two discussed ways to bridge the innovation ecosystems in various sectors. India and the US will provide more than $90 million over the next five years for the India-US Global Challenges Institute which will forge collaborations between institutions in critical and emerging technologies like semiconductors. express read 25 students return from week-long training in UK Chennai: Twenty-five students who attended a one-week training programme at Durham University in the UK, aimed at gaining international exposure and advanced skills in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, returned to Chennai on Monday. This opportunity was part of the Scholars for Outstanding Undergraduate Talent in Tamil Nadu (SCOUT) under the Naan Mudhalvan programme, a collaboration between the British Council and the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) | p2
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