tirunelveli l tuesday l september 24, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION At least 274 killed, 1,024 injured as Israel bombs Lebanon cities Thousands of people in southern and eastern Lebanon fled their homes after Israel military’s evacuation alert, congesting all roads to Beirut 300 targets hit, Hezbollah hotbeads next The Israeli military said it was going after Hezbollah weapons sites, adding that it hit 300 targets on Monday. It said the next wave of airstrikes would include Bekaa Valley, which runs along the Lebanese-Syrian border, where Hezbollah has long had an established presence. It is where the militant group was founded in 1982 with the help of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards ■ 21 children Hezbollah’s rockets hit Rafael factory ■ Some Israeli strikes hit residential areas. One strike hit parts of Byblos in central Lebanon, which is 130 km from the border north of Beirut | P9 Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed it has stepped up its attack on Israel, firing dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post in Galilee. It also targeted the facilities of the Rafael defence firm, headquartered in Haifa and 39 women killed, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad 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 Mpox in India Kerala man tests +ve for fast-spreading Clade 1b strain K A V ITA BAJELI - DATT @ New Delhi INDIA on Monday reported its first case of Mpox Clade 1b variant in Malappuram district in Kerala, officials sources confirmed. Clade 1b is the fastspreading and severe viral strain that has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization. The patient, a 38-year-old man, had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates and was admitted to the government medical college hospital after he tested positive for Mpox last week, officials said. Official sources added that the patient, who is stable, has not been discharged from the hospital. “This is the first case of the current strain that led to the WHO declaring Mpox a public health emergency last month for a second time,” they said. The state authorities are monitoring the situation and contract tracing all individuals who have come in contact with the patient, officials said. Kerala Health minister Veena George said those returning from abroad, if they have any symptoms, should inform the health department and seek treatment at the earliest. “Isolation facilities have been established in all districts. Surveillance has been strengthened, including at airports,” she said. This is the second case of Mpox in India. The earlier case of Mpox that emerged in the national capital was a 26-year-old resident of Haryana’s Hisar, who tested positive for the West African Clade 2 strain. He was admitted to Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on September 8 and was discharged on September 21. Mpox infections, which manifest with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes, last two-to-four weeks, and patients recover with supportive medical care. “It is a self-limiting disease and cannot be compared with Covid,” officials said. Storing, watching child porn a crime: SC S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday held that storage or watching of child pornographic material constituted an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). Setting aside a Madras High Court order, which held that merely downloading and or watching child porn on one’s electronic device did not amount to an offence under the POCSO and IT Acts, the bench said, “The High Court committed an egregious error in passing the im- pugned judgment.” A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala suggested that the Centre bring an ordinance to replace the term “child pornography” with “Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM)” so as to reflect more accurately the reality of such offences. The POCSO Act could be suitably amended by Parliament subsequently it , said. The bench also ordered all courts not to use the “child pornography” term hence- Says reform is key to relevance sexual health and added that promoting a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of sex education was essential for reducing the incidence of sexual crimes in the country . “Implementing comprehensive sex education programs that include information about the legal and ethical ramifications of child pornography can help deter potential offenders. These programs should address common misconceptions and provide young people with a clear understanding of consent and the impact of exploitation,” the bench suggested. CALLS FOR HUMAN-CENTRIC DEVELOPMENT Modi’s message of humanity in Summit of Future YE S HI sELI @ New Delhi AMID raging global conflicts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed the need for collective efforts to bring peace and stability. “Success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield,” Modi said while speaking at the UN Summit of the Future. The Summit of the Future followed by the annual General Assembly high-level week comes in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Ukraine war as well as challenges of climate change, inequality and deep geopolitical divides. Modi also called for urgent reforms in global institutions including the UN for the collective betterment of the world and highlighted the success of India’s human-centric sustainable development model. Subtly pointing to the absurdity of the world’s largest international organisation excluding the world’s most populous country, Modi said his voice carries the weight of 1.4 billion Indians constituting one-sixth of the total world population. India has been pushing for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, pointing out that the powerful global body does not at all reflect the current geopolitical realities. India last sat at the UN high table as a nonpermanent member in 2021-22. Stressing the need for global reforms, Modi said: “Reform is the key to relevance. Global reforms are required. India has partnered with the Global South as we want to be more inclusive. We also included the African Union in the G20 hence proving that reform is the key to relevance.” In his five-minute address to world leaders from the iconic podium of the UN General Assembly hall in New York, Modi highlighted India’s human-centric approach to sustainability through food security and health initiatives. “Sustainable development can be successful. We in India have been able to help 250 millions come out of poverty Laddu row: FSSAI notice to TN dairy as all 4 samples fail K a v i ta B a j e l i - D at t @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Summit of the Future at the UN on Monday | PTI Meets Palestine president abbas When we are discussing the Global Future, we must accord the highest priority to a humancentric approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and expressed deep concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza, reaffirming India’s support for early restoration of peace in the region | P7 Accepts Oli’s invite to visit Nepal Modi also met Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli, who is on his maiden foreign visit to attend the UN session. “Our talks focused on energy, technology and trade,” Modi said in a post on X. Modi accepted Oli’s invitation to visit Nepal through our sustainability efforts, sustainable development can be successful,” he said. Modi also emphasised the need for balanced regulation at a global level, for the safe and responsible use of technology “We need . global digital governance, which ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld,’ he said, adding: “Digital Public Infrastructure should be a Bridge, not a Barrier”. World leaders have consistently lauded India’s digitalisation drive which has helped alleviate poverty and bring millions of people into the formal economic system. (With inputs from agencies) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a show-cause notice to Dindigul-based A R Dairy Food Private Ltd, which supplied ghee to the Tirumala temple for laddu making, after animal fat was detected in all the four samples collected from the firm for testing, official sources said on Monday The supplier . had been directed to respond to the charges by Monday . On Saturday FSSAI officials had visited , the Tamil Nadu plant and collected the samples for testing. “All four samples failed the test,” official sources said. The dairy manufacturer, one of the four ghee suppliers to the famous temple, came under scrutiny after a report from a Gujarat-based laboratory found Swamy that ghee samples used in the Tirupati moves SC laddus contained palm oil, fish oil, beef Former MP tallow and lard (pig fat). Subramanian The show-cause notice issued by the Swamy on FSSAI said, “After analysis, the sample from your firm (A R Dairy Food Private Monday moved Ltd) has failed to meet the parameters the Apex Court seeking courtand your firm has been blacklisted by monitored the EO, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthaninvestigation ams (TTD). By virtue of the above nonconformance of the product ‘ghee’ man- into the matter ufactured by your fir m, you have contravened the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, and rules and regulations made thereunder.” “In view of all the above, you are hereby directed to show cause as to why your central licence shall not be suspended for contravention of the above said provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products, Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011,” it added. 400 trainer posts vacant as SS History-sheeter fund crunch hits TN schools shot dead, third express read Stalin inaugurates TIDEL parks in Thanjavur, Salem Thanjavur/Salem: Two mini TIDEL parks in Thanjavur and Salem districts, built at a total cost of `60 crore, were virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday from the secretariat in Chennai | P4 S u ba s h i n i V i jaya k u m a r @ Chennai VCK man’s Udhaya jibe: A Raja asks Thiruma to act Erode: Following VCK deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna’s recent veiled attack on Udhayanidhi Stalin over Deputy CM post, DMK deputy general secretary A Raja on Monday urged VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan to take action against Arjuna | P4 forth in their judicial orders. Justice Pardiwala, reading the verdict for the bench, said: “Section 15 of the POCSO provides for three distinct offences... It is in the nature and form of an inchoate offence which penalizes the mere storage or possession of any pornographic material involving a child when done with a specific intent prescribed thereunder, without requiring any actual transmission, dissemination etc.” The bench also stressed the need to address misconceptions around kings on board India Open team with Chess Olympiad trophy on Sunday. (From left) Srinath Narayanan, Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, R Praggnandhaa & P Harikrishna (hidden) | PTI As Tamil Nadu still awaits the release of the centre’s share of funds under the Samagra Shiksha (SS) scheme for this financial year, the school education department is yet to appoint vocational trainers in over 400 schools across the state. These trainers have been tasked with teaching employability skills to vocational students since the 2022-23 academic year. With quarterly examinations currently under way, teachers have urged the government to either appoint trainers immediately or remove the subject from the syllabus entirely . While the state’s school education minister, along with department officials, went to Delhi seeking the release of funds, Chief Minister M K Stalin is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Modi regarding the matter. However, the centre has said the funds would be sanctioned only after the state signs an MoU for the PM SHRI schools and fully implements the National Education Policy 2020. Apart from teaching vocational students, the trainers — hired on a contract basis — are also responsible for maintaining student portfolios and supporting students in pursuing higher education. P5 under new CoP in three months E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai/Tirunelveli `2,151 crore still pending In January 2024, the central government sanctioned `3,585 crore for TN under the SS scheme, with `2,151 crore from the centre and `1,434 crore from the state. So far, only the state government has disbursed its share. Academy Awards And now, we choose Laapataa Ladies for the Oscars Su d h i r S r i n i vasa n W hat constitutes the perfect submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film? It’s a question that haunts not only the Film Federation of India jury respon, sible for announcing our official submission, but also our filmmakers and cinephiles alike. We argue and we try and we choose, and yet, the answer eludes us every year. Why else has it been 23 years since Lagaan became the last Indian film to make it to the final shortlist for nominations? A cautious answer to this question would be, “Whatever captures the fascination of the Oscars jury But what exactly does? .” Ultimately, it’s about catering to the tastes and whims of the Wester n imagination—it’s their award, after all. This isn’t simply about selecting what we believe to be the best film we have made during the year. Instead, it’s about identifying which film we think has the best shot at getting nominated—setting aside, for now, the question of actually winning. Take last year, for instance. SS Rajamouli’s RRR sparked a frenzy of Western interest—a momentum we might have been wise to ride. Yet, we chose Chhello Show by Pan Nalin, a charming film, yes, but one whose theme is rather familiar to Wester n audiences. And now, we place our hopes in Laapataa Ladies, a delightful film co-produced by Aamir Khan, the actor in our last Foreign Language Oscar-nominated film. The second directorial of Kiran Rao, this film gently places us in the heart of rural India with an undistracted gaze on its women—the lives they are expected to lead, the subjugation they endure, and the fleeting moments of respite they may or may not receive. It’s a narrative of sadness w r ap p e d i n humor; harsh realities pres e n t e d palatably . Filmmaker Kiran Rao during an interview ‘Seizing’ Raja (51), an ‘ +’ catA egory history-sheeter, was shot dead by a police inspector on Monday morning near Akkarai, off East Coast Road in Chennai, about 24 hours after he was arrested by another police team in Rajampet near Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. This is the third ‘encounter’ killing by Chennai police since ADGP A Arun took over as commissioner in July. ‘Seizing’ Raja (51) E a r l i e r, o n July 13, Thiruvengadam, a history-sheeter arrested in the Armstrong murder case, was killed in a similar manner. Last week, cops shot dead ‘Kakathoppu’ Balaji, another historysheeter, while he tried to ‘attack’ them during arrest. According to the Greater Chennai police, Raja was taken to a deserted location near the Buckingham Canal to recover weapons hidden by him by a special police team led by Velachery inspector Vimal and Adyar inspector Ilamkani. P5
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.