hyderabad l tuesday l september 24, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late 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 Hezbollah’s rockets hit Rafael factory 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 ■ ■ 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 21 children 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 KAVITA BAJ E LI - 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’s 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 Su 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 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 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. p7 CALLS FOR HUMAN-CENTRIC DEVELOPMENT 1st-of-its-kind initiative to hone skills of youth set for launch tomorrow Modi’s message of humanity in Summit of Future Y E SHI s E LI @ 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 human. ity 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 Laapataa Ladies is India’s pick for the Oscars Su d h i r S r i n i v a s a n 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 express read HC stays razing, tells govt to fix Durgam Cheruvu FTL Hyderabad: Directing the state government to finalise the FTL of Durgam Cheruvu within six weeks and file a compliance report, the Telangana High Court on Monday ordered an interim stay to demolitions by HYDRAA | P3 What constitutes the perfect submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film? It’s a question that haunts not only the FFI jury responsible , for announcing our official submission, but also our filmmakers and cinephiles alike. 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 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 wrapped in humor; harsh realities presented palatably . E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Summit of the Future at the UN on Monday | PTI Meets Palestinian 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) To enhance skills among youth, the state government is all set to launch a grand skilling programme, the first such initiative in the country on September 25. , Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy would launch the programme to train thousands of engineering and non-engineering students that would ensure jobs in the Banking Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) sector. The programme is designed in such a way that students can get jobs as soon as they complete graduation. This will reduce unemployment in the state. It may be recalled that the state government has already established the Telangana Young India Skill University in which courses would start from next month. Recently the chief minister an- One card to , nounced that the government will pro- fit all in TG vide `100 crore for the Skill University . The state The chief minister has invited private government is entities to join in the efforts of the gov- mulling a “One ernment to hone skills of the youth in State-One the state through the Skill University . Digital Card” As a part of skill development initiapolicy for tives, the Telangana Council of Higher implementing Education (TGCHE) has entered into an welfare agreement with the Banking Financial schemes | P4 Services & Insurance Consortium (BFSI) with the aim to meet the demand for IT and ITES professionals in the sector. This will be done by integrating industry-specific knowledge into undergraduate courses to empower students with industry relevant skills. This initiative will be evolved through CSR partners, ensuring there is no additional cost to the government or the students. Continued on P4 Treasure hunters damage Ramappa Temple sub-shrine U m a h e s h @ Mulugu Unidentified treasure hunters have caused damage to the roof and sculptures in Golla Gudi, also known as Trikutalayam, one of the subshrines of the Ramappa Temple in Palampet village in the district. The Kakatiya-era Ramappa Temple is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The sub-shrine, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located near the world-famous site. According to temple authorities, sanitation workers of the Ramappa Temple, who clean the sub-shrine once every 15 days, routinely went to the Golla Gudi. After entering the temple, they were shocked to see excavations inside and the idol (Shiva lingam) damaged. They also found damage to the roof and sculptures. Alerted by the workers, Ar- chaeological Survey of India (ASI) authorities rushed to the spot. The ASI officials, after surveying the area, said that unidentified persons dug up parts of the sub-shrine, possibly in search of hidden treasure. Later, the ASI official lodged a complaint with the Venkatapur police. After UNESCO tagged the Ramappa Temple as a World Heritage Site, the rush of tourists has increased. Soon after the news of the break-in broke, the ASI came in for sharp criticism from various quarters, and was accused of failing to protect the temple. There is criticism that though the temple has got the coveted UNESCO tag, the ASI has not taken measures to properly illuminate it or set up CCTV cameras. Venkatapur sub-inspector (SI) J Satish said that a case has been registered based on a complaint from ASI officials. A gaping hole in the roof, part of the structure discarded outside, dug-up floor (top) are proof that the suspected treasure hunters spent quite a long time on the sub-shrine premises
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