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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hardly win 12-15 Parliamentary seats in the southern states in the Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking at a rally while campaigning for Congress leader Adoor Prakash in Kerala's Attingal, Revanth Reddy said that the grand old party will win all 20 LS seats in Kerala, while it will bag at least 14 out of 17 LS seats in Telangana.

On the BJP expressing confidence of crossing 400 seats, Revanth Reddy said even BRS president and former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao while campaigning for last year's Assembly polls had claimed that he would win 100 seats but could bag only 39 seats.

Revanth Reddy said that "similarly, the BJP is trying to confuse people, but people are intelligent and they are going to teach a lesson to the party".

KCR has recently said that the Congress government in Telangana will not last more than a year "as nobody knows who will join the BJP and when".

"We don't know, the Chief Minister (Revanth Reddy) himself may jump to the BJP," he said.

KCR said while they want the Congress government to complete its five-year term, considering the recent developments, he doubts if it will last more than a year.

He also said that all surveys showed that the Congress would not get more than two Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

--IANS

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Chandigarh, April 18 (IANS) Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday expressed disapproval over BJP’s Ludhiana candidate Ravneet Bittu claiming the Congress never respected former chief minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb blast in Chandigarh in 1995.

Warring questioned the use of Beant Singh’s image in the BJP’s election propaganda by Bittu, a rebel Congress MP.

The PPCC chief told the media here, “Beant Singh epitomized national leadership and commanded admiration nationwide. Revered as a symbol of peace, his sacrifices resonate across the nation. However, the use of his image for political gain by his grandson (Bittu), now aligned with the BJP, is regrettable and disrespects the sacrifices of Beant Singh.”

Warring added, “Bittu's defection to the BJP has already cast a shadow over Beant Singh’s legacy, and his actions continue to tarnish the distinguished memory of the former chief minister. Such actions are likely to dishearten the spirit of Beant Singh. The Congress has always kept Beant Singh in high regard, claims by Bittu about his statue being removed from Congress Bhavan Chandigarh are all false. We respect our leaders and martyrs, unlike Bittu who has disrespected his own grandfather.”

“It’s imperative to refrain from exploiting the legacy of his grandfather for political advantage, and Bittu should understand it. The people of Punjab recognize and reject such tactics. The valour of our martyrs demands reverence, and any attempt to undermine it will not find favour with the public,” he added.

--IANS

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Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), April 18 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh will soon get its first-ever glass skywalk bridge, which will be set against the picturesque backdrop of Tulsi Waterfalls in the Markundi range of the Chitrakoot forest division.

Built from a fusion of glass and steel, this marvel of engineering takes the form of Lord Ram's revered bow and arrow, thereby symbolising strength and valour.

According to reports, this bridge promises to redefine the landscape of eco-tourism in the region. This ambitious project aims to elevate the allure of Chitrakoot.

Drawing inspiration from Bihar's renowned skywalk glass bridge in Rajgir, Uttar Pradesh's glass skywalk is poised to captivate visitors with its blend of aesthetic charm and structural brilliance.

The bridge, said sources, will be inaugurated after the Lok Sabha polls.

Complementing the breathtaking vistas of the waterfall, the surrounding area has been transformed into a verdant oasis known as 'Kodand Van', which will provide visitors with a tranquil retreat amidst nature's splendour.

Built by the esteemed Ghazipur-based Pawan Sut Construction Company, the bridge stands as a testament to collaborative effort and visionary planning.

Originally known as Shabri Waterfall, the cascading beauty that serves as the foundation for the glass skywalk was recently christened Tulsi Waterfalls by the state government.

Offering both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity, the bow-and-arrow-shaped bridge spans an impressive length of 25 m towards the abyss and boasts of a width of 35 m between its sturdy pillars. With a robust load capacity of 500 kg per square metre, the bridge ensures safety and comfort for visitors eager to embark on this thrilling adventure.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Indian wrestlers Deepak Punia and Sujeet Kalkal have been stranded at the Dubai airport since Tuesday, because of heavy rains, while enroute to Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek for the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers, sources said.

Speaking to IANS, sources close to wrestlers said that the duo will take flight at 11pm on Thursday and their chances of participation in the tournament is 50-50.

"They have been there for the past two days. Hotels are all full so they are sleeping on the floor at the airport. Their chances of competing in the qualifiers is 50-50. Maybe they will reach Bishkek just before the start of the weigh-in, only if they manage to leave Dubai late tonight."

The Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek is scheduled to kick-start from April 19. There will be a total of 36 Paris 2024 quotas on offer in 18 weight divisions in Bishkek.

India has fielded seventeen wrestlers.

This qualifier will be the penultimate opportunity for Indian grapplers to secure a quota for the Summer Games. The World Qualification Tournament in Turkey, scheduled in May, will be the final wrestling qualifiers.

Indian squad:

Men’s Greco-Roman: Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Naveen (130kg)

Women’s freestyle: Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Mansi (62kg), Nisha (68kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg)

Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Sujeet (65kg), Jaideep (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Sumit (125kg)

--IANS

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A Delhi court on Thursday

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A Delhi court on Thursday sent Chanpreet Singh, accused in the excise policy case, to judicial custody till April 23 after the probe agency said that he is a key person involved in the transfer and use of the proceeds of crime generated out of the Delhi excise policy scam. He was produced before the court on the expiry of his previously granted Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody.

The ED had sought his 14-day judicial custody alleging that "Chanpreet Singh is closely associated with co-accused persons and suspects such as Vijay Nair, Rajesh Joshi, and others. Chanpreet Singh is a cash handler on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Goa elections who received Rs 45 crore approx in cash through hawala operators and then distributed to the vendors, survey workers, and volunteers, etc., who were working for the AAP campaign in Goa".

Singh was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 13.

During the custodial interrogation, the ED claimed that his multiple statements were recorded.

“He is found to be giving evasive replies and concealing information during the custodial interrogation,” the ED said.

The federal probe agency while seeking his judicial custody told the court that Singh had been interrogated and questions were asked on the findings of the investigation. It is still investigating the matter to trace the proceeds of crime and involvement of the arrestee and other persons in the offence of money laundering.

“The arrestee was confronted with the statements of different witnesses and other co-accused who have revealed the role of the arrestee,” the agency said.

The agency also reserved its right to take further custody of Singh during the permissible period, if required.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) London-based consumer tech brand Nothing on Thursday launched two new wireless earbuds -- Ear and Ear (a) in India, with ChatGPT integration to enhance overall user experience.

Ear and Ear (a) are priced at Rs 11,999 and Rs 7,999, respectively. Ear (a) will be available for purchase starting April 22 while Ear will be available starting April 29 across online and offline channels.

Ear features a transparent earbud design, while Ear (a) takes a new direction with a fresh bubble design and yellow colour.

“By integrating ChatGPT with Nothing earbuds, including the new Ear and Ear (a), and with Nothing OS (operating system), we’ve taken our first steps towards change, and there’s more to come,” Carl Pei, CEO and Co-Founder of Nothing, said in a statement.

The company said that it has integrated Nothing earbuds and its OS with ChatGPT to offer users instant access to knowledge directly from the devices they use most.

With this integration, users with the latest Nothing OS and ChatGPT installed on their Nothing phones will be able to pinch-to-speak to the AI tool directly from their earbuds, including the newly launched Ear and Ear (a).

According to the company, Ear can last up to 40.5 hours after a full charge with the charging case or 8.5 hours of non-stop playback. The earbuds also support wireless charging at 2.5 watts.

On the other hand, Ear (a) users can get up to 42.5 hours of music playback after a full charge with the charging case, the company added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) BJP President JP Nadda, on a campaign trail to Assam on Thursday, made a strong pitch for clean governance and said that only the BJP government can assure of the same as the ‘Ghamandiya alliance’ was a coalition of either ‘jailed or bailed’ leaders.

Underscoring the focus of the Modi government on putting the North-East region on a perennial growth trajectory, he said that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who described the eight states as ‘Ashta Lakshmi.’

On Thursday, Nadda addressed two poll rallies in Assam -- one in Udalguri and another in Kokrajhar.

He said that this election was a fight between NDA’s ‘Bhrashtachar hatao’ vs INDIA bloc’s ‘Bhrashtachari bachao’. He said that Congress regimes witnessed a series of scams including the VVIP chopper scam, 2G and Commonwealth scam and more but the Modi government brought an end to all.

He said that peace and development prevail in Assam today, under the BJP government.

“All the corrupt parties and leaders have ganged up under the Ghamandiya alliance while BJP is all for clean politics and transparent governance,” he said at a rally in Udalguri.

Nadda named many leaders of the INDIA bloc leaders, who are either in jail or on bail and said that this showed their approach to politics.

“Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal are in jail while top leaders of INDIA bloc including Rahul Gandhi, P Chidambaram, Lalu Yadav, Sanjay Singh are on bail,” he pointed out.

Earlier, addressing a rally in Kokrajhar district, the BJP President said that the North-East region is witnessing unprecedented attention and development under the Modi government.

He said that the Prime Minister described North-East as ‘Ashta Lakshmi’ and also went on to explain the ‘eight aadhar’ behind it.

“First aadhar is peace, the second is hydropower generation, the third is tourism, fourth is 5G connectivity, fifth is culture, sixth is natural farming, seventh is sports and eight is to nourish the potential of the region,” he told the public gathering.

Highlighting the government’s focus on N-E, he said that Prime Minister Modi alone has made 70 visits to the region in 10 years while Union Ministers have visited the region, 680 times.

He also cited various peace accords like the Bodo accord, and the Karbi Anglong accord signed by the Centre to bring peace and prosperity in the North-East. He also highlighted how a series of welfare schemes including Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ayushman Yojana, and the free ration scheme were bringing ‘welcome change’ and said that Asia’s biggest cancer institute being built in Assam will give the region new recognition.

--IANS

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New Delhi/Chennai, April 19 (IANS) The baby-food brands sold by global giant Nestle in India contain high levels of added sugar, unlike the same products in the UK, Germany Switzerland, and other developed nations, revealed an investigation by Swiss organisation Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), sparking concern in the country at the violation of health guidelines.

The Indian government is reportedly looking into the issue of sugar being added to baby food.

Meanwhile, the share price of Nestle India Ltd went down in the bourses on Thursday following the study.

At the BSE, on Thursday, Nestle India’s shares opened at Rs 2,539 (Wednesday closing price Rs 2,547.15) and went down to close at Rs.2,462.75.

Findings showed that in India, all Cerelac baby products contain an average of nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving. The same product is being sold with no added sugar in Germany and the UK, while in Ethiopia and Thailand, it contains nearly 6 grams, the study said.

The report said that Nestle adds sugar to infant milk and cereal products in several countries which is a violation of international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases. Violations were found only in Asian, African, and Latin American countries.

However, a Nestle India Ltd spokesperson said the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 30 per cent over the past five years and it continues to "review" and "reformulate" products to reduce them further. "We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritise using high-quality ingredients."

On Wednesday, the leading UK paper The Guardian reported that the Swiss food giant adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in "poorer countries". It cited data from Public Eye and IBFAN that examined Nestle baby food brands sold in these markets. Public Eye examined 115 products sold in Nestle’s main markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America across two key brands -- Cerelac and Nodi.

In India, all Cerelac baby cereal products examined by Public Eye contained added sugar -- on average nearly 3 gm per serving.

“Almost all the Cerelac infant cereals examined contain added sugar -- nearly 4 grams per serving on average, equal to roughly a sugar cube -- although they are targeted at babies from six months of age. The highest amount -- 7.3 grams per serving -- was detected in a product sold in the Philippines," the report said.

WHO expert Nigel Rollins was cited in media reports as saying that “this is a double standard that cannot be justified.”

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 18 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka on Thursday alleged that under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's rule Hindus in Karnataka were living in fear.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Ashoka said "The Congress government is encouraging terrorist activities in Karnataka. The government led by CM Siddaramaiah had brought down the Hanuman flag. Hindus are living in fear under the rule of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and gang."

He warned that if the Goonda Act is not enforced against those attacking individuals for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and if sedition charges are not filed, the BJP will take to the streets.

Following an incident where three youths were assaulted by a gang for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans on Wednesday, the BJP leader said, "I am cautioning the police department regarding this matter. We will set a deadline and commence protests from tomorrow after consulting state party president B.Y. Vijayendra."

Ashoka accused the Congress government of supporting terrorist activities in Karnataka. He alleged that instead of curbing thuggery, the Congress was giving tacit approval. He said that in the Congress rule, chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' has become a criminal act, thereby disregarding the interests of the Hindu majority.

Ashoka said that the accused in the attack on the youths "are likely to be released after being fed biryani, without being charged under the Goonda Act and with no sedition charges".

He said that the statement made by Congress MP D.K. Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, about dividing the country has emboldened fundamentalists in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, BJP workers protested outside the Vidyaranyapura police station demanding the imposition of the Goonda Act and sedition charges against the accused.

Ashoka also criticised the Congress government for hastily concluding that the Bengaluru cafe blast was due to business rivalry. He claimed that this government's tenure would be short-lived, as people have developed a strong aversion to it.

--IANS

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Sydney, April 18 (IANS) A 16-year-old boy was charged with a terrorism offence on Thursday in connection with a stabbing incident in a Sydney church earlier this week.

At around 7:10 p.m. local time on Monday, emergency services were called to a church on the corner of Box Road and Welcome Street in Wakeley, following reports of a stabbing.

Officers found a 53-year-old man suffering significant injuries to his head, while a 39-year-old man also sustained lacerations and a shoulder wound when he attempted to intervene, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 16-year-old, who had been restrained by members of the public, was arrested by police at the scene.

The New South Wales Police Force confirmed in a statement that investigators attended a medical facility to interview the boy on Thursday afternoon.

"He was charged with committing a terrorist act under Section 101.1 Criminal Code Act (Commonwealth) 1995, an offence which carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for life," said the state police.

The teenager has been refused bail and is expected to appear at a bedside court hearing on Friday.

--IANS

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