India's GDP contracts by 7.3% in FY2020-21, rises 1.6% in Q4

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to CJI D Y Chandrachud's house for Ganesha puja celebrations has raised doubts in the mind of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who questioned whether he would deliver 'justice' in the ongoing case the party has in the Supreme Court, given that the PM is the other party in the case.

Speaking to ANI, Raut said "Ganpathi festival is going on, people visit each other's houses. I don't have info regarding how many houses PM visited so far...but PM went to CJI's house and they together performed 'Aarti'."

He said that a custodian of the Constitution meeting politicians could raise doubts in the minds of people.

"In our case, other party is the central govt...Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the case is openly visible," Raut continued.

He also raised questions if the CJI be able to give them justice in the case. "We are getting dates after dates and an illegal govt is going on...Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way...we are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them," the Sena (UBT) leader continued.

Raut alleged that a doubt had been formed in Maharashtra's mind given the 'bond' the PM and the CJI seem to share.

At least 20 people have been killed as more communication devices detonated in Lebanon a day after simultaneous explosions of pagers across the country left at least a dozen dead and thousands injured.

Explosions were reported in multiple locations in Lebanon, including at the site of a funeral for a child killed in a pager explosion the previous day.

Media reports said that several blasts occurred simultaneously in Beirut similar to what happened on Tuesday. Several explosions were also reported in southern and eastern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 20 people were killed and more than 450 injured in the new wave of explosions. 

An informed source said that the detonated devices came from the same batch of cargo as the detonated pagers, all imported from the same company.

The Lebanese Army Command called on the people not to gather in the scenes of security incidents to allow the arrival of medical teams.

Civil defense teams are extinguishing the fires that broke out as a result of the explosions, while ambulance teams continue to transport the injured.

The new act of aggression came as top Hezbollah official Sayyed Hashem Saffieddine was delivering a speech affirming that the Israeli acts of terrorism will have their own punishment, stating that the resistance is steadfast and capable of inflicting more defeats on the enemy.

The Hezbollah official said a speech by the movement’s Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, planned for Thursday, will clarify matters and that the movement will face a new pattern and a new confrontation with the enemy.

Thousands of pagers widely used by resistance factions and also public service workers exploded on Tuesday, leaving at least a dozen dead and around 3,000 people injured.

The Lebanese government has blamed Israel. Hezbollah has promised the Israeli regime will receive ‘just punishment’ for the attacks.

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said the pagers used in the Israeli deadly terrorist attack on Tuesday had been made by a Hungarian firm, to which the company had authorized its brand on the devices.

The company made the remarks in a statement on Wednesday, identifying the firm as BAC Consulting KFT based in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Friday to discuss the latest blasts that hit Lebanon, council president Slovenia said on Wednesday after Lebanon requested an emergency meeting.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that civilian objects should not be weaponized.

"I think it's very important that there is an effective control of civilian objects, not to weaponize civilian objects -- that should be a rule that... governments should, be able to implement," Guterres said at a briefing at UN headquarters.

"As important as the event in itself, is the indication that this event confirms that there is a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon -- and everything must be done to avoid the escalation," he said.

"What has happened is particularly serious, not only because of the number of victims that it caused, but because of the indications that exist that this was triggered, I would say, in advance of a normal way to trigger these things, because there was a risk of this being discovered."

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described the detonation of pagers and wireless devices in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday as a blatant violation of international law.

The organization said the attack did not only target Hezbollah members but also indiscriminately exploded devices used by civilians.

The timing of the attack indicates that Israel did not take necessary precautions, as it occurred when device users were at home with their families, leading to numerous severe civilian injuries, including children, it said.

Israel's actions constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks and the targeting of civilians and their property, and mandates that warring parties distinguish between civilians and combatants at all times, the rights monitor said.

The organization called for an urgent and independent international investigation into these attacks and pressure on Israel to immediately stop its crimes and prevent further escalation in the region.

Indore: Two Army officers were thrashed and one of their two women friends was allegedly gang-raped by armed miscreants when they were out on a picnic in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Additional SP Rupesh Dwivedi said on Wednesday night that six suspects had been identified, two of whom have been detained from the jungles.
Both Army officers were injured in the mob attack. One of them managed to dial his senior officers but by the time police arrived from Mhow, 30km away, the woman had already been gang-raped.

The two Armymen are undergoing the Young Officers course at Infantry School, Mhow, SP Rural Hitika Vasal said.

According to the complaint filed by one of the lieutenants, the four of them had driven to Ahilya Gate near Jam Gate on Mhow-Mandleshwar road on Tuesday night. Built in 1791 by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, Jam Gate is a popular picnic spot for its stunning views of the valley below, and the temple near Ahilya Gate draws a lot of devotees.

Around 2.30am, one of the officers and his female friend were in the car when 6-7 men attacked them. The other pair was atop a nearby hillock then and rushed down on hearing the confrontation.

The complaint says that the attackers held the pair they had attacked in the car hostage at gunpoint. They asked the other officer to bring Rs 10 lakh in ransom. This gave the officer - who was accompanied by the other woman - a chance to inform his seniors at Mhow, who in turn alerted police.

A large police force was dispatched to the spot but the attackers had escaped into the forest by then. All four of them were brought to Mhow Civil Hospital around 6.30am where a medical examination confirmed one of the women had been gang-raped. As per the duty doctor, there were injuries on both officers' bodies. "The complainant has alleged that the woman who was with him was raped, and they were looted as well," SP Vasal said.

Badgonda police registered a case under BNS sections 70 (gang-rape), 310-2 (dacoity), 308-2 (extortion) and 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt), plus sections of Arms Act.

Forces from four police stations combed the jungles near Chhoti Jaam village and picked up two suspects.