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Excerpt: From Canada halting visa services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru to Israel gearing up for a full-scale invasion of Gaza, here are the top news of the evening.
Today’s Latest News Transcript at 8:30 PM on 20 October 2023
The top news this evening comes from a development in the row ensuing India and Canada. Besides withdrawing 41 diplomats from India, Canada has now halted its visa and consular services in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The services will be available only at the Canadian High Commission in Delhi. Announcing the move, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, “India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by the 20th of October. This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date. And this would put their personal safety at risk.”
Next up: Taking a grim view of incidents of sewer deaths in the country, the Supreme Court today said government authorities will have to pay Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the kin of those who die while cleaning sewers. A bench comprising Justices Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar said those who suffer permanent disabilities while cleaning sewers will be paid Rs 20 lakh as minimum compensation. The court asked the Union and state governments to ensure that manual scavenging is completely eradicated. Pronouncing the judgement, Justice Bhat said the authorities will have to pay up to Rs 10 lakh if the cleaner suffers other disabilities.
Moving on: Amid the ‘cash for query’ allegations, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday said she “welcomed answering questions” from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, which she noted, had “absolute majority of BJP members”. Her comment comes a day after Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of the Hiranandani Group, claimed in an affidavit to the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha that she provided him her Parliament login and password so that he could “post the questions” directly “on her behalf when required”. Moitra wrote on X, “I have neither time nor interest to feed a Adani-directed media circus trial or answer BJP trolls.”
In news from South: A day after spiritual leader Bangaru Adigalar passed away in Tamil Nadu’s Melmaruvathur, CM M K Stalin and several Cabinet ministers paid a visit to the town today to pay their respects. As condolences poured in from all quarters, Stalin announced that Adigalar’s funeral would be conducted with state honours today. Adigalar was a recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2019. Fondly referred to as ‘Amma’, he allowed women to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Adhiparasakthi temple in Melmaruvathur and perform pooja, even during menstruation. Over 2,000 police personnel were deployed for security purposes as areas around Melmaruvathur witnessed traffic congestion as thousands of followers of Adigalar thronged the temple to pay their respects.
Pointing out procedural issues in the case, the Karnataka High Court quashed proceedings against state Horticulture Minister S S Mallikarjun and several others under the Wildlife Protection Act in a case pertaining to the alleged rescue of several wild animals from the minister’s farmhouse in Davangere last year. The order was issued on the 6th of October by a single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna. In December last year, the farmhouse owned by the senior Congress leader was raided and around 29 wild animals were rescued. As per forest officials, 10 blackbucks, seven spotted deer, seven wild boars, three mongooses and two jackals were found on the premises.
In an effort to ensure peaceful Durga Puja celebrations, Tripura’s West district police administration has adopted strict security measures to maintain law and order with deployment of police and state troopers. Of over 950 Durga Pujas in the West District, 800 are in Sadar sub-division. Speaking about security measures, West district superintendent of police Kiran Kumar said that they have visited various puja pandals and provided guidance to the organizers about safety and security measures and crowd management. The official said that they have alerted the Power Department to cut electric wires on crossings to avoid any untoward incident during the procession.
Shifting focus to international news: Israel ordered the evacuation of residents in a northern town close to the Lebanese border, as it appeared to be gearing to a full-scale invasion of Gaza. Meanwhile, a Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip which sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians was hit overnight by an Israeli air strike. Furthermore, protesters marched to the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia’s capital today to denounce the American support for Israel and demand an end to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Moreover, President Joe Biden, in a rare Oval Office address, on Thursday night said that the country must deepen its support of Ukraine and Israel in the middle of two vastly different, unpredictable and bloody wars.
Lastly: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni today said that she had separated from her television journalist partner Andrea Giambruno, who has drawn criticism in recent weeks for sexist comments made on and off air. She stated, “My relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted almost 10 years, ends here. Our paths have diverged for some time, and the time has come to acknowledge it.” The couple have a seven-year-old daughter. Giambruno is the presenter of a news programme transmitted by Mediaset, part of the MFE media group owned by the heirs of the late Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier and Meloni ally. The TV journalist has already been widely criticised in August for apparent victim-blaming comments following a gang rape case.
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Today's Top News Headlines and Latest News at 8:30 pm on 20 … – The Indian Express
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