The incident occurred around 8 PM local time as thousands of Hindu pilgrims gathered to board trains heading to Prayagraj city for the annual Mahakumbh Mela religious festival, located 624 kilometers southeast of the capital.

The crush took place on two platforms as massive crowds surged to catch trains to the festival. 

The discussions focused on strengthening the longstanding defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, underscoring the deep-rooted bilateral ties between the two nations.

They exchanged views on regional security and maritime cooperation aimed at enhancing defence collaboration.

The Indian High Commissioner emphasized India’s unwavering support for Sri Lanka in defence and security matters, particularly in counter-terrorism, maritime security and disaster response.

The Defence Secretary expressed appreciation for India’s continued assistance and acknowledged the significant role of defence partnerships in ensuring stability and security in the region.

According to a hospital source, the 73-year-old actor’s condition is “stable” right now. The source, as quoted by News18, said the superstar was admitted to the hospital on Monday night after claiming to have “stomach problems.” 

The actor will reportedly have an elective operation performed by interventional cardiologist Dr. Sai Satish. On Tuesday, the procedure will take place in the cardiac cath lab. Updates on the actor’s health are anxiously anticipated by fans and well-wishers. The actor was last seen in Nelson Dilipkumar’s ‘Jailer’.

Rajinikanth has been filming his next movie, Coolie, which is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, over the last few weeks. Visakhapatnam is the present location of the shoot. On September 20, he left for Chennai to attend Vettaiyan’s audio launch.

During the audio launch, Rajinikanth, lyricist Super Subbu, and composer Anirudh Ravichander played the Manasilaayo hookstep. At the ceremony, he also gave a speech that lasted about an hour. Rajinikanth’s next movie, Vettaiyan, will open in theatres on October 10. The director of the hard-hitting action drama is TJ Gnanavel. 

Among his devoted followers, Rajinikanth’s hospitalisation has raised concerns. Several X users sent messages wishing for a quick recovery for him.

MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu wished Rajinikanth a quick recovery. The statement “I wish my buddy Mr. Rajinikanth, who has been hospitalized, a speedy recovery” is a bit of a translation of his Tamil post on X.

(Business Standard)

Now, after the news of the freak injury broke out, the actor’s manager has opened up about what exactly happened.

As per news agency ANI, Govinda’s manager, Shashi Sinha, said that Govinda was getting ready to leave for Kolkata. He was keeping his licensed revolver in the case when it fell from his hand, and a bullet got discharged, which hit his leg. Shashi added that the doctor had removed the bullet and his condition was fine. He is in the hospital right now. The bullet reportedly hit two inches below the knee, his doctor revealed to the press.

(WION)

A young man in India who had recently returned from a country experiencing an Mpox (monkeypox) outbreak, has been identified as the first suspected Mpox case in India.

He is symptomatic but stable, with samples taken to confirm infection.

Authorities have initiated contact tracing and are managing the case according to established protocols to identify sources and assess the impact within India.

This situation aligns with the earlier risk assessment by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Officials stress there is no cause for alarm, stating, “the country is well-prepared to handle isolated travel-related cases.” They also asserted that robust measures are in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed between humans through close physical contact. It can sometimes be deadly, causing fever, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions.

The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on August 14 due to a surge in cases of the Clade 1b strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which then spread to nearby countries. A vaccination campaign against Mpox in Congo will begin on October 2.

(Excerpts : TOI)

More than one million doctors were expected to join the strike, paralysing medical services across the world’s most populous nation. Hospitals said faculty staff from medical colleges had been pressed into service for emergency cases.

The government, in a statement issued on Saturday after a meeting with representatives of medical associations, urged doctors to return to duties in the public interest.

A 31-year old trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week inside the medical college in Kolkata where she worked, triggering nationwide protests among doctors and drawing parallels to the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012.

The strike, which began at 6 a.m. (0030 GMT), cut off access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations, according to a statement by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

“Junior doctors have all been on strike, so this would mean 90% of doctors are on strike,” Sanjeev Singh Yadav, a representative of the IMA in the southern state of Telangana, told Reuters.

Outside the RG Kar Medical College, where the crime took place, a heavy police presence was seen on Saturday while the hospital premises were deserted, according to the ANI news agency.

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, which includes Kolkata, has backed the protests across the state, demanding the investigation be fast-tracked and the guilty be punished in the strongest way possible.

A large number of private clinics and diagnostic centres remained closed in Kolkata on Saturday.

Dr Sandip Saha, a private paediatrician in the city, told Reuters he would not attend to patients except in emergencies.

Hospitals and clinics in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Guwahati in Assam and Chennai in Tamil Nadu and other cities joined the strike, set to be one of the largest shutdown of hospital services in recent memory.

‘HARSH PUNISHMENT’

Patients queued up at hospitals, some unaware that the agitation would not allow them to get medical attention.

“I have spent 500 rupees ($6) on travel to come here. I have paralysis and a burning sensation in my feet, head and other parts of my body,” an unidentified patient at SCB Medical College Hospital in the city of Cuttack in Odisha told local television.

“We were not aware of the strike. What can we do? We have to return home.”
Raghunath Sahu, 45, who had lined up at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, told Reuters a daily quota set by the doctors to see patients had ended before noon.

“I have brought my ailing grandmother. They did not see her today. I will have to wait for another day and try again,” Sahu said while moving away from the queue.

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, the agency investigating the rape and murder, has summoned a number of medical students from the RG Kar college to ascertain the circumstances of the crime, according to a police source in Kolkata.

The CBI also questioned the principal of the hospital on Friday, the source said.

Questioning continued on Saturday, local television channels reported. One suspect is in the agency’s custody.

India’s government introduced sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including tougher sentences, after the Delhi gang-rape, but campaigners say little has changed.

Anger at the failure of tougher laws to deter a rising tide of violence against women has fuelled protests by doctors and women’s groups.

“Women form the majority of our profession in this country. Time and again, we have asked for safety for them,” IMA President R. V. Asokan told Reuters on Friday.

The IMA has called for further legal measures to better protect healthcare workers from violence and swift investigation of the “barbaric” crime in Kolkata.

“The punishment should be the harshest possible, should come faster, so within public memory,” said senior criminal layer Shobha Gupta, who represented a Muslim woman gang-raped during religious riots that swept the western state of Gujarat in 2002.

“When we are still angry about the crime, the result should come out. Punishment to play a role of deterrence, it should come faster.”

The government said in its statement a committee would be set up to suggest measures to further improve protection for healthcare professionals.

Source: Reuters
–Agencies

The main event in Colombo was held at ‘India House’, the official residence of the High Commissioner of India. 

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Santosh Jha hoisted India’s National Flag and inspected the Guard of Honour. He also read excerpts of the address by the President of India to the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day.

Several cultural events added vibrancy to the celebrations. The Sri Lanka Navy Band delivered melodious tunes, embodying valour and patriotism, while the visiting ICCR troupe from India, led by Ranjith Gogoi, captivated the audience with a soulful Bihu Dance performance.

The High Commissioner and officers of High Commission of India also paid homage at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial to the memory of the Indian soldiers of IPKF who made the supreme sacrifice defending peace and unity of Sri Lanka.

Special events were organized by the Assistant High Commission in Kandy, Consulate General in Jaffna and Consulate General in Hambantota as well on the momentous occasion.

Later in the day, Bharat Sri Lanka Maitri Utsav 2024 – a four-day festival running from 15 August to 18 August 2024 at the iconic Independence Square Park in Colombo will be inaugurated. 

The Utsav will showcase a traditional handicrafts exhibition featuring artisans from India and Sri Lanka, along with cultural performances and a food festival. The Utsav will remain open for public till 10 pm, 18 August 2024.

Considering the mental and physical trauma faced due to the loss of his family caused by the negligence of the two travel companies, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission sided with Saigal in an order dated July 1. The loss of livelihood and future prospects of Saigal’s wife were also taken into account.

Saigal, along with his wife, son, daughter, and father-in-law, had booked a vacation package to Sri Lanka through Thomas Cook in November 2019 for Rs 3.56 lakh. This package included accommodations, sightseeing, transportation, and travel insurance.

On December 23, 2019, the vehicle carrying Saigal’s family collided with a container truck in Colombo, resulting in the immediate deaths of his wife, son, and father-in-law. Saigal himself sustained severe injuries, including multiple fractures, and his daughter, Aishwarya, also suffered physical trauma.

The complainant further alleged that a few hours before the commencement of their journey, he was informed that the arrangements in Sri Lanka would be managed by Red Apple Travel, a fact that was not disclosed to him during the booking process.

Saigal further alleged that the involvement of Red Apple Travel was only revealed 36 hours prior to the journey, leaving the family with no option but to proceed or risk forfeiting the entire amount paid.

The aftermath of the accident led to Saigal issuing a legal notice to Thomas Cook on February 24, 2021, seeking Rs. 8.99 crore in damages for negligence, deficiency in services, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements. In his complaint, Saigal argued that Thomas Cook had failed in its duty of care by not ensuring safe and reliable contractors for the tour.

(Indian Express)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by Indian Express has not been edited by SLM staff)

The incident took place at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state.

The exact cause of the stampede is still under investigation.  Witnesses said the exit was too narrow and when people were leaving, a fierce dust storm led to confusion and panic, causing many people to become trampled.

The victims, including a large number of women and some children, are still being identified.

Survivors have described how the disaster unfolded as they tried to leave the event in Mughalgarhi village.

Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has directed district officials to ensure the injured are hospitalized promptly and to expedite relief efforts. In a post on X, his office stated that the chief minister has also ordered a thorough probe into the incident to determine the underlying causes and prevent such tragedies in the future.

(Agencies)

GOI’s total commitment to the project now stands at over SLR 400 million.

Responding to the challenges that arose in the economic landscape of Sri Lanka, GOI had decided to infuse additional funds into nine ongoing grant projects in order to expeditiously complete them, while also minimizing the impact of the significant rise in cost of construction materials on the original scope of the projects. 

The Low Cost Transit Housing Construction Project at Madhu Shrine, Mannar, is among the said nine projects.  

A total of 96 transit houses shall now be constructed with the GOI grant at Madhu Shrine that could be used by pilgrims visiting the shrine. The project is currently underway and the proposed transit houses are at various stages of construction.