HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has hit out strongly at the “objectionable and filthy comments” made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on his birthday on Friday (November 08) against former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

In a statement, working president of the BRS K.T. Rama Rao said on Saturday (November 09) that nobody could wipe out the imprint of KCR on Telangana for the simple fact that he led the struggle for Statehood to Telangana for 14 years before achieving the goal withstanding all sorts of conspiracies.

“When you (Revanth Reddy) were an errand boy, he resigned from his position for the people of Telangana. While you were busy lobbying for party tickets, he envisioned a dream — a Telangana born from struggle and perseverance,” Mr. Rama Rao reminded the Chief Minister.

Further, when Mr. Revanth Reddy wielded guns to silence the voices raised for Telangana and against the rulers of the undivided State, KCR risked his life for a dream called Telangana. “When you carried bags to destabilise Telangana, his heart charted a course for a State that would make history,” Mr. Rama Rao said.

BRS senior leader T. Harish Rao, in a separate statement, remarked that Mr. Revanth Reddy could not match the KCR’s stature by using filthy language against him and the country did not so far see a Chief Minister speaking so “cheap” against a leader who had achieved Statehood to Telangana. He reiterated that it was the six-decade rule of the Congress and Telugu Desam Party that was responsible for the filth flowing in the Musi and the fluoride problem in Nalgonda district.

Other senior leaders of the party S. Niranjan Reddy, former MP B. Lingaiah Yadav, former MLA B. Mallaiah Yadav, party leaders Dasoju Sravan, Kyama Mallesh and others condemned the “filthy” comments of Mr. Revanth Reddy against KCR and said by using such a language the latter had lowered the stature of Chief Minister’s post.

HYDERABAD

Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has alleged that the Congress party is utilising Telangana as its ‘ATM’ (automated teller machine) to fill its coffers and the awarding of Kodangal Lift Irrigation Scheme contract to two companies after disqualifying two other major companies at technical bids level as part of that.

Mr. Rama Rao said on Saturday that by awarding the KLIS works to Megha Engineering and Raghava Constructions the Chief Minister had resorted to making money and sought to know how a company whose inferior work led to the Sunkishala Project retaining wall collapse could be given the works. He alleged that the project works worth ₹4,350 crore were shared between the two companies on a “quid-pro-quo” basis.

Alleging that the Chief Minister had resorted to misuse of power and his official position to disqualify two major bidders, he claimed that L&T and NCC having decades of experience in the construction sector were disqualified.

Mr. Rama Rao claimed that companies that were awarded the KLIS works had quoted 3.9% and 3.95% higher than the estimated cost indicating that the State government had engineered the bids so that they could be bagged by the two preferred companies.

Samajwadi party national president Akhilesh Yadav during the birthday celebration of Khajanchi, the boy who was born as his mother stood in a bank queue a day after the 2016 demonetisation, in Lucknow, on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday (November 9, 2024) said a man becomes a “saint” not by what he wears but what he speaks.

The dig, apparently aimed at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was made on the birthday of ‘Khajanchi’ – a boy born to a woman standing in a queue to exchange banknotes after demonetisation. The boy was named so by Mr. Yadav.

“Countdown has started for those who do encounters. Their days in the seat of power are numbered,” Mr. Yadav said at the programme. Mr. Yadav, without naming anyone, said people with cunningness tend to become bitter in speech.

“You can see that their language has changed, their way of thinking and understanding have also changed,” he said. “A person who does not consider anyone to be bigger than him, what kind of a yogi is he? If there is anybody who is setting the seers against each other, it’s the people in the government,” the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said.

“It is said that the greater a saint is, the less he speaks, and when he speaks, it is for public welfare. Here, everything is the opposite. The kind of language which is being used… A person is not a Yogi by what he wears, but by what he speaks,” the SP chief said. Mr. Yadav said the older ‘Khajanchi,’ gets, the more he will remind people of the failure of demonetisation.

“And the truth is, demonetisation emerged as the biggest corruption in economic history of the world. Demonetisation has proved to be the ocean of BJP’s corruption. It was a cosmetic exercise, and it has remained so,” he said.

Mr. Yadav likened the impact of demonetisation to that of a “slow poison” which afflicted farmers, labourers, the middle and salaried class, small traders and street vendors, all alike.

The Ponguleti Swarajyam-Raghava Reddy (PSR) Charitable Trust donated dining tables and chairs to Telangana Social Welfare Residential School/Junior College for girls at Danavaigudem in Khammam rural mandal.

The furniture and other equipment in the residential education institution were badly damaged during floods in Munneru that wreaked havoc on Khammam district in September this year, sources said.

Minister for Revenue, Housing, Information and Public Relations Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy handed over the dining tables and chairs to the staff concerned at the residential school premises on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said proposals are being prepared by the officials concerned for construction of a compound wall and address power supply related issues at an estimated cost of ₹2.80 crore.

He said the Congress government accorded top priority to strengthen the government schools, including residential educational institutions.

He celebrated the birthday of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy with the students of the residential school by cutting a cake.

Later, the Minister visited the Zilla Parishad High School at Mallemadugu and distributed 62 bicycles to girl students of the school under the aegis of the PSR Charitable Trust.

The task force teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety inspected the canteen of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB-Habsiguda) on November 8.
| Photo Credit: Handle @cfs_telangana on X

The task force teams from Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety conducted extensive inspections on November 8 at eateries in and around Nacharam, discovering numerous hygiene violations across multiple establishments, including the canteen of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Habsiguda.

The CCMB canteen was flagged for live cockroach infestation in the kitchen and signs of rodent activity in the storeroom, where rat droppings were observed on storage racks. Additionally, the kitchen floor had patchy and broken tiles in food preparation areas, and food items stored in refrigerators were found unlabelled. The team also identified improper storage practices, with food bags placed directly on the floor and without adequate space from walls. Open dust-bins were found in the kitchen, and several expired items, including kasuri methi, corn flour, sabudana and jaggery, were immediately discarded, the officials said.

The task force teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety inspected restaurants in Nacharam on November 8.
| Photo Credit:
Handle @cfs_telangana on X

The Siri Suprabhath Hotel in Nacharam was found holding only an FSSAI registration certificate, though it falls under the State License category. Essential documentation such as pest control, medical fitness, and water analysis reports were missing. Uneven flooring and water stagnation in the kitchen were observed, and though food items in the refrigerator were covered, they lacked labels. Expired packets of hydrogenated oil and rotten tomatoes and potatoes were found and discarded on the spot. Temperature records were not maintained, and some food handlers were seen working without hair caps, as per a release.

The task force teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety inspected restaurants in Nacharam November 8.
| Photo Credit:
Handle @cfs_telangana on X

In Manu’s Kitchen, also in Nacharam, the FSSAI license was not displayed, and crucial records, including pest control and medical fitness certificates, were missing. Doors and windows were not fitted with insect-proof screens, and the refrigerator was found in a rusted and unsanitary condition. Food items inside the refrigerator were uncovered and improperly labelled. A packet of paneer with an unclear date label, and expired mushrooms, were discarded immediately. Inspectors also reported live cockroach infestations in the kitchen and storeroom, as well as cobwebs on the ceiling and walls. Food handlers were found without hair caps or gloves, further compounding hygiene concerns.

In this image from video provided by NASA, astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps participate in a news conference at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday (November 8, 2024).
| Photo Credit: AP

Three NASA astronauts whose prolonged space station mission ended with a trip to the hospital last month declined to say Friday (November 8, 2024) which one of them was sick.

Astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps publicly discussed their spaceflight for the first time since returning from the International Space Station on October 25. They spent nearly eight months in orbit, longer than expected because of all the trouble with Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule and rough weather, including Hurricane Milton.

Soon after their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast, the three were taken to a hospital in nearby Pensacola along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, who launched with them back in March.

One of the Americans ended up spending the night there for an undisclosed “medical issue.” NASA declined to say who was hospitalized or why, citing medical privacy.

When asked at Friday’s (November 8, 2024) news conference which one had been sick, the astronauts refused to comment. Barratt, a doctor who specializes in space medicine, declined to even describe the symptoms that the unidentified astronaut had.

“Spaceflight is still something we don’t fully understand. We’re finding things that we don’t expect sometimes. This was one of those times and we’re still piecing things together on this,” said Dr. Barratt, the only member of the crew who had flown in space before.

Ms. Epps said everyone is different in how they respond to space — and gravity.

“That’s the part that you can’t predict,” she said, adding, “Every day is better than the day before.”

Mr. Dominick said little things like sitting comfortably in a hard chair took several days to get used to once he returned. He said he didn’t use the treadmill at all during his time in space, as part of an experiment to see what equipment might be pared on a long trip to Mars. The first time he walked was when he got out of the capsule.

The two astronauts who served as test pilots for Boeing’s Starliner — Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — will remain at the space station until February, flying back with SpaceX. Starliner returned empty in September.

A resident with a baby stands next to a crater that appeared after a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

One person died and 13 people were wounded by a Russian drone in a residential area in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, local officials said Saturday (November 9, 2024), as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrived in Kyiv to discuss European support for Ukraine.

Odesa regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said high-rise residential buildings, private houses and warehouses were damaged by the “fall” of a drone. He did not specify whether the drone had been shot down by air defenses.

A further 32 Russian drones were shot down over 10 Ukrainian regions, while 18 were “lost,” according to Ukraine’s Air Force, likely having been electronically jammed.

A Russian aerial bomb struck a busy highway overnight in the northeastern Kharkiv province, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekohov said. No casualties were reported.

Russia is mounting an intensified aerial campaign that Ukrainian officials say they need more Western help to counter. However, doubts are deepening over what Kyiv can expect from a new U.S. administration. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly taken issue with U.S. aid to Ukraine, made vague vows to end the war and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Also Read: ‘Worry’ in Ukraine at Trump victory at critical moment in war

Mr. Borrell, however, reassured Ukraine of European support as he arrived in Kyiv on Saturday (November 9).

“EU support to Ukraine has been my personal priority during my mandate and will remain on top of the EU’s agenda,” he wrote on X.

In Russia, the Defense Ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over seven Russian regions — more than half over the Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine.

Two separate Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people in Gaza. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Two separate Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people, including women and children, in Gaza on Saturday (November 9, 2024), Palestinian medical officials said, as Israel announced the first delivery of aid in weeks to the war-battered northern Gaza.

One of the strikes hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City’s eastern Tufah neighborhood, killing at least six people, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. Two local journalists, a pregnant woman and a child were among the dead, the ministry said. The Israeli army said the strike targeted a militant belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, offering no evidence or further detail.

Also Read: Over 50 killed as Israel pummels Lebanon and Gaza in fresh waves of airstrikes

Another seven people were killed when an Israeli strike hit a tent in the southern city of Khan Younis where displaced people were sheltering, according to Nasser Hospital. It said the dead included two women and a child. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the blast.

COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, said Saturday that 11 aid trucks containing food, water and medical equipment reached the far north of the enclave, including the urban refugee camp at Jabaliya. It is the first time any aid has reached the far north of the enclave since Israel began a fresh military campaign there last month.

The announcement comes days ahead of a U.S. deadline demanding that Israel improve aid deliveries across Gaza. Experts have said there is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in parts of northern Gaza.

Israel’s new offensive has focusing on Jabaliya, a densely populated refugee camp where Israel says Hamas had regrouped. Other areas affected by the new campaign include Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, situated just north of Gaza City.

The U.N. estimates that tens of thousands of people remain in the area. Earlier this week, the Gaza Health Ministry said that there were no ambulances or emergency crews currently operating north of Gaza City.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli army has struck several schools and tent camps, packed with tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders. The conflict has left 90% of Palestinians in Gaza displaced, according to U.N. figures.

The military has continually accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, U.N. facilities and hospitals. The contesting narratives over the use of schools and hospitals go to the heart of 13 month conflict.

In July, Israeli airstrikes hit a girls’ school in Gaza’s central city of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 people sheltering inside. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against its troops and store “large quantities of weapons.”

Ransomware is a type of digital blackmail. Photograph used for representational purposes only
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

The World Health Organization and some 50 countries issued a warning on Friday, November 8, 2024 at the United Nations about the rise of ransomware attacks against hospitals, with the United States specifically blaming Russia.

Ransomware is a type of digital blackmail in which hackers encrypt the data of victims — individuals, companies or institutions — and demand money as a “ransom” in order to restore it.

Such attacks on hospitals “can be issues of life and death,” according to WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who addressed the U.N. Security Council during a meeting called by the United States.

“Surveys have shown that attacks on the healthcare sector have increased in both scale and frequency,” Ghebreyesus said, emphasising the importance of international cooperation to combat them. “Cybercrime, including ransomware, poses a serious threat to international security,” he added, calling on the Security Council to consider it as such.

A joint statement co-signed by over 50 countries — including South Korea, Ukraine, Japan, Argentina, France, Germany and the United Kingdom — offered a similar warning. “These attacks pose direct threats to public safety and endanger human lives by delaying critical healthcare services, cause significant economic harm, and can pose a threat to international peace and security,” read the statement, shared by U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger.

The statement also condemned nations which “knowingly” allow those responsible for ransomware attacks to operate from.

At the meeting, Neuberger directly called out Moscow, saying: “Some states — most notably Russia — continue to allow ransomware actors to operate from their territory with impunity.” France and South Korea also pointed the finger at North Korea.

Russia defended itself by claiming the Security Council was not the appropriate forum to address cybercrime. “We believe that today’s meeting can hardly be deemed a reasonable use of the Council’s time and resources,” said Russian ambassador Vassili Nebenzia. “If our Western colleagues wish to discuss the security of healthcare facilities,” he continued, “they should agree in the Security Council upon specific steps to stop the horrific… attacks by Israel on hospitals in the Gaza Strip.”

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (November 9, 2024) attacked the BJP-led Centre, alleging that its policies on demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) were weapons to kill farmers, labourers and the poor in the country.

He also claimed that a battle is on in India between the ideologies of the BJP-RSS and INDIA bloc, who are believers of hatred and love, respectively.

The battle is also between violence and unity, he claimed.

“Policies of Narendra Modi are responsible for spreading unemployment in India. Demonetisation, GST are weapons to kill the poor, farmers and labourers,” he said while addressing a poll rally in Jamshedpur.

“The BJP-RSS are playing politics to divide India on the basis of caste, religion and language. The Congress wants to protect the Constitution of India, while the BJP-RSS is hell-bent on destroying it,” Mr. Gandhi alleged.

The Congress leader also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of funding capitalists who in turn invest money abroad.

He exuded confidence that they would defeat Modi and work for welfare of the masses.

During the address, Mr. Gandhi took a two-minute break after Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta whispered to him that “Azan” was on.