Los Angeles: Britney Spears has denied her mother Lynne Irene Bridges' request to pay $663,202 in attorney's fees, with regards to her conservatorship, which ended in November last year, reports 'Variety'.The objection marks the latest move in Britney's ongoing and drawn-out legal battle. As per 'Variety', the singer's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, filed new documents with the court ahead of a Wednesday hearing - where no decision was made.Rosengart stated in a filing (accessed by 'Variety') with the Los Angeles Superior Court, "Britney Spears has for decades been her family's sole breadwinner, supporting her entire family. Lynne Spears and her counsel seek payment of legal fees and costs - from Britney Spears - of more than $660,000."The filing further states that that there is "no legal authority" as Lynne was not an official party involved with the conservatorship, "Britney Spears opposes the Petition in its entirety." Attorneys for Lynne Spears filed their petition on November 1, 2021, seeking legal fees to be paid by Spears, while Britney's conservatorship was terminated on November 12, 2021.Last year in November, Britney had posted on her Instagram after her mother requested her legal fees be covered by her daughter, "My dad may have started the conservatorship 13 years ago, but what people don't know is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea."At Wednesday's hearing, attorneys for Lynne Spears argued what they had stated in their November filing: That the pop star's life under the conservatorship began to change for the better a few years ago because of her mother's efforts with her lawyers.Rosengart made a categorical remark stating that Spears' mother and father are not at equal fault, but he noted that the singer has already covered her mother's home and related expenses."Lynne Spears has for at least a decade resided in a large, expensive house owned by Britney Spears in Kentwood, La, for which her daughter has also continuously - and generously - paid Lynne Spears's utilities, telephone services, insurance, property taxes, landscaping, pool work, pest control, repairs and maintenance, totalling approximately $1.7 million," the filing further stated.—IANS

Britney Spears has denied her mother Lynne Irene Bridges' request to pay $663,202 in attorney's fees, with regards to her conservatorship, which ended in November last year, reports 'Variety'.

Britney Spears Objects To Paying Her Mother's Legal Fees

Los Angeles: Pop star Britney Spears has announced that she is expecting her third child. The singer, who got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari in September, shared the news on Instagram on Tuesday.Spears, 40, who had previously expressed her desire to have a "family Asghari, said she had taken a pregnancy test after her partner teased her about being food pregnant. "So I got a pregnancy test and uhhhhh well I am having a baby, she posted on the social media platform. Spears said she "won't be going out as much" to avoid paparazzi photographers, adding that the pregnancy would likely be "hard" as she had previously gone through perinatal depression.The news comes over six months after a judge released Spears from a conservatorship arrangement that dominated her life for nearly 14 years. In June last year, the musician had told the judge that her conservatorship prevented her from marrying or removing her birth control. Spears has two children, Sean and Jayden, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.—PTI

Pop star Britney Spears has announced that she is expecting her third child. The singer, who got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari in September, shared the news on Instagram on Tuesday.

Britney Spears Pregnant With Third Child

Karnataka: Karnataka’s legislator from Bharatiya Janata Party, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, has claimed that he was approached by some people offering him the state chief minister's position, in exchange for Rs 2,500 crore.The former Union minister, however, did not name anyone, but only said there are such "fraud" companies."Understand one thing in politics, don't get spoiled, you will meet many thieves in politics stating that they will get a ticket, take you to Delhi, make you meet Sonia Gandhi, J P Nadda. They have done it to people like me. Some people had come to me from Delhi stating that they will make me chief minister and I should arrange Rs 2,500 crore," Yatnal said.Speaking at an event in Belagavi on Thursday, the BJP legislator said he asked the people who came to him whether they know how much Rs 2,500 crore was and "where to keep it, in a room or a godown".Stating that there are fraudulent companies which claim that they would get a ticket, the Vijayapura City MLA said, "Being someone who had worked in (then Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee's government, along with Advani, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley... I was told that I will be made the chief minister for which I should arrange Rs 2,500 crore."They told me that they will take me to Nadda's residence and Amit Shah's house, he said, adding, "I was saying to someone that the (assembly) election is approaching and such people will come."Reacting to Yatnal's claims, state Congress chief D K Shivakumar demanded that the matter should be taken seriously and debated at the national level.He added that a case should be registered and it should be investigated—PTI

Karnataka’s legislator from Bharatiya Janata Party, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, has claimed that he was approached by some people offering him the state chief minister's position, in exchange for Rs 2,500 crore.

Offered to be made CM for Rs 2500 cr, says BJP's Karnataka MLA

New Delhi:&nbsp;A 19-year-old woman stabbed to death on Monday allegedly by her live-in partner following regular fights between them over daily expenses and other domestic issues, police said.The deceased, Beena, resident of Khanpur, and the accused had been friends for the last three years and were staying together for two months in a rented house in Aya Nagar area, they said.The couple fought over managing their daily expenses, unemployment and family matters, they added.The accused, identified as Harish (20), was nabbed on the spot by the alert patrolling team, police said, adding that the knife used in the crime has been recovered from his possession.Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Benita Mary Jaiker said, "On Monday, at 6.40 pm, a PCR call regarding stabbing a lady on DESU road, near Bhagwati Hospital, was received at Mehrauli police station. When our team reached the spot, the injured woman was shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre where she died during the course of treatment."During interrogation, the accused disclosed that earlier he repaired autos but he has been unemployed for the last one year due to which Beena kept fighting with him and went to her parental home some five-six days ago, the DCP said."On Monday, a meeting was fixed with Beena and accordingly, they met near Bhool Bhulaiyaa at about 5 pm. They had an argument on the issue of family life and monthly expenses. Beena also threatened to register a case against her partner and his family members. The accused, who was mentally prepared and was carrying a knife, stabbed Beena near her neck from the back side," she added.A case under appropriate section was registered and further interrogation is underway, police said.—PTI

 A 19-year-old woman stabbed to death on Monday allegedly by her live-in partner following regular fights between them over daily expenses and other domestic issues, police said.

Man kills live-in partner over domestic issues

Srinagar: The puja attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at the premises of the Archaeological Survey of India-protected Martand Sun temple in Anantnag, was in violation of rules and the issue has been raised with the UT administration, ASI officials said on Monday."We have raised our concerns with the district administration. They have been sent a message that it is a violation of our rules. No permission was sought from us for the prayers. The LG did not hold the prayers inside the temple, but outside it. However, even that is a violation," an official of the ASI said on condition of anonymity.The ASI has conveyed its displeasure to the district administration of Anantnag in South Kashmir and raised concerns over the issue, the official said.Rule 7(1) of the 1959 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains, states that meetings, receptions, parties, entertainment or conferences cannot be held at a protected monument without permission in writing from the central government.Rule 7(2) says this should not apply to any event held "in pursuance of a recognised religious usage or custom".According to the rules, if a site was a functional place of worship when it came under the jurisdiction of the conservation body, then it would continue to be a place of worship, officials said.However, the Martand Sun temple was not such a site, so permission had to be sought, the officials said. Such protected sites that were functioning places of worship when the ASI took charge of them include Jamia Mosque, Srinagar, and the Fatehpur Sikri mosque.The eighth-century Martand temple is one of the oldest sun temples in India and a symbol of invaluable ancient spiritual heritage.There was no immediate reaction from the Lt Governor's office on this issue.On Sunday, Sinha took part in the puja, which was held in the presence of seers, members of the Kashmiri Pandit community and local residents. The Lt Governor termed the event a truly divine experience.On the occasion, Sinha reiterated the government's commitment to protect and develop ancient sites of cultural and spiritual significance.Later, Sinha reviewed various facilities at the temple. A discussion was also held on tapping the tourism potential of the region.—PTI

The puja attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at the premises of the Archaeological Survey of India-protected Martand Sun temple in Anantnag, was in violation of rules and the issue has been raised with the UT administration, ASI officials said on Monday.

Martand Sun temple puja attended by Sinha in Anantnag had no ASI nod

Visakhapatnam: Severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' in the Bay of Bengal has hit flight operations with several airlines canceling flights in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam and Tamil Nadu's Chennai on Tuesday.The Met Department has predicted light to moderate rainfall across parts of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with the probability of the severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' recurving.Visakhapatnam International Airport director Srinivas said that IndiGo has cancelled 23 flights, both arrivals, and departures, citing bad weather."Four Air Asia flights also stand cancelled due to bad weather at Vizag for the day," he added.As per the Chennai Airport Authority, information regarding cancellation was conveyed to the passengers yesterday.Duty Officer at the Cyclone Warning Centre of Visakhapatnam, Kumar said that severe cyclonic storm Asani is over the west-central region and the adjoining southwest region of Bay of Bengal."It is 330 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam Likely to move further northwest till tonight, thereafter it'll recurve," he added.Further, Kumar informed that rainfall is likely over northern Andhra Pradesh including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted rainfall and strong winds for three states; Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal."It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards till May 10 night and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coast and adjoining Odisha coast.Thereafter, it is very likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards Northwest Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. It is likely to weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm during the next the 24 hours," the IMD said.The Met department has predicted light to moderate rainfall at a few places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over coastal Odisha from today evening.For tomorrow, May 11, the IMD predicted light to moderate rainfall at a few places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over coastal Odisha and adjoining coastal West Bengal.Gale wind speed reaching 95-105 km per hour gusting to 115 km per hour is prevailing around the system centre over Westcentral and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal. "It would gradually decrease becoming 80-90 km per hour gusting to 100 km per hour over Westcentral and adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal from the evening.Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely along and off north Andhra Pradesh coast," IMD said. During the past six hours, the severe cyclonic storm 'Asani', over Westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 7 km per hour during past six hours and lay centre today over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal at 330 km southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 350 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 590 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha), informed IMD—ANI

 Severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' in the Bay of Bengal has hit flight operations with several airlines canceling flights in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam and Tamil Nadu's Chennai on Tuesday.

Asani: 23 flights cancelled in Visakhapatnam, 10 in Chennai

Bhopal: Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh registered identical 12-0 wins over their respective pool rivals at the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship, here on Thursday.While Tamil Nadu defeated Arunachal 12-0 in a Pool F match, Uttar Pradesh outplayed Gujarat by the same scoreline in Pool G.In Pool F, Hockey Andaman &amp; Nicobar forfeited its match, resulting in Hockey Karnataka getting a 5-0 default win.Earlier, Andhra Pradesh outclassed Puducherry 16-0 in a Pool E match late on Wednesday.—PTI

Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh registered identical 12-0 wins over their respective pool rivals at the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship, here on Thursday.

TN, UP win big in Senior National Women's hockey

Chennai: Alleging Rs 54 crore estimated loss in the purchase of 40,000-tonne rice to be sent to Sri Lanka in line with a Tamil Nadu government decision, a PIL petition has been filed in the Madras High Court to scrap the proposal and consequently direct the authorities concerned to take steps to purchase the rice through the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in New Delhi.When the public interest litigation petition, also praying for a direction to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to conduct an inquiry into the matter, came up for hearing on Thursday, a vacation bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and Senthil Kumar Ramamurthy posted it after summer vacation, to enable the authorities concerned to file their counter-affidavits.According to petitioner A Jaishankar of Tiruvarur, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced in the state Assembly on April 29 that 40,000 tonnes of rice will be provided to Sri Lanka to help the citizens who are facing acute hardships due to economic crises in that country. Under this, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supply Corporation on May 5 submitted a proposal to the Finance and Consumer and Co-operative departments to grant permission to purchase the rice. It was stated in the said proposal that the Corporation had conducted a meeting with various rice millers and they have agreed to supply rice at the rate of Rs 33 per kg, including all expenses except transportation cost. After negotiations, the rice millers agreed to supply 40,000 tonnes of any one of three varieties of par-boiled rice--Co-51, ADT-45, and Andhra Ponni at the rate of Rs 33.50 net per kg including transportation, loading, unloading, handling, toll charges, bag with printing and all other relevant expenditure upto delivery point at Chennai/Tuticorin Ports. The total cost arrived at Rs 134 crore and the government May 9 granted the financial sanction.Petitioner contended that the authorities concerned had taken a hasty decision to purchase such a huge quantity of rice without approaching the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and the FCI, from where the rice can be purchased at a subsidized rate. The provisions of the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act were given a go-by. How they had acted raised a lot of suspicions, he submitted.Petitioner pointed out that the price of rice per quintal (100 kg) is Rs 2,000 in the open market sales scheme for 2022. If the authorities concerned had opted to purchase the rice under the said scheme, it would have brought down the expenditure from Rs 134 crore to just Rs 80 crore, resulting in a saving of about Rs 54 crore.Following criticism on the social media, the government had issued a press release later, wherein it was stated that the central government was supplying rice only for the public distribution scheme (PDS) under the subsidized rate of Rs 20 per kg and it cannot be purchased from them and sent to any other country. The State wanted to project as if the government had taken a decision to purchase high-quality rice and it cannot be compared with the one supplied by the FCI under the PDS scheme, the petitioner contended. The government indirectly stated that the PDS rice supplied by the FCI was low quality and hence, it decided to purchase on a nomination basis. The government had also warned that if anyone raises the issue, he/she will face appropriate legal action.The authorities concerned had completely failed to either enquire with the Union government or the FCI for the supply of rice and there was no mention in the GO or in the press release that the Centre had rejected their request. The State government had taken a 'hasty' decision without verifying this aspect and without analyzing the other modes of purchase and thereby committed a serious error, which would amount to Rs 54 crore loss to the exchequer, the petitioner contended.—PTI

Alleging Rs 54 crore estimated loss in the purchase of 40,000-tonne rice to be sent to Sri Lanka in line with a Tamil Nadu government decision, a PIL petition has been filed in the Madras High Court to scrap the proposal and consequently direct the authorities concerned to take steps to purchase the rice through the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in New Delhi.

Madras HC orders notice on plea to quash GO proposing to send rice to Lanka

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his intervention to halt the controversial Jagannath temple heritage corridor project till the case is pending in the Orissa High Court. In his letter to the Chief Minister, INTACH's state convenor A.B. Tripathy said that a PIL has been filed in the Orissa High Court pertaining to violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act), as pointed out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).He stated that the ASI has not given permission for the proposed construction of various facilities within the prohibited area. "Amid this row that has taken on political hue, the devotees of Lord Jagannath are left feeling confused and hurt," said Tripathy. "Since the High Court is hearing the case and if work is stopped in the interim period, it will make no difference to the execution of the project," he added.On May 9, the ASI told the Court that "no valid permission has been given for the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project". The ASI also highlighted that there is every possibility that the construction agency, Odisha Bridge &amp; Construction Corporation (OBCC), might have destroyed some archaeological remains of the heritage site.The court has asked the Odisha government to file an affidavit in response to the affidavit by ASI on or before June 20. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for June 22.—IANS

 The Odisha chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his intervention to halt the controversial Jagannath temple heritage corridor project till the case is pending in the Orissa High Court.

Halt Jagannath temple project till disposal of case in HC: INTACH to Patnaik

Washington: American singer Britney Spears has announced her miscarriage news on social media. Last month, the pop star revealed that she is expecting a baby with her fiance Sam Asghari. On Saturday, the 40-year-old pop star took to her Instagram handle and shared a heartbreaking post regarding the tragic development of her pregnancy. A note signed by 'Sam &amp; Britney,' read, "It is with deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy. This is a devastating time for any parent.Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along however we were overly excited to share the good news. Our love for each other is our strength. We will continue trying to expand our beautiful family. We are grateful for what we have in the process of expanding our beautiful family. Thank you for your support," she captioned the post.Britney initially announced her pregnancy on April 11 through an Instagram post. According to Variety, Britney's conservatorship got terminated after more than 13 years in November 2021. Before the judge terminated the legal arrangement, Britney testified in front of the court to share claims of 'conservatorship abuse.' The legal arrangement included her desire to start a family with her fiance, which she said was blocked by her conservators; they also alleged that they would not allow her to remove her birth control device. The pop star has two sons, 16-year-old Sean and 15-year-old Jaden, whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline, as per The Hollywood Reporter.—ANI

 American singer Britney Spears has announced her miscarriage news on social media. Last month, the pop star revealed that she is expecting a baby with her fiance Sam Asghari.

Britney Spears announces miscarriage with heartbreaking note

Patna: Bulldozers on Saturday knocked down front columns of the British-era district board building at the Patna collectorate, a day after the Supreme Court paved the way for the demolition of the complex, parts of which were built during the Dutch era, triggering grief among heritage lovers in India and abroad.Images of bulldozers clawing down the front portion of the iconic building, which has a majestic meeting hall, endowed with pilaster Corinthian columns, were widely shared on social media by history aficionados, art historians, architects, among others and INTACH, which was fighting a legal battle since 2019 to save the collectorate from demolition.The state government had in 2016 proposed to demolish the old Patna collectorate for a new high-rise complex, triggering public outcry and appeals from various quarters in India and abroad to prevent the demolition.The complex, parts of which are over 250 years old, is situated on the banks of the Ganga and is endowed with high ceilings, huge doors, and hanging skylights.The collectorate is one of the last surviving signatures of Dutch architecture in the Bihar capital, especially the record room, endowed with magnificent Tuscan pillars and the old district engineer's office.The British-era structures in its complex include the DM office building and district board building.During the hearing on Friday, the apex court said that not every building of the colonial-era needs to be preserved and dismissed an appeal filed by Delhi-based Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant said that had it been a building that housed freedom fighters, then it could have been a heritage building but it was used by Dutch to store opium and saltpetre."We have a large number of buildings from the colonial era. There are some from the British era, some from the Dutch era, and some even from the French era in Kerala and other places. There may be some buildings having historical value but not all buildings have such value", the Bench said.The state government in 2016 had proposed to demolish the old structures and build a new collectorate complex in the 12-acre complex.Soon after the proposal, the public movement 'Save Historic Patna Collectorate' led by citizens from various walks of life was launched. It has members from Patna, various other cities and from several foreign countries, including the US, UK, Italy, Canada and Bangladesh.On Saturday, the social media page of the movement was flooded with posts expressing grief over the tragic fate of the landmark.From an architect in Patna to an art historian in London, and from a conservationist in Mumbai to a environmentalist in Noida, all joined in mourning this "loss of colossal history".On Facebook, many users shared images of the old collectorate and wrote captions with wishful messages, "it should have been preserved by authorities" and "restoration and not demolition is the way forward".Appearing for INTACH in the hearing, advocate Roshan Santhalia on Friday had said that the building was not so unsafe as was projected by the state government and it needs to be protected.In 2016, the then Dutch ambassador, Alphonsus Stoelinga, had written to the Bihar chief minister, appealing to preserve this "shared heritage" of the two countries and have it listed under the Bihar state archaeology department.Some of the key scenes of the Oscar award-winning film 'Gandhi' were shot at Patna collectorate in the 1980s.—PTI

Bulldozers on Saturday knocked down front columns of the British-era district board building at the Patna collectorate, a day after the Supreme Court paved the way for the demolition of the complex, parts of which were built during the Dutch era, triggering grief among heritage lovers in India and abroad.

Bulldozers raze British era building at Patna collectorate after SC nod

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday signed an MoU with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Chennai Port Trust, and the Indian Navy for building a double-tiered elevated expressway connecting the Chennai Port and Maduravoyal. The MoU was signed in the state Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.The proposed 20.565 km elevated expressway would be built at an outlay of Rs 5,855 crore. As per plans, local vehicles will ply between Chennai Port and Koyambedu in the first tier and in the second tier, heavy vehicles will ply between Chennai Port and Maduravoyal. The foundation stone for the project was laid by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 and the outlay was pegged at about Rs 1,655 crore. At that time, the UPA government was at the Centre and the DMK was part of it. However, when the AIADMK under J. Jayalalithaa came to power in the state, the project was stopped on environmental grounds.—IANS

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday signed an MoU with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Chennai Port Trust, and the Indian Navy for building a double-tiered elevated expressway connecting the Chennai Port and Maduravoyal.

TN signs MoU with NHAI, others for elevated expressway

Tirunelveli: The three workers trapped in a stone quarry near here are feared dead as the operation by the National Disaster Response Force to rescue them had to be put on hold on Monday in view of unstable rocky upper surface at the site, officials said.The NDRF team managed to identify the spot of a worker who was covered under boulders in the quarry at a depth of about 300 feet, but they could not make further progress as pieces of rocks kept falling down and a chunk of a big boulder appeared to give way, the officials said adding that in view of such a scenario, the operation had to be put on hold as of now. The rescue work is expected to recommence on Tuesday. Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, Kumar Jayant along with district officials inspected the spot and told reporters that teams would be constituted to inspect quarries in the state.As regards the Adaimidhippankulam site where&nbsp;six workers got trapped, he said the rescue work is the priority and other aspects would be looked into later.In view of unstable rocky upper surface, as of now 'we cannot risk the lives of the rescuing team', the top official added. On the night of May 14, as many as six workers got trapped in a stone quarry pit at Adaimidhippankulam hamlet near here after huge boulders came rolling down. On Sunday, three workers were brought out and one of them succumbed to his injuries later and the other two are being treated in a hospital.—PTI

The three workers trapped in a stone quarry near here are feared dead as the operation by the National Disaster Response Force to rescue them had to be put on hold on Monday in view of unstable rocky upper surface at the site, officials said.

Tirunelveli quarry mishap: Rescue ops on hold due to unstable rocky surface

Chennai: The work to rescue 2 workers who are still trapped in a stone quarry in southern Tamil Nadu resumed on Tuesday after a pause and Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 15 lakh each to the families of 2 deceased workers.Intense efforts are on to rescue the workers in the mishap site and the National Disaster Response Force and police and fire personnel are continuing the rescue operation, Stalin said. A solatium of Rs 15 lakh each would be provided to the families of two deceased workers, he said in a statement. While the government would provide Rs 10 lakh, the remainder of the assistance shall be borne by a welfare board for workers. As many as 6 workers were trapped in rubble after huge boulders fell on them on the night of May 14 in the 300 feet deep stone quarry at Adaimidhippankulam in Tirunelveli District.Subsequently, 3 workers were brought out by NDRF personnel and one of them succumbed to his injuries and the other two were being treated in a hospital. While the body of another worker was taken out of the debris late Monday night after halting rescue operations for sometime, 2 more workers continue to be stuck under mounds of rock fragments. The body of the fourth worker was pulled out by a National Disaster Response Force team, assisted by police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel. On Monday, officials had said that the work to rescue workers was put on hold considering 'unstable rocky upper surface'. It was continued later and the body of the worker was brought out.—PTI

The work to rescue 2 workers who are still trapped in a stone quarry in southern Tamil Nadu resumed on Tuesday after a pause and Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 15 lakh each to the families of 2 deceased workers.

Rescue work resumes in TN quarry, CM announces solatium

Amroha: Three people were killed and six injured when lightning struck them in Kaneta village here, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday when some labourers were cutting trees, they said, adding the injured were rushed to a hospital, where their condition was stated to be stable. The dead included Rifaqat (55), Premchandr (23) and Rajendra (30), police said.Sub Divisional Magistrate of Hasanpur Sudheer Kumar said the family of all the victims will be given Rs 4 lakh as financial assistance.—PTI

Three people were killed and six injured when lightning struck them in Kaneta village here, police said on Sunday.

3 killed, 6 injured in lightning strike in UP

Chennai: The traditional 'Pattina Pravesam' of Dharmapuram Adheenam was conducted amid tight security in Tamil Nadu. The Pattina Pravesam was mired in controversy after the Tamil Nadu government banned it following protests from several organisations and later revoked the curb and allowed the Adheenam to conduct the ritual.Masilamani Desika Gnanasambadha Paramacharya Swamigal, the seer of Dharmapuram Adheenam, was carried by his disciples on a palanquin around the streets near the mutt and received with 'Poorna Kumbham' honour late on Sunday night. The 'Pattina Pravesam' is a culmination of the 11-day Vaigasi Peruvizha of the Dharmapuram Adheenam mutt's Gnanapureeswar temple on May .—IANS

The traditional 'Pattina Pravesam' of Dharmapuram Adheenam was conducted amid tight security in Tamil Nadu.

Pattina Pravesam conducted amid tight security in TN

Tokyo:&nbsp;US President Joe Biden on Tuesday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is committed to making America's partnership with India among the closest on earth, saying there is so much that the two countries can and will do together. The two leaders are in Japan for the second Quad leaders' in-person summit.President Biden, during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi after the Quad summit, praised India's Covid vaccination efforts.Biden said he was pleased that the two countries have reached an agreement for the US Development Finance Corporation to continue this important work in India, supporting vaccine production, clean energy initiatives. "I am glad that we are renewing the Indo-US Vaccine Action Programme," he said."There is so much that our countries can and will do together. I am committed to make the US-India partnership among the closest we have on earth," Biden said.On the issue of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US President said that the two leaders also discussed the ongoing effects of Russia's brutal and non-justified invasion of Ukraine and the effect it has on the entire global world order. "The US-India is going to continue consulting closely on how to mitigate these negative effects," Biden said.The US, along with its allies including Japan, has been one of the world's most outspoken critics of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.Earlier, Prime Minister Modi, US President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the second in-person meeting of Quad leaders here during which they exchanged views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest.The Quad summit is taking place under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is also taking place at a time when the relations between China and the Quad member countries have become tense, with Beijing increasingly challenging democratic values and resorting to coercive trade practices. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. On the eve of the summit, Biden on Monday launched the ambitious Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), which is an initiative aimed at deeper cooperation among like-minded countries in areas such as clean energy, supply-chain resilience and digital trade.The rollout of the IPEF is expected to send across a signal that the US is focused on pushing forward a strong economic policy for the region to counter China's aggressive strategy on trade in the region.In March last year, President Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September.The Quad leaders also held a virtual meeting in March. Australia will host the next Quad summit in 2023. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China's growing military presence in the strategic region.—PTI

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is committed to making America's partnership with India among the closest on earth, saying there is so much that the two countries can and will do together.

Committed to making US-India partnership among closest on earth: Biden

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Tuesday reviewed the multi-dimensional cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Cooperation under the partnership includes in the sectors of trade and investment; defence manufacturing; renewable energy, education; science and technology; agricultural research; sports; and people-to-people ties. The two Prime Ministers met on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. Modi congratulated Albanese for his win in the May 21 federal election. The two leaders affirmed their desire to continue the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship. Modi also extended an invitation to Albanese to visit India at an early date.In a tweet after the meeting, Modi said: “India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia is robust and benefits not only the people of our nations but also the world.” He said he was delighted to meet Albanese and “take stock of bilateral ties. We discussed ways to add even greater momentum across key sectors”. Also on Tuesday, a bilateral meet is scheduled between Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during which they will review the strategic partnership between New Delhi and Tokyo. Earlier in the day, Modi met US President Joe Biden.—IANS

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Tuesday reviewed the multi-dimensional cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

India, Australia Review Cooperation Under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Tokyo: Four-nation grouping Quad on Tuesday launched a major new initiative for the Indo-Pacific that allows the partner countries to fully monitor the waters on their shores and help ensure peace and stability in the region, a move that comes amid China's increasingly intimidatory behaviour. The announcement on the rollout of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) came at the end of the second in-person Quad summit attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. A joint statement by the four leaders said the IPMDA will support and work in consultation with Indo-Pacific nations and regional information fusion centres in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands by providing technology and training to support shared maritime domain awareness to promote stability and prosperity.The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and vowed to work "tirelessly to deliver tangible results" for the region."The IPMDA embodies what the Quad stands for: catalysing our joint efforts towards concrete results that help to make the region more stable and prosperous," it said.The leaders also announced the establishment of the 'Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific' that is aimed at further strengthening collaboration to effectively respond to disasters in the region.According to a White House fact sheet, the IPMDA will offer a "near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective" maritime domain awareness picture and it will transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores, and, in turn, "uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific”. It said the new initiative will allow tracking of 'dark shipping' and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea."Quad countries are committed to contributing to the region's maritime domain awareness -- a fundamental requirement for peace, stability, and prosperity -- through investment in IPMDA over five years.“The partnership will innovate upon existing maritime domain awareness efforts, rapidly bringing emerging technologies to bear for the greater good of the Indo-Pacific community," the White House said.China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.The White House said the IPMDA will build a faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in the waters of its partners."This common operating picture will integrate three critical regions -- the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region -- in the Indo-Pacific. The benefits of this picture are vast: it will allow tracking of 'dark shipping' and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea, as well as improve partners' ability to respond to climate and humanitarian events and to protect their fisheries, which are vital to many Indo-Pacific economies," the White House said.It said the IPMDA will harness commercially-available data using existing technologies."Through a combination of automatic identification system and radio-frequency technologies, Quad partners can provide an unprecedented 'common thread' of activities. Because of its commercial origin, this data will be unclassified, allowing the Quad to provide it to a wide range of partners who wish to benefit," it said.It said existing support infrastructure for information-sharing such as the Information Fusion Cente for Indian Ocean Region in India, the Information Fusion Center based in Singapore; the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency based in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific Fusion Center, based in Vanuatu, could be part of the initiative.<img src="https://im.rediff.com/news/2022/may/24quad1.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900"> The White House said the Quad partners will begin immediate consultations on the opportunity with partners in the region."As the initiative proceeds, the Quad will identify future technologies of promise, allowing IPMDA to remain a cutting-edge partnership that promotes peace and stability throughout the region," it said.In their statement, the Quad leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and emphasised the importance of fundamental values and principles.They also expressed their commitment to work tirelessly to deliver "tangible results" to the region."In doing so, we will regularise the Quad activities, including regular meetings by the leaders and foreign ministers. We agree to hold our next in-person summit in 2023 hosted by Australia," they said.The Quad leaders on Tuesday also strongly opposed any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change status quo and increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their resolve to uphold the international rules-based order, amidst China's growing assertiveness in the region."We strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions in the area, such as the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities," said a joint statement issued after the meeting.It said the Quad is committed to cooperation with partners in the region who share the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific."We will champion adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas," the statement said.The summit took place at a time when the relations between China and the Quad member countries have become tense, with Beijing increasingly challenging democratic values and resorting to coercive trade practices.Relations between India and China nose-dived after the Eastern Ladakh standoff in 2020 following Beijing moving thousands of troops to several disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which was strongly objected to and resisted by New Delhi.China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region."We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, and freedom of navigation and overflight, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and to the world," the joint statement said. The Quad will continue to act decisively together to advance these principles in the region and beyond, the statement said as it reaffirmed the four-nation grouping's resolve to uphold the international rules-based order where countries are free from all forms of military, economic and political coercion.—PTI

Four-nation grouping Quad on Tuesday launched a major new initiative for the Indo-Pacific that allows the partner countries to fully monitor the waters on their shores and help ensure peace and stability in the region, a move that comes amid China's increasingly intimidatory behaviour.

Quad unveils new initiative to monitor maritime activity across Indo-Pacific

Srinagar: At least 250 sheep were killed by lightning in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, official sources said on Thursday. “The incident took place in a pasture in Hoksar area of Kokernag tehsil in Anantnag district during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday,” they said.Sheep from different low lying areas of the Valley are taken to highland pastures for grazing during the summer months. These vast open areas are usually vulnerable to the vagaries of nature like snowfall, hailstorm and cloudbursts which result in huge damage to livestock.—IANS

At least 250 sheep were killed by lightning in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, official sources said on Thursday. “The incident took place in a pasture in Hoksar area of Kokernag tehsil in Anantnag district during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday,” they said.

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