LIVE updates: Curfew reimposed in Manipur's Imphal valley, say officials

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Violence spiked once again in parts of Manipur valley, including state capital Imphal, as protesters clashed with police in multiple areas. Batons and tear gas shells were used and many people were injured, reported NDTV. The situation has been escalating since the arrest of five men, who were caught in the uniform of security forces and carrying with sophisticated arms on September 16. It led to widespread protests and demonstrations in the valley areas. Demanding the unconditional release of the detained men, a 48-hour lockdown was enforced in the Valley from Tuesday by the locals. Monday was the unofficial strike.

Rupert Murdoch announced Thursday that he will step down as chairman of Fox Corporation and Fox News. “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change,” Murdoch wrote in a memo to employees. “But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies.”

In light of heightened tensions, High Commission of Canada has decided to take action to ensure the safety of its diplomats. "With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India," the Commission has said. In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here," it further stated.

New Delhi suspends visa services for Canadians amid heightened tensions between both nations, reports Hindustan Times. No formal announcement of the suspension of visa services has been made though BLS International, which runs the visa application centres in Canada, posted a message on its Canadian website informing that due to operational reasons it will be suspending Indian visa services w.e.f from 21 September 2023 till further notice. The notification says, “Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023 [Thursday], Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.”

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Thursday said it has suspended the approval of Air India's flight safety chief for one month for certain lapses. On July 25 and 26, the regulator's team carried out the surveillance of Air India in the areas of internal audit, accident prevention work and availability of required technical manpower.

Onion traders have said that they suspended auctions in all agriculture produce market committees in Nashik district of Maharashtra and their protest will continue indefinitely, a development raising the fear of shortage of the kitchen staple in retail markets and hike in prices. An office-bearer of the Nashik District Onion Traders Association (NDOTA) said on Wednesday they were protesting against the Union government's recent move to increase export duty on onions up to 40 per cent, which will remain in force till December 31.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi on Saturday to lay the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium. The cricket stadium in Varanasi, which is also Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, will be a step towards realising his vision to develop modern, world-class sports infrastructure, according to a statement issued by the PMO. The international cricket stadium, to be built in Ganjari, Rajatalab, will be developed in more than 30 acres of area at a cost of about Rs 450 crore.

10:31 PM

Curfew reimposed in Manipur's Imphal valley: Officials

10:03 PM

Punjab Police launches crackdown against associates of gangsters; one arrested, 30 detained

In an effort to dismantle the gangster-terrorist network in Punjab, the state police conducted a widespread crackdown, raiding over 1,159 suspected locations and hideouts associated with various gangsters. The operation, directed by Punjab's Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, resulted in one arrest and 30 detentions for further interrogation. As per the police statement, these simultaneous raids occurred across all 28 police districts in the state, encompassing residences and other premises linked to gangsters' associates, relatives, and friends. The operation aimed to disrupt the nexus between terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers, both domestically and internationally. Approximately 625 police teams, involving over 2,500 personnel, participated in these operations, leading to the recovery of narcotics and weapons, as well as the detainment of suspicious individuals. The information collected during the searches is currently under examination. The crackdown followed the questioning of individuals arrested in recent modules associated with various gangsters.

8:51 PM

Violence in Manipur again, many injured as protesters clash with Police: NDTV

The situation has been escalating since the arrest of five men, who were caught in the uniform of security forces and carrying with sophisticated arms on September 16.

It led to widespread protests and demonstrations in the valley areas. Demanding the unconditional release of the detained men, a 48-hour lockdown was enforced in the Valley from Tuesday by the locals. Monday was the unofficial strike.

8:02 PM

India takes Vienna convention very seriously, expects same from Canada: MEA

Amidst the ongoing diplomatic standoff between India and Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasised its commitment to upholding the Vienna Convention's obligations regarding the security of foreign diplomats in India. MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi reiterated that India takes its obligations under the Vienna Convention seriously and will provide necessary security to foreign diplomats in the country. Bagchi also urged the Canadian authorities to display similar sensitivity and ensure the safety of Indian diplomats in Canada. He added that while security measures are in place, discussing them in public is not appropriate.

7:56 PM

Shashi Tharoor on India-Canada row

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed concerns regarding the India-Canada row, highlighting the issue of immigrants who have become Canadian citizens but are allegedly involved in actions detrimental to their country of origin. Tharoor emphasised the need for Canada to examine its approach to such individuals and questioned why Canadian citizens are allowed to engage in activities that threaten the sovereignty and interests of a friendly nation. While acknowledging the tragic killing of a citizen in Canada, Tharoor called for a closer examination of the situation and suggested that the actions of certain fringe terrorist groups could have alternative explanations. He urged Canada to address these concerns.

7:15 PM

Glenmark to sell 75% stake in life sciences arm to Nirma

Glenmark, a pharmaceutical company, has announced its intention to sell a 75 per cent stake in its life sciences division to Nirma for a total sum of Rs 5,651.5 crore. This strategic move was confirmed in a company filing.

6:49 PM

ICICI Bank to invest in Quantum Corphealth

ICICI Bank to acquire 9.99% stake in Quantum CorpHealth Private Limited for Rs 5 crore. Quantum CorpHealth Private Limited is a healthcare services platform aggregating services like preemployment health checks, annual health checks, occupational health centres and ancillary services for enterprises and corporates.

6:49 PM

Rupert Murdoch steps down as Fox chairman

4:46 PM

Safe haven is being provided in Canada: MEA

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "Safe haven is being provided in Canada, we want the Canadian govt to not do so and take action against those who have terrorism charges or send them here to face justice...We've sought either extradition request or assistance related to that, at least more than 20-25 individuals we've requested over the years but the response has not been helpful at all."

4:41 PM

The issue is the incitement of violence, inaction by Canadian authorities: MEA

The issue is not about travel to India. Those who have valid visas, OCIs are free to travel to India. The issue is the incitement of violence, inaction by Canadian authorities and the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning of our consulates which is what is making us stop temporarily the issuance of visa services. We will review this situation on a regular basis": MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi

4:36 PM

Canada has growing reputation of safe haven for terrorists, extremists, and organized crime: MEA

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "If you're talking about reputational issues and reputational damage, if there's any country that needs to look at this, I think it is Canada and its growing reputation as a place, as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organized crime. And I think that's a country that needs to worry about its international reputation."

4:35 PM

Will ensure security of Canadian diplomats, expect reciprocity from them as well: MEA

4:17 PM

High Commission and Consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications: MEA

On Visa services in Canada, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "You are aware of the security threats being faced by our High Commission and Consulates in Canada. This has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, our High Commission and Consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications. We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis..."

4:16 PM