Top stories on 12 September in a capsule
Rafale jets needed as Army aircrafts 'depleting': IAF Chief
Taking the issue of the much-debated Rafale fighter jets procurement a bit further, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief of the Air Staff BS Dhanoa said buying the French aircraft would help the security forces as the ones already in use are ‘depleting.’ "By providing the Rafale and S-400 aircraft, the government is strengthening the Indian Air Force to counter the shortfall of our depleting numbers [of aircraft]," Dhanoa said while adding that China and Pakistan being highly armed in nuclear power, raise a security threat to India. The Chief’s comments come when Congress is framing the Rafale deal as the ‘biggest scam ever’ by the NDA government.
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Kerala police summons Bishop accused in Nun's rape case
The Kerala police on Wednesday summoned Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal on September 19 for questioning as reported by news agency ANI. A nun belonging to the Catholic congregation of Missionaries of Jesus in Jalandhar filed a police complaint against bishop Franco Mulakkal in June alleging that he raped and subjected her to unnatural sex 13 times since 2014 at a convent in Kuravilangad. After her allegations became public, others came forward saying the bishop, who hails from Kerala, had forced at least 18 inmates to quit the order. On Monday, the Kerala High Court had directed the state government to inform it of the steps taken by the special investigation team probing the case of alleged rape of the nun by the Bishop.
Congress, TDP and Left Join hands to form alliance in Telangana
The Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), three opposition parties in Telangana, on Tuesday announced the formation of “Maha Kootami” (grand alliance) in Telangana. The alliance has been formed with the sole objective of defeating the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the upcoming assembly elections. This is the first time in Telugu Desam Party's 35-year-old history that it is joining hands with the Congress in a state. The leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) met at a star hotel in the city. This was their first meeting to form an alliance. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao last week dissolved the Assembly to go for early elections. The polls are likely in November.
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6 dead, 3 missing after a blast in UP petrochemical factory
At least 6 people were dead and 3 were missing after a powerful blast occurred in a petrochemical factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. The incident took place where the group of workers was repairing a methane gas tanker in Mohit Petro Chemical Factory in Kotwali district. While six workers died on the spot, six others were taken to the hospital in critical condition. As per news reports, eyewitnesses stated that the repair work on the boiler started without emptying the contents inside it, resulting in the blast. Search operations are underway to track the ones that are missing and also the owner of the factory.
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US braces for powerful 'Hurricane Florence', 1.7 mn asked to evacuate
The USA on Wednesday braced for fresh landfall as Hurricane Florence made its way to the East Coast region, with President Donald Trump also asking people to be safe. Termed a Category 4 storm, the ‘monster’ Hurricane forced at least 1.7 million to evacuate and seek shelter in rescue camps, a week after electricity has been cut off. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, President Trump asked American citizens to be ready saying, “We are totally prepared. We are ready. We’re as ready as anybody’s ever been." As of places like Carolina and Virginia stand in danger with the weather department predicting that the storm will likely to be there for two weeks.
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