SAMBALPUR  TUESDAY  SEPTEMBER 24, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION AT LEAST 274 KILLED, 1,024 INJURED AS ISRAEL BOMBS LEBANON CITIES Thousands of people in southern and eastern Lebanon fled their homes after Israel military’s evacuation alert, congesting all roads to Beirut 300 TARGETS HIT, HEZBOLLAH HOTBEADS NEXT The Israeli military said it was going after Hezbollah weapons sites, adding that it hit 300 targets on Monday. It said the next wave of airstrikes would include Bekaa Valley, which runs along the Lebanese-Syrian border, where Hezbollah has long had an established presence. It is where the militant group was founded in 1982 with the help of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards ■ 21 children HEZBOLLAH’S ROCKETS HIT RAFAEL FACTORY ■ Some Israeli strikes hit residential areas. One strike hit parts of Byblos in central Lebanon, which is 130 km from the border north of Beirut | P9 Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed it has stepped up its attack on Israel, firing dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post in Galilee. It also targeted the facilities of the Rafael defence firm, headquartered in Haifa AND 39 WOMEN KILLED, ACCORDING TO LEBANESE HEALTH MINISTER FIRASS ABIAD CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI MPOX IN INDIA Kerala man tests +ve for fast-spreading Clade 1b strain K A V I TA B A J E L I - D AT T @ New Delhi INDIA on Monday reported its first case of Mpox Clade 1b variant in Malappuram district in Kerala, officials sources confirmed. Clade 1b is the fastspreading and severe viral strain that has been declared a global public health emergency b y t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization. The patient, a 38-year-old man, had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates and was admitted to the government medical college hospital after he tested positive for Mpox last week, officials said. Official sources added that the patient, who is stable, has not been discharged from the hospital. “This is the first case of the current strain that led to the WHO declaring Mpox a public health emergency last month for a second time,” they said. The state authorities are monitoring the situation and contract tracing all individuals who have come in contact with the patient, officials said. Kerala Health minister Veena George said those returning from abroad, if they have any symptoms, should inform the health department and seek treatment at the earliest. “Isolation facilities have been established in all districts. Surveillance has been strengthened, including at airports,” she said. This is the second case of Mpox in India. The earlier case of Mpox that emerged in the national capital was a 26-year-old resident of Haryana’s Hisar, who tested positive for the West African Clade 2 strain. He was admitted to Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on September 8 and was discharged on September 21. Mpox infections, which manifest with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes, last two-to-four weeks, and patients recover with supportive medical care. “It is a self-limiting disease and cannot be compared with Covid,” officials said. SAYS REFORM IS KEY TO RELEVANCE Modi’s message of humanity in Summit of Future Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi AMID raging global conflicts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed the need for collective efforts to bring peace and stability. “Success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield,” Modi said while speaking at the UN Summit of the Future. The Summit of the Future followed by the annual General Assembly high-level week comes in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Ukraine war as well as challenges of climate change, inequality and deep geopolitical divides. Modi also called for urgent reforms in global institutions including the UN for the collective betterment of the world and highlighted the success of India’s human-centric sustainable development model. Subtly pointing to the absurdity of the world’s largest international organisation excluding the world’s most populous country, Modi said his voice carries A man accused of sexually assaulting two girls in a school in Badlapur town in Maharashtra’s Thane district died in “retaliatory firing” by the police after he allegedly snatched a cop’s gun and opened fire, police said on Monday | P8 the weight of 1.4 billion Indians constituting one-sixth of the total world population. India has been pushing for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, pointing out that the powerful global body does not at all reflect the current geopolitical realities. India last sat at the UN high table as a nonpermanent member in 2021-22. Stressing the need for global reforms, Modi said: “Reform is the key to relevance. Global reforms are required. India has partnered with the Global South as we want to be more inclusive. We also included the African Union in the G20 hence proving that reform is the key to relevance.” In his five-minute address to world leaders from the iconic podium of the UN General Assembly hall in New York, Modi highlighted India’s human-centric approach to sustainability through food security and health initiatives. “Sustainable development can be successful. We in India have been able to help 250 millions come out of poverty Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Summit of the Future at the UN on Monday | PTI MEETS PALESTINE PRESIDENT ABBAS When we are discussing the Global Future, we must accord the highest priority to a humancentric approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and expressed deep concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza, reaffirming India’s support for early restoration of peace in the region | P7 ACCEPTS OLI’S INVITE TO VISIT NEPAL Modi also met Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli, who is on his maiden foreign visit to attend the UN session. “Our talks focused on energy, technology and trade,” Modi said in a post on X. Modi accepted Oli’s invitation to visit Nepal through our sustainability efforts, sustainable development can be successful,” he said. Modi also emphasised the need for balanced regulation at a global level, for the safe and responsible use of technology “We need . global digital governance, which ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld,’ he said, adding: “Digital Public Infrastructure should be a Bridge, not a Barrier”. World leaders have consistently lauded India’s digitalisation drive which has helped alleviate poverty and bring millions of people into the formal economic system. (With inputs from agencies) ASSAULT ON ARMY OFFICER, FIANCÉE No need to monitor Majhi meets victim and probe at this point: HC father, assures justice the investigation which is being conducted by the investigation THE Orissa High Court on Mon- a g e n cy a n d t h e j u d i c i a l day said it will not monitor the commission.” The bench also issued direcCrime Branch investigation or the judicial probe into the al- tions restraining the print, elecleged harassment of an army tronic or social media from reofficer and assault on his fian- vealing the identities of the cée at Bharatpur police station army officer and his fiancée for protecting their dignity . on September 15. The bench, however, exRegistering a suo motu pressed serious concern PIL taking cognisance of over the manner in a letter from Lieutenwhich the couple was ant General PS Shekdealt with at the police hawat (General Officer station on the night of Commanding & Colothe incident. “What is nel of Mechanical INF disturbing, after havRegiment) on Septeming seen the sequence ber 18, the bench of of events that admitChief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and We make it clear tedly two persons entered into the police Justice Savitri Ratho that unless it station, apparently not said, the court will conbecomes compulsory for to commit any crime fine itself to the facilithe court, it but to lodge a comties available in various shall not enter plaint. What happened police stations of the into the in the police station is a state. investigation mystery and is being The state government investigated. It is howon Sunday night had Bench of the ever, surprising that Chief Justice announced a judicial they came out with an enquiry to be conducted by retired Kolkata High Court FIR registered against one of judge Justice Chitta Ranjan them alleging offence of comDash into the incident. The gov- mitting an attempt to murder,” ernment had also requested the the bench observed. As the incident also concerns court to monitor the Crime the prestige and dignity of an Branch investigation. While appointing senior ad- army officer, who was on leave, vocate Gautam Mishra as ami- the court would like to know cus curiae in the matter, the from government what steps it bench of Chief Justice clari- intended to take to protect the fied, “We make it clear that un- dignity of Armed Forces personless it becomes compulsory for nel, in such situations, the CONTINUED ON P5 the court, it shall not enter into bench said. E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Cuttack measures and intensify patrolling activities to prevent such incidents, he added. HOURS after ordering a judiTalking to mediapersons afcial inquiry into the alleged ter the meeting, father of the assault of a serving army of- victim retired Brigadier ficer and sexual harassment Antaryami Pradhan said the of his fiancée at Bharatpur discussion with the chief minpolice station, Chief Minister ister went off well. “We had Mohan Charan Majhi on Mon- requested the state governday met a delegation ment for a judicial of ex-servicemen probe as we were not along with the victim very confident about and her father, and asthe impartiality of the sured them of i nv e s t i g a t i o n b y justice. Crime Branch. I The chief minister, thanked the chief however, is reported minister for accepting to have requested our demand. We are them not to make the happy that the judiincident an issue becial inquiry will be Seven persons tween the Army and who misbehaved completed in a timepolice as it is a case of bound manner within with the lady and the army crime against a wom60 days of the notificaofficer have an. The state governtion,” Pradhan said. been arrested. ment has initiated He further said that Five police prompt action by arthe issue of safety and personnel have resting seven persons been suspended security of his daughwho misbehaved with ter was also discussed Mohan Majhi, the lady and the army and the CM assured Chief Minister officer. Five police perthat necessary insonnel who had allegstructions have been edly assaulted the duo in the issued to the police in this police station have been im- connection. “The third issue was about mediately suspended, he said. The chief minister reiter- the smooth operation of the ated his government has zero restaurant owned by my tolerance to crime against daughter without any interferwomen and said steps have ence of the local people. The been taken to make cities and CM assured that police will be towns safe so that women can instructed to take care of it venture out even during night and initiate prompt action in time. The police has been case of any disturbance,” he CONTINUED ON P5 asked to improve security added. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar Storing, watching child porn a crime: Supreme Court S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday held that storage or watching of child pornographic material constituted an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). Setting aside a Madras High Court order, which held that merely downloading and or watching child porn on one’s electronic device did not amount to an offence under the POCSO and IT Acts, the bench said, “The High Court committed an egregious error in passing the impugned judgment.” A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala suggested that the Centre bring an ordinance to replace the term “child pornography” with “Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM)” so as to reflect more accurately the reality of such offences. The POCSO Act could be suitably amended by Parliament subsequently it said. The bench also ordered all , courts not to use the “child pornography” term henceforth in their judicial orders. Justice Pardiwala, reading the verdict for the bench, said: “Section 15 of the POCSO provides for three distinct offences... It is in the nature and form of an inchoate offence which penalizes the mere storage or possession of any pornographic material involving a child when done with a specific intent prescribed thereunder, without requiring any actual transmission, dissemination etc.” The bench also stressed the need to address misconceptions around sexual health and added that promoting a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of sex education was essential for reducing the incidence of sexual crimes in the country . “Implementing comprehensive sex education programs that include information about the legal and ethical ramifications of child pornography can help deter potential offenders. These programs should address common misconceptions and provide young people with a clear understanding of consent and the imP3 pact of exploitation,” the bench suggested. EXPRESS READ CM to take grievance cell to the regional-level Bhubaneswar: In a bid to reach out to the people at the grassroots, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is likely to hold public grievance meetings in the northern southern and western regions of the state. Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik, who was one of the four ministers present during the hearing at the Chief Minister’s grievance cell here on Monday, said Majhi is keen to take the grievance redressal mechanism to the doorsteps of the people. “He has expressed his desire to meet the people at regional-level after seeing the rush of people to ventilate their problems during this threeday visit to Keonjhar,” Naik said | P5 ACADEMY AWARDS BADLAPUR SEX ASSAULT CASE SUSPECT KILLED IN SELF-DEFENCE BY POLICE CALLS FOR HUMAN-CENTRIC DEVELOPMENT And now, we choose Laapataa Ladies for the Oscars SU D H I R S R I N I VASA N W HAT constitutes the perfect submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film? It’s a question that haunts not only the Film Federation of India jury respon, sible for announcing our official submission, but also our filmmakers and cinephiles alike. We argue and we try and we choose, and yet, the answer eludes us every year. Why else has it been 23 years since Lagaan became the last Indian film to make it to the final shortlist for nominations? A cautious answer to this question would be, “Whatever captures the fascination of the Oscars jury But what exactly does? .” Ultimately, it’s about catering to the tastes and whims of the Wester n imagination—it’s their award, after all. This isn’t simply about selecting what we believe to be the best film we have made during the year. Instead, it’s about identifying which film we think has the best shot at getting nominated—setting aside, for now, the question of actually winning. Take last year, for instance. SS Rajamouli’s RRR sparked a frenzy of Western interest—a momentum we might have been wise to ride. Yet, we chose Chhello Show by Pan Nalin, a charming film, yes, but one whose theme is rather familiar to Wester n audiences. And now, we place our hopes in Laapataa Ladies, a delightful film co-produced by Aamir Khan, the actor in our last Foreign Language Oscar-nominated film. The second directorial of Kiran Rao, this film gently places us in the heart of rural India with an undistracted gaze on its women—the lives they are expected to lead, the subjuga- tion they endure, and the fleeting moments of respite they may or may not receive. It’s a narrative of sadness wrapped in humor; harsh realities presented palatably . CONTINUED ON: P5 Filmmaker Kiran Rao during an interview