Minister says aircraft crash probe ‘unbiased'
The AAIB recently released its interim report on the crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, claiming the lives of 260 individuals, including 19 people on the ground.
Naidu said media, in India and the West, were presenting diverse viewpoints and narratives. 'I want to tell you that the way we are seeing the probe is through facts,' he said.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Internet providers dispute ‘no outage' claim of Goa govt
Panaji: The All Goa Internet Service Providers Association (AGISPA) said it is surprised by the claims made by the electricity department that Goa did not witness disruption in internet services. AGISPA president Mervyn Britto said that claims about Goan internet service providers (ISPs) not seeking approvals are blatantly false. Britto's statement comes after the department of information technology, electronics and communications (DITE&C) informed the state legislative assembly that fibre optic cables attached to street light poles lack the electricity department's permission. DITE&C minister Rohan Khaunte said that dismantling fibre cables attached to street light poles is a routine procedure. The department's response comes six months after Goa reeled from major internet disruptions. Khaunte informed the House that no permission has been given to any ISPs in the last five years. 'In reality, providers submitted their applications to the IT department as far back as Nov 2023 and additionally to the electricity department,' Britto said. 'Despite repeated submissions and reminders, our applications have been kept pending since Jan.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo He said that the statements made in the assembly contradict the assurances given by CM Pramod Sawant. 'Statements made in the House have cast doubt on the very existence of official records of cable disruptions and right of way applications,' said Britto. The AGISPA said that it sent a reminder to the DITE&C on July 12 asking for the modalities for issuing demand notes and making payments under deemed approval cases. Britto said that ISPs are facing significant challenges in making payments because of the 'deliberate delay and lack of transparency' by govt. Britto said that the AGISPA submitted multiple letters to govt over the past several months but has yet to receive any formal communication or acknowledgement. The association has requested the department to provide an orientation session for ISPs to understand the approval process and the Gati Shakti portal's functioning.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"Not A Theatre": Madhya Pradesh Bans Protests, Slogans In State Assembly
Bhopal: Can elected representatives protest in Madhya Pradesh assembly? The state secretariat has answered in the negative. The assembly has banned all forms of sloganeering, symbolic demonstrations within the premises ahead of the monsoon session, which begins Monday, sparking a political row. In the last few sessions, the Congress had pulled out all stops in its protest theatre. One MLA wore a black mask claiming the government was hiding its face from the questions of the public. Another turned up with a fake snake, accusing the administration of coiling around job vacancies. Skeleton costumes and gold bricks were waved as metaphors for corruption. Chains were used to highlight debt. A lone BAP Party MLA even staged a fast at the feet of Gandhi's statue, drawing inspiration from the Mahatma himself. Now, all of that, says the government, is over. The new rule, under Standing Order 94(2), forbids symbolic items, masks, horns, protests, turning the Assembly into a 'silence zone'. This triggered outrage among Congress legislators. Hemant Katare, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, termed the move authoritarian. "They've even banned giving media bytes. If people can't see what's happening inside, if slogans of Mahatma Gandhi and Baba Saheb Ambedkar are objectionable now, then are we in a state of emergency?" he asked. He called on the Speaker to withdraw the order, claiming it seems to be issued under government pressure. Congress leader Dr Govind Singh echoed the sentiment, warning that if MLAs cannot raise issues in the House premises, they will raise them elsewhere even in jail if need be. Former minister and senior MLA Lakhan Ghanghoria called the order unconstitutional and an attack on the democratic right to protest. "If the Hon'ble Speaker has forgotten his own years in opposition, he must be reminded of democratic traditions," he added. Ironically, the official logic behind the move is to preserve the "dignity of democracy." But the opposition claims democracy without dissent is a mere monologue. They point out that while earlier protests may have bordered on the theatrical, they at least brought public attention to real issues. BJP MLA and former Protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma defended the order, saying the Assembly was meant for serious constitutional discussion, not for "wrestling and chaos." He said that protests belong in places like Roshanpura or Dussehra grounds, not the Assembly. "The House is not a theatre," he added. Ahead of the monsoon session, legislators in Madhya Pradesh have submitted a total of 3,377 questions, showing a marked interest in the Assembly's shift towards the e-Vidhan format. Of these, 2,076 questions were submitted online, the remaining 1,301 questions were filed offline. The Assembly Secretariat has directed government departments to provide answers within a set deadline so that legislators receive accurate and timely responses during the proceedings.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
US Panel Probes Epstein Sex Trafficking Case, Pressure Mounts On Trump Administration
A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing "un-redacted Epstein files." As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that "Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want." Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer - or not answer - questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. "We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people," Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, "We're going to move quickly on that." Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena "depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position." If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response - or if she were to refuse to hand over any information - there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. "We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers," said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files.
