Morning Digest | Second wave of blasts in Lebanon kill 20, injures hundreds; Kerala confirms second Mpox case in UAE returnee, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on September 19, 2024

At least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured after another round of explosions in Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, Lebanon. A source close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said walkie-talkies used by the group members exploded in its Beirut stronghold with State media reporting similar blasts of pagers and “devices” in east and south Lebanon.

A 38-year-old man undergoing treatment in Kerala’s northern Malappuram district has been confirmed to have contracted mpox infection, the State Health Department said. The man, who came to the state from the UAE recently, was already admitted to a hospital here with mpox symptoms, State Health Minister Veena George said in a Facebook post.

A voter turnout of more than 61% was recorded in the first phase of Assembly polls covering 24 segments across seven districts in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission said.T he final polling percentage can go up as data from some stations are yet to be compiled, and this also does not include postal ballots, the commission said. Kishtwar district recorded the highest 80.14% polling followed by Doda (71.34%) and Ramban (70.55%) in the Chenab valley region of Jammu, the Election Commission said, quoting the latest information said.

As the Congress seeks to wrest back power from the ruling BJP in Haryana, it is promising a slew of ‘freebies’ in an attempt to garner support ahead of the State’s Assembly election, slated for October 5. In its poll manifesto, the party promised to pay a monthly allowance of ₹2,000 to each woman between the ages of 18 and 60 years if it comes to power in the State. Other such ‘guarantees’ include 300 units of free electricity to all households, a legal guarantee for minimum support prices for crops, and a caste survey.

Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena has proposed September 21 for the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister-designate Atishi in his communication to President Droupadi Murmu, Raj Niwas sources said, adding that the final date is subject to Ms. Murmu’s approval.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the NPS Vatslya scheme, which will allow parents to save for their children’s future by investing in a pension account. Parents can subscribe to NPS Vatsalya online or visiting a bank or post office. The minimum contribution to open the Vatsalya account is ₹1,000. Subscribers will have to contribute ₹1,000 annually thereafter. The guidelines for withdrawal from the NPS accounts are being finalised.

Around 5.56 lakh First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) from July 1 to September 3, a senior Home Ministry official said. The three new criminal laws — BNS, the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), came into effect on July 1, after being passed by the Parliament in 2023. The official said a technical support call centre with a helpline number (14415) had been set up by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to assist States in the implementation of the new laws.