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Friday,29-August-2025
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Congress to discuss ‘alliance hurdles’ at Chintan Shivir

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The Congress is gearing up for its Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan’s Udaipur next week and party president Sonia Gandhi has sought a draft report from the sub committees on Monday ahead of the CWC meet which will formalise its agenda. Sources say among the political resolutions, the alliances will be the key focus on the lines of the Shimla Shivir, which paved the way for the government in 2004.

Sources say that as suggested by political strategist Prashant Kishor, the party will focus on how to take like-minded parties on board and start the consultation process just after the Chintan Shivir. The problem crops up where the party is pitted against regional parties, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there will be no alliance with the TRS and warned all the leaders not to talk about it.

Similarly in Andhra Pradesh, the party has to make a choice between the TDP or going alone as YSRCP is unlikely to go with the Congress. The party is in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, with JMM in Jharkhand and with the NCP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

In the North East, either the BJP or the regional parties have replaced the Congress and the alliance with the AIUDF failed in Assam. The party is zero in West Bengal and state chief minister Mamata Baneejee is not willing to play second fiddle to the Congress at the national level as she is herself trying to build an alliance of regional parties.

The emergence of the AAP outside Delhi has created another problem as regional parties are taking the place of the Congress in the states. A leader who recently left the Congress to join the BJP said, “the real problem is regional parties which are eating into Congress votes while the BJP is strengthening its vote base socially and through social sector schemes which played a key role in recent electoral wins.”

States like UP, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, where the regional parties are pitted against the Congress, will be on the agenda in the brainstorming session besides a focus on 180 Lok Sabha seats where there is minimal presence of the party which is a cause of concern. To get back its lost glory, the party has to form alliances to be a formidable challenger in the states.

The major test will be in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh this year, where the AAP is making inroads, then states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh which are going to the polls in 2023. These are the major states where the Congress has to perform better and win to throw a challenge to the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

Crime

Uttar Pradesh Cyber Fraud: 100-Year-Old Ex-Merchant Navy Officer Duped Of ₹1.29 Crore In ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam; Case Registered

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Lucknow: At 100 years of age, Hardev Singh had lived through wars, seen India’s independence, and spent a long career in the Merchant Navy. But nothing prepared him for the ordeal he faced last week in his own home in Lucknow, when a group of cyberfraudsters held him under what police describe as “digital arrest” for six straight days.

The nightmare began when Singh picked up a call from an unfamiliar number. On the other end were men posing as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They accused him of being linked to a money laundering case and warned of dire consequences if he did not cooperate.

What followed was psychological captivity. Singh was ordered to stay on the call constantly, cut off from the outside world, unable to tell anyone what was happening. The callers directed him to remain isolated while they demanded details about his finances.

The deception deepened when Singh’s son returned home and learned of the situation. Hoping to shield his father from further harassment, he took over the call. But the fraudsters threatened him too, insisting that money must be transferred to several bank accounts for “verification.” They promised that every rupee would be returned once checks were complete.

Fearful and under pressure, Singh’s son complied, transferring ₹1.29 crore in multiple installments. The promised refunds never came. It was only then that the family realized they had been the victims of a sophisticated cybercrime operation.

The ordeal ended with a complaint to the national cybercrime helpline (1930), after which a case was registered at Sarojini Nagar police station. Investigators are now tracking the fraudsters using the mobile numbers and bank details shared by the family.

Police officials say cases of “digital arrest” are on the rise, with scammers using fake identities of enforcement agencies to intimidate victims. Elderly people, often more trusting of authority, are particularly vulnerable.

For Singh, the experience has left scars beyond the massive financial loss. “They stole our peace of mind more than the money,” a family member said. “My father spent a century building a life, only to be tricked in his twilight years.”

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Maharashtra

Mumbai News: Central Railway’s Local Train Services Between Ambernath And Badlapur Disrupted Due To Technical Failure

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Mumbai: Local train services between Ambernath and Badlapur were severely disrupted on Friday morning following a technical failure in a goods train engine, causing inconvenience to hundreds of daily commuters on the Central Railway’s main line.

According to Central Railway officials, the incident occurred at around 5:42 am between Ambernath and Badlapur, bringing train movement to a halt in the section. The disruption led to delays and overcrowding on platforms during the crucial morning peak hours.

The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Mumbai division took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) at 7:08 am to confirm the issue and assured that teams were working to resolve the situation.

“Due to a technical issue in a goods train engine between Ambernath and Badlapur, train services are affected between Ambernath and Badlapur. Our team is working to resolve the issue at the earliest. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the post read.

The response from commuters on social media was swift and pointed. A user named Dhiraj Karande replied, “It happens every day. Trains are always late—technical fault, management failure,” highlighting recurring issues on the route.

Another commuter, Nitesh Singh, took a more sarcastic tone, posting, “Your patented comment ‘Kindly look into it’ is missing in this post… please post it…”

Railway officials managed to resolve the problem by 7:34 am, after which the DRM confirmed on X that services between Ambernath and Badlapur had been restored.

Passengers have called for better contingency planning and more transparent communication to avoid such early morning chaos in the future.

“The disruption once again highlighted the infrastructure and maintenance challenges faced by the suburban rail network, often referred to as Mumbai’s lifeline,” said Rajesh Kamble of Badlapur, a daily commuter of CR’s local train services.

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Business

India, Africa must double bilateral trade by 2030: Piyush Goyal

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New Delhi, Aug 29: India and Africa must work to double bilateral trade by 2030, focusing on value addition, technology-driven agriculture, renewable energy, and healthcare, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory session of the CII India Africa Business Conclave here, the minister pointed out that bilateral trade between India and Africa is already fairly balanced — with India’s exports at $42.7 billion and imports at $40 billion.

However, he underlined the untapped potential across regions: “This demonstrates the opportunity we have missed out on over the years, and the scope for expansion today.”

The Minister stressed that India and Africa need not compete in every sector, but rather explore complementarities.

He highlighted areas such as agriculture, food security, cooperative and self-help group movements, education, skill development, capacity building, research and development, innovation, start-ups, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy, which provide vast opportunities for mutual benefit.

Goyal highlighted the immense potential for collaboration in the automobile sector. He noted that while Africa imports nearly $20 billion worth of motor vehicles annually, India currently supplies only about $2 billion of this demand.

He underlined that Indian automobiles are globally competitive, both in terms of cost and quality, with manufacturing standards on par with the best in the world.

He said that Indian manufacturers can play a vital role in meeting Africa’s growing demand for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two and three-wheelers, and affordable electric mobility solutions.

This opens up a wide delta of opportunity for African nations to access reliable, fuel-efficient, and environmentally sustainable vehicles at competitive prices, while India can, in return, benefit from greater imports of African resources such as critical minerals, petroleum products, and agricultural commodities.

This balanced exchange would help both regions expand trade, generate employment, and build long-term industrial partnerships, he added.

Highlighting complementarities, the Minister observed that Africa could support India in areas such as critical minerals and petroleum products, while India could support Africa in food security, technological upgradation, manufacturing, and services.

He mentioned that India is cost-competitive in services like architecture, engineering, IT, AI and telecom, while also offering potential in medical tourism.

Referring to India’s close bond with Mauritius, Goyal assured the Indian Ocean island nation continued support in addressing inflationary pressures in essentials such as milk products, edible oils, and rice.

“It is this spirit of friendship and cooperation that defines India’s engagement with Africa,” he said.

Goyal also recalled India’s support to Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic, when medicines, vaccines and pharmaceutical products were provided at affordable costs, unlike the highly-priced alternatives from developed nations.

He further said that India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) could help bring down transaction costs and strengthen Africa’s financial systems.

Calling the Global South the true voice of the developing world, Goyal urged African nations to work with India at multilateral platforms like the WTO to create common objectives and influence global decision-making.

He emphasised collaboration in agriculture technologies, renewable energy, generic medicines, critical minerals, and youth partnerships, noting that the young populations of India and Africa will define the future.

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