WHO chief sends birthday wishes to PM Modi, thanks him for putting health high on agenda

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Geneva, Sep 17 (IANS) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday extended wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday.

“Happy birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wish you many happy returns. Thank you for hosting a successful BRICS Leaders Summit, for putting health high on the agenda, and for securing strong commitments by BRICS Leaders to Health For All and global health security,” the WHO Chief stated on X.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, former President of the Maldives, also extended warm greetings to PM Modi on his birthday.

“Warmest birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Your leadership has been central to the enduring friendship between the Maldives and India. Wishing you good health, happiness, and continued success in the year ahead,” Solih stated on X.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, Members of the Clergy, led by the President of the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka, Banagala Upatissa Nayaka Thero, offered blessings to PM Modi on Thursday.

“Venerable Members of the Clergy, led by the President of the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka, Ven. Banagala Upatissa Nayaka Thero, offered blessings to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday during the ceremony to commemorate the 162nd birth anniversary of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala at the Mahabodhi Society, Colombo, on 17 Sept 2026,” the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka stated on X.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded PM Modi for transforming India into a world power.

Netanyahu also underscored the growing ties between India and Israel, describing it as an “unprecedented partnership” between two great democracies.

“Happy birthday, Narendra! Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Your leadership has transformed India into a world power. Together, we have built an unprecedented partnership between our two great democracies. The friendship between Israel and India has never been stronger, and together we will take it to even greater heights. I wish you many more years of leadership, health and fulfilment,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel posted on X, quoting Netanyahu.

Several foreign envoys and diplomatic missions in India also extended warm birthday greetings to Prime Minister Modi, highlighting the enduring ties and close partnerships between India and their respective countries.

–IANS

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‘Bulldozers have become instrument for politics of revenge’: Arshad Madani on Saharanpur demolition

New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said on Saturday that bulldozers being used for demolition of illegal properties are increasingly becoming “less a symbol of justice and more an instrument of the politics of revenge, prejudice, and hatred”.

His reaction comes after the administration demolished a mosque located within the Collectorate complex in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur after the Muslim side’s appeal was rejected by the court.

Taking to his official X account, the Muslim cleric called the demolition, “extremely regrettable”.

He questioned the “double standard” in the implementation of the laws prescribed by the Constitution, that is otherwise equal for all citizens.

“Today, bulldozers are increasingly becoming less a symbol of justice and more an instrument of the politics of revenge, prejudice, and hatred. This is not merely a matter concerning a mosque; it raises fundamental questions about the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, religious freedom, equality of citizens, and the impartial role of the state,” Arshad Madani said.

Referring to the existing Places of Worship Act, 1991, he added that the new Waqf law also contains a provision relating to “Waqf by User”.

He noted that the said mosque is registered with the Waqf Board under Registration No. 451, while old land records also contain the names of Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan.

“The mosque committee had presented documents dating back to 1911, municipal records, and old revenue entries before the court, maintaining that the mosque predates the present Collectorate building. Ignoring such historical and legal evidence and proceeding with demolition raises serious questions about the requirements of justice,” he said.

Arshad Madani added that if illegal occupation or encroachment is the criterion for taking action, “then the same standard must be applied equally to every religion and every section of society”.

He asked whether the administration also takes action against other religious structures that have stood for decades on government land, roads, and public places “with the same haste, severity, and standard” in other parts of the country?

“If not, then the extraordinary harshness shown against one particular religious site appears contrary to the principle of equal justice,” Arshad Madani asserted.

Maintaining that the Constitution has not made anyone a “first-class citizen” and anyone else a “second-class citizen”, the Muslim cleric said: “We are not seeking any special concession; we are only asking for equal justice. Our question is straightforward: if the law applicable to a mosque is the same, why should it not be applicable to every religious place? If one standard is applied to a Muslim, why should the same standard not be applied to every other citizen?”

Moreover, Arshad Madani underlined that if the Constitution and the law are meant for everyone, then their protection and enforcement must also be equal for all.

–IANS

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Man with Rs 25,000 reward held for supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistan

Jaipur, Aug 29 (IANS) In a major operation in Rajasthan’s border area, police and CID (Intelligence Branch) arrested Balwinder Singh alias Bindra, 45, who was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000, for allegedly supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistani handlers and facilitating activation of WhatsApp accounts on Indian mobile numbers in Pakistan.

District Superintendent of Police Hari Shankar said the operation was carried out under directions from the Inspector General of Police, Bikaner Range. Anupgarh police and CID (IB) strengthened their intelligence network after receiving information about suspicious activities. Investigators said Singh, a resident of Village 27 A in Anupgarh, was allegedly moving through the border region to supply SIM cards belonging to Indian citizens to Pakistani handlers.

Police allege the SIM cards were used in Pakistan to activate WhatsApp accounts linked to Indian mobile numbers. Singh was reportedly working at the direction of Pakistani handlers, with activities detrimental to India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity and security. A case has been registered at Anupgarh police station, and Singh has been arrested.

He is currently being interrogated, with investigators seeking details about associates and the broader network involved in transporting SIM cards across the border. Police are probing communication links with Pakistani handlers and identifying others who may have been part of the racket.

Authorities said Singh was also wanted in a case registered at Jaitsar police station – Case No. 102/2026 – under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. A reward of Rs 25,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest in that case.

The operation was conducted by a team comprising Anupgarh SHO Kartar Singh, Intelligence Officer Pawan Kumar, Constables Keshar Singh and Thakraram, along with personnel from the Sri Ganganagar CID (IB). The investigation is ongoing.

–IANS

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Iran condemns Trump’s ‘brazen’ remarks about seizure of Iranian vessels

Tehran, May 3 (IANS) Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned US President Donald Trump’s remarks that called the US seizure of Iranian vessels “piracy.”

“The president of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as ‘piracy,’ brazenly boasting that ‘we act like pirates,'” Baghaei said in an X post.

“This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation,” Baghaei added.

Trump on Friday bragged that the US Navy acted “like pirates” in its blockade of Iranian ports. “We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” Trump said at an event in Florida, Xinhua news agency reported.

Baghaei called on the international community, UN member states, and the UN secretary-general to firmly reject any normalization of such “blatant violations” of international law.

The United States imposed its anti-Iran blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after post-ceasefire negotiations with Tehran in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on April 11-12 failed to yield an agreement.

The ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel took effect on April 8 following 40 days of fighting. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and civilians.

Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East, while tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and denying safe passage to vessels linked to Israel and the United States.

–IANS

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