India / World Thursday, April 4, 2019 09 Cholera vaccination drive Russia opposes NEWS S Sudan rivals to visit Vatican US proposal for IN BRIEF launched in Mozambique next week for ‘spiritual retreat’ more NATO ships REUTERS munise 900,000 people in a in the Black Sea BJP fields former AFP ple have fled their homes. GENEVA six-day campaign that started Congressman VATICAN CITY Media reports said arch- In 2015, a peace deal on Wednesday. Some 843 peo- AFP against Sonia rivals President Salva Kiir brought Machar back as vice HEALTH officials launched a ple were killed by the storm and MOSCOW THE “leaders of South Su- and rebel leader and former president, but it fell apart the vaccination campaign in Mo- subsequent flooding in Mozam- NEW DELHI: The BJP on dan” are to visit the Vatican vice president Riek Machar following year and he fled the zambique’s cyclone-hit port city bique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. A US proposal to send more Wednesday announced its next week, a spokesman said were expected to be at the country. Machar is planning of Beira on Wednesday in an Humanitarian efforts are turn- NATO ships to the Black Sea candidates against UPA Wednesday. to return next month under a effort to contain an outbreak of ing to preventing further loss of to ensure safe passage for Chairperson Sonia Gandhi Media reports said arch- Vatican on April 9 and 10 peace agreement signed in Ad- cholera that has already infected life due to disease. Ukrainian vessels and deter while dropping two sitting rivals President Salva Kiir and dis Ababa last September, but over 1,400 people, the World As of Tuesday, Mozam- Russia is viewed “negatively” MPs, Kirit Somaiya from rebel leader and former vice born in a blaze of optimism in the process has been overshad- Health Organization (WHO) bique’s health ministry had re- in Moscow, the Kremlin said Mumbai North East and president Riek Machar were 2011 after it gained independ- owed by fears of insecurity and said. ported 1,428 cases of cholera Wednesday. Ram Charitra Nishad from expected to be at the Vatican on ence from Sudan. lack of preparation. The UN health agency has including one death since the Washington has been Machhlishahr in Uttar April 9 and 10. But rivalry between Kiir and Pope Francis has repeatedly shipped some 900,000 doses outbreak was declared on 27 working on a package to boost Pradesh. “I can affirm that scheduled Machar unleashed a civil war voiced concern for South Su- of oral cholera vaccine to Mo- March. “We shouldn’t focus too surveillance and deploy more The party has pitted next week in the Vatican is a in 2013 characterised by brutal dan. He granted an audience to zambique, where Cyclone Idai much on the numbers as there NATO vessels to the Black Sea former Congress leader spiritual retreat for the lead- violence, rape and UN warnings Kiir last month and afterwards last month flattened homes and are still a lot of people who are after a naval confrontation be- Dinesh Pratap Singh, who ers of South Sudan,” Vatican about ethnic cleansing. said he hoped to visit the coun- unleashed widespread flooding. not getting tested for cholera,” tween Moscow and Kiev last joined the BJP a year ago, spokesman Alessandro Gisotti More than 380,000 people try to “encourage the peace pro- All the vaccine doses have said WHO spokesman Christian year, the US ambassador to against Sonia Gandhi in said. South Sudan country was have died and four million peo- cess.” arrived and the aim is to im- Lindmeier. NATO said. Rae Bareli and fielded The measure was expected Bhojpuri cine star and to be discussed during talks singer Dinesh Lal Yadav, by NATO foreign ministers in popularly known as “Nira- Washington on Wednesday hua”, against former Uttar and Thursday. Russian Presi- Pradesh Chief Minister dent Vladimir Putin’s spokes- Akhilesh Yadav from Azam- man Dmitry Peskov said the garh. (IANS) Modi takes battle of ballots Kremlin viewed such a pro- posal “negatively”. “We do not understand what they mean by this. The Sharad Yadav situation with the Kerch Straight and navigation there files nomination to key state of West Bengal is well known,” he told report- ers. Russian deputy foreign for Madhepura minister Alexander Grushko told Russian news agencies IANS Prime Minister has campaigned hard against CM Mamata Banerjee fearing she could lead a the plan would only lead to PATNA possible alliance of regional parties against the BJP and dent its re-election prospects “increased military risks” in the region. “If additional mili- FORMER Janata Dal-United tary and technical measures (JD-U) President and found- AFP Modi addressed tens of are needed from our side, we er of the Loktantrik Janata KOLKATA will adopt them,” Interfax Dal (LJD) Sharad Yadav on thousands of supporters in news agency quoted Grushko Wednesday filed his nomina- PRIME Minister Narendra Modi Kolkata, the capital of West as saying. tion papers as the RJD candi- staged a massive rally in India’s Bengal, as its leader Most alliance members date from Madhepura constit- east on Wednesday, stepping up Mamata Banerjee, a power- share concerns about Russia uency for the Lok Sabha polls the battle with a local rival who ful Modi enemy, campaigned which backs separatists in a in Bihar. could frustrate his party’s return smouldering conflict in east- The Rashtriya Janata Dal to power. against the prime minister ern Ukraine that has so far (RJD) is part of the opposition Modi addressed tens of thou- elsewhere in the state claimed some 13,000 lives. Grand Alliance of the Con- sands of supporters in Kolkata, gress, Rashtriya Lok Samta the capital of West Bengal, as its Party (RLSP), Hindustani leader Mamata Banerjee, a pow- them, as smaller parties did in Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vi- erful Modi enemy, campaigned Uttar Pradesh, a bellwether Manhunt in Uganda kassheel Insan Party (VIP). against the prime minister else- state often considered India’s RJD leader Tejashwi Ya- where in the state. most important to win. after kidnapping of dav last month announced a Voting in India’s massive If the BJP and Congress, US tourist, driver merger with the LJD and field- election -- the biggest in history, the main opposition party ed Sharad Yadav as the RJD with 900 million eligible voters challenging Modi, fail to get a AFP candidate from Madhepura. -- begins in a week and West decisive share of the 545 parlia- KAMPALA Sharad Yadav was accom- Bengal is a key battleground for mentary seats, Banerjee could panied by several leaders of Modi and his Bharatiya Janata also become one of the top con- UGANDAN security forces are the Grand Alliance, RJD work- Party (BJP). tenders for the prime minister’s hunting gunmen who abducted ers and supporters who raised The ruling party has cam- job. The Hindu nationalist par- an American tourist and her loud slogans as he submitted paigned hard against Banerjee, ty has attacked her record on driver inside a national park the documents. fearing she could lead a possible law and order following a spate close to the border with Demo- “People have made up alliance of India’s disparate re- of election-related violence last cratic Republic of Congo, po- their mind to vote against the gional parties against the BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) gestures during a rally in Kolkata on Wednesday. (AFP) year, and promised to crack lice said Wednesday. Bharatiya Janata Party-led and dent its re-election pros- down on Muslim immigrants Four kidnappers stopped a NDA,” Sharad Yadav said. pects. “I haven’t seen a massive (Banerjee’s) misrule in the state.” tary seats in 2014, and she re- to make inroads in the key state in the state. Migrants have long group of tourists at gunpoint Madhepura is considered turnout like this before in West The fiery West Bengal leader mains hugely popular especially of 90 million. been accused of grabbing land around dusk on Tuesday as a stronghold of the RJD with Bengal. I bow to your love and took on the prime minister at a among poorer voters. Analysts say the BJP could in West Bengal and stoking ten- they drove through the Queen a sizeable population of party affection,” Modi told a sea of sup- counter-rally, declaring: “I am West Bengal sends the be targeting West Bengal for sions with locals. Elizabeth National Park to see chief Lalu Prasad’s castemen porters in Kolkata. not Modi. I don’t tell lies.” third-highest number of law- seats to offset potential losses India’s general elections wild animals. Yadav. The ruling NDA has “Your vote will help us reach Her profile has grown con- makers to the Lok Sabha, the in other important states. The will run from April 11 to May 19 Police identified the Ameri- fielded Dinesh Chandra Yadav new heights of development in siderably since her party took country’s lower house of parlia- BJP fears Banerjee could cob- in the largest democratic exer- can as a 35-year-old woman, of the JD-U from Madhepura. 2019. The BJP will overthrow most of the state’s 42 parliamen- ment, and the BJP is desperate ble together an alliance against cise of its kind ever held. and said the kidnappers had later used her mobile tele- phone to demand a ransom of $500,000 (445,000 euros) for Mayawati hints the release of the pair. Amicus curiae proposes judicial probe into Kerala floods “The kidnappers, using the she is contender victim’s phone, have demand- IANS floods, the Kerala High Court end and continued till the mid- when the media sought his re- ed $500,000,” police spokes- for PM’s post KOCHI had in last year appointed an dle of August, claimed 483 lives marks on the report.