PTI rejects AJK polls, demands fresh elections

An Indian politician has accused his son-in-law of fraud after allegedly discovering that the man had married around 25 women using different identities. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Gyan Tiwari, who represents the Sevata constituency in Uttar Pradesh, filed a complaint against his son-in-law’s family. He alleged that his daughter was deceived into marrying a man who had concealed his alleged criminal background and previous relationships. According to the complaint, Tiwari’s daughter Pragya married Prakhar Trivedi in 2024. Prakhar is the son of Anuj Trivedi, a resident of Chandrawal. Tiwari alleged that Anuj presented himself during the marriage arrangements as a well-known real estate businessman based in Mumbai. He claimed that the family had also received positive information about the prospective groom from local sources and influential people before approving the marriage. However, the lawmaker said his family later learned about Prakhar’s alleged activities through social media and other sources. Tiwari alleged that Prakhar had used fake identities to establish relationships with women in different Indian states, particularly Maharashtra. He further accused him of allegedly obtaining large sums of money from several women. The politician claimed that Prakhar had entered into around 25 marriages. The allegations have not been independently established. Tiwari said the revelations caused severe emotional distress to his family. He also said that the incident affected his reputation as a public representative. Following the allegations, Tiwari said he had severed social and personal ties with the accused family and brought his daughter back home. Police said a case had been registered following Tiwari’s complaint at the Reusa police station. Anuj Trivedi and his son Prakhar Trivedi have reportedly been arrested as the investigation continues. Authorities are now investigating the allegations of fraud, the alleged use of multiple identities and the claims involving several marriages.

Residents across Crimea are facing growing hardship after repeated Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure disrupted electricity and fuel supplies across the peninsula. Long power outages have forced many families to rely on community kitchens for hot meals as daily life becomes increasingly difficult. Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has experienced months of pressure on its energy network following Ukrainian strikes targeting power plants and other strategic facilities. Ukrainian officials say the campaign is aimed at weakening Russia’s military capabilities and bringing the effects of the war closer to Russian controlled territory. The attacks come as Ukraine continues to endure regular missile and drone strikes on its own cities since Russia launched its full scale invasion in 2022. In the town of Massandra, local authorities have organised public meal services for residents who are unable to cook because of prolonged electricity cuts. Large pots of buckwheat and reheated canned beef are prepared each day and distributed to around 200 people. Officials say many households depend entirely on electric stoves, leaving them without a way to prepare food when the power goes out. Massandra town administration head Oksana Madyud said the community kitchens were set up to support families facing ongoing disruptions. She explained that many residents have no alternative cooking methods and need access to hot meals until electricity supplies become more stable. Local workers continue preparing food every day to help elderly residents and vulnerable families cope with the difficult conditions. The prolonged outages have created serious challenges for many people, particularly those living in high rise apartment buildings. Marina, a local resident, said she was forced to search for a gas stove and fuel cylinders after losing electricity in her apartment. She explained that climbing down from her tenth floor flat has become painful because of a leg injury, yet she had little choice because her home has only an electric cooker that cannot be used during blackouts. Another resident, Alexandra, said she had spent ten days without electricity before power was finally restored. She joined the queue for a hot meal after being drawn by the smell of freshly prepared food. Although electricity had returned that afternoon, she remained uncertain whether the supply would continue once she reached home, reflecting the uncertainty many families now face. Fuel shortages have added to the difficulties across towns and cities in Crimea, making transport and everyday activities more challenging. The continuing disruption has increased pressure on local authorities to provide emergency support while residents adjust to frequent interruptions in essential services. As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, civilians on both sides are increasingly feeling the consequences. While Ukraine says its strikes are intended to weaken Russia’s military infrastructure, residents in Crimea are left dealing with power shortages, limited fuel supplies and an uncertain daily routine as the war continues to affect civilian life far from the front lines.

A powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s Kumamoto region has killed at least 34 people and disrupted major manufacturing operations, exposing the continued vulnerability of the country’s industrial supply chains. The 7.1 magnitude quake damaged roads, interrupted essential services and forced several automobile and semiconductor companies to suspend production, raising concerns about delays across global supply networks. The earthquake struck on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction in southern Japan. Thousands of households were left without basic utilities while damaged roads and transport links made it difficult for businesses to continue normal operations. Kumamoto is one of Japan’s most important manufacturing regions and plays a key role in producing vehicles, auto parts and semiconductors used around the world. Toyota has temporarily suspended production at three factories in Fukuoka until August 5 because of concerns about employee safety and disruptions affecting suppliers and transport companies. The company has also decided to halt operations at one of its plants in Aichi, located more than 600 kilometres from the disaster zone, showing how shortages of essential components can quickly affect factories far from the earthquake’s epicentre. One of Toyota’s major suppliers, Aisin, also suffered disruptions at its factory near the hardest hit area. The company manufactures engines, doors and other vehicle parts for Toyota, Nissan and Daihatsu. Aisin said it plans to restart production gradually after confirming that facilities are safe and product quality can be maintained. However, it has not announced when full operations will resume. Trucks carrying supplies, including portable toilets, were seen entering the factory as recovery work continued. Local businesses reported that water services had been interrupted although electricity remained available. The latest disaster has revived memories of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, which caused severe damage to the same Aisin plant and forced Toyota to suspend production across Japan because of shortages of a critical door component. Industry officials said smaller suppliers further down the supply chain may also have been affected this time, increasing the risk of continued production delays. Auto parts manufacturer Denso said one of its suppliers had already reported damage while several others were still assessing conditions. Nissan has suspended some production at its two vehicle plants in Kyushu because of delays in receiving parts. Mitsubishi Motors has also halted certain production lines at its factory in Okayama as the effects of the earthquake continue to spread through the manufacturing sector. Kumamoto has also become one of Japan’s leading centres for semiconductor production in recent years. The region is often referred to as the country’s Silicon Valley because of its concentration of advanced chip manufacturers. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, evacuated workers from its Kumamoto plant immediately after the earthquake. The company later confirmed that operations had started to resume within a few hours. Other semiconductor companies are expected to take longer to recover. Renesas said damage at one of its facilities included fallen ceiling panels, cracked walls and water leaks. The company plans to restart production in stages beginning on August 5. Tokyo Electron announced that it expects to resume production next week, while Sony said efforts are continuing to restore operations at its semiconductor factory in Kumamoto. Although the number of deaths is lower than the more than 260 people killed in the 2016 earthquake, this disaster has still caused significant human and economic losses. Nearly half of the fatalities occurred inside commercial buildings. Nine people died when severe structural damage struck a Nippon Paper Industries mill near the epicentre. Another seven people lost their lives at an Aeon shopping mall where authorities believe a gas explosion occurred more than an hour after the initial earthquake. The disaster has once again highlighted the challenge Japan faces in protecting both its population and its globally important manufacturing industry from natural disasters.