US condoles Vajpayee's death
Washington, Aug 17 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condoled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death and praised his vision for famously characterising US-India ties as a "natural partnership of shared endeavours".
In a statement issued by the State Department on Thursday, Pompeo extended his heartfelt condolences to the people of India on losing Vajpayee.
Recounting the former Prime Minister's many contributions, the US statement said: "He championed tirelessly for his country's development and demonstrated a devotion to improving the lives of every Indian" leading it to become "a global and economic power".
"Standing before the US Congress in 2000, he famously characterised US-India ties as a 'natural partnership of shared endeavours'.
"He recognized early on that the US and India, based on their shared democratic values, could develop a partnership that would contribute to the economic prosperity and security of the region and the world.
"Today, our two countries and our bilateral relationship continue to benefit from Prime Minister Vajpayee's vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation."
Vajpayee, 93, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday following a prolonged illness.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
