Katua rape, murder case: Undeclared bandh evokes good response in Kasargod
Kasargod: An undeclared hartal called by a section of social media users against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Katua, Kammu and Kashmir; has evoked a good response. Vehicles, including bus services, have totally been shut down since morning.
The hartal, which was organised by Janapara Samithi Kerala, was mobilised through WatsApp. While people were in confusion about the strike, shops were remained shut and vehicles remained off the roads on Monday.
Roads were blocked by placing tyres and tree branches. Stones were pelted at a government bus in Uppala. In some places, the protestors did not allow vehicular movement on Manjeshwar highway, Nayammaramoole, Eriyal, Cherkala and in some other places.
So for, police have taken 25 people in custody who allegedly caused the disruption of vehicular movement. Several autorickshaws and bikes have also been seized.
A message ‘Kerala bandh on Monday’ was being circulated in social media, but it did not mention name of any organisation or party who has called the strike. Police did not take this message seriously. But since this morning, a complete bandh situation was formed. Only then the police became alert.
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Ukrainian president welcomes Russian overtures, but says ceasefire must come before peace talks
Kyiv, May 11 (AP): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia's offer for direct peace talks, but insisted there must be a full, temporary ceasefire in place before negotiations can start.
Zelenskyy, writing on X, called Russian President Vladimir Putin's counter-offer to start talks without a ceasefire a “positive sign”, and said “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time".
He added, however, that "the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire”.
Meanwhile, Russia resumed mass drone attacks in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared 3-day pause expired.
Russia launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different directions, Ukraine's Air Force said on Sunday. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 simulator drones failed to reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.
The Ukrainian president appeared to insist on his proposal to start a 30-day unconditional ceasefire on Monday. “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelenskyy said.
Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected that ceasefire offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday instead “without preconditions”. He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations.
Putin's counteroffer came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin's proposal “very serious” and said it “confirms a real intention for find a peaceful solution”.
“The goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.
It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025
There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single…
