LIVE! Israeli forces find weapons hidden in Gaza school

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Sat, 18 November 2023

Israeli forces find weapons hidden in Gaza school

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22:48 First batch of NDA's women cadets to take part in passing out parade on Nov 30

The first batch of women cadets of the National Defence Academy will participate in the passing out parade along with their male counterparts this year, an official said on Saturday.

The parade of the 145th NDA course will be reviewed on November 30 by President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the defence official added.

Last year, the first batch of 19 women cadets joined the NDA,

Khadakwasla, a premier tri-services institution that has given the country the finest military officers, and they are currently in the second year of the military-cum-academic training, he said.

"Women cadets will be part of the marching contingent. They are currently in their second year. The second-year and third-year cadets take part in the passing out parade," the official informed.

"Get ready to witness the Passing Out Parade of the 145th #NDA course on 30th Nov 23. The parade will be reviewed by Smt Droupadi Murmu, Hon'ble President of India. Presenting Teaser," the defence spokesperson, Pune, said in a post on social media site X. -- PTI

The Madhya Pradesh assembly polls may have concluded but elements tied to it continue to amuse citizens, particularly those on social media.

A video of the Congress candidate from Ratlam, Paras Saklecha, gladly taking slipper slaps doled out by a fakir is being widely shared on the internet.

Saklecha, who lost the elections in 2013 and 2018, visited the fakir on Thursday with a pair of new slippers to seek his blessing.

Saklecha could not be reached despite multiple attempts.

The video shows the fakir, who lives at a dargah on Mhow road, hitting the former legislator on the head and then cheeks.

As the elderly ascetic, affectionately called by locals as Abba', continues hitting Saklecha, the Congress leader requests him to stop saying bas, bas, ho gaya (that is enough), as per the video.

Many people visit the fakir, who smacks them with footwear, with the belief that it would bring good omen for them.

While they offer him lungis and footwear, the ascetic accepts them from a few and throws away the rest.

After receiving blows, Saklecha was heard saying, "The fakir baba has warded off evil shadows if any upon me."

The Congress nominee has been pitted against BJP's Chetan Kashyap. -- PTI

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22:20 Suspected remains of Maya, missing tiger, found in Tadoba, Maha

The remains of a tiger have been found in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in eastern Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, a senior forest officer said on Saturday.

Tigress T-12, popularly known as Maya, had gone missing from the reserve in August, and the report of DNA tests were awaited for ascertaining if these were her remains, he said.

The remains, scattered in an area of 100-meter radius, were found in the Tadoba beat of the reserve a couple of days ago, said Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, field director of TATR.

The big cat had apparently died due to natural causes considering the location of the remains and absence of any human activity in the area, he added.

The samples will be sent for DNA analysis to the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Bangalore to be matched with DNA samples of Maya, he said.

The reports were expected by November 30, he added. -- PTI

Two minors injured in the blaze that gutted a makeshift firecracker market set up for Diwali here died during treatment, taking the death toll in the incident to eight, police said on Saturday.

Jatin (15) died during treatment at a private hospital in Agra on Friday night while Khushi (12) succumbed in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning, Raya police station SHO Ajay Kishore said.

According to the district health officials, six others injured in the incident are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Delhi and nearby districts.

Earlier, Mohan Singh (47) died on Friday while his son Rajesh (15) lost his life on Thursday night, Additional SP (Rural) Trigun Bisen had said.

Seven of the 23 firecracker shops at the market and 10 motorbikes were gutted in the fire that broke out at Gopalbagh in the Raya area here on November 12, they added.

A total of 14 persons sustained burn injuries in the blaze. A fireman was among those who got injured.

District magistrate Shailendra Kumar Singh has constituted a two-member committee to probe the incident and announced Rs 4 lakh financial aid for the family members of the victims. -- PTI

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22:08 Israeli forces find weapons hidden in Gaza school

The Israel defence forces forces continued with their operations in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, during which more weapons and other terrorist-related items were found in a school.

This was yet another example of how Hamas hides its terror bases and supplies in civilian areas.

The Duvdevan special forces, both reservists and regular army, are part of the ongoing fighting, said the IDF.

The forces carried out raids on terrorist infrastructure, during which they eliminated terrorists in encounters.

During one of the raids, a large amount of weapons and military equipment was found inside a high school.

In addition, the forces raided terrorist infrastructure in the house of the commander of an engineering company in the northern battalions of the terrorist organisation Hamas.

Weapons and training manuals of the terrorist organization Hamas were found in the raid. -- ANI/TPS

Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India S Venkitaramanan passed away here on Saturday, due to brief illness, sources said.

He was 92.

Venkitaramanan was a member of the Indian Administrative Service and prior to taking up the role of RBI Governor, he had served as the Finance Secretary and later as an Adviser to the Government of Karnataka.

Venkitaramanan had served the RBI between December 1990 and December 1992.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das hailed him as an 'outstanding personality' and 'public servant' and recalled his immense contributions during the period of crisis.

"The country faced difficulties related to the external sector during his tenure. His adroit management saw the country tide over the balance of payments crisis," the apex bank said.

Venkitaramanan's term also saw India adopt the IMF's stabilisation programme where the Rupee underwent a devaluation and the launch of the programme of economic reforms, the RBI said in its website.

In a social media post, Das said, "Very sad to hear about the demise of Shri S Venkitaramanan, former Governor of the RBI. He was an outstanding personality and public servant. He made immense contributions during periods of crisis. May his soul rest in eternal peace." -- PTI

Security forces during anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand/File image

21:19 Security forces detect 3 IEDs planted by Maoists in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum

Security forces on Saturday detected three powerful improvised explosive devices planted by Maoists in a forest in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, the police said.

The IEDs which weighed 5 kg each, were defused by the bomb disposal squad, they said.

In the course of anti-Maoist operation, security forces detected the landmines planted by outlawed CPI-Maoists in a forest between Chiriabeda and Patatorab villages, police said in a statement.

A CRPF jawan was killed and two others were injured on Friday when the proscribed CPI-Maoist triggered an IED explosion in a forest in West Singhbhum district. -- PTI

New President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu

21:15 New Maldives Prez asks India to withdraw troops

Less than 24 hours after taking oath as the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday formally requested the Government of India to "withdraw" its military personnel from his country, saying the Maldivian people have given a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi.

Muizzu's request came when India's Union Minister Kiren Rejiju paid a courtesy call on the new president at the latter's office, the Maldivian President's Office said in a press release.

The exact number of Indian military personnel in the Maldives is not known.

Engineer-turned-politician, Muizzu, 45, took oath on Friday as the eighth president of the strategically-located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean.

Underscoring India's 'Neighbourhood First Policy', Rijiju represented the country at Muizzu's inauguration ceremony.

A close associate of former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, who forged close ties with China during his Presidency from 2013 to 2018, Muizzu defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September. Muizzu had indicated during the election campaign that the withdrawal of Indian military troops from the island nation is among the issues that need to be resolved by the two countries.

Soon after the oath-taking on Friday, Muizzu asserted that he was firmly committed to ensuring that his country remains "free" of any "foreign military presence" to preserve its independence and sovereignty.

However, he did not name any country in his inaugural address. -- PTI

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20:50 Alignment work of Nagpur-Goa expressway in final stages: Fadnavis

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the process of finalising alignment of the proposed Nagpur-Goa expressway would soon be complete.

The laying of a gas pipeline along the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway too was in the final stages, he said, speaking to reporters in Nagpur.

Alignment of the Nagpur-Goa expressway is almost final, and it will soon be notified, Fadnavis said to a question.

Land acquisition and tender process for the project will start once the alignment notification is published, he added.

Asked about a proposed petro-chemical complex in Nagpur, Fadnavis said one report has been submitted and another report was expected to be submitted. -- PTI

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

20:39 HP cabinet proposes winter session in Dharamshala from Dec 19 to 23

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Saturday decided to convene a five-day winter session of the assembly from December 19-23 in Dharamshala, and sent its recommendation to the governor.

The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu gave its approval to adopt the criteria mandating students to be at least six years of age while seeking admission to Class 1 in all schools of the state for academic session 2024-25.

It also decided to appoint 4,500 para-workers in the Jal Shakti Vibhag, besides giving its nod to filling up 25 posts of the excise and taxation inspectors and 10 posts of the horticulture development officers.

The cabinet decided to cancel the allotment of Jangi Thopan Powari Hydro Electric Power Project (780 MW) made in favour of power producer SJVN Ltd as the company has failed to achieve required progress in the project's implementation within the stipulated time period.

During the meeting, the state cabinet also gave its nod to bring more areas of Shimla, Chopal and Kullu under the planning area to check the haphazard construction in these areas. -- PTI

Just in: The Bharatiya Janata Party will implement Uniform Civil Code if it comes to power in Telangana, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Telangana on Saturday.

The BJP would scrap 'religion-based reservations' and extend benefit to backward communities and STs, he said citing party manifesto.

More details soon. -- PTI

A Non-Resident Indian woman has filed a complaint at a police station in Indore district in connection with being molested on a flight from Udaipur, Rajasthan to Indore.

She was molested by a fellow passenger on the flight and after reaching Indore, she lodged a complaint at Aerodrome police station in the city.

Additional deputy commissioner of police Rajesh Dandotiya said, "An NRI woman, who reached Indore from America via Udaipur, lodged a complaint at Aerodrome police station complaining that a man had molested her on the flight on Thursday."

The woman lives in America and is a trainee pilot there. On the complaint of the woman, the police registered a case against an unknown accused under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and started an investigation into the matter, the officer said.

He added that information about the accused was sought from the Airline and after that further action would be taken. -- ANI

Ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC in Telangana K Kavitha on Saturday felt slightly unwell during her assembly election campaign but resumed after a short break.

Kavitha, daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, felt unwell due to dehydration, her office sources said, adding that the campaign continued in Jagtial after the short break.

"Sorry for the little scare. I'm doing just well, also happened to have met this sweet little girl and after spending time with her I'm feeling a little more energetic. #KCROnceAgain campaign to resume shortly," she said on X, posting a video of her interaction with a little girl.

She also posted pictures of her campaign at Jagtial.

"This public outpour and support from various parts of Jagityal for the BRS Party is our strength!," she said. -- PTI

A view of Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad/Courtesy BCCI

19:26 Over 6,000 security personnel to guard WC final

More than 6,000 security personnel will be deployed in Ahmedabad city and the Narendra Modi stadium during the World Cup final between mighty India and five-time champions Australia on November 19, a senior police official said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles will be among the key personalities who are expected to attend the ICC Cricket World Cup grand finale in the Motera area of the city, said Ahmedabad commissioner of police GS Malik.

Addressing a press conference here, Malik said elaborate security arrangements, with personnel from Gujarat police, Rapid Action Force, home guards and others, have been made keeping in mind the movement of over one lakh spectators and the presence of several dignitaries at the stadium.

Over 6,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure that the mega event passes off without any trouble.

Of these 6,000 personnel, nearly 3,000 will be stationed inside the stadium, while others will be deployed to guard other key locations, such as hotels where players and other dignitaries are staying, said Malik.

While one company of RAF will be deployed inside the stadium, another will be on duty outside the stadium, said Malik, adding that city police have created a temporary command and control centre inside the venue equipped with a wireless network that works even when mobile communication fails. -- PTI

A primary school teacher in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district was suspended after a video showing him in an inebriated state while on duty surfaced online, officials said on Saturday.

A video of highly intoxicated Dalair Singh, the teacher on duty at a school in Dharidhar village of Chassana, had gone viral on social media.

Taking serious note of the video, the chief education officer of Reasi ordered Singh's immediate suspension and also ordered an inquiry into his conduct, the official said.

Pending inquiry into his conduct, Singh is placed under suspension with immediate effect in connection with a viral video, an official quoting the order said.

The suspended teacher is directed to report to the deputy commissioner's office in Reasi for further duties, he added. -- PTI

A man was injured after he was shot at in Mazgaon in central Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday, the police said.

The incident occurred at around 3 am on Chapsi Road when the victim was chatting with his friends.

"A two-wheeler carrying two men approached them and one of them fired a round from a pistol before speeding away. The bullet hit one of the feet of the man," a police official said.

A case has been registered on the charge of attempt to murder under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act at Byculla police station against two unidentified men and an investigation is underway. -- PTI

The Varanasi district court on Saturday gave 10 more days to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to submit its scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

The ASI was earlier given time till November 17 to submit the report but on Friday, its counsel sought 15 more days from the court.

According to the counsel for the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav, the ASI sought more time due to non-availability of the technical report.

While hearing the matter on Saturday, District Judge A K Vishvesh asked the ASI to submit its report by November 28.

On November 2, the ASI had told the court it had "completed" the survey but may take some more time to compile the report, along with the details of the equipment used in the survey work. The court then granted additional time till November 17 for submitting the document.

On October 5, the court had granted four more weeks to the ASI and said the duration of the survey would not be extended beyond this. -- PTI

The British era .303 rifles, which remained a part of the Delhi Police for decades, will soon be retired from the force, according to a senior officer.

According to the Delhi Police, at least 7,000 such firearms, better known as three-nought-three rifles, are set to be dismantled by the force.

"The use of these weapons came to an end years back and they are ready for dismantling," the officer said.

These .303 rifles are kept at the armoury unit of the Delhi Police.

According to sources, a Joint Commissioner rank officer has been appointed to oversee the dismantling of these weapons. The whole operation will be done under the supervision of a committee set by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The .303 calibre Lee-Enfield rifles were initially manufactured in UK arms factory, and extensively used in World War I and II. In India, these rifles were used by the Indian army during the Indo-China war in 1962 and later handed over to the state forces.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Provisioning and Logistics) Vinit Kumar confirmed that the weapons were up for dismantling.

Another officer said, the process of dismantling of these weapons, each of which weighs approximately 5 kg, is lengthy, and involves removal and destruction of each part. Before they are destroyed, the barrel and the body parts are separated, so that it cannot be further used. The iron from the firearm is melted.

"The procurement of the cartridges of these guns was stopped soon after the force decided to end the service of these weapons. Therefore, there is no ammunition left for these guns," an officer said.

The Delhi Police currently has SLR, INSAS, and AK47 for long range, 9 mm Glock pistol, revolvers for short range, and JVPC and MP5 as machine guns, which are used during special operations. -- PTI

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

17:59 Dell, HP, Foxconn, among 27 firms granted approval under new IT hardware PLI scheme: Vaishnaw

The government on Saturday said 27 companies, including Dell, HP, and Foxconn, have been granted approval under the new production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware.

The move comes at a time when India is wooing IT hardware players with policy sweeteners and incentive schemes, making a determined push to position itself as a global hub for hi-tech manufacturing.

"I am happy to announce that 27 companies have been approved under the PLI IT hardware scheme. About 95 per cent of these...23 companies are ready to start manufacturing from day-zero," Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

"This will set us up for being a big force in manufacturing of PCs, servers, laptops, and tablets," he added.

These 27 companies will invest Rs 3,000 crore. Big players, including Dell, Foxconn, and HP, are among the companies whose applications have been approved. -- PTI

Mumbai Police registered a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and a few others on Saturday for allegedly `inaugurating' a part of a bridge in Lower Parel area of the city without the civic body's permission, an official said.

Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, claimed that the construction of the bridge was completed two weeks ago but it was not opened to the public as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had no time to inaugurate it.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Thackeray based on a complaint lodged by a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official.

A police official said that as per the complaint, Aaditya Thackeray, Sena (UBT)'s members of legislative council Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde, former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 15 to 20 others inaugurated the second carriageway of Delisle Bridge on Thursday night without the BMC administrator's permission.

The bridge is located in Thackeray's Worli constituency.

The Mumbai municipal commissioner currently acts as a state government-appointed administrator as the term of the BMC's general body has expired.

The act of inauguration was illegal as the bridge was still incomplete and not certified safe for use, and its premature use could pose a risk to motorists, the complaint said.

The FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143, 149 (both pertaining to unlawful assembly), 336 (rash or negligent act) and 447 (criminal trespass), the official said. -- PTI

A 25-year-old woman died while being taken to a rural hospital on a charpoy by her family after ambulances and local vehicles denied service due to the poor condition of a road connecting her village in West Bengal's Malda district with the medical establishment, officials said on Saturday.

The incident took place when the family members of Mamuni Roy, who had been ill for a few days, were taking her on a charpoy (cot) from her village Maldanga to Modipukur rural hospital, around four-and-half-km away, in Bamangola area on Friday.

Her husband Kartik Roy claimed they had to carry her to the rural hospital on the cot as no ambulance or any local vehicle was willing to risk the perilous journey due to the poor condition of the road.

"We tried to take her to the hospital on a cot but she died on the way," he said.

Bamangola Block Development Officer (BDO) Raju Kundu told PTI, "The woman was ill for the last few days and was being taken to the hospital but she died on the way."

"The road had been 'kuccha' (unpaved) for a long time. Six to seven months ago, we repaired the road and have plans to lay a tar road. We have sent the proposal to higher authorities for laying bitumen and are awaiting permission," he said.

The government will soon meet social media platforms on the deepfake issue, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday, asserting that the safe harbour immunity clause will not apply if platforms do not take adequate steps to remove deepfakes.

Vaishnaw told reporters that the government had recently issued a notice to companies on the deepfake issue, and the platforms responded, but added that the firms will have to be more aggressive in taking action on such content.

"They are taking steps...but we think that many more steps will have to be taken. And we are very soon going to have a meeting of all the platforms...Maybe in the next 3-4 days, we'll call them for brainstorming on that and make sure that platforms make adequate efforts for preventing it (deepfakes), and cleaning up their system," Vaishnaw told reporters.

Asked if big platforms like Meta and Google would be called for the meeting, the minister replied in the affirmative.

Vaishnaw also made it clear that the safe harbour immunity that platforms currently enjoy under the IT Act will not be applicable unless they take adequate action.

"The safe harbour clause, which most social media platforms have been enjoying...that does not apply if they do not take adequate steps for removing deepfakes from their platforms," he said.

Recently, several 'deepfake' videos targeting leading actors went viral, sparking outrage and raising concerns over the misuse of technology and tools for creating fake content and narratives. -- PTI

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed several charges including that of terror conspiracy against an editor of a news portal while granting him bail after 21 months in jail.

"We are following the procedures set in the bail. It will take some time before Fahad Shah walks out of jail," senior advocate P N Raina, who represented the editor of Kashmir Walla news portal before the high court, said.

He said the charges like terror conspiracy (Section 18) and waging war against the country (Section 121) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration (Section 153-B) of the Indian Penal Code were quashed against Shah.

The case was heard on Friday by a Jammu wing of bench comprising justices Sreedharan and M L Manhas, Raina said.

He said Shah will, however, face trial under Section 13 (abetting unlawful activities) of the UA(P)A. He will also undergo trial for allegedly receiving foreign funds illegally.

In April, the high court had quashed Shah's detention under controversial Public Safety Act (PSA).

Shah was arrested in February 2022 allegedly for his reporting of an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. -- PTI

More than 700 private members' bills, several of which seek to amend penal provisions and electoral laws, are pending in the Lok Sabha.

While several of these bills were introduced in June 2019, when the present Lok Sabha was formed after the parliamentary polls, some were tabled as recently as August this year during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Private member bills are those introduced by MPs in their personal capacity. The aim of bringing a private bill is highlighting new laws that they think should be introduced or changes they believe are necessary in the existing statutes.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Friday, 713 such bills are pending in the Lower House.

These bills deal with issues such as bringing a uniform civil code, gender equality, climate change, agriculture, amendment to the existing criminal and electoral laws and tweaking constitutional provisions.

The second half of Fridays when Parliament is in session is reserved for the members to introduce or discuss private members' bills or resolutions in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

Once a debate on a private member's bill is over, the minister concerned responds and requests the member to withdraw it.

Rarely a private member's bill has been put to vote. -- PTI

Actor-turned politician Vijayashanthi on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of failing to initiate action against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao despite labelling him as "corrupt" and indicated that both the BRS and the saffron party are together.

Addressing reporters in Hyderabad, she said searches were conducted by central agencies such as ED on several leaders but not against Rao.

"We were expecting the Bharatiya Janata Party to act against Mr KCR, but it didn't... There are raids on so many leaders by ED, CBI. The BJP has taken action against other leaders and why can't it take action on KCR, the most corrupt person?" she asked.

Ahead of the Telangana assembly polls, former MP and veteran actress Vijayashanthi resigned from the BJP and rejoined Congress party on Friday in the presence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Kharge offered her a tricolour scarf and formally invited her to join the party.

The 57-year-old actor who left Congress and joined the saffron party in 2020 was not active in BJP's programmes in the recent times.

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15:18 Garud Commando ends life by shooting self on duty in Gujarat's Kutch

A 'Garud Commando' of the Indian Air Force (IAF) allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service pistol while on duty at the Air Force Station near Bhuj in Gujarat's Kutch district, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred in the early hours of November 16 when the deceased was posted on night duty, they said.

Preliminary probe revealed that the victim, identified as 23-year-old Yogeshkumar Mahato, ended his life apparently due to financial stress and some other personal reasons, sub inspector of Bhuj 'A' Division police station D J Thakor said.

"Mahato was a native of Jharkhand and serving in the Garud Commando Force unit of the IAF at Bhuj Airforce Station. We learnt that he was facing some financial issues and was also under stress due to the deteriorating health of his mother, who lives in Jharkhand," he said.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF tasked with the protection of critical air force bases and installations, search and rescue as well as counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations, among others.

As per the accidental death report registered by the police, Mahato shot himself in his head with his pistol in the early hours of November 16 when he was on night duty at the Bhuj Air Force Station.

After learning about Mahato's suicide bid, his senior officer, Mahendra Pratap Singh, brought him to GK General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead in the morning.

According to police, Singh told them that Mahato held the rank of an LAC or 'Leading Aircraftsman' and was part of the special forces unit of the IAF. -- PTI

English football legend David Beckham concluded his maiden trip to India, thanking superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Sonam Kapoor for their gracious hospitality.

The football superstar posted photos with Shah Rukh on Instagram after the 58-year-old actor invited him for a dinner party at his Mumbai residence, Mannat on Thursday.

Sonam and her husband, Anand Ahuja, had hosted a grand party in Beckham's honour at their house on Wednesday.

"Honoured to have been welcomed into this great man's home. To enjoy a meal with @iamsrk, @gaurikhan, their beautiful children and close friends - what a special way to end my first visit to India... Thank you my friend - you and your family are welcome any time in my home," Beckham wrote.

"@sonamkapoor and @anandahuja - you hosted me with such warmth and kindness this week, thank you for the amazing evening you created at your home - see you again soon," he added.

The 48-year-old former football player came to the country earlier this week as UNICEF's goodwill ambassador - a role which he took up in the year 2005.

Beckham first went to Gujarat as part of a UNICEF programme for child rights and gender equality, which is also the global theme for World Children's Day 2023.

On Wednesday, he watched the 2023 World Cup semifinal match between India and New Zealand alongside a bevy of Indian celebrities, including John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra.

The same day, the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend was the guest of honour at Sonam and Anand Ahuja's party which was also attended by Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Shahid Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar.

On Thursday, Beckham was clicked by paparazzi arriving at SRK's residence Mannat for dinner with the superstar.

Shah Rukh had later shared a photo with the former footballer on his Instagram, calling him an "absolute gentleman".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that he is delighted that legendary rockstar Mick Jagger enjoyed his stay in India and shared the title of one of his famous songs in a post on X.

"'You Can't Always Get What You Want', but India is a land brimming with seekers, offering solace and 'Satisfaction' to all. Delighted to know you found joy among the people and culture here. Do keep coming...," Modi said on the microblogging website.

In his post mixed with Hindi on X on Friday, Jagger shared a video of him singing and expressed his happiness at his stay in India.

"Thanks India. Got away from it all here! Away from routine work, I am very happy at coming to India," he had said.

Jagger was seen watching a World Cup cricket match recently. -- PTI

Cash worth Rs 40.18 crore, narcotic drugs valued at more than Rs 17 crore, liquor, jewellery and other items cumulatively worth over Rs 280 crore were seized in Madhya Pradesh since the model code of conduct for the state assembly polls came into force on October 9, a top official has said.

Polls to 230 assembly seats in the state were held on Friday, while the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3. A voter turnout of nearly 76 per cent was recorded.

Talking to reporters on Friday, state Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said continuous action was taken by the enforcement agencies across the state since the code of conduct came into force after the poll schedule was declared.

Illicit liquor, narcotic drugs, cash, precious metals, gold, silver, jewellery and other materials worth about Rs 339.95 crore have been seized by the joint team of Flying Surveillance Team (FST), Static Surveillance Team (SST) and police, he said.

"From October 9 to November 16, these joint teams seized Rs 40.18 crore cash, 34.68 lakh litres of illegal liquor worth Rs 65.56 crore, narcotic substances worth Rs 17.25 crore, gold, silver and other precious metals worth Rs 92.76 crore and other materials worth Rs 124.18 crore," Rajan said.

In the 2018 polls, in such action during the period when the model code of conduct was in place, cash and other items cumulatively worth Rs 72.93 crore were seized, officials pointed out. -- PTI

Australian dy PM Richard Marles

13:53 Australian dy PM to attend India-Aus WC final

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will pay a two-day visit to India beginning Sunday to attend the second edition of the "2+2" ministerial dialogue between the two countries.

Announcing Marles's visit, the defence ministry said he will also attend the Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is also visiting India to join the dialogue that will take place in Delhi on Monday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the talks.

The defence ministry made the announcement on Saturday about the visit of Marles to India. He is also serving as the Australian defence minister.

"Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles will visit India from November 19 to 20 to co-chair the second India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh," it said in a statement.

The ministry said Singh and Marles will hold a bilateral meeting on November 20 that would be followed by the "2+2" dialogue.

It said the "2+2" dialogue will be co-chaired by Singh and Jaishankar, along with their Australian counterparts.

"India and Australia are pursuing a comprehensive strategic partnership and the visit of Minister Marles is expected to give further impetus to the collaboration as well as bilateral defence cooperation," the defence ministry said.

"The two countries are expected to discuss wide-ranging issues of mutual interest during the 2+2 dialogue and the bilateral defence ministers' meeting," it added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lambasted the Congress government in Rajasthan, alleging the party sent the state to the top in the number crimes and riots by letting anti-social elements loose with its policy of appeasement.

Addressing a rally in Bharatpur, Modi taunted state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying the people have decided not to vote for the "jadugar" and that Congress will vanish from the state after the election. "3 December, Congress 'chhoo mantar.'"

Before he entered politics, Gehlot, the son of a professional magician, toured the country performing magic tricks.

Assembly polls are due to take place in Rajasthan on November 25 and counting of votes will be done on December 3.

"On the one hand, India is becoming a leader in the world. On the other hand, you all know what happened in Rajasthan in the last five years. Congress has made Rajasthan a leader in corruption, riots, and crimes. That's why Rajasthan is saying - Magician ji, you won't get any votes," Modi said.

He also accused the party of giving a free hand to criminal elements with its policy of appeasement.

"Wherever Congress comes, terrorists, criminals and rioters are let loose. Appeasement is everything for Congress. Congress can go to any extent for appeasement, even if it means putting your life at stake," Modi said.

He said that the state under Congress' five years' rule has seen a maximum number of crimes against women and Dalits. -- PTI

With cyclone Midhili weakening into a depression, Tripura and Mizoram, which were battered by heavy rain the previous day, did not experience showers on Saturday, officials said.

According to the latest IMD (India Meteorological Department) update, the cyclonic storm, after crossing the Bangladesh coast, weakened into a deep depression, and later into a depression, and lay 50 km east-southeast of Tripura's capital Agartala.

Skies remained clear in Mizoram, while overcast conditions prevailed in Tripura but neither of the northeastern states received any fresh rain since the early hours of Saturday. No damages have been reported so far.

Sundarbans area in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district received light showers on Friday but did not witness any fresh rainfall on Saturday. Fishermen, however, did not venture into deep seas as advised by the Met department.

"Deep depression (remnant of cyclonic storm Midhili) over Tripura & adjoining Bangladesh weakened into a depression and lay about 50 km east-southeast of Agartala and 160 km southwest of Silchar. To weaken into a WML (well-marked low pressure area) over south Assam and adjoining Mizoram-Tripura during next six hours," an IMD bulletin issued on Saturday morning said.

In view of the earlier IMD prediction of heavy rain, the Tripura government declared a holiday on Saturday for all government and private schools and anganwadi centres in the state.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, who is currently in Delhi, said in a Facebook post on Friday: "The meteorological department has predicted heavy rainfall with high velocity wind and lightning for two days i.e. Friday and Saturday due to cyclonic storm Midhili."

"The state administration is fully ready to meet any eventuality. Considering the gravity of the alert, all the government and private schools and anganwadi centres will remain closed on Saturday," he added.

In a special bulletin, the met department had said, "Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, an increase in rainfall activities accompanied with heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely to occur over Tripura during 17th and 18th November." -- PTI

Chris Cooper, a micro tunnelling expert arrived at the Silkyara tunnel incident site on Saturday to monitor the rescue operation.

Chris Cooper is a Chartered Engineer with an experienced track record for delivery of Major International key civil engineering infrastructure, Metro tunnels, Large Caverns, Dams, Railway, and Mining Projects.

Cooper who is also a consultant for the Rishikesh Karnprayag rail project has reached the site to monitor the rescue operation of 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel for six days now.

Speaking to ANI, Cooper said "I don't have any information as of now. I reached here last night only."

The heavy-duty drilling machine from Indore has also reached the Silkyara tunnel site.

Bhaskar Khulbe, former Advisor, PMO and Mangesh Ghildiyal, Deputy Secretary PMO also arrived at Silkyara tunnel on Saturday to monitor the situation.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday is also holding a meeting with senior officials to review the relief and rescue operations that occurred in the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road.

The ongoing drilling work to reach the 40 trapped workers inside the Silkyara tunnel was halted on Saturday after the rescuers bored 25 metres into the rubble. -- ANI

In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, the high court of Karnataka has allowed a candidate appearing for the Civil Judge mains exams to write the test in her hometown of Mangaluru as she was 8.5 months pregnant and was unable to travel to Bengaluru.

The HC issued notification for conducting the exams for recruitment of 57 Judges in March this year. The preliminary exams were held on July 23, 2023. Of the over 6,000 candidates, 1,022 were selected for the mains exam scheduled on Saturday and Sunday in Bengaluru.

Nethravathi, an advocate from Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada district, had qualified for the mains exam. She submitted a requisition to the HC to allow her to write the exam in the district itself as she was unable to travel to Bengaluru having delicate health conditions being pregnant.

The HC Committee for Direct Recruitment of Civil Judges comprising Justice P S Dinesh Kumar, Justice K Somashekar, Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav, Justice Ashok S Kinagi and Justice M Nagaprasanna, after considering her application, allowed her to write the exam in Dakshina Kannada district itself. Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale has approved the decision of the Committee.

Following a direction by the Committee and the Chief Justice, the Registrar of the HC has deputed a lady judicial officer to conduct the exam for the lone candidate at the District Court in Mangaluru. -- PTI

Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has lent her support to an extreme abortion ban at six weeks after conception when many women don't yet know they are pregnant, drawing a strong reaction from the Biden-Harris campaign which called her an anti-abortion extremist.

"If you were governor of South Carolina and that came to your desk, would you sign the heartbeat bill?" Haley was asked on Friday.

"Yes," Haely, who is contesting for the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 US presidential election, replied.

A six-week abortion ban, also called a "fetal heartbeat bill" by proponents, is a law in the United States which makes abortion illegal as early as six weeks gestational age.

The Biden-Harris campaign on Friday slammed Haley, 51, for lending support for extreme abortion bans.

"Nikki Haley is no moderate she's an anti-abortion MAGA (Make America Great Again) extremist who wants to rip away women's freedoms just like she did when she was South Carolina governor," Biden-Harris 2024 Rapid Response director Ammar Moussa said in a statement.

Make America Great Again is a political slogan which was popularised by Donald Trump during his successful 2016 presidential campaign.

"Now Haley is promising to bring that same fear, anxiety, and dread she forced on South Carolina women to every woman in the country," he said.

"Whether it's Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, or any other MAGA extremist the entire field is running on a dangerous anti-freedom agenda that the American people have made clear they do not want," Moussa said. -- PTI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday moved a resolution in the state assembly to take up for reconsideration, 10 bills passed earlier by the House and returned by State Governor R N Ravi.

Stalin, moving the resolution, said without giving any reasons, Ravi had returned the Bills, mentioning "I withhold Assent" to them.

While two bills each were adopted by the House in 2020 and 2023, six others were passed last year.

He said the House takes note that under the proviso to Article 200 of the Constitution of India, if the above said Bills are passed again and presented to the Governor for assent, he "shall not withhold assent therefrom."

"This House resolves that under rule 143 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly rules the following Bills may be reconsidered by this Assembly," the resolution moved by Stalin said.

The CM also made a stinging attack on Ravi, alleging the Governor was keen to block the government's initiatives.

"He returned the Bills due to his personal whims and fancies...it is undemocratic and anti-people to not give assent" to them, the CM said.

He alleged that non-BJP ruled states were being targeted through Governors, apparently by the Centre. -- PTI

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10:50 Woman beaten up for wearing fashionable bangles

Police have registered an offence against a man and his two relatives at Digha in Navi Mumbai for allegedly beating up his wife as they were against her wearing fashionable bangles, an official said on Saturday.

The Rabale MIDC police filed the case based on a complaint lodged by the 23-year-old woman, he said.

As per the complaint, the victim's husband Pradeep Arkade (30) was against her wearing fashionable bangles and argued with her over the issue.

On November 13, during an argument with her, the woman's 50-year-old mother-in-law pulled her by the hair and slapped her several times. Her husband thrashed her with a belt, while his female relative also joined in and pushed her to the ground before beating her up, it said.

"After the incident, the victim went to her parents' house in Pune and lodged a complaint there. The case was then transferred to Navi Mumbai for a probe," he said.

The case against them was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 34 (common intention), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), the police said. -- PTI

10:01 Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue ops halted

The operation to rescue 40 workers trapped inside an under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi came to a halt 'due to failure of an equipment'.

The rescue operations were "halted due to failure of an equipment" which was earlier utilised to create a passage, New agency PTI reported quoting a source.

Sources in the IAF shared some of the challenges that were faced by the force on November 15 when it was pressed into action to assist in rescue operations undergoing near Uttarkashi in the hill state.

Anshu Manish Khulko, Director of the tunnel-making company NHIDCL, also told ANI that at present the drilling work in the tunnel has stopped.

When asked whether the drilling work had stopped due to a machine breakdown, Khulko, however, said that there is no fault in the machine.

The round-the-clock rescue work is being carried out by 165 personnel from multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organisation and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to release the BJP's manifesto for upcoming Telangana assembly polls during his visit to the state on Saturday.

After launching the manifesto, Shah will address poll rallies in Gadwal, Nalgonda and Warangal.

"Amit Shah will release the manifesto at 10 AM before leaving for the rallies," party sources said.

The BJP is expected to step up its campaign for the November 30 polls with several union ministers participating in the rallies in the coming days.

Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy had earlier said the state unit had requested the party high command to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four rallies in the state in the run up to the polls and is awaiting the response.

The ruling BRS and Congress have already released their poll manifesto. -- PTI

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is also the Rector of the Visva-Bharati, on Friday sought a report from the university on installing new plaques with founder Rabindranath Tagore's name on it, as directed by the Centre.

Bose also decided to rename the North Gate of Raj Bhavan as 'Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate'.

A controversy was created after plaques announcing that Santiniketan was a UNESCO World Heritage Site were installed last month. The plaques bear the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ex-officio Chancellor, and Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, but not that of Rabindranath Tagore who had founded the university in 1921, leading to demands for removing them from various quarters.

A week after Chakraborty retired as the Vice-Chancellor on November 8, the Ministry of Education directed the university to remove the plaques and replace them with ones having the Nobel laureate poet's name.

"The Governor in in his capacity as the Rector of Visva-Bharati called for a report from the university's officiating vice chancellor on the proposed action to pay befitting homage to Rabindranath Tagore on the new plaque," the official said.

"The Governor has decided to rename its North Gate as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate," he added.

Raj Bhavan in Kolkata has been granted the status of national heritage.

Santiniketan, where Tagore built Visva-Bharati over a century ago, was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in September.

The controversial plaques were then set up at several places on the sprawling Santiniketan campus of the university. -- PTI

Sam Altman

08:57 ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman sacked, co-founder quits

OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT a year ago, said Friday it had dismissed CEO Sam Altman as it no longer had confidence in his ability to lead the Microsoft-backed firm.

Altman, 38, became a tech world sensation with the release of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot with unprecedented capabilities, churning out human-level content like poems or artwork in just seconds.

OpenAI's board said in a statement that Altman's departure "follows a deliberative review process," which concluded "he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities."

"The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI," it added.

It has appointed Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, to an interim CEO role effective immediately.

Hours after Altman's sacking, Greg Brockman announced his resignation as president and co-founder of OpenAI.

"Im super proud of what we've all built together since starting in my apartment 8 years ago," Brockman wrote in a post on the social media site X.

"Weve been through tough & great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible. But based on today's news, I quit."

"Genuinely wishing you all nothing but the best," Brockman wrote in his post. "I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe (artificial general intelligence) that benefits all of humanity."

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01:04 Road rage turns ugly in Delhi, car driver bites off portion of man's finger

In a road rage incident, a man allegedly bit and dismembered the portion of a finger of a 56-year-old person in the Khayala area of west Delhi, the police said on Friday.

The police have registered an FIR against the accused and started probing the matter, they added.

In his police complaint, the victim Rajesh said that the incident took place around 11.40 am on Wednesday after he dropped his wife near Keshopur Mandi on his motorbike and was returning home.

When a car hit his leg from behind, Rajesh asked the accused to drive properly.

The driver, however, started arguing with him and even thrashed him, the complaint said.

"When I tried to save myself, the man bit my left hand's index finger and dismembered its upper portion," Rajesh said in his complaint lodged at Khayala police station.

The accused, later identified as Umang Taneja, was trying to flee the spot, but the passersby overpowered him and called the police, Rajesh added.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, a senior police officer said.

An FIR has been registered against Taneja under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code, the officer added. -- PTI

The naked bodies of a couple from Russia were found at a small pond near the holy town of Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, the police said on Friday.

The bodies found on Thursday bore some injury marks.

The police said it appeared to be a case of suicide as the bodies were found 50 metres down the road and it was not possible to take someone forcibly to this spot as the terrain was difficult.

However, it did not rule out the possibility of murder.

The police said the man and the woman could not be immediately identified as the faces were swollen and later police checked the hotels, homestays and other accommodations to collect details about the deceased.

Naked bodies of the woman and the man were found inside a kund (hot spring pool) and outside the pool, respectively in Tagri on the banks of the Parvati river, about two kilometers from Manikaran on Thursday.

The deceased man and woman identified as Maksim Beletskii (37) and Anna Rantseva (21) were staying in a guest house since October 14 and according to the owner of the property, they rarely switched on the lights and used to light candles, ASP Sanjeev Chauhan said.

The man bore cut marks on his hand and neck, while the woman had injury marks on her hand.

Their injuries were not fatal and the cause of death is yet to be ascertained, he said. -- PTI

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00:17 Israel distributes arms to civilian security near Gaza

Israeli authorities said they have completed the distribution of hundreds of weapons to civilian standby security units in Sderot and other communities near the Gaza Strip.

The defence ministry and Israel defence forces announced that they are now preparing to distribute hundreds of additional weapons and personal protective equipment, such as vests and helmets.

Distribution will begin "in the coming days," according to the announcement. --ANI/TPS

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