A group of supporters purportedly waved Palestine flag and launched a 'Free Palestine' campaign on the sidelines of the Pakistan vs Bangladesh World Cup match at Eden Gardens here on Tuesday.

   

In a video and photograph that went viral on social media, three people were seen flashing the Palestine flag by climbing on a dais.

There has been no official word from the ICC, but according to reports the local authorities have detained four persons in connection with the incident.

It's not clear whether the supporters were from Bangladesh or India. Thousands of Bangladeshi fans had travelled to the city to watch the match.

The nationalities of the detained persons are not known.

The match witnessed an official attendance of 27,940 in the 67,000-capacity Eden Gardens. Bangladesh endured a second straight defeat at Eden Gardens to be knocked out of the World Cup.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh were bundled out for 204 in 45.1 before Pakistan cruised to a seven-wicket win.

The incident has come to light in the wake of Israel's offensive on Gaza strip following Hamas' attack on Israel. -- PTI  

Swain, a 1991-batch IPS officer, assumed the post of upon the retirement of Dilbag Singh, who was the longest serving DGP of Jammu and Kashmir.

He remained posted at various important and key positions in Jammu and Kashmir police.

At a function held at the police headquarters in Srinagar, Swain was received by senior officers. He also inspected a guard of honour.

Top officers including special DG Crime A K Choudhary, ADGsP SJM Gillani, M K Sinha and Vijay Kumar were among those present, a police official said.

In November 2006, Swain was sent on central deputation where he held prestigious posts. In June 2020, he joined Jammu & Kashmir police as head of the CID wing.

Immediately after taking over as DGP, Swain chaired a meeting which was attended by senior officers of the PHQ and other wings. The heads of departments of different wings and senior officers briefed the DGP about the working of their wings and offices. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre on former JNU student Umar Khalid's plea challenging various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi also said it would hear similar petitions on the issue on November 22.

The top court said it would also hear Khalid's plea seeking bail in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020 on the same date.

"Let them all be taken together," the bench said.

Supreme Court judge Prashant Kumar Mishra had on August 9 recused himself from hearing Khalid's plea.

Khalid's petition challenging the October 18, 2022 order of the Delhi High Court, which had rejected his bail plea in the matter, had come up for hearing before a bench of justices A S Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra.

The high court had rejected Khalid's bail plea, saying he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true.

The high court had also said the actions of the accused prima facie qualified as "terrorist act" under the UAPA.

Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under the UAPA and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). -- PTI

The three were part of additional forces sent as reinforcement to Moreh town for operations following the killing of Moreh SDPO Chingtham Anand by militants at the border town earlier in the day.

The injured were later safely evacuated to Imphal for treatment where the condition of one of them is serious, officials said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of locals and those sheltered in relief camps took out a rally at Singjamei in Imphal West district in protest against the killing of Chingtham.

In another development, a joint action committee formed in protest against the killing of Chingtham has decided not to take his body till the culprits are arrested.

Earlier in the day, Chingtham's body was brought to Imphal in a chopper and post-mortem was conducted at Jawaharalal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences. 

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he is fighting for the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, and it is not necessary that "I have to go to the assembly" to wage this struggle.

Speaking to reporters in the Tangdhar area of Kupwara, he said there are  other platforms outside the assembly to fight for the rights of the people.

"I have said this before that I will not go to the UT's assembly," he said, when asked about his earlier remarks that he would not contest the assembly polls as long as J-K was a union territory.

"So, I have not said something new. I stand by my word. I am fighting for statehood, article 370, pride and dignity of the people, and for such a fight, it is not necessary that I have to go to the assembly. I can fight from outside the assembly. There are many platforms where I can fight such a fight," he said.

Among other issues, he called for a probe into the claims by several opposition leaders that they received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones. 

Abdullah said Israeli software Pegasus had been used in the country before as well to snoop on people.

"The (latest) allegations did not come from the MPs. They have received a warning from Apple, which has told them that attempts were being made illegally by state actors to infiltrate their phones. There should be an investigation into it because before also, Israeli software Pegasus has been sold to this country and it was used in this country to snoop on people," he said.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said Apple should share all the details "and after investigation, all the facts be brought before the public". -- PTI  

Electoral bonds generated donations worth over Rs 9,188 crore for all political parties put together till 2021-22, of which the BJP alone accounted for over 57 per cent as against 10 per cent for the Congress, according to ADR data.

 

Between 2016-17 and 2021-22, the last year for which the data is available, seven national parties and 24 regional parties received a total donation of Rs 9,188.35 crore through electoral bonds.

Of this, the BJP received Rs 5,272 crore and the Congress received Rs 952 crore, while the rest went to other parties.

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the electoral bond scheme for political funding of parties.

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), national parties experienced a significant surge in electoral bond donations, witnessing a 743 per cent increase between FY 2017-18 and FY 2021-22.

In contrast, corporate donations to national parties increased by only 48 per cent during the same period, it had said.

State parties also received a substantial proportion of their donations through electoral bonds.

The electoral bonds scheme was introduced in 2017 by way of a Finance Bill and was implemented in 2018.

It serves as a means for individuals and entities to make donations to registered political parties while maintaining donor anonymity. -- PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday claimed there are apprehensions that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will arrest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 2 after questioning him in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

The ruling party in Delhi also alleged that the BJP was trying to finish it off by putting its top leaders behind bars.

Kejriwal has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and according to sources, the ED will record his statement once he deposes at the probe agency's Delhi office at 11 am on November 2.

This is the first time that Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED. He was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case in April. 

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi claimed the BJP was using these tactics to target the AAP as it knows that it cannot defeat Kejriwal in elections.

"According to various sources, the ED will also arrest Arvind Kejriwal and put him in jail on November 2. Today, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi want to eliminate the Aam Aadmi Party. This is why, one after another, AAP leaders are being arrested in false cases and sent to jail," she said.

Atishi said Kejriwal will be arrested not because there is any case or evidence against him but because he has spoken out against the BJP.

"He will be arrested only because Prime Minister Modi is afraid of him. They know that if there is one leader in this country who openly speaks against the BJP and fights against the party, it is Arvind Kejriwal. Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, he has been most troubled by one person and that is Arvind Kejriwal," she said.

In 2015, the BJP had been winning one state election after another but Kejriwal managed to confine the BJP to just three seats in Delhi, while the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats, she said.

In 2020 again, Atishi said, the BJP put all its efforts into the Delhi elections, fielding its leaders and creating a charged atmosphere across the country.

"However, the people of Delhi showed their love for their son Arvind Kejriwal and made him the chief minister of Delhi once more.

"When the MCD elections came, the BJP knew that the people of Delhi would elect Arvind Kejriwal and throw the BJP out of the MCD. They delayed the MCD elections, imposed restrictions and conducted elections along with the Gujarat elections. However, despite all this, the people of Delhi still elected Arvind Kejriwal in the MCD elections," she said.

Referring to the arrest of the AAP's top leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain, Atishi claimed it only means that the BJP wants to "finish off the AAP".

Jain has been granted interim bail in a money laundering case.

"After Kejriwal is arrested, the BJP will target other leaders of the INDIA alliance and its chief ministers using the CBI and the ED.

"Next they will target Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren since they have been unable to defeat him. Then they will target Tejashwi Yadav since they have not been able to break the alliance in Bihar. Then Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will be targeted," Atishi claimed. -- PTI

Actor Neha Dhupia on Tuesday paid homage to her father-in-law and former India cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi, saying the family is trying to get "some life into the numbness" after his demise last week.

Bedi, regarded as the country's greatest ever left-arm spinner, died on October 23 after prolonged illness. He was 77.

Neha, who is married to the cricket veteran's actor-son Angad, shared a series of family pictures with Bedi on her official Instagram account.

"We hold on to everything you gave us the morals the memories, the love the laughs the lessons, the strength and the sweetness we have you in our heads and hearts forever as we inch back n try and get some life into the numbness we feel right now Love you Dad (sic)" she wrote in the caption of the post.

Recently, Angad won the International Masters 2023 Athletics Championship in Dubai and dedicated the gold medal to his late father.

Born in Amritsar in 1946, Bedi played 67 Tests for India and took 266 wickets with 14 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul. -- PTI

A policeman was shot dead by terrorists on Tuesday in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. 

 

Head Constable Ghulam Mohammad Dar was shot at by the terrorists outside his residence at Kralpora in Pattan area of the district, the officials said.

They said Dar was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

This is the third such terrorist attack in as many days in Kashmir valley. 

While a police officer was critically injured in firing by terrorists on Sunday in Srinagar, a labourer from Uttar Pradesh was shot dead in Pulwama district the next day. -- PTI

While polling will be held in two phases in Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, voting will take place in Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana on November 7, November 17, November 25 and November 30 respectively. 

Citing provisions of the electoral law, the EC noted that "any person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both". 

It notified the period between 7 am on November 7, 2023 (Tuesday) and 6.30 pm on November 30, 2023 (Thursday) as the period during which conducting and publishing or publicising exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner whatsoever, the result of any exit poll in connection with the five elections and assembly by election in Nagaland, shall be prohibited.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss the situation in the state amid the intensified Maratha quota agitation which took a violent turn in some parts of the state. 

  

Shinde will apprise opposition leaders of the government's plans to handle the situation and seek their support, said an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

While quota activist Manoj Jarange's indefinite fast has entered the 7th day, incidents of violence were witnessed in many parts of the state in the last two days.

State-run bus services have been completely suspended in five Marathwada districts while curfew and Internet shut-down have been imposed in parts of Beed where the houses of political leaders were targeted by protesters.

The CM has appealed to people not to resort to violence and also asked political parties to avoid indulging in any activities that would worsen the situation. -- PTI

Conspiracies and terror threats have not ended in Jammu and Kashmir, and this is the time to safeguard peace, the Union territory's outgoing police chief Dilbag Singh said Tuesday. 

 

In his farewell speech at a function in Zewan, he said the security forces have been successful in achieving peace in the Union territory to a large extent.   

"We have been successful to a large extent in achieving peace. But it is not enough. What is needed is that peace should be maintained. This is the time to safeguard peace. The conspiracies have not ended and terror threats have not stopped. We have to remain alert and work together," he told officers and personnel of the police, army, and central paramilitary forces.

Singh, a 1987-batch IPS officer, was appointed as an interim DGP in September 2018 but was made the full-time police chief a month later. He is being replaced by the special director general of police R R Swain. 

Singh, who was presented with a guard of honour, said, "When I was assigned the post of the DGP, I felt there were more capable persons than me. But I thank God for getting this opportunity to lead the brave force and its officers," he said, adding the force has witnessed many phases from unrest to terror but has prevailed. 

He said his five-year tenure as the police chief began when the atmosphere in the erstwhile state was disappointing. 

Referring to slain militant commanders Riyaz Naikoo, Zakir Musa, and Burhan Wani, as well as late separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mohammad Sehrai, Singh said JK police through its bravery improved the atmosphere. 

There was a time when SPOs were announcing resignations as (militant) commanders were threatening them to leave their jobs, he said. 

"But JK Police ended that era of disappointment and made way for the return of those hundreds of SPOs. Police with bravery wiped those elements inimical to the peace and to the people," he added. -- PTI 

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared drought in 40 talukas hit by scanty rainfall.

 

The government would urgently seek necessary assistance from the Centre even as the Relief and Rehabilitation Department has been directed to quickly decide on the appropriate relief for the affected areas. 

The decision to declare drought was taken at the state cabinet meeting based on the information provided by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department on the situation regarding the crop water situation. 

"Due to scanty rainfall, drought has been declared in 40 talukas during the Kharif season by the state cabinet today. Accordingly, necessary assistance will be urgently requested from the Centre in view of the drought situation," a statement said. 

The Drought Management Code of 2016 was taken into consideration, which included mandatory indicators and impact indicators.

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have also instructed the Relief and Rehabilitation Department's sub-committee to quickly decide on the appropriate relief for the affected talukas," as per the statement.

Maharashtra received 13.4 per cent less rainfall this year, and the Rabi sowing is also delayed. So far, only 12 per cent of the sowing has been done, it said.

The government has also decided to provide assistance up to three hectares (of land) instead of two hectares to the victims of natural disasters as per the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms. -- PTI

Members of the Maratha community have been staging protests in different parts of the state seeking reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

"A group of protesters blocked the road at Navale bridge on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway this afternoon, shouted slogans and set seven to eight tyres on fire," an official from Sinhgad Road police station said.

The movement of vehicles was initially stopped in both lanes and was partially restored later, he said.

The police, meanwhile, have beefed up security outside the houses and offices of politicians belonging to the Maratha community in Pune.

"We have increased security outside the houses and offices of political leaders belonging to the Maratha community," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Raja Ramaswami said. 

Several organisations held agitations in support of the Maratha quota in different parts of the city. 

The Maratha quota agitation has turned violent at several places in the state with protesters vandalising the houses of politicians from the ruling parties in different parts of the state. 

A curfew has been imposed in Dharashiv district and parts of Beed district after large-scale violence and arson. 

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has been continuing his indefinite fast in support of the reservation demand at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday rejected as "baseless and false" opposition leaders' allegations against the government following Apple's alert of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones, and said it is for the mobile company to explain the issue.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed the opposition for targeting the government without taking up the matter with Apple and dared its leaders, who have received it, to file a criminal case (FIR).

Attacking opposition leaders, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya noted the company's statement and said Rahul Gandhi made a "complete joke" of himself on the issue.

Gandhi earlier claimed people in his office, several party and opposition leaders, some of whom posted the message on X, have been sent a warning by Apple of "state-sponsored attackers" targeting their phones and alleged that snooping and probe agencies are deployed to distract public attention as soon as the Adani issue is raised.

Asked about the opposition leaders' charge, Prasad shot back, "It is for Apple to clarify. They should file an FIR if they have any problems. Who is stopping them?"

He recalled the controversy over the alleged use of Pegasus malware to hack into the phones of certain people, including opposition leaders, and said Gandhi had refused to deposit his iPhone before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the matter.

Malviya noted that Apple issued a statement within minutes of Gandhi making a complete joke of himself.

"What is it that drives him to champion foreign agencies' sponsored stories? Soros? Last time too he didn't submit his phone for investigation. Why waste national time by making frivolous allegations," he said.

"Life of an 'issueless' Opposition in India: wake up and outrage over something frivolous, roll in Rahul Gandhi and assorted voices in the ranks to wail, only to find that the issue is dead by noon," he said.

After some of the most vocal critics of the government said they received warnings that attempts have been made by state-sponsored attackers to steal information from their iPhones, its manufacturer Apple Inc in a statement said it is possible that some threat notifications may be false alarms and some attacks may not be detected.

"Apple does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker," the firm said and added that state-sponsored attackers are "very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time".

After TMC MP Mahua Moitra launched yet another attack on the government and the Adani Group after she received the alert, her bete noire and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey hit back.

"Is the government of India left with no work now? This crocodile tears of the MP accused of mortgaging national security for some money forces me to laugh," he said on X. A Lok Sabha committee is probing Dubey's 'cash-for-query' allegations against Moitra. -- PTI

While no FIR has been launched in the case, local police personnel had rushed to the society in Sector 108 to probe the matter on Monday night.

A purported footage of the incident that took place around 9 pm also surfaced on social media, showing the two sides engaging in an argument, and the retired bureaucrat being assaulted.

"A woman resident of the society and her minor daughter along with their pet dog were inside the lift. When the lift reached the ground floor, and an elderly couple, including a former IAS officer, wanted to get in but he objected to the pet dog being in the same lift," a police officer said.        

"An argument broke out between the two sides, and then the woman tried to snatch the retired IAS officer's phone. Reacting to it, the man raised his hand at the woman," the officer said.

The woman asked the daughter to call her father who shortly arrived at the spot, and started beating the ex-IAS officer, police said. A private security official of the society rushed to the site, and saved the elderly officer even as some more people arrived near the lift, according to the police.          

Officials of the local Sector 39 police station said they reached the society after being alerted, and the matter was resolved with both parties reaching a compromise.

"Both the sides have decided not to take any legal action against each other, and have given a written submission for their decision," the officer added.

Negating the notion of "you do not switch (leadership) during war", several leading Israeli tech company leaders have called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ouster as soon as possible "to cut down losses".

Dan Adika, the CEO and Co-Founder of tech firm WalkMe, on Tuesday joined Amnon Shashua, the founder of self-driving auto technologies firm Mobileye, in calling for Netanyahu to step down following his government's failures after the unprecedented attack by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7.

Several other tech leaders also harshly criticised the prime minister for refusing to accept responsibility.

"Netanyahu needs to go as soon as possible, despite the idea that you don't switch [leaders] during a war' and we shouldn't talk about this now'," Adika told Israeli business newspaper Calclalist, accusing the government of failing to operate in the wake of the deadly assault.

"He's not fit to lead and needs to go," the tech leader said.

Several security chiefs have accepted responsibility for the massive failure, but Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who has been at the helm of affairs since 2009 except for a brief 13-month gap, has desisted from taking any blame for it.

More than 1,400 Israelis were killed and around 230 were taken hostage when Hamas carried out a dastardly attack infiltrating several communities in the south of Israel.

Shashua, who heads the self-driving car company Mobileye, earlier this week called for the Premier's ouster, saying that his government was guilty of "failures, dissonance and incompetence".

"We must cut our losses and do it quickly. The only solution to the current situation in Israel is to replace the government, and it needs to happen immediately," Shashua wrote in an op-ed in the Calcalist.

Adika and the other CEOs, including Joel Bar-El of Trax and Oz Alon of Honeybook, were particularly outraged by a tweet posted by Netanyahu last week blaming the country's security apparatus for failing to see the attacks coming.

The Israeli Prime Minister later removed the tweet on social media platform X following sharp reactions from leaders within his coalition and opposition alike with a rare apology.

"As CEO, the responsibility is always on me, I can't blame managers below me. The Prime Minister is the CEO and the disaster occurred on his watch," Tom Livne, head of Verbit, told the business daily. -- PTI

A day after pro-Maratha quota protesters targeted the homes or offices of some politicians in parts of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, the police on Tuesday stepped up security at the Mantralaya, the residences of chief minister, ministers and other politicians as well as the offices of political parties here and elsewhere in the state, officials said.

On Monday, angry protesters torched, vandalised the houses or offices of three MLAs - two of the NCP and one of the BJP - targeted a municipal council building. Most of the violent incidents and arson took place in Beed district. A group of people also set ablaze a panchayat samiti office at Ghansawangi in Jalna on Monday night. 

Pro-Maratha quota protesters on Tuesday blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway in Pune city and burnt tyres to press for the reservation demand. 

The authorities imposed a curfew in parts of Beed district on Monday evening and also in Dharashiv district. 

"In view of the incidents of violence at a few places in the state, the Mumbai police have put in place heavy deployment of its personnel outside the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai, as a cabinet meeting was scheduled during the day," an official said.

Police personnel were also deployed outside all the important locations in south Mumbai, he said, adding that the department was on alert mode.

Heavy security has been put in place outside the personal residence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Louis Wadi in Thane, police officials said. 

The security outside the official residences of the chief minister, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, ministers Chandrakant Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Dada Bhuse and other leaders including Ambadas Danve and Ashok Chavan, in Mumbai has also been tightened, they said. 

In other parts of the state as well, security has been stepped up outside the residences of politicians, they added. -- PTI

Naidu, who spent 53 days in the jail, walked out at 4.20 pm to a rousing reception by his family, party leaders and supporters. 

The former CM met Hindupur MLA and brother-in-law N Balakrishna, his daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani and hugged TDP state president K Atchen Naidu. 

Several party supporters waved TDP flags and welcomed Naidu outside the prison. 

Scores of TDP leaders and supporters burst into celebrations across the state on the release of their leader. 

Following his release, the former CM is expected to reach his Andhra Pradesh residence at Undavalli in Guntur district by 9:20 pm.

Above-normal minimum temperatures are expected in most parts of India in November, barring some areas in the northwest and west-central regions, amid strengthening El Nino conditions, the IMD said on Tuesday.

 

At a press conference, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said rainfall over the country as a whole in November is most likely to be normal -- 77-123 per cent of the long-period average.

Above-normal rainfall is likely over some areas of the southernmost parts of peninsular India, most parts of northwest India, and many parts of east-central, east and northeast India, he said.

EI Nino conditions are prevailing over the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean. The latest global forecasts indicate that the El Nino conditions are likely to continue during the season and positive IOD conditions are likely to weaken during the coming months, the IMD said.

Mohapatra, however, said models suggest that El Nino conditions are unlikely to continue into the next monsoon season.

El Nino conditions -- the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America -- are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India.

Indian Ocean Dipole is defined as the difference in the sea surface temperatures between the western parts of the Indian Ocean near Africa and the eastern parts of the ocean near Indonesia. -- PTI 

Security at the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur has been beefed up following the blasts in Kerala, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

  

Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar held a meeting of top officials on Monday evening and directed them to tighten the security at sensitive locations in the city including the RSS headquarters in Mahal area, he said. 

Three people were killed and several injured in the blasts at a prayer meeting of Jehovah's witnesses in Kalamassery near Kochi on Sunday. -- PTI 

 The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 237.72 points or 0.37 per cent to settle at 63,874.93. During the day, it fell 300.12 points or 0.46 per cent to 63,812.53. The Nifty dipped 61.30 points or 0.32 per cent to 19,079.60.

Among the Sensex firms, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank were among the major laggards. Titan, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Asian Paints, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, NTPC, Nestle and Power Grid were the major gainers. -- PTI

 In a post on X (formerly Twitter), IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government takes its role of protecting the privacy and security of all citizens very seriously and "will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications". 

 "In light of such information and widespread speculation, we have also asked Apple to join the investigation with real, accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks," the minister said in his post. The probe will be conducted by Cert-In, he said. 

 In a briefing in Bhopal, Vaishnaw took on the Opposition, saying compulsive critics were indulging in "distraction politics" as they could not tolerate the country's progress under the Prime Minister's leadership. The minister pointed out that Apple had issued such an advisory in 150 countries. 

 In his post, Vaishnaw said Apple has also claimed that Apple IDs are securely encrypted on devices, making it extremely difficult to access or identify them without the user's explicit permission. This encryption, he said, safeguards the user's Apple ID and ensures that it remains private and protected. 

"We are concerned by the statements we have seen in media from some MPs as well as others about a notification received by them from Apple. The notification received by them, as per media reports, mentions about 'state-sponsored attacks' on their devices. However, much of the information by Apple on this issue seems vague and non-specific in nature," the minister noted. 

 Vaishnaw said that according to Apple, these notifications may be based on information which is 'incomplete or imperfect'. The minister further said that Apple's statement has indicated "that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms or some attacks are not detected". Several Opposition leaders on Tuesday claimed they had received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and posted purported screenshots of the message on their X handles. 

 Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the message from Apple on X. CPI(M)general secretary Sitaram Yechury also received a similar message, sources in the party said.

The Congress last week released its second list of 43 candidates for the November 25 Rajasthan assembly elections, fielding 35 sitting MLAs, including 15 state ministers, and former chief secretary Niranjan Arya.

 The aviation regulator issued revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) for procedure for medical examination of aircraft personnel for alcohol consumption. 

 Under revised guidelines operators other than the scheduled operators, each flight crew and cabin crew of all flights originating from India shall be subjected to a pre-flight breath-analyzer examination at the first departure airport during a flight duty period. However, where infrastructure does not exist, the flight crew and cabin crew shall undergo post-flight breath-analyzer examination. 

In case the flight crew and cabin crew are away from the base station for more than two days and operate a flight from there, the operator shall provide a facility for the conduct of their pre-flight breath-analyzer examination.

 "No crew member shall consume any drug/formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/tooth gel or any such product which has alcoholic content. This may result in a positive breath analyser test. Any crew member who is undergoing such medication shall consult the company doctor before undertaking flying assignment," it read. 

 Further, operators shall make available at least two serviceable breath-analyzer equipment fuel cell technology based, capable of giving accurate digital value up to three decimal places with a memory to store and recall at least the last 1000 records, reads the revised guidelines.-- ANI

 She also urged Birla to summon the Union Home Ministry officials over the issue. In a post on X, Moitra said, "Writing officially to @loksabhaspeaker @ombirlakota requesting he follow RajDharma to protect Opposition MPs & summon @HMOIndia officials ASAP on our phones/email being hacked. Privileges Committee needs to take this up. @AshwiniVaishnaw this is a real breach you need to worry about." 

 She also compared the situation to the Emergency period experienced by the country in 1975. Besides Moitra, several other opposition leaders such as Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera reported receiving messages from Apple on Tuesday, cautioning them about "state-sponsored attackers attempting remote compromises" on their iPhones. 

 They subsequently shared screenshots of these warnings on their social media platforms. When contacted by PTI, Apple did not issue an immediate response regarding the matter. PTI

At least four Opposition leaders today claimed to have received messages from Apple warning them of "State-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and posted the purported screenshots on their X handles.

iPhone-maker Apple Inc on Tuesday said it does not attribute threat notifications, such as the ones received by some MPs belonging to Opposition parties, to any specific state-sponsored attackers and that it cannot provide information on what causes such warnings.

After some of the most vocal critics of the government said they received warnings that attempts have been made by state-sponsored attackers to steal information from their iPhones, Apple in a statement stated it is possible that some threat notifications may be false alarms and some attacks may not be detected.

"Apple does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker," the firm said.

State-sponsored attackers, it said, are 'very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time'.

'Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete. It's possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected,' it said.

It, however, refused to say what triggered warnings received by MPs, such as Mahua Moitra of TMC.

'We are unable to provide information about what causes us to issue threat notifications, as that may help state-sponsored attackers adapt their behaviour to evade detection in the future,' Apple said.

Meanwhile, sources privy to the development said Apple has sent threat notifications to individuals whose accounts are in nearly 150 countries. 

Several opposition leaders on Tuesday claimed they had received an alert from Apple warning them of 'state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise' their iPhones and posted purported screenshots of the message on their X handles.

Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the message from Apple on X.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury also received a similar message, sources in the party said.   -- PTI

 Party leader and former Union IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that instead of levelling allegations against the government, these leaders should take up the matter with Apple and file FIRs. 

 He, however, cited his experience to claim that no telephone company does something like this and goes to CERT-In, an emergency response team, first to look into the matter. Asked about the opposition leaders' charge, Prasad shot back, "It is for Apple to clarify. They should file an FIR if they have any problem. Who is stopping them?" 

 He recalled the controversy over the alleged use of Pegasus malware to hack into the phones of certain people, including opposition leaders, and said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had refused to deposit his iPhone before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the matter.

 Several opposition leaders on Tuesday claimed they had received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and posted purported screenshots of the message on their X handles. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra, Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the message from Apple on X. -- PTI

 The denial of tickets has prompted some key leaders, including former ministers to bid adieu to the grand old party, only to be quickly welcomed by the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS). In the ruling saddle since 2014, BRS is eyeing a hattrick of electoral triumphs this time.

 Responding, the Congress said winnability was a major selection criteria to pick nominees for the electoral battle. 

 Among the disgruntled Congress leaders who chose to switch sides is former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy. Reddy had quit the party and called on BRS president Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday last after being invited to join the party. 

 Similarly, former MLA P Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, son of late Congress veteran P Janardhan Reddy, had also met KCR, as Rao is known, after not being named as candidate for the Jubilee Hills seat in Hyderabad. Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin is Congress' choice for the constituency.

 The party had announced its second list of 45 candidates on October 27. With this, it has named its nominees for 100 out of the total 119 assembly seats. Upset over being denied nomination, several aspirants expressed resentment. Some of them are likely to join the BRS. 

 Peeved supporters of Vishnu Vardhan Reddy tore up posters and hurled stones at Gandhi Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters, two days ago after they were reportedly denied entry. 

 The grand old party, however, has given ticket to Vishnu Vardhan Reddy's sister Vijaya Reddy from Khairatabad here. Ex-MLA Erra Sekhar had joined the BRS after failing to get a chance to contest the polls. Earlier, former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmiah, who had also served as a minister, quit the Congress and joined the BRS after the party leadership denied opportunity for him to contest from his Jangaon seat when it released the first list. 

 Subhash Reddy, another aspirant, broke down as his name did not figure in the list of candidates. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said on Tuesday that the party has taken winnability as a major factor in selection of candidates, having been out of power in the state for about 10 years.

 However the party was trying to pacify and accommodate those who were denied tickets, he told PTI. Speculation is rife that former MP Vivek Venkataswamy would quit the BJP and return to the Congress. PTI

On being asked about India's abstention in the UN vote as it did not condemn the Hamas attacks, Netanyahu responded by saying, "I think that resolution was deeply flawed and I am sorry to say that even many of our friends did not even... insist that there could be a flaw or a powerful condemnation of the horrors that were committed here...that there are horrors that no civilised country, including your country and so many others would tolerate..."

"...So I hope we don't see a repeat of any of these kinds of resolutions," he added.

Netanyahu also made it clear that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, drawing parallels to the United States' position after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He noted that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.

Netanyahu said, "I want to make clear Israel's position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities after the horrific attacks of October 7."

"Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terror, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war. This is a time for war. A war for a common future," he said during the press briefing. -- PTI

Multiple political leaders have alleged that their Apple devices have been the victim of alleged hacking. The leaders shared the screenshot of the warning received on their Apple devices.

Speaking to ANI BJP leader Nalin Kohli said "There are very serious allegations against Mahua Moitra. For that, she will also have to go before the Parliament's Ethics Committee and have to answer. Was her email address used to harm one business and benefit another? These are all serious allegations. Now she is talking about phone hacking. If someone tries to hack, a notification comes immediately on the phone. How can we assume that the Government of India has done this? On what basis is she saying this?"

"This is an attempt to divert attention. Also, it is possible that she herself tried to hack her phone? This may also be possible," Nalin Kohli added.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Raghav Chaddha also got the alleged hacking notification on his phone and claimed that this was an attack on the people of India.

Conricus says Israeli forces are being supported by a lot of firepower and intelligence and attacks on Hamas are taking place from the ground and from the air.

Conricus adds the IDF is "striking all parts of the Gaza strip", and focusing their attacks on northern Gaza -- which he says is the "centre of gravity of Hamas".

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress' Lok Sabha Member Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the screenshots on X. 

 PTI reached out to Apple for comments on the matter but there was no immediate response. "Received text and email from Apple warning me that the government trying to hack into my phone and email. @HMOIndia -- get a life. Adani and PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you," Moitra said sharing the screenshots. 

 Tagging Chaturvedi to the post, she claimed that three other leaders of the opposition INDIA alliance have received similar messages. Chaturvedi also shared a similar screenshot which she claimed to have received from Apple and said, "Wonder who? Shame on you. Cc: @HMOIndia for your kind attention". 

 Replying to Moitra's post, she said, "So not just me but also @MahuaMoitra has received this warning from Apple. Will @HMOIndia investigate?" Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor also shared a post about him receiving a similar message. 

 "Received from an Apple ID, threat-notifications@apple.com, which I have verified. Authenticity confirmed. Glad to keep underemployed officials busy at the expenses of taxpayers like me! Nothing more important to do?" he said on X, tagging the Prime Minister's Office, the Congress, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. 

 Khera also shared a screenshot of a similar message on X and said, "Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this?" The message shared by the MPs stated, "ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone".

He did nothing."

Read the column by Thomas Friedman here. 

 Raanan and her mother Judith Tai Raanan, both US citizens who were held in captivity by Hamas terrorists during the Israel-Hamas war, were released on October 21. 

 According to their family, the pair had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when Hamas attacked on October 7. 

They were released as part of negotiations involving Qatar and Hamas, reported CNN. Israel Consul General to the Midwest Yinam Cohen took on 'X', stating, "Her family members have been anxiously waiting for her return, and today I am sharing their happiness." 

 Meanwhile, he also expressed grief as Hamas still continues to hold over 200 hostages, including babies, children, women and the elderly. 

 "While we're celebrating Natalie's return, we remember the 239 hostages, among them babies, children, women, and the elderly, who are still held by Hamas in Gaza," he added. 

 Judith did not return to the US with her daughter on Monday, and is still with family in Israel, according to the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. During a press briefing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed gratitude to the Qatar government for their assistance. 

 "I want to thank the government of Qatar for their very important assistance. When I was in Israel last week, I met with the families of US citizens that Hamas has taken hostage," Blinken said. 

 The White House also issued a statement on Friday, confirming the release of the Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7. "Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear. These individuals and their families will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment," the White House statement said. Moreover, it added that the US has been working around the clock since the beginning of the attack to free American citizens who were taken hostage by the Hamas terror group.

The ruling party in Delhi also alleged that the BJP was trying to finish it off by putting its top leaders behind bars. Kejriwal has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and according to the sources, the ED will record his statement once he deposes at the probe agency's Delhi office at 11 am on November 2. 

 This is the first time that Kejriwal has been summoned by the ED. He was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case in April.

 Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi claimed the BJP was using these tactics to target the AAP as it knows that it cannot defeat Kejriwal in elections. 

 "There are reports that Kejriwal will be arrested on November 2. If he is arrested, it won't be because of corruption (charges) but because he has spoken against the BJP," she said. 

 "The AAP defeated the BJP in Delhi Assembly polls twice and also in MCD polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scared of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. The BJP knows they cannot defeat the AAP in elections." 

Referring to the arrest of the AAP's top leadership, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain, Atishi claimed it only means that the BJP wants to finish off the AAP. Satyendar Jain has been granted bail in a money laundering case. 

 "After Kejriwal is arrested, the BJP will target other leaders of the INDIA alliance and its chief ministers using the CBI and ED. 

 "Next they will target Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren since they have been unable to defeat him. Then they will target Tejashwi Yadav since they have not been able to break the alliance in Bihar. Then Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will be targeted," she claimed. 

 Atishi reiterated that AAP leaders are not scared of going to jail and will keep fighting to save the Constitution till their last breath. PTI

Sagarika Ghose tells Rediff.com's Nikhil Lakshman that Indira Gandhi may have left India had Lal Bahadur Shastri not died suddenly in Tashkent in January 1966, a death which led the Congress Syndicate to opt for someone they mistakenly assumed was a 'goongi gudiya' (dumb doll) rather than the obstinate Morarji Desai.

Read the 2017 interview here. 

"My strength, my grandmother! I will always protect the India for which you sacrificed everything. Your memories are always with me, in my heart," Rahul Gandhi posted on X (Formerly Twitter).

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge paid floral tribute to Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi on her 39th death anniversary at Shakti Sthal in the national capital.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi remembered his grandmother saying that she was truly the 'Mother of the Nation'.

"Salute to my grandmother, late Indira Gandhi ji on her death anniversary, who was a symbol of unmatched courage and struggle and the pioneer of democratic socialism," Varun Gandhi posted on X.

"Along with the determination to make tough decisions, you also had a very simple and gentle tenderness of motherhood. You are truly the 'Mother of the Nation'", he added.

Read: 'Indira Gandhi was the James Bond of power politics'

and 

"Middle line fit for train operations at 11.29 pm, last night after track and overhead equipment works. The first train on the middle line passed the affected area at 0055hrs (12.55a.m) last night." stated the railway release.

Earlier, the first coaching train passed in Upline at 1436hrs (02.36 pm) and in Down Line, the first goods train passed at 14:25hrs (02.25 pm), yesterday. Now, all the three lines between Alamanda and Kantakapalli are now fit for train movement.

The death toll in the train collision in Andhra Pradesh has risen to 14 in Vizianagaram district, police said.

Biswajit Sahu, Chief Public Relations Officer of East Coast Railway said that the rescue operation is over and the focus has now shifted to track restoration work.

 Earlier, an FIR was registered at Gamdevi police station in Mumbai based on a complaint filed by the industrialist's security in-charge after the first email, seeking Rs 20 crore, was received from an unidentified person on Friday. 

 On Saturday, the company received another email demanding Rs 200 crore. The company received the third email on Monday, in which the sender doubled the demand, the official said.

 The Mumbai police, their crime branch and cyber teams are working to trace the sender of the email, he added. 

 Last year, the Mumbai police arrested a man from Bihar's Darbhanga for making death threat calls to Ambani and his family members. The accused had also threatened to blow up the Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. PTI

Louk attended a rave party close to the Gaza border when Hamas terrorists attacked and killed about 260 people.

"Unfortunately we received the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive," Louk's mother Ricarda told the German outlet RTL. 

Louk's family was informed of her death overnight.Following the news of Louk's death, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it is terrorism and Israel has the right to defend itself.

In a post on social media platform X, the German Chancellor wrote, "The news of Shani Lok's death is terrible. She was brutally murdered like many others. This represents all the barbarity of the Hamas attack, which must be punished.

"This is terrorism and Israel has the right to defend itself," he added.

Notably, it was because of her distinctive tattoos and dyed hair, that her mother Ricarda Louk first became concerned about her daughter after seeing her in videos that were becoming viral on the internet.

The videos, which went viral immediately, featured a face-down, half-naked woman lying seemingly unconscious in the back of a pickup truck in Gaza filled with armed men, according to The Times of Israel.

Although it was apparent at the time that Louk had passed away, the family remained optimistic and held hope.

According to The Times of Israel, the family of Shani Louk, received a letter from the Israeli ZAKA rescue service Sunday night saying that a bone from the base of her skull, without which a person cannot survive, had been recovered. They added that it had been genetically tested and determined to have belonged to her. -- ANI

 The 'Men in Green' chose to skip dinner at the team hotel instead choosing to try Kolkata's famous biryani. Pakistan cricket team ordered the food on Sunday through an online food delivery platform. 

 Shadman Faize the Director of the Zam Zam Restaurant said that initially, they had no idea that no idea that the order was from the Pakistan cricket team but they got to know it later. 

 Faize further stated that Kolkata has its own style of biryani which is very famous all over the world. 

 "The order came through an online food delivery platform. They ordered three dishes which were biryani, kebabs, and chap. They ordered it on Sunday evening after 7 pm. Initially, we had no idea that the order was from the Pakistan cricket team but later we got to know it. I hope they liked the food. People from every nationality should come and try our food. Kolkata has its own style of biryani which is very famous all over the world," Shadman said. 

 While the Pakistan team may have just chosen to indulge their taste buds with Kolkata's mouth-watering dishes, their dietary habits have come in for severe criticism by none other than iconic pacer and former skipper Wasim Akram. 

 Akram had lambasted the team for being lethargic on the field after their loss to Afghanistan. In a post-match show on Pakistan based A Sports channel, Akram said it looks like the team has been eating kilos of meat every day. 

 "Just look at the fitness levels of our players. We have been screaming here for the past three weeks that they haven't been through fitness tests in the last two years. Now should I name them individually, their faces are getting broader. Lagta hai roz 8 kilo nihari khate hain (Seems like they are eating 8 kilos of meat every day). There should be some test, you are being paid for playing for your country and there has to be a certain criterion," Wasim Akram said. -- ANI

He noted that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.

While addressing a press briefing, Netanyahu said, "I want to make clear Israel's position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities after the horrific attacks of October 7."

"Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terror, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war. This is a time for war. A war for a common future," he added.

He called it a turning point for nations and said that it is time for everyone to decide if they are willing to fight for a future of hope and promise or surrender to tyranny and terror. He said that Israel has been at war since October 7.

Netanyahu said, "The horrors that Hamas perpetrated on October 7 remind us that we will not realize the promise of a better future unless we, the civilized world, are willing to fight the barbarians because the barbarians are ready to fight us and their goal is clear, shatter that promise and future, destroy all that we cherish and usher in a world of fear and darkness."

He further said, "This is a turning point, a turning point for leaders and nations. It is time for all of us to decide if we are willing to fight for a future of hope and promise or surrender to tyranny and terror. Now rest assured, Israel will fight. Since October 7, Israel has been at war. Israel did not start this war. Israel did not want this war. But Israel will win this war."

Speaking about Hamas's attack on Israel and stressing Iran's role in financing Hamas, he said, "Hamas launched this war by perpetrating the worst savagery our people have seen since the Holocaust. Hamas murdered children in front of their parents, murdered parents in front of their children. They burned people alive, they raped women, they beheaded men, they tortured Holocaust survivors, they kidnapped babies. They committed the most horrific crimes imaginable and they are part of the axis of evil that Iran has formed. An axis of terror that works by arming, training and financing Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and other terror proxies throughout the Middle East and beyond the Middle East." -- ANI

Braverman made the remarks after an emergency cabinet meeting chaired by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She called for more efforts from law enforcement agencies, especially the Metropolitan Police and other regional forces to address the issue of antisemitism, according to Anadolu Agency report.

She said that they have witnessed tens of thousands of people taking to the streets after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. 

She said, "We've seen now tens of thousands of people take to the streets following the massacre of Jewish people - the single largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, chanting for the erasure of Israel from the map," Anadolu Agency reported.

She asserted, "To my mind, there is only one way to describe those marches -- they are hate marches." In response to a question regarding the chant "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and whether she considered it antisemitic, Braverman said the police operate independently.

 However, Braverman emphasised that "The police must take a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism." -- ANI

In a post on micro blogging site X (formerly Twitter), Tata said: "I have made no suggestions to the ICC or any cricket faculty about any cricket member regarding a fine or reward to any players." 

He further said: "I have no connection to cricket whatsoever." 

"Please do not believe WhatsApp forwards and videos of such nature unless they come from my official platforms," Tata noted. 

His statement came in response to widespread WhatsApp forwards claiming that he had pledged to give a specific cash award to Khan. -- PTI

When the case was taken up, the court was told by the AIMC that it had filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court against the order of the chief justice of the high court to withdraw the case from a single-judge bench that had been hearing the matter since 2021. 

The apex court has fixed November 6 for hearing the matter, Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar was informed after which he adjourned the hearing on the AIMC's plea till November 8. 

The AIMC has challenged the maintainability of a suit filed before a Varanasi court in which the plaintiff had sought restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque exists. 

The petition also challenges a Varanasi court direction to the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque. 

The order was passed on April 8, 2021. -- PTI

However, the all-India average price of onion was at around Rs 50.35 per kg while the maximum rate was Rs 83 per kg and modal price was at Rs 60 per kg, as per the data compiled by the department of consumer affairs. 

The minimum rate is Rs 17 per kg. Local vendors are selling onions at Rs 80 per kg while the key kitchen item is available at Rs 75 per kg on e-commerce portals Bigbasket and Otipy. 

On Saturday, the Centre imposed a Minimum Export Price of $800 per tonne on onion exports till December 31 to boost availability of the vegetable in the domestic market. 

The $800 per tonne MEP translates into about Rs 67 per kg. 

The MEP is there for all varieties of onion except Bangalore Rose and Krishnapuram onions, and for cut, sliced or broken in powder forms. Besides, the Centre has announced that it would procure an additional 2 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer, over and above the 5 lakh tonnes already procured. -- ANI