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Nawab Malik, now the official candidate of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, told NDTV today that the allegations now levelled at him were "irresponsible" and the verdicts in the cases would vindicate him. His response was to the remarks of senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who had called him a "terrorist". "These are irresponsible statements. Nawab Malik was never a terrorist nor was ever with any terrorist or any criminal. Nawab Malik has been in politics in this country for 50 years," Mr Malik told NDTV in an exclusive interview.  Some people think giving such comments would help increase their vote bank but it actually has the opposite effect, he said. "Now the matter is sub judice, so I can't obviously discuss it. Once the verdict comes, everything will be clear," he added. Mr Malik was arrested by central agencies in an alleged  money laundering case involving mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates Chhota...

An Arctic seed vault on Norway's Spitsbergen island received new samples last week from the largest number of depositors since 2020, reflecting fear about the threat of conflict and climate change to food security, a custodian of the facility said recently. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set deep inside a mountain to withstand disasters from nuclear war to global warming, was launched in 2008 as a backup for the world's gene banks that store the genetic code for thousands of plant species. Billed as a doomsday vault protected by permafrost, the deposit has received samples from across the world, and played a leading role between 2015 and 2019 in rebuilding seed collections damaged during the war in Syria. "Climate change and conflict threaten infrastructure and impact food security for over 700 million people in more than 75 countries worldwide," Executive Director Stefan Schmitz of the Crop Trust said in a statement. Among the new desposits, Bolivia's first ...

Graham 'Dingo' Dinkelman, a popular YouTuber and conservationist known as South Africa's Steve Irwin, has died following an extremely poisonous snake bite. The tragic incident occurred about a month ago when 44-year-old Dinkelman was attacked by a cobra. He had serious side effects from the bite, such as anaphylactic shock, which required him to be put in an induced coma and given potent sedatives. Kirsty, his wife, confirmed his death on Saturday. Dinkelman was devoted to wildlife protection and a father of three children. Many admirers and followers were shocked to learn of his passing. "Dingo fought incredibly hard throughout this very difficult period. We know that he was fighting to be here with us, and we are so grateful for this," Kirsty told The Metro. "Sadly, despite his strength and resilience, my beloved husband passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his family." She too thanked well-wishers for their support. "Today is one mont...

The organisers of the Ballon d'Or award insisted on Monday that "no player or club" knows who has won the award, responding to Real Madrid's decision to boycott the event because they believe that  Vinicius  would not win. "All the clubs and players are in the same boat," a Ballon d'Or source told AFP, pointing out the strict confidentiality rules laid down for this 2024 edition. Real Madrid said they will stay away from the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday as they are convinced that their striker  Vinicius , the favourite to win the men's award, has been snubbed. The club told AFP it questioned the methods behind the selection of the Ballon d'Or winner, saying that defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked.  "If the award criteria doesn't give it to  Vinicius  as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the club told AFP.  ...

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole today said that he was "friends" with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut amid reports of tension between the two allies. "I am friends with Sanjay Raut. I don't understand why people create disputes between us," said Mr Patole at NDTV Marathi's Jahirnama event. Terse remarks by Mr Patole and Mr Raut amid the delay in the seat-sharing announcement for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra triggered the rift buzz. To a veiled swipe of Sanjay Raut where he said the Congress leaders are "not capable of taking decisions", Mr Patole shot back, "If Sanjay Raut is controlling Uddhav Thackeray, that is their issue. We have the responsibility of telling the reality of our leaders and we are doing that. We do not want to speak anything on what Sanjay Raut does." Other Congress leaders, however, played down the statements insisting that talks were going smoothly. During the event, Mr Patole also a...

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday lashed out at Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi for charging the newly formed political party with bribing voters in by-elections to four assembly seats of Bihar. Mr Manjhi, who is also a former Chief Minister of Bihar, had made the allegation on Friday evening, at a rally in Imamganj which has fallen vacant upon his election to Lok Sabha and from where his daughter-in-law Deepa is trying her luck as the candidate of his Hindustani Awam Morcha. "The Jan Suraaj people are making people sign forms pledging support for the party in the by-polls. The voters have been promised cash reward of Rs one lakh each in the event of Jan Suraaj candidate's victory", Mr Manjhi had said. When asked about the charge, Prashant Kishor, who was on the campaign trail in Tarari, shot back "Does Manjhi realise what he is saying? In almost every assembly segment, there are about two lakh voters. If we are promising to give Rs one lakh to each o...

The Congress on Saturday released its second list of 23 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, fielding a "strong" contender against state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Bawankule, who is recontesting Kamthi seat in Nagpur district - which he had bagged in 2004, 2009 and 2014 till he was dropped in 2019, will lock horns with Suresh Y. Bhoyar, a former President of the Nagpur Zila Panchayat. Similarly, in Savner in Nagpur district, the Congress has fielded Anuja S. Kedar, the wife of former minister and five-term MLA Sunil C. Kedar, who was convicted in a graft case and disqualified. The daughter of the legendary cricket administrator and former Maharashtra Speaker SK Wankhede, whose name adorns the BCCI stadium in Mumbai, Kedar had filed her nomination papers as an Independent, but will now contest on a Congress ticket. The Congress' second list comes two days after the first list with 48 candidates was issued as the...

Nvidia dethroned Apple as the world's most valuable company on Friday, following a record-setting rally in the stock powered by an insatiable demand for its new supercomputing AI chips. Nvidia's stock market value briefly touched $3.53 trillion, while that of Apple was $3.52 trillion, according to data from LSEG. In June, Nvidia briefly became the world's most valuable company, before it was overtaken by Microsoft and Apple. The tech trio's market capitalizations have been neck-and-neck for several months. Microsoft's market value stood at $3.20 trillion. Nvidia's stock has risen about 18% so far in October, with a string of gains coming after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced a funding round of $6.6 billion. Nvidia provides chips used to train so-called foundation models such as OpenAI's GPT-4. "More companies are now embracing artificial intelligence in their everyday tasks and demand remains strong for Nvidia chips," said Russ Mo...

For all the movie buffs waiting for Pushpa 2: The Rule , we have an update. The movie has a new release date once again. The film, featuring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, will now hit the big screens on December 5. It is worth noting that the movie was previously slated for release a day later, on December 6. Before that, the makers had announced August 15 as the release date. Now, announcing the new date, Allu Arjun has shared a post on X (formerly Twitter). In the poster, we see Allu Arjun dressed as his character, holding a gun with a cigar in his mouth. The side note read, “ Pushpa 2: The Rule on Dec 5th.” #Pushpa2TheRuleOnDec5th pic.twitter.com/SZMNKWJKMJ — Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) October 24, 2024 In June, when the makers postponed Pushpa 2: The Rule 's release date from August 16 to November 6, they shared an elaborate note on X. The note read, "Pushpa 2 The Rule is one of the most anticipated Indian films. Following the immense success of Push...

The seasonal pollution spike in Delhi is affecting the health regimen of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. The Chief Justice, in an informal conversation with reporters at the Supreme Court on Thursday, said he has stopped going for morning walks due to rising levels of air pollution. "I have stopped going for morning walks from today. I usually go for a walk around 4 am to 4.15 am," he said. His doctor, the Chief Justice added, has advised him to avoid going out in the mornings, saying it is better for him to stay indoors and avoid respiratory diseases. The air quality in Delhi has remained "very poor" for the better part of the week, prompting concern over the increased risk of respiratory diseases. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded the worst air quality in the country despite the Commission for Air Quality Management invoking stage two of the anti-pollution plan GRAP. The top court had grilled the Centre and Punjab and Haryana governments over the states'...

In an incident that would terrify any parent, two children of a businessman were kidnapped right from inside their home while they were playing. The incident was reported from Karnataka's Belagavi. CCTV footage of the incident has been shared widely on social media. The footage showed two men running inside the house and carrying away the children - three and four years old - on their shoulders. Both were with their mother when the men kidnapped them, the police said. Both the children had just returned from kindergarten before the kidnappers barged into their home. The two men pushed the children inside a waiting car and sped away. Three police teams have been formed to search for the children, the police said. Their father is into real estate business. from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vBY1IQe

Mayank Yadav should be on the plane to Australia if Mohammed Shami is not available for selection, asserted Brett Lee, one of the most devastatingly destructive bowlers, who has high hopes from the Indian pace sensation on the true, bouncy wickets Down Under. Aiming to qualify for a third successive World Test Championship (WTC) final, India will be travelling to Australia next month to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and doubts remain over seasoned seamer Shami's selection in the squad for the five-match Test series. "I can tell you that batters are okay when you bowl that 135-140 kmph speed, but when you bowl high 150s, I don't care who it is, no one wants to face that." "He looks like someone who is a complete package, if Mohammed Shami is not ready, at least get him (Mayank) in the squad. I think he would do pretty well on these Australian wickets," Lee told Fox Cricket. Shami has not played since featuring in the final of the ODI World Cup last Nov...

A viral video has sparked outrage after showing a young girl riding a scooter with her father as the pillion rider. The girl, wearing a school uniform, was not wearing a helmet. The clip, purportedly from Maharashtra, has ignited a debate about road safety and parental responsibility. The video has raked in 4.9 million views since being shared online.  The caption of the video reads, "Shocking visuals from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Insider (@aurangabadinsider) Netizens have condemned the father's actions, arguing that he should prioritize his daughter's safety and that of others on the road. A user asked, "Where is the helmet, sir? Na khud pehna na beti ko pehnaya hai (Neither has he worn it, nor have made his daughter wear it)." Another user commented, "Arrest the father," while a third said, "That's the reason so m...

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen meeting residents of Wayanad this evening, a day before marking her electoral debut by filing her nomination for the bypoll in the Lok Sabha constituency. Ms Vadra was greeted warmly by locals and she was seen shaking hands with people, asking their names and clicking selfies with them. She also visited a local family in Wayanad. "Her hearty visit was greeted joyously by the locals and the mother of the house presented her with a rosary, which she used for years, as a symbol of her love & blessings," the Congress party posted on X. Congress General Secretary Smt. @priyankagandhi ji made a heartwarming visit to a local family in Wayanad on her way to Sultan Bathery. Her hearty visit was greeted joyously by the locals and the mother of the house presented her with a rosary, which she used for years, as a… pic.twitter.com/jndddaKJwL — Congress (@INCIndia) October 22, 2024 Both Priyanka and veteran Congress le...

Days after Yahya Sinwar was killed in an Israeli operation in southern Gaza, a video has surfaced showing the Hamas leader, along with his wife and children, moving through a tunnel the night before the October 7 attack on Israel last year. The CCTV footage, released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), captures Sinwar and his group carrying various supplies, including pillows, mattresses, a television, and several bags, into the tunnel. In the clip, Sinwar's wife is seen holding a bag, which Israel claimed to be worth $32,000 (around Rs 26.90 lakh). "Sinwar's wife was caught on camera sneaking into the tunnels the night before October 7, clutching a $32,000 Hermes Birkin bag! While Gazans faced hardships under Hamas, Sinwar and his family shamelessly lived in luxury, indulging while sending others to fight," Israel stated. Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic language spokesperson, reiterated this claim, highlighting the contrast between the opu...

Seema Sajdeh is basking in the success of Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives . The Netflix original also features Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Kothari and Bhavana Pandey. This season also introduces new cast members Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Shalini Passi and Kalyani Saha Chawla. In one of the episodes, Seema introduced her new boyfriend, businessman Vikram Ahuja, to her friends. She was previously married to actor Sohail Khan . They got divorced in 2022. The duo share two sons, Nirvaan and Yohan. Just like many of us, we are sure that you must be curious to know the details of Seema Sajdeh's new beau, Vikram Ahuja. Here's what we know about him. 1. Vikram Ahuja is a businessman and the son of Devendra Ahuja, who was a multi-millionaire and served as the Managing Director of 20th Century Finance. Devendra Ahuja was also a promoter of Centurion Bank, according to Hindustan Times. 2. According to the same report, Vikram Ahuja and Seema Sajdeh were engaged in the 1990s. 3. Vikram Ahuja is...

Rakul Preet Singh's first Karwa Chauth celebrations after wedding was not a fun-filled one as she was advised to take rest following an injury she suffered during her workout session. The De De Pyaar De actor shared a picture of herself, lying in bed, on her Instagram stories. She can be seen sporting sindoor and wearing a red ensemble. Rakul wrote in the caption, "Bed rest wala first Karwa Chauth". Earlier, Rakul shared glimpses of her minimal mehendi. Re-sharing the story on his Instagram feed, J ackky Bhagnani wrote, "I am so hungry but I won't eat too." Rakul and Jackky had a destination wedding in Goa earlier this year. Following her injury, Rakul shared a health update on her Instagram stories and said in a video message, "Well here's a little health update. I did something very stupid. I didn't listen to my body. I had a spasm, kept pushing it, turned into a major injury and I have been in bed for the last six days and I think i...

Chinese President Xi Jinping called this week for troops to strengthen their preparedness for war, state media reported today, just days after Beijing staged large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Xi made his comments while visiting a brigade of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force on Thursday, according to state-run broadcaster CCTV. Xi said the military should "comprehensively strengthen training and preparation for war, (and) ensure troops have solid combat capabilities", state media CCTV reported. Soldiers must "enhance their strategic deterrent and combat capability," Xi said. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has stepped up its shows of force around the self-ruled island in recent years. On Monday, Beijing had deployed fighter jets, drones, warships and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan -- its fourth round of large-scale war games around the democratic island in just over two years. China's communist leaders have ...

Choosing the right school can significantly influence a student's future. The article highlights top public schools in Georgia known for high graduation rates and college readiness, with institutions like Gwinnett School excelling in preparing students. Factors such as academic programs, extracurricular activities, and location are crucial in shaping student success. from Latest Education news - Board Exam Results, Admit Cards, Exam Paper Analysis and Question Papers | Times of India https://ift.tt/aOnwZ6E

A senior bureaucrat and a former RJD MLA have been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for their involvement in an alleged tender scam in the Bihar power ministry.  Sanjeev Hans, an IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, was the principal secretary of the state energy department but was transferred to the general administration department in August after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out the first round of searches in this case. Officials said Gulab Yadav, a former MLA from Jhanjarpur, was a close associate of Hans. The ED had carried out multiple raids at premises linked to Hans and Yadav and the last round of searches was conducted on Thursday. Hans was arrested from Patna on Friday while Yadav was taken into custody from Delhi under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money laundering case by the agency is based on a first information report registered by Bihar police.  Hans had also been accused of sexually exploiting a woman on t...

Harmanpreet Kaur was on Thursday retained as India captain for the three Women's ODIs against New Zealand while the selectors also picked four uncapped players for the series starting October 24. Days after India's early exit from the T20 World Cup, questions were raised about Harmanpreet's future as captain after another failure in an ICC event. However, the selectors have decided to stick with her for the moment. The games against New Zealand in Ahmedabad will also mark the start of preparations for the ODI World Cup which India hosts next year. Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh , 21, was not available for the series as it was coinciding with her 12th standard board exams, said the BCCI in a statement. Asha Sobhana was not considered due to injury while all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been rested. The uncapped players who were part of the India A squad in Australia recently have been given an opportunity and they include Tejal Hasabnis , Sayali Satgare and Priya Mishra...

Coincidences are rare in diplomacy. It may be significant to keep a note of that as the issue of the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar blows up between India and Canada. The timing of the allegations, each time, from Canada and the escalation of the row despite Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's domestic political troubles indicate that the actions may have been carefully thought through rather than being just a diversionary tactic, which it initially appeared to be. Here's why. America Has Canada's Back In the latest round of allegations, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said about the Nijjar killing investigation that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) “gathered information that established linkages between the investigation and agents of the Government of India". It was this message that the Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing, Mark Flynn, wanted to communicate to his Indian counterpart last week. When the attempts w...

Looking to keep up the pressure on the Opposition after the BJP pulled off a stunning victory in Haryana, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will hold a meeting of all chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from the coalition in Chandigarh on Thursday, immediately after Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as the chief minister of the state for the second time. The meeting, which comes ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections, will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President JP Nadda, among others. While India's development and celebrating the Constitution are also on the agenda, a notable item is the "year of 50th anniversary of the attempt to murder democracy" - a reference to the Emergency - which is seen as being aimed squarely at the Congress and the opposition INDIA alliance.  The BJP alone has 13 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers and the others in...

The rain played spoilsport in more ways than one on Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Consistent rain throughout the day led to play being called off without a ball being bowled or even the toss taking place on Day 1. However, even though the rain stopped at times, there was another technological issue that further held back play. The hawk-eye system – crucial in the working of the Decision Review System (DRS) – could not be formatted into the ground due to the rain. As revealed by former India cricketer-turned-pundit Saba Karim on air, the hawk-eye system can only be implemented and formatted into the ground once the covers are removed. Rain prior to the game, as well as during Day 1, meant that the formatting process could not take place. The formatting takes about an hour and a half, as per Saba Karim. At no point during the day did the covers stay removed for such a long duration, making start of play next to impo...

Inmates of Karnataka's Kalaburgi jail are getting VIP treatment, indicate videos which are being widely circulated on social media. Photos and videos, not independently verified by NDTV, show them having easy access to smart phones and marijuana.  In one video, a prisoner is seen making a video call to friends using his smart phone. Other prisoners are seen posing for selfies while smoking marijuana. Malini Krishnamurthy, Director General of Police in charge of the state's prisons, assured that the matter will be investigated. Such incidents coming to light frequently, the authorities have ordered a preliminary inquiry, she said.  "There is already an FIR registered. We will investigate if there is any role involving the police officers as well. We will take action accordingly.... We are working towards putting an end to this," she added. Actor Darshan, accused in a murder case, was recently caught enjoying VIP treatment at Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru....

Raj Kanojia, the man who suffered a bullet injury in the leg on the day Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, rues the fact that he will be out of action for two months. This, he says, makes it difficult for him to contribute to his sister's wedding in February. Six rounds were fired on Baba Siddique , two of which hit the former Maharashtra minister on the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra between 9:15pm and 9:30pm on Saturday. A stray bullet hit the 22-year-old as he was returning from a fruit juice centre. " Madad kya sir ab toh pair main goli lag gayi hai. February main shadi hai sister ki. Do mahine kuch kar nahi paayege hum (What help, sir. I have been shot in the leg. My sister's wedding is in February. I won't be able to do much," lamented Mr Kanojia, dressed in a white kurta, from his hospital bed. "The atmosphere was such. It felt like crackers were being burst. I felt as if a cracker had exploded on my feet. Wh...

The plot to kill former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was hatched over 100 km away in Pune months ago during several meetings. The shooters were given Rs 50,000 as an advance, Baba Siddique's photo and a flex banner to "identify the target", the cops revealed.  Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside his son's office in Mumbai. Three shooters - Gurmel Baljit Singh, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh killed - Baba Siddique. The cops have arrested Gurmel and Dharmaraj, the third shooter on the run. Yesterday, the cops got a breakthrough when Pravin Lonkar - an alleged co-conspirator - was arrested. The initial investigation has revealed new details on how the plan to assassinate Mr Siddique was hatched. Mumbai crime exposed the alleged role of Pune-based Pravin Lonkar and his brother Shubham Lonkar in the plot. "The motive behind the killing will be ascertained once the wanted accused are arrested," a police official sa...

Chhattisgarh's Surajpur has been engulfed in chaos after a brutal double murder - the victims were the wife and daughter of a Head Constable, Talib Sheikh. The incident, which has sent shock waves through the region and led to violent protests that included arson on the property of the accused. The matter escalated and the town shut down after a strike was called.  Reports in the local media claim that Kuldeep Sahu, a known criminal of the area, had entered the house of Talib Sheikh in his absence and killed his wife and daughter with a sharp weapon. Their partially clothed bodies were later discovered in a field about five kilometers away.  The violence started during a Durga idol immersion ceremony on Monday night, when Kuldeep Sahu reportedly poured a pan of hot oil on a constable during a dispute in the city's Chowpatty area, severely burning the officer.  Head Constable Talib Sheikh attempted to catch Kuldeep at the time, but he escaped, and later targeted the pol...

India's hopes of reaching the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals were dealt a massive blow as the Harmanpreet Kaur -led side slumped to a 9-run loss against Australia in a crucial Group A encounter in Sharjah on Sunday. India were completely outplayed by Australia as Harmanpreet's half-century could not clinch the match for her side. As a result, Australia qualified for the semifinals with 8 points from 4 matches but India's fortunes still hangs in balance. India have 4 points from 4 matches with their losses coming against Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand have 4 while Pakistan have 2. However, India can still qualify for the semis if Pakistan can beat New Zealand in the final Group A match on Monday. If Pakistan win, they will have 4 points along with India and New Zealand. However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will qualify for the knockout stage thanks to a better Net Run Rate (NRR). India lost to defending champions Australia by nine runs in their last gr...

Australia captain Pat Cummins reaffirmed that playing Test cricket for his country is his No. 1 priority, adding that he is yet to decide his future in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the IPL 2024 after being bought by the franchise for Rs 20.50 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in the history of the tournament. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the mega auction is set to take place later this year with each team can retain a total of six players (a maximum of five capped players including Indian and overseas and a maximum of two uncapped players) from their existing squad either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option. With the important five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played next month, Cummins is focused on playing for the country. However, the pacer is aware of the new IPL rules for overseas players that make them "ineligible to register in the following year's player...

Legendary actor and recent recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award , Mithun Chakraborty , recently shared the challenges he faced early in his career. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he recalled a time when many female actors were hesitant to work with him, except for Zeenat Aman , who supported him during this difficult phase. The veteran star recalled that despite receiving a National Award for his first film, he experienced a significant lull in his career. He noted, "Bohot rukawatein bhi thi (There were many obstacles). I was going ahead in life at a great speed, so obstacles were inevitable." He revealed that during this tough period, several actresses were advised not to work with him. "I didn't want to bow down to that lull, I had decided that if I had to lose, then at least I'll battle it out, that I'll not just give up," he said. Mithun Chakraborty further revealed that Zeenat Aman played a crucial role in changing this situation. He exp...

A report of hydraulic failure from a Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah Air India Express flight and its subsequent holding pattern for over two hours may have caused panic on the ground, but things were always under control inside the cockpit, senior sources from the airline have told NDTV.  Flight AXB 613 took off from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu at 5.40 pm on Friday and landed at the same airport around 8.15 pm.  Here's what happened in the interim: The sources said that after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, was airborne, the landing gear was retracted normally.  When the landing gear, or undercarriage, was stowed successfully, the cockpit master caution, which indicates a system malfunction, sounded. Sensors detected that oil had drained out of the hydraulic system which controls the undercarriage.  The aircraft flew normally in all other respects, the sources said, adding that the 737-800 has redundancies built into the hydraulic system to deal with such situations....

India has expressed grave "concern" over the abysmal conflict situation in West Asia as Israel intensifies its resolve targeting Hezbollah hideouts. New Delhi issued a statement today after UN peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon came under fire from Israeli forces. Among the UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, there are approximately 900 Indian soldiers. It is important to note that they were not at the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon or UNIFIL headquarters at the time it was attacked by Israeli forces. Besides the soldiers, there are around 25 staff officers, including medical experts deployed there. "We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, adding that "We continue to monitor the situation very closely." New Delhi underscored the importance it attaches to United Nations' peacekeeping initiatives saying UN premises cannot be allowed to be targe...