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Afternoon briefing: Pasmanda group backs govt on Israel crisis, Operation Ajay begins today; all the latest news
A shortlist of biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
In the wake of Hamas attacks on Israel and retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip, two prominent Muslim organizations in India have expressed their concerns and demands for peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, a Patna-based activist group, expressed condolences to the victims of the ongoing war and said it was opposed to any kind of violence. The group further stressed that the dispute should be resolved through dialogue. “All India Pasmanda Muslim expresses its heartfelt condolences to those killed. We are not in favour of any kind of violence and the organization believes that the current dispute should be resolved through dialogue,” the organization said in a statement. “Since this issue is of international level, All India Pasmanda Muslims will support whatever strategy the Government of India will take in the interest of the country,” it added. Dig Deeper
The first batch of Indians is expected to return from Israel on Thursday on a special flight arranged as part of “Operation Ajay”, which is facilitating citizens who wish to come home following an upsurge in violence since the Hamas attacks last weekend. India launched the operation on Wednesday, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar announcing that the government will assist citizens who wish to return from Israel. Special charter flights and other arrangements were being put in place for this, he posted on X. The Indian embassy in Israel, in another post on X, said it had informed the first batch of Indian citizens who had registered to return about the special flight being operated on Thursday. “Messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights,” the mission said. Dig Deeper
The Latest News
Commissioner of railway safety to probe North East Express derailment in Buxar. Dig Deeper
SC extends interim bail to NCP leader Nawab Malik in money laundering case. Dig Deeper
Bihar train accident: 4 dead, poor maintenance may have caused derailment. Dig Deeper
India News
‘Govt monitoring the situation’: Meghalaya CM Sangma on North-East Express train derailment. Dig Deeper
Cauvery row: Karnataka govt committed to protect farmers interests, says DCM DK Shivakumar. Dig Deeper
Thieves break into Chhatarpur showroom, rob designer clothes worth ₹25 lakh. Dig Deeper
Global Matters
Israel preparing for ground incursion in Gaza, but no final decision yet. Dig Deeper
‘Israel 1st target, entire world to be under Hamas law’: Commander in old viral video on X. Dig Deeper
Canada allows entry of Sikh man who housed and fed Khalistani militants in India: Report. Dig Deeper
Lifestyle and Health
Chosen as Miss Universe Pakistan from among five finalists at the inaugural competition held in the Maldives, Erica Robin from Karachi is gearing up for Miss Universe finals which will be held in El Salvador in November this year to mark a historic moment, as it is the first time in the 72-year history of the Miss Universe beauty pageant that Pakistan has chosen a representative. When asked to name one thing she wanted to do for her country, Erica had replied, “I would want to change this mindset that Pakistan is a backward country.” While models, writers and journalists including journalist Mariana Babar congratulated Erica as "beauty and brains" on Twitter, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami party called it “shameful” and caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar ordered the country’s intelligence agency to investigate the organisers of the Miss Universe Pakistan pageant and how they were able to hold the competition seemingly in the country’s name without the government’s approval. Dig Deeper
Entertainment Focus
The script of The Vaccine War will soon be part of the 'permanent core collection of the Oscar library, director-writer Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has revealed. He shared a screenshot of a mail that he received from The Academy. Sharing the screenshot, Vivek wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I am proud that the script of The Vaccine War has been invited and accepted in the Academy Collections by the library of http://Oscars.org. I am happy that for hundreds of years, more and more serious people will read this great story of Indian superheroes.” In the email dated October 3, the managing librarian at The Academy wrote, "We here in the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences are interested in acquiring a copy of the screenplay THE VACCINE WAR for the permanent Core Collection. Dig Deeper
Sports Goings
Rohit Sharma and six-hitting is a match made in heaven... err... made on the cricket field. The pull shot - the short-arm, the hook, the front foot flat-batted and every other variation of the pull shot that exists - the lofted extra cover drives and the slog sweeps have been his biggest strengths in maintaining that seemingly unbreakable relationship with six hitting. On Wednesday, during India's second World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan, that bond reached a new level, that no other cricketer has reached. Rohit could now claim to be the undisputed king of sixes. Before the India vs Afghanistan match in Delhi, the tag belonged to the 'Universe Boss' Chirs Gayle, perhaps the only other cricketer apart from Rohit, who treats six-hitting as a fun, leisurely activity rather than an obligation - often hard to achieve - while batting. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi would surely come close but he would himself agree that Rohit and Gayle have more finesse. Dig Deeper
