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Morning briefing: Tharoor clarifies statement on Hamas, Caste dynamics may shape elections; all latest news
A shortlist of biggest headlines, recommended stories and a special collection of news items you should check out.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday clarified his statement on Hamas after a row erupted on social media slamming him for allegedly shying away from calling Hamas a “terrorist group”. "All I said was that India has not issued such a designation, though others have. Undoubtedly Hamas conducted terrorist acts, which I roundly condemned," Tharoor replied to Israel's former ambassador to India Daniel Carmon who slammed the Congress MP on X, formerly known as Twitter. Dig deeper
More on Israel-Hamas conflict: Every Hamas member is a dead man, Netanyahu's warning
US ‘indefinite stay’ warning in travel advisory for Gaza; Israel at level 3
Hamas terrorist allegedly kills woman and her boyfriend at Israel rave, sends video to the man's mom
Ahead of the elections next month in three Hindi heartland states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh - the caste politics seems to be heating up. Congress and other members of the opposition INDIA bloc see the caste census, potentially followed by proportionate reservations, as a way to combat the BJP and challenge its political dominance. According to the opposition, they will negate the success the BJP has had in appealing to non-dominant other backward classes (OBCs) and scheduled castes and tribes, sections of which now form a part of its voter base. Dig deeper
More on assembly elections: ECI transfers senior officials ahead of state polls for ‘unsatisfactory’ work
Turmeric back in spotlight as key issue in Telangana ahead of elections
India news
PM in Uttarakhand: Modi to perform pooja, launch multiple development projects
Centre tightens norms on business with ‘hostile countries’ China, Pakistan
Global matters
Iran's president, Saudi crown prince speak for first time post restoration of ties
Florida Republican Cory Mills travels to Israel to recue 32 Americans stranded amid Hamas attack
Entertainment focus
Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that Chris Rock had once asked her out on a date amid rumours of her divorce from Will Smith - almost a year after the Oscars incident when Will Smith slapped Chris for making a joke about Jada. Speaking to People, Jada said that when Chris shared his wish with her, she clarified that she was still married to Will. “I think every summer all the reports would come out that me and Will were getting a divorce. And this particular summer, Chris, he thought that we were getting a divorce. So he called me and basically he was like, ‘I'd love to take you out.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He was like, ‘Well, aren't you and Will getting a divorce?’ I was like, ‘No. Chris, those are just rumours," she said. Dig deeper
Lifestyle and health
On World Sight Day, let us take a view on the common sight at home to find kids eating meals with TV/tablet/mobile phones. While it has become easy for parents to feed children while watching cartoons, there is a downside to the increased amount of screen time for children. In an interview with HT Lifestyle on World Sight Day, Susmita N, Clinical Nutritionist at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Bangalore, Bellandur and Jayanagar, recommended, “As kids grow, we should let them serve and feed themselves. This helps to know the body cues. Watching screen while eating keeps them distracted and they will not pay attention to what food is in the plate, food texture and quantity of food been consumed." Dig deeper
Sports goings
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma notched up his 31st century to smash Sachin Tendulkar's World Cup record and capped off a record-fest outing in New Delhi to seal India's second straight win at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup 2023 on Wednesday. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah also bagged four wickets to prevent Hashmatullah Shahidi and Co. from registering a par total. Lauding Rohit and Bumrah on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tendulkar said, “Two fine performances by Bumrah and Rohit, who were well supported by the bowling and batting units respectively. The 2 games have seen different players contributing and that sets things up nicely for the 14th of October. Look forward.” Dig deeper
