8 Dead, 3 Missing In Massive Fire In Maharashtra Pharmaceutical Factory

Eight bodies have been recovered till Saturday afternoon following the fire that broke out at a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtra's Raigad district a day ago, while search for three missing persons continued, an official said.

The blaze at Blue Jet Healthcare in MIDC Mahad in Raigad district, some 170 kilometres from here, started at 11 am on Friday, the National Disaster Response Force official added.

"While four bodies were found till 7 am, another four were recovered till 5 pm. These are part of the 11 persons who had gone missing following the fire. Search operations with personnel from local agencies as well as NDRF for the remaining three continue," he said.

As per initial probe, the fire may have started due to a short circuit, leading to barrels filled with chemicals at the site exploding, which further intensified the blaze, the official said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/G9rZCv7
via IFTTT

Turkey Recalls Ambassador From Israel Over No Ceasefire In Gaza

Turkey said Saturday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and breaking off contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest at the bloodshed in Gaza.

Ankara announced the decisions on the eve of what promises to be a difficult visit to Turkey by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Palestinian ally Turkey had been mending torn relations with Israel until last month's start of the Israel-Hamas war.

But its tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters -- particularly the United States -- as the fighting escalated and the death count among Palestinian civilians soared.

The Turkish foreign ministry said ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar was being recalled for consultations "in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal (to accept) a ceasefire".

Israeli forces have encircled Gaza's largest city while trying to crush Hamas in retaliation for October 7 raids into Israel that officials say killed around 1,400 people -- mostly civilians -- and saw some 240 people taken hostage.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says around 9,500 people -- mostly women and children -- have since been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan separately told reporters that he held Netanyahu personally responsible for the growing civilian death count in the Gaza Strip.

"Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off," Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

'Stop this'

Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution.

The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was "re-evaluating" relations with Ankara because of Turkey's increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.

Erdogan said Saturday that Turkey could not afford to entirely break off diplomatic contacts between the sides.

"Completely severing ties is not possible, especially in international diplomacy," Erdogan said.

He said MIT intelligence agency chief Ibrahim Kalin was spearheading Turkey's efforts to try and mediate an end to the war.

"Ibrahim Kalin is talking to the Israeli side. Of course, he is also negotiating with Palestine and Hamas," Erdogan said.

But he said Netanyahu bore primary responsibility for the violence and had "lost the support of his own citizens".

"What he needs to do is take a step back and stop this," Erdogan said.

The Turkish leader had taken a far more cautious tone in the first days of the war.

Israel and Turkey had only last year agreed to reappoint ambassadors after a decade of all but frozen relations.

They were also resuming discussions on a US-backed natural gas pipeline project that could have formed the basis for much closer and more lasting cooperation in the coming years.

But Erdogan led a massive rally in Istanbul last weekend during which he accused the Israeli government of behaving like a "war criminal" and trying to "eradicate" Palestinians.

Still more protests will greet Blinken on Sunday when the top US diplomat begins a two-day visit to Ankara marking the last leg if his Middle East tour.

The IHH humanitarian relief fund -- a group whose attempts to organise a flotilla to Gaza in 2010 sparked Israeli raids that claimed 10 civilian lives -- is organising a protest march and car rally on a military base in southeastern Turkey housing US weapons and troops.

The IHH convoy is expected to reach the Incirlik Air Base from Istanbul on Sunday.

Blinken was meeting with Arab counterparts in the Jordanian capital Amman on Saturday after visiting Israel the day before.

But he left Israel empty-handed after urging its leaders to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/EHBjaA8
via IFTTT

WC: Fakhar Zaman Shines As Pakistan Beat New Zealand In Rain-Affected Game

New Zealand vs Pakistan Highlights, Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman shone with an unbeaten 126 off 81 balls in the chase as Pakistan beat New Zealand in a rain-affected game in Bengaluru. Chasing a DLS revised target of 342 in 41 overs, Pakistan were 200 for 1 in 25.3 overs when rain forced the match to be called off. On the virtue of being 21 runs ahead of DLS par score, Pakistan won the game. Earlier, it was Rachin Ravindra's 108 that propelled New Zealand to a mammoth total of 401 for 6 in 50 overs. (SCORECARD | POINTS TABLE)

Here are the Highlights of New Zealand vs Pakistan, Cricket World Cup 2023 Match:

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/AsP67ib
via IFTTT

NDTV's Opinion Poll On Madhya Pradesh Election: Results Tonight At 9

Who leads in the 'Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Vs Congress' Kamal Nath' battle of big names in Madhya Pradesh? How satisfied (or dissatisfied) are voters with the BJP government in the past five years? Tune into NDTV 24x7 at 9 pm for answers to these questions and more in the NDTV-CSDS Lokniti pre-poll survey for the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election.

NDTV will take you through an in-depth discussion of voter sentiments and key issues - from price rise to women's safety and unemployment.

Methodology

The NDTV-CSDS Lokniti survey was conducted for a week starting from October 24 across 30 of Madhya Pradesh's 230 Assembly constituencies. The sample size for the survey was 3,032 respondents.

Among the points NDTV has covered are:

'Kamal Nath vs Shivraj: Who performed better?'

'How do you rate Shivraj government on governance?'

'Which is the most important election issue?'  

Voting in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17, with results due on December 3. The 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly is currently led by the BJP.

The Madhya Pradesh assembly polls are a high-stakes battle, with the BJP led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Congress, who have projected Kamal Nath as its chief ministerial candidate, vying for power. Parties are offering freebies and guarantees, courting tribal, OBC, and women voters.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/9yaxzHT
via IFTTT

How India-Bangladesh Rail Link Will Cut Short Agartala-Kolkata Journey

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday jointly inaugurated three projects via virtual mode, including a key rail link between Tripura's Nischintapur and Gangasagar in Bangladesh.

The other two projects inaugurated by PM Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart are the 65-km Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh's Rampal.

The cross-border rail project near Tripura's capital Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh is expected to boost cross-border trade, and significantly reduce the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka. When fully completed, the cross-border rail link will cut the travel time from Kolkata to Agartala from 36 hours to 12 hours.

PM Modi hailed the inauguration of the Cross Border Rail Link as a "historic" moment.

"It is a matter of joy that we have come together again to celebrate the successful cooperation between India and Bangladesh. Our relationship is touching new highs. Together, we have achieved in the last nine years what has not been achieved in decades," Prime Minister Modi said.

The projects are important for India's Look East Policy and will also boost connectivity to the northeast which is heavily dependent on the narrow Chicken's Neck or Siliguri Corridor. They are also a testament to India's commitment to the region around the Bay of Bengal with organizations like the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which has its secretariat in Bangladesh.

'First Rail Link Between Northeast, Bangladesh'

During the inauguration of the Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link, PM Modi highlighted the impact of these projects, especially during the pandemic with oxygen trains. "This is the first rail link between the northeast and Bangladesh," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

"We have focused especially on infrastructure, connectivity and in the last nine years, we have started three new bus services. We have connected Dhaka, Shillong, Agartala, Guwahati and Kolkata. In the last nine years, we have started three new railway services. From 2020, we started container and parcel services," he added.

"In the last nine years through Chittagong and the Mongla Port, we have connected the northeastern states of India. Our connectivity initiative worked as a lifeline during the Covid pandemic," Prime Minister Modi said.

"In the last nine years, four new immigration check posts have been opened on the India-Bangladesh border and our bilateral trade has nearly tripled. The journey of these nine years has made us reach the inauguration of the Agartala Akhaura Railway Link and it is a historic moment," he added.

'Firm Cooperation Between Countries'

Sheikh Hasina said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is anchored in history culture language and both countries share values of secularism, democracy, and countless other commonalities.

She added that Bangladesh attaches the highest importance to its relationship with India with a focus on connectivity, trade, and commerce. She expressed gratitude to the government of India for its significant contribution to these sectors and also extended Diwali greetings.

"The joint inauguration of these projects manifests the firm friendship and collaboration between our two countries. I would like to thank you PM Modi for his warm hospitality during my visit to New Delhi in September 2023 to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. I express my heartfelt gratitude for your commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two countries," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.

"I would like to thank the Government of India for jointly producing the biopic on the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu 'Sheikh Mujibur Rehman - Mujib: The Making of a Nation'. I would like to extend my deep appreciation and thankfulness to Shri Narendra Modi," she added.

"Our collaboration in the connectivity and power sector stands out as a shining example of our cooperation," she said at the inauguration event.

India and Bangladesh ties are crucial for India's Act East Policy and these projects have also laid the groundwork for more cooperation and opening of passenger and freight routes between India and Bangladesh and also for alternative supply routes for northeastern states

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/52aGAwf
via IFTTT

Mahua Moitra to Be Questioned Tomorrow On Reports From 3 Ministries

Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra will be questioned tomorrow by the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha in cash for query case. Along with other documents and evidences before the committee, she would also be questioned on the basis of reports received by the committee from three Union ministries, sources have said. The reports from Home, Information Technology and External Affairs ministries are with the committee. The panel had sought information from the three ministries after a meeting held on October 26. Among other things, it had asked whether IP addresses of her log-ins and her locations were the same.

The Ethics Committee hearing has been buttressed by the explosive affidavit of businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who while remaining silent on the cash-for-query issue, has admitted to posting questions on Mahua Moitra's parliamentary login. If proved, this would comprise Breach of Parliamentary Privilege and enough to get her expelled from the House.

His gifts to Ms Moitra, he wrote in the affidavit, was by way of meeting the demands of the MP, who wanted to politically target Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Adani Group.

Ms Moitra has said she should be allowed to cross-examine the businessman -- a demand she reiterated in her letter to the Ethics Committee today.
 
In the letter, which she posted on X, formerly Twitter, she remarked that a parliamentary ethics committee may not be the "appropriate forum to examine allegations of alleged criminality", because the committee lacks the power to examine such allegations.

This, she said, was deliberately kept so by "our nation's founders" to prevent misuse of committees by government that enjoy brute majority in parliament.

The BJP's Nishikant Dubey, whose allegations the Ethics Committee is examining, had accused Ms Moitra of "serious Breach of Privilege", "Contempt of the House" and conspiracy -- a 'Criminal Offence' under Section 120A of IPC".

Ms Moitra also pointed out that the committee has not made any code of conduct for MPs to follow and asked the committee to ensure there is "no room for political partisanship" in its functioning.

"It is important to note that till date the committee on ethics has not formulated any code of conduct for members and in fact the committee has not even had any sittings in the past two years. I wish to most respectfully point out that in view of the lack of a structured code of conduct, it is all the more important that each case be dealt with in an objective and fair manner..." the Trinamool Congress MP said in the letter to the ethics committee chairperson.

Quoting media reports today, Mr Dubey posted on X that "questions were asked 47 times in the Lok Sabha from Hiranandani's mail id and MP portal in Dubai".

"If this news is correct then all MPs of the country should should stand against Mahua ji's corruption. Hiranandani asked questions in the Lok Sabha on his own behalf. Have we become MPs to serve the selfish interests of the capitalists?" his tweet read.

Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, on whose complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation the entire case rests, was cross-examined by the Ethics Committee on October 26. The Committee has also heard Mr Dubey and is expected to give its report to the Speaker as soon as possible.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/FjGNoBm
via IFTTT

"Exactly What Kapil Used To Do...": Gavaskar's Sensational Take On Shami

Mohammed Shami has been enjoying a brilliant run of form in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 and the Indian cricket team fast bowler was instrumental in his team's 100-run victory over defending champions England in Lucknow on Sunday. Shami took four wickets to break the English resistance after India posted a modest total of 229 on a pitch that had a lot of help for pacers. Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for Shami as he pointed out that he is extremely clear about the kind of deliveries that he wants to bowl in specific situations and even namedropped World Cup winning all-rounder Kapil Dev.

"There is a lot of hard work there. When he goes back home, he has got several pitches made apparently, and he just bowls and bowls over there. That is what is important. He is looking at his personal cricketing fitness. What is his specialty? It's fast bowling. By bowling a number of overs in the nets where he stays. I don't know whether he is a gym person. You can be doing gym all day. But at the end of the day... Mohammed Shami is doing exactly what Kapil Dev used to do, just bowl and bowl in the nets," Gavaskar told India Today.

"He is not listening to all your bio-mechanic experts who might say 'oh no, no bowl only 15-20 deliveries in the nets'. He knows that as a fast bowler, he really needs a lot more mileage in his legs as he runs in to bowl," he added.

Shami did not feature in the first four matches of the competition for the Indian cricket team but since his inclusion, the fast bowler has set the stage on fire. He took a five-wicket haul against New Zealand and followed it up with an equally impressive show against England.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/FLnCvEa
via IFTTT