Maldives Military To Have Operational Control Of Chopper, Crew From India

The Maldivian defence force on Thursday said it will have operational authority over the helicopter given by India to the island nation and the civilian crew that will pilot it.

Addressing a press conference, the Principal Director of Plans, Policy, and Resources Management for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Colonel Ahmed Mujuthaba Mohamed said that discussions are underway for withdrawing Indian troops from the Maldives.

He emphasised that the government of President Mohamed Muizzu has decided not to permit any foreign troops to remain stationed in the Maldives beyond May 10, PSM News, the state broadcaster reported.

Last week, India said its first civilian team of technical experts has reached the Maldives to replace the military personnel operating an advanced light helicopter in the island nation.

"The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel who were operating this platform," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing on February 29.

Following a second meeting of the high-level core group that was set up to address the issue of withdrawal of the Indian military personnel, the Maldivian foreign ministry had said India will replace all its military personnel in two phases by May 10.

India's ties with the Maldives came under stress as Muizzu, seen as a pro-China leader, maintained after assuming charge as the president in November that he would keep his election promise of expelling all Indian military personnel from his country.

Muizzu had set March 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel from his country.

His government this week signed a deal with China's military under which Beijing will supply "non-lethal" weapons to the Maldives free of cost. Local media quoted President Muizzu as saying that the non-lethal weaponry would include tear gas and pepper spray.

Colonel Mujthaba also said that the Indian helicopter stationed in Addu City is currently undergoing repairs, and in its place, 26 civilians have arrived in the Maldives with a replacement helicopter.

He noted that the familiarisation process is in progress and said the Indian troops will depart from the Maldives as planned. He also said the MNDF will have operational authority of the Indian civilians and vehicles associated with the helicopter.

According to the Maldivian government, 88 Indian military personnel were in the Maldives primarily to operate two helicopters and an aircraft that have carried out hundreds of medical evacuations and humanitarian missions.

The Indian aviation platforms have provided humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the Maldivians for the last few years.

Muizzu defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September last year.

The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region. The overall bilateral ties, including in defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government in Male.

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

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Indian-Origin Woman Charged With Murder Of 10-Year-Old Daughter In UK

A 33-year-old Indian-origin woman on Wednesday appeared before a UK court charged with the murder of her 10-year-old daughter, who was found dead at their home in a town in the West Midlands region of England.

Jaskirat Kaur, also known as Jasmine Kang, appeared before Wolverhampton Magistrates Court charged with the murder of Shay Kang, described as "bright and fun-loving" in a tribute from her school. West Midlands Police said the girl had been found with injuries at an address in Rowley Regis on Monday and pronounced dead at the scene.

"Our thoughts remain with Shay's family and friends. Her tragic death has had a profound impact on those who knew her as well as the wider community. We ask that they are left to grieve in private as our enquiries continue," said Detective Inspector Dan Jarratt of West Midlands Police.

"The community has understandably been left shocked by what's happened, and we'll continue to have a police presence and offer our support in the area over the coming days," he said.

Jaskirat Kaur had been arrested on Monday from the residential property where her daughter's body was found. A cordon remains in place at the property on Robin Close and a post-mortem is to be held in due course to establish the cause of death.

"At this stage we are not looking for anyone else as part of the investigation," the police said at the time.

Brickhouse Primary School, where Shay was a pupil, issued a statement to say the school was deeply saddened by the tragic death.

"Shay was a bright, happy, fun-loving child who was well liked by all, and she will be very sadly missed by everyone. School is the heart of the community and we have already begun working with our children and staff to support them following this devastating news," read the statement. Tributes including toys, cards and balloons have since been laid near the police cordon on Robin Close in the town of Rowley Regis, where the schoolgirl lived with her mother. Some parents of children who attended the same school have also set up an online Go Fund Me fundraiser to collect money for Shay's funeral, with over GBP 3,800 raised so far.

The fundraiser reads: "As you may be aware she had no family except her mum. The purpose of this is to come together as a community to help raise funds for her funeral and to also help with flowers, head stone etc.

"She didn't deserve this at all and the best we can do is make sure she flys (sic) high in the most beautiful way."

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

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"Thala' MS Dhoni Joins CSK In Chennai Ahead Of IPL 2024. Internet Explodes

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni landed in Chennai on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The defending champions posted a picture of Dhoni, who led them to their fifth title last season, exiting a vehicle on social media, captioning it "#THA7A Dharisanam!" Speculation is rife that this season will be Dhoni's final one as a player. Last year, the 42-year-old mostly came out to bat towards the fag end of CSK innings. CSK began their pre-season training camp on Saturday with the first batch of CSK players landing here a day before.

The players who have arrived so far include Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Simarjeet Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Ajay Mandal, Shaik Rasheed and Nishant Sindhu (all-rounder).

#THA7A Dharisanam!#DenComing pic.twitter.com/dJbdsDd6wf

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 5, 2024

CSK will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22. 

Barely two weeks before the start of the IPL, the enigmatic MS Dhoni sent speculation into overdrive by claiming that a "new role" awaits him in the "new season" in a viral social media post on Monday.

The former India captain, who led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title last season, however, neither mentioned the league nor elaborated on the new role, leaving everyone guessing.

"Can't wait for the new season and the new 'role'. Stay tuned!," Dhoni wrote in a rare social media post on Facebook. Speculation is rife that this season will be Dhoni's final one as a player.

ThalaiVanakkam!#DenComing pic.twitter.com/YYsyEXPAJY

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 5, 2024

Last year, the 42-year-old mostly came out to bat towards the fag end of CSK innings. He has not yet clarified on whether he will captain CSK in IPL 2024.

At the post-match ceremony after winning the final last year, Dhoni was asked if he will retire on a high, but the Ranchi dasher, in his inimitable style, deflected the query by saying that it would amount to taking an easy way out.

He went on to add that he would try to come back next season as CSK captain if his body allowed him.

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"Love It": Kareena's Loud Shout Out To Kunal's Madgaon Express Trailer

The trailer of Kunal Kemmu's directorial debut Madgaon Express dropped on Tuesday and Kareena Kapoor and Soha Ali Khan cannot stop gushing over it. On Tuesday, Kareena Kapoor reshared the film's trailer on her Instagram stories and sent big love to her brother-in-law Kunal Kemmu. Reacting to the trailer, she wrote, "love it, looks so much fun." ICYDK, Kunal Kemmu is married to Saif Ali Khan's sister Soha Ali Khan. Besides Kareena, Kunal's wife Soha also dropped a sweet comment below the post. She wrote, "Congratulations I am so so proud of you - the trailer looks phenomenal."

See what Kareena Kapoor posted:

Now watch the trailer of Madgaaon express below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kunal Kemmu (@kunalkemmu)

Kunal Kemmu announced his directorial debut via Instagram post in August of 2022. "Ganpati Bappa Moriya! As all good things begin with his name I can't think of a better day to share this with all of you. It started with a thought in my head, which grew into a dream which flowed out through my fingers into words on my laptop, and now it is becoming a reality on its way to the silver screen. A big thank you to @ritesh_sid @faroutakhtar and @roo_cha at @excelmovies for believing in my script and my vision and partnering with me on this exciting journey in the world of cinema. With folded hands and a bowed head I seek all of your blessings and the blessings of Ganpati Bappa. Introducing Madgaon Express," his post read.

Madgaon Express is all set to hit theaters on March 22.

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Amit Shah Holds Meet On Maharashtra Seat Tangle, Talks Positive: Sources

Finalising seat-sharing in Maharashtra, which sends the second-highest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha, has proven to be tricky for the National Democratic Alliance, with all three key partners - the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP - pushing for a higher number of seats than the others are willing to concede. With BJP's chief troubleshooter and Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding a late-night meeting on Tuesday with leaders of the other parties, sources said a breakthrough is expected soon.

Party sources said the meeting started around 10.15 pm and Mr Shah held a discussion with Deputy Chief Minister Pawar in the presence of BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the first 30 minutes, after which the two leaders left. The next 50 minutes saw talks between the Home Minister and Chief Minister Shinde. 

Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP wants 30 to be able to achieve its twin targets of winning 370 seats nationally and taking the NDA to the 400 mark. Sources said the party is willing to leave 12 seats from the Shiv Sena and six for the NCP, a prospect the other partners of the Mahayuti - as the alliance is known in Maharashtra -  are not happy with. 

Pointing out that the Sena symbol and name are with him, Chief Minister Shinde, sources said, has been pushing to be allocated 23 seats, the same number that the undivided Shiv Sena had contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls - before the split in 2022. Failing that, Mr Shinde and his party are reportedly ready to settle for 18 seats, which the Shiv Sena had won in the last Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP's division of constituencies with the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had caused heartburn on both sides even in 2019. The national party had contested 25 seats and won 23 while the Sena had contested 23 and won 18. The BJP camp, sources said, believes it is entitled to a larger share than last time given PM Narendra Modi's popularity and the fact that it is the single-largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly. 

Complicating matters, however, is the entry of Ajit Pawar's NCP, which joined the government last year and is pushing for 10 Lok Sabha seats. The then Sharad Pawar-led united NCP had only won four in 2019.

Contentious Seats

Sources said while a consensus is emerging on most other seats, 10 are proving to be a bone of contention. These are Kalyan, South Mumbai, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Shirur, Amravati, Sambhajinagar Nagar, Hingoli, Nashik, Ramtek and Maval

In Kalyan, Chief Minister Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde is the sitting MP, but the local unit of BJP wants to contest from the constituency. The BJP claims Kalyan is a traditional seat of the party which it had given to Shiv Sena in 2019 under pressure from Uddhav Thackeray. Union Minister Anurag Thakur had also conducted a review of the constituency and apprised the central leadership.

Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is the sitting MP from the South Mumbai constituency and the Shinde faction is keen to contest on it because it is traditionally a Sena seat. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar from the BJP has, however, also shown interest.

In Pune district's Maval, Shrirang Barne from the Shinde Sena is the sitting MP.  But Ajit Pawar is keen on this seat as his son, Parth Pawar, had lost to Mr Barne in 2019.

Ratnagiri-Sindhadurg in the Konkan region is a Shiv Sena seat but Narayan Rane claimed it for the BJP last week in a post on X. Strongly opposing this, Ramdas Kadam of the Shinde Sena had asked whether the BJP wanted to eliminate every party and contest the Lok Sabha election alone. 

Shirur in Pune district has proven to be another point of friction. Amol Kolhe from the NCP (Sharadchanrd Pawar) is the sitting MP and the seat is now being claimed by the Ajit Pawar faction. The intent to beat Mr Kolhe has been announced by Mr Pawar himself, but former MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil from Mr Shinde's Shiv Sena is also keen on throwing his hat in the ring. 

Navneet Rana is the independent MP from Vidarbha's Amravati and the BJP has offered the constituency to her to contest on its ticket. The Shinde Sena's Anandrao Adsul, a former MP, has also claimed the seat. 

Sambhaji Nagar in Aurangabad is the lone seat won by the AIMIM in Maharashtra and Imtiaz Jaleel is the sitting MP. Though the constituency has been traditionally fought by the Shiv Sena, which plans to field Minister Sandeepan Bhumre, the BJP wants it for Union Minister of State for Finance, Bhagwat Karad.

A seat which is being eyed by all three members of the Mahayuti is Nashik. Hemant Godse from the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena is the sitting MP, but the NCP is keen on fielding someone from Minister Chhagan Bhujbal's family and the BJP has also staked claim. 

In Aurangabad's Hingoli, Sena's Hemant Patil is the sitting MP and had offered to resign during the Maratha reservation protest. The BJP is also, however, interested in fielding its candidate.

Krupal Tumane of the Sena is the sitting MP from Ramtek in Nagpur seat but the local BJP cadre want the constituency for the party. They are, however, willing to settle for Mr Tumane fighting on a BJP ticket, sources said. 

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Meme Rush On Elon Musk's X As Thousands Report Facebook, Instagram Outage

Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Messenger - platforms managed by Meta - were down for over an hour on Tuesday evening for thousands of users in India and several other countries. Within minutes of the outage, people moved to Elon Musk-owned X and #Instagramdown, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg are trending on the social media platform, with users sharing memes over the global server issue.

Users were unable to load apps, deliver messages and refresh their search feeds on Facebook and Instagram. 

Here are some of the top memes on X:

Facebook and Instagram users rushing to Twitter after Meta applications are down. #facebookdown #instagramdown #meta #MarkZuckerberg #whatsappdown #CyberAttack pic.twitter.com/vV9V1uT2kx

— Shadan Aagya (@SigmaRuler_) March 5, 2024

Sharing a clip from Akshay Kumar's comedy classic 'Khatta Meetha', a user said, "Mark Zuckerberg And Meta trying to restart Instagram and Facebook Servers."

Mark Zuckerberg And Meta trying to restart Instagram and Facebook Servers

Abhe Thik Karke Deta hun 😭#instagramdown #facebookdown#whatsappdown #Meta #MarkZuckerberg pic.twitter.com/tQBUqArLm3

— MUNAWAR KI JANTA ™ (@MunawarKiJanta1) March 5, 2024

A user shared a clip from an episode of Mr Bean and took a jibe over Meta. Mr Bean, as X, is in a hospital sitting next to a patient covered with bandages, representing Meta and crosses his leg to make fun of him.

Elon Musk after seen Mark Zuckerberg both Instagram down and Facebook down 👇#instagramdown #facebookdown #meta pic.twitter.com/gg1nt4MnPk

— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) March 5, 2024

X owner Elon Musk wasn't behind, he responded to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone's statement with a meme.

pic.twitter.com/VTOACNfb3E

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2024

American pop star Paris Hilton shared a picture on the Meta outage

Me because Instagram's down pic.twitter.com/hv20xzMIsV

— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) March 5, 2024

"Facebook, Instagram & Whatsapp users rushing to Twitter after Meta applications are down," another user wrote.

Facebook, Instagram & Whatsapp users rushing to Twitter after Meta applications are down.
#CyberAttack pic.twitter.com/61jMfVcXar

— Chai-Shai (@aashishsarda07) March 5, 2024

There were more than 300,000 reports of outages on Facebook, while there were more than 20,000 reports on Instagram, according to the website. 

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Andhra Man Murders Wife With Sickle, Crowd Looks On, Films Brutal Attack

A man brutally hacked his wife to death and injured his mother-in-law in broad daylight on a busy street in Andhra Pradesh's Nandyal today.

The man, identified as Rangaswamy, attacked his wife, Kumari, and her mother with a sickle-like sharp weapon as a crowd gathered and shouted at him to stop.

In a horrific video recorded by one of the onlookers, Rangaswamy is seen mercilessly hacking a woman slumped on the ground in the middle of roadside stalls and covered in blood. The stalls lay abandoned as he continued to brutally strike her in the middle of a busy road.

The man's wife died, while her mother sustained severe injuries.

The police rushed to the spot and arrested Rangaswamy. They then took his mother-in-law to a local hospital for treatment.

A case of murder has been registered against Rangaswamy and further investigation is underway. The police are yet to find out what prompted the brutal attack.

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