London: A man with a sword was arrested on Tuesday after he unleashed a horrifying attack on the public and police officers in Hainault, northeast London, resulting in several injuries. Later, a 13-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries. The police reported a "serious incident" where there were reports of people being stabbed after a vehicle was driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area, reported the Guardian.Singapore Airlines has been ordered to pay more than 2,040 pounds (INR 213,585) to an Indian couple who said their business-class seats malfunctioned, New York Post reported. Ravi Gupta, a police chief from Telangana, was flying with his wife on a flight from Hyderabad to Australia, which transited through Singapore. They paid 66,750 rupees (about $800) for each business-class seat. Notably, the incident happened last year in May.
The couple complained that their seats' automatic recline feature didn't work. Instead, the seats could only be manually reclined, leaving them frustrated during their five-hour trip. When they complained, they were offered 10,000 frequent flyer miles or loyalty points each. However, they declined the offer and sued Singapore Airlines.
In court documents, the Guptas accused Singapore Airlines of making them feel like lowly ''economy-class passengers'' despite them paying for spacious business-class accommodation. They also said they were forced to stay awake throughout the journey as a result.
Last week, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Telangana, ruled in the couple's favour and ordered Singapore Airlines to pay them $2,400 ''for causing mental agony and physical suffering.''
In a statement to The Independent, Singapore Airlines did confirm the ''faulty'' automatic recline ability in their seats.
“SIA can confirm that while the automatic recline function on Mr and Mrs Gupta's seats was faulty, the manual recline function was working on their flight from Hyderabad to Singapore. There were no issues on their connecting flight from Singapore to Perth,'' a spokesperson told The Independent.
''The flight duration from Hyderabad to Singapore is typically around four hours. As it was a full flight, SIA staff, unfortunately, could not reseat the customers elsewhere in the Business Class cabin. Our crew proactively checked in on these customers regularly and offered to manually recline the seat when needed. We apologise to Mr and Mrs Gupta for the inconvenience caused by this mechanical issue,'' the statement added.
US President Joe Biden, on Sunday, spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where the former reiterated his firm position on Rafah-- a border region which has been a centre of conflict between the two leaders. The White House said that Biden reiterated his “clear position” as Israel plans to invade Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah despite global concern for more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering there.The temporary pier being constructed by the US military to boost aid deliveries to Gaza will cost Washington at least $320 million, the Pentagon said Monday.
"That's about our rough estimate right now, approximately $320 million," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists, adding: "That's an initial cost for the temporary pier."
The Pentagon announced Thursday that construction of the pier had begun, saying it should be operational in early May.
At that point, aid will be transported via commercial vessels to a floating platform miles off the Gaza coast, where it will be transferred to smaller vessels, brought to the pier and taken to land by truck for distribution.
Plans for the pier were first announced by US President Joe Biden in early March as Israel held up deliveries of assistance by ground.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza -- which has been devastated by more than six months of Israeli operations against Hamas -- remains dire, with a senior US administration official saying last week that the territory's entire population of 2.2 million people is facing food insecurity.
Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,488 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was on a flight heading to Beijing on Sunday to kick off a surprise trip in the electric vehicle maker's second-biggest market, news agency Reuters reported citing two people with knowledge of the matter. Musk's visit to China was not flagged publicly and the people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak with media. Tesla did not respond immediately to a request for comment.The White House insisted Sunday that pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked US universities in recent weeks must remain peaceful, after police arrested around 275 people on four separate campuses over the weekend.
"We certainly respect the right of peaceful protests," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABC's "This Week."
But, he added, "we absolutely condemn the anti-Semitism language that we've heard of late and certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there."
The wave of demonstrations began at Columbia University in New York but they have since spread rapidly across the country.
While peace has prevailed in many campuses, the number of protesters detained -- at times by police in riot gear using chemical irritants and tasers -- is rising fast.
They include 100 at Northeastern University in Boston, 80 at Washington University in St Louis, 72 at Arizona State University and 23 at Indiana University.
Among those arrested at Washington University was Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who faulted police for aggressive tactics she said provoked the sort of trouble they are meant to quell.
"This is about freedom of speech... on a very critical issue," she told CNN shortly before her arrest Saturday. "And there they are, sending in the riot police and basically creating a riot."
College administrators have struggled to find the best response, caught between the need to respect free-speech rights and the imperative of containing inflammatory and sometimes violently anti-Semitic calls by protesters.
At the University of Southern California, school officials late Saturday closed the main campus to the public after pro-Palestinian groups again set up an encampment that had been cleared earlier, the school announced on X.
With final exams coming in the next few weeks, some campuses -- including the Humboldt campus of California State Polytechnic University, have closed and instructed students to complete their classes online.
The activists behind the campus protests -- not all of them students -- are calling for a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas, and want colleges to sever ties with Israel.
Hamas operatives staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that left around 1,170 people dead, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Palestinian operatives also took roughly 250 people hostage. Israel estimates 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,454 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Twenty-four Indian fishermen, caught by Sri Lankan navy, have been repatriated to India. The High Commission of India in Colombo said that all the fishermen boarded from Colombo and were on their way home. The recent repatriation marks the third release of Indian fishermen from Sri Lanka in April alone. Earlier on April 24, 5 fishermen were released by Sri Lanka and were repatriated back home. Before this, 19 other Indian fishermen were sent back to India by Sri Lankan authorities on April 3. A tornado that struck the city of Guangzhou in southern China killed five people and left 33 injured, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday, citing local authorities.
The tornado hit the city's Baiyun district on Saturday afternoon, the report said, adding it had damaged 141 factory buildings but no residential houses had collapsed, the report added.
Rescuers from the city's emergency management, weather, fire, waterworks and health departments, as well as local residents, were sent to the area, Xinhua said, adding that search and rescue work was completed there.
Last year, China's Jiangsu was hit by a violent tornado which killed 10 people after torrential rain lashed China's southeast, causing massive evacuations and landslides in the wake of unrelenting storms brought on by the remnants of Typhoon Haikui.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. Secretary for State Antony Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday to meet with regional partners and discuss efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, the State Department said on Saturday.
"He will discuss the recent increase in humanitarian assistance being delivered to Gaza and underscore the importance of ensuring that increase is sustained," the State Department said in a statement.
"The Secretary will also emphasize the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and discuss ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region, including through a pathway to an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The South Korean military is considering a comprehensive ban on iPhones within its buildings, citing concerns about potential leaks of sensitive information through voice recordings. The decision came after joint meetings held by the army, navy, and air force headquarters, with nationalistic motives also playing a role in favouring homegrown brands over foreign ones, The Korea Herald reported.
Korean Air Force issues directive
The Korean Air Force took the lead in enforcing the widespread ban. In an internal directive issued on April 11, it instructed its personnel to stop using iPhones inside the facilities.
The ban also named other devices capable of recording and sharing voice recordings beyond third-party app controls. In addition to iPhones, other products, including Apple Watches, are also reportedly included in the ban.
The military document stresses the importance of blocking voice recording in all communication scenarios within military buildings, whether formal or informal.
Are Androids banned too?
Android-based devices, particularly those manufactured by Samsung, are exempt from the ban within the South Korean military.
The ban will reportedly extend across the entire South Korean military, with the army reportedly testing similar restrictions. While restrictions on smart devices in secure facilities are common, implementing a total ban is unusual.
How the ban helps local brands
The decision seems to favour local brands such as Samsung, but there still appear to be doubts regarding how well the current security measures work and if they're consistent. If enforced across all military units, the ban would impact nearly 500,000 personnel within the South Korean military.
India has congratulated Maldives for the successful conduct of parliamentary elections and expressed hope that the two nations will continue their exchanges at parliamentary level in the coming days, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that New Delhi and Male have had historical ties and India has a development cooperation program with Maldives.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, Mr Jaiswal said, "We have old historical ties with Maldives. We have a development cooperation programme with the Maldives and one programme is ongoing. Recently, Maldives held parliamentary/ Majlis elections. We congratulate Maldives on its successful parliamentary elections. We (India) and Maldives have many exchanges with each other at the parliament level. We hope to continue these exchanges with the new Majlis in the coming days."
In response to another query about Bangladesh, China planning to hold joint military exercise in May, he said, "You have heard me speak about this several times from this podium. We keep a close watch on all developments that happen in our neighbourhood and beyond, which impact our economic and security interests and we take appropriate measures accordingly."
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling People's National Congress (PNC) has won a supermajority in the Maldives Parliament. His party won 60 seats in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, Maldives-based Sun Online reported.
Over 200,000 people voted in the parliamentary elections, in which 326 candidates were in the fray for 93 seats in the next parliamentary assembly, including six new seats. Maldives ruling party's candidates contested 90 seats.
The candidates who contested the elections also included 89 candidates from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); 39 candidates from the Democrats; 10 candidates from the Jumhoory Party (JP); four candidates from the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA); four from the Adhaalath Party (AP); two from the Maldives National Party (MNP); and 130 independent candidates.
According to preliminary results, President Mohamed Muizzu's PNC secured the win in more than 60 seats, which is roughly two-thirds of the total seats. It does not include the independent candidates who contested with the party's support and candidates from the MNP and MDA. MNP and MDA are two parties allied with the ruling coalition.
Notably, ties between India and the Maldives had become strained since Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office. He criticised India during and after the presidential polls and his government also formally requested India to withdraw its troops from Male. However, in March, Mr Muizzu requested New Delhi for debt relief measures, while stating that India would continue to remain the Maldives' "closest ally," local media reported.
He further claimed that he has "not taken any action nor made any statements" that may strain the relationship between the two countries. In an interview with local media 'Mihaaru', Mr Muizzu said that he hopes India will accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives' in the repayment of the hefty loans taken from the country over consecutive governments, Adhadhu reported.
He said, "The conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment structure of these loans. Instead of halting any ongoing projects, proceed with them at speed. So I see no reason for any adverse effects (on Maldives-India relations)."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
An upcoming film titled 'Putin' has grabbed attention for its promise to delve deep into the life and personality of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Using advanced AI technology, the movie aims to portray Putin's character over six decades, including moments from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Scheduled for release in September, the trailer shows Putin in unusual situations, like wearing a soiled diaper and practicing karate.
Directed by Polish filmmaker Besaleel, also known as Patryk Vega, the film is described as a "psychological thriller" that aims to uncover the mysteries surrounding Putin's personality. Vega highlights the extensive three-year process of filming, advanced AI techniques, and careful storytelling used to explore the motives and actions of one of today's most talked-about political figures.
The producers are dedicated to presenting a detailed and realistic depiction of Putin's story, utilising cutting-edge AI to achieve this. Set to be released in English, 'Putin' promises to provide viewers with an unprecedented look into the complexities of Putin's life and influence.
In a statement released via PR Leap, Polish studio AIO said the film will be released in 35 countries and describes itself as "up close and personal with the Kremlin leader's story.".
The studio has released a 2.5-minute trailer for the film.
According to the makers, the movie was filmed over three years in locations such as the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Poland. The movie's timeliness is one of its most significant aspects.
"Putin is not just a film," filmmaker Vega states. "It's a response to a global quest to understand the motives and actions of one of the most controversial figures in contemporary politics. My production's mission is to provide viewers with a 'user manual' for Putin.
More than 130 people were arrested overnight during pro-Palestinian protests at the New York University campus, as student demonstrations gather pace in the United States over the Israel-Hamas war.
Some of America's most prestigious universities have been rocked by protests in recent weeks as students and other agitators take over quads and disrupt campus activities.
The demonstrations come amid sweeping debates over Israel's assault on Gaza, following Hamas's deadly invasion on October 7.
Such bastions of higher education -- Harvard, Yale, Columbia and others -- are grappling for a balance between students demanding free speech rights and others who argue that campuses are encouraging intimidation and hate speech.
On Tuesday, the New York Police Department told AFP that 133 people had been arrested at NYU and released after being issued with court summons, as protests also intensify at Yale, Columbia University and other campuses.
As the holiday of Passover began Monday night, police began detaining demonstrators at an encampment at NYU who had earlier refused orders to disperse.
A New York University spokesman said the decision to call police came after additional protesters, many of whom were not thought to be affiliated with NYU, suddenly breached the barriers erected around the encampment.
This "dramatically changed" the situation, the spokesman said in a statement on the school's website Monday, citing "disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior" along with "intimidated chants and several antisemitic incidents."
"Given the foregoing and the safety issues raised by the breach, we asked for assistance from the NYPD. The police urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully, but ultimately made a number of arrests."
The spokesman said the school continues to support freedom of expression and the safety of students.
But protests have grown large and disruptive enough -- New York Police Department spokesmen have spoken of their officers facing violence when confronting protesters at NYU -- to draw the attention of President Joe Biden and his administration.
"Anti-Semitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable," US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona posted on X on Tuesday, expressing concern about the unrest.
The protests began last week at Columbia University, also in New York, with a large group of demonstrators establishing a so-called "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on school grounds.
But more than 100 protesters were arrested after university authorities called the police onto Columbia's campus Thursday, a move that seemingly escalated tensions and sparked a greater turnout over the weekend.
Social media images late Monday appeared to show pro-Palestinian Jewish students holding traditional seder meals inside the protest areas on campuses including at Columbia.
There were also demonstrations at MIT, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and Yale, where at least 47 people were arrested Monday after refusing requests to disperse.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The 240-meter television tower in Ukraine's city of Kharkiv broke in half and fell to the ground on Monday, footage obtained by Reuters showed, after what local officials said was likely a Russian missile attack on television infrastructure.
The broadcasting signal was disrupted to Ukraine's second-largest city, which has been pounded by Russian missile and drone strikes in recent weeks.
"At the moment there are interruptions to the digital television signal," regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
There were no casualties because workers were in shelters, he added.
Footage from the scene showed the main mast of the tower breaking off and falling as a cloud of smoke rose into the sky.
It was not clear from the footage what had hit the mast, but Kharkiv prosecutors said Russia had likely used a cruise Kh-59 missile in the attack.
The video was verified by corroborating video from another angle showing the same moment the top of the tower collapsed.
Russia first attacked Kharkiv's television tower several times in early March 2022 soon after it launched its full-scale invasion. The signal was disrupted at the time.
Moscow has recently stepped up its attacks, while Ukraine is suffering a shortage of air defense capabilities. Kharkiv and the surrounding region have experienced the most intense strikes.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Islamabad: Polling began on Sunday on 21 national and provincial seats in the by-elections in Pakistan amidst tight security and suspension of cellular and internet services in specific districts of Punjab and Balochistan to maintain law.The party of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu won control of parliament in a Sunday election landslide, results showed, with voters backing his tilt towards China and away from regional powerhouse and traditional benefactor India.
Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) won 66 of the first 86 seats declared, according to the Elections Commission of Maldives results, already more than enough for a super-majority in the 93-member majlis, or parliament.
The vote was seen as a crucial test for Muizzu's plan to press ahead with closer economic cooperation with China, including building thousands of apartments on controversially reclaimed land.
The PNC and its allies had only eight seats in the outgoing parliament, with the lack of a majority stymieing Muizzu after his presidential election victory in September.
The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) -- which had previously had a super-majority of its own -- was headed for a humiliating defeat with just a dozen seats.
Muizzu, 45, had been among the first to vote Sunday, casting his ballot at a school in the capital Male -- where he was previously mayor -- and urging Maldivians to turn out in high numbers.
President Dr @MMuizzu cast his ballot in the 2024 Parliamentary Elections. The voting process took place at the polling station for the President's constituency at the Thaajudheen School. pic.twitter.com/p4pHuXzx2R
— The President's Office (@presidencymv) April 21, 2024
"All citizens should come out and exercise their right to vote as soon as possible," Muizzu told reporters.
The Maldives, a low-lying nation of some 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator, is one of the countries most vulnerable to sea level rises caused by global warming.
Muizzu, a former construction minister, has promised he will beat back the waves through ambitious land reclamation and building islands higher, a policy which environmentalists argue could even exacerbate flooding risks.
The Maldives is known as a top luxury holiday destination thanks to its pristine white beaches and secluded resorts.
But in recent years it has also become a geopolitical hotspot in the Indian Ocean, where global east-west shipping lanes pass the archipelago.
Muizzu won last September's presidential poll as a proxy for pro-China ex-president Abdulla Yameen, freed last week after a court set aside his 11-year jail term for corruption.
This month, as campaigning for the parliamentary elections was in full swing, Muizzu awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies.
His administration is also in the process of sending home a garrison of 89 Indian troops who operate reconnaissance aircraft gifted by New Delhi to patrol the Maldives' vast maritime borders.
The outgoing parliament, dominated by the pro-India MDP of Muizzu's immediate predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has sought to disrupt his efforts to realign Maldivian diplomacy.
Since Muizzu came to power, lawmakers blocked three of his nominees to the cabinet and refused some of his spending proposals.
"Geopolitics is very much in the background as parties campaign for votes in Sunday's election," a senior Muizzu aide told AFP ahead of the poll, asking not to be named.
"He came to power on a promise to send back Indian troops and he is working on it. The parliament has not been cooperating with him since he came to power."
Solih was also among those voting early and expressed confidence his party would emerge victorious. There was no immediate reaction from his party to their poor showing in Sunday's vote.
Election chief Fuad Thaufeeq said after polls closed that turnout had already reached 73 percent of the 284,663 electorate when half an hour of voting remained.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In a shocking incident, a man set himself on fire outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's trial was taking place, although officials claimed that he did not appear to have been targeting Trump. The incident was recorded on cameras that were present outside the courthouse where the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president is being held. "He was on fire for quite a while," one witness, who declined to give his name, told reporters. He further said, "It was pretty horrifying." Officials said the man, who is in his late 30s, was in a critical condition at a hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.At least 58 people going to a funeral died after their overloaded boat capsized in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui, the head of civil protection said on Saturday.
"We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies. We don't know the total number of people who are underwater," Thomas Djimasse told Radio Guira.
According to witnesses and videos on social media, the boat was carrying more than 300 people -- some standing and others perched on wooden structures -- when it overturned on the Mpoko river on Friday.
The vessel was heading to the funeral of a village chief but capsized shortly after setting off, with rescuers arriving 40 minutes after the disaster.
Maurice Kapenya, who followed the boat in a canoe because there was no space on board, said he collected the bodies of some of the victims, including his own sister, with the help of fishermen and residents.
Families were seen near the river on Saturday looking for their loved ones who were still missing.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
New York: The United States has vetoed a widely-supported resolution in the UN Security Council on a Palestinian bid to be granted full membership, effectively blocking the way for the recognition of a Palestinian state. The 15-nation Council voted on the draft resolution on Thursday that would have recommended to the UN General Assembly "that the state of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations".The jury for Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was completed on Friday, clearing the way for prosecutors and defense attorneys to make opening statements next week in a case stemming from hush money paid to a porn star.
The 12 jurors, along with six alternates, will consider evidence in a first-ever trial to determine whether a former US president broke the law.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, mostly employed in white-collar professions: two corporate lawyers, a software engineer, a speech therapist and an English teacher. Most are not native New Yorkers, hailing from across the United States and countries like Ireland and Lebanon.
Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in three other criminal cases as well, but this is the only one certain to go to trial ahead of the Nov. 5 election, when the Republican politician aims to again take on Democratic President Joe Biden.
A conviction would not bar him from office.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Myanmar's detained former leader and Aung San Suu Kyi was moved from prison to house arrest possibly to be used by the Southeast Asian nation's ruling junta as a human shield in its conflict with resistance fighters, her son said on Thursday.
Suu Kyi has been detained by the Myanmar military since it overthrew her government in a 2021 coup. The 78-year-old Nobel laureate was held under house arrest for a total of 15 years under a previous junta.
A spokesperson for the junta said this week that Suu Kyi had been moved to house arrest as a step to protect her and other elderly prisoners from the hot weather. It was not clear where exactly she had been moved to.
Her son, Kim Aris, who lives in London, told Reuters that he had heard Suu Kyi was suffering from the heat, but that the junta's official reason for moving her was "not very likely".
"I think they have their own reasons for moving her, namely that they'd like to use her as a human shield or a bargaining chip," Aris said in an interview.
"As the fighting's getting closer and closer to the military strongholds, I think they may just want to keep her close to use as a human shield, or they might like to negotiate with the resistance forces on her release, trying to gain some sort of, you know, footing for the future," he said.
Anger against the junta in Myanmar has turned into a nationwide armed resistance movement that is now increasingly operating in coordination with established ethnic rebel groups to challenge the military across large parts of the country.
World leaders and pro-democracy activists have repeatedly called for Suu Kyi's release. She faces 27 years in prison for crimes ranging from treason and bribery to violations of the telecommunications law, charges she denies.
A man suspected of aiding a plot by Russian intelligence services to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been arrested in Poland, Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors said Thursday.
The Polish national, named only as Pawel K., is suspected of supplying information to Russian military intelligence and "helping the Russian special forces to plan a possible assassination attempt" against Zelensky, said a statement from Polish prosecutors.
It said the suspect had stated he was "ready to act on behalf of the military intelligence services of the Russian Federation and established contact with Russian citizens directly involved in the war in Ukraine".
Ukrainian prosecutors had informed Poland about the activities, which had enabled them to gather "essential evidence" against the suspect, the statement added.
Ukraine's chief prosecutor Andriy Kostin said the suspect had been tasked with "gathering and transmitting to the aggressor state information about security at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport" in southeastern Poland.
Zelensky frequently passes through the airport on his trips abroad. It is also used by foreign officials and aid convoys heading to Ukraine.
The suspect is in detention pending judicial procedures, the two countries' prosecutors said.
"This case underscores the persistent threat Russia poses not only to Ukraine and Ukrainians but to the entire free world," Kostin wrote on X, the former Twitter.
"The Kremlin's criminal regime... organises and carries out sabotage operations on the territory of other sovereign states," he added.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski commended the work of his country's special services and prosecutors in the operation as well as cooperation with neighbouring Ukraine.
Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's staunchest backers since the Russian invasion in February 2022, although ties have frayed recently in a dispute over agricultural imports.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Dubai: Some residents in Dubai used a rubber boat on Tuesday to move around the flooded streets after a storm hit the emirate. Dubai International Airport was temporarily diverting arriving flights on Tuesday evening until weather conditions improve. On Monday, Dubai Police issued a public safety advisory alerting residents to the adverse weather conditions. The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) stated that from Tuesday afternoon to early Wednesday morning, another wave of unstable weather was expected to begin from western areas and spread across scattered areas of the country.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday alleged that Army chief General Asim Munir was directly responsible for the imprisonment of his wife Bushra Bibi.
Bushra Bibi, 49, was convicted in a corruption case as well as in the case of illegal marriage with Mr Khan, 71, and is currently held in detention at their Bani Gala residence in the suburbs of Islamabad.
The PTI leader in a conversation with journalists at Adiala Jail where he is currently incarcerated hurled allegations on the army chief, according to a long post uploaded on Mr Khan's official X account.
"General Asim Munir is directly involved in the sentence awarded to my wife," Mr Khan said, adding that the judge who convicted her said that he was forced to make the decision.
"If anything happens to my wife, I will not leave Asim Munir, I will not leave Asim Munir as long as I am alive. I will expose his unconstitutional and illegal steps," he threatened.
Mr Khan said there was a law of the jungle in the country and all was being done by the "king of the jungle". "If the king of the jungle wants, all the cases of Nawaz Sharif are forgiven, and when he wants, we are punished in three cases in five days," he alleged.
Mr Khan also said that the economy would stabilise not through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans but by investment. "Due to the law of the jungle, there will be no investment in the country. It is good that Saudi Arabia is coming but investment will come once there is rule of law in the country," he said.
He also referred to the recent reported clash between police and army in Bahawalnagar area of Punjab and said that the "police were thrashed" by violating the law, but the IG (inspector general police) and Viceroy, who oppressed our people, apologised from those who had thrashed the police.
Mr Khan said the Viceroy said after the incident that "they (police) are our brothers". He went on to say that "such treatment is done to slaves and not to brothers" because those having power thrashed the police and also forced to apologise.
He also said that PTI was being stopped from contesting in the by-elections. "At this time, standing in front of oppression is Jihad. Our workers have to protect each vote, guard the vote," the former premier said.
So far the army has not responded to the serious allegations.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Washington: Observing that there is a substantial increase in attacks against Hindus in the US, an Indian-American Congressman has said that this was just the “beginning of a coordinated anti-Hindu attack”, as he asked the community members to unite against hate crimes. Congressman Shri Thanedar's remarks came during a news conference held at the National Press Club here on Monday. “Today I am seeing in the United States a substantial increase in attacks on Hinduism. A lot of misinformation is being circulated whether it is online or otherwise,” Thanedar said.The Israeli Embassy on Tuesday hit back at the hate speech against Indians and urged people to fact-check before falling for any fake news and propoganda, as incidents of hate speech are on the rise after the conflict in the Gaza Strip and Iran-Israel tension.
Calling the viral video of an Indian YouTuber, showing that he was denied entry into an Israeli bar "fake news" and "propoganda," the Israeli Embassy in India urged people to fact-check, stressing that Israel loves its Indian brothers and and sisters and will not listen to hate speech.
Taking on their social media X, the Israeli Embassy in India said on Tuesday that the YouTuber Shubham Kumar was exploring Israel and enjoying the nightlife.
"In times when social media is flooded with fake news, we urge people to fact-check. Youtuber Shubham Kumar was exploring Israel and enjoying the nightlife, as evident in the video he uploaded. Some bars were full or had reserved spaces," the embassy stated on X.
The embassy, in their post, highlighted that the "sliced video" of fake news was circulated.
"While a sliced video of fake news and propaganda circulates, we want to address a few points: Israelis, like Indians, come in all different colours. The video clearly shows people of all colours enjoying a beer in bars. We love our Indian brothers and sisters and we will not listen to the hate speech being viciously spread," they added.
In times of social media being flooded with fake news, we urge people to fact-check.
— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) April 16, 2024
Youtuber Shubham Kumar was exploring Israel and enjoying the nightlife, as evident in the video he uploaded. Some bars were full or had reserved spaces.
While a sliced video of fake news and… pic.twitter.com/OcovcKvisB
YouTuber Shubham Kumar, a travel blogger with over two million subscribers on YouTube, visited Israel and Gaza and posted videos of him exploring the country and enjoying the nightlife.
Shubham too clarified in a video that the clubs and bars are totally jam-packed. "I could not even get a seat," said Shubham.
At no point did Shubham say that he was denied entry into Israeli clubs just because he was Indian. In fact, before visiting any nightclub, Shubham clarified that it is a Thursday night and every one parties here on this day.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Male: The second batch of Indian military personnel manning an aircraft gifted by India to the Maldives has left the island nation as demanded by President Mohamed Muizzu, according to a media report on Sunday. The second group of Indian military personnel who left the Maldives on April 9 were Indian soldiers who operated the Dornier aircraft, Adhadhu.com news portal reported. Earlier it was thought that the Indian military personnel who left the island nation were operating a helicopter."Good morning, Mr Trump."
The innocuous greeting from a New York judge belied the grim expression on Donald Trump's face as he sat flanked by his lawyers in the Manhattan Criminal Courts Monday.
While his legal team tussled with the prosecution over what evidence could be admitted, the first former US president to face a criminal trial listened intently and -- barring a few words spoken in response to Judge Juan Merchan -- silently.
The case, which could prove enormously consequential for both Trump and the country, is being heard in courtroom 1530 inside an imposing, scaffolding-clad Art Deco courthouse on New York City's Centre Street.
Trump wore his signature red tie with a white shirt, dark blue suit and a US flag lapel pin as Merchan declared the trial open.
The 45th president fixed the magistrate with a defiant look, having accused him of being "corrupt" on his Truth Social platform after Merchan declined repeated calls from the defence to recuse himself.
"We want justice to be done, that's all we want," said the judge.
The case is scheduled to last up to two months and centers on payments made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels as Trump closed in on his 2016 election win.
- 'Political persecution'? -
Trump did not disrupt largely technical proceedings as he has done in other cases.
That includes his civil fraud trial, heard in a nearby courthouse, that resulted in a $355 million civil penalty that he is appealing.
Time may be against Trump, who is campaigning to dislodge President Joe Biden from the White House at November polls, as jury selection alone could take up to two weeks.
More than 100 prospective jurors will be present in court at any one time from a pool of 500.
Trump regularly conferred with the lawyers seated either side of him, shaking his head irritably when prosecutors made comments with which he disagreed.
"It's true," he muttered at one point in response to an audio tape of him boasting about how well he treats women.
However, he did not react when the now-infamous clip of him describing grabbing women by their genitals was played by prosecutors.
Before sitting down and crossing his hands at a brown wooden table where his lawyers spread out their files, the presumptive Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election set the tone for the trial.
This is an "assault on America" and "political persecution", railed the 77-year-old billionaire who could face prison if convicted.
"It's a country that's failing, it's a country that's run by an incompetent man and is very much involved in this case," Trump said. "This is really an attack on a political opponent, that is all it is, so I'm very honored to be here."
Moments later, five photographers were ushered in to capture the unprecedented scene -- a former president seated at the defendant's table.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Jerusalem: Amid the spiralling situation in the Middle East, Hamas has rejected the latest proposal for a deal to return Israeli hostages and Israel will continue to pursue its objectives in Gaza "with full force", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. The statement said that the rejection of the proposals showed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, did not want a deal and was trying to exploit tensions with Iran and bring about a regional escalation of the conflict.Israel used a multi-layered defence shield to block Iran's mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight. Its defensive array includes short-range Iron Dome and long-range Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 missiles.
Israel has been honing its air defences since coming under Iraqi Scud salvoes in the 1991 Gulf war.
The long-range Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 system, developed by Israel with an Iranian missile threat in mind, is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the earth's atmosphere, using a detachable warhead that collides with the target.
It operates at an altitude that allows for the safe dispersal of any non-conventional warheads.
State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries is the project's main contractor, while Boeing is involved in producing the interceptors.
On Oct. 31, Israel's military said it had used the Arrow aerial defence system for the first time since the Oct. 7 outbreak of the war with Hamas to intercept a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea fired towards its territory.
On Sept. 28, Germany signed a letter of commitment with Israel to buy the Arrow-3 missile defence system for nearly 4 billion euros ($4.2 billion).
The mid-range David's Sling system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles fired from 100 km to 200 km (62 to 124 miles) away.
Developed and manufactured jointly by Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the U.S. Raytheon Co, David's Sling is also designed to intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.
The short-range Iron Dome air defence system was built to intercept the kind of rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza.
Developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing, it became operational in 2011. Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats like rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air.
Rafael says it delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the U.S. Army in 2020. Ukraine is seeking a supply as well in its war with Russia, though Israel has so far only provided Kyiv with humanitarian support and civil defences.
A naval version of the Iron Dome to protect ships and sea-based assets was deployed in 2017.
The system quickly determines whether a rocket is on course to hit a populated area; if not, the rocket is ignored and allowed to land harmlessly.
Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of between 4 and 70 km (2.5 to 43 miles), but experts say this has since been expanded.
Israel's interception systems cost between tens of thousands and millions of dollars to shoot down incoming threats. Israel is developing a laser-based system to neutralise enemy rockets and drones at an estimated cost of just $2 per interception.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
London: A gang of Indian-origin men in their twenties were sentenced to a total of 122 years in prison on Friday after they were found guilty of murdering a 23-year-old delivery driver, also of Indian heritage. The driver was identified as Aurman Singh, who succumbed to an attack in the Berwick Avenue area of Shrewsbury, western England, in August last year.The Sydney police officer who shot dead the man who killed six people at a mall has been hailed as a hero for ending the killer's rampage on Saturday. Inspector Amy Scott took down the 40-year-old man who attacked nine people including a nine-month-old baby.
Videos from inside the mall, which have now gone viral on social media, show the inspector sprinting across the shopping centre, chasing the knife-wielding attacker. In one of the clips, she was seen checking on injured shoppers, even performing CPR on one of them.
คลิปที่ สารวัตร Amy Scott ตำรวจหญิงจาก สถานีตำรวจ Rose Bay บุกเดี่ยววิ่งเข้าใส่ผู้ก่อการร้ายและวิสามัญคนร้ายหยุดยั้งการก่อเหตุต่อเนื่องในห้างสรรพสินค้า ที่เกิดเหตุ ที่ออสเตรเลีย pic.twitter.com/zLGRz8sDmn
— แมวเกเร (@Unrulycat2511) April 13, 2024
Reports suggest that the officer was the only one near the attacker and single-handedly confronted and shot him dead. According to witnesses, she fired several rounds at the killer after he tried to attack her.
A photo of the officer crouching down next to the body of the killer to check if he was dead has been shared across social media.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb also praised the inspector's brave actions. "She showed enormous courage and bravery," she said.
According to eyewitnesses, the attacker was on a "killing spree" and would not have stopped if the officer did not shoot him. "If she did not shoot him, he would have kept going, he was on the rampage. He had a nice, big blade on him. He looked like he was on a killing spree," one of them said.
CCTV cameras inside the mall showed the man, wearing an Australian rugby league jersey and chasing people around the shopping centre with a large knife, leaving a trail of bodies behind.
Police did not identify the attacker but said that he was a 40-year-old man who was known to law enforcement. Police have denied that the attack was an act of terrorism, saying that the man acted alone.
Eight people were hospitalised across Sydney, including a baby. In total, the man killed five women and one man.
Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian beauty queen was stripped of her coveted title after a video of her dancing on a holiday in Thailand flooded social media. Viru Nikah Terinsip, 24, returned her title hours before the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan made the call to strip her of the crown, The Independent reported.A historical Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been demolished and construction for a commercial complex has started at the site in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that was closed since 1947 when the original occupants migrated to India, according to The Dawn News.
The 'Khyber Temple' was situated in the border town of Landi Kotal Bazaar in the Khyber district but had been vanishing brick by brick over the years. The construction at the site started about 10-15 days ago, as per the news report.
Officials from various administrative departments either denied they were aware of the existence of the Hindu temple or claimed the construction was happening according to the rules.
Claiming that there was a historical temple in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar, leading tribal journalist Ibrahim Shinwari, hailing from Landi Kotal, said: “The temple was located in the centre of the Landi Kotal bazaar, which was closed in 1947 after the local Hindu families migrated to India. It was partially damaged by some clerics and seminarians in 1992 following the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in India.” Recalling that as a child, he heard many stories about the temple from his forefathers, the journalist said, “There is no doubt in it that there was a temple named 'Khyber Temple' in Landi Kotal.” Haroon Sarabdiyal of the Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee insisted that it was the responsibility of the district administration and relevant government departments to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of historical buildings of religious importance to non-Muslims.
“The archaeology and museums department, police, culture department, and local government were bound by the 2016 antiquity law to protect such sites, including places of worship,” he said.
The Dawn newspaper quoted Assistant Commissioner Landi Kotal, Muhammad Irshad, who expressed ignorance about the temple's demolition and said, there is no mention of the temple in the official land record of Khyber tribal district.
“The entire land in Landi Kotal Bazaar was owned by the state,” he said.
The official maintained that a ‘no objection certificate' has been issued to the builder for the renovation and repair of some old shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar.
The tehsil municipal authorities have granted permission for the commercial buildings or shops at all commercial and trade centres in tribal districts.
Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Shahbaz Khan said that the local government was authorised to give the go-ahead signal for the construction of all commercial structures in the area only after their maps or drawings were approved and the requisite fees were deposited.
The Municipal authorities admit that they do not have authentic and organised revenue records in Khyber district.
Abdus Samad, the former TMO during whose tenure the deal for the construction of a commercial building was struck, expressed complete ignorance about any such orders issued by his office.
Landi Kotal patwari Jamal Afridi claimed he was not aware of the construction activity at the temple's site. He added that the revenue records had no mention of a mandir at that site.
If the government fails to fulfil its obligations towards religious minorities, all their places of worship and other historical buildings will vanish soon, he said.
Shinwari questioned the claims of the district administration at Khyber and the municipal authorities having no official land record of the temple.
“It is the responsibility of the auqaf department to maintain and preserve historical non-Muslim places of worship, but the department had no office or employees in the Khyber tribal district,” Shinwari said and added, “Many aged tribal elders would bear testimony to this fact that there was a temple in main Landi Kotal Bazaar.” Sarabdiyal suggested that the places, which were either not used by minorities or in a dilapidated condition, could be utilised for any social welfare activity to the collective benefit of the local communities rather than demolishing it and constructing something new.
Hamas financier Nasser Yakob Jabber Nasser was killed in an Israeli airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.
Nasser was responsible for funding a significant amount of Hamas' military activities in Rafah. According to the IDF, Nasser transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hamas in December alone.
In addition, over the past few days, Israeli forces have conducted precise operational activities in the northern Gaza area of Shejaya. Several terrorists were killed and a Hamas training facility was destroyed.
Israel's air, ground and naval forces struck Hamas sites in central Gaza above and below ground in the last 24 hours.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas' attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
John Henshaw, a British backpacker from Atherton, Greater Manchester, is facing dire conditions in San Pedro prison, Bolivia, after being arrested on drug trafficking charges, which his family claims are false, according to The Metro.
Henshaw was reportedly detained at La Paz International Airport in February for possessing a small amount of cannabis. He now finds himself incarcerated in San Pedro, a notorious prison known for its harsh living conditions and inmate-run operations, reported the news outlet.
The 39-year-old lacks access to basic necessities like a bed, clean water, and consistent food. He sleeps on the floor alongside dozens of other inmates and shares toilets with a significantly larger group.
San Pedro's overcrowding is another challenge. Originally built for 600 inmates, it now houses roughly 3,000. Living conditions vary depending on financial resources; some prisoners can even purchase "suites" with amenities like beds and Wi-Fi.
Henshaw's family expresses deep concern for his well-being. He has reportedly suffered from illness and weight loss due to factors such as insect infestations and inadequate nutrition.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support John's legal fight and provide him with essential items. So far, it has raised nearly 4,318 pounds of the 6,000-pound goal.
"John has found himself in one of the worst prisons in South America. He's been thrown in San Pedro, La Paz, Bolivia, which is featured on an episode of "Worlds Toughest Jails"," mentions the post.
Henshaw's ex-partner, Toni Rimmer, is actively involved in his legal efforts from the UK. Both she and their daughter, Kaitlyn, are desperately worried about his safety and long for his return home.
Three castaways stranded for a week on a desert island in the western Pacific Ocean were rescued after a US Navy aircraft searching for them spotted palm fronds that the trio used to spell out the word "H-E-L-P" on a sandy beach.
The men, all in their 40s, were found in good health on Tuesday on Pikelot Island, an uninhabited, 32-acre islet covered by palm trees about 415 miles (667 km) southeast of Guam, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement on Thursday. Their identities and nationalities were not released.
The trio's saga began on Easter Sunday when they embarked on a voyage in a 20-foot open skiff equipped with an outboard motor from Polowat atoll, some 100 nautical miles east of where the men were found, the Coast Guard said.
Six days later, after the experienced mariners failed to return, their niece alerted authorities and the Coast Guard and Navy began a search and rescue operation. The initial search area spanned more than 78,000 square nautical miles.
A day later, the U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft spotted the makeshift "HELP" sign written out with palm leaves and began the rescue effort, the Coast Guard said.
"This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location," U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Chelsea Garcia said in the statement.
While stranded on the island, which is part of the Federated States of Micronesia, the men had access to food and water. They also recovered their damaged skiff.
A Coast Guard photograph showed two small covered shelters near the "H-E-L-P" sign.
The New York Times reported this was not the first time castaways have been rescued from the island. About four years ago, three missing sailors were found after they wrote "SOS" in the sand.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In a gruesome incident, a poverty-stricken man allegedly axed his wife and seven minor children to death in Pakistan's Punjab province today, the police said.
Sajjad Khokhar, a labourer, attacked his wife Kausar, 42, and their seven children - four daughters and three sons, aged between eight months and 10 years - with an axe, killing them all on the spot.
The accused was mentally disturbed over financial issues and often fought with his wife, the police said.
The man has been arrested and a case registered against him. The suspect confessed to his crime claiming that he did this since he could not feed his children any more, the police said.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her grief over the killings and sought a report from the Inspector General of Police.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv region killed three people and wounded four more on Wednesday.
Moscow also targeted Ukrainian energy facilities in the south of the country in an overnight drone and missile attack.
"The occupiers are hitting the Kharkiv region. A child and two women died, and four more people were wounded," Ukraine's Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on Telegram.
The strike was on the village of Lyptsi, around 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Russian border.
Klymenko said a pharmacy and shops were damaged in the attack.
Ukraine's energy ministry said earlier on Wednesday that Russia had hit two energy sites in overnight aerial strikes on southern Ukraine.
"The enemy attacked energy facilities in the south of the country," Ukraine's energy ministry said in a statement.
It said a substation in Mykolaiv was targeted as well as generation and production facilities in the Odesa region.
The attack caused two power lines to be cut off, resulting in temporary outages for some energy users in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 17 drones and three missiles at its territory overnight.
Moscow has heavily targeted Ukraine's energy facilities over recent months, launching some of its biggest aerial strikes of the two-year war.
It has called them "retaliation" for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian border regions and oil refineries.
Kyiv says its strikes are legitimate, seeking to disrupt the supply of fuel used by Russia's military.
Ukraine's interior ministry on Wednesday also said that the death count from a strike on Kostyantynivka in the eastern Donetsk region a day earlier had risen to three after the bodies of a woman and a child were pulled from the rubble.
President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his almost daily call for Western arms in a speech to a Greek economic forum on Wednesday, urging Kyiv's backers to provide air defense systems and artillery.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that a date has been 'set' for an imminent invasion of Gaza's Rafah, which is the last refuge for Palestinians as the six-month-long war has decimated most of the coastal enclave, as ceasefire talks in Cairo, Egypt appear to have been deadlocked. However, Netanyahu has yet to disclose the date of the invasion that has sparked global alarm.
In a significant development six months after the commencement of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military on Sunday announced that it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.As the Israel-Hamas war completed its six months, Moran, a survivor of the October 7 attack, conveyed appreciation towards India and its people for their steadfast support during a challenging period.
Moran's words reflect the profound bond shared between the two nations in times of adversity.
"I see the Indian support that started much before, years before October 7 and after October 7," Moran expressed, highlighting the enduring nature of India's solidarity, adding, "Thanks to Prime Minister Modi, all over the media. And we know that India is a true friend of Israel."
Moran's gratitude extended beyond governmental assistance, acknowledging the compassion and friendship displayed by the Indian populace. "I think it's not just the Indian government. Thanks to the Indian people, who have always been and continue to be a good friend of ours," Moran added, emphasising the collective support from India.
Acknowledging India's role in amplifying Israel's voice globally, Moran added, "Our voice cannot be everywhere. Everywhere. And we know that the Indian people are taking care of everything we need."
"Thank you very much to the government, but for the people as well," Moran expressed, encapsulating the depth of gratitude towards India's unwavering support.
Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon too has said India has been very strong against terrorism from the first moment. He said that Israel is appreciative of the Indian government's support since Hamas launched the attack on October 7.
In an interview with ANI on January 30, Mr Gilon said that Israel has received "incredible support" from the Indian people amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking about India's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Mr Gilon said, "India was very strong against terrorism from the first moment. Prime Minister Modi, on the afternoon of October 7, already came out with a very strong condemnation. We are much appreciative of the Indian government for its support from that time on."
The war in Gaza continues after Israel launched a counter-offensive in response to the Hamas attack on October 7.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to condemn the horrific terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Cairo: Israel's military said Saturday it had recovered the body of a 47-year-old farmer who was held hostage in Gaza, while negotiators prepared for another round of talks Sunday on brokering a cease-fire and securing the release of the remaining hostages, six months into the war. Israel's army said it found the body of Elad Katzir and believed he was killed in January by militants with Islamic Jihad, one of the groups that entered southern Israel in the Oct. 7 attack, killed more than 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Katzir was abducted from Nir Oz, a border community that suffered some of the heaviest losses.
At least two persons were dead and seven injured after a gunfight occurred at a suburban Miami bar in South Florida, USA on Saturday.Bangladesh's security agencies on Sunday arrested a senior commander of a tribal insurgent group believed to have links with an Islamist terrorist organisation, days after the outfit looted state-owned banks and abducted a bank manager in the southeastern hills, officials said.
The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which draws personnel from the army, navy, and air force alongside police, said that they arrested Cheosim Bom, a key organiser and coordinator of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).
"We found him hiding inside a locked locker during the raid at his home on the outskirts of the (Bandarban) town," RAB's region commander Lieutenant Colonel HM Sajjad told reporters in Bandarban.
He described Cheosim Bom as Bandarban-based KNF's top coordinator and a close aide to its chief fugitive Nathan Bom, a fine arts graduate from Dhaka University.
The development coincides with Bangladesh Army Chief General Shafiuddin Ahmed's visit to Bandarban where he said a military-led clampdown against the KNF has started to eliminate the outfit.
He said some KNF members were arrested and weapons were recovered from them.
"After being cornered last June, they (KNF) appeared willing to negotiate. Unfortunately, their commitment to peace was superficial, as evidenced by their continued involvement in criminal acts," the army chief said.
Bandarban's autonomous hill district council chief Kya Shai Hla last year took the initiative to convince KNF members to return to normal life under a peace negotiation.
But the process was derailed as the outfit last week carried out two attacks on three branches of state-run banks, looted weapons from security guards of the banks, and kidnapped a bank manager.
According to reports, the manager was released after three days through mediation, but the KNF's latest act prompted the tribal district council chief to suspend the peace talks.
KNF members last year killed three soldiers and wounded a few others in Bandarban during a security clampdown.
Security officials have said the KNF emerged as an armed group mostly comprising people from the Christian-majority Bom tribe.
They said the outfit earlier allied with a newly formed Islamist militant group called Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, which took refuge in the hills.
The officials said KNF offered armed training to the Islamist group members in exchange for money.
Bangladesh had seen the end of a nearly two-decade-long hill insurgency in 1997 with the signing of a peace agreement between the government and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) or JSS, which had been demanding regional autonomy.
The Bom tribe had little involvement during the JSS armed campaign.
India has agreed to supply essential commodities to Maldives after the island nation's request. The government will export certain quantities of essential commodities including eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat, flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregate and river sand to Maldives during 2024-2025 under the bilateral trade agreement between the Government of India and the Government of Maldives.
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has suspended coordination of humanitarian aid with Israel after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza earlier this week, according to Israeli media reports. The UAE foreign minister has expressed 'outrage' with the Israeli ambassador Amir Hayek over the incident, reported i24news media outlet.Four Pakistani nationals have been arrested in Nepal for taking hostage four Sri Lankan citizens on the pretext of sending them to different European countries for jobs, a senior police officer said on Friday.
Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigative Department of Nepal Police arrested the four Pakistani nationals based on a tip-off on Thursday, said the Superintendent of Police, Nakul Pokharel.
The Pakistani nationals, between the age of 42 and 62, charged millions of rupees from the four Sri Lankan citizens with the false promise of providing jobs in European countries, including Canada and Romania, the police said.
The Sri Lankans, who were brought from their home country, were beaten, tortured and threatened by the Pakistanis.
Their passports were also seized as the Pakistanis took them hostage at different hotels in Kathmandu.
Police said arrangements are being made to send them back to Sri Lanka.
The four Pakistanis will be charged with acts related to abduction and human trafficking, according to the police.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping, while speaking to his US counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday, stressed that the Taiwan issue is the "first red line" that must not be crossed by Washington and warned that Beijing will "not sit on its hands" if "Taiwan independence" forces step up their "separatist activities" with the help of external elements. Biden and Xi communicated for the first time since their in-person summit in California last November.A Prague hospital offered apologies on Thursday to a patient on whom it had performed an involuntary abortion after mixing her up with another patient last week.
One of the women came to the hospital for a regular check as she was pregnant, while the other arrived for curettage, a tissue removal procedure, which is also a method of terminating a pregnancy.
Both were Asian with a permanent residence in the Czech Republic, local media have said.
Hospital staff mixed them up and performed the surgery on the pregnant patient, who lost her foetus as a result.
"Unfortunately, it was a human error, a human failure," Jan Kvacek, head of the Bulovka hospital in Prague, told reporters on Thursday.
Kvacek said the hospital was "deeply sorry" for what he called a "tragic" mix-up and said the institution also offered psychological and legal assistance to the patient.
"She is no doubt entitled to receive compensation," he added, blaming a language barrier as playing a role in the incident.
Michal Zikan, head of the hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said the patient had signed a document in Czech which, however, belonged to the other patient.
"Three days earlier, the patient was told in great detail, in the presence of an interpreter, what she would undergo, that it's just a check," Zikan told journalists.
He added the surgeons had "no reason to believe they were dealing with a different patient".
The hospital has suspended one employee and ordered another one to work under expert supervision as a result.
The case resembles that of Thi-Nho Vo, a Frenchwoman of a Vietnamese origin, who lost her baby in 1991 after a similar patient mix-up in Lyon.
Thi-Nho lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, claiming the hospital had committed involuntary homicide.
But the court ruled in 2003 that the involuntary abortion of a foetus does not constitute manslaughter, setting a precedent on the legal status of unborn babies.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the government will launch a probe into threat letters laced with a "suspicious powder" received by the judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts in Islamabad and Lahore.
Eight judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC) and three judges of Lahore High Court received threatening letters with white powder suspected to be anthrax.
"The letters that were sent to various judges yesterday, and the reports that have emerged about a suspicious powder in them [...] So I think that we should show full responsibility on this and not let any kind of politics near this [matter]," Dawn News quoted the prime minister as saying during a cabinet meeting here.
"The government of Pakistan, with a sense of responsibility, will investigate this," Sharif said.
The letters, delivered to all the judges in white envelopes sealed with cello tape, had their names and the court's address written over them.
The letters carried a threatening sign and accused the judges of being responsible for problems faced by the people of Pakistan, the report said.
The staff of two judges, who had opened the envelopes and found a suspicious powder inside, reported the matter to the IHC registrar who summoned the police officials deputed for security of the court.
A case has been registered and according to the FIR, the letters were issued with an incomplete address of the sender.
The letters while giving reference to Tehreek-i-Namoos Pakistan criticised the justice system, with a particular photo and English word "Bacillus Anthracis" included for the threat, the FIR said.
Similar letters arrived in the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court (LHC) the next day, prompting the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to register two cases in Islamabad and Lahore.
The letters in the top court were sent to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Aminuddin.
The letters sent by an unknown group threatened the judges of the Supreme Court for "rescuing evil". Suspicious powder was found inside the envelopes and sent to the forensic lab.
The personal staff of the judges who received the threat found the letters in the daily mail received at the high court, said an official.
The official said the staff of all judges at the LHC was already alert in the wake of letters sent to the IHC judges.
Earlier on Thursday, the Islamabad Police said it was "conducting checks at the entry routes of the higher courts and the high-security zone".
In a post on X, the police urged citizens to carry their identification documents.
The development comes more than a week after six IHC judges in a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, complained regarding alleged interference by the country's security apparatus in judicial matters.
Prime Minister Sharif recalled the developments in the matter and noted the Supreme Court's suo motu proceedings about the allegations levelled by the IHC judges about interference in judicial affairs.
"We had fulfilled our responsibility and after that, these changes came," he said.
Last week, Shehbaz met Chief Justice Isa and the two decided to form an inquiry commission, which was later approved by the federal cabinet.
However, ex-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani - tasked to head the one-man inquiry commission - recused himself.
At the same time, the top court took suo motu notice of the matter.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel on Wednesday of procrastinating in stalled talks to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war and a hostage release deal.
Recent negotiations have made little progress and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Palestinian Hamas group has hardened its position.
"The Zionist occupation continues to procrastinate stubbornly, and does not respond to our fair demands for an end to the war and aggression," Haniyeh said in a recorded speech shown at a Hezbollah meeting.
Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday that Israel's negotiating team had returned from another round of discussions in Cairo.
"In the framework of the talks, under useful Egyptian mediation, the mediators formulated an updated proposal for Hamas," the premier's office said.
However, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said on Tuesday that the group had not been sent any new proposals.
"The movement has not received any proposals from the mediators or the occupation (Israel) regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal", he said.
In his speech shown on Wednesday ahead of comments from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Qatar-based Haniyeh reiterated Hamas's conditions for peace.
These include a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Gazans, unhindered entry of aid, full reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory, and "a respectable prisoner exchange deal."
Haniyeh also denounced what he said was "direct American participation" in the war in Gaza by supplying weapons and ammunition to the Israeli military.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Stockholm: An Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden was reportedly found dead in Norway. Salwan Momika, 37, had staged several burnings and desecrations of the sacred book of Islam in Sweden over the past few years. Last, week Momika told a newspaper that he had been seeking asylum in neighbouring Norway. 
Dhaka After the Maldives, India's neighbour Bangladesh Opposition leaders have started an anti-India campaign. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) has been encouraging citizens to boycott Indian products for a long time. However, this time the Indian saree is in the limelight. Notably, the leaders had started the "India out" campaign before the National elections, which the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won with a resounding majority. But the matter escalated in recent times when senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi threw away a shawl he was wearing around his shoulders.