US Man Stuck In Denmark After Contracting 'Super Virus' On Cruise

A Colorado man fell seriously ill while on a cruise with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary after contracting a super virus. Guy Matlock, 64, was on a 14-day cruise in northern Europe with his wife, Adrien, marking their 37th wedding anniversary and their first time travelling outside the United States. Unfortunately, on the sixth day of the trip, Mr Matlock began showing flu-like symptoms that quickly escalated into more severe illnesses, according to his daughter, Moriah, who spoke to KDVR.

"They pulled into port as soon as possible... He was diagnosed with flu A, pneumonia, and sepsis, which essentially turned into a super virus that started attacking his major organs," Moriah said.

Mr Matlock soon went into cardiac arrest and suffered lung failure, which led to brain damage. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Copenhagen, where he remains partially conscious and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. Though he is stable enough to be flown back to the US, he is not yet fully conscious, Moriah added.

The family is now raising funds for a costly medical evacuation to bring him back home. The cost of such a medical evacuation can be as high as $150,000. Meanwhile, Adrien has stayed in Copenhagen to be by her husband's side, while their children, who had flown to Denmark on emergency passports, have since returned to Colorado.

"It's very isolating to be in a foreign country where you don't know the language and there are so many cultural differences," Moriah told KDVR.

"His brain isn't getting enough stimulation because he hears the different languages and isn't able to process them."

Describing the emotional toll, Moriah told WJTV, "No one can express the sorrow of seeing someone so strong in such a weakened state. A person who has always been your rock is now unable to even breathe on his own."

The family has set up a GoFundMe page, which had raised just over $47,840 by Tuesday.

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How Far Can Trudeau Go As Personal Electoral Gain Trumps Diplomatic Ties

It is not uncommon to see a country's election campaigns politicise various global issues, but what is rather unusual and perhaps unique in the case of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, is "how far he can go" for personal electoral gains. His attempts have reached a level where actual diplomatic relations are seeing a fallout over "the politics of vote-bank".

India and Canada are in the midst of the worst-ever diplomatic spat in the history of bilateral ties between the two nations. India has recalled its high commissioner to Canada and expelled six top diplomats from Canada yesterday. Canada mirrored India's move. The reason - Justin Trudeau's proximity to the Khalistan separatist movement and his sympathy towards declared terrorists and extremists who spread hate, violence, and extremism on Canadian soil - all to appeal to his vote bank.

Mr Trudeau, who is seeking another term as Canada's prime minister, but facing one setback after another politically in his country, has repeatedly supported the Khalistani separatist movement and allowed space for them to operate by calling it "freedom of speech" in his country.

The Prime Minister of Canada has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with terrorists, extremists and separatists by attending Khalistan rallies in Canada. By doing so, Canada's Prime Minister has directly violated India's national security concerns whilst also violating India's sovereignty and territorial integrity by supporting those who want another nation to be carved out of India - terming all this as "free speech in Canada."

"Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilized society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression," India had said about Trudeau's attendance at the Khalistan rally.

Citing his concern over grave situation and rapidly deteriorating ties, while also seeing a rise in extremist elements in Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said earlier this year that "By allowing political space to Khalistani separatist elements, the Canadian government (led by Justin Trudeau) is repeatedly showing that its vote bank is more powerful than its rule of law."

Speaking to Press Trust of India, Mr Jaishankar had said, "India respects and practices freedom of speech, but that does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats, extend support to separatism or allow political space to elements advocating violence and terror."

Mr Jaishankar had also wondered how people with "dubious backgrounds are being allowed to enter and live in Canada", referring to select Khalistani separatists among the Sikh migrants from Punjab.

"In any rules-based society, you would imagine that you would check people's background, how they came, what passport they carried etc," he said, adding that "If you have people whose presence there is itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote bank is more powerful than your rule of law."

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TRUDEAU'S LATEST ATTEMPT

India and Canada have been dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India has rejected Canada's allegations, terming it "absurd" and "politically motivated."

Losing electoral ground fast in the last few months since key ally, Jagmeet Singh withdrew support to his party, Justin Trudeau has likely pacified his "vote bank" late on Monday as he doubled down on accusations of India "supporting criminal activity against Canadians" and "coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians".

In his latest allegations, Mr Trudeau called the Indian High Commissioner a "person of interest" in the "murder" investigation of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. India trashed Mr Trudeau's allegations, describing them as "preposterous imputations."

On its part, India - which has yet to respond to these latest comments - has set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegation.

However, calling out "the political agenda of Justin Trudeau's government" in a strongly worded rebuttal, India issued a statement saying, "The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics."

"Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains," India's statement read.

"Prime Minister Trudeau's hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters," Centre's statement further read.

TRUDEAU'S POLITICAL SETBACKS AHEAD OF CANADA ELECTIONS

In the last few months, Justin Trudeau has faced a series of political setbacks. What has been alarming for him is that he has lost the support of his key ally, Jagmeet Singh's party. Singh openly professes for 'Khalistan'.

Doubts about the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intensified after his ruling Liberal Party suffered two humiliating losses in a special election, but despite that, the unpopular leader is determined to cling to office ahead of a looming national vote.

The loss, following a defeat in Toronto in late June, reinforced the perception that Liberal prospects in the next national election are dim. The mandate for Trudeau's minority government expires at the end of October 2025, but an early election has become increasingly likely.

Although polls indicate the Liberals will lose badly to the official opposition right-of-center Conservatives in the next election amid unhappiness over inflation, healthcare and a housing crisis, Trudeau and his closest aides say he is going nowhere and has time to help the party recover.

According to a survey by global market research and public opinion firm IPSOS, only 26 per cent people see Justin Trudeau as a good PM - he found himself to be 19 per cent less than Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party.

Facing being ousted from the post of Prime Minister, Mr Trudeau has made a series of allegations against India to polarise the electorate whilst catering to his vote bank in a desperate attempt to get all the support he can for him to remain prime minister.

THE INDIAN DIASPORA

The Indian diaspora in Canada is about 1.8 million strong and there are another one million Non Resident Indians residing in the country. The Indian diaspora, mostly of Sikh ethnicity, is considered an influential bloc in Canada's politics.

Ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
 

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Dawood Connection, Orders On Snapchat: Details Surface In Baba Siddique Murder

As police continues to search for the third shooter behind the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, sources told NDTV that the motive was gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's attempt to cause panic in Mumbai and to convey to fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim that the former is the city's don.

Siddique was fatally shot on Saturday outside his MLA son's office in Mumbai's Bandra. Police have so far arrested three persons - Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh -- both alleged shooters - and "co-conspirator" Pravin Lonkar from Pune. Suspected "handler" Mohammad Yasin Akhtar is also wanted in the case. Wanted accused Shivakumar Gautam, who is from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, is absconding.

Sources told NDTV that Singh, Kashyap and Gautam were on the spot at the time of the shooting. The shooters had reached Mumbai 28 days before the murder and had conducted a recce at the leader's home and office five times.

The conspiracy to murder Baba Siddique was hatched in June and was planned by Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. Akhtar planned the murder from outside Mumbai, ensuring the delivery of weapons to be used in the crime to Mumbai from Punjab. It is also suspected that the operation was planned by Lawrence's brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is based in the US.

READ | Shootout At Bandra: Baba Siddique's Murder And Flashbacks From '90s

Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Pravin Lonkar dropped the three shooters to Mumbai, while his brother Shubham Lonkar paid them Rs 50,000 each. Gautam was getting orders from the gang on Signal, Telegram and Snapchat, which he would convey to Singh and Kashyap, sources said. After the murder, Gautam wanted to visit Omkareshwar near Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, where he had to meet a gang henchman.

Further, Siddique's security detail included two policemen. At the time of the shooting, they were changing duties, but the policeman present with the veteran politician did not fire, according to sources.

Mumbai Police seized two 9 mm foreign-made pistols, three mobile phones and the bike used in recce. The police also expressed shock that the crime was planned for the day of Vijay Dashmi, when there is tight security all over Mumbai. Cops also found that the shooters only planned to killed Baba Siddique and not his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique.

Meanwhile, police scoured places of worship in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain and Khandwa in their hunt for Gautam. The Mumbai Police have set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder. They are verifying a social media post, attributed to a purported member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, owning up to the murder of Siddique.

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"Felt Like Cracker Burst On Feet": Man Shot At During Baba Siddique Firing

Raj Kanojia, the man who suffered a bullet injury in the leg on the day Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, rues the fact that he will be out of action for two months. This, he says, makes it difficult for him to contribute to his sister's wedding in February.

Six rounds were fired on Baba Siddique, two of which hit the former Maharashtra minister on the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra between 9:15pm and 9:30pm on Saturday. A stray bullet hit the 22-year-old as he was returning from a fruit juice centre.

"Madad kya sir ab toh pair main goli lag gayi hai. February main shadi hai sister ki. Do mahine kuch kar nahi paayege hum (What help, sir. I have been shot in the leg. My sister's wedding is in February. I won't be able to do much," lamented Mr Kanojia, dressed in a white kurta, from his hospital bed.

"The atmosphere was such. It felt like crackers were being burst. I felt as if a cracker had exploded on my feet. When I checked, I found blood. Soon, chaos ensued. People started running everywhere. People shouted, there's been a firing, there's been a firing. Hobbling on one leg, I somehow reached the nearby temple. Some people took me inside and then I was taken to a hospital," said Mr Kanojia, fighting back tears.

The Mumbai Police suspects Baba Siddique was killed at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is incarcerated in Gujarat jail.  

Shooters Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were arrested the night of the crime. A third shooter, Shiv Kumar, managed to escape.

Two of the three alleged shooters in the case - Kumar and Kashyap - are from Gandara village in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. From poor families, both had moved to Pune from their village after Holi to earn money. When NDTV reached out to their families, they said they had no information about why and when they went to Mumbai. The third accused, Singh, is from Haryana.

Alleged shooter Shiv Kumar had taken to posting online content in recent months, flaunting his "gangster" status.

"Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (Your friend is a gangster)," Kumar had captioned his photo post on his Instagram on July 24. The photo showed him on a motorcycle as a Haryanvi song played in the background.

The third accused in the case - Pravin Lonkar - was produced in a Mumbai court which remanded him in police custody till October 21. He is accused of enlisting two of the three alleged shooters who opened fire at Baba Siddique, who had crossed over from Congress to Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party in February.

The cops added that they were on the lookout for Pravin's brother, Shubham Lonkar.

According to the police, Shubham Lonkar posted on social media that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder. His brother Pravin gave shelter to both the arrested accused in Pune.

The Mumbai Police has set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder.

A Mumbai police official said only one constable was accompanying Siddique when he was shot dead by three men who took cover of Dussehra fireworks to open fire.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, has assured that those responsible for Siddique's brutal murder will not escape justice.

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Criminal Pours Hot Oil On Chhattisgarh Cop, Slaughters Family Of Another

Chhattisgarh's Surajpur has been engulfed in chaos after a brutal double murder - the victims were the wife and daughter of a Head Constable, Talib Sheikh. The incident, which has sent shock waves through the region and led to violent protests that included arson on the property of the accused. The matter escalated and the town shut down after a strike was called. 

Reports in the local media claim that Kuldeep Sahu, a known criminal of the area, had entered the house of Talib Sheikh in his absence and killed his wife and daughter with a sharp weapon. Their partially clothed bodies were later discovered in a field about five kilometers away. 

The violence started during a Durga idol immersion ceremony on Monday night, when Kuldeep Sahu reportedly poured a pan of hot oil on a constable during a dispute in the city's Chowpatty area, severely burning the officer. 

Head Constable Talib Sheikh attempted to catch Kuldeep at the time, but he escaped, and later targeted the policeman's family. When the police attempted to arrest Kuldeep, he opened fire at them and managed to escape, abandoning his vehicle.

Angry residents, incensed by the murders and the escape of Sahu, hit the streets. They called for a city-wide bandh and torched vehicles parked outside Kuldeep Sahu's house and warehouse. 

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area, who had arrived with the police team to control the situation, faced the wrath of the mob. A video of the incident is being widely circulated. It shows the magistrate fleeing after being attacked by the crowd. The police had to intervene and rescue him. 

Four police teams have been deployed to catch Kuldeep Sahu. The cybercrime division is working to find his whereabouts. 

The brutal killings and subsequent unrest have drawn sharp political reactions. 

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed his outrage, stating, "What is happening in our Chhattisgarh? It seems that the rule of law no longer exists in this state, which was once called an island of peace".

He added that the incident highlighted a deep loss of public faith in law enforcement and governance.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Saw lashed out at the Congress, accusing them of contributing to the lawlessness in the state. 

"The Congress party need not worry about the law-and-order situation. The state government is taking strict action, and wherever negligence by officials is found, they are being held accountable," he said.

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"Never Pulled Out After Auction": Pat Cummins' Big Verdict On New IPL Rules

Australia captain Pat Cummins reaffirmed that playing Test cricket for his country is his No. 1 priority, adding that he is yet to decide his future in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the IPL 2024 after being bought by the franchise for Rs 20.50 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in the history of the tournament. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the mega auction is set to take place later this year with each team can retain a total of six players (a maximum of five capped players including Indian and overseas and a maximum of two uncapped players) from their existing squad either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

With the important five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played next month, Cummins is focused on playing for the country. However, the pacer is aware of the new IPL rules for overseas players that make them "ineligible to register in the following year's player auction" if they don't register for that season's player auction while the other rule bans players for two seasons if the player makes himself unavailable before the start of the season after getting picked at the auction.

“I'll work out in the next little bit what this season looks like. There's a bit of a tweak in the rules, but I don't know whether that would have affected me in the past, I've never pulled out after the auction. But it is one more factor to consider with the IPL," Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Test cricket is the absolute No.1 priority, world cups are right up there, and then I think you use them as your tent poles and work out what else makes sense around that.

“The calendar is never going to get any less busy, and I'm not going to get any younger, so these things have always been considerations, and moving forward will become even more so. But needless to say, playing cricket for Australia, particularly Test matches, is my number one job and priority," he added.

Cummins expect the upcoming home series against India will be another close-fought encounter after the visitors won the last two series in Australia.

“The couple of home series I've played against India there's always an element of attrition to them. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match," he said.

“That's a good thing to keep in mind; it is a long series, and it might be tightly held until the last game, so you've got to manage your resources throughout," the Australia captain added.

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India Can Still Reach Women's T20 WC Semis Despite Loss vs AUS - Here's How

India's hopes of reaching the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals were dealt a massive blow as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side slumped to a 9-run loss against Australia in a crucial Group A encounter in Sharjah on Sunday. India were completely outplayed by Australia as Harmanpreet's half-century could not clinch the match for her side. As a result, Australia qualified for the semifinals with 8 points from 4 matches but India's fortunes still hangs in balance. India have 4 points from 4 matches with their losses coming against Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand have 4 while Pakistan have 2.

However, India can still qualify for the semis if Pakistan can beat New Zealand in the final Group A match on Monday. If Pakistan win, they will have 4 points along with India and New Zealand. However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will qualify for the knockout stage thanks to a better Net Run Rate (NRR).

India lost to defending champions Australia by nine runs in their last group match to find themselves in a difficult position to qualify for the semifinals of the women's T20 World Cup, on Sunday.

Chasing 152 for a win, India ended at 142 for 9 with captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scoring with 54 not out off 47 balls. Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma chipped in with 29 and 20 respectively.

India ended their Group A campaign on four points after two wins and two losses.

Australia, who topped the group with all four wins, qualified for the semifinals while New Zealand (4 points) need a win against Pakistan on Monday to make it to the last-four stage.

Opting to bat, Australia were restricted to 151 for 8 with opener Grace Harris top-scoring with 40 off 41 balls. Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry chipped in with 32 each.

For India, Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma took two wickets apiece while Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil got one each.

(With PTI inputs)

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"Forever Grateful To Her": Mithun Chakraborty On The Zeenat Aman Factor

Legendary actor and recent recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Mithun Chakraborty, recently shared the challenges he faced early in his career. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he recalled a time when many female actors were hesitant to work with him, except for Zeenat Aman, who supported him during this difficult phase. The veteran star recalled that despite receiving a National Award for his first film, he experienced a significant lull in his career. He noted, "Bohot rukawatein bhi thi (There were many obstacles). I was going ahead in life at a great speed, so obstacles were inevitable."

He revealed that during this tough period, several actresses were advised not to work with him. "I didn't want to bow down to that lull, I had decided that if I had to lose, then at least I'll battle it out, that I'll not just give up," he said.

Mithun Chakraborty further revealed that Zeenat Aman played a crucial role in changing this situation. He explained, "Zeenat Aman helped me a lot. She was working on a film with Brij Sadanah and he had decided 'Mithun hi mera hero hai' (Mithun is my hero). So he went to her and said, 'See, there is this boy, I think he is very good,' so Zeenat ji said, 'he is a very handsome looking boy. He dances well, I will work (with him).'" She broke the cycle by working with me. After her, all the big heroines restarted signing films with me. I am forever grateful to Zeenat ji."

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Calcutta and made his acting debut in the 1976 film Mrigayaa, a performance that earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Over the years, Mithun received two more National Film Awards for his roles in Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). Recently, he appeared in The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri. His son, Namashi Chakraborty, made his Bollywood debut in the film Bad Boy.

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Israel Marks Jewish Holiday Amid Multi-Front War For First Time Since 1973

Israel entered Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, with the country engulfed in a war. The Day of Atonement arrived on Friday evening under the shadow of intense fighting on multiple fronts, marking the first time Israel has found itself at war during this religious observance since 1973.

This year, the observance of Yom Kippur took place amidst rocket fire from Gaza, airstrikes in Lebanon, and tensions with Iran. As the sun set and Israelis marked the start of the festival, air raid sirens continued to blare across towns and cities. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that over 120 rockets had been fired into Israeli territory from Gaza, even in the early hours of the holy day. At the same time, Israel continued to retaliate with strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. 

READ | US Wants Lebanon Solution, Not "Broader Conflict", Says Blinken

The IDF's military operations in both Gaza and Lebanon have drawn heavy international scrutiny, particularly over incidents involving United Nations peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon. On Friday, Israeli troops fired on a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) post, injuring two Sri Lankan peacekeepers. This incident came just one day after two Indonesian peacekeepers were hurt in a similar attack. The Israeli military, while acknowledging the hit, defended its actions, stating that soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" near the UNIFIL position.

India "Concerned"

India has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in West Asia, particularly the clashes along the UN-recognised Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon. 

"We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely," an MEA statement read.

READ | US Expands Sanctions Against Iran In Response To Missile Attack On Israel

The United Nations condemned the attack on peacekeepers as a violation of international law, and calls for accountability came swiftly from multiple world leaders. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the firing on UN positions as "intolerable," and US President Joe Biden called on Israel to cease operations targeting UN forces. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, voiced their outrage, urging Israel to respect the sanctity of UN missions.

The Hezbollah Threat

Hezbollah on Friday warned Israeli civilians to stay clear of military sites located in residential neighbourhoods in the northern part of the country. The militant group accused the Israeli army of using civilian areas as shields for their military installations, especially in major cities like Haifa, Tiberias, and Acre.

Hezbollah has fired numerous rockets into Israel as part of a broader retaliation against Israel's military campaign in Gaza. These ongoing attacks have led to widespread devastation and loss of life, both in Lebanon and Israel. 

READ | Iran Hasn't Decided To Build A Nuclear Weapon, Believes US

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has simmered for decades, exploded into full-scale fighting after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. That surprise assault, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, was the deadliest in the country's history and plunged the region into a war that shows no signs of winding down.

Ceasefire Attempts

Diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose country has been bearing the brunt of Israeli airstrikes, has called for an immediate halt to the fighting and urged the United Nations Security Council to issue a resolution to this effect. Mikati stressed that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be stationed along the border, a proposal that Hezbollah has reportedly agreed to in principle.

READ | 3 Israeli Soldiers Killed As Forces Step Up Ground Ops In Northern Gaza

The United States claims that it has been working tirelessly to broker a ceasefire. Amos Hochstein, the US special envoy for the region, stated that Washington is in "non-stop" discussions to bring an end to the fighting. Despite these diplomatic overtures, fighting has continued, with Israeli airstrikes pounding Hezbollah positions in southern and eastern Lebanon, and Hezbollah responding with rocket attacks.
 

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In Daring Assam Prisonbreak, 5 Men Scale 20-Foot Wall With Bedsheets, Lungis

Five undertrial prisoners, charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, escaped from a prison in Assam after breaking rods and scaling a 20-foot wall using bedsheets, blankets and 'lungis' (a piece of clothing worn around the waist). 

The prisoners escaped from the Morigaon District Jail between 1 and 2 am on Friday, prompting the district administration to order a magisterial probe. The jailer, Prashanta Saikia, has been suspended, and two assistant jailers from Guwahati have been temporarily assigned to manage the prison.

Inspector General (Prisons) Pubali Gohain will also conduct a separate departmental inquiry into the incident.

The escaped prisoners, identified as Saifuddin, Ziarul Islam, Nur Islam, Mafidul, and Abdul Rashid, managed to break the rods of their barracks and used blankets, lungis, and bedsheets to scale the 20-foot compound wall. 

Morigaon Superintendent of Police Hemanta Kumar Das confirmed that a manhunt has been launched to track down the five undertrials. "We will interrogate some of the jail inmates tomorrow. Everything will come out in the investigation," Mr Das said.

Morigaon District Commissioner Devashis Sarma said the prisoners are residents of Tezpur in Sonitpur district and Lahorighat and Moirabari in Morigaon district.

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Exclusive: How Air India Express Pilots Handled Mid-Air Scare Over Trichy

A report of hydraulic failure from a Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah Air India Express flight and its subsequent holding pattern for over two hours may have caused panic on the ground, but things were always under control inside the cockpit, senior sources from the airline have told NDTV. 

Flight AXB 613 took off from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu at 5.40 pm on Friday and landed at the same airport around 8.15 pm. 

Here's what happened in the interim:

The sources said that after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, was airborne, the landing gear was retracted normally. 

When the landing gear, or undercarriage, was stowed successfully, the cockpit master caution, which indicates a system malfunction, sounded. Sensors detected that oil had drained out of the hydraulic system which controls the undercarriage. 

The aircraft flew normally in all other respects, the sources said, adding that the 737-800 has redundancies built into the hydraulic system to deal with such situations. 

The pilots decided to return to the Tiruchirappalli airport and chose not to undertake an 'overweight landing' with full fuel on board. The aircraft maintained a holding pattern at a short distance from the city to ensure that the fuel was burnt off and the landing weight was acceptable for making a normal approach to the Tiruchirappalli airport. 

The undercarriage was manually deployed and locked into position at the first attempt, enabling the aircraft to make a normal landing. 

On the ground, meanwhile, preparations had been made for an emergency landing. Tiruchirappalli Airport Director Gopalakrishnan said that 20 ambulances and 18 fire engines were on standby. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had also asked officials to remain on alert and the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was coordinating. 

'Will Investigate Cause'

An Air India Express spokesperson said the cause of the snag would be investigated and the safety of passengers was their main concern. 

"We are aware of media reports related to an Air India Express flight operating on the Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah route. We would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew. After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing," the spokesperson said.

"The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate our commitment to prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations," the spokesperson added.

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Bad News For Pakistan: Star "Hospitalised" Ahead Of Crucial 5th Day vs ENG

Pakistan's legspinner Abrar Ahmed is being treated in hospital after being taken ill, according to ESPNcricinfo. Abrar, who bowled 31 overs on Day 3 of the opening Test against England, complained of body aches and a high fever on the morning of Day 4. He didn't take up the field for the entire Day 4. According to ESPNcricinfo, a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said he had undergone a number of tests, and a further update would be issued once the results were received. On Day 3, Abrar was at the receiving end of the bashing that English batters delivered on a scorching day in Multan. He went wicketless and conceded 174 runs at an economy of 5.00, which was the story for the majority of Pakistan bowlers.

Abrar was the sole frontline bowler in Pakistan's attack who went wicketless in the first inning. His performance is in complete contrast to the one that he delivered against England two years ago, where he scythed a whopping 11 wickets.

Abrar has been haunted by injuries since making his professional debut for the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. He made his first appearance for Zalmi as an 18-year-old. Abrat then went out to spend a couple of years on the sidelines due to a persistent injury.

He sustained a nerve injury before Pakistan toured Australia and went on to miss the three Tests.

Coming back to the opening Test in Multan, Joe Root and Harry Brook forged a record-breaking 454-run partnership that allowed England to exude control.

England eventually declared on 823/7 in reply to Pakistan's first-inning total of 556 runs. The batting masterclass helped England assail to a 267-run lead on a batting paradise.

Pakistan's history of succumbing to pressure kicked in as they lost six wickets in the final session to an inspired English bowling attack for a score of 15/6, still trailing by 115 runs.

If Abrar fails to take the field on Day 5, Pakistan will be forced to end the game with 10 players.

As a result, they could lose the game even if they lose nine wickets. ICC only allows substitutions in case of a concussion.

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

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300 Durga Puja Committees In Jamshedpur Stop Music To Mourn Ratan Tata

Over 300 community Durga Puja committees in Jamshedpur refrained from playing music and cancelled cultural programmes on Thursday as a mark of respect to Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Naval Tata, who died in a Mumbai hospital a day ago.

A senior functionary of the Central Durga Puja Committee of the city said some of the organisers have also put up Tata's photograph beside the marquees.

"We have appealed to all the community puja committees to observe the festival in a simple manner and urged them not to play any music, barring mandatory instruments like 'dhak' (drum) etc, to pay respect to Ratan Tata," General Secretary of the Central Puja Committee, Ashutosh Kumar Singh, told PTI.

Altogether 332 community puja committees affiliated to the Central Committee unanimously agreed to the call and stopped playing music, except those related to the puja. Some of them even cancelled all cultural programmes scheduled for the day, Singh said.

Tata, who died at the age of 86 years, had immense contribution to the development of the city as well as its industries, trade and businesses, Mr Singh added.

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur Football Club also paid tribute to Tata before the players resumed practice after a four-day break.

The team observed a moment of silence in memory of Tata, whose legacy has greatly influenced the club and the community, the club said in a statement. 

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