Middle East

Gaza death toll from Israeli aggression rises to over 9,200

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The Israeli regime has been waging a barbaric war against Gaza since October 7, when Hamas-led Palestinian Resistance groups launched their biggest operation against the Zionist regime in years. The sneak attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, came in response to the regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

The Israeli war has so far claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and left thousands of others wounded.

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution, calling for the implementation of an immediate “humanitarian truce” in Gaza. The Israeli regime has rejected all calls for a ceasefire, claiming it would benefit Hamas.

The following are the latest updates:

Gaza death toll rises to over 9,200

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza says the death toll since October 7 has reached 9,227.

The ministry said 3,826 children and 2,405 women were among those killed in Israeli attacks.

More than 32,500 people have also been wounded in the same period.

Two Zionist forces injured in Hezbollah drone attack

Israeli regime’s military spokesperson on Friday said that two of the regime’s forces were injured following a drone attack carried out by the Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah on their camp in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.

UN experts warn Palestinians face ‘risk of genocide’ amid constant Israeli bombardment

A group of United Nations experts have warned time is running out to “prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, expressing their deep frustration with the Israeli regime’s refusal to halt plans to decimate the besieged Gaza Strip.

“We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts said. “The time for action is now. Israel’s allies also bear responsibility and must act now to prevent its disastrous course of action,” they said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Zionist forces kill several Palestinians across occupied WB

Israeli regime’s forces have killed four Palestinians and wounded at least 12 others, according to medical sources, in an overnight raid on the Jenin refugee camp, which lasted for around nine hours.

In al-Fawwar refugee camp south of al-Khalil, Zionist forces killed two Palestinians and wounded at least five others, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

In the Qalandiya refugee camp by Ramallah, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian and wounded several others.

Another Palestinian has died of wounds he sustained on Wednesday during an Israeli regime’s raid on Nablus.

At least 141 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7.

Protests worldwide calling for end to Israeli bombing of Gaza

UAE says risk of regional spillover is real

The United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs has warned that the regional temperature “is approaching a boiling point”.

The risk of regional spillover and further escalation is real, Al Jazeera quoted Noura al-Kaabi as saying a policy conference in Abu Dhabi.

“Every effort must be made to protect civilians and immediately put an end to this conflict,” al-Kaabi added.

MNA

Middle East

Israeli military on high alert prior to Nasrallah’s speech

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Zionist regime’s media outlets are reportedly going to exercise a blackout on Nasrallah’s speech as part of desperate attempts by the Tel Aviv regime to ease the psychological burden on the residents of the occupied territories.

The Hezbollah chief at 3 p.m. Beirut time (1300 GMT) on Friday will break weeks of silence since Gaza-based Palestinian Resistance groups conducted Operation al-Aqsa Storm, their biggest operation against the occupying Israeli regime in years.

Analysts maintain that the speech by the head of the Hezbollah Resistance group could impact the region.

MP/PressTV

Top News

Record 7.85 Crore Income Tax Returns Filed Till October 31 This Year

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Record 7.85 Crore Income Tax Returns Filed Till October 31 This Year

October 31, 2023 was also the due date for filing of some crucial statutory forms (Representational)

New Delhi:

The income tax department on Wednesday said a record number of over 7.85 crore ITRs were filed till October 31.

The total number of ITRs (income tax returns) filed in FY 2023-24 for all assessment years up to October 31, 2023 stands at 7.85 crore, an all-time high when compared to total number of ITRs of 7.78 crore filed in FY 2022-23, the I-T department said.

October 31 was the due date for filing of ITRs (other than ITR 7), for taxpayers (not having any international or specified domestic transaction), in whose case books of account were required to be audited.

“The total number of ITRs for AY 2023-24 filed till 31st October, 2023 is more than 7.65 crore, which is 11.7 per cent higher compared to the total number of ITRs of 6.85 crore for AY 2022-23 filed till November 7, 2022, the due date for filing such ITRs in the preceding year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement.

Out of the 7.65 crore ITRs filed for AY 23-24, more than 7.51 crore ITRs have already been verified. Further, out of 7.51 crore verified ITRs, 7.19 crore have already been processed till October 31, 2023, almost 96 per cent of the verified ITRs stand processed.

October 31, 2023 was also the due date for filing of some crucial statutory forms like Form 10B, 10BB and Form 3CEB. Total number of various types of statutory forms filed up to 31st October, 2023 stands more than 1.44 crore.

During the peak filing days the e-filing portal successfully handled the traffic, providing a seamless experience to the taxpayers and tax professionals for filing of Forms and ITRs.

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

Middle East

Jabalia massacre

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Hundreds of Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and injured after Israeli airstrikes hit the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip as part of the regime’s ongoing bombing campaign against besieged territory.

Palestinian officials have noted that US-made bombs have targeted residential homes, causing a massacre, adding that an entire residential complex had been destroyed in the attack. Dozens of civilians remain stuck underneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Israeli aircraft dropped at least six bombs in the neighborhood, each weighing around 1000 kilograms.

Video footage shows buildings completely leveled to the ground, some Palestinian residents can be seen carrying wounded children away from the scene while others search for survivors.

The Jabalia Refugee Camp is one of the most crowded parts of the Palestinian enclave. At least 20 buildings were destroyed in the air raids.

The attack comes as Israel continues to pommel the Gaza Strip in a relentless bombardment which Palestinian authorities say has killed over 8600 people, including more than 3500 children, since the fighting began on October seventh

The Israeli occupation continues to commit barbaric crimes against civilians so the latest of which was the bombing of a whole residential neighborhood In Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip. The occupation used six mega bombs each waiting one ton of explosives.


Eyad Al-Bozom, Gaza Interior Ministry, Spokesperson

The health ministry of Gaza compared the attack to the massacre carried out by Israel at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza City where hundreds of people were killed.

The latest massacre by Israel in Jabalia has triggered global condemnation.

Iran says the strike is another stain on the long list of Israeli war crimes.

In Doha, the Qatari Foreign Ministry decried the strike and warned about the expansion of Israel’s attacks on civilians.

Egypt has also censured Israel and its “inhumane targeting of residential blocks”. Cairo says it will open the Rafah crossing to let in the wounded for treatment.

Jordan condemned the Jabalia strike, stressing that it held Israel responsible for this dangerous development.

Saudi Arabia has condemned, in the strongest terms, the Israeli strike on the refugee camp.

The director at the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for human rights has also resigned in protest at what he called the UN’s failure to prevent the genocide in Gaza.

Craig Mokhiber has accused the US, UK, and much of Europe of being “wholly complicit in the horrific assault”.

Meanwhile, Bolivia has severed diplomatic ties with Israel over the Zionist regimes crimes against humanity and its aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip. The Bolivian Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Tuesday after Israeli jets bombed the refugee camp in Gaza.

The government has decided to cut diplomatic relations with Israel in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive being carried out in the Gaza Strip, and the threat to international peace and security.


Freddy Mamani, Bolivian Deputy Foreign Minister

Other South American countries like Chile and Colombia have also recalled their ambassadors to Israel for consultations over what they called the regime’s violations of international humanitarian law.

Many view the bombing of Gaza as collective punishments of Palestinian civilians.

It is completely absurd that we in 2023 should have a state army that is threatening to bomb hospital [sic] and de facto is bombing hospitals, and killing children by the thousands, in what is called a war.


Now, these threats to the Palestinian civilian hospitals in Gaza is extremely serious, not only because it is illegal according to international law, but it’s threatening the lives of thousands of patients, of staff, and not to forget, the 12,000 refugees who have taken refuge in al-Quds hospital, and the more than 50,000 who have taken refuge in the Al-Shifa Hospital.


Dr Mads Gilbert, Emergency Medicine Physician

Top News

Who is Elvish Yadav and what is the ‘snake venom’ controversy surrounding him?

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Elvish Yadav is a popular 26-year-old YouTuber and a social media influencer from Gurugram who rose to fame after entering ‘Bigg Boss OTT2’  as one of the wild card entries.

Published Date – 04:25 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Who is Elvish Yadav and what is the ‘snake venom’ controversy surrounding him?

Elvish Yadav

Five persons were arrested by Noida police on November 2 in connection with a rave party, which was allegedly organised by Elvish Yadav. The police arrested these five persons and booked Elvish for the usage of snake venom, a prohibited substance. Nine snakes including 5 cobras, 1 python and 1 two-headed snake were recovered during the raids in the Noida banquet hall where the party was being held.

Elvish’s name came up when the 5 suspects were being interrogated after their arrest. In their statements they allegedly brought up the Evish’s name saying that they used to supply these snakes to him for their venom.

Who is Elvish Yadav?

Elvish Yadav is a popular 26-year-old YouTuber and a social media influencer from Gurugram who rose to fame after entering ‘Bigg Boss OTT2’  as one of the wild card entries.

His YouTube journey started in 2016 and he now has a following of 13.2 million subscribers on the video sharing platform. His YouTube channel was initially named ‘The Social Factory’ and he now renamed it to ‘Elvish Yadav’, to make conceptual short films.

The Bigg Boss OTT2 winner finds himself in the middle of a brewing controversy as he was earlier seen in a video holding a snake and playing with it. He has now been named in the case filed by the Noida cops after the raid on a rave party on Thursday night.

What is a rave party?

Electronic music played at extremely high volumes on big sound systems and with visual effects including laser shows and glow-in-the dark props and fog machines going on throughout the nights are some of the typical features one can witness in a rave party.

Such parties, held in private spaces and places that are not earmarked for huge gatherings are more often than not safe havens for illegal activities. Though not all rave parties are not essentially illegal, there are often a lot of drugs and illegal substances involved in these parties.

What is snake venom and how is it intoxicating?

Venom extracted from some reptiles, mostly snakes, is sometimes illegally used for recreational purposes as a substitute for other drugs. Usage of snake venom to get a high is an extremely dangerous practice which can lead to poisoning or toxication and to fatalities at instances.

Elvish claims charges false

Denying the charges against him, Elvish claimed that all they were all fake and said that he was ready to cooperate with the police in the investigation.

Posting a video on his Instagram account, the 26-year-old said that he was shocked to learn the reports of his arrest. “I saw reports of my arrest and that I was caught with intoxicating substances. All the reports and charges against me are fake. There is not even 1 % truth to them” he said in the video and added that he was ready to cooperate with the UP police.

Hyderabad

Young voters poised to influence electoral outcomes in Nalgonda

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Political parties are busy in devising strategies to appeal to this demographic.

Published Date – 04:39 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Young voters poised to influence electoral outcomes in Nalgonda

Political parties are busy in devising strategies to appeal to this demographic.

Nalgonda: In the upcoming elections, the electoral sway in the former Nalgonda district may significantly rest with younger voters. Those aged between 18 and 39 years form a considerable majority, representing over half of the electorate across 12 assembly constituencies.

Political parties are busy in devising strategies to appeal to this demographic. Noticeably during the last Ganesh festival, party leaders donated money for buying idols to youth-led pandals, indicating a blend of cultural engagement and electoral politics.

Considering the fact these youngsters are hooked to social media platforms, candidates from different political parties have enlisted digital experts to design and disseminate campaign material across various platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Additionally, they are leveraging influencers with substantial social media following to amplify their reach.

If one were to look at the voters statistics, 54.2% of the electorate are in the age group of 18-39 years (7,51,513 voters) in six Nalgonda constituencies, namely Nalgonda, Miryalaguda, Munugode, Nagarjuna Sagar, Devarakonda, and Nakrekal individuals. Of these, 2.9% or 41,378 voters, are set to cast their ballots for the first time.

Suryapet district reports a similar trend with young voters accounting for 50.72% of its electorate across four constituencies: Suryapet, Huzurnagar, Kodad, and Thungathurthi. First-time voters here number 30,354, making up 3.1% of the total voting population.

In the Yadadri-Bhongir district, the Bhongir and Alair constituencies report 51.21% of their electorate, or 2,24,879 individuals, as being under 39 years of age. To ensure robust participation, election authorities have embarked on a campaign to instill the significance of voting in the democratic process, targeting first-time voters.

As the polling date of November 30 approaches, their initiatives are crucial in mobilizing this significant electoral segment.

Age-wise voters in Nalgonda district

Assembly Constituency Age 18-19 years 20-29 30-39
Nalgonda 8,254 47,647 66,915

Nakrekal 7,531 47,604 71,180

Nagarjuna Sagar 7,865 46,193 67,259

Miryalaguda 6,952 45,635 65,656

Devarakonda 7,555 52,282 71,883

Munugode 10,752 52,407 67,949

Age-wise voters in Suryapet district

Assembly Constituency Age 18-19 years 20-29 30-39
Suryapet 7,465 46,886 69,059
Kodad 8,394 47,092 71,535
Huzur Nagar 7,287 44,301 65,454
Thungathurthi 7,388 48,222 69,059
Age-wise voters in Yadadri-Bhongir district
Assembly Constituency Age 18-19 years 20-29 30-39
Bhongir 7,338 42,750 59,531
Alair 7,174 44,897 63,207

World

Israel war on Gaza reminiscent of Saddam Hussein war on Iran

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“What we see in Palestine today we experienced in the imposed war,” Raeisi said, addressing the people of Baneh city on the second day of his provincial visit to Kordestan, a western province of Iran.

He recalled how during the Iran-Iraq war the Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein dropped bombs on Baneh and butchered its people.

“Today, the same [morally] wrong current and the same America that created a disaster in the imposed war is committing atrocities in Palestine,” he said. “The same current that destroyed the cities of Kordestan and Khuzestan yesterday is destroying the homes of the Palestinian people today.”

The president argued that if the criminal Saddam Hussein and his American and European backers had been tried at the time, the horrible crimes being committed by the US and the Zionist regime would not have happened.

“4,000 Palestinian children were killed. Where will this crime be investigated?”

Raeisi added, “We have no doubt that the righteous and Palestinian front will emerge victorious.”

At least 9,061 Palestinians have been killed in the Zionist regime’s all-out war on Gaza since October 7, after the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas launched a surprise operation into the occupied territories in retaliation for intensified Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

MP/IRN85279348

Middle East

Israeli military forces on high alert prior to Nasrallah’s speech

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Israel’s military has been put on high alert as the Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is scheduled to give a televised speech, his first address since the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip began.

Israeli media outlets are reportedly going to exercise a blackout on Nasrallah’s speech as part of desperate attempts by the Tel Aviv regime to ease the psychological burden on the residents of the occupied territories.

The Hezbollah chief at 3 p.m. Beirut time (1300 GMT) on Friday will break weeks of silence since Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups conducted Operation al-Aqsa Storm, their biggest operation against the occupying Israeli regime in years.

Analysts maintain that the speech by the head of the Hezbollah resistance group could impact the region.

Two Israeli soldiers injured in Hezbollah drone attack

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that a soldier was moderately wounded and another was slightly hurt in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army position in the Mount Dov area on the Lebanon border last night.

Both soldiers were taken to hospital for further treatment.

Earlier this week, a high-ranking Hezbollah official disclosed the United States’ recent messages to the Lebanese resistance movement, in which Washington had implored the group to abstain from entering into a conflict with the Israeli regime.

“These messages, conveyed separately and repeatedly, bear the collective plea of the United States and some of its allies, urging Hezbollah to refrain from engaging in battle with the Zionist regime,” he stated.

The Hezbollah official highlighted that his movement’s response has been “unequivocal,” underscoring the group’s independence and unwavering commitment to its own agenda.

“We have explicitly articulated that our current obligation is to maintain a strong presence across various fronts, be it in the military, organizational, or intelligence spheres,” he said.

“We stand ready to act with unpredictability whenever the situation necessitates,” Tasnim news agency quoted the official as saying.

Hezbollah has warned that it will join the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and its allies in the fight against Israel if the regime escalates its aggression on Gaza and in case foreign military forces intervene to help the Israeli regime in the battle.

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said last month that the Lebanese movement is at the core of the regional resistance campaign to defend the besieged Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip against the ongoing Israeli aggression.

In a post published on social media, Sheikh Qassem said that Hezbollah has its “finger on the trigger” to whatever extent it deems necessary to defend Gaza and to face off the occupiers of Palestine.

He said the United States and Europe should be held accountable for the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime of Israel against children and women in Gaza.

Top News

Wildfire rages in eastern Spain

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A wildfire raged on Thursday (November 2) near the coastal town of Gandia in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia, forcing the evacuation of at least 350 people, authorities said.

Strong winds hampered efforts to tackle the flames from the air as more than 34 crews battled the blaze near the village Montichelvo, emergency services said.

Valencia regional government said they have asked for help from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) as firefighters from the entire region were drafted in to tackle the blaze.

(Source: Reuters)

Hyderabad

Illegal financier arrested in Hyderabad’s old city

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The arrested person is Iqbal Bin Khalifa (53), a businessman from Barkas in Chandrayangutta.

Published Date – 04:20 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Illegal financier arrested in Hyderabad’s old city


Hyderabad: The Chandrayangutta police arrested an illegal financier on charges of lending money to people and harassing them by collecting higher rate of interest.

The arrested person is Iqbal Bin Khalifa (53), a businessman from Barkas in Chandrayangutta.

Police said Iqbal Bin Khalifa has been running illegal finance business since the last few years by lending money to his friends and those in the neighbourhood without any valid permission from competent authority.

“He took sureties from people in way of signed cheques and empty promissory notes for hand loans to those in need. He collected huge interests on the principal loan amount. Even after the loan has been repaid, he continued to harass them by extorting more money,” said a police official.

Several of his victims have not come forward to lodge a complaint fearing consequences, the official added.

He was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.