“I spent 45 memorable years here, but now it’s over. I’m very upset because my business is down. I’m worried about what we’re going to do over there (in Afghanistan) in the winter,” says Sakhi Gul, an Afghan living in Pakistan as the government has given 1.7 million Afghans it says are living illegally in the country until November 1 to leave voluntarily or be forcibly removed.
(Source: AFP)
Following a dull October, during which Hyderabad witnessed a complete absence of rainfall, November is likely to provide no respite in terms of precipitation.
Published Date – 01:22 PM, Wed – 1 November 23
Hyderabad: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released its long-range forecast for rainfall and temperature in Telangana for the month of November. The predictions indicate that the state, including Hyderabad, can expect below-normal rainfall, making it a rather dry and warm month.
Following a dull October, during which Hyderabad witnessed a complete absence of rainfall, November is likely to provide no respite in terms of precipitation.
According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society, the Northeast monsoon (NEM) season, which spans from October to December, typically brings the highest rainfall in Khammam with 142.9 mm and Hyderabad with 140.9 mm. However, Hyderabad experienced an unprecedented rainless October, and the prospects for significant rain in November appear bleak.
Telangana usually transitions into a mild winter from November to January, with a gradual drop in temperatures. This year, however, the onset of winter is expected to be delayed.
The IMD’s forecast predicts above-normal minimum temperatures across the state during November, indicating that the chill may not set in just yet. In Hyderabad, minimum temperatures are likely to remain higher than the seasonal average, with readings expected to cross 20 degrees Celsius over the next seven days.
In addition to the warmer nights, the IMD’s long-range forecast predicts above-normal maximum temperatures across Telangana, including Hyderabad. Days are expected to remain sultry, affecting overall comfort.
Meanwhile, this October will be remembered as a record-breaking month for rainfall—or rather, the lack thereof—in Telangana. The state experienced an unprecedented rainfall deficit, with only 6.6 mm of precipitation recorded, a stark contrast to the normal October average of 95.8 mm.
Hyderabad fared even worse, with an astonishingly dry month that saw not a single drop of rain, as opposed to the usual October average of 98.1 mm. November is also anticipated to bring very little rainfall, continuing the trend of dry weather.
October rains
Telangana – Actual: 6.6 mm; Normal: 95.8 mm
Hyderabad – Actual: 0 mm; Normal: 98.1 mm
IMD November forecast Telangana
Rainfall forecast – Below normal
Maximum temperature – Above normal
Minimum temperature – Above normal
Xinhua reports Hamas armed wing’s spokesperson Abu Obaida stating, “We’ve informed mediators that we’ll release several of them in the coming days, as we no longer need to detain them,” in a recorded message on Tuesday.
Updated On – 01:38 PM, Wed – 1 November 23
Gaza: The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas military, said that it was ready to release some foreign hostages currently being held in Gaza, within a few days.
“We informed the mediators officially that we will release a number of them in the coming days as we no longer need to detain them,” Xinhua news agency quoted the armed wing’s spokesman Abu Obaida as saying in a recorded message on Tuesday..
He also added that “some countries intervened through mediators to free some detainees with foreign nationalities”.
According to Israel, about 240 hostages were still being held in Gaza.
Since Hamas launched its surprise assault against Israel on October 7, the militant group has released four hostages — two Americans and two Israelis — in two separate moves aided by Qatari and Egyptian mediation.
However, efforts to negotiate a larger hostage swap have stalled.
Hamas has been asking Israel to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining hostages.
Israel has dismissed the demand, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that a ground offensive in Gaza may increase the chances of securing the hostages’ release.
On Monday, Netanyahu also rejected calls for a ceasefire to facilitate the hostages’ release.
He faces growing pressure to free the hostages, as the Israeli army is conducting an intense offensive on the Palestinian enclave ruled by Hamas.
Israel collapsed after the Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories on October 7 and will in no way survive its own quagmire in the Gaza Strip, says a high-ranking official with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.
Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, made the remarks in an interview with a media delegation from Iran and a group of Iranian journalists in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, the 25th day of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups.
Safieddine pointed to reports and accurate field information gained by Hezbollah since the start of the Palestinian surprise attack and said, “After the successful Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, the Zionist regime completely fell apart in terms of military and intelligence.”
Stressing that Lebanon’s Hezbollah had no prior knowledge of the Palestinian operation and had heard about it from the media, Safieddine said the operation was utterly Palestinian and Hezbollah was delighted that Hamas had gained such a high intelligence capability.
“We have definite news that the United States and some Western countries have sophisticated and extensive intelligence services in Gaza, but all these services were defeated by Hamas,” the head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah said.
”We are proud of our fighter brothers because of such high power in the complex execution of an operation.”
Reaffirming that the Israeli occupation army is in its worst situation and has collapsed after the October 7 attack, the Hezbollah official said the Zionist regime’s security and intelligence systems fell apart during the latest developments and its high-ranking military officers are in maximum disarray and disagreement.
“Their army is in a state of panic,” Safieddine said. “The Zionist forces who are in the north of Palestine record audio files and send them to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and address Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and say that we do not intend to confront you and if the war starts, we are with you and we do not intend to clash with you in any way.”
Underlining that field, intelligence and organization work in the occupied territories is at the disposal of Americans since the Hamas-led operation, Safieddine said, “The US is nowadays in the middle of the field of killing foreigners, Palestinian women and children.”
Touching on allegations about the Israeli regime’s military action against Iran, the Hezbollah official said, “First, they had better terminate the ongoing war and see how the situation unfolds after the war, and then talk about Iran. The Zionist regime will not get out of the quagmire in Gaza unscathed.”
Israel waged a genocidal war on the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.
Since the start of the aggression, the regime has been committing war crimes in Gaza, killing at least 8,610 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring more than 23,000 others.
Israel has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.
Babar Azam has struggled for form in World Cup 2023© AFP
Since reaching India for the Cricket World Cup 2023, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has failed to deliver with the bat. Though Babar has gotten off to fine starts on a few occasions, he has failed to make it big on every instance. Ramiz Raja, one of the finest Pakistan cricketers ever, donned a pundit’s hat as he analysed the reasons behind Babar’s poor form with the bat. Ramiz feels it’s against spin where Babar has looked the most ‘jittery’.
“If you want to find fault in his batting, it’s his batting against spin upfront when he starts the innings. He is not as fluent as he is when he is facing pace. I don’t know whether it’s his footwork whether it’s in his mind, or whether he doesn’t have too many options because he doesn’t play the sweep shot. On slow pitches, you need to play the sweep shot,” Ramiz said in a chat on Star Sports.
“Every time he has been aggressive, he’s gotten out as well. Against Afghanistan, he hit a massive six and then got out just at the wrong time. So the confidence builds and it goes flat,” he stated.
Giving a piece of advice, Ramiz urged Babar to dig deep and find a way to grind during those difficult phases, be it against pace or spin.
“All he needs to do is work his way through to a hundred where he faces pace, spin, and feels comfortable about his role. He is not entirely out of touch, he is still middling the ball, but it’s that when he begins his innings against spin, he looks just a little bit jittery,” Ramiz added.
With the win against Bangladesh, Pakistan have kept their Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final hopes alive. However, the chances of them finishing top 4 depend a lot on how some of the other results unfold.
Topics mentioned in this article
As for the seat shares, the Janta Ka Mood survey has found that the BRS could win between 72 to 75 seats, while the Congress would manage 31 to 36 seats. The AIMIM would win 6 to 7, while the BJP would end up fourth with 4 to 6 seats.
Published Date – 01:30 PM, Wed – 1 November 23
Hyderabad: One more survey, this time by the reputed Janta Ka Mood Political Research and Consultancy has found that the poll mood in Telangana is still firmly with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, with the survey report, released in New Delhi on Wednesday stating that the BRS would lead with a 41 percent vote share followed by the Congress with 34 percent. The BJP stood third with 14 percent and the AIMIM with 3 percent.
As for the seat shares, the Janta Ka Mood survey has found that the BRS could win between 72 to 75 seats, while the Congress would manage 31 to 36 seats. The AIMIM would win 6 to 7, while the BJP would end up fourth with 4 to 6 seats. The report, which pointed out that though the Congress fared closer to BRS in terms of vote share, it was still far behind the BRS in terms of seats.
There were also about 18 Assembly seats where there could be very close contests between the BRS, BJP and the Congress. The Congress and the BJP were leading in 4 each Assembly seats, while the BRS was leading in 10 Assembly seats in the 18 constituencies that could see close fights.
The report says some of the reasons why the Congress re-emerged was the victory in Karnataka. However, despite its guarantees sounding good, the report said the Congress was unable to implement such policies or guarantees in Karnataka. The stark difference between poll promises and implementation in Karnataka have made the voters doubt the ability of the Congress especially in matters like free power to farmers, with the people therefore entrusting their faith with BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. It is also said none could match the popularity of Chandrashekhar Rao, who was the most preferred Chief Minister among leaders in Telangana. The Congress was not able to exploit any anti-incumbency due to lack of proper candidature and confusion in cadre about the candidate at the constituency level and leadership at the State level, it said.
The report also pointed out that the Congress in Telangana, like elsewhere in the country, was bogged down by internal rivalry in the local leadership at the State level and there was growing dissent amongst local leaders and the cadre. Moreover, it did not have a strong face matching that of Chandrashekhar Rao. Telangana politics, as per the survey, was dominated by Chandrashekhar Rao, who enjoyed the highest approval ratings in the State. The impact of the Congress’ six guarantees was high in 30 constituencies and low in 42 constituencies, even as the BRS Manifesto fared well across the State.
The Congress, to pick up momentum, would have to solve its internal rivalries and arrive at a consensus on State building. Voter confidence in the Congress was very low, it said, adding that winning perception did not translate to instilling confidence in voters to vote for Congress as the voters have highly benefited from popular schemes run by the BRS government.
As for the BJP, the projected vote share was 14 percent while having winning chances of 4 seats. This said a lot on the perception of BJP in the minds of the voters wherein the party also suffers from groupism and internal rivalry between groups led by Bandi Sanjay and G Kishan Reddy, the survey said.
“Multiple factors have contributed to the popularity of BRS among the voters in Telangana. The most obvious one being the leadership of CM KCR, which remains unmatched in the state. No opposition party in the state has a face that can match the stature of a leader like KCR. Moreover, the highly popular schemes attending to voters such as farmers, youth, women, BCs, govt and private employees, workers or artisans, etc. have become a role model for even the Union government led by PM Narendra Modi to replicate. The impact of beneficiaries of the popular policies, will translate to the high rates of success for the BRS,” says the survey, which had a sample size of 1.20 lakh and was conducted from September 1 to October 20.
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 over 8,300 innocent Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children, and left upwards of 21,000 others wounded.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Friday, 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:
Rafah crossing opens
The Rafah crossing has opened from Gaza for the first time since October 7 to allow wounded Palestinians to be taken to Egypt for treatment, Al Jazeera reported.
Just minutes before the crossing opened, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he expected “a first group of foreign nationals” to leave Gaza.
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘inhumane targeting’ of Jabalia refugee camp
Saudi Arabia has condemned the Israeli regime’s “inhumane targeting” of the Jabalia refugee camp in a statement shared by Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns in the strongest terms possible the inhumane targeting by the Israeli occupation forces of the Jabalia refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
The latest attack on the densely populated refugee camp “caused the death and injury of a large number of innocent civilians”, the statement added.
Two reported killed after latest Israeli strike on Jenin
Al Jazeera website on Wednesday morning reported that the death toll from the latest Israeli air strike on the Jenin refugee camp has risen to two. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
Zionist forces have been carrying out regular nightly raids across the occupied West Bank, including Jenin.
Death toll rises after latest Israeli air strikes on Gaza’s Khan Younis
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that the death toll in the Israeli regime’s attack on Khan Younis has risen from five to 12.
Two residential buildings were targeted by Zionist forces before or around dawn. More than two dozen Palestinians were also wounded in those strikes.
Anger grows over Israeli attack on Gaza refugee camp
Humanitarian groups have condemned the Israeli regime’s attack on the Jabalia refugee camp, saying the air raid should be a “wake-up call” to world leaders to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Palestine supporters stage London protest, call for Gaza truce as Israeli war rages
More than 500 demonstrators staged a sit-in protest at London Liverpool Street station during rush hour on Tuesday, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans such as “Palestine will be free” and “cease-fire now” as commuters tried to make their way through the crowds.
MP
The Gaza Strip has become a graveyard of children, with the number of dead minors in the Palestinian enclave to date exceeding 3,400, TASS reported citing Elder in Geneva.
According to the latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 3,450 children have died in the enclave, Elder said.
He reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of all crossings to allow humanitarian aid to flow uninterrupted. “If we had a ceasefire for 72 hours, this would mean a thousand children would be safe again for this time,” Elder said.
He noted that threats to children’s lives “go beyond the bombs and mortars.” Infant mortality from dehydration is “a growing threat” in the enclave, as Gaza’s water production is 5% of what is needed. This is due to the fact that most desalination plants are idle due to damage or fuel shortages.
Earlier, the Al Jazeera TV channel, citing the Ministry of Health of the enclave, reported that the number of deaths as a result of the worsening of the Middle East conflict in the Gaza Strip increased to 8,525.
The Israeli regime has been attacking Gaza in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas on October 7, which was in response to decades-long violence against Palestinians and recurrent incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque.
The death toll since the start of the Israeli regime’s carnage on October 7 has surpassed 8,000 with upwards of 20,500 Palestinians wounded.
Despite the excessive toll, on the 26th day of the war on Gaza, the Israeli regime declared that the war had “entered a new phase.” On Friday, the Zionist forces intensified air, sea, and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Numerous international aid agencies confirmed they lost contact with staff in Gaza after Tel Aviv knocked out internet and communications in the occupied territory.
The UN General Assembly has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. 120 states voted for the resolution, but the Zionists rejected the call.
AMK/PR
Internet and phone networks were completely cut last week but were restored at the weekend.
Jerusalem, Undefined:
Internet and phone networks were down across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the Palestinian telecommunications agency said, in the second such blackout in the besieged territory in less than a week.
“To our good people in the beloved country, we are sorry to announce that communications and internet services have been completely cut off in Gaza,” the Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) said on X.
Global network monitor Netblocks confirmed that Gaza “is in the midst of a new internet blackout with high impact to the last remaining major operator, Paltel.
“The incident will be experienced as a total loss of telecommunications by most residents,” it said in a post on X.
An AFP journalist in Gaza confirmed the loss of communications, adding that his phone still had signal because he was using an international SIM card.
Another AFP journalist said only people with Israeli or Egyptian phone lines could still use their mobiles in the border town of Rafah.
Internet and phone networks were completely cut last week but were restored at the weekend.
The government of Palestinian militant group Hamas had at the time accused Israel of causing the shutdown in order to “perpetrate massacres” in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian telecoms provider Jawwal had blamed Israel’s “heavy bombardment” of the territory for the blackout.
Gaza has in recent days seen fierce battles between Israeli ground troops and militants as Israel has pressed its mission to “crush” Hamas after it went on a rampage in southern communities killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Since then, Israel has hit back with a relentless air and artillery bombardment, which the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says has now killed more than 8,500 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women or children.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Israeli military has announced that nine of its soldiers were killed and an additional four sustained serious injuries while fighting members of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement in the northern part of the besieged Gaza Strip.
The army said in a statement on Wednesday that two of the soldiers served in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, while the rest of the soldiers were part of the Givati Infantry Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion.
The deaths take the number of Israeli troops killed in Gaza to 11 since the start of the war on the besieged enclave.
The Givati soldiers were killed after an armored vehicle they were in was hit by an anti-tank guided missile fired by Hamas on Tuesday. Another four soldiers were wounded in the same incident, including one seriously.
The 77th Battalion soldiers were killed after their tank drove over an explosive device. Another two soldiers were seriously hurt in that incident.
Also on Tuesday, another soldier from Givati’s Rotem Battalion was seriously wounded in separate clashes with Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.
The total number of Israeli troops killed since October 7 when the Tel Aviv regime when Israel launched its aerial campaign against the Gaza Strip has climbed to at least 326, according to the military.
Fierce confrontations ongoing south of Zeitoun neighborhood
Meanwhile, local sources reported that Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces are engaged in heavy fighting south of the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
There were also reports of Israeli incursions to the north and northwest of the Gaza Strip and the south and southeast of Gaza City, while shelling continues in northern Gaza.
An Israeli incursion was also attempted in the Abasan area, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Gaza Strip under total communications blackout
Moreover, all communications to the Gaza Strip have been cut-off for the second time in one week.
“We regret to announce a complete interruption of all communications and Internet services with the Gaza Strip, due to international routes that were previously reconnected being cut off again,” the Palestinian telecoms company announced.
Israel severed phone and internet services to Gaza on Friday at the start of its ground offensive. Israel had to restore the services in the face of the international outcry.
Arab League chief calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Additionally, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit has expressed his strong condemnation of the recent Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians.
In a press statement, Aboul Gheit emphasized that the world’s conscience cannot remain silent in the face of the ongoing bloodshed.
He reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza, stressing that the international community bears responsibility for the loss of lives occurring on a daily basis.
He also emphasized that the swift delivery of humanitarian aid to the region remains a global and UN responsibility.
On October 7, Hamas launched its biggest operation against Israel in years, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, in response to the occupying regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank.
The ongoing Israeli massacre has killed 8,610 Palestinians and left more than 23,000 wounded, according to the figure provided on Tuesday by the Ministry of Health in its daily report on the situation in the occupied territories. The figure excludes the casualties from the Israeli attack on Jabalia.
Beside its relentless bombardment, Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the besieged territory into a humanitarian crisis.
On Friday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution, calling for the implementation of an immediate “humanitarian truce” in Gaza.
The vote at the General Assembly came after the United Nations Security Council failed four times to take action due to the US recurrently casting its veto against relevant resolutions.
