Middle East

Iran: Israel's displacement of Gazans clear example of 'crime against humanity'

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Palestinian children sit amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Reuters)

Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva has strongly denounced the Israeli regime’s efforts at displacement and forcible evacuation of the Gaza Strip’s Palestinian population.

Mahdi Aliabadi made the remarks at a meeting of the Permanent Committee of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“These (the Israeli regime’s) ruthless attacks [on Gaza] will lead to a new displacement crisis. The occupiers have resolved to [forcibly] evacuate Gaza’s population, [something] which serves as another example of crime against humanity by the Zionist regime,” he said.

The remarks came amid a brutal war that the Israeli regime has been waging against the coastal territory since October 7 that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 9,061 people, including 3,700 children and more than 2,300 women.

The regime launched the war after Gaza’s resistance groups conducted Operation al-Aqsa Storm, their biggest operation against the occupying entity in years, in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodshed and destruction against Palestinians.

“The [IOM’s] members cannot remain indifferent towards this crisis, and simply bear witness to formation of a new crisis of displacement and migration,” Aliabadi said.

“It is necessary that the organization adopts a strong and decisive position concerning whatever measure that leads to forcible evacuation of [Gaza’s] population,” he added.

The envoy, accordingly, called on the international community to seriously consider revoking the Israeli regime’s membership of the IOM.

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US Man Arrested For Pointing Gun At 6-Year-Old Boy's Head Over Halloween Candy Bag

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US Man Arrested For Pointing Gun At 6-Year-Old Boy's Head Over Halloween Candy Bag

The incident occurred on Saturday in New York. (Representative pic)

A 43-year-old man in the United States has been arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at a 6-year-old boy over Halloween candy. According to NBC News, the incident occurred on Saturday in New York. Michael Yifan Wen was arrested and charged with menacing and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Nassau County police said in a statement. 

The incident began when a mother drove her daughter, two sons, and a nephew to a nearby residence to drop off a goody bag. Her 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son rang the doorbell and dropped off a Halloween goody bag on the porch for the girl’s friend. However, when the children returned to the car, the girl told her mother the address may have been incorrect, so they drove back, and the boy went to the porch to get the bag full of candy.

This is when the man opened the door and pointed a handgun at the boy’s head, the outlet reported. The Nassau County Police Department were immediately notified of the incident and the 43-year-old suspect was arrested. 

Mr Wen’s attorney, however, said that his client is presumed innocent. “These are just allegations,” the lawyer said. He also asked the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions “before the facts come out”. 

According to ABC News, the investigation into the incident is currently ongoing. 

Also Read | “The Irony Is That…”: Elon Musk After Tesla Wins Autopilot Trial Involving Fatal Crash

Meanwhile, this comes amid a time when US is reeling under the uncontrolled and widespread use of guns across the country which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians over the years. The country has recorded over 500 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-governmental organization that defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed.

Notably, the recent shooting in Maine left 18 dead. This attack was the deadliest mass shooting in 2023 so far, according to the GVA’s data.

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750 vehicles used to mount action for Prabhas-starrer ‘Salaar: Part 1’

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The film has been directed by Prashanth Neel, who is known for the ‘K.G.F.’ franchise, and the teaser of the film promised it to be a pretty violent venture.

Published Date – 02:24 PM, Thu – 2 November 23


750 vehicles used to mount action for Prabhas-starrer ‘Salaar: Part 1’


Mumbai: As the upcoming Prabhas-starrer action film ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ gears up for its release and sharpens its sword to battle it out against Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ at the box-office, it has been revealed that over 750 vehicles including tanks and jeeps were used for the film to bring alive the action extravaganza.

The film has been directed by Prashanth Neel, who is known for the ‘K.G.F.’ franchise, and the teaser of the film promised it to be a pretty violent venture.

The source close to production informed: “Over 750 different vehicles including jeeps, tanks, trucks, etc were procured for the shoot of Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire as there is a lot of on-ground action in the movie. It was as big as any big war sequence of any Hollywood movie.”

One of the most iconic action sequences of the Indian film industry was Yash’s raid of a police station with a heavy machine gun. Hence, the anticipation amongst the audience for ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ is high.

Produced by Hombale Films, ‘Salaar: Part 1  Ceasefire’ also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu.

The film will be released in theatres on December 22, 2023 clashing with SRK’s immigration drama ‘Dunki’.

Sports

CWC 2023: Afghanistan face spirited Netherlands

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Spirited Afghanistan’s quest to reach the next level starts in earnest against an equally inspirational Netherlands in a World Cup match between the two teams on Friday

Published Date – 08:00 AM, Fri – 3 November 23


CWC 2023: Afghanistan face spirited Netherlands

Afghanistans players take part in a practice session on the eve of the 2023 ICC Mens Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and Netherlands at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on November 2, 2023. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Lucknow: They have outlived tags like ‘minnows’ and ‘giant-killers’ with their lion-hearted performances but spirited Afghanistan’s quest to reach the next level starts in earnest against an equally inspirational Netherlands in a World Cup match between the two teams here on Friday.

Starting as favourites on a tricky Ekana Stadium surface, with a quality spin attack at its disposal, Afghanistan (6 points) will not only look to secure two points against the Dutch (4 points) but also aim to win big and improve the net run-rate in its bid to remain relevant in the race to semifinal.

The manner in which Afghanistan’s top-order batted to outclass sides like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it showed that the victory against defending champions England wasn’t a mere flash in the pan. Ashes-winning English batter Jonathon Trott was a gritty customer during his playing days and he has instilled the same doggedness in his wards too, as they have made the heads with their methodical approach and praiseworthy resilience.

Just like Kenya, with a bit of luck, made it to the semifinals of the 2003 World Cup, Afghans will hope that the rub of the green goes their way, beginning with the Dutch test. After this game, they take on Australia (November 7) and South Africa (November 10) in what would determine whether they have it in them to go to the next level – the World Cup semifinals. One defeat and it all comes crashing down.

The ‘Orange Army’, too have been a surprise package of this World Cup, securing upset wins over South Africa and Bangladesh. It has put them ahead of Bangladesh and bottom-rung England in the 10-team standings to keep a slender semifinal qualification hopes alive although even their biggest supporters know that it would be miraculous if they happen to make it to final four.

On six points each, Pakistan and Afghanistan are two other teams outside top-four who are very much in the mix of a last-four berth. But Afghanistan with a much-inferior net run-rate (-0.718) compared to Pakistan (-0.024) would mean that the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side have a lot of catching up to do.

The bowling has always been their strength but their biggest turnaround this time has been their batting which has clicked as a collective unit, something that came to fore in their clinical chases of 283 (vs Pakistan) and 242 (Sri Lanka) in their last two outings.

While skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (226) and Azmatullah Omarzai (203) have the rock in the middle, the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (224), Rahmat Shah (212), Ibrahim Zardan (212) and Ikram Akhil (77 in 2 games) have also shouldered a lot of responsibility.

It’s only a hundred that has eluded an Afghan batter as Jonathan Trott will hope that one among them goes on to convert their starts. The likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be tempted to bowl at the Ekana stadium that is known for it’s slow conditions.

Teams batting second have won nine of 12 ODI matches played at the Ekana, including two in the World Cup The Edwards-led Netherlands bowled out Bangladesh for a lowly 142 to secure yet another upset in the World Cup during their last match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

With two fifties to his name, the skipper Edwards will remain their batting mainstay alongside veteran Sybrand Engelbrecht, Colin Ackermann and Logan van Beek the designated finisher of the team. Van Beek’s cameo of 23 not out from 16 balls took their total past 200-mark, something that proved handy against the struggling Bangladesh in Kolkata.

Van Beek is also known to be giving breakthroughs in the middle as he would look to dent Afghan’s progress with his clever changes. They now have the four points in the pocket, same as Sri Lanka. But the Netherlands’ NRR is much inferior and they face the improbable scenario to post wins over Afghanistan, England (November 8) and India (November 12) to keep their hopes alive.

India

Over 1,000 Himachal cops fell victim to cryptocurrency fraud, some quit jobs to promote it

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They lured the initial investors by promising them high returns in a short span of time. They also created a network of investors, who further expanded the chain within their own circles.

Published Date – 04:36 PM, Thu – 19 October 23


Over 1,000 Himachal cops fell victim to cryptocurrency fraud, some quit jobs to promote it

Representational Image.

Shimla: Over a thousand police personnel fell victim to a fake local cryptocurrency created by fraudsters in Himachal’s Mandi district, an official said on Thursday.

A majority of the police personnel who invested in the fake cryptocurrency were duped of crores of rupees, but some of them made huge gains, became promoters of the scheme, and roped in more investors for it, according to investigators of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the scam.

According to police, at least one lakh people have been duped by the fraudsters in the cryptocurrency fraud, and 2.5 lakh IDs have been found – which included multiple IDs of the same person.

To get investors, the scammers launched two cryptocurrencies – ‘Korvio Coin’ (or KRO) and ‘DGT Coin’ – and created fake websites with manipulated prices of these digital currencies.

They lured the initial investors by promising them high returns in a short span of time. They also created a network of investors, who further expanded the chain within their own circles.

Policemen, teachers and others got involved in the scheme for quick returns. Although a majority of the police personnel involved suffered losses, their promotion of the scheme created trust among the investors and gave credibility to the investment plan.

Some policemen involved in the cryptocurrency scheme opted for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), and became its promoters, a police official told PTI on Thursday on the condition of anonymity.

“We will get all the wrongdoers… The investigation is progressing in an organised and planned manner,” DGP Sanjay Kundu said. He added that all those involved in the scam will be dealt with strongly as per law.

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a blockchain-based computer network that is not dependent on any central authority, such as the government or bank to uphold or maintain it.

The scam started in 2018, with a majority of victims from Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra districts. In certain cases, a single person roped in up to 1,000 people.

The accused used a combination of misinformation, deception and threats to maintain control over their scheme and continue extracting money from unsuspecting investors by manipulating the cryptocurrency prices which led to huge financial losses to the victims, the police had earlier said.
The cryptocurrency scammers approached people with an investment plan related to a locally made cryptocurrency known as ‘Korvio Coin’ or KRO coins, and charged an initial activation fee for getting their accounts activated. Three to four kinds of cryptocurrency were used.
The scammers built fake websites to list their coins and manipulated their prices. Later, they launched a new coin called ‘DGT Coin.’

After enough people had purchased these coins at a higher rate, its price was deliberately brought down causing massive financial losses to the investors.
The investigation also revealed that apart from cryptocurrency, other deposit schemes, such as a 10 per cent monthly return on a Rs 90,000 deposit, police said.

Police have cautioned the general public to be careful if any scheme promises over 12 per cent annual returns.

Two main accused Sukhdev and Hemraj, who were earlier in the month arrested from Gujarat, confessed during interrogation that they have outstanding liabilities of Rs 400 crore. The alleged kingpin of the scam, Subash, is still at large.

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How India-Bangladesh Rail Link Will Cut Short Agartala-Kolkata Journey

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How India-Bangladesh Rail Link Will Cut Short Agartala-Kolkata Journey

PM Modi hailed the inauguration of the Cross Border Rail Link as a “historic” moment

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday jointly inaugurated three projects via virtual mode, including a key rail link between Tripura’s Nischintapur and Gangasagar in Bangladesh.

The other two projects inaugurated by PM Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart are the 65-km Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line and Unit 2 of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Bangladesh’s Rampal.

The cross-border rail project near Tripura’s capital Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh is expected to boost cross-border trade, and significantly reduce the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka. When fully completed, the cross-border rail link will cut the travel time from Kolkata to Agartala from 36 hours to 12 hours.

PM Modi hailed the inauguration of the Cross Border Rail Link as a “historic” moment.

“It is a matter of joy that we have come together again to celebrate the successful cooperation between India and Bangladesh. Our relationship is touching new highs. Together, we have achieved in the last nine years what has not been achieved in decades,” Prime Minister Modi said.

The projects are important for India’s Look East Policy and will also boost connectivity to the northeast which is heavily dependent on the narrow Chicken’s Neck or Siliguri Corridor. They are also a testament to India’s commitment to the region around the Bay of Bengal with organizations like the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which has its secretariat in Bangladesh.

‘First Rail Link Between Northeast, Bangladesh’

During the inauguration of the Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link, PM Modi highlighted the impact of these projects, especially during the pandemic with oxygen trains. “This is the first rail link between the northeast and Bangladesh,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“We have focused especially on infrastructure, connectivity and in the last nine years, we have started three new bus services. We have connected Dhaka, Shillong, Agartala, Guwahati and Kolkata. In the last nine years, we have started three new railway services. From 2020, we started container and parcel services,” he added.

“In the last nine years through Chittagong and the Mongla Port, we have connected the northeastern states of India. Our connectivity initiative worked as a lifeline during the Covid pandemic,” Prime Minister Modi said.

“In the last nine years, four new immigration check posts have been opened on the India-Bangladesh border and our bilateral trade has nearly tripled. The journey of these nine years has made us reach the inauguration of the Agartala Akhaura Railway Link and it is a historic moment,” he added.

‘Firm Cooperation Between Countries’

Sheikh Hasina said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is anchored in history culture language and both countries share values of secularism, democracy, and countless other commonalities.

She added that Bangladesh attaches the highest importance to its relationship with India with a focus on connectivity, trade, and commerce. She expressed gratitude to the government of India for its significant contribution to these sectors and also extended Diwali greetings.

“The joint inauguration of these projects manifests the firm friendship and collaboration between our two countries. I would like to thank you PM Modi for his warm hospitality during my visit to New Delhi in September 2023 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. I express my heartfelt gratitude for your commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two countries,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.

“I would like to thank the Government of India for jointly producing the biopic on the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu ‘Sheikh Mujibur Rehman – Mujib: The Making of a Nation’. I would like to extend my deep appreciation and thankfulness to Shri Narendra Modi,” she added.

“Our collaboration in the connectivity and power sector stands out as a shining example of our cooperation,” she said at the inauguration event.

India and Bangladesh ties are crucial for India’s Act East Policy and these projects have also laid the groundwork for more cooperation and opening of passenger and freight routes between India and Bangladesh and also for alternative supply routes for northeastern states

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Jio World Plaza Opened Grandly In Mumbai: 66 Luxury Brands, Flagship Stores, World Convention Centre

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Reliance Industries Limited has unveiled the Jio World Plaza (JWP), an expansive retail and entertainment destination in Mumbai, India.

Published Date – 02:28 PM, Thu – 2 November 23


Jio World Plaza Opened Grandly In Mumbai: 66 Luxury Brands, Flagship Stores, World Convention Centre


Hyderabad: Reliance Industries Limited has unveiled the Jio World Plaza (JWP), an expansive retail and entertainment destination in Mumbai, India. Spanning 750,000 square feet across four levels, the Plaza features 66 luxury brands, including notable international newcomers like Balenciaga, Giorgio Armani Café, and Pottery Barn Kids. It also houses flagship stores of renowned brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, and Bulgari, along with designer boutiques by Manish Malhotra and others.

Watch:

Hyderabad

Relief for aspirants as JEE Main syllabus trimmed

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NTA removes some chapters in Maths, Physics and Chemistry

Published Date – 07:30 AM, Fri – 3 November 23


Relief for aspirants as JEE Main syllabus trimmed

Representational Image

Hyderabad: Students preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2024 have reasons to cheer. Alleviating the burden of the aspirants, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has slashed the JEE Main syllabus.

Aligning the entrance exam syllabus with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) curriculum for classes 11 and 12, the NTA has removed some chapters and topics in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, with coaching experts saying the majority reduction was in Chemistry syllabus.

Topics removed from Chemistry include states of matter, solid state and surface chemistry in physical chemistry, group 1 and 2, environmental chemistry, metallurgy, hydrogen and its compounds in inorganic chemistry, and polymers chemistry in everyday life in organic chemistry.

In Physics, as per coaching experts, a total of 14 topics including Newton’s Law of Cooling, Doppler effect in sound, potentiometer, quality factor in AC, transistors, communication system, and cyclotron are deleted. Along with subtopics including scalar and vector triple products in vector algebra, Bernoulli trials and binomial distribution in probability, trigonometric equations, heights and distances in trigonometry, the entire chapter of mathematical reasoning and mathematical inductions are removed in the Mathematics. The move to trim the syllabus comes after the NTA held consultations with the boards and subject committees.

However, this will benefit only students following the NCERT curriculum. Students of the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TS BIE) have to prepare the deleted topics as well as the board did not remove them from the intermediate syllabus, which will also be syllabus for the Telangana State Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (TS EAMCET).

“Among the three subjects, the majority i.e., 25 per cent syllabus is reduced in Chemistry. In Physics and Chemistry subtopics are deleted, while in Mathematics two chapters along with subtopics are removed. Despite syllabus reduction, the question paper standard will be the same but it will reduce burden on students towards their preparation,” said D Sankara Rao, Dean Sri Chaitanya Junior College Kukatpally.

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Virtual Chimneys, Air Filters: Mumbai's Plan To Tackle Pollution

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Virtual Chimneys, Air Filters: Mumbai's Plan To Tackle Pollution

There won’t be a ban on bursting crackers in Mumbai, said Deepak Kesarkar. (Representational)

Mumbai:

Fitting vehicle-mounted air filters on 350 BEST buses, setting up virtual chimneys at traffic congestion spots, placing special streetlights and installing air purification systems in select gardens are some of the technological measures being identified to control air pollution in Mumbai.

Among other measures and actions, the city civic body has ordered 30 vehicles mounted with sprinklers, also called fog cannons, while notices have been served to readymix concrete units, and industries have been directed to increase the height of chimneys, said Mumbai district guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar.

He said there won’t be a ban on bursting crackers but citizens should use their discretion and burst fewer crackers.

“IIT (Bombay) has identified various companies and technology offered by them is used on a trial basis in Mumbai. The technology which proves effective in reducing pollution will be given priority. We have identified six technologies, including vehicles-mounted air filters,” Mr Kesarkar told reporters.

He said the Maharashtra Environment Department is monitoring the use of technologies besides the Mumbai civic chief.

Mr Kesarkar said 350 buses of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) will be fitted with “vehicle mounted filters” in phases for the removal of impurities from dust and other particles.

“Initially, these detachable air filters will be fitted on 150 buses of BEST and later on 200 more buses,” the minister said.

He said he has also suggested bringing new electric buses of BEST fitted with vehicle-mounted filters so that the time required for the fitment of the air filtration devices can be avoided.

On measures undertaken in view of the worsening air quality of Mumbai, Mr Kesarkar said the Maharashtra government has already issued guidelines for air pollution mitigation whose implementation has been started by the city civic body.

Speaking about the six technological measures, he said virtual chimneys will be installed at 10 spots of high traffic congestion in Mumbai. “These chimneys will do filtration in huge amounts,” he added.

He said a streetlight named “Vayu” will be installed with the objective of air purification at 50 locations.

“An air purification system will be installed on a trial basis in six gardens, including the diamond garden and one in Chembur, Shivaji Park, Rani Baug in Byculla, SK Patil garden in Marine Lines and Bhakti Park garden in Wadala,” the minister said.

Queried if the bursting of crackers will be restricted during the Diwali festival, Mr Kesarkar said the state government always appeals to people to use fewer crackers.

“At places like Delhi, there is a 100 per cent ban on bursting of crackers. We should think that if fewer crackers are burst there will be more happiness and there won’t be a ban,” Mr Kesarkar said.

He said the civic body has given a 15-day deadline for taking prohibitory action for curbing pollution and a 30-day time frame for purchasing machinery.

“The air quality will certainly improve in this period,” Mr Kesarkar added. 

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

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Lava unveils 5G smartphone with 6.56-inch display

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The Blaze 2 5G is offered in three colors—Black, Blue, and Lavender, starting at Rs 9,999.

Published Date – 02:40 PM, Thu – 2 November 23


Lava unveils 5G smartphone with 6.56-inch display


New Delhi: Domestic smartphone brand Lava on Thursday launched a new 5G smartphone — Blaze 2, with a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS Punch Hole display, premium glass back and the segment’s first Ring Light.

Lava launches new 5G smartphone with 6.56-inch display

The Blaze 2 5G comes available in three colours — Black, Blue and Lavender at a starting price of Rs 9,999.

It will be available for purchase across Lava’s retail network, Amazon and Lavamobiles.com from November 9.

The smartphone comes equipped with a 50MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera with screen flash for selfies.

The smartphone’s inbuilt camera features include various modes like Film, Slow Motion, Timelapse, UHD, GIF, Beauty, HDR, Night, Portrait, AI, Pro, Panorama, Filters and Intelligent Scanning, according to the company.

It also features a 2.5D Curved Screen and 90 Hz refresh rate and comes powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6020 processor.

“Blaze 2 5G provides a clean Android 13 experience and comes with No Ads and No Bloatware. It also offers anonymous and auto-call recording and features a side fingerprint sensor. The device comes with a promised upgrade to Android 14 and two years of quarterly security updates,” Lava said.

The smartphone comes with a 5000mAh battery and 18W fast charging support (Type-C).