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In A First, Walt Disney World Resort In US Hosts Diwali Festivities

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In A First, Walt Disney World Resort In US Hosts Diwali Festivities

The festival kicked off with an official parade at Disney Springs. (File photo)

New York:

In a first, Diwali festivities reverberated at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida as hundreds of dancers showcased the culture and heritage of India through performances in celebration of the festival of lights for a global audience at the iconic American destination.

The first-ever Youth Celebration of Diwali was hosted by Jashn Productions with over 400 dancers from across the country celebrating the festival of lights through dance performances at Disney Springs, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a press release issued here said.

The Dance Fest led under the direction of Jeanie Beri, founder of Jashn Productions was a three-day event comprising vibrant colours, costumes and performances by dancers from around North America.

“Bringing Diwali to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time ever was so exhilarating,” Beri said. “We created history by sharing the joy and excitement of this important festival with the South Asian dance community. Celebrating the magic of Diwali in ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’ was truly a dream come true.” Beri said Jashn Productions is looking forward to bringing people together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of South Asia with more events like the Diwali Dance Fest.

The festival, from October 26-28, kicked off with an official parade at Disney Springs, where dancers performed a 20-minute choreographed piece while parading through the streets of Disney Springs.

The Dance Fest Showcase, held at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, included 17 dance schools and performances from various regions of India including Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh weaving elements of pop and hip-hop.

The Diwali Dance Fest was the first of its kind celebration that gave children the opportunity to showcase their talent on a world-renowned platform, the release added. Over 1,000 guests experienced the sights and sounds of Diwali as the iconic Disney park reverberated with sounds of Indian music and colourful costumes.

Walt Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse opened the event alongside specially-abled children. Jashn Productions donated USD 10K to the N-Lorem Foundation whose mission is to develop and provide personalized experimental medicines free of cost to patients with nano-rare conditions.

“The Showcase was not just a celebration of a cultural tradition but a representation of unity and the power of art to bridge gaps and bring people together,” California-based ICC Bollywood directors Amit and Hiren said in the release.

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

Middle East

Over 64k liters of smuggled fuel seized in S Iran

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Commander of Maritime Guards of Khuzestan Province General Lotfali Pakbaz noted that maritime guards identified and seized a smuggled cargo of fuel from four vessels and a heavy-duty truck in Khuzestan, the southern province of Iran.

The seized smuggled fuels consisted of 64,160 liters of gasoline, he added.

Ten fuel smugglers have been arrested in the operation and handed to judiciary officials, he noted.

The operations were carried out in the implementation of a plan to monitor borders and prevent the withdrawal of national funds and any smuggling, he underlined.

Subsidized fuel in Iran is seen as an opportunity for smugglers to draw huge benefits. Iran, however, re-imposed the use of fuel cards and rationed gasoline back in November 2019 which was aimed in part to take the smuggling under control.

AMK/5927342

Sports

Roman Safiullin shocks World No.2 Alcaraz at Paris Masters

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The qualifier bounced back from an early break in both sets to secure a surprising 6-3, 6-4 win, handing Alcaraz his first opening-round defeat of 2023.

Updated On – 02:35 PM, Wed – 1 November 23


Roman Safiullin shocks World No.2 Alcaraz at Paris Masters



Paris: Russian Roman Safiullin earned the biggest win of his career year by stunning No.2 Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris Masters.

The qualifier recovered an early break in both sets of a shock 6-3, 6-4 victory, dealing Alcaraz his first opening-round loss of 2023.

Safiullin is up to No. 39 in the ATP Live Rankings with the victory, setting himself up to break into the Top 40 for the first time. The 26-year-old’s upset win against Alcaraz follows breakthrough runs to the Wimbledon quarter-finals and the Chengdu final in recent months.

“Since qualies, I was not playing at this level but against Carlos and these Top 10, Top 20 guys, you have to lift up the level. I managed to do it,” said Safiullin in the post-match.

“For Carlos, it was not his best performance, but still I’m happy that I can win even if he’s not in the best shape it’s tough to beat him. So I’m really happy that I made it.”

Alcaraz, who was forced to pull out of Basel due to problems with his left foot and lower back, was competing for the first time since his defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in September ending in the Shanghai last 16.

The defeat deals a heavy blow to his bid to finish the season atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the second straight year; he remains 500 points behind world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the ATP Live Race To Turin, with the Serbian set to open his Paris campaign on Wednesday.

Following a first-round bye in Paris, Alcaraz started brightly in both sets but was pegged back by the steadier play of Safiullin. The qualifier was aided by 27 unforced error count from the Spaniard, though he played his part in Alcaraz’s miscues by defending well in the corners, particularly at the critical moments.

Playing in a nondescript white shirt devoid of any sponsor patches, the workmanlike Safiullin converted four of eight break chances in the match — two in each set — while saving two of four break points against Alcaraz, one of tennis’ biggest superstars.

He improved to 3-6 against the Top 10 with the victory, backing up his win against Alexander Zverev in Shanghai. Safiullin has now reached the third round at four of the past five ATP Masters 1000s (also Madrid, Rome, Shanghai).

“Everything against these guys (is important). Tactical, physical, the mental part is very important,” Safiullin said of his success against the ATP Tour’s best. “(It’s key) to stay focussed from the beginning to the end. Who can make it longer is going to be the winner,” concluded Safiullin.

Alcaraz had not lost his opening match at a Masters 1000 since a three-set defeat to Tommy Paul last year in Montreal. The Spaniard had won nine openers in a row at that prestigious level prior to his Tuesday defeat.

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"Maharashtra In Favour Of Maratha Quota": Eknath Shinde After All-Party Meet

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Maharashtra Favours Maratha Quota, Says Eknath Shinde After All-Party Meet

Mumbai:

The Maharashtra government is in favour of the Maratha quota, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said today after an all-party meeting called by his government to discuss the fresh wave of statewide protests.

Marathas should observe restraint as the government needs time for legal modalities to implement the reservation, the Chief Minister said, urging pro-quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil to cooperate with his government.

Mr Patil, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since October 25, told NDTV this morning that they are demanding inclusion under the Kunbi caste, and not any separate quota. Marathas belong to the Kunbi caste, which comes under Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, he asserted.

The Shinde government had formed a committee led by a retired judge to look into this. The committee has said in its report that after examining the documents of a lakh people, about 11,530 Marathas were found to have documents of being Kunbi.

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"Next 15-20 Days Critical": Minister Warns As Delhi Air Quality Stays "Very Poor"

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'Next 15-20 Days Critical': Minister Warns As Delhi Air Quality Stays 'Very Poor'

New Delhi:

Taking into account the poor air quality in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday asserted that the next 15-20 days from November 1 would be critical in the context of the air quality index.

Speaking to ANI on the issue, Rai said, “From November 1, the next 15 to 20 days are critical. Scientists are saying that the temperature is dropping and the speed of air has decreased, so pollutants are at a lower level. Yesterday, AQI was nearly 350. Due to the work going on in the 13 hotspots in Delhi, the situation is fairly under control. At some hotspots, vehicle pollution’s contribution is high.”

The Environment Minister further informed that different departments will convene a meeting later in the day to analyze the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II.

“Today there is a meeting of different departments to analyze GRAP-II, which was implemented in all of Delhi. We have asked for reports from different places to know what the sources of local pollution are. We have requested that the state governments send CNG or BS-VI buses from the depot itself. The report released by the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) shows that stubble burning has reduced, but its impact can be seen on Delhi pollution,” the minister added.

Meanwhile, the air quality index in the national capital was recorded at 336 on Wednesday morning bringing the air quality under the ‘very poor’ category for the fourth day in a row and the third straight day this week.

As per the SAFAR-India, the city’s AQI has been in the ‘very poor’ category since Sunday (309).

The AQI was recorded at 322 on Monday and 327 on Tuesday, as per the data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India.

Morning walkers of the national capital said that breathing is not as easy as it used to be in the summer months.

“It feels a bit uncomfortable to breathe while running due to pollution now as compared to in the summer months. I face congestion. We need to remain careful and take all precautions,” said a morning walker near Mayur Vihar.

In the Delhi University area and Pusa, the quality of air was recorded as ‘very poor’ with AQI at 391 and 311, respectively at 7 am today.

The quality of air in the IIT Delhi region also remained in the very poor category with an AQI of 329. The quality of air at the Airport (T3) and Mathura Road was also in the very poor category, with an AQI of 339 and 362 respectively.

Meanwhile, Noida recorded an AQI of 391 (very poor) and Gurugram 323 (very poor).

Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature, and colour.

The AQI from 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

Last week, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that a 15-point winter action plan is being implemented one by one to curb pollution..

The Delhi Minister added that since one of the major causes of pollution is vehicles, they have started the ‘Red Light on, Gaadi off’ campaign on October 26.

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

World

Raeisi congratulates Independence Day of Algeria

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In the message, Ebrahim Raeisi congratulated the anniversary of the beginning of the liberating revolution of Algeria which led to its independence and freedom from colonialism.

Raeisi also expressed hope that the two Muslim countries would witness the ever-increasing development of good relations and expanding cooperation in various global and regional fields for the benefit of the highest interests of the Islamic Ummah.

The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence, and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November, was fought between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria winning its independence from France.

SD/president.ir

India

BJP MLA’s wife Pushpa Verma goes missing from home in Lucknow

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The MLA’s son has filed a case at the Ghazipur police station and multiple police teams have been set up to trace her.

Published Date – 01:39 PM, Wed – 1 November 23


BJP MLA’s wife Pushpa Verma goes missing from home in Lucknow

Photo: IANS

Lucknow: Pushpa Verma, the wife of Sitaram Verma, the BJP MLA from Lambhua Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district, has gone missing from her home in Lucknow.

Pushpa suddenly disappeared from home on Tuesday morning.

The MLA’s son has filed a case at the Ghazipur police station and multiple police teams have been set up to trace her.

DCP North Qasim Abdi told reporters that MLA Sitaram Verma has a house in Ghazipur Sector-8 where his wife Pushpa Verma, 65, lives with her family.

On Tuesday morning around 6 a.m., Pushpa left the house without telling anyone.

When she could not be found even after extensive searching, the MLA’s son, retired Lieutenant Colonel Pankaj Kumar, informed his father.

Sitaram Verma reached Lucknow from Sultanpur while Pankaj lodged a missing complaint in the Ghazipur police station.

The MLA also met the DCP and asked for help in finding his wife.

The DCP said that around 9 a.m., Pushpa was seen near Aurobindo Park outpost in Indira Nagar. Police are searching for her with the help of CCTV cameras and social media.

The family has told the police that Pushpa Verma is suffering from amnesia and she is also undergoing treatment for the same.

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First Foreigners Leave Gaza For Egypt Through Rafah Crossing

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First Foreigners Leave Gaza For Egypt Through Rafah Crossing

Nore than 8,500 people have been killed in Gaza.

Rafah:

Scores of foreign passport holders started leaving war-torn Gaza Wednesday after Egypt opened the Rafah crossing for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, AFP correspondents said.

It was not immediately clear how many people managed to leave via Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, but live footage from the scene showed crowds of people entering the Palestinian side of the terminal.

Although more than 200 trucks of desperately-needed aid have crossed into Gaza from Egypt, no people have been allowed to flee the battered enclave, with some 400 foreigners and dual nationals expected to make the crossing on Wednesday.

Foreign governments say there are passport holders from 44 countries, as well as 28 agencies, including UN bodies, living in the Gaza Strip where 2.4 million people have endured more than three weeks of unrelenting Israeli bombardment in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The tiny coastal territory has also suffered “catastrophic” shortages of food, water and electricity following an almost total Israeli blockade in response to the attacks, the worst in Israel’s history, that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, more than 8,500 people have been killed in the bombardments, two-thirds of them women and children.

Separately, Egypt said a first group of 81 seriously sick or wounded Palestinians would be allowed in to Egypt for medical treatment on Wednesday, with television channels close to the Egyptian intelligence services broadcasting live images of a fleet of ambulances entering the terminal.

Palestinian sources said they expected 88 people to be taken across for treatment in Egyptian hospitals.

The decision to open the crossing came hours after an Israeli strike on the largest refugee camp in Gaza, where the health ministry said at least 50 people were killed.

Egypt on Tuesday condemned the strike on Jabalia camp “in the strongest terms”, warning against “the consequences of the continuation of these indiscriminate attacks that target defenceless civilians” in a foreign ministry statement.
 

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

Top News

Road accidents claims 1,68,491 lives in India in 2022

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As per the report, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by States and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022.

Updated On – 01:55 PM, Wed – 1 November 23


Road accidents claims 1,68,491 lives in India in 2022

Representational Image.

New Delhi: The Annual Report on ‘Road Accidents in India-2022” has been published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

This report is based on the data received from police departments of States/UTs on calendar year basis in standardized formats as provided by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.

As per the report, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by States and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022, which claimed 1,68,491 lives and caused injuries to 4,43,366 persons. This marks an increase of 11.9% in accidents, 9.4% in fatalities, and 15.3% in injuries compared to the previous year.

The report underscores the urgency of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the contributing factors to these accidents, including speeding, reckless driving, drunken driving, and non-compliance with traffic regulations. It is crucial that we strengthen enforcement mechanisms, enhance driver education and training programs, and invest in improving the condition of roads and vehicles.

Hyderabad

Telangana Govt assures support for stabbed Indian student’s family in US

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Pucha Varun Raj (24), a Valparaiso University MS student, was attacked by an assailant in a gym.

Updated On – 01:37 PM, Wed – 1 November 23


Telangana Govt assures support for stabbed Indian student’s family in US



Hyderabad: The family of the student from Telangana, who was stabbed at a gym in Indiana state of the US, has sought help following which the state government has given an assurance of support.

Pucha Varun Raj (24), studying MS in Valparaiso University, was stabbed by an assailant in a gym.

The victim, a native of Khammam town of Telangana, was stabbed in the temple. He sustained a brainstem injury and was rushed to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, where he was reported to be in a very critical condition.

Varun Raj’s father Ramamurthy said they received the information that he was attacked while he was returning home from the gym. Varun Raj was doing MS and had also taken up a part-time job.

Ramamurthy, who works as a teacher in Mahabubabad district, met transport minister P. Ajay Kumar and requested help for the best medical treatment for his son.

Responding to a request for help, state minister for NRI affairs K.T. Rama Rao said the government would do its best to support Varun with the help of the Indian embassy and also Telangana NRI friends.

The Indian student was attacked by a 24-year-old man at a public gym thinking that the victim was going to “assassinate” him, a media report said.

Jordan Andrade was arrested after he drove a knife into Varun’s head at Planet Fitness Club’s massage room in the Valparaiso city of Indiana on Sunday morning, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported.

Andrade told Valparaiso Police that “someone” told him that Varun is “creepy” and “threatening” and feared that he would “assassinate him”.

Varun was taken to a Fort Wayne hospital due to the severity of his injury, and has been reportedly given a zero to five per cent chance of survival as the knife was driven into his temple and ultimately the brain stem.

Andrade is lodged at the Porter County Jail and has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery.

Police said they walked into the gym’s massage chair room to find a large amount of blood on one of two chairs and a folding knife on the counter that reportedly belonged to Andrade.

They found Varun seated in a massage chair with a head injury.

According to a charging document, Andrade said he made sure to react the “right way” after determining that Varun posed a threat to him.

“Andrade then described (the man) as a threat to him so he ‘just reacted’,” police said.

Andrade said Varun never got out of his chair and did not instigate any contact, “stating that the only physical contact was (the man) attempting to push Andrade off him after Andrade started attacking” him, police said.

Other gym goers described Varun as someone who “generally kept to himself, was quiet and reserved”.

Andrade is scheduled to make an initial appearance on the charges Wednesday afternoon before Porter Superior Court Judge.