"Making Efforts To…": Navy Chief On Indians On Death Row In Qatar

'Making Efforts To...': Navy Chief On Indians On Death Row In Qatar

An appeal has already been filed against the death sentence in Qatar (File)

New Delhi:

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Friday said the government is putting all-out efforts to bring back eight former naval personnel from Qatar, who were handed death sentences by a Qatari court.

“We are working closely to ensure that their interests are looked after,” Admiral Kumar said at a media briefing.

“The government of India is putting all-out efforts to ensure they are brought back,” he said.

The Indian nationals were on October 26 given death sentence by Qatar’s Court of First Instance. India described the ruling as “deeply” shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the case.

An appeal has already been filed against the death sentence and a higher court in Qatar has already admitted the plea.

The appeal has been filed by the legal team of the detained Indian nationals.

The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year reportedly in an alleged case of espionage.

Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public.

In its reaction to the ruling by the Qatari court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last month said that it is attaching “high importance” to this case and is exploring all legal options.

The charges were filed against the eight Indian navy veterans on March 25 and they were tried under Qatari law.

All of the former Navy officers had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and had held important positions, including that of instructors in the force, former military officials had said. 

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

PM Modi Proposes To Host COP33 Climate Summit In India In 2028

PM Suggests 2028 COP In India, Announces Green Credit Scheme

PM Narendra Modi calls for cutting global carbon emissions

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called on all nations to work together to cut global emissions drastically. At the COP28 Summit in Dubai, PM Modi today said India’s emissions are very low compared to other nations whose population is much less.

“India’s population is 17 per cent of the global population, but in global carbon emissions India is only at 4 per cent. We are moving fast in achieving the NDC targets. In fact, we reached our non-fossil fuel targets nine years before the deadline,” PM Modi said, referring to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.

“We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century,” PM Modi said, and asked every nation to work sincerely to meet their NDC targets.

The Conference of Parties (COP) is a decision-making that reviews the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Young Telangana mountaineer Yaswanth Naik conquers Mount Kosciuszko, aims for Everest next

Bhukya Yaswanth Naik, a 20-year-old mountaineer hailing from a humble background in the district, continues to etch his mark in the world of mountaineering.

Updated On – 04:20 PM, Fri – 1 December 23


Young Telangana mountaineer Yaswanth Naik conquers Mount Kosciuszko, aims for Everest next


Mahabubabad: Bhukya Yaswanth Naik (20), a young mountaineer from a poor tribal family in the district, has achieved yet another milestone in his mountaineering journey by scaling Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia, on December 1.

This achievement marks his third conquest the challenge to summit the seven highest peaks across seven continents. Naik’s relentless pursuit of conquering formidable summits commenced with the triumphant ascents of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, followed by Mount Elbrus in Europe.


His recent triumph on Mount Kosciuszko adds another feather in his cap. Sharing his aspirations, Naik expressed his aim to conquer Mount Everest. Undeterred by challenges, he strives to etch his name as the youngest mountaineer from the tribal community to achieve this feat.

Having already set foot at the Mount Everest base camp in June this year, Naik is now determined. Hailing from the Bhukya Thanda of the remote Marripeda mandal, Naik’s background as the son of farmers, Bhukya Rammurthi Naik and Jyoti, reflects humble beginnings.

As he sets his sights on Mount Everest, Naik sought support from philanthropists to fulfil his dream. “I thank all those who supported me in the past and am appealing to others to realise my dreams by extending financial help,” he appealed.

Rachakonda police commissioner DS Chauhan wished Yashwant to accomplish many more such feats and bring fame to the country and the state when the latter met him in June this year

At least 36 Palestinians martyred in resumed Israeli attacks

The following is the latest updates on resumed fighting in Gaza Strip: 

Hamas says Israel, US responsible for truce expiration:

Hamas top official Osama Hamdan said the “responsibility for not extending the ceasefire lies with the Zionist regime and the United States”.

He said the Palestinian resistance was seriously looking for a ceasefire and is still pursuing it.

Gaza death toll in few hours rises to 36:

The heath ministry spokesperson in Gaza Ashraf al-Qudra confirmed that the death toll had risen to 32 Palestinians. 

Qudra said the dead included ten people killed in al-Maghazi in central Gaza, nine in Rafah in the South, and five in Gaza City in the north – hours after the truce ended at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) .

Another journalist martyred in Gaza:

Palestinian sources announced the martyrdom of “Abdullah Darwish”, a photographer and reporter of the “Al-Aqsa” satellite channel after the resumption attacks by the Zionist regime on the Gaza Strip. So far, as many as 71 reporters have been killed in the Israeli regime airstrikes.

Six killed in Rafah strike, as explosions heard across Gaza:

In the resumed airstrikes by the Zionist regime on different areas of Gaza, 6 people were martyred and dozens were injured.

Israeli regime airstrikes have hit southern Gaza, including the community of Abassan east of the town of Khan Younis, Hamas officials say. Another strike hit a home northwest of Gaza City.

Loud, continuous explosions are heard coming from the Gaza Strip, and black smoke billows from the territory.

The Gaza health ministry says three people have been killed in Israeli air raids in Rafah, in the Strip’s south.

Israeli military says resumed fighting in Gaza 

The Israeli regime army has issued a statement saying that it has resumed its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas violated the truce by firing into occupied territory.

International mediators, including Qatar, Egypt and the US, were on Friday pushing for another extension of the Gaza truce ahead of its expiration at 7am local time (05:00 GMT), Al Jazeera reported. 

With no extension announced by the deadline, there were reports of gunfire and explosions in the north of the Gaza Strip, while the Zionist regime’s military said it had intercepted a rocket from Gaza.

An AFP journalist reported Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire seen in Gaza City the Zionist regime media said.

Photos on social media claim to show a recent strike, 

Meanwhile, Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network reported fighting between the Palestinian resistance fighters and the Zionist regime military in the northwest of Gaza.

Fierce clashes were going on between the Resistance fighters and the occupying Israeli forces in the northwest of Gaza, Al-Mayadeen said.

According to the report, Resistance fighters confronted the tanks of the Zionist regime in that area. 

The temporary ceasefire between Hamas and the Zionist regime ended today as deadline passed.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, launched an operation against the Zionist Israeli regime on October 7 in response to more than seven decades of occupation of Palestine and nearly two decades of blockade of Gaza and imprisonment and torture of thousands of Palestinians. It killed more than 1,200 Zionists soldiers and settlers and took more than 220 of them to the enclave as prisoners. 

In retaliation to Hamas’s operation, which was called the al-Aqsa Storm operation, the Zionist regime launched heavy attacks against Gaza and put the enclave under total siege. 

More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Zionist regime’s attacks, while tens of thousands of others have been injured.

MNA

Poland beat Iran at 2023 World Women's Handball Championship

Poland beat Iran 35-15 in Group E of the competition at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark.

Fatemeh Merikh, who had previously shined at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, where she finished between the top 10 scorers, had an excellent game, with six goals, leading the Asian side and secured the hummel Player of the Match award.

Poland threw off the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship in style, but will face Japan and Germany in the next two matches, pivotal moments in their journey at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, with those matches probably deciding how many points will Arne Senstad’s side take into the next phase.

Iran lost their seventh match in eight tries at the IHF Women’s World Championship, with their chances of progression to the main round suffering a big blow, as they will face Germany and Japan in the next matches, being clear underdogs in each of these.

MNA/TT

Bihar Teacher Abducted, Forced To Marry Kidnapper's Daughter At Gunpoint

Bihar Teacher Abducted, Forced To Marry Kidnapper's Daughter At Gunpoint

According to the police, the kidnapping took place in Bihar’s Vaishali district.

Patna:

Gautam Kumar had recently cleared the Bihar Public Service Commission exam to become a teacher. On Wednesday, three to four people arrived at his school and forcibly took him away. Within 24 hours, he was forced to marry the daughter of one of the kidnappers at gunpoint. 

Mr Kumar’s whirlwind journey from being a bachelor to entering an unplanned wedlock is the latest addition to Bihar’s history of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’ or groom kidnapping, a phenomenon wherein unmarried men are forced to marry with a gun pointed at their heads. 

According to the police, the kidnapping took place in Bihar’s Vaishali district where Mr Kumar is a newly appointed teacher at Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya in Patepur’s Repura. Following the incident, Mr Kumar’s family protested by blocking a road on Wednesday night before the police initiated a search operation to locate the missing teacher.

Mr Kumar’s family pinned the blame on a man named Rajesh Rai. They have accused mr Rai’s family of forcibly taking Mr Kumar away and marrying him to Mr Rai’s daughter Chandni. 

Mr Kumar, who refused to accept the marriage proposal, was also subjected to physical violence. Mr Kumar underscored a recent Patna High Court judgment that annulled a ten-year-old forced marriage between a Nawada Armyman and a Lakhisarai woman, police said.

According to the police, an FIR has been registered in connection with the case and an investigation has been launched to take further action against the kidnappers. 

‘Pakadwa Vivah’ is not uncommon in Bihar. Last year, a veterinarian, called in to check on a sick animal, was kidnapped by three people and forcibly married in Begusarai. A few years ago, a similar incident involving an engineer in Bihar made national headlines. Then 29-year-old Vinod Kumar, a junior manager at Bokaro Steel Plant was thrashed and forced to wed a woman in Pandarak area in Patna.

Hyderabad: Kalasagaram Annual festival continues to thrill music enthusiasts on its seventh day

Sikkil Gurucharan’s concert is a blend of classicism and innovation. Gurucharan was featured as part of Kalasagaram’s 56th Annual festival.

Published Date – 04:07 PM, Fri – 1 December 23


Hyderabad: Kalasagaram Annual festival continues to thrill music enthusiasts on its seventh day


Hyderabad: Carnatic music over the years has undergone tremendous change and the contemporary artistes have common traits and their music are seemingly unlimited creative and physical energy, intense concentration, brilliance, lack of inhibition, great temperament. They try unique ways to hold the audience for three hours. Sikkil Gurucharan has all these traits and is seen as a complete musician.

Sikkil Gurucharan’s concert is a blend of classicism and innovation. Gurucharan was featured as part of Kalasagaram’s 56th Annual festival. Gurucharan was accompanies on the violin by young Kamala Kiran, Serthalai Ananthakrishnan on Mridangam and Srinvasa Gopalan on Morsing.


Sikkil started the concert with a Ghana Pancha raga varna composed by Late Vinjamuri Varadaraja Iyengar. It had ragas Nata, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali and Sri. A well composed varna. This varna was followed by Malahari and Gurucharan chose to sing the famour Geetham “Lambodara Lakumikara”. A good swara prasthara took the audience to ruptures.

Next item was Vandanamu Raghu Nandana in Sahana of Thyagaraja which was well rendered. Gurucharan took Panthuvarali raga elaboration which was well structured and many sangathis were unique. Ennaganu Rama Bhajana was chosen and line “Ramachiluka nokata penchi” was taken for neraval before embarking into swara prasthara.

Ananda Natana Prakasam, a Muthuswami Dhikshithar on a deity of Chidambaram in Kedaram was neatly rendered bringing the beauty of the composition. Next item was Mayamma in Ahiri of Shyama Sastri equally beautiful and then an RTP/Krithi in Natabhairavi. An elaborate Natabhairavi and thanam was well structured. For Pallavi, Sri Valli Devasenapathe was chosen in Adhi Thalam.

After detailed kalpanaswaram, Gurucharan finished by singing the krithi Sri Valli Devasenapathe. Young Kamala Kiran and the persussionists lent excellent support and elevated the concert. Ananthakrishnan and Srinivasagopalan’s thani was brilliant.

With few tailenders the concert ended giving a fulfillment to the audience. Overall, an outstanding concert where the listeners can remember for days to come.

Iranian delegation leaves COP28 in protest at Israeli attendance

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) has left the venue of the international event in the United Arab Emirates in protest at the presence of Israel’s representative and the occupying regime’s ongoing genocidal war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Iranian delegation, headed by Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, declined to attend the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Friday due to the presence of Israeli president Isaac Herzog.

“Iran regards the political and biased presence of the fake Zionist regime in the climate change summit, which aims to evaluate the performance of the international community in facing climate change, as contrary to the objectives of this conference, and vacates the conference venue in protest,” Mehrabian said before leaving Dubai.

Western media published photos of Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meeting with his Israeli counterpart on the sidelines of the UAE-hosted COP28, which gathered around 140 leaders for the world’s biggest climate summit.

Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper, which is close to the far-right coalition cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had earlier revealed that the purpose of Herzog’s visit to the UAE was to use the “diplomatic space” available in the international climate summit to consolidate Tel Aviv’s position in the war on Gaza and the release of Israeli captives.

Mehrabian said he would later release the statement he was set to deliver at the summit.

Iran’s state media officially announced on Thursday that President Ebrahim Raeisi would not attend the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai due to the invitation of the Israeli president to the summit. 

The commencement of the international summit coincided with the Israeli resumption of its brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip after a weeklong truce expired earlier on Friday, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead or injured.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Tel Aviv also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis.

More than 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the Israeli strikes.

The Israeli violence in Gaza has also raised tensions in the West Bank, where nearly 240 Palestinians have been killed by soldiers or settlers since October 7, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.

The truce saw the release of 105 Israeli captives held in Gaza and 240 Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire had allowed some humanitarian aid into Gaza but the aid supplies were far below what is needed, according to aid workers.

At least 36 Palestinians martyred in resumed Israeli war

The following is the latest updates on resumed fighting in Gaza Strip: 

Hamas says Israel, US responsible for truce expiration:

Hamas top official Osama Hamdan said the “responsibility for not extending the ceasefire lies with the Zionist regime and the United States”.

He said the Palestinian resistance was seriously looking for a ceasefire and is still pursuing it.

Gaza death toll in few hours rises to 36:

The heath ministry spokesperson in Gaza Ashraf al-Qudra confirmed that the death toll had risen to 32 Palestinians. 

Qudra said the dead included ten people killed in al-Maghazi in central Gaza, nine in Rafah in the South, and five in Gaza City in the north – hours after the truce ended at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) .

Another journalist martyred in Gaza:

Palestinian sources announced the martyrdom of “Abdullah Darwish”, a photographer and reporter of the “Al-Aqsa” satellite channel after the resumption attacks by the Zionist regime on the Gaza Strip. So far, as many as 71 reporters have been killed in the Israeli regime airstrikes.

Six killed in Rafah strike, as explosions heard across Gaza:

In the resumed airstrikes by the Zionist regime on different areas of Gaza, 6 people were martyred and dozens were injured.

Israeli regime airstrikes have hit southern Gaza, including the community of Abassan east of the town of Khan Younis, Hamas officials say. Another strike hit a home northwest of Gaza City.

Loud, continuous explosions are heard coming from the Gaza Strip, and black smoke billows from the territory.

The Gaza health ministry says three people have been killed in Israeli air raids in Rafah, in the Strip’s south.

Israeli military says resumed fighting in Gaza 

The Israeli regime army has issued a statement saying that it has resumed its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas violated the truce by firing into occupied territory.

International mediators, including Qatar, Egypt and the US, were on Friday pushing for another extension of the Gaza truce ahead of its expiration at 7am local time (05:00 GMT), Al Jazeera reported. 

With no extension announced by the deadline, there were reports of gunfire and explosions in the north of the Gaza Strip, while the Zionist regime’s military said it had intercepted a rocket from Gaza.

An AFP journalist reported Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire seen in Gaza City the Zionist regime media said.

Photos on social media claim to show a recent strike, 

Meanwhile, Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network reported fighting between the Palestinian resistance fighters and the Zionist regime military in the northwest of Gaza.

Fierce clashes were going on between the Resistance fighters and the occupying Israeli forces in the northwest of Gaza, Al-Mayadeen said.

According to the report, Resistance fighters confronted the tanks of the Zionist regime in that area. 

The temporary ceasefire between Hamas and the Zionist regime ended today as deadline passed.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, launched an operation against the Zionist Israeli regime on October 7 in response to more than seven decades of occupation of Palestine and nearly two decades of blockade of Gaza and imprisonment and torture of thousands of Palestinians. It killed more than 1,200 Zionists soldiers and settlers and took more than 220 of them to the enclave as prisoners. 

In retaliation to Hamas’s operation, which was called the al-Aqsa Storm operation, the Zionist regime launched heavy attacks against Gaza and put the enclave under total siege. 

More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Zionist regime’s attacks, while tens of thousands of others have been injured.

MNA

Ranveer Singh honoured at Red Sea Int’l Film Festival, thanks Johnny Depp in speech

The Indian actor was one of the three recipients of this year’s Honorary Yusr Awards at the Jeddah-based film gala, which opened on Thursday.

Published Date – 04:01 PM, Fri – 1 December 23


Ranveer Singh honoured at Red Sea Int’l Film Festival, thanks Johnny Depp in speech


New Delhi: Actor Ranveer Singh received career honour for his contribution to cinema at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival and thanked “master of transformation”, Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, in his acceptance speech.

The Indian actor was one of the three recipients of this year’s Honorary Yusr Awards at the Jeddah-based film gala, which opened on Thursday. Hollywood actor Diane Kruger and Saudi actor-writer Abdullah Al-Sadhan were the other two personalities to be honoured with the award.


Hollywood star Sharon Stone presented Singh with the honour. In his speech, Singh expressed his admiration for Depp, who was also present at the opening ceremony.

“I’m going off-script for a moment here. Wow, one of my screen idols is in the house. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Johnny Depp. My good sir, I have followed your work since ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’.

“What an honour to be receiving this award in your presence. Thank you for everything you have unknowingly taught me about the craft, sir. Master of Transformation, versatility, is something that I am inspired by you,” the “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani” star said.

The official X handle of the film extravaganza shared Singh and Depp’s picture.

“Live from the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival; honoree Ranveer Singh poses alongside Hollywood star Johnny Depp. #RedSeaIFF23 #YourStoryYourFestival,” the post read.

Other Indian cinema personalities who will attend the festival include filmmaker Karan Johar and actors Katrina Kaif, Frieda Pinto.

According to the festival’s website, Yusr Awards recognise both emerging and established voices across the formats of fiction, documentary, and animation.

The Red Sea International Film Festival will conclude on December 9.