Passengers evacuate a Japan Airlines jetliner at Tokyo international airport after the plane collided with a Japanese coastguard aircraft and caught fire.
All 367 passengers and 12 crew onboard the Airbus plane were safely evacuated but five of the six crew members from the smaller plane — bound for central Japan after Monday’s huge earthquake — died.
Among these, 17,39,146 were filed under Abhaya Hastham schemes and the rest were pertaining to others
Published Date – 11:39 PM, Tue – 2 January 24
Hyderabad: On the fourth day of Praja Palana programme on Tuesday, 20,39,927 applications were filed across the State. Among these, 17,39,146 were filed under Abhaya Hastham schemes and the rest were pertaining to others.
The cumulative total applications filed in the four days is 61,16,167. On Tuesday, Praja Palana programme was conducted in 1866 municipal wards and 3779 gram panchayat, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari said in a press release.
Australia batter Usman Khawaja has admitted that he would have stopped playing Test cricket by now, had he been asked to play for inferior wages by the board of any other cricketing nation. Ever since South Africa announced their squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, several former cricketers have raised concerns over the future of the ‘purest format of the game’. For context, Proteas have named a second string squad for the two match Test series against the Kiwis. Uncapped batter Neil Brand is set to lead out the South African team, consisting of just three players from the ongoing Test series against India.
Khawaja, on the feedback of colleagues from other teams, has admitted that some of the countries pay less to Test cricketers.
“In my personal opinion, unfortunately the issue is that some of the other countries aren’t getting paid as well for playing international cricket. That’s just the raw facts. I know this because I’ve talked to players from other nations, I’ve asked them what their average salary is, what their match contracts are for their countries,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket, as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald.
Khawaja also confessed that he would’ve picked franchise over Test cricket, had he been playing cricket for countries offering less wages. He added that the players pick franchise cricket to secure the future of their family, and the decision has nothing to do with passion.
“If I was a player from another nation and getting paid ok to play international cricket, I’m getting paid a truckload more to play T20 cricket, I’m sorry but I’m going to be playing the T20 cricket. Not because it doesn’t mean anything – I love playing for my country, but it is also a case of looking after your family, doing things right. If two people get paid to do the same job and you’re getting paid twice as much at one firm and half at the other firm, you’re going to pick the one you’re getting paid [more] for,” he added.
In order to save Test cricket, former Australia captain Steve Waugh has vouched for a universal match fee for all players taking part in Test cricket.
Khawaja echoed Waugh’s sentiments, but felt that would be possible only if the cricket boards provide more “transparency”, as far as the cashflow is concerned
“We’ve got to figure out a way for them [other countries] to be incentivised to play international and particularly Test cricket. That requires transparency from all cricket boards around the world to try to figure out how to pay the players the best way they can,” he concluded.
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Hyderabad Streets are adorned with kite stalls to ring in the festival
Published Date – 11:25 PM, Tue – 2 January 24
Hyderabad: As the echoes of New Year celebrations dim, the streets of Hyderabad are abuzz with anticipation for the upcoming Makar Sankranti festival.
With the festival just around the corner, the city has come alive with kites, charaks, and other festive items as vendors set up stalls along the roads, creating a kaleidoscope of colours and excitement.
The joy of flying kites during Sankranti holds a special place in the hearts of Hyderabadis. The sky has started to adorn with colourful kites flying in the air, and the city is alive with excitement as vendors gear up to meet the demand from enthusiastic kite-flying lovers.
Hyderabad’s famous markets, from Charminar to Secunderabad, have transformed into vibrant and colourful hubs as the streets have been lined with stalls showcasing an array of colourful kites and charaks.
As the city bids adieu to the New Year celebrations, vendors are setting the stage for Sankranti festivities. Anand, a stall owner in Banjara Hills, shared his thoughts on this transition, saying, “The energy of the New Year celebrations has transitioned into the Sankranti preparations. This is the first day of setting up the stall today and it feels like the beginning of a new chapter, and full of excitement.”
The streets of Hyderabad are set to witness a flurry of activity in the days leading up to Makar Sankranti, as families, friends, and enthusiasts gear up to participate in the age-old tradition of kite-flying.
Rajesh, a vendor who has been selling kites at Secunderabad for over a decade, shared his excitement about the customers’ response this year. He said, “It’s great to see so many families coming out to buy kites. The enthusiasm for Sankranti is evident, and it looks like people have been waiting for this time of the year.”
With people prepping to host Sankranti parties, they have already started receiving wholesale orders for kites as a part of the celebrations, he says.
Beyond the stalls, Sankranti is proving to be a boon for sweet shops and gifting stores. With advanced orders pouring in, sweet shops and gifting stores are bustling with activity as they receive bulk orders with their upcoming hamper collections for the festive season.
The head of the Iranian mission to the United Nations says the country reserves the right to pursue the case of the 2020 assassination the US government of General Qassem Soleimani, the then commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.
Amir Saeid Iravani said in a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday that Iran will pursue legal means to hold accountable the countries, organizations and individuals that played a role in General Soleimani’s assassination in a US drone strike outside the main airport in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran preserves its legitimate right under international law to pursue legal proceedings aimed at holding accountable and bringing to justice the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism,” Iravani said in the letter.
The diplomat also reiterated that the United States had breached its international obligations by carrying out the “cowardly assassination” of General Soleimani, saying the act constituted a flagrant violation of the international law.
He said that the Israeli regime had played a role in the assassination based on statements issued by former Israeli intelligence officials, adding the US had also used the Ramstein Airbase in Germany for carrying out the assassination.
“Aside from the United States, all those who by any means had aided, abetted, or otherwise assisted and supported [the assassination], whether directly or indirectly, bear responsibility for their involvement in the perpetration of this terrorist crime,” read Iravani’s letter which was published by the official news agency IRNA.
Iran also sent a letter to the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday, saying the country will continue its efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators and abettors of General Soleimani’s assassination.
In the letter to the OHCHR, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva said that the assassination was a violation of international humanitarian law as it eliminated a prominent element of the regional fight against terrorism.
In the letter to the OHCHR, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva said that the assassination was a violation of international humanitarian law as it eliminated a notable element of the regional fight against terrorism.
A Japan Airlines aircraft burst into flames after colliding with another plane
Tokyo/London:
The cabin crew of the Japan Airlines aircraft that collided with another plane and burst into flames at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport did an “incredible job” by quickly evacuating all 367 passengers, an expert said Tuesday, highlighting the importance of training.
All 379 people on JAL flight 516, including eight children under the age of two, were safely evacuated from the burning passenger plane, according to the airline. However, five people on the second aircraft, flight MA-722, a Bombardier DHC8-300, operated by the Japan Coast Guard, were killed in the rare aviation accident in Japan. The captain of the Japan Coast Guard plane escaped but was severely injured.
The JAL plane was arriving from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, with the collision occurring after it landed on runway C.
The coast guard aircraft was on a mission to fly to a base in Niigata Prefecture carrying supplies to support the area affected by the deadly 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit central Japan on Monday. The coast guard aircraft was moving on the runway when it collided with the JAL plane, The Japan Times newspaper reported.
Prof Graham Braithwaite, director of transport systems at Cranfield University in the UK, praised efforts made by the cabin crew and pilots onboard the Japanese Airlines flight.
“Japan has a phenomenal record when it comes to transport safety,” Prof Braithwaite told the BBC as he described JAL as a “world leader” in safety.
“The evacuation has been successful and it is a reminder of how much has gone into training cabin crew.
“Their focus is on safety. They are the last people to evacuate the airplane and on face value, it looks like they have done an incredible job,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, officials from Japan’s transport ministry and coast guard said they were still in the process of confirming specific flight control communications between the JAL plane, the coast guard aircraft and air traffic controllers.
“I have never heard of such a major collision at an airport in Japan,” said Yoshitomo Aoki, an aviation analyst, quoted as saying by The Japan Times newspaper.
“The world’s air traffic control systems are designed to prevent accidents as long as air traffic controllers at airports issue correct instructions and pilots follow them,” Aoki said.
The passengers and the crew aboard JAL’s plane escaped the burning aircraft using emergency slides, Kyodo news agency quoted the transport ministry as saying.
Uchida, a passenger in her 40s from Chiba Prefecture who only gave her surname, was sitting in a window seat on the right side of the plane near the wing.
She said that when the plane landed, it made a loud noise, but she didn’t realise there had been a collision, initially thinking they had landed safely. But after looking out the window, she saw flames near the wing.
“I thought it was over,” she said. “I thought I was about to die,” she was quoted as saying by The Japan Times.
Uchida said passengers were told to remain calm by the cabin crew and that it took a couple of minutes before the plane doors opened, allowing everyone to evacuate. She said she heard a crackling noise after she left the aircraft and feared something would explode.
After exiting from the burning aircraft, Uchida said passengers were counted in an area away from the plane. They were asked to hold hands in groups of ten and to sit down and wait.
The accident happened during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with millions of Japanese travelling to and from their hometowns for the New Year’s holidays.
Haneda is Japan’s busiest airport, serving nearly 90 million passengers in 2019, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. It’s a hub for Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and several smaller airlines, The Japan Times report said.
Japan’s aviation sector has a strong safety record, with no fatal incidents involving a commercial aircraft this century, it said
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In a letter to the head of the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani said that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate right to pursue legal steps with the aim of holding to account and bring to justice the perpetrators, the organizers and the supporters of the terrorist act.
The following is the full text of the letter:
Excellency,
On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the cowardly assassination of Martyr Major General Qasem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an official branch of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his companions which was carried out on 3 January 2020 by the United States Forces at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, I would like to reiterate the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran as follows:
1) As has been stated clearly in our previous correspondences, including letters dated 3, 7, and 29 January 2020 (S/2020/13, S/2020/16, and S/2020/81), 3 January 2022 (S/2022/5), and 3 January 2023 (S/2023/7), Major General Qasem Soleimani was intentionally assassinated by United States Forces on 3 January 2020 while visiting Iraq at the formal request of the Iraqi Government. This deliberate act of terrorism was conducted on the direct order of the then-President of the United States.
2) This action is a flagrant violation of international law and constitutes an internationally wrongful act, breaching the international obligations of the United States. Under international law, the United States is responsible for committing this reprehensible crime. The Islamic Republic of Iran preserves its legitimate right under international law to pursue legal proceedings aimed at holding accountable and bringing to justice the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism.
3) Aside from the United States, all those who had aided, abetted, or otherwise assisted and supported, whether directly or indirectly, by any means, bear responsibility for their involvement in the perpetration of this terrorist crime. Consequently, they must be held accountable and brought to justice for their direct or indirect roles in this reprehensible act.
4) The Israeli regime was also implicated in this grave crime. This involvement was formally acknowledged by the former Israeli regime’s military intelligence chief, who explicitly stated that “Israeli intelligence played a part” in the assassination, characterizing it as a noteworthy “achievement” and one of the two significant assassinations during his tenure. We previously addressed this responsibility in our letter dated 3 January 2022 (S/2022/5). Additionally, the United States utilized its Ramstein Airbase in Germany, along with some of its military bases in the region, to carry out this terrorist operation.
5) It is noteworthy that Major General Qasem Soleimani played a pivotal role in supporting the peoples and governments of regional countries, including the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq, in their concerted efforts against terrorist groups. His dedicated efforts, undertaken at their explicit request, garnered widespread acknowledgment from the respective peoples and authorities, earning him esteemed titles such as the Hero of the Fight Against Terrorism and General of Peace. Tragically, his assassination served the shared interests of the United States, the Israeli regime, and various terrorist organizations in the region, including Daesh. These terrorist groups not only endorsed the crime but also referred to it as “an act of divine intervention” benefitting their agendas.
6) I wish to stress that the Iranian armed forces are firmly committed to pursuing the path laid out by Martyr Soleimani in actively supporting regional nations and governments, upon their request, in their efforts to eliminate foreign-backed terrorist groups in our region.
I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.
MNA
The car was being driven by a man who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol (Representational)
Ghaziabad:
A 30-year-old person was killed after being hit by a man with his SUV and dragged for about 100 metre over a parking dispute in the Modinagar town here on New Year’s eve, police said on Tuesday.
DCP (Rural) Vivek Chandra Yadav said they have arrested main accused Rahul Chowdhary while his four accomplices, all of whom were allegedly drunk, are on the run.
The incident happened on December 31 when Anupam Srivastava, who runs a Jan Sewa Kendra, had gone to the Harmukh Puri market of Modinagar with his friend Arun to buy eatables.
They parked the car at a place and Srivastava came outside while Arun was still seated. An SUV was parked in front of their car, police said.
They said the SUV was being driven by Chowdhary, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
When Arun blew the horn for Chowdhary to remove his SUV from there, he allegedly got angry and started abusing Srivastava but the locals intervened and pacified the situation.
Police said Chowdhary went away but again returned with his friends and allegedly hit Srivastava who fell on the ground.
Chowdhary then allegedly hit him with his SUV and dragged the body for at least 100 metre, they said, adding all those in the SUV were drunk and provoked him to mow down Srivastava.
Arun rushed Srivastava to a nearby hospital where the doctor declared him dead.
Later, a complaint was lodged by the father of the victim and a case under section 302 (murder) of IPC was registered and the main accused was arrested, DCP Yadav added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
File photo of Lalit Modi© X (formerly Twitter)
After the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has grown to be the costliest cricket tournament in the world, sources have told NDTV that a T10 league may be started by the BCCI. Though nothing is official, the sources have said that the league is being proposed in the window where the Champions League T20 was being played. The Champions League T20 was a tournament where franchises from different leagues competed.
How can a T10 League impact Indian cricket? NDTV talked to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on the issue.
“I can’t see anything impacting IPL now or going forward. It is recession proof. It might become the No. 1 sporting event in the world in terms of viewership or revenue,” Modi told NDTV over a video call.
“First there was Test cricket, then ODI Cricket and then T20 cricket. Now people are contemplating T10 cricket. Let’s forget about T10 for some time. ODI is dying and it should die. People should focus on Test and T20s. Allowing another format is extremely detrimental to cricket. T20 is brand new, the teams are starting flourish. If there was another window, I would have started a second T20 league in a knockout where there would be teams competing and the top four sides would qualify for the second stage where the IPL teams may enter directly.”
There is a T10 League which has been organised in the UAE since 2017.
“From the details I am hearing from you, the T10 league seems to be a tournament in which there will be a international club format. If I am right, it will be completely Doomsday from Day 1. Because there isn’t a ICC T10 tournament, all the members don’t have a T10 format,” Modi said.
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Local media in Lebanon said Tuesday that an Israeli drone targeted the Hamas office in al-Mashraqiya, south of Beirut, and several people were martyred or injured in the attack.
Two security sources have claimed to Reuters that a senior Palestinian official was killed in an explosion in Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Tuesday.
A Hamas official has rejected media speculations that Osma Hamdan, senior representative of Hamas in Lebanon was martyred in the Zionist regime’s attack.
In an official statement, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement denied the assassination of Ziad al-Nakhlah, the secretary general of the movement, in the southern suburbs of Beirut explosion.
Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chairman of Hamas’s political bureau, has been martyred in the terrorist attack, media have reported.
The Palestinian Hamas Islamic Resistance movement has officially confirmed the martyrdom of Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the political bureau of the movement, and two of the commanders of the Qassam Brigades in the Zionist regime’s terrorist attack in Beirut.
The caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati condemned the explosion and terror attack in the suburb of Beirut and said that this is a new crime on the part of Israeli regime.
The Lebanese al-Mayadeen news site reports that the death count from tonight’s Israeli airstrike on a Hamas office has climbed from four to six.
