“A military plane crashed into the sea …No civilian objects were damaged. The pilot ejected … his life is not in danger,” the governor wrote on his Telegram channel, Sputnik reported.
Earlier in the day, Sevastopol authorities said that the marine passenger transport traffic was suspended in the city.
No further information has been released about the cause of the crash of this Russian military aircraft.
SD/PR
Hezbollah has carried out multiple strikes against Israeli settlements and positions in the northern sector of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories, as part of another round of retaliatory operations amid the Gaza war.
The Lebanese movement said in a statement that it targeted the Shlomi and Goren settlements on Thursday in response to attacks on civilians, especially Israeli strikes on Naqoura and Tayr Harfa towns that killed at least nine Hezbollah and Amal paramedics.
Hamas fighters on Thursday struck a “newly created” command center in Liman moshav, located in the Western Galilee region, in support of Gaza.
Additionally, Hezbollah released video footage documenting its fighters targeting a gathering of Israeli troops in Horsh Ramim close to Lebanon’s southern border with the occupied territories.
The group also fired a salvo of rockets at Kiryat Shmona city.
The Israeli regime has been attacking southern Lebanon off and on since October 7, when it launched its onslaught on Gaza, killing at least 32,552 Palestinians, most of them women and children, so far.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.
At least 322 people have been killed on the Lebanese border, including 56 civilians.
Israel says at least ten soldiers and seven settlers have been killed in the area.
The fighting has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands from the northern part of the occupied territories, amid rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups.
Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat in both conflicts.
Cross Deck helicopter operations were also undertaken between the ships of the Indian navy and US Navy off Kakinada.
Published Date – 29 March 2024, 02:55 PM
Visakhapatnam: The amphibious warships of Indian Navy and US Navy undertook operations at Kakinada as part of the ongoing Exercise Tiger Triumph 2024. The integral craft onboard the ships were deployed to undertake various operations.
Cross Deck helicopter operations were also undertaken between the ships of the Indian navy and US Navy off Kakinada. The seamless conduct of multifaceted coordinated operations is an indicative of the joint planning and execution, reaffirming the high degree of interoperability between Armed Forces of the two nations, a Navy press release said on Friday.
Nasir Kazmi
Press TV, Islamabad
Pakistan has hosted a conference on ‘Freedom of Palestine’ in the capital Islamabad in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza. The participants called on international organizations to bring about an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the besieged territory.
Officials reported that early Friday morning, a cab carrying passengers veered out of control and plunged into a deep gorge near Battery Chashma on the national highway in Ramban district.
Published Date – 29 March 2024, 02:20 PM
Jammu: At least ten bodies were recovered on Friday from the accident site on Jammu-Srinagar national highway where a cab plunged into a gorge, said officials.
Officials said that in the early hours of Friday a cab carrying passengers fell into a deep gorge after it went out of the driver’s control near the Battery Chashma on the national highway in Ramban district.
The officials said, “Ten bodies have been recovered from the accident site. Teams of police, SDRF and quick response team (QRT) were immediately pressed into service after the report about the accident was received.”
“Incessant rain and darkness initially hampered the rescue operation, which was restarted with the first light on Friday. The operation is still going on”, officials said.
Police, SDRF and civil QRT Ramban are undertaking the rescue operation.
More details are awaited.
Riyan Parag in action for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024© AFP
India’s dynamic opener, Suryakumar Yadav, hailed Rajasthan Royals batter Riyan Parag following his batting masterclass against the Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024. Parag put the art of power hitting on exhibition as he came out all guns firing and blazed his way to 84 off 45 balls, smacking 7 fours and 6 towering sixes. He brought up his runs at a strike rate of 186.67. He struck two sixes and three fours off Anrich Nortje in the final over of the innings and singlehandedly guided RR to a competitive total of 185/5. Surya took to X, and hailed Parag for the commitment he has showed and the performance that he has delivered in the IPL.
“Met a guy at NCA few weeks ago. He came with a slight niggle. Completely focused on his recovery and with great discipline working on his skills. And I was not wrong to tell that to one of the coaches there ‘He is a changed guy’ RIYAN PARAG 2.0 Watch out,” Surya wrote on X.
Met a guy at NCA few weeks ago. He came with a slight niggle. Completely focused on his recovery and with great discipline working on his skills. And I was not wrong to tell that to one of the coaches there ‘He is a changed guy’
RIYAN PARAG 2.0
Watch out— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) March 28, 2024
Parag began his innings steadily, scoring 26 runs on 26 balls. In the next 19 balls, he scored 58 runs at a strike rate of 305.
After the mid-innings, Parag talked about the hard work that he has put in to deal with speedsters like Anrich Nortje.
“I have put in a lot of practice, I’ve practised against those kind of (bowling of Nortje). I had my options ready for both sides of the wicket – I was backing my strengths, I know I had the power, it’s good when it comes off. Sanju bhai told me to take it deep, I was confident that I could get a lot of runs. It wasn’t easy for a new batter to come and score, you needed someone to stay until the end. It’s been tough, I’m a bit emotional now, I have worked hard and seeing the fruits of it now,” Parag said.
His batting heroics combined with a clinical performance from the bowlers sealed a 12-run victory for RR over DC.
Topics mentioned in this article
Sam Bankman-Fried got into the world of cryptocurrency at the age of 25. (File)
Former cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, 32, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in a major financial scam related to the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange. He was found guilty in November on seven counts, including fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.
Bankman-Fried got into the world of cryptocurrency at the age of 25. He founded a company called Alameda Research and soon realised he could make a lot of money by exploiting differences in Bitcoin prices between different countries.
This strategy, called arbitrage trading, earned him $20 million in just three weeks, according to BBC. He launched FTX in 2019, a crypto exchange in Hong Kong that attracted investors due to his charismatic personality and promises of big returns.
His ex-girlfriend, former CEO of Alameda Research, Caroline Ellison, described him as an extreme risk taker, saying, “He would be happy to flip a coin, if it came up tails and the world was destroyed, as long as if it came up heads, the world would be more than twice as good.”
Read | Sam Bankman-Fried Deserves 40-50 Years In Prison For FTX Fraud: Prosecutors
Bankman-Fried, known for his casual dressing style and disorganisation, had a loyal following within FTX, prompting some to compare their loyalty to him as almost cult-like. Even external observers, like venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, saw him as a visionary striving to make a positive impact.
But cracks began to appear in Mr Bankman-Fried’s empire when reports revealed conflicts of interest between his companies, raising doubts about their integrity. The confidence in Bankman-Fried’s ventures further dropped when a rival announced plans to sell off holdings in FTX’s crypto token.
Despite claiming to have altruistic motives, Mr Bankman-Fried was slammed when it was revealed that Alameda, his company, had a large investment in FTT, the token issued by FTX. This sparked concerns about conflicts of interest between the two companies.
FTX ultimately collapsed in November 2022.
The downfall began on November 7, 2022 when a rival executive tweeted about FTX’s financial stability, triggering panic among customers and sparking a massive bank run that drained billions from the platform. Despite efforts to stem the bleeding, the damage was irreversible, resulting in over $8 billion in missing customer funds and the bankruptcy of the company.
Read | From Sam Bankman-Fried To Do Kwan, Crypto Kings Humbled By Law
During Mr Bankman-Fried’s trial, two conflicting narratives emerged about his involvement, with some calling him a brilliant but unwitting CEO, while others accusing him of knowingly siphoning billions of dollars of customer money.
Regardless, the collapse revealed the extent to which FTX’s fortunes were tied to its founder.
Kazem Jalali and Elvira Sakhipzadovna Nabiullina met and discussed banking and financial cooperation between Iran and Russia.
In this meeting, the two parties expressed their satisfaction with the connection and operationalization of the banking messengers of the two countries and the process of speeding up the implementation of other banking and financial projects between them.
Iranian Central Bank governor Mohammad Reza Farzin said in late December 2023 that Iran and Russia would sign a deal to trade in their national currencies instead of the US dollar in the first quarter of 2024.
In March of that year, Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ehsan Khandouzi told Sputnik that the banking payment systems of Iran and Russia had been fully connected and would enable banks in both countries to open accounts for national companies and carry out direct payments.
SD/6064574
Japan is gearing up to resume financial assistance to the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees, as the besieged Gaza Strip struggles with a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread famine and children succumbing to starvation.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa held talks with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini in Tokyo to address the agency’s efforts in enhancing governance and transparency, such as tracking funds and maintaining staff neutrality.
“Japan and the UNRWA confirmed that they will advance final coordination about necessary efforts to resume Japan’s contribution,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Tokyo, once ranked as the sixth-largest contributor to the agency, had previously suspended its financial support of $32 million after the Israeli regime claimed that 12 out of the 13,000 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza were associated with the surprise operation of Al-Aqsa Storm.
In response to these allegations, 15 countries, including the European Union and the United States, also decided to halt their funding to the agency.
The UN, which is currently conducting a thorough examination of the claims, has stated that Israel has failed to present any evidence to back up the claims.
Tokyo is set to unveil its final decision on the resumption of operations in the first half of April.
Kamikawa appreciated UNRWA’s action plan and the two sides “confirmed that they will advance final coordination about necessary efforts to resume Japan’s contribution”, the ministry said.
Lazzarini told Switzerland’s Keystone-ATS news agency on Tuesday that the agency has successfully secured funding until the end of May.
This comes as a relief after UNRWA previously issued a warning that its operations could come to a halt as early as March due to a lack of financial support.
In Gaza, UNRWA is the primary UN agency delivering healthcare, and essential humanitarian support to the Palestinians trapped in in the besieged enclave.
Lazzarini said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the donors would start funding the agency again within weeks.
Canada and Sweden have renewed their support for UNRWA, while the European Commission has responded to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip with a 50 million euro funding.
Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Hamas resistance movement carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for the regime’s intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.
Last week the UN Security Council adopted a long-awaited resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
BSP chief Mayawati demanded a high-level inquiry into the death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari
Lucknow:
BSP president Mayawati today demanded a high-level inquiry into the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, saying the truth of the case needs to come before the public.
Ansari, 63, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
In a post on X, the BSP president said “The persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Anasari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high -level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed.”
Bhim Army founder and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) president Chandra Shekhar Aazad also demanded a CBI investigation into the death of Ansari.
“The untimely demise of former MLA Mukhtar Ansari is very sad. I pay my humble tribute. My condolences to his family and supporters, may nature give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” Aazad posted on X in Hindi.
“Earlier he had expressed apprehension that he will be murdered. I demand from the High Court of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh for a CBI investigation into his death,” the Dalit leader added.
Aazad’s party is in fray for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The 63-year-old Ansari was brought to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda from the district jail in “an unconscious state” on Thursday evening and died at the hospital following a cardiac arrest, according to its principal Suneel Kaushal.
Ansari’s family has alleged that he was subjected to slow poisoning in jail, a charge denied by authorities.
Ansari was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar. He had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He had over 60 criminal cases pending against him.
He was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts in Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
