US probes classified Israeli plan leak on Iran attack

Swapna Vishwakarma expressed the city's excitement about the Prime Minister's visit, emphasising the significance of the Varanasi Sports Complex inauguration, which she believes will help fulfil the dreams of local children.  

Speaking to ANI, Swapna said, "The entire city is excited about the PM's visit. His inauguration of the Varanasi Sports Complex will help realise the dreams of children and aid us in reaching the Olympics."  

Rajnish, another local resident, remarked that the Prime Minister consistently prioritises the development of Varanasi, and this visit will support aspiring athletes in achieving new milestones.  

"The PM always prioritises the development of Varanasi, and today, his visit and the inauguration of the sports complex will help athletes reach new heights. We are pleased that he has taken such steps," Rajnish said.  

Kaushal Raj Sharma, the divisional commissioner of Varanasi, stated that Modi would lay the foundation stone for 23 projects in the city.  

As part of his vision to provide world-class sports infrastructure, the prime minister will inaugurate Phases 2 and 3 of the redevelopment of the Varanasi Sports Complex, worth over Rs 210 crore, under the 'Khelo India' scheme and the Smart City Mission.  -- ANI

One of these sources has confirmed the documents' authenticity.  

A US official described the leak as "deeply concerning", the American news outlet reported.  

The documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online on Friday after being posted by an account named "Middle East Spectator" on Telegram. 

They are marked as top secret and are intended for only the US and its "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing partners: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.  

These documents outline Israel's apparent preparations for a military strike against Iran. 

One document, sourced from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, details Israel moving munitions as part of these preparations.  

Another document, attributed to the National Security Agency, describes Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, which are believed to be in preparation for the strike.  

A US official indicated that the investigation is focused on identifying who had access to the sensitive Pentagon material. 

Such a leak automatically prompts a joint investigation by the FBI, the Pentagon, and US intelligence agencies. 

The FBI has declined to comment on the situation, reported CNN. -- ANI 

Starring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina and produced by Dharma Productions, the action thriller didn't perform well both commercially and critically after it released on October 11 alongside Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, a comedy starring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri. 

When one searches for Bala's profile with '@Vasan_Bala' as the handle name on X, a message stating "This account doesn't exist. Try searching for another" appears. 

Just a day ago, the director -- also known for Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and Monica, O My Darling -- was actively sharing posts and replying to comments on X. 

Jigra has been embroiled in a series of controversies even before it hit the theatres. 

In a pre-release interview, Bala said he was "really not happy" when producer Karan Johar forwarded the roughly drafted script of Jigra to Bhatt via email. 

Soon, Johar slammed the "gore misinterpretation" of Bala's comments, urging people to read entire interviews before making "click bait assumptions". -- PTI

The traditional vessel, called uruli in local parlance, was used for poojas and rituals at the ancient shrine known for its priceless treasures kept in secret vaults. 

The Fort police in Thiruvananthapuram confirmed that the accused were identified and taken into custody with the support of the Haryana police but didn't divulge much detail. 

"One of the accused was a doctor having Australian citizenship. A group comprising him and two or three women had visited the shrine and offered prayers last week. The crime reportedly occurred on Thursday," a police officer said. 

As the vessel went missing, the temple authorities informed the police, who later identified the accused through a detailed examination of CCTV visuals, sources said. 

They were later traced to Haryana, and with the support of the local police there, the accused were taken into custody. 

The accused are expected to be brought to the Kerala capital later in the day, sources added. 

The theft held at the highly secured temple, where police and thunderbolt personnel are on guard round-the-clock, was a shock to the authorities. -- PTI

In a post on X, the Indian Army's Chinar Corps said that a joint anti-infiltration Operation was launched in the area.  

"Based on intelligence inputs regarding likely infiltration bid, a Joint anti-infiltration Operation was launched by #Indian Army & Jammu Kashmir Police along LOC in general area Uri, Baramulla. Alert troops spotted suspicious activity and challenged, which resulted in terrorists opening indiscriminate fire. Vigilant troops responded with effective fire. Operation is in progress," the Chinar Corps said.  

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two terrorists from Poonch district, J-K's additional director general of police, Anand Jain said on Saturday.  

Speaking to ANI, Anand Jain said that the arrests led to the solving of multiple grenade attack cases.  

"We have got a big achievement because we have arrested two terrorists who had carried out activities like grenade lobbying, anti-national posters were put up...Grenades were thrown at Gurudwaras, temples, hospitals, army bases," Anand Jain said.  

He further said that the terrorists wanted to disturb the communal harmony of the area. -- ANI 

A two-time councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation, Haridas said what the voters of Wayanad want is a leader who stands up for them and resolves their problems. 

Addressing reporters in Kozhikode, the young leader said, as far as India is concerned, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not a new face, but for Wayanad, she is a newcomer. 

"Priyanka is coming as a representative of the Gandhi family who had failed to raise the issues of Wayanad in the Parliament," she alleged. 

A techie-turned politician, Haridas, further criticised the Congress party for giving seats to Gandhi family members. 

She said people of Wayanad had given a mandate to Rahul Gandhi with the belief that he would be with them for the next five years. 

But when he got a chance to keep Raebareli, the Gandhi scion had abandoned the Wayanad constituency. -- PTI

Currently leading a retired life at his home in Thiruvananthapuram, Achuthanandan's birthday passed without much celebration this year also. 

Leaders including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M state secretary MV Govindan extended their birthday greetings to the Communist veteran by sharing photos of Achuthanandan, affectionately called 'Comrade VS' by party workers, on their Facebook pages. 

Several leaders, including Govindan and ministers V Sivankutty and G R Anil, visited Achuthanandan at his residence. 

His son, VA Arun Kumar, said that for every birthday, the family make payasam (a traditional sweet). This time too, there was payasam, followed by a cake-cutting attended by close family members. 

There were no other celebrations. 

Born on October 20, 1923, in a worker's family in Punnapra, Alappuzha district, Achuthanandan completed education up to Class VII. -- PTI

More than half of the healthcare workers who participated in a survey feel that their workplace is "unsafe", particularly in state and central government medical colleges.

 

Led by experts from the Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC), Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS, New Delhi, the study highlighted "significant gaps" in the security infrastructure within Indian healthcare settings.

 

The "Workplace Safety and Security in Indian Healthcare Settings: A Cross-Sectional Survey" published in a recent issue of the journal 'Epidemiology International' underscored the urgent need for improving the prevailing safety and security measures in healthcare settings.

 

The survey is a collaborative effort of Dr Kartik Chadhar and Dr Jugal Kishore from the VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital along with Dr Richa Mishra, Dr Semanti Das, Dr Indra Shekhar Prasad and Dr Prakalp Gupta from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

 

The cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,566 healthcare workers from diverse medical institutions across India using a pre-tested, self-administered online questionnaire, which assessed various dimensions of workplace safety. Logistic regression was used to find differences among groups.

 

The survey participants consisted of 869 (55.5 per cent) females and 697 (44.5 per cent) males. About one-fourth (24.7 per cent) of healthcare workers were from Delhi and around half of the them were resident doctors (49.6 per cent), followed by undergraduate medical students, including interns (15.9 per cent).

 

Responses were also received from faculty members, medical officers, nursing staff, and other supporting staff.

 

The majority of the respondents worked in government-run medical colleges (71.5 per cent). Half of the respondents worked in non-surgical departments (49.2 per cent) and one-third worked in surgical departments (33.8 per cent).

 

Results revealed that more than half (58.2 per cent) of healthcare workers feel unsafe at the workplace and  78.4 per cent reported having been threatened on duty, Dr Jugal Kishore, the corresponding author of the study said.

 

Nearly half of the healthcare workers do not have a dedicated duty room while working for long hours or at night.

Twelve people, including eight children, died in a collision between a bus and tempo late Saturday night in the Dholpur district of Rajasthan.

   

SHO of the Bari police station Shivlahari Meena said the accident took place when a speedy sleeper coach bus going from Gwalior to Jaipur hit the tempo near Sumipur.

 

He said 12 people, including a couple and eight children, died in the accident.

 

He said the deceased have been identified as Irfan alias Bunty (38), his wife Julie (34), daughter Asma (14), son Salman (8), Parveen (32), Zareena (35), Saqir (6), Sanif (9), Ajaan (5), Aashiyaana (10), Sufi (7) and Danish (10). -- PTI

A mysterious blast took place near a CRPF school in Prashant Vihar area in Delhi's Rohini on Sunday morning. No one was injured in the incident, officials of the Delhi Fire Services said.

   

Fire engines, bomb squad a police forensic team have been rushed to the spot near the CRPF school, Sector 14, Rohini to ascertain the source of the loud blast.

The wall of the school, nearby shops and a car received damage, police said.

DFS officials said, "We received a call regarding a blast near the boundary wall of CRPF school at 7.50 am. We immediately rushed two fire engines to the spot. There was no fire and no one was injured due to the blast, so our vehicle returned."

Senior police officers, including from the crime branch and the Special Cell, reached the spot.

"Our forensic team and crime unit are at the spot to collect samples from the blast location. It could be a firecracker, but we are investigating the entire matter from all angles," a senior police officer said.

Police said that they are checking the CCTV footage. -- PTI

The Mahakaleshwar temple administration in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain has removed an official following a controversy over the entry of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's MP son Shrikant Shinde in the temple's sanctum sanctorum.

Kalyan Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde was allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday evening despite a rule against it, sources earlier said. 

The opposition Congress had slammed the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over the issue.

Temple administrator Ganesh Dhakad on Saturday said that Vinod Chouksey, in-charge of 'darshan' (viewing of deity) arrangements, has been removed from his post for alleged carelessness.

Show-cause notices have also been served to three security personnel and strict directives issued so that such an incident does not recur, he added.

The Mahakaleshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the 12 'jyotirlinga' temples in the country and attracts a large number of devotees.

Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar on Friday said that while a common devotee has to stand in long queues and wait for hours for the darshan of Lord Mahakaleshwar, the "VIPs were allowed to enter the 'garbha griha' despite a ban on entering it."

The temple committee chairman and Ujjain district collector Neeraj Kumar Singh had said, "Nobody is allowed to enter the garbha griha. This (Shinde's) is an unauthorised entry and I have directed the temple administrator to take immediate action in this matter." --  PTI

The Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'poor' category in the national capital on Sunday.

 

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the 24-hour average AQI at 9 am in Delhi was recorded at 265.

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported the minimum temperature of 20.0 degrees Celsius.

 

Meanwhile, the humidity level stood at 91 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD stated.

 

The weather department has predicted a clear sky for the day, and the maximum temperature is expected to be 36.0 degrees Celsius.

 

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". -- PTI 

Israel on Saturday released footage showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar moving his belongings to a tunnel in Gaza hours before the October 7 attack last year that triggered the ongoing war.

The footage was released following Sinwar's death in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

In the footage, dated late night of October 6, Sinwar is seen walking back and forth in an underground tunnel with his wife and children, carrying bags of supplies to the bunker that the IDF later discovered.

"It proves once again that the leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization, regardless of who they are, do not care about the price paid by the residents of Gaza. They use them only as human shields and are preoccupied with their own survival. An example of this is the amounts of money he kept wherever he hid," Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

"His movement was between Khan Yunis and Rafah throughout the entire war, and our assessment was that he was in Gaza the whole time. They asked us if he had fled to Egypt, and we reiterated that he was in Gaza, in the area between Khan Yunis and Rafah. The footage is the documentation from the film with his family," Hagari added.

Hagari revealed that the IDF has had documentation of Sinwar's family for several months and emphasized that the IDF has been consistently monitoring him and seeking additional evidence using intelligence sources. 

According to the spokesperson, military intelligence was always aware that Sinwar was moving between Khan Yunis and Rafah, despite rumors suggesting that he had fled to Egypt.

A Mumbai court has granted bail to advertising firm director Bhavesh Bhinde, the prime accused in the case of a hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar area here that claimed 17 lives in May this year.

Additional Sessions Judge V M Pathade allowed Bhinde's bail plea on Saturday. 

Bhinde, through his lawyer Sana Khan, had contended the unfortunate incident was an "act of God", and that he was implicated for "political vendetta".

The hoarding installed in Ghatkopar area collapsed due to "unexpected, unusual wind speed" and no fault can be attributed to the applicant (whose firm had installed it), advocate Khan argued.

It was also submitted that Bhinde was not the firm's director at the time of installation of the gigantic hoarding.

Bhinde has been booked on the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The prosecution opposed bail to Bhinde, saying there was enough evidence to show he was actively involved in the case.

Seventeen persons, including a former general manager of the Mumbai airport's Air Traffic Control and his wife, died after the billboard crashed onto a petrol pump on May 13 during sudden dusty winds and unseasonal rains.

It was alleged that the hoarding had been put up illegally on railway land. -- PTI

A unique cross-border wedding ceremony took place in this Uttar Pradesh district, when a Bharatiya Janata Party leader's son married a Pakistani girl through an online "nikah".

 

Tahseen Shahid, a BJP corporator, had arranged the marriage of his elder son, Mohammad Abbas Haider, with Andleep Zahra, a resident of Lahore.

Despite applying for visa, the groom was unable to obtain it due to the ongoing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The situation became even more challenging when the bride's mother, Rana Yasmin Zaidi, fell ill and was admitted to the ICU in Pakistan. In light of these circumstances, Shahid decided to conduct the wedding ceremony online.

On Friday night, Shahid gathered with the "baraati" at an imambara and participated in the online "nikah". The bride's family took part in the ceremony from Lahore.

Shia religious leader Maulana Mahfoozul Hasan Khan explained that in Islam, the woman's consent is essential for "nikah" and she communicates it to the maulana. He said an online "nikah" is possible when the maulanas from both sides can conduct the ceremony together.

Haider expressed hope that his wife would get her Indian visa without any hassle.

BJP MLC Brijesh Singh Prishu and other guests attended the wedding ceremony and congratulated the groom's family. -- PTI