THURSDAY 03 TWO EX-IAF PILOTS AMONG 3 DEAD IN HELICOPTER CRASH NEAR PUNE OCTOBER, 2024 7.30 AM epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard WHEN THE CHOPPER CRASHED IN BAVDHAN AREA, ABOUT 25 KM FROM PUNE CITY X.com/TheMornStandard REFORM PUSH WOMEN’S ROLE IN CHURCH MOOTED PRELIMINARY PROBE BLAMES IT ON FOG Pope Francis opened the second phase of his big Catholic reform project on Wednesday, with calls for women to take up more positions of responsibility PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NEW DELHI J8.00 The chopper took off from a golf course near Pune and was headed to Juhu when it crashed around 7.40 am. Primary information pointed to fog as the cause of the accident. A detailed probe is underway, the police said. The Agusta 109 helicopter belonged to Delhi-based Heritage Aviation. At the time of the crash, it was on hire by the Nationalist Congress Party PAGES 12 Iran’s oil rigs, N-sites could In city’s biggest drug face retaliatory Israel strike haul, 560 kg cocaine Biden advises against hitting nuclear sites; UN chief barred from entering Israel AGENCIES ISRAEL is reportedly gearing up to launch a blistering counter-attack to cripple Iran, which fired over 180 ballistic missiles on Tuesday in a major escalation of tensions in West Asia. According to reports in Israeli media, Iran’s strategic infrastructure, especially oil rigs, will be targeted. Also on the table are direct attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, news reports said citing Israeli officials. The development further complicates Israel’s multi-front war as the country is advancing its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon while still mounting attacks in Gaza to keep Hamas militants down. On Wednesday, Israel said it lost eight soldiers in southern Lebanon during a ground offensive against Hezbollah. In Gaza, Israeli ground and air operations reportedly killed over 50 people. Besides, Israel’s foreign minister said he would bar UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’s entry into his country because of bias. Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a crucial meeting with security chiefs at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. The meeting, held hours before the Rosh Hashanah holiday to mark the Jewish New Year, is learnt to have discussed and decided Israel’s response to Iran’s attack. Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett also called for a strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and energy The show begins With the Women's T20 World Cup getting underway on Thursday, a look... THE RISE OF B'DESH, SCOTLAND Nigar Sultana and Kathryn Bryce have been the pillars of Bangladesh and Scotland, respectively, in their journey to this T20 World Cup. Bangladesh impressed in South Africa and Scotland will be making their WC debut. They both will be in the limelight, going up against each other in the tournament opener. BIG CHANCE FOR INDIA With the WC shifting to UAE in last minute from Bangladesh, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team will be keen to make the most of the conditions. After the heartbreak in Cape Town semifinal against Australia last year, the Women in Blue have found balance in their middle-order in their pursuit to get their first T20 World Cup trophy. 10 No. of teams taking part in the tournament 23 Total number of matches in the 2024 T20 World Cup TODAY'S GAMES BAN VS SCO, SHARJAH, 3.30PM PAK VS SL, SHARJAH, 7.30PM LOVE ON STAR SPORTS AND HOTSTAR worth `5.8K cr seized U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi People climb on the debris of an Iranian missile intercepted by Israel, near Arad, southern Israel | AP facilities. “We have the justification. We have the tools,” he wrote on X. US news site Axios reported that Israel has plans to take out Iran’s air Avoid all non-essential travel to Iran: MEA In the wake of the escalating tensions, India on Wednesday advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs also urged the Indian nationals presently residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran defence systems and also set off targeted assassinations. An attack on Iranian oil facilities could push back the country’s economy by years, while destroying the air defence systems would make it more vulnerable. Political assassinations, if carried out, might set the stage for a regime change in Iran. If Iran’s nuclear facilities are hit, experts fear it will push the conflict to a no-return point. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said he will not support an Israeli attack on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme. ‘The answer is no,” he said on Wednesday, when asked about his opinion. P9 OVER-THE-COUNTER SALE BAN COMING ON MORNING-AFTER PILL hormonal contraceptives available OTC include the Combined THE Central Drugs Standard Con- Oral Contraceptive (containing trol Organisation (CDSCO) is like- estrogen and progestin, it is taken ly to recommend a ban on the daily) and the Progestin Only Pill over-the-counter (OTC) sale of all (also taken daily). hormonal contraceptive drugs, inInterestingly, the six-member cluding oral emergency contra- expert sub-committee was formed ceptive pills (ECP). after the Tamil Nadu government An exper t sub-committee proposed a ban on the OTC sale of formed by CDSCO is all set to rec- hormonal contraceptives citing ommend that the Drugs and Cos- “its irrational usage” at the 62nd metic Rules of 1945 be suitably Drugs Consultative Committee amended to make them prescrip- meeting held in September 2023. tion-only drugs. This newspaper The sub-committee’s mandate was has learnt that the panel will soon to study the issue and make a recsubmit a report. ommendation on At present, unwhether such a PRESS der the National ban is needed. Dr Reproductive and CLUSIVE Pinkee Saxena, Child Health Proprofessor, Departg ramme, the ment of ObstetDrug Controller General of India rics and Gynaecolog y, Lady (DGCI) allows the sale of 0.75 mg Hardinge Medical College, is the tablets of Levonorgestrel without chair of the sub-committee. Its prescription as an emergency con- other members include M N Sridtraceptive. ECPs, better known as har, Joint Director of Drugs Conthe morning-after pill, were intro- trol cum Controlling Authority duced in India in 2002 and can pre- (in-charge), and a representative vent a pregnancy if taken within from the Indian Council of Medi72 hours of unprotected sex. cal Research (ICMR). Experts say the availability of A highly-placed source privy to the drug OTC help prevent un- the deliberations said the panel it wanted pregnancies and avert is overwhelmingly in favour of abortions. However, in Tamil making prescriptions from a phyNadu, and other parts of India, sician mandatory for the purchase ECPs are notoriously difficult to of contraceptives, including ECPs. CONTINUED ON P5 access at phar macies. Other S I N D U J A J A N E @ Chennai IN what is being seen as the biggest drug haul in recent years in the national capital, the Delhi Police Special Cell has busted a major drug cartel and seized contraband with an estimated value of over `5,820 crore in the international market, a senior police officer said on Wednesday . While the kingpin of the drug cartel is said to be based in Dubai, the Delhi Police has arrested four key players—Tushar Goyal (40), Himanshu Kumar (27), Aurangzeb Siddiqui (23), and Bharat Kumar Jain (48). According to Pramod Singh Kushwah, Additional Commissioner of Police, in the first week of August, an input regarding an international narcotic drug cartel involved in the smuggling of Narcotics Substance Cocaine from abroad in Delhi was received from an intelligence agency of the Central Government. “The team further developed the information meticulously for three months. During this process, members of this cartel were identified, and their activities were placed under discreet surveillance,” the Additional CP said. On October 1, the Special Cell team received specific information about 1 the arrival of a large consignment of drugs at a godown of one of the accused, Tushar Goyal, at Mahipalpur Delhi. The police, after receiving the information, swung into action and formed a raiding team. The team conducted the raid at the specified premises where a big haul of cocaine and hydroponic marijuana was seized from the possession of accused persons. Tushar had been using his publication factory as a place to store and distribute drugs. “Tushar Goyal was the main receiver and distributor of the narco substance in India for this cartel. Himanshu and Aurangzeb Siddiqui are the main associates of Tushar Goyal,” Kushwah said during a presser. The fourth accused, Bharat Kumar Jain, had come to Delhi from Mumbai to receive a consignment of 15 Kg cocaine from Tushar Goyal. Sustained interrogation of the accused revealed that the seized marijuana had originated from Phuket in Thailand while the rest of it had been smuggled from South America and some West Asian nations. “Their interrogation is still underway and more suspects involved in the racket are being identified,” the officer added. TUSHAR GOYAL DUBAI LINK IN THE CARTEL He graduated from IP University, Delhi, in 2003. His father runs two publications—Tushar Publication and Tulip Publication. After his study, he joined his dad’s business. After marriage in 2008, he began liason work. In the meantime, he came in contact with a cartel at Dubai and became involved in it 2 BHARAT KUMAR JAIN He did his studies from Mumbai and came to Delhi to buy a large quantity of drugs. It was the dealing between him and the cartel which alerted Special Cell 3 AURANGZEB SIDDIQUI He is a resident of Deoria, UP, and studied up to class 11. He came to Delhi in search of a job and started working as a driver of Tushar’s household. Later, he joined the drug cartel of Tushar 4 HIMANSHU KUMAR He studied up to class 12 from Delhi. He then joined gym and started working as bouncer for different persons on daily basis. Later, he came in contact with Tushar and joined his drug cartel Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in Rajghat on Wednesday | PARVEEN NEGI Wangchuk says motive to reach Rajghat fulfilled UJWAL JALALI & SHEKHAR SINGH @ New Delhi CLIMATE activist Sonam Wangchuk, who, along with around 150 others, was detained at the Haryana-Delhi border late Monday was released af, ter nearly 48 hours of detention. Wangchuk, 58, is leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’—a month-long march that began in Leh. The march is being spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. They were marching towards the national capital to demand sixthschedule status and statehood for Union Territory Ladakh. The climate activist was let off late on Tuesday but detained the next morning because they were adamant on marching towards central Delhi. On Wednesday evening, Wangchuk was again released and escorted to Rajghat where he paid obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi. Outside Rajghat when this newspaper asked him about his next move, Wangchuk said that a memorandum has been submitted to the government to secure Ladakh “within the constitutional provisions”. The Ministry of Home Affairs has assured them of a meeting with the President and the Prime Minister in the coming days, following which they ended their hunger strike. “Our motive to reach Rajghat has been fulfilled,” he said. On Tuesday, a PIL was submitted to the Delhi High Court seeking the release of Wangchuk and others from Ladakh who were detained at the Singhu border. The plea urges the court to revoke the Delhi Police’s prohibitory order issued on September 30, which blocked the group from entering the capital. JOINING THE DOTS PREZV-P DEBATE Rumble in Punjab as core RACE FOCUS OF ON TOP OF THE TICKET During their vice-presidential debate, Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday each pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose their respective running mates for president | P9 EXPRESS READ POLL SYMBOL JAN SURAAJ WASHINGTON DC KANCHEEPURAM Sharad Pawar in SC against Ajit using ‘clock’ symbol PK floats party, says will end liquor ban in Bihar Jaishankar-Blinken meet discusses bilateral ties TN man beats kid to death for resisting sexual abuse Sharad Pawar has filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court to prevent the Ajit Pawar faction from using the ‘clock’ symbol for the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra. In his petition, Sharad Pawar said that his party lost votes in the Lok Sabha polls as the Ajit faction fought with the ‘clock’ symbol. He prayed to the top court that Ajit Pawar be directed to move the Election Commission for a fresh symbol. | P7 Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday launched his political outfit—Jan Suraaj Party—in Patna and appointed an IITian and retired IFS officer, Manoj Bharti, as its first working president. Bharti, from Madhubani district in north Bihar, had earlier served as India’s ambassador to countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Timor-Leste and Indonesia. | P8 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed bilateral ties and the crisis in West Asia, among others, during their meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday. “We followed up on Delaware bilateral and Quad meets. Our discussions also covered deepening bilateral ties, situation in West Asia, the Indo-Pacific and Ukraine,’’ Jaishankar said. | P7 A 34-year-old man from Kancheepuram was arrested for allegedly beating to death a fiveyear-old boy who cried out loud when he attempted to sexually abuse him on Sunday night. The accused was booked under the Pocso Act and the BNS and remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. Police said the accused works as a surveyor in the Land Survey Division of Kancheepuram. team of CM disintegrates H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh PUNJAB Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s trusted core appears to be disintegrating. But the big question is the CM slowly losing his utility for the Aam Aadmi Party? Take Navneet Wadhwa, director of communications at the Chief Minister’s Office. He put in his papers after he was told that his contract will not be renewed. A few days ago, Onkar Singh, Officer on Special Duty to the CM, quit. Singh was considered close to Mann and was in-charge of his Dhuri constituency His exit came as a surprise . as he was also handling the political programmes of Mann’s spouse Dr Gurpreet Kaur. The axe is expected to fall on one more important official, say sources. Besides, five new faces were inducted into the Mann ministry recently while four ministers were dropped, two of whom — Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Anmol Gagan Mann — were considered close to the CM. When Mann recently fell down at the Chandigarh airport after deboarding from a chartered plane, the Opposition Congress and the Shiro- ‘DELHI TAKES CALL IN ALL MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES’ A few days ago, Tarsem Singh, father of Khadoor Sahib MP and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh announced his plan to float a political party. He said, “There is no regional party to look after the interests of Punjab. All decisions of major political parties are taken in Delhi. Hence, the decision to form new party.” mani Akali Dal (SAD) took another shot at his failure to stay sober during work hours. But the AAP leadership chose not to defend him. Mann was later admitted to Fortis Hopsital in Mohali where he was dignosed with leptospirosis. Among those who called on him at the hospital were Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Congress MLA Pargat Singh. In May, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had predicted an AAP split in the state, which could have been a shot in the dark. But clouds of uncertainty persist in the political landscape of Punjab though the Southwest monsoon has withdrawn.
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