Iran Says 19 Killed, Including Guards Colonel In Clashes Near Pakistan Border

19 Killed and 20 injured after gun battles in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Tehran:

Nineteen people including a Revolutionary Guards colonel were killed Friday during heavy gun battles in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan, state media reported.

It was not immediately clear whether the clashes were connected to the wave of unrest that has swept Iran since the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody earlier this month.

“Nineteen people were killed and 20 injured in the incident,” regional governor Hossein Khiabani told the state broadcaster.

“Provincial intelligence officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Colonel Ali Mousavi was also killed,” state television added.

Poverty-stricken Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a flashpoint for clashes with drug smuggling gangs, as well as rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni Muslim extremist groups.

Earlier Friday, state media reported that security forces had returned fire when a police station in the provincial capital Zahedan came under attack by gunmen.

“A number of police members as well as passers-by have been injured in the exchange of fire,” the state broadcaster said.

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

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P Chidambaram, Digvijaya Singh in race to succeed Mallikarjun Kharge as leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha | India News

NEW DELHI: With Mallikarjun Kharge set to become the Congress president, former finance minister P Chidambaram and Digvijaya Singh are in the race to succeed him as leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, with Singh’s nose seemingly ahead.
Sources said Kharge is set to resign as the leader of opposition in keeping with the party’s “one man one post” norm. It will reopen the position too soon, as Kharge was nominated to the top Rajya Sabha post in February 2021 when Ghulam Nabi Azad retired from Parliament.

While Chidambaram is the seniormost among Congress MPs in the Upper House, followed by Singh, many believe that Kharge’s elevation may bring regional balancing into play.
“It will be difficult for both the party chief and the leader of opposition in RS to be from southern region, especially when the leader in Lok Sabha too is from the east. A leader from the Hindi belt may have to be picked to balance the Congress leadership positions,” a party source said, underlining that Rahul Gandhi too is now a Lok Sabha MP from Kerala.

Interestingly, Singh, who on Thursday collected the nomination form for the party president’s election and announced his intent to contest, bowed out on Friday. He said he cannot fight against Kharge who is “my senior”.
He added, “I met Kharge on Thursday to tell him that I will not contest if he was planning to. He told me that he was not.”

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Ukraine War | India abstains in UN vote on Russian referendums | World News

In keeping with its track record of not voting against Russia at the United Nations, India abstained on a resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC) that condemned Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” in four of Ukraine’s regions that Moscow formally annexed on Friday.

Speaking at a debate in the UNSC on a resolution proposed by the United States and Albania, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, while reiterating New Delhi’s position in favour of peace, diplomacy and dialogue, said, “India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine.”

Later in her remarks, she added that given the “totality of the situation”, India is abstaining from the vote on the resolution.

Ten countries voted for the resolution. Along with India, China, Brazil and Gabon abstained. Russia, as a permanent member of the council, vetoed the resolution. The US has earlier said that it will take the matter to the General Assembly.

The annexation and resolution

India did not specify the “recent developments” that has left it disturbed. But in the past fortnight, Russia faced military setbacks on the ground; it then announced additional military mobilisation and held a referendum that lacks international legitimacy in over 15% of Ukraine’s territory.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin formally announced the integration of four Ukrainian regions into Russian federation. “I want the Kyiv authorities and their real masters in the West to hear me. For everyone to remember. People living in Luhansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are becoming our citizens. Forever,”

The draft UNSC resolution noted that these were “areas that, in part, are under the control of the Russian federation as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion, in violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine”. India has so far not termed the conflict in Ukraine as a Russian invasion.

The resolution then noted that Ukraine had not authorised the “so-called referenda” held in “Ukraine’s regions” and these were “illegal under international law”. It “deplored” Russia’s “unlawful actions with regard to the illegal so-called referenda” between September 23 and 27 as an attempt to “modify Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders”.

The UNSC resolution termed Russia’s attempts to annex the territory as constituting a “threat to international peace and security”. It condemned the referendums; declared that Russia’s actions had no validity; urged states and international actors not to recognise any alteration of the status of Ukraine’s regions or any purported acquisition by Russia; and held that Russia must “immediately, completely and unconditionally” withdraw all of its military forces from Ukraine, including from the regions where the referendums were held.

Indian stance

Kamboj reiterated the Indian position in favour of peace. “We have always advocated that no solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives. We urge that all efforts are made by concerned sides for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and dialogue, however daunting that may appear at this moment.”

She added that the path to peace “requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open”. “India’s Prime Minister has unequivocally conveyed this to world leaders, including the President of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. So has our external affairs minister at his recent engagements at the UNGA last week. India’s Prime Minister has also emphasised that this cannot be an era of war.”

Kamboj’s reference was to PM Modi’s comment to Putin in Samarkand, which gained New Delhi accolades in the western world, as well as EAM S Jaishankar’s speech at the UN General Assembly last Saturday where he said India stood on the side of peace and the UN charter.

When HT had asked Jaishankar on Wednesday what India thought of the referendums, and whether it aided the cause of peace and conformed to the UN charter, he had said that New Delhi would articulate its position at the UN.

Kamboj said that India sincerely hoped for an “early resumption of peace talks to bring about an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict”.

“India’s position has been clear and consistent from the very beginning of this conflict. The global order is anchored in the principles of the UN charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” she added in a reiteration of India’s stance.

India added, “Escalation of rhetoric or tension is in no one’s interest. It is important that pathways are found for a return to the negotiating table. Keeping in view the totality of situation, India decided to abstain on the resolution.”

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Gurgaon Police File Case Over Social Media Advertisements For Sale Of Arms

According to police, some of the advertisements mentioned the name of gangster Kala Jatheri.

Gurgaon:

The Gurugram police have registered a case over advertisements on Facebook and WhatsApp for unauthorised sale of weapons, a police officer said on Friday.

The FIR was registered at Sadar police station against the holder(s) of three Facebook accounts. According to the police, these accounts were opened using one mobile number.

WhatsApp messages were also sent to people from the mobile number for the sale of revolvers and pistols, the police officer said.

According to the police, some of the advertisements mentioned the name of gangster Kala Jatheri.

The police officer said the matter was being investigated.

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

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Ukraine War | India abstains on UN vote on Russian referendums | World News

In keeping with its track record of not voting against Russia at the United Nations, India abstained on a resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC) that condemned Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” in four of Ukraine’s regions that Moscow formally annexed on Friday.

Speaking at a debate in the UNSC on a resolution proposed by the United States and Albania, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, while reiterating New Delhi’s position in favour of peace, diplomacy and dialogue, said, “India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine.”

Later in her remarks, she added that given the “totality of the situation”, India is abstaining from the vote on the resolution.

Ten countries voted for the resolution. Along with India, China, Brazil and Gabon abstained. Russia, as a permanent member of the council, vetoed the resolution. The US has earlier said that it will take the matter to the General Assembly.

The annexation and resolution

India did not specify the “recent developments” that has left it disturbed. But in the past fortnight, Russia faced military setbacks on the ground; it then announced additional military mobilisation and held a referendum that lacks international legitimacy in over 15% of Ukraine’s territory.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin formally announced the integration of four Ukrainian regions into Russian federation. “I want the Kyiv authorities and their real masters in the West to hear me. For everyone to remember. People living in Luhansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are becoming our citizens. Forever,”

The draft UNSC resolution noted that these were “areas that, in part, are under the control of the Russian federation as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion, in violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine”. India has so far not termed the conflict in Ukraine as a Russian invasion.

The resolution then noted that Ukraine had not authorised the “so-called referenda” held in “Ukraine’s regions” and these were “illegal under international law”. It “deplored” Russia’s “unlawful actions with regard to the illegal so-called referenda” between September 23 and 27 as an attempt to “modify Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders”.

The UNSC resolution termed Russia’s attempts to annex the territory as constituting a “threat to international peace and security”. It condemned the referendums; declared that Russia’s actions had no validity; urged states and international actors not to recognise any alteration of the status of Ukraine’s regions or any purported acquisition by Russia; and held that Russia must “immediately, completely and unconditionally” withdraw all of its military forces from Ukraine, including from the regions where the referendums were held.

Indian stance

Kamboj reiterated the Indian position in favour of peace. “We have always advocated that no solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives. We urge that all efforts are made by concerned sides for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and dialogue, however daunting that may appear at this moment.”

She added that the path to peace “requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open”. “India’s Prime Minister has unequivocally conveyed this to world leaders, including the President of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. So has our external affairs minister at his recent engagements at the UNGA last week. India’s Prime Minister has also emphasised that this cannot be an era of war.”

Kamboj’s reference was to PM Modi’s comment to Putin in Samarkand, which gained New Delhi accolades in the western world, as well as EAM S Jaishankar’s speech at the UN General Assembly last Saturday where he said India stood on the side of peace and the UN charter.

When HT had asked Jaishankar on Wednesday what India thought of the referendums, and whether it aided the cause of peace and conformed to the UN charter, he had said that New Delhi would articulate its position at the UN.

Kamboj said that India sincerely hoped for an “early resumption of peace talks to bring about an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict”.

“India’s position has been clear and consistent from the very beginning of this conflict. The global order is anchored in the principles of the UN charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” she added in a reiteration of India’s stance.

India added, “Escalation of rhetoric or tension is in no one’s interest. It is important that pathways are found for a return to the negotiating table. Keeping in view the totality of situation, India decided to abstain on the resolution.”

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EMIs start rising as RBI ups key rate 50bps; fourth hike in five months

MUMBAI: Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy committee on Friday voted 5-1 to increase its key policy rate by 50 basis points, the fourth rise in five months. The latest repo rate hike, aimed at reining in inflation, will make all borrowings, home loans included, more expensive. Several banks, led by SBI have already hiked lending rates.
For those who took home loans before the May 4, 2022 rate hike, this is a major shock. Banks which had pushed rates to 6.6% will now re-price the loan at 8.5%. Borrowers who don’t have room to extend tenure will see EMIs rise by 15%.
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das, announcing the increase in the repo rate to 5.9%, hinted more rate hikes were to come. He said that after adjusting for inflation, the repo rate continues to trail 2019 levels.

SBI, others hike loan rate by 50bps
SBI & BoI hiked loan rates after the RBI raised the benchmark interest rate. The hike has been effected in their benchmark rate linked to the repo rate. Even HDFC hiked the lending rate by 50bps effective Saturday. ICICI also hiked rates, effective Friday itself. With the increase, EMIs will go up for those with loans on external benchmark-based lending rate (EBLR) & repo-linked lending rate (RLLR).

Lenders likely to come out with festive offers
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said on Friday that after adjusting for inflation, the repo rate continues to trail 2019 levels. The rate hike was widely anticipated as the RBI is the latest among the central banks worldwide that have followed in the footsteps of the US Fed, which hiked interest rates by 75bps (100bps = 1 percentage point) on September 21.
“Consumer price inflation remains elevated and above the upper tolerance band of the target due to large adverse supply shocks, some firming up of domestic demand, and the spillovers from global financial markets,” said Das.
For new borrowers, the rates might not go up proportionately as banks can revise their spreads to charge lower rates. As the cost of funds for banks has not gone up, lenders are likely to announce special offers for the festive season. Lenders said that while higher rates do have an impact on demand, the overall sentiment is positive. The sensex gained as the policy was on expected lines and the rupee also firmed up.
RBI officials also exuded confidence on the state of the economy. When asked whether the RBI was preparing for a soft landing, RBI deputy governor Michael Patra said, “Soft landing is for the governments of advanced economies, for India it is take-off”. While the RBI cut the growth projection for FY23 to 7% from 7.2%, India continues to be among the fastest-growing major economies in the world. “The encouraging growth in the consumption pattern will continue to have a positive rub-off on the home loan demand aided by festive sentiments,” said Y Viswanatha Gowd, MD & CEO, LIC Housing Finance.

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It's Mallikarjun Kharge vs Shashi Tharoor for Congress president, Digvijaya Singh drops out | India News

NEW DELHI: It is Mallikarjun Kharge vs Shashi Tharoor for the much-awaited Congress presidential election. Octogenarian Kharge, the establishment’s choice, and Tharoor, the underdog diplomat-turned-politician, filed their nomination papers on the last day on Friday, setting to rest the two-month-long speculation.
As the official candidate, Kharge, a Dalit face from Karnataka and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is set to become the first non-Gandhi Congress president since 1998-the year Sonia took the top post from Sitaram Kesri before handing it over to Rahul Gandhi in December 2017, who resigned in the wake of the 2019 Lok Sabha debacle. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is October 8, which will decide if there will be a contest on October 17.

As Kharge, Tharoor file papers, it’s clear who has party backing
Congress scrambled to find a replacement choice for the party president’s post from a thin slate of candidates after the leadership’s original choice, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, opted out on Thursday over the controversy created by “loyal” MLAs’ boycott of the legislature party meeting in Jaipur.
Following a flurry of meetings and discussions, as reported by TOI, Mallikarjun Kharge was sounded out late Thursday night. Later, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal visited him to ready his papers for the nomination formalities.
Though Sonia Gandhi has conveyed to all that the “first family” will be neutral in son Rahul’s project to hand over the party reins to a non-Gandhi, and no family member was present during Kharge’s nomination, there was no hiding the fact that the veteran politician has the official imprimatur to succeed the matriarch.

The contrast was evident during the nomination process. Kharge, whose first and third proposer on the form were veteran Gandhi family loyalists A K Antony and Ambika Soni, respectively, was flanked by Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh and a hall full of AICC office-bearers, MPs and state leaders, including the cross-faction endorsement of dissident G23 members like Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda and Prithviraj Chavan. When he handed over the papers to AICC election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry, the picture was of celebration and unity. Digvijaya, who had made public his intent to contest, visited Kharge in the morning and announced that he was bowing out in deference to “my senior”.
In contrast, Tharoor, though beaming, was flanked by unknown proposers. He filed five sets of papers. Yet another contestant from Jharkhand, K N Tripathi, also submitted his nomination form.
Kharge underlined the contrast in his brief remarks to reporters post-nomination. “I was encouraged by all leaders, party workers and delegates from key states to contest the elections. I thank those who were present by my side at the time of filing (of nomination papers),” he said.
“I have always been fighting this battle and I am keen to fight more to uphold the ideals of the Congress party with which I have been associated since my childhood,” he said.

Tharoor, while calling Kharge as “Bhishma Pitamah” of the party, dubbed the veteran “candidate of continuity”, and pitched himself as the candidate of change. “It is a friendly contest. No disrespect to him, but I will represent my ideas,” he said.
Undeterred by the underdog status and the overwhelming optics, savvy Tharoor launched a hashtag “Think tomorrow think Tharoor” campaign online, while also presenting a “vision paper”, which he said he will send to all state units to canvass for support. Ahead of filing his nomination papers, Tharoor paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

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Indian Railways To Release Its New All-India Railway Time Table Today

The new Trains at a Glance will also be available on Indian Railways’ website www.indianrailways.gov.in.

New Delhi:

The Ministry of Railways will release its new All India Railway Time Table known as “Trains At a Glance (TAG)” from today, October 1, 2022.

The new Trains at a Glance will also be available on Indian Railways’ official website www.indianrailways.gov.in.

According to Indian Railways, it runs about 3,240 Mail/Express trains which include Vande Bharat Express, Gatimaan Express, Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Humsafar Express, Tejas Express, Duronto Express, Antyodaya Express, Garib Rath Express, Sampark Kranti Express, Yuva Express, Uday Express, Janshatabdi Express and other types of trains.

In addition, about 3,000 passenger trains and 5,660 suburban trains are also operated over the Indian Railways network. The volume of passengers carried daily is about 2.23 crore. To clear extra rush and meet passenger demand, more than 65,000 special train trips were operated during 2021-22. About 566 coaches were permanently augmented to increase the carrying capacity, said Railways.

During the review of the lie over of rakes, it was observed that the rakes can be better utilized for extending the existing services or increasing the frequency. Railways believe this would maximize the utilization of the rolling stock and provide better connectivity to the travelling passengers. During the year 2021-22, 106 new services were introduced, 212 services were extended and the frequency of 24 services was increased.

At present, Vande Bharat Express trains are operating between New Delhi – Varanasi and New Delhi – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. One more Vande Bharat Express train has been introduced between Gandhinagar Capital and Mumbai Central from September 30. It has been proposed to introduce more Vande Bharat Express trains over the Indian Railways network. Tejas Express services offering onboard services like entertainment, local cuisine, Wi-Fi etc are also being proliferated over the Indian Railway network. At present, seven pairs of Tejas Express services are operational over Indian Railways.

To provide sufficient time for the maintenance of the fixed infrastructure like track structure, signalling gears, and overhead equipment, it has been planned to ensure the provision of fixed corridor blocks. The duration of these corridors blocks will be from 3 hours in each section. This will not only improve the reliability of the assets but also enhance passenger safety.

The conversion of Mail/Express trains operating with ICF design rakes is being undertaken to improve passenger safety and provide faster transit with better riding comfort. Indian Railways converted 187 Rakes of ICF to LHB for the period of 2021-2022.

Railways said necessary changes in the timetable have been incorporated to improve punctuality. Due to concerted efforts, the punctuality of Mail/Express trains has improved by about 9 per cent as compared to the punctuality during pre-Covid (2019-20).

The rakes at different maintenance depots have been standardized by integration of the rake links to improve flexibility in operations and thereby help in improving punctuality. In the year 2021-22, 60 conventional passenger services have been replaced by MEMUs thereby increasing the overall mobility of the system, said Railways.

As a part of the digitalization of train Time Table, Trains at a Glance (TAG) will now also be available as ‘e-Book’ which can be downloaded from the IRCTC website (www.irctc.co.in and www.irctctourism.com).

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

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India Abstains In UN Vote Against Russia's 'Illegal Referendum' In Ukraine

India abstained on a draft resolution tabled in the UN Security Council by the US and Albania.

United Nations:

 India abstained on a draft resolution tabled in the UN Security Council by the US and Albania that condemns Russia’s “illegal referenda” and annexation of four Ukrainian territories and requires that Moscow withdraw troops from Ukraine immediately.

The 15-nation UN Security Council voted on the resolution tabled by the US and Albania that condemned Russia’s illegal “referenda” and annexations of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The resolution failed to get adopted as Russia vetoed it. Of the 15-nation Council, 10 nations voted for the resolution and four nations abstained.

Russia announced that annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that “any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the UN Charter and international law.” “Any decision to proceed with the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned,” Guterres has said.

“It cannot be reconciled with the international legal framework. It stands against everything the international community is meant to stand for. It flouts the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. It is a dangerous escalation. It has no place in the modern world. It must not be accepted,” the UN chief said.

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

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UN Security Council Opens Session On Russia Annexations

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US would seek a vote at the General Assembly.

United Nations:

The UN Security Council on Friday opened a session on Russia’s annexations of Ukrainian territory, with Moscow certain to veto a US-backed resolution of condemnation.

“This is exactly what the Security Council was made to do. Defend sovereignty, protect territorial integrity, promote peace and security,” the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said at the start of the meeting.

“The United Nations was built on an idea that never again would one country be allowed to take another’s territory by force,” she said.

The resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Albania, would condemn the “illegal” referendums held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and call on all states not to recognize any changes to Ukraine’s borders.

It also calls on Russia to withdraw troops immediately from Ukraine, ending an invasion launched on February 24.

The Security Council, led by France, went ahead with the session despite certainly that Russia — one of five permanent members — will veto it.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier Friday said that the United States would seek a vote at the General Assembly.

“If Russia blocks the Security Council from carrying out its responsibilities, we’ll ask the UN General Assembly, where every country has a vote, to make clear that it’s unacceptable to redraw borders by force,” Blinken told reporters in Washington.

“Every country has a stake in condemning these steps,” he said.

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

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Twitter User Asks Former India Spinner For Rs 300 For A Date. Here's What He Did

File photo of Amit Mishra.© Instagram

When a Twitter user requested former India spinner Amit Mishra for Rs 300 to take his girlfriend out for a date, he probably did not expect even a reply, let alone the leggie complying. But Mishra not only gave him the Rs 300 he asked for, he gave him an extra Rs 200 as well. “Sir 300 rs gpay karodo gf ko ghumne leke Jana h,” the user had written in response to a tweet by Mishra. He also gave his bank details in a tweet that has since been deleted. Not long after, Amit Mishra shared a screengrab of having made a transaction of Rs 500 to the user.

“Done, all the best for your date,” he wrote.

Done, all the best for your date. https://t.co/KuH7afgnF8 pic.twitter.com/nkwZM4FM2u

— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) September 29, 2022

Here is the user’s original tweet.

Sir 300 rs gpay karodo gf ko ghumne leke Jana h

— MSDIAN adi (@AdityaK61351639) September 29, 2022

“Thanku sir for this gift love u sir,” the user wrote after Mishra sent him the money.

Thanku sir for this gift love u sir https://t.co/3CXtQGZdUF

— MSDIAN adi (@AdityaK61351639) September 29, 2022

Amit Mishra had on Thursday shared a video of Suresh Raina taking a screamer of a catch in the ongoing Road Safety World Series.

Bhai @imraina, can I borrow your Time Machine? It’s mesmerising to see you field like old times. https://t.co/5YIvJAKELW

— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) September 29, 2022

“Bhai @imraina, can I borrow your Time Machine? It’s mesmerising to see you field like old times,” Mishra had tweeted.

Raina showed great reflexes to take a diving catch at point to dismiss Australia Legends’ Ben Dunk.

Topics mentioned in this article

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Vladimir Putin के एक खुलासे ने दुनिया को चौंकाया! | Biden | Russia | Ukraine | Zelenskyy

from Live Now - News

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PM Modi Arrives Late For Rajasthan Sirohi Abu Road Rally, Skips Address Over Loudspeaker Norms

PM Modi skipped the public gathering in Rajashtan’s Sirohi after reaching late at the venue on Friday.

Jaipur:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday did not address a rally in the Abu Road area of Rajasthan’s Sirohi as he reached the venue late and said he has to obey loudspeaker rules and regulations.

He apologised before the gathering for not being able to address and promised that he will come again in Sirohi.

“I got late in reaching. It is 10 pm. My conscience says that I should follow the rules and regulations. So, I apologise before you,” Modi said speaking without a mic and loudspeaker.

“But, I want to promise you that I will come here again and will repay with interest the love and affection that you have given me,” he said.

PM Modi then chanted the “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogan, which was repeated by people.

Earlier, PM Modi was welcomed by state BJP president Satish Poonia, former CM Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria and his deputy Rajendra Rathore.

Party workers from districts like Sirohi, Dungarpur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Banswara, Pali, Udaipur and nearby areas covering close to 40 assembly constituencies were mobilised for the rally, party sources said.

The rally was planned to give a message and to boost the morale of party workers in southern Rajasthan, which shares a border with the poll-bound Gujarat.

The Assembly elections in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan are also due later next year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached Abu road after offering prayers at the Ambaji temple in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district. He visited the temple after speaking at a rally in the town.

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

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