Israeli air raids hit wide swaths of southern Lebanon, kill dozens
Israeli air attacks on southern Lebanon have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 300, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Children, women and medics were among the victims in Monday’s attacks that came after Israel told residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah had stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the group. A Lebanese man checks a message received on his mobile phone calling people to evacuate the areas where Hezbollah hides its weapons [Joseph Eid/AFP] Lebanese media also reported that residents received text messages telling them to move away from any building where Hezbollah stores arms until further notice. The warnings were the first of their kind in nearly a year of steadily escalating conflict that has forced the displacement of communities on both sides of the border. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched about 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters. The increasing strikes and counterstrikes have raised fears of an all-out war. With Israel’s war on Gaza approaching the one-year mark, Hezbollah has decided to continue its strikes in solidarity with the Palestinians in the besieged and bombarded territory even as Israel says it is committed to returning calm to its northern border. Adblock test (Why?)
India wins historic double team gold at FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024
India’s two team and four individual gold medals are hailed as the beginning of the country’s reign as the ‘best chess nation in the world’. India’s chess masters have created history by winning team gold medals in both men’s and women’s competitions at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest. In addition to winning the team championships, India also walked away with four individual gold medals as the tournament wrapped up in the Hungarian capital on Sunday. Wins for Gukesh Dommaraju (more commonly known as Gukesh D), Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi sealed gold in the men’s event, known as the Open event, while Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev won their respective games to secure gold in the women’s competition. Gukesh, Erigaisi, Deshmukh and Agrawal bagged individual gold medals on their respective boards. 🇮🇳 India triumphs at 45th Chess Olympiad, winning both Open and Women’s competitions 🏆 India has come a long way since Vishy Anand paved the way for the new generation of chess players. Young talents have emerged and grown to become some of the top players in the world. Gukesh… pic.twitter.com/KvOVjAFx3I — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) September 23, 2024 The feat was termed an “unbelievable” achievement by India’s chess great Viswanathan Anand. “It feels like a magical time for India,” the former five-time world champion said on the International FIDE YouTube channel in the lead-up to the final day. Anand, who also won the Chess World Cup twice, said the result was a few years in the making but for India to walk away with team and individual honours exceeded his expectations. The men’s team won 27 of their 44 games, losing just once and drawing six. Their final round of matches was against Slovenia, whom they defeated 3.5-0.5, while the women’s team beat Azerbaijan with the same score. Gukesh, who has also qualified for the final of the World Chess Championship in November, said he was delighted that his team got over the line in a dominant fashion after having some close misses in the past. India was declared a joint winner in the men’s competition along with Russia in the 2020 edition, which was held online during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are very happy with how we played together as a team,” Gukesh said after the win. Eighteen-year-old Deshmukh was a standout performer in the women’s competition and remained undefeated, winning seven of her 11 games and drawing four. “It started off well but got a bit tough in the middle but I am proud of how we handled it [the situation] and fought back,” she said in the winners’ news conference. “I feel quite overwhelmed with emotions.” Hungarian American chess great Susan Polgar hailed Deshmukh’s run at the tournament. “With an absolutely amazing performance in this Olympiad,” Polgar wrote in a post on X. The four-time world champion predicted more wins for the Indians, saying: “This team will stay on top for years.” Congratulations to India! 2024 #BudapestOlympiad Champions! 🇮🇳 #FIDE100 🥇🏆 They were so focused and determined at the start of the final round! Even though this was all about teamwork, @DGukesh and @ArjunErigaisi had insane performances! This team will stay on top for years… pic.twitter.com/Sv5ZbOxYKV — Susan Polgar (@SusanPolgar) September 22, 2024 Final standings of top 10 teams at FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024 Men India (21) USA (17) Uzbekistan (17) China (17) Serbia (17) Armenia (17) Germany (16) Azerbaijan (16) Slovenia (16) Spain (16) Women India (19) Kazakhstan (18) USA (17) Spain (17) Armenia (17) Georgia (17) China (16) Ukraine (16) Poland (16) Bulgaria (16) Adblock test (Why?)
Rhino numbers tick higher, but poachers lurk amid high demand for horns
Africa reports 586 rhinos killed in 2023, up from 551 in 2022, with poaching the main threat. Rhinoceros numbers across the world increased slightly in 2023, but so too did the number of animals killed by poachers, according to a new report. Thanks to preservation efforts, the white rhino population increased by 1,522 to 17,464 in 2023, an annual report by the International Rhino Foundation said as it marked World Rhino Day on Sunday. However, the number of black and greater one-horned rhinos stayed the same, it added. That left the global rhino population of the five subspecies at about 28,000, which stood at 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. In Africa, one rhino was killed every 15 hours last year as demand for the animal’s horn remains high, the State of the Rhino report says. A total of 586 rhinos were killed across the continent, most of them in South Africa, which has the highest population of rhinos at an estimated 16,056. The number of killed rhinos increased marginally from 551 in 2022, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Still, the white rhino population in South Africa is on the rise despite the poaching thanks to preservation efforts, the report said. While thriving in several regions, the total black rhino population declined slightly over the last year due to heavy poaching in Namibia and South Africa. Since July 2023, Indonesian authorities have been investigating and prosecuting Javan rhino poaching groups, who confessed to killing 26 animals in Ujung Kulon National Park from 2019 to 2023. In India, the one-horned Asian rhino population has risen from 1,500 four decades ago to more than 4,000 thanks to conservation and antipoaching efforts, according to government data included in the report. Rhinos face various environmental threats like habitat loss due to development and climate change but poaching, based on the belief that their horns have medicinal uses, remains the top threat. Philip Muruthi, the vice president for species conservation at the Africa Wildlife Foundation, said protection has played a big role in increasing the rhino population. In Kenya, their numbers rose from 380 in 1986 to 1,000 last year, he said. “Why has that happened? Because the rhinos were brought into sanctuaries and were protected.” Muruthi advocates for a campaign that will end the demand for rhino horns as well as the adoption of new technology in tracking and monitoring rhinos for their protection while also educating communities where they live on the benefits of rhinos to the ecosystem and the economy. Known as megaherbivores that mow the parks and create inroads for other herbivores, rhinos are also good for establishing forests by ingesting seeds and spreading them across the parks in their dung. Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi IAS Coaching Centre Deaths: Court grants interim bail to CEO, coordinator of Rau’s IAS with…
A similar direction was passed by the High Court on September 13 while granting bail to four land owners.
Maharashtra govt approves renaming of Pune Airport, it will now be called…
Maharashtra govt approves proposal to rename Pune airport to Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj airport.
4 Mark Robinson campaign staffers resign in wake of report on porn website posts
At least four top staffers in North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s campaign for governor have resigned in the wake of a report about posts he allegedly made on a porn website more than a decade ago. Just three days after CNN published a report that Robinson had allegedly previously made salacious comments, including referring to himself as a “black Nazi,” on pornographic websites dating back to the late 2000s, his campaign released a statement on Sunday confirming that staff in various senior roles had stepped down. Conrad Pogorzelski III, who served as a general consultant and senior advisor; Chris Rodriguez, the campaign manager; Heather Whillier, the finance director; and Jason Rizk, who served as deputy campaign manager, have all resigned. The campaign promised new staffing announcements would be made soon. “I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors. I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days,” Robinson said in a statement. “My campaign will continue to focus on the substantive issues at stake in this election: building an economy that grows from Murphy to Manteo; cutting taxes and eliminating unnecessary red-tape; removing politics out of our classrooms; and cracking down on violent crime and dangerous drugs.” BATTLEGROUND STATE REPUBLICAN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PORN SCANDAL, DISMISSES IT AS ‘TABLOID TRASH’ Robinson still expressed optimism that he could win in November over Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein, the sitting state attorney general. “Polls have consistently underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles now and with a large portion of the electorate still undecided as we continue to ramp up our efforts across the state, I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5,” Robinson said. According to his campaign website, Robinson is scheduled to appear for an event on Monday morning in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The CNN report on Thursday unearthed past posts it said Robinson left on a porn site’s message boards in which he allegedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI;” said he enjoyed transgender pornography; said in 2012 he preferred Hitler to then-President Obama; and slammed the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.” Robinson denied writing the posts and said Thursday that he would not be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.” “You all have seen the half-truths and outright lies of Josh Stein on these ads over and over again – and now a story leaked by him to CNN is appearing now. Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before,” Robinson said in a video message. “Clarence Thomas famously once said he was the victim of a high-tech lynching. Well, it looks like Mark Robinson is too by a man who refuses to stand on stage and debate me about real issues that face you.” Robinson avoided directly discussing the controversy during a gubernatorial campaign event on Saturday evening at a racetrack in Fayetteville, the Associated Press reported. NC GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MARK ROBINSON FACING CALLS TO DROP OUT AMID RUMORS OF LOOMING BOMBSHELL The event happened after former President Trump did not mention Robinson at a rally about 90 miles away in Wilmington earlier in the day. Before Saturday, Robinson had been a frequent presence at Trump’s North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican presidential nominee endorsed Robinson, who would be North Carolina’s first Black governor if elected, in the primary. Stein said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Robinson is “utterly unqualified, unfit to be the governor of North Carolina, and we’re going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.” On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Robinson deserves a chance to defend himself against the allegations, which Graham described as “unnerving.” He said Robinson is “a political zombie if he does not offer a defense to this that’s credible,” while arguing that either way, this would not cost Trump the battleground state. “If they’re true, he’s unfit to serve for office,” Graham said of the allegations. “If they’re not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.” Polls show Trump and Vice President Harris locked in a close race in North Carolina and nationally. Democrats have seized on the opportunity to highlight Trump’s ties to Robinson, with billboards showing the two together and a new ad from Harris’ campaign highlighting the Republican candidates’ ties. Fox News’ Matthew Reidy and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump leads Harris in crucial states Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, poll finds
Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris in three crucial swing states, according to a Monday poll from the New York Times. Trump is leading Harris in Arizona by five points in a 50%-45% spread, and he holds a similar 49%-45% lead in Georgia. Harris is closer to the former president in North Carolina, however, where the race sits at 49%-47%, according to the poll. The Times conducted its poll from Sept. 17-21, surveying 2,077 likely voters across all three states. Arizona and Georgia would be major victories for Trump in the general election, as both are states that President Biden won in 2020. Arizona in particular represents a major swing toward Trump, where a Times poll in August found Harris leading by five points. RAPPER 50 CENT SAYS ‘MAYBE TRUMP IS THE ANSWER’ AFTER SEEING NYC GIVE PREPAID CREDIT CARDS TO MIGRANTS The Times survey comes days after a Fox News national poll found Harris leading Trump by two points in a 50%-48% matchup. The new Fox News national survey found a 3 percentage-point shift among registered voters in the 2024 presidential contest since mid-August. Trump had a 1-point advantage in August. FOX NEWS POLL: HARRIS CLOSES GAP WITH TRUMP IN SUN BELT STATES Since the August survey, many events have occurred that could affect voter opinion: the Democratic National Convention was held; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump; former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney endorsed Harris; and the candidates faced off in a debate. A second assassination attempt on Trump happened about three-quarters of the way into the new survey. Many Republican pollsters are confident in Trump’s chances given the national polling. Hillary Clinton beat Trump by two percent in the national vote in 2016, but lost in the Electoral College. FOX NEWS POLL: 87% CONSIDER SITUATION AT SOUTHERN BORDER A PROBLEM CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Our best estimates are that if Trump is within 2 points of Harris nationally then he will likely win in the Electoral College,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. “These data showing a Trump edge in the key counties and battleground states suggest that’s probably right.” Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report.
‘This is Arvind Kejriwal’s…’: Atishi takes charge as 8th chief minister of Delhi, leaves Kejriwal chair empty
Atishi has retained the 13 portfolios she held in the Kejriwal government, including those of education, revenue, finance, power and PWD.
India’s Venus Orbiter Mission: Probing secrets of Earth’s ‘evil twin’
This will be India’s second interplanetary mission, following the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was launched on November 5, 2013, and successfully entered Mars’ orbit on September 24, 2014.
Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC launches website to increase canvassers in battleground states
A conservative super PAC backed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk launched a website over the weekend, enabling supporters to canvass in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Trump and other GOP candidates. America PAC operates in key battleground states like Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. The PAC also operates in more than a dozen competitive districts within normally Democratic strongholds like California and New York. According to its website, America PAC aims to “promote free speech, free markets, and a merit-based society.” MAYOR OF MUSLIM-MAJORITY MICHIGAN CITY ENDORSES TRUMP: ‘RIGHT CHOICE FOR THIS CRITICAL TIME’ “Together, we’ll ensure that every vote counts towards a stronger, more vibrant America,” reads America PAC’s website. The new website enables anyone in the U.S. to sign up and be deployed to one of these key states or districts for canvassing. Now the largest “get out the vote” outside group in the U.S., America PAC was formed early in the summer and has, according to sources, amassed hundreds of canvassers. The super PAC believes the new website will help scale operations going into the November election, which is just over six weeks away. TRUMP-MUSK INTERVIEW: 5 BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO THE US BORDER CRISIS Filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show America has already invested at least $2.4 million in more than a dozen key congressional races.