Senior ISIS Leader, 3 Others Killed In Iraqi Strike: US Military

Iraqi air strikes killed a senior Islamic State group leader and three other terrorists, the US military announced Friday, saying the strikes were enabled by intelligence from the international anti-jihadist coalition.

"Iraqi security forces (ISF) conducted precision airstrikes in northeastern Iraq on October 14 that killed four members of the terrorist organization ISIS, including a senior leader," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on social media, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

"The Iraqi-led strikes were conducted to disrupt and degrade ISIS attack networks in Iraq and were enabled by technical support and intelligence from coalition forces," CENTCOM said.

It said the leader who got killed was the group's most senior official in northern Iraq, identifying him as Shahadhah Allawi Salih Ulaywi al-Bajjari and saying he was also known as Abu Issa.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command had previously said in a statement that F-16 warplanes carried out strikes on October 14 in Kirkuk province that killed four terrorists, "one of them an important leader."

The strikes came after US and Iraqi forces conducted a joint operation in late August that CENTCOM said killed 14 Islamic State group members, among them four leaders.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition, which Washington and Baghdad announced last month will end its decade-long military mission in Iraq within a year.

The announcement followed months of talks between the United States and Iraq on the future of the coalition, which was established in 2014 to help local forces retake swathes of territory seized by the jihadists there and in neighboring Syria.

The coalition will continue its military operation in Syria, with international troops permitted to support anti-jihadist operations there from Iraq until September 2026.

IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but jihadist fighters continue to operate in remote desert areas although they no longer control territory.

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CBI Files Chargesheet Congress MP, Others In Chinese Workers' Visa Corruption Case

The CBI has filed a charge sheet against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and others in connection with alleged bribery in facilitating visas of Chinese nationals for a power company in 2011 when his father P Chidambaram was the Union home minister, officials said on Thursday.

In its charge sheet submitted before a special court here, the CBI has named Karti Chidambaram, the Lok Sabha MP from Sivaganga, his alleged close associate S Bhaskararaman, company Talawandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), a subsidiary of Vedanta and Mumbai-based Bell Tools, through which bribes were allegedly routed, they said.

The agency has invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.

Other charge-sheeted accused include Viral Mehta, Anup Agarwal, Mansoor Siddiqui and Chetan Shrivastava, they said.

The CBI has filed the charge sheet after two years of probe into its FIR registered in 2022 where it had alleged that the Punjab-based TSPL was setting up a 1980 MW thermal power plant and the work was outsourced to a Chinese company Shandong Electric Power Construction Corp (SEPCO).

The project was running behind its schedule and the company was allegedly facing prospects of penalty.

"In order to avoid penal actions for the delay, the said private company (TSPL) of Mansa was trying to bring more and more Chinese persons and professionals for their site at district Mansa (Punjab) and needed project visas over and above the ceiling imposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs," the CBI said in a statement in 2022.

The CBI FIR, which contained findings of the investigating officer who probed the preliminary enquiry, alleged that an executive of TSPL approached Karti Chidambaram through his "close associate/front man" Bhaskararaman.

"They devised a back-door way to defeat the purpose of the ceiling (maximum of project visas permissible to the company's plant) by granting permission to re-use 263 project visas allotted to the said Chinese company's officials," the agency had said after the registration of FIR and searches.

Project visas were a special type of visa introduced in 2010 for the power and steel sector for which detailed guidelines were issued during Chidambaram's tenure as home minister but there was no provision for the re-issue of project visas, the FIR had alleged.

"As per prevalent guidelines, deviation in rare and exceptional cases could be considered and granted only with the approval of the Home Secretary. However, in view of the above circumstances, the deviation in terms of re-use of project visas is likely to be approved by the then Home Minister...," it had alleged.

A TSPL executive allegedly submitted a letter to the home ministry on July 30, 2011, seeking approval to reuse the project visas allotted to his company, which was approved within a month and permission was issued, the FIR had alleged.

"On August 17, 2011, the executive, on being directed by Bhaskararaman, sent a copy of the above a letter dated July 30, 2011 to him through e-mail which was forwarded to Karti... Bhakaskararaman after discussion with P Chidambaram, the then home minister, demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 50 lakh for ensuring the approval," the FIR had alleged.

The FIR had alleged that the payment of said bribe was routed from TSP to Karti Chidambaram and Bhaskararaman through Mumbai-based Bell Tools Ltd with payments camouflaged under two invoices raised for consultancy and out-of-pocket expenses for Chinese visas-related works, the CBI FIR said, adding that the TSPL executive had later thanked Karti Chidambaram and Bhaskararaman on email.

Payment against the invoices was made by TSPL to Bell Tools Limited through cheque and then the said amount was paid in cash to Bhaskararaman, it had alleged.

"... Whereas the private company based at Mumbai was never in any kind of work relating to visas rather it was in an entirely different business of industrial knives," the agency had said in a statement.

"Information exists that Chidambaram had been on the board of Vedanta Group whereas his son Karti had taken financial favour from Sterlite Optical Technologies Limited, Mumbai (a Vedanta Group Company), which had lent Rs 1.5 crore in November 2003 to his company namely Meltraack India Limited, Chennai and the interest thereupon was waived off in August 2004 (when...P Chidambaram sworn as the Finance Minister,...)," the FIR had alleged.

It has been alleged that Karti Chidambaram and his frontman Bhaskararaman indulged in the collection of undue payments for settling the issues pending with the offices under the influence of P Chidambaram as minister in various ministries.

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Prohibitory Orders In Manipur Town To Prevent Possible Violence

The authorities in Manipur's Churachandpur district imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita in the district headquarter town for three days from Wednesday evening to prevent possible violence, according to an official order.

The office of the superintendent of police has reported there is a serious apprehension of breach of law-and-order situation in the entire town which will be detrimental to public peace and tranquillity.

The prohibitory orders will be in effect from 6 PM of Wednesday and "shall remain in force till 5 AM of 18 October 2024, or until further orders, prohibiting the unauthorised procession or unlawful assembly of five or more persons and carrying arms/ other instruments which can be used as weapons including sticks rods and stones," the order said.

A district official said that the move was necessary to pre-empt the possible clash among volunteers or groups in Churachandpur town.

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Tata Curvv Receives Full 5-Star BNCAP Crash Test Rating: Watch Video

Tata Curvv is the brand's latest addition to its Indian line-up. It is enjoying a warm response from the audience for its coupe SUV design traits. The Curvv is available with petrol, diesel, and electric powertrains, which also adds to its demand. Moreover, sporting a Tata badge also makes for a full 5-star crash test rating. And the wait for the crash test results of the Curvv now comes to an end. Bharat NCAP has released the scores for the Tata Curvv, and it comes out with flying laurels with a full 5-star crash test rating.

Tata Curvv ICE - Crash Test Results

The ICE variant of the Curvv Coupe SUV scored 29.5 points out of 32 for adult occupant protection, while it bagged 43.66/49 points for child occupant protection. The variant tested was the range-topping Accomplished+ trim. It was a diesel variant of the SUV.

The Curvv's ICE variants come equipped with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, collapsible steering column, seatbelt reminders, electronic stability control and more as standard fitment. Resultantly, it bagged a full 5-star rating for both child and adult occupant protection.

Tata Curvv EV - Crash Test Results

The Curvv EV was tested with the larger 55 kWh battery pack with a gross weight of 1,983 kilos. The electrified avatar of the Curvv scored 30.81 points out of a total of 32 points. For the child occupant protection, it bagged 44.83 points out of 49 points. While it also bagged a complete 5-star rating, the Curvv EV managed to outperform the Curvv ICE's scores.

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Climate Change Could Reduce Amazon's Methane Absorbtion By 70%: Study

Extreme temperatures and humidity driven by climate change could reduce the Amazon rainforest's capacity to absorb the greenhouse gas methane by 70 per cent, a study has found. Researchers said that under a warmer climate, the extreme rainfall and droughts projected for South America's Amazon could impact its net greenhouse gas emissions.

Often referred to as the 'lungs of the planet', the tropical rainforest lies majorly in Brazil, with parts in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, among others, and is known to be a crucial 'greenhouse gas sink' that absorbs these gases from the air.

However, 20 per cent of the Amazon region, which remains flooded for nearly half a year, releases methane, countering its ability to absorb other greenhouse gases, the researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil said. Their study is published in the journal Environmental Microbiome.

Previous studies have shown that the flooded areas of Amazon contribute up to almost 30 per cent of methane emissions from wetlands globally.

"Although it's already been shown that factors such as air temperature and seasonal flooding can influence the composition of microbial communities affecting the flow of methane in these environments. But what should we expect in the context of climate change and the projected extreme weather?" Lead author Julia Gontijo, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, US, said.

For this study, researchers took soil samples from two flooded regions of the Amazon and one from elevated forests known to absorb methane. These samples were subjected to extreme temperatures -- 27 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius -- and humidity.

They found that in the soil sample from the elevated forest methane absorbtion dropped by 70 per cent in hot and dry conditions, while methane production surged in heavy rainfall, as the soil was not used to dealing with extreme humidity.

"Within this (elevated) forest soil, an average decrease of 70 per cent in (methane) consumption potential was observed with temperature increase in dry conditions," the authors wrote.

It means that the floodplain microbiome can adapt to climate change but the upland forest microbiome is sensitive to its effects, which could cause a shift in the balance of greenhouse gas emissions in the Amazon in future, Gontijo said.

"In view of the Amazon Rainforest biome's importance in proportion to global levels, this could represent a very serious problem," she said.

She further said that in both (the) floodplains, although there were no observation of significant changes in methane emission patterns, the number of methane-producing microorganisms increased that can be a future problem.

The results could be used in framing public policies, the author added

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Trump Claims He Spoke To Israel PM Netanyahu "Two Days Ago"

Former US President Donald Trump, who is the Republican presidential candidate, said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "like two days ago."

Trump was asked when last he spoke to the Israeli leader during a Fox News interview that aired on Sunday.

"Like two days ago and he came to my house in Florida, Mar-a-Lago with his wife who was lovely," he responded.

Trump met with Netanyahu at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in July. It was their first meeting since the end of Trump's presidency.

US President Joe Biden also spoke with Netanyahu last week amid tensions with Iran. Their Wednesday call was the first known conversation between the two leaders since August. It coincided with a sharp escalation of Israel's conflict with Iran and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.

Trump called the lack of conversation between Biden and Netanyahu in nearly two months "pathetic."

"I can tell you that Bibi has been very strong," Trump said. "He's not listening to Biden."

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu have been tense, strained over the Israeli leader's handling of the war in Gaza and the conflict with Hezbollah. Israel has said it will pursue its military operations until Israelis are safe.

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Kamala Harris Makes Medical Report Public, Claims Donald Trump Refuses To Do So

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, released a letter from her doctor today that pronounced her in good health and fit for high office, in an effort to draw a contrast with her counterpart, Donald Trump.

In a memo distributed by the White House, the vice president's physician, Joshua Simmons, said Harris's most recent physical exam in April was "unremarkable," that she maintains an active lifestyle and "very healthy diet" despite a busy schedule, suffers from seasonal allergies and sporadic hives, does not use tobacco and drinks alcohol only in moderation.

"She possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief," the doctor wrote.

Harris, 59, is running against Republican Trump, 78, for the White House. She made her medical information public today in an effort to draw attention to his refusal to do so, a Harris campaign aide said.

The Harris campaign is eager to highlight the former president's age since he became the oldest candidate in the race after President Joe Biden, 81, stepped aside as the Democratic standard bearer following a poor debate performance against Trump.

Locked in a very tight race. Harris' campaign hopes that contrasting her comparative youth and mental acuity with Trump's more advanced age and tendency to meander, along with the differences in transparency between the two, will help convince undecided voters that she is more fit for office than he.

A White House doctor said in 2018 when Trump was in office that he was in overall excellent health then but needed to shed weight and start a daily exercise routine.

Simmons said Harris's allergies had been well-managed with over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Her urticaria or hives were "sporadic and transient and do not seem to be triggered by any particular exposure nor are they associated with other symptoms" and respond well to antihistamine treatment.

Harris has been on allergen immunotherapy for the last three years, dramatically improving her allergy and urticaria symptoms and negating her need for medication other than occasional nasal spray, he said.

Harris wears contact lenses. Her family history includes her mother's colon cancer. Harris was up to date on preventative health procedures including colonoscopy and annual mammograms, he said.
 

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