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NIA to probe flydubai flight hijack bid as it involves Indian national

Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar of flydubai flight (File Pic)

New Delhi, Oct 10 (NVI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started an investigation into the hijacking attempt of flydubai flight number 1073 in the Saudi airspace on September 30, which was averted by the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar.

The Indian federal anti-terror investigative agency is empowered to probe terror cases on foreign soil if the incident involves Indian citizens, which in this case involves Smit Machchhar.

The NIA has registered a case under section 6 of the anti-hijacking act, 2016 and sections of unlawful activities prevention act or UAPA to probe a “larger conspiracy”, officials said.

“On September 30, it was reported that the Omani first officer of flydubai flight number 1073, piloted by Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, stabbed the captain during the flight in an apparent attempt to hijack or cause it to crash. As a result of the attack, captain Smit Machchhar sustained deep cuts to his head and hands,” the first information report (FIR) filed by NIA on Friday states.

According to the FIR, flight 1073 had departed from Dubai on September 30 at 7:05 am with 174 passengers and six crew members and diverted rapidly and turned back into Saudi airspace while flying near the Jordon-Saudi Arabia border at around 9.21 am.

The first officer, an Omani pilot Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly stabbed Machchhar during the flight “in an apparent attempt to hijack or crash the plane but was overwhelmed and restrained by passengers and crew”.

The act involves “commission of offences against an Indian national – Machchhar”, the FIR states.

The FIR says Machchhar sustained deep cuts to the head and hands as a result of the attack.

“..and whereas the Indian government is of the opinion that a scheduled offence under the NIA act has been committed and the case is related to attack on an Indian national with an apparent attempt to hijack or crash the plane flydubai flight 1073 on September 30, and having regard to the gravity of the offence, its grave national and international ramifications, and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy, the matter requires investigation by NIA,” it further said.

Hammami allegedly planned a 9/11 style attack before he was stopped by Machchhar and later tackled by some passengers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for averting a “9/11-type tragedy”. Israel has even announced the Presidential award for civilian heroism. (NVI)

Trump Strikes Deal with Putin, says US to receive diesel from Russia

Trump says ceasefire still holds after fighting between the US and Iran flares
US President Donald Trump (File pic)

New Delhi, Oct 10 (NVI) US President Donald Trump has said he had struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia, marking a shocking turnaround of America’s position regarding the war in Ukraine.

Trump said on social media that he struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call.

He announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”

Russia will deliver an additional 3 million tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote.

Trump’s shocking announcement was in stark contrast to a sweeping Russia sanctions law he signed last month that aimed at clamping down on the oil and gas revenues that fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ironically, Trump has imposed sanctions on countries, including India, for importing fuel from Russia, claiming that it was helping Moscow to sustain the war against Ukraine.

In a lengthy post online reacting to the deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia would repay it “with further terror and perfidy.” He cast it as an investment in the war, allowing it to be prolonged.

“It plays into Russia’s hands — allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,” he said.

According to a statement released by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, Zelenskyy called it “a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners.”

Trump announced the deal as his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting with Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the war.

“I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” Zelenskyy said. (NVI)

Trump furious at Norway for not awarding him Nobel Peace Prize

Trump After Hilton Shooting: Momentary Sympathy Or Limited Political Impact?
US President Donald Trump (file pic)

New Delhi, Oct 10 (NVI) US President Donald Trump has slammed Norway for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he had settled 8 wars, including one between India and Pakistan, and deserved as many prizes.

Addressing a rally in Syracuse, New York, Trump also claimed to have saved 50 million lives by preventing nuclear-armed India and Pakistan from going to war.

“The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t. And this is an indelible stain on the country of Norway, and those people that made such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision,” Trump said.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilisation. We will not forget, Norway, that you didn’t give this prize,” he added.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, the South African former UN human rights chief, for her work on justice and accountability for war crimes and genocide. Trump dismissed her as someone “nobody ever heard of”.

“The Nobel Prize was given out today (Friday) to a liberal person who works at the United Nations, who nobody has ever heard of. I’ve never heard of the person, but congratulations anyway,” Trump said.

He then listed the conflicts he claimed to have resolved, adding that he was working to end two more — the wars involving Iran and Russia and Ukraine.

“We will not forget Norway, that you didn’t give this prize with the greatest record in history — eight wars, we should have had 8 Nobel Prizes for each war — but that you didn’t give the Nobel Prize for Peace to the United States of America,” Trump said.

Trump also claimed to have prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and averting a wider conflict.

“Additionally, I stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon and blowing up the entire Middle East and ultimately far beyond the Middle East, including Europe, perhaps the US and I saved more lives than anyone in history,” he said.

Four US presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Obama won the award in 2009, his first year in office.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Obama’s Nobel win, arguing that his predecessor “got a prize for doing nothing”. (NVI)

Indian man sentenced in Paris for child sex abuse

New Delhi, Oct 10: A 29-year-old Indian man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Paris for his alleged involvement in an international criminal network that targeted vulnerable children in the U.S., Britain and Canada and coerced them into producing violent and sexual videos.

The child victims were recruited via the online platform Discord to become “slaves” to a group known as CVLT, according to the Associated Press which cited court documents.

At least three other members of the group have been arrested in the U.S.

Rohan Rane, one of the international online group’s leaders, was found guilty of sexual extortion and acts of torture against a minor, according to lawyer Hippolyte Marquetty, representing five U.S. victims.

The 20-year sentence was the maximum possible for the charges he faced.

Rane showed no reaction when the jury’s verdict was announced Friday night, according to those in the courtroom.

Judges had ordered the trial held behind closed doors in a rare move because the case involves abuse of children.

Following alerts from U.S. authorities, Rane was arrested by police in Antibes in southern France in 2021.

While he initially claimed the situation was a “misunderstanding,” court documents show that he later admitted to being the administrator of the Discord group and stated that he enjoyed watching violent videos, specifically those depicting murders, self-harm and corpses.

A lawyer for five U.S. victims, Hippolyte Marquetty, described “extremely damaging consequences for the victims; they have shattered lives.”

“What the victims expect from the court is a sentence that matches the severity of the actions,” Marquetty told The Associated Press.

“And a sentence that, in some way, also protects society a bit and says no, this is truly unacceptable, and prevents this man from being released immediately and potentially reoffending.”

Rane’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

Rane, originally from the Indian city of Pune, was studying in France at the time. French authorities chose to complete criminal proceedings in France before considering extradition.

An examination of videos found on his computer and phone showed young girls engaging in self-harm on his orders, including carving the name “Rohan” or swastikas into their skin or damaging their genitals, according to the court documents. (NVI)

CJP, political leaders among thousands detained to foil Delhi protest

Protest in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 10 (NVI) Thousands of people protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar tried to reach Jantar Mantar in Delhi today but the police made extensive efforts to stop them.

Delhi Police detained protesters, including several leaders of political parties and activist group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) which had given a call for the agitation today.

The protesters were detained across the New Delhi area and other districts, where police are using drones to monitor movement of people attempting to reach the protest site.

The protesters were detained from several places, including near Regal Cinema, Minto Bridge and near Akashwani Bhawan.

CJP founder Abhijit Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained inside their aircraft after they  landed in Delhi from Mumbai for the proposed protest.

Police also detained AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, TMC leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

AISA president Neha Bora, activists Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were detained near INA Market while attempting to march to Jantar Mantar.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained at his residence in Gurugram ahead of the proposed CJP protest. Rathee, who lives abroad, had travelled to India to join the demonstration against the CEC.

Ahead of the proposed protest, over 600 people were also detained across all the districts of the national capital as part of preventive measures.

Amid Delhi Police’s crackdown on protesters in the national capital, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that India is “not a democracy” anymore but a “dictatorship” run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Congress general secretary said all those who are colluding with them to subvert democracy are committing treason against the nation.

“First they rough up 254 MPs and detain them completely illegally, infringing on their basic constitutional rights; they do the same to other protesters from Opposition parties, Priyanka Gandhi said.

“Then they lay siege to the national capital, barricading it and sealing it on all sides, stopping trains and metros, cutting the internet and placing check posts all over. They bash up and detain young men and women exercising their constitutional right to protest,” she said.

“If this isn’t proof that they have cheated the elections in collusion with the Election Commission, and are terrified that the illegitimacy of their government is being exposed and accountability is being demanded, then what is?” she said.

“India is not a democracy anymore. It is a dictatorship being run by Mr Narendra Modi and Mr Amit Shah,” she reiterated.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at the Modi government over the detentions by Delhi police, saying it has turned the ‘mother of democracy’ into a ‘muzzled democracy’.

The Congress chief alleged that the cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today.

“Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, You Tubers, content creators, everyone who is questioning this regime are being detained,” Kharge said on X.

“Modi government has turned the ‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’!” he said.

Detentions, arrests, jails, lathis and pellets cannot deter the people of India, the Congress chief asserted.

“Since the days of our Freedom struggle, the youth have been at the forefront of shaping the nation’s destiny,” he said.

The Congress Party, along with the united Opposition, will fight “this tyrannical regime, tooth and nail”, Kharge said.

“We shed our blood to win India’s freedom. We will continue to fight, with every ounce of our strength, to defend our Democracy, our Constitution and the fundamental rights of every Indian,” Kharge said.

BJP leader Sambit Patra said the protest was meant to take the city “hostage” and it turned out to be a “flop show”.

He accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy in cahoots with foreign powers.

It was a victory of democracy over the mobocracy, Patra said, after hundreds of youths and several politicians who headed to the Jantar Mantar protest site were detained by the police.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Patra called Gandhi a “nalayak” leader, condemning his Friday remarks that President Droupadi Murmu did not deny the INDIA bloc’s “vote chori” allegation at a meeting. (NVI)

J&K Govt Transfers 100 Police Officers in Major Reshuffle

Srinagar, Oct 10 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered the transfer and posting of 100 senior police officers across the Union Territory with immediate effect as part of a major administrative reshuffle, officials said.

According to a Home Department order, the reshuffle covers officers belonging to the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Jammu and Kashmir Police Service (JKPS), with changes across district police units, ranges, traffic police, intelligence wings and specialised formations.

Senior IPS officer Danesh Rana, who was awaiting posting, has been appointed Managing Director of the J&K Police Housing Corporation, relieving S J M Gillani of the additional charge.

 

Garib Dass, Director of the Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA), Udhampur, has been posted as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Homeguards, Civil Defence and SDRF. Dr Mohd Haseeb Mughal will replace him as the director of the police academy.

Abdul Jabbar has been appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Armed Police Jammu, while Shahid Mehraj Rather has been posted as IGP, Technical Services J&K, retaining the additional charge of Director, Police Telecommunications.

Rayees Mohammad Bhat has been transferred from the post of DIG, CID Kashmir, to DIG, CID Headquarters J&K.

At the range and directorate levels, Shiv Kumar Sharma has been posted as DIG Railways, Swarn Singh Kotwal as DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, Zahid Naseem Manhas as DIG Armed Police Jammu and Hareesh H P as Director of the Special Security Force.

The government has also ordered changes in several district police commands.

 

Sudhanshu Dhama has been appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kupwara, replacing Syed Al Tahir Gilani, who has been posted as SSP, PCR Kashmir.

Harshal Rajesh Mahajan has been appointed SSP Ganderbal, Neha Jain SSP Sopore, Anna Sinha SSP Ramban and Vaibhav Meena SSP Poonch.

Tahir Saleem Khan has been posted as SSP Bandipora, Sajad Khaliq Bhat as SSP Handwara and Irshad Hussain Rather as SSP Awantipora.

In traffic policing, Bisma Qazi has been appointed SSP Traffic City Srinagar, replacing Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, who has been posted as Commandant of the 23rd JKAP IR Battalion.

K M Priyanka has been appointed SSP Traffic National Highway, while Master Popsy has been posted as SSP Rural Traffic Jammu.

Anand Kumar Mishra has been appointed head of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), J&K.

The order also includes transfers and postings of several commandants of Armed Police and India Reserve battalions, besides changes in intelligence wings, training institutions and other police formations.

The transfers and postings will take effect immediately, the order said.—(NVI)

Two killed, 21 injured as passenger vehicle plunges into gorge in J&K’s Rajouri

Jalgaon

Shivam Bakshi

Rajouri, Oct 9 (NVI): Two people were killed and 21 others injured after a passenger vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Friday evening, officials said.

The accident occurred at around 6 p.m. in the Moghla area under the jurisdiction of Triyath Police Post. The occupants were reportedly returning after visiting Marchola village to offer condolences following a death when the vehicle met with the accident.

Soon after the incident, locals and police personnel launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Moghla for treatment.

According to hospital records, Balbir Singh, 45, son of Suram Singh, and Pritam Singh, son of Sant Ram, both residents of Moghla, were brought dead to the hospital.

The 21 injured include men, women and elderly persons, most of them residents of Moghla. They were identified as Kaushal Singh, 23; Joginder Singh, 80; Ambika Sharma, 45; Kaushalya Devi, 65; Babli Devi, 30; Kamal Singh, 55; Digpal Singh, 50; Sanjay Kumar, 30, a resident of Thalka; Rano Devi, 61; Shardi Devi, 60; Darshana Devi, 35; Sudesh Kumar, 50; Satya Devi, 70, a resident of Badhog; Bindo Devi, 35; Satvir Singh, 60; Parvez Singh, 65; Bimla Devi, 60; Neelam Devi, 40; Joginder Singh, 45; Sundar Singh, 60; and Sanyogita Kumari, 55.

Kalakote-Sunderbani MLA Thakur Randhir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kalakote Mohammad Tanveer and Block Medical Officer Kalakote Dr Iqbal Malik visited the hospital and enquired about the condition of the injured. They also reviewed the medical facilities being provided to them.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tanveer said some of the injured, whose condition was serious, had been referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri and Narayana Hospital in Katra for specialised treatment. The remaining injured were undergoing treatment, he said.

The Chief Minister expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. He directed the district administration to expedite rescue operations and ensure the best possible treatment for all the injured.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident.—(NVI)

 

NIA chargesheets arrested accused, three killed JeM terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar attack case

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Oct 9 (NVI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a chargesheet against an arrested accused and three Pakistani terrorists killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district earlier this year, officials said.

The 535-page chargesheet was filed before a special NIA court in Jammu in connection with a February 22 terror attack in Chatroo’s Wani Mohalla area of Passer Kote, the agency said.

The arrested accused, identified as Maneer Ahmed, a resident of Naidgam in Chatroo area of Kishtwar, has been charged with allegedly harbouring and concealing terrorists involved in attacks on security forces and civilians, the agency said.

The chargesheet also names three killed terrorists, including Saifullah, alias Saifullah Kashmiri, alias Atiq Nazir, alias Atiq Ur Rehman, a Pakistani national and commander of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

According to the NIA, the attack involved three terrorists affiliated with Kashmir Tigers, also known as the Azrael Group, which operates under JeM. All three were killed in retaliatory firing by security forces.

The group was active in the upper reaches of Kishtwar district and was allegedly involved in several attacks that resulted in the deaths of security personnel and civilians, the agency said.

The investigation has established the alleged role of Ahmed in providing support to the terrorist group, it said.

The NIA said its investigation, spanning nearly five months, traced the conspiracy behind the attack to Pakistan. The agency has invoked relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other penal provisions relating to waging war against India and criminal conspiracy.

Further investigation in the case is underway, the agency said.—(NVI)

 

India slams US Vice President Vance for ‘indentured servants’ remarks

Logo of External Affairs Ministry

New Delhi, Oct 9 (NVI) India has said the US decision to restrict a key Green Card processing progamme for major Indian IT firms does “not advance the shared ambitions of both countries” and slammed American Vice President J.D. Vance for terming immigrants as “indentured servants”.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said here that Vance’s remarks against the highly skilled immigrants were “unwarranted and deeply offensive”.

The Trump administration last night announced suspension of the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme for eight IT majors and launched probes into several universities, a decision that comes amid continuing strain in India-US ties.

The companies facing the action are Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, Adobe, Capgemini and Cognizant.

The PERM is widely considered as a pathway for permanent residency and citizenship in the US.

The US decision to freeze the programme is expected to affect thousands of Indian technology professionals who rely on employer-sponsored green cards for permanent residency in the US after entering on H-1B visas.

“It should also be clear that talent mobility adds value to both economies. While it creates opportunities for Indians, it equally helps US companies with cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness and job creation, besides creating shareholder wealth in the US,” the MEA said.

“This is therefore an area of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries and our expectation is that all stakeholders in this process can appreciate this fact. The steps announced by the US do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries,” it said.

New Delhi also took strong objection to Vance’s remarks on foreign professionals serving in the US.

“We have also seen some comments in this context by the US Vice President. We believe that such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the US are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem,” it said.

“Indeed, the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity,” the MEA said in a statement.

“Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” it added.

The MEA said it will continue to follow developments around this issue.

In its reaction, Microsoft said 80 per cent of the 6000 H1-B visa applications it had submitted last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees and not to hire new people.

“We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the US are Americans. We look forward to providing the administration with additional information,” Microsoft said.

“For example, of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80 per cent were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. These were not to hire new people,” it said.

The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the US who decided to come work for us, and they equal only one per cent of the US workforce.

“They are not new arrivals to our country,” Microsoft said.

Microsoft only files H-1B petitions for those who meet the rigorous standards of this visa category, the company said.

It said suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency and Green card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.

US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling, announcing the new measures, said on Thursday that ‘We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies’.

Vance slammed the IT firms recruiting foreign workers.

“I am sure that everyone here understands the game that is being played.”

“Bring in indentured servants from outside the country, you lay off American workers and if you’re a corporation, you make a ton of money by undercutting the wages of American workers, replacing them with people who probably should not be in the United States of America to begin with,” he said.

The latest US move is likely to further strain the bilateral ties following a major downturn triggered by punitive tariffs imposed by Washington, DC last year, as well as President Donald Trump’s assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the May 2025 India-Pakistan military clashes, which drew sharp reactions from Indian officials.

Washington, DC’s decision to increase H1B visa fees additionally contributed to the slide in bilateral relations.

However, both sides have made deliberate efforts in recent months to repair the relationship and actively move forward toward finalising a trade deal but there was no success on the trade pact.

In another move, the US lawmakers passed a bill that provides for slapping punitive tariffs of up to 100 per cent on top Russian crude oil importing nations including India. Trump has already signed it. (NVI)

Indian Navy to commission indigenous anti-submarine warfare vessel Mangrol on Oct 12

Mumbai, Oct 9 (NVI): The Indian Navy is set to commission its third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), Mangrol, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on October 12, officials said.

The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, and attended by senior naval and defence officials, representatives of the Ministry of Defence, CSL and indigenous defence equipment manufacturers.

Built with over 80 per cent indigenous content, Mangrol reflects India’s growing capabilities in warship design, construction and integration of advanced weapons and sensors, in line with the Centre’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

The vessel is designed to detect and counter underwater threats in coastal and shallow waters, where larger warships may face operational limitations.

It is equipped with the Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System, enabling it to undertake anti-submarine warfare operations.—(NVI)

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