Two ex-IAF pilots among 3 dead in chopper crash Two former IAF pilots and an engineer were killed after a helicopter crashed and caught fire near Pune city on Wednesday. The chopper took off from a golf course near Pune and was headed to Juhu when it crashed. Primary information pointed to fog as the cause of the accident. A detailed probe is underway, police said. The Agusta 109 helicopter belonged to Delhi-based Heritage Aviation. At the time of the crash, it was on hire by the Nationalist Congress Party bengaluru l Thursday l October 03, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Iran’s oil rigs, Nuke sites could face retaliatory Israel strikes Biden advises against hitting N-sites; 8 IDF men killed in S Lebanon Agencies ISRAEL is reportedly gearing up to launch a blistering counter-attack to cripple Iran, which fired over 180 ballistic missiles on Tuesday in a major escalation of tensions in West Asia. According to reports in Israeli media, Iran’s strategic infrastructure, especially oil rigs, will be targeted. Also on the table are direct attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, said news reports citing Israeli officials. The development further complicates Israel’s multi-front war as the country is advancing its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon while still mounting attacks in Gaza to kee p Hamas militants down. On Wednesday, Israel said it lost eight soldiers in southern Lebanon during a ground offensive against Hezbollah. In Gaza, Israeli ground and air operations reportedly killed over 50 people. Meanwhile, Israel’s foreign minister said he would bar UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’s entry into his country because of bias. Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a crucial meeting with security chiefs at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. The meeting, held hours before the Rosh Hashanah holiday to mark the Jewish New Year, is learnt to People climb on the debris of an Iranian missile intercepted by Israel, near Arad, southern Israel | AP Avoid all non-essential travel to Iran: MEA In the wake of the escalating tensions, India on Wednesday advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs also urged the Indian nationals presently residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran have discussed and decided Israel’s response to Iran’s attack. Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett also called for a strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and energy facilities. “We have the justification. We have the tools,” he wrote on X. US news site Axios reported that Israel has plans to take out Iran’s air defence systems and also set off targeted assassinations. An attack on Iranian oil facilities could push back the country’s economy by years, while destroying the air defence systems would make it more vulnerable. Political assassinations, if carried out, might set the stage for a regime change in Iran. If Iran’s nuclear facilities are hit, experts fear it will push the conflict to a no-return point. On Wednesday US President , Joe Biden said he will not support an Israeli attack on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme. “The answer is no,” he said when asked if he would support such retaliation. P11 Over-the-counter sale ban on morning-after pill soon S i n d u j a J a n e @ Chennai The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is likely to recommend a ban on the over-the-counter (OTC) sale of all hormonal contraceptive drugs, including oral emergency contraceptive pills (ECP). An expert sub-committee formed by CDSCO is all set to recommend that the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules of 1945 be suitably amended to make them prescription-only drugs. This newspaper has learnt that the panel will soon submit a report. At present, under the National Reproductive and Child Health Programme, the Drug Controller General of India Other hormonal contraceptives (DGCI) allows the sale of 0.75 available OTC include the Commg tablets of Levonorgestrel bined Oral Contraceptive (conwithout prescription as an taining estrogen and progestin, emergency contrace ptive. it is taken daily) and the ProECPs, better known as the gestin Only Pill (also taken morning-after pill, were intro- daily). duced in India Interestingly, in 2002 and the six-member press can prevent a expert subclusive committee was pregnancy if taken within for med after 72 hours of the Tamil Nadu unprotected sex. government proposed a ban on Experts say the availability the OTC sale of hormonal conof the drug OTC help prevent traceptives citing “its irrationunwanted pregnancies and al usage” at the 62nd Drugs avert abortions. However, in Consultative Committee meetTamil Nadu, and other parts of ing held in September 2023. The India, ECPs are notoriously dif- sub-committee’s mandate was ficult to access at pharmacies. to study the issue and make a recommendation on whether such a ban is needed. Dr Pinkee Saxena, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Lady Hardinge Medical College, is the chair of the subcommittee. Its other members include M N Sridhar, Joint Director of Drugs Control cum Controlling Authority (incharge), and a representative from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A highly-placed source privy to the deliberations said the panel it is overwhelmingly in favour of making prescriptions from a physician mandatory for the purchase of contraceptives, including ECPs. Continued on: P9 MUDA case: Snehamayi to appear before ED today E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Mysuru The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, who has filed a complaint against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over irregularities in allotment of sites by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), to appear before it on Thursday . Confirming this, Krishna told TNIE that the ED has summoned him for an inquiry at its Bengaluru office. “I will go there with all documents and records in connection with the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002,” he said. Meanwhile, the Third Additional Civil and JMFC Court here has issued a non-bailable warrant against Krishna for failing to appear before it in a cheque bounce case. The case was filed against him on June 30, 2015, by one Kumar. Krishna could not attend the court hearing on Tuesday as he had to appear before the Mysuru Lokayukta Police officers, who are probing the MUDA case against Siddaramaiah and other accused. “I will attend the next court hearing,” he said. dasara begins Mysuru has been decked up for the ten-day Dasara festivities, which will be inaugurated by writer Ham Pa Nagarajaiah, atop Chamundi Hills on Thursday | Udayashankar S | P4 express read Delhi police seize drugs worth Rs 5,800 crore New Delhi: The Special Cell of the Delhi police busted an international drug cartel and seized contraband worth Rs 5,820 crore in what is billed as the biggest haul in the national capital. Over 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana were seized. While the kingpin of the cartel is said to be in Dubai, the police have arrested four local players | P10
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