5 Killed In Strikes By Israel's F-35 Jets On Iran Consulate In Syria

Israeli strikes on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital on Monday killed at least five people including a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian state media reported.

"At least five people were killed in the attack which was carried out by F-35 fighter jets," Hossein Akbari, Iran's ambassador to Damascus, said in front of the levelled building in an interview broadcast on state TV. He did not give the source of his information about the aircraft.

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Russia Demands Ukraine Hand Over Head Of Security Service, Others

Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over all persons connected with terrorist acts committed in Russia, including the head of the country's SBU Security Service, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

"Russia has turned over to Ukrainian authorities its demands...for the immediate arrest and extradition of all those connected to the terrorist acts in question," a ministry statement said, after listing a number of violent incidents in the country.

The ministry statement said those to be handed over included SBU head Vasyl Maliuk, who has acknowledged his service was behind attacks on the bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland since the Kremlin's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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NDTV Sports-Cricket

Lucknow Super Giants moved up to the fifth spot in the IPL 2024 points table with their first victory in this year's competition. Quinton De Kock, Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran contributed with the bat while debutant Mayank Yadav impressed with the ball as LSG comprehensively defeated Punjab Kings by 21 runs. As a result of the defeat, PBKS are currently sixth with 2 points from 3 matches. Chennai Super Kings are the leaders followed by Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

India unearthed a new fast-bowling star in Mayank Yadav (3/27) who stole the limelight with his searing pace amid the usual flurry of monstrous hits as Lucknow Super Giants humbled Punjab Kings by 21 runs in the IPL here on Saturday.

Asked to bat first, floater Krunal Pandya's late blitz powered LSG to a competitive 199/8.

Opener Quinton de Kock top-scored for LSG with a 38-ball 54 but it was stand-in skipper Nicholas Pooran's 21-ball 42, which infused life into his team's innings in the middle overs.

On the back of two sixes and four boundaries, Krunal then scored at a strike rate of 200 to finish on a 22-ball 43 and give his side extra cushion.

That total proved to be enough for LSG, who registered their first win of this IPL thanks to Mayank's exploits. Punjab, who ended at 178/5, missed Liam Livingstone's service as he was injured.

In the 12th over of Punjab's innings, Mayank bowled the tournament's fastest ball at 155.8 kmph.

It was Mayank's extra pace that rattled Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma and led to their downfall. He consistently clocked 150 and above on the speedometer during his four-over spell, emerging as the night's hero.

This was after the dashing opening combo of Shikhar Dhawan (70 off 50 balls) and Bairstow (42 off 29 balls) quickly got the measure of what looked like a very good surface for batting, both getting a few boundaries to set the ball rolling.

PBKS skipper Dhawan made a statement of sorts when he reverse-swept M Siddharth over backward point.

Thanks to their attacking approach, PBKS raced to 61 for no loss in the power play and continued in the same vein with Dhawan bringing up his fifty with a maximum off Ravi Bishnoi.

Bairstow was equally marauding and struck Krunal Pandya for two successive sixes as the visitors crossed 100 in the 11th over.

Bishnoi put the brakes on PBKS' scoring with a tight 11th over, giving away just three runs, and that forced Bairstow to go after Mayank but the batter miscued and ended up throwing away his wicket. It was the fast bowler's maiden IPL wicket.

Prabhsimran blazed away to a seven-ball 19 before becoming Mayank's second victim.

Dhawan tried hard to keep his team in the game, but PBKS could not keep up with the asking rate and soon, the Punjab captain too succumbed to the pressure and Jitesh failed to tackle Mayank's extra pace.

Earlier, De Kock got the LSG innings underway with a splendid drive through mid-off for a boundary.

Playing the game as 'impact player' having handed over the leadership responsibility to Nicholas Pooran, KL Rahul didn't look convincing as he tried to flick Kagiso Rabada behind square on the leg-side.

Running in from a long way, a diving Harshal Patel made a valiant attempt to latch on to the ball but Rahul was lucky as the fielder could not pull off what would have been a blinder.

At the other end, De Kock was in his elements as he flayed Rabada over point for a four in the first delivery he faced from the South African speedster.

Next ball de Kock did one better, as he opened the face of the bat to whack Rabada over the backward point boundary for a six.

Rahul drove Arshdeep Singh down the ground for a maximum, and then, smashed another delivery in a similar fashion, but that fetched him a four.

Arshdeep, however, exacted his revenged when the left-arm seamer had the LSG batter caught by Jonny Bairstow at backward point for a nine-ball 15.

Devdutt Padikkal got himself two boundaries before being dismissed by Sam Curran (3/28).

Marcus Stoinis (19) hit two sixes before being bowled by Rahul Chahar as he looked to hoick the spinner on the on-side.

That brought Pooran into the middle and the West Indian quickly got into the groove, hitting Chahar for two sixes and a four for a 20-run over, which gave LSG's run rate a much-needed impetus.

Meanwhile, De Kock brought up his half century in 34 balls but a strategic timeout broke LSG's momentum as the left-handed South African batter top-edged a short Arshdeep delivery for wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma to complete an easy catch.

Pooran kept the scoreboard moving at a good rate until he dragged a Rabada delivery onto the stumps, a big blow for LSG at a crucial juncture.

New man Krunal Pandya did not waste any time to settle down, brilliantly dispatching a short Rabada delivery over midwicket for a maximum. Curran bowled a tight 17th over to halt LSG's charge, but Krunal got a flurry of boundaries to prop up LSG.

(With PTI inputs)

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US Has Agreed To Send More Bombs, Warplanes To Israel: Report

The US in recent days authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, two sources familiar with the effort said on Friday, even as Washington publicly expresses concerns about an anticipated Israeli military offensive in Rafah.

The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources, who confirmed a report in the Washington Post.

Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel, its longtime ally.

The package comes as Israel faces strong international criticism over its continued bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza and as some members of President Joe Biden's party call for him to cut US military aid.

The United States has been rushing air defenses and munitions to Israel, but some Democrats and Arab American groups have criticized the Biden administration's steadfast support of Israel, which they say provides it with a sense of impunity.

Biden on Friday acknowledged "the pain being felt" by many Arab Americans over the war in Gaza and over US support for Israel and its military offensive.

Still, he has vowed continued support for Israel despite an increasingly public rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The White House declined comment on the weapons transfers.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decision on weapons follows a visit to Washington by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week when he discussed Israel's weapons needs with US counterparts.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gallant, apparently seeking to cool US-Israeli tensions, said he stressed the importance of US ties to his country's security and of maintaining Israel's "qualitative military edge" in the region, including its air capabilities.

The war erupted on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has retaliated by launching an air and ground assault on Hamas in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 32,000 people, health authorities in Gaza say.

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NDTV Sports-Cricket

Young fast bowler Mayank Yadav impressed on his IPL 2024 debut for Lucknow Super Giants as he bowled the fastest delivery of this year's competition. Mayank looked in good rhythm and during the 12th over of the Punjab Kings innings, he produced a 155.8 kmph delivery that left Shikhar Dhawan in a spot of bother. The 21-year-old was bought in the auction in 2022 by LSG for the base price of Rs 20 lakh but was then replaced by Arpit Guleria due to an injury. During his T20 career, he has taken 12 wickets in 10 matches while in his List A career, Mayank has taken 34 wickets in 17 matches.

Mayank represents Delhi in the domestic circuit and although he took two important wickets in the semi-finals of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023-2024, his team was defeated by Punjab.

Earlier, Krunal Pandya's late blitz powered Lucknow Super Giants to a competitive 199/8 in their Indian Premier League match against Punjab Kings.

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Relishing the raw and exciting pace of the debutant who now has wickets to his name ?#PBKS require 71 from 36 delivers

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia#TATAIPL |… pic.twitter.com/rELovBTYMz

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2024

Asked to bat first, opener Quinton de Kock top-scored for LSG with a 38-ball 54 but it was stand-in skipper Nicholas Pooran's 21-ball 42, which infused life into his team's innings in the middle overs.

On the back of two sixes and four boundaries, Krunal then scored at a strike rate of 200 to finish on a 22-ball 43 and give his side extra cushion.

De Kock got the LSG innings underway with a splendid drive through mid-off for a boundary.

Playing the game as 'impact player' having handed over the leadership responsibility to Nicholas Pooran, KL Rahul didn't look convincing as he tried to flick Kagiso Rabada behind square on the leg-side. Running in from a long way, a diving Harshal Patel made a valiant attempt to latch on to the ball but Rahul was lucky as the fielder could not pull off what would have been a blinder.

At the other end, De Kock was in his elements as he flayed Rabada over point for a four in the first delivery he faced from the South African speedster.

Next ball de Kock did one better, as he opened the face of the bat to whack Rabada over the backward point boundary for a six.

Rahul drove Arshdeep Singh down the ground for a maximum, and then, smashed another delivery in a similar fashion, but that fetched him a four.

Arshdeep, however, exacted his revenged when the left-arm seamer had the LSG batter caught by Jonny Bairstow at backward point for a nine-ball 15.

Devdutt Padikkal got himself two boundaries before being dismissed by Sam Curran.

Marcus Stoinis (19) hit two sixes before being bowled by Rahul Chahar as he looked to hoick the spinner on the on-side.

That brought Pooran into the middle and the West Indian quickly got into the groove, hitting Chahar for two sixes and a four for a 20-run over, which gave LSG's run rate a much-needed impetus.

Meanwhile, De Kock brought up his half century in 34 balls but a strategic timeout broke LSG's momentum as the left-handed South African batter top-edged a short Arshdeep delivery for wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma to complete an easy catch.

Pooran kept the scoreboard moving at a good rate until he dragged a Rabada delivery onto the stumps, a big blow for LSG at a crucial juncture.

New man Krunal Pandya did not waste any time to settle down, brilliantly dispatching a short Rabada delivery over midwicket for a maximum. Curran bowled a tight 17th over to halt LSG's charge, but Krunal got a flurry of boundaries to prop up LSG.

(With PTI inputs)

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Russia Detains Another Suspect Over Concert Hall Attack That Killed 144

A Russian court on Friday ordered another suspect charged with "terrorism" over the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall to be held in pre-trial detention.

Russia has detained 12 people in connection with the massacre.

They include the four men accused of having shot dozens of concert-goers and then set the Crocus City Hall venue on fire last week in the deadliest attack in Russia for two decades.

The Basmanny district court in Moscow said Friday it had ordered Nazrimad Lutfulloi, a Tajik citizen, to be held in pre-trial detention until 22 May.

Nine of the 12 people arrested by the Russian authorities have been sent to pre-trial detention. There has been no update on the other three.

The suspects face life in prison.

The Islamic State (IS) group has repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attack, its deadliest on European soil.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has alleged a Ukrainian and Western connection.

Russia's Investigative Committee has said it has evidence that "Ukrainian nationalists" were behind the attack and had funded the gunmen with crypto currency payments from Ukraine. 

It did not provide details of the allegations.

On Friday, it claimed the attackers had received orders from an unidentified coordinator via the Telegram messaging app, and that the gunmen had planned to flee to Ukraine to collect a reward.

Ukraine and the West have repeatedly dismissed the claims, accusing Moscow of seeking to exploit the tragedy for their own ends.

Russia's health minister said Friday that another victim had died in hospital, taking the death count from the attack to 144.

IS on Friday issued its latest claim of responsibility when it said four of its members had been arrested after the attack.

In the latest issue of its weekly Al-Nabaa magazine published Friday on Telegram channels, the group said its fighters had been hunted down by ground and air forces and captured.

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China Joins Probe Into Pak Suicide Attack That Killed 5 Chinese Nationals

Chinese investigators arrived in Pakistan on Friday to join a probe into the killing of five Chinese nationals in a suicide attack, Pakistan's interior ministry said, seeking to stem assaults threatening Islamabad's drive to modernise the economy.

Tuesday's incident was the third major attack in little over a week on China's interests in the South Asian nation, where Beijing has invested more than $65 billion in infrastructure projects as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met the Chinese team of investigators at Beijing's embassy and briefed them on the investigation so far, the statement said.

In late 2022, the two allied countries started a joint investigation into an attack that year on China's nationals and its interests, which have seen a rise in recent months.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack, in which a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project at Dasu in Pakistan's northwest, killing six people.

The bombing followed a March 20 attack on a strategic port used by China in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where Beijing has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, and a March 25 assault on a naval air base, also in the southwest. Both attacks was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of several separatist groups in Balochistan.

Dasu, the site of a major dam, has been attacked in the past, with a bus blast in 2021 killing 13 people, nine Chinese among them, although no group claimed responsibility.

Chinese contractors suspended work on three hydropower projects in view of security concerns after Tuesday's attack, a government official said, adding that it was a routine practice after such incidents.

Pakistan is home to twin insurgencies, one mounted by Islamist militants and the other by ethnic separatists who seek secession, blaming the government's inequitable division of natural resources in southwestern Balochistan province.

Chinese interests are under attack primarily by ethnic militants seeking to push Beijing out of mineral-rich Balochistan, but that area is far from the site of Tuesday's bombing.

Pakistan has set up a dedicated force of police and military to ensure security for Chinese activities, officials say.

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