The Catch Up: 2 October

Oct 2, 2024

Tensions soar as Israel conducts operations against Hezbollah, destabilizing the border region with airstrikes. Simultaneously, Iran escalates conflict by launching missiles at Tel Aviv. On a brighter note, 67 Indian nationals caught in a job scam in Cambodia have been rescued, sparking relief and gratitude. The discussion also touches on a tragic helicopter crash in Pune and major political shifts in Kerala, alongside new forestry management guidelines. A dynamic blend of crisis and hope fills this intriguing conversation.

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Global and Local News Roundup: Tensions, Rescues, and Tragedies

00:00 • 3min

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 2nd of October and here are the headlines.

Israel’s military Wednesday said it is engaged in “close-range” operations in southern Lebanon and dismantled Hezbollah’s infrastructure through precision-guided munitions. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) added that “over 150 terrorist infrastructure sites have been destroyed in air strikes, including Hezbollah’s HQ, weapon storage facilities, and rocket launchers.” Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it was clashing with Israeli troops in the border town of Maroun el-Ras after it had pushed back forces near another border town. The group said it had also fired rockets at military posts inside Israel. This comes at a time when the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated following Tehran firing a barrage of missiles at Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

67 Indians trapped in job scams in Cambodia have now been rescued, the Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh announced today. While 39 of them have already reached India, 28 others will be leaving Cambodia soon, it added. THe embassy in a statement declared: “The Embassy of India, Phnom Penh has been actively engaged in rescuing and repatriating Indian nationals trapped in fraudulent job offers obtained through fake agents, who lure them into cyber crime in scam compounds. On 22 September, following specific leads by the Embassy, the Cambodian Police rescued 67 such Indian nationals from Poipet."

Three people were killed this morning when the helicopter they were flying in crashed in the Bavdhan area of Pune while on its way to Mumbai. Vinoykumar Choubey, Police Commissioner, Pimpri Chinchwad, confirmed the deaths. According to the police, the deceased have been identified as Girishkumar Pillai, Pritamchand Bharadwaaj, and Paramjeet.

Days after CPI(M) said it had “snapped all ties” with Left-backed legislator PV Anvar, another party-backed independent legislator and former minister KT Jaleel today said he would quit electoral politics after the term of the current Kerala Assembly ends in 2026. Addressing the media in Malappuram, Thavanur MLA Jaleel said: “I have no commitment to any party, be it CPI(M) or Congress. But I will continue to cooperate with the CPI(M). I agree with certain issues raised by PV Anvar. At the same time, I disagree with him on certain other issues”.

The Centre has said that in emergencies where the state forest department lacks the necessary technical expertise, other government departments may be allowed to carry out forestry activities in forests to prevent natural disasters. The Union Environment Ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines detailing steps that can be taken to prevent or manage natural disasters in forest areas. The guidelines were issued after Uttarakhand’s chief secretary wrote to the ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority, asking them to explore and evolve effective measures for areas prone to frequent forest fires.

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.