logo
LDF free of dubious links unlike UDF with JEI: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

LDF free of dubious links unlike UDF with JEI: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Time of India15 hours ago

Kozhikode: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on UDF for accepting the support of Welfare Party, the political arm of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) in Nilambur.
Calling it a highly opportunistic move, he accused UDF of allying with anyone opposing LDF, regardless of the dangers it poses to society.
At LDF campaigns in Chungathara and Moothedam on Friday, he said a desperate Congress and UDF, rattled by the growing public support for LDF, had abandoned their earlier positions. He said it's hard to digest that Congress leadership took the stand without the knowledge of IUML leadership and asked what was the reason for the party to ditch its earlier stand on the matter.
"For nine years, they were not in power and now they are willing to join hands with anyone for votes," he said.
"Some sections were kept away because of their stand on various issues. JEI is one such organization. When they (UDF) reached a point where they can no longer hold ground on their own, they chose to blatantly align with anyone," alleged Vijayan, adding that our society is capable of recognizing the same.
Vijayan said everyone knows that LDF would not venture into such unholy agreements.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
"We have always made it clear that LDF does not need the support of divisive, sectarian or communal forces," he added.
Vijayan said it would be good for IUML's leadership to remember why the then heads of Panakkad Thangal family did not attend the programmes organized by institutions affiliated to JEI. "It was because they knew what JEI is," he added.
Vijayan came down heavily on AICC general secretary KC Venugopal for his alleged comment that LDF govt was trying to turn the distribution of welfare pensions into a bribe before bypolls. "What kind of bankruptcy is that? It reflects the anti-poor mindset of Congress. But LDF govt will go ahead with whatever it announced and disburse amounts at appropriate time," he added.
Vijayan reiterated his 'betrayal' remarks in a reference to former Left-backed independent MLA PV Anvar saying that the byelection was forced on the people due to his actions.
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fractured front: Why Iran's key allies Hezbollah and Iraqi militias stayed quiet after Israel's strike
Fractured front: Why Iran's key allies Hezbollah and Iraqi militias stayed quiet after Israel's strike

First Post

timean hour ago

  • First Post

Fractured front: Why Iran's key allies Hezbollah and Iraqi militias stayed quiet after Israel's strike

Hezbollah has long been considered Iran's first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. But since Israel launched its massive barrage against Iran this week, the Lebanese militant group has stayed out of the fray. read more When Israel launched a sweeping assault on Iran last week, employing warplanes, drones and covert assets to strike nuclear and military targets, the absence of a robust response from Iran's closest regional allies raised eyebrows across West Asia. Hezbollah in Lebanon, often referred to as Iran's first line of defence in any confrontation with Israel, remained conspicuously silent. So too did powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq, even as Israel allegedly used Iraqi airspace in part to conduct its attacks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Andreas Krieg, a military analyst and associate professor at King's College London, Hezbollah has suffered significant strategic degradation. 'Hezbollah has been degraded on the strategic level while cut off from supply chains in Syria,' Krieg told AP. The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a vital conduit for Iranian arms, during a lightning rebel offensive in December, further weakened Hezbollah's capacity to act. The Iraqi militias, meanwhile, have grown more politically and economically embedded in Baghdad's government. Unlike Hezbollah, whose military arm operates independently despite its political presence in Lebanon's parliament, many Iraqi militias are officially part of the state's defence structure. 'Things in Iraq are good for them right now, they're connected to the state – they're benefitting politically, economically,' Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank, told AP. 'And also they've seen what's happened to Iran, to Hezbollah and they're concerned that Israel will turn on them as well.' Both Hezbollah and the Iraqi militias have issued condemnations. Hezbollah's leader Naim Kassem criticised Israel's strikes and mourned the deaths of senior Iranian officers. But he did not indicate that the group would retaliate. Similarly, Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah distinct from Lebanon's Hezbollah, called it 'deeply regrettable' that Israeli jets may have used Iraqi airspace, and demanded the removal of 'hostile forces' (i.e., US troops) from Iraq. Yet no threats of force accompanied the statement. The strategic caution may stem from the heavy toll Hezbollah suffered in its recent war with Israel. Following Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza, Hezbollah launched rockets in support of its Palestinian ally. This escalated into a full-scale conflict last September in which Israel killed then-leader Hassan Nasrallah, eliminated top Hezbollah commanders, and destroyed much of its arsenal. The fighting only ceased after a US-brokered truce in November, but Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have persisted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At its peak, Hezbollah was estimated to possess some 150,000 rockets and missiles. Nasrallah once claimed it had 100,000 fighters. But the group's recent losses and logistical constraints have made its role in future conflict less assured. Many Hezbollah members, according to Krieg, feel they were 'sacrificed for Iran's greater regional interests' and are now more inclined to pursue 'Lebanon-centric' priorities. The perception that Iranian-backed groups act purely on Tehran's orders has eroded. 'It is not really an axis anymore as (much as) a loose network where everyone largely is occupied with its own survival,' Krieg told AP. Yemen's Houthi rebels, also aligned with Iran, have continued sporadic missile attacks against Israel and shipping vessels in the Red Sea. But Krieg noted they 'lack the strategic deep strike capability against Israel that Hezbollah once had.' Still, Qassem Qassir, a Lebanese analyst close to Hezbollah, said the group's involvement cannot be completely ruled out. 'This depends on political and field developments,' he told AP. 'Anything is possible.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The muted responses come amid growing regional unease after Israel's deadly retaliation for Iran's drone and missile attacks. Israel said its strikes, which killed 78 and injured more than 320 people according to Iran's U.N. ambassador, were necessary to prevent Iran from nearing a nuclear weapons capability, though US intelligence assessments reportedly indicated Iran was not actively building a bomb at the time. Israel has warned of further strikes and continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon while conducting near-daily airstrikes. The heightened tension has thrown upcoming nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington into uncertainty just days before their scheduled meeting. The long and complex history between Iran and Israel—once friends, then covert allies, now sworn enemies—makes the stakes even higher. But for now, Iran's most dependable partners in the region seem unwilling, or unable, to enter the fray.

Air India crash: High-level committee to meet Monday, submit report in 3 months; AAIB-led technical probe 'going smoothly', says Aviation Ministry
Air India crash: High-level committee to meet Monday, submit report in 3 months; AAIB-led technical probe 'going smoothly', says Aviation Ministry

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Air India crash: High-level committee to meet Monday, submit report in 3 months; AAIB-led technical probe 'going smoothly', says Aviation Ministry

The government's high-level multi-disciplinary committee for examining the causes behind the crash of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad on Thursday is set to have its first meeting on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said Saturday. Aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha that the technical investigation into the crash, being led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), is already on and 'going smoothly'. On being asked why a government committee has been constituted when the AAIB-led probe is already on, Naidu said that the AAIB investigation is technical and specific to the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, while the government's high-level committee will take a more holistic approach and look at further strengthening of the aviation safety ecosystem. The committee is headed by the Home Secretary and includes senior officials from the civil aviation ministry, home ministry, Gujarat government, the Indian Air Force, and various other departments and agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, among others. It is expected to submit its report within three months. 'The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future. The Committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future,' the civil aviation ministry said late Friday. Meanwhile, the AAIB investigation is progressing well, Naidu said. The ill-fated aircraft's flight data recorder (FDR) was found on Friday evening and is expected to provide in-depth insights into what happened in the moments leading to the crash, the deadliest aviation disaster involving an Indian aircraft in decades. FDR is one of the so-called black boxes placed on board and aircraft, and records flight data on scores of parameters. The aircraft's other black box–cockpit voice recorder (CVR)–is yet to be found. The AAIB has taken over the crash site and evidence collection is on. Naidu said that the AAIB probe will comprehensively analyse all angles and factors that could have possibly been behind the crash. The AAIB is being assisted in the probe by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) given that the aircraft was manufactured by an American company—Boeing—and was made in the US. A UK AAIB team is also going to help with the investigation, and so are Boeing and other major component manufacturers like GE (engine manufacturer). According to aircraft accident investigation protocol, the probe report should be finalised within a year. The world has its eyes set on the probe as scores of Boeing 787 aircraft are operating all over the globe, and this was the first-ever crash involving the 787. Thursday's crash claimed the lives of 241 of 242 people on board the plane that was operating Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. Lives were also lost on the ground as the plane crashed into a medical college hostel close to the Ahmedabad airport. According to flight tracking data, the signal from the aircraft was lost at an altitude of just 625 feet, moments after take-off. It then descended with a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute and crashed. According to aviation safety regulator DGCA, the pilots gave a Mayday call—signaling severe distress—to the Ahmedabad airport air traffic control (ATC) upon take-off, after which it crashed outside the airport perimeter. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More

Iran's Nuclear Sites Hobbled But Not Destroyed, Experts Say
Iran's Nuclear Sites Hobbled But Not Destroyed, Experts Say

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Iran's Nuclear Sites Hobbled But Not Destroyed, Experts Say

(Bloomberg) -- Israel's airstrikes damaged Iran's nuclear program but likely fell well short of eliminating it, experts said, presenting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US with a quandary on what to do next. The full extent of the destruction caused by the ongoing missile barrage is only starting to become clear. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that while Israel destroyed surface facilities at Iran's main nuclear-fuel site in Natanz, it hadn't yet breached the primary underground halls where uranium enrichment takes place. Natanz is a critical part of Iran's atomic program, but results from strikes on other sites — at Isfahan and Fordow — will weigh heavily on Israel's next moves. The risk for Netanyahu is that extending the military campaign could drive the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities deeper underground, ending access to UN-backed inspectors and potentially hardening Tehran's resolve. Iran responded to the attacks by targeting Israeli cities with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones from Friday evening. Successfully knocking out the Isfahan site would be significant because it's Iran's only site for converting uranium into the feedstock used by centrifuges, which in turn separate the uranium isotopes needed for nuclear power or bombs. Without capacity to convert new volumes of raw uranium, Iran's ability to produce additional quantities of enriched product would be frozen. While Iran has ample stockpiles of existing material, its ability to scale up would be limited. 'If you interrupt that piece of the flow-sheet, the fuel cycle doesn't work anymore,' said Robert Kelley, a US nuclear engineer who led inspections for the IAEA in Iraq and Libya. 'The front end of their program dies.' Israel's leaders will sift through the damage reports in coming days and decide whether to press ahead with the strikes. The campaign, a long-promised fulfillment of Netanyahu's promise to target the nuclear program, also killed nine leading scientists whose expertise was crucial for Iran's nuclear ambitions. The move has cast doubt about the future of talks between the US and Iran about a diplomatic solution to limit Tehran's atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief. A sixth round of negotiations was scheduled to take place on Sunday, but it's unclear if they will go ahead. 'There's obviously not yet a full assessment,' said Suzanne Maloney, a vice president at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. But the combination of strikes and the killing of key security and nuclear personnel is 'going to make it very difficult for Iran to reconstitute the program to the level that it was at prior to these attacks,' she said. Experts said the airstrikes will make it harder to monitor Iran's atomic activities, given UN-backed inspectors probably won't be given access to sites for a long time. The attack is also unlikely to end Tehran's nuclear program even if progress is slowed, according to Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. 'There's a real risk that Iran may divert uranium, enriched to near-weapons grade levels, to a covert location, or that due to the damage, the IAEA may not be able to account for all of Iran's nuclear materials,' Davenport said. Iran's 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of highly-enriched uranium could fit in three or four easily-concealed cylinders, according to Robert Kelley, the nuclear-weapons engineer. Concern has mounted that Iran could use the material as the feedstock for a weapon, should it follow-through on threats to opt out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty — a global initiative to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons — and kick out inspectors. Another issue is the enrichment site at Fordow, which is buried under a mountain and seen as vulnerable only to the sort of massive bunker-buster bombs that the US alone has in its arsenal. 'Israel cannot destroy Fordow without US military assistance,' Davenport said. That leads to the question of whether the administration of US President Donald Trump would join the battle to take out that site. It would be a difficult choice for the American leader, who campaigned on the idea of being a peaceful president and has repeatedly stated he favors a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear issue. 'Unlike Israel, the United States has bases near Iran, and it could conduct more devastating strikes on nuclear-related facilities as well as degrade Iranian air defenses severely,' the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a note. 'Although the Trump administration might not want to attack Iran, it might feel that doing so is better than allowing Iran to rebuild its nuclear program.' It was a conundrum that even Israeli officials acknowledged could not be resolved via bombing. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi acknowledged as much Friday, saying it was 'impossible to destroy the nuclear program with force alone.' 'The goal is to make the Iranians understand that they will have to stop the nuclear program,' Hanegbi told broadcaster Channel 12. --With assistance from Courtney McBride and Ryan Chua. More stories like this are available on

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store