Taiwan detects 27 Chinese aircraft, seven vessels near its airspace, water

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by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Taiwan detected 27 Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels around the strait until 6 am (local time) on Thursday.

Taipei, May 16: Taiwan detected 27 Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels around the strait until 6 am (local time) on Thursday.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that 19 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwest sector and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

It further stated that the Taiwanese Armed Forces have "responded accordingly."

"27 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. 19 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's SW and eastern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," Taiwan's Ministry of national Defence stated in a post on X.

The increased activity in the Taiwan Strait region comes amid growing geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China, as reported by Taiwan News.

Taiwan has long been a point of contention for Beijing, which considers the island a renegade province and has repeatedly expressed intentions to reunify it with the mainland, even if by force.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has issued daily reports on Chinese military activities for the past few years, including identifying those Chinese aircraft, drones, and balloons that are found to have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line to the Taiwan side.

The median line of the Taiwan Strait served for decades as a tacit border between China and Taiwan, but China's military has more freely sent aircraft, warships and drones across it since former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

The MND earlier informed that it has tracked Chinese military aircraft 126 times and naval vessels 62 times in May so far.

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.

Grey zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force," Taiwan News reported.

(ANI)

TN Fireworks Manufacturers Sell Rs 6,000 Crore Worth Of Fireworks For Diwali

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Chennai, Oct 31: The Tamil Nadu Fireworks Manufacturers Association has reported that firecracker factories in Sivakasi, located in the state's Virudhunagar district, have sold firecrackers worth Rs 6,000 crore across the country for the Diwali festival.

However, association leaders noted that the century-old fireworks industry in Sivakasi faced a significant decline in production this year. This decrease is primarily due to the Supreme Court’s reiteration of its ban on barium nitrate, a key ingredient in firecracker manufacturing, and additional restrictions on joined crackers - sets of individual firecrackers connected by a fuse, allowing them to ignite in succession when one cracker is lit.

Business owners in Sivakasi told IANS that production has dropped by at least 30 per cent due to the restrictions on joined crackers. According to fireworks manufacturers, over 300 factories in Sivakasi and neighbouring villages produce joined crackers.

A.P. Selvarajan from Kaliswari Fireworks said: "Sound crackers account for 40 per cent of the total production in Sivakasi. Of those sound products, around 20 per cent were joined crackers."

He added that many manufacturers of joined crackers have kept their factories closed for months, resulting in workers migrating to other factories.

Additionally, heavy rains in parts of Sivakasi further impacted production, reducing the output to about 75 per cent of the usual volume.

Approximately 4 lakh workers from 1,150 fireworks factories in Sivakasi were involved in producing Rs 6,000 crore worth of firecrackers this year.

Sivakasi is considered the hub of India’s firecracker industry, producing around 70 per cent of the country’s firecrackers.

However, it is also worth noting that several accidents have occurred during the manufacturing process, leading to loss of life. In 2024 alone, Sivakasi saw 17 accidents that resulted in 54 fatalities.

--IANS

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IPL 2025 Retentions: Netizens Welcome Dhoni After CSK Retain 'Thala'

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

New Delhi, Oct 31: Cricket fans on social media expressed their delight after MS Dhoni -- the 43-year-old legendary wicketkeeper-batter -- was retained for INR 4 crore by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Thursday.

For the records, barring 2016 and 2017 when he played for Rising Pune Supergiant when the Super Kings were going through a suspension period, Dhoni hasn’t moved from CSK.

“What a super Diwali for Dhoni fans. He will be there in IPL 2025. Great dedication to play,” one fan wrote. Another fan said, “Hero is back. Legend Dhoni will rule again."

Dhoni holds the record for playing most matches in the history of the IPL. In 264 matches since his debut back in 2008, Dhoni has scored 5243 runs at an average of 39.12 with a top score of 84 not out. Apart from the IPL, the veteran also led CSK to glory in the Champions League T20.

Earlier on Thursday, CSK decided to exercise the infamous 'uncapped player' rule to retain Dhoni as they also decided to keep hold of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja for 18 crores, Matheesha Pathirana for 13 and Shivam Dube for 12.

All the ten Indian Premier League franchises have announced their list of retained players ahead of the 2025 auction. Notably, three major captains Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer will be entering the auction.

--IANS

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One Dead, Two Critical In Firecracker Explosion In Puri

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Puri, Oct 31: In what came as first fatal cracker mishap, a person was killed and two others sustained critical injuries in firecracker explosion in Puri district this evening.

The deceased has been identified as Bula Rout..

According to the information, firecrackers caught fire and exploded while three people were making crackers in ha house at Rout Sahi under the Puri Sadar police station. The three were rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital soon. However, they were later shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital because of their critical condition.