Yet another US aircraft has been lost in Iraq amid the constantly evolving situation in the Middle East, following the coordinated American-Israeli strikes on Iran that started at the end of February.This time, a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft, carrying at least five personnel, went down in western Iraq on Thursday. The incident also involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire, according to the US Central Command.

“One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement.The United States, the world’s largest economy, maintains a significant military presence in the region and has surged a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to participate in ongoing operations against Iran.

KC-135 Stratotanker: Aerial refuelling workhorse of the US air force

Midair Refuelling: How it works

The KC-135 primarily uses a flying boom to transfer fuel. A boom operator, positioned at the rear of the aircraft, controls the boom during in-flight refuelling. For aircraft equipped with probes, a shuttlecock-shaped drogue trailing behind the boom allows fuel transfer. Some KC-135s feature a multipoint refuelling system with special pods on the wingtips, enabling the tanker to refuel two aircraft simultaneously.

Mission

The KC-135 Stratotanker has been the backbone of the United States air force’s aerial refuelling capability for over 60 years. It extends the air force’s global reach and supports missions for the air force, navy, marine corps, and allied nations.

In addition to refuelling, the KC-135 can transport litter and ambulatory patients on patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

Features

Powered by four turbofan engines mounted under 35-degree swept wings, the KC-135 can take off at gross weights of up to 322,500 pounds. Its cargo deck above the refuelling system can accommodate a mix of passengers and cargo, carrying up to 83,000 pounds depending on fuel storage configuration.

This marks the fourth US aircraft lost since the US and Israel began strikes against Iran on 28 February. Earlier this month, three US Air Force fighter jets were accidentally shot down in a “friendly fire” incident by Kuwaiti air defenses, though all crew members ejected safely.So far, seven US troops have been killed in the conflict, and Reuters reported on Tuesday that up to 150 US personnel have been wounded. Meanwhile, Iran’s death toll has surpassed 1,300, according to the country’s UN ambassador.

Mumbai: Bangladeshi national Mardy Liton, 38, who changed his name to Liton Das to obtain an Indian passport fraudulently, was stopped at Mumbai International Airport on March 11 at 8 am before he could board flight AI-2354 to Bangkok, Thailand, to meet his girlfriend, a Bangladeshi national working there.Sahar police said Liton was caught by immigration officials after he reached the airport from Goa, and his Indian passport was found to be red-flagged with “DRILS STATUS”, which means damage, revoke, impound, lost and stolen.Liton was stopped by assistant immigration officer Swaminath Date on suspicion after noticing the DRILS status alert and the passport issued by a border city of West Bengal. He was later arrested. When questioned, Liton confessed that he entered India illegally through the borders in 2018 and obtained the Indian passport in 2022 from West Bengal using fake Indian documents after paying Rs 50,000 to an agent, police said.Liton stayed in West Bengal and obtained the passport in 2022 before travelling to Goa, where he worked in a hotel as a waiter without being caught by local police.“The immigration officials decided to verify Liton when he went to the counter for check-in stamping to fly to Bangkok to meet his girlfriend. The officials took him for questioning when they found the alert DRILS status. It typically refers to a system or code indicating a negative or adverse action against the passport holder. When a passport is marked with a “DRILS” status (often seen as “DRILS Status (Revoked)” or “DRILS Status (Impounded)”), it means the passport is invalidated, and the holder is barred from travelling,” said a police officer of the Sahar police station.In the complaint, Date said: “The Immigration Check System observed that the said passport was issued by the Kolkata Passport Office and bore a “DRILS STATUS.” When questioned, he said he entered India from Bangladesh in 2018 via the Haridaspur Immigration Check Post. Initially, he stayed in Kolkata, West Bengal; subsequently, he informed us that he settled in Porvorim, Goa. While residing in Shantipur, West Bengal, he, with the assistance of a local agent, obtained documents serving as proof of citizenship under the name Liton Das and a passport in 2022. With the passport, he travelled to Bangladesh two times and once to Bangkok,” said the officer.

Internet personality Monalisa Bhosle, who first grabbed national attention during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, has once again made headlines after marrying actor-model Farman Khan. The couple reportedly exchanged vows at a temple in Kerala. Their marriage quickly became a talking point online, with photos and videos from the ceremony spreading widely across social media platforms.The wedding reportedly took place despite strong resistance from both families. Following the ceremony, the couple approached the Kerala Police seeking protection. Images circulating online show Monalisa dressed in a traditional red saree with sindoor, while Farman appeared in a white dhoti-kurta. The simple yet emotional ceremony has since drawn attention from fans and the public alike.

Who is Farman Khan?

Farman Khan is an actor and model from Maharashtra who has worked in regional cinema and modelling assignments. Reports suggest that he first connected with Monalisa on Facebook around a year and a half ago. What began as a casual online interaction gradually turned into a romantic bond, eventually leading the couple to take their relationship forward despite several obstacles.The couple’s relationship reportedly faced strong opposition because they come from different religious backgrounds. Monalisa’s father was particularly against the match and allegedly attempted to arrange her marriage with someone else. However, the couple chose to continue their relationship despite the pressure and remained committed to each other.As stated by Money Control, amid the family disagreement, Monalisa and Farman travelled to Thiruvananthapuram where they sought protection from the police authorities. Soon after, they decided to solemnise their relationship in a quiet ceremony at the Arumanoor Nainar Temple located in Poovar. Reports claim that a few local leaders and well-wishers were present to bless the couple during the intimate wedding.Interestingly, Farman recently revealed that it was Monalisa who first confessed her feelings and proposed to him. He admitted that he initially declined the proposal but later agreed to start dating her. Over time, their bond strengthened, eventually leading them to take the big step of marriage.

Monalisa’s rise to viral fame

For those unfamiliar with her story, Monalisa became an overnight internet sensation during the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela. She was seen selling rudraksha garlands at the event when her striking features, particularly her grey eyes, caught the attention of visitors and social media users. The moment quickly went viral, turning her into a widely recognised face online.Since then, Monalisa has continued to remain in the public eye. There were also reports suggesting that she had travelled to Kerala for a film shoot shortly before the wedding took place, which added further curiosity around the sudden temple ceremony.

Veteran Bollywood star Mumtaz, whose birth name is Mumtaz Askari, was among the most popular actresses of the 1970s, known for films such as ‘Khilona’, ‘Do Raaste’, ‘Aap Ki Kasam’, ‘Tere Mere Sapne’, ‘Roti’ among others. Her onscreen pairing with Rajesh Khanna and some of their songs together continue to remain iconic. At the peak of her film career, she married businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974 and stepped away from acting. In a recent interview, the veteran actor opened up about her interfaith marriage and how marrying a Hindu influenced certain aspects of her spiritual life. She also spoke about her deep faith in Hindu deities despite being born into a Muslim family.Mumtaz shared details about her personal beliefs and the spiritual practices she follows at home. She said in an interview with Sitaron Ka Safar, “My favourites are Lord Shankar and Lord Krishna. I believe in them deeply, even though I am a Muslim.”She went on to describe how devotion is part of her everyday routine. “Whenever I walk down the stairs in my house, there is an idol of Lord Ganesha, who is my favourite, and I bow at his feet. I also believe in Lord Shankar. Since childhood, I have always loved good-looking people, and I feel he is the most handsome god. So I love him. These are the two deities I especially believe in.”

During the same conversation, Mumtaz also spoke about her interfaith marriage, noting that both she and her sister married Hindu men and have found happiness in their relationships. “I believe in both religions. I married a Hindu, and my sister also married a Hindu. We are both happy. My husband takes great care of me. I don’t understand why people keep talking about Hindu and Muslim divisions, I don’t believe in that.”

The actor also shared her personal views on polygamy, saying she strongly disagrees with the practice followed by some Muslim men. “I always say that I married a Hindu, and so did my sister, and we are very happy. Among Muslims, many men have married three or four times and then left their wives. How does that make Muslims better than Hindus? A man should not marry three or four times in the first place. I myself am Muslim, and I say this is wrong, to keep one wife and then marry another, and then a third. Have you ever thought about how possessive women are in relationships? This is one relationship where every woman is possessive. Leaving one and marrying another, how is that right? Isn’t that a sin?”She concluded by comparing it with what she sees among Hindus, adding, “In that sense, Hindus seem better, they usually marry once. Sometimes they may marry twice, but it’s not about easily leaving one person and moving on to another. That is wrong.”

MUMBAI: The BMC, which had invited bids for the desilting of the Mithi river ahead of the monsoon, received no response from contractors till its March 11 deadline, forcing the civic administration to extend the tender deadline to March 17.The proposed desilting work is planned in three phases, covering the stretch from Filter Pada to Mahim creek, and is considered to be crucial for the city before the onset of monsoon.Civic officials said the river accumulates large amounts of silt every year, which reduces its carrying capacity and increases the risk of flooding. Earlier this month, concerns had emerged within the BMC administration about a possible lack of interest from contractors in the tender, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing probe by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police into the alleged Mithi river desilting scam.The investigation last year led to the arrest of civic officials and contractors over alleged irregularities in desilting works.In a first this year, the civic body had reduced both the quantity of silt to be removed and kept it at 1.65 lakh metric tonnes, a steep reduction from 2.67 lakh metric tonnes last year, also bringing the contract value down by nearly half – from Rs 48 crore to Rs 29.5 crore. Officials said that the Mithi river flows through several low-lying and flood-prone areas such as Kurla, LBS Marg and Chunabhatti, making annual desilting critical to prevent waterlogging at the time of heavy rainfall. During a recent meeting of the civic standing committee, BJP corporator from Malad Tajinder Tiwana, in a point of order, questioned why the civic body could not carry out the work directly through its own machinery and staff if contractors were unwilling to participate in the tender process. BJP’s Mumbai chief Ameet Satam had also last week in a letter he sent to Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde as well as the civic chief pointed out the same.However, officials said, “The work on desilting the Mithi river needs to begin from April 1 latest as it will increase the carrying capacity of the river.” At the same time, there are serious apprehensions about whether the municipal corporation will be able to carry out the work departmentally. Last year, after contractors abandoned the work mid-way, the BMC had made serious attempts to get other contractors to complete the remaining portion of the work. However, at that time as well, no other contractor came forward to take up the remaining work ahead of the monsoon season.