A fire fighting team from an Indian Navy warship extinguished a massive fire onboard a merchant ship on Saturday night after the vessel was struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden.

INS Visakhapatnam responded to a SOS call from merchant vessel Marlin Launda after it was targeted by missile on Saturday. The oil tanker has 22 Indians and one Bangladeshi national on board.

Fire onboard MV #MarlinLuanda brought under control

Based on request from Master of the MV, the fire fighting team from #INSVisakhapatnam comprising 10 Indian Naval personnel with specialist fire fighting equipment embarked the vessel in early hours of #27Jan 24.
After six… https://t.co/d5yxgWI42Y pic.twitter.com/RsLPKOpXTU

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 27, 2024

The strike comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels are increasingly attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea amid the raging Israel-Hamas conflict. 

In a statement, the Indian Navy said that a team of 10 firefighters brought the fire under control after six hours. 

“Fire onboard MV #MarlinLuanda brought under control. After six hours of battling the fire along with the crew of the MV, the fire fighting team has successfully brought the fire under control. The team is currently monitoring the situation to rule out any possibility of reignition,” the Navy said, adding that a US and French warship also responded to the vessel’s distress call. 

Iconic Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan today sought to downplay a viral video that purportedly showed him mercilessly thrashing a man with his shoe, who he claimed was his disciple.

The video shows the popular Qawwali singer repeatedly hitting and slapping him while enquiring about a “bottle”. The man is seen pleading with the singer, saying he has no idea about it. In another scene, some people were seen trying to pull the singer away to save the student.

Samaa TV, a Pakistani broadcaster, identified the man as his employee and said such violent behaviour among singers is a worrying trend.

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali khan was caught abusing his servant. Later, he gave an explanation. pic.twitter.com/PC0DawSEsq

— Брат (@B5001001101) January 27, 2024

Mr Khan, nephew of legendary Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, later clarified that it was a personal matter between an “ustad and his shagird (teacher and disciple)”. He posted a video featuring the man who was seen being beaten up, as well as his father, to clarify his actions.

“This is about a personal issue between an ustad and shagird. He is like my son. This is how the relation is between a teacher and his disciple. If a disciple does something good, I shower my love on him. If he does something wrong, he is punished,” he said in the video.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said he had also apologised to him after the incident.

In the clarification video, the man who was beaten admitted he had misplaced a bottle containing holy water – which led to the incident, but clarified there was no ill-intention behind his actions. “He’s like my father. He loves us a lot. Whoever spread this video is trying to defame my ustad,” he added.

His father also supported Mr Khan, highlighting the relation between the ‘ustad and shagird‘ in the field of Qawwali.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appears set for a second political volte-face in less than three years and is likely to return to an alliance with the BJP today. He will meet the Governor at 11.30 am and resign to start the process, sources said.

Nitish Kumar is expected to tender his resignation today, sources said. It comes amid speculation that Nitish Kumar and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar may exit the 28-party Opposition bloc formed to take on the BJP-led Central government.

BJP MLAs and MPs will meet today at 10 am at the party office in Patna to further chalk out the strategy over the latest political situation in Bihar. BJP President JP Nadda along with few others BJP leaders will also reach Patna by special charter flight at 3 pm today.

A meeting of JDU MLAs is scheduled at Nitish Kumar’s residence at 10 am and BJP leaders will meet Nitish Kumar at his residence at around 11 am. Nitish Kumar may handover his resignation around 2 pm today, as per sources. 

Nitish Kumar will sack ministers belonging to alliance partner and Lalu Yadav’s party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today, sources told NDTV.

The BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), have also finalised a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha election due in three months.

All BJP MLAs in Bihar have already given letters of support to Nitish Kumar, sources have said.

Here are the LIVE updates on Bihar Politics crisis: