NEW DELHI (AP) — Toxic smog shrouded the Indian capital as air quality plummeted to hazardous levels Thursday after tens of thousands of people set off a multitude of firecrackers to celebrate the major Hindu festival of Diwali.

ISTANBUL, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Red Crescent Society has recently started to produce tents for around 40,000 refugees as part of a deal signed with the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Turkish agency said on Thursday.

"The production of a total of 8,000 tents which were ordered by the IOM has been launched recently and continues at full pace," Kerem Kinik, the agency's president, told Xinhua.

The agency plans to complete the production process at the beginning of next year when its contract with the IOM ends.

7 Nov 2018; AFP: US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired by Donald Trump Wednesday after enduring more than a year of bitter criticism from the president over his decision to step aside from the Russia investigation that has dogged the White House.

Sessions became the first casualty of a cabinet shakeup that had been expected from Trump following the midterm elections on Tuesday.

"At your request, I am submitting my resignation," Sessions said in the first line of a letter released by the Department of Justice.

Kolkata, Nov 8 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said that demonetisation was a "disaster" for the country on its second anniversary.

The chief minister said she had been describing it as a "dark day" since demonetisation was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016.

"#DarkDay Today is the second anniversary of #DeMonetisation disaster. From the moment it was announced I said so," Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle.

"Renowned economists, common people and all experts now agree," she said.

OSLO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Norwegian navy frigate collided with an oil tanker off Norway's western coast early Thursday morning, injuring seven people, local media reported.

There were 137 people aboard the KNM Helge Ingstad frigate and 23 others on the Sola TS tanker when the collision occurred outside the Sture Terminal, an oil terminal 50 km northwest of Bergen, Norway, according to VG newspaper.

The frigate was taking a lot of water and seven of its crew were injured, police told the newspaper, adding that everyone aboard the vessels has already been evacuated.

Abhinandan Pathak looks and speaks like PM Narendra Modi. He starts his speech with ‘Mitro’ and says “achche din nahin ayenge”.

Abhinandan Pathak, vice-president of BJP-led NDA constituent Republican Party of India (Athawale) in Uttar Pradesh, has left his party and joined the Congress.

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) In a scathing assessment of the demonetisation exercise, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the "scars and wounds" it caused are getting more visible with time and the decision's second anniversary is a day to remember how "economic misadventures" can roil the nation.

The senior Congress leader asked the government to not resort to further unorthodox, short-term economic measures that can cause any more uncertainty in the economy.

ZHUHAI, November 8. /TASS/. Russian Helicopters inked a contract for supply of 20 Ansat helicopters to the China Association of Emergency Medicine at the Airshow China exhibition, a spokesman of the Russian holding told reporters on Thursday.

"The Russian Helicopters holding made a contract for delivery of 20 Ansat helicopters in the interests of the Association of Emergency Medicine of the People’s Republic of China within the framework of the Airshow China international air show," he said.

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) On the second anniversary of demonetisation, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday questioned the rationale behind the Modi government's note ban move and termed it as "a self inflicted deep wound" on the Indian economy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, announced a ban on then in use Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denomination bank notes with immediate effect.

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Authorities responded to over 300 calls about fire incidents, triggered by firecrackers and LPG cylinder blast among others, on Diwali night in Delhi, including an incident in which two children were killed and two others were injured, officials said on Thursday.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a record number of 271 fire-related calls were received by its offices till midnight on Diwali and 74 more calls till 8 AM on Thursday.

POTSDAM, November 7. /TASS/. Russia is ready to deliver to European nations as much gas as customers will require, Deputy CEO of the Russian gas holding Gazprom Alexander Medvedev said on Wednesday.

The gas demand will grow over years, the top manager said. "We in Russia are to supply as much gas to Europe as Europe needs," Medvedev said. At the same time, Russia "does not intend to take 100%" of extra exports, he added.

Raipur, Nov 7 (PTI) A village sarpanch's husband was killed by Naxals in Sukma district of poll-bound Chhattisgarh Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Kalmu Dhruva, the victim, was a worker of the Communist Party of India (CPI) while his wife is sarpanch of Bodko village, said Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena.

"According to villagers, he was brutally beaten to death with sticks by the ultras," the SP said, adding that a police team has been sent to the spot.

Naxals have called for a boycott of the Assembly polls.