Eight people died and two others were injured in a head-on collision between a car and a tractor in Bihar's Katihar district, police said on Tuesday. The car passengers were returning from a wedding function when the accident took place Sameli block office on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, they said, adding that efforts are on to identify the victims. "At least eight persons, all men, died and two others were injured when an SUV in which they were travelling collided head-on with a tractor coming from the opposite direction on the NH-31 near the Sameli block office," Katihar SP Vaibhav Sharma told PTI. Police immediately reached the spot and rushed the victims to the nearest government hospital where eight were declared brought dead, the police said. The two injured are undergoing treatment at the hospital, they said. According to locals, the victims are residents of Supaul, the SP said, adding that it is believed that all victims were travelling in the SUV. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and further investigation is underway, he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2025 08:34 AM IST | Katihar | PTINepal’s Parliament on Monday directed the KP Sharma Oli-led government to hold diplomatic dialogue with Indian authorities to ascertain the facts surrounding the death of Nepali student Prinsa Sah at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha. Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Devraj Ghimire issued the ruling to the government after lawmakers raised this issue in the HoR on Sunday. “My attention was drawn toward the death of Prinsa raised by the lawmakers in the House meeting,”Ghimire said. “The death of students going abroad for their bright future is a serious issue. I would like to direct the government to find the facts concerning Prinsa’s death through diplomatic initiatives,” he said. Sah, a student from Parsa district, allegedly died by suicide on May 1 at KIIT. Her death is the second such incident in recent months. In February, another Nepalese student of the same institute died by suicide. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2025 08:31 AM IST | Kathmandu | AgenciesKarnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the enumeration of Scheduled Castes (SC) started on Monday, which will go on till May 17. The second phase of the exercise will be held between May 19 and 21 and designated camps will be organised as part of this phase for the benefit of those who were left out in the first phase. The third phase, meant for online registration, will also begin on May 19, and it will go on till May 23. Those who are residing outside their towns can make use of this, Siddaramaiah said. Addressing a press conference here, the CM said, “The enumeration of scheduled castes is going on in the state. A one-man commission led by the retired High Court Judge, Justice H N Nagamohan Das, has been constituted. He has been mandated to give a clear report on the sub quota for castes in the SC list.” Siddaramaiah said the commission has to submit its report in 60 days. Rs 100 crore will be spent on the exercise and 65,000 teachers will be roped in as enumerators. He said the purpose of this exercise is to prepare empirical data on 101 castes in the SC list. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2025 08:31 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone conversation that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror strike must be brought to justice as he strongly condemned the horrific attack. Putin also told Modi that Russia fully supports India’s fight against terrorism, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “President Putin @KremlinRussia_E called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. “He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism,” Jaiswal added. “He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice,” he said. The MEA spokesperson said Modi and Putin reiterated their commitment to further deepen India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Prime minister Modi conveyed his greetings to the Russian president on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of ‘Victory Day’. Modi also invited Putin for the India-Russia annual summit to be held in India later in the year, which the Russian President accepted. Japan backs India Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hosted his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani for wide-ranging talks touching upon the scourge of terrorism and ways to expand bilateral defence ties in the wake of China’s military posturing in the Indo-Pacific. Gen Nakatani, whose visit to India comes amid its heightened tensions with Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, condemned the terrorist attack and expressed solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism. In his opening remarks at the delegation-level talks, Singh said, “I would like to thank the government of Japan for their strong expression of solidarity with India in wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.” “India shares a Special, Strategic and Global partnership with Japan. During the bilateral meeting we discussed defence cooperation and regional security,” Singh said in a social media post. “Both sides condemned terrorism in all forms and emphasised the need for enhanced collaboration and joint efforts to counter cross-border threats.” Singh said Nakatani expressed solidarity with India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and offered “full support"”to India. It is learnt that the two sides also deliberate on ways to boost India-Japan defence industrial cooperation. Defence sec meets PM Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Monday met PM Modi against the backdrop of increasing tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. The meeting comes a day after Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met PM Modi and is understood to have discussed the security situation. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi had on Saturday apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea. In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, PM Modi on last Tuesday (May 29) gave the Indian armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. MHA tells states to conduct drills The Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct civil defence drills on May 7 amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, government sources said on Monday. The measures to be taken during the drill include operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a “hostile attack”, they said. The other measures are provisions of crash blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updation of evacuation plans and their rehearsal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding a series of high-level meetings, including with top defence functionaries, as India weighs its options for countermeasures against the April 22 terror attack. Senior officials of the Delhi police have asked all DCPs to prepare detailed plans for the preparations. They said the DCPs have started holding meetings with senior police officers. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2025 08:30 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAmid the President's Rule in Manipur, the state has launched intense search operations to crack down on militants involved in illegal activities. According to news agency ANI, the security forces in Manipur have recovered arms and ammunition from Samuchep Lok/Nala, bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts. During an intense search operation, they have recovered two SLRs, one SBBL gun, two improvised mortars, four hand grenades, two locally made 9-mm pistols, and tear smoke grenades, among other items, as per an official release by the Police Control Room. In a separate search operation held on Sunday by the security forces in vulnerable hill and valley districts of the state, arms, ammunition, and drugs were seized. Security forces also arrested two individuals from Imphal East, with 34 grams of suspected heroin powder. According to the release, as part of intelligence-based combing and cordon-and-search operations targeting extortion activities, security forces arrested two active cadres of proscribed outfits, KCP (PWG) and KYKL (SOREPA), and seized two mobile phones from their possession, ANI reported. In a search operation held on Saturday, three stolen vehicles were recovered, and tinted glasses were removed from 43 vehicles during a targeted drive against anti-social elements. To ensure the safer mobility of essential supplies, 368 vehicles were escorted along NH-2 with security convoys in sensitive areas, with 111 checkpoints established across Manipur's districts; however, no detentions were reported at the checkpoints, According to ANI, in a series of operations, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles formations under Spear Corps launched intelligence-based operations in the hill and valley districts of Kakching, Tengnoupal, Bishnupur, and Kangpokpi in Manipur, leading to the apprehension of 17 cadres from hill and valley-based groups and the recovery of 31 weapons, 14 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, ammunition, and war-like stores. Manipur Police also launched a special drive against two-wheelers in Imphal East and detained over 200 vehicles with incomplete documents for verification. The police have also urged the public to refrain from spreading rumours or fake videos, providing a warning amid the President's Rule in the state. The state has been under President's Rule since February after the resignation of then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, as announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Following the terrible Manipur communal violence, President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 under Article 356 of the Constitution, five days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from office. (With inputs from ANI)
06 May,2025 04:05 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAmid the intensifying water-sharing dispute with Haryana, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that his state has no surplus water to spare, emphasising that both legal and data-driven evidence supports Punjab's position. Speaking to reporters, Mann clarified that there is no dispute over water, as Punjab has already fulfilled its obligations to Haryana. "There is no dispute regarding water. Legally and according to data, it is in favour of Punjab. We have allotted Haryana water for one year; they used up the water in 10 months, and now they are asking for more water for the remaining two months," Mann said. He added that Haryana's request was based on a past practice, when they used to receive more water. However, the circumstances have now changed, the Punjab CM said, according to news agency ANI. "The only logic they [Haryana] are giving is that earlier, too, they had been getting more water [than their share]. The time has changed," he asserted. Mann also highlighted significant improvements in Punjab's canal infrastructure, noting that the state has increased its canal water usage from 21-22 per cent to 60 per cent, reported ANI. "We have improved our canal systems in the state... We used to use 21 per cent to 22 per cent of the water; now we use 60 per cent of water... We have restored our canal infrastructure and we have been using our own water now... We don’t have additional water," the Punjab CM said. Mann's comments come in response to the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) recent order to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana from the Bhakra-Nangal Dam on April 30. However, the Punjab government has rejected the BBMB's decision, raising concerns over the declining water levels in key reservoirs. On May 1, Mann pointed out that the water levels in Pong Dam, Bhakra Dam, and Ranjit Sagar Dam are 32 feet, 12 feet, and 14 feet below last year's levels. Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Haryana government is trying to steal his state's share of water."Haryana government and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government are trying to steal Punjab's share of water...We have requested the central government to repeal the Dam Safety Act 2021. This Act comes under Punjab's jurisdiction...We will not let anyone take Punjab's share of water..." Cheema told ANI. (With ANI inputs)
06 May,2025 03:53 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct drills on May 7 amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, government sources said on Monday. The measures to be taken during the drill include operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack", they said. The other measures are provisions of crash blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updation of evacuation plans and their rehearsal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding a series of high-level meetings, including with top defence functionaries, as India weighs its options for countermeasures against the April 22 terror attack which left 26 civilians, mostly tourists, dead. Modi has vowed to pursue the perpetrators and those part of the conspiracy to the "ends of the earth" to inflict punishment on them "beyond their imagination". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
05 May,2025 10:31 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIPolitical leaders across party lines have strongly condemned the alleged desecration of an idol at a temple in Maharashtra’s Pune district and have called for swift and stringent action against those responsible for the incident, news agency PTI reported. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) Member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule, who represents the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, expressed outrage over the incident in a post on X on Sunday. "A young man has committed an inappropriate act at the Annapurna Devi temple in Paud village. This incident is deeply disturbing and infuriating. No sensitive person can tolerate such behaviour," Sule said, urging the government to act without delay. पौड गावातील अन्नपूर्णा देवीच्या मंदिरात एका तरुणाने गैरकृत्य केल्याचे समोर आले आहे. ही घटना अतिशय घृणास्पद आणि संतापजनक आहे. कोणतीही संवेदनशील व्यक्ती हे कदापि सहन करणे शक्य नाही. माझी शासनाला विनंती आहे की कृपया या तरुणावर तातडीने कठोरात कठोर कारवाई करावी. सामाजिक सलोखा… — Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) May 4, 2025 Police earlier stated that a 44-year-old man had been arrested while his minor son had been detained after the latter allegedly desecrated the idol in Paud village, located in Mulshi taluka, PTI reported. “We strongly believe that anyone who disturbs social harmony must face the strictest punishment. No one should be spared,” Sule added. Shiv Sena MP from Maval, Shrirang Barne, also condemned the incident, calling it a deliberate provocation intended to hurt Hindu sentiments. "This isn’t just an act by a mentally unstable individual. It’s a calculated attempt to incite. A bandh has been called in Mulshi Taluka, which has received widespread support from the Hindu community. We demand the harshest punishment for the culprits," Barne said on Sunday. The political discourse took a sharper turn on Monday when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Chitra Wagh, criticised Sule for not naming the accused in her statement. In a strongly worded post on X, Wagh accused Sule of engaging in appeasement politics and questioned her relative silence. "What’s the matter, elder sister of Baramati? You often express deep concern over international issues like the Russia-Ukraine war. But when such a disgusting and shocking incident takes place in your own constituency, you offer only a brief post and remain silent," Wagh wrote. She also claimed that the desecration was not only an attack on religious beliefs but a veiled threat to Hindu women, adding that the community "may never forgive" Sule for “her inadequate response”. (With PTI inputs)
05 May,2025 08:57 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentPakistan has claimed to have conducted the "training launch" of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 120 kilometres (km) from its Fatah series, the country's state broadcaster reported on Monday, according to news agency ANI. The development comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, in Kashmir. The attack has triggered a wave of strong countermeasures by India against Pakistan, holding it responsible for supporting cross-border terrorism. In recent developments, New Delhi has imposed an immediate ban on the direct and indirect import and transit of all goods originating from or exported through Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade. Amid these developments, Islamabad's state broadcaster, PTV, displayed archival visuals of the training launch test as part of 'Exercise Indus', a statement by Pakistan's military arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) told a local news outlet. The launch was aimed at "ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy to ensure operational readiness and validate key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy", ISPR was quoted as saying. According to ANI, the launch was seen by Indian intelligence sources as a “reckless act of provocation” and a “dangerous escalation” in Pakistan's hostile stance. On May 3, sources informed ANI that Pakistan was preparing for further missile tests, which New Delhi viewed as a desperate attempt to inflame tensions in an already volatile atmosphere. On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, convened to assess the security situation. The committee decided to place the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably" ends its support for terrorism. Additionally, the Attari Integrated Check Post was ordered to be closed, cutting off a key transit point between the two nations. The Prime Minister reiterated India’s unwavering stance on terrorism during a public address on April 24, emphasising the country’s stands to deliver a “crushing blow” to terror networks. He also granted India’s armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the mode, targets, and timing of a suitable response to the Pahalgam attack. (With inputs from ANI)
05 May,2025 07:23 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA fire broke out on Monday in the air quality management system installed on the premises of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the 12 jyotirlings in the country, a senior official said. The fire was immediately brought under control with the help of fire tenders, he said. Temple committee chairman and district collector Roshan Singh said nobody was injured in the incident. The incident occurred after a short circuit triggered a fire in a battery of the air quality management system installed by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board on the roof of the control room at the much-revered shrine. The darshan was briefly suspended due to the incident, and it resumed soon after the situation was brought under control, the official said. Further probe into the incident is underway, said another official.
05 May,2025 04:37 PM IST | Ujjain | PTIRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone conversation that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror strike must be brought to justice as he strongly condemned the horrific attack. Putin also told Modi that Russia fully supports India's fight against terrorism, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "President Putin @KremlinRussia_E called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. "He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism," Jaiswal added. "He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice," he said. The MEA spokesperson said Modi and Putin reiterated their commitment to further deepen India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. The prime minister conveyed his greetings to the Russian president on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of 'Victory Day' Modi also invited Putin for the India-Russia annual summit to be held in India later in the year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 May,2025 04:25 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
