Month: December 2024

The death toll in the tanker truck collision on Bhankrota Ajmer Road in Jaipur on Saturday rose to 14, as confirmed by DCP West Jaipur, Amit Kumar.

The Friday accident, which resulted in a massive fire, involved a truck loaded with chemicals colliding with a tanker carrying LPG and other vehicles.

Prior to DCP Kumar’s confirmation, Dr Deepak Maheshwari, the Principal of SMS Medical College, told ANI in the early hours that 13 people had lost their lives in the accident so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences to the families of the victims. In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office expressed grief, stating, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the accident on Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Rajasthan. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.” The PM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Dr Sushil Kumar Bhati, Superintendent of SMS Hospital, provided further details, confirming that seven people had died and 10 to 12 others had been injured. He noted that over 60 percent of the victims sustained burns, with around 28 patients admitted to the hospital, six of whom are on ventilators.

Earlier, Kumar described the incident as “horrific,” explaining, “The accident and subsequent fire occurred in the Bhankrota area of Jaipur early today on the main Ajmer Road. Nearly two dozen vehicles caught fire, and many trucks and trolleys were reduced to ashes. The accident took place near a petrol pump.”

He added, “The fire started due to a collision involving several vehicles one after the other. Efforts are being made to extinguish the fire.” (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has increased the compensation to farmers for land acquisition to build the Jewar Airport from Rs 3,100 per square meter to Rs 4,300 per square meter, an official statement from the state government said.

In a post on X, CM Yogi said, “Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Asia’s largest airport is being built in Jewar, the credit for this development goes to the farmers. The compensation payable for land acquisition for the third phase for Noida International Airport, Jewar has been increased from Rs 3,100 per square meter to Rs 4,300 per square meter. Hearty congratulations and salutations to all the farmer brothers!”

“Farmers will also be paid interest as per rules, and complete arrangements will be made for the resettlement of affected farmers, and their employment,” CM Yogi said.

Farmers, delighted by the announcement, expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister.

CM Yogi said, “Jewar remained immersed in darkness for decades, and now it is ready to shine on the world stage. In the next 10 years, Jewar is going to become the most developed area of the country, and the whole world will see the prosperity. Noida International Airport will start in April 2025, Hon’ble Prime Minister will inaugurate it.”

He said that earlier bullets used to be fired for land in this place and now farmers are happily donating land.

Farmers said that they had full faith in CM Yogi Adityanath.

CM Yogi further said, “MRO will also be developed near Jewar Airport, Jewar will become a global destination for Maintenance, Repair and Overhauling (MRO) of aircraft.”

Chief Minister interacted with the farmers who are providing their land for the last phase of Noida International Airport, Jewar, and said that the interests of the farmers will be safe.

CM further said, “Jewar Airport will be a huge airport with an annual capacity of 70 million passengers by the year 2040. Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) will be connected to Jewar Airport, the proposal has been sent to the Government of India. Jewar Airport would have connectivity with Eastern Peripheral Road, Yamuna Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail.”

The Jewar Airport project, a key infrastructure initiative aimed at bolstering connectivity in the National Capital Region (NCR) and western Uttar Pradesh, is on the cusp of completion and is expected to commence the operations in April 2025 said Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu earlier. (ANI)

Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were spotted on Friday as the couple attended the second day of the annual function at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai.

The two, along with Aishwarya’s mother, Brindya Rai, came to cheer for their daughter Aaradhya, who is a student at the school.

In videos shared by paps, Abhishek was seen stepping out of a sprinter van, followed by Brindya and Aishwarya. The actress was seen holding her mother’s arm as they made their way into the school.

Abhishek sported a green co-ord set, while Aishwarya looked elegant in a black outfit.

The event was star-studded, with celebs like Vidya Balan, Ishaan Khattar, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and Radhika Merchant also attending.

The couple had also attended the school event on Thursday, accompanied by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, as they supported Aaradhya during the celebrations.

In videos taken by paparazzi, the ‘Guru’ actor was seen being protective of his wife Aish as he held her hand while entering inside. The videos also captured Aishwarya beside Amitabh, while Abhishek taking care of her dupatta so that she doesn’t step on it.

Their joint appearance comes amidst months of rumours about trouble in their marriage, putting such speculations to rest.

Earlier this month, Aishwarya and Abhishek made another public appearance together, putting an end to whispers of a rift in the family.

Rumours about tension between the two reportedly began in July this year, when Aishwarya and her daughter attended Anant Ambani’s wedding without the Bachchan family. The rest of the family, including Amitabh, Jaya, Abhishek, Shweta, Agastya Nanda, and Navya Naveli, attended the event together leading to speculation about their separation.

On the work front, Abhishek was recently seen in ‘I Want to Talk’, directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film was released on November 22.

Aishwarya, on the other hand, was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2’, for which she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role (Critics) award at the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in Dubai earlier this year. (ANI)

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco announced their engagement a week ago, and currently both are enjoying this phase. Gomez is so excited that she couldn’t stop herself from sharing new pictures of her engagement ring.

Taking to her Instagram stories, she posted several pictures posing with the ring. In the first picture, the focus was on the ring.

In the pictures, she was seen wearing a black top underneath a maroon trench coat. Her hair is styled in a side part. She is seen wearing large, dangly earrings, lavender-coloured eyeshadow, and soft pink lip shade, reported People.

“Sorry last post… I’ve just dreamed of this moment my whole life,” Gomez wrote, according to People.

Earlier, Benny shared his fiancee Selena Gomez’s announcement of their engagement on his Instagram Stories.

Blanco wrote, “still can’t believe it.” The photo featured him kissing Gomez on her head as they sat by a closet, while she held up her diamond ring, reported People.

The couple, who first sparked the dating speculations in 2023, shared the news on social media.

Gomez announced her engagement to Benny Blanco on Wednesday, December 11. Gomez, 32, shared a post on Instagram revealing her engagement ring, captioning the post, “Forever begins now.” Blanco, also expressed his excitement in the comments section, humorously writing, “Hey wait… that’s my wife,” reported People.

The pair, who have long been close collaborators in the music industry, first worked together on several hit songs, including Gomez’s 2015 chart-topping track ‘Same Old Love’.

It wasn’t until 2023, however, that they confirmed their romantic involvement. In December of that year, Gomez opened up about their relationship, revealing they had been dating for six months, as per People.

In a heartfelt Instagram post at the time, Gomez referred to Blanco as “my absolute everything” and declared that he had been “the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Their relationship quickly became a topic of admiration among their friends and family, with insiders revealing that Gomez had never been so happy.

“She loves how Benny treats her: he’s so kind and thoughtful,” a source told Us Weekly in January, adding, “It’s been a very long time since friends saw Selena this happy. She’s positively glowing.”

Before her engagement to Blanco, Selena Gomez had high-profile relationships with pop star Justin Bieber and singer The Weeknd.

Her relationship with Bieber, which began in 2010, was often in the public eye and ended in 2018. She also dated The Weeknd for part of 2017. (ANI)

Actor Kartik Aaryan, who is currently basking in the success of his recent release ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Friday afternoon.

Kartik turned heads in as he looked handsome in formal attire.

In videos shared by paparazzi, Kartik can be seen walking towards the airport gate.

The actor also took a moment to greet the photographers and as he flashed his trademark smile heading inside.

Talking about his recent release, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ also features Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Rajpal Yadav among others.

This also marks the third successful horror-comedy release of 2024, joining the ranks of ‘Munjya’ and ‘Stree 2’.

The film stars Kartik alongside Madhuri Dixit Nene, Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri. It is directed by Anees Azmee, who also helmed the second part of the horror-comedy franchise.

‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is the third instalment in the popular Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise. The first part Bhool Bhulaiyaa, released in 2007, starred Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in the lead roles. The second part Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) starred Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, and Tabu in the lead roles.

The latest part was released on Diwali and faced a box-office clash with Rohit Shetty’s directorial ‘Singham Again’.

In the film, Ajay reprised the role of police officer Bajirao Singham whom he first essayed in the first part in 2011 and then again in 2014 in the second instalment of the ‘Singham’ franchise.

‘Singham Again’ also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone, among others. (ANI)

Janata Dal-United (JDU) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha on Friday launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal after he urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to “consider the impact” of the alleged controversial remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on BR Ambedkar.

Speaking to ANI, Jha slammed Kejriwal, by pointing out that when Nitish Kumar resigned from the CM post, he made a Mahadalit’ (Jitan Ram Manjhi in 2014-15) the Chief Minister. He further questioned why did he not appoint a Dalit CM in Delhi, upon resigning or in Punjab.

Scathing former Delhi CM Kejriwal over the situation of Purvanchali labourers during the Covid-19 era, the JDU leader said that when Kejriwal sent people of Bihar in “packed in buses,” it was Nitish Kumar who made all the arrangements for them.

“He wrote a letter to Nitish Kumar, so I want to say one thing that when Nitish Kumar left the post of Chief Minister, he made a Dalit the Chief Minister of Bihar. He (Arvind Kejriwal) did not look at his track record. When Kejriwal left the CM post, whom did he make the CM or why did he not make a Dalit CM in Punjab?” Jha told ANI.

“People from Purvanchal, Bihar living in Delhi have seen how people from Bihar were packed in buses and sent back during Covid. And then Nitish Kumar made all the arrangements for them in Bihar. So it is better if Kejriwal does not say all this,” he added.

Taking a dig at AAP national convenor, Jha posted on X and said Kejriwal was pained because Amit Shah was exposing the leader of his alliance (INDIA), his party and his family. He said that the “misbehaviour” of the Congress Party and its leaders towards Baba Saheb is “unforgivable.”

Highlighting the works of Nitish Kumar towards the Dalit community, Jha said that the INDIA bloc cannot even imagine doing the level of work which Nitish Kumar has done for the Dalits and backward classes in Bihar while following in the footsteps of Baba Saheb.

JDU working president urged Kejriwal to “leave prejudices” and “think positively” about the progress of the country as “the constitution of India is very strong.”

In a social media post on X, Jha wrote, “Honorable @ArvindKejriwal Sir, I read your letter to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar @NitishKumar. I can understand your real pain. Your pain is that on that day in the House, the Hon’ble Home Minister @AmitShah was exposing the leader of your alliance, his party and his family….The misbehaviour that the Congress Party and its leaders did to Baba Saheb is unforgivable…. What our leader, the honourable Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar ji has done for the Dalits and backward classes in Bihar by following in the footsteps of Baba Saheb, you and the leaders of your alliance cannot even imagine doing that. I urge you to leave your prejudices and think positively about the progress of the country. The constitution of this country is very strong.

The JDU working president also wrote a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, elaborating on the work done by Nitish Kumar for the Dalits and the backward class of society, including giving them reservations in the Panchayati Raj system

The letter dated December 20, reads, “Congress party was continuously in power in Bihar till 1990 and from 1990 to 2005 it enjoyed power with RJD. In 2015, Dalits and backward castes got reservation in Panchayati Raj system when Shri Nitish Kumar Ji became the Chief Minister. Where did the faith of your alliance leaders and their party in the Constitution and their love for Baba Saheb go then?”

“I will give you an example of how Dalits and backward classes are respected. When our leader Mr. Nitish Kumar resigned from the post of Chief Minister in 2014, he made Mr. Jitan Ram Manjhi, who comes from the Mahadalit community, the Chief Minister,” the letter reads.

On December 19, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal wrote letters to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, urging them to consider the impact of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s allegedly controversial statement about former Minister of Law and Justice, BR Ambedkar.

Kejriwal’s letters followed Shah’s remarks made on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha, which, according to the AAP leader, ‘insulted’ the legacy of Ambedkar.

“If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, they would have got heaven for seven lives,” the Union Minister said in the Upper House.

In his letter to Kumar and Naidu, Kejriwal expressed his concern over the Home Minister’s statement in Parliament, where Shah reportedly said, “Chanting Ambedkar-Ambedkar has become a fashion these days.” Kejriwal stated that Shah’s remark “is not only disrespectful but also reveals the BJP’s perspective toward Babasaheb and our Constitution.”

“Babasaheb Ambedkar was honoured with a ‘Doctor of Laws’ degree by Columbia University, he authored the Indian Constitution, and he championed equal rights for the most marginalised sections of society. How did the BJP have the audacity to make such a comment about him?” the former Delhi CM questioned in his letter to the Andhra and Bihar CMs.

“This has hurt the sentiments of millions of people across the country,” Kejriwal wrote, adding that instead of apologising, Amit Shah defended his statement. He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly supported Shah’s remark, which, according to Kejriwal, made the situation even worse.

Kejriwal warned that people who admire Ambedkar are increasingly feeling they cannot support the BJP. He urged Naidu to consider the matter carefully, stating, “Babasaheb is not just a leader, he is the soul of this country. After this statement by the BJP, people expect you to deeply reflect on this issue as well.” (ANI)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a significant cabinet reshuffle today amid growing calls for him to step down, according to a report by CBC News.

Sources from CBC News and Radio-Canada revealed that Ottawa MP David McGuinty and Toronto MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith are set to join the cabinet. The reshuffle is expected to involve at least 10 members, according to insiders.

CBC News reported citing a senior government source said, however, that the timing and size of the shuffle should not be taken as a signal that the prime minister has made up his mind about his future, adding Trudeau is still “reflecting” on his position. The purpose of the shuffle is to make sure the cabinet is complete so the government can function properly, the source said.

Notably, the move follows the resignation of Chrystia Freeland, the Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Earlier on December 16, hours before the statement on Canada’s economy, Freeland announced her resignation from the Cabinet.

In the letter addressed to PM Trudeau, Freeland wrote, “It has been the honour of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together. On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet.”

“Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet. To be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence. In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it. For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” the letter added.

Following Freeland’s resignation, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had urged Trudeau “to resign” and stated that “all options” were on the table when asked whether he would back a non-confidence motion.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Singh had said Canadians were facing various economic issues, ranging from expensive groceries to high home prices and the threat of tariffs as US President-elect Donald Trump will assume office next year.

Jagmeet Singh said, “Instead of focusing on these issues, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are focused on themselves. They’re fighting themselves instead of fighting for Canadians. And for that reason, today, I’m calling on Justin Trudeau to resign. He has to go,” Global News reported.

Earlier in September, the federal New Democrats withdrew their support from the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government. (ANI)

Following the threats issued by US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized India’s serious approach to such security threats.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that these matters are promptly raised with the government of the United States.

At the weekly MEA press briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Jaiswal said, “As in when such threats are issued, we take the threats very seriously and we raise it with the US government.”

He also expressed confidence in the US addressing India’s security concerns.

Jaiswal added, “In this case, also, we have raised it with the US government, and it is our expectation that the US government will take our security concerns seriously.”

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.

Earlier in October, the MEA had confirmed that the individual named in the US Justice Department’s indictment case in a foiled assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was no longer an employee of the government of India.

“The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” Jaiswal had said.

The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination of Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.

According to the allegations levelled earlier, the accused Nikhil Gupta, is an associate of an employee of the Indian government and together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City. (ANI)