Month: January 2025

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday apprised about the security and safety arrangements made for the crores of devotees expected to arrive at the 2025 Maha Kumbh, which is scheduled to begin on January 13.

He said that the administration has deployed 125 ambulances on roads that have been equipped with 15 advanced life support (ASL) systems, which extend basic life support in case of emergency.

“125 road ambulances have been equipped with 15 Advance Life Support (ALS). Additionally, air ambulances and seven river ambulances have also been deployed. Of the seven river ambulances, you will get to see one of them being deployed today and the rest will be stationed from tomorrow. The government has made proper arrangements to deal with any kind of situation,” Pathak told ANI.

Speaking on the threats issued by Khalistani extremists, the Deputy CM said that it will not be an issue since the Uttar Pradesh government has ensured that security arrangments were in place.

“It will not be a problem. The government has already ensured and concluded the health and security arrangements made (for the Kumbh). The government is responsible for ensuring a smooth experience for seers and devotees so that they don’t have any trouble in commuting and staying here,” Pathak said.

Meanwhile, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday hit out at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying that pilgrims died in accidents which happened during the Kumbh mela organised during his tenure as the Chief Minister.

His reaction came when asked about concerns raised by the opposition regarding arrangements made by the state administration for the Maha Kumbh. He said that during the Ardh Kumbh no unfortunate incident happened and thus, people were coming in huge numbers this time.

“One is served as per their intentions. When Akhilesh Yadav was in power and the Kumbh (2013) was organised under his tenure, there was huge chaos, and accidents happened where pilgrims died. However, when Ardh Kumbh happened (in 2019), nothing unfortunate happened. This is why a huge crowd is being drawn this time,” Maurya told ANI.

Inviting all the seers and devotees to the Maha Kumbh, the Deputy CM further said that Maha Kumbh was being organised after 144 years, for which the government has ensured the best possible arrangements.

The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected for the event. During the Mahakumbh, devotees will gather at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, to take a holy dip believed to absolve sins and grant moksha (liberation).

The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26. The main bathing rituals (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami). (ANI)

In the wake of the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended the Oscar nomination voting window.

Voting for the nearly 10,000 Academy members opened on January 8 and was originally set to close on January 12. However, the deadline is now January 14, as per Variety.

Also, the nominations announcement, originally scheduled to be announced on January 17, has moved to January 19.

The Academy sent an email to members Wednesday afternoon detailing the date changes from CEO Bill Kramer.

“We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you,” the email read.

Additional scheduling changes outlined in the email include: The International Feature Shortlist Screening set for Wednesday night in Los Angeles has been postponed to later in the week.

The in-person Los Angeles Sound Branch Bake-Off and Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch Bake-Offs in L.A. and New York City on January 11 have been cancelled.

Conan O’Brien will host the 2025 Oscars ceremony, which will take place on March 2.

Several massive fires in Los Angeles County, fueled by excessive wind, have killed at least five people and left others with “significant injuries,” as per CNN.

The Palisades Fire, burning in LA’s westside near Malibu and Santa Monica, has already destroyed at least 1,000 structures. It is the most destructive to ever occur in Los Angeles County, according to CalFire data. (ANI)

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the state’s winter pilgrimage initiative has been extended to a year-round event.

Taking to X, CM Dhami wrote, “Under the guidance of the respected Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, our double engine government has started the winter pilgrimage. Now the pilgrimage in Uttarakhand is being conducted for the entire 12 months instead of 6 months.”

The move comes as part of a broader strategy to increase the state’s tourism and promote spiritual travel throughout the year. The winter pilgrimage, which was previously limited to the colder months, now allows devotees to visit the Char Dham temples in all seasons.

“Devotees are getting spiritual experience by visiting the winter seat of Char Dham and at the same time, in view of the winter season, the number of tourists is also increasing at various tourist places in the state,” Dhami said.

He further wrote that the initiative would not only benefit religious tourism but also create significant local employment opportunities.

“Through this visionary initiative of the Prime Minister, on the one hand, travel is being conducted throughout the year in the state and on the other hand, local people are also getting new employment opportunities,” Dhami added.

Meanwhile, CM Dhami launched various digital projects developed by the Department of Information Technology and NIC at the Secretariat.

The Chief Minister said that in the present times, to make public services more efficient, faster and inclusive in the digital age and to meet the challenges of cybersecurity and data security, ITDA and NIC have jointly developed various online platforms by assimilating new technology so that the general public can easily get various types of services on a single platform on the lines of All in One.

He said that the website of all the departments built in the S3WaaS (Secure, Scalable and Sugamya Website as a Service) framework will prove to be a milestone in terms of cybersecurity.

The Chief Minister said that it is important that ITDA in the state has been made AUA (Authentication User Agency) – KUA (Key User Agency) by UIDAI. After this, services related to Aadhaar authentication and E-KYC can be provided through portals developed by various departments of the state, such as UCC, Virtual Registry, etc. (ANI)

US President-elect Donald Trump requested the Supreme Court, to pause his sentencing in the hush money case, scheduled for Janaury 10, CNN reported.

This comes after a New York state appeals court rejected his request to postpone the sentencing, ahead of Trump’s swearing-in on January 20.

Trump’s attorneys argue that delaying the sentencing is necessary “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has stated that they will respond to Trump’s filing in court papers.

Further, the high court has asked prosecutors respond by 10 am (local time) on Thursday.

The president-elect is appealing his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, arguing it should be tossed because a conservative majority of the Supreme Court in July ruled that former presidents are entitled to sweeping immunity for official actions, as reported by CNN.

Notably, Trump was convicted in May 2023, of falsifying records to conceal payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who reimbursed USD 130,000 hush money payment made a adult-film star Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affair.

According to CNN, the request is ‘unusual’ because Trump’s criminal case is not yet fully resolved by New York courts.

Judge Juan Merchan, the trial judge in New York, has rejected Trump’s demands to stop the sentencing, scheduled for Friday. Merchan upheld Trump’s conviction last week and indicated that Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, will face no legal penalties .

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, said Wednesday’s request was made “to correct the unjust actions by New York courts and stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt.” (ANI)

As many as six people lost their lives and several others have been injured after a stampede broke out near the Tirupati temple on Wednesday evening, according to officials from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). 

The incident occurred near Vishnu Niwasam close to the Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara ticketing counter, during the distribution of ‘darshan’ tokens.

As per the statement from the office of TTD Chairman BR Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is closely monitoring the incident and will meet the families of the victims of the stampede on Thursday. 

The statement reads, “It is an unfortunate event, 6 pilgrims lost their lives. So far, only one pilgrim has been identified, while the others are yet to be identified. N Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is very serious about the incident and has expressed dissatisfaction with the officials’ management during a teleconference. The Chief Minister will visit the families of the deceased tomorrow at 11:45 am. CM has warned that such incidents should not be repeated and is closely monitoring updates on the issue”

Meanwhile, in the late hours of Wednesday, the TTD Chairman visited the Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati to meet the injured and take stock of their condition from the doctors.

Speaking to the media, TTD Board Member Bhanu Prakash Reddy said that around 40 individuals were injured in the stampede and are receiving treatment in the hospital.

Expressing grief over the incident, Reddy apologised to the devotees and stated that the trust would conduct an inquiry and take serious action. 

Bhanu Prakash Reddy said, ” …To distribute tokens for ‘Ekadasi Darshan’, we opened 91 counters…it is unfortunate that stampede happened. 6 devotees died in the stampede, 40 have sustained injuries, we are providing the best medical facilities possible, to them. This has never happened in TTD history. I sincerely seek an apology from the devotees. We will conduct an inquiry and take serious action…tomorrow morning, CM and state Health Minister will visit Tirupati….” 

TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) Executive Officer Shyamala Rao stated, “Death toll increased to 6 and 40 pilgrims injured in the incident. An investigation will be done.” (ANI) 

Rasha Thadani, daughter of Raveena Tandon, is all set to make her Bollywood debut with the highly anticipated film ‘Azaad.’ The film stars Ajay Devgn and his nephew Aaman Devgan in lead roles.

Ahead of the movie’s release, a video of Rasha is making rounds on social media, where the actress can be seen juggling studies and acting.

In the video, when asked if she was ready with her lines, Rasha replied with a smile, “Studying. I have my boards in less than 10 days. My first paper is Geography.”

The film’s trailer, released earlier this week, introduces Ajay Devgn as a rebel (baaghi) and a skilled horse rider deeply connected to his loyal horse. A dramatic turn in the story shows the horse going missing during a battle against British forces, and Aaman Devgn’s character steps in to help find it. The clip also hints at the bond between Ajay and Aaman’s characters, with the younger one looking up to his mentor. Meanwhile, Rasha Thadani plays a character from a royal family.

A couple of days ago, a new song from the film titled ‘Uyi Amma’ was unveiled, where Rasha was seen showcasing her dancing skills. Madhubanti Bagchi lent her vocals to the song, which is composed by Amit Trivedi, while the lyrics are penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, the film is set in pre-independence India and will hit theatres on January 17. (ANI)

Four people were killed in a stampede that broke out at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday evening, officials said.

According to officials, the incident occurred near Vishnu Niwasam at the Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara ticketing counter during the distribution of ‘darshan’ tokens.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed his deep shock over the death of four devotees in the stampede that took place near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for ‘darshan’ tokens at Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement.

As per the statement, CM Naidu said that he was deeply disturbed by the loss of four lives in the incident that took place when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens.

The CM spoke to officials over the phone about the treatment being provided to the injured in the incident, the CMO said.

The CM is keeping abreast of the current situation by speaking to district and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials from time to time. The CM has ordered higher officials to go to the scene of the incident and take relief measures to ensure that the injured get better treatment, the CMO added in its statement. (ANI)

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, participated at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on Wednesday, and praised the initiative calling it a “masterstroke.”

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention, a celebration of the Indian diaspora, is being held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from January 8 to 10.

The event, which is organized in partnership with the Odisha State Government, brings together representatives from over 70 countries under the theme, ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’.

“35 million Indian diaspora bringing India together and taking India forward is a partnership made in heaven. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is masterstroke. Request to all people of Indian origin staying outside of India- ‘India sits in your hearts, make your heart grow,” Kapoor said.

The three-day event will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second day of the convention.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the event on January 9 at around 10:00 am.

Over 3,000 delegates from 70 countries have arrived in Odisha for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday, highlighted the pivotal role of India’s younger generation in driving global developments.

Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s connection with the youth, Jaishankar shared a memory of Indian badminton player P V Sindhu.

He recalled her saying, “I still recall some time ago an observation by a famous Indian badminton player PV Sindhu on why PM Modi is a youth icon. She summed it up as his attitude which moved the nation from ‘chalta hai’ to ‘badal sakta hai’ to ‘hoga kaise nahi.'”

Jaishankar emphasised that the younger generations are shaping significant global changes, including innovations in AI, electric vehicles (EVs), startups, and even sports like cricket and chess.

“At a time when so many key developments in the world are being shaped by the younger generations – whether we talk of AI or EV, innovation or startups, cricket, chess or any sports – at home we have just started our journey of Viksit Bharat in the Amrit Kaal… While development itself is a very complex task – but it becomes easier when we are confident that nothing is beyond us,” he added. (ANI)

Bollywood actor John Abraham attended the anti-drug awareness campaign event in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. The actor called himself an example of a disciplined life and encouraged students to stay away from drugs.

As part of a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, Navi Mumbai has started a big campaign called ‘Drug-Free Forever Navi Mumbai’.

John advised the students to lead a disciplined life and become a role model for their friends and colleagues.

During his speech at the anti-drug awareness campaign event, the ‘Vedaa’ actor said, “I personally am talking about myself and you should follow the example. I have not touched drugs in my life. No smoking, no drinking and no drugs. Being very disciplined in life is very important. Become a role model for your colleagues and your friends. I don’t have time to give a long speech but I will tell you just be very disciplined. Be a good citizen of this country and a good citizen of India. Maharashtra, Navi Mumbai wish you all the best. Train hard so you can get some biceps.”

Following the conclusion of the anti-drug awareness campaign event in Mavi Mumbai, actor John expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for gracing the occasion and congratulated Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.

“I would like to congratulate the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe and CM Devendra Fadnavis for gracing this occasion. This is a very important initiative for Maharashtra and the youth of Navi Mumbai. It is a great example to push forward to the entire country.”

John Abraham was last seen in the action thriller Vedaa. (ANI)

Popular singer Armaan Malik and his wife, influencer Aashna Shroff, were spotted at the airport for the first time after their wedding in December last year.

The couple, now Mr and Mrs Malik, were all smiles as they interacted warmly with photographers stationed at the airport.

In a video shared by paps, the newlyweds appeared excited about starting their new journey together. They took a moment to pose and smile at shutterbugs. Armaan also wished the paps a “Happy New Year” and also asked about their well-being, saying, “Aap log sab thik ho?” (Are you all doing well?).

For their first post-wedding appearance, Aashna wore a cream-colored coordinated outfit paired with white sneakers, a matching cap, and open hair. Armaan looked dapper in a blue hoodie, denim jeans, and black sunglasses.

Earlier this month, the couple shared the happy news of their wedding on Instagram by posting stunning photos from their intimate ceremony. “Tu hi mera ghar” (You are my home), read the caption of his post.

Armaan and Aashna tied the knot in a traditional ceremony on December 28, at an event that was attended by close friends and family. The couple had been dating for a few months before solemnizing their relationship.

For their special day, Aashna opted for a radiant orange-coloured lehenga designed by Manish Malhotra. She complemented her bridal look with exquisite jewellery from the same designer. Armaan, equally stylish, was dressed in a bespoke Manish Malhotra outfit that perfectly complemented Aashna’s, creating a harmonious and elegant look.

Arman’s musical journey began in 2005 with Zee TV’s singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs. After that, he studied Indian Classical music for 10 years. He eventually rose to fame with the song ‘Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon’, starring Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta. (ANI)