Month: June 2025

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appealed to the public to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel on Saturday, due to the forecasted heavy rainfall in the state’s hilly and some plain areas over the next 24 hours.

In a post on X, CM Dhami said, “The weather department has forecasted the possibility of heavy rainfall in the state’s hilly and some plain areas within the next 24 hours. It is requested that everyone remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow the guidelines issued by the administration.”

CM Dhami urged everyone to follow the guidelines issued by the administration and emphasised the importance of prioritising public safety, especially for PCS examination candidates scheduled to appear on Sunday.

“In view of the PCS examination held tomorrow, I especially appeal to the candidates to depart for their examination centers well in advance, keeping the weather conditions in mind. Your safety and the examination are both important to us. The state government is closely monitoring the situation, and all necessary assistance is being provided to the local administration,” the post added.

Meanwhile, passenger movement has been temporarily halted after the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway was blocked due to falling debris at Sirobgad on Saturday.

The heavy rainfall across several districts in Uttarakhand led to the blockage, forcing passengers travelling to Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Hemkund Sahib to stop at safe locations. Authorities have mobilised JCB machines to clear the obstructions and restore normal movement on the highway.

Srinagar Pauri Garhwal District Circle Officer (CO) Anuj Kumar told ANI that police presence has been established at both ends of the blocked highway.

“Work is underway on a war footing to open the highway,” Kumar said, emphasising the urgency of the situation. The disruption comes after heavy rains across Uttarakhand, which have triggered several blockages across the state.

Meanwhile, continuous rainfall in Uttarakhand has caused severe disruptions, including the blockage of the National Highway near Nandprayag and Bhaneropani.

In a post on the social media platform X, Chamoli Police Uttarakhand stated, “The Badrinath National Highway is blocked near Nandprayag and Bhanerpani. Work is underway to open the road.”

The National Highway near Nandprayag is a critical route for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, making the clearance of the road a priority.In another development, the district authorities in Rudraprayag restricted movement on the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road on Friday due to persistent rainfall.

The road, which serves as a base point for pilgrims travelling to Kedarnath, was obstructed entirely for the movement of passengers due to continuous debris and stones falling near the Sonprayag shuttle bridge and in the sliding zone area near Munkatiya.

The Kedarnath Dham Yatra pilgrims were halted at Sonprayag and Gaurikund for safety reasons. After the debris was cleared, the movement of pilgrims resumed, Rudraprayag Police said in a statement. The opening and closing of the road is being controlled, and the movement of passengers is being ensured with extra caution by the concerned working agency, administrative officials and police.

Once the road was cleared, pilgrims were allowed to continue on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra route, while those returning from Gaurikund were brought towards Sonprayag. The district police have appealed to pilgrims visiting the Kedarnath Dham to exercise extra caution during the Kedarnath Dham Yatra and monitor the weather forecast.

Furthermore, the search and rescue operation continued for the second day on the Alaknanda River today to locate missing persons from a bus accident that occurred in Rudraprayag on Thursday. The accident claimed the lives of four people. The death toll from the incident rose to four after the body of a missing passenger was recovered near the Srinagar dam in Pauri Garhwal, about 40 kilometres from the accident site. (ANI)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on his visit to the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Saturday shared the development project aimed towards making the trip to the temple more accessible and time-efficient

He said, “A ropeway will be constructed from Kamakhya station to Kamakhya temple and another ropeway will be constructed from Sonaram field to Kamakhya temple. Work on both ropeways is going on. The process of floating a tender has already been done. A feasibility study for many other ropeways is going on.”

The construction of both ropeways to Kamakhya Temple holds significance as it will provide a great alternative and potentially faster mode of transportation for devotees and tourists visiting the temple, thereby reducing travel time. Better accessibility will also enhance tourism, thereby boosting the state’s economy.

CM Biswa offered his prayer at Kamakhya Temple two days after the Ambuachi festival ended. “Ambubachi Festival ended two days ago, but I could not come here earlier due to the large number of devotees here. I received the opportunity to have the darshan of Maa Kamakhya today”, he added.

He visited the temple with his family to offer prayers and wished for the well-being of the people of Assam.

He thanked the Temple management committee and Tourism Department and added, “I thank the Temple Management Committee, Tourism Department, Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass and others for organising the Ambubachi Festival.”

The annual Ambubachi Mela, one of Assam’s most revered Hindu festivals, commenced on June 22 at the historic Kamakhya Temple, located atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, and concluded on June 26. The annual event commemorates the yearly menstruation cycle of Goddess Kamakhya, believed to be the embodiment of feminine power. After conducting Ambubachi Prabritti rituals, the main door of the Kamakhya temple closed on June 22 and reopened on June 26.

The event draws devotees from across India and abroad. Several other pujas are organised in this temple, including Durga Puja, Durgadeul and Madandeul. Some of the other pujas performed in this temple include Manasa Puja, Pohan Biya and Vasanti Puja. It is one of the most revered centres of Tantric practices and is regarded as one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India. (ANI)

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik raised concerns over the “inordinate delay” in pulling the Nandighosha chariot on Saturday.

Some people experienced suffocation and reportedly fell unconscious due to high humidity during the Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri on Friday.

Taking to ‘X’, the Biju Janata Dal chief stated that he doesn’t want to “point fingers or blame” the administration for the delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot, but it is “impossible” to “voice” deep concern and anguish on how the things unfolded during the most sacred event in Odisha.

“We aren’t here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday’s inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot. But it’s impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our State”, Naveen Patnaik’s ‘X’ post said.

Reflecting to previous year’s incident when “Lord Balabhadra’s” idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi and termed it as a moment which left “countless” devotees shaken.

“It’s hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra’s idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi–a moment that left countless devotees shaken”, Naveen Patnaik wrote in his ‘X’ post.

Furthermore, mentioning about the Nandighosha ratha which was standing at the main gate of the Jagannath Temple till 7:45 pm on Friday, the BJD chief stated that it has left lakhs of devotees who had come to witness the Rath Yatra completely ” disenchanted and disillusioned”.

Meanwhile, on Friday, according to officials, ambulances were rushed to the spot after some people complained of breathing difficulties and were reported unconscious due to the humidity.

Those affected were quickly shifted to nearby hospitals and provided with necessary medical assistance.

Speaking on the incident, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said, “Due to high humidity, one or two devotees collapsed. The rescue teams took them to the hospital immediately. There are primary health care centres in the temple area. I am also here to make sure glucose and water are being provided adequately. I will also visit the hospital to make sure that proper healthcare is being provided to those who may need it.”

The grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in Odisha’s Puri on Friday, with thousands of devotees pulling the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, amidst chants, drumbeats, and spiritual fervour.

Following the completion of key rituals, including the sacred ‘Chhera Pahanra’ (sweeping ceremony) performed by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the deities were ceremonially placed on their respective chariots — Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana. (ANI)

Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested the guard of the South Calcutta Law College, where a female student was allegedly gang-raped.

Kolkata police said, “Guard of the Law College, Pinaki Banerjee (55) has also been arrested in the case.”

A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata’s Kasba on Wednesday.

Earlier, the police had arrested three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college.

According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the ACJM of Alipore, South 24 Parganas, with a prayer to remand them to Police Custody for a proper investigation into the case.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the incident. Taking immediate notice, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar expressed deep concern and wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, urging a time-bound investigation under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In her letter, Rahatkar demanded full medical, psychological, and legal support for the survivor and requested that authorities ensure compensation is provided under Section 396 of the BNSS.

Meanwhile, the alleged gangrape has triggered a political row between the leaders of the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.

BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s immediate resignation on Saturday, over the alleged Kolkata gang rape case.

Speaking to ANI, Ghosh said, “This incident reveals the character of TMC, their thoughts towards women. I demand the immediate resignation of Mamata Banerjee as the CM of West Bengal. Under her rule, no one is safe.”

He added that the atrocities against women are increasing in the state and blamed CM Banerjee for it.

“This is not about a marriage proposal. I think this was quite pre-planned…It is very shameful for our state, for every citizen of Bengal – the way criminal activity, especially atrocities on women, is increasing day by day, I don’t have any words…Everywhere you will see brutality towards women. I always think that the deteriorating culture of Bengal is only due to the irresponsible behaviour of the Bengal CM,” he told ANI.

Launching a scathing attack, Ghosh said that Mamata Banerjee loosely addresses such incidents, which encourages criminals as they feel safe under her regime.

He said, “Whenever any kind of attack happens on women, her comment is very loosely addressed, encouraging criminals to repeat the thing. Criminals even feel safe under her regime. So, this is the outcome that the party in power, the accused person and the other students are giving threats to the girl that her parents will be arrested, her boyfriend may be killed. Such threats may be given by a person who knows what power he holds.” (ANI)

Shefali Jariwala, the actor and dancer best known for her iconic role in the hit music video ‘Kaanta Laga,’ has passed away at the age of 42.

Jariwala, who rose to fame in the early 2000s, was rushed to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Mumbai on Friday, but doctors reportedly declared her dead upon arrival.

The cause of her death remains unclear, though some sources suggest that she may have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Her family has yet to issue an official statement regarding the circumstances of her passing.

Mumbai Police sources have confirmed the news of her death. “Actress Shefali Jariwala has passed away at the age of 42. Her body was found at her residence in the Andheri area of Mumbai,” a police source said, adding that the body was found at Jariwala’s residence in Andheri.

Authorities received the report at around 1 am, and the body was subsequently transferred to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem. However, the exact cause of death is yet to be determined.

Jariwala’s death was also confirmed by the All Indian Cine Workers Association, which expressed its sorrow on the social media platform X.

“Shefali Jariwala is no longer with us. Gone too soon at just 42 due to a sudden heart attack. It’s hard to believe she’s gone. May her soul rest in peace, and may God give strength to her family during this heartbreaking time,” the association wrote.

Jariwala was best known for her 2002 appearance in the music video ‘Kaanta Laga,’ which became an instant sensation and is still remembered as a defining moment in Indian pop culture.

She later expanded her career into Bollywood with notable roles in the 2004 hit film ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’, where she starred alongside Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar.

The actress also gained recognition on television, appearing in popular reality shows such as ‘Bigg Boss 13’ (2019) and ‘Nach Baliye’ (seasons 5 and 7), where she participated alongside her husband, actor Parag Tyagi.

Beyond her career in entertainment, Jariwala was a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and women’s empowerment.She openly spoke about her battle with epilepsy and used her platform to inspire others facing similar struggles.

Her untimely passing has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and left her fans in mourning.

Jariwala is survived by her husband, Parag Tyagi, with whom she shared a strong bond both on and off-screen. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday (US local time) that the United States will be terminating all discussions on trade with Canada, effective immediately.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Canada a “very difficult” country to trade with. He pointed out that the Digital Services Tax announced by the Canadian government is a blatant attack on America and its businesses.

“We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400 per cent Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country. They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us,” US President said.

The Government of Canada has introduced the digital services tax (DST). The DST requires foreign and domestic large businesses to pay tax on certain revenue earned from engaging with online users in Canada if they meet certain conditions, as per a statement issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency.

Trump further said that Canada will be informed about the tariffs they will have to pay to do business with the US within the next seven days.

“Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven-day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.

According to CNN, DST allows countries to collect revenue from large companies that operate online, even if their business is unprofitable.

Citing a report published by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, CNN noted that American firms, particularly big tech companies like Meta, Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, are disproportionately affected by DSTs.

CNN reported that the US President had taken up the issue of DSTs in the trade negotiations with other countries and had referred to them as “non-tariff trade barriers.” It further reported that Canada has a new DST, which is set to come into effect from Monday and would be retroactive to 2022.

As per the New York Times, Canada’s 3 per cent digital services tax has been in place since last year, but the first payments are only due beginning on Monday. Since the tax is retroactive in nature, American companies were preparing to turn over roughly USD 2.7 billion to the Canadian government, the NYT noted, citing a trade group for large tech companies. (ANI)

With the S-400 air defence missile systems performing very well during Operation Sindoor, India is considering the option of buying two more squadrons of S-400 long range surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, defence sources told ANI.

The sources said more systems of the S-400 are being considered due to security threats in view of the recent hostilities and the time to be taken in the development and deployment of the indigenous LRSAM programme, codenamed Project Kusha by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited as its development and production partners.

The Indian side would prefer to get S-500 air defence system which has more range than the S-400 but it would require a clearance from the top Russian leadership for its sale, they said.

The S-400 performed exceptionally in Operation Sindoor taking out multiple Pakistan Air Force fighter and airborne early warning aircraft.

It also managed to create a record of sorts by successfully hitting an aircraft at a range of 300 plus kilometres.

India is also awaiting the delivery of two more squadrons of the five S-400 squadrons that it had ordered in a 2018 deal.

The first three squadrons have already been received and operationally deployed. Just before the delivery of the fourth squadron, war broke out between Russia and Ukraine.

The systems meant for India were probably used in the war.

The Russian side has now assured the delivery of the remaining two systems in the next financial year.

Indian defence teams have also raised the issue with the Russian side and they have given assurances to not extend the schedule further. (ANI)

A large number of devotees gathered at the Jagannath temple in Puri as the grand annual Rath Yatra festival began on Friday morning.

People from across the country arrived to witness the grand chariots of the three deities, Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra, and sister goddess Subhadra, at the Gundicha temple, where the deities reside for a week and then return to Jagannath temple.

Speaking to ANI, Pooja Anand, a devotee from Mumbai, shared her emotions while witnessing the yatra for the first time. “I have come from Mumbai. It is an out-of-this-world experience. I have been a devotee for 20 years, but this is my first time here. It is a divine experience. I want to pull the chariot. This is one day of the year when the Lord comes out of his abode and blesses the ‘jagat’, the universe. Everyone should come here and seek blessings. The weather here is very pleasant. It rained all night,” she told.

Bandita Patra from Cuttack, part of the Shilp Kala Niketan group, performed a devotional dance and described the moment as the fulfilment of a long-standing family vow. “This was our dream, this is the group’s dream of thirty-nine years and this is my mother’s dream of twenty-seven years. I came here today to dance. And by the grace of God, this has become possible.”

She dedicated her dance to Lord Jagannath, adding, “Just do good to everyone and keep everyone happy. Once you establish a relationship with our Mahaprabhu, he never leaves your side. Jai Jagannath!”

Another devotee, Rupali Kajrolkar, said, “Last year we had eaten prasad of Jagannath ji, my son said, ‘Mother, once we will go for the journey of Jagannath ji and touch the chariot,’ so today God has fulfilled that wish.”

She added, “This festival should be visited by everyone. Whoever God wants to call, he does it.”

While speaking to ANI, Rashmi Chaudhary, another devotee from Mumbai, expressed her joy after witnessing the divine darshan. “This is a divine presence, this is a divine darshan. God is coming out and after that, he will climb the chariot in the Rath Yatra.” She said the weather was pleasant and added, “God has decided that I will come out of the temple. And I will be here on a journey. He blesses everyone, the rich and the poor.”

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended a heartfelt welcome to devotees on the occasion of the annual Rath Yatra, urging them to participate with utmost faith and devotion.

In his message, CM Majhi said, “Join the Rath Yatra with faith and devotion, witness the divine glimpse of Mahaprabhu atop the chariot, and receive His blessings.” (ANI)