Month: December 2025

In the wee hours of Saturday, an unfortunate incident took place in the Jamunamukh – Kampur section under Lumding Division of N.F. railway in which the Train no. 20507 DN Sairang – New Delhi Rajdhani Express dashed with elephants, resulting in derailment of the locomotive and five coaches of the train. Eight elephants have been reported dead with no casualties or injuries to any passengers.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has expressed serious concern over the deaths of eight elephants in Assam after a collision with the Rajdhani Express, highlighting the escalating human-animal conflict in the state.

He added that a lack of foresight and accountability has made such tragedies increasingly frequent.

“The death of eight elephants after a collision with the Rajdhani Express in Assam is deeply concerning and underscores the growing challenge of human-animal conflict in the state. Such incidents point to the rapid loss and fragmentation of natural habitats in recent years. Unplanned and poorly regulated development under the present government has led to shrinking forest cover and the disruption of traditional migration routes, with little regard for ecological safeguards,” he posted on X.

Senior railway officers, including the General Manager of N.F. Railway and Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding and Accident Relief trains arrived at the site to carry out the restoration work.

“The passengers of the affected coaches have been temporarily accommodated in the vacant berths available in other coaches. The derailment-affected train, after detaching the affected coaches, has left the site for Guwahati at 06:11 hrs. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be added to accommodate the passengers of the affected coaches, and the train will resume its journey.” Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway, told ANI.

He further stated that the incident site is approximately 126 km from Guwahati and is not a designated elephant corridor, adding that the loco pilot, on observing the herd of elephants, applied emergency brakes. However, elephants dashed into the train.

While restoration work is complete, railway authorities said trains scheduled to pass through that section are being diverted to the UP line.

Meanwhile, technological improvements in Indian Railways (IR) are a continuous process. There are several Artificial Intelligence-based predictive maintenance applications, the Ministry of Railways said in a press release.Pilot initiatives involving AI-driven predictive maintenance of the Signalling system are being undertaken over Indian Railways at some of the stations to evaluate its efficacy.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) using Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) for detecting presence of elephants on Railway tracks is implemented in 141 RKms section on NF Railway and further tenders have been awarded for 981 RKms section of Indian Railways.

The system is designed to generate alerts for loco pilots, station masters and Control Room about the movement of elephants in proximity of railway tracks, for taking timely preventive action. (ANI)

(ANI)

Activists of Inqilab Moncho gathered on Saturday for the funeral procession of their slain leader, Sharif Osman bin Hadi, as heavy security was deployed across parts of Dhaka, two days after he died in Singapore following his assassination.

Preparations for Hadi’s funeral prayer are underway at Manik Mia Avenue, located south of the national Parliament Building. The funeral prayer is scheduled for 2 pm (local time). As the ceremony is just hours away, the area is witnessing heightened security arrangements and restricted movement.

Hadi, the Inqilab Moncho convenor, was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area.

On December 15, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced medical treatment. He succumbed to his injuries on December 18.

Following news of his death, protests erupted across Dhaka, with activists demanding justice for their slain leader. Several rounds of demonstrations were reported on Friday, after Hadi’s body was brought back to the capital.

While Inqilab Moncho has appealed to its supporters to maintain peace during the funeral procession, the situation in Dhaka remains tense.

Amid the unrest, several citizen organisations demanded the resignation of the home adviser, accusing him of failing to maintain law and order following Hadi’s killing and the subsequent violence.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, 16 organisations expressed deep concern over the deteriorating public safety situation and called for immediate steps to restore law and order.

The groups include Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee, Network for Democratic Bangladesh, Charan Sanskritik Kendra, Naripokkho, Association for Land Reform and Development, University Teachers’ Network, Nagarik Coalition, and Voice for Reform, BD News reported.

“Even one year after the [July Uprising], the interim government has failed to ensure citizens’ safety from the ousted Awami League and other forces at home and abroad,” it said.

Bangladesh’s Editors’ Council and the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) also strongly condemned the attacks, vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, calling them a serious threat to press freedom.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed that the violence following Hadi’s killing was part of a conspiracy to create uncertainty ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held in February next year.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir outlined the party’s position at a press conference late Friday night after a meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee.

“We condemn and express our disgust at these heinous incidents,” Fakhrul said. “They show that a long-identified group is deliberately pushing the country towards chaos.”

As Inqilab Moncho cadres gather for the funeral procession, the interim government remains under intense pressure to maintain peace in the capital. (ANI)

Veteran Malayalam film icon Sreenivasan – an acclaimed actor, screenwriter, director and producer – passed away on Saturday, marking the end of a remarkable career that spanned decades, playing a key role in shaping the landscape of Malayalam cinema.

News of Sreenivasan’s passing triggered a profound wave of grief, with political figures offering heartfelt tributes on social media.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered his tributes and honoured Sreenivasan’s cinematic legacy.

“The passing of Sreenivasan is an irreparable loss to Malayalam cinema. What we are losing is a talent who rose to leading positions across every domain of filmmaking. Very few filmmakers have succeeded, as he did, in bringing the life of the common man to the silver screen and in guiding the audience, through humour and reflection, to levels of awareness he intended. Sreenivasan stepped into cinema by breaking several long standing conventions,” CM Vijayan said, as per a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office.

The CM fondly reflected on Sreenivasan’s contributions to Malayalam cinema and added, “Spanning story, screenplay, direction and acting, Sreenivasan worked across multiple fields and, in each of them, established his individuality in an extraordinary way. Many characters from his films will remain etched in the Malayali psyche forever.”

Describing the actor’s passing as a “personal loss” for him, CM Pinarayi Vijayan recalled having a warm conversation with Sreenivasan.

“Sreenivasan, who maintained a heartfelt personal closeness, came across as a symbol of affection and friendship,” the statement read.

Among others, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar condoled the veteran actor’s passing and said, “His iconic performances and timeless contributions will be remembered forever. Condolences to his bereaved family. May his soul attain mukti.”

Hon'ble Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar condoled the sad demise of actor, screenwriter and filmmaker Sreenivasan. His iconic performances and timeless contributions, will be remembered forever. Condolences to his bereaved family. May his soul attain mukti. pic.twitter.com/apXHQrAzeL

— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) December 20, 2025

Kerala Minister for General Education and Labour, V Sivankutty, says, “The ‘Sri’ of Malayalam cinema fades away; heartfelt tributes to beloved Srinivasan. The demise of beloved Srinivasan is one of the greatest losses Malayalam cinema has ever suffered.”

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Minister for General Education and Labour, V Sivankutty says, "The ‘Sri’ of Malayalam cinema fades away; heartfelt tributes to beloved Srinivasan. The demise of beloved Srinivasan is one of the greatest losses Malayalam cinema has ever suffered."…

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, in a statement, added, “He was a rare talent who conveyed socially conscious themes to the people through simple and deeply touching presentations. Through his art, he powerfully portrayed the struggles and hopes of ordinary people. Blending humour and criticism alike, his contributions that influenced society will remain forever memorable in the history of Malayalam cinema. Even time itself will not be able to fill the void created by his demise at this moment of grief.”

CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh, during an interaction with the media, spoke about his strong friendship with Sreenivasan.

“He has a nature of speaking frankly and openly. He never makes any compromises when it comes to cinema. Not even once have I had even a minor misunderstanding with Sreenivasan. Even Sreenivasan’s laughter has a uniqueness of its own. I had expressed my wish that we should produce a film together, and that is how the film ‘Katha Parayumpol’ was jointly produced. The moments spent with Sreenivasan are golden moments. Even the criticism in his films was laced with humour,” he said.

Veteran Malayalam actor, screenwriter, director and producer Sreenivasan passed away on Saturday at the age of 69.

Speaking to the media, actor and screenwriter Renji Panicker shared that Sreenivasan’s mortal remains will be taken to his residence and later to the Town Hall for the public to pay homage.

Public viewing is set to be held at 1 PM. (ANI)

A special court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday has sentenced former Pakistan PM and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years of imprisonment in the Toshakhana-2 case, as reported by Dawn news.

The sentences mentioned that the old age of Imran Khan, along with the fact that Bushra Bibi is female, has resulted in a “lenient” and a lesser punishment, Dawn reported, citing from the court’s order copy.

Both of them were fined Rs16.4 million. According to the law, a failure to pay the fines will result in additional jail time.

Citing the court order copy Dawn reported that it said, “This court, while passing sentences has considered the old age of Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, as well as the fact that Bushra Imran Khan is a female. It is in consideration of both said factors that a lenient view has been taken in awarding lesser punishment.”

According to Dawn, the case involves the purchase of an expensive Bulgari jewellery set which was gifted to Imran by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit in May 2021 at a throwaway price.

It further reported that the verdict was delivered by Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand during a hearing held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where Imran is imprisoned.

Imran was sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison. He was awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment under sections 34 (common intention) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code, and seven years under Section 5(2) (criminal misconduct by public servants) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, as per the report by Dawn.

It was futher noted that his wife, Bushra Bibi was also sentenced to a total of 17 years’ imprisonment under the same provisions.

It added that the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was “hereby given to the convicts”.

After the verdict, Imran and Bushra’s legal teams indicated their intention to challenge the decision before the high court.

The duo were indicted in the case last year in December.

Dawn further noted that earlier this year in October, Imran and Bushra Bibi denied all allegations in case, and termed it a fabricated and politically motivated attempt to disqualify the former Pak PM from politics.

As per Dawn, recording his statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before a special court, Imran Khan had rejected the prosecution’s narrative in the case. He alleged that the entire case was “malicious, fabricated, and politically engineered”. He further contended that he did not qualify as a “public servant” under the Pakistan Penal Code, arguing that even in his capacity as prime minister, he was unaware of the specific details of the gift, which he said was presented to his wife.

Dawn further mentioned that the PTI founder maintained that due process was followed in accordance with the Toshakhana Policy 2018 and said the gift was reported to the PM Office protocol section, assessed, and legally retained after payment was deposited into the national exchequer. “We complied with the Toshakhana Policy in letter and spirit,” he said. (ANI)

Praises continue to line up for Aditya Dhar’s latest directorial ‘Dhurandhar’, as the film continues to earn widespread appreciation from all quarters. While fans have already embraced it wholeheartedly, celebrities, including both actors and acclaimed filmmakers, have also come forward to applaud it.

The latest to join the growing chorus of admiration is ‘Animal’ director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

Taking to X, Vanga, in high words of praise, lauded ‘Dhurandhar’ for moving with “dominance and fierce.”

“DHURANDHAR is built like a man who doesn’t talk much & carries a masculine spine…. DHURANDHAR The title fits because the film moves with dominance & fierce. The depiction is very clear with zero chaos. Music, performances, screenplay & direction are on the top. #AkshayKhanna sir and @RanveerOfficial erased into air & just disappeared into characters effortlessly,” he wrote.

In a shoutout to director Aditya Dhar, Vanga thanked him for presenting the “true weight of untold sacrifices.”

In response, Aditya Dhar expressed deep gratitude, echoing similar sentiments toward Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s storytelling skills.

“Coming from you, this means a great deal. I’ve always admired the fearlessness with which you stand by your cinema and your faith in unapologetic, masculine storytelling. Dhurandhar was shaped with sincerity, restraint, and conviction–your words give that journey its quiet validation. Grateful for voices like yours that keep Indian cinema honest, rooted, and strong,” he said.

Dhar emphasised how they, as filmmakers, can walk toward a “stronger cinema and a braver tomorrow for our country. “

Prior to this, filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma, Karan Johar, and Siddharth Anand also voiced a fair share of praise on ‘Dhurandhar’, which features Ranveer Singh in the lead role alongside stars such as Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and R Madhavan. (ANI)

The national capital woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog on Saturday morning, significantly impairing visibility and affecting residents. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading stood at 380 at around 7 a.m., falling into the ‘very poor’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). However, the air quality spiked to ‘severe’ levels at certain places.

Several parts of the city continued to witness alarmingly high pollution levels. According CPCB, the AQI figure at Sarai Kale Khan stood at 428, while Akshardham recorded an AQI of 420. Rao Tularam Marg recorded an AQI of 403, and the Barapullah flyover area recorded 380.

Other pollution hotspots included Anand Vihar (428), Ashok Vihar (407), and the ITO area (429), also falling under the ‘severe’ category across large swathes of the national capital.

In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked all measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV across Delhi-NCR. The restrictions under GRAP-IV include a ban on non-essential construction activities, entry of certain diesel vehicles, and enhanced enforcement to curb pollution sources.

According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

Earlier, Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa conducted surprise inspections at several petrol pumps, including those at the Delhi-Gurugram border and Janpath, to review compliance with the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ directive.

He interacted with pump staff and instructed them to enforce the rules while remaining calm and courteous.

He said, “You are the first point of contact in this campaign. Cooperate with people and explain to them that this rule is for their health and the health of their children.”

The Minister also directed that clear signboards, announcements, and better queue management be ensured.

Speaking to vehicle owners on the spot, he said, “This is not a matter of issuing challans; it is a question of clean air. Every valid PUCC issued today is a small victory in our fight against pollution.”

On December 17, 29,938 PUCCs were issued in Delhi. On December 18, up to 5.20 pm, 31,974 new certificates were issued. Thus, the total crossed 61,000 in nearly one day. The government expects the number of people obtaining PUCCs before refuelling petrol or diesel to increase further.

The Minister said, “More than 60,000 people getting their PUCCs in a single day shows that when citizens trust that steps are being taken in the public interest, they extend full cooperation.” (ANI)

Both Air India and IndiGo, in an attempt to mitigate fog-related disruptions, such as reduced visibility that affects flight operations, issued travel advisories for passengers during the holiday season. The advisories requested passengers’ patience as services returned to normal.

Air India, in its advisory on Friday, said it would remain vigilant and make every effort to mitigate fog-related disruptions. They said that they understand the importance of their passengers’ travel plans, especially during this holiday season, and promised to work around the clock to minimise any inconvenience.

The airline said that as the weather department has forecasted dense fog conditions in Delhi and parts of northern and eastern India, flight operations would likely be affected at Delhi, Amritsar (ATQ), Chandigarh (IXC), Lucknow (LKO), Varanasi (VNS), and Patna (PAT), with a ripple effect across the network.

Air India claimed that it has taken proactive measures to minimise disruptions and provided a link for reference (learn more at bit.ly/4agYVyF).

In the event of delays or cancellations, the airline said that its ground teams would remain available round the clock to assist guests and make alternative arrangements.

The advisory said that passengers booked on select flights during the fog window would continue to receive advance alerts under the ‘FogCare initiative’, with the option to change flights without additional payment or to seek a full refund without penalty.

They requested that thier guests check their flight status on thier official website before proceeding to the airport.

The airline thanked the passengers for their patience and understanding, and claimed that the safety and well-being of thier passsengers and crew remain its top priority.

Similarly, IndiGo, in its Friday travel advisory, informed passengers that dense fog across Chandigarh and Amritsar continued to significantly reduce visibility, affecting flights to and from these cities.

Through its official X handle, it posted, “Travel Advisory Dense fog across #Chandigarh #Amritsar continues to significantly reduce visibility, impacting flight operations to and from these cities. We recommend checking the latest flight status on our website or app before proceeding to the airport http://bit.ly/3ZWAQXd. Please be assured that our teams are working closely to resume regular services as soon as conditions improve. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and look forward to welcoming you on board once visibility improves.”

The airline recommended that passengers check the latest flight status on its website or app before proceeding to the airport.

It stated that its teams are working closely to resume regular services as conditions improve.

The airline promised to board the passengers once visibility improves.

Further details awaited.(ANI)

US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that in response to ISIS’s killing of two Americans in Syria, the US retaliated by striking the nation.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the US commenced Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters.

Hegseth stated in a post on X, “Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria. This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”

“As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. Today, we hunted, and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue,” he added.

Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that the terrorists will be hit harder than they have ever been.

“Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible. We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated.”

“The Government of Syria, led by a man who is working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria, and is fully in support. All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A,” he added.

“Operation Hawkeye,” a reference to the fact that the two US soldiers killed were from the “Hawkeye State” of Iowa, the strikes hit dozens of targets the military connected to ISIS — including infrastructure and weapons storage sites across Syria, one of the officials told CNN.

The two US service members killed in Syria were identified this week as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. They were killed while engaging hostile forces in Palmyra, Syria, the US Army said. Both soldiers were assigned to the Iowa National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

Three additional Iowa National Guard members were wounded in the attack and evacuated for further medical treatment. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump’s name is rarely mentioned in the batch of Jeffrey Epstein files that his Justice Department released on Friday, based on a preliminary New York Times scan of thousands of documents and hundreds of photographs.

Trump and Financier Jeffrey Epstein were close friends for years, The Times has reported, and Trump’s initial refusal to release federal files related to investigations into Epstein sparked speculation about whether those files featured Trump. His allies have previously confirmed that his name appears in the files about Epstein.

The files that The Times initially reviewed on Friday were heavily redacted. Those that were visible included scattered references to or images of Trump. Most of the photos were already public, including shots of him and Melania Trump with Epstein and Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Written references to Trump came up in Epstein’s address book and flight logs, as well as a message book in which Epstein’s assistants let him know about missed phone calls. Versions of those documents were already public.

Trump’s name also comes up in interviews with Maxwell, transcripts that the Justice Department had previously made public and rereleased on Friday.

In a 2016 deposition, Alan Dershowitz, who served as one of Epstein’s criminal defense lawyers, said that he had seen Trump at Epstein’s home. He didn’t provide specifics.

Trump has repeatedly downplayed his relationship with Epstein, including by saying that he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s after Epstein recruited one of his employees from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The scarce mentions of Trump are in stark contrast to references to former President Bill Clinton. The Justice Department released dozens of photos of Clinton in various settings, including one of him in a hot tub.

Todd Blanche, a top Justice Department official, said on Friday that the administration would continue to release a large volume of Epstein documents in the weeks ahead after those files had been reviewed to redact references to possible victims of Epstein, a convicted sex offender, as reported by New York Times. (ANI)

PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Friday lodged a police complaint against the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for pulling down the veil from a woman doctor’s face while handing her the letter of appointment.

In her complaint to the Kothibagh Station House Officer (SHO) requesting registration of an FIR against the Bihar CM, Iltija Mufti mentioned that the incident had caused “immense stress” among the Muslim women.

“I’m writing to bring to your attention a vile incident which has caused immense distress and hurt among Muslims, especially women. A few days ago, we watched with shock, horror and worry as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down the ‘naqab’ of a young Muslim doctor in full public glare at a government function,” she wrote in the complaint.

She added that what made the “matters worse was the unsettling reaction of the people around, including the deputy chief minister (Samrat Choudhary), who chuckled and watched with glee”.

She stated that the incident is not just a “brutal assault” on the Muslim woman but “on the autonomy, identity and dignity of every Indian woman.”

“The forceful stripping of her naqaab isn’t just a brutal assault on a Muslim lady but on the autonomy, identity & dignity of every Indian woman. The fact that it transpired at a time when the deliberate othering, political & economic disempowerment of Muslims all across India is even more disconcerting,” she alleged.

Later, speaking with reporters, Iltija Mufti expressed concern about the BJP leaders’ statements regarding the incident.

“Instead of apologising, the Bihar Chief Minister’s allied BJP leaders are making vulgar statements and attempting to justify the act,” she said.

This comes amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over a widely circulated video from a government event in Patna, where Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was seen pulling down the hijab of a woman while handing her a certificate.

The video, which has sparked outrage, shows the incident taking place during a ceremony at the Chief Minister’s office where appointment letters were being distributed to newly recruited AYUSH doctors. Before she could respond, Kumar reached out and lowered the head covering, revealing the woman’s mouth and chin.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was seen trying to stop Kumar, while some people in the background laughed. (ANI)