Month: May 2026

The death toll in the cruise boat capsizing incident at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur has climbed to nine, a day after the mishap, even as search and rescue operations continue to locate the missing.

State Minister Rakesh Singh said that rescue teams have recovered two more bodies.

He further said that despite passengers wearing life jackets, questions remain over why more lives could not be saved, adding that a clearer picture will emerge after the rescue efforts are completed.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, “NDRF has recovered two more bodies…The situation will be clear in some time…After the rescue operation concludes, it will be clear why people could not be saved even when they were wearing life jackets”

A survivor of the boat capsizing incident has alleged a lack of basic safety measures, claiming that passengers were not provided with life jackets.

Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that “15 citizens have been safely rescued” in the cruise boat capsized incident.

He attributed the incident to a “severe storm”.

In a post on X, CM Mohan Yadav wrote, “Through swift rescue operations, 15 citizens have been safely rescued. Efforts are underway to locate those who are missing as quickly as possible.”

“In this hour of crisis, the state government stands in full solidarity with the affected families with complete sensitivity, and every possible assistance is being ensured,” the post read.

Eyewitnesses claimed that strong winds may have contributed to the incident.

Samrat, an eyewitness, said, “It was really windy. We told the boat operator to come to the other end, but he paid no heed. It started for the other side but capsized in the middle of the dam. A few people in life jackets jumped off the boat… We safely rescued about 15-16 people… We rushed them to the hospital. The bodies were taken away.” (ANI)

Sometimes, all it takes is a few pictures to get the internet talking, and Sidharth Malhotra just did exactly that.

The actor recently gave fans a glimpse into his beach vacation through a relaxed photo dump that he shared on Instagram. What stood out wasn’t just the scenic backdrop or the easygoing vibe, but also an adorable appearance by his wife, Kiara Advani, which instantly caught fans’ attention.

The post included several pictures from the getaway, featuring laid-back moments, breezy beach shots, and off-duty glimpses.

As soon as the post went live, the comment section filled up with reactions. Many fans said the pictures reminded them of his earlier days. One user wrote, “You just gave us the 2020 Sidharth Malhotra in 11 slides. Thank you,” while another added, “Can’t remember when Sid posted this many videos and pics at a time on Insta.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Shershaah’ actor recently shared a behind-the-scenes photo with Kiara, hinting that the two might be working together again.

Sidharth had earlier shared a behind-the-scenes photo with Kiara, suggesting that the two might be shooting for something. In the picture, neither of them faced the camera. Sidharth kept it casual in a white shirt and blue denim, while Kiara opted for a striped pink shirt paired with white pants. With the caption, “Guess who I am shooting with?”, the actor left fans intrigued and guessing.

On the work front, Sidharth will next be seen in the folk thriller ‘Vvan,’ where he stars opposite Tamannaah Bhatia. Kiara, on the other hand, will next be seen in ‘Toxic,’ alongside Yash, with a cast that also includes Huma Qureshi, Nayanthara, and Tara Sutaria. (ANI)

Ayatollah Mohsen Qomi, Member of the Assembly of Experts and the Deputy for International Affairs in the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, dismissed claims by the US on Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and said that the leader is healthy, Fars News Agency reported.

Qomi said that such tactics are used by the West to elicit their reaction and engage in rumour mongering.

“Some people ask about the health status of His Eminence the Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei. This is a trick used by the enemy, who wants to say, ‘Why is he not present? Why doesn’t he send an audio or video message? Why don’t the people who have visited him come forward and speak?’ They want to use these questions to force us into reacting, so they can achieve their goals,” he said, as quoted by Fars News Agency.

Qomi said that despite his injuries, Iranian officials were now focused on preserving the Supreme Leader’s life.

“Right now, the most important issue for us is to help preserve the life of His Eminence the Leader, who is currently the Proof of God on earth. And I assure you that despite the injuries he sustained there, Almighty God preserved him as a treasure for the Shia,” he said.

Qomi also confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei was in the building which was bombed, but was ultimately saved.

“He was in that very building that was bombed, where others were martyred. Just minutes before the explosion, by God’s will he had gone into the courtyard. God wanted him to be preserved,” he said.

“Currently, he is in perfect health and is actively managing affairs. He oversees matters related to negotiations and field operations with his direct supervision. Recently, he even gave specific instructions to the negotiating team regarding what actions to take under various conditions. He has full command over the situation,” Qomi added, as reported by Fars News agency.

Earlier, on April 28, Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India, Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia, had said that the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is in “a good situation and fine”.

“The situation of our Supreme Leader, Hazrat Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, is, thanks to God, good. According to the communication that we had a couple of days ago, he is in a good situation, he’s fine,” Ziyaeenia said in an interview with ANI.

The New York Times had reported earlier that Mojtaba Khamenei has largely remained out of public view following the February 28 airstrikes on the compound of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, where he had been residing. The attack also led to the deaths of his wife and son.

Since then, access to Mojtaba Khamenei has been highly restricted, with only a limited circle–primarily medical personnel–attending to him as he recovers from injuries sustained in the strikes, The New York Times reported. (ANI)

TMC MP Saugata Roy on Friday raised concerns over alleged irregularities in strong room security ahead of vote counting, claiming attempts to influence the process and demanding strict monitoring by authorities.

Speaking to ANI, TMC MP Saugata Roy said, “Unauthorised people entered the strong room from outside. Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja also staged a protest regarding this. Some people want to tamper with the counting process. I also saw that some people from Gujarat were shouting slogans outside the Shekhawat Memorial Girls School, where the votes for the Chief Minister’s constituency will be counted…”

He further alleged political interference, adding, “We suspect that the BJP wants to interfere with the counting process, so the Chief Minister has warned everyone.”

Meanwhile, on the issue of strong room security amid allegations of vote tampering, TMC candidate from Siliguri Assembly constituency and Siliguri Mayor Goutam Deb said, “We strongly condemn yesterday’s incident. The mandate of the people should be properly counted. If there is any attempt to manipulate it, EC will be held responsible, and the people of Bengal, along with TMC workers, will protest…”

He further added, “We have our guards up, our teams are monitoring the strong room around the clock… People’s mandate is very against the BJP, TMC will emerge victorious.”

Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Bhabanipur strong room in Kolkata and said that her party will prevent all attempts, if made, to tamper with electronic voting machines.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Bhabanipur strong room. TMC supremo here is facing BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.

Claiming that her party received reports of EVM tampering in many parts of the state, Banerjee said, “There is a strong room here for EVMs. We found that in many places, manipulation is taking place. When I saw the CCTV on TV, I thought I should also go and see it. Initially, the Central Forces wouldn’t let me enter. But according to our election rules, the candidate and election agent of any party are allowed up to the sealed room.”

Asserting that TMC is facing a biased stance from the Election Commission of India, CM Banerjee said, “Our agent has been arrested; there has been so much one-sidedness. Even after that, if someone tries to steal the EVM machine, if someone tries to steal the counting, then we will fight life and death together.” (ANI)