India

Jammu, Jan 5 (IANS) At least four people died on Sunday when a vehicle carrying them plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.

Officials said a vehicle went out of the driver’s control in the Massu Paddar area of Kishtwar district.

“The vehicle dropped into a deep gorge after the driver lost control of the wheel. Four people died in this accident. A rescue operation was immediately launched. Two people are reported to be missing after this accident. They are being traced,” officials said.

Sunday’s accident happened a day after four soldiers were killed in a road accident in the Saderkoot Payeen area of Kashmir’s Bandipora district. The driver had lost control of the Army vehicle after which the vehicle plunged into a gorge. Doctors at a nearby hospital had first declared two soldiers as brought dead while two others succumbed to critical injuries later. One injured soldier is being treated in the hospital.

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condoled the death of the four soldiers in the Bandipora road accident.

The Army, police and security forces have intensified anti-terrorist operations and patrolling in the hinterland and the borders after reports that terrorists are waiting to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir.

Security forces have been aggressively carrying out anti-terrorist operations against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in order to dismantle the terror ecosystem in the union territory.

These operations followed some dastardly attacks carried out by the terrorists after the peaceful and people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections in J&K. Intelligence agencies say that the peaceful conduct of elections witnessed by diplomats of many countries has frustrated the handlers of terror sitting across the border in Pakistan. Intelligence agencies say the terror handlers have directed terrorists to give the dying terrorism its last push in the union territory.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 5 (IANS) Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Sunday began demolition of a multi-storeyed building constructed illegally in the Madhapur area.

The bulldozers deployed by HYDRAA officials started the demolition of a five-storeyed building constructed on 100-Feet Road in Ayappa Society.

The building was illegally constructed on 684 yards leaving no setback as per the rules. HYDRAA had issued notices to the building owner last year following complaints from local people regarding the construction of the building with a cellar and ground floor, allegedly in violation of the High Court order.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had also issued notices to the building owner.

HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, accompanied by Revenue and GHMC officials inspected the building on Saturday.

This is one of the major demolition actions undertaken by HYDRAA, which was formed in July last year.

The government constituted HYDRAA for Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR) for the purpose of disaster management, asset protection and other functions.

This body has been tasked with the protection of assets government assets like parks, layout open spaces, playgrounds, lakes and nalas in and around the city.

It faced wide criticism for its war footing demolition of some illegal structures and encroachments.

In August last year, HYDRAA demolished the N-Convention Centre, owned by popular actor Nagarjuna in the Madhapur area.

The property has been under scrutiny for years following allegations that it was constructed in the Full Tank Level (FTL) area and buffer zone of the Thammidikunta Lake.

The N-Convention Centre had allegedly encroached upon 1.12 acres of the FTL area and an additional 2 acres within the buffer zone.

Actor Nagarjuna denied allegations of encroachment. Nagarjuna said he was pained by the unlawful manner of demolition contrary to existing stay orders and Court cases.

Last week, HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath said it reclaimed about 200 acres of encroachments, including 12 lakes, eight parks and even government land, in less than a year. He claimed that the agency also redefined and reoriented the real estate of Hyderabad.

The IPS officer said that property buyers are well aware of crucial aspects such as buffer zones, Full Tank Level (FTL), notary patta, and increasingly exercising due diligence.

Meanwhile, HYDRAA announced that it will conduct Prajavani every Monday where people can directly lodge their complaints. The agency said it aims to protect and restore lakes, nalas, government and public spaces, as well as provide assistance and cooperation to the people during natural disasters. Every Monday (excluding government holidays) has been earmarked for receiving complaints.

This programme will be held from 11 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. and again from 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm at Buddha Bhavan, Raniganj to receive complaints as well as suggestions from the people. The HYDRAA Commissioner advised that all supporting documents related to the complaint along with complete details should be brought to the office.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government secretariat and the state police headquarters received hoax bomb threats on Sunday, a day after a similar false threat was issued to Anna University.

According to the Greater Chennai Police, an unidentified individual contacted the police control room by phone, issuing a bomb threat targeting the state secretariat and the office of the Director General of Police (DGP).

Following the call, the police conducted an immediate inspection, but the threat was found to be a hoax.

Sources in the Greater Chennai Police confirmed that a case has been registered and efforts are underway to trace the caller through their phone number.

The incident follows a hoax bomb threat received by Anna University on Saturday

In that case, an email threatened the presence of explosives on the university premises.

The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a search with sniffer dogs, confirming that the threat was false.

Police have also registered a case and are investigating to identify the sender of the email.

In August 2024, Chennai airport authorities received an email claiming that bombs had been planted on the flight scheduled to carry Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to San Francisco.

The email, initially sent to Cochin airport, was forwarded to Chennai airport officials. Although the email did not specify the airline, it mentioned that bombs had been planted on the CM’s flight.

After thorough security checks, the threat was confirmed to be a hoax.

In October 2024, nine educational institutions in Tamil Nadu, including St. Joseph’s College and Holy Cross College, received hoax bomb threats via email.

Following detailed searches by BDDS personnel, all threats were found to be false.

Multiple schools and a college in Tiruchy district, such as Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Higher Secondary School and Holy Cross Women’s College, received bomb threats in November 2024.

Bomb disposal teams were deployed, but no explosives were found during inspections.

Authorities have noted a concerning rise in false bomb threats targeting schools, colleges, and public infrastructure across Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country.

Despite the immediate response and deployment of resources, most threats have been proven baseless upon investigation.

Police continue to work on tracing the origin of these threats and addressing the growing menace of hoax bomb calls and emails.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the 13-kilometer stretch of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor between Sahibabad and New Ashok Nagar.

The project, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,600 crore, marks a significant milestone in regional connectivity, providing Delhi with its first Namo Bharat connectivity.

This high-speed, reliable, and comfortable train service is set to ease travel for millions, saving commuters one-third of their usual travel time between Delhi and Meerut, that is, less than 40 minutes.

PM Modi, during his ride on the Namo Bharat Train, purchased a smart ticket and interacted with passengers.

He interacted with school children who presented sketches and recited poems. One student recited a poem titled "Nav Bharat," which was appreciated by the Prime Minister.

PM Modi also witnessed an exhibition showcasing the construction process of the train network. A model of the Namo Bharat train was presented to him by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

The train offers modern amenities, including phone charging points, luggage spots, a separate coach for women, and a premium coach. The fare for the stretch from New Delhi to Meerut has been set at Rs 150.

Later in the day, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for multiple development projects in Delhi worth over Rs 12,200 crore.

He will also open a 2.8-kilometre stretch of the Delhi Metro Phase-IV between Janakpuri and Krishna Park, built at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore. This marks the first operational segment of Phase IV, benefiting areas like Krishna Park, Vikaspuri, and Janakpuri in West Delhi.

Additionally, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the 26.5-kilometer Rithala-Kundli section of Delhi Metro Phase-IV, estimated at Rs 6,230 crore.

This corridor will enhance connectivity between Rithala in Delhi and Nathupur (Kundli) in Haryana, significantly benefitting areas such as Rohini, Bawana, Narela, and Kundli.

Another notable project includes the foundation stone for the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) in Rohini, a state-of-the-art facility to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 185 crore.

PM Modi is also scheduled to address a public rally in the national capital at 1 p.m., marking the culmination of these landmark developments.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 5 (IANS) Tollywood actor Allu Arjun reported to Chikkadpally Police Station here on Sunday as a condition laid down by a city court while granting him regular bail in Sandhya Theatre stampede case two days ago.

The actor spent about 10 minutes at the Police Station and completed the formalities.

Nampally Criminal Court had Friday granted regular bail to the actor, who was on interim bail for four weeks given by Telangana High Court.

The Nampally Court directed Allu Arjun to deposit two sureties of Rs 50,000 each. The court also directed him to cooperate with the investigation and appear before Chikkadpally Police Station every Sunday. The court also directed him not to influence the witnesses.

Police had opposed the actor's bail plea while his lawyers had contended that he could not be blamed for the incident.

A woman was killed and her son was critically injured in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' on December 4.

The police booked the theatre management, Allu Arjun and his team for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Allu Arjun was arrested on December 13 in the case. He was produced before the Nampally court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

His lawyers approached the High Court, which granted him interim bail the same day.

While granting interim bail for four weeks on December 13, the High Court had asked Allu Arjun to move the trial court for regular bail.

The actor, who is named accused number 11 in the case, was released from Chanchalguda Jail the next day.

As the 14-day judicial remand period ended on December 27, the actor had to present himself before the court for further proceedings. After obtaining permission from the court, the actor appeared through video conference.

As part of the investigation into the stampede, the police interrogated Allu Arjun on December 24. He was questioned for three hours at Chikkadpally Police Station on the basis of a 10-minute video prepared by the police by compiling CCTV footage of the incident.

--IANS

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Hathras, Jan 5 (IANS) Three more accused wanted in connection with the abduction of a private telecom firm manager were arrested after a brief encounter with the police in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Sunday.

Hathras SP Chiranjeev Nath Singh said during routine patrolling on Ruheri cut, Thana Hathras police station area, three people on a bike were asked to stop but they increased the speed to flee away and fired at the police which was retaliated.

In the exchange of fire, two of them were shot in the leg while another was arrested during searches.

The accused were identified as Prashant from Bulandshahr, Anshul from Hathras and Prince alias Virendra from Almora in Uttarakhand.

Prashant and Anshul who were wounded in the encounter were rushed to the district hospital.

During preliminary investigation, it was found that Prashant has four criminal cases registered against him.

Two country-made pistols, cartridges and a bike were recovered from the accused.

On Saturday, a joint team of police from Moradabad, Hathras and the Special Task Force rescued Abhinav Bhardwaj, manager of the telecom firm, after a brief encounter with the accused.

Bhardwaj, posted in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, was abducted by the accused on January 1.

When Bhardwaj did not return, his family started looking for him and filed a missing report.

The accused telephoned Bhardwaj's family and demanded Rs 20 lakh failing which they would kill him.

"On Saturday, Bhardwaj was rescued from the clutches of the accused after a brief encounter in Moradabad," police said.

The police seized Rs 50,000 cash, a mobile phone and other items from the accused.

The accused had demanded the money in the name of notorious criminal Tillu Tajpuria.

The accused, identified as Vishal, Sujal Kumar and Karan Bisht, were arrested on Saturday.

--IANS

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Srinagar, Jan 5 (IANS) Minimum temperature remained notches below the freezing point in Kashmir on Sunday as the Meteorological (MeT) office forecasted widespread snowfall and rain in J&K.

The MeT office statement said, "Between January 5 and 6, generally cloudy with light to moderate rain (plains of Jammu)/snow at most places of J&K with peak activity during 5th (late Night)/6th morning; improvement from 6th afternoon. From January 7 to 10, generally cloudy with dry weather. On January 11 to 12, generally cloudy with light snow at isolated to scattered places. On January 13 to 15: generally dry."

The department issued an advisory, which said that there was a possibility of heavy snow over the middle and higher reaches of Kashmir; Chenab Valley during the January 5th late night/6th morning.

“Temporary disruption of Surface and Air transportation particularly on 5th January. Tourists/travellers/Transporters are advised to plan accordingly; follow Admin/Traffic advisory,” the advisory mentioned.

Srinagar had minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg minus 4 degrees and Pahalgam minus 3.2 as the minimum temperature.

Jammu city had 9.7 degrees, Katra town 9, Batote 6.3, Banihal 3 and Bhaderwah 3.3 as the night’s lowest temperature.

Due to fog which caused very Low visibility, all flights to Srinagar airport were delayed. No flight landed till noon.

The 40-day-long period of extreme winter cold, locally called the ‘Chillai Kalan’, started on December 21 and will end on January 30.

Most water bodies, including lakes, streams, springs and ponds, have frozen partially in the Valley.

Doctors have advised people to avoid long exposure to colds that can result in hypothermia. Myocardial infarction caused by hypothermia can result in heart attack or heart failure. People of high-risk age groups, especially children and elders, have been asked to remain cautious about exposure to extreme cold temperatures.

Locals traditionally wear the loose tweed overgarment called the ‘Pheran’ underneath which they hold an earthen firepot filled with charcoal. The firepot is woven in a basket of willow wicker and is called the ‘Kangri’. This is the best bet for Kashmiris to ward off the winter cold.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) India’s demand for petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and LPG is expected to rise by three to four per cent in the current financial year ending on March 31, 2025, according to a Fitch Ratings report.

The growth is driven by rising consumer, industrial and infrastructure demand, the rating agency said in the report.

For India’s oil marketing companies (OMCs), refinery margins are expected to fall below their mid-cycle levels in FY25 amid lower product cracks, regional oversupply, and lower benefits from price differences between crude varieties, the report states.

However, marketing margins would be better than FY 24 due to lower Brent crude oil prices in the current financial year, the report states.

“This will mitigate the pressures from lower refining margins for the oil marketing companies, although pure refiners like HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited’s (HMEL, BB+/Stable) will face greater pressure on profitability. We expect refining margins to recover to their mid-cycle levels in FY26, as the regional oversupply eases and Brent crude oil prices fall in line with Fitch’s assumption, while we project marketing margins to remain supportive. HMEL’s low rating headroom in FY25 will improve in FY26 due to a gradual normalisation in refining margins,” the report said.

For the upstream companies such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL), profits are expected to dip due to subdued production and lower crude oil prices. Fitch Ratings said domestic prices for gas produced from old fields are expected to continue to be capped at $6.5/MMBTU in 2HFY25, as they are determined by a formula that benchmarks prices to 10 per cent of crude prices.

India’s oil and gas production is expected to be broadly flat in FY25. The report said India’s crude oil production would fall by two to three per cent in FY25, as upstream companies struggle to arrest the natural output decline at ageing fields through technology investments to raise recovery and tap isolated reservoirs.

However, production should grow by low single-digit percentages in FY26, as production increases at ONGC’s eastern offshore KG Basin, and at privately owned fields, it added.

The country’s crude oil import dependency would continue to rise in the near term, due to the growth in demand for petroleum products not being matched by a rise in domestic crude oil production.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, greeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her 70th birthday.

“On her birthday, I convey my greetings to West Bengal CM Mamata Didi. Praying for her long and healthy life,” read a message from the Prime Minister posted on his X handle.

A similar birthday wish was extended by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, who chose to extend the greetings in Bengali considering that it is the mother tongue of Mamata Banerjee.

"Warm birthday wishes to the founding chairperson TMC, Mamata didi. Wishing you a long and healthy life,” Kharrge’s post read.

For the last few years, the Prime Minister has not missed a single opportunity to wish Mamata Banerjee on this day. Almost every year, the Prime Minister wishes Mamata Banerjee on this day.

According to official records, Banerjee was born on January 5, 1955, which, however, is not her “actual” birth date. Banerjee, in her 1995 memoir ‘Ekante’, has written about her birth, which took place during Durga Puja. The puja is usually held at the end of September or the beginning of October as per the Hindu calendar.

Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011 ending the 34-year Left Front rule and subsequently, her party won in two consecutive state Assembly elections first in 2016 and then in 2021.

She is the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal. As the then-opposition leader in West Bengal, she had organised several protest movements against the then-Left Front government. She was initially associated with Congress, but later broke off to form her own party -- Trinamool Congress. However, in the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2011 state Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress had an alliance with Congress. But, in the 2016 West Benga Assembly polls Congress parted ways with Trinamool and formed an alliance with the Left Front which continued till general elections in 2024.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Dense fog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Sunday, reducing visibility and hitting flight and train operations.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) recorded more than 155 delays and eight cancellations. The delays were reported for aircraft not equipped with advanced CAT III navigation systems.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) reassured travellers that landings and takeoffs were ongoing, but cautioned that non-CAT III-compliant flights might face delays.

DIAL advised passengers to stay in touch with their airlines for real-time updates on flight schedules.

At New Delhi Railway Station, numerous trains reported significant delays due to near-zero visibility. Due to near-zero visibility, over 50 trains have been delayed across the national capital.

Meanwhile, traffic on the road moved sluggishly as dense fog reduced the visibility.

The Railways have urged the passengers to travel only after checking the status of their train.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for dense fog during the morning hours, warning of reduced visibility across the city.

Delhi continued to reel under biting cold conditions with the minimum temperature dropping to nine degrees Celsius.

Motorists navigated through the thick blanket of fog with extreme caution, but congestion was inevitable in several parts of the capital.

The IMD has forecast a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius for Sunday.

Partly cloudy skies are expected during the afternoon and evening.

Smog and shallow fog are expected to linger into the evening and night, affecting air quality and visibility.

On Saturday, visibility reduced to zero in Delhi for an extended nine-hour period, marking the longest stretch of such dense fog this winter season.

--IANS

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