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"Religious Sentiments": Indore Temple Allegedly Blocked Civic Body Action

Thirty-six people were killed when a structure at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore collapsed yesterday. The stepwell roof at the Beleshwar Mahadev temple broke due to the sheer weight of the crowds on Ram Navami. A havan was being performed when the incident happened.

An NDTV investigation has revealed the tragedy could have been averted had the Indore Municipal Corporation acted on complaints filed by residents. The tragedy hit many families hard, with some losing more than one member.

Documents that NDTV accessed clearly show the temple area that collapsed was an illegal structure and the Indore Municipal Corporation had marked the cover of the stepwell for demolition last year.

But the municipal body had to back down after the temple trust warned them religious sentiments would be hurt.

NDTV has accessed one more letter issued by the then Indore Development Authority (IDA) chief in 1985 - a planning map of the area which has no mention of any temple. The map shows this area was to be developed as a children's park.

In 1985, the place where the temple is located was earmarked as "Sneh Vatika" for children under a scheme of the IDA by the then chief authority chief Harsh Mander.

The stepwell, however, is 200 years old. It was covered with four iron girders, a thin layer of concrete and tiles incapable of holding the weight of the crowd that gathered to offer puja on Ram Navami.

The walls had come up around the floor. A tin shed was set up as the roof of the temple. People gathered at Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple for a havan (ritual) did not know that the ground beneath their feet hid a deep well amid rusty iron grills.

The temple trust denied any illegal construction and alleged the authorities were trying to hurt religious sentiments.

The Indore Municipal Corporation had given notice to the temple trust twice - in April 2022 and January 2023. In the second notice to the temple trust, the municipal body said its previous reply was "unacceptable".

"You have been directed to remove the complete construction in seven days of receiving this letter, else IMC (Indore Municipal Corporation) will remove the encroachment/illegal construction under Section 307 of the Municipal Corporation Act 1956 and under Section 7(3) of the Land Development Rules 2012," the municipal body said. It did not mention anything about the stepwell.

The temple trust again denied any illegal construction and alleged the authorities were trying to hurt religious sentiments.

Kishore Kodwani, who lives in the area, pointing at the crammed space, told NDTV, "Why was this shed was not removed? It would have easy to use a bulldozer... Most of the stepwells in this area have been covered. In fact one of the temples is inside a community hall built by the IMC itself. All these structures have political patronage. No official will dare to take action against them."

He said that as per government records, there are 1,153 community gardens in Indore, out of which 875 gardens were physically verified and it was found that there were 63 temples and 113 overhead water tanks of the IMC constructed on them.

Cabinet minister Tulsi Silawat told NDTV they have ordered a probe into the matter and are also looking at the municipal notice. "We have ordered an enquiry. Nothing can be so sad. If anyone has encroached upon any stepwell, we will take action. Nobody will be spared," the minister said.

A police case has been filed against two officials of the temple trust. Two municipal officials have been suspended for not removing illegal construction. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

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For Zeenat Aman, Life Would Have Been "Colourless" Without Step-Mom

Zeenat Aman has been trending ever since she made her Instagram debut in February. Now, in her recent post, the veteran actress spoke about the lack of visibility of "older women in the public eye." In her long post, the Amar Akbar Anthony actress shared some stories about how her mother and friends supported her in her life. She also mentioned her stepmother, who doted on her sons. She started her note with these words, "We see very few older women in the public eye. It's not something I thought about when I was young, but now that I myself am silver-haired, I feel their absence. It's a puzzling phenomenon, simply because older women mould, protect and nurture us in so many ways worthy of celebration. There is just no substitute for the wisdom of experience and years."  

"My entire life I have known older women who have anchored me. My mother, yes, but others too. My friend Khadija whose generosity towards me was unsurpassed and who, being widowed young, displayed an inner steel that inspired me. My dear, ever-patient Sartaj, who is always there to make me laugh, but who was also by my side during days of intense grief. Kavi, who is steadfast as a rock and cradles our friendship even when I am neglectful,"  Zeenat Aman continued.

Speaking about her step-mother, Zeenat Aman wrote, "My stepmother Shamim aunty, who doted on my sons and to whom I could entrust them no matter the hour... How different and colourless life would have been without their influence." 

Zeenat Aman concluded her note with these words, "When you sweep your eyes across the landscape of your life, do you not also find the influence of older women? I would be interested to know your stories. Stories of how a mother or aunt or grandmother or sister or woman friend carried you in your time of hesitance or need. If you don't have a story to share, then maybe this post can serve as a reminder to drop a (heart emoticon) to an older woman who enriches your life."

Soon after Zeenat Aman shared the post, Kajol was quick to comment, "So well said!" followed by a fire emoticon. Manisha Koirala dropped the fire emoticon in the comment section. 

Take a look at Zeenat Aman's post here: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

Zeenat Aman keeps sharing glimpses from her daily life every now and then. A few days ago, she shared some memes featuring her stills from movies. In a long note, the veteran actress revealed that her children introduced her to the "Zeenat Aman meme" on the social media platform. An excerpt from her post read, "This Saturday I am more of a Meme-at Aman than a Zeenat Aman. I would be befuddled by the vagaries of Instagram if it weren't for my kids. Fortunately, not only do they explain the app and its workings to me, they also introduce me to online humour! Today they showed me 'Zeenat Aman memes', and I've been in splits all morning. I just think they are so fantastically creative and funny. Not to mention that they're a great use of images that would otherwise be redundant!"

Take a look below: 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

Zeenat Aman is known for her work in movies like Don, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

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Mehbooba Mufti's Daughter Moves Court For Passport, Kashmir Police's Reply

Seeking dismissal of the writ petition filed by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter for issuance of a passport, the criminal investigation department wing of police has informed the High Court here that her final verification report was forwarded to the concerned department last month.

Iltija,35, sought the intervention of the High Court in February, wherein she stated that her passport was due to expire on January 2 and therefore she had applied for a fresh one in advance on June 8, last year.

"The Passport as per the instruction manual is expected to be dispatched within approximately 30 days…the inaction is discriminatory in nature and unconstitutional," she said in her writ petition before the court.

She said the passport is required immediately by her as she intends to apply for obtaining a master's degree in sustainable development from outside the country.

In his response through the counsel, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), headquarters, CID J&K informed the court that the final passport verification report in respect of the petitioner has been forwarded to the Regional Passport Officer, Srinagar on February 16.

"That the petitioner has no ground to approach the Court against the answering respondent because none of the right, whether fundamental or legal, has been infringed by the answering respondent," the officer said in his reply.

He said the petitioner has wrongly impleaded the department as party respondent in the instant matter as the CID has a mere informative role in the passport proceedings and neither any relief has been or could be sought from it.

"The answering respondents department (CID) primarily is an intelligence wing of the government of J&K and has a limited role to the extent of discreetly verifying the character/Antecedents of persons on the recommendations of the competent authorities. The role of CID ends as soon as the report is forwarded," he said.

The SSP informed the court that the CID has no prerogative of deciding whether or not to issue the passport, which is the sole domain of passport authorities concerned having a statutory mandate to that extent.

"The passport Authorities as quasi-judicial authorities, decide the applications after conducting inquiry wherein reports are sought from different agencies, including Police, CID etc. The report of the CID has only an assistive and not decisive role in such instances. It is the discretion of the Passport Authority to rely or not to rely on the report of the CID based on its subjective satisfaction," the officer said.

He said "the contentions or grounds taken by the petitioner do not hold any merit so far as the answering respondent has not committed any discrimination or arbitrariness in order to infringe the rights of the petitioner. The present writ petition is bereft of merit and deserved to be dismissed with costs." Earlier, in March 2021, Mehbooba and her 80-year-old mother Gulshan Nazir were refused a passport after J&K police opposed citing an "adverse report" against her.

Mehbooba's passport expired on May 31, 2019 and she applied for a fresh passport on December 11, the next year, whereas her mother, the wife of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed applied for the same in 2020 to undertake a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Mehbooba's passport application is still pending but the authorities released the passport of her mother in early February on the directions of J&K High Court. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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US School Shooter Bought 7 Weapons Legally, Used 3 To Kill Six

28-year-old Audrey Hale, who shot dead six people at Nashville's Covenant School, had bought seven weapons legally and used three of them in the horrific tragedy on Monday. Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake in press briefing said that the weapons were purchased from five different local gun stores and were legally purchased.

John Drake said Hale self-identified as transgender without offering further clarity. Mr Drake and other officials repeatedly referred to the attacker with female pronouns, though Hale used male pronouns on a LinkedIn page that listed recent jobs in graphic design and grocery delivery, Reuters reported.

"She was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. Law officers know nothing about the treatment she was receiving. Her parents felt that she should not own weapons. The parents felt that Audrey had one weapon and that she sold it," John Drake said, adding that the weapons had been hidden around the house.

In the brief press conference, Mr Drake said that they still did not have a motive for the attack. "We believe that the students that were targeted were randomly targeted. There was no particular student that she was looking for during the incident."

Mr Drake indicated that Hale may have had some training.

"As they arrived on the property, there were police cars being hit by gunfire. The suspect was at an upper level. We believe that there was some training (for her) to be able to shoot from a higher level. She stood away from the glass so that she wouldn't be an easy target to be shot," he said.

He said that Audrey Hale's manifesto contained several writings that the Nashville police department and the FBI were still going through. It contained information about different locations, a map of the attacked school, a drawing of how Hale would enter and the assault that would take place.

The police chief added that had there been a law in place, authorities would have been able to take the weapons away from Hale prior to the attack. "Had there been a law and had it been reported that she was suicidal or that she was going to kill someone, had it been made known to us, then we would have tried to get those weapons. But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea."

Police got the call about the attack at 10:14 am and by about 10:24 they had engaged the suspect. On why the school was targeted, he said that all they know is that Hale was a student of the church but were unsure yet if that was a contributing reason.

Helplines
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TISS iCall	022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm)
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

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Watch: Delhi Metro Driver Accidentally Plays Haryanvi Song, Internet Reacts

If you are suffering from Monday blues, then this hilarious video from Delhi metro will surely lift your spirits. During a recent ride on the Delhi metro, the commuters were left confused after the metro driver accidentally played a Haryanvi track '2 Numbari' instead of the usual announcement.

The video opens with a fully packed metro, with the majority of the people standing near the entrance doors. Moments later, Masoom Sharma and Manisha Sharma's '2 Numbari' can then be heard on the speakers that are generally used to convey important announcements. Passengers can be heard laughing their hearts out. The video shows that the song only played for a few seconds and was immediately turned off. The caption on the video read, "Driver playing songs in Delhi Metro. POV: It's Friday night."

The video was shared by a content creator named Amandeep Singh and was posted on Instagram. The caption of the video reads, "Reason why I love Delhi."

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AMANDEEP SINGH (@onrecordamanyt)

The video has amused social media users. A user joked, "Haryana roadways driver after joining Delhi metro."

Another user wrote, "I was also present in that metro at the moment.Its real."

"When Delhi metro cross Tikri border," the third user wrote.

Meanwhile, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) recently stepped in with a word of caution. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation shared a hilarious meme while advising people not to shoot dance videos inside metros. Acing the meme game, DMRC used a reference from the Oscar-nominated song 'Naatu Naatu' from 'RRR' and wrote, "Dance is fun but Delhi Metro mein Na-Naacho Naacho Naacho".

The post was captioned, "Remember to Respect your passengeRs #DelhiMetro".

The picture also had a disclaimer saying, ''Filming Reels/Dance videos or any other such activities that may cause inconvenience to the passengers is strictly prohibited inside the Delhi metro.'' 

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Centre Gave SBI Rs 8,800 Crore Without Lender Asking For It, Says Auditor

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) had given Rs 8,800 crore to State Bank of India as part of recapitalisation exercise without the country's biggest lender asking for such funds in FY18, a CAG report presented in Parliament on Monday said.

The department under the finance ministry did not conduct assessment of the capital requirement as per its own standard practice before recapitalisation, as per the Compliance Audit Report No. 1 of 2023 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Union Government (Economic and Service Ministries - Civil) for the year ended March 2021.

"DFS infused Rs 8,800 crore into SBI in 2017-18 for credit growth considering it the largest PSB in the country even though there was no demand. DFS did not conduct assessment of the capital requirement as per its own standard practice before recapitalisation," it said.

The report further said DFS considered cushion over and above the norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) while recapitalising PSBs.

"RBI had already prescribed enhanced capital requirement of additional 1 per cent on banks in India. This resulted in excess infusion of Rs 7,785.81 crore," it said.

DFS infused Rs 831 crore into Bank of Maharashtra in 2019-20 against the bank's demand of Rs 798 crore to avoid surrender of funds amounting to Rs 33 crore, it added.

The government recapitalises public sector banks (PSBs) for credit growth, meeting the requirement for regulatory capital, equipping better performing lenders placed under Reserve Bank of India's Prompt Corrective Action framework to come out of it and meeting capital requirement on account of amalgamation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Twitter Now Worth $20 Billion, Less Than Half Of What Elon Musk Paid

Elon Musk has put the current value of Twitter at $20 billion, less than half the $44 billion he paid for the social media platform just five months ago, according to an internal email seen by American news media.

The email to employees dealt with a new stock compensation program in the San Francisco-based company and the attribution to employees of stock in X Holdings, Twitter's umbrella company since Musk purchased it in late October.

The compensation plan values the platform at $20 billion, slightly more than that of Snap ($18.2 billion), parent company of Snapchat, or of social network and creative website Pinterest ($18.7 billion), both of which, unlike Twitter, are publicly traded.

An emailed query from AFP sent to Twitter's communications department generated an automatic response in the form of a poop emoji.

In the internal email, Musk describes the brutal contraction in Twitter's value. He says the platform faced such grave financial difficulties that at one point it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Twitter was trending to lose $3B/year," Musk said in a message posted Saturday on the platform.

He cited a revenue drop of $1.5 billion a year and a debt-servicing burden of the same amount -- leaving it with "only 4 months of money."

Musk, Twitter's majority shareholder, added simply: "Extremely dire situation."

But he then said that with advertisers -- many of whom fled the platform after the mercurial billionaire bought it -- now beginning to return, "It looks like we will break even" in the second quarter of the year.

Since taking control, Musk has sharply trimmed the group's payroll, from 7,500 to fewer than 2,000 employees.

He said in the email that he sees a "clear but difficult path" to a valuation of $250 billion, without saying how long that might take.

Musk, who is also the chief executive of Tesla Inc. and aerospace group SpaceX, said that Twitter would allow employees of the social network to cash in shares every six months.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Man Who Sheltered Amritpal Singh's Close Aide Arrested: Punjab Police

Punjab Police on Sunday arrested Balwant Singh, from Khanna city in Ludhiana district of Punjab, the man who had harboured Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh's close aide Tejinder Singh Gill.

Khanna Police said that they have arrested Balwant Singh, the one who harboured Amritpal Singh's close aide Tejinder Singh Gill.

"His questioning is underway," police said, adding that no connection between Amritpal Singh and Balwant Singh has been found yet.

Tejinder Singh Gill alias Gorkha Baba, the core team member of Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, the Khanna Police on Friday released incriminating videos recovered from the mobile phone of Gorkha.

The chief of Waris Punjab De is still escaping the State police's dragnet. Amritpal Singh was declared a fugitive on the day, Punjab Police launched a crackdown against him and his pro-Khalistan outfit.

Punjab Police on Saturday appealed to people not to believe in rumours and fake news of the arrest of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, which is being circulated on social media.

Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Bathinda SSP Gulneet Khurana said, "We urge people not to believe the fake reports of the arrest of Amritpal Singh that are being widely circulated on social media."

He blamed the fake reports on "rumour mongers" based in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

"A few people sitting in the UK, US, and Canada are spreading false news on social media that Amritpal is being tortured (in custody)," the SSP added.

He added, "BSF companies along with police personnel and 140 security personnel from Bahadurgarh are currently deployed in Bathinda to ensure peace."

An alert was sounded in Uttarakhand over the possibility of radical preacher Amritpal Singh entering the state, informed Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V Murugesan on Saturday morning.

Murugesan added that he had received inputs from the Punjab Police that the pro-Khalistan leader, who fled Punjab in the wake of the crackdown on Waris Punjab De, may enter Uttarakhand from Haryana.

He told ANI that checks and searches are underway and a security alert has gone out in places through which he can enter the state.

The officer added that the district police have also been alerted and vigilance stepped up at the borders.

Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a resident of Punjab's Mangewal village was arrested on Friday.

"Tejinder often lived with Amritpal and is involved in the Ajnala case as well. Gorkha Baba used to be Amritpal's gunman for a long time. He was also active on social media, and his pictures along with weapons used to surface on social media. After which a separate case was registered against Tejinder in Malaud police station", DSP Payal Harsimrat Singh told ANI.

The police informed that action has been taken against him under sections 107/151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPS).

"Two other people accompanying Tejinder have also been detained. They are being interrogated", added the DSP.

The DSP said that Tejinder had a history of criminal cases, ranging from fight to liquor smuggling, registered against him and he had also served a sentence in jail.

On Friday, an alert was issued in the Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, amid reports of Amritpal trying to enter the state.

A team of Delhi Police and Punjab Police on Friday launched a search operation for Amritpal in Delhi and its border in view of the possibility of him entering the national capital.

However, Delhi Police later said Waris Punjab De chief may have left the national capital.

On March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on February 23, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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World's Highest Railway Bridge In Jammu And Kashmir To Be Operational Soon

World's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir is soon to get operational for rail traffic.

The much-awaited world's highest railway bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, which is 35 meters taller than Paris' Eiffel Tower.

The arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir is 1,178 feet above the riverbed, forming a crucial link from Katra to Banihal. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), a dream project worth Rs 35000 crore.

The bridge has passed all the mandatory tests. However, the Chenab railway bridge is near completion at present as the incumbent regime laid a special focus on the project worth Rs 1400 crore.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir will get the bridge after two decades of waiting since the project was approved in 2003 but was delayed shortly due to fears of stability and safety.

In the year 2008, the contract for constructing one of the highest railway bridges was awarded by the then government.

With the passage of time, the construction of the bridge was started again, however, it missed several deadlines.

To make the bridge ready for commissioning, all the mandatory tests have been conducted successfully.

Union Minister of Railway, Communications and Electronic and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that all the tests on Chenab Railway Bridge have been conducted and were successful.

The tests that have been conducted to check the stability and safety of the world's highest bridge include high-velocity winds test, extreme temperatures test, earthquake-prone test and hydrological impacts due to water level increase.

The Railway Bridge is ready for commissioning; officials said and added that track lane work has been started over the bridge.

The Union Minister of Railway, Communications and Electronic and Information Technology, who visited the bridge for an inspection, has said that two more tests are to be conducted tomorrow, which include running a motor trolley and bolero customised rail operation on the bridge.

The base of the steel and concrete arch bridge, 42 kilometres from Reasi town, was completed in November 2017, allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch which was done in April 2021.

The milestone on the bridge was achieved in August last year when the overarch deck of the bridge was completed with a Golden Joint', paving way for the laying of the track.

As per the officials, the construction work on the bridge started in 2004 but had to be suspended in 2008-09 to consider the aspect of the safety of rail passengers in view of frequent high-velocity winds in the area.

Once completed, the bridge will be able to withstand winds with speeds up to 260 kmph and will have a lifespan of 120 years, the officials said. Besides the highest railway bridge, the USBRL project has many firsts like the longest railway tunnel having an overall length of 12.75 km, the first cable-stayed bridge which when completed will be an engineering marvel of the 21st century.

Reportedly, the construction of the highest railway bridge was the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.

Over the last three years, engineers have been building the arch with the help of two mammoth cable cranes installed on both banks of the Chenab -- the Kauri end and the Bakkal end, report said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Give Driver's Seat To Strong Regional Parties": Tejashwi Yadav To Congress

Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said the Congress is the biggest party in the Opposition but wherever regional parties are strong, they should be allowed to sit in the "driver's seat" to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

Yadav also said that former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and current CM Nitish Kumar along with him were making efforts to bring together regional parties and the Congress.

"The Congress is part of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In Bihar, we are the bigger party but the Congress is the biggest Opposition party in the country. Lalu ji, Nitish ji and all of us are making efforts that Congress and regional parties come together and to decide as to what is the way forward," Yadav told reporters in response to a question while leaving the CBI headquarters where he was quizzed for more than eight hours.

"One thing is clear, we have said it earlier also, wherever regional parties are strong they have to be in the driver's seat, the Congress people should understand this," Yadav said.

Wherever there is a direct fight with the BJP, the Congress should take on them, he said, adding, there are approximately 200 such seats.

Yadav was quizzed by the CBI for more than eight hours in connection with a railways land-for-jobs scam case here.

Asked about his questioning, the RJD leader said his family has always cooperated with the probe and answered all questions that were asked of them.

"The truth is that there was no scam, this is clear ... Everyone knows why all this is happening," he said.

His remarks came on a day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed on opposition unity and called on all opposition parties to work together.

Gandhi also noted that the ruling dispensation has given them a "big weapon" by disqualifying him from Lok Sabha.

Gandhi also thanked several opposition parties for extending their support to him in the wake of his conviction in a defamation case and disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

The Congress on Friday welcomed the statements of opposition leaders condemning Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha and said it was now time for the party to take on the job of building the opposition unity in a "systematic way."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Plans to house migrants on ferries to be announced

The government has previously signalled it wants to end the practice of housing people in hotels.

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Shahid And Vijay's Farzi Is Now The Most-Watched Indian Series

After the roaring success of The Family Man, Raj and DK have achieved another feat with their series Farzi. According to a survey conducted by Ormax Media, 'Farzi' has been declared the most-watched Indian series of all time. Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi's Farzi has registered a record viewership of 37.1 million.

Sharing the news with his Insta-family, Shahid shared a post revealing the data and details. In the caption, he wrote, "Farzi Fever...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH."

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A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor)

The Instagram account of Raj and DK has also shared a post saying, "Thank you all... for all the love!!"

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A post shared by Raj & DK (@rajanddk)

Farzi features an ensemble cast including talented actors Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Raashii Khanna, Kay Kay Menon, Bhuvan Arora, Regina Cassandra, and Amol Palekar in pivotal roles.

The story revolves around a life of a small-time con artist Sunny (played by Shahid), who finds himself drawn into the dark while creating a perfect con. However, a fiery and unconventional task force officer (played by Vijay Sethupathi) has made it his mission to rid the nation of the threat he poses.

Taking up an issue like counterfeiting which is termed as no less than a 'financial terrorism' (in the series), the series is applauded for its content as well as performances.

Helmed by the acclaimed director duo, Raj and DK, the crime thriller marks the digital debut of Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi. The lead actors have confirmed the second season of the series.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Andrew Lloyd Webber's son Nicholas dies aged 43

The composer says his family is "totally bereft" by the loss of his Grammy-nominated son Nick.

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Russia Will Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons In Belarus, Says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus.

Putin has repeatedly issued thinly veiled threats he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, reviving Cold War-era fears.

He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kyiv received such munitions from the West following a British suggestion that it could supply Ukraine.

"There is nothing unusual here either: the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies," Putin said.

Putin said he spoke to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and said "we agreed that we to do the same."

On the question of how Moscow would respond if the West supplied Ukraine with depleted uranium shells, following a suggestion by Britain it could supply Kyiv with the munitions, Putin said Russia had vast quantities of the weaponry.

"Russia of course has what it needs to answer. Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells. We have not used them yet," Putin added in an interview on Russian television.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has warned nuclear threats were creating a dangerous sense of uncertainty around their possible use.

The longer Russia's operation in Ukraine grinds on, the greater the nuclear strike risk, ICAN warned last month ahead of the offensive's first anniversary.

Putin announced last month that Moscow would suspend its participation in New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the world's two main nuclear powers Russia and the United States.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed Russia for suspending the nuclear weapons limitation treaty with the US, saying it marked the end of Europe's post-Cold War arms control architecture.

The announcement came after Moscow last August suspended US inspections of its military sites under New START.

'Dirty Bomb' Claims

Putin previously said at a Kremlin meeting that "such a threat is rising" on the use of nuclear weapons but has been evasive on Russia's policy.

US officials have voiced fears that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it feels routed on the battlefield and could plant a fictitious story to justify its actions.

Russia has already spoken of supposed Ukrainian attempts to detonate a "dirty bomb," drawing strong denials from Ukraine and a sharp rebuke from the United States, which had rare direct communication with Moscow to warn against nuclear use.

Neither the United States nor Russia -- by far the largest nuclear weapons powers -- officially has a policy of no first use of the ultra-destructive arms.

A recent US posture review by President Joe Biden concluded only that nuclear weapons should only be used in "extreme circumstances."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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The Papers: 'Turmoil in France' and King's royal tour 'axed'

Saturday's papers lead on protests in France and the King's cancelled meeting with Emmanuel Macron.

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Derbyshire PC to keep job after using database to find woman on Instagram

The panel rules sacking the PC was "not a proportional or appropriate outcome" for his actions.

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Watch: IndiGo Pilot Cheers For "The Elephant Whisperers" Stars Bomman, Bellie

In a heartwarming gesture, the crew and passengers of the flight gave a rousing welcome to Bomman and Bellie, the Oscar-winning stars of the documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers'.

A video of an IndiGo pilot congratulating Bomman and Billie as they were on a flight to Ooty has now gone viral on social media. The video was shared by IAS officer Supriya Sahu and it has caught many people's attention. "Some of you might not know, that award for the best documentary at the Oscars was given to a documentary called The Elephant Whisperers and we have the main team of the documentary onboard with us. So give them a round of applause," the flight's pilot said in the clip.

As the passengers shouted and cheered for them, the couple stood up and folded their hands to show gratitude. Some passengers also captured photos and videos. A text overlay on the video also reads, "Flying to Ooty with the stars of "the elephant whisperers" on board. shoutout to @indigo Airlines for the special mention!" 

Nice gesture @IndiGo6E ❤️#TheElephantsWhisperers #TNForest #BommanBellie pic.twitter.com/szjojWmlFI

— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) March 24, 2023

"Nice gesture @IndiGo6E," reads the caption of the video. Since being shared, the video has amassed over 1.8 lakh views and four thousand likes. Many people labelled the gesture as "beautiful" and "cute".

The airline took to Twitter to respond to the same. They wrote, "Flying with the team was a delightful experience. Congratulations to the complete cast and crew of #TheElephantWhisperers on their well-deserved Oscars win. Thank you for sharing this with us, Ma'am . Hope you had a good time on-board. #GoIndiGo #LoveYouToo"

"I feel so happy for these two simple friends of wildlife. I hope more elephants are able to receive care and love from them," said a second user.

A third user commented, "what a gesture by @IndiGo6E , So proud of u all for regarding and acknowledging the duo winners of the oscar, they are both reel and real actors and people. God bless the couple, made India proud."

"Beautiful moments and great pictures," remarked another person.

"This is so thoughtful!" said a person. 

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Person dies in listeria outbreak linked to cheese

Three people are affected by the outbreak linked to a Wiltshire firm's Baronet cheese.

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BBC local radio hosts win broadcasting award for grilling Liz Truss

Eight presenters will share a broadcasting award for their interviews with former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

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North Korea Says It Tested New Nuclear Underwater Attack System

North Korean state news agency KCNA said on Friday it has tested a new nuclear underwater attack system under leader Kim Jong Un's guidance.

The North's state news agency also confirmed it fired cruise missiles during the weapon test and firing drill that took place from March 21 to 23.

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Iraq war 20 years on: 'I lost my leg, but I'd do it again'

Two decades on from the invasion, UK Armed Forces veterans reflect on how the Iraq war changed them.

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Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests

Fire engulfs the building's front as violence flares in several cities during pension reform protests.

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On Daughter Samara's Birthday, Riddhima Kapoor Shares An Adorable Post

Jewellery designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni penned a sweet note for her daughter Samara Sahni, who turned 12. On Instagram, Riddhima dropped a video to wish her daughter. The video features childhood memories, family outings to pictures of the mother-daughter duo.

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A post shared by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (RKS) (@riddhimakapoorsahniofficial)

Sharing the video, she penned a sweet note, "Happy birthday my darling Sam! As you clock into a new age, I hope all your wishes & dreams come true & you experience all the love & happiness you deserve because you are the most amazing daughter! I am so proud of you & the person you are becoming! Love you to the square of infinity my babygirl."

Further extending the birthday wishes, celebs on social media pour in their love. Riddhima's mother and actor Neetu Kapoor shared a couple of pictures to wish her granddaughter. 

 

She shared a picture of baby Samara along with a caption, "My precious lil girls birthday. Love you." So cute! As Neetu and Samara pose for a camera.

She also shared an old picture of Ranbir, Riddhima with her daughter.

Kareena Kapoor posted a cute picture of the birthday girl and caption it, "Happy birthday dear Samara. God bless you."

Saif Ali Khan's sister Saba Pataudi also shared a warm wish. She wrote, "Happy birthday Samara."

Riddhima met Bharat while studying in London. They got married in 2006, after four years of being together.

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