Rice 'stretches himself to limit' before another 'masterclass'

How injury doubt Declan Rice "stretched himself to the very limit" to take Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

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Ten-try Northampton demolish Quins to go top

Alex Coles scores a hat-trick as Northampton run in 10 tries against Harlequins to return to the top of the Prem Rugby table.

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'Nancy leaps to his own defence as he feels Old Firm heat'

Just over four weeks on from his appointment as Celtic manager, Wilfried Nancy's passionate defence of his reign shows the pressure he is facing before Saturday's Old Firm derby against Rangers.

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Woman killed in suspected mountain lion attack in US

Colorado officials said that it would be the first time in more than 25 years that a mountain lion killed a person in the state, if confirmed.

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Stalled Contracts, Contamination: How 11 Died In Indore Water Tragedy

The contaminated drinking water in Indore's Bhagirathpura has now cost 11 lives and more than 1,400 residents have been affected. What was initially described as an "unfortunate contamination" in what is officially India's "cleanest city", now show every sign of negligence and administrative failure as sources and official confirmations indicate that the tragedy was preventable.

Investigators have traced the contamination to a leak in the main drinking water pipeline near a public toilet beside the Bhagirathpura police outpost. Officials suspect that sewage entered the drinking water line through this breach.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav confirmed that evidence of contamination due to leakage had been found and warned that such negligence would not be tolerated. Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya also acknowledged that sewage mixing into drinking water was the likely cause, specifically pointing to the leak near the police outpost.

Health department reports have now confirmed this. Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Hasani said the water samples tested at MGM Medical College clearly established that the residents of Bhagirathpura fell ill and died after consuming contaminated water.

Sources said the tender for replacing the Bhagirathpura pipeline was floated as early as August 2025, at an estimated cost of Rs 2.4 crore, specifically citing complaints of dirty and foul-smelling water. 

But no work began. No emergency repairs were carried out.

Only after people started dying was the tender hurriedly opened.
"This is not failure. This is abandonment," said a senior water department official on condition of anonymity.

Indore's Safe Water Schemes

Under the AMRUT 2.0 mission, Indore received water infrastructure projects worth approximately Rs 1,700 crore in 2023-24. 

Contracts under Package-1 (Rs 579 crore) for an intake well, water treatment plant and pipeline have been awarded. 

Three other packages, for gravity main and trunk lines, and distribution networks and overhead tanks, for a cumulative 1,200 crore are still in the tendering stage.

The Dark Underbelly

Sources within the Water Resources Department, however, admit that delays and weak monitoring have led to multiple sewage-drinking water intersections across the city, especially in older localities like Bhagirathpura.

Locals confirm that repeated complaints did not bring any action.
Preeti Sharma, a Bhagirathpura resident, said she complained repeatedly to the local councillor about foul-smelling water, but nothing was done.

Omprakash, another resident, showed samples of muddy, foul tap water from his house. "They kept fighting over contracts," he said, "Meanwhile, sewage kept flowing into our drinking water."

Human Rights Violation?

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports and issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.

The Commission said if the reports are true, it constitutes a serious violation of the victims' human rights, particularly because complaints were allegedly ignored before the deaths.

A three-member probe committee has been formed. The investigation has been handed to the Additional Chief Secretary. Some lower-level officials have been suspended. 

But the administration is still silent on key questions - like why the tender not opened and the leak repaired when complaints came and why the system responded only after the deaths started.

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Khawaja to retire after fifth Ashes Test

Australia batter Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket following the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney this week.

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Indian-Origin Zohran Mamdani Inaugurated As New York's First Muslim Mayor

Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as New York City's mayor in a public event on Thursday (local time), becoming the city's 112th mayor and making history in the process. The ceremony took place on the steps of City Hall, where hundreds gathered to witness the moment.

He is the first Muslim mayor of New York City, the first of South Asian origin, and the youngest person to hold the post in more than a century. 

The public oath was administered by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, while Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced him to the crowd.

Speaking after the inauguration, Mamdanis said, “My fellow New Yorkers, today begins a new era. I stand before you moved by the privilege of taking this sacred oath. Humbled by the faith that you have placed in me.”

He said he's "honored to serve" as either the city's 111th or 112th mayor, referring to some confusion in the city's historical record. 

“While only action can change minds, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” Mamdani added. In his speech the first Muslim mayor of New York City thanked Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. 

Thanking his predecessor, Eric Adams, the NYC mayor said, “I will always be touched that he chose me as the mayoral candidate that he would most want to be trapped with in an elevator.”

His parents, filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, were present at the ceremony.

Imam Khalid Latif, executive director of the Islamic Center of New York City, delivered the invocation. As he spoke, Imam Latif was surrounded by a group of faith leaders from around the city, underscoring the city's diverse religious communities.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, took office after campaigning on promises to address the city's growing affordability crisis. Mark Levine, the new city comptroller, and Jumaane Williams, the public advocate, also took oath today.

Public Ceremony Follows Late-Night Oath

Earlier in the day, Mamdani had taken a private oath just after midnight at a closed subway station, surrounded by his wife, Rama Duwaji and family. Speaking after the ceremony, he said, "This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime. I cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow as we begin our term. After just having taken my oath to become the mayor of the city of New York, I do so also here in the old city hall subway station - a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health, the legacy of our city."

During the private swearing in, he chose to take his oath on a Quran from the New York Public Library, once owned by Afro-Latino historian Arturo Schomburg.

The public ceremony will be followed by an "inauguration block party" spread across seven city blocks. Despite freezing temperatures, thousands turned up to celebrate, with organisers expecting a crowd of around 40,000 people.

Former New York mayor Bill de Blasio was also present at the event.

Mamdani's inauguration follows a long tradition of mayors marking the moment in distinctive ways, including his predecessor Eric Adams, who held up a picture of his late mother in Times Square and was sworn in just after the ball dropped, as the city was still dealing with the COVID pandemic.

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