EAM S Jaishankar Meets US NSA Jake Sullivan

At least three persons were killed and as many injured following a blast at a firecracker manufacturing unit in a village here on Wednesday. A police official said that the explosion, which took place in the Sirauli police station area, also caused damage to some adjoining buildings. The police said that they are verifying the licence of the cracker unit's operator Nasir.

Passengers faced difficulty on Wednesday as services were hit on Delhi Metro's Blue Line for over 30 minutes after a drone was spotted lying on the tracks between Uttam Nagar East and Uttam Nagar West metro stations. The DMRC officials said that train services were regulated from 2:50 pm to 3:29 pm and the drone was removed from the tracks. During this period, train services were not available between Uttam Nagar East and Uttam Nagar West, they said.

To celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, animal rights activists in Bengaluru observed a Satyagraha, rekindling the principles of ahimsa. The activists marched from Brookfield to Sapper War Memorial, nearly 18 km, to bring attention to the abuse of trillions of animals and to promote the ethics of veganism. The nationwide event, called Satyagraha 2.0, was observed in more than 10 cities and was a peaceful and educative demonstration against the exploitation of animals for food, clothing, entertainment and experimentation.

A 55-year-old man was charred to death in a fire that broke out at a chemical unit allegedly operated illegally from a three-storey house in Indore city on Wednesday evening. A senior police official said that three persons were rescued from the spot. Abdul Qadir died in the blaze that broke out in the chemical unit operated from the ground floor of the house in the Juni Indore police station area, said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Yadav.

The Prayagraj Rail Division under the North Central Railway Zone has written to a UP-based farmers' union, saying that if they travelled by train without a ticket for their proposed programmes from October 2 to 4, it would take action as per the Railway Act. The Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Union (ABKU) is an Etah-based organisation that has proposed various programmes in different cities in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow starting from October 2, 2024.

A senior Army officer here on Wednesday briefed Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the prevailing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and counter-terror operations in the Valley. General officer commanding (GoC) of the Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai called on the LG at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. 

The undergraduate and postgraduate students, Junior doctors and interns of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital hold a torch-light procession against the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch a host of projects and attend Navratri 'garba' events during his two-day visit to Gujarat beginning Thursday. An official said that Shah will inaugurate a health check-up camp at 10:15 AM in the Chanakyapuri area of Ahmedabad city which falls under the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency. He will inaugurate a tele-rehabilitation centre at Sola Civil Hospital, a newly-built vegetable market, and a government primary school in the Bhadaj area, an official release stated.

Inaugurating a slew of community Durga pujas in Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that some people were trying to tarnish the image of the state before the world. Notably, the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 has led to large-scale protests across the country and also in some places across the globe.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday attacked the previous Congress-led governments for "failing" to foster a connection with people of the Northeast and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for successfully integrating the region into the nation’s developmental mainstream. Addressing a 'Sewa Pakhwada' seminar here, Adityanath said that under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP has reached even the most challenging regions in the country.

At least three persons were killed and as many injured following a blast at a firecracker factory in a village here on Wednesday. A police official said that the explosion, which took place in the Sirauli police station area, also caused damage to some adjoining buildings. The police said they are verifying the licence of the cracker unit's operator.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Wednesday visited the Trade Facilitation Center and Craft Museum in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi

The Anti-Corruption Bureau carried out searches on Wednesday at multiple locations in Rajasthan in a disproportionate assets case against Kota Divisional Commissioner Rajendra Vijay. An official said that documents of 13 commercial and residential plots were found during the raids. The teams also found Rs 2.22 lakh cash, 335 grams of gold ornaments, 11.8 kilograms of silver jewellery and three four-wheelers, besides life insurance policy documents, 16 bank accounts and a bank locker.

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced the launch of his political outfit Jan Suraaj Party, a much-anticipated move by which he hopes to take the political landscape in Bihar by storm. Kishor also named Manoj Bharti, a Madhubani-born former Indian Foreign Service Officer, as working president of the party, saying the latter will hold the post till March when organisational polls will be held.

Mortal remains of Indian Army soldier Narayan Singh, who went missing in the 1968 plane crash in Rohtang Pass, were brought to Gauchar airport in Uttarakhand earlier today. 

Two chain snatchers allegedly attacked a 30-year-old woman CISF constable who was out for a morning walk near the Akshardham Metro station in the national capital on Wednesday. A senior police stated that constable Supriya Nayak suffered injuries during the scuffle with the bike-borne assailants but she managed to grab one of them, who was later handed over to the local police, a senior Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer said.

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced the launch of his political outfit Jan Suraaj Party, a much-anticipated move by which he hopes to take the political landscape in Bihar by storm.

Kishor also named Manoj Bharti, a Madhubani-born former Indian Foreign Service Officer, as working president of the party, saying the latter will hold the post till March when organisational polls will be held.

The party was launched at Veterinary College Ground in the state capital in presence of many renowned figures, including former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Varma and ex-MP Monazir Hassan.

The party was floated exactly two years after Kishor had embarked on a more than 3,000-km-long 'padayatra' of the state, from Champaran where Mahatma Gandhi had launched the first Satyagraha in the country, in a bid to mobilise the people for a "new political alternative" that could cure Bihar of its chronic backwardness.

For the second time this week, a fire extinguisher belonging to the railways was found on the tracks on Wednesday with officials saying it was spotted by the loco pilot of a goods train who applied breaks near Ambiyapur station in Kanpur dehat.

They said there was no criminal intent behind the act and the extinguisher might have fallen off from some train accidently.

On September 29, a fire extinguisher was found on the rail tracks between Govindpuri and Bhimsen stations here. The loco pilot applied emergency brakes and stopped the train away from the extinguisher, which also belonged to the railways.

Wednesday's incident came to light around 6:30 am when the loco pilot apprised his seniors who, in turn, alerted the GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) about it.

No FIR has been lodged in the matter so far, the officials said.

Leaders of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance on Wednesday met here to continue their seat-sharing talks for the Maharashtra assembly elections.

State Congress chief Nana Patole and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Anil Desai and Sanjay Raut were present at the meeting at `Shivalaya', the office of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

The talks are expected to conclude before Dussehra, sources said.

Congress wants a larger share of seats in Vidarbha and Marathwada and is ready to cede more seats to the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai and Konkan, they said.

The Sena (UBT), however, wants more seats in eastern Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, sources added.

The allies have reached consensus on "90 percent of seats" in Mumbai, while six seats were under discussion, a Congress leader said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday cautioned that the population of Hindus and Adivasis in Jharkhand is declining and accused the JMM-led coalition government of engaging in dangerous "vote bank politics" by supporting infiltrators at the expense of the state’s identity, culture, and heritage.

He asserted that it was time to "throw such forces out" to protect "mati, beti, roti" (land, daughter, bread).

"The time is ripe for 'Parivartan' in Jharkhand to safeguard 'beti, mati, roti' and combat corruption. The JMM-led coalition is playing a dangerous game, jeopardising the identity, culture, and traditions of the people while patronising infiltrators," Modi said during the concluding programme of the BJP's Parivartan Yatra, which covered approximately 5,400 km across all 81 assembly segments.

Modi criticised the coalition for being insensitive, citing the deaths of several aspirants during recruitment drives for excise constables.

This visit marks Modi's second trip to Jharkhand in about two weeks, as elections for the 81-member assembly approach, with the current Vidhan Sabha’s tenure set to expire on January 5.

Upon arrival, Modi greeted large crowds from a special open vehicle and engaged with members of the tribal community. Women presented him with a 'kalash' filled with soil collected during the 'Parivartan Yatra' as a symbol of their commitment to protecting 'mati, beti, roti.' Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously flagged off the BJP's Parivartan Yatra on September 20 from Sahibganj, with six yatras launched across the state to cover all 81 assembly seats in 24 districts, culminating today.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that 14 Bangladeshis were nabbed for illegally entering the state, and nine of them had Aadhaar cards.

In a post on X, Sarma said those foreigners were apprehended in South Salmara-Mankachar and Karimganj districts on Tuesday.

"Based on intel input, 14 illegal Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended by @assampolice yesterday in South Salmara and Karimganj. 9 of them were found carrying Indian Aadhaar cards," he added.

"Ever since the tense situation in Bangladesh erupted, we have maintained a strict vigil and caught 108 illegal infiltrators in the period," the CM said, praising the state police force.

Assam's Karimganj, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts share 267.5 km of international border with Bangladesh.

There is an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sutarkandi in Karimganj. Northeast has three ICPs, with the two others being located at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura.

Assam DGP G P Singh had earlier said the state police and BSF would do everything possible to prevent any attempt by non-Indians to enter the country from Bangladesh as per the law.

He had, however, added that all Indian passport holders would be allowed to return from trouble-torn Bangladesh through the entry point in the state. 

PM Modi while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Hazaribag slams the JMM-led Coalition and said that, “For vote bank politics, JMM-led coalition putting people's identity, culture, tradition at stake.”

PM Modi while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Hazaribad said that “JMM-led coalition serving 'jhooth ki jalebi' to people.”

JMM-led coalition insensitive, caused deaths of aspirants during recruitment drive of excise constables, says PM Modi while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Hazaribag

Congress Wants to Snatch SC, ST, OBC Reservation, I Assure You No One Can do it: PM Modi in Hazaribag

An Indian Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing in a waterlogged area in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Wednesday after it developed a snag, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar said the helicopter was coming from adjoining Darbhanga after air-dropping relief material to flood-hit people.

"The helicopter made an emergency landing in a waterlogged area in Aurai block. All the occupants were IAF personnel and they were pulled out by locals by the time officials reached the spot," said the SSP.

District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said, "All four occupants appear safe and unharmed. However, as a precaution, they are being taken to a local hospital for check-up and treatment, if required." 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the Swachh Bharat Mission as the largest and most successful people's movement of the 21st century, emphasising its impact on public health and wellbeing.

Addressing an event to mark 10 years of the mission, Modi said that mass participation has transformed the campaign into a new path to prosperity for India.

"You all made the Swachh Bharat Mission a success," the prime minister said while noting that over 28 crore people took part in more than 27 lakh events organised in just 15 days during the 'Sewa Pakhwada'.

He said chief ministers, ministers, and other representatives played key roles in this national effort and underlined that "continuous efforts can only lead to a clean India." During the event, the prime minister inaugurated projects worth around Rs 10,000 crore under the Swachh Bharat and AMRUT 2.0 missions which include water and sewage treatment plants across several states.

"When people talk about 21st-century India even after 1,000 years, they will definitely remember the Swachh Bharat Mission," Modi said, emphasising the lasting legacy of the cleanliness campaign.

The prime minister also criticised previous governments for neglecting basic sanitation.

"They never considered dirt and lack of toilets as national issues. It was like they made dirt a part of their lives," he said.

He said those who used Mahatma Gandhi for their political benefits and vote bank have now forgotten his subject of interest. He said that filth and lack of toilets were never considered as a national issue.

As a result, said the prime minister, there were no discussions about it in society and lack of cleanliness became a part of life. He also recalled facing criticism after raising this issue from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

"The first job of a prime minister is to make the lives of the common man easy. I talked about toilets and sanitary pads, and today, we see the results," he said.

The prime minister highlighted that more than 60 per cent of the population was forced to defecate in the open a decade ago, which he called as an insult to Dalits, backward classes and tribal communities, and a major source of inconvenience for women.

Modi noted the "sufferings of mothers, sisters and daughters due to the lack of toilets" and also pointed out the threats to their health and safety. He said that the filth caused by open defecation had endangered the lives of children and was a major cause of child mortality.

He also cited studies and reports that underline the positive outcomes of the mission.

An international study has shown that the Swachh Bharat Mission is saving the lives of 60,000 to 70,000 children annually, while a UNICEF report indicates that over 90 per cent of women feel safer due to the construction of household toilets, he said.

Additionally, the World Health Organization has credited the mission with saving 300,000 lives between 2014 and 2019 by reducing deaths from diarrhoea, Modi added.

The prime minister also noted a shift in attitudes toward sanitation workers, stating that the Swachh Bharat Mission has brought them respect and pride.

"Cleanliness is not just a one-day task but a lifelong value," he said, urging citizens to pass on the value of cleanliness from generation to generation and treat their surroundings with the same care as places of worship.

Modi said steps have been taken to eliminate the problems arising from manual cleaning of septic tanks and informed that the government is working together with private and public sectors in this regard.

"We are also encouraging professionals and startups," he added.

He added that currently about 5000 start-ups related to clean-tech were registered.

Modi emphasised that many new opportunities were being created in the water and sanitation sector, be it waste to wealth, collection and transportation of waste, reuse and recycling of water.

"Swachh Bharat Mission has given a significant boost to the circular economy in India", the prime minister said highlighting that waste generated from households is now being converted into valuable resources.

He added that this mission had revealed the true energy and potential of the people to him.

Modi said that the country should know that there are lakhs of people who had donated their money and valuable time to make this mission successful though their faces were never shown on TV or their names were never published in the newspaper.

He added that he was thankful to the people along with the industries involved in the production of single-use plastic for joining hands and supporting the initiative.

He also thanked the political parties that supported the initiative. "They must have missed out on criticising me for it but now that I have mentioned it they might start criticising," he said.

The prime minister highlighted that more than 12 crore toilets were built in the country and the scope of toilet coverage reached 100 per cent from less than 40 per cent previously.

Highlighting the public awareness brought about by the Swachh Bharat Mission, Modi cited the example of child deaths in Gorakhpur due to brain fever that were addressed with emphasis on cleanliness.

To mark the landmark day, Modi also went to a school to take part in a cleanliness drive along with girl students.

During an interaction with the students, he asked them about the benefits of cleanliness and spoke about the problems, including diseases, that are caused by a lack of toilets. He said his government's focus on building toilets in schools with separate toilets for girls led to a drastic fall in their dropout rates.

He encouraged them to practice yoga and spoke about the benefits of the Sukanya Samriddhi scheme, under which bank accounts opened for a girl child provide a higher interest rate to help them in higher studies and marriage as well.

The prime minister asked them to shun plastic carry bags and said cleanliness should not be seen as work for one day but a daily habit. 

An Indian Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar on Wednesday after it developed a snag, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar said the helicopter was coming from adjoining Darbhanga after air-dropping relief material.

"The helicopter made an emergency landing in a water-logged area in Aurai block. All the occupants were IAF personnel and they were pulled out by locals by the time officials reached the spot," said the SSP.

District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said, "All four occupants appear safe and unharmed. However, as a precaution, they are being taken to a local hospital for check-up and treatment, if required." 

The Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Santosh Jha on Wednesday made an official call on the new Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.

“Shared progress in the upward trajectory of the India-Sri Lanka partnership and discussed ways to further strengthen the long-standing friendship," a statement said.

The Indian envoy also called on Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at her office.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled development projects worth over Rs 83,700 crore from Jharkhand.

He launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, which will be implemented at a cost of Rs 79,150 crore, aimed at ensuring comprehensive and holistic development for tribal communities across the country.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the project will benefit more than 5 crore tribals in 549 districts across 30 states and Union Territories.

 Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced that there is a Rs 60,000-crore investment opportunity by the railways in West Bengal.

He highlighted that 61 projects are currently pending in the state due to issues related to the handover of land to the railways, emphasising that the completion of these projects requires the TMC government to rise above politics.

"Rs 60,000 crore investment opportunity by the railways exists in West Bengal," Vaishnaw said after inaugurating several railway projects and train services at Sealdah station.

A voter turnout of 69.65 percent was recorded in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Tuesday, with the democratic exercise passing off peacefully amid tight security.

This marks a historic moment of "first time voting" for three communities -- West Pakistan Refugees, Valmikis and Gurkhas -- who have long lacked polling rights and political representation in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for the past 75 years.

The southwest monsoon -- which led to above normal rainfall in most parts of the country this year -- withdrew from Delhi on Wednesday.

Usually, the monsoon starts retreating from northwest India by September 17 and withdraws from Delhi within a week.

"Today, the southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana Delhi; some parts of west Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan and some more parts of west Rajasthan," the IMD said in a statement.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said 23 persons from the state stranded in the landslide-hit in Nepal were safe and they were being brought back.

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday said more than 4,000 people were rescued in the rain-induced floods and landslides that have claimed 241 lives so far and wreaked havoc in the Himalayan country.

The disaster, which began on September 26, continued to cause widespread destruction in multiple provinces until September 29, leaving thousands displaced.

Incessant rain last week created havoc across Nepal.

Ahead of the arrival of migratory birds in Chilika, the wildlife wing of Odisha’s forest department has set up temporary camps to prevent poaching activities in the area.

As many as 21 temporary camps are now operational in the lake, India’s largest coastal lagoon, and will remain active until the end of March, when the birds begin their journey home, Amlan Nayak, divisional forest officer of Chilika Wildlife Division, said.

Each camp has three personnel to assist wildlife staff with patrolling.

Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy were among those who paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi here on the occasion of his 155th birth anniversary on Wednesday.

Ministers, legislators, officials and delegates of different organisations of freedom fighters were among those who paid homage to the statue of the Father of the Nation here.

Two women officers of the Indian Navy on Wednesday embarked from Goa on a challenging expedition to circumnavigate the globe covering 21,600 nautical miles spread over an eight-month period.

The two officers - Lt Commander Dilna K and Lt Commander Roopa A - are expected to return to Goa in May 2025.

The historic voyage was flagged off from the Naval Ocean Sailing Node, INS Mandovi near Panaji, as both the officers sailed on the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Shigeru Ishiba on taking over as prime minister of Japan.

Modi said on X, "Heartiest congratulations PM @shigeruishiba. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen India-Japan Special Strategic & Global Partnership and promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond." Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida, who stepped down to pave the way for a fresh leader after scandals dogged his government.

The Maharashtra government has formed a Commission of Inquiry for a probe into the killing of Badlapur school sexual assault case Akshay Shinde in an alleged shoot-out by police.

A home department gazette published on Tuesday said the single-member Commission of Inquiry will be headed by the Chief Justice (retired), Allahabad High Court, Dilip Bhosale.

The panel will submit its report in three months, as per the gazette.

Two girls, aged four and five years, were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant inside the toilet of a school at Badlapur in Thane district in August.

Akshay Shinde, the accused, was subsequently arrested, but was shot dead by police in an alleged shoot-out on September 23.

hief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary at the Rajghat here.

The CJI also paid tributes to Gandhi at his statue installed in the apex court premises.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Lal Tipara Gaushala with Bio-CNG plant in Gwalior and launched various development projects of Rs 685 crore in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Wednesday.

The 'gaushala', or cow shelter, with the Bio-CNG plant that can produce three tonnes of natural gas per day using 100 tonnes of cow dung, has been set up in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Swachh Bharat Mission has become the largest and most successful people's movement in the century with mass participation and public leadership.

Addressing a gathering on completion of 10 years of the Mission here, he said the Swachh Bharat campaign is not just a cleanliness movement but a new path to prosperity.

Unidentified men shot dead a self-styled town commander of a proscribed militant outfit near Leishang village in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, police said on Wednesday.

ssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts continue to guide in building a better society.

Offering his tribute to Gandhi on his birth anniversary, Sarma said he was an extraordinary revolutionary and displayed rare farsightedness.

"It is our collective endeavour to live up to his ideals of public service and social welfare. His thoughts continue to guide us in building a better society," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday kick-started the construction of four compressed bio-gas (CBG) plants by Oil India Ltd in Assam.

The event was part of a groundbreaking ceremony for several CBG plants across the country, which Modi presided over virtually from New Delhi, aimed at promoting a sustainable and eco-friendly energy landscape on the occasion of Swachh Bharat Diwas.

The key projects in Assam include locations in Guwahati, Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Tinsukia.

Healthcare services were affected in West Bengal as junior doctors continued their cease work on Wednesday over a host of demands, including proper security at state-run hospitals in the wake of the rape and murder and of their colleague.

The junior doctors went on to cease work after the body of their colleague was found at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. They partially returned to work on September 21 after 42 days, resuming essential services after the government promised to address most of their concerns.

However, alleging that the government did not fulfil its promises, the doctors went on to cease work on Tuesday.

A letter threatening bomb blasts at several railway stations and other places in Rajasthan was received at the Hanumangarh railway station, police said on Wednesday.

Additional SP, Hanumangarh, Pyare Lal Meena said the letter was delivered by post to the Hanumangarh station master and the local police was informed on Tuesday evening.

"It was threatened in the letter, which was in the name of Jaish-e-Mohammed, that the railway station and places in Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, Bundi, Udaipur, Jaipur will be blown up by bombs on October 30," he said.

Jaish-e-Mohammad is a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday enquired about Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's health with his wife Latha over phone and conveyed his wishes for the actor's speedy recovery.

In a post on X, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said, PM Modi spoke to Latha Rajinikanth today to inquire about the health of Rajinikanth. "The PM was informed about the well-being of Thiru Rajinikanth post-surgery & PM wished him a speedy recovery." The 73-year-old actor is currently hospitalised following a non-surgical procedure for an issue in the main blood vessel of his heart, at a private hospital in Chennai.

Rajinikanth is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday led the nationwide Coastal and Beach Cleanliness Drive organised by MY Bharat from the historic city of Gujarat's Porbandar on Gandhi Jayanti.

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and 150 Ladakhis were again detained after they were released by the Delhi Police late Tuesday night, even as their indefinite fast continue at the police stations, officials said on Wednesday.

Wangchuk and other detained Ladakhis were allowed to go on Tuesday night but they were adamant to march towards the central part of Delhi, therefore, they were detained again, a senior police officer told PTI.

 The Indian stock, currency, and commodities markets will remain closed on Wednesday on account of Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released ₹ 5858.60 crore to 14 flood-affected states as a central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). This include ₹ 1492 crore to Maharashtra, ₹ 1036 crore to Andhra Pradesh, ₹ 716 crore to Assam, ₹ 655.60 crore to Bihar, ₹ 600 crore to Gujarat, ₹ 189.20 crore to Himachal Pradesh, ₹ 145.60 crore to Kerala, ₹ 50 crore to Manipur, ₹ 21.60 crore to Mizoram, ₹ 19.20 crore to Nagaland, ₹ 23.60 crore to Sikkim, ₹ 416.80 crore to Telangana, ₹ 25 crore to Tripura and ₹ 468 crore to West Bengal, These states have been affected due to extremely heavy rainfall, floods and landslides during the south-west monsoon this year.

Two people were feared dead after a helicopter crashed near Bavdhan in Pune district in Maharashtra , on Wednesday. More details are awaited.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed police and administration to remain alert round the clock in view of the upcoming festival season to ensure that no untoward incident occurs anywhere in the state. Adityanath said this in a virtual meeting with all district magistrates and police chiefs where he reviewed efforts being made for better law and order in the district and issued guidelines to the officers.

In a first, the WHO Academy has started a training programme at the AIIMS Trauma Centre for doctors, nurses and other professionals to respond effectively to mass casualty incidents in emergency units. The WHO Academy has developed a training course for Mass Casualty Preparedness and Response in Emergency Units (WHO MCM Course), according to a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the most iconic figure of India's freedom movement, on his birth anniversary.

In a post on X, Modi said the revered Bapu's life and ideals based on truth, harmony and equality would always be an inspiration for the country's people.

Gandhi, hailed as the father of the nation, steadfastly followed the principles of truth and non-violence, inspiring generations of politicians and activists around the world.

Modi also paid tribute to India's second prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was also born on this day.

He dedicated his life to the country's soldiers, farmers and pride, Modi said of Shastri, who raised the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" and whose simplicity and honesty earned him wide respect.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his US Counterpart Antony Blinken.

Delhi CM Atishi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on the occasion of his birth anniversary, on Wednesday. 

Ahead of the Mahalaya, civil society members hit the road on Tuesday night in different parts of the city, demanding justice for the R G Kar victim who was brutalised and killed on August 9. Thousands of women hit the streets at Shyambazar, Jadavpur, Kestopur, Netajinagar and Haridevpur, demanding safety and security for women, and punishment for those behind the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor.