Protesting entry of cops, BJD MLAs sprinkle Ganga Jal to purify Assembly
BHUBANESWAR: Alleging that the sacred temple of democracy had been desecrated as police entered the well of the House to evict Congress members on Tuesday night, members of the Opposition BJD on Thursday sprinkled Ganga Jal in the Assembly before participating in the proceedings. Led by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik, the BJD members sprinkled Ganga Jal from earthen pots with mango leaves in every nook and corner of the House. We sprinkled Ganga Jal to purify the Assembly. It has been polluted as the Speaker allowed the police to enter the well of the House, she said. This occurred during the question hour when the BJD members entered the Assembly with kalash containing Ganga Jal and started sprinkling the holy water both inside and outside the House. The Speaker, however, disapproved such act of the BJD members and requested them to take the pots outside the House. Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari, who was then replying to a question, said there is no need to resort to such an act as the House is always sacred and pure. To this, BJD member Arun Sahoo said engaging police to evict the Congress MLAs was an unprecedented act. The police also used force against the BJD members when they wanted to go out to garland the statue of BR Ambedkar at AG square. This incident has brought a shame to Odisha, he added. In a similar protest in December 2021, the then Opposition BJP and Congress had sprinkled Ganga Jal and cow dung in the House to purify it, as a mark of protest against the murder of a woman teacher in Kalahandi district.
Amazon Spring Sale tech deals: The best discounts from Apple, Bose, Sonos, Beats, Anker and others
This years Amazon Spring Sale is in full swing, and as promised, a ton of household, fashion and outdoor gear has dropped to record-low prices. Tech isnt a huge focus for this sale, but there are a decent number of devices on sale right now for some of the best prices weve seen all year. The selection may not be as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, but it still provides a good opportunity to save on things like headphones, robot vacuums, air purifiers and more. Weve collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals on tech gear here so you dont have to go searching for them. The Spring Sale runs through March 31, so check back here for all of the latest deals as they drop. Best Amazon Spring Sale deals iPad Air M3 for $549 ($50 off): The latest version of the iPad Air now runs on the M3 chipset, and it continues to hold the top spot in our best iPads guide. It has the best combination of power, design and extra features, so you can use it primarily as a media consumption device if you wish, or you can add iPad accessories like an Apple Pencil or a Magic Keyboard to turn it into a true workhorse. Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life. Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off) : The lowest price weve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price weve seen this year. Its our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesnt have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but its lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers , this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $320 from $400. Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale . Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $318 (20 percent off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life. Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too. Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $349 ($80 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (43 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget streaming device can play content at 1080p/60fps and now its remote can also control your TV's power and volume. There's also Alexa support built into the remote, so you can use voice commands to search for content. Spigen Spring Sale deals: Spigen makes some of our favorite tech accessories, and a number of the brand's products have been discounted as part of the Spring Sale. Key among them is one of our favorite iPhone cases, the Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagFit case ; Prime members can pick up an iPhone 16 case for only $12. Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): Apples flagship wearable is the best smartwatch you can buy, period. While the Series 10 was an iterative update, thats not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a slightly longer battery life, a slimmer design and wide-angle OLED screen for better viewing angles. It tracks workouts accurately and delivers alerts to your wrist efficiently. Mac mini M4 for $499 ($100 off): If you're on the market for a new desktop, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that wont take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access. Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $70 ($29 off): These are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultra wideband features for locating your things when theyre close by. Just attach them to your keys, wallet or bag with the right AirTag holder and keep track of everything in the Find My app. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off) : The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apples best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid , though their six-hour battery life still isnt the best, and you should only get them if youre all-in on Apple hardware. If thats the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide . We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If youre looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. 10th-gen iPad for $279 (20 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. Its compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life. Beats Studio Pro for $180 (49 percent off): These Beats headphones have improved sound quality, good Transparency mode and USB-C charging, plus decent mic quality for phone calls. They support wired USB-C audio, plus they have solid ANC as well. Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri. Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off) : The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers . While Apples AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, weve found the One to send separation alerts faster when youve left an item behind and ring louder when youre back in its vicinity. Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites , particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally. Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $149 (45 percent off): This essential Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs. Eufy 3-in-1 E20 robot vacuum for $400 ($200 off): If you cant decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you dont have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, its still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model. Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 ($30 off): One of our favorites in our best air fryers guide, this Cosori model has nine preset cooking modes and a spacious cooking basket that can handle more food at once than you might expect. It's not too large, so it can sit on your countertop all the time, and the basket has a safety release button that prevents accidental pulls. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $190 ($30 off with coupon): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet. Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter. Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design. Amazon Spring Sale FAQs When is the Amazon Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31. What is Amazon's Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024. Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale? No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime. What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale? In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear. Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale? Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above. How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last? The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-the-best-discounts-from-apple-bose-sonos-beats-anker-and-others-130607581.html?src=rss
At 42.2C, Brahmapuri was hottest in Central India
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Four thieves uproot ATM, decamp with 3.71L in south-east Delhis Govindpuri
One of our favorite air purifiers is down to a near record-low price for the Amazon Spring Sale
Levoit's Core 400S air purifier is down to $190 from its usual $220 price, thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale . While its not the lowest price weve seen the air purifier briefly hit $177 last year its still a solid discount on one of the most convenient air purifiers for large spaces. Just clip the $30 on-page coupon to get the discount. Weve featured Levoit in our list of the best air purifiers for its strong performance and smart features. The Core 400S can cover rooms up to 1,980 square feet using a three-stage filtration system to capture allergens, dust, pet dander and smoke. It also includes a smart sensor that adjusts fan speed based on air quality, so youre not running it at full blast when you dont need to. One of the Levoit Core 400S biggest selling points is its low noise output, which makes it a good fit for bedrooms or home offices. If you need to knuckle down and get some work done without distraction whilst keeping your rooms air clean and fresh, even at higher speeds, it stays relatively quiet compared to bulkier purifiers. It also supports smart controls via the VeSync app, allowing you to tweak settings, set schedules or monitor air quality from your phone. If you have a smart home ecosystem in place, you can connect the purifier to third-party voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant an added layer of convenience that allows you to control the Core 400S with simple voice commands. Its 360-degree filtration system uses activated carbon to remove gases and odors, while an efficient middle filter captures 99.97 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. The built-in air quality sensor continuously monitors pollution levels, automatically adjusting performance as needed. You can track real-time air quality data on the LCD screen or through the VeSync app, which is handy (and interesting) to have access to at all times. At night, sleep mode keeps things extra quiet and subtle, dimming the display and operating at the lowest settings or you can turn off the display completely for total darkness. If youve been looking for an air purifier that can handle larger spaces without taking up too much room, this deal is worth considering, saving you over $30 on its usual price thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-air-purifiers-is-down-to-a-near-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-133052069.html?src=rss
Assam: Thousands gather for Baruni Snan at Barak Valleys Mini Kumbh
Guwahati: Thousands of devotees flocked to Kapilashram in Siddheswar, Hailakandi district, Assam,on Thursday to participate in the annual Baruni Snan. The holy ritual, often referred to as the Mini Kumbh of South Assams Barak Valley, involves taking a sacred dip in the Barak River, believed to purify the soul and wash away sins. Also Read: [] The post Assam: Thousands gather for Baruni Snan at Barak Valleys Mini Kumbh appeared first on NorthEast Now .
Honey Singh gets relief as PIL against 'Maniac' gets dismissed
The Delhi High Court dismissed a PIL against Yo Yo Honey Singh's song 'Maniac,' which was accused of objectifying women and using vulgar Bhojpuri language. The court found no grounds for the claim and advised the petitioner to seek civil or criminal legal channels. The petitioner's generalization of Bhojpuri music was also criticized.
Top 5 Gold ETFs in 10 Years: Gold Exchange Traded Funds represent the price of domestic gold of very high purity and invest in gold bullion. These are passive funds and come with a low expense ratio. Investors need a demat account to trade gold ETFs.
Gold rises Rs 365 to reclaim Rs 91,000/10 gram-mark
NEW DELHI, Mar 27: Gold prices increased by Rs 365 to Rs 91,050 per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday amid a strong trend in the overseas markets, according to the All India Sarafa Association. The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 90,685 per 10 grams on Wednesday. Gold of 99.5 per cent purity also rose by Rs 365 to Rs 90,600 per 10 grams against the previous close of Rs 90,235 [] The post Gold rises Rs 365 to reclaim Rs 91,000/10 gram-mark appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Ganga Jal sprinkled in Odisha assembly after cop entry
Legislators of the opposition BJD in Odisha sprinkled 'Ganga Jal' in the state Assembly, alleging that the House had been spiritually polluted by the entry of policemen. The incident follows a protest by Congress members demanding a House Committee to probe crimes against women, which led to police intervention and the eviction of Congress MLAs from the Assembly. BJD members claim the police action was unprecedented and brought shame to Odisha. The Speaker denounced the act, while the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister asserted the House's inherent purity. The opposition also alleged that police prevented BJD MLAs from leaving the assembly premises on the following day.
The Delhi High Court criticized a lawyer for using the term 'Bhojpuri vulgarity' when contesting Honey Singh's song 'Maniac,' which allegedly objectifies women. The court stated that vulgarity is not region-specific and suggested filing an FIR if there are objections to the lyrics, as the issue lies under private law and not public law.
Delhi HC rejects plea alleging vulgarity in Honey Singhs song Maniac
The bench also pulled up the counsel for using the phrase Bhojpuri vulgarity during an argument
Portable Water Dispensers Are the New At-Home Hydration Hack
Keep a ready supply of purified water and ditch the large jugs and single-use plastic. Here's how portable water dispensers work and why I switched.
Stones pelted at Vande Bharat train in Sundargarh
ROURKELA: Unidentified miscreants allegedly pelted stones at Rourkela-Puri Vande Bharat Express train in Sundargarh district, damaging windowpanes of berths 53 and 54 of coach C5 on Wednesday. The incident took place at around 1.07 pm between Kansbahal and Kalunga railway stations near Rourkela under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER). Sources said panic gripped passengers after stones started to rain from both sides of the train all of a sudden. However, none was injured in the incident. On reaching Rourkela, passengers informed the SER authorities about the stone pelting following which personnel of Railway Protection Force visited the site for inquiry. In the past too, miscreants had indulged in similar stone pelting in different areas of Chakradharpur Division inhabited by members of a particular community. Meanwhile, the East Coast Railway has revised the service schedule of 20835/20836 Rourkela-Puri-Rourkela Vande Bharat Express to improve passenger convenience. Currently, the train operates daily except Saturday. But as per the revised schedule effective from June 3, the train would run on all days except Tuesday. There will be no change in the Vande Bharat trains timings and stoppages at designated stations.
Six members of all-women chain snatching gang held
BERHAMPUR: Berhampur police busted an inter-state all-women gang of chain snatchers by arresting six of its members and their driver from Cuttack on Wednesday. Police seized several stolen gold chains, Rs 25,000 cash, cutter and an SUV from the accused - Nagu Behera (46), S Puspa (50), Basanti Rao (62), Mina Rao (43), H Puspa (50), Sabita Sahu (32) and their driver Bijay Jena (26). The gang was reportedly involved in robbing several elderly women in crowded temples. Sources said a gold chain was snatched from an elderly woman inside the Jagannath temple at Courtpeta in Berhampur on February 8. As part of investigation, police analysed the CCTV footage and arrested one Parvati Nayak (55) of Cuttack. The stolen gold chain was also recovered from her possession. Suspecting her to be a part of a chain-snatching gang, police kept a track of the persons who visited the jail to meet Parvati. The cops found that several women visited the jail in an SUV. Subsequently, the four-wheelers registration number was traced to Cuttack. A team of police reached Cuttack on Tuesday and arrested Bijay, the car owner. Police said during interrogation, Bijay reportedly revealed the names of the gang members and their modus operandi. The gang, led by Parvati, visited crowded temples during auspicious occasions, and targeted elderly women wearing gold chains. If a victims neck was covered, the thieves would allegedly lift the saree, remove the chain with a cutter, and quickly pass it to another member. Bijay said that he transported the women members of the gang to different places across the state including Berhampur, Puri, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Paradip, Khurda, Jajpur and Bhubaneswar to commit the thefts. After snatching the ornaments, they would return to Cuttack, sell the gold and divide the money. Bijay received a share of the profits. All the accused were produced in court and further investigation is underway to nab the other members of the gang, police said.
A competition on Manipuri Folk Dance for children under 12 was organised on Tuesday by Kids Cultural Academy Kakching at the auditorium hall of Library and Information Centre, Kakching 'Kakching Haraoba Jagoi' of Sunday Dance Class Centre bagged the 1st prize while 'Leima Jagoi' and 'Maibi Jagoi' of Grace Cottage Academy bagged the 2nd and 3rd prize respectively Source The Sangai Express
Remember that scene in Kaithi where Karthi finally gets his hands on biryani before a night of chaos? Yeah, thats pretty much every Chennaiite when the cravings hit especially during Ramzan. For some, their usual biryani joint isnt enough. The most dramatic thing Ive done for a plate of biryani? I started Daawat-e-Iftaar - a food festival that brings together all the best biryanis in one place. Because I wasnt happy with just eating from one spot. I wanted them all, laughs digital creator, Shamshad Begum, popularly known as @begumschoice on Instagram. But whats her ultimate biryani hill to die on? Of course, it will always be mutton basmati rice Chennai-style biryani, with the mutton-to-fat ratio perfectly aligned with the rice so its juicy and also made at home, she notes. While Shamshad took her love for biryani to a whole new level, for the rest of Chennai, the biryani obsession is usually split between two legendary rivals Buhari and Bilal. There are two kinds of people in this city: those wholl fight to the death for Buhari biryani and those who swear Bilal is the real deal. And then there are the ones who dont care as long as theres a plate of steaming, fragrant biryani in front of them, preferably with a perfectly cooked piece of meat and a side of raita they may or may not touch. But lets be real whether youre team Buhari, team Bilal, or just team Please let me eat in peace, one thing is certain: good biryani in this city is non-negotiable. B for...? Step into Buhari on a weekend night, and youll find a crowd that looks like theyre waiting for concert tickets only the headliner is a plate of chicken 65 followed by a mound of biryani. At Bilal, the scene is just as intense, with people willing to stand, wait, and maybe even start a minor argument if someone tries to cut in line. I have skipped weddings but never skipped Sunday biryani at Buhari, Anagha, a self-proclaimed biryani purist, says between bites. Priorities. Both Buhari and Bilal sit on Mount Road like two rival kingdoms? But if theres one time of year when biryani obsession reaches its peak, its Ramzan. Because beyond Chennais year-round love for biryani, Ramzan is a time when every craving feels justified when the only thing stronger than the fast itself is the knowledge that the day will end with a plate of biryani, steaming and perfect. Every evening, as the city slows down for Iftar, biryani spots light up with families, friends, and fasting devotees ready to break their fast with the ultimate comfort meal. After an entire day of fasting, that first bite of biryani? Nothing else comes close, says Amir, who has a tradition of getting Buhari mutton biryani every year on the last Friday of Ramzan. Its the one meal you actually dream about while fasting. At Bilal, the post-Iftar crowd is just as intense, with massive takeaway orders going out as people stock up for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal. Honestly, its not even about hunger, laughs Tehseen T, balancing two giant bags of biryani for her family. Its about the vibe. Something about Ramzan biryani just tastes better. Saravanan, the dining manager at Bilal, confirms that Ramzan is their busiest time of year. During Ramzan, we keep the restaurant open until 5 am, and even then, its completely full, he says. Outside, we have tea, bun, and of course, inside,biryani. The crowd is always packed during serving hours. We start at 11 am. And we only sell normal dum biryani but thats all people need. If you think this is an exaggeration, he has a challenge for you. If you come on a Saturday night, you can see for yourself how the crowd is, he says, amused. Favourite spots Of course, Chennais biryani culture isnt just about these two icons. If youre from the city, you probably have your place the one spot you claim is the best biryani, the one you get personally offended over when someone dares to say otherwise. Some people are loyal to Seashore Chicken Biryani, where you get a plate so generously loaded with chicken, it almost makes up for the trauma of digging into a leg piece only to find it mostly bone. Boneless biryani just hits different, man, says Kamal P, a regular. No stress, no bones, just straight-up happiness. Then theres the Copper Chimney Dum Biryani crowd the ones who appreciate the slow-cooked depth of flavour, the fragrant layering of rice, and, most importantly, the guilty pleasure of eating that raw maida seal off the top. I know its just dough, but its addictive, confesses Amisha Linga, an otherwise very respectable human being who fully acknowledges this is her villain origin story. And, of course, theres the Dindigul Thalappakatti Biryani loyalists those who believe nothing beats the distinct seeraga samba rice, small chunks of mutton, and the sharp hit of black pepper. My grandfather ate here, my father ate here, and if I ever have kids, theyll eat here too, says Sandy S. But heres the truth whether youre a Buhari loyalist, a Bilal devotee, or someone who swears by that one low-key mess no one else knows about, nothing beats getting invited for Eid biryani. The golden ticket. The VIP experience. The one event where you say yes before even checking your schedule. Listen, I dont care how busy I am, if my Muslim friends are calling me for Eid biryani, Im there, says Vrishan K, a man who admits that he has waited an entire month for this moment. Its different and its so personal. Madhu Sahu, who proudly claims she has strategically befriended enough people to get invited to multiple Eid feasts, puts it simply: Some people wait for New Years Eve. I wait for Eid lunch. But at the end of the day, Ramzan biryani hits different. Its the one month where even the most casual biryani lover turns into a full-fledged devotee, where that evening plate of biryani feels more like a reward than just a meal. And in a city that already treats biryani like a religion, Ramzan is the festival that takes it to another level. Because no matter which side youre on Buhari or Bilal, boneless or bone-in were all united by the same thing: the willingness to fight for what we love. Whether its standing in line for an hour, planning our weekend around it, or shamelessly waiting for that Eid invite, biryani isnt just food. Its identity. Its nostalgia. Its a full-blown personality trait. And in Chennai, its a way of life.
Fevicol maker Pidilite glues itself to paints in Bharat Puri's parting stroke
The shift in strategy coincides with a looming leadership change at the company. Puri, the first professional manager to lead Pidilite, will step down from his role on 31 March after nearly a decade at the top.
In his plea, the petitioner alleged the song promoted explicit sexualisation, used double entendre, by depicting women as objects of sexual desire
Once a cultural icon, Puris Annapurna Theatre now stands silent
Amazon Spring Sale 2025: The best tech deals from Apple, Bose, Sonos, Beats, Anker and others
This years Amazon Spring Sale is in full swing, and as promised, a ton of household, fashion and outdoor gear has dropped to record-low prices. Tech isnt a huge focus for this sale, but there are a decent number of devices on sale right now for some of the best prices weve seen all year. The selection may not be as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, but it still provides a good opportunity to save on things like headphones, robot vacuums, air purifiers and more. Weve collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals on tech gear here so you dont have to go searching for them. The Spring Sale runs through March 31, so check back here for all of the latest deals as they drop. Best Amazon Spring Sale deals 10th-gen iPad for $269 (23 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. Its compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life. Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours. Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale . Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $318 (20 percent off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life. Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too. Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $349 ($80 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers , this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $320 from $400. Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off) : The lowest price weve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price weve seen this year. Its our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesnt have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but its lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (43 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget streaming device can play content at 1080p/60fps and now its remote can also control your TV's power and volume. There's also Alexa support built into the remote, so you can use voice commands to search for content. Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): Apples flagship wearable is the best smartwatch you can buy, period. While the Series 10 was an iterative update, thats not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a slightly longer battery life, a slimmer design and wide-angle OLED screen for better viewing angles. It tracks workouts accurately and delivers alerts to your wrist efficiently. Apple Watch SE for $169 ($80 off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know theyre getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off) : The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apples best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid , though their six-hour battery life still isnt the best, and you should only get them if youre all-in on Apple hardware. If thats the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide . We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If youre looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. Mac mini M4 for $529 ($70 off): If you're on the market for a new desktop, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that wont take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access. Beats Studio Pro for $180 (49 percent off): These Beats headphones have improved sound quality, good Transparency mode and USB-C charging, plus decent mic quality for phone calls. They support wired USB-C audio, plus they have solid ANC as well. Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri. Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off) : The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers . While Apples AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, weve found the One to send separation alerts faster when youve left an item behind and ring louder when youre back in its vicinity. Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites , particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally. Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 for $400 ($200 off) : If you cant decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you dont have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, its still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model. iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $150 (45 percent off): This essential Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs. Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 ($30 off): One of our favorites in our best air fryers guide, this Cosori model has nine preset cooking modes and a spacious cooking basket that can handle more food at once than you might expect. It's not too large, so it can sit on your countertop all the time, and the basket has a safety release button that prevents accidental pulls. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $190 ($30 off with coupon): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet. Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter. Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design. Amazon Spring Sale FAQs When is the Amazon Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31. What is Amazon's Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024. Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale? No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime. What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale? In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear. Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale? Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above. How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last? The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-2025-the-best-tech-deals-from-apple-bose-sonos-beats-anker-and-others-130607393.html?src=rss
Gold snaps 4-day losing streak, climbs Rs 235 to Rs 90,685 per 10 g
New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Cutting short the four-day losing streak, gold prices rebounded by Rs 235 to Rs 90,685 per 10 grams on Wednesday amid firm global trends, according to the All India Sarafa Association. On Tuesday, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity had ended at Rs 90,450 per 10 grams. Gold of 99.5 per cent purity rose by Rs 235 to Rs 90,235 per 10 grams against the previous close of Rs 90,000 per 10 grams. Traders said fresh buying by retailers after recent losses led to the recovery in gold prices. Firm global trends also
After facing a drought in Bollywood opportunities, Vinay transitioned to Bhojpuri cinema, where he amassed an impressive filmography of over 60 films.
Maatru Vandana by Sanskruti Centre evokes reverence to mothers
The spectators were enchanted by the classical dance portrayal of Sapta Maatruka- the ancient story of Mother Heptad sourced from Matsya Purana. The comprehensive nature of mother was depicted through the programme Maatru Vandana by Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence recently. The auditorium full of attendees at The Bhavan were enchanted by the classical dance portrayal of Sapta Maatruka- the ancient story of Mother Heptad sourced from Matsya Purana. The story symbolises balance and preservation in nature, where the seven feminine forces epitomise creation and cessation. The dance presentation in different styles of Bharatanatyam, Manipuri. Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi and Kathak eulogises
A pani puri spot in Thiruvananthapuram run by four women grabs attention
Chashu Mumbai Pani Puri near MG College serves pani puri in five flavours besides chaats in the evenings
Why Water From Purifier Left Chinese Woman With A Damaged Liver
A Chinese woman who had been drinking wastewater for five years due to a pipe mix-up suffered liver damage.
Set up boathouse, childrens park near Periya Eri, Harur residents urge government
DHARMAPURI: Residents of Harur have urged the district administration to take steps to set up a boathouse and childrens park in the vicinity of Periya Eri. Periya Eri is one of the key water bodies near the town panchayat. The lake covers over 150 acres and generates water for over 2,000 acres of agricultural land in the taluk. However, over the years, rampant dumping of plastic and organic waste has increased the lakes pollution level. Hence, to conserve the lake, the residents have urged the officials to take steps to set up a boathouse and childrens park around it. R Kaliappan, a resident of Harur, said, Periya eri is a source of freshwater. Over the years, water from butcher shops, plastic waste from the town panchayat, and construction waste have been dumped here. Hence, if this is left unchecked, the lake would gradually die, and farmlands depending on this lake would also be affected. So, efforts must be taken to conserve the lake, and the best way to protect the lake is by promoting tourism. S Ravi, another resident of Harur, said, A lot of people spend time with their families near Periya eri. By establishing a boat house, a childrens park, and even a garden would automatically promote tourism. He added, Recently, the state government has promoted Harur as a municipality, and parks would be a beneficial source of revenue for the municipal administration. By setting up walkways along the lake, it could turn into a jogging and morning walk area as well. So, there are many advantages of promoting this lake. When TNIE contacted the district tourism officer, they were not reachable.
Villupuram Collector inspects development projects in Gingee taluk
VILLUPURAM: Villupuram Collector Sheikh Abdul Rahman inspected various ongoing development projects in Gingee taluk on Tuesday. The visit covered the Konalur, Konai, and Chittampoondi panchayats. According to the release, Collector Rahman verified the eligibility of 19 beneficiaries for free house site pattas at Konalur panchayat by visiting their residences. He also inspected a 30,000-litre overhead water tank to assess its maintenance and sanitation. The release added that the maintenance staff was instructed to display water chlorination schedules for public awareness. Under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme, the collector reviewed houses currently under construction to ensure they comply with government guidelines. He also assessed the feasibility of establishing a new fair-price shop based on public demand. Additionally, the collector inspected a household tap connection project valued at Rs 5.10 lakh, funded by the 15th Finance Commission Grant, to ensure a regular water supply. The collector also evaluated the condition of the local Anganwadi and panchayat office buildings for renovation. The PM-Janman Scheme housing project was evaluated in Konai panchayat's Kattukkollai hamlet. Of the 11 sanctioned houses (Rs 5.07 lakh each), none were completed, while two were undergoing final finishing. At Chittampoondi, he inspected the ongoing construction of the 13.71 crore government arts and science college. Spanning 49,593 sq ft with three floors, it will feature classrooms, laboratories, a library, staff rooms, and sanitation facilities. Additional amenities include purified drinking water, a ramp for the differently abled, borewells, overhead tanks, and fire safety systems.
8 benefits of keeping bamboo in your living room
Adding bamboo to your living room not only enhances aesthetics but also brings health benefits and positive energy. Its air-purifying qualities and low-maintenance nature make it an ideal choice.
Pocso against teachers: Associations demand CCTV in exam halls
CHENNAI / DHARMAPURI: In the wake of recent incidents where Pocso cases were filed against teachers for allegedly misbehaving with girl students during examinations, teachers associations have urged the school education department to install CCTV cameras in all examination halls where classes 10, 11 and 12 exams are held. They said that this would ensure fair conduct of exams, enhance the safety of both students and teachers and help ascertain the truth behind such incidents to facilitate appropriate action. In a statement, Directly Recruited Post Graduate Teachers Association (DRPGTA) cited the arrest of a 44-year-old teacher, who was an examiner at a class 12 public examination centre in Krishnagiri, following a complaint by a student. They contended that some teachers have been wrongly accused of harassment for reprimanding students caught for malpractice. On Tuesday, another teacher has been accused of misbehaving with students under the guise of checking if they have hidden chits with answers in Tiruppur, said a PG teacher working in Krishnagiri. Meanwhile, the Teachers Joint Action Committee, which includes teachers affiliated to various associations, wore black badges to work to highlight the lack of safety for teachers when a false complaint is filed. They added that the arrest of the teacher in Krishnagiri was unfair and done without proper evidence. Reiterating the need for installing CCTV cameras, R Srinivasan, State Legal Secretary of the TN Headmasters Association, said, It would be unfair if teachers are framed for misconduct for doing their duty.
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation unveils Rs 1,928.34 crore budget for election year
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving a major thrust to welfare schemes, sustainable development, waste management, empowerment of women, children and the elderly, the city corporation budget was presented for the fiscal year with an outlay of Rs 1,928.34 crore on Tuesday. The civic body has an estimated Rs 257.64 crore surplus and a total revenue of Rs 2,185.99 crore. The budget, presented by Deputy Mayor and finance standing committee chairman P K Raju, has allocated Rs 305 crore for infrastructure projects and town planning-related projects, of which Rs 200 crore will be utilised for road development. The civic body has also decided to upgrade all major corporation roads to BM&BC standards for improving durability. The budget has also announced subsidies for beneficiaries installing solar panels at households and those switching to EVs. As part of the project, the civic body will be giving Rs 10,000 each to 10,000 beneficiaries this fiscal for installing solar panels. Promotion of organic farming is another major announcement in the budget, with focus on converting barren private land to farmland and generating livelihood for a total of 500 women. Waste management has received a major boost with an allocation of around Rs 300 crore. An amount of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for setting up a Compressed Biogas Plant with a capacity to process 150 tonnes of biodegradable waste. The budget also proposes an initiative to collect and dispose of biomedical waste from households. Trashbooms will be deployed in water bodies to prevent marine pollution, Sewage treatment plants (STPs) at Rajaji Nagar and Mathipuram are among the major waste management projects proposed in the budget. Many women-friendly projects have been announced in the budget. They include women fitness centres, ladies only bus services, martial arts training, CCTVs at women fitness centres and gym, a 24-hour toll free women help desk at every zonal offices. The budget has also mooted a project for installation of CCTVs at all schools. Modernisation of anganwadis, nutrition screening test for children, school counselling, swimming pools and gyms at schools are other major announcements in the education sector. In the wake of growing drug abuse, the budget has allocated Rs 1.5 crore for Drug-Free Trivandrum project. It has also earmarked Rs 100 crore for the completion of projects under Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), which will be winding up this month. An amount of Rs 200 crore has also been set aside for flood mitigation projects and Rs 22 crore for various disaster management initiatives. The budget will be passed in the council on Friday after two days of discussion. Major allocations Town planning and infra devpt: K305 cr Housing schemes: K220 cr Waste management: K80 cr Poverty alleviation and livelihood: K85 cr Health sector: K77.17 cr Education sector: K65.16 cr Women empowerment and welfare: K67.40 cr Organic farming and livelihood generation: K48 cr Fisheries sector and fishermen welfare: K41 cr Elderly protection and welfare: K40 cr SC/ST welfare: K38.20 cr Social justice and child devpt schemes: K34.75 cr Zero Carbon Ananthapuri: K28 cr Sports and youth welfare schemes: K19 cr
No end in sight to atrocities against SCs & STs in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: A Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Protection Cell and several targeted interventions notwithstanding, Odisha continues to struggle with rising atrocities against the vulnerable tribal communities including caste-based violence. The Crime in India-2024 report of NCRB points out that atrocities against STs increased from 624 in 2020 to 773 in 2022. The cases are related to murder, attempt to murder, outraging womens modesty, rape and criminal intimidation. The conviction rate in crimes against STs is just 19.6 pc. However, SCs are more prone to atrocities than STs. Crime against SCs increased from 2,046 in 2020 to 2,902 in 2022. These atrocities are also murders, attempts to murder, criminal intimidation and rape. Although cases are registered, the conviction rate is only 16.1 per cent. This, despite the fact that Odisha is one of the five states that receives the majority of funds from the Centre to prevent atrocities against members of SCs and STs under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1989 and Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment runs a centrally-sponsored scheme for implementation of the two above-mentioned Acts at the state-level. Under it, Odisha received Rs 35.81 crore for preventing atrocities against STs and SCs and providing compensation to the victims, for the year 2024-25 (as on March 3, 2025). This puts Odisha in the fifth spot as far as these funds are concerned, after Uttar Pradesh (Rs 89.49 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 88.12 crore), Karnataka (Rs 48.66 crore) and Bihar (Rs 46.34 crore), pointing to a large number of cases. According to a report by the ST and SC Development department, the Odisha government has already paid Rs 20.34 crore towards victim compensation in the last 10 months (from June last year till date) under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1989 and Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955. The compensation has been paid to 2,116 SC/ST atrocity victims. While Balangir has the highest number of 202 victims, Puri, Jajpur, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Bargarh too, continue to be the hotspots for such crimes. Activists blame poor implementation of the Act as the reason behind rise of such cases, and lack of free and fair trial for the atrocity victims in the state. Anil Mallik, a dalit rights activist, said, In the last one year, two SC youths of Biridi (Jagatsinghpur) and Pipili (Puri) were made to walk throughout their villages with strings of chappals on their necks and their faces blackened on the allegations of theft. In Balangir, an ST girl was made to eat excreta. But, there have been no concrete action against the accused in these cases yet. REPORT Balangir has the highest number of 202 atrocity victims Puri, Jajpur, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Bargarh hotspots SCs are more prone to atrocities than STs Atrocities against SCs increased from 2,046 in 2020 to 2,902 in 2022 Despite case registration, conviction rate only 16.1 pc in case of SCs Conviction rate in crimes against STs is only 19.6 pc
Heat no barrier to bumper wheat production
NEW DELHI: A bumper wheat crop is expected this year though concerns have been raised over above-normal temperatures that could affect yields in some regions, according to the report of an experts committee set up by the government. On the back of an expected good wheat yield, the government is hopeful of achieving its public procurement target, which has been missing for the past three years. Following the India Meteorological Departments prediction of higher-than-normal temperatures in the Northwest regionwhere 65% of Indias wheat is producedthe ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare constituted a team of experts to evaluate crop conditions in key wheat-producing states, including Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. After visiting these states, the committee submitted its findings to the government, concluding that there would be no heatwaves affecting wheat-producing areas and that overall production would be robust. Our field estimates suggest that wheat production could exceed even the second estimate of 1,154.30 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), PK Singh, agriculture commissioner, told this newspaper. Contrary to earlier predictions, he said, no heatwave conditions were reported in the wheat-producing regions. Early heatwave conditions were primarily observed in Gujarat and other non-wheat-producing regions. We were concerned that this might cause grain shrinkage and reduce production. However, our field visit findings indicate that the maximum temperature in the major wheat-producing Northwest region did not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, and minimum temperatures remained normal. The report concluded that production would be above expectations, Singh added. The second advanced wheat production estimate puts wheat production at 1154.30 LMT, which is 21.38 LMT higher than the previous years production of 1132.92 LMT. The area under coverage of wheat stood at 320 lakh hectare in the rabi season of 2024-25 crop year (July-June) as against 315.63 lakh hectare in the preceding year. Agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi also expected bumper wheat production in 2024-25 on the back of higher sowing areas. Adverse weather conditions, such as the early arrival of heatwaves in the wheat-producing region, have impacted wheat procurement over the past three years, putting the government on the edge over maintaining food security. Meanwhile, an industry bodys association, PHDCCI, organised an event on agriculture input, at which the issue of spurious pesticides and chemicals was raised. Based on different research done by international agencies, I can say a parallel spurious pesticide market of $2.5 billion exists which needs to be rein in, claimed Dr RG Agarwal, chairman of the Agribusiness Committee of PHDCCI. Responding to the issue, Singh said, There is no formal research conducted on the parallel market of spurious pesticides, though it exists and flourishes but undocumented. State governments need to be proactive to control it. Agrochemical expert Ramendra Singh blamed the spurious market on a nexus of manufacturers and traders who increase sales.
The South East Asia Cultural Organisation SEACO has conveyed warm wishes to people for the upcoming Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba, which falls on March 30 In a press release, SEACO has expressed hope that the Cheiraoba festival will bring an egalitarian, peaceful, progressive and harmonious society which promotes arid preserves the indigenous culture and tradition Conveying Cheiraoba greetings to the Manipuri diaspora settled outside the State, it also cautioned against indulging in excessive festivities or travelling to distant places without any precaution Source The Sangai Express
Tagores poems find life in Mohiniyattom
Bhanusimha was just 16 when he began exploring human emotions through the grand backdrop of divine interplay a theme that has long inspired and continues to inspire soulful poetry. Fresh in his mind was Gita Govindam, the celebrated work of Jayadeva, which deeply influenced his artistic sensibilities. His fascination with Maithili (a Hindi dialect) further fuelled his urge to write. Not in his native Bengali, but in Brajbauli, another variant. These poems were later published in 1884, introducing the world to the young poet behind the pseudonym. Over time, he became better known by his real name: Rabindranath Tagore. The collection, now famous as Bhanusingher Padabali, remains widely sung, choreographed, analysed, and discussed, just like his other literary masterpieces. Kerala has long embraced Tagore translating his works, celebrating them, and watching films based on them. Yet, Bhanusingher Padabali has remained largely unexplored here. Seeking to change that is Kalamandalam Sony, an exponent of mohiniyattom. Based in Thiruvananthapuram, she and her team brought Bhanusingher Padabali to life through dance at the Tagore Fest, held on March 24 and 25 at Bharat Bhavan. Translations cannot compromise the originality of either the work or the dance form conveying it. So how do we do it? We focus on the soul of the creation. Tagore himself spoke of the souls progress as a perfect poem. Our goal is to recreate that soul the emotions behind it which hold a universal appeal, says Sony. It is this universality in Tagores works that makes them sensitive yet adaptable. Perhaps this is what facilitated the translation of Chitrangada one of his deeply intrinsic works into mohiniyattom. This adaptation, likely a first of its kind, was performed at the Tagore Fest by dancer Vidya Pradeep. A snap from the performance The story of Chitrangada is widely known and performed. Devoted Tagore fans often sing Ami Chitrangada, Rajendranandini, evoking goosebumps and a deep sense of exhilaration. It was a challenge, Vidya admits. But as I read it, the sheer power of the storyline captivated me. The idea is universal it resonates even today. Tagores portrayal of the epic Manipuri princess Chitrangada, who transforms herself into a delicate damsel to woo Arjuna, only to realise that her true strength is her beauty, is deeply moving. He saw her as a strong woman willing to appear weak for love, only to learn that Arjuna valued her strength above all. The message is profound true nature is the most beautiful. Tagore expressed this a century ago, yet the thought is more relevant than ever. Both Sony and Vidya relied on state-of-the-art music and accompaniments to present Tagores stories through mohiniyattom. As they put it, the universality of his ideas made adaptation seamless. The grace was already embedded in his works, making them an ideal fit for mohiniyattom. The only element that needed translation in Chitrangada was the text, a task accomplished by K Jayakumar, a former bureaucrat and lyricist. As for Bhanusingher Padabali, its lilting music and the enchanting romance of Radha and Krishna set against the serene landscapes of Vrindavan naturally lend themselves to the magic of mohiniyattom. Keeping the originality of both the works and of mohiniyattom was an artistic balance, say the dancers considering the drama element in Padabali and Chitrangada. Its staging elsewhere, in a Bengali setting, had the accompaniments that enhanced presentation. But here, the setting had to be created by the nuances of mohiniyattom. There is grace, as we said earlier, in Tagores words which is a common ground in both Mohiniyattom and his works. So what needed translations was the setting. The use of props, costumes, and music accompaniments are the usual ways this is done. But any change would affect the scheme of Mohiniyattom. So, using traditional musical instruments used in the dance form, without changing the costume to suit any mood, the interpretations only focused on the emotions that are being conveyed, they say. In some ways, the similarities in traditions did help. The idaykka has a tone quite similar to the dhol...mildly booming to create intense, deep music. The music too had a flow about it, which suits the subtle swells of mohiniyattom. So, the emotions alone needed to be understood well for a fulfilling interpretation. Language, it turns out, is no barrier. Especially when it comes to Tagore, the dancers affirm.
The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 is live: The best tech deals from Apple, Bose, Sonos, Anker and others
The Amazon Spring Sale has arrived, bringing a slew of discounts on household essentials, fashion, outdoor gear and even furniture. We at Engadget are focused on tech, and while the selection this time around isnt quite as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, there are some decent discounts to be had. Some of our favorite robot vacuums, air purifiers, headphones and storage gear are on sale right now for some of the best prices weve seen this year so far. Below, youll find all of the best tech deals we could find in the Amazon Spring Sale. The shopping event runs through March 31, so be sure to check back for the latest deals as they become available. Best Amazon Spring Sale deals 10th-gen iPad for $269 (23 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. Its compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life. Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale . Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too. Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $349 ($80 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit. Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $318 (20 percent off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life. Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours. Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off) : The lowest price weve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price weve seen this year. Its our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesnt have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but its lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers , this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $320 from $400. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (43 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget streaming device can play content at 1080p/60fps and now its remote can also control your TV's power and volume. There's also Alexa support built into the remote, so you can use voice commands to search for content. Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): Apples flagship wearable is the best smartwatch you can buy, period. While the Series 10 was an iterative update, thats not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a slightly longer battery life, a slimmer design and wide-angle OLED screen for better viewing angles. It tracks workouts accurately and delivers alerts to your wrist efficiently. Apple Watch SE for $169 ($80 off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know theyre getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off) : The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apples best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid , though their six-hour battery life still isnt the best, and you should only get them if youre all-in on Apple hardware. If thats the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide . We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If youre looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. Mac mini M4 for $529 ($70 off): If you're on the market for a new desktop, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that wont take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access. Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri. Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off) : The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers . While Apples AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, weve found the One to send separation alerts faster when youve left an item behind and ring louder when youre back in its vicinity. Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites , particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally. Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 for $400 ($200 off) : If you cant decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you dont have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, its still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model. iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $150 (45 percent off): This essential Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs. Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 ($30 off): One of our favorites in our best air fryers guide, this Cosori model has nine preset cooking modes and a spacious cooking basket that can handle more food at once than you might expect. It's not too large, so it can sit on your countertop all the time, and the basket has a safety release button that prevents accidental pulls. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $187 ($33 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet. Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter. Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design. Amazon Spring Sale FAQs When is the Amazon Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31. What is Amazon's Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024. Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale? No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime. What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale? In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear. Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale? Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above. How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last? The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-amazon-spring-sale-2025-is-live-the-best-tech-deals-from-apple-bose-sonos-anker-and-others-130607826.html?src=rss
Ethnoreligious Violence Erupts in Manipur International Christian Concern
Ethnoreligious Violence Erupts in ManipurInternational Christian Concern
Political Parties back CEOs bid to link Aadhaar, voter IDs
ECI initiates electoral roll purification; parties urge for more polling centers and first-time voter registration.
IIT-G researchers fashion purifier for industrial water out of fruit waste
Ramzan is a time for Muslims to train their minds and develop spirituality by abstaining from food, water, and negative behaviors. The Prophet discouraged continuous fasting, emphasizing the month as a period for internal purification and growth, fostering good will and piety for lifelong commitment.
Experts stress need to explore sustainable use of marine resources
Several experts and scholars participated in the international conference on Blue Revolution: Innovations in Marine Systems organised at Vikrama Simhapuri University
Watch: Influencer Tries To Prank Delhi 5-Star For Free Breakfast, Ends Up Paying Rs 3,600 For Meal
A Delhi-based content creator who tried to sneak into a five-star hotel in Chanakyapuri for a free breakfast ended up paying Rs 3,600 for the meal she had enjoyed.
Gold falls Rs 100 to Rs 90,450 per 10g; silver declines by Rs 500
Gold prices dropped by Rs 100 to Rs 90,450 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday due to weak demand from jewellers and retailers, according to the All India Sarafa Association. Gold of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 90,550 per 10 grams on Monday.
Assam: IIT Guwahati researchers turn fruit waste into powerful water purifiers
Guwahati: In a significant breakthrough for sustainable wastewater treatment, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) have developed a cost-effective method to eliminate toxic pollutants from industrial wastewater using biochar derived from fruit waste. Led by Dr. Gopal Das, professor in the Department of Chemistry, the team has demonstrated that biochar produced from [] The post Assam: IIT Guwahati researchers turn fruit waste into powerful water purifiers appeared first on NorthEast Now .
Protest erupts over alleged medical negligence following death of twin babies in TN's Dharmapuri
DHARMAPURI: Family members of a woman staged a protest at a private hospital accusing doctors of medical negligence after her twin babies died during delivery on Sunday. According to police, A Nandhini (24) was admitted to a private hospital near the Dharmapuri bus stand on Thursday for delivery of her twin babies. Following various tests, it was decided that Nandhini would have to undergo a C-section. She was taken into the operation theatre on Sunday. Nearly two hours later, doctors informed the family that there had been some complications and took signatures from Nandhinis husband. Shortly after Nandhini was taken to the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital for additional treatment. The doctors who diagnosed Nandhini informed her that her two male babies had died. As Nandhini was under sedation as her health was impacted by the complications in birth. On Sunday evening Nadhini regained consciousness and told her family that doctors in the private hospital had administered a medicine that may have resulted in the death of her babies. Further Nandhini and family stated that the hospital was aware that she was allergic to specific drugs. On Monday, dozens of family members gathered in protest. The Dharmapuri B1 police inspector held talks with the protestors and assured action. A case has been registered with the Dharmapuri B1 police. Joint Director of Medical Dr Santhi who commented on the incident said, Our team had been investigating the death of the two babies. So far we have learned that the babies had been underweight and during test injection the mother exhibited a severe allergic reaction which had impacted the babies. We are investigating the incident.
TN's Thoppaiyar farmers aggrieved by broken canals
DHARMAPURI: Stating that they are yet to receive water, farmers in Thoppaiyar blamed PWD (WRO) officials of failing to fix damaged canals for the situation. On March 3, Collector R Sadheesh released water from the Thoppair dam for irrigation. The water was released for 20 days to irrigate over 8,610 acres of fields in the old and new ayacut. However, water has not reached the entire 27 km of the ayacut because of broken canals. Condemning these farmers, they filed a petition with the collector. S Sampath, Thoppaiyar Dam Irrigation Farmers Association president, said, The PWD (WRO) staff told us we would get water and used over 30 farmers as labourers, we spent five days fixing the broken canals. After the works had been completed, officials denied us water. The dam has a 27 km long riparian area, but the negligence of the PWD (WRO) has resulted in us not getting water. Even more alarming is officials treating us harshly using us to do their work and then denying water. K Periyasamy, another farmer said, The canals BC 3, 4 and 5 are completely destroyed, the PWD (WRO) had completely neglected the dams. They had just told us, they have no funding to renovate the dams. We will face drought this year because of the PWD(WRO) officials negligence. PWD (WRO) officials said, The farmers in the upper riparian area had broken the canals to prevent water flow and to get more water, we were only able to provide water till a certain canal. We had tried to clear the canal and provide water, but the damage was extensive and the water release period was over by then.
Two minor sisters die after eating spurious chhatua
BERHAMPUR : Two minor siblings died and two of their family members were taken seriously ill after allegedly consuming chhatua at Tulasinagar village within R Udayagiri police limits in Gajapati district on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Tulasi Badamundi (6) and Gunabati Badamundi (3). Their uncle Arjun Badamundi (46) and his daughter Sumitra Badamundi (12) have been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. Sources said the Badamundi family consumed the chhatua, which they received from the anganwadi worker of Ramagiri, in the morning. At around 1.30 pm, Tulasi and Gunabati complained of uneasiness and were rushed to Ramagiri hospital. During treatment, Tulasi died at around 4:30 pm. Subsequently, Sumitra and Arjun also became unwell and were admitted to the same hospital. As there was no improvement in their condition, the three of them were shifted to the district headquarters hospital at Paralakhemundi where Gunabati died at around 9:30 pm. When their condition deteriorated further, Sumitra and Arjun were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in the wee hours of Monday. They were admitted to the ICU. Dr Chitta Ranjan Khatual of MKCG MCH said the father-daughter duo was brought to the hospital with severe stomach ache and loose motion. Both of them have responded to the treatment and are stable. They are under observation in the ICU. He said the duo told him that they consumed the chhatua after mixing it with hot water. However, the cause might be different as others who ate the same chhatua are normal. Meanwhile, Gajapati collector Bijay Dash has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Dash said many families in Tulasinagar village received the same chhatua and consumed it but none complained of uneasiness. However, samples of the chhatua provided to Badamundi family have been collected and sent for examination. The anganwadi worker concerned has been directed not to distribute the chhatua till the test results are received.
Orissa HC issues notice to goverment and SCB over alleged baby swap
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday issued notices to the chief secretary, secretaries of the Home and Health and Family Welfare departments, and Cuttack collector on a petition alleging baby swap at the SCB medical college and hospital (SCB MCH) last month. The court also directed the superintendent of SCB MCH to file a reply by April 2, the date fixed for next hearing on the matter. According to the petition, on February 10, Chandrama Behera (22), wife of Ratana Behera (25) of Puri town, was admitted at the SCB MCH and gave birth to a girl the next day. However, on February 12, the mother was handed over a dead baby. Ratana alleged that his newborn daughter was swapped with a dead baby while she was under special observation in the special newborn care unit (SNCU). He sought an inquiry by the collector, Cuttack, into the alleged incident. While issuing the notices, Justice SK Panigrahi said, The facts before this court reveal more than negligence. They reflect a serious breach of trust in an institution meant to provide care and protection to the most vulnerable...That a newborn could go missing under such circumstances and that the petitioners pleas for accountability have been met with silence is deeply troubling. Justice Panigrahi pointed out that the inaction of the authorities cannot be brushed aside and it is necessary to seek an immediate response to ensure that the matter is handled with seriousness. In his order, Justice Panigrahi noted that the petitioner aggrieved by the inaction of the authorities had submitted an application to the superintendent of SCBMCH on February 13. However, no steps were taken. Subsequently, he approached the IIC of Mangalabag police station where an FIR was registered but no further action followed. Thereafter, the petitioner escalated the matter to the DCP, Cuttack, filing a grievance on February 21 but again, no steps were taken. Left with no recourse, he approached the collector and submitted a written complaint on February 25. Despite this, the complaint remains pending without any action, Justice Panigrahi noted.
BJD corporators brother held for encroachment
BHUBANESWAR: Police have arrested BJD corporator Sridhar Jenas brother Sikhar Chandra Jena for allegedly encroaching upon a private land in Jharpada area near Puri bypass road, and threatening its owner at gunpoint for confronting him. Police said on visiting their plot in the morning, the complainant Imteyaj Khan and his family members found that Sikhar was constructing a boundary wall on it. On being confronted for his illegal act, the accused allegedly threatened Khan at gunpoint. After receiving a complaint, a case was registered against him under various sections of BNS and Arms Act. The accused was arrested late Sunday night, said an officer of Badagada police station. Sikhar has criminal antecedents and was earlier booked in nine cases by Laxmisagar police.
He recently disclosed that he was initially cast in the iconic Bollywood film, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, but ultimately lost the role.
Can tap into sunrise sectors via partnerships, says Pidilite MD Sudhanshu Vats
Bharat Puri highlights Pidilite's success through category creation, focusing on unserved consumer needs. Sudhanshu Vats plans to accelerate innovation and digital transformation while maintaining the core focus. The firm aims for partnerships in sectors like electronics and electric vehicles. Pidilite will invest 3-5% of revenue in capital expenditure and expand manufacturing to support growth.
Puri airport plan on track, says minister
Trouble Sleeping? These House Plants May Help You Sleep Better Tonight
Plants can help purify the air and create a soothing environment; these house plants can help promote better sleep quality.
This Levoit air purifier is down to a near record-low price for the Amazon Spring Sale
Levoit's Core 400S air purifier is down to $187 from its usual $220 price, thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale . While its not the lowest price weve seen the air purifier briefly hit $177 last year its still a solid discount on one of the most convenient air purifiers for large spaces. Weve featured Levoit in our list of the best air purifiers for its strong performance and smart features. The Core 400S can cover rooms up to 1,980 square feet using a three-stage filtration system to capture allergens, dust, pet dander and smoke. It also includes a smart sensor that adjusts fan speed based on air quality, so youre not running it at full blast when you dont need to. One of the Levoit Core 400S biggest selling points is its low noise output, which makes it a good fit for bedrooms or home offices. If you need to knuckle down and get some work done without distraction whilst keeping your rooms air clean and fresh, even at higher speeds, it stays relatively quiet compared to bulkier purifiers. It also supports smart controls via the VeSync app, allowing you to tweak settings, set schedules or monitor air quality from your phone. If you have a smart home ecosystem in place, you can connect the purifier to third-party voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant an added layer of convenience that allows you to control the Core 400S with simple voice commands. Its 360-degree filtration system uses activated carbon to remove gases and odors, while an efficient middle filter captures 99.97 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. The built-in air quality sensor continuously monitors pollution levels, automatically adjusting performance as needed. You can track real-time air quality data on the LCD screen or through the VeSync app, which is handy (and interesting) to have access to at all times. At night, sleep mode keeps things extra quiet and subtle, dimming the display and operating at the lowest settings or you can turn off the display completely for total darkness. If youve been looking for an air purifier that can handle larger spaces without taking up too much room, this deal is worth considering, saving you over $30 on its usual price thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-levoit-air-purifier-is-down-to-a-near-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-133052720.html?src=rss
Sarvepalli MLA encourages students to participate in social service
Around 70 students from Nellore, Prakasam and Chittoor districts participate in the district-level Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 at Vikrama Simhapuri University
Amazon Spring Sale 2025: The best tech deals from Apple, Bose, Sonos, Anker and others
We're still a few months out from the big Amazon Prime Day that typically happens in July, but the online retail giant is having yet another big sale to usher in spring. The Amazon Spring Sale is officially on the books for 2025, starting on March 25 and running through March 31. Considering the time of year, it's not surprising to see that Amazon is billing this as a sale for all things spring cleaning, home and fashion. We don't expect the Amazon Spring Sale to be as fruitful for tech deals as, say, standard Prime Day. But there are always some gadgets that pop up among the sales, and we'll cover all of the best tech deals we can find. For now, here are the best early Amazon Spring Sale deals you can shop right now. Best Amazon Spring Sale deals so far Anker 321 MagGo battery pack for $20 (23 percent off, Prime exclusive): This 5K power bank attaches magnetically to the backs of the latest iPhones to provide extra juice on the go. It can provide up to 19 hours of extra battery, and it's compatible with MagSafe cases as well. Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale . Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $250 ($150 off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life. Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too. Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $349 ($80 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit. Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours. Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $798 ($152 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers , this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $300 from $400. Apple AirTags (four-pack) for $70 ($29 off): These are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultra wideband features for locating your things when theyre close by. Just attach them to your keys, wallet or bag with the right AirTag holder and keep track of everything in the Find My app. 10th-gen iPad for $279 (20 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. Its compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If youre looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. Apple Watch SE for $169 ($80 off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know theyre getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies. Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites , particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally. Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $187 ($33 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device. TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet. Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum for $300 (31 percent off): This is a version of one of our top picks in our best robot vacuums guide. Shark makes excellent robovacs with strong suction power and convenient bagless, self-emptying bases. This model in particular can hold up to 60 days worth of debris before its base needs to be emptied. If you want a machine that can mop in addition to vacuum, consider Shark's Matrix Plus robovac , which is 47 percent off and down to $400. iRobot Roomba Combo Vac and Mop for $159 (42 percent off): This essential Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs. Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter. Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design. Amazon Spring Sale FAQs When is the Amazon Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31. What is Amazon's Spring Sale? The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024. Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale? No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime. What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale? In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear. Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale? Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above. How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last? The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-2025-the-best-tech-deals-from-apple-bose-sonos-anker-and-others-130607433.html?src=rss
No show: One week on, baffled Nagpurians ask Why no visit to riot-hit areas by Fadnavis, Gadkari?
Nagpur: On Monday, March 24, a week has passed since Nagpur was rocked by senseless violence, leaving the city shaken and its residents traumatized. The Second Capital of Maharashtra witnessed unprecedented riots on the evening of March 17, triggered by the controversy surrounding Aurangzebs tomb. The unrest engulfed key areas, with widespread stone pelting causing [] The post No show: One week on, baffled Nagpurians ask Why no visit to riot-hit areas by Fadnavis, Gadkari? appeared first on Nagpur Today : Nagpur News .
47 people drowned at Odisha sea beaches in last five years: CM
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Monday informed the state Assembly that 47 persons died due to drowning in the sea at different beaches of Odisha including Puri in the last five years. Majhi said this in a written reply to a question from BJP legislator Om Prakash Mishra. For the safety of tourists, []
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid ruckus over reservation for Muslims in Karnataka
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday due to uproar over reservation for Muslims in public contracts in Karnataka. Minister Hardeep Singh Puri managed to pass the Oilfields Bill amid the chaos, but protests continued, leading to multiple adjournments led by both the Opposition and the ruling party.
The MS Dhoni Experience: India legend MS Dhoni applauds the initiative of regional language commentary at the Indian Premier League (IPL) and revealed his appreciation for Bhojpuri commentary, calling it energetic and said it reminds him of old-school radio commentary. Bhojpuri made its debut in the commentary feed during the IPL 2023 and took fans by storm. This year, the 18th season of the IPL is streaming live across 16 feeds, including 12 languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Haryanvi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati and Punjabi on the digital streaming platform. I haven't listened to regional language commentary much because when we watch live matches, replays are limited, and most of the commentary I hear is in English or Hindi. That helps us analyse the game better. Personally, I also like listening to what commentators say because most of them are former players. While I may be playing 17 games in a season, they cover hundreds of matches across different tournaments and countries. Their exposure to various situations and teams is immense. As players, we know our teams strengths and weaknesses, but listening to commentary gives you an outsiders perspective. It sparks new ideas - like why dont we try this approach? - which can then be evaluated based on intelligence and data to see if it fits within the teams strategy. I haven't heard a lot of regional commentary, but I know that Bihari (Bhojpuri) commentary is highly energetic. It reminds me of old-school radio commentary, where the commentators were very involved. I find that very interesting. Many people prefer to listen in their regional language - its their mother tongue, and they want to experience the game in that way. I would love to hear Haryanvi commentary because its quite unique, Dhoni said on JisHotstar's 'The MS Dhoni Experience'. As players, we know our teams strengths and weaknesses, but listening to commentary gives you an outsiders perspective. It sparks new ideas - like why dont we try this approach? - which can then be evaluated based on intelligence and data to see if it fits within the teams strategy. Also Read: Highest tax paying cricketers Article Source: IANS
Sidhu Moose Wala murder accused Jaggu Bhagwanpuria shifted from Punjab to Assam jail
The NCB detained Jaggu Bhagwanpuria under the PIT-NDPS Act from Bathinda Central Jail, transferring him to Assam's Silchar Jail. Bhagwanpuria, accused of 128 serious crimes, allegedly operated international drug networks from jail. Earlier, three other drug lords from Punjab were sent to Dibrugarh Jail to dismantle their networks. These moves aim to curb drug syndicates in Punjab.
Lack of charging stations dampen EV sales in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: After witnessing an exponential 405 per cent rise in electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2022, Odisha has seen a sharp drop in growth rate, with EV registrations recording only 48 per cent year-on-year growth last year owing to lack of charging infrastructure. In 2023, the growth was pegged at 56.5 per cent. According to Transport department data, Odisha has registered 1,61,338 EVs in last four years. Around 24,000 are pure EVs, 850 are strong hybrids and the remaining are battery-operated two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Although the governments incentives under the Odisha Electric Vehicle Policy-2021 had encouraged adoption in the initial years, the lack of a robust and widely available charging network has dampened consumers confidence. Transport officials, however, said the growth rate may have declined, but in terms of absolute numbers, the EV registration is going up every year. As many as 5,626 EVs were registered in the state in 2021, followed by 28,447 in 2022, 44,545 in 2023, 65,977 in 2024 and 10,423 till mid-March this year. The highest 45,195 EVs have been registered in Khurda district, 19,986 in Cuttack, 11,287 in Puri, 10,290 in Sundargarh, 10,174 in Balasore, 9,054 in Ganjam, 7,150 in Mayurbhanj, 6,768 in Jajpur and 4,786 in Sambalpur. The lowest 154 has been registered in Phulbani and 156 in Deogarh. Managing director of Sai Ananta Motors Laxmi Narayan Mohanty said the limited availability of public charging stations is a major deterrent for potential EV buyers. The sale of four-wheelers is negligible as compared to electric scooters as there are no charging stations in the interior districts, he said. As per the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the state has 198 public charging stations. Taking into consideration, Niti Aayogs estimate of 80 per cent electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, and 50 per cent four-wheelers by 2030, Odisha would require 47,381 public charging stations. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to set up 100 more charging stations this fiscal. Altogether 38 units would be set up in RTOs across the state, 23 in truck terminals, 21 in Bhubaneswar and the rest 18 in other places. Commerce and Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said a private firm has already been selected through a bidding process for installation of the charging equipment and to make the stations ready at the earliest. We are also exploring plans to expand the charging network in the state, he added. Numbers up, growth down Sales growth down to 48 per cent in 2022 from 405% in 2022 1.61 lakh EVs registered in last four years 5,626 registered in 2021; 28,447 in 2022; 44,545 in 2023; 65,977 in 2024 & 10,423 till mid-March 2025 Odisha has just 198 public charging stations Govt to set up 100 more charging stations this year
Reopen children's park near Dharmapuri Junction, residents urge railways
DHARMAPURI: Dharmapuri residents urged the railway junction officials to open childrens park set up by the South Western Railway for public use. The South Western railway had opened a childrens park near the Dharmapuri Railway junction nearly five years ago. For the past few months the park had remained closed due to poor maintenance. S Ramkrishnan, a resident from Thangaraj street near the railway station said, A children park is very important in Dharmapuri. Parents waiting for trains could let their children play and relax. But the park has remained closed for over six months, children are seen playing on the train platforms. A slight carelessness can lead to mishap, so immediate efforts must be taken to open the park. Another resident K Mathialagan said, The South Western railway has been extremely negligent in the matter concerning Dharmapuri railway junction. The children park was opened in 2019, but often it remains closed. We have about a thousand families coming here to board over 25 express trains on a daily basis. Since the park has not been used, the equipment used are rusted. Efforts must be taken to renovate the park and open it for public use. When TNIE spoke to railway officials they said, The parks would be opened soon. It was closed to prevent anti-social activities disrupting the peace of passengers by the public.
Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh to hoist Blue Flag at Rushikonda Beach
VISAKHAPATNAM: Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh expressed satisfaction over the restoration of Blue Flag certification to Rushikonda Beach in Visakhapatnam, stating that the beach was one of the first eight in India to receive this prestigious recognition. He will hoist the Blue Flag at the beach on Monday. The continuous efforts of various bodies, including the Tourism, Forest and Police Departments, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) and the initiative of Visakhapatnam District Collector MN Harendhira Prasad, were instrumental in regaining the certification, the minister said. It may be recalled that the Denmark-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) officially reinstated the Blue Flag status for Rushikonda Beach on Saturday. Blue Flag India officials also announced the lifting of the temporary suspension imposed earlier, allowing the Blue Flag to once again fly at the beach, symbolising compliance with international standards in cleanliness, safety, and environmental management. Minister Durgesh emphasised that his department had been focusing on the implementation of security measures, environmental planning, traffic regulation, water purification, and waste management at the beach, in line with international guidelines. He also revealed that proposals have been sent for Blue Flag certification for other beaches in the State. Thanking the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister for their support in regaining the Blue Flag status, Durgesh asserted that they have now fulfilled the promise made on the floor of the Assembly regarding Rushikonda Beach and its upkeep. The government will continue working to improve the beachs safety, infrastructure and cleanliness, he said, expressing confidence that securing Blue Flag certification for additional beaches would further boost tourism and development in the State.
Kasara commuters meet CR General Manager, demand better Mumbai local services
Railway officials accepted the petition and assured commuters that their demands would be reviewed. The meeting took place during an annual inspection tour by top railway officials from Igatpuri to Kalyan, which began at 9.30 am on Sunday
Business Eminence Awards 2025: Your team is your biggest strength, says Sahoo
Born in a small village in Puri district, Manoj Kumar Sahoo, Director of Dion Group, has transformed himself into a key player in Odishas real estate and automobile industries. After finishing studies, he decided to join his family business running since 1980. He tried his luck in various business verticals like automobile, construction, and real []
2 Doctors Killed In Car Accident In Madhya Pradesh, 4 Injured
A tragic car accident took place in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district on Sunday, leading to the death of two women doctors and injuries to four other doctors, the police confirmed.
Abhishekam fee dispute in Dharmapuri temple sparks controversy
DHARMAPURI: After a video of a priest at Kalabhairavar temple in Adhiyamankottai collecting Rs 1,000 from a devotee allegedly to perform abhishekam went viral, the HR&CE department denied complaints of fleecing and advised devotees to approach its office to buy tickets and puja items. On Saturday night, controversy broke out after a video in which a devotee said a priest took Rs 1,000 to perform abhishekam and gave a receipt for only Rs 250. Speaking to TNIE , S Raman, a resident of Adhiyamankottai, said, As per rules, the charge for abhishekam is Rs 250. If devotees want to give money to the priest, it is fine as it is their choice. But charging Rs 1,000 is unacceptable. However officials said the priest took Rs 1,000 to purchase items needed for abhishekam. Executive officer of the temple Jeevanadham said, The video has been misinterpreted, Rs 250 is indeed charged for an abhishekam for two people. But materials must be provided by the devotee. In most cases, devotees do not know what is required, so priests buy the materials for them. So far, we have not received any complaints. After the video, we have instructed priests to stop the practice. The priests who collected Rs 1,000 gave the break up to the devotee.
Andhra Pradesh govt takes up Rs 3,050-crore water grid project to quench thirst of Godavari villages
RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The people of hundreds of villages of Godavari region do not have access to safe drinking water though they live on the banks of the perennial river. The State government has taken a significant step to address the regions water woes by inviting tenders for the ambitious Godavari Water Grid Project. Works on two key projects at Vijjeswaram and Dowleswaram costing Rs 3,050 crore are set to begin in April as tenders have already been finalised. Speaking to TNIE, East Godavari district Rural Water Supply (RWS) Executive Engineer Venkata Giri said four sites have been identified for the water grid project. The Dowleswaram project with an outlay of Rs 1,650 crore will supply safe drinking water to 1,713 habitations in Rajamahendravaram Rural, Kadiyam, Biccavolu and Anaparthy mandals, and parts of Kakinada and Konaseema districts. The Vijjeswaram project, costing Rs 1,400 crore, will serve Undrajavaram, Peravali, Chagallu, Kovvur and Tallapudi mandals, as well as areas in the erstwhile West Godavari district. Two more projects at Polavaram right and left banks, estimated to cost Rs 450 crore and Rs 750 crore, are proposed to cover mandals like Gopalapuram, Devarapalli and Gokavaram, though they await approval from the Central and State governments. 854 WG villages to be covered in first phase This initiative, jointly funded by the Centre and the State government, aims to end the decades-long struggle of nearly 18 lakh people across 924 villages in 20 mandals of the erstwhile West Godavari district. Rural Water Supply Deputy Executive Engineer Harimohan told TNIE that the Rs 1,400 crore Vijjeswaram project will purify Godavari river water at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, and supply it through pipelines. The first phase will cover 854 villages, including Narasapuram and Tanuku Assembly segments, while the second phase will extend to 165 more villages. This sustainable water management initiative will quench the thirst of hundreds of villages of Godavari region.
Rakesh Pandey, 70s Hindi film star & Bhojpuri actor, no more
Notorious drug trafficker Jaggu Bhagwanpuria shifted to Central Jail in Assam
Jaggu Bhagwanpuria is believed to have continued to orchestrate criminal activities from within Bathinda Central Jail, reportedly using smuggled mobile phones and a loyal network of associates
'Situation not like J&K': SC Judge urges Manipuris to sit together with empathy & fraternity to overcome ethnic problemMorung Express
Punjab gangster-cum-drug lord Jaggu Bhagwanpuria shifted to Silchar jail in Assam
CHANDIGARH: Gangster-cum-drug lord Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, an accused in Punjab singer Sidhu Moosewalas murder case has been shifted to Silchar jail in Assam from Central Jail at Bathinda. He has been detained by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB ) under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act. He is the first gangster from the State who has been detained under this act. Sources said that on March 22, a joint team of the NCB and Punjab police escorted Bhagwanpuria from Bathinda to Chandigarh under heavy security cover. He was flown to Assam via Delhi and Kolkata. He was lodged in the central jail on March 23 at Silchar. A four-member NCB team over saw the transfer of this gangster. This transfer of Singh took place following a directive dated March 21, from the Joint Secretary (PIT-NDPS). Thus, the NCB carried out his immediate transfer from high-security Bathinda to Central Jail at Silchar in Assam. As per his dossier, some 128 cases are against him, including 12 under the NDPS Act. Intelligence reports indicate his involvement with Pakistan-based suppliers and international networks in Canada and the US, underscoring the transnational nature of his activities. Sources said the PIT-NDPS case was registered in Bhagwanpuria after a detailed investigation in which it was established with evidence how he was allegedly running his operations and orchestrating drug trafficking, extortion besides violent activities from behind bars. He was also using smuggled mobiles as he was issuing instructions and talking via encrypted communication to coordinate supply chains through an extensive network of operatives. Statements from some of his co-accused have further corroborated the evidence. Singh who hails from Bhagwanpur village under the jurisdiction of Kot Surat police station in Gurdaspur district is a notorious gangster and smuggler involved in cross-border narcotics smuggling. As in many cases, he is also involved with illegal weapons (pistols and revolvers.) This is the fourth detention from Punjab under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (PIT NDPS) Act which allows drug traffickers to be jailed for up to one year without bail. Last year in August, the NCB detained three other alleged drug lords from the state and shifted them to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. The three individuals detained are Jaspal Singh alias Goldy, Akshay Chhabra and Balwinder Singh alias Billa Havellian. Sources said that these drug smugglers are running drug syndicates from inside jails in Punjab. This move seeks to break his powerful grip on criminal networks flourishing in the state and nearby regions.
Punjab gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria transferred to Assam's Silchar jail
Punjab Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau detained jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria under the PIT NDPS Act and transferred him to Assams Silchar Jail to curb drug trafficking operations. This is the fourth such detention from Punjab under the act, aiming to dismantle drug syndicates operating from within the state's prisons.
Spurious seeds, pesticides worth Rs 78 lakh seized, seven held
HANAMKONDA: In a joint operation on Saturday, Task Force sleuths and Matwada police seized spurious pesticides and seeds worth `78.63 lakh. Seven persons involved in selling them to farmers were arrested, while one more person remains absconding, and another is already in jail. The arrested persons are: Erukulla Vedaprakash, a resident of Matwada, Warangal; Mohammed Siddiq Ali, a resident of Warangal; Nooka A Rajesh, a resident of Peddapalli district; Yalam Sadashiva, a resident of Srinagar, Karimnagar district; Md Rafiq, a resident of Chalvai village, Govindaraopet mndal, Mulugu district; Alla Cherevu Sekhar, a resident of Andhra Pradesh; and Podilla Sambaiah, a resident of Thimmampet, Warangal. The absconding accused is Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, while Muddangula Adithya, another suspect, is currently in jail. Warangal CP Sunpreet Singh disclosing the details to media persons, said that based on reliable information the Task Force team, Matwada police and Agriculture department officials conducted a joint operation and a large quantity of expired and counterfeit pesticides and seeds was seized from the premises. During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had been engaged in the illegal sale of spurious seeds and fake or expired pesticides for the last five years. At the time of the raid the suspects had gathered at Vedaprakashs house to discuss expanding their operations and to take delivery of expired pesticides for distribution to unsuspecting farmers, aiming to make huge profits. Vedaprakash confessed to procuring expired pesticides at low prices from local traders and supplying them to Md Rafiq and Podilla Sambaiah.
Ambedkar statue desecrated, Andhra CM directs DGP to nab culprits
RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/VIJAYAWADA: Unidentified miscreants desecrated the statue of BR Ambedkar at Dubacherla village in Nallajerla mandal of Gopalapuram Assembly constituency late Friday night. Condemning the desecration of the statue, various Dalit organisations staged a protest on Saturday, and demanded stringent action against the culprits. They disrupted the vehicular traffic on the national highway for sometime. Having learnt about the incident, Gopalapuram TDP MLA M Venkata Raju and former minister Taneti Vanitha rushed to the village, and registered their protest. Kovvur DSP Deva Kumar reached the spot, and pacified the leaders of Dalit organisations, assuring that the culprits would be arrested soon. Tension prevailed in the village for some time. Kula Vimochana Porata Samithi also demanded the arrest of the desecrators. A police picket was set up at the Ambedkar statue to thwart any protests. East Godavari district SP D Narasimha Kishore warned that stern action will be taken against mischief mongers if they spread hatred on social media platforms. Condemning the desecration of Ambedkar statue, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta to take stringent action against the culprits. The Chief Minister spoke to the DGP and other higher police officials, and asked them to thwart the evil designs of mischief mongers to disturb peace in the State. He instructed the police officials to ensure that desecration of statues of national leaders do not recur in the future. Special teams formed to nab culprits The DGP informed the Chief Minister that the situation in the village was brought under control within no time. Special teams were formed to nab the culprits. He urged the people to be vigilant, and thwart the evil designs of anti-social forces to disturb peace. Stern action will be taken against the mischief mongers if they resort to create law and order problem by promoting hatred among different sections of the people, the DGP warned. NTR statue defiled In a separate incident, unidentified miscreants desecrated the statue of TDP founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao at Musullakunta village in Nallajerla mandal in the early hours of Saturday. TDP MLA Venkata Raju and mandal president T Satyanarayana visited the village, and pacified the agitating TDP activists, assuring that stern action would be taken against the culprits. He suspected that it might be the handiwork of ganja batch to create trouble. Later, the MLA purified the NTR statue and garlanded it. A case has been registered.
Tea powder, spices face heat as FDA cracks down on adulteration
BENGALURU: After the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FDA) cracked down on usage of plastic sheets in idli and holige preparations, the department has been flooded with complaints against poor food quality. As a result, the FDA has launched statewide inspections targeting hotels, messes and bakeries. FDA officials told TNIE that while the inspections have just begun, they have found adulterated spices being used in food preparations and also found substandard ingredients in items such as jaggery, oil, paneer, khoya and even tea powder. Inspections against eateries, particularly messes near colleges and offices, have been stepped up after a recent food poisoning case in Mandya district, where two private school students died and others fell sick, a source from the FDA said. The official stated that several items, including tea powder, were found to be adulterated, with low-grade tea and previously brewed tea leaves being dried and coloured with artificial dyes to restore their appearance. Most shops do not mix brewed tea leaves with other waste but instead dry and reuse them, the official said. Moreover, many food items are prepared using adulterated spices. Turmeric, chili powder, and coriander powder are among the most commonly adulterated due to their high demand and powdered form, making it easier to mix in impurities undetected, the department official said, adding that turmeric is often mixed with metanil yellow, a synthetic dye, or lead chromate to enhance colour, both of which are harmful. Similarly, chili powder is adulterated with artificial colours like Sudan red, a known carcinogen. The officer warned that regular consumption of adulterated foods can have serious health consequences over time. Spices contaminated with harmful chemicals like metanil yellow, lead chromate, and Sudan red can lead to digestive issues, liver and kidney damage, and even cancer, the official mentioned, adding that prolonged exposure to such adulterants can cause neurological disorders, respiratory problems, and weakened organ function. In severe cases, they may lead to chronic illnesses, including gastrointestinal disorders and carcinogenic effects, he explained.
FSSAI raids shops in Dharmapuri, seizes 2,200 kg of watermelons with rat bites, fungi
DHARMAPURI: The district Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials seized around 2,200 kg of watermelon and fined four shops Rs 2,000 each. Over the past few days, FSSAI staff led by district food safety officer Dr S Banu Sujatha have been conducting raids on various roadside shops, especially the ones selling watermelon on Saturday. Over 2,200 kg of watermelon found with fungus, rat bites, and rot were disposed of. Food safety officer K Nandhagopal, said, Based on orders from Collector R Sadheesh, Sujatha has been conducting detailed inspections in roadside shops across the district. In three roadside shops over 500 kg of watermelon each was seized and destroyed as it had fungus. Another wholesale shop also had 1,200 kgs of watermelon with rate bites and rot. All the four shops were fined Rs 2,000 each. Nandhagopal added, During summer, we urge people to be cautious as watermelons could contain food colourings like Fast red and Erythrosine. These could cause allergic reactions like vomiting, and diarrhea, among others. Consumers must check the quality of watermelons before buying or consuming.
Widespread showers bring big relief from heatwave to Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: The blistering spell of heatwave in Odisha was brought to a halt by widespread rains across half the state in the last 24 hours. Berhampur city received the heaviest rainfall on Saturday. Due to heavy rains and strong winds, waterlogging and uprooting of trees were reported from Berhampur. The Odisha Fire and Emergency Service personnel launched water evacuation at various places and removed felled trees near the national highway, on MKCG Medical College and Hospital premises of the city. The rescue teams also moved to safety a visually-challenged woman, identified as Laxmi Sahoo, at about 4.15 pm after rain water entered her house in the Prem Nagar area. In Balasore and Bhadrak too, similar uprooting of trees and power supply disruption was witnessed. The regional met office said Chhatrapur received the highest rainfall of 62.8 mm on the day, followed by Cuttack (21.2 mm), Chandbali (16.4 mm), Balasore and Nayagarh (15 mm) and Gopalpur (14.2 mm). Bhubaneswar which reported overcast conditions received around 10 mm rain. On Friday, Baripada had recorded 120 mm rain, Joda 90 mm, Rajgangpur 70 mm and Saharpada, Champua and Karanjia 60 mm each. More rains are expected in the next two days, albeit with lesser intensity. The met office has forecast thunderstorm with lightning at one or two places in Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh and 11 other districts on Sunday. Light to moderate rainfall or thundershower activity may prevail across 15 districts during the period. Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said, the state is likely to witness a decline in widespread rains from Sunday. However, a few places will continue to experience thunderstorm activities in the next two days, she added. The rains brought much-needed relief from the unusual hot conditions that had gripped the state as both day and night temperatures dipped. Boudh had emerged as the hottest place in the country recording over 43 degree Celsius earlier in the week, while Malkangiri recorded 36.1 degree C. People in both the districts had a sigh of relief. The day temperature in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack fell to 25.4 degree C and 26 degree C respectively on the day. However, with rainfall activity expected to subside, the pleasant weather condition may end soon as mercury is likely to rise by 2 to 3 degree C in the state from Monday onwards.
Dharmapuri residents urge officials to set up ABC units as dog bite cases on the rise
DHARMAPURI: With increasing dog bite cases and two alleged rabies deaths reported across the district, residents have urged the municipality and town panchayats to establish Animal Birth Control (ABC) units. As no Animal Birth Control has been undertaken in Dharmapuri, the stray dog population has drastically increased in the last two months. With the rising population, the number of dog bite cases has also increased, with 852 cases reported in Pennagaram, Palacode, Harur, and Pappireddipatti government hospitals in January and February. The dog bites have also resulted in two deaths caused by rabies in Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital, with several dozen cases reported. S Selvakumar, from Dharmapuri, told TNIE , It is challenging to manage dogs within he the municipality limits. They have taken over the streets without any means to control the dog population. While my street has about 10 people living here, we have about a dozen dogs. They are extremely aggressive and contacting the municipality has been useless. We have repeatedly requested the municipality to at least conduct an ABC, but they said they do not have the facility to do it. With summer approaching, dog bite cases are just going to rise. D Durai from Pennagaram said, There are many stray dogs in our locality, and no one feeds them. So, they are hungry and aggressive. Elderly people are mostly affected, and they often walk with a stick now. Recently, a 70-year-old woman from our locality was also bitten by a dog while returning from a shop. Moreover, their numbers are increasing every six months, and having no control measures would lead to an increase in dog bite cases. According to data from the Dharmapuri administration, In 2023, a total of 4,375 dog bite cases were treated in four government hospitals. In 2024, 4,726 cases were treated. However, this year, in just two months 852 cases were treated. Though officials from the Dharmapuri Medical College hospital refused to provide data on treated dog bite cases, two people had allegedly died of rabies. When asked about ABC centres, municipal officials said, We are constructing an ABC centre in Sandhaipettai and it will be operational soon. We cannot conduct ABC in any location as we will have to provide pre and post-operative care to the sterilised dogs following Animal Welfare Board guidelines. Meanwhile, the additional director of the town panchayat was not reachable for comment.
DrinkPrimes Mission to Fix Indias Broken Drinking Water Infrastructure
For many urban dwellers in India, access to safe drinking water remains a persistent challenge. While high-end water purifiers are
34L spurious meds seized in Titagarh
Servitor injured inside Puri temple, purification ritual delays darshan
Odisha: Two killed, 67 injured, 600 houses damaged in rain, hailstorm
Bhubaneswar: At least two persons were killed, 67 others injured and over 600 houses damaged due to rain, thunderstorms and lightning in separate places across Odisha in the last 24 hours, officials said Saturday. Two persons died due to lightning strikes in Ganjam and Puri districts Saturday and 67 people were injured after being hit []
Dil Chahta Hai actor Rakesh Pandey dies due to cardiac arrest
Renowned actor Rakesh Pandey, aged 77, passed away on March 21 due to cardiac arrest. Known for his roles in Hindi and Bhojpuri cinema, he debuted in 1969 with Sara Akash. Pandey's significant works include Mera Rakshak and Yehi Hai Zindagi. He also impressed in TV series like Chotti Bahu.
Law and order meeting held in Dharmapuri
Aamir Khan calls Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar the most orturous film of his career, revealing how they had to shoot the film twice and replace several actors.
Veteran Actor Rakesh Pandey Passes Away At 77 Due To Cardiac Arrest
Veteran actor Rakesh Pandey, known for his impactful performances in Hindi and Bhojpuri cinema, passed away at 77 due to cardiac arrest.
Odisha government to set up complexes for urban waste management
BHUBANESWAR: With urban waste management posing a big challenge, the Housing and Urban Development department is planning to set up integrated waste processing complexes in the major cities and towns to effectively tackle the menace. The state generates about 1,847 tonne per day (TPD) solid waste apart from hundreds of tonnes of wet waste. Further, it has 83 large dump sites spread across the urban areas where around 24 lakh tonne of legacy waste are yet to be remediated. Considering the large-scale generation of waste, Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra has asked department authorities to look into the establishment of integrated waste processing complexes in municipal corporations and larger municipalities. These complexes will have all types of processing plants including compressed biogas (CBG) plants for easy disposal of waste and reduction of transportation and infrastructure costs. The minister has also directed the officials to expedite the process of CBG plant establishment in five municipal corporations of Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur and Rourkela along with the Puri-Konark and Boudhgarh-Sonepur clusters. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has been instructed to expedite the processing and clearing the accumulated garbage at temporary transit station near Sainik School and also operationalise the mega waste processing centre at Palasuni. The civic body will also take up renovation and refurbishment of all non-functioning toilets and e-toilets under its jurisdiction on priority. A decision was also taken to develop a digital application for sanitation monitoring in all municipal corporations and municipalities in line with the Safa app of BMC. Mahapatra also recommended integrating all such applications with the Sujog platform of the H&UD department for effective monitoring of the projects and works at the department level.
