Mid Day

At least four people, including children, died in kite-related incidents in Gujarat during Uttarayan, while emergency cases surged by 33 percent due to kite strings, electrocution, falls, and two wheeler travel

The Lok Sabha MP claimed that in several polling centres across the state, voters were allegedly made to wipe off the ink on their fingers after casting their votes, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the elections

According to election officials, several residents chose to travel during the holiday, which affected voter participation. Heavy traffic congestion was reported in areas such as Somatane Phata, Bhosari and parts of Pune, making it difficult for some voters to reach polling centres

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar claimed in a post on X that incidents of EVMs shutting down were reported at the start of voting in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal areas

As voting began across 29 civic bodies in Maharashtra, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged polling booth misplacement, EVM discrepancies, and poll code violations to favour the BJP. Early trends in the BMC elections showed low turnout, with male voters outnumbering women

Kerala used a commercial airline for organ transport for the first time, flying a donor kidney from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram on an IndiGo flight for a transplant, coordinated by K-SOTTO

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Ankush Kakade claimed the EVM malfunctioned while he was casting his vote and demanded that a formal complaint be registered with election officials

During the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, Nilesh Doke, husband of BJP candidate Aparna Doke, allegedly recorded a voting video inside a polling booth, violating the Model Code of Conduct. PCMC authorities have begun an investigation and filing of an FIR

A total of 2,067 polling centres have been designated across the city. To monitor the voting process, PCMC has installed 4,528 CCTV cameras covering every polling location. Each polling centre has been equipped with cameras inside the voting room, outside the polling centre, and at the building entrance

The US president`s claims, which were made with few details, come as he`s told protesting Iranians in recent days that `help is on the way` and that his administration would `act accordingly` to respond to the Iranian government

Denmark`s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland`s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt hold talks at the White House with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The probe follows reports that Grok has been used to create deepfake images portraying women and girls in sexually explicit scenarios without their consent, content that has allegedly been used to harass individuals across the internet, including on the social media platform X

Officials refused to identify the astronaut who needed care last week and would not divulge the health concerns

Costa Rica`s national security chief Jorge Torres had told prosecutors Tuesday that a hitman allegedly received a payment to assassinate the president, but details of the case were not publicly revealed at the time

With no proper system in place, some residents dump waste at common points and later burn it once it accumulates, adding to air pollution

Some Eastern Orthodox churches follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar used by Catholic and Protestant churches and much of the secular world

The Indian batting legends reputation of touching peoples lives and lifting spirits just got bigger, with him organising a cricket bat-shaped guitar for star womens cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues last week

Head of Venezuelas national assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, said last week that a significant number of Venezuelan and foreigners imprisoned in the country would be released as a gesture to seek peace following the military operation that deposed Maduro

Independent counsel Cho Eun-suks team requested the Seoul Central District Court to sentence Yoon to death, describing his decree as anti-state activities and a self-coup

In a previous advisory issued on January 5, the MEA had urged its nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran. It had also asked Indian citizens and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) residing in Iran to exercise due caution and avoid visiting areas of protests

The remains were recovered on the morning of December 20, 2020, from a shop in the Roza area where a fire had broken out the previous night

Five new cases of diarrhoea, linked to drinking contaminated water in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore, the country`s cleanest city, were found on Tuesday, a Madhya Pradesh health department official said

Nupur Sanon tied the knot with Stebin Ben in a grand Christian and Hindu wedding in Udaipur. She revealed how sister Kriti Sanon convinced their initially hesitant mother and shared that they wrote their own personalized vows, celebrating love, commitment, and togetherness

More than 5000 farmers have died by suicide in Maharashtras Marathwada region over the past five years, with 1,129 cases recorded in 2025 alone, the highest so far. Beed district reported the maximum deaths, with unseasonal rainfall and floods cited as key factors

Singapore police told a coroners court that singer Zubeen Garg was severely intoxicated and had refused to wear a life vest before drowning near Lazarus Island during a yacht outing. Authorities said no foul play is suspected in his death

Human rights activists has also appealed for international support to stop Erfan Soltanis execution. He has been unable to seek legal counsel to defend himself. The 26-year-old has been charged with waging war against God, an offence punishable by death in Iran

Akshaye Khanna is likely to reprise his role as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar 2. As per reports, the makers plan to explore his backstory with a special shoot, adding more depth to the character

Meanwhile, an official at Gazas Health Ministry, which maintains casualty records, reported a higher toll of 165 children killed during the ceasefire, out of a total of 442 fatalities. In November, authorities in Gaza said more than 70,000 people had been killed since 2023

Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj join forces for the highly anticipated film AA23, backed by Mythri Movie Makers. The makers have dropped an intriguing video announcing the project and it promises to be a cinematic spectacle

As Spike joins Jimmy Crystal`s gang of Satanists and sadistic killers, and Kelson`s treatment begins eliminating Samson`s violent tendencies, the film questions innate humanity and pushes the audience to consider whether the infected are merely threats to be eliminated or broken souls caught between what they were and what they have become

Mohanlal has announced that Drishyam 3 will release worldwide on April 2, 2026, marking his first release of the year. Directed by Jeethu Joseph, the film sees the actor reprise his iconic role as Georgekutty

Nivin Pauly has announced that his upcoming thriller Baby Girl will release worldwide on January 23, 2026. Directed by Arun Varma, the film features Lijomol Jose, Abhimanyu Thilakan and Sangeeth Prathap

Rahu Ketu, starring Varun Sharma and Pulkit Samrat, has received a U/A 16+ censor certificate after several modifications suggested by the CBFC. The comedy film is set to release in theatres on January 16

US President Donald Trump warned Iran of very strong action if authorities execute protesters amid ongoing anti-government unrest. He stressed that mass killings would not be tolerated and compared the situation to past US actions overseas

The victim, Shivaji Bhalerao, whose wife Sarika Bhalerao is contesting the January 15 civic election on a Congress ticket, was seated outside his home in Ward No. 1 when six assailants arrived on motorcycles and assaulted him, a police official said

In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Vivaan Shah opens up on the success of Ikkis, praising co-star Agastya Nandas dedication and intellect. He also recalls how Happy New Year changed his life and fondly remembers Shah Rukh Khans kindness, humility and commitment to his craft

The cast of Parasakthi joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Pongal celebrations in Delhi, calling it a symbol of national unity. The meeting is being seen by some as political outreach ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections

The comments from Iran`s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon. Already, a bloody security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,571, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported

Several major OTT releases arrive mid-January, including Taskaree, Stranger Things 5 documentary, and The Rip. Meanwhile, Chiranjeevis Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu crosses Rs 100 crore as Ram Charan visits theatres to support the film

Actress Rashami Desai was recently asked to take down an AI-generated post about politicians Amit Shah and Mamata Banerjee, which she happily obliged. Sharing the communication email, she said that she was happy to see the youth raise the concern

Space Gen: Chandrayaan, a powerful, deeply human series, tells the untold story behind one of Indias greatest scientific comebacks, where failure became fuel, and resilience rewrote history

Two nurses from Barasat, North 24 Parganas, who tested positive for the Nipah virus are in a coma and in extremely critical condition. Authorities have intensified contact tracing, screening, and containment measures, with central and state health teams deployed to prevent further spread

A die-hard Rajinikanth fan recently celebrated the festival of Pongal in a rather unusual way. The fan from Madhurai bathed a 300 kg idol of the actor in his home and even offered prayers to the actor`s idol

Director Sudha Kongara and Parasakthis team have spoken out against alleged targeted online attacks and defamation campaigns following the films release

Over nine lakh devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam in Prayagraj on Wednesday ahead of Makar Sankranti during the ongoing Magh Mela. Authorities expect the turnout to rise to 11.5 crore by evening, with extensive security and traffic arrangements in place

Amid much speculation and anticipation, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has confirmed that a sequel to Hrithik Roshan`s 2017 film, Kaabil 2 is in the making. Replying to a fan tweet on X, the director subtly shared the new update

Eight flights were cancelled and ten delayed at Chennai Airport on Wednesday due to precautionary measures taken ahead of possible smoke haze and fog during Bhogi celebrations. Airlines had informed passengers in advance, preventing major inconvenience

Salman Khan, MS Dhoni, and AP Dhillon enjoyed a muddy ATV adventure at Khans Panvel farmhouse, sharing fun moments on social media. The post comes amid buzz around Dhillons recent viral concert moment, while Salman gears up for his next film Battle of Galwan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi on January 15. The event will bring together parliamentary leaders from across Commonwealth nations to discuss key democratic and legislative issues

US federal courts in multiple states have ruled that ICE unlawfully detained several Indian nationals without bond hearings or due process. Judges ordered their release or bond hearings, rejecting the use of mandatory detention for immigrants already living in the United States and reaffirming constitutional protections for asylum seekers