Man Dies Of Suffocation As Lakhs Gather For Puri Rath Yatra

A massive crowd at the Puri Rath Yatra has led to one person dying of suffocation and several others being hospitalised. The yatra, which is one of the country's largest religious gatherings, witnessed an even higher turnout this year because it is being held over two days for the first time since 1971.

The administration stressed that the death was due to suffocation and there was no stampede-like situation despite lakhs of people gathering to witness - and participate in - the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra being taken to visit their maternal aunt, Goddess Gundicha Devi, at her temple around 2.5 km away, and then brought back.  

Officials said the death of the man was caused by heat and humidity coupled with the rush. Adequate arrangements had been made and ambulances were deployed to attend to such situations, they emphasised. Despite water being sprinkled on the devotees to keep them cool, several people could be seen carried out on stretchers and taken away in ambulances after collapsing.

President Droupadi Murmu, who was born in Odisha and has served as an MLA, also attended the yatra on Sunday. 

The pulling of the chariots began around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati went to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and Puri's titular king completed the 'Chhera Pahanra' (chariot sweeping) ritual.

The President, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the mammoth exercise by pulling the ropes attached to the main chariot of Lord Jagannath. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also paid obeisance to the deities.

Tight security arrangements were in place, with the deployment of 180 platoons (each 30-strong) of security personnel, Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Drones were also deployed. 

CCTV cameras with AI technology were installed at Badadanda, the venue of the festival, and other strategic locations in the town, said ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar. As many as 46 fire tenders were also in place and DG, fire service, Sudhanshu Sarangi said water was sprinkled on the crowd to keep them cool.

(With PTI inputs)

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Rahul Gandhi's "Victories, Setbacks" Note To Rishi Sunak After Poll Loss

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi extended commiserations to the UK's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak on the party's recent electoral washout, saying victories and setbacks are inevitable parts of democracy and that "we must take both in our stride".

In his letter to Mr Sunak, Rahul Gandhi hailed the former British PM's dedication to public service and commitment to the British people.

"I would like to extend my commiserations on the recent electoral outcome. Victories and setbacks are both an inevitable part of the journey in a democracy and we must take both in our stride," the Congress MP said.

"Your dedication to public service and commitment to your people are commendable. I also deeply value the efforts you made to strengthen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office. I am confident you will continue to contribute to public life with your… pic.twitter.com/NNAsGQV7Jh

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 6, 2024

"Your dedication to public service and commitment to your people are commendable. I also deeply value the efforts you made to strengthen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office," he said.

Mr Gandhi expressed confidence that Rishi Sunak would continue to contribute to public life with his experience. "I wish you all the best for your future endeavours," the former Congress chief said.

On Friday, Keir Starmer became the UK's new Prime Minister and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a "sobering verdict" on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, up 211 from the 2019 elections.

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Loyal Voters Went On Holiday: Eknath Shinde On NDA's Poor Maharashtra Show

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday attributed the setback suffered by the NDA in recent Lok Sabha elections in the state to loyal voters going on holiday during voting, under the assumption that the alliance was set to win more than 400 constituencies.

He acknowledged that the National Democratic Alliance was caught off guard by the Opposition, which succeeded in voter consolidation.

Speaking at a joint rally of Mahayuti partners in Mumbai, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis supported Mr Shinde's claims, stating that the NDA leaders did not pay enough attention to the lies spread by the Opposition during the campaign.

The rally was attended by leaders of Shiv Sena, BJP, NCP headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and other small constituents.

In Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA could win only 17 seats, while the MVA comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) bagged 30 constituencies. The Independent candidate who won the Sangli constituency is a Congress leader.

"We were caught off guard by the opposition during the Lok Sabha election," Mr Shinde said.

"Some of our voters went on holiday during the polling, assuming that the NDA would easily win more than 400 seats in the general elections. This loss underscores the need for a more strategic approach in the future," he said.

Mr Shinde claimed the opposition voters diligently exercised their franchise, with almost 80 per cent turnout.

"If 60 per cent of our voters had turned up at the polling booths, we could have easily won 40 seats. We can't afford to be naive or callous after being hit hard in the Lok Sabha polls," he added.

In a critical remark against Congress, Mr Shinde highlighted its history of scams, such as Bofors, fodder, and coal, while questioning if there had been any corruption allegations against Prime Minister Modi.

Mr Fadnavis emphasised the significant impact of lies spread by the opposition during the campaign on the voters and the urgent need for an effective response.

"The MVA won two lakh votes more than the NDA candidates, but they won nearly 30 seats. They used to lie every day before the media, and we thought it would not affect our voters. But in reality, it did affect our voters, and we could not counter it effectively," he added.

Mr Fadnavis also taunted some party leaders who made statements against NDA partners.

"There are some party leaders who get some extreme urge to make some statement. My suggestion to them is to first speak with their leaders, seek their permission, and then open their mouths," he said. 

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Euro 2024 LIVE: Dani Olmo Hands Spain The Lead vs Germany | ESP 1-0 GER

UEFA Euro 2024 Quarterfinal LIVE Updates, Spain vs Germany LIVE Score: Spain are 1-0 ahead in the second half against Germany in the Euro 2024 Quarterfinal encounter. The two nations are arguably the two best teams in the tournament so far, with Spain having scored nine goals and Germany eight. Watch out for Spain wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to delight, whilst midfielder Fabian Ruiz has also starred. Germany have looked a cohesive unit so far, with Jamal Musiala being the joint-top goalscorer of Euro 2024. Toni Kroos will also face many of his Real Madrid teammates, who could end his search for a fairytale end to his career. (MATCH CENTER)

Follow UEFA Euro 2024 Quarterfinal LIVE Updates, Spain vs Germany LIVE Score here -

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Only Officials Of Secretary Rank Now Eligible To Be Telecom Regulator Chief

The government has notified rules under the Telecommunication Act which makes only secretary to the government or officials with equivalent rank eligible for the position of sector regulator Trai chairman.

The government has made certain sections of the Act operational from June 26 and some of the rules of those sections have come into effect from July 5, including the criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), according to an official statement issued on Friday.

"Criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of TRAI: Section 59(b) of the Act will amend section 4 of the TRAI Act 1997 and prescribes criteria for appointment of Chairperson and Members of TRAI," the statement said.

The new section restricts sector experts with professional experience in the field of telecommunication, industry, finance, accountancy, law etc. from becoming Trai chairperson.

"Provided that a person who is, or has been, in the service of Government shall not be appointed...as a Chairperson unless such person has held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent post in the central government or the state government," the new Act states.

The rules effective from July 5 also include a ban on the unauthorised use of equipment which block telecommunications.

"The Acts prescribes, with immediate effect, the use of any equipment which blocks telecommunication, unless permitted by the central government," the statement said.

The rule for optimal utilisation of spectrum has also become effective from July 5.

"The Act provides a legal framework for efficient utilization of scarce spectrum through processes such as secondary assignment, sharing, trading, leasing and surrender of spectrum.

"It also enables the utilisation of spectrum in a flexible, liberalised and technologically neutral manner. It also empowers the central government to establish an enforcement and monitoring mechanism for the purpose," the statement said. PTI PRS HVA

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Heatwave Persists In Kashmir, Srinagar Hotter Than Delhi And Kolkata

Heatwave conditions persisted in Kashmir on Thursday with Srinagar recording a maximum temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal and the highest in July in 25 years, officials said.

The city had recorded a high of 37 degrees Celsius in July 1999.

Srinagar was hotter than Delhi (31.7 degrees Celsius), Kolkata (31 degrees Celsius), Mumbai (32 degrees Celsius) and Bengaluru (28 degrees Celsius).

Other parts of the Valley also witnessed scorching temperatures with Qazigund recording a high of 32.8 degrees Celsius and Kupwara 35.2 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

The Valley has been experiencing rising temperatures and scorching heat over the past few weeks, leading to water shortage in many areas.

The health department has issued advisories to deal with the heatwave conditions. The school education department has already announced a 10-day summer vacation for all schools in the Valley from July 8.

Amid the heat, people are choosing to stay indoors.

Some respite from the heat is likely on Friday as the meteorological department has forecast intermittent spells of light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places.

There is also a possibility of intermittent moderate rainfall at many places and heavy spells at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday and Saturday, the weather office said.

Light rainfall is expected on Sunday. Hot and humid weather is likely from July 8 to 10, it said. 

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Teen Fakes Kidnapping, Demands Rs 2 Lakh As Ransom To Pay Off Gaming Debt

A first-year student allegedly faked his kidnapping and sent photos of him tied up and gagged to his parents, demanding Rs 2 lakh as ransom, the police in Rajasthan's Kota said on Thursday.

Bhojraj Gochar, a resident of Jagpura, filed a missing person's report, claiming his 18-year-old son Suraj Gochar, who left home on Tuesday, did not return, Superintendent of Police (SP) Amrita Duhan said.

A team was formed under Deputy Superintendent of Police Manish Sharma to rescue the teen, she said.

During investigations, Bhojraj Gochar told the police that he received a ransom demand of Rs 2 lakh on WhatsApp. A photograph of his son with his hands tied and mouth gagged was also sent to him from his son's phone, Ms Duhan said.

Based on the input and technical investigation, the police detained Suraj Gochar from the Jaipur Junction station this evening, she said.

The teen hatched the plot after watching a television series to recoup the Rs 40,000 he had lost in an online game, she said.

Suraj Gochar left home on the pretext of filling out his admission form and reached Jaipur, where he took a picture of himself tied and gagged in a hostel room using the timer on his phone camera and sent it to his father, the police said.

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