Author: Indmedia

The Bombay High Court has restrained media organizations and online platforms from referring to the ‘Ashirwad’ bungalow in Bandra, once owned by late Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna, as “cursed,” “haunted,” or “unlucky”.Justice Arif S Doctor, in an interim order passed on July 24, said that such descripitons were prima facie defamatory, and violated the plaintiff’s fundamental right to live peacefully and in dignity.Shashi Shetty, a businessman who purchased the iconic bungalow some years ago, moved the court after coming across numerous articles, posts and videos on the internet that labeled the property as “haunted,” “cursed,” and “ill-omened”.Senior advocate Birendra Saraf,…

Three Greek firefighters have died while tackling wildfires on the island of Crete and in the south of the mainland, the Greek fire department has said, as extreme heat hinders efforts to control blazes ravaging southern Europe.The arc of brutal fires, which runs from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean, and from the Scottish Highlands to the south of Spain, has alarmed experts because many of the fires have been out of control and burning close to towns and cities.Temperatures exacerbated by the climate crisis reached 38C on Wednesday in Bordeaux in France, where firefighters kept a huge blaze…

Two solar farms in Minnesota have reportedly helped restore local ecosystems. According to a study by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, the solar farms have restored native wildflowers and grasses while increasing populations of beneficial insects. The findings add what scientists describe as evidence that solar farms can contribute to habitat restoration and pollinator conservation when developed with native vegetation.After monitoring the two sites for five years, researchers found significant increases in native plants as well as in insects, including bees, butterflies, wasps, and hornets. Bee populations increased about 20-fold, while the overall number of beneficial insects tripled compared with…

Officers and personnel from the task force will be given a 30% incentive allowance Mumbai: The state govt has announced a 30% incentive allowance for police officers and personnel serving in Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), citing the hazardous nature of their work and the risks involved in tackling organised drug networks.The state has also created 346 posts for ANTF, which draws officers and personnel from the state police force.According to a govt resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday, the incentive will come into effect on Aug 1 and will be equivalent to 30% of the basic pay under the Seventh Pay…

New Delhi: Two school van drivers have been arrested for allegedly molesting a 10-year-old girl repeatedly over three years in north Delhi’s Civil Lines, police said Wednesday. The survivor, a Class VI student, confided in a teacher following a classroom awareness session on ’good touch and bad touch’.According to police, both men were employed as drivers for the private van that transported the girl to and from her school in Civil Lines. She was subjected to inappropriate physical touching inside the van since she was seven years old, police said.The alleged long-running abuse occurred at various points during her daily…

With the price of egg crossing Rs 8 across Karnataka, schools are finding it difficult to buy and distribute eggs among students from within the budgetary allocation Bengaluru: Which came first: Egg or banana? Karnataka’s flagship midday meal scheme, which ensures nearly two-thirds of the total 47 lakh students in govt and aided schools of the state get six eggs a week as part of nutrition drive, is back to its familiar dilemma. This time, the either-or debate is triggered by prices of eggs touching a high. For perspective, the state govt provides Rs 5 for an egg and Re…

Hyderabad: The Centre has asked states to explore additional business avenues for fair price shops (FPS) to improve their financial sustainability, while making it clear that state govts have the primary responsibility for enhancing ration dealers’ earnings.Replying to questions raised by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, Union minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya said states can strengthen the viability of ration shops by allowing them to provide banking services through tie-ups with banks, offer India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) services, sell 5-kg LPG cylinders and retail other commodities.“The state govt…

Chennai: Mambalam police arrested three women from Madhya Pradesh for stealing jewellery and cash from shoppers at a commercial establishments in T Nagar. Police recovered ₹6.44lakh in cash from them.The accused were identified as Lakshmibai , 40, Meenakshi, 35, and Khushbu, 40, all from Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh.On July 25, a woman shopping at a jewellery showroom on Usman Road reported that four sovereigns of gold jewellery had been stolen from her handbag. On the same day, a Sri Lankan national lodged a complaint alleging that ₹75,000 in cash and an ATM card were stolen while he was shopping…

Ahmedabad: Real estate project clearances in Gujarat have slowed after the State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) became non-functional when its tenure ended in June, industry representatives and govt sources said. A standing committee has been formed with a govt notification, but industry wants a regular committee.Environmental appraisals for a range of real estate and industrial proposals have been delayed, the sources added.Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Gujarat, has raised the issue with the state govt.Tejas Joshi, president of CREDAI, Gujarat, said, “The SEAC is a key link in the state’s environmental approval chain for projects that…

Prayagraj: The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is likely to introduce four new Volvo buses between Prayagraj and Delhi. The proposal, sent by the Prayagraj region to the corporation’s headquarters, is awaiting final approval and is expected to receive the approval shortly.If approved, the induction of the premium buses will significantly improve long-distance travel between the two cities, offering passengers a faster and more comfortable journey. The move comes in response to the growing demand for quality inter-city transport, particularly during the festive season when thousands of people travel between Delhi and Prayagraj.At present, the Prayagraj region operates…