Wednesday, December 17, 2025 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ हिंदी

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Soldier dies in explosion in J&K’s Kupwara

A soldier was killed in an explosion in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said that the soldier died on Monday in an explosion in Putaha Khan Gali of the Trehgam area of the district of the Line of Control (LoC).

The soldier has been identified as Havaldar Zubair Ahmad of J&K Light Infantry (JAKLI).

Kolkata air worse than Delhi for a week, experts seek more monitoring stations in crowded zones

After Kolkata’s air pollution level surged past that of Delhi for the past seven days in a row, environmentalists have called for a wider network of automatic air quality monitoring stations in the densely populated and traffic-heavy areas to capture a more accurate picture of the city’s air quality.

Green technologist and environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh said that Kolkata needed at least 20 automatic air quality monitoring stations across the metropolitan area to obtain reliable, real-time data.

Rajasthan's Neem Ka Thana Railway Station gets bomb threat, no suspicious object found

In a series of frequent bomb threats being received in Rajasthan, Neem Ka Thana railway station in Sikar district received a bomb threat on late Monday night, triggering panic and an immediate security response. However, after an extensive search operation, no suspicious object or explosive was found, bringing relief to officials and the public alike.

According to information received, the threat was conveyed through an unknown phone call and message, following which the administration swung into action. Teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and Neem Ka Thana police cordoned off the railway station and launched a thorough search operation. A dog squad was also pressed into service to scan the premises. After hours of intensive checking, security agencies confirmed that no bomb or suspicious material was found at the railway station.

Smog eases slightly in Delhi but several areas continue to reel under severe air quality

Residents of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced marginal relief on Tuesday as weather conditions led to a slight improvement in air quality and visibility. The change came after north-westerly surface winds helped disperse the thick fog and haze that had blanketed the region a day earlier.

Four killed as dense fog triggers 10 vehicle-pile-up on Delhi-Agra Expressway

At least four people were killed and 25 others injured in a major road accident on the Delhi-Agra Expressway in Mathura on Tuesday morning after seven buses and three cars collided amid dense fog, officials said.

Poor visibility due to thick fog led to a massive multi-vehicle pile-up, as several vehicles crashed into one another in the early hours of the day.

Following the collision, a vehicle caught fire, triggering panic among passengers trapped inside.

Two accused in attack on sub-inspector in Jammu arrested

Two men who allegedly attacked a Police Sub-Inspector in Jammu have been arrested, police said on Monday.

Police traced and arrested the two main accused in connection with the attack on a Sub-Inspector at Gurrah Morh area of the city within hours.

"Yesterday evening, Sub-Inspector Nitin Khajuria, Investigating Officer at Police Station Bakshi Nagar, was intercepted and attacked by a group of assailants while on duty. The attackers used a sharp-edged weapon and also brandished a pistol, leaving the officer injured," a police official said, adding that the injured officer was immediately shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for treatment.

Dense fog blankets parts of Rajasthan; visibility drops in many areas

 Dense fog blanketed several districts of Rajasthan, including Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, and Alwar, on Monday morning, severely affecting road visibility and traffic movement.

Visibility dropped to just 5 metres in Sri Ganganagar and 20 metres in Alwar, causing major inconvenience for commuters. The impact of the Western Disturbance weakened on Sunday, though light cloud cover persisted across much of the Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Jaipur divisions.

J&K Police arrest woman kingpin of narcotics trafficking racket

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have said that they have arrested a woman in Udhampur district, alleged to be the kingpin of a narcotics trafficking racket.

The woman has been identified as Geeta Devi from Punjab.

The officials said on Monday, “Geeta Devi, originally from Phagwara in Punjab, was arrested from her rented accommodation in Rajiv Nagar by a team from the Udhampur police station. Geeta Devi was identified as the 'narco kingpin' during the investigation of a case following the arrest of a drug peddler, Aditya Gupta, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on November 7."

Father, three daughters found dead in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur; probe on

In a shocking case in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, a father and his three daughters allegedly committed suicide, triggering panic in the village.

The incident occurred on Sunday night in Ward Number Four of Mishraulia village, under the Sakra police station area.

According to preliminary information, the father and his three minor daughters died on the spot, while his two sons have survived. The father, Amarnath Ram, asked his five children to stand on a trunk while putting ropes around their necks. He also did the same for himself and asked them to jump from there. Ram, along with three daughters, allegedly jumped while his two sons refused. More information was awaited.

Dense fog disrupts flight operations; airlines issue travel advisories

Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were disrupted on Monday morning as dense fog significantly reduced visibility, marking the season’s first major spell of winter fog in the national capital. Several departures were delayed as airlines adjusted their schedules to ensure safe operations amid challenging weather conditions.

Delhi International Airport Limited issued a passenger advisory, cautioning that dense fog could lead to disruptions in flight operations. The airport operator said it is working closely with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience and advised passengers to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.

Environmentalist raises concern over rising pollution levels in Kolkata's Maidan area

Environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh has raised concerns over the rising air pollution level in Kolkata, especially in heritage site Victoria Memorial and eco-sensitive areas like the Maidan.

In the letter to the Union Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Ministry and West Bengal Environment Department, Ghosh pointed out that the city's Maidan, often referred to as Kolkata's lung, is indeed facing severe air pollution issues, exacerbated by the ongoing Metro Rail project near Victoria Memorial. Recently, the air quality in this heritage site has deteriorated to alarming levels, surpassing Delhi's pollution levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 342, which falls into the "very poor" to "hazardous" range.

Heavy smog engulfs Delhi-NCR as air quality slips to 'very poor' category

A thick blanket of smog enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) on Saturday, pushing air quality to alarming levels and raising serious public health concerns.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi stood at 387, firmly within the “very poor” category, signalling significant health risks, particularly for children, the elderly and those with respiratory ailments.

The deterioration in air quality has been steady throughout the week.

Crackdown against sand mafia, 9 tractors seized during raid in Patna

The Bihar government’s intensified crackdown on illegal sand mining is beginning to show significant results, with district administrations across the state launching coordinated actions to curb the illegal trade.

In one such major operation, the Patna district administration conducted a late-night raid on Thursday, causing panic among illegal sand traders operating in the capital.

On December 11, 2025, at 11:00 p.m., acting on the instructions of Tyagarajan SM, the District Magistrate, Patna, a joint team carried out a special drive against illegal sand mining and transportation under the jurisdiction of Beur Police Station.

Fire at illegal Bhubaneswar bar sparks safety crackdown; no casualties reported

A major fire broke out on the top floor of a three-storey building in the Satya Vihar area of Bhubaneswar on Friday, where a bar-restaurant was operating. No casualties have been reported, said officials.

The bar and restaurant, named ‘No Limit Air’, was found to have no fire safety system and a valid fire safety certificate.

According to Deputy Fire Officer Narayan Das, the fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. The blaze spread quickly due to the absence of mandatory fire safety measures.

Smog blankets Delhi as AQI turns very poor again, Jahangirpuri crosses 400-mark

Delhi woke up to a dense blanket of smog on Friday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 331 at 7 a.m., placing the city once again in the 'very poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Jahangirpuri emerged as the worst-affected locality in the national capital with an AQI of 405, pushing it into the 'severe' zone.

Nine pilgrims die as bus falls into gorge in Andhra

Nine pilgrims died, and 23 others were injured when a private travel bus fell into a gorge in Alluri Sitharamaraju district in the early hours of Friday.

The accident occurred on the Chintur-Naredumilli ghat road when the driver apparently failed to negotiate a sharp turn and hit the safety wall before it fell into the gorge.

The bus carrying 37 people, including two drivers, was heading to Bhadrachalam. The passengers were all from the Chittoor district who were on their way to the Bhadrachalam temple in Telangana from Araku.

Biting cold, air pollution, falling water levels in rivers add to winter woes of Kashmiris

 Biting cold with no prospect of major rain/snowfall till the end of the month continued in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday as minimum temperature remained several notches below the freezing point in the Valley.

Srinagar city had minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam minus 4.6 and Gulmarg zero as a minimum temperature.

Jammu city had 8.5 degrees Celsius, Katra 9.4, Batote 6.3, Banihal 4.2 and Bhaderwah 1.9 as the minimum temperature.

Rs 3.59 crore demonetised currency racket busted in Delhi, four arrested

Delhi Police have busted a major racket involving demonetised currency and arrested four men who were allegedly circulating old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by falsely claiming they could be exchanged at the Reserve Bank of India, officials said on Thursday.

The operation, led by the team of Police Post WPIA under Ashok Vihar police station, resulted in the recovery of demonetised notes with a face value of Rs 3.59 crore and the seizure of two vehicles used in the crime.

Police bust interstate mobile theft gang; 40 high-end phones stolen in Delhi concert recovered

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested four members of an interstate mobile phone theft gang and recovered 40 high-end smartphones, many of which had been stolen from a December 7 concert at IGI Stadium, officials said on Thursday.

A team from the Eastern Range-I of the Crime Branch, led by Inspector Ashish Sharma and supervised by ACP Sunil Srivastav, tracked the suspects for nearly 48 hours before intercepting them near Yamuna Vihar Metro Station on December 9.

The police said the accused kept shifting locations to evade surveillance, forcing the team to maintain continuous technical tracking.

High-tech mobile vans to monitor air, water quality across Gujarat

Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has deployed two state-of-the-art mobile environmental monitoring vans.

The vehicles, procured under the Environment Damage Compensation (EDC) fund at a cost of over Rs 5.76 crore, are now operational across all districts.

As part of an ongoing crackdown on pollution, six industrial units in Ahmedabad have been issued show-cause notices for violating air quality norms. The two mobile vans cover separate zones - one dedicated to North Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch, and the other to Central and South Gujarat.

Narrow escape for MP cops as speeding vehicle hits police car in Bhopal

Nearly half a dozen police personnel had a narrow escape when a car driven at high speed hit their official vehicle during night patrolling in Bhopal.

The incident took place late on Wednesday. After hitting the police vehicle at a junction in the city, the car then collided with a road divider and overturned.

However, no one got injured except the car driver, who was allegedly heavily drunk, and was rescued by the same cops, who had a narrow escape at the spot.

The driver, who was not named, was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Delhi Police arrest three snatchers after analysing over 300 CCTV cameras

Delhi Police on Thursday arrested three snatchers who were identified after an extensive analysis of more than 300 CCTV cameras.

According to a statement released by the Anti-Snatching Cell of the South-West District, the team has done a commendable job by arresting three notorious snatchers -- Paras alias Bharat, aged 34, from Gandhi Market, Sagarpur; Pankaj alias Kake, aged 38, a resident of Ram Mandir, Jhanda Chowk, New Ashok Nagar; and Vinod Ghosh, aged 35, from Sagarpur. With their arrest, a snatched gold chain and a motorcycle used in the crime were recovered from their possession.

J&K Police attach drug peddler’s property worth Rs two crore

Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Wednesday that it has attached the property worth Rs two crore belonging to a drug peddler in Srinagar district.

A police statement said, “In its relentless efforts to curb the drug menace and dismantle the infrastructure supporting illegal narcotics trade, Srinagar Police attached a three-storey residential house along with one kanal of land, valued at approximately Rs two crore under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The property is in the possession of Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Mohd Bhat, a resident of Shaltang, the father of the notorious drug peddler, namely Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Shaltang."

Four killed in separate road accidents in Telangana

Four people were killed and 15 others injured in two separate road accidents in Telangana on Wednesday.

Three people were killed when a car in which they were travelling overturned in Adilabad district, the police said.

The accident occurred early morning near Taroda in Jainadh mandal. Another person was injured in the incident and admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) at Adilabad.

Bihar shivers as cold conditions intensify

People in Bihar reeled under intense cold conditions, affecting their daily lives.

Dense fog reduced visibility, impacting the movement of vehicles.

The Meteorological Department has warned that both fog and cold are likely to intensify further in the coming days.

Kolkata’s air turns more hazardous than Delhi, AQI shoots up to 342

In a rare and worrying development, Kolkata has overtaken Delhi in air pollution levels, with the city recording hazardous air quality on Tuesday night.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) at Victoria Memorial -- located in the city’s Maidan area -- stood at 342 (‘very poor’ to ‘hazardous’ range), significantly worse than Delhi’s reading of 299 (‘poor’).

The unusually high AQI in the heart of Kolkata has triggered concern among environmental experts, especially since Delhi is typically regarded as the country’s pollution hotspot.

Environmental technologist Somendra Mohan Ghosh attributed the city’s worsening air quality to four unchecked pollution sources in and around the Maidan.

Four police jawans killed in road accident in MP's Sagar

At least four Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of Madhya Pradesh Police died in a road accident in Sagar district in the wee hours on Wednesday.

The tragic accident occurred on the National Highway (NH-44) in the Bandari Malthon area when police personnel were returning from Balaghat to Morena.

The vehicle of the jawans collided with a loaded truck, resulting in the on-the-spot death of four jawans.

Four killed in sleeper bus-truck collision in Rajasthan's Sikar

In a devastating collision between a sleeper bus and a speeding truck, four people lost their lives and 28 others were injured near Fatehpur on the Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway.

The accident took place late at night on Tuesday. Local residents said the rescue operation was extremely difficult as several passengers were trapped under the seats and twisted metal.

Three people died on the spot, while the injured bus conductor succumbed during treatment in Jaipur on Wednesday morning.

Delhi Police arrest four fraudsters in Rs 16 lakh investment scam

Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested four fraudsters involved in an investment scam of Rs 16 lakh.

According to a statement issued by the South-West District Police, a team from the Cyber Police Station arrested four cyber fraudsters -- Manish Dilip Bhai Koshti (37), Mohd. Zaid A. Sidi (28), Md. Aezaz Khimani (35) and Shaikh Abrar (27), all residents of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A total of six mobile phones, six debit cards, and eight SIM cards used in the crime were recovered.

Two drug peddlers held in J&K's Baramulla; 964 gm heroin seized

The police in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district said on Tuesday that it has arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 964 grams of heroin from them.

A police statement said, "In a sustained effort to combat the menace of narcotics, Baramulla Police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered a substantial quantity of contraband from their possession."

"A police team of Baramulla Police, under the close supervision of Baramulla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla Assistant Superintendent of Police Headquarter Neha Jain (IPS), and Baramulla Police Station Station House Officer Inspector Owais Geelani carried out a targeted operation near Government Medical College Baramulla Parking Area at around 7 p.m. on Monday.

Five hardcore militants arrested in Manipur

Security forces in Manipur have arrested five militants of two banned extremist outfits from Imphal West district and recovered some arms and ammunition, officials said on Tuesday.

A police official said that the five militants belonging to the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Socialist Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (SOREPA) were arrested from different locations in Imphal West district during the past 24 hours.

Yellow alert for cold wave in five Rajasthan districts

Rajasthan is bracing for a harsher winter as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for cold wave conditions in five districts, including Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Didwana-Kuchaman, and Nagaur.

Cold conditions were already being felt across the state, and the weather office has warned that the next 48 hours may bring an even sharper dip in temperatures.

In the last 24 hours, Fatehpur shivered at 3.7 degrees Celsius, becoming one of the coldest spots in eastern Rajasthan, while Nagaur touched 4.3 degrees Celsius in the west.

Cold wave in Bihar, westerly winds intensify chill

Bihar is reeling under an intense cold wave with icy winds sweeping across the state.

According to meteorologists, complex atmospheric conditions are pushing cold winds toward Bihar, drastically lowering temperatures and disrupting daily life.

The Bihar Meteorological Centre has reported severe cold conditions in several districts, including Patna, Gaya, Saharsa, and Katihar.

For the past several days, the minimum temperature has remained below 10 degrees Celsius, while in the last two nights, it dipped to around 5 degrees Celsius, significantly below normal for this time of year.

Strong winds bring slight relief to Delhi-NCR, but air quality remains poor

The residents of Delhi-NCR experienced some relief on Tuesday morning after days of highly polluted air. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), surface winds blowing at speeds between 15 and 25 km per hour have helped reduce air pollution levels slightly.

The increased wind speed has allowed suspended pollutant particles to disperse into the upper atmosphere, directly impacting the Air Quality Index (AQI). Pollution levels in the city have consistently been recorded in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category, but several monitoring stations reported readings below 300.

IndiGo cancels 112 flights at Hyderabad Airport, passengers continue to suffer

Passengers at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) continue to have a harrowing time as IndiGo cancelled 112 flights on Monday.

For the seventh consecutive day, the airline’s services remained disrupted. The cancellations on Monday include 58 arrivals and 54 departures.

With no signs of normalcy returning to IndiGo’s operations at RGIA, thousands of passengers continue to suffer. For the fifth consecutive day, the number of cancellations was over 100. More than 600 flights have been cancelled at RGIA since December 2.

Minimum temperature drops to minus 2.4 in J&K’s Srinagar as cold wave continues

Intense cold wave continued across Kashmir Valley on Monday as minimum temperature dropped to minus 2.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city with no immediate relief in sight from the biting cold.

An intense dry cold wave has caused widespread flu and cold-related chest ailments in the valley, as doctors have issued advisories asking people not to expose themselves to severe dry cold.

Leopard spotted again in Jaipur; locals in fear as forest officials continue search

Leopard sightings in Rajasthan’s capital are becoming increasingly frequent, raising concerns among residents and wildlife officials. After Civil Lines, Vidyadhar Nagar, Gopalpura, Shastri Nagar, Amer, and Jagatpura, a leopard has now been spotted in Bajaj Nagar, triggering panic in the area.

The new leopard spotting has once again put the forest officials on their toes.

Two minors among five killed as speeding car rams into divider in Punjab's Ludhiana

In a horrific midnight road accident, a speeding car collided with a divider in Punjab’s Ludhiana city, killing five people, comprising two minors, on the spot.

Some suffered head injuries, while others had severed necks and legs. The police said the accident occurred near the Ladhowal toll plaza early Monday. The car, a Hyundai Verna, was going to Ladhowal from Ludhiana.

Delhi continues to struggle with toxic air as AQI remains poor

 Air quality in Delhi and the wider National Capital Region (NCR) continued to remain in the very poor range on Monday morning, extending the ongoing phase of hazardous pollution already gripping the region for several weeks.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 318, showing a marginal rise compared to Sunday’s reading.

The city on Sunday witnessed slightly clearer skies and a minor improvement in air quality, offering residents brief relief from persistent smog. The real-time AQI stood at 277, a slight improvement from the previous day. Despite this, pollution levels remained significantly high. PM10 concentrations were measured at 263 µg/m³, while PM2.5 levels stood at 199 µg/m³.

IndiGo crisis: 11 flights resumed from Jammu, seven cancelled from Srinagar

IndiGo Airlines on Saturday said it has resumed 11 flights from Jammu airport, but cancelled seven flights from Srinagar airport due to disruption caused by pilot rostering issues.

Passengers have been stranded at Jammu airport for five days since the nationwide disruption in IndiGo flight operations.

Out of its eight scheduled flights, the airline announced the cancellation of seven flights from Srinagar International Airport.

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