Football legend Lionel Messi on Tuesday departed from Jamnagar after visiting Vantara, the wildlife rescue and conservation centre, where the Argentine footballer was hosted by Anant Ambani. Jamnagar marked the final stop of Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025, which saw the Argentine footballer visit four Indian cities--Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. Delhi hosted the grand finale of the Argentine footballer's India tour, bringing the historic four-city tour to a smooth, successful close amid immense fan enthusiasm. Messi, alongside Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, arrived in the national capital on December 15, following successful engagements in Mumbai, and the Delhi leg culminated the tour. The on-field programme at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium featured a celebrity football match between the Minerva Messi All Stars and the Celebrity Messi All Stars. Following the game, Lionel Messi stepped onto the field for a brief interaction with players from both teams. He later spent a few moments with young footballers, exchanging passes with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, providing a memorable experience for the aspiring talents. The event culminated in a stage ceremony attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other dignitaries, including Jay Shah, Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC); Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association; and former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia. During the ceremony, Jay Shah presented specially curated Indian cricket jerseys to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, followed by the presentation of a commemorative cricket bat signed by legendary Indian cricketers to Messi. During Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the Argentine football icon graced Wankhede Stadium as part of his GOAT India Tour 2025. Messi, along with Suarez and De Paul, met Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri and the cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar. Messi's second pit stop during the GOAT India Tour 2025 was Hyderabad. Fans who gathered at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium got to witness Argentina's FIFA World Cup-winning icon Messi in action, where he took part in a 7-on-7 exhibition football match involving the state's Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, soaked in the love from a passionate and loud audience and also met the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Messi's Kolkata appearance, the first stop of the GOAT Tour 2025, ended in chaos. What was meant to be a celebration of the World Cup-winning superstar with a football-loving state turned chaotic as VIPs and politicians on the pitch allegedly sparked fan frustration, with many attendees claiming they could hardly see the footballer they had paid to watch. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 December,2025 12:14 PM IST | Jamnagar (Gujarat) | ANIIn a major relief to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, a Delhi court on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case. Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court held that the complaint filed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was not maintainable. Apart from Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the federal anti-money laundering agency had arrayed Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited and as proposed accused in the case. While refusing to take cognisance of the prosecution complaint, the court clarified that the ED is at liberty to continue its investigation in accordance with the law. The high-profile case pertains to allegations that top Congress functionaries conspired to wrongfully acquire control of assets exceeding Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald newspaper, by paying a nominal amount of Rs 50 lakh through Young Indian -- a company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders. Earlier, on November 29, the Rouse Avenue Court had deferred the pronouncement of its decision after reserving orders on November 7, noting that further scrutiny of transaction documents, alleged rent receipts and fund flow patterns was required before determining whether the prosecution complaint met the statutory threshold for cognisance under the PMLA. The ED had argued that the case involved a “serious economic offence” and alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to form Young Indian to usurp AJL’s properties for a nominal sum, primarily to benefit the top Congress leadership. It had also claimed that several senior Congress leaders were involved in “fake transactions”, including the issuance of fraudulent advance rent payments supported by fabricated rent receipts. The Congress leadership, however, has consistently denied the allegations, terming the money laundering case as “really strange” and “unprecedented”. The controversy over the National Herald’s assets came into focus in 2012 when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint in a trial court, alleging that Congress leaders had engaged in cheating and breach of trust in the process of acquiring AJL. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 December,2025 12:11 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | IANSThree persons were killed and two were seriously injured when a jeep collided with a car in Maharashtra's Beed district, police said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. The accident occurred at Bardapur crossroad on Ambajogai-Latur highway at 10.30 pm on Monday, they said. The jeep heading from Beed to Latur collided head-on with a car coming from the opposite direction. Three car occupants died on the spot, while two persons travelling in the jeep suffered serious injuries, a police official said, reported PTI. The injured persons were later shifted to a hospital in Latur for treatment. The three deceased were residents of Latur, the police said. Mathura: 4 killed, 25 injured in Yamuna Expressway pile-up; buses catch fire In another incident, four people were killed and over two dozen were injured in an early Tuesday vehicle pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway, a police officer said, reported PTI. At least seven buses and several smaller vehicles collided with each other in the dense fog around 4.30 am, the officer said. The incident occurred under the Baldev Police Station jurisdiction. "Four people died, and 25 were injured in the accident. The vehicles collided due to low visibility on the Agra-to-Noida side of the Yamuna Expressway. Some vehicles also caught fire. All injured have been sent to the hospital," SSP Mathura Shlok Kumar said, reported PTI. The passengers were sent to their destinations in government vehicles, the officer said. Since the road is blocked, diversions have been made, he added. Visuals from the spot revealed charred remains of buses that caught fire. Cranes were called in to remove them from the road. According to a Mathura Police statement on X, the pile-up at Milestone 127 involved seven buses and three smaller vehicles. "None of the injured are in critical condition," it said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X in Hindi, expressed his condolences to the kin of the deceased. "The loss of life in the road accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district is extremely tragic and heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families," he said. "I have instructed the district administration officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. I pray to Lord Ram to grant peace to the departed souls and a speedy recovery to the injured," Adityanath said. (With inputs from PTI)
16 December,2025 11:39 AM IST | Beed | mid-day online correspondentIn a major haul, police recovered and seized 90,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 26 crore in Assam's Cachar district on Monday, officials said. Police also apprehended two persons and recovered the drugs from the secret chamber of a truck. Partha Protim Das, Senior Superintendent of Police of Cachar district, said that, based on intelligence inputs, Cachar police conducted an anti-narcotics operation in the Rongpur area under Silchar police station on Monday. "One truck bearing registration number AS-01FC-0018 was intercepted and led to the recovery of 90000 Yaba tablets from the secret chamber of the truck," Partha Protim Das said. He further said that, in this regard, two persons were apprehended and they were identified as Dalim Uddin Laskar and Abed Sultan Barbhuiya. "Both apprehended persons belong to the Dholai police station area. The vehicle was coming from a neighbouring state and going towards Guwahati. Legal action has been initiated to find out the forward and backward linkages," Partha Protim Das said. According to the police, the market value of the seized drugs is estimated at around Rs 26 crore. They have registered the case. On 5 December, Assam Police recovered and seized 10,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 3 crore from Cachar district, officials said. They also apprehended a person in connection with this case. According to the Cachar district police, on the basis of reliable input, a raid was conducted at Berenga Pt3 area, Silchar on Friday by a police team of Cachar district police and apprehended one accused person, namely, Nazmul Hq Mazumdar (23). This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 09:09 AM IST | Cachar | ANISeveral buses caught fire on the Delhi-Agra Expressway during early hours of Tuesday in Mathura. Casualties feared. Further details are awaited. It's worth mentioning that yesterday, several cities across Uttar Pradesh woke up to thick smog on Monday morning, as air quality deteriorated in different parts of the state and visibility dropped sharply. Agra was shrouded in dense fog, making the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, completely invisible to the public. A local resident said the fog was so thick that even vehicles were difficult to see on the roads. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 09:07 AM IST | Mathura | ANIDelhi’s air quality remained dangerously high on Tuesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 378 at 8 am, placing the city in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marks a slight improvement from Monday, when the AQI had peaked at 427 in the ‘severe’ category. Despite the marginal dip, large parts of the capital were still shrouded in thick, toxic smog, reducing visibility and causing discomfort for residents, reported news agency ANI. Prominent areas recorded alarming pollution levels: India Gate registered an AQI of 380 and Sarai Kale Khan 359, both in the ‘very poor’ range. Ghazipur and Anand Vihar fared worse, with AQIs around 410, categorised as ‘severe’. According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. Meanwhile, a tourist grappling with Delhi pollution explained his situation, saying to ANI, "The situation here is very serious because of pollution. I arrived in Delhi last evening from Indore. Compared to Indore, I am experiencing difficulty in breathing. Visibility here is very poor; we cannot see the India Gate properly. It is affecting our health." Air quality levels varied across other major Indian cities. Ahmedabad recorded an AQI of 117, Bengaluru 104, Chennai 135, Hyderabad 103, and Mumbai 109, mostly in the 'moderate' to 'satisfactory' range. Jaipur (187), Lucknow (158), Patna (156), and Pune (194) reported 'moderate' air quality, reported ANI. Meanwhile, the first meeting of the Expert Committee constituted by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for in NCR and adjoining Areas to address air pollution from vehicular emissions was held on Monday under the Chairmanship of Ashok Jhunjhunwala and Co-Chaired by Prof Randeep Guleria. The meeting focused on broad discussions on key issues related to vehicular emission sources in Delhi-NCR, CAQM said in a post on X. "Deliberations covered assessment of segment-wise vehicular emission contributions, exposure risks, EV readiness and infrastructure needs," CAQM said. According to ANI, the committee will present concrete, actionable recommendations to reduce vehicular emissions at upcoming meetings. This comes as the national capital battles with severe air pollution, with AQI crossing the 450 mark, reaching the 'severe plus' category, prompting CAQM to impose stage IV restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). In view of the severe air pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi Government issued a circular directing schools to shift to online mode from hybrid for students up to class 5. With the AQI remaining in the severe category, the government has directed schools to switch to online mode for these grades until further notice. (With ANI inputs)
16 December,2025 08:49 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentWholesale price inflation stayed in the negative for the second consecutive month in November at (-) 0.32 per cent, even though there was an uptick in prices of food articles like pulses and vegetables on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Monday. Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was at (-) 1.21 per cent in October and 2.16 per cent in November last year. However, on an annual basis, the negative rate of inflation during November was primarily due to a decrease in prices of food articles, mineral oils, crude petroleum & natural gas, the manufacture of basic metals and electricity, the industry ministry said in a statement. Food articles continued to witness deflation for the past eight months, beginning in April. It narrowed sharply in November at 4.16 per cent, from 8.31 per cent in October. ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar said the WPI deflation narrowed faster than expected to 0.3 per cent in November 2025, from 1.2 per cent in October 2025, reflecting the base effect, weakening INR and rising prices of some commodities. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2025 07:27 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAir quality across large parts of India continued to remain in the very poor to severe category on Monday, with the National Capital Region (NCR) emerging as the worst-affected area, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A sharp drop in visibility and haze-obscured skyline marked another low for Delhi on Monday as its AQI touched 498 in the morning and settled at 427 by the evening, with air quality in the hazardous "severe" zone. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 monitoring stations across the city recorded "severe" air quality, while 12 stations reported "very poor" levels. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality among the 40 stations, with an AQI of 475, reported the PTI. The data highlights sharp regional differences in pollution levels. How is the body affected by air pollution? (n/11)#AirPollution #AirQuality #AQI #PTIInfographics pic.twitter.com/SGU9SXKqdc — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 15, 2025 North India emerges as major pollution hotspot The nationwide AQI map showed multiple toxic hotspots across north India, while parts of central, eastern and southern India reported mixed air quality, ranging from moderate to poor. The data highlights sharp regional differences in pollution levels. At 4 pm on December 15, Greater Noida recorded an AQI of 447, followed closely by Ghaziabad (444), Noida (437) and Delhi (427). These levels fall in the severe category, indicating hazardous conditions for breathing. Health experts warn that prolonged exposure to severe air pollution can worsen respiratory illnesses, heart conditions, and asthma, especially among children and the elderly. PTI INFOGRAPHICS | India’s air quality remained in the very poor to severe zone across large parts of the country, with the NCR emerging as the worst-affected region. Greater Noida (447), Ghaziabad (444), Noida (437) and Delhi (427) topped the list of cities with the highest AQI,… pic.twitter.com/G9B6Zql5rC — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 15, 2025 What is AQI and why does it matter? The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a scale used to measure how polluted the air is and how it may affect human health. A higher AQI number means worse air quality and greater health risks. AQI is calculated using concentrations of key pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone. Each pollutant is measured and converted into a score, with the highest value determining the overall AQI for a location. What is the AQI Scale? (n/10)#AirPollution #AirQuality #AQI #PTIInfographics pic.twitter.com/rgI5qQ1dSk — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 15, 2025 Around 82 per cent Delhiites report severe pollution-linked illnesses in close circles: Study As Delhi vanishes behind a dense-grey curtain and toxic air continues to choke the National Capital Region, a new survey has found that 82 per cent of Delhi-NCR residents have one or more people in their close social network suffering from severe health conditions that they attribute to a long-term exposure to air pollution. The survey, conducted by community platform LocalCircles, said 28 per cent of the respondents reported having four or more such individuals among family members, friends, neighbours or colleagues, according to the PTI. What are the different pollutants? The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the level of pollution in the air based on the concentration of major harmful pollutants. The key pollutants monitored are- - PM2.5: Fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres. These particles can enter the lungs and bloodstream, causing serious respiratory and heart problems. - PM10: Particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometres, which can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and worsen breathing issues. Leading causes of air pollution Air pollution is mainly caused by a mix of human activities and natural factors. The key sources include: Vehicle emissions, industrial activities, construction and road dust, burning of fossil fuels, stubble burning, waste burning. Steps taken to overcome air pollution National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Launched in 2019 to reduce air pollution in 131 cities Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP): Framework designed to combat air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region Control of Vehicular Emissions: Shift to BS-VI fuel standards, promotion of EVs and SATAT initiative for CBG production Stubble Burning Prevention: Subsidies for Crop Residue Management Machinery and promotion of alternative uses for paddy straw. Steps taken to overcome air pollution (n/13)#AirPollution #AirQuality #AQI #PTIInfographics pic.twitter.com/olD5krgdQ3 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 15, 2025 Health Advisory Authorities have advised people in severely polluted areas to limit outdoor activities, wear masks when necessary, and seek medical advice if they experience breathing discomfort or irritation.
15 December,2025 10:26 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentBihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar attended a ceremony organised on the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He also congratulated BJP’s newly appointed National Working President Nitin Nabin on his elevation in the party. Nabin, who has recently been appointed as the National Working President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was present at the venue and personally welcomed the CM, reported news agency IANS. Along with the Bihar CM, several senior dignitaries also gathered to pay their tributes to India's First Home Minister. This included Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary. All the leaders present at the ceremony paid floral tributes to Patel and remembered his immense contribution to the nation. Speaking on the occasion, Deputy CM Choudhary said, “It was important to remember the role played by Sardar Patel not only for Bihar but for the entire country." Samrat Choudhary hails Nitin Nabin's escalation Choudhary also asserted that Patel’s contributions would always remain inspirational and relevant. While praising Nabin’s appointment as the national working president of BJP, Choudhary, termed the decision historic and highlighted, “Assigning such a significant national responsibility to a young leader from Bihar reflects the party’s confidence in Bihar’s leadership." He further added, “I thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision. I believe that Nitin Nabin would carry out his responsibilities with dedication and efficiency." After attending the event, Nabin, along with Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal and other leaders, departed for New Delhi. Nabin is scheduled to visit the BJP’s central office and hold meetings with senior party leaders. Earlier, while speaking to the media at Patna Airport before his departure to Delhi, he emphasised the importance of patience and dedication in party work. “Every party worker should work patiently and remain committed to the core principles of the organisation. If everyone works with dedication, everyone benefits. The BJP is the only party where a worker can rise to the highest position,” Nabin emphasised. (With inputs from IANS)
15 December,2025 10:07 PM IST | Patna | mid-day online correspondentSeasoned diplomat Nagesh Singh was on Monday appointed as India's next High Commissioner to Australia, news agency PTI reported. A 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Singh, is presently serving as India's Ambassador to Thailand. He will succeed Gopal Baglay as the High Commissioner in Canberra, Australia. Before being appointed as the Ambassador to Thailand, Singh had already served as the Chief of Protocol in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) from July 2018 to October 2022. During his diplomatic career, Singh served as the Consul General of India in Atlanta (June 2015 to June 2018), Officer on Special Duty to the Vice-President (September 2012 to June 2015) and Director at MEA's Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division (February 2010 to August 2012), reported PTI. He has also served at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and at the Indian embassy in Paris. Singh is a graduate in economics from Delhi University and earned his postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics. Sydney terror attack: EAM Jaishankar speaks to Australia's Penny Wong External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, and conveyed India's condolences over the Bondi Beach terror attack in Sydney, in which 15 innocent people were killed. In a post on social media handle X, Jaishankar said, "Just spoke to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Conveyed our deepest condolences about the Bondi Beach terrorist attack and offered our fullest support." According to police, the Pakistani-origin father-son attackers, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram, opened fire at the 'Chanukah by the Sea' event, which was organised to celebrate the first day of the Jewish festival, on Sunday at Bondi Beach. The attack resulted in the deaths of 16 people, including Akram. Police said the youngest victim was a 10-year-old girl who later died at a children's hospital, while the oldest victim was 87 years old. Akram was fatally shot by police during the attack, while Naveed was wounded and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. The attack is now being described as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades, in a country known for its strict gun control laws. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the terror attack targeting the Jewish community and offered condolences to the families of the victims. (With inputs from PTI)
15 December,2025 09:48 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndustrialist Anant Ambani is set to host Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, along with Luis Suarez and other members of the GOAT India Tour, at Vantara—the wildlife rescue and conservation centre in Jamnagar—during a one-night stop on Monday, news agency ANI reported. Messi, Suarez, Rodrigo De Paul and other members of the tour will travel to Vantara after attending an event at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier in the day. During the Delhi programme, Messi, Suarez and De Paul met Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and ICC Chairman Jay Shah. ICC Chairman Jay Shah presented Indian cricket team jerseys to Messi, Suarez and De Paul at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, marking a symbolic meeting of two of the country’s most popular sports. Messi also received a special autographed cricket bat from Shah, ANI reported. Messi was presented with jersey number 10, Suarez with number 9 and De Paul with number 7, all personalised with their names. Shah also extended an invitation to Messi for the upcoming T20 World Cup, presenting him with tickets to the India vs USA match. Messi’s appearance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium drew a huge response from fans, with the football icon entering the venue to loud cheers. He interacted with young footballers on the ground, kicked balls into the stands along with his teammates, and briefly played with youngsters present at the stadium, ANI reported. The Delhi event marked the final leg of Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025, which included stops in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Mumbai had ealier visited Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata Messi’s visit to Kolkata on Saturday saw massive crowds, though the event at Salt Lake Stadium witnessed disruptions after the football star exited early, leading to unrest among some fans. The Argentine World Cup winner had received a rousing welcome in the city, reflecting his immense popularity, particularly in West Bengal. In contrast, Messi’s Hyderabad leg was marked by smoother proceedings, where he took part in a 7-a-side exhibition match alongside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and interacted with fans. He also met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. In Mumbai, Messi, Suarez and De Paul were greeted with enthusiasm at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The event featured cultural performances, music by DJ Chetas and a friendly football match between Indian Stars and Mitra Stars, led by former India captain Sunil Chhetri. Messi shared a special moment with Chhetri and presented him with a signed Argentina jersey. The evening concluded on a memorable note when former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar presented Messi with a Team India jersey, followed by photographs featuring Tendulkar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Messi and his teammates. (With ANI inputs)
15 December,2025 09:42 PM IST | Jamnagar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
