Anonymous emails threatening bomb attacks were sent to three district courts in Odisha on Thursday, triggering panic and the temporary suspension of judicial work, the IANS reported. According to reports, the registrars of the District and Sessions Courts in Cuttack, Sambalpur and Deogarh received emails warning of bomb explosions on court premises. Following the threats, court authorities immediately evacuated the buildings and suspended all proceedings as a precautionary measure. Local police teams, along with bomb disposal units, dog squads and cyber experts, rushed to the locations and conducted extensive searches of the premises. No suspicious objects were reported during the initial checks, according to IANS. Security beefed up The Odisha Police have significantly enhanced security arrangements at all affected court complexes to prevent any untoward incident. Confirming the development, Odisha Director General of Police YB Khurania said that anonymous emails threatening damage to court premises had been received at several locations. He added that police had taken cognisance of the matter and launched a comprehensive investigation. As a precaution, intensified security checks and heightened vigilance are being maintained, while the situation continues to be closely monitored. Probe launched The DGP also appealed to the public not to panic and urged cooperation with the police to ensure safety and assist the investigation. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed serious concern over the threat emails sent to district-level courts. As per a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), he directed senior state officials to verify the authenticity of the threats and ensure a thorough probe, as per the IANS. The Chief Minister held discussions with the Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, and the Director General of Police, instructing them to keep a close watch on the situation and swiftly identify and apprehend those responsible. To be investigated in depth Stressing the gravity of the matter, CM Majhi said the incident must be treated with utmost seriousness and investigated in depth. Officials were asked to visit the affected locations, gather detailed information and determine the motive behind the threats. The Chief Minister is expected to conduct a detailed review of the incident during a high-level meeting later in the day, the news agency reported. (with IANS inputs)
08 January,2026 04:11 PM IST | Bhubaneswar (Odisha) | mid-day online correspondentWest Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain amid an ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid, alleging that the central agency was attempting to confiscate the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC’s) internal documents, hard disks, and sensitive election-related data. She said the raid at the residence and offices of Jain, "the in-charge of my IT cell", was politically motivated and unconstitutional, news agency PTI reported. Banerjee arrived around noon, shortly after Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma reached the site, and stayed for 20-25 minutes, emerging with a green folder in hand. “They have raided the residence and offices of our in-charge of IT cell. They were confiscating my party’s documents and hard disks, which have details about our party candidates for the assembly polls. I have brought those back,” Banerjee told reporters. She alleged that ED officers had taken hard disks, mobile phones, laptops, candidate lists, and internal strategy documents of the party. “Is it the duty of the ED to collect political party data?” she asked. TMC data and poll strategies seized: Mamata Banerjee The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which also manages the TMC’s IT and media operations in addition to providing political consultancy, was the target of the searches. Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP leadership, calling the raid an act of “political vendetta” and accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of misusing constitutional agencies to intimidate Opposition parties, PTI reported. “This is not law enforcement. Is this how the nastiest home minister functions, who can protect the country? I am sorry Mr Amit Shah, the Prime Minister must control his home minister,” she said. The ED searches had begun early Thursday at I-PAC’s office in Sector V, Salt Lake, PTI reported. Banerjee alleged the raids started around 6 am when no one was present at the office. “They transferred our data, poll strategies and information into their system. This is a crime,” she said after visiting the I-PAC office. Sources said several files were brought out of the office and placed in the CM’s vehicle while she was still at Jain’s residence. Banerjee later visited the Sector-5 office around 1 pm, where senior officers of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate had cordoned off the area. BJP is murderer of democracy: West Bengal CM Several TMC leaders and ministers, including Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty and state minister Sujit Bose, were present. Senior state police officers, including DGP Rajeev Kumar, also reached the site. Central forces had sealed the building’s entry and exit points. Without using the VIP lift, Banerjee accessed the building through the basement and reached the 11th-floor office. “They have taken our election strategy, our SIR data and other details. If the assembly polls pass and we have to draw up election plans afresh, who will be responsible?” she asked. Banerjee accused the BJP of undermining democracy, alleging large-scale deletion of voters from electoral rolls in West Bengal. “The BJP is the murderer of democracy. Names of over 15 lakh people have been deleted through the SIR process. Do they think they can capture the state by deleting voters and raiding IT cell offices of political parties?” 'Dare BJP to fight us politically if they want to win Bengal' She asserted that TMC is a registered political party paying income tax and said, “The Centre cannot bulldoze us using money and muscle power. I dare the BJP to fight us politically if they want to win Bengal.” Banerjee said she would remain at the I-PAC office until Jain arrived and resumed work. The episode echoes a 2019 standoff at the same Loudon Street address, when Banerjee had rushed to the bungalow of then police commissioner Rajeev Kumar during a CBI search and staged a dharna in central Kolkata. Reacting to the developments, West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, accused Banerjee of interfering in the functioning of constitutional agencies. “I feel that the chief minister’s visit, along with the Kolkata police commissioner, was unethical, unconstitutional and a direct interference in a central agency’s investigation,” Adhikari said, questioning why TMC’s internal documents were allegedly with a private consultancy firm. The ED had not issued any official statement on the searches at the time of reporting, and the exact nature of the case being probed remained unclear. (With PTI inputs)
08 January,2026 03:53 PM IST | Kolkata | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, beginning Thursday, is about remembering the countless children of Bharat Mata, who never compromised with their principles and ethos. The year-long celebrations mark the resilience of the Indian civilisation, which rebuilt the Somnath temple at Veraval in Gujarat that was ravaged repeatedly by foreign invaders. "Jai Somnath! Somnath Swabhiman Parv begins today. A thousand years ago, in January 1026, Somnath faced its first-ever attack. The attack of 1026 and the subsequent attacks couldn't diminish the eternal faith of millions, nor break the civilisational spirit that rebuilt Somnath time and again", Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister is scheduled to take part in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv at the temple on January 11. Modi also shared some pictures from his previous visits to Somnath and urged his followers to share their photos using the hashtag #SomnathSwabhimanParv. "Somnath Swabhiman Parv is about remembering the countless children of Bharat Mata, who never compromised with their principles and ethos. However daunting the times were, their resolve remained unshaken and their commitment to our ethos unwavering", Modi said. The prime minister also shared some glimpses from a programme held at Somnath on October 31, 2001, to mark 50 years since the rebuilt temple opened its doors in the presence of then-president Rajendra Prasad in 1951. "The efforts of Sardar Patel, K M Munshi and several others in the reconstruction of the Somnath temple were noteworthy. The programme of 2001 was attended by then Prime Minister Atal Ji, Home Minister Advani Ji and several other dignitaries", Modi said. "In 2026, we will mark 75 years since the grand ceremony of 1951", the prime minister added. 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.
08 January,2026 01:16 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIEminent environmental scientist and Padma awardee Dr Madhav Gadgil passed away late on Wednesday night following a brief illness in Pune. He was 83. His mortal remains will be kept at his residence in Pashan, Pune, throughout Thursday, after which the last rites will be performed at Vaikunth Crematorium at 4 pm, sources told mid-day.com. Dr Gadgil is survived by his son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. His wife passed away last year. Dr Madhav Gadgil was instrumental in formulation of Biological Diversity Act, 2002 Widely regarded as one of India’s foremost ecologists, Dr Gadgil played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s environmental policies. He was instrumental in the formulation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel in 2009, which emphasised sustainable development with community participation. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, paying tribute to Dr Gadgil in Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “India has lost a dedicated environmentalist who successfully combined science with people’s participation to protect nature.”
08 January,2026 01:01 PM IST | Pune | Archana DahiwalDelhi’s air quality showed a marginal improvement on Thursday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 279 at 7.05 am, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app. Despite the slight relief in pollution levels, Delhi-NCR continued to reel under severe cold wave conditions for the second consecutive day, as dense fog and chilly winds led to a sharp drop in temperatures across the region. Air quality better than Wednesday but still a concern This marked a slight improvement from Wednesday, when the national capital recorded an AQI of 302 at the same time, categorising the air quality as ‘very poor’. Several hotspots remain in ‘very poor’ category However, air quality remained very poor in several parts of the city. Nehru Nagar recorded the worst air quality in Delhi with an AQI of 344, followed by Anand Vihar at 337 and Jahangirpuri at 332. R.K. Puram also remained in the very poor category with an AQI of 326. Central and residential areas log high pollution levels Vivek Vihar and Chandni Chowk each reported an AQI of 322, while the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range recorded 320. Sirifort stood at 319 and Okhla Phase-2 recorded an AQI of 313. Dwarka Sector 8 and Wazirpur reported similar levels, both logging an AQI of 311. Multiple locations continue to struggle with very poor air Patparganj registered an AQI of 307, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium recorded 306, Pusa stood at 305 and Rohini at 301, with all these areas falling under the ‘very poor’ category. Some relief as several areas move into ‘poor’ range Several other locations recorded air quality in the ‘poor’ range. Sonia Vihar and IHBAS Dilshad Garden both logged an AQI of 298, followed by Mundka at 297. Ashok Vihar and Punjabi Bagh stood at 296 each. AQI improves further in select pockets of the city Narela and Sri Aurobindo Marg recorded an AQI of 281, while the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium stood at 276. ITO recorded an AQI of 271, DTU 269 and Alipur 268. Lowest AQI readings seen in southern and airport areas Shadipur reported an AQI of 266, Najafgarh 255 and North Campus, Delhi University, 247. The AQI at Aya Nagar stood at 244, CRRI Mathura Road at 238 and IIT Delhi at 237. Bawana only area with ‘moderate’ air quality Burari Crossing recorded an AQI of 234, Lodhi Road 226 and Mandir Marg 208, the same as IGI Airport Terminal 3. NSIT Dwarka recorded an AQI of 207. Bawana was the only area in the city to record ‘moderate’ air quality, with an AQI of 174. CPCB explains AQI categories As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’. Cold wave, dense fog continue to grip Delhi-NCR Meanwhile, Delhi-NCR continued to experience intense cold wave conditions for the second straight day. Dense fog and cold northwesterly winds contributed to the prevailing chill and reduced visibility in many areas. The maximum temperature on Wednesday (January 7) was recorded at 16.7 degrees Celsius, marginally higher than the 15.7 degrees Celsius recorded on Tuesday. IMD issues yellow alert, fog to persist The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a steep rise in the maximum temperature on Thursday, with no significant change expected in the coming days across the national capital region. The Meteorological Department has also forecast moderate to dense fog in Delhi and upper-level fog across the Indo-Gangetic Plain on Thursday (January 8). Cold conditions likely till mid-January Cold conditions are expected to intensify over northern India until January 15. A yellow alert has been issued, predicting moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated locations during the morning hours. Thereafter, a partly cloudy sky with shallow to moderate fog has been forecast until January 13. (With inputs from Agencies)
08 January,2026 10:00 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe food and beverage giant Nestle confirmed that it does not import or sell any of their recently globally recalled products in India, as they manufacture everything locally. The Switzerland-headquartered company had said on Tuesday that it has recalled certain batches of their products after testing of arachidonic acid (ARA) oil and corresponding oil mixes detected a "quality issue with an ingredient provided by a leading supplier." Speaking with ANI on the issue, Nestle India stated, "Nestle India does not import or sell any of the affected products or batches that have been withdrawn or recalled. All infant formula brands sold in India are manufactured locally. We have conducted thorough testing on these products and can confirm that they meet all FSSAI and applicable rules and regulations." Nestle India has further stated that recalls have been initiated as a precautionary measure, but no illnesses have been reported so far. "At Nestle India, the safety and well-being of our consumers is our top priority. All our products are in full compliance with FSSAI and applicable rules and regulations. Following the detection of a quality issue with an ingredient provided by a leading supplier, Nestle has initiated a precautionary recall/withdrawal in some countries for certain infant formula product batches produced in Europe. No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the products involved to date.", they clarified. Nestle has issued a voluntary recall of certain infant formula products, including SMA, BEBA, and NAN, due to potential contamination with cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria. Multiple countries, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, and Switzerland, Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and more have issued a public recall of the product. In an official statement by Nestle, symptoms due to Cereulide, "a substance of bacterial origin that causes foodborne illness," could include severe or persistent vomiting, diarrhea, or unusual lethargy. These symptoms would typically appear between 30 minutes to 6 hours after any exposure. However, no reported cases of such illness has been confirmed in any of the countries. Nestle said in the statement, "If no symptoms are displayed, there is no cause for concern of any health impact. If you have any concerns about your child's health or nutrition, we advise you to talk to your pediatrician or healthcare provider. Regardless of whether symptoms are present, parents and caregivers are instructed to discontinue use of the product in accordance with the recall notice (if applicable in their market)." 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
08 January,2026 08:50 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIFour people, three of them from Rajasthan, were killed and six others injured in a head-on collision between two cars in Nashik district of Maharashtra on Wednesday afternoon, police said, reported news agency PTI. The accident occurred on a national highway in Dindori taluka of the district, they said. According to police, at around 3 pm, an Ertiga car going towards Peth from Nashik collided head-on with a Scorpio SUV coming from the opposite direction near Chachadgaon toll plaza, leaving four people dead, reported PTI. The deceased were identified as Chogalal Hiralal Gurjar (75), Kishanlal Hiralal Gurjar (45) and Poonam Gurjar (40), all residents of Devgarh in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. They were travelling in the SUV. Ertiga car driver, Shahrukh Khan Farakat Khan (28), a resident of Silvassa in Dadara & Nagar Haveli, also died in the crash, police said, reported PTI. As many as six people received injuries in the accident, and they were admitted to Nashik District Hospital and a private hospital, according to police. Both vehicles were badly damaged in the accident. Three dead as two-wheeler hits MSRTC bus in Buldhana In another incident, three persons died on Monday afternoon after their two-wheeler collided with a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus in Buldhana, a police official said, reported PTI. The incident took place on Dhad-Sambhajinagar road and the deceased are residents of Dhalsawangi, he added. "The MSRTC bus from Malkapur depot was approaching a bridge at Kardi when the motorcycle, with three persons on it, collided head on. The three died on the spot. Such was the impact that the two-wheeler was completely mangled and got stuck underneath the bus," he said, reported PTI. The bus driver has been arrested and further probe into the accident is underway, the Dhad police station official said. Motorcyclist killed in road accident in Beed district Meanwhile, a 45-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a road accident in Beed district of Maharashtra on Monday, police said, reported PTI. The accident took place on the Kada-Limbodi road in Ashti tehsil and the deceased was identified as Anil Mohan Khilare, a resident of Sangvi Patan village who was the sole breadwinner of his family, they said, reported PTI. According to police, Khilare was riding his motorcycle from Kada town towards his village in the afternoon when he met with an accident. It was not yet clear whether the accident occurred due to a collision with an unidentified vehicle or because the motorcyclist lost control of his two-wheeler. However, the impact of the accident was fatal, and the rider died on the spot, they added. (With inputs from PTI)
08 January,2026 08:24 AM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondentAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday announced that the National Highways Authority of India has set two Guinness World Records during the construction of Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada Economic Corridor (NH-544G) in Andhra Pradesh “by laying 28.95 lane-kilometres and 10,675 MT of Bituminous Concrete continuously within 24 hours.” The milestone was reached by the private firm Rajpath Infracon Private Ltd. 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
08 January,2026 07:12 AM IST | Amaravati | AgenciesAs many as 26 Maoists, 13 of them carrying a collective bounty of Rs 65 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Wednesday, a senior police official said. The cadres, including seven women, turned themselves in before senior police and CRPF officials here under the “Poona Margem” (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) rehabilitation initiative, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said. Of them, Lali alias Muchaki Aayte Lakhmu, 35, a company party committee member, carried a reward of '10 lakh on her head. She was involved in several major incidents of violence, including triggering an IED blast targeting a vehicle on the Koraput road (Odisha) in 2017 in which 14 security personnel were killed, the official said. The cadres said they were also impressed by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state government, he added. All the surrendered Maoists were provided an assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, he added. 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
08 January,2026 07:08 AM IST | Sukma | AgenciesThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 91.82 crore in the ongoing money laundering probe into the illegal operations of Mahadev Online Book (MOB) and other betting platforms. As reported by news agency IANS, investigation agency ED's Raipur Zonal Office froze bank balances worth Rs 74.29 crore held in the names of Dubai-based entities M/s Perfect Plan Investment LLC and M/s Exim General Trading FZCO. The Enforcement Directorate, while investigating the matter further, asserted that these firms are allegedly controlled by key accused Sourabh Chandrakar, Anil Kumar Agarwal, and Vikas Chhaparia, who used them to disguise proceeds of crime as legitimate investments, as per IANS. The statement from the Enforcement Directorate also highlighted, “Additionally, properties worth Rs 17.5 crore belonging to Gagan Gupta—a close associate of Hari Shankar Tibrewal, the owner of Skyexchange.com—were attached. These include high-value real estate and assets in the names of Gupta’s family members, acquired using cash generated from illicit betting.” The ED investigation revealed that platforms like Mahadev Online Book and Skyexchange.com rigged games to ensure users lost money, generating massive illegal proceeds. The app served as an umbrella network facilitating user enrolment, financial routing, and laundering through benami accounts, fake KYC documents, and unaccounted transactions, the statement said. Money syphoned abroad via ‘Hawala’ While highlighting the proceeds of crime, the Enforcement Directorate said that the proceeds were syphoned abroad via hawala, trade-based laundering, and cryptocurrencies, then reinvested in Indian stocks through foreign portfolio investors (FPIs). The agency also said that a "cashback" scheme was uncovered, where FPIs invested in listed companies like Salasar Techno Engineering Ltd and Tiger Logistics Ltd, with promoters returning 30-40 per cent in cash. ED also added that, “Gupta allegedly benefited Rs 98 crore from such deals,” as per IANS. The agency has conducted searches at over 175 premises, attaching assets worth around Rs 2,600 crore in the alleged Mahadev betting scam. As of now, around thirteen arrests have been made, with 74 entities named in five prosecution complaints. The probe against the accused highlights sophisticated laundering tactics evading taxes and regulations, as the ED continues to dismantle the syndicate's financial web. (With inputs from IANS)
07 January,2026 09:50 PM IST | Raipur | mid-day online correspondentThe Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) on Wednesday proposed that the Union Budget for 2026-27 be presented on February 1, even though the date falls on a Sunday, according to reports. If approved, this would be a rare occasion in recent years when the Union Budget is tabled on a weekend. The government is keen to maintain the February 1 schedule to ensure that budget proposals are implemented from the start of the new financial year in April, reported the IANS. The Budget Session of Parliament is expected to begin on January 28 with the President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses. The Economic Survey, which outlines the current state of the Indian economy, will be presented in Parliament on January 29, as per reports. Sitharaman to present ninth consecutive budget Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget, making it the 88th Budget since Independence. Since 2017, Union Budgets have been presented at 11 am on February 1, after the date was advanced from February 28, according to the IANS. The change was introduced by former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to allow faster execution of budget measures from the beginning of the financial year. Weekend budgets not unprecedented Presenting the Union Budget on a weekend is not entirely new. Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier presented the Union Budget 2025 on a Saturday. Earlier, Arun Jaitley also presented the Budgets of 2015 and 2016 on February 28, both of which fell on Saturdays. Historic milestone for Sitharaman With this year's Union Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman will become the first finance minister to present nine consecutive Union Budgets during her tenure as a finance minister. She is now close to the record held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented 10 Union Budgets across two terms. Among other former finance ministers of the UPA government, P Chidambaram had presented nine Union Budgets, while Pranab Mukherjee presented eight. Sitharaman was appointed India’s first full-time woman finance minister in 2019 and has continued in the role after the Modi-led government returned to power for a third term in 2024. (with IANS inputs)
07 January,2026 09:31 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
