A mild earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck Tripura in the early hours of Monday, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The tremor occurred at 03:33 am (IST) at a depth of 54 kilometres. The epicentre was located at latitude 23.67 degrees north and longitude 91.50 degrees east. "EQ of M: 3.9, On: 05/01/2026 03:33:32 IST, Lat: 23.67 N, Long: 91.50 E, Depth: 54 Km, Location: Gomati, Tripura," NCS said in a post on X. Further details are awaited. 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
05 January,2026 09:46 AM IST | Agartala | ANICongress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed chairperson of the screening committee for selection of candidates for the upcoming Assam assembly elections. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal on Saturday night announced the formation of screening committees for the five states and Union territories going to polls in the first half of this year. The four-member committees were formed for Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry to finalise candidate lists to contest the forthcoming state elections, a statement issued by the party said. Priyanka, AICC general secretary and parliamentarian, has been named the chairperson of the committee for Assam, where the Congress is looking to contest the elections in an alliance with other opposition parties and wrest power from the BJP. The elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly are likely to be held in March-April. 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
05 January,2026 09:31 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIndia on Sunday voiced “deep concern” over the US capturing Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation, and said it is closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the oil-rich South American country. In its first reaction to the unprecedented American action in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, early on Saturday, New Delhi also called for a peaceful resolution of the situation through dialogue to ensure stability in the region and reaffirmed its support for the well-being of the people of that country. India also advised its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela and urged all those who are in that country to exercise extreme caution. “In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela,” the MEA said. There are around 50 NRIs (non-resident Indians) and 30 PIOs (persons of Indian origin) in Venezuela, according to the embassy in Caracas. 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
05 January,2026 09:22 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that India is preparing with full strength to host the 2036 Olympic Games, and declared his government was committed to providing “more and more players greater opportunities to compete” by hosting mega sporting events in the country. Addressing the inaugural function of the 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship, being held here, via video conference, Modi said, the government was making every possible effort to provide exposure to budding athletes to take up Olympic sports, and schemes like Khelo India were proving a game-changer in harnessing talent. “The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is making strong efforts to host the 2036 Olympics, with the aim of giving more and more players greater opportunities to compete,” said Modi. “Through the Khelo India campaign, hundreds of youth have had the chance to advance to the national level,” added Modi. Narendra Modi, PM Noting that initiatives like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPs) were transforming the sports ecosystem in India, with efforts focused on building strong infrastructure, funding mechanisms, and providing young athletes with global exposure, he said that the country’s growing clout in sport could be gauged from the fact that India had hosted 20 top-notch international competition in the last 10 years. “India has hosted more than 20 major international events across several cities, including the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Hockey World Cup, and major chess tournaments.” Recalling the time when the government and society were indifferent towards sports, he said the past decade had brought about a massive change in the mindset of the country. “The government has significantly increased the sports budget, and today India’s sports model has become athlete-centric, with focus on talent identification, scientific training, nutrition, and transparent selection, ensuring that the interests of players are prioritised at every level,” he said. “Today the nation is riding on the ‘reform express’, with every sector and every development destination connected to it, and sports being one of them,” he said. “India’s progress is not limited to the economic front but is also reflected in the confidence seen on the sports field. India’s performance across various sports has consistently improved since 2014,” he added. The PM expressed happiness that Varanasi had come up as a major sporting destination, saying that securing a place on the country’s sporting map through the National Volleyball Competition was highly significant for the city. 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
05 January,2026 09:16 AM IST | Varanasi | AgenciesAn earthquake of 5.1 magnitude jolted the central part of Assam on Monday morning, an official bulletin said. There is no immediate report of any injury to anyone or damage to any property, officials said. A National Centre for Seismology report said the quake was recorded at 4.17 am in Morigaon district on the southern bank of Brahmaputra, at a depth of 50 km. The epicentre of the earthquake was located at a latitude 26.37 N and longitude of 92.29 E in central Assam, it added. People in the neighbouring Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, East Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Hojai, Dima Hasao, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar and Goalpara districts also felt the jolt. Darrang, Tamulpur, Sonitpur, Kamrup, Biswanath, Udalguri, Nalbari, Bajali, Barpeta, Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Lakhimpur on the northern bank of Brahmaputra too felt the tremor. The earthquake could be felt in some areas of central-western Arunachal Pradesh, entire Meghalaya, and several areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. Central-eastern Bhutan, parts of China and Bangladesh were also shaken, the report showed. The tremor forced people to scamper out of their homes to open areas from their sleep. The northeastern region falls in the high seismic zone, making it earthquake-prone. 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
05 January,2026 08:48 AM IST | Guwahati | PTISenior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Narayan Rane on Sunday hinted at retiring from active politics, saying he has "decided to sit at home" and focus on his family's business interests, news agency PTI reported. The 73-year-old former Maharashtra Chief Minister also pointed to the prevalence of conspiracies in politics today, which strengthened his resolve to step back from public life. "Now I have decided to sit at home. I will tell my two sons to live a content life. After me, developmental politics will be carried forward by Nilesh (Shiv Sena) and Nitesh (state minister). When they call, respond to them," Rane told party workers at a public felicitation held in his home district of Sindhudurg, 450 kilometres from Mumbai. The veteran leader said advancing age and exhaustion had influenced his decision, PTI reported. With both his sons well settled in politics, he said it was time for someone in the family to focus on business affairs. Speaking emotionally, Rane urged party workers to continue good work and remain committed to public service. Reflecting on his long political journey, he said he still lived a simple life and considered humanity his true religion. He acknowledged facing obstacles and opposition in the past and present but chose not to speak about those who worked against him. Addressing Mahayuti workers, Rane called for unity, cautioning against indulging in politics solely for financial gain, saying such gains do not last, PTI reported. He also warned against hatred in politics and emphasised prioritising the party over personal interests. Rane said he had been deeply touched by the love shown by the people of Sindhudurg after his Lok Sabha victory and asserted that his contributions to the district’s development were unmatched. He challenged critics to name any leader, past or present, who had done comparable work. Rane served as Maharashtra Chief Minister in 1999 with the undivided Shiv Sena, later joined Congress and held ministerial positions several times. He switched to the BJP, served as a Union minister between 2021 and 2024, and won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. (With PTI inputs)
04 January,2026 10:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAt least two persons were killed after rocks collapsed at an unauthorised stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, officials said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, they said. Rescue teams rushed to spot The exact cause behind the incident is not yet clear. Teams of local fire service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), along with dog squad were engaged in rescue operations, an officer said, reported PTI. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar have reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation, reported PTI. Victims identified as migrant workers "As per available information, only two persons were there, and two bodies were recovered. One person belonged to Balasore district, while another deceased was from either Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj district. Their identities have not yet been established," Patil told reporters. Quarry lease and blasting permission had expired Blasting permission at the stone quarry expired in September while its lease period ended in December 2025, he said. "We will take legal action against the mine lease holder as blasting and mining continued at the quarry after expiry of the lease period," Patil said, reported PTI. The collector said that enforcement drives against illegal mining in the district will be strengthened in the coming days. The stone quarry was sealed following the incident. Local Tahsildar Manoj Majhi said police personnel will be deployed at the quarry so that no one can enter the area, reported PTI. Naveen Patnaik expresses grief, seeks probe Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a post on X said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due to a rockfall following an explosion in a stone quarry in Dhenkanal. At this sorrowful time, I convey my deepest condolences to the family members, along with prayers for the eternal peace of the departed souls. "Let appropriate investigations be conducted into the circumstances under which this incident occurred and the state of the workers' safety measures, and let the government direct its attention toward immediately expediting rescue operations."
04 January,2026 02:37 PM IST | Bhubaneswar | mid-day online correspondentDera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples and is currently lodged in the Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak, was again granted a 40-day parole, sources told PTI on Sunday. Latest parole comes months after similar relief granted in August last year His latest parole comes months after he was granted a similar parole in August last year. Singh will come out of prison for the 15th time since he was convicted in 2017. Ram Rahim serving 20-year sentence in rape case, also convicted in journalist murder The Dera Sacha Sauda head is serving a 20-year sentence given in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. Singh and three others were also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago. He was granted a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, ahead of the February 5 Delhi assembly polls. Similarly, he was allowed a 20-day parole on October 1, 2024, days before the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. In August 2024, Singh was granted a 21-day furlough. He was also permitted a three-week furlough from February 7, 2022, barely two weeks before the Punjab assembly polls. Prior to his latest parole, Singh has come out of prison 14 times since being convicted in 2017. Sikh bodies have repeatedly opposed repeated parole to Dera chief Sikh organisations, such as Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, have in the past criticised the grant of relief to Singh. In May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of the sect's former manager Ranjit Singh, citing "tainted and sketchy" investigations into the matter. Earlier, a special CBI court sentenced them to life imprisonment in this case. It held Singh guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused. On many of the 13 occasions in the past, when Singh was out of jail, he remained at the Dera's ashram in Uttar Pradesh's Bagpat district. The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda has a number of followers in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states. In Haryana, the Dera has a sizable number of followers in many districts, including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar. (With inputs from PTI)
04 January,2026 02:29 PM IST | Chandigarh | mid-day online correspondentThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday advised Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela amid the unfolding situation in the South American nation. It also urged Indians currently in Venezuela to exercise extreme caution, remain in contact with the Indian Embassy in Caracas, and share an emergency helpline number for assistance. "In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela. All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas through their email id: cons.caracas@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +58-412-9584288 (also for WhatsApp calls)," MEA said in a statement. The advisory comes after Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement, leading to heightened tensions and uncertainty. Earlier, Donald Trump said that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were captured in Caracas during a US military operation, have been indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York, and will face trial. He said that American forces, working with law enforcement agencies, captured Maduro and his wife in a night-time operation. While addressing a press conference in Florida, Trump said, "No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday or frankly, in just a short period of time. All Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless as the men and women of our military, working with US law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night." "It was dark, and it was deadly, but he was captured along with his wife, Cilia Flores, both of whom now face American justice. Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York," he said. According to an unsealed indictment shared by Attorney General Pamela Bondi on X, Maduro and Flores face multiple counts of statutory allegations related to "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies". The capture of Maduro comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela. 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
04 January,2026 12:51 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIAmid chaos over water contamination in Indore, District Collector Shivam Verma said that nearly 5,000 houses have been surveyed and chlorine dosing has been completed in all borewells following the water contamination crisis in the Bhagirathpura area. Speaking to ANI, he said 149 people remain hospitalised. "We started the ring survey, and we have completed the survey of approximately 5,000 houses. Of the 65 people in whom symptoms were found, we have sent 15 to the hospital. Currently, 149 people are hospitalised, and 205 have recovered and returned home," Verma said. "A survey team has also arrived. They have shared some information. We have completed chlorine dosing for all our borewells. Some samples have also been taken. After the sample reports come in, we will take action accordingly," he added. The water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura has sparked widespread criticism after it claimed several lives and affected many families. Earlier, Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav announced that a water supply survey would be conducted across the city over the next seven days and that complaints related to leaks would be resolved within 48 hours. Speaking to ANI, Bhargav said, "The team is continuously working in Bhagirathpura to ensure that people receive clean water regularly. The entire staff and team of the Indore Municipal Corporation are working among the people. Any complaints or requests are being addressed immediately." He further said, "Under the direction of the Chief Minister, a survey regarding water supply will be conducted throughout Indore over the next seven days. Any complaints or information about leaks will be addressed within 48 hours." Notably, several residents have said they do not trust the tanker water supplied by the municipal corporation and are hesitant to use it for drinking. Many residents are instead purchasing packaged drinking water and water cans from the 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
04 January,2026 12:44 PM IST | Indore | ANIIndia’s first government hospital-based Artificial Intelligence clinic was inaugurated at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS). The AI clinic was inaugurated online by the Additional Director General of Health Services, Government of India. It aims to integrate AI tools into routine clinical practice and provide a real-world testing ground for AI-based healthcare startups. Officials said AI adoption would reduce treatment time and improve diagnostic accuracy. GIMS Director Brigadier (Dr) Rakesh Kumar Gupta said the initiative would “create direct access for innovation to reach doctors and patients” and called it “the need of the hour” for modernising government hospitals. The inauguration saw participation from over 100 experts, including doctors, researchers and policymakers from India and abroad. Collaborations with IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, and IIIT Lucknow will focus on medical imaging, clinical decision support systems and data-driven care. 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
04 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Noida | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
