New Delhi: Waterlogged hotspots around central Delhi such as ITO, Daryaganj, Kashmere Gate and surrounding areas are likely to get major relief this monsoon as the Delhi Gate drain, covered for almost 40 years, is being opened for the first time to allow deep cleaning and restore the flow capacity.There were major floods in these areas in 2023.Irrigation and flood control minister Parvesh Verma said, “We are fixing long pending bottlenecks so that places like ITO do not have to face floods this year.” He said that the work is being closely monitored.“The Delhi Gate drain, which was covered with slabs for almost 40 years, is now being opened for complete cleaning,” he said.For decades, he said, the structure had severely restricted proper silt removal, leading to frequent waterlogging of nearby areas. “For the first time in four decades, the slab is being broken to allow full access to the drain, enabling deep cleaning and restoration of its carrying capacity.”This drain, which originates in Daryaganj and runs for about 2.5 km before joining the Yamuna, is an important channel supplying the dense, flood-prone area of ​​central Delhi.For decades, about 400 meters of the drain passing through Samta Sthal Park was covered with concrete slabs, supported by pillars and beams, making proper desilting almost impossible, a senior official said. This led to the accumulation of large amounts of silt, which severely limited the carrying capacity of the drain and led to frequent waterlogging of the surrounding areas.This year, officials have started breaking the slab to access the blocked portion. Heavy machines are being installed to remove the silt that has accumulated over decades.According to the Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) department, the desilting work from Delhi Gate drain is already more than 70% complete and more than 21,000 metric tonnes of silt has been removed. Work is also underway on the remaining stretches, including the area near Gandhi Darshan and the area under the flyover.Officials said it is important to restore the carrying capacity of this drain to prevent water logging in ITO, Feroze Shah Road, Jama Masjid, near Supreme Court and adjacent areas, which regularly face traffic disruption during heavy rains.In the July 2023 flood, the Yamuna rose to a historic high of 208.66 metres, breaching embankments and submerging large parts of the city. Areas like ITO, Supreme Court, Kashmiri Gate, Civil Lines and Mayur Vihar were most affected. More than 23,000 people were evacuated as flood waters entered homes and commercial areas.Officials said that while river flooding was the primary trigger, inadequate drainage has worsened the situation. “When major drains like Delhi Gate get clogged, storm water has no place to go, leading to severe waterlogging even in moderate rains,” an official said.The department said that along with Delhi Gate, desilting work from Barapula drain is also going on at a fast pace, of which about 78% of the work has been completed and more than 31,000 metric tonnes of silt has been cleared.Across Delhi, almost half of the 77 IFC drains identified so far have been desilted, and more than 14 lakh metric tonnes of silt has been removed against the target of 28 lakh metric tonnes.

प्रतापगढ़ के रानीगंज क्षेत्र स्थित एनके यादव पब्लिक स्कूल आंतरी गौरा में शुक्रवार 10 अप्रैल को मेधावी छात्रों के सम्मान में एक विशेष कार्यक्रम का आयोजन किया गया। इस अवसर पर परीक्षा सत्र 2025-26 में उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन करने वाले विद्यार्थियों को ट्रॉफी, मेडल एवं प्रमाण पत्र देकर सम्मानित किया गया। इसके अलावा कला व अन्य कार्यक्रमों में बेहतर प्रदर्शन करने वाले बच्चों को भी सम्मानित किया गया. इस कार्यक्रम में अभिभावकों को भी सम्मानित किया गया, जिससे पूरे विद्यालय में खुशी और गौरव का माहौल देखा गया।

मेधावी विद्यार्थियों को मिला सम्मान.
कार्यक्रम में विद्यार्थियों को विद्यालय प्रबंधक नरेंद्र कुमार यादव द्वारा सम्मानित किया गया। परीक्षा में उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन करने वाली छात्रा सिद्धि तिवारी ने 1600 में से 1557 अंक प्राप्त कर 97.31 प्रतिशत अंक के साथ प्रथम स्थान प्राप्त किया। जीसस यादव 1542 अंक (96.37%) के साथ दूसरे और गौरव पटेल 1517 अंक (94.81%) के साथ तीसरे स्थान पर रहे।

कला एवं अन्य गतिविधियों में भी सम्मान
न सिर्फ पढ़ाई में बल्कि कला और अन्य कार्यक्रमों में भी अच्छा प्रदर्शन करने वाले विद्यार्थियों को प्रमाणपत्र देकर सम्मानित किया गया। इससे बच्चों का आत्मविश्वास बढ़ा और उन्हें और बेहतर करने की प्रेरणा मिली।

प्रबंधक ने विद्यार्थियों को प्रेरित किया
प्रबंधक नरेंद्र कुमार यादव ने कहा कि यह दिन विद्यालय के लिए गौरव का दिन है। उन्होंने कहा कि विद्यार्थियों की सफलता में शिक्षकों का भी बड़ा योगदान होता है। उन्होंने कहा कि बच्चे स्कूल की सबसे बड़ी संपत्ति हैं और उनकी कड़ी मेहनत और समर्पण सराहनीय है। उन्होंने छात्रों को प्रेरित करते हुए कहा कि यह सम्मान उनकी जिम्मेदारी को और बढ़ा देता है और स्कूल उनके सपनों को पूरा करने में हमेशा उनका साथ देगा.

अभिभावकों को भी सम्मानित किया गया
इस कार्यक्रम में बड़ी संख्या में बच्चों के परिजन भी मौजूद थे. प्रबंधक द्वारा उन्हें सम्मानित भी किया गया। अपने संबोधन में अभिभावकों ने बच्चों की सफलता की सराहना की और स्कूल के प्रति आभार व्यक्त किया.

शिक्षकों ने अहम भूमिका निभाई
कार्यक्रम का संचालन राजेंद्र पुष्पाकर ने किया। इस मौके पर राजेश यादव, अनिल मिश्रा, नरेंद्र विश्वकर्मा, सौरभ सिंह, विष्णु, विक्रम, गीता पुष्पाकर, शिवानी तिवारी, काजल मिश्रा, काजल उमरवैश्य, विनीता, पुष्पा और शिवांगी पटेल समेत कई शिक्षक मौजूद रहे।

The canteen at the Sports Authority of India headquarters has suspended operations after the vendor complained of shortage of LPG supply, although a well-placed source said it was related to “the high prices he is quoting.”

According to a reputed source, the canteen at the SAI complex inside the huge Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has been closed for about a month.

“Initially the vendor said he would serve only tea due to shortage of LPG, but now that too has stopped. Employees who depend on the canteen are currently making do with their meals at nearby outlets,” the source said.

However, the suspension of canteen operations will not affect the athletes training at the stadium, as they have their meals in the stadium mess, which remains fully functional.

SAI canteens at its National Centers of Excellence across the country are also functioning normally and no shortage of LPG has been reported so far.

It is learned that the vendor has taken charge of the canteen only a few months ago.

Another SAI source said, “The prices being quoted by this vendor were also quite high and he didn’t really have any explanation as to why he was charging so much. So he complained about being interrogated.”

“At big meetings of the minister and the SAI director general, the canteen serves tea and snacks like dhokla, some cashew nuts and a sweet. He was charging Rs 425 per plate for this.

“When the DG (Hari Ranjan Rao) came to know about it, he put a stop to the whole thing and raised questions on these prices,” the source said.

The LPG crisis has arisen due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia, which was triggered by the US and Israel bombing of Iran. The war affected the supply chain in India, which is heavily dependent on imports for its LPG requirements.

There are reports coming from many parts of the country in which commercial establishments and individual consumers have complained of shortage of LPG.

– ends

UK annual leave: how holiday dates create shorter working weeks

In late 2026, a rare sequence of official holiday days is set to shape the three-day working week in the UK, based on adjusted public holiday rules. Due to how the dates fall, the replacement day for Boxing Day changes to a standard weekday. This change, along with the arrival of the New Year at the beginning of the week, reduces labor time at the end of the year. This was confirmed by administrative sources in keeping with certain patterns in holiday planning. This effect applies broadly across England and Wales under existing statutory guidelines on non-working days.The bank holiday is shifted if any public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. When this happens, the ritual moves forward, usually to the following Monday. Officials make this change so that employees do not waste time from work. The rules allow companies to decide whether employees will receive pay during such days. State-run services, with financial payment, may instead operate on adjusted timetables. Friday 25th December 2026 is the day when Christmas comes. Boxing Day is celebrated the next day, Saturday the 26th. Since it’s the weekend, people get extra time off, with Monday the 28th being an official holiday. After this comes the New Year, which once again falls on Friday, January 1, 2027. This setup places a pair of national holidays in a shared work week. Because of that timing, employees are only scheduled three days in the last week of December.Most people find it easier to arrange a holiday when the dates are clear. Taking the days from 29 to 31 December increases the rest period to ten consecutive days. Since the holidays bring more requests, staff members usually benefit from making decisions sooner rather than later. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s regulations suggest that systematic scheduling helps both workers and workplace output.According to the Department of Business and Trade, public holidays sometimes count as essential leave, yet the exact conditions depend on individual agreements. Since companies often include such days in annual holiday totals, careful scheduling becomes necessary, affecting how teams organize their work throughout the year. After the early May holiday on May 4, there is another day off for spring on May 25. Then there is a gap till 31 August when the summer public holiday comes. December ends with the replacement holidays of Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In 2027, January will open on a Friday marking New Year’s Day. Shortly after, Good Friday will appear on March 26. Easter Monday comes three days later. More official holidays appear throughout the rest of that year.Sometimes, the overlap of replacement and scheduled public holidays has subtle effects on work schedules. When planning ahead becomes a priority, employees find space to balance downtime with job duties. With direct guidance from management, businesses continue to run without disruption during the busy festive period.

New Delhi: Several coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 10 gigawatt (GW) have deferred their scheduled maintenance by three months to meet the country’s power demand, while up to 27 GW of additional load is expected at the distribution level due to the shift towards induction-based cooking amid a shortage in LPG supplies due to the military conflict in West Asia, the government said on Friday.Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, Power Ministry, told reporters that of the 15 GW capacity originally planned for maintenance, 10 GW will remain operational to compensate for about 8 GW of gas-based plants lying idle due to supply shortage and to meet the surge in summer demand. Power plants take planned shutdowns for maintenance and repair of wear and tear in machinery. Earlier, state-owned oil companies had also postponed the annual shutdown of their refineries due to the current geopolitical situation and its impact on energy supply.He said the power ministry is also accelerating the addition of 22 GW of power generation capacity – a mix of thermal, solar, wind, hydro, and battery and pumped hydro storage – in the next three months.Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Director General Krishna Chandra Panigrahi said people are moving towards induction-based cooking due to shortage of LPG cylinders, which is likely to create an “additional layer of demand” during morning and evening peak hours. However, he said it is difficult to estimate the exact demand given the variations in usage patterns in different regions due to differences in climate, socio-economic conditions and cooking habits.“…the additional demand due to induction cooking is broadly estimated to be in the range of 13 GW to 27 GW under the low and high adoption scenarios, respectively,” Panigrahi said. A significant impact on demand is yet to be seen, he said.With India’s peak power demand likely to reach 271 GW this summer, Singh said despite global uncertainties, the system is “robust, well-diversified and adequately positioned” to meet both short-term and long-term demand needs. “India’s current installed capacity of over 531 GW reflects a well-diversified portfolio, with significant contributions from coal, renewable energy, hydro and nuclear sources, with non-fossil sources accounting for over 50%,” he said.Singh said maintaining adequate coal stocks at thermal power plants and full operation of imported coal-based plants are among the short-term measures taken by the government to meet the peak demand.

मुजफ्फरनगर रतनपुरी थाना क्षेत्र में देर रात पुलिस और गोकशी के आरोपियों के बीच मुठभेड़ हो गई, जिसमें दो आरोपियों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया. जवाबी कार्रवाई के दौरान एक आरोपी घायल हो गया, जिसे इलाज के लिए अस्पताल में भर्ती कराया गया है. पुलिस ने मौके से एक जिंदा गाय का बछड़ा, अवैध पिस्तौल, कारतूस, गोकशी के उपकरण और एक बिना नंबर की होंडा सिटी कार बरामद की है।

यह कार्रवाई वरीय अधिकारियों के निर्देशन में चलाये जा रहे अपराध नियंत्रण अभियान के तहत की गयी.

चेकिंग के दौरान संदिग्ध कार रोके जाने पर पीछा शुरू हुआ

थाना रतनपुरी पुलिस टीम नंगला पिठलोखर रोड पर नियमित चेकिंग अभियान चला रही थी। इसी दौरान पिठलोखर पुल की ओर से एक संदिग्ध कार आती दिखाई दी। पुलिस ने गाड़ी को रुकने का इशारा किया, लेकिन ड्राइवर ने गाड़ी रोकने की बजाय उसकी स्पीड बढ़ा दी.

शक होने पर पुलिस टीम ने कार का पीछा करना शुरू कर दिया, जिसके बाद स्थिति अचानक गंभीर हो गई.

भागते समय पुलिस टीम पर फायरिंग की गयी

पीछा करने के दौरान कार में बैठे एक व्यक्ति ने पुलिस टीम पर जान से मारने की नियत से फायरिंग कर दी. हालांकि पुलिस कर्मी बाल-बाल बच गए। इसके बाद बदमाश गाड़ी को तेज गति से भगाने का प्रयास करते रहे।

कुछ दूरी पर पहुंचने के बाद घबराकर कार सड़क किनारे एक पेड़ से टकराकर रुक गई, जिसके बाद दोनों आरोपी गाड़ी से उतरकर खेतों की ओर भागने लगे।

खेतों की ओर भागने के दौरान भी फायरिंग जारी रही

कार से उतरकर दोनों आरोपी पुलिस टीम पर फायरिंग करते रहे. पुलिस ने आरोपियों को आत्मसमर्पण करने की चेतावनी दी, लेकिन उन्होंने चेतावनी को नजरअंदाज कर दिया और भागने की कोशिश करते रहे.

स्थिति को देखकर पुलिस टीम ने आत्मरक्षा में जवाबी कार्रवाई की, जिसमें एक आरोपी घायल हो गया.

एक आरोपी घायल, दूसरा मौके से पकड़ा गया

मुठभेड़ के दौरान घायल हुए आरोपी की पहचान मंसाद उर्फ ​​मंसाद उर्फ ​​सोना पुत्र साबिर के रूप में हुई, जबकि दूसरे आरोपी शाहनवाज उर्फ ​​बल्ला पुत्र इश्तियाक को मौके से गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया.

घायल आरोपी को तुरंत अस्पताल में भर्ती कराया गया, जहां उसका इलाज जारी है.

मौके से जिंदा मवेशी, पिस्टल और कार बरामद हुई है

पुलिस ने अभियुक्तों के कब्जे से एक जीवित गाय का बछड़ा, गोकशी में प्रयुक्त उपकरण, एक अवैध 315 बोर पिस्तौल, एक जिंदा कारतूस और एक चला हुआ कारतूस बरामद किया। इसके अलावा घटना में प्रयुक्त बिना नंबर की होंडा सिटी कार भी जब्त कर ली गई।

बरामदगी से संकेत मिला कि आरोपी गोकशी की घटना को अंजाम देने की तैयारी में थे।

वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों के निर्देशन में हुई कार्रवाई

यह सम्पूर्ण कार्यवाही अपर पुलिस महानिदेशक, मेरठ जोन, मेरठ एवं पुलिस उपमहानिरीक्षक, सहारनपुर जोन के निर्देशन में वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक संजय कुमार वर्मा के पर्यवेक्षण में सम्पन्न की गयी। पुलिस अधीक्षक ग्रामीण महादिक अक्षय संजय, क्षेत्राधिकारी बुढ़ाना गजेंद्र पाल सिंह व प्रभारी निरीक्षक राकेश कुमार के नेतृत्व में पुलिस टीम ने इस ऑपरेशन को सफलतापूर्वक अंजाम दिया.

गिरफ्तारी के बाद आगे की कानूनी कार्रवाई शुरू हुई

पुलिस ने दोनों आरोपियों के खिलाफ संबंधित धाराओं के तहत मामला दर्ज कर लिया है और आगे की कानूनी कार्रवाई शुरू कर दी है. बरामद सामान को कब्जे में लेकर जांच प्रक्रिया आगे बढ़ाई जा रही है।

पुलिस अधिकारियों ने बताया कि क्षेत्र में आपराधिक गतिविधियों पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए अभियान जारी रहेगा.

मुठभेड़ में शामिल पुलिस टीम को सराहना मिली

कार्रवाई में थाना प्रभारी निरीक्षक राकेश कुमार, उपनिरीक्षक शैलेन्द्र चौधरी, मोहित कुमार, अजय सोलंकी, मुख्य आरक्षी नवीन कुमार व आरक्षी गजेन्द्र मावी, प्रशांत चौधरी, प्रमोद कुमार व ललित कुमार की सक्रिय भूमिका रही।

पुलिस टीम की सतर्कता एवं त्वरित कार्यवाही से एक संभावित गम्भीर घटना को समय रहते रोक लिया गया।

रतनपुरी इलाके में हुई इस मुठभेड़ से एक बार फिर साफ हो गया है कि जिले में अपराधियों के खिलाफ पुलिस का अभियान लगातार सक्रिय है. समय पर की गई कार्रवाई से न केवल गायों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित हुई बल्कि क्षेत्र में कानून व्यवस्था बनाए रखने में भी महत्वपूर्ण सफलता मिली।

Alex Jones (Image via Getty)

The situation became tense on April 9, 2026, when Alex Jones reacted strongly to US President Donald Trump’s latest comments. The comments came after Trump publicly called out several conservative voices, including Jones, during a post on his platform Truth Social. The reaction quickly spread online, especially after Jones shared a video on X explaining how he felt about it.In that video, Jones seemed more disappointed than angry. He told the audience that Trump “attacked me and all the original MAGA supporters today.” He also said, “I’m so sad that whatever happened to him has completely changed the man he once was.” His reaction gave a clear feeling that this was not just a political disagreement, but something more personal, especially given his past support for Trump.

Alex Jones questions Donald Trump’s recent statements and expresses concern over Melania Trump’s comments

The issue began when Donald Trump criticized Jones as well as voices like Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson. They questioned his credibility and rejected his opinions. His post included strong words, saying, “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it too.”Jones connected this moment to something else that had happened just hours earlier. According to him, Melania Trump had spoken publicly about the Jeffrey Epstein case and supported further investigation. Jones noted a clear difference in tone between the two.“Obviously Trump didn’t know,” Jones said in his video. “She said she supports a full investigation by Congress into the Epstein case. Trump says, ‘Epstein is a fraud.'”From there, Jones escalated his concerns. “Trump has big problems, folks, and I’m very concerned about this country and the world,” he said. He also talked about his past support, making it clear that he once believed in Trump’s leadership.He said, “I supported the old Trump and got many good works done.” But now his tone has changed. He added, “At the end of the day, I just feel sorry for him.”Jones even said that he could no longer remain silent. “I have to come out against it. It’s that simple,” he explained. He also questioned Trump’s direction on global affairs, especially tensions in the Middle East.Despite everything, Jones said he still wanted to be honest with his audience. “This is a terrible day and it’s a nightmare for America and the world, but I will tell the truth and report the facts, no matter what they are.”

The 10 Patels convicted in the US of visa fraud through armed robbery will be deported after completing their sentences.

10 Indian nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to commit armed robbery to obtain visas, the Justice Department said. A criminal complaint was earlier filed against all of them in March 2026. In a latest update on the case, the department said all 10 had previously been released on conditions. He now faces deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. All of these are illegal in America.

List of 10 Patels and their status in America

Jitendrakumar Patel, 39, living illegally in Marshfield, MassachusettsMaheshkumar Patel, 36, living illegally in Randolph, Massachusetts Sanjaykumar Patel, 45, living illegally in Quincy, MassachusettsDeepikaben Patel, 40, deported to India after staying illegally in Weymouth, MassachusettsRameshbhai Patel, 52, living illegally in Eubank, Kentucky Amitabheen Patel, 43, living illegally in Plainville, Massachusetts Raunakumar Patel, 28, living illegally in Maryland Heights, Mississippi Sangeetaben Patel, 36, living illegally in Randolph, MassachusettsMinkesh Patel, 42, living illegally in Perrysburg, OhioSonal Patel, 42, resides illegally in Perrysburg, Ohio.

What is armed robbery and visa fraud Case?

In March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators committed armed robberies of at least six liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and other locations. The purpose of the robberies was to obtain U visas for the employees who were in the stores during the robberies as victims of violent crime. AU visas are available to victims of certain crimes, who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Rambhai Patel took money from store employees who needed visas to commit armed robberies and paid store owners to use their stores to commit armed robberies. Rambhai and his driver Balwinder Singh were convicted in May 2025. These 10 convicted Patels had either arranged for each robbery with Rambhai Patel or paid for themselves or a family member to obtain a U visa. The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, defendants are subject to deportation following any conviction.Eleven Indians were charged in March, but 10 have now been convicted. Mitul Patel, 40, who lives illegally in Worcester, Massachusetts, is not mentioned in the latest list.