Category: India

A tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station happened late Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 people. Thousands of people were trying to catch trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival. The chaos started around 10 pm when the crowd became too large to manage.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as frightening. Ajit, a sergeant in the Indian Air Force, recounted, “I was coming back from my duty, and the crowd was enormous. I tried to get people to move away from the platform, but no one listened.” Ajit and a friend helped several injured people.

The crowd was larger than the station could handle, one witness said, “It felt like a disaster waiting to happen. There were so many people that it was impossible to control them.”

Among the victims was Sanjay, who lost his sister in the stampede. “We were a group of 12 family members. We were still on the stairs when everything happened. We found her half an hour later, but by then it was too late,” he recalled, filled with sorrow.

The situation worsened when an announcement changed where one train would arrive, causing more people to rush to the platform. “No one was controlling the crowd,” another witness said. “When the announcer said the train would come on a different platform, everyone pushed to get there, and a stampede broke out.”

The station was also overcrowded because about 1,500 general tickets were being sold, and there were delays in trains. Pappu, a man from Patna, lost his mother in the panic. “She didn’t make it. We were just trying to go home,” he said, his voice shaking with sadness.

After the incident, Daulat Ram Chaudhary from the National Disaster Response Force said, “The situation is now under control. We have rescued the injured.” The authorities had anticipated a large crowd but were surprised by how quickly things got out of hand. KPS Malhotra, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Railway, said, “We thought we could manage the crowd, but it happened so fast. We will investigate what went wrong.”

On Sunday, the Railway Board created a special team to look into what led to the stampede. Dilip Kumar, a member of the Board, confirmed train services had resumed. “We have controlled the situation and even added four special trains to help with the crowd. Some people fainted and were taken to nearby hospitals,” he explained.

Pakistan is concerned after US President Donald Trump said he wants to give India F-35 stealth fighter jets. During a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump mentioned this plan, saying it would help strengthen military sales to India, starting this year with billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment.

Pakistan fears that giving advanced military technology to India could upset the balance of power in the region and make peace harder to achieve in South Asia. Officials from Pakistan called on the world to recognize the true situation in the area and not take sides.

A spokesperson from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that these military steps create an imbalance and threaten peace. They urged international partners to look at the issues in a balanced way.

In response to Trump’s comments, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that while there was a talk about F-35 jets, no official process for purchasing them has started yet.

During their meeting, Trump and Modi also talked about a new project called the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA). This is meant to strengthen how they work together on defense, especially in new technologies for security. They plan to do more military exercises together and improve how they share important information about security.

Trump also announced the extradition of a man named Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of being involved in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. He will be sent back to India to face justice.

On Friday, India made bourbon whiskey cheaper by slashing the tax from 150% to 100%. This change happened after former US President Donald Trump complained about high taxes on American products being unfair. The new tax was announced just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump. Now, the total tax on bourbon is 100%, made up of a 50% basic tax and an additional 50% tax.

The US is the biggest seller of bourbon whiskey to India, providing about 25% of the bourbon imported. In the year 2023-24, India bought bourbon whiskey worth $2.5 million. The US and India want to increase their trade to $500 billion by 2030 and are working on a trade deal to lower taxes.

5 Fun Facts About Bourbon Whiskey

1. What is Bourbon? Bourbon whiskey is America’s only spirit made mainly from corn, with at least 51% of the mixture being corn. In 1964, the US Congress officially called it a special American product.

2. Barrel Aging: For bourbon to be called bourbon, it must be aged in a brand-new white oak barrel that has never been used before. The inside of the barrel is burned to give it flavor before the whiskey is added.

3. Where it Comes From: Bourbon was first created in the 1800s in Kentucky, specifically Bourbon County. Many people think bourbon can only be made in that county, but that’s not true! As long as it follows the rules, bourbon can be made anywhere in the US.

4. Reusable Barrels: After bourbon is made, the barrels can be used to age other types of whiskey. The charred barrels can be used to flavor other drinks, like single malt scotch.

5. Mixing Bourbon: Bourbon whiskey is very versatile and can be used in popular cocktails like an ‘Old Fashioned,’ the ‘Mint Julep’ (the official drink of the Kentucky Derby), and a ‘Manhattan.’ It has yummy flavors like vanilla, oak, and caramel that blend well in many drinks.

The Karnataka government is taking a closer look at how money was handled during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have handed the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). This news came out on Friday, two months after police started looking into some strange financial activities.

A team from the CID, led by Police Superintendent Raghavendra Hegde, will investigate the suspected corruption that happened under the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The current Congress-led government is using this investigation to defend itself against other accusations it is facing.

The police had filed a First Information Report (FIR) on December 13, targeting high-ranking officials. Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and former health minister B Sriramulu might also be in for some scrutiny as the investigation goes on.

The government had already created a special group to look at a report from Justice John Michael D’Cunha, which helped guide their decision to investigate further. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated that anyone found guilty of misusing Covid funds would face the law.

Shivakumar raised alarms about testing numbers. He pointed out that in the area managed by the BBMP, 84 lakh RT-PCR tests were done, racking up bills of ₹502 crore, and ₹400 crore has already been paid. He questioned how such a high number of tests could be done in households.

At Kidwai Hospital, similar issues arose. They claimed to have conducted 24 lakh tests for ₹146 crore without the right approvals. This raised serious questions about the testing process.

Previously, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was looking into this case but was hesitant due to the senior politicians involved. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara visited Udayagiri police station after chaos erupted from a controversial social media post. He met with high-ranking officers to review what happened.

Parameshwara shared that arrests were being made based on video footage, ensuring that justice is served. He promised that anyone responsible for the violence, especially those who attacked police, would face action. Forensic teams are examining videos to ensure only the right people are charged. They are also checking for any outside influences on the incident.

Parameshwara eased worries about police morale, saying, “Our officers are well-trained.” He rejected claims of police being ineffective and praised them for quickly controlling the situation. When asked about using extreme measures like demolishing properties of rioters, he insisted, “The legal system in Karnataka is strong enough to handle this without going that far.