Monsoon rains have unleashed widespread destruction across India, claiming seven lives in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka due to landslides and floods, while heavy downpours have disrupted normal life and triggered red alerts in Maharashtra and other regions.
Himachal Pradesh's snow-covered mountain passes and Kashmir's iconic lakes attract tourists yearning to escape the hot summer.
Mountaineer Baljeet Kaur, known for scaling five 8000-metre peaks in a single season, is one of four recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for 2024. Other awardees include Skalzang Rigzin for land adventure, Rimo Saha for water adventure, and Shiv Prasad Chamoli for lifetime achievement, recognising their exceptional contributions to adventure sports in India.
Tanya Chaudhary shattered the women's hammer throw national record with a distance of 68.35m at the Indian Athletics Series Final. Concurrently, Avinash Sable marked a triumphant return to the 3000m steeplechase, winning his first race in over a year. Both athletes are part of India's Asian Games contingent, with Sable also eyeing a 5000m entry. The event saw a lucrative prize fund, highlighting significant performances across various disciplines.
A family's holiday trip turned into a nightmare as a woman and her 11-month-old son died after the parked vehicle they were in rolled backwards and plunged into a gorge in Lahaul and Spiti district, the police said on Friday.
NITI Aayog's inaugural Investment Friendliness Index, scoring 36 states and Union Territories on 84 indicators across eight pillars, revealed that no state or UT reached a score of 60 out of 100, indicating significant room for improvement in attracting investment.
The Supreme Court of India refused to entertain a petition from a judicial officer challenging the recommendation of junior officers for appointment as Himachal Pradesh High Court judges. The court stated it would not "open a pandora's box" by judicially reviewing collegium proceedings, emphasising the collegium's subjective satisfaction in such matters. The petitioner later withdrew his plea to pursue administrative or judicial remedies at the High Court level.
Two individuals have been arrested in connection with a daylight shooting in the Makhanumaajra area of Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, where a local resident was injured.
Tanya Chaudhary shattered the women's hammer throw national record with a 68.35m throw at the Indian Athletics Series Final, while Avinash Sable secured an emphatic win in the men's 3000m steeplechase in his first race in over a year. Both athletes, who are part of the Asian Games team, received Rs 1 lakh prize money from the lucrative event. Chaudhary expressed her long-standing pursuit of the record and her focus on technique, while Sable aims to compete in both 3000m steeplechase and 5000m at the Asian Games after recovering from an ACL surgery.
With the party bagging its first victory in the hill state without the charismatic presence of Virbhadra Singh, Sukhu's elevation makes it clear that the party is ready to move on.
The counting is underway in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Watch all the political action unfold in these states right here on Rediff.com.
Hindu organisations protested in Himachal's Chamba district after a boy allegedly set fire to a cloth covering an idol in the Jalpa temple. Police are investigating, and the boy's family has apologised.
The Himachal Pradesh government has ordered a fresh probe into alleged irregularities in the Chester Hills housing project following pressure from the BJP, who claim the government initially tried to suppress the case.
Following devastating flash floods in Nepal, experts are calling for systematic scientific assessments of glaciers to understand and mitigate hazards, alongside the development of a robust land use policy for the Himalayan region. The floods, which killed over 460 people and left thousands missing, are believed to be linked to climate change impacts on glaciers and permafrost.
Indian companies LTM and Mastek announced new international partnerships for cloud, AI, and digital transformation. Jio BlackRock AMC launched a new hybrid fund. NMIMS partnered with Coursera for AI-enabled learning, and MakeMyTrip Foundation rebuilt a flood-damaged school in Manali.
A recent study by scientists indicates that the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region is experiencing increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, including rapid glacial melting and changing rainfall patterns. However, the research also cautions against solely blaming climate change, highlighting that human factors like population growth, commercial activities, and non-enforcement of regulations contribute significantly to the vulnerability and impact of these disasters. The study points out that many devastating floods originate from small glaciers and rain-fed streams, exacerbated by encroachment on unstable slopes and floodplains.
Many places across northern states including Delhi recorded above-normal temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius, while the India Meteorological Department warned of heatwave conditions in parts of Uttar Pradesh in the coming days. Jammu and Kashmir saw a dip in temperatures with fresh snowfall in the higher reaches and rainfall in the plains.
The Nihangs have called off their planned protest march in Uttarakhand related to a recent dispute at the Karnaprayag market in Chamoli and a gurdwara in Nagrasu.
Three individuals have been apprehended in connection with the murder of a 78-year-old Buddhist monk in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The suspects, all reportedly drug addicts, allegedly committed the crime to obtain money for drugs.
The World Health Organization has requested information from the Indian government regarding the alleged supply of spurious oxytocin injections linked to the deaths of five women in Kota hospitals. This comes after regulatory action, including the cancellation of manufacturing licenses for Jackson Laboratories units, following joint inspections by drug control bodies. The government is investigating the matter, emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to quality violations.
Nine people from Himachal Pradesh, including a key Hindu Raksha Mahasabha functionary, three former armed forces personnel and two retired officers of the state administrative service, joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna revealed that the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Balyan was a pre-planned conspiracy involving a network linked to the Gogi gang, with attackers tracking his movements and procuring weapons in advance.
The BJP in Himachal Pradesh has demanded a thorough probe into the detention of a Delhi Police team and alleged misuse of the chief minister's office after a standoff between the two police forces.
Make the most of the monsoon with these hatke experiences.
'The trigger for the flood was definitely natural, but the damage that it caused was human-made.'
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly witnessed a heated debate over the rising drug problem, with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accusing the BJP of politicising the issue. The opposition alleges police involvement in drug trafficking.
A video depicting a foreign woman tourist being harassed in Manali has gone viral, leading to police action and an official inquiry. The incident, captured on CCTV, has raised concerns among locals and tourism stakeholders about Himachal Pradesh's image as a safe destination.
Conforming to the cycle of the ruling party being ejected from power in the hill state, the saffron party bagged 41 seats, five short of two-thirds majority in the 68-member assembly. In the outgoing House, BJP had only 19 MLAs.
Former chief secretary Vinit Chowdhary has criticised Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu over his handling of graft allegations in the Chester Hill housing project.
Delhi Police arrested three Youth Congress activists in Himachal Pradesh in connection with a shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit. The arrests led to a face-off with local police over procedural issues, but Delhi Police maintained that the operation was conducted legally.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and several states on a plea demanding a comprehensive national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the safe and orderly conduct of the annual Kanwar Yatra, including inter-state coordination and effective traffic management.
Its economy dependent on tourist arrivals, the hill state is looking at a summer of discontent. Not that the rest of the year promises to be any different. Ashwani Sharma reports from Shimla.
Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has publicly endorsed Isha Koppikar's 'andhbhakt' declaration, asserting that such devotion is rooted in love for the country.
Sikkim has identified 40 high-hazard glacial lakes, with 16 at the highest risk of catastrophic outbursts. Following a devastating GLOF in 2023, the state is developing India's first dedicated GLOF Risk Mitigation Protocol, using advanced monitoring and interdisciplinary approaches to protect downstream settlements and serve as a model for other Himalayan regions.
Jammu and Kashmir Police solved a murder case within four days by arresting the accused, Sardar Singh, from Himachal Pradesh. The victim, Roop Singh, was found shot dead in Kathua district. The accused, who owed the victim money, allegedly used his father's gun to commit the crime.
Opposition leaders have questioned how caste responses will be recorded without state-wise pre-prepared lists.
Azim and Naushad Shaikh (36) then stitched a 109-run partnership before the latter was trapped leg before by leg-spinner Priyanshu Khanduri.
A shooting occurred at a hotel in Kasol, Himachal Pradesh, following a brawl between tourists from Punjab and local youth. Police have detained four individuals and are investigating the incident.
The Army, National Disaster Response Force and local rescue teams have been called in for the rescue work, the Kinnaur deputy commissioner said.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das have engaged in a sharp verbal exchange, escalating the controversy surrounding Ranaut's 'Generation gutter' remarks aimed at young protesters.
