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Patna, October 28 (IANS): The four-day Chhath Puja, one of Bihar’s most revered festivals concluded on Tuesday morning with lakhs of devotees offering Arghya (prayers) to the rising Sun, thereby marking the end of their 36-hour waterless fast.At dawn, devotees gathered along riverbanks, ponds, and reservoirs across the state to make offerings of milk, water, and seasonal fruits, before breaking their fasts.The ritual concluded with devotees sipping tea mixed with ghee, symbolizing the completion of the four-day Chhath Maha parv.The Chhath fast is considered among the most rigorous in Hindu tradition, reflecting purity, discipline, and faith. It is observed twice a year — during Kartik Shukla Paksha (Sharadiya Chhath) and Chaitra month (Chaitra Chhath).Chief Minister Nitish Kumar celebrate...

Jaipur, Oct 28 (IANS) Two people were killed while 12 others suffered burn injuries after a bus carrying labourers came in contact with a high-tension power line in the Manoharpur area, about 50 kilometres from Jaipur, on Tuesday.According to officials, the labourers were being transported to a brick kiln in Todi village when the accident occurred.The bus reportedly brushed against an overhead high-tension line, causing an electric current to surge through the vehicle and triggering a fire. Locals rushed to the scene and helped rescue those trapped inside the burning bus.Eyewitnesses said several passengers sustained severe burns before they could be pulled out.Villagers claimed they had repeatedly urged the local administration to remove or raise the height of these high-tension lines, bu...

Kolkata, Oct 28 (IANS) Bengal BJP leader Rakesh Singh and his children were arrested allegedly for going on a rampage inside a housing complex in the Kasba area of Kolkata, police said on Tuesday. According to the police, the incident occurred on Monday, during which Rakesh and his daughter and son allegedly assaulted the owner of a flat and his children.The police said that the BJP leader has a flat in a multi-storeyed building in Kasba. However, he was accused of forcibly occupying another flat in the same residential complex.When the owner of the flat went to remove things from the place along with his workers, Rakesh Singh and his children allegedly attacked him.The victim alleged that the attackers had firearms.The owner of the flat, Chandu Khan, was injured in the attack and was admi...

Katihar, Oct 28 (IANS) Ahead of the release of the Mahagathbandhan’s election manifesto, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad on Tuesday criticised the alliance, claiming that its manifesto focuses solely on attaining power rather than addressing the state’s development.Speaking to IANS, Tarkishore Prasad said, “The Mahagathbandhan’s manifesto is not based on any real vision. It is all about how to get into power. Their viewpoint is personal and self-centered. They have no genuine concern for the development of Bihar.”He further added, “Their manifesto is nothing more than a bundle of papers. The people of Bihar have already given them a chance. From 1995 to 2005, they were in power, and everyone knows how they used that opportunity. They do not deserve another chance to re...

Amaravati, Oct 28 (IANS) With severe cyclone Montha in the Bay of Bengal hurtling towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, the state government has introduced a real-time voice alert system in coastal districts.Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said on Tuesday that, as per Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's directive to provide cyclone information to the public in various forms, cyclone warnings through real-time voice alerts were introduced on a pilot basis in 26 coastal villages.Real-time voice alerts for the Montha cyclone warnings are being delivered within minutes in these coastal villages on an experimental basis.Even in the event of a power outage, a 360-degree horn speaker system provides clear warnings even within a radius of one kilometre. This system will b...

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) India is keeping a close watch on the political developments in Nepal as stability in the country is crucial, since the two countries share a 1,700-kilometre border.Officials said that India is wary of external influence in Nepal, and hence, elections must be held soon. Currently, there is an interim government in place, and this was installed following the Gen Z protests during which 73 people died. The K. P. Oli government was thrown out following protests.Indian agencies suspect that external elements are making attempts to create a political vacuum in the country. If a caretaker government prolongs, then it gives other countries, including China, time to influence Nepal through both economic and infrastructure projects.Many external elements are also trying to ...